Lambert At The Oscars?

I know I was very vocal in my disgust for Roland Emmerick's "2012" was even made.  I mean, how many times can this guy destroy the world?  He did this in "Independence Day," "Stargate," "Godzilla," "The Day After Tomorrow"...let's just say this is not one of my favorite directors, and this movie pained me because I know it was going to be a big hit.  What I didn't realize at the time was that Adam Lambert did a track for the movie.  Who's Adam Lambert?  Well, for those who don't know (probably very few) he was a contestant on "American Idol" last year, who was the favorite to win when he ended up coming in second in what became one of the shows (and televisions) most loud upsets.

Lambert was very flamboyant, strange, and not someone who looked like he belonged on AI.  But he also sounded great.  He had a style that blew everyone away.  Listening to his debut album "For Your Entertainment" he comes off as the new Davie Bowie, and his loss was felt by everyone who saw the show and voted for him.  But he has an original song in "2012."  It's called "Time For Miracles."  And while it doesn't has Adam's usual style it's a very good ballad.  This makes it a favorite to get an Oscar nomination.  Which...makes this interesting all of a sudden.  Wouldn't it just be the ultimate vindication if Adam Lambert, who is widely considered the guy who was most robbed on AI on the stage performing at the Academy Awards?

Not only that, what if he wins?  I can't think of any better revenge against the public for losing to Kris Allen.  Kris Allen gets an AI crown and an album that has yet to chart.  Adam Lambert gets a "out-of-the-door" hit album and an Oscar early next year.  The idea just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside doesn't it?

Buy Adam Lambert's "For Your Entertainment"

Buy "Time For Miracles" MP3 from Amazon.com

Bullock Races For The Gold

While almost every teenage girl in America and several unlucky adults (yours included) went in droves to see "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" (Which, FYI, will NOT be nominated for any Oscars) another movie shocked the box office even more: "The Blind Side" starring Sandra Bullock.  Now some of you may think that this movie may not compare to "New Moon."  After all "New Moon" made $140 million at the box office while "The Blind Side" made only a quarter of that.  This is true.  However it was also very unexpected.  Drama's starring women in lead roles are, sadly, not very profitable at the box office.  Movies starring women in general tend not to sell well.  This is mainly because most of these movies aren't very good, but studio executives don't look at quality they look at numbers and factors.

Sandra Bullock is well into her forties.  By now she should be one of the "has-beens" of Hollywood, yet she's had a remarkable year.  "The Proposal" was not a great film by any stretch of the imagination, but it was largely inoffensive and (more importantly) made a ton of money.  "All About Steve" was also a financial success, though audiences were less forgiving of the quality of the film.  "The Blind Side" is perfect Oscar bait and was always intended to be so.  It features a famous actress putting on a little weight, talking in an accent, and making one of those feel good movies that is based on a true story.  At Rotten Tomatoes this movie has a 71% fresh rating, so it's doing decently with the critics (who I find seem to like her performance more then the actual movie).

However the box office can make or break certain Oscar roles.  A stand out performance will usually survive even if the movie tanks, but box office success can pull you through the race.  Bullock most likely would have been nominated for Best Actress anyway, but the fact that her movie was a surprise success at the box office, made money off a crowd that normally isn't profitable (middle-aged women), and is the first successful sports movies in years means that not only is Bullock getting a nomination, she's in it to win it.  I personally still want to see Carrey Mulligan walk home with the gold, but Bullock has been in this business for a long time, so this may be the perfect time for the Academy to honor her.  I know one thing: The Best Actress race just got a whole lot more interesting.

Miley Cyrus's 'Last Song'

So it appears Miley Cyrus wants to break away from Disney and have a career on her own.  There is tremendous pressure on her to NOT turn out like Britney Spears or Lindsay Lohan though!  With that in mind her upcoming role in "The Last Song" is...probably a good choice.  It's PG-rated.  She gets to contribute a few songs (real ones maybe).  She gets top billing.  Greg Kinnear and Kelly Preston play major roles.  Her part isn't hammered to audiences by the trailer (giving us the impression this may be a role movie and not a star vehicle).  The thing that could go either way for this film is the fact that it's based off a Nicolas Sparks novel.  For me the guy is hit and miss.  Some movies like "A Walk In The Clouds" and "The Notebook" range from excellent to pretty good.

Some of his movie adaptations are unrealistic and predictable.  Most of his stuff tends to be syrupy whether it be presented in print or celluloid.  I'm more than certain that this film will not get any Oscar nominations.  That said it's going to be fun to see where Cyrus's career goes from here.  With all the concerns that she may be trying to "sexy up" her musical career, it's nice to see a realistic transition from family star to real movie star with this movie.  If the movie is actually good then her career could get a critical boost.  If it's bad then be prepared for her to "sexy up" her movie parts as well.  I have to say though that scene where she's accepted to Julliard but has decided she's not going rings of a very bad TV movie cliche.

Documentaries Shortlisted: Academy Doesn't Capitalise On Moore

The Academy has official shortlisted the documentaries that are eligible for Best Documentary Feature. Below are the 15 films in alphabetical order by their title:

• The Beaches of Agnes, Agnès Varda, director (Cine-Tamaris)
• Burma VJ, Anders Østergaard, director (Magic Hour Films)
• The Cove, Louie Psihoyos, director (Oceanic Preservation Society)
• Every Little Step, James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo, directors (Endgame Entertainment)
• Facing Ali, Pete McCormack, director (Network Films Inc.)
• Food, Inc., Robert Kenner, director (Robert Kenner Films)
• Garbage Dreams, Mai Iskander, director (Iskander Films, Inc.)
• Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders,  Mark N. Hopkins, director (Red Floor Pictures LLC)
• The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers, Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith, directors (Kovno Communications)
• Mugabe and the White African, Andrew Thompson and Lucy Bailey, directors (Arturi Films Limited)
• Sergio,  Greg Barker, director (Passion Pictures and Silverbridge Productions)
• Soundtrack for a Revolution,  Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman, directors (Freedom Song Productions)
• Under Our Skin, Andy Abrahams Wilson, director (Open Eye Pictures)
• Valentino The Last Emperor,  Matt Tyrnauer, director (Acolyte Films)
• Which Way Home, Rebecca Cammisa, director (Mr. Mudd)

A nice surprise is to discover Michael Moore's "Capitalism: A Love Story" has been shut out of the documentary race (and now most certainly the Best Picture race).  My deepest condolences to him.  It must not be easy to be snubbed another unearned award on TOP of your film underperforming at the box office!

Sizing Up The Directors: Part 1

When the Academy announced earlier this year that the Best Picture nominees would be give five additional nominees it changed many things about the race this year.  However no race has been affected by this as much as the Best Director race.  With only five nominees here a Best Director nominee could really boost a films chance to win the top prize at the Oscars.  Not only that, but with ten nominees directors will likely get their nominations more on spectacle and interesting camera movements, and intimate acting may not factor in the directors favor as much.  Right now there are 12 people that I can think of who have people talking "nomination" around them.  I'm going to look at these people and dissect which ones have the best shot at making the nominated five (in my opinion of course).

Name: Lee Daniels
Current Film: "Precious"
Nominated Before?: No
Won Before?: No

Going For Him/Her:  Lee Daniels is easily a front runner because he's made one of "the" movies of the year.  "Precious" is riding a wave of good press and public love that is rarely seen in independent films these days, and his unusual casting choices work wonderfully in this film despite sounding like complete misfires on paper.

Going Against Him/Her:  With ten nominees there's a chance the direction nominations willlean more towards spectacle rather then acting.  Voters might vote on acting quality by voting for the actors even though directors have a huge role in this process.

My Verdict:  I think Daniels has a great shot of getting a nomination.  He has little going for him, though I doubt his direction will actually win even if the movie is the big winner.

Name: Steven Soderberg
Current Film: The Informant
Nominated Before?: Twice.  For "Traffic" and "Erin Brockovich."
Won Before?: Yes, for "Traffic"

Going For Him/Her:  Soderberg is always experimenting with film.  He makes experimental films and Hollywood successes with ease.  "The Informant" feels experimental but is widely accessible to most audiences.

Going Against Him/Her:  Some people feel Matt Damon is the real reason this movie works.  Soderberg has won before.  There's not a whole lot of obvious "directorial touches" in the film.

My Verdict:  I think praise for "The Informant" has come and gone and only Damon is talked about now, so I think he's out.

Name:  Michael Mann
Current Film:  "Public Enemies"
Nominated Before?:  Yes, for "The Informant."
Won Before?:  No.

Going For Him/Her:  "Public Enemies" was a mild summer hit.  It was a summer film that was intelligent for once.  Interesting use of digital film making.

Going Against Him/Her:  The movie isn't talked about much.  Some felt the digital camera was used poorly.

My Verdict:  I think he's out.  If Johnny Depp is looking shaky then Mann is certainly in trouble.

Name:  James Cameron
Current Film:  "Avatar"
Nominated Before?:  Yes, for "Titanic."
Won Before?:  Yes, for "Titanic."

Going For Him/Her:  Cameron aims big.  His movies are visual wonders to behold.  Has a good track record of taking financial gambles and turning them into money making hits.  "Avatar" has too much pizazz to be ignored.

Going Against Him/Her:  Some feel Cameron is indulgent.  Science fiction is rarely nominated and has never won.  Has won this award for a movie many people feel was never good in the first place.

My Verdict:  I think if "Avatar" is even half as good as the hype claims it is he's in.  Cameron is one of the few mainstream film makers the Academy loves mainly BECAUSE he's mainstream!

Name:  Peter Doctor
Current Film:  Up
Nominated Before?:  No
Won Before?:  No

Going For Him/Her:  "Up" has a good possibility of being the first animated film since "Beauty & The Beast" to get a nomination for Best Picture.  Two of the most memorable scenes of the year are in this film.  He's directed the most memorable film of the year (thus far).

Going Against Him/Her:  The Academy feels that animation contains no real direction (or acting or production for that matter).

My Verdict:  Though it would make the race VERY interesting I don't think this is going to happen!  The chances are pretty slim.

Name:  Kathryn Bigelow
Current Film:  "The Hurt Locker"
Nominated Before?:  No
Won Before?:  No

Going For Him/Her:  "The Hurt Locker" has stuck around since it's spring release to be noticed as one of the years best.  The direction is so solid more people are talking about the direction over the movie itself.

Going Against Him/Her:  The movie came out in spring.  The picture itself is not favored to be nominated in the Best Picture category anymore.  A woman has never won this award.

My Verdict:  I think she's in.  Even if "The Hurt Locker" isn't nominated Bigelow's direction has been praised too much to ignore.

Stay tuned for part 2...

Will Ethnicity Affect The Oscars?

I know it's sort of an on-and-off subject of the Oscars, but once in awhile ethnicity comes into play when people do and don't win Oscars.  Had Steven Spielberg not directed "The Color Purple" I'm convinced the film would have won Best Picture that year (as well as a bunch of other awards).  By the time Halle Berry won her Best Actress Oscar in 2000 there was word that a black person was long overdue for another Oscar win (the last won to win was Whoopi Goldberg for Best Supporting Actress in"Ghost").  Berry I can understand winning, but Denzel Washington for "Training Day?"  Hey, I love Washington, but that was NOT one of his more memorable movies!  In 2003 when three actors were favored to win Oscars (of which two did) it was purely for quality work, so sometimes the craft plays a crucial role in things.

This year is shaping up to be ethnically political.  First up we have "Precious" that is a Best Picture favorite.  The movie in limited release has gotten rave reviews, is making very good money, and it has the combined support of Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry.  This would be good merits on the films chances as it is, but then you have to factor in that a movie starring mostly black people and (more importantly) that are about the black culture has yet to win.  "The Color Purple" lost, a good portion of black people find "Driving Miss Daisy" to be offensive, and great movies about black people like "Do The Right Thing," "Malcom X," and "Dreamgirls" weren't even nominated.  With all that in mind, "Precious" stands out to me as being a favorite to win the top prize (though Best Director I'm not as sure).

Denzel Washington in his Oscar-winning role for "Training Day."

And folks, don't get me wrong: "Precious" is one of the best films of the year and I would have little problem with it winning.  The only thing I'm contemplating this is because it's been a sore spot for many that a movie made by black people and starring black people has yet to win Best Picture.  So the sudden success of such a movie that has award potential makes this a big one for people who have such concerns with the Academy.  However that's not the main reason I'm writing this article.  I'm writing because recently I saw a wonderful movie called "Skin" directed by Anthony Fabian.  Now "Skin" is a small movie that was released under-the-radar, but I'm sure this movie will be discussed in the public very soon.

I also believe that should the movie catch on with the public then Sophie Okonedo and Sam Neill will be favorites to be nominated for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor, respectively.  The story is based off the true story of Sandra Laing, a girl born to white parents in South Africa but was classified black because of her darker skin.  Her parents were not liberal.  Though they loved their daughter very much they never saw her as black, and her father in particular had PROBLEMS with black people!  Her story is almost so surreal it's difficult to believe.  Should this film catch on race will be a big discussion point for many people, and should it get big enough it will probably trickle into the Oscar race.  It's happened before and it will happen again.  I hope it doesn't though.  Nothing ruins the award race like discussions of ethnicity, and no topics ruins the awards more.

Sophie Okonedo as Sandra Laing in "Skin."

Because once these discussions start and they spiral out of control you see people, scripts, and films being awarded/not awarded Oscars for reasons other then quality.  Right now with the new ten rule the race is looking interesting, and "Precious" does seem like a logical choice for the big prize, but if a better movie is released I don't want their to be pressure on the Academy to award "Precious" just because a black film has yet to win this award.

And Then There Were Five (Finally)

Big news for the Best Animated Feature award: For the first time since 2001 (the year Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" won) there will be FIVE nominees for Best Animated Film!  This is the list of eligible films, I've highlighted the ones that I feel have the best shot at a nomination:

“Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel”
“Astro Boy”
“Battle for Terra”
“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”
“Coraline”
“Disney’s A Christmas Carol”
“The Dolphin – Story of a Dreamer”
“Fantastic Mr. Fox”
“Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs”
“Mary and Max”
“The Missing Lynx”
“Monsters vs. Aliens”
“9”
“Planet 51”
“Ponyo”
“The Princess and the Frog”
“The Secret of Kells”
“Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure”
“A Town Called Panic”
“Up”

Right now the favorite to win is "Up."  Mainly because it looks like Pixar has a good chance at (finally) getting a Best Picture nod with that film, and ask any person who tracks the Best Foreign Language Feature race how that usually goes.  Once in awhile a foreign film will get nominated for Best Picture.  It usually shows up in Best Foreign Language Film too.  The Academy will always go the conservative way and give the foreign film Best Foreign Language Film whether it deserves Best Picture or not.  This is an easy way to "spread the love around," so if "Up" does get nominated don't be too surprised if that fact alone makes it an automatic winner in this category.  Still, competition looks stiff, so it's going to be interesting what happens.

P.S. While I would love to see "A Christmas Carol" nominated over "Coraline" chances are the Academy will pass since they showed little love for Zemeckis's previous animated outing "The Polar Express."