5 to 10 (What A Way To Make A Living)

Today the Academy made a startling announcement: the number of films eligeble for Best Picture will be bumped up form 5 to 10. There will still be 5 nominees in all the other categories, but 10 films will now be up for Best Picture, the first time since 1943. No doubt this is in response to "The Dark Knight" and "Wall-E" just barely not making the top five last year. The Academy received a lot of flack for that and deservingly so. Chances are they are doing this to hopefully get the publics latest critical darling, "Up," into the Best Picture race. This still might not happen as Academy voters could still vote for more 'Oscar friendly' films that are of lesser quality. Movies like "The Soloist" may not be great films, but since that movie is more in line with the Academies tastes we could be looking at more mediocrity getting nominated.

If that happens you can be sure the Academy will get Hell from the public. But before we jump all over the cons lets look at some of the pros:

1. Movies like "Up," "Watchmen," and even "Star Trek" have decent shots at getting into the Best Picture race. There's no telling whether they will or not, but they have a shot.


2. The Best Director award may be forced to stand seperate from the Picture category. Seriously, I know the director is important, but just because you made one of the best films of the year does NOT mean you are a great director! "The Queen" was one of my favorite films of 2006, and even I wouldn't say Stephen Frears direction was anything special.


3. Foreign films, animated films, and even documentaries have a better shot at getting Academy recognition that is normally overlooked in favor of more "dramatic" fare.


4. Now with 10 nominees, studios have more freedom to spread out their Oscar over the year.

I'll talk about the cons in another post, but for now I feel this is great news. I can't wait to see how this plays out next year when it's time to announce the nominees.

Are Pixar's Best Picture Odd's Looking "Up?"

The movie has received a 96% fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.com. It was the first animated film chosen to open the prestige Cannes Film Festival. Critics are calling it a revolutionary film. Roger Ebert loves it. It will likely open at number 1 this weekend and stay in the top five for months. Chances are it's already won the Best Animated Feature Oscar (though the competition in that category is looking more tough then it has in recent years). So now we ask the ultimate question: Will "Up" be the Pixar film that finally break into the Best Picture category? Boy I would love to think so. I loved the movie. I think it's excellent. This would easily be a Best Picture contender for any other film. But I'm going to go on a limb and say, no, it's not happening. Now I'm not saying I throw in the towel. I'm putting that title under my Best Picture Predix and I'll leave it there til the end of the year.

I think it's time the Academy stop mucking around and recognize that Pixar makes classics and it's nonsense that they haven't cracked the top category by now. The only reason I'm not fully backing this idea is simple: "Wall-E." If "Wall-E" couldn't crack the top category then I'm having a hard time thinking of any reason this one will. Is it THAT much better then "Wall-E." No. It's more of less of the same quality. But despite a lackluster year where we're considering an apocalyptic film that's based on a highly overrated book as a frontrunner for Best Picture shows just how much the Academy goes out of their way to keep animation out of the top category. It will get multiple nominations but will likely only walk home with Best Animated Feature. And really, if that happens again, that category is going to feel like such a shallow victory. I mean, more so then it already does.

Full List of 2008 Winners

Well the show is over and now it's time to wipe the sidebar clean and move on with predicting next years nominees. Time flies when doing awards predictions, but the sad reality is this thing never stops. At the end of the journey it's as if a book has been written, and one has nothing left to do but to start all over again. I've already wiped the sidebar clean and added a few early predictions from films I've seen, and those predictions will morph and shift over the course of the year. Before completely moving on though, lets look at this years winners one more time:

BEST PICTURE

'Slumdog Millionaire' (Fox Searchlight) A Celador Films Production, Christian Colson, producer

LEAD ACTOR

Sean Penn in 'Milk' (Focus Features)

LEAD ACTRESS

Kate Winslet in 'The Reader' (The Weinstein Company)

DIRECTOR

Danny Boyle for 'Slumdog Millionaire' (Fox Searchlight)

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

'Departures' -- Japan (Regent Releasing) A Departures Film Partners production

SUPPORTING ACTOR

Heath Ledger in 'The Dark Knight' (Warner Bros)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Penelope Cruz in 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' (The Weinstein Company)

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Dustin Lance Black for 'Milk' (Focus Features)

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Simon Beaufoy for 'Slumdog Millionaire' (Fox Searchlight)

ANIMATED FEATURE

Andrew Stanton for 'WALL-E' (Walt Disney)

ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Kunio Kato for 'La Maison en Petits Cubes' (A Robot Communications Production)

ART DIRECTION

Donald Graham Burt for art direction and Victor J. Zolfo for set decoration on 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' (Paramount and Warner Bros)

COSTUME DESIGN

Michael O’Connor for 'The Duchess' (Paramount Vantage, Pathe and BBC Films)

MAKEUP

Greg Cannom for 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' (Paramount and Warner Bros)

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Anthony Dod Mantle for 'Slumdog Millionaire' (Fox Searchlight)

LIVE ACTION SHORT FIRM

Jochen Alexander Freydank for 'Spielzeugland (Toyland)', a Mephisto Film production

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

James Marsh and Simon Chinn for 'Man on Wire' (Magnolia Pictures) A Wall to Wall production

DOCUMENTARY SHORT

Megan Mylan for 'Smile Pinki', a Principle production

VISUAL EFFECTS

Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron for 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' (Paramount and Warner

Bros)

SOUND EDITING

Richard King for 'The Dark Knight' (Warner Bros)

SOUND MIXING

Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty for 'Slumdog Millionaire' (Fox Searchlight)

FILM EDITING

Chris Dickens for 'Slumdog Millionaire' (Fox Searchlight)

ORIGINAL SCORE

A.R. Rahman for 'Slumdog Millionaire' (Fox Searchlight)

ORIGINAL SONG

'Jai Ho' from 'Slumdog Millionaire' (Fox Searchlight), music by A.R. Rahman, lyrics by Gulzar

Oscar Winners Leaked?

According to this site they have been. Here's the list:

• Actor in a leading role: Mickey Rourke
• Actor in a supporting role: Heath Ledger
• Actress in a leading role: Kate Winslet
• Actress in a supporting role: Amy Adams
• Animated Feature Film: Wall-E
• Art Direction: The Dark Knight
• Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire
• Costume Design: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Directing: Slumdog Millionaire
• Documentary feature: Man on Wire
• Documentary short: The Conscience of Nhem En
• Film editing: Milk
• Foreign language film: Departures
• Makeup: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Music (Score): Defiance
• Music (Song): Down to Earth (Wall-E)
• Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
• Short film (animated): Presto
• Short film (live action): Auf Der Strecke (On The Line)
• Sound editing: Wall-E
• Sound mixing: The Dark Knight
• Visual effects: Iron Man
• Writing (Adapted screenplay): The Reader
• Writing (Original screenplay): In Bruges

Well...it's an interesting list. On one hand it sounds pretty reasonable. On the other hand there are some strange listings on it. Most of the acting categories are going as according to plan...but Amy Adams? Well, okay, I'm not going to rule her out yet. Yeah it's the weakest performance of the three, but she obviously has enough love to get a nomination for a role like that, and the strong support for Penelope Cruz and Viola Davis could certainly split the vote. The thing that sticks out for this is the screenplays. It seems a bit weird that "The Reader" would get Best Adapted Screenplay when "Slumdog Millionaire" is winning everything. But I think the one that stands out is "In Brudges" winning Best Original Screenplay. For starters "Milk" is the sole nomination in this category that has a Best Picture nomination, and that usually results in a win. It could split it's vote with "Wall-E," but it feels like such a long shot.

I also find it odd that "The Dark Knight" and "Wall-E" share sound awards, seeing that the sound awards usually both go to the same film. Not to mention the Academy is VERY protective of the results, and chances are this is more of an educated guess then anything! So my opinion is that I wouldn't use this as a betting guide...that said, these upsets seem at the very least logical, so if this list does prove to be legit then we are looking at at least a few upsets.

Predicting Next Years Oscars

Most of the time people who run awards sites like these don't start predicting the next years winners until at least the current year is over. But with "Slumdog Millionaire" so obviously winning the race and Heath Ledger all but a sure thing, this Oscar race is getting a bit...boring. Seriously though when you think about this is a year for locks: 'Slumdog' wins Picture, Danny Boyle wins Director, Kate Winslet wins Actress, Ledger wins Supporting Actor, "Wall-E" wins Animated Feature, on and on it goes. Right now I'd say the only real race we have is between Sean Penn and Mickey Rourke for Best Actor. So yesterday I made an early list of predictions for next years Oscars, in the vein of Everything Oscar's year predix list. I'm holding off posting it until after the awards airs, but I figured since this year is pretty much a done deal it's time to move on. So I've got material to share with you pretty much directly after the Oscars air next Sunday so that this site can keep on trucking.

Peter Gabriel Pulls Out of Oscar

Nikki Finke over at Deadline Hollywood reports that Peter Gabriel will NOT be performing his Oscar-nominated song "Down To Earth" from "Wall-E" at the Oscars this year! This is the result of the producers trying once again to getting the show down to less then three hours. Unless the Academy starts giving away less awards this is not going to happen. You know it and I know it. In a letter to the Academy Gabriel says:

"I was delighted when "Down to Earth" was nominated for an Oscar. I was also pleased to have been asked to perform the song in the Oscar ceremony. However, in recent discussions with the Producers, it became clear that despite there being only three nominees, only 60-65 seconds was being offered, and that was also in a medley of the three songs. I don't feel that is sufficient time to do the song justice, and have decided to withdraw from performing.

I fully respect and look forward to the Producers' right to revamp the show. Even though song writers are small players in the film making process, they are just as committed and work just as hard as the rest of the team and I regret that this new version of the ceremony is being created, in part, at their expense."

I still very much look forward to attending the ceremony."

I'm sorry to see that we won't see Pete singing the song. Part of me also wonders if this choice could hurt the songs chances of winning the gold. Regardless, this is bad news for the Academy who is already faced with the possability of the worst rated Oscar telecast in years. No Dark Knight, no Peter Gabriel, no Bruce Springsteen, no Miley Cyrus, no "Wall-E" (kind of)...it's getting to be a mess folks. This is going to be one interesting year to see if the Academy can pull themselves out of this mess.

"Kung Fu Panda" Sweeps Annie Awards

The Annie Awards are supposed to be the biggest animation awards show out there, but they blew it tonight. Big time. Although I should have seen it coming when the nominations were announced, I didn't think they'd actually do it. Tonight "Kung Fu Panda" swept the awards including Best Picture and Pixar's "Wall-E" was shut out completely. I knew it was fishy when 'Panda' received a whopping 17 nominations and "Wall-E" received only 8, but to think that the nominations would reflect the winner so closely...I just don't get it. The only thing I can think of is that Pixar fatique is starting to sink in, and people are getting tired of giving them the awards every year. Of course, Pixar shouldn't be punished for raising the bar every year, but this shows that no matter how much praise you get, it doesn't garentee awards. See folks, there are other organizations then the Academy that get things wrong.

6th Annual Annie Award Nominees and Winners (2008)

Winners in bold*

PRODUCTION CATEGORIES

Best Animated Feature

• Bolt – Walt Disney Animation Studios

• Kung Fu Panda – DreamWorks Animation*

• $9.99 – Sherman Pictures/Lama Films

• Wall·E – Pixar Animation Studios

• Waltz With Bashir – Sony Pictures Classics, Bridgit Folman, Les Films D’ici, Razor Films

Best Animated Home Entertainment Production

• Batman: Gotham Knight – Warner Bros. Animation

• Christmas Is Here Again – Easy To Dream Entertainment in association with Renegade Animation

• Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs – The Curiosity Company in association with 20^th Century Fox Home Entertainment*

• Justice League: The New Frontier – Warner Bros. Animation

• The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning – DisneyToon Studios

Best Animated Short Subject

• Glago’s Guest – Walt Disney Animation Studios

• Hot Dog – Bill Plympton Studio

• Presto – Pixar Animation Studios

• Sebastian’s Voodoo – Joaquin Baldwin

• Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death – Aardman Animations Ltd.*

Best Animated Television Commercial

• Giant Monster – Curious Pictures

• Long Legs Mr. Hyde – Curious Pictures

• Rotofugi: The Collectors – Screen Novelties/RSA Films

• Sarah – Z Animation

• United Airlines “Heart” – Duck Studios*

Best Animated Television Production

• King of the Hill – 20^th Century Fox TV

• Moral Orel – ShadowMachine

• Phineas and Ferb – Disney Television Animation

• Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II - ShadowMachine*

• The Simpsons – Gracie Films/Fox TV

Best Animated Television Production Produced for Children

• A Miser Brothers Christmas – Warner Bros. Animation in association with ABC Family & Cuppa Coffee Studios

• Avatar: The Last Airbender – Nickelodeon*

• Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends “Destination Imagination” – Cartoon Network Studios

• The Mighty B! – Nickelodeon

• Underfist: Halloween Bash – Cartoon Network Studios

Best Animated Video Game

• Dead Space – Electronic Arts

• Kung Fu Panda – Activision*

• Wall·E – Heavy Iron Studios, a division of THQ, Inc.

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORIES

Animated Effects

• Alen Lai “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who” – Blue Sky Studios

• Li-Ming Lawrence Lee “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation*

• Fangwei Lee “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” – DreamWorks Animation

• Kevin Lee “Bolt” – Walt Disney Animation Studios

• Enrique Vila “Wall·E” – Pixar Animation Studios

Character Animation in a Feature Production

• James Baxter “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation*

• Jeff Gabor “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who” – Blue Sky Studios

• Philippe Le Brun “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation

• Victor Navone “Wall·E” – Pixar Animation Studios

• Dan Wagner “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation

Character Animation in a Television Production or Short Form

• Sandro Cleuzo “Secrets of the Furious Five” – DreamWorks Animation

• Joshua A. Jennings “Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II” - ShadowMachine

• Pierre Perifel “Secrets of the Furious Five” – DreamWorks Animation*

Character Design in an Animated Feature Production

• Valerie Hadida “Igor” – Exodus Film Group

• Sang Jun Lee “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who” – Blue Sky Studios

• Nico Marlet “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation*

Character Design in an Animated Television Production or Short Form

• Bryan Arnett – Mighty B! “Bat Mitzah Crashers” – Nickelodeon

• Ben Balistreri - Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends “Mondo Coco” – Cartoon Network Studios

• Sean Galloway “The Spectacular Spider-Man” – Sony Pictures Television

• Jorge Gutierrez – El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera “The Good, The Bad, The Tigre” – Nickelodeon

• Nico Marlet “Secrets of the Furious Five” – DreamWorks Animation*

Directing in an Animated Feature Production

• Sam Fell, Rob Stevenhagen “The Tale Of Despereaux” – Universal Pictures

• Ari Folman “Waltz With Bashir” – Sony Pictures Classics, Bridgit Folman, Les Films D’ici, Razor Films

• Tatia Rosenthal “9.99” – Sherman Pictures/ Lama Films

• John Stevenson & Mark Osborne “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation*

• Andrew Stanton “Wall·E” – Pixar Animation Studios

Directing in an Animated Television Production or Short Form

• Bob Anderson - The Simpsons “Treehouse of Horror XIX” – Gracie Films/Fox TV

• Joaquim Dos Santos – Avatar: The Last Airbender “Sozin’s Comet Pt. 3” – Nickelodeon*

• Craig McCracken, Rob Renzetti - Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends “Destination Imagination” – Cartoon Network Studios

• Chris McKay – Moral Orel “Passing” – ShadowMachine

• Alan Smart - SpongeBob SquarePants “Penny Foolish” – Nickelodeon

Music in an Animated Feature Production

• Kevin Manthei – “Batman: Gotham Knight” – Warner Bros. Animation

• John Powell – “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who” – Blue Sky Studios

• Max Richter – “Waltz With Bashir” – Sony Pictures Classics, Bridgit Folman, Les Films D’ici, Razor Films

• William Ross – “The Tale Of Despereaux” – Universal Pictures

• Hans Zimmer & John Powell – “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation*

Music in an Animated Television Production or Short Form

• Carl Finch & Brave Combo - Click and Clack’s “As the Wrench Turns” – CTTV Productions

• Henry Jackman, Hans Zimmer & John Powell – “Secrets of the Furious Five” – DreamWorks Animation*

• Kevin Kiner – “Star Wars The Clone Wars: Rising Malevolence” – Lucasfilm Animation Ltd.

• Guy Moon – Back at the Barnyard “Cowman: The Uddered Avenger” – Nickelodeon/Omation

• Guy Michelmore – “Growing Up Creepie: Rockabye Freakie” – Taffy Entertainment LLC

Production Design in an Animated Feature Production

• Ralph Eggleston “Wall·E” – Pixar Animation Studios

• Paul Felix “Bolt” – Walt Disney Animation Studios

• Tang Heng “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation*

• Evgeni Tomov “The Tale Of Despereaux” – Universal Pictures

• Raymond Zibach “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation

Production Design in an Animated Television Production or Short Form

• Andy Harkness “Glago’s Guest” – Walt Disney Animation Studios

• Tang Heng “Secrets of the Furious Five” – DreamWorks Animation*

• Seonna Hong – The Mighty B! “Bee Patients” – Nickelodeon

• Dan Krall – Chowder “The Heavy Sleeper” – Cartoon Network Studios

• Raymond Zibach “Secrets of the Furious Five” – DreamWorks Animation

Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production

• Alessandro Carloni – “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation

• Ronnie Del Carmen – “Wall·E” – Pixar Animation Studios

• Joe Mateo “Bolt” – Walt Disney Animation Studios

• Jen Yuh Nelson – “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation*

• Rob Stevenhagen – “The Tale Of Despereaux” – Universal Pictures

Storyboarding in an Animated Television Production or Short Form

• Butch Hartman – Fairly OddParents “Mission: Responsible” – Nickelodeon

• Andy Kelly – Ni Hao, Kai-Lan “Twirly Whirly Flyers” – Nickelodeon Productions/Nelvana

• Andy Schuhler – “Secret of the Furious Five” – DreamWorks Animation

• Eddie Trigueros “The Mighty B! “Name Shame”– Nickelodeon

• Chris Williams “Glago’s Guest” – Walt Disney Animation Studios*

Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production

• Ben Burtt – Voice of Wall·E – “Wall·E” – Pixar Animation Studios

• Dustin Hoffman – Voice of Shifu – “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation*

• James Hong – Voice of Mr. Ping – “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation

• Ian McShane – Voice of Tai Lung – “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation

• Mark Walton – Voice of Rhino – “Bolt” – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production or Short Form

• Ahmed Best – Voice of Jar Jar Binks – “Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II” - ShadowMachine*

• Seth MacFarlane – Voice of Peter Griffin – Family Guy “I Dream of Jesus” – Fox TV Animation/Fuzzy Door Productions

• Dwight Schultz – Voice of Mung Daal – Chowder “Apprentice Games” – Cartoon Network Studios

Writing in an Animated Feature Production

• Jon Aibel & Glenn Berger – “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation*

• Etan Cohen and Eric Darnell & Tom McGrath – “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” – DreamWorks Animation

• Ari Folman – “Waltz With Bashir” – Sony Pictures Classics, Bridgit Folman, Les Films D’ici, Razor Films

• Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio – “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who” – Blue Sky Studios

Writing in an Animated Television Production or Short Form

• Joel H. Cohen – The Simpsons “The Debarted” – Gracie Films/Fox TV

• Scott Kreamer – El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera “Mustache Love” – Nickelodeon

• Paul McEvoy and Todd Berger – “Secrets of the Furious Five” – DreamWorks Animation

• Tom Root, Douglas Goldstein, Hugh Davidson, Mike Fasolo, Seth Green, Dan Milano, Matthew Senreich, Kevin Shinick, Zeb Wells, Breckin Meyer – “Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II” – ShadowMachine*

• Chris Williams – “Glago’s Guest” – Walt Disney Animation Studios

The 81st Academy Awards: Will They Watch?

Now that we've (mostly) gotten "The Dark Knight" snub out of our system, it's time to ask a burning question: Will people watch the Oscars this year? I'd like to be positive, I really would, but I think the answer is going to be a loud 'no.' In fact, I think this is going to be the poorest ratings for the Oscars in ten years (if not twenty). And this goes beyond "The Dark Knight." While that movie would have helped ratings, there were a few other things that would have helped. Not nominating songs from "The Wrestler" and "Bolt" cost the Academy two performers that would likely draw crowds: Bruce Spriengstein and Miley Cyrus. Yeah, I'm kind of glad that the Academy didn't vote for the "Bolt" song, but it's going to be really difficult to get people to watch a show when the performers consist of Peter Gabriel and a bunch of Indian singers doing Bollywood style dance numbers. And if Pete calls in sick, then we are in even more trouble.

"Wall-E" would help the ratings much. For starters, everyone knows it's going to win. Secondly, the Best Animated Film category hasn't helped draw in kids to watch the show much. After that what have you got? The actors? Well, that could help, but nobody cares about actors who win awards for films they haven't seen. Hugh Jackman might entertain people, but no matter how good a job he does if the ratings tank then the Academy will start pointing their finger at him for being the reason. Seeing as how only "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" has been a blockbuster, these movies will not draw in the audience. In short, I think this is the last year we'll see the Oscars on ABC. Next year the show will likely move to HBO, Showtime, or TNT. It's airing will be up for auction, and if the nominees next year prove to be films that don't attract audiences, I can imagine the buying price being very low.

Now, more then ever, the ratings of the Academy Awards will be most interesting. It will effect whether or not the show is commercially viable anymore. The fact that the movies getting nominations haven't gotten much of a boost from the awards speaks volumes. In short, this is going to be one rough year for the Academy. May God have mercy on their souls.

Now For Something A Little Different

I discovered this article through a Digg It link, and while I disagree with it on some points, it does make some arguments on why the heat for the lack of Best Picture nomination for "The Dark Knight" should subside:

Besides, what does it matter to any of you whether or not the films YOU like get nominated? It doesn’t depreciate the film and shouldn’t de-value your enjoyment of it. Look back to the year 2000. Gladiator won Best Picture, while Traffic, Erin Brockovich, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Chocolat were nominated alongside it. Do you know which movie is most memorable and has stuck with me since? Almost Famous. Dances with Wolves won Best Picture for 1990, yet Goodfellas is regarded by many as one of the greatest films of all time.

Does this mean that the Academy got it wrong? No. It just means the voters went a different way than the public. The Academy Awards are not a democracy of the people; it’s an organization of professionals patting each other on the back and peers recognizing peers for their achievements. Helen Hunt received an Oscar for being annoying in an above-average romantic comedy. Nicole Kidman got one for putting on a fake nose. Likewise, Charlize Theron was mesmerizing in Monster and Daniel Day Lewis gave a bravura, towering performance worth every accolade in There Will Be Blood. Sometimes their awards are pretty dubious; sometimes they f*cking nail it. But what it really boils down to is: The Oscars are essentially meaningless.

I think mentioning "Wall-E" would have been nice, but then, that might have undermined the whole argument. Whether I think "The Reader" should be nominated or not, I have to admit some great points were made here. A definite must-read.

YouTube Reactions To Oscar Nominees

I knew that the internet would be up in a blaze over the snubbing of "The Dark Knight" and "Wall-E" for "The Reader," but it looks like people aren't just reacting, they are reacting with a vengeance. Here are some random YouTube videos I picked up:

It's just going to get worse from here on out folks.

A Dark Day For Oscar

"A Dark Day For Oscar"

By Kevin T. Rodriguez

Today is indeed a dark, dark day for the Academy Awards. After years of being the scorn of public ridicule for being “out of touch” with movie goers and “old fashioned,” the Academy had two chances to prove that they were still an awards show above all else. That they, despite getting a nomination wrong here and there, could still recognize artistic quality when they saw it. This year two movies defined 2008: “Wall-E” and “The Dark Knight.” Now “Wall-E” was always a long shot for the Best Picture race, but it can at least fall back on the Best Animated Film category and revel in it’s Best Original Screenplay nomination. “The Dark Knight” though...that’s a whole different story. Hailed as a contemporary masterpiece, the second highest grossing film of all time, and one of the most critically acclaimed blockbusters since “The Lord of the Rings,” “The Dark Knight” seemed poised for greatest.

Read More...

Tapley To Academy: This Years Nominees Are A 'Tragedy'

Kristopher Tapley of In Contention.com has written a critical piece of the AMPAS choices for Best Picture nominations. Here's my favorite bit of the article:

This all brings us to the elephant in the room: “The Reader” was the film to steal the Bat’s thunder, not “Gran Torino” like I expected, not “WALL-E” as others had hoped. And I think we all knew it was coming once Stephen Daldry’s name was called. A pornographic account of a sympathetic Nazi, rushed through post-production and ultimately a sloppy piece of drama, rightly abandoned by its initial producer at a crucial time on the basis of principle on one hand, politics on the other — this is one of the Academy’s five Best Pictures of the year.

These people should have their cards taken away. This member-for-life shit has to go because you end up with crotchety fools that have no idea what good cinema is, let alone a care about how their organization’s choices will be looked upon in the future. Years from now, “The Reader” will be a blip on the map of film obscurity. “The Dark Knight” will live on in infamy as one of the year’s titans, both a popular blockbuster and a critically acclaimed work of art.

What an absolute tragedy.

I have to say I'm in agreement with him 100% here. I was in too much shock yesterday to voice my opinion on the nominations, so that's why you'll get them today instead. Stay tuned.

Mark Harris's Oscar Predictions

Mark Harris, author of the excellent Oscar book "Pictures at a Revolution," has given his two cents on the Oscar nominations. He feels "Slumdog Millionaire" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" are locks. Says "Frost/Nixon" and "Milk" aren't as locked as we might think, and he feels either "The Dark Knight" or "Wall-E" will take that final slot:

Only six more hours to go...

Online Film Critics Society Awards Winners

BEST PICTURE
WALL*E

BEST FOREIGN FILM
Let the Right One In

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Man On Wire

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
WALL*E

BEST DIRECTOR
Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight

BEST ACTOR
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

BEST ACTRESS
Michelle Williams, Wendy and Lucy

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
WALL*E, Andrew Stanton & Jim Reardon

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Let the Right One In, John Ajvide Lindqvist

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Dark Knight, Wally Pfister

BEST EDITING
Slumdog Millionaire, Chris Dickens

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Dark Knight, James Newton Howard & Hans Zimmer

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Lina Leandersson, Let the Right One In

BREAKTHROUGH FILMMAKER
Tomas Alfredson, Let the Right One In

Keep an eye on "Wall-E": this is the movie that's going to upset one of the so-called "locked in" nominations.

Reaching for the stars.

Slumdog Sweeps Globes

"Slumdog Millionaire" turns out to be the top winner, winning Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, and Score. Full list below, more comments later:

FILM

• Best Picture, Drama: Slumdog Millionaire
• Best Picture, Comedy Musical: Vicky Cristina Barcelona
• Best Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
• Best Actor, Drama: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
• Best Actress, Drama: Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road
• Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
• Best Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet, The Reader
• Best Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy: Slumdog Millionaire
• Best Foreign Language Film: Waltz With Bashir
• Best Animated Feature: WALL·E
• Best Actor, Musical/Comedy: Colin Farrell
• Best Actress, Musical/Comedy: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
• Best Original Score: A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millonaire
• Best Original Song: Bruce Springsteen, The Wrestler
• Cecil B. DeMille Award: Stephen Spielberg

BFCA Winners

As the title says, the BFCA has announced their winners (more love for "Slumdog Millionaire" to be found):

Picture, Director, Score, Screenplay, Young Actor: Slumdog Millionaire
Animated: WALL•E
Documentary: Man on Wire
Foreign Film: Waltz With Bashir
Comedy: Tropic Thunder
TV Movie: John Adams
Action: The Dark Knight
Song: "The Wrestler" Bruce Springsteen
Actor & Acting Ensemble: Sean Penn and the cast of Milk
Actress: (tie) Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married and Meryl Streep for Doubt
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet for The Reader

Golden Globes This Sunday

This Sunday NBC will be airing the Golden Globes to what is likely going to be an empty audience. No, there isn't another strike on the horizon, but never before have a felt such a lack of interest in the Globes before. Granted, the Globes are always the bastard child of the awards shows, but people usually tune in to at least see actors get drunk. This year though is different: People actually care about the movie awards. All of them. I've talked to people at work who haven't cared about Oscar in years, but they are paying attention to every guild nomination, every win, because there are movies that people actually want to see in the running. In this regard, the Globes blew it. Big time. By leaving out such important films as "The Dark Knight," "Milk," and "Wall-E" in favor of lesser fare like "The Reader" and "Revolutionary Road" shows just how out-of-touch the Globes truly are.

So out of touch are the Globes, that this is the first year I can think of where everybody wrote off the Globes as having much of an effect on the Oscars just because of the nominations. When discussing Oscars the Globes don't even come up in conversation. Why? Because people aren't taking them seriously this year. So much so, that I wouldn't be too surprised if the ratings for the Globes are actually lower this year then previous year (you know, the year with that pathetic "show" because no one would show up due to the Writers Strike). But watch it I will, and we'll see if it effects anything at this point.

Online Film Critics Nominations

A bit late posting this one as well, but the Online Film Critics Nominations came in as well:

THE 2008 OFCS nominees (previous years’ nominees after the cut):

BEST PICTURE
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL*E
The Wrestler

BEST DIRECTOR
Darren Aronofsky, The Wrestler
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight
Andrew Stanton, WALL*E

BEST ACTOR
Benicio Del Toro, Che
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

BEST ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Michelle Williams, Wendy and Lucy
Kate Winslet , Revolutionary Road

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Eddie Marsan, Happy-Go-Lucky
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Kate Winslet, The Reader

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
In Bruges, Martin McDonagh
Milk, Dustin Lance Black
Synecdoche, New York, Charlie Kaufman
WALL*E, Andrew Stanton & Jim Reardon
The Wrestler, Robert D. Siegel

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Eric Roth
The Dark Knight, Jonathan Nolan & Christopher Nolan
Frost/Nixon, Peter Morgan
Let the Right One In, John Ajvide Lindqvist
Slumdog Millionaire, Simon Beaufoy

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Dear Zachary: a letter to a son about his father
Encounters at the End of the World
I.O.U.S.A.
Man On Wire
My Winnipeg

BEST FOREIGN FILM
A Christmas Tale
The Counterfeiters
I’ve Loved You So Long
Let the Right One In
Waltz with Bashir

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Bolt
Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who
Kung Fu Panda
WALL*E
Waltz with Bashir

I noticed that "Wall-E" and "The Wrestler" crept in and wrestled out "Frost/Nixon" and "Milk" for nominations in Picture and Director. Is this a sign that those movies aren't as big of locks as some people think? Personally, I think if two films are in danger of being pushed out of favorism, it's "Frost/Nixon" and "Milk." Personally, I feel "The Dark Knight" is safe at this point, and "Wall-E" is gaining enough ground that it might safely (and comfortably) snuggle into the fifth slot. "Milk" though is a movie that opened to a lot of praise in light of the whole Proposition 8 thing, but since then I get this feeling people have cooled down on it (and I'm considering revising my Top Ten list to take "Milk" off and put another movie in it's place). "Frost/Nixon" has a double negative in that people fall into the "love it/hate it" category, but the movie is also getting attacked for being too liberal with the facts.

While this didn't hurt "A Beautiful Mind" too much, just ask films like "JFK," "The Hurricane," "The Passion of the Christ," "Pocahontas," and you start to see where that kind of critism can really hurt you. Now I don't think both of these films are in trouble, as I think it would be a stroke of pure luck if "The Wrestler" got into the top five at this point. But considering all the love for "Wall-E" going around, and I think the little robot that could will bump one of these two films off the list when the Academy announces their nominations. Either way, January 22nd can't come soon enough.

My Top Ten Best Films of 2008 List

Now it's time for me Top Ten Best Films of 2008 list. These films will be counted down from 10 to 1, and please keep in mind these are MY picks and in no way represent any official movie institution. Feel free to disagree with my choices if you please. With that out of the way, onto the show.

10. W.
Director: Oliver Stone
Starring: Josh Brolin
Rated: PG-13 (For language including some sexual dialogue)

Seeped in controversy from people who wanted nothing more then to move Bush out of the White House and Obama in, Oliver Stone's "W." was protested, ignored, and shunned by many people. It was also surprisingly thoughtful and intelligent, giving us not a hack-job of someone who wanted to ridicule the sitting president, but a thoughtful film from someone who wanted to understand the president. Though the movie ends somewhat on a cliffhanger, "W." is never boring and is always engrossing.

9. Bolt
Director: Chris Williams, Byron Howard
Starring: John Travolta, Miley Cyrus
Rated: PG (For some mild action and peril)

It took a long time, but Disney finally made their best animated movie since "Lilo & Stitch." More importantly, they managed to make it without Pixar. Ironically, the idea that saved them for this film was from Chris Saunders, the same guy who came up with the idea for "Lilo & Stitch." When "Bolt" starts it works as an action film. It starts out fast, explosive, and exciting. When Bolt gets away from the set it turns into a laugh-a-minute comedy. In the final act the movie has become a drama, and it yanks at the heart in ways Disney movies used to. One of the better surprises of the year.

8. Milk
Director: Gus Van Sant
Starring: Sean Penn
Rated: R (For language, some sexual content and brief violence)

Though "Milk" overlooks many of the events of Harvey Milk's life that made his life (in my opinion) so interesting as a person, Gus Van Sant's very gay film is a fine bio-pic never-the-less. The message of this film is hope and love, which is what Milk encouraged more then anything else in his lifetime. Watching him in this film paints him as a very nice and fun guy, whose heart was in the right place at the wrong time. The fact that he accomplished so little is besides the point: The point is that this man, for all his flaws, gave people hope. And what a joy that is.

7. Young@Heart
Director: Stephen Walker
Rated: PG (For some mild language and thematic elements)

Though they may be old, the elders who make up the singing group Young@Heart sing songs with much energy and joy. It's hard not to fall in love with this touching film of friends, life, and music. A movie that is hard to express the joys of in words, so I guess you'll just have to watch it and feel the joy for yourself.

6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Director: David Fincher
Starring: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett
Rated: PG-13 (For brief war violence, sexual content, language and smoking)

David Fincher is known more for his slasher films with brains then for emotional dramas, but with "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Finch steps out of his comfort zone to direct one of the most emotional Hollywood films since "Forrest Gump." The story of a man who is born old and gets younger with age sounds like a gimmick, but it's actually a storytelling device that allows the characters to experience the world with a unique perspective. Seeing as how Benjamin can't experience things the same way as other people experience things, this leads to some very intriguing complications and storytelling aspects. Story aside, the film is also a visual wonder to behold, and colleges will be showing this movie in film classes to study the visual effects for years to come.

5. Frost/Nixon
Director: Ron Howard
Starring: Frank Langella, Michael Sheen
Rated: R (For some language)

Movies based off stage plays can be very hit or miss when they are translated to the big screen. Either the essence is captured on film or the movie shows off it's stage roots a little too much. In the case of "Frost/Nixon" it does feel like the stage it was adapted from, but that ends up working to the films benifit, as the movie is about two men in a one-on-one battle in front of the camera. To see these two intense actors playing off each other is to witness great actors at the top of their craft, helped by Ron Howard, whose direction knows when to move in closer and when to pull away. Subtle but not boring, "Frost/Nixon" is an example that great theater can make great for great film making.

4. Slumdog Millionaire
Director: Dannye Boyle
Rating: (For some violence, disturbing images and language)

If you miss the hit game show "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire," then "Slumdog Millionaire" may be the movie for you to see. Taking place in India, the movie revolves around a teenage boy who is one question away from winning twenty million rubies on the hit game show, when he is captured and tortured on suspicions of cheating. Through his story we see his painful childhood, his struggles with his older brother, and the chase for the love of his life, a girl who always seems to be out of reach. And, of course, we discover how his life prepared him with the answers he would need to win the show.

3. Wall•E
Director: Andrew Stanton
Rating: G

You wouldn't think that a movie about a deserted robot on Earth finding true love would be a very convincing movie to begin with, nevermind one of the most touching love stories in years. But keep this in mind: "Wall•E" was birthed from the creative geniuses at Pixar, and if they can make a rat a credible chef, then they can certainly make a convincing love story out of two robotic machines. Although a lot of people choose to dislike the film over it's eco-friendly storyline, the movie is above all else a story about loniness and finding someone special, and it conveys these emotions through pure emotion (of all things). This is even more of a revelation when you realize the two lead characters barely speak a word, and simply rely on good old-fashioned body language most of the time. Like "Ratatouille," "Wall•E" is a great movie for adults. Oh, and bring the kids along, they'll like it too.

2. Rachel Getting Married
Director: Jonathan Demme
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Bill Irwin, Tunde Adebimpe, Mather Zickel, Anna Deavere Smith, Debra Winger
Rated: R (For language and brief sexuality)

Despite having a title that sounds like a bad romantic comedy that's been dumped in the lonely month of January, "Rachel Getting Married" is actually a sensitive and heartbreaking story about a family who is capible of sharing so much love, but falter because they can't forgive. Despite the fact that Rachel is in the title (and it is indeed her wedding), the movie revolves around Kym, a recovering drug addict who is out of rehab in time for her sisters wedding. Her family welcomes her with open arms, but there is a hesitation in that welcome, as well as a feeling of underlying hostility. Years ago she made a horrible mistake and they can't forgive her for it. Even worse, Kym can't forgive herself, and to watch this movie is to watch a family come to terms with a tragedy in their lives. We get to see people take a turning point that will change the way they live forever, and this movie makes you feel glad you got to know them. I also consider to be Oscar winning director Johnathan Demme's big comeback, returning to mainstream fare after being stuck in documentary land for years.

1. The Dark Knight
Director: Christopher Nolan
Staring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman
Rating: PG-13 (For intense sequences of violence and some menace)

Just when people were getting tired of superhero movies, mindless summer films, and movies with big budgets and no heart, "The Dark Knight" comes along and completely restored our faith in the Hollywood blockbuster. Rarely is a summer film so intense, so complex, and so emotional as this one. While Heath Ledgers death certainly raised the importance of the Joker to a higher level, I was shocked to find a well told tale of Good vs. Evil that I hadn't experienced since "The Lord of the Rings." Here is a movie about real people, in a real world, where everones past and personal morals shape who they are and what they will do. The debate of living in a world with or without rules goes to a new height in this film, as two men of extreme ideals clash off in a battle that effects everyone around them. On some level it's personal, on another it's not personal, it's just business. In the end, "The Dark Knight" is not only the best superhero film ever made, it's the best film of the year. It also raises the bar for not just future superhero films, but also future blockbuster films in general. A new era of Hollywood film making is upon us, and it starts with "The Dark Knight."

Chicago Critics Awards

Okay, I know I'm about a week late in reporting this, but remember how I mentioned that the Chicago Critics Association Awards could give a big boost to "The Dark Knight" and "Wall-E" if either film were to win the top prize? Well, on the 18th they gave out their awards, and "Wall-E" has emerged the winner by winning four major awards, the most won by any single movie on this list. Not only that, but it won the top prize itself, Best Picture (along with Best Original Screenplay, Best Score, and Best Animated Feature Film). This is huge news, and this certainly gives "Wall-E" a boost it needs to get a nomination in the top five come Oscar time. Interestingly enough, the Best Director prize went to Danny Boyle for "Slumdog Millionaire," and I'm starting to feel that Boyle will win this Oscar regardless who wins Best Picture at this point. Here's a list of the complete winners:

2008 CFCA AWARD WINNERS

BEST PICTURE: WALL-E

BEST DIRECTOR: Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire

BEST ACTOR: Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

BEST ACTRESS: Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Kate Winslet - The Reader

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: WALL-E (Andrew Stanton & Jim Reardon)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Slumdog Millionaire (Simon Beaufoy)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: Let the Right One In

BEST DOCUMENTARY: Man On Wire

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: WALL-E

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: The Dark Knight (Wally Pfister)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: WALL-E (Thomas Newman)

MOST PROMISING PERFORMER: Dev Patel - Slumdog Millionaire

MOST PROMISING DIRECTOR: Tomas Alfredson - Let the Right One In