"Alice In Wonderland" Review

Why it took Tim Burton this long to make a movie adaptation of “Alice In Wonderland” I’ll never know. Considering Burton’s previous accomplishments of making movies with weird worlds and isolated protagonists, it seems like he would have tackled Lewis Carol’s classic book years ago. But then back then he’d have to make sets to create the world he does here, which would have been tedious and expensive. Now he can just put his characters in front of a green screen for half the cost and just as nice a look. To say this movie looks great would be an understatement as for all the complaints Burton gets on his storytelling I hear very little complaints of his visual accomplishments.

Read Rest of Review

"Shutter Island" Review

See folks, this is what I’m talking about. If “Shutter Island” proves nothing else it’s that horror movies don’t have to suck. Yes it’s got less deaths then the Saw movies do, but this is ten times scarier. Imagine a setting that is dark and creative. Imagine characters who you care about the outcome to. Imagine a twist ending that actually gives you a chance to realize where it came from rather then dumping it on the audience for no reason. And hey, this movie even has a story. Imagine that, a movie that is about something other then how graphic it can be. The movie takes place in 1954 and is about a US Marshal named Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio), who has been assigned to find a missing prisoner who escaped from a mental institution on Shutter Island.

Read Rest of Review

Back In The Game

After a month long break it's time to get ready for the 83rd Academy Awards.  As it stands there are still ten films that can be nominated for Best Picture, and already there are some early stand outs.  "Alice In Wonderland" is not likely to get any major awards nominations, but Tim Burton's latest should easily sneak into some of the visual effects categories.  Right now there are two movies that look like good potential Best Picture nominees: "Shutter Island" and "Greenberg."  "Shutter Island" would make perfect sense early on even in this game.  Yeah it's a horror film but it's also directed by Martin Scoresese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio.  Both these men look like they are potential Best Director and Best Actor nominees (respectively).

The other Best Picture potential is Noah Baumbach's critically acclaimed "Greenberg."  This movie has potential for nominees for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress.  However if there's only one nomination for this film it very well could be for Ben Stiller's remarkable out-of-character performance as the title character.  Having finally found a role that shows he can be a serious actor, Stiller looks like a shoe-in for Best Actor at this point in time.  Other early potential nominees is Dreamworks "How To Train Your Dragon," which is threatening to defeat Pixar's winning streak in the Best Animated Feature category.

Also of note is Disney's critically acclaimed documentary "Waking Sleeping Beauty."  Though the Academy ignored the last Disney doc "The Boys: The Sherman Brothers," this new movie about Disney's great revival of their animation legacy in the late 80's is getting audiences to stand up cheering after the movie is over.  Chances are something more important might win the prize in the end, but this movie has the potential to get audiences behind it enough to get the nod.  The race may just be starting, but it's looking oh so promising already.

'Hurt Locker' Wins Best Picture!

 

• Best Picture: “The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier, Greg Shapiro
• Best Director: “The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow
• Best Actor: Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
• Best Actress: Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”
• Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”
• Best Supporting Actress: Mo’Nique in “Precious”
• Best Original Screenplay: “The Hurt Locker” Written by Mark Boal
• Best Adapted Screenplay: “Precious” Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
• Best Foreign Language: “The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos)” Argentina
• Best Animated Film: “Up” Pete Docter
• Best Documentary: “The Cove” Louie Psihoyos and Fisher Stevens
• Best Cinematography: “Avatar” Mauro Fiore
• Best Art Direction: Avatar” Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg, Kim Sinclair
• Best Costumes: “The Young Victoria” Sandy Powell
• Best Editing: “The Hurt Locker” Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
• Best Score: “Up” Michael Giacchino
• Best Song: “The Weary Kind”(Crazy Heart) Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett
• Best Makeup: “Star Trek” Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
• Best Visual Effects: “Avatar” Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham, Andrew R. Jones
• Best Sound Editing: “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson
• Best Sound Mixing: “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
• Best Animated Short: “Logorama” Nicolas Schmerkin
• Best Live Action Short: “The New Tenants” Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson
• Best Documentary Short: “Music by Prudence” Roger Ross Williams and Elinor

Well, that was a fun ride huh?  Come back in three days when we wipe the board clean and start all over again.

Sizing Up Best Picture: District 9

Now we tackle a rarity in the Oscar race: A science fiction film nominated for Best Picture.  Let's see what the chances are...

District 9

Nominations: 

• Best Picture
• Best Visual Effects
• Best Film Editing
• Best Adapted Screenplay

Going For It:  Audiences REALLY love this movie!  Surprise hit of the year.  A winning producing role for Peter Jackson.  Has more then three nominations including a coveted screenplay nomination.

Going Against It:  Science fiction films rarely click with members of the Academy.  Lack of directing or acting nomination.  Movie came out early in the year (Academy favors winter releases).

Chances of Winning:  Another "lucky to be nominated" film.  That said though this did pick up more nominations then I expected it to (despite the accurate predictions on this site), and it does give more hope that maybe the Academy has warmed up to science fiction enough to nominate more of these films in the future.  But as for winning this isn't likely.

New "Toy Story 3" Trailer

More Toy Story 3 Info

We now have more of an idea of what "Toy Story 3" will look like.  I like what I see, and while some people are complaining because they don't like the idea of making sequels...well, if anyone can make a good sequel it's Pixar.  With "Up's" recent Best Picture nomination some are wondering whether or not "Toy Story 3" is next.  Eh, hard to say.  The movie would have to be special to get nominated there.  The Academy is lukewarm to live action sequels, so an animated sequel seems more unlikely right now.  Either way we almost certainly have another Best Animated Feature nomination on their hans.

Sizing Up Best Picture: The Blind Side

I missed a day.  Sorry about that.  Let's tackle the next film right now, which is...

The Blind Side

Nominations: 

• Best Picture
• Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Sandra Bullock 

Going For It:  Audiences love this movie.  Sandra Bullock helped make this movie successful.  It's a biopic and the Academy LOVES biopics!  The highest grossing sports movie in years.  Academy loves underdog sports movies (see "Rocky" and "Chariots of Fire").  Portrays good Christian values.  Bullock is practically a lock to win Best Actress.

Going Against It:  Some people feel the movie is self-indulgent.  True life story is more interesting then the movie.  Real life football player comes off looking and "dumb and helpless" without a white woman's help.  Only 2 nominations, neither of which go to the writing or directing. Not as critically acclaimed as some of the other nominees.

Chances of Winning:  Though Bullock will certainly win Best Actress, this film feels like a "lucky to be nominated" film.  It's just not big enough, and I think the nomination is more for Bullock and the fact there were ten movies to vote for this year.

Back In The Game And...Oh Look, Oscar Nominations!

Hi folks, I'm back.  I know that being absent from an Oscar blog during the height of the nominations process (not to mention the nominations themselves) is incredibly fatal to a site like this but...well, it's like this.  And for those who don't want to read that article let me summarize it like this: When you move you better make sure to be prepared for the internet to not work for weeks at a time.  Not only was my internet provider EXTREMELY slow in getting to my new apartment and setting things up, but the stupid service didn't even work after they set it up!  This is why I missed commenting about Oscar predictions, and why I missed the nominations themselves.

But hey, we have Best Picture nominations.  Ten for the first time in years!  They are:

1. Avatar
2. The Blind Side
3. District 9
4. An Education
5. The Hurt Locker
6. Inglorious Basterds
7. Precious
8. A Serious Man
9. Up 
10. Up In The Air

For that most part I'd say that's a pretty decent selection.  There are critical favorites, fan favorites, and a couple of surprises (one good one...not so good).  So to make up for lost time (and to take advantage of the delayed telecast) let's discuss the pros and cons of all the nominations.  I'll do one movie//director/actor/actress a day (or at least I'll try to).  We'll go in alphabetical order so that means we'll start with...

Avatar

Nominations:

	Best Picture	James Cameron and Jon Landau	Pending
	Best Director	James Cameron	Pending
	Best Art Direction	Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg (Art Direction); Kim Sinclair (Set Decoration)	Pending
	Best Achievement in Cinematography	Mauro Fiore	Pending
	Best Film Editing	Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron	Pending
	Best Original Score	James Horner	Pending
	Best Sound Editing	Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle	Pending
	Best Sound	Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson	Pending
	Best Visual Effects

Going For It:  Aside from being loved by the public and wildly popular "Avatar" is an "event movie."  It has broken new ground in how movies are made and sold to the general public.  It's the highest grossing film of all time.  Critics and audiences both love it.  It helped expand the idea of how popular IMAX and 3D can be.  Like "Titanic" the love story is universal, and Zoe Saldana's performance has been hailed as the science fiction performance of the year.  The movie is one of two movies that leads the nominations with 9.

Going Against It:  Some people feel the movie is self-indulgent.  James Cameron won before and was less then gracious about it.  When you consider how many of the top grossing films actually WON Best Picture you'll know that financial success does not mean you'll get awards!  There are no nominations for acting or for writing.  Some feel that without the 3D or giant screen the movie would be very standard.


Chances of Winning:  If it weren't for "The Hurt Locker" this would be a lock.

PGA Nominations Announced

The Producers Guild America have chosen their nominees.  They are:

AVATAR
Producers: James Cameron, Jon Landau
DISTRICT 9
Producers: Carolynne Cunningham, Peter Jackson
AN EDUCATION
Producers: Finola Dwyer, Amanda Posey
THE HURT LOCKER
Producer(s): Awaiting final credit determination.
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
Producer: Lawrence Bender
INVICTUS
Producers: Clint Eastwood, Rob Lorenz, Lori McCreary , Mace Neufeld
PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE
Producers: Lee Daniels, Gary Magness, Sarah Siegel-Magness
STAR TREK
Producers: J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof
UP
Producer: Jonas Rivera
UP IN THE AIR
Producer(s): Awaiting final credit determination.


PGA Producer of the Year Award in Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures:
9
Producer(s): Awaiting final credit determination.
CORALINE
Producer(s): Awaiting final credit determination.
FANTASTIC MR. FOX
Producer(s): Awaiting final credit determination.
THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG
Producer: Peter Del Vecho
UP
Producer: Jonas Rivera
PGA Producer of the Year Award in Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures:
BURMA VJ
Producer: Lise Lense-Moller
The COVE
Producers: Paula DuPre Pesman, Fisher Stevens
SERGIO
Producer(s): Awaiting final credit determination.
SOUNDTRACK FOR A REVOLUTION
Producer(s): Awaiting final credit determination.
David L. Wolper Producer of the Year Award in Long-Form Television*:
GEORGIA O’KEEFFE
Producer(s): Awaiting final credit determination.
GREY GARDENS
Producers: David Coatsworth, Lucy Donnelly, Rachael Horovitz, Michael Sucsy
LITTLE DORRIT
Producers: Lisa Osborne, Anne Pivcevic
PRAYERS FOR BOBBY
Producers: Stanley M. Brooks, Damian Ganczewski, David Permut, Daniel Sladek, Chris Taaffe
THE PRISONER
Producer(s): Awaiting final credit determination.
TAKING CHANCE
Producers: Lori Keith Douglas, Ross Katz, Brad Krevoy, Cathy Wischner-Sola

EW's "25 Movies You Need To See Before Oscar Night"

Entertainment Weekly has published their "25 Movies You Need To See Before Oscar Night" list in their latest issue.  For those who don't subscribe I've reprinted the list here (as well as links to those available for purchase if you want to help support the site).  Oh yeah, and Happy New Year everyone!

1. (500) Days of Summer DVD / BluRay / Video on Demand
   
2. Avatar
3. The Blind Side
4. Bright Star
5. Crazy Heart
6. District 9 DVD / BluRay / UMD / Video on Demand
   
7. An Education
8. Fantastic Mr. Fox
9. The Hurt Locker DVD / BluRay / Video on Demand
   
10. The Informant
11. Inglorious Basterds DVD / BluRay / Video on Demand
    
12. Invictus
13. It's Complicated
14. Julie & Julia DVD / BluRay / Video on Demand
    
15. The Last Station
    
16. The Lovely Bones
    
17. The Messenger
18. Nine
    
19. Precious
20. A Serious Man
21. A Single Man
22. Star Trek DVD / BluRay
    
23. Up DVD / BluRay
    
24. Up In The Air
25. The Young Victorian

Start checking out showtimes on Fandango folks.

The King Has Been Re-Elected

It's official all you James Cameron haters: "Avatar" is a HUGE success!  It's made it's budget back and then some.  It will continue to make money.  I personally suspect it will finally topple "Titanic" as the highest grossing film of all time (ironically also by Cameron).  This movie will get multiple Oscar nominations including Best Picture.  This movie will give IMAX the funds they need to expand and make themselves a legitimate player in the theater business.  Those who were waiting twelve years for Cameron to fail will just have to wait another twelve years.  He was King of the World back then, and the King has been re-elected.

My "Avatar" Review

Eligible Best Songs

These are the songs eligible for Oscar for Best Song this year:

“All Is Love” from “Where the Wild Things Are”
“Almost Over You” from “My One and Only”
“Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog”
“AyAyAyAy” from “The Maid”
“Back to Tennessee” from “Hannah Montana The Movie”
“Being Bad” from “Duplicity”
“Blanco” from “Fast & Furious”
“Brothers in Arms” from “Brothers at War”
“Butterfly Fly Away” from “Hannah Montana The Movie”
“Cinema Italiano” from “Nine”
“Colorblind” from “Invictus”
“Depression Era” from “That Evening Sun”
“Don’t Walk Away” from “Hannah Montana The Movie”
“Dove of Peace” from “Bruno”
“Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog”
“Fly Farm Blues” from “It Might Get Loud”
“Forget Me” from “I Love You, Beth Cooper”
“God Bless Us Everyone” from “Disney’s A Christmas Carol”
“Here” from “Shrink”
“Hideaway” from “Where the Wild Things Are”
“Hoedown Throwdown” from “Hannah Montana The Movie”
“I Bring What I Love” from “Youssou N’Dour: I Bring What I Love”
“I See You” from “Avatar”

“(I Want to) Come Home” from “Everybody’s Fine”
“If You’re Wondering” from “The Lightkeepers”
“Impossible Fantasy” from “Adventures of Power”
“Innocent Child” from “Skin”
“Invictus 9,000 Days” from “Invictus”
“Legendary” from “Tyson”
“Let Freedom Reign” from “Skin”
“Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36”
“Ma Belle Evangeline” from “The Princess and the Frog”
“My One and Only” from “My One and Only”
“Na Na” from “Couples Retreat”
“Never Knew I Needed” from “The Princess and the Frog”
“New Divide” from “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”
“New Jersey Nights” from “Adventures of Power”
“New York Is Where I Live” from “Did You Hear about the Morgans?”
“No Time for Love” from “Simon & Malou”
“One Day” from “Post Grad”
“Only You” from “The Young Victoria”
“Other Father Song” from “Coraline”
“Petey’s Song” from “Fantastic Mr. Fox”
“Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea” from “Ponyo”“
Possibility” from “The Twilight Saga: New Moon”
“Raining Sunshine” from “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”
“Running Out of Empty (Make Ourselves at Home)” from “Lymelife”
“Smoke without Fire” from “An Education”
“Somebody Else” from “Crazy Heart”
“Stu’s Song” from “The Hangover”
“Take It All” from “Nine”
“Through the Trees” from “Jennifer’s Body”
“Trust Me” from “The Informant!”
“Un Bouquet des Violettes” from “New York, I Love You”
“We Are the Children of the World” from “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”
“We Love Violence” from “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”
“The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart”
“When You Find Me” from “Adam”
“Winter” from “Brothers”
“The Word Is Love” from “Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay!”
“You Got Me Wrapped around Your Little Finger” from “An Education”
“You’ll Always Find Your Way Back Home” from “Hannah Montana The Movie”
“You’ve Been a Friend to Me” from “Old Dogs”

The Secret of Kells?

Surprised to see "The Secret of Kells" nominated for Best Animated Feature over "Ponyo" at the Annie Awards?  Yeah, me too.  Ever hear of this film?  Me neither.  Thankfully one Bing search showed me this trailer for the film:

I must admit that I'm intrigued.  Now the only question is why does it qualify for the Annie's this year and not next year when it's supposed to open?

37th Annie Award Nominations

And here are the nominations for the Annie Awards (this isn't looking good for "Ponyo"):

Best Animated Feature

• Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs — Sony Pictures Animation
• Coraline — Laika
• Fantastic Mr. Fox — 20th Century Fox
• The Princess and the Frog — Walt Disney Animation Studios
• The Secret of Kells — Cartoon Saloon
• Up — Pixar Animation Studios

Best Home Entertainment Production

• Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas — Universal Animation Studios
• Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder — The Curiosity Company in association with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
  
• Green Latern: First Flight — Warner Bros. Animation
  
• Open Season 2 — Sony Pictures Animation
  
• SpongeBob vs. The Big One — Nickelodeon

Best Animated Short Subject

• Pups of Liberty — Picnic Pictures
• Robot Chicken: Star Wars 2.5 — ShadowMachine
• Santa, The Fascist Years — Plymptoons
• The Rooster, The Crocodile and The Night Sky — Barley Films
• The Story of Walls — Badmash Animation Studios

Best Animated Television Commercial

• Goldfish: In The Dark — Blur Studios, Inc.
• Idaho Lottery “Twiceland” — Acme Filmworks, Inc.
• McDonald's Nutty Trade — Blue Sky Studios
• Spanish Lottery “Deportees” — Acme Filmworks, Inc.
• The Spooning — Screen Novelties /Acne Media

Best Animated Television Production

• Glenn Martin, DDS — Tornante, Cuppa Coffee Studios & Rogers Communications
• Merry Madagascar — DreamWorks Animation
• Prep and Landing — ABC Family/Walt Disney Animation Studios
• The Simpsons — Gracie Films

Best Animated Television Production for Children

• Mickey Mouse Clubhouse — Disney Television Animation
• SpongeBob SquarePants — Nickelodeon
• The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack — Cartoon Network Studios
• The Mighty B! — Nickelodeon/Polka Dot Pictures/Paper Kite Productions
• The Penguins of Madagascar — Nickelodeon and DreamWorks Animation

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORIES___________________

Animated Effects

• Scott Cegielski “Monsters vs. Aliens” — DreamWorks Animation
• Alexander Feigin “9” — 9 L.L.C.
• Eric Froemling “Up” — Pixar Animation Studios
• Tom Kluyskens “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” — Sony Pictures Animation
• James Mansfield “The Princess and the Frog” — Walt Disney Animation Studios

Character Animation in a Television Production

• Mark Donald “B.O.B.'s Big Break” — DreamWorks Animation
• Mark Mitchell “Prep and Landing” — Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Kevan Shorey “Merry Madagascar” — DreamWorks Animation
• Tony Smeed “Prep and Landing” — Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Phillip To “Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space” — DreamWorks Animation

Character Animation in a Feature Production

• Andreas Deja “The Princess and the Frog” — Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Eric Goldberg “The Princess and the Frog” — Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Travis Knight “Coraline” — Laika
• Daniel Nguyen “Up” — Pixar Animation Studios
• Bruce Smith “The Princess and the Frog” — Walt Disney Animation Studios

Character Design in a Television Production

• Bryan Arnett “The Mighty B! - Catatonic” — Nickelodeon/Polka Dot Pictures/Paper Kite Productions
• Ben Balistreri “Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends” — Cartoon Network Studios
• Craig Kellman “Merry Madagascar” — DreamWorks Animation
• Bill Schwab “Prep and Landing” — Walt Disney Animation Studios

Character Design in a Feature Production

• Daniel Lopez Munoz “Up” — Pixar Animation Studios
• Shane Prigmore “Coraline” — Laika
• Shannon Tindle “Coraline” — Laika

Directing in a Television Production

• Pam Cooke & Jansen Yee “American Dad: Brains, Brains & Automobiles” — 20th Century Fox/Fuzzy Door/Underdog
• Rob Fendler “Popzilla” — Animax
• John Infantino, J.G. Quintel “The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack: Candy Casanova” — Cartoon Network Studios
• Bret Haaland “The Penguins of Madagascar - Launchtime” — Nickelodeon and DreamWorks Animation
• Jennifer Oxley “The Wonder Pets: Help The Monster” — Nickelodeon/Little Airplane Productions

Directing in a Feature Production

• Wes Anderson “Fantastic Mr. Fox” — 20th Century Fox
• Pete Docter “Up” — Pixar Animation Studios
• Christopher Miller, Phil Lord “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” — Sony Pictures Animation
• Hayao Miyazaki “Ponyo” — Studio Ghibli
• Henry Selick “Coraline” — Laika

Music in a Television Production

• Michael Giacchino “Prep and Landing” — Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Kevin Kiner “Star Wars: The Clone Wars “Weapons Factory” — Lucasfilm Animation Ltd.
• Guy Moon “The Fairly OddParents: “Wishology-The Big Beginning” — Nickelodeon

Music in a Feature Production

• Bruno Coulais “Coraline” — Laika
• Michael Giacchino “Up” — Pixar Animation Studios
• Joe Hisaishi “Ponyo” — Studio Ghibli
• John Powell “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” — Blue Sky Studios

Production Design in a Television Production

• Mac George “Prep and Landing” — Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Andy Harkness “Prep and Landing” — Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Janice Kubo “Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends” — Cartoon Network Studios

Production Design in a Feature Production

• Christopher Appelhans “Coraline” — Laika
• Ian Gooding “The Princess and the Frog” — Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Tadahiro Uesugi “Coraline” — Laika
• Christophe Vacher “9” — 9 L.L.C.

Storyboarding in a Television Production

• Sunil Hall “The Mighty B!: Catatonic” — Nickelodeon/Polka Dot Pictures/Paper
• Robert Koo “Merry Madagascar” — DreamWorks Animation
• Brandon Kruse “The Fairly OddParents: Fly Boy” — Nickelodeon
• Joe Mateo “Prep and Landing” — ABC Family/Walt Disney Animation Studios Kite Productions
• Adam Van Wyk “The Spectacular Spider-Man: Final Curtain” — Culver Entertainment

Storyboarding in a Feature Production

• Sharon Bridgeman “Astro Boy” — Imagi Studios
• Chris Butler “Coraline” — Laika
• Ronnie Del Carmen “Up” — Pixar Animation Studios
• Tom Owens “Monsters vs. Aliens” — DreamWorks Animation
• Peter Sohn “Up” — Pixar Animation Studios

Voice Acting in a Television Production

• Danny Jacobs - Voice of King Julien - “Merry Madagascar” — DreamWorks Animation
• Nicky Jones - Voice of Chowder - “Chowder: The Dinner Theatre” — Cartoon Network Studios
• Tom Kenny - Voice of SpongeBob - “SpongeBob SquarePants — Truth or Square” — Nickelodeon
• Dwight Schultz - Voice of Mung Daal - “Chowder:The Party Cruise” — Cartoon Network Studios
• Willow Smith - Voice of Abby - “Merry Madagascar” — DreamWorks Animation

Voice Acting in a Feature Production

• Jen Cody - Voice of Charlotte - “The Princess and the Frog” — Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Dawn French - Voice of Miss Forcible - “Coraline” — Laika
• Hugh Laurie - Voice of Dr. Cockroach Ph.D. - “Monsters vs. Aliens” — DreamWorks Animation
• John Leguizamo - Voice of Sid - “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaur” — Blue Sky Studios
• Jenifer Lewis - Voice of Mama Odie - “The Princess and the Frog” — Walt Disney Animation Studios

Writing in a Television Production

• Daniel Chun - “The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror XX” — Gracie Films
• Kevin Deters, Stevie Wermers-Skelton - “Prep and Landing” — Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Valentina L. Garza - “The Simpsons: Four Great Women and a Manicure” — Gracie Films
• Billy Kimball and Ian Maxtone-Graham - “The Simpsons: Gone Maggie Gone” — Gracie Films
• Billy Lopez - “The Wonder Pets - Save the Honey Bears” — Nickelodeon Productions/Little Airplane Productions

Writing in a Feature Production

• Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach - “Fantastic Mr. Fox” — 20th Century Fox
• Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy - “Up” — Pixar Animation Studios
• Timothy Hyde Harris and David Bowers - “Astro Boy” — Imagi Studios
• Christopher Miller and Phil Lord - “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” — Sony Pictures Animation

JURIED AWARDS__________________________________

Winsor McCay Award — Tim Burton, Bruce Timm, Jeffrey Katzenberg

June Foray — Tom Sito

Ub Iwerks Award — William T. Reeves

Special Achievement — Martin Meunier and Brian McLean

Certificate of Merit — Myles Mikulic, Danny Young and Michael Woodside

Richard Roeper Says...

...that "Brothers" and "Up In The Air" are getting multiple Oscar nominations.  Sure he gives other movies solid grades in his reviews, but to my knowledge these are the only two movies of the year (so far) that he's singled out for awards.  Will his predication come true?  Probably, they're safe predictions after all.  Never-the-less, he's big enough to quote, so here are his videos:

Golden Globe Nominations

And so the Oscar race officially begins.  I'm not sure why the Golden Globes are considered an early indicator to what's going to be nominated come Oscar time, and it's especially true when you have strange nominations like Julia Roberts and Sandra Bullock on the list for "Duplicity" and "The Proposal" (respectively), but they are here and you can discuss to your hearts content.  Will discuss some of the highs and lows for me either later tonight or early tomorrow:

Motion Picture, Drama
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
Up in the Air
Motion Picture, Comedy/Musical
500 Days of Summer
The Hangover
It’s Complicated
Julie & Julia
Nine
Actress, Drama
Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabby Sidibe, Precious
Actor, Drama
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Tobey Maguire, Brothers
Actor Comedy/Musical
Matt Damon, The Informant
Daniel Day Lewis, Nine
Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes
Joe Gordon Levitt, 500 Days of Summer
Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man
Actress, Comedy
Sandra Bullock, The Proposal
Marion Cotillard, Nine
Julia Roberts, Duplicity
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Meryl Streep, It’s Complicated
Director
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Clint Eastwood, Invictus
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Mo’nique, Precious
Julianne Moore, A Single Man
Supporting Actor
Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Screenplay
Neill Blomkampt & Terri Tatchell, District 9
Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
Nancy Meyers, It’s Complicated
Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Original Score
Michael Giacchino, Up
Marvin Hamlisch, The Informant
James Horner, Avatar
Abel Krozeniowski, A Single Man
Karen O. and Carter Burwell, Where the Wild Things Are
Foreign Language Film
Baaria
Broken Embraces
The Maid
Un Prophete
The White Ribbon
Original Song
“Cinema Italiano,” Nine
“I Want To Come Home,” Everybody’s Fine
“I See You,” Avatar
“The Weary Kind,” Crazy Heart
“Winter,” Brothers

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!