Every Oscar party on the planet features a contest in which participants guess the winners of the forthcoming Academy Awards. With the 82nd annual Awards only a day away, now is the time to finalize your Oscar ballots. Some of these Oscar-pools only require guessing the major categories, but die-hard fans will make their guests take a stab at even the most obscure categories (How many people really know the difference between Sound Editing and Sound Mixing?). To make things a little bit easier, the Editing Staff here at FlickSided got together (via email, of course) and made our picks for this year’s Oscar winners. We heartily agreed on some, and for others…well, you’ll just have to read on to find out.

Best Actor

Adam’s Pick: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart – Bridges walks away with this one in a blowout, and it should be that way. He’s paid his dues and carried that movie like no other actor carried one this year (save maybe the snubbed Sam Rockwell).

Mike’s Pick: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart – Bridges will win this in recognition of his entire career, not for his very good, but overrated performance in Crazy Heart. I’d love to see Firth upset.

Scott’s Pick: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart – Gives an amazing performance and is long overdue.

The Favorite: Jeff Bridges.

Potential Upset: If the Academy goes for a Locker sweep, Renner could sneak in, but it’s doubtful.

Best Supporting Actor

Adam’s Pick: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds – There is only one possibility here. Much like Javier Bardem and Heath Ledger two years ago and last year, respectively, the other nominees should be flattered to be mentioned in the same breath.

Mike’s Pick: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds – Since we all know he’s going to win, rather than explaining why, I’m just going to point out that the “W” in his last name is pronounced like a “V.” I wonder if they’ll get it right when they read the envelope.

Scott’s Pick: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds – He stole the movie. It’s a lock.

The Favorite: Christoph Waltz.

Potential Upset: Ain’t gonna happen.

Best Actress

Adam’s Pick: Gabourey Sidibe, Precious – In the battle of the two young dark horses, Sidibe gets the edge over Carey Mulligan. To award any of the other veteran actresses in this category would be a mistake, because these were easily the two most challenging roles.

Mike’s Pick: Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side – She was really good, but not as good as Mulligan or Streep. The Best Pic nod for The Blind Side pretty much locked this one up though.

Scott’s Pick: Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side – Doesn’t deserve it, but it’s hers to lose.

The Favorite: Sandra Bullock.

Potential Upset: The media is painting this as a head-to-head between Bullock and Streep, but if there is an upset in this category, look for it to come from one of the two talented young-guns, not Meryl.

Best Supporting Actress

Adam’s Pick: Mo’Nique, Precious – This hairy-legged actress has already won. Biggest no-brainer of the night.

Mike’s Pick: Mo’Nique, Precious – That monologue at the end convinced me she’d be getting quite a few statues this awards-season. It was a role tailor-made for Oscar. That being said, I liked Kendrick.

Scott’s Pick: Mo’Nique, Precious – Another lock and she’s damn good.

The Favorite: Mo’Nique

Potential Upset: This one is also in the bag.

Best Animated Feature

Adam’s Pick: The Fantastic Mr. Fox – Fox over Coraline. These were two brilliantly made, game-changing films. Up was good, but it was by no means Wall-E. The Academy shouldn’t just automatically hand the trophy to Pixar every year.

Mike’s Pick: Up – Pixar doesn’t lose this category. That and the fact that it’s got four other nominations (including Best Picture), pretty much guarantees a win here.

Scott’s Pick: Up – Since it’s also nominated for Best Pic, it only makes sense it will win.

The Favorite: Up

Potential Upset: If any film is going to do it, it would be The Fantastic Mr. Fox, but if you want to win your Oscar pool, stick with Up.

Achievement in Art Direction

Adam’s Pick: Sherlock Holmes – The look of this film really set the tone for what looks to be Hollywood’s newest franchise.

Mike’s Pick: Avatar – There’s just no way the big blue dudes and their fancy planet will lose this one.

Scott’s Pick: Avatar – They created another planet. That’s gotta be enough, right?

The Favorite: Avatar

Potential Upset: The CG rendering of Victorian England in Sherlock Holmes was impressive, but just didn’t incite the same response as the landscapes of Pandora.

Achievement in Cinematography

Adam’s Pick: Avatar – Avatar takes this golden statue home. The film’s revolutionary techniques have changed cinematography and filmmaking forever.

Mike’s Pick: Avatar – They had to invent a completely new type of camera to pull of the cinematography in this film. Plus, it’s the first time 3D has received universal acclaim…which is due to it being shot in 3D, not rendered in post. However, the fact that a lot of the images are computer-generated might hurt its chances.

Scott’s Pick: The White Ribbon – Tough call, but Berger’s B&W images are stunning.

The Favorite: Avatar

Potential Upset: The White Ribbon won the ASC Award, so there’s a chance.

Achievement in Costume Design

Adam’s Pick: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus – Somehow this department made four actors feel like the same person, and the other costumes were dazzling as well.

Mike’s Pick: The Young Victoria – They call it a “costume drama” for a reason, right?

Scott’s Pick: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus – They looked nice, I guess.

The Favorite: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Potential Upset: They say the period piece always gets it, so don’t be surprised to see The Young Victoria or Bright Star upset.

Achievement in Directing

Adam’s Pick: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker – This will be the most interesting category of the night, but Bigelow should be the choice. She’s made stars out of Anthony Mackie and Jeremy Renner.

Mike’s Pick: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker – Bigelow gave the Academy a reason to make history and give this to a female director for the first time, there’s no way they’re gonna pass it up. Plus, even Jimmy Cameron is telling voters to give it to her.

Scott’s Pick: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker – I’m going with the upset.

The Favorite: Kathryn Bigelow

Potential Upset: The King of the World himself, Mr. James Cameron.

Best Documentary Feature

Adam’s Pick: Food, Inc. – Gotta hand this award to the only film I saw in this category.

Mike’s Pick: The Cove – I’d vote for Food, Inc., but The Cove seems to have the momentum.

Scott’s Pick: The Cove – A suspenseful exposé with a message.

The Favorite: The Cove

Potential Upset: Food, Inc. also garnered a lot of praise.

Best Documentary Short

Adam’s Pick: The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant – It just feels like the right movie for the moment.

Mike’s Pick: The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant – The subject matter is timely and its pro-union message should resonate with liberal Hollywood.

Scott’s Pick: China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province – Only one I saw, but it’s an eye-opener.

The Favorite: The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant

Potential Upset: I’ve heard rumblings about both China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province and Rabbit à la Berlin. As with the other two short subject categories, this one is a toss up.

Achievement in Film Editing

Adam’s Pick: Inglourious Basterds – It is time for Sally Menke to get the credit she has long deserved. She’s been to QT what Thelma Schoonmaker has been to Martin Scorsese.

Mike’s Pick: The Hurt Locker – It won the Eddie Award. I’d give it to Menke for her phenomenal work on Basterds, but I think the Academy will also reward Locker for its effective pacing and suspense building, products of its editing.

Scott’s Pick: Avatar – The action sequences are a marvel.

The Favorite: Avatar

Potential Upset: Inglourious Basterds is a film built on pacing and scene placement, it deserves the award and just might pull off the upset. Also, you can never count The Hurt Locker out of any race.

Best Foreign Language Film

Adam’s Pick: A Prophet – I am going to have to take the word of some of my cinephile friends on this one and go with A Prophet. It just won Best Picture in France, so it should have a shot here as well.

Mike’s Pick: El Secreto de Sus Ojos – Academy members are only allowed to vote for this category if they’ve seen all five nominees, usually at an Academy-sanctioned screening. This Argentinean film is said to have garnered a lot of praise after those screenings, whereas presumed favorite, The White Ribbon, supposedly left many voters confused.

Scott’s Pick: The White Ribbon – Powerful stuff from the great Michael Haneke.

The Favorite: The White Ribbon

Potential Upset: Those rumors about El Secreto de Sus Ojos are hard to ignore. A Prophet is also getting some late buzz, including winning nine awards in its sweep of the French equivalent to the Oscars.

Achievement in Makeup

Adam’s Pick: Star Trek – Maybe just because I cherish this film and desperately want to give it an award.

Mike’s Pick: Star Trek – This one can appease the fan-boys who are still pissed that it didn’t get a Best Picture nod.

Scott’s Pick: The Young Victoria – It’s a period drama, so it has to win.

The Favorite: Star Trek

Potential Upset: Don’t underestimate the popularity of period dramas like The Young Victoria with some of the stuffy old Oscar voters.

Best Original Score

Adam’s Pick: Sherlock Holmes – Hans Zimmer’s The Dark Knight collabo with James Newton Howard was fire. He kept his hot streak alive with Sherlock Holmes, and should walk away with an 8-pound golden dude as a result.

Mike’s Pick: Up – This score really did add to the impact of the film, especially in that unforgettable opening montage.

Scott’s Pick: Up – It’s a Disney flick, so it has to win.

The Favorite: Up (Michael Giacchino)

Potential Upset: Zimmer’s score is among the most praised elements of Sherlock Holmes.

Best Original Song

Adam’s Pick: “The Weary Kind,” Crazy Heart – Let’s give this splendid little piece of country music cinema as many awards as we can.

Mike’s Pick: “The Weary Kind,” Crazy Heart – This is the only nominee that is even remotely listenable.

Scott’s Pick: “The Weary Kind,” Crazy Heart – It’s a real toe-tapper.

The Favorite: “The Weary Kind” (Ryan Bingham & T-Bone Burnett)

Potential Upset: Randy Newman is an Oscar favorite, but with two nominations for his work on The Princess and the Frog a split vote for him is likely and an upset is unforeseeable.

Best Animated Short

Adam’s Pick: Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty – The twisted version of the tale was an awesome ride. Made me want to go back and see the whole animated shorts program again at the theaters.

Mike’s Pick: A Matter of Loaf and Death – The only time a Nick Park short lost at the Oscars was to a different Nick Park short. Since there’s no clear front-runner, I’m siding with history.

Scott’s Pick: The Lady and the Reaper – It was my favorite, so I’ll roll with it.

The Favorite: A Matter of Loaf and Death (this is a really shaky guess)

Potential Upset: Can there really be an upset when there’s no solid favorite?

Best Live-Action Short

Adam’s Pick: Instead of Abracadabra – I am a sucker for magic and comedy, so I am sure I am biased here, but this was my favorite out of an excellent crop of shorts.

Mike’s Pick: The Door – The New Tenants is definitely the best of the bunch, but The Door plays like Oscar-bait and I think the Academy will fall for it.

Scott’s Pick: The New Tenants – It’s so good, I was mad when it ended.

The Favorite: The New Tenants

Potential Upset: This one is also a total toss up, so nobody would really be an “upset.”

Achievement in Sound Editing

Adam’s Pick: Star Trek – Have you watched this on Blu-Ray yet? Almost everything sounds good at the theatre, but this film’s sound mixing is just breathtaking.

Mike’s Pick: Avatar – I think Avatar and The Hurt Locker are going to split the two sound categories. I don’t know what the split is going to be, so I’m picking Avatar for both and hoping to go 50/50.

Scott’s Pick: Avatar – You can’t compete with this film on a technical level.

The Favorite: Avatar

Potential Upset: The Hurt Locker. Sorry, Adam, but I don’t think Star Trek has a chance here.

Achievement in Sound Mixing

Adam’s Pick: Star Trek – Same as sound editing. Smooth, sharp sound mixing that amplified the sounds of Star Trek.

Mike’s Pick: Avatar – Again, I think Avatar deserves it, but Locker might nab it. We’ll see what happens.

Scott’s Pick: Avatar – See above.

The Favorite: Avatar

Potential Upset: Star Trek does have a better shot here, the mixing was fantastic. The Hurt Locker could nab this one in a sweep too.

Achievement in Visual Effects

Adam’s Pick: Avatar – If this goes to anything but Avatar, my TV is straight getting turned off.

Mike’s Pick: Avatar – I don’t think there’s a bigger lock this year…or has there ever been, any year, in any category.

Scott’s Pick: Avatar – The whole movie is one giant visual effect.

The Favorite: Avatar

Potential Upset: Don’t make me laugh.

Adapted Screenplay

Adam’s Pick: Precious – I’ve never read the book, but I don’t know if it could be more of a gut-wrenching, and ultimately uplifting, tale than the film ended up being.

Mike’s Pick: Up in the Air – The writing is definitely the best part of this film, but, more importantly, this is the Academy’s only real opportunity at rewarding this excellent movie. It’ll be cool to see Reitman accept his statue.

Scott’s Pick: Precious – A sad, but oddly uplifting story.

The Favorite: Precious

Potential Upset: Reitman and Turner took home the Golden Globe and Writers’ Guild Awards, so they could repeat here.

Original Screenplay

Adam’s Pick: Inglourious Basterds – If we’re purely speaking dialogue here, this script might even top Pulp Fiction. Naw, but it’s close.

Mike’s Pick: Inglourious Basterds – You simply can’t compete with Tarantino’s dialogue.

Scott’s Pick: The Hurt Locker – Tarantino is deserving, but not this year.

The Favorite: Inglourious Basterds

Potential Upset: Mark Boal’s The Hurt Locker screenplay seemed a bit minimalistic to me, but it did take home the WGA Award, so, clearly, the experts may feel differently.

Best Picture

Adam’s Pick: Avatar – It came down to the big movie that didn’t require much of an emotional investment over two little movies that were poignant gut punches (The Hurt Locker and Precious). In the end, I think we’d look back at snubbing Avatar as one of those monumental snubs we always talk about.

Mike’s Pick: Inglourious Basterds – Come Sunday night, I will either look very foolish or like a complete genius. I’m thinking the presumed head-to-head race between Avatar and The Hurt Locker will result in those two films getting around the same amount of first-place votes, but with neither earning a majority. This sets up the preferential ballot, instant runoff, where Basterds has the most number-two and number-three votes (and a decent amount of number-one ballots), thus becoming the winner. It’s a long shot, but for some reason I can’t help but go with it (maybe it’s just wishful thinking).

Scott’s Pick: The Hurt Locker – No sci-fi film has ever captured the award. I’m guessing the fuddy-duddy Academy members will keep the trend alive.

The Favorite: The Hurt Locker

Potential Upset: With a race this close, no matter who wins it will be considered by some to be an upset. If we are considering The Hurt Locker the front-runner, then the biggest chance for an upset comes from Avatar. But, with the new balloting system, anything can happen, and the eventual victor of this statue is perhaps the most unpredictable of the night.

So, it looks like it’s going to be a big night for Avatar on the technical side of things and The Hurt Locker will take home the two big ones. It will be interesting to look back on this tomorrow and see how we did!

French Roast

A wealthy man sits in a French coffee-shop enjoying a small snack, and is interrupted by a homeless man begging for change. With a sense of entitlement, he dismissed the man and continues drinking his coffee. When finished, the man reaches for his wallet to pay his bill, discovering that he doesn’t have in on him. The rest of the short displays his desperate, sometimes creative and always funny attempts at securing the funds to pay his check. Rendered in impressive computer animation, French Roast is a fun way to spend eight minutes.
Rating:

Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty

When Granny O’Grimm offers to tell a story to her granddaughter to help her sleep, the child is inexplicably terrified. As the seemingly sweet old lady dives into her version of the tale of Sleeping Beauty, the little girl’s fear becomes immediately justified. Granny O’Grimm transforms the fanciful fairy tale into a terrifying story about wicked magic and the perils of growing old. This dark and twisted fairy tale for the slightly disturbed is relentlessly funny and always entertaining.
Rating:

The Lady and the Reaper

Animated in a style reminiscent of a computerized version of the tone found in Courage the Cowardly Dog, The Lady and the Reaper is the story of the difficulties faced in crossing over to the afterlife. When the lady of our story, who is having a hard time coping with the loss of her husband, dies peacefully in her sleep, she is visited by the Grim Reaper. As the Reaper begins escorting her away from life, she is torn away from him by doctors working to revive the old woman. Wanting to be with her husband, the lady joins the reaper in trying to resist the powers of modern medicine, resulting in a hilarious Scooby Doo-style chase between the lady and the Reaper and a team of doctors. Audiences will enjoy the wonderfully balanced blend of slapstick humor and existential themes.
Rating:

Logorama

Logorama is a typical heist story told entirely through the use of animated corporate logos and mascots. The 16 minute short is ambitious and interesting to watch, if only for it’s creative use of logos, but the story is underdeveloped and unnecessarily vulgar (and I’m not one to usually complain about a smattering of f-bombs and gratuitous sex or violence). This will probably be lauded as a genius commentary on capitalist culture and our relationship with corporations, but for me, it just felt like pretentious Oscar-bait.
Rating:

A Matter of Loaf and Death

Things seem to be going well for Wallace. He and Gromit have turned their home into a successful bakery. He even has a new girlfriend! It’s just too bad that she happens to be the serial killer who has murdered twelve local bakers, hoping to use Wallace to round out her “baker’s dozen” of victims. Gromit discovers her true intentions and tries to warn his companion, but to no avail, forcing him to expose the woman for who she really is. The characters of Wallace and Gromit are always fun to watch and the claymation is endearing, but A Matter of Loaf and Death is just a rehashing of their old tricks and contributes little to the W&G canon.
Rating:

As you can tell, my favorite of the five animated shorts is Granny O’Grimm, which is also my bet to take home the Oscar on March 7th. The nominated short films are definitely worth watching (both the Animated and Live-Action selections). Whether you’re a casual movie-goer or a bonafide film-buff, there is something here for everyone.

Visit www.theoscarshorts.com to find screenings in your area or download the nominated shorts on iTunes (I recommend seeing them on the big-screen if possible).

I love the Academy Awards. I love the spectacle. I love the speeches. I love the pomp-and-circumstance. I love it all. But what I love most is seeing all of the nominated films, and then trying to predict the winners.

When filling out my “ballot,” there are a few categories I find particularly frustrating due to my lack of personal experience viewing those nominees. I think I’m not alone in guessing my picks for foreign films and documentaries based on the one or two of the five nominees I had actually seen.  And I’m also probably not the only one who picks from the short films solely on which title sounds the most intriguing.

In other words, my guessing process for short films is a complete crapshoot.

This year, finally, will be different. For I have found a local independent theatre screening all of the nominated shorts together. This was a new experience for me, as my familiarity and study of film has largely been in regards to feature length work, but, damn, am I glad I went.

This year’s selection of five live action short films was wholly spectacular. There isn’t a bad movie in the bunch (I wish I could say the same about the feature-length Best Picture nominees). Here are, as briefly as possible, reviews of the five live-action short films:

Kavi

Kavi is the story of a young boy in India working for a brick manufacturer to help pay off his family’s debt to the owner. As Kavi works, he watches the school children across the street playing cricket, longing to join them. The story soon evolves into an exposition of the struggles of and abuses afflicted upon the poor working class in India and the corruption of the wealthy. Kavi is a sympathetic character and he is easy to empathize with. Great performances and ultra-realistic style complement the films ultimately uplifting story perfectly.
Rating:

The New Tenants

Peter and Frank are in the process of moving into their new apartment when they are interrupted by an elderly neighbor asking to borrow a cup of flower. While waiting for Peter to fetch the flour, she tells them that the last occupant of their unit was shot during a triple homicide that occurred right in the apartment. Soon after she leaves, a gun brandishing drug dealer bursts through the door, looking to settle a score with the deceased tenant. The New Tenants is brilliant storytelling and near-perfect filmmaking; it’s darkly hilarious, unexpectedly romantic and undeniably entertaining.
Rating:

Miracle Fish

It’s Joe’s 8^th birthday and things aren’t going so well. He is teased by his classmates because his mother can’t afford to buy him the same lavish birthday presents they are accustomed to, so he fakes sickness and sneaks into the nurses office to take a nap. He just needs to get away from everyone and have some time to himself. When he wakes up, it appears his birthday wish has come true; the entire school is empty. Miracle Fish is a beautifully shot mystery that delivers a story through the eyes of a child. Audiences experience Joe’s emotions with him, fully feeling his senses of wonderment, confusion and excitement.
Rating:

The Door

The Door tells the story of a family evacuated from their home in the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster. Leaving their homes, belongings and even pets behind, they relocate with nothing to hold onto but each other.  Not long after, they notice a sore on their daughter’s arm, and learn that she developed cancer as a result of the radiation emitted by the accident. Told largely though narration by the young girl’s father, The Door is a touching story of loss, despair and family. While emotionally effective, and well-assembled, the story really needed more time to develop and would have probably been better suited for a feature-length work. Although still good, The Door is unfortunately the programme’s most forgettable short.
Rating:

Instead of Abracadabra

Tomas is 25 years old and loves to do magic and hopes to turn it into a successful career. There’s just one problem; he isn’t very good at it and as a result still lives at home with his parents. In an attempt to impress his parents, and his attractive neighbor, Tomas puts on a magic show during his father’s birthday party. Let’s just say things don’t go exactly as planned. Instead of Abracadabra plays a bit like a Swedish version of Napoleon Dynamite, only much, much funnier. Tomas’ character is quirky yet likable, and his experiences are indescribably funny.
Rating:

My favorite of the five shorts is definitely The New Tenants, but my money is on either Miracle Fish or The Door; I haven’t yet decided which.

Hopefully this will help you in your own office or family Oscar pool.

Sure, everybody gets excited about the nominations for the Academy Awards, but the Razzies deserve their time in the limelight just as much – an awards show without all the needless pomp and circumstance and lambastes terrible movies? What’s not to love? The following nominations are, naturally, full of terrible movies, and it seems Sandra Bullock has the chance to clean up at both awards shows this season. Wait a second, The Blind Side isn’t nominated at the Razzies too? Hm. Either way, the Razzies are given out on March 6th, the day before the Oscars.

Who are your picks?

Worst Picture of 2009

• All About Steve
• G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
• Land of the Lost
• Old Dogs
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (aka Trannies, Too)

Worst Actor of 2009

• All Three Jonas Brothers, Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience
• Will Ferrell, Land of the Lost
• Steve Martin, Pink Panther 2
• Eddie Murphy, Imagine That
• John Travolta, Old Dogs

Worst Actress of 2009

• Beyoncé, Obsessed
• Sandra Bullock, All About Steve
• Miley Cyrus, Hannah Montana: The Movie
• Megan Fox, Jennifer’s Body and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
• Sarah Jessica Parker, Did You Hear About the Morgans?

Worst Screen Couple of 2009

• Any Two (or More) Jonas Brothers, The Jonas Brothers 3-D Concert Experience
• Sandra Bullock & Bradley Cooper, All About Steve
• Will Ferrell & Any Co-star, Creature or “Comic Riff,” Land of the Lost
• Shia LaBeouf & Either Megan Fox or Any Transformer, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
• Kristen Stewart & Either Robert Pattinson or Taylor Whatz-His-Fang, Twilight Saga: New Moon

Worst Supporting Actress of 2009

• Candice Bergen, Bride Wars
• Ali Larter, Obsessed
• Sienna Miller, G.I. Joe
• Kelly Preston, Old Dogs
• Julie White (as Mom), Trannies, Too

Worst Supporting Actor of 2009

• Billy Ray Cyrus, Hannah Montana: The Movie
• Hugh Hefner (as himself), Miss March
• Robert Pattinson, Twilight Saga: New Moon
• Jorma Taccone (as Cha-Ka), Land of the Lost
• Marlon Wayans, G.I. Joe

Worst Remake, Rip-Off, or Sequel

• G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
• Land of the Lost
• Pink Panther 2 (a Rip-Off of a Sequel to a Remake)
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
• Twilight Saga: New Moon

Worst Director of 2009

• Michael Bay, Trannies, Too
• Walt Becker, Old Dogs
• Brad Silberling, Land of the Lost
• Stephen Sommers, G.I. Joe
• Phil Traill, All About Steve

Worst Screenplay of 2009

• All About Steve
• G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
• Land of the Lost
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
• Twilight Saga: New Moon

Worst Picture of the Decade (3 Special 30th Razzie-versary Awardz)

• Battlefield Earth (2000)
• Freddy Got Fingered (2001)
• Gigli (2003)
• I Know Who Killed Me (2007)
• Swept Away (2002)

Worst Actor of the Decade

• Ben Affleck: Daredevil, Gigli, Jersey Girl, Paycheck, Pearl Harbor, Surviving Christmas
• Eddie Murphy: Adventures of Pluto Nash, I Spy, Imagine That, Meet Dave, Norbit, Showtime
• Mike Myers: Cat in the Hat, The Love Guru
• Rob Schneider: The Animal, Benchwarmers, Deuce Bigalo: European Gigolo, Grandma’s Boy, The Hot Chick, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, Little Man, Little Nicky
• John Travolta: Battlefield Earth, Domestic Disturbance, Lucky Numbers, Old Dogs, Swordfish

Worst Actress of the Decade

• Mariah Carey: Glitter
• Paris Hilton: The Hottie & the Nottie, House of Wax, Repo: The Genetic Opera
• Lindsay Lohan: Herbie Fully Loaded, I Know Who Killed Me, Just My Luck
• Jennifer Lopez: Angel Eyes, Enough, Gigli, Jersey Girl, Maid in Manhattan, Monster-in-Law, The Wedding Planner
• Madonna: Die Another Day, The Next Best Thing, Swept Away

The Nominees are:

Actor in a Leading Role

• Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
• George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
• Colin Firth in “A Single Man”
• Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
• Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”

 Actor in a Supporting Role

• Matt Damon in “Invictus”
• Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”
• Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”
• Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”
• Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”

 Actress in a Leading Role

• Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”
• Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”
• Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
• Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
• Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”

Actress in a Supporting Role

• Penélope Cruz in “Nine”
• Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”
• Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”
• Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”
• Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

 Animated Feature Film

• “Coraline” Henry Selick
• “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Wes Anderson
• “The Princess and the Frog” John Musker and Ron Clements
• “The Secret of Kells” Tomm Moore
• “Up” Pete Docter

 Art Direction

• “Avatar” Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
• “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro; Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
• “Nine” Art Direction: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
• “Sherlock Holmes” Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
• “The Young Victoria” Art Direction: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Maggie Gray

Cinematography

• “Avatar” Mauro Fiore
• “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” Bruno Delbonnel
• “The Hurt Locker” Barry Ackroyd
• “Inglourious Basterds” Robert Richardson
• “The White Ribbon” Christian Berger

 Costume Design

• “Bright Star” Janet Patterson
• “Coco before Chanel” Catherine Leterrier
• “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Monique Prudhomme
• “Nine” Colleen Atwood
• “The Young Victoria” Sandy Powell

 Directing

• “Avatar” James Cameron
• “The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow
• “Inglourious Basterds” Quentin Tarantino
• “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels
• “Up in the Air” Jason Reitman

 Documentary (Feature)

• “Burma VJ” Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller
• “The Cove” Nominees to be determined
• “Food, Inc.” Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
• “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
• “Which Way Home” Rebecca Cammisa

 Documentary (Short Subject)

• “China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province” Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill
• “The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner” Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
• “The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant” Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
• “Music by Prudence” Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
• “Rabbit à la Berlin” Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra   

 Film Editing

• “Avatar” Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron
• “District 9” Julian Clarke
• “The Hurt Locker” Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
• “Inglourious Basterds” Sally Menke
• “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Joe Klotz

 Foreign Language Film

• “Ajami” Israel
• “El Secreto de Sus Ojos” Argentina
• “The Milk of Sorrow” Peru
• “Un Prophète” France
• “The White Ribbon” Germany

 Makeup

• “Il Divo” Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
• “Star Trek” Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
• “The Young Victoria” Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

 Music (Original Score)

• “Avatar” James Horner
• “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Alexandre Desplat
• “The Hurt Locker” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
• “Sherlock Holmes” Hans Zimmer
• “Up” Michael Giacchino

 Music (Original Song)

• “Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
• “Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
• “Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36” Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas
• “Take It All” from “Nine” Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
• “The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart” Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

 Best Picture

• “Avatar” James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers
• “The Blind Side” Nominees to be determined
• “District 9” Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers
• “An Education” Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers
• “The Hurt Locker” Nominees to be determined
• “Inglourious Basterds” Lawrence Bender, Producer
• “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers
• “A Serious Man” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers
• “Up” Jonas Rivera, Producer
• “Up in the Air” Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers

 Short Film (Animated)

• “French Roast” Fabrice O. Joubert
• “Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty” Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell
• “The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)” Javier Recio Gracia
• “Logorama” Nicolas Schmerkin
• “A Matter of Loaf and Death” Nick Park

 Short Film (Live Action)

• “The Door” Juanita Wilson and James Flynn
• “Instead of Abracadabra” Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström
• “Kavi” Gregg Helvey
• “Miracle Fish” Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey
• “The New Tenants” Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

Sound Editing

• “Avatar” Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
• “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson
• “Inglourious Basterds” Wylie Stateman
• “Star Trek” Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
• “Up” Michael Silvers and Tom Myers

 Sound Mixing

• “Avatar” Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson
• “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
• “Inglourious Basterds” Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano
• “Star Trek” Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin
• “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson

 Visual Effects

• “Avatar” Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
• “District 9” Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
• “Star Trek” Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton

 Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

• “District 9” Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
• “An Education” Screenplay by Nick Hornby
• “In the Loop” Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
• “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
• “Up in the Air” Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

 Writing (Original Screenplay)

• “The Hurt Locker” Written by Mark Boal
• “Inglourious Basterds” Written by Quentin Tarantino
• “The Messenger” Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
• “A Serious Man” Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
• “Up” Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy

Please check back soon for a reaction post, including commentary regarding this years biggest surprise nominees and the biggest snubs of the year.

Source: AMPAS
Photo Source: AMPAS

The 67th Annual Golden Globes are a wrap. By now, Hollywood’s finest are well on their way to getting more shitfaced than they were at the actual ceremony. Oh to be a fly on the wall at a Globes after party. Watching a plowed Colin Farrell awkwardly hit on Sophia Loren has to be worth the price of admission. But I digress. Back to the show itself. Naturally, there were a few categories that didn’t go the way we thought. It wouldn’t be an awards extravaganza without a few upsets and surprises. Here are the biggest.

Ricky Gervais Wasn’t Funny

He wasn’t bad, but he wasn’t great either. A couple jabs at the American Office and a humdinger about Mel Gibson being a raging alcoholic were the highlights. Other than that, it was… meh. I expected more from one of the funniest guys on the planet.

Sandra Bullock Won Best Actress in a Drama

Give me a break. The Blind Side was average at best, and Bullock was her normal less than credible self. She shouldn’t have been nominated, let alone win. But she was the “name” in the category, so she gets the nod. Go watch Carey Mulligan in An Education if you want to see a real actress nail a nuanced performance.

The Hangover Won Best Comedy/Musical

I liked The Hangover. It was damn funny. That being said, it was nowhere near the film that (500) Days of Summer was. A ribald comedy about dudes having a bender in Vegas isn’t on the same level as an intelligent, witty story about young love gone wrong. It could’ve been worse though. They could’ve given it to Nine or It’s Complicated. Ugh.

Robert Downey Jr. Won Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical

Again, I have zero problem with Downey. He’s one of my favorite actors working today and was jolly good fun as Sherlock Holmes. Was he better than Joseph Gordon-Levitt in (500) Days of Summer? No. Hell, I think Matt Damon deserved it more than Bob. However, he did deliver a killer acceptance speech.

Up in the Air Won Best Screenplay

Even though this was an upset, I’m happy about the results. It was assumed Quintin Tarantino would take the prize for Inglourious Basterds. Well, Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner knocked off the king. They penned a smart, touching script which has the added benefit of being relevant to our times.

The Hurt Locker Got Shut Out

The consensus “Best Reviewed” flick of the year walked away with bupkis. It’s a shame because it’s worthy of recognition. However, the runaway train that is Avatar was too tough to tame. Kathryn Bigelow must have felt great losing to her ex-husband… just great.

Michael C. Hall Won For Best Actor in a TV Drama

One from the TV side of the room. Hall bested the likes of Hugh Laurie and John Hamm. I say good for Michael. He’s excellent in Dexter playing, of all things, a sympathetic serial killer. Now that’s what I call quality acting.

Christina Hendricks’ Breasts

WOW! I’ve known for a couple years that Hendricks had the best boobies in the game, but holy shit they looked extra inviting last night. They are real, and they are spectacular. For more of Hendricks’ lovely bosom, check out our photo gallery. It’s a must-see.

(If you are an Iron Man fan, then you’ll love our take on who should play Captain America.)

Robert Downey Jr. put on an absolute clinic on how to accept an award you have no business winning tonight when he won Best Actor – Comedy/Musical at the Golden Globes (for Sherlock Holmes). He defused the situation immediately and kinda made a joke out of his win, even mentioning that a family member told him Matt Damon was going to win for sure. He took his typical swashbuckling swagger to the stage, flung the announcement card with his name on it into the air and ripped into a classic speech. While Drew Barrymore was an absolute wreck up there, Downey was the epitome of cool. Maybe he should host next year’s Golden Globes?

Here are some of the better quotes from his speech…

“If you start playing violins, I will tear this joint apart.

“I don’t have anybody to thank.

“Certainly not gonna thank Warner Bros…they need me, Avatar was going to take us to the cleaners. If they didn’t have me,they didn’t have a shot, buddy.

“What am I gonna do? Thank Joel Silver, the guy who’s only re-started my career 12 times since it began it 25 years ago?”

Here’s a video of the entire speech:

/center>

]]> http://flicksided.com/2010/01/robert-downey-jr-kills-his-acceptance-speech-video/feed/ 25 http://flicksided.com/2010/01/who-should-host-next-years-golden-globes/ http://flicksided.com/2010/01/who-should-host-next-years-golden-globes/#comments Sat, 16 Jan 2010 20:34:18 +0000 Adam Best http://flicksided.com/?p=371

(Join us NOW for our live chat during the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday night!)

With the Golden Globe Awards being broadcast live for the first time and Ricky Gervais hosting, the awards show promises to be bigger and better than ever. But what about next year? Unless a ratings disaster strikes, the show will be live once again with a star host. And that host should be…

10. Anybody But Jimmy Fallon

Not even the fantastic Roots band can save that guy.

9. Jennifer Aniston and Sarah Jessica Parker

Woman hosts are an irregularity in show business, so if they were going to do it they’d need to do it big. Aniston and Parker have shared the “chick your chick wants to be like” label for the past 15 years or so and would be a huge draw. They both also have plenty of comedic experience.

8. Jamie Foxx

He has award show experience (last year’s BET Awards), is a stand-up comedian, has a fantastic singing voice and is a well-respected (Stealth aside) actor with a Best Actor Golden Globe sitting on his mantle. He’d be the Globes’ black answer to the Oscar’s Hugh Jackman.

7. Eddie Murphy

Even better than Foxx would be Murphy. He can both sing and do stand-up better than Foxx, and he also has a Golden Globe back at the crib. It’s amazing that the only SNL cast member to host the show while still on its cast has never hosted the Oscars, but he hasn’t. His career could use the boost, too.

6. Jim Carrey

Anybody who has ever seen Jim Carrey act a fool at the MTV Awards knows this would be a blast. And, hey, since the Globes have actually honored him, I’m sure he’d love a chance to host the show and stick it to the Oscars. Like Murphy, his career could use this kinda boost right about now.

5. Robin Williams

Anybody who saw his recent comedy special on HBO knows that he still has it. Williams hosting the Globes would basically be like the show itself physically snorting an eight ball of cocaine. Not that that’s possible, but that’s the frantic element of comedy he’d add to the broadcast.

4. Steve Carrell

This is such an obvious choice. Especially considering Carrell’s time on the The Daily Show. Plus, he’s already stepped into Gervais’ shoes once before. It’s not like it didn’t work the first time.

3. Paul Rudd

How can you not love this guy? He’s everywhere right now and for good reason. He’d give the show the new, young, hip feel Neil Patrick Harris gave the Emmys. He could also lean heavily on his fellow Apatowites, which would only make the show funnier.

2. Stephen Colbert

While conservatives wouldn’t be happy with this choice, it wouldn’t be unprecedented. Jon Stewart hosted the Academy Awards twice before, and Hollywood isn’t exactly FOX News West. I can’t think of anyone better to take the show to the next level. Except maybe…

1. Conan O’Brien

He’s hosted the Emmys before and it looks like he’ll soon need another job. Why not bring Conan on permanently? There isn’t a better man for the job. Then again, would he even agree to host with the Globes appearing on NBC? Probably not.

Well, since Conan won’t be hosting the show, here’s a No. 1 choice that should be unanimous…

1. Bill Murray

I’ve never in my life met somebody who didn’t like Bill Murray. Does that person exist? No, Roy Munson and Gozer the Gozerian don’t count. Make it happen, HFTA. Make next year’s Globes Suntory time!

(Be sure to join us at 6 PM E/5 PM C for our live chat during the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday night!)

]]> http://flicksided.com/2010/01/who-should-host-next-years-golden-globes/feed/ 9 http://flicksided.com/2010/01/handicapping-the-golden-globe-awards-film-predictions/ http://flicksided.com/2010/01/handicapping-the-golden-globe-awards-film-predictions/#comments Sat, 16 Jan 2010 16:03:45 +0000 Adam Best http://flicksided.com/?p=277

With the 67th Golden Globe Awards just over 24 hours away, we thought we’d take a shot and handicapping the show’s film awards. Every year there’s a slew of projected locks that end up being locks, but also quite a few upsets. This year should be no different.

Best Picture – Drama

Adam’s Pick: I thought Precious was the most important film I saw all year, and maybe the best, but I’m going to go with Avatar here. It’s got that Titanic momentum going on.

Mike’s Pick: Avatar. The Hurt Locker might be considered the front-runner here, but I think we are looking at a repeat of 1998 (awards for films released in ’97) where James Cameron’s film beats out the critical favorite at the Globes (it was Titanic over LA Confidential 12 years ago).

Scott’s Pick: It will be difficult to quell Avatar’s momentum, but I’m going with the very intense and incredibly powerful The Hurt Locker.

The Favorite: Avatar

Contender: The Hurt Locker

Darkhorse: Up in the Air

Best Picture – Comedy/Musical

Adam’s Pick: The Hangover was great, but it was also overrated. This one should go to the deeper, superior, hell, maybe even funnier film — (500) Days of Summer. Inglorious Basterds should have been in this category.

Mike’s Pick: (500) Days of Summer. Here’s to hoping the HFPA has some taste and ignores It’s Complicated and Nine, two mediocre films that unfortunately have a real shot.

Scott’s Pick: I hope (500) Days of Summer takes it. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel absolutely killed in that flick.

The Favorite: The Hangover

Contender: (500) Days of Summer.

Darkhorse: Julie & Julia

Best Actor – Drama

Adam’s Pick: George Clooney. I think this was the performance of the modern Cary Grant’s career. Bridges also deserves high praise for Crazy Heart, though.

Mike’s Pick: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart. While I’d love to see Colin Firth win this one, the buzz seems to surround past nominee Jeff Bridges.

Scott’s Pick: I’m leaning toward the sentimental favorite, Jeff Bridges. Dude has been solid for three decades. He’s well-deserving.

The Favorite: George Clooney

Contender: Jeff Bridges

Thanks for the Laugh: Tobey Maguire

Best Actress – Drama

Adam’s Pick: Giving this award to Sandra Bullock would be like giving Uwe Boll the Cecil B. DeMille Award instead of Scorsese. And if they screw it up there’s no going back and taking a Mulligan (had to go there).

Mike’s Pick: Carey Mulligan, An Education. I would be very surprised to see this one go any other way. It will be more of a battle at the Oscars when Mulligan will (presumably) be up against Meryl Streep.

Scott’s Pick: Please not Sandra Bullock! Even though Bullock will likely take it, I’m going with an upset: Carey Mulligan. She impressed in the underrated An Education.

The Favorite: Sandra Bullock (seriously)

Contender: Carey Mulligan

Darkhorse: Gabourey Sidibe (Precious)

Best Actor – Comedy/Musical

Adam’s Pick: I have a feeling that they’ll “Winslet” Joseph Gordon-Levitt and give this one to Matt Damon, who’s paid his dues.

Mike’s Pick: Matt Damon, The Informant. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this award go to any of the five nominees, but since Damon is nominated twice this year, and will lose in the Supporting Actor category, I think they’ll give him this one.

Scott’s Pick: Day-Lewis and Downey Jr. are heavy hitters. Either one is worthy, but Gordon-Levitt continues to amaze me with his depth of range.

The Favorite: Matt Damon

Contender: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Darkhorse: Robert Downey Jr.

Best Actress – Comedy/Musical

Adam’s Pick: Just say no to Bullock. Streep. Streep. Streep.

Mike’s Pick: Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia. Streep’s only real competition in this category is herself, which could set up a win for fellow double-nominee Sandra Bullock, but I’d be shocked.

Scott’s Pick: One word: Streep. For Julie & Julia.

The Favorite: Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia)

Contender: Meryl Streep (It’s Complicated)

Darkhorse: None

Best Supporting Actor:

Adam’s Pick: “That’s a bingo!” Inglourious Basterds’ breakout star Cristoph Waltz better have his acceptance speech ready.

Mike’s Pick: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds. This is a lock. The only potential for an upset would be Woody Harrelson, but that’s such a long shot it’s really not even worth considering.

Scott’s Pick: If Christoph Waltz doesn’t clean house during awards season, it’s an effing travesty. He stole Inglourious Basterds.

The Favorite: Cristoph Waltz

Contender: Cristoph Waltz

Darkhorse: None

Best Supporting Actress

Adam’s Pick: Mo’Nique. Her performance and Precious in general shook me down to my core. The ex-Soul Plane actress was, surprisingly enough, the one who put this incredible little drama way over the top.

Mike’s Pick: Mo’Nique, Precious. Although I absolutely adored Anna Kendrick in Up in the Air, this was the role of a lifetime for Mo’Nique and she deserves the award.

Scott’s Pick: I dig Anna Kendrick, but Mo’Nique will take home the Globe.

The Favorite: Mo’Nique

Contender: Mo’Nique

Darkhorse: None

Best Animated Film

Adam’s Pick: I liked Up. I really did. But it wasn’t anywhere near as good as Pixar’s last effort, Wall-E, Coraline or Wes Anderon’s first animated film, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, which deserves to win.

Mike’s Pick: Up. Up is the obvious choice here, but don’t discount Wes Anderson’s The Fantastic Mr. Fox’s ability to be the big upset this year.

Scott’s Pick: Up. In a landslide.

The Favorite: Up

Contender: The Fantastic Mr. Fox

Darkhorse: Coraline

Best Director

Adam’s Pick: Here’s the spot to honor Jason Reitman, one of film’s best young directors, and Up in the Air. This gets the nod over best screenplay because the real-life footage that gave the film a huge boost was a directorial choice.

Mike’s Pick: James Cameron, Avatar. Again, I could be very wrong here, but I think Cameron will upset, setting up himself and his film as the new frontrunners for the Academy Awards.

Scott’s Pick: I’m a Hurt Locker guy, so I say Bigelow. Easily her best work to date. Apologies to Point Break.

The Favorite: Kathryn Bigelow

Contender: Jason Reitman, James Cameron

Darkhorse: Quentin Tarantino

Best Foreign Film

Adam’s Pick: I am a Penelope Cruz apologist, so of course I am rolling with Broken Embraces. But The White Ribbon will probably win.

Mike’s Pick: The White Ribbon. I thought Broken Embraces was fantastic, but The White Ribbon is getting the most buzz from those who have seen it. Hopefully a win here will get the film a wider release stateside.

Scott’s Pick: The only one I’ve seen is Broken Embraces. Guess I’ll have to pick that one.

The Favorite: The White Ribbon

Contender: Broken Embraces

Darkhorse: The Maid

Best Screenplay

Adam’s Pick: Inglorious Basterds is a dialogue clnic that should be taught as a subject at film schools. It’s got this wrapped up. The again, I’ve never been fired (Up in the Air). Wonder if many of the voters have?

Mike’s Pick: Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds. Tarantino’s script for Basterds is not only the best writing of the year, it’s some of the best ever. Though, this might be the HFPA’s best shot at giving some gold to Up in the Air, which earned the most nominations this year (6).

Scott’s Pick: Up in the Air. It’s smart, touching and relevant.

The Favorite: Inglorious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino

Contender: Up in the Air, Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, from the novel by Walter Kim

Darkhorse: The Hurt Locker, Mark Boal

(Be sure to join us at 6 PM E/5 PM C for our live chat during the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday night!)

]]> http://flicksided.com/2010/01/handicapping-the-golden-globe-awards-film-predictions/feed/ 0 http://flicksided.com/2010/01/ten-golden-globes-nomination-snubs/ http://flicksided.com/2010/01/ten-golden-globes-nomination-snubs/#comments Fri, 15 Jan 2010 05:40:21 +0000 Scott Tunstall http://flicksided.com/?p=244

Did you hear? The 67th Annual Golden Globes are this Sunday night at 8pm EST on NBC. That is if NBC is still standing after the fallout from their most recent late night fiasco. At any rate, if you’re like me, you love picking apart awards shows like the Globes. Especially when it comes to the nominees. While scanning this year’s crop of chosen flicks and performers, I couldn’t help but notice a few glaring omissions. So, before settling in to watch a bunch of inebriated Hollywood types stumble onto the stage and slur their way through some boring ass acceptance speeches, check out my list of films and folks who won’t feel the ebullience of capturing a testicle-shaped statue, or the agony of losing said testicle-shaped statue.

10 – Emily Blunt in Sunshine Cleaning

I realize Emily is already nominated for The Young Victoria, but I preferred her spin in the little seen Sunshine Cleaning. She displays enormous depth portraying a young woman searching to escape the shadow of her doting big sister.

9 – Joaquin Phoenix in Two Lovers

I admit, Joaquin is a freaking weird dude, but you can’t deny his acting ability. His co-star Gwyneth Paltrow got a nom, but Phoenix was inexplicably ignored. He kills it as a suicidal man-child desperate to find love. Great performance in a great film.

8 – Sin Nombre as Best Foreign Language Film

Hands down one of the best films of 2009. Sin Nombre details the fascinating journey of two downtrodden teens attempting to escape the gangs and poverty of Honduras. Writer/director Cary Joji Fukunaga doesn’t miss a step in his stunning debut.

7 – Russell Crowe in State of Play

Crowe has always struck me as a brutish douchebag. However, he’s got some serious big screen chops. State of Play isn’t a memorable movie, but Crowe’s turn as old school newspaper scribe Cal McAffery makes it watchable. For such a massive star, he’s still capable of being understated when the cameras roll.

6 – 500 Days of Summer for Best Screenplay

Writers Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber crafted an intelligent and endearing script that is worthy of accolades. Okay, so the ending was a little too cute, but that doesn’t take away from all the goodness that preceded it.

5 – Sam Rockwell in Moon

One of these years the jokers in the foreign press and Hollywood will stop sniffing glue and give Sam Rockwell his due. The guy has been kicking ass for fifteen years. In my mind, he’s never been better playing the conflicted Sam Bell in the superbly eerie 2001-esque, Moon.

4 – 35 Shots of Rum as Best Foreign Language Film

I’ve been a huge Claire Denis fan since the brilliant Beau Travail. Her latest triumph explores the evolving relationship between a father and daughter. Denis’ style is not for everyone, but her talent is unquestioned.

3 – Land of the Lost for Best Comedy/Musical

Sorry! This got mixed in from my notes for the Razzies. To be clear, Land of the Lost is a steaming pile of shit.

2 – Zooey Deschanel in 500 Days of Summer

How the hell do you not throw her a nod? Joseph Gordon-Levitt got his. Why no love for the apple of his eye? As Charles Barkley is fond of saying, “That’s turible. Just turible.” Zooey shines playing the unattainable girl.

1 – Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker

Renner, who’s been rock solid since 2002′s Dahmer, needed a role like this one to call attention to his skills. He plays the daring and driven SSgt. William James with controlled abandon. Instead of Tobey Maguire in Brothers, Renner should have received a Best Actor nomination. For shame.

(Be sure to join us at 6 PM E/5 PM C for our live chat during the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday night!)

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