Oscar Nominee Predictions for 2010

by Andrea Burke

Let’s see how well I can do with this. Someone keep score.

This year, The Academy is nominating 10 films which I think is a heinous idea, but whatever. The decision has been made. And the nominees will be announced tomorrow. So here goes my best guess for the 10 movies that will be nominated. I’ve also included if directors/actors/etc will be nominated from said movie.

1. The Hurt Locker. Kathryn Bigelow, best director. Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie deserve acting nominations, best actor and best supporting actor respetively.

2. Up in the Air. Note: This movie got big early buzz, and I think its too bad some of it has died out. It deserves it. Jason Reitman, best director, best original screeplay. George Clooney, Best Actor, Vera Famiga and Anna Kenrick, both will be up for Best Supporting Actress

3. Avatar. James Cameron, best director. I’m guess it will win all the nerdy special effects/tech awards too, whatever they are called.

4. Up. Its animated, but it’s great. Best Original Screenplay, Best Animated Film. And if Randy Newman wrote another song (I can’t remember), it’ll get nominated.

5. Inglourious Basterds. Tarantino, for directing and best original screenplay. Christoph Waltz will not only be nominated, but take home the Oscar for best supporting actor. I’m calling it. OH AND he’ll give a terrible acceptance speech.You can bet your life on it.

6. Crazy Heart. Jeff Bridges, best actor.

7. Precious. another win prediction goes to Monique for best supporting actress. Gaby Sidibe, best actress.

8. (500) Days of Summer. This is not a shoe-in. It’s my out-on-a-limb one, but c’mon, they should nominate this excellent movie!

For the last two, it’s a toss up, I would say Invictus and Julie and Julia have a good chance of getting in there, as does An Eduation. And as a fan, I think Fantastic Mr. Fox should be a nominee.

I’ll call it all again before the acual awards, but let me say now, if Avatar wins it’s a crying shame.

My Thanksgiving Essentials

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Most of this week’s essential events include turkey, football, good friends, and shopping but there are 2 releases I’m looking forward to: Adam Lambert’s new CD (out Tuesday) and The Road (out Wednesday.)

But it’s that time of the year for me to give thanks to the people that matter most:

Lady Gaga, I want to thank you first for this. No one will ever wear a mane the same way again.

Thanks a lot Kanye for propelling Taylor Swift into the position of America’s sweetheart, ensuring her success for years to come.

Black Eyed Peas, Thank you for your song “Boom Boom Pow.” It truly proved, once and for all, that no one cares about lyrics.

Will Ferrell, or should I say, W. thanks for sharing this story:

Thank you Tina Fey for writing a show that stars you as a loser, completely inept with relationships or life. It makes the show so funny.

Thanks 500 Days of Summer for one of the best dance sequences ever:

Bill Murray, thank you for putting in that cameo.

And most importantly, thank you Sarah Palin for distracting the Republican party from finding a viable candidate for 2012.

Summer Movie Swan Song

I know summer is over by looking at what’s coming out in the theaters each week. If you pay attention, there’s a very distinct end to the season. No more weekends with 2 or more large budget films competing for your money, no more big action films, its time for the more mellow, more serious films- Films the studios want to win oscars.

So, because it is the end, here are my top 10 movies from summer 2009.

1. Up- If you’re a grown up, don’t dismiss it because it’s animated. It’s also very well written, and deals with grownup themes like loss, and kid/adult themes like adventure.

2. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince- The movies are never as good as the books, so if you haven’t read them, you would probably enjoy them. I don’t know anyone who’s read them who didn’t love them.

3. 500 Days of Summer – If you missed this little indie number, you missed out on a lot. It’s a chaoticly filmed piece about a chaotic relationship. It reminded me a lot of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but Summer wasn’t as serious or dark.

4. Inglourious Basterds- see my review

5. Julie and Julia- I Love Meryl Streep.

6. Star Trek- I remember it being a little long, but I still liked it. Sorry that’s all I have to say for this one.

7. The Hangover- “You guys might not know this, but I consider myself a bit of a loner. I tend to think of myself as a one-man wolf pack. But when my sister brought Doug home, I knew he was one of my own. And my wolf pack… it grew by one. So there… there were two of us in the wolf pack… I was alone first in the pack, and then Doug joined in later. And six months ago, when Doug introduced me to you guys, I thought, “Wait a second, could it be?” And now I know for sure, I just added two more guys to my wolf pack. Four of us wolves, running around the desert together, in Las Vegas”

8. Transformers 2- Judging from what it made it the box office, you’ve all seen it already.

9. District 9- overrated? yes. But I enjoyed the story, I did want those aliens to be free. But I did have major problems with the plotting.

10. Angels and Demons- I love Tom Hanks too. And Ewan McGregor. This movie was crazy! absolutely, completely impossible, would never ever happen. But I like it anyway. Sometimes that’s what summer movies are all about.