If I Were an Academy: 2012 Edition

The Oscars are my "thing." Call me crazy, but nomination day is like Christmas for me, I look forward to the annual ceremony more than the Super Bowl, and I still dream of working for "The Academy."So it should come to no surprise that I am back for my sixth annual (!) "If I Were an Academy" post. This year was an interesting year in film. I enjoyed many films. There were more than 20 films during 2011 that were competing for spots on my Top 10 list. However, I am wasn't deeply passionate about any. There wasn't a Dark Knight, Slumdog Millionaire, or even Crash. (Yes, I still love Crash, so take that haters!) That's what makes this year of predicting so interesting -- I'm not sure if my lack of enthusiasm will help or hurt my ability to pick the correct winners. But with that, here are my 2012 Oscar predictions. Until next year...

Main Predictions
Best Picture
This year's best picture race is the most boring since... well, last year when The King's Speech took the big prize. However, unlike last year, The Artist is actually a pretty good movie. It's unique, clever, and a solid example of excellent film making. I have no problem with the film winning, but it's just not the most exciting choice. As it goes with the Oscars every year, my favorite films (and what I would argue are the best films of the year) generally got shut out. 50/50 was the most egregious snub. It was the most realistic, smart, and heartfelt yet funny film of the year. Though, with the nine nominees selected, if I were voting, I'd punch my ticket for Moneyball. Aaron Sorkin turned in another fabulous script, following The Social Network last year, and Brad Pitt gives a career-best performance in one of the best sports films of all-time.

Nominees: The Artist, The Descendants, The Help, Midnight In Paris, Hugo, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Moneyball, War Horse, The Tree Of Life
Will Win: The Artist
Should Win: Moneyball
Should've Been Nominated/Jason's Top 10 of 2011: 1. 50/50, 2. Harry Potter, 3. Moneyball, 4. Drive, 5. Contagion, 6. Talk Shelter, 7. Win Win, 8. Hugo, 9. Bridesmaids, 10. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Best Director
Nominees: Martin Scorsese, Hugo, Woody Allen, Midnight In Paris, Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist, Alexander Payne, The Descendants, Terrence Malick, The Tree Of Life
Will Win: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist. Even though The Artist had its problems, there is no denying Hazanavicius' touch on the film. Without him, its likely The Artist would not have been able to pull off what it did.
Should Win: Martin Scorsese, Hugo. If the Academy gives Hazanavicius an Oscar based on his out-of-the-box vision - they really should be handing this to the legendary Scorsese. Hugo was a marvel, and Scorsese utilized 3D unlike anyone has yet - actually to the benefit of the film.
Should've Been Nominated: Nicolas Winding Refn, Drive

Best Actor
Nominees: George Clooney, The Descendants, Brad Pitt, Moneyball, Jean Dujardin, The Artist, Demian Bichir, A Better Life, Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Will Win: Jean Dujardin, The Artist. I'm predicting mostly an Artist sweep in the major categories, and Dujardin should ride that wave.
Should Win: Brad Pitt, Moneyball. Like I said, Pitt has aged like a fine wine, and gives a brilliant performance.
Should've Been Nominated: Ryan Gosling, Drive. I don't know what the Academy's problem is with Gosling, but by my count he should have four career nominations by now, but yet he only has one under his belt for Half Nelson.

Best Actress
Nominees: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady, Viola Davis, The Help, Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn, Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs, Rooney Mara, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Will & Should Win: Viola Davis, The Help. Of this year's Best Picture nominees, The Help is the best acted, and Viola Davis leads the way. She carried the film in a way that no other actress could. Hopefully her win tomorrow lands her more of the roles that she deserves.
Should've Been Nominated: Charlize Theron, Young Adult. The film was unfocused and unrealistic, but Charlize owned the picture. If she can get nominated for North Country, it is embarrassing that she couldn't do the same for Young Adult.

Best Supporting Actor
Nominees: Christopher Plummer, Beginners, Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn, Jonah Hill, Moneyball, Nick Nolte, Warrior, Max Von Sydow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Who Will Win: Christopher Plummer, Beginners. I'm embarrassed to admit, I haven't seen Beginners yet. However, Plummer has landed all the precursors, and if he lost, it'd be the biggest upset of the night.
Who Should Win: Jonah Hill, Moneyball. I was happy to see him land here on nomination day. Mostly known as a comedian, he tones it down and hits it out of the park.

Best Supporting Actress
Nominees: Octavia Spencer, The Help, Jessica Chastain, The Help, Berenice Bejo, The Artist, Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids, Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Who Will Win: Octavia Spencer, The Help. Like Plummer, she has this in the bag. If anyone else wins it would be a stunner.
Who Should Win: Jessica Chastain, The Help. Anyone who watched "Ugly Betty" knew of Spencer's talents. However, 2012 was Chastain's year, and she took what could've been a one-note character and stole the show.
Who Should've Been Nominated: Jessica Chastain, Take Shelter. If Chastain wins tomorrow, she's winning for the wrong movie. Her portrayal of a faithful and struggling wife in Take Shelter is a master class. Between her roles in The Help, Take Shelter, and The Debt in 2011, Chastain has quickly become one of my favorite actresses.

Best Original Screenplay
Nominees: Michel Hazanivicius, The Artist, Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumulo, Bridesmaids, Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris, J.C. Chandor, Margin Call, Asghar Farhadi, A Separation
Will Win: Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris. The film was the surprise hit of the summer (in addition to Bridesmaids) and will be rewarded here. However, no win will upset me more than an Oscar for Midnight in Paris. It was a snoozer and was in desperate need of some whimsy.
Should Win: Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumulo, Bridesmaids. The summer's first surprise was definitely its best.
Should've Been Nominated: Will Reiser, 50/50. It was my favorite film of the year mainly because it was so brilliantly written.

Best Adapted Screenplay
Will Win: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, The Descendants, John Logan, Hugo,
George Clooney, Beau Willimon and Grant Heslov, The Ides of March, Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin, Moneyball, Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Will Win: The guys from The Descendants. There's a contingent of the Academy that's bound to be in love with this film, so they'll want to award it something. If it doesn't win here keep your eye out for a George Clooney win in Best Actor.
Should Win: The guys from Moneyball. Mainly because Aaron Sorkin is a genius with words.
Should've Been Nominated: Steve Zaillian, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. He did an excellent job making changes to the story that actually made it better than the book.

Tech & Craft Predictions (sans analysis... mostly)
Best Animated Feature
Nominees: A Cat in Paris, Chico & Rita, Kung Fu Panda 2, Puss in Boots, Rango
Will Win: Rango. This is deserving if you like watching films featuring a lizard, voiced by Johnny Depp, on some sort of acid trip.
Should Win: Kung Fu Panda 2. It improved on the already-good original. In such a weak animation year, that should be enough to win you an Oscar.
Should've Been Nominated: Um. Nothing.

Best Art Direction
Nominees: The Artist, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Hugo, Midnight in Paris, War Horse
Will & Should Win: Hugo. No contest.
Should've Been Nominated: This list looks right to me.

Best Cinematography
Nominees: The Artist, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, The Tree of Life, War Horse
Will Win: The Tree of Life
Should Win: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Should've Been Nominated: Newton Thomas Sigel, Drive

Best Foreign Language Film
Nominees: Bullhead, Footnote, In Darkness, Monsier Lazhar, A Separation
Will Win: A Separation
Should Win & Should've Been Nominated: I didn't see any of them... so yeah...

Best Sound Mixing
Nominees: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, Moneyball, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, War Horse
Will Win: Hugo
Should Win: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Should've Been Nominated: I'm not even going to pretend to know.

Best Sound Editing
Nominees: Drive, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, War Horse
Will & Should Win: War Horse
Should've Been Nominated: See above

Best Documentary Feature
Nominees: Hell and Back Again, If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory, Pina, Undefeated
Will Win: Paradise Lost 3
Should Win & Should've Been Nominated: Being Elmo

Best Visual Effects
Nominees: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Hugo, Real Steel, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Will & Should Win: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Should've Been Nominated: None

Best Film Editing
Nominees: Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist, Kevin Tent, The Descendants, Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Thelma Schoonmaker, Hugo, Christopher Tellefsen, Moneyball
Will Win: The Artist
Should Win: Hugo
Should've Been Nominated: Harry Potter

Best Original Score
Nominees: John Williams, The Adventures of Tintin, Ludovic Bource, The Artist, Howard Shore, Hugo, Alberto Iglesias, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, John Williams, War Horse
Will Win: The Artist
Should Win: The Artist
Should've Been Nominated: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Best Costume Design
Nominees: Anonymous, The Artist, Hugo, Jane Eyre, W.E.
Will & Should Win: The Artist
Should've Been Nominated: Harry Potter

Best Original Song
Nominees: “Man or Muppet” from The Muppets, Bret McKenzie, “Real in Rio” from Rio, Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown and Siedah Garrett
Will & Should Win: THE MUPPETS!
Should've Been Nominated: EVERY OTHER SONG FROM THE MUPPETS!

Best Makeup
Nominees: Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle, Albert Nobbs, Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland, The Iron Lady
Will Win: Iron Lady
Should Win: Harry Potter just because it's Harry Potter
Should've Been Nominated: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

The rest of the categories I have no clue about:
Best Animated Short
Nominees: Dimanche/Sunday, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, La Luna, A Morning Stroll, Wild Life
Will Win: Flying Books

Best Live Action Short
Nominees: Pentecost, Raju, The Shore, Time Freak, Tuba Atlantic
Will Win: Tuba

Best Documentary Short
Nominees: The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement, God Is the Bigger Elvis, Incident in New Baghdad, Saving Face, The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom Will Win: Saving Face

Overall Winners Count
The Artist - 6
The Help - 2
Hugo - 2
Beginners - 1
Midnight in Paris - 1
The Descendants - 1
Rango - 1
Tree of Life - 1
A Separation - 1
War Horse - 1
Rise of the Planet of the Apes - 1
Paradise Lost 3 - 1
The Muppets - 1
Iron Lady - 1
Saving Face - 1
Tuba - 1
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore - 1

If I Were an Academy: 5th Edition

Hello Blogosphere, long time no talk I'm back, for real this time. No really, I promise. Well, maybe. (Indecisive much?) I loved my 10-month review adventure back in 2009, and I miss putting my thoughts into cyberspace. But reviews aren't enough. There are many other people out there "reviewing" and doing it much better than I (read: they're funny, and I'm not so much). I need my own Julie/Julia Project -- and that's not because I want Amy Adams to play me in romantic comedy. I just need inspiration. Julia Child, where are you?

So while I figure out the direction of my tiny, tiny blog, I'll leave you with my Oscar predictions and opinions. My longest-running (and favorite) "blog theme."

Best Picture
When I started my own "awards in 2007 my Best Picture picks varied widely with the Academy's, but now that they've expanded to ten my choices have become far less interesting. Christopher Nolan's Inception was my favorite film of the year. The score, direction, visual effects, and performances were all dreamlike. It's a film that will redefine the summer blockbuster. However, I will go away disappointed when Steven Spielberg announces The King's Speech as winner. It's not a bad film. It's just not as superb as much of 2010's cinema.

Nominees: Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, The Kings Speech, 127 Hours, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, True Grit, and Winter's Bone
Will Win: The King's Speech
Should Win: Inception
Jason's Top Ten (in order of adoration): Inception, The Kids Are All Right, Toy Story 3, The Fighter, 127 Hours, The Social Network, Rabbit Hole, Blue Valentine, Shutter Island, and True Grit

Direction
I'm a firm believer that you should win Best Picture without winning Best Director, so that makes this category easy. Inception was my favorite film, and Christopher Nolan wasn't nominated so that rules out my first choice. According to my Top Ten list David O' Russell is best here. Tom Hooper should (undeservedly) win this though in a King's Speech sweep.
Nominees: Black Swan Darren Aronofsky, The Fighter David O. Russell, The King's Speech, Tom Hooper, The Social Network David Fincher, True Grit Joel Coen and Ethan Coen Who Will Will Win: Tom Hooper for The King's Speech
Who Should Win and Who Should've Been Nominated: Christopher Nolan for Inception

Best Actor
For the first time in a long time this category is weaker than the Best Actress category. Any one of the Best Actress nominees could beat out any one of these men for Best Performance of 2010.
If I were voting, James Franco would top my ballot. His tour-de-force performance in 127 Hours was impeccable. Few actors could have infused such vitality and vibrancy into such a stationary role. But again, Oscar voters won't agree. They'll much up for last year's mistake of not giving Colin Firth the trophy for A Single Man and award him this year for his stuttering, lovable King.

Nominees: Javier Bardem in Biutiful, Jeff Bridges in True Grit, Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network, Colin Firth in The King's Speech, James Franco in 127 Hours
Will Win: Colin Firth
Should Win: James Franco
Should've Been Nominated: Ryan Gosling in Blue Valentine and Aaron Eckhart in Rabbit Hole (in place of Bardem and Bridges)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
This is one of the easiest categories to call this year. Game, set, match for Batman. Christian Bale will walk home with his first (very much deserved) Oscar. It's just a shame that this is also his first nomination.

Nominees: Christian Bale in The Fighter, John Hawkes in Winter's Bone, Jeremy Renner in The Town, Mark Ruffalo in The Kids Are All Right, Geoffrey Rush in The King's Speech
Who Will & Should Win: Christian Bale
Who Should've Been Nominated: Andrew Garfield in The Social Network and Miles Teller in Rabbit Hole (in place of Renner and Rush)

Actress in a Leading Role
My favorite Best Actress performance isn't even nominated. Julianne Moore was brilliant in The Kids Are All Right - navigating a role that would've overcome most actresses. However, this slate is pretty stellar. Given the strength of all the nominees is baffles me how Natalie Portman how won every precursor award -- she's nowhere near leagues better than everyone else, but she'll walk away with the Oscar anyway.
Nominees: Annette Bening in The Kids Are All Right, Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole, Jennifer Lawrence in Winter's Bone, Natalie Portman in Black Swan, Michelle Williams in Blue Valentine
Who Will Win: Natalie Portman
Who Should Win: Nicole Kidman
Who Should've Been Nominated: Julianne Moore (!!!!) in The Kids Are All Right (in place of Lawrence)

Actress in a Supporting Role
Yet another category where my favorite isn't nominated (Marion Cotillard in Inception), but this is easily the night's most competitive category and the most likely to have a surprise winner. Melissa Leo is the popular choice as she was darn good in The Fighter, but if I were voting I'd choose her co-star Amy Adams. Adams' performance is just as, if not more, memorable than Leo's, and while Leo's role was written t0 be flashy Adams wins you over with her nuance. I'm not predicting either to win though. I'm predicting Hailee Steinfeld, the True Grit youngster, to surprise all the cinema veterans.

Nominees: Amy Adams in The Fighter, Helena Bonham Carter in The King's Speech, Melissa Leo in The Fighter, Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit, Jacki Weaver in Animal Kingdom
Who Will Win: Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
Who Should Win: Amy Adams, The Fighter
Who Should've Been Nominated: Blake Lively in The Town and Marion Cotillard in Inception (in place of Bonham Carter and Steinfeld)

Adapted Screenplay
The Social Network takes this in a cake walk. There's not much else to say.
Nominees: 127 Hours, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, True Grit, Winter's Bone
Who Will & Should Win: The Social Network
Who Should've Been Nominated: Rabbit Hole and Shutter Island (in place of True Grit and Winter's Bone)

Original Screenplay
Oscar night will be a King's Speech sweep, as mentioned, so it should take this easily. However, it's stiffest competition will likely come from the deserving winner - The Kids Are All Right, a film the succeeded because of its simplicity.
Nominees: Another Year, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, The King's Speech
Will Win: The King's Speech
Should Win: The Kids Are All Right
Should've Been Nominated: Blue Valentine (in place of Another Year)

The rest (sans analysis)....

Animated Feature Film
Nominees: How to Train Your Dragon, The Illusionist, Toy Story 3
Who Will & Should Win: Toy Story 3
Should've Been Nominated: Despicable Me (in place of The Illusionist)

Art Direction
Nominees: Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, Inception, The King's Speech, True Grit
Will Win: The King's Speech
Should Win: Inception
Should've Been Nominated: Shutter Island

Cinematograpy
Nominees: Black Swan, Inception, The King's Speech, The Social Network, True Grit
Will Win: True Grit
Should Win: Inception
Should've Been Nominated: Blue Valentine

Costume Design
Nominees: Alice in Wonderland, I am Love, The King's Speech, The Tempest, True Grit
Who Will Win: The King's Speech
Who Should Win: Alice in Wonderland
Who Should've Been Nominated: Tron Legacy

Documentary Feature
Nominees: Exit through the Gift Shop, Gasland, Inside Job, Restrepo, Waste Land
Will Win: Exit through the Gift Shop
Should Win: Waiting for Superman. Oh wait...
Should've Been Nominated: The aforementioned Superman and The Tillman Story

Documentary Short Subject
Nominees: Killing in the Name, Poster Girl, Strangers No More, Sun Come Up, The Warriors of Qiugang
Will Win: The Warriors of Qiugang

Editing
Nominees: Black Swan, The Fighter, The King's Speech, 127 Hours, The Social Network
Will Win: The King's Speech
Should Win: 127 Hours
Should've Been Nominated: Inception

Foreign Language Film
Nominees: Biutiful, Dogtooth, In a Better World, Incendies, Outside the Law
Will Win: Biutiful

Makeup
Nominees: Barney's Version, The Way Back, The Wolfman
Who Will Win: The Wolfman
Should've Been Nominated: The Fighter

Original Score
Nominees: How to Train Your Dragon, Inception, The King's Speech, 127 Hours, The Social Network
Will Win: The Social Network
Who Should Win: Inception
Who Should've Been Nominated: Tron: Legacy

Original Song
Nominees: "Coming Home" from Country Strong, "I See the Light" from Tangled, "If I Rise" from 127 Hours, "We Belong Together" from Toy Story 3
Will Win: "If I Rise"
Should Win: "I See the Light"
Should've Been Nominated: "When Will My Life Begin" from Tangled

Animated Short Film
Nominees: Day & Night, The Gruffalo, Let's Pollute, The Lost Thing, Madagascar, carnet de voyage
Will Win: Day & Night

Live Action Short Film
Nominees: The Confession, The Crush, God of Love, Na Wewe, Wish 143
Will Win: God of Love

Sound Editing
Nominees: Inception, Toy Story 3, Tron: Legacy, True Grit, Unstoppable
Will and Should Win: Inception
Should've Been Nominated: How to Train Your Dragon

Sound Mixing
Nominees: Inception, The King's Speech, Salt, The Social Network, True Grit
Who Will Win: The Social Network
Who Should Win: Inception

Visual Effects
Nominees: Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, Hereafter, Inception, Iron Man 2
Will & Should Win: Inception
Should've Been Nominated: TRON: Legacy

Adapted Screenplay
Nominees: 127 Hours, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, True Grit, Winter's Bone
Who Will & Should Win: The Social Network
Who Should've Been Nominated: Rabbit Hole and Shutter Island

Original Screenplay
Nominees: Another Year, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, The King's Speech
Will Win: The King's Speech
Should Win: The Kids Are All Right
Should've Been Nominated: Blue Valentine

Nomination Count (not including Foreign Language, Doc and Short categories):
The King's Speech - 7 statues
The Social Network - 3 statues
Inception - 2 statues
True Grit - 2 statues
127 Hours - 1 statue
Black Swan - 1 statue
The Fighter - 1 statue
Toy Story 3 - 1 statue
The Wolfman - 1 statue

If We Were the HFPA

Image Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Thanks to my friend Brian over at Please Welcome Your Judges I finally have content for my blog! I love awards season, and here is our take on the movie portion of this Sunday's Golden Globes:

Best Motion Picture - Drama

Should Win: The King's Speech (Brian); Inception (Jason)
Should've Been Nominated: True Grit (Brian); Shutter Island (Jason)
Brian Says: Jason obviously has a crush on Leonard DiCaprio (more on that later) and Brian can't get enough of period pieces.
Jason Says: I can't help it that Leo makes every picture better, and Shutter Island is this year's best most-forgotten film.

Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical

Should Win: The Kids Are All Right (Brian and Jason)
Should've Been Nominated: Since Toy Story 3 isn't eligible... Morning Glory (Brian); Easy A (Jason)
Jason Says: Kids is my favorite movie of the year, behind Inception. Yes, that's likely because I managed to see it at Sundance. Easy A was this year's Mean Girls and given the weak comedy category it should've been nominated. Plus, Emma Stone > Lindsay Lohan.
Brian Says: Speaking of Mean Girls, Rachel McAdams' Morning Glory was SO underrated! If Alice in Wonderland wins this, I might throw a remote through the TV. Actually, anything except a Kids victory will elicit violent behavior.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama

Should Win: Natalie Portman, Black Swan (Brian and Jason)
Should've Been Nominated: Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit (Brian and Jason)
Brian Says: We occasionally have the same brain. Natalie's performance is miles ahead of the competition. I'll let Jason explain Hailee's appearance here.
Jason Says: Maybe I'm bitter, but this is definitely one of my most passionate thoughts of the awards season! Despite what critics will have you think, Hailee Steinfield is NOT a supporting actress contender. She was great, but belongs in this category. Oh yeah, and Natalie Portman was great too, but I haven't seen any of the other nominated performances, so she wins by default.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

Should Win: Colin Firth, The King's Speech (Brian); James Franco, 127 Hours (Jason)
Should've Been Nominated: Leonardo DiCaprio, Inception (Brian and Jason)
Jason Says: Again, living in the land of the Great Salty Lake has it's drawbacks, I haven't seen Firth's performance yet, so I can't weigh in there. However, since I think he was robbed last year I think I'll be riding the Firth train come Oscar time. As it stands now, I pick Franco. He carried 127 Hours. Oh yeah, and my crush on Leo continues.
Brian Says: Back-to-back years of phenomenal performances from Firth prove he is one of the great actors of our time. Leo was in Titanic, so he gets extra points from me.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical

Should Win: Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right (Brian and Jason)
Should've Been Nominated: Rachel McAdams, Morning Glory (Brian); Chloe Moretz, Kick Ass (Jason)
Brian Says: I tend to empathize with characters who are equally as obsessed with red wine as I am (more on that later), plus Annette was a true force in Kids. And Rachel McAdams was the shining star of the underrated Morning Glory.
Jason Says: I really wanted to pick Julianne just because I love Boston University alums, but Annette was so effortless in Kids that I didn't even notice she was acting. Chloe Moretz had a breakthrough year with Kick Ass and Let Me In, so the HFPA should've thrown her a bone here.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical

Should Win: No One (Brian); Johnny Depp, Alice in Wonderland (Jason)
Should've Been Nominated: Michael Cera, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Brian); Mark Wahlberg, The Other Guys (Jason)
Jason Says: I was one of five people who enjoyed Alice in Wonderland, so I vote Depp. I was actually surprised The Other Guys didn't get any nods - it was one of the few films this year that actually made me laugh. Plus, who doesn't love Marky Mark?
Brian Says: This group of nominees is miserable. I almost voted for Jake Gyllenhaal, except Love & Other Drugs was the opposite of funny. Michael Cera was fantastic as Scott Pilgrim—perfectly fit to his "type" but elevated by all of the great action sequences.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Should Win: Amy Adams, The Fighter (Brian); Tie - Melissa Leo/Amy Adams, The Fighter (Jason)
Should've Been Nominated: Barbara Hershey, Black Swan (Brian); Marion Cotillard (Jason)
Brian Says: This is no doubt a knock out battle between the ladies of The Fighter (get it?), who both transformed themselves into true women of Lowell, MA. And I'm still waiting for someone to explain why Barbara Hershey is getting zero love for her great performance in Black Swan.
Jason Says: I'll agree with you on that. Though Black Swan wasn't my cup of tea, Barbara Hershey was much better than the overrated Mila Kunis. Though my biggest pet peeve is the lack of love for Marion Cotillard. She was the best performance in Inception. She navigated an incredibly delicate role perfectly.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Should Win: Christian Bale, The Fighter (Brian and Jason)
Should've Been Nominated: Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right (Brian); Justin Timberlake, The Social Network (Jason)
Jason Says: Christian Bale scores a knockout (see I can make Fighter jokes, too!). Given my obsession with The Kids are All Right it was hard not to pick Ruffalo, but Justin WAS Sean Parker in The Social Network and deserves at least a little recognition.
Brian Says: To be fair, Justin was my second choice for the "should have" category, so we pretty much agree here, too.

Best Director - Motion Picture

Should Win: David Fincher, The Social Network (Brian); Christopher Nolan, Inception (Jason)
Should've Been Nominated: Joel and Ethan Coen, True Grit (Brian); Lisa Cholodenko, The Kids Are All Right (Jason)
Brian Says: Putting all the pieces together for the much whispered-about "Facebook movie" was no easy feat, and it was pulled off brilliantly by Fincher. And it really takes true grit to remake a John Wayne classic, but the Coen brothers did it with style.
Jason Says: I voted Inception for the best film of the year, so it only makes sense to pick Nolan as the best director. Lisa Chodolenko directed The Kids are All Right effortlessly, drawing superb performances from the entire cast. She deserves to be among the boys.

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture

Should Win: Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network (Brian and Jason)
Should've Been Nominated: Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson The Fighter (Brian); Michael Ardnt, Toy Story 3 (Jason)
Jason Says: Sorkin's dialogue in TSN was brilliant. Enough said. Animated films don't get enough credit, and Toy Story 3's story was a brilliant way to end the beloved trilogy.
Brian Says: Totally agree about Social Network. As for The Fighter? "If you call me a skank one more time I'll rip your ugly hair off your f***ing head." Done.

Best Original Score - Motion Picture

Should Win: Hans Zimmer, Inception (Brian and Jason)
Should've Been Nominated: Pharrell Williams, Despicable Me (Brian); Daft Punk, TRON: Legacy (Jason)
Brian Says: Just go on YouTube and you'll quickly see what a cultural impact Hans Zimmer's score had this year. And Pharrell's score brought a great groove and quirkiness to Despicable Me.
Jason Says: It'd be a shock if anyone other than Zimmer won. If you saw TRON: Legacy you know how much cooler Daft Punk's score made the film—leagues and leagues ahead of the original.

Best Original Song - Motion Picture

Should Win: "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me," Burlesque (Brian and Jason)
Should've Been Nominated: "Despicable Me," Despicable Me (Brian); "When Will My Life Begin," Tangled (Jason)
We Say: Cher. 'Nuff said.

An Open Letter to Utah Democrats, Both Young and Old

Image courtesy or utdemocrats.org

The future of the Utah Democratic Party is in jeopardy. If you're a Democrat in the nation's most conservative state and you don't see it then take another look. We're in trouble. We just suffered our worst election loses since 1994. Our numbers in the Utah Legislature our pathetic. In the House and Senate combined there are 80 Republicans and 24 Democrats. Let me repeat. Twenty four.

Those numbers should terrify you even if you're not a self-identified Democrat. Utah is in desperate need of balanced government. A government made of super majorities and little debate is a dangerous one, and we're living it Utah. However, it's worse if you're a Democrat - you're facing extinction even if you won't admit it.

Think about it. Our numbers our terrible. They're flat out embarrassing. We were apathetic this last election cycle. We're all guilty and we should all take responsibility for our losses and lack of gains. I could have done more, much more, and you could have too.

We have put ourselves in an awful position. We head into redistricting with very little left to lose. In 2001 the Republicans gerrymandered us into an oblivion and they will do so again. Governor Herbert assured that on Friday when he declared an independent redistricting commission to be "unconstitutional." Give me a break.

The 2012 election cycle has all the makings to be a disaster. We're home to the Tea Party movement, people are conservative here and we cannot deny that. If the movement continues, having President Obama on the top of the ticket will rally Tea Party voters. I hate to say it, but it's true, and it gets worse. It's possible that Mitt Romney could headline or co-headline the Republican ticket. He's our golden boy. Utahns love him. Even though he governed Massachusetts just as a "Utah Democrat" would, it won't be good news for anyone with a "D" next to their name.

However, there is great hope. The odds are stacked against us. Our backs are up against the wall. Hell, can we really lose that much more? The answer is no, and we don't have anywhere to go but up. However, we're starting off on the wrong foot. Yesterday's Young Democrats of Utah (YDU) election made that crystal clear.

I've been on the YDU board for two years. It's been a great experience, and the organization has introduced me to so many great people -- many who are now great friends. I ran for a different position yesterday. I lost. The race was close, very close. I'm used to close races - my young political career (both personal races and those of others) has only been made up of squeakers. Actually I'd welcome a blow out or two. It might be less stressful. Anyway, I'm getting off topic. This isn't about me. And as I said yesterday in my campaign speech, Nicole Christensen will be a fantastic Communications Director, and I couldn't have lost to anyone better.

With that said, some of the behavior I noticed yesterday and the weeks preceding the election was unacceptable. This isn't meant to call people out or be accusatory, but it's meant to change behavior. We have to change the way we operate. None of us are perfect, but there is no place in Utah Democratic politics for name calling, backstabbing, and underhanded, shady dealings. We all play for the same team. We're too small to be so divided.

We're only signing our own death sentence. Inter-party challenges are fine. They're probably best. They keep us strong and prepared for general elections. However, we really need to take a step back and look at how they're done. Many left the YDU convention yesterday broken and hurt. Losing sucks, but YDU is too important to the future of the Democratic Party for so many to feel left out and betrayed.

The Jim Matheson and Claudia Wright contest earlier this year had the same undertones. There was fighting, name calling, and some gross nastiness. I supported Jim from the beginning and I stand by my decision. Has he always voted the way I would have liked? No way. However, it's always been my personal belief that we must put candidates on the ticket who are electable. Claudia Wright wasn't electable. November 2 proved that. Does that make a Claudia Wright supporter a lunatic? Certainly not. However is Jim Matheson a horrible wretched man? He most definitely is not. He represents his constituents, and most of his constituents are Republicans, so take from that what you will.

I'm pleading for a return to civility. We'll never post respectable numbers in Utah with such animosity. We're all Democrats. We're the party of inclusiveness. We're the party of the people. And if we truly believe that's the case then all viewpoints are welcome whether they're conservative or progressive.

We've got a long road to hoe and we need to have each other's backs. We must put aside our differences and unite. We must throw away our apathy and roll up our sleeves. On election night, I heard several well-known Democrats say, "there's nothing more we could have done." That's not good enough. We need to look at ourselves, figure out what we did wrong, and fix it. We're Utahns. We're the Beehive State for a reason, and Utah Democrats need to embody that. The only way we'll reap success is to work twice as hard as the opposing party. We have to beat them at their own game. Afterall, we're playing on their turf.

I want so much for us to shock the state and that nation with a great showing in 2012. I'm committed to all the hard work that it WILL take starting now. The question is, is anyone else?

Right Back Where I Started From

I'm on a roll. Three posts in two days. Craziness. I started blogging because of movies, so that's where I'll pick up.

As we enter awards season, the 2010 film landscape is in pretty good shape. We've had a handful of great films and we're only a few weeks into the fall. The Kids Are All Right and Inception are tied for my favorite film of the year and Toy Story 3 isn't too far behind. The Social Network, How to Train Your Dragon, and Shutter Island all are deserving of accolades as well. Though any novice Oscar watcher knows that the first 9 months of the year rarely matter. All the "quality" films come out post Labor Day. With that, here's a list of all the upcoming titles that I'm stoked to see.

October
Most looking forward to: Hereafter. Since Mystic River, I've only met one Clint Eastwood film I didn't like (Invictus). The concept here looks interesting and Matt Damon appears to turn in a great performance (hopefully one better than his Oscar-nominated turn in Invictus).



Others:
Conviction - A lot of people in Hollywood hate Hilary Swank for "undeservedly" winning two Oscars. However, Conviction looks to soften her hard girl persona. Plus I'm interested to see if the Academy will resist another Bening vs. Swank Best Actress Oscar race. Trailer here.
Paranormal Activity 2 - I really hope this isn't Blair Witch 2, but last year's surprise hit was so great I'm holding out hope that they avoid Blair's mistakes. Trailer here.
The Company Men - Last year was the "Year of Sandra Bullock." Depending on how The Company Men turns out, 2010 may be the "Year of Ben Affleck." It was well received at Sundance, so my hopes are high. Trailer here.
Waiting for Superman and The Pat Tillman Story - These two Sundance documentaries have been released in theaters already, but they don't reach Utah until later this month. They both look equally powerful. Superman trailer here. Tillman trailer here.

November
Most looking forward to: 127 Hours and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. I couldn't pick just one. Danny Boyle's follow-up to Slumdog Millionaire looks equally as exhilarating as the rags-to-riches drama. And how could anyone not be looking forward to the last installment of Harry Potter? The trailer teases the film as the best yet, and I couldn't be more thrilled that the film won't be in 3D.

127 Hours


Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1


Due Date - Todd Phillips' followup to The Hangover. Hopefully it's just as funny. Trailer here.
Fair Game - I love a good spy story. And a spy story with Sean Penn and Naomi Watts? I'm there. Trailer here.
For Colored Girls - Normally a Tyler Perry film would never make a list like this. However, the cast is terrific, so I'm holding out hope that it's this year's Precious. Trailer here.
Unstoppable - Chris Pine, Denzel Washington, and lots of explosions. Enough said. Trailer here.
Morning Glory - this looks like it could be just as bad as Katherine Heigl flick. Or it could be one of the few romantic comedies that surprises with its heart and intelligence. Trailer here.
Skyline - I don't know anything about this other than what I've seen in the trailer, and it's pretty intriguing. Trailer here.
Tangled - Princess and the Frog was disappointing. Tangled looks like it might reverse Disney's recent bad luck with hand-drawn animation. The images do look beautiful. Trailer here.
Love and Other Drugs - This may be this year's Up in the Air except sexier and maybe a little bit cheekier. At least that's the best case scenario. Trailer here.
The King's Speech - few films are buzzier than this one. The critics are jumping over themselves. I just hope that Colin Firth is fantastic and can win the Oscar he most deserved for last year's A Single Man. Trailer here.

December
Most looking forward to: The Fighter. I can't stand boxing in real life, but the sport does make for great film. I love this cast (Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, and Amy Adams) and the trailer is promising.



Black Swan - I'm not sure what to make of the trailer, but I'm very, very intrigued. Trailer here.
The Tourist - When the two stars of your film are both recognizable by their first names (Angelina and Johnny) you know you have a hit on your hands. Trailer here.
How Do You Know - I've missed Reese Witherspoon. She hasn't been in a good film since 2005's Walk the Line. Hopefully this is her comeback. Trailer here.
True Grit - This might be just as good as No Country for Old Men. If it is, we're in for a treat. Trailer here.
Blue Valentine - The MPAA just slapped this with an NC-17 rating. It'll be interesting to see how the studio handles that. It's said to be a tough watch, but the buzz surrounding Gosling and Williams is significant. Trailer here.
The Debt - I know nothing about this one, but the trailer looks like a smart, gritty action film. Trailer here.

Release Date TBD: These have yet to get a tentative release date, but I figure they'll be players in the Oscar race.
Rabbit Hole - when Nicole Kidman is on her game there are few actresses better. This looks to bring her back to the days of The Others, Moulin Rouge, and The Hours. Clips here.
Made in Dagenham - Could be this year's The Full Monty - a witty about "British rebellion." Trailer here.

By my count, that's at least 26 movies I'll be seeing over the next three months. Wish me luck.

The Space Between

It didn't take long, but I figured out my problem. I think. The "in between." See the blog title. Pop Culture, Politics and Everything In Between. I've never wrote about the in between. Movie reviews, quotes and cryptic Kelly Clarkson posts. That's all that made up my blog for the last year or so. Maybe I was too focused. Maybe I wasn't. But that's what I'll spend the next little while figuring out - how to write about the in between.

I'm still not sure how to classify that though. I won't ever become a blogger who posts about every life trial and tribulation. I've done that before. I'd rather not do it again. It's not for lack of material. I've got a few "personal doozies" up my sleeve that I need to save for my best-selling memoir when I'm 50. Maybe "Jason" is what was missing before. That's what makes writing (and blogging) special - the writer. Unique perspectives and voices are what differentiate us, and this blog needs to find it's voice again (or maybe for the first time). I'm not writing for anyone other than myself and I'm desperate to find the passion for writing that I once had.

So here's to a new online blogging adventure. I hope I don't give up this time.

Superfreak. Superfreak. I'm Super Freaky.

I'm not sure why I miss blogging, but I do. Though if I return to the blogosphere, I want my blog to be different, but I'm not sure how. I love pop culture and politics, but things around here were getting a little bland. So if I come back things are gonna change. Maybe.

I just know that I miss writing. I went through all of my college papers at my mom's today. And at the risk of sounding arrogant, I was a really good writer. Some of my papers were fairly impressive. I'm not sure what has happened since then, but I don't think any of my posts have been nearly as witty or clever as anything I turned in as school work. That's kinda ironic, isn't it?

Oh well. Maybe I'll come back and actually write about something interesting some day, but for now, I'm just perplexed.

With that, I'll leave you with a "quote of the week." I'm probably one of the 10 people on the planet still in love with Grey's Anatomy, but even so, I'll leave you with a quote from the forever wise Meredith Grey.

"Nobody chooses to be a freak. Most people don't realize they're a freak until it's way to late to change it. No matter how much of a freak you end up being, chances are there's still someone out there for you... Because when it comes to love, even freaks can't wait forever."