We at The Awards Circuit prepare to put a bow on 2009...

...while we look towards some exciting changes in 2010! Have a fun (and safe) night and we'll see you next year (or next decade, if you prefer).
-Happy New Year in advance from all of us at The Awards Circuit!

The Online Film Critics put out their nominations...

...the last one for 2009, I might add. Here they are:

BEST PICTURE
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

BEST FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Broken Embraces
Police, Adjective
Silent Light
Summer Hours
The White Ribbon

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Anvil!: The True Story of Anvil
The Beaches of Agnes
Capitalism: A Love Story
The Cove
Food, Inc.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Ponyo
The Princess and the Frog
Up

BEST DIRECTOR
Kathryn Bigelow (-) The Hurt Locker
Neill Blomkamp (-) District 9
James Cameron (-) Avatar
Joel & Ethan Coen (-) A Serious Man
Quentin Tarantino (-) Inglourious Basterds

BEST ACTOR
Jeff Bridges (-) Crazy Heart
Sharlto Copley (-) District 9
George Clooney (-) Up in the Air
Joaquin Phoenix (-) Two Lovers
Jeremy Renner (-) The Hurt Locker

BEST ACTRESS
Mélanie Laurent (-) Inglourious Basterds
Carey Mulligan (-) An Education
Gabourey Sidibe (-) Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Meryl Streep (-) Julie & Julia
Tilda Swinton (-) Julia

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Peter Capaldi (-) In the Loop
Jackie Earle Haley (-) Watchmen
Woody Harrelson (-) The Messenger
Anthony Mackie (-) The Hurt Locker
Christoph Waltz (-) Inglourious Basterds

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Vera Farmiga (-) Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick (-) Up in the Air
Diane Kruger (-) Inglourious Basterds
Mo’Nique (-) Precious
Julianne Moore (-) A Single Man

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
(500) Days of Summer (-) Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
The Hurt Locker (-) Mark Boal
Inglourious Basterds (-) Quentin Tarantino
A Serious Man (-) Joel & Ethan Coen
Up (-) Bob Peterson

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
District 9 (-) Neill Blomkamp & Terri Tatchell
Fantastic Mr. Fox (-) Wes Anderson & Noah Baumbach
In the Loop (-) Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci & Tony Roche
Up in the Air (-) Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner
Where the Wild Things Are (-) Spike Jonze & Dave Eggers

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Avatar (-) Mauro Fiore
District 9 (-) Trent Opaloch
The Hurt Locker (-) Barry Ackroyd
Inglourious Basterds (-) Robert Richardson
A Serious Man (-) Roger Deakins

BEST EDITING
(500) Days of Summer (-) Alan Edward Bell
Avatar (-) Steve R. Moore, John Refoua & Stephen Rivkin
District 9 (-) Julian Clarke
The Hurt Locker (-) Chris Innis & Bob Murawski
Inglourious Basterds (-) Sally Menke

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Fantastic Mr. Fox (-) Alexandre Desplat
The Informant! (-) Marvin Hamlisch
Star Trek (-) Michael Giacchino
Up (-) Michael Giacchino
Where the Wild Things Are (-) Carter Burwell & Karen Orzolek

-Thoughts?

EW's Dave Karger brings out his Oscar predictions...

...and he's usually pretty close in his picks, though this year all bets are off, especially in Best Picture. The full article with his explanations is here, but here's what he's predicting:

Best Picture
Avatar
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Invictus
The Messenger
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

Best Actor
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

Best Actress
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

Best Supporting Actor
Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Mo’Nique, Precious
Julianne Moore, A Single Man
Samantha Morton, The Messenger

Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Clint Eastwood, Invictus
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

Best Original Screenplay
Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, A Serious Man
Pete Docter & Bob Peterson, Up
Scott Neustatder & Michael H. Weber, (500) Days of Summer
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

Best Adapted Screenplay
Wes Anderson & Noah Baumbach, Fantastic Mr. Fox
Neill Blomkamp & Terri Tatchell, District 9
Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious
Nick Hornby, An Education
Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air

-Thoughts on his predictions?

Roger Ebert's Best of the Decade

1. Synecdoche, New York (2008)
2. The Hurt Locker (2009)
   
3. Monster (2004)
4. Juno (2007)
5. Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005)
6. Chop Shop (2008)
7. The Son (2002)
8. The 25th Hour (2003)
9. Almost Famous (2000)
10. My Winnipeg (2008)

and 10 runners up, alphabetically:

• Adaptation (2002)
• The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call, New Orleans (2009)
• City of God (2002)
• Crash (2004)
• Kill Bill Vols.1 and 2 (2003 + 2004)
• Minority Report (2002)
• No Country for Old Men (2007)
• Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
• Silent Light (2009)
• Waking Life (2001)

Thoughts?

What are the 20 highest grossing indie films of the decade?

Funny you should ask (you did ask, right? RIGHT?), as I have the list right here for your reading pleasure:

1. The Passion of the Christ, 2004 (Newmarket) $370,274,604
2. My Big Fat Greek Wedding, 2003 (IFC Films) $241,438,208
3. Juno, 2007 (Fox Searchlight) $143,395,265
4. Slumdog Millionaire, 2008 (Fox Searchlight) $141,319,928
5. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 2000 (Sony Pictures Classics) $128,078,872
6. Traffic, 2000 (USA) $124,115,725
7. Fahrenheit 9/11, 2004 (Lionsgate) $119,194,771
8. Paranormal Activity, 2009 (Paramount) $107,753,000
9. Brokeback Mountain, 2005 (Focus Features) $83,043,761
10. March of the Penguins, 2005 (Warner Independent) $77,437,223
11. Coraline, 2009 (Focus Features) $75,286,229
12. Sideways, 2004 (Fox Searchlight) $71,503,593
13. Burn After Reading, 2008 (Focus Features) $60,355,347
14. Little Miss Sunshine, 2006 (Fox Searchlight) $59,891,098
15. Hero, 2004 (Miramax) $53,710,019
16. Atonement, 2007 (Focus Features) $50,927,067
17. 28 Days Later, 2003 (Fox Searchlight) $45,064,915
18. Lost In Translation, 2003 (Focus Features) $44,585,453
19. Napoleon Dynamite, 2004 (Fox Searchlight) $44,540,956
20. Precious: Based on the novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire, 2009 (Lionsgate) $42,004,270

-Thoughts on what made these little flicks so profitable?

Entertainment Weekly decides to feature Up in the Air on the cover of its first real "Oscar" issue...

...does it mean anything? I don't think so, but you never know. It certainly doesn't hurt visibility for the film, and it shows that it's an "Oscar" film, at least to EW.
-Do you think it means anything?

The National Film Registry adds 25 new films...

...and they are the following:

• "Dog Day Afternoon" (1975)

• "The Exiles" (1961)

• "Heroes All" (1920)

• "Hot Dogs for Gauguin" (1972)

• "The Incredible Shrinking Man" (1957)

• "Jezebel" (1938)

• "The Jungle" (1967)

• "The Lead Shoes" (1949)

• "Little Nemo" (1911)

• "Mabel's Blunder" (1914)

• "The Mark of Zorro" (1940)

• "Mrs. Miniver" (1942)

• "The Muppet Movie" (1979)

• "Once Upon a Time in the West" (1968)

• "Pillow Talk" (1959)

• "Precious Images" (1986)

• "Quasi at the Quackadero" (1975)

• "The Red Book" (1994)

• "The Revenge of the Pancho Villa" (1930-36)

• "Scratch and Crow" (1995)

• "Stark Love" (1927)

• "The Story of G.I. Joe" (1945)

• "A Study in Reds" (1932)

• "Thriller" (1983)

• "Under Western Stars" (1938)

-Thoughts?

Editor's Picks of the Decade

The final in the series of the Best of the Decade by The Awards Circuit Editor, Clayton Davis is HERE.

Comment.

Did Precious peak too early for Oscar?

Well, it remains to be seen, but this article in Vanity Fair gives an interesting perspective on things, while not really making a definitive statement. There are a lot of good points to be found, and I pretty much agree with its assessment. It's too early for a final judgment though, as much can still change before the Oscar nominations are even announced, let alone the coronation of the winners occurring.
-Do you think Precious peaked?

Some critics chime in on what were the Must-See and Must-Miss films of 2009

This is from Rotten Tomatoes (the actual article is found here), and it's an interesting look at what a handful of film critics thought the cream of the crop was this year (along with the spoiled milk). Here's what they came up with:

Claudia Puig (USA Today)
Must-See: The Hurt Locker
Worst: All About Steve

Alonso Duralde (IFC)
Must-See: Fantastic Mr. Fox
Worst: All About Steve

Pete Hammond (Boxoffice Magazine)
Must-See: Up in the Air
Worst: Miss March

James Barardinelli (Reelviews)
Must-See: Avatar
Worst: Old Dogs

Peter Howell (Toronto Star)
Must-See: The Hurt Locker
Worst: Away We Go

Jordan Hoffman (UGO)
Must-See: Star Trek
Worst: Gentleman Broncos

Nell Minow (BeliefNet)
Must-See: It Might Get Loud
Worst: All About Steve

Eric D. Snider (Film.com)
Must-See: (500) Days of Summer
Worst: All About Steve

James Rocchi (MSN Movies)
Must-See: The Hurt Locker
Worst: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

-Thoughts?

Today the SAG ballots got mailed out to members...

...as you can read here. Yet another voting body is going to begin deciding on what's awards worthy this year, so let the speculation begin...or continue to begin.
-What (or whom) do you think will do well with SAG?

For all you fans of Inglourious Basterds...

Enjoy:



-If you haven't seen the flick, then this is probably pretty odd....

The 32nd Annual Kennedy Center Honors show is tonight...

...and among this year's honorees are Mel Brooks, Robert De Niro, and Bruce Springsteen. More info is here, but suffice to say, it's always a good show to watch and enjoy.
-Congrats to all of the honorees!

New 'Inception' Trailer!

Found this over at Ropes, and had to post it. Thoughts?

It's a good week on DVD if you like horror...

...as the two best options are fright flicks. That's not to say that there aren't other options, but it's not a real wide selection this week. Let's get right into it, as my PICK OF THE WEEK is a big hit, a movie that goes by the name of:
Paranormal Activity
It may not be as good on a second viewing, but oh boy was it effective on the first viewing. This is one of the better horror films of the past few years and was deservedly a big hit. If you managed to miss it in theaters (and few did), now's your chance to check it out and see what all the fuss is about.
-Also out getting recommendation from me is the horror comedy Jennifer's Body and the documentary Facing Ali. The former is a misunderstood flick from the pen of Diablo Cody that will likely end up a cult favorite and play better on DVD. The latter is a potential Oscar nominee for best Documentary, and it's a solid look at the boxing legend.
-We also the animated film 9 and the thriller A Perfect Getaway out this week, but neither did much for me. They were far from bad, but they were simply mediocre, and that doesn't cut it, so unless you're pressed for entertainment, there are better options out there than these two flicks.
-My Vintage pick is, in honor of this week's release of The White Ribbon, another film by Michael Haneke. It's Funny Games, and either the original or U.S. remake will do, as they're both made by him and are essentially the same exact movie. It's an interesting movie that plays around with genre conventions, and I do highly recommend watching one or both of them.
-What will you be watching on DVD this week?

Academy Idol 3: Top 11 (Directors Week)

Any predictions for the bottom three? Who do you think will go next? Who are you supporting?

Decade Series #3 is up...

Myles Hughes' version of the Decades' Best Films are up. Give it a read HERE.

Comment.

The Oscar ballots went out today...

...so just remember, voting has officially begun for Academy members. Exciting days are ahead, so stay tuned to all the action!
-How do you think they'll be voting?

Decade Series #2 is up...

Check out Keith Lucas' article on the Decades Best Films HERE.

Comment.

James Berardinelli puts out his top 10 of 2009

He's one of the internet's most respected film critics (his site, Reelviews, is a great resource, and even Roger Ebert is a fan), and now he's chimed in with his top 10 films, which go as follows:

1. Avatar
2. Inglourious Basterds
3. Up in the Air
4. Adventureland
5. The Hurt Locker
6. (500) Days of Summer
7. District 9
8. Precious
9. An Education
10. A Serious Man
Honorable mentions: Brothers, In the Loop, Moon, and Sin Nombre

-Thoughts on his list?

It was a record breaking Holiday weekend at the Box Office...

The numbers are here, and they are impressive, to the tune of about $278 million. Basically, everything short of Nine had a great weekend, especially Avatar (number 1 this weekend with $75 million) and Sherlock Holmes.
-What did you see this weekend?

An article on if The Hurt Locker can win Best Picture...

...can be found here, and I think it's a good read. I put it to all of you...regardless of if it should or not, do you think it actually has a legitimate chance to win the big prize? I do...but do you?
-Thoughts?

The Best of the Decade Series Starts

All of the writers and the editor will be putting together our Best of the Decade lists. All will be different but they all will have passion of film behind it.

We begin with writer, Joey Magidson's collection of the decade. Check it out HERE.

The other staff members will be adding them in the coming days.

Academy Idol 3: Top 12 Results

Any surprises? Comment.

Moviefone presents the 50 best movies of 2009 and the 10 most overrated ones as well...

...the best of list can be found here, and the overrated list can be found here, but I must say that it's a bit weird that all of their overrated flicks show up on their best of list as well, but that's just me.
-Thoughts on the lists?

Stacking up the Best Picture race (to a degree) with a handy chart!

Awards Daily put this up, and I think it's a good tool, though not the final word...thoughts?

Today's Posters: Robin Hood, Eat Pray Love, Despicable Me, The Crazies, Repo Men, and Grown Ups

Thoughts?

From all of us at The Awards Circuit, have a Happy Holiday season!

Whatever you celebrate (or don't celebrate, for that matter), we all hope you have a good rest of the year and get to see lots of movies!
-From all of us, be well!

Don't look for The Lovely Bones to open wide tomorrow...

...as it's been delayed till January 15th, according to this article here. It'll still play in the 3 theaters it's currently in, but those of you waiting to see it will have to wait a little longer.
-Are you still into seeing The Lovely Bones or have the reviews scared you away?

Since this time of year is full of Bruce Willis and 'Die Hard' mentions, here's his latest cop flick, directed by Kevin Smith!

What used to be called 'A Couple of Dicks' is now 'Cop Out' and has been referred to as Kevin Smith as "Die Hard with 60% less action". Take a gander and see if it works for you:

-Thoughts?

Since it's Christmas Eve and all...

...I figured I'd ask what everyone's favorite holiday themed movie was. If it's from this year, all the better, but consider it open forum on all things film and holiday related.
-Enjoy your holiday from all of us at The Awards Circuit!

Behold the year in Cinema that was 2009!

Gaze at this:



-What was your favorite moment of cinema in 2009?

A new Poster for Inception!

I like this one a bit more than the last one, especially since it seems to highlight the ensemble cast...thoughts?

Kenneth Turan also puts out his top 10 list!

With a tie for #1, no less:

-Bright Star and The Hurt Locker
-An Education
-Avatar
-Children of Sundance* (the films are: Adventureland, Amreeka, Big Fan, An Education, and Sergio)
-The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
-Julie & Julia
-Music and Sports Documentaries* (Afghan Star, Anvil!, Soul Power, More Than a Game, Harvard Beats Yale 29-29, and Tyson)
-Up
-Up in the Air

-Thoughts on his list?

The Village Voice puts out its top 10 list...

...and here it is:

1. The Hurt Locker
2. Summer Hours
3. A Serious Man
4. Inglourious Basterds
5. 35 Shots of Rum
6. The Headless Woman
7. Police, Adjective
8. Fantastic Mr. Fox
9. Two Lovers
10. Up

-Thoughts?

This Red-Band Trailer for Kick-Ass shows that this movie might very well kick some ass...

...be warned, this is not safe for the young people. Behold:

-Hit Girl looks absolutely awesome to me...thoughts?

Tom Cruise returns with the Poster and Trailer for Knight and Day!

-Thoughts?

Check out our Awards Profile on Avatar and Updated Staff and Chart Predictions!

Yes, to highlight the latest update to The Awards Circuit, we have the last in this year's Awards Profiles, focusing on the giant that is Avatar. It can be found here, and is a great read, so check it out and let us know what you think Avatar's Oscar chances are.
We also have updates to our Staff (found here) and Chart (found here) Predictions, which will give you a better idea how we the staff see the Oscar race shaking out.
-Thoughts on the profile and new predictions?

What are the best Soundtracks and Scores of 2009?

Since the whole world seems to be getting in on the precursor thing, I figured I'd do an announcement of my own, this one on the music in films this year. Consider it a mini article exclusive to the blog. Enjoy!

The Best Movie Soundtracks and Scores of 2009

As a change of pace, I thought I’d delve into the world of music for a bit and go over what soundtracks and scores really made their mark this year. This is (for the most part) independent of how good or bad the film is, just how good the music is (though good integration into the film doesn’t hurt). We’ll kick it off with the top 10 soundtracks of the year, and then move on to the top 10 scores of the year. The top songs mentioned in the soundtracks all tend to fit into good points in the individual films, but that’s coincidence as much as anything else. Now, enough talk, let’s get this thing started!

The top 10 Soundtracks of 2009

1.(500) Days of Summer

Playing a lot like a mix tape of songs that fit the various points of a relationship, this soundtrack perfectly captured that feeling of how music can make you love someone more, or hate someone more, or hate yourself. The best track is Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap, but Us by Regina Spektor and There is a Light that Never Goes Out by The Smiths are excellent too. Overall, this is the best soundtrack of the year.

2. Crazy Heart
A movie wrapped around music (and at times, the writing of it), the film gives context to country music in a way that increases the power of the lyrics to levels you may not anticipate being possible. The song The Weary Kind is absolutely incredible, especially in the context of the movie, but Fallin’ and Flyin’ is fantastic as well. Honestly, every song is gold.

3. Funny People
Not many people noticed, but the music in Judd Apatow’s latest is rather great, fitting well enough into the story that you rarely notice it’s there. He’s able to take some rather obvious cues and not make them sound cheesy, which is an accomplishment. The best song on the soundtrack is Keep Me In Your Heart by Warren Zevon, but Numb as a Statue (also by Zevon) and Carolina In My Mind by James Taylor work quite well too.

4. Pirate Radio
I don’t think any other movie this year had more music in it, and few had better music than this one did. It’s all classic rock from the time period of the flick, but it’s all great songs that are pretty recognizable. My top pick from the soundtrack is Elenore by The Turtles, but a solid choice is also Father and Son by Cat Stevens.

5. Away We Go
Alexi Murdoch provides a wonderful and quiet soundtrack to most of this quirky film. Each of his songs feels like it fits in perfectly with the song that came before it, making it an enjoyable and soothing listening experience. The best song of his is Orange Sky here, but All of My Days is close behind.

6. Where the Wild Things Are
Karen O. and The Kids do a great job giving this deep movie even more meaning. The songs don’t hit you during the film, but afterwards, you remember them. Upon repeat listening, the best of the bunch is All is Love, but Hideaway is a real good one to check out too. Look for this movie to show up again in the Score section.

7. Up in the Air
The reason that this film gets in is due to what I feel is the best song of the year. It’s Help Yourself by Sad Brad Smith, and not only is it perfect for the movie, it’s also just a wonderful song in its own right. There’s an interesting cover of This Land Is Your Land, but Help Yourself makes this one of the best soundtracks of the year.

8. Nine
This soundtrack would be higher if not for one thing, which is that none of the songs, with the exception of one, last in your mind at all. That song is Cinema Italiano, but for the most part, the songs are all decent enough for the movie, but fail to have any staying power, which is unfortunate. Perhaps it was unfair to expect the levels of Chicago, but still, this is one of the 10 best soundtracks of the year. Forgive my quibble, fans of the soundtrack.

9. Adventureland
Another movie that uses its period setting to a musical advantage, there are some very good 80’s songs to be found here. The best of the bunch is Satellite of Love by David Bowie, but the son Rock Me Amadeus by Falco gets enough play in the film that it’s in your head when the movie ends.

10. Whip It
The high energy of the movie is reflected in its soundtrack. No one song really stands out, but they all meld together to form a cohesive group. If I had to pick one song that stands out, it’d be Sheena Is a Punk Rocker by The Ramones, but I recommend watching the film to properly experience the songs at their best.


The top 10 Scores of 2009

1. Moon
Clint Mansell is one of the best composers working today, and he proves it with his haunting score. The mood of the movie is consistently increased and cultivated by his score, making a great movie even better. Mansell’s best score is for The Fountain, but this is right behind it. This is also by far the best score of the year.

2. Inglourious Basterds
By far the most unique score of the year, taking a number of different cues, Quentin Tarantino has formed a score that needs to be heard to be believed. It’s essentially its own hodgepodge of past war movie scores. I’m at a loss for exactly how to properly describe the score, except to urge everyone to listen to it, if they haven’t done so already.

3. Star Trek
Michael Giacchino (a name you’ll be seeing again in this article) did some very interesting things with this score. At once both unique and instantly recognizable, this is a great sci-fi score that makes a large scale movie feel even bigger. It’s pure movie magic to listen to this one.

4. Invictus
While the film is on less sturdy ground with its choices of song, the piano score provided by Clint and Kyle Eastwood is very nice and some of the best music that Eastwood has ever composed. It lays a nice foundation that elevates some of the power of the film without being too overt, which the songs are. Eastwood is always solid with the piano, and here is no exception.

5. Avatar
An epic film deserves an epic score, and James Horner certainly provides that here, in spades. While it’s not exactly his career best work, it’s very solid and fits in perfectly with the film at hand. It’s an audio treat to go along with the visual treat that plays in front of you (hopefully in 3-D). James Cameron knows what he’s doing, and he and Horner certainly got what they wanted here.

6. Brothers
This is an incredibly low key score, one that you barely notice, but it elevates the drama in the film, giving it slightly more power than it might normally have had. That credit goes to Thomas Newman, and he takes what otherwise might have been a hackneyed (or more hackneyed, to some) story and gives it some punch. It’s really a rather good, if subtle, job.

7. The Lovely Bones
Despite some of the issues that film has (depending on who you talk to), one of the strength of the movie is the score by Brian Eno. A haunting story needs a score to match, and this one is spot on for those specific purposes. The score for The Lovely Bones is quite lovely indeed.

8. Up
Remember Michael Giacchino? Well, he’s back with his score for this Pixar flick. While not quite on the level of his score for Star Trek, it’s still the best score for any animated film this year. No matter where the story turns, the score is more than capable of following, and it’s a great score for a great cartoon.

9. The Informant!
There’s something that’s a whole lot of fun about what Marvin Hamlisch did with this score, something that both fits the movie and aptly separates itself from a film that not everyone really warmed up to. It’s very unique and unexpected, something I always appreciate in a score. Regardless of the film, the score is a pleasure to listen to.

10. Bright Star
This score has a really classical feel to it, something that composer Mark Bradshaw needed to do in order to make the music fit the poetry of the movie. He definitely succeeded here, and the beauty of Keats’ words comes out in this music. The score is what I remember most about the film, and that’s always good for a composer in my book.


What are your favorite soundtracks and scores from 2009?

The Phoenix Film Critics put out their awards...

...behold:

Best Picture
Inglourious Basterds

Top Ten Films of 2009 (in alphabetical order)
Avatar
District 9
(500) Days of Summer
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
Sherlock Holmes
Star Trek
Up
Up In The Air

Best Director
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

Best Performance by an Actor in a Lead Role
George Clooney, Up In The Air

Best Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role
Meryl Streep, Julie and Julia

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Mo’Nique, Precious

Best Acting Ensemble
The cast of Inglourious Basterds

Best screenplay written directly for the screen
Up

Best screenplay adapted from another medium
Up In The Air

Best Live Action Family Film
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Overlooked Film
Moon

Best Animated Film
Up

Best Foreign Language Film
Broken Embraces

Best Documentary
Capitalism: A Love Story

Best Original Song
“Weary Kind” from Crazy Heart

Best Original Score
Up

Best Cinematography
Avatar

Best Film Editing
Avatar

Best Production Design
Avatar

Best Costume Design
The Young Victoria

Best Visual Effects
Avatar

Best Stunts
Star Trek

Breakout on Camera
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious

Breakout Behind the Camera
Neill Blomkamp, District 9

Best Performance by a Youth – Male
Jae Head, The Blind Side

Best Performance by a Youth – Female
Saoirse Ronan – The Lovely Bones

-Thoughts?

The Canadian Press announces its top 10

Take a gander at their picks:

An Education
Avatar
Bad Lieutenent: Port of Call New Orleans
Bright Star
The Hurt Locker
I Killed My Mother
Polytechnique
The Trotsky
Up
Up in the Air

Honorable Mentions: Adventureland, Two Lovers, A Single Man, and Inglourious Basterds.

-Thoughts?

The Indiwire Critics announce their nominees and winners!

Take a look:

Best Picture
35 Shots of Rum
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Headless Woman
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Police, Adjective
A Serious Man
Summer Hours
Two Lovers
Up

Best Director
Oliver Assayas, Summer Hours
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Claire Denis, 35 Shots of Rum
James Gray, Two Lovers
Lucrecia Martel, The Headless Woman

Best Actor
Matt Damon, The Informant!
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Tom Hardy, Bronson
Joaquin Phoenix, Two Lovers
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

Best Actress*
Arta Dobroshi, Lorna’s Silence
Charlotte Gainsbourg, Antichrist
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Maria Onetto, The Headless Woman
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Tilda Swinton, Julia

Best Supporting Actor
Peter Capaldi, In The Loop
Woody Harrelson, Bright Star
Christian McKay, Me and Orson Welles
Paul Schneider, Bright Star
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick, Up In The Air
Melanie Laurent, Inglourious Basterds
Mo’Nique, Precious: Based on the novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
Samantha Morton, The Messenger

Best Original Screenplay*
Joel & Ethan Coen, A Serious Man
Tony Gilroy, Duplicity
James Gray & Ric Menello, Two Lovers
Corneliu Porumboiu, Police, Adjective
Lynn Shelton, Humpday
Quentin Tarantino, Inglorious Basterds

Best Adapted Screenplay
Wes Anderson & Noah Baumbach, Fantastic Mr. Fox
Tom Ford & David Scaerce, A Single Man
Armando Iannucci, Jesse Armstrong, Tony Roche & Simon Blackwell, In the Loop
Peter Morgan, The Damned United
Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air

Best Foreign Language Film
35 Shots of Rum
The Headless Woman
Police, Adjective
Still Walking
Summer Hours

Best Documentary
Anvil! The Story of Anvil
The Beaches of Agnes
The Cove
La Danse
Of Time and the City

*-tie resulted in more than 5 nominations

-Thoughts?

Two of the most popular films of 2009 hit DVD this week!

Yes, there are two very good choices this week on DVD, along with a host of lesser options. For my PICK OF THE WEEK, it's between two very different films. In the end, I went with the less popular one, but the one I greatly preferred. It's:
(500) Days of Summer
One of the 5 best films of 2009, this is a heartbreaking comedy that gets it exactly right when it comes to how people perceive their significant other in a relationship. Perhaps the most inventive screenplay of the year mixes in with solid direction and two phenomenal lead performances to make this a DVD selection that I can't recommend enough. Anyone unlucky enough to have missed this Oscar hopeful in theaters needs to pick this one up immediately!
-The second place pick this week is District 9, a surprise hit that, while a little flawed to me, is still terrific entertainment. This movie came out of nowhere to be a fringe Oscar contender, and when you watch the movie (if you haven't already), you'll likely understand why.
-The other films this week that get a passing mark from me are the musical documentary It Might Get Loud, and the indie comedy Blind Date. Neither are excellent films, but both are compelling enough to be worth a look if you haven't seen them. Blind Date was actually directed by Stanley Tucci, so if nothing else, he's had quite the year.
-The rest of the films out there this week didn't do much for me. They are All About Steve, Extract, and Beyond a Reasonable Doubt. None were awful (yes, even Steve), but none of them were good enough to get a recommendation out of me, unfortunately.
-My Vintage pick this week is, in honor of the release of It's Complicated, my two favorite Nancy Meyers films. They are What Women Want and Something's Gotta Give. While these films are aimed at women, guys can easily laugh at them too, so if you want some light entertainment this week, this is a solid way to go.
-What will you be watching on DVD this week?

The St. Louis Film Critics Association announces its 2009 awards

Here they are:

Best Film: “Up in the Air”
Runner-Up: “The Hurt Locker”

Best Actor: George Clooney, “Up in the Air”
Runner-Up: Patton Oswalt in “Big Fan”

Best Actress: Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
Runner-Up: Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious”

Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz in “Inglorious Basterds”
Runner-up: Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”

Best Supporting Actress: Mo’Nique in “Precious”
Runner-Up: Marion Cotillard in “Nine”

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow in “The Hurt Locker”
Runners-Up (tie): Jason Reitman for “Up in the Air” and Quentin Tarantino for ‘Inglourious Basterds”

Best Screenplay: Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber for ‘(500) Days of Summer”
Runner-Up: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner for “Up in the Air”

Best Cinematography: Dion Beebe for “Nine”
Runner-Up: Eduard Grau for “A Single Man”

Best Music: “Nine”
Runner-Up: “Crazy Heart”

Best Visual Effects: “Avatar”
Runner-Up: “Where the Wild Things Are”

Best Foreign Language Film: “Red Cliff”
Runner-Up: Treeless Mountain

Best Documentary: “Capitalism: A Love Story”
Runner-Up: “Anvil! The Story of Anvil”

Best Animated Film: “Up”
Runner-Up: “The Fantastic Mr. Fox”

Best Comedy: “The Hangover”
Runner-Up: “(500) Days of Summer”

Most Original, Innovative or Creative Film: “Avatar”
Runner-Up (tie): “The Fantastic Mr. Fox” and “(500) Days of Summer”

Favorite Scene: “Up” – the four-minute marriage montage
Runner-Up: “Inglourious Basterds” – the opening farmhouse scene

-Thoughts?

The London Film Critics announce their nominations!

Take a gander:

FILM OF THE YEAR
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
A Prophet
The White Ribbon
Up in the Air

THE ATTENBOROUGH AWARD: BRITISH FILM OF THE YEAR
Bright Star
An Education
Fish Tank
In the Loop
Moon

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
The Class

Katyn

Let the Right One In

A Prophet

The White Ribbon

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Jacques Audiard – A Prophet
Kathryn Bigelow – The Hurt Locker
James Cameron – Avatar
Michael Haneke – The White Ribbon
Jason Reitman – Up in the Air

BRITISH DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Andrea Arnold – Fish Tank
Armando Iannucci – In the Loop
Duncan Jones – Moon
Kevin Macdonald – State of Play
Sam Taylor-Wood – Nowhere Boy

ACTOR OF THE YEAR
Jeff Bridges – Crazy Heart
George Clooney – Up in the Air
Tahar Rahim – A Prophet
Michael Stuhlbarg – A Serious Man
Christoph Waltz – Inglourious Basterds

ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
Abbie Cornish – Bright Star
Vera Farmiga – Up in the Air
Mo’Nique – Precious
Carey Mulligan – An Education
Meryl Streep – Julie & Julia

The Chicago Critics really liked The Hurt Locker it seems....

...as it pretty much swept their awards:

BEST PICTURE: The Hurt Locker

BEST DIRECTOR: Kathryn Bigelow–The Hurt Locker

BEST ACTOR: Jeremy Renner–The Hurt Locker

BEST ACTRESS: Carey Mulligan–An Education

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Christoph Waltz–Inglourious Basterds

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Mo’nique–Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Mark Boal–The Hurt Locker

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner–Up in the Air

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM: The White Ribbon

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: Up

BEST DOCUMENTARY: Anvil: The Story of Anvil

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Barry Ackroyd–The Hurt Locker

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Up–Michael Giacchino

MOST PROMISING PERFORMER: Carey Mulligan–An Education

MOST PROMISING FILMMAKER: Neill Blomkamp–District 9

-Thoughts?

The Hollywood Reporter has their (numerous) critics pop in with their top 10 lists for 2009!

Behold:

Kirk Honeycutt

1. The White Ribbon
2. Up
3. Precious
4. The Hurt Locker
5. District 9
6. Avatar
7. The Cove
8. In the Loop
9. A Serious Man
10. Up in the Air

Sheri Linden

1. The White Ribbon
2. District 9
3. Police, Adjective
4. Summer Hours
5. Bright Star
6. Fantastic Mr. Fox
7. Big Fan
8. Of Time and the City
9. The Cove
10. Up

Ray Bennett

1. Up in the Air
2. The Hurt Locker
3. Tulpan
4. Bright Star
5. Moon
6. Summer Hours
7. Up
8. Star Trek
9. Broken Embraces
10. Avatar

Michael Rechtshaffen

1. Up in the Air
2. The Hurt Locker
3. Up
4. An Education
5. Everlasting Moments
6. Coraline
7. The Cove
8. Broken Embraces
9. The Hangover
10. Avatar

Stephen Farber

1. Up in the Air
2. The Last Station
3. The Hurt Locker
4. Precious
5. The Cove
6. The Princess and the Frog
7. My One and Only
8. Lemon Tree
9. Adam
   Seraphine

Frank Scheck

1. Up in the Air
2. The Hurt Locker
3. Precious
4. Up
5. Inglourious Basterds
6. A Single Man
7. (500) Days of Summer
8. Invictus
9. The Messenger
10. The Last Station

-Who's list did you like best?

The Florida Film Critics announce their winners...

...and it's Al Gore, no wait...wrong thing. Enough of my humor, here are the winners:

Picture: Up In The Air
Actor: George Clooney, Up In The Air
Actress: Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
Supp. Actor: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Supp. Actress: Mo’Nique, Precious
Director: Jason Reitman, Up In The Air
Screenplay: Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber, (500) Days of Summer
Cinematography: Mauro Fiore, Avatar
Foreign Language: Sin Nombre
Animated Feature: Up
Documentary: The Cove
Breakout: Gabourey Sidibe, Precious

-Thoughts?

Behold the Satellite Award Winners!

Here they are:

Motion Picture, Drama

• The Hurt Locker

Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical

• Nine

Director

• Kathryn Bigelow — The Hurt Locker

Actress In A Motion Picture, Drama

• Shohreh Aghdashloo — The Stoning of Soraya M.

Actor In A Motion Picture, Drama

• Jeremy Renner — The Hurt Locker

Actress In A Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical

• Meryl Streep — Julie & Julia

Actor In A Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical

• Michael Stuhlbarg — A Serious Man

Actress In A Supporting Role

• Mo’nique — Precious

Actor In A Supporting Role

• Christoph Waltz — Inglourious Basterds

Motion Picture, Foreign Language Film

• The Maid Chile
• Broken Embraces Spain

Screenplay, Original

• Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber — (500) Days of Summer

Screenplay, Adapted

• Geoffrey Fletcher — Precious

Motion Picture, Animated or Mixed Media

• Fantastic Mr. Fox

Motion Picture, Documentary

• Every Little Step

Original Score

• Rolfe Kent- Up in the Air

Original Song

• “The Weary Kind” — Crazy Heart

Cinematography

• Dion Beebe- Nine

Visual Effects

• 2012

Film Editing

• The Hurt Locker

Sound (Mixing & Editing)

• 2012

Art Direction & Production Design

• A Single Man

Costume Design

• The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

-Thoughts?

Academy Idol 3: Top 12 (Rotten Tomatoes & Metacritic)

Can you predict the bottom three?

John Waters chimes in with his best films of 2009 list...

...why not him too? Here it is:

1. Import Export
2. Antichrist
3. In the Loop
4. World's Greatest Dad
5. Bruno
6. Lorna's Silence
7. Broken Embraces
8. The Baader Meinhof Complex
9. Whatever Works
10. The Headless Woman

-A fitting list for him...thoughts?

What are we to make of Avatar's opening weekend?

Well, this article in Cinemablend gives you a good idea of what the Box Office spells for James Cameron and his race of blue people:

Depending on who you ask, Avatar's estimated $73 million weekend haul is either right in line with studio expectations (given that it's not a sequel or an existing property), a disappointment (given how much it cost), or the second-highest December opening of all time (well, that one's actually a fact). But despite the fact that box office prognostication is a sport heavily focused on opening weekends, Avatar is likely to be that rare movie where opening weekend tells you virtually nothing about what will happen.

It's been stated over and over again (mostly by me) that James Cameron's last film, Titanic, quadrupled its opening weekend gross with two weeks of its release. It was one of those word-of-mouth successes that got bigger every time families gathered for Christmas dinner and found themselves discussing why Rose threw the diamond in the ocean at the end. And while Avatar isn't like Titanic in a lot of surface ways, it seems like a likely candidate to perform the same way: a slow burn. Why? Lots of reasons.

It takes word of mouth to get people used to blue people. Avatar hadn't been tracking all that well until a week ago, when critics saw the movie and told the world, wait, this is actually good. Now the adventurous moviegoers who saw it this weekend will do the same thing for their friends, an effect that will particularly be important for the crowds who don't trust critics as a rule.

It doesn't snow on Pandora... but it does on the Eastern seaboard. Avatar's grosses dipped significantly on Saturday in cities that were walloped by this weekend's blizzards. While it's fun to stay home and drink cocoa while the snow is coming down, once people get some time off for Christmas, they'll be more than ready to get out of the house.

Opening weekend belongs to the sequels; the rest belongs to the truly good ones. There's a reason that the holders of most box office records are sequels-- Transformers 2 made more than Transformers, The Dark Knight more than Batman Begins , and so on. Avatar wasn't a must-see this weekend among anyone but the geek-heavy crowds who have anticipated it for years, but again, once the word of mouth starts rolling, it'll become just as necessary a movie as the one with robots beating each other up.

There's lots of competition out there...but also lots of bored people. The weeks surrounding Christmas and New Years are great times to release movies, because no matter how much else is out there, there are a ton of people going to movies. And while most other films out there are targeting specific audiences-- Sherlock Holmes the men who love the character and Guy Ritchie, It's Complicated the women who want Meryl Streep's life, Alvin and the Chipmunks : The Squeakquel the kids who don't know matter-- Avatar is the one true four-quadrant movie out there. People go to movies in groups over Christmas, and this is the one you can guarantee will entertain everyone.

I'm obviously well in the tank for Avatar and rooting for its success, and hey, $73 million domestic plus another $160 internationally is nothing to sneeze it. But I'm seeing much, much bigger things for this one. You haven't seen the last of those blue people, not by a long shot.

-I pretty much agree with this article...thoughts?

Brittany Murphy dies...

From Variety:

Police are investigating the death of actress Brittany Murphy's Sunday morning in Los Angeles. The 32-year-old star of such pics as "8 Mile," "Clueless" and "Don't Say a Word" was found unconscious in the shower by her mother Sunday morning, according to various reports.

Her husband, writer-producer Simon Monjack, called paramedics and she was transported to Cedar-Sinai Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the Los Angeles Police Dept. is investigating the cause of her death, but the LAPD wouldn't say if criminal conduct was involved.

Murphy, born in Atlanta, started out in TV's "Murphy Brown" in 1991. Her other credits include 2005's "Sin City," 2004's "Little Black Book," 2003's "Uptown Girl" and "Just Married," plus 1999's "Girl, Interrupted." In "Clueless," she played Alicia Silverstone's perky sidekick, while in "8 Mile," she played...

perky sidekick to She did voice work on animated shows such as "Futurama" and "King of the Hill" plus pics like "Happy Feet." According to Imdb.com, she had a number of films in production including "Abandoned," "Something Wicked," "The Expendables" and "Shrinking Charlotte."

Her voice was featured in a 2006 single "Faster Kill Pussycat" from Paul Oakenfold's album "A Lively Mind." It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club chart.

Her role in "8 Mile" led to more recognition, Murphy told the Associated Press in 2003. "That changed a lot," she said. "That was the difference between people knowing my first and last name as opposed to not."

Murphy credited her mother, Sharon, with being a key to her success.

When I asked my mom to move to California, she sold everything and moved out here for me," Murphy told the AP. "I was really grateful to have grown up in an environment that was conducive to creating and didn't stifle any of that. She always believed in me."

She dated Ashton Kutcher, who co-starred with Murphy in 2003's romantic comedy "Just Married."

Kutcher tweeted Sunday morning about Murphy's death: "2day the world lost a little piece of sunshine," Kutcher wrote. "My deepest condolences go out 2 Brittany's family, her husband, & her amazing mother Sharon."

-Rest in Peace...

What are Richard Roeper's top 10 films of 2009?

Glad you asked, as these happen to be the 10 he digs the most (go here for his descriptions and reasoning):

1. Brothers
2. Up in the Air
3. The Hurt Locker
4. (500) Days of Summer
5. Inglourious Basterds
6. Up
7. Avatar
8. Adventureland
9. An Education
10. The Informant!

-Thoughts on his list?

The Awards Circuit gets an update to all of its predictions, along with a precursor update and a reaction to SAG!

Indeed, there are some new things in the latest update to The Awards Circuit, none more important than an update to all of the Predictions. Start out with Best Picture here and continue on and read them all, but make sure you let us know what you think!
We also have some added announcements on the Precursor page. That can be found here, so keep an eye out there, as it's ever evolving.
Finally, Clayton has written up a reaction to the SAG nominations, which is a must read, so go here and read it!
-Thoughts on the new predictions?

Behold Roger Ebert's List(s) of the best of 2009!

Yes, there's two:

The Top 10 Mainstream Films

• Bad Lieutenant
• Crazy Heart
• An Education
• The Hurt Locker
• Inglourious Basterds
• Knowing
• Precious
• A Serious Man
• Up in the Air
• The White Ribbon

The Top Ten Independent Films

• Departures
• Disgrace
• Everlasting Moments
• Goodbye Solo
• Julia
• Silent Light
• Sin Nombre
• Skin
• Trucker
• You, the Living

-Thoughts on what Mr. Ebert had on his list?

The two critics from the New York Post reveal their top 10 films of the year!

Take a gander:

Lou Lumenick

1. UP IN THE AIR
2. UP
3. A SERIOUS MAN
4. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
5. AVATAR
6. INVICTUS
7. PRECIOUS
8. FANTASTIC MR. FOX
9. IN THE LOOP
10.PONYO

Kyle Smith

1. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
2. UP
3. FANTASTIC MR. FOX
4. WATCHMEN
5. FUNNY PEOPLE
6. UP IN THE AIR
7. AN EDUCATION
8. IN THE LOOP
9. OF TIME AND THE CITY
10.SHALL WE KISS?

-Thoughts?

Avatar Real Day

Tell us what you thought...Dying to know.

Comment.

The Houston Film Critics select their winners...

Behold:

Best Picture: The Hurt Locker
Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Best Actor: George Clooney, Up in the Air
Best Actress: Carey Mulligan, An Education
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress: Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Best Screenplay: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
Best Animated Film: Up
Best Cinematography: Barry Ackroyd, The Hurt Locker
Best Documentary: The Cove
Best Foreign Film: Sin Nombre
Best Original Score: Michael Giacchino, Up
Best Original Song: Petey’s Song by Jarvis Cocker, Wes Anderson & Noah Baumbach,
The Fantastic Mr. Fox

-Another nice mix...thoughts?

So far, so good for Avatar at the Box Office...

From Variety:

Twentieth Century Fox's "Avatar" grossed $3.5 million in midnight runs from approximately 2,000 locations in a strong start for James Cameron's sweeping 3D sci-fi fantasy.

Friday matinees are also selling out.

Many of the midnight runs were in 3D locations.

"Avatar" has a strong shot at securing the best December bow of all time. Current record holder is Will Smith starrer "I Am Legend," which posted an opening weekend gross of $77.2 million. That film grossed roughly $30.6 million on its first Friday, including $1.7 million in midnight grosses from roughly 1,100 theaters.

"Avatar" also is expected to do big business in its day and date international launch, having already scored impressive first-day launches in a number of territories, including France.

"Avatar" faces the challenge of being an original title, versus a franchise sequel.

-Any guesses for what the weekend Box Office will be?

The critics from The New York Times submit their top 10's of 2009...

...even though they often don't stick to 10. Here they are:

A.O. Scott

1) Where the Wild Things Are
2) The Hurt Locker/In the Loop
3) Summer Hours/Of Time and the City
4) Up in the Air/Funny People
5) Bright Star/Medicine for Melancholy
6) Precious/Coraline
7) Avatar/District 9
8 A Serious Man/Anvil: The Story of Anvil
9) Goodbye, Solo/Sugar
10)Gomorrah/The Baader Meinhof Complex

Manohla Dargis (unranked, Top 13):

-Gomorrah
-Tulpan
-Summer Hours
-The Hurt Locker
-The Beaches of Agnes
-Public Enemies
-Beeswax
-Ponyo
-The Informant!
-Where the Wild Things Are
-Fantastic Mr. Fox
-The Sun
-Avatar

Stephen Holden:

1) Up in the Air
2) The White Ribbon
3) Still Walking
4) The Messenger
5) 35 Shots of Rum
6) The Hurt Locker
7) The Headless Woman
8 An Education
9) Summer Hours
10) Disgrace

-I gotta say, A.O. Scott loving Funny People as much as I do makes me smile...thoughts?

The writers from Entertainment Weekly show off their top 10 lists!

Take a gander:

Lisa Schwarzbaum

1. The Hurt Locker
2. Up
3. Coraline
4. Up in the Air
5. Where the Wild Things Are
6. Fantastic Mr. Fox
7. A Serious Man
8. Big Fan
9. District 9
10. Everlasting Moments

Owen Gleiberman

1. Up in the Air
2. Inglourious Basterds
3. Precious
4. I Love You Man
5. Food Inc
6. 500 Days of Summer
7. Fantastic Mr. Fox
8. Girlfriend Experience
9. Hurt Locker
10. Adventureland

-Thoughts?

The Detroit Film Critics Society announces its winners...

...and based off of its nominees (in an earlier post here), there are some surprises:

Best Film: “Up”
Best Director: Pete Docter, “Up”
Best Actor: Colin Firth, “A Single Man”
Best Actress: Gabourey Sidibe, “Precious”
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress: Mo’Nique, “Precious”
Best Ensemble: “The Hangover”
Best Breakthrough Performance: Gabourey Sidibe, “Precious”

-Thoughts?

Academy Idol 3: Wild Card Results

Surprised? Comment. Make sure you tune in on Monday when The Top 12 Compete for the first time. Vote, Vote, Vote.

The Utah Film Critics Association announces its winners

Here they are:

Best Picture

Up in the Air
(runners-up: The Hurt Locker; Inglourious Basterds)

Best Achievement in Directing
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
(runner-up: John Hillcoat, The Road)

Best Male Lead Performance
Viggo Mortensen, The Road
(runner-up: Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker)

Best Female Lead Performance
Carey Mulligan, An Education
(runner-up: Maya Rudolph, Away We Go)

Best Male Supporting Performance
Christian McKay, Me and Orson Welles
(runner-up: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds)

Best Supporting Performance by an Actress
Mo’Nique, Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
(runner-up: Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air)

Best Screenplay
Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach, Fantastic Mr. Fox
(runners-up: Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, (500) Days of Summer; Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds)

Best Animated Feature
Fantastic Mr. Fox
(runner-up: Up)

Best Documentary Feature
The Cove
(runner-up: Anvil! The Story of Anvil)

Best Non-English Language Feature
Thirst
(runner-up: Sin Nombre)

-They certainly mixed it up in a few places...

Today's Posters: Frozen, Edge of Darkness, Date Night, The Bounty Hunter, Daybreakers, and Babies

Thoughts?

Today's Trailers: The Runaways, Hot Tub Time Machine, and a 2nd look at Clash of the Titans

First up we have a look at what might be a promising musical biopic next year, 'The Runaways':

Next we have the John Cusack high concept comedy called 'Hot Tub Time Machine':


Finally, we have the second trailer for the remake of 'Clash of the Titans':

-Thoughts?

The latest (and hopefully last?) Shrek film gets a Poster and a Trailer...

-Why is this happening again?

Leo and Bobby will present Marty with his award at the Globes...

...and be those names, I mean DiCaprio, De Niro, and Scorsese. Here's what the Hollywood Foreign Press had to say:

Golden Globe winners Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio will present the Cecil B. DeMille Award to Martin Scorsese at "The 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards" on Sunday, January 17. The show, hosted by Ricky Gervais, will be broadcast live coast to coast on NBC (5 to 8 pm PT, 8 to 11 pm ET) from The Beverly Hilton.

"The 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards" will be seen in more than 160 countries worldwide and is one of the few awards ceremonies that span both television and motion picture achievements.

The special will be produced by dick clark productions in association with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Philip Berk is President of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Orly Adelson, president of dick clark productions, and Barry Adelman will executive-produce the special. Chris Donovan is the director and Bob Bardo is the executive in charge of production.

-It'll be cool to see...

2 new Posters for Kick-Ass come flying in!

Thoughts?