Last minute Pre-Oscar thoughts

It's been a little over a month now since I posted my views on the Academy Award nominations, and not much has changed. Now I'm looking forward to watching a show with some fresh hosts and worthy contenders. I have to say it's the first year in a while where I feel like almost every single nomination is deserved. There's no outrageous "Crash" nomination, there's no "Avatar" or Sandra Bullock nomination for a Lifetime movie. This year, about 8/10 movies in the running for Best Picture deserve their nomination. And the front runners at this point - "The Social Network" and "The King's Speech" - completely deserve it. Looking back on my views on the nominations, the Best Picture category is the only one where my prediction has changed. "The King's Speech" has picked up a lot of awards lately in critics circles as well as the BAFTAs. "The Social Network"'s hype looks to have petered out and left the excellent Brit movie to take the lead. "The King's Speech" is the safe, Oscar-friendly choice, and I'll be rather surprised if they go back to "The Social Network" now. The Brit drama will probably take Best Picture and Best Actor for Colin Firth while the Facebook movie takes Best Director for David Fincher and Best Adapted Screenplay for Aaron Sorkin.

Every other win seems decently predictable, although even if there is an upset, it's not going to be a case where a much hyped but mediocre performance wins over a deserving but less flashy one. Unless the Academy goes nutso and "The Kids Are All Right" wins for Best Picture, we're not going to encounter another heinous "Crash"-beating-"Brokeback Mountain" scenario.

As for the show itself, I actually kind of enjoy the In Memoriam and I hope it's a straight-forward memorial to those who passed. I'm still bitter about times when the In Memoriam played, but a celeb was singing the background music so the camera was on them more than the memorial video. No fancy camera work swooping in and out, please. Just pay respects to the dead in a tasteful way.

I'm cautiously optimistic about James Franco and Anne Hathaway hosting. I'm happy to see some fresh, younger faces in there (without sacrificing quality, that is. They didn't go with Kristin Stewart and Michael Cera or something crazy like that). Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin last year were fine, but they definitely aren't the way to intrigue younger viewers. I always hate forced awards show banter, but it's something you have to live with and if the host is capable, they can pull it off without too many cringeworthy moments. I'm just glad we don't have to deal with a Ricky Gervais scenario again, where the host is one-note and not particularly funny with his one note. Personally, I rather see a Neil Patrick Harris or Ellen DeGeneres hosting. They are seasoned hosts, they appeal to young and old, and they can be funny in a safe way in that they aren't pissing off the people in the room or boring the people at home by being too tame. I even enjoyed Hugh Jackman two years ago or Jon Stewart the year before that. Whoever they go with, I'm realizing that the Oscars has a much better track record for hosts than the Emmys or the Golden Globes.

It's differed over the years and over awards shows, but I hope the Oscars show clips from movies. The Golden Globes did this a little by basically saluting each film with a movie trailer. Rather than focusing on the actor as their name is announced, I prefer a short clip of them from their respective movie that shows why they deserve the Oscar. It would be a great reminder of movies that came out a while ago and it would be a refresher in why their nomination is deserved. But that's just me. And you would have to choose wisely so the clip is strong and short so the show doesn't run past midnight. (Maybe we could remove those documentary categories? Or at least speed those up a bit more?)

To conclude a post that ended up longer than I intended, I'd like to end with some humor. Both from the same website, the first is a Trailer for Every Academy Award Winning Movie Ever while the other is "6 Awards That Would Actually Make the Oscars Worth Watching." I think this article makes some great points about certain areas of filmmaking that go unrecognized by awards shows.

My Favorite Things of 2010

I've read around a thousand lists of "Best movies of the year," "Worst movies of the year," "Biggest breakout stars of the year," etc. I didn't want to do a cliche one like that, so instead I'll do a super creative list of things that made me happy this year. Enjoy, and feel free to yell at me for anything I missed. It's been a long year, after all, and I know I didn't remember everything.

"Inception" gives us a 2 for 1 gift
I thought I'd put the obvious one up front. We got a thrilling, summer popcorn movie combined with a thoughtful, mind-bending film rolled into one amazing time at the movies (or three, depending on how many times you saw it. I couldn't get enough!) "Inception" is one of my new favorite movies of all time. No other director can make blockbuster movies that are incredibly popular, incredibly smart, and incredibly original like Christopher Nolan.

The continual rise of AMC
I'm slowly falling in love with this channel. From top-notch original programming like "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad" to quality movies that aren't just whatever they could get the rights to and throw on the air, they live up to their slogan of "story matters here." I don't think "The Walking Dead" lived up to its fantastic premise, but AMC deserves all due credit for making an effort to have all-around quality programming.

BBC's "Sherlock"
From "Doctor Who" writer Steven Moffat, "Sherlock" had a lot of the charm and energy of Moffat's "Doctor Who" contributions. A modern updating of the Sherlock Holmes stories could have easily been a disgrace to Sherlock's history, but it turned out to be an extremely entertaining and smartly produced TV series. It's easily one of the best things I've watched this year and I can't wait for more episodes.

"Southland" lives
NBC couldn't hold on to it, but TNT knew better and kept this great cop drama on the air, even renewing it for another season to air soon. I don't like procedurals, but I do love lawyer and cop dramas when they're more sophisticated and realistic than the hundreds of "CSI"s and "Law & Order"s out there.

"Cougar Town" keeps getting better and better
I'm really hoping I won't be saying this still next year as it pains me to admit, but "Modern Family" seems to have peaked in its first year. But "Cougar Town" worked out its kinks, ditched the off-putting premise, and became a terrific sitcom that has the same silly yet smart comedy that show creator Bill Lawrence put in "Scrubs."

"Fringe" crosses over to the Other Side
I've raved about this show all over my blog, so I won't bother to reiterate my praise, even if it does completely deserve it. After all the highly advertised 'next big things' in SciFi that sputtered and died, it's nice to have one show around that nails the big narrative scope and intimate character development that all those other ones promised but couldn't deliver on.

Andrew Garfield
I had no idea whatsoever who this guy was when they announced him as the lead actor in the "Spiderman" reboot. I wasn't excited already because I thought the first two movies were very good. But after seeing him in "The Social Network," I couldn't wait to see more of him. Jesse Eisenberg plays it cold and distanced, but Andrew Garfield brings the emotional weight of the film. It excited me to uncover another tidbit of why I thought he looked so darn familiar. He had a lead role in the two-part "Doctor Who" episode "Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks." He definitely has my attention now!

"Toy Story 3"
So many people of my generation were terrified that our childhood memories of the first two movies would be retroactively tarnished by an awful addition to the franchise years later. Imagine our relief when the third movie was every bit as wonderful as the first two. Who knew three animated kid's movies could be so emotionally affecting and enjoyable by young and old equally. More than a success due to nostalgia alone, this third film earned all the praise it got.

"24" ends
I loved this show for a long time but the last few seasons went really downhill and it broke my heart. The character assassination of Tony Almeida was bad enough, but Katee Sackhoff's Dana Walsh storyline put the final nail in the coffin and it became crystal clear - "24"'s time had come and gone and it was time to go.

"Ugly Betty" ends on a high note
No one really noticed when "Ugly Betty" recovered from its creative slump and got back to its first season goodness. By then, the show was canceled and was wrapping things up. But unlike other shows that march slowly toward their death with dwindling writing quality, "Ugly Betty" avoided that bitter end and proved that it deserves a fond place in our memories.

"Avatar" gets shut out at the Oscars
As the Oscar season roles around again, people are disputing the validity of nominations for ten films or for blockbuster films. But if "Avatar" can be a frontrunner, then so can "Inception" and other great movies that also happened to be wildly popular. As much as I think blockbuster movies deserve recognition when they're good, movies should win Academy Awards for having the whole package. Brilliant visuals should win technical awards. Brilliant visuals plus superb writing and acting should win Best Picture.

"Breaking Bad" winning big at the Emmys
Speaking of the whole package, "Breaking Bad" definitely has it. As much as I've wanted "Dexter" to get some love for a while and as exquisite as "Mad Men" is, "Breaking Bad" is shockingly terrific. Shockingly in that it has shocking moments, not that I expected it to be bad. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul absolutely earned those Emmy awards. Their performances are fearlessly genius and unparalleled in the television world.

"Billionaire" by Travie McCoy & Bruno Mars
I'll admit, I'm not an avid listener of Top 40 like I used to be, finding most of it to be overly autotuned and unoriginal. I don't like the state of pop music right now, I think American Idol alums only add to the generic singles, and rap/hip-hop has never been my favorite genre. (I don't say this to be an old timer at heart or a smug, arrogant hipster, I just like to be honest). But I really loved this song. So much of hip-hop that turns me off has to do with the Kanye West-type arrogance in the music. Social commentary and innovation, yes please. Giant egos going on and on about how awesomely badass and rich they are, no thank you. "Billionaire" came at a good time, when the economy was in a bad place and everyone could relate to this earnest song about the natural desire to have the freedom and joy that money can bring.

"Night Work" by the Scissor Sisters
Not nearly as popular in their native US as they should be, the Scissor Sisters released another album this year. The delightful new addition brought us more quality pop, heavily influenced by the best of disco and dance music. They also released the ridiculously upbeat song "Isn't It Strange," which got a place in the new "Shrek" movie. Still filthy, still gorgeous, I hope the Scissor Sisters keep putting out great music like they have this year.

"Kick-Ass" says 'yes' to violence and swearing
Is it base of me to say that I enjoyed the hell out of this movie? Is it immature of me to admit that I loved all the graphic violence? I don't care what anyone says, I had a great time watching this one and wish it had done better so we would get a sequel. It also got Mika to release another single specifically for this movie, so all things considered, this movie made me very happy this year.

Ben Affleck keeps directing
It looks like "Gone Baby Gone" was just the beginning. I don't care if Affleck ever acts again, but I can't wait to see what he does next behind the camera.

Mark Pellegrino scores some high-profile roles
Alright, Lucifer on "Supernatural" is definitely not a high-profile role. He was probably recognized mostly for his work as the abusive Paul Bennett on "Dexter." But he also got the role as the mysterious Jacob on "Lost." I may not have liked the direction "Lost" took towards the end, but Pellegrino was game to fill in the convoluted blanks in the story.

The pervasive use of "Sunshine (Adagio in D Minor)"
And I thought I'd put the bizarrely specific one last. I love this simple yet moving piece of music by composer John Murphy. It's showing up all over the place now, from episodes of "V" and "The Walking Dead" to the climax of "Kick-Ass" (which also used Murphy's "In the House, in a Heartbeat" from "28 Days Later.") I even heard it in a trailer for some Javier Bardem movie. It's quickly becoming the new go-to piece of music, much like the oft-used "Lux Aerterna" from "Requiem for a Dream."

"Inception" - All you need to know is that you should see it

I've been seeing trailers for "Inception" for a while now and I still have no idea what this movie is about. It took me a while to figure out that that's intentional to stir up intrigue and mystery; they're letting the star power sell the film Initially, I figured the trailers were just baffling to make us wonder in awe at the visuals. After all, in a world where "Avatar" makes more money than anything else, of course Hollywood is going to embrace the visual splendor of a film, oftentimes over solid narrative. I was afraid that this movie would be all neat images and nothing else - a beautifully wrapped box ultimately filled with nothing. I also assumed the trailers weren't being purposefully vague because many films are marketed poorly. Case in point? The recent Tom Cruise film "Knight & Day." I still have no idea what that movie is about after seeing multiple trailers. Some of the trailers differed greatly in tone from the others, some emphasizing drama and others emphasizing comedy. Match that with two past-their-prime actors, (except in the case of "Mission Impossible" movies. The third film in that series was actually really great, but I give more credit to JJ Abrams and the other onscreen talent Cruise was working with) and you have very little pre-release buzz. I was also concerned that we might have another "Paranormal Activity" or "Snakes on a Plane" scenario, where you get tons of manufactured hype and you end up with the most boring excuse for a horror movie ever or the dullest example of cheese and camp ever.

But a movie like "Inception" has the right to be vague. The marketing team knows what it's doing. I, like many other people, still want to see this movie and here's why: the people involved. First off, it was written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan. He's the man who pulled off the impressive feat of reviving the "Batman" movies with some depth and class. "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight" paved the way for grittier, more realistic, less campy comic book/superhero movies. Second, and probably the most important factor, is the cast. Leonardo DiCaprio is always a strong choice as a lead. I'm not sure if he's right for the role, but since I don't know what the role really is and I haven't seen enough of the movie to know, I'll trust that he can handle it. Ellen Page also stars, and while she is best known for her role as the titular character in "Juno," she has received praise for numerous other smaller or lesser known performances. "Batman Begins" alum Cillian Murphy is in it as well, which thrills me to no end. I haven't seen him in anything lately which makes me sad because he's a fine actor when given a good role and he's one of my personal favorites. Oscar winner Marion Cotillard and Michael Caine also star, but I have to admit that the one I'm most looking forward to seeing is Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He's not quite in the public consciousness yet as he's done a lot of indie movies, but he's been fantastic in those indie movies. He's probably best known for "(500) Days of Summer" lately, but I think he is superb in "Brick" and "The Lookout."

With an all-star cast and skilled writer/director at the helm, how on earth could this movie possibly suck? Well, I'm sure it's possible. It'll probably suck just so I feel like an idiot for writing this article in defense of the film prior to its release. But at least I'll feel like an idiot with plenty of other entertainment news outlets. Entertainment Weekly just posted a story that cites defenses for the vague trailers that give away nothing. The plot about the power of dreaming gave me pause in the beginning, but I'm hoping it's just crazy enough to work. I'm ready for a quality, thought-provoking film. I'm ready for something that isn't a sequel or a remake. I'm ready for something new and daring. Who said the summer was only allowed to have mindless fluff that would only interest preteen girls? ("Toy Story 3" aside, of course).