₦airaland Forum

And the Academy is all about political correctness aren't they? Devil may cry

The most probable winners are bolded (the Academy being the mugmushers that they are). The ones I'm rooting for are in Valentine colour.


Performance by an actor in a leading role

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


Performance by an actor in a supporting role

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


Performance by an actress in a leading role

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


Performance by an actress in a supporting role

Penélope Cruz in "Nine"
Vera Farmiga in "Up in the Air"
Maggie Gyllenhaal in "Crazy Heart"
Anna Kendrick in "Up in the Air"
Mo'Nique in "Precious"


Best animated feature film of the year

"Coraline"
"Fantastic Mr. Fox"
"The Princess and the Frog"
"The Secret of Kells"
"Up"


Achievement in art direction
"Avatar"
"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus"
"Nine"
"Sherlock Holmes"
"The Young Victoria"


Achievement in cinematography

"Avatar" (20th Century Fox)
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (Warner Bros.)
"The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)
"Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company)
"The White Ribbon" (Sony Pictures Classics)


Achievement in costume design

"Bright Star" (Apparition) Janet Patterson
"Coco before Chanel" (Sony Pictures Classics) Catherine Leterrier
"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Monique Prudhomme
"Nine" (The Weinstein Company) Colleen Atwood
"The Young Victoria" (Apparition) Sandy Powell

No comment. but I like the name of the third movie


Achievement in directing
"Avatar" James Cameron
"The Hurt Locker" Kathryn Bigelow
"Inglourious Basterds" Quentin Tarantino
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"Lee Daniels
"Up in the Air" Jason Reit man


Achievement in film editing

"Avatar" (20th Century Fox) Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James
Cameron
"District 9" (Sony Pictures Releasing) Julian Clarke
"The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment) Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
"Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company) Sally Menke
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" (Lionsgate)
Joe Klotz


Best foreign language film of the year

"Ajami"(Kino International)
An Inosan Production
Israel
"El Secreto de Sus Ojos" (Sony Pictures
Classics)
A Haddock Films Production
Argentina
"The Milk of Sorrow"
A Wanda Visión/Oberon
Cinematogràfica/Vela Production
Peru
"Un Prophète" (Sony Pictures Classics)
A Why Not/Page 114/Chic Films
Production
France
"The White Ribbon" (Sony Pictures
Classics)
An X Filme Creative Pool/Wega Film/Les
Films du Losange/Lucky Red Production
Germany

No comment

Achievement in makeup

"Il Divo" (MPI Media Group through
Music Box)
Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
"Star Trek" (Paramount and Spyglass
Entertainment)
Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel
Harlow
"The Young Victoria" (Apparition) Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

I think they won't give Star Trek but I can't tell who will win it.

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

"Avatar" (20th Century Fox) James Horner
"Fantastic Mr. Fox" (20th Century Fox) Alexandre Desplat
"The Hurt Locker" (Summit
Entertainment)
Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
"Sherlock Holmes" (Warner Bros.) Hans Zimmer
"Up" (Walt Disney) Michael Giacchino

I love Hans but thanks to iice nothing can beat the stuff in Avatar. I like what I heard in Up tres much too.

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

"Almost There" from "The Princess and
the Frog" (Walt Disney)
Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
"Down in New Orleans" from "The
Princess and the Frog" (Walt Disney)
Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
"Loin de Paname" from "Paris 36" (Sony
Pictures Classics)
Music by Reinhardt Wagner
Lyric by Frank Thomas
"Take It All" from "Nine" (The Weinstein
Company)
Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
"The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy
Heart)" from "Crazy Heart" (Fox
Searchlight)
Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T
Bone Burnett

I don't know but Walt Disney is usually unbeatable in this category. I have an album of their theme songs even.

Best motion picture of the year

"Avatar" (20th Century Fox)
"The Blind Side" (Warner Bros.)
"District 9" (Sony Pictures Releasing)
"An Education" (Sony Pictures Classics)
"The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)
"Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company)
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by
Sapphire" (Lionsgate)
"A Serious Man" (Focus Features)
"Up" (Walt Disney)
"Up in the Air" (Paramount)


Best animated short film

"French Roast"
"Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty"
"The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)"
"Logorama" (Autour de Minuit)
"A Matter of Loaf and Death" (Aardman Animations)

Seen none. Heard of none.

Achievement in sound editing

"Avatar" (20th Century Fox) Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates
Whittle
"The Hurt Locker" (Summit
Entertainment)
Paul N.J. Ottosson
"Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein
Company)
Wylie Stateman
"Star Trek" (Paramount and Spyglass
Entertainment)
Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
"Up" (Walt Disney) Michael Silvers and Tom Myers


Achievement in sound mixing

"Avatar" (20th Century Fox) Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy
Nelson and Tony Johnson
"The Hurt Locker" (Summit
Entertainment)
Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
"Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein
Company)
Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark
Ulano
"Star Trek" (Paramount and Spyglass
Entertainment)
Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J.
Devlin
"Transformers: Revenge of the
Fallen" (DreamWorks and Paramount in
association with Hasbro, Distributed by
Paramount)
Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and
Geoffrey Patterson


Achievement in visual effects

"Avatar" (20th Century Fox) Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard
Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
"District 9" (Sony Pictures Releasing) Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert
Habros and Matt Aitken
"Star Trek" (Paramount and Spyglass
Entertainment)
Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh
and Burt Dalton

Even haters attest that there's no contest


Adapted screenplay

"District 9" (Sony Pictures Releasing) Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri
Tatchell
"An Education" (Sony Pictures Classics) Screenplay by Nick Hornby
"In the Loop" (IFC Films) Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon
Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony
Roche
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by
Sapphire" (Lionsgate)
Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
"Up in the Air" (Paramount in association
with Cold Spring Pictures and DW
Studios)
Screenplay by Jason Reitman and
Sheldon Turner


Original screenplay

"The Hurt Locker" (Summit
Entertainment)
Written by Mark Boal
"Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein
Company)
Written by Quentin Tarantino
"The Messenger" (Oscilloscope
Laboratories)
Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren
Moverman
"A Serious Man" (Focus Features) Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
"Up" (Walt Disney) Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter
Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom
McCarthy

We have a tie here.

Winners.will.be.announced.at.the.awards.show.on.March.7.2010
Full.list.of.winners.would.be.posted.here. ."

If I get an A+, I'll expect a present.

Stop spoiling my fun cara

How can anyone notice any other person with all those girls spilling alcohol and dutty dancing. I do not remember Maria Bello. And does she seem to be a big shot if her repertoire consists of this bare? Is she something bigger than you're making her seem?

Twilight is for teenagers and vampire enthusiasts. If you're non of the above you'll just be tepid about it.

Twilight is for teenagers and vampire enthusiasts. If you're non of the above you'll just be tepid about it.

Where's Spike? I think G.I.Joe should take the award. Megan Fox didn't try hard enough to spoil Transformers.

Insert reviews

I absolutely feel you JeSoul. I've been re-reading The Sign Of The Four. I think my moment of weakness has passed and I'm not sure I wanna see the movie anymore.

Apparently there're missing posts here. Spike, do your mod thing and free Chris' nice post. Among others I think

Who is Chris? Is he some kinda celeb?

Oh. intimacy? Who says it has to be horizontal? Nowadays people do it without gravity or while skydiving. The Bello name. Is it by any chance a naija name?

You first JK. I've been on the sidelines lately. I've not been watching new films.

What is intimacy supposed to be? Can't follow jare. I'm having a slow day.

Post #1000

thought I'd set a record for longest interval between posts!

I wasn't refering to the usual Monique. I don't know who led me to believe that the 'big' girl in Precious is called Monique. I'll check for her real name.

The posts are copied and pasted. They're not new, only a tad updated. I couldn't bring myself to write more stuff. FYI I'll soon leave nairaland for good. Seriously.

Mel Gibson: Arguably the best director when it comes to epic films. He rarely relys on effects. Like John Woo, his 'effects' are mechanical and rarely ever does it get digital. Just like the Coen bros he has such width. Probably more. He's spectacular as an actor and that just goes to show his hands-on approach to things. If he'd had the slightest aztec origin, he might've featured well in Apocalypto, but I guess he's not that into himself. Or is he? He's one of those directors who made such a seamless transition. He's probably the best looking director I know. Doesn't look like he has more than average intelligence with his hillbilly/outback behaviour. Australia strangely have produced some of the best actors I know. Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe to name a few. One thing that his films do is that don't at first appear to be the sort of thing that would interest you. By some flaw of nature, you find yourself watching a film of his simply get carried/blown away. Among his most notable films are: Braveheart, The Patriot, Apocalypto. This new one he's on, well, we'll see.

The Coen Brothers: I gotta tell you, if they had made only either one of There will be blood/No Country for Old men or O' Brother Where Art Thou, they won't be on this list. But I just can't figure out how they can have such width. I'm flabbergasted. Most directors have a comfort zone or a comfort theme. Me, I'm confused with these guys. Most don't like There Will Be Blood but I think I'm proud that I could finish it. It was indeed boring. But in a nice comfortable way. I'd see it again. And they're guys you know will deliver more goods.

Ang Lee: If you're in a film academy and Sense and Sensibility happens to be under review and you were told that this film was made by a Taiwanese dreamer, what would be your reaction? I thought so. Me too. So what does my guy do afterwards? He goes on to make Brokeback Mountain. He's telling a story about people who if he ventures into their pub would probably give him a black eye at the very least. Ang Lee is the American Dream come true and it's not like he isn't worth his mettle. He earned it, as Max will undoubtedly point out. He has a way of telling his stories that makes you feel you're watching people acting out their normal lives and really aren't acting at all. He gets the best out of his characters and you wonder if this were live footage. He appreciates subtlety which I'm very big on. All in all, he's a masterful storyteller. A bit too adventurous to be taking on Hulk but I guess the oriental has bills to pay.

Christopher Nolan: If I had to put in a director of our age of computers and special effects, it would have to be this guy. I like him cuz he makes you forget the effects when he uses them. He makes you pay attention. He makes his characters unforgettable. There's usually no good or bad guy is his movies. Just people with different philosophies. He had his break with Batman Begins and he transformed that unworkable gothic thing that even Tim Burton struggled and could only barely cope with if not for black humour. He made Batman worth it and way ahead of the Superman nonsense. TDK is a film I'll be proud to tell my kids was made in my generation. A complete article. It had everything but the kitchen sink. Batman wasn't even the character that made the film for me. It was the Joker and the two-face guy. See dialogue! I have the script of this film, O' Brother, Where Art Thou and V for Vendetta. That's something. Other films are: The Prestige and Memento.

Stanley Kubrick: A master of the epic. He's the one that comes close to Spielberg when it comes to awing me. Such films as 2001: A Space Odyssey makes you wonder what it would have felt like to have this when it came out. I presume A Clockwork Orange still has the same effect anytime. I like this guy also cuz he's not overly lauded or maybe his time has passed. He looks like the great wizard that he is too. His other notable films: Spartacus, Lolita, Dr. Strange Love, The Shining and Eyes Wide Shut. Unfortunately people don't readily think Kubrick when they remember The Shining.
Nor A.I. but that can be excused.

Frank Capra: What's oldies without his mention? I cannot explain the feeling when you watch the films he makes. You forget about such grim things like death, disease and famine. You get lost in a world where everything else is alright. All that worries us are the little things. I'm a fan of the bygone era. I'm a fan of Capra. It's A Wonderful Life was just wonderful. Mr Smith Goes To Washington got a tear (plenty actually) out of me. And a lot more are his achievements. Three Oscars in four years! No be beans! Even in those days.

James Cameron: I'm kinda surprised this guy is not labelled a recluse or something. I don't know how he does it. He just manages to steer clear of attention. Abi na me no dey get the buzz? Anyways, Terminator is probably the first attempt at showcasing artificial life in the form of cyborgs. There was no respite for the characters in the film and it's the first I can remember of the whole time travel thingie being central to a storyline. It's not far from The matrix or the 4400 series. Great achievement, right? Then came Titanic. I thought, ok, highest budget for a film, Titanic, highest budget before Titanic, Terminator. Both Cameron. If Eastwood has got the midas touch, this guy can sweet talk Shylock out of his pound of flesh. He doesn't go around shooting and hitting and missing but we'll see what he'll make of Avatar.

Update: Now we've all seen what he did with Avatar. Blow our minds to smithereens. Plus he broke the record that he twice set to make the most expensive film. He's perfectly set to make the highest grossing film ever if you ask me.

Clint Eastwood: If I were Clint, the favorite part of my house will be wherever he puts his awards. This guy is probably the only Jack of all trades, master of all. What a guy! And to think he's making strides when his mates are tending sheep in the country. The guy no gree retire. Im just dey chop all the choppables. Many people at the Oscars wear fake smiles when he wins something. They'll be like "darn geezer won't just die". I think he reads minds so he upped and went and made Gran Torino. Haha! Take that kids, Gramps ain't going nowhere yet. Who gets nominated for best director and best actor in the same film? Eastwood and Warren Beatty. Who does this twice? Eastwood! The guy's got the midas touch. Finito. Ok. enough and onto real analysis. His stuff is gritty. His stuff is bold. His stuff is no nonsense you-mess-up-and-am-a-hit-you-in-the-face. Who wants to mess with Blondie? No one. Who wants to mess with him in Million Dollar Baby or Gran Torino or in the  Dirty Harry installments? No one, that's who. It's not all about big lugers and hollow point bullets. Million Dollar Baby and Mystic River are easy examples. This guy is so awesome that I can't even do a sensible review of his staggering work.  I should have started with him. I'm losing steam. I've already mentioned some of his films. Others are: Unforgiven, Letters from Iwo Jima, I think Flags of our fathers too.

Quentin Tarantino: The coolest thing about this guy is that I just have the feeling he has this masterpiece locked away in his mind and he's planning on getting an oscar. Post-humously. He's the guy who thinks like me (if Scorsese can do it, why not me?) only he's way more successful and formiddable. I still wear better glasses than him though. His movies for me are very similar and sometimes very dissimilar to Scorsese's in terms of the underlying codes of conduct among criminals. But why I'm so crazy about him is because he spreads his scenarios around different climates. For such a meek looking fella, he has an uncanny understanding of the violent nature of man and probably an uncannier ability to tell of this nature. You watch his movies and you feel like you're part of the story. No character is predictable or less unique or significant. Someone just has to fill the shoes of lead actor. His movies: Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, vols. I and II, Inglorious Basterds, Jackie Brown and Reservoir Dogs.

Peter Jackson: This guy quite literally forced his way up there with one massive statement. He leaves you little room to squirm. Disregarding him is disregarding common sense. He's the selection by adoration. A voux populi affair. Frankly not much in the way of previous cinematic achievements but all it took him was his one shot and he did not miss his chance to blow, his opportunity of a lifetime (Lyrics by Eminem). Now I've already assigned him grand master. He's to prove he's not a fluke. And who can fluke a trilogy of that immensity, that allure, that oomph! Only older people now who the hell Tolkien was before Peter came forth. People attempt to read the books and give up. Hehe, Vesc is one. I just can't do it. I wish I did before the movie. The LOTR trilogy is the favorite of so many people and surely on the top five of the rest of humanity. The guy made King Kong (a dream project he says) and is up to make a second part of Tin Tin. I hope you didn't fail to see his involvement with District 9?

Francis Ford Coppola : Even though Marlon Brando is dead, I am happy you're alive dude. This guy doesn't do much apparently but I'm sure everyone will wanna say a big thank you to him for bringing us The Godfather trilogy and Apocalypse Now and I personally wanna thank him for Bram Stoker's Dracula and everybody will wanna say a big No, thanks for his being related to Nicholas Cage who despite changing his name still had it easy in Hollywood if you ask me. The guy makes you feel old and wise and important when you watch his films. It was all I could do to refrain from getting a pipe and scotch while watching The Godfather.

Martin Scorsese: This is the small dude that makes me believe "if he can do it, I can". Dumb Vesc. This is also the dude that makes life difficult for my guy Spielberg. Lucky that I love his bespectacled behind. This fella makes it veeeery easy for you to love him. His stuff is easy, straight to the point, no mumbo jumbo. What you see is what you get. If I ever have the chance to interview QT, I'll ask him if he secretly wants to be the new Scorsese. Scorsese brings to the screen the unspoken code of honour of the street guy. Street credibility. Honour among thieves. The Honorable but criminal thing to do. It's ok to steal, just don't hurt women while doing so. Never ever shoot a man in the back. If you wanna be a wiseguy, you better learn to keep your mouth shut. Etc Oh man, I wish Marlon Brando and Edward G. Robinson were both born 40 years later for Scorsese to turn into something. As if they already aren't something. My favorite films of his: The Aviator, The Departed, Gangs of New York, Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and Casino. I'm still hunting some older films down.

Stupid tooth fairies. They don't knock anymore.

Steven Spielberg: Sometimes I just wish this guy will just retire or something. Most of the most memorable films I've seen were made by him, and Kubrick. He's quite simply my favorite Jew. I'm not anti-semitic but there aren't many of these guys around ya know. After all he shoved delicious Schindler's List down our throats. Also, he's the main reason why I started to appreciate the input of directors in movies. Hitherto, when I was a kid, I thought the actors deserved ALL the credit for they chose to act using their own discretion. E. T. made me wonder how kids could get so witty with 'Uranus'. Enter Stevie and I forever more fell in love. His films resonate with the youth and the youthful, I daresay and makes fans of them so that when you get older you still have a giant soft spot for his stuff. He knows how to awe his audience (those who are patient enough) and this is something I find lacking in many films. The awe-factor. I could go on and on about this guy. A repertoire is in order in case y'all have forgotten: Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Schindler's List, E. T., Minority Report, Catch Me If You Can, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, All other Indie Jones movies, Jurassic Park, Munich, A.I. and Saving Private Ryan. I haven't seen some other of his films but dude, c'mon, what more can you ask for? Ermm, disregard that he made 1941 and Hook. Hehe (nervous laugh)

Ok. I have some free time. This is another way of saying I cannot sleep. So I'll update and modify my directors' list. It was formerly a list of a dozen. Mel makes epics and iice loves epics and thus loves Mel (and so do I) so I'll stretch the list to twenty or fifteen depending on the tooth fairies. Here goes nothing!