Nate’s 2010 Oscar Predictions and Picks

Edit: 14 right, 9 wrong.  That’s 60%, could have been worse.

These are my Oscar predictions, and picks (who I think should win).

I have to admit, there are a few categories where I haven’t seen any of the nominees, (like Best Supporting Actress) so I’ll refrain from making picks for those categories, but I’ll still be a sport and make a prediction.

So without further ado, I’ll start off with the big ones:

Best Actor:

Prediction: Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)

Pick: Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)

Best Supporting Actor:

Prediction: Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds).  If they don’t, they’re morons.

Pick: Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)

Best Actress:

Prediction: Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia)

Pick: Streep kind of overacted in my opinion, so I’m going with Sandra Bullock, because she basically carried The Blind Side.

Best Supporting Actress:

Prediction: Mo’Nique (Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire) – And the Oscar for Worst Movie Title of the Year goes to…!

Achievement in Directing:

Prediction: Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker).  Or they might give it to Cameron as a consolation prize for not giving him Best Picture.

Pick: I’m gonna go with Tarantino, because Inglourious Basterds was amazing.  Kathryn Bigelow can have runner up, because the directing was the best part about The Hurt Locker.

Best Picture:

Prediction: The Hurt Locker

Pick: Inglourious Basterds

Best Animated Feature Film:

Prediction: Up

Pick: Up

Achievement in Cinematography:

Prediction: Avatar

Pick: Inglourious Basterds… or maybe Avatar… or Inglourious Basterds…

Best Original Screenplay:

Prediction: Up

Pick: Up or Inglourious Basterds

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Prediction: Up in the Air

Pick: District 9

…And now for the stuff most people don’t care about:

Best Original Score:

Prediction: Up

Pick: Sherlock Holmes

Best Original Song:

Prediction: The Weary Kind (Crazy Heart)

Pick: The Weary Kind (Crazy Heart)

Achievement in Film Editing:

Prediction: Avatar

Pick: District 9

Achievement in Sound Editing:

Prediction: The Hurt Locker

Pick: Star Trek

Achievement in Sound Mixing:

Prediction: Star Trek or Avatar

Pick: Star Trek

Achievement in Visual Effects:

Prediction: Avatar

Pick: Probably Avatar.

…And now the stuff abso-friggin-lutely nobody cares about:

Achievement in Makeup:

Prediction: The Young Victoria

Pick: Star Trek I guess…

Achievement in Art Direction:

Prediction: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (although they do kind of have a thing for movies about British queens, so who knows.)

Pick: Probably The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Achievement in Costume Design:

Prediction: The Young Victoria

Pick: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Best Documentary Feature:

Prediction: Food, Inc

Best Documentary, Short:

Prediction: The Last Truck, Closing of a GM Plant

Best Foreign Language Film:

Prediction: I’m gonna go with El Secreto de Sus Ojos, because it’s from Argentina.

Best Animated Short:

Prediction: A Matter of Loaf and Death, duh, it’s Nick Park!

Best Live Action Short:

Prediction: I have no freakin’ clue, but Instead of Abracadabra has a nice ring to it.

We’ll see how I did tomorrow night.

Luke Eddy’s Top 25 Films of the Decade (It will be Epic)

Well, here it finally is: my ‘Top 25 Films of the Decade.’ Now, this list is inherently subjective. In the first place, I certainly haven’t seen every single film that’s come out in the last ten years, for the most part I’ve seen films that looked good to me, so my sampling pool for this list is already skewed. So really, this is my top 25 films, my favorites of the decade. Treat this list as my recommendations to you. Now obviously not all of these films are appropriate for everyone, but if a film on this list sounds interesting to you, then check it out. But before I start counting down films, I thought I’d briefly explain what I looked for in the films that I chose to include in this list. Here, summarized in four points, is what I looked for:

Stunning Visuals: I like films that surprise me with how good they look, whether that means the special and visual effects, like V for Vendetta, the cinematography, like in Mongol, or simply how the scenes are shot and edited, such as in Hot Fuzz.

Exceptional Acting: This should be a given, and I don’t mean above average acting, I mean exceptional acting.  I mean acting that really stands out, such as Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, or that connects you emotionally to the character, like Bruce Willis in Unbreakable, or that leaves you in stitches, just like George Clooney in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, or in the case of an antagonist, such as Christopher Lee in The Lord of the Rings, acting that gives you a villain that you love to hate.

Something Meaningful to Say: Not all films need to have a complicated message, sometimes the simplest messages are the best. But a film with an interesting premise, like Sunshine, or an inspiring story, like The Lord of the Rings, have a lot more going for them. Now, not all of the films on my list are particularly strong in this area, at both ends of the spectrum  in fact (X2 and Hot Fuzz namely), but they make up for it by being remarkable in one or more of the other areas.

Entertaining: A film has to be entertaining. Duh. But really, that’s the point of a movie. If I didn’t enjoy watching it, it’s not on this list. And conversely, if a film was lacking in a couple of the other areas, but was nonetheless extremely enjoyable, it can still find itself in my top 25. I wouldn’t call Death at a Funeral ‘visually stunning’ nor does it have anything particularly meaningful to say, but it was so much fun to watch that I couldn’t help but include it.

So, all that said, I hope you enjoy my ‘Top 25 Films of the Decade.’

Isaac’s “Top 25 Must See Movies of the Decade” (2000-2009)

In developing ‘My Top 25 Movies of the Decade’, I knew there was no way I could rank my movies from 1st to 25th.  Any attempt would be futile.  How do I pit my favorite comedy against my favorite Pixar? Kudos to my friends who were able to achieve this, but for me it wasn’t possible. I instead organized them by year of release. Not only does this relieve the pressure of ranking each one, but emphasizes the time and context of its release.  I also included a number of honorable mentions to round out what I could not cover with just 25 titles.  (Also, just because I enjoyed and recommended it does not mean that it is appropriate for all ages.)

I know that this list is completely subjective. It is not the ’25 best ever’, it is simply my favorites and recommendations. Chances are, there are a couple films here that you disliked or were greatly disappointed in. But know this, I chose each and every one for a reason. Perhaps my review will bring something to light, some theme or value you might have missed before. In the end, these are just my recommendations. My goal is to champion movies worth remembering, challenge you to see something new, and recommend some great movies you might have missed.

1. Memento (2000)

Before Batman Begins and The Prestige, Christopher Nolan got warmed up with Memento. A rather under-watched film, Memento is the mystery thriller of a man who can’t make new memories. Most writers would consider this premise to be captivating enough, but Nolan doesn’t stop there. Oh no, he puts all the scenes in reverse order. When each scene begins, you have no context for what is going on just as the main character has no memory of what has come before. Nolan effectively simulates memory loss for his entire audience. The intriguing plot and unique storytelling lands Memento solidly in my list for the top 25 movies of the decade.

Nate’s Top 25 Movies of the Decade (2000-2009)

These are my 25 favorite movies of the decade.  They may not be the ‘best’ films of the decade, as there are many artistically and/or technically exceptional movies that I just didn’t enjoy watching, (like Requiem for a Dream, or City of God) which, while they may indeed be some of the ‘best’ of the decade, they are not among my favorites.  That said, these are all excellent films in their own right.  Obviously, while these movies all come highly recommended, a word of warning, a few of them are very decidedly R-rated.

25. Sweet Home Alabama (2002):

Yes, it’s a chick flick.  But it’s a good chick flick.  It’s pretty original…for a chick flick.  For one thing, it’s not set in New York.  Also, “The Guy” isn’t some sexual Ghengis Khan who magically realizes the error of his philandering ways because he decides he wants the one girl he hasn’t managed to conquer.  Nor is “The Girl” some neurotic, uptight overachiever who meets a fun-loving but slovenly guy who she initially hates, but then they learn from each other and discover that opposites attract.  Is it predictable?  Yeah.  Is it fluff? Yes, but it’s extremely likable fluff that is lots of fun.  Lets face it, if you’re going to watch a chick flick, you might as well watch the best.