Top 50 Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Comic Book Movies of All Time: Part 6

25. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn – I am not particularly a Trekkie, and those of you out there who see how low this one is ranked might shutter in horror or rage in anger or disbelief, but I have never found it comparable to Star Wars. Yet despite that, it doesn’t mean that they weren’t fantastic movies, and more important, science-fiction commodities. According to my Trekkie friends, Wrath of Kahn is the best one to date, with Shatner and Nimoy leading the way. All I can say is that hopefully, the new Star Trek series’ second movie will be as good, considering the unexpected promise of the first one. If not, we’ll always have Wrath of Kahn.

24. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – Once again, I am going to give a little secret away, all three Lord of the Rings movies are on the list. While maybe not as whimsical as the first or as final as the third, The Two Towers got treated like a classic middle child, and I’m not quite sure why. I love the huge battle scene at Helm’s Deep, and thought there were some incredible special effects. More importantly, while most part 2’s of any series tend to be simply connectors; this could have stood on its own for its incredible movie magic.

23. Minority Report – This little Steven Spielberg gem seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle of his incredible collection, and I’m not sure why. Sure, Spielberg hasn’t done much since then, and Tom Cruise went koo koo, but Minority Report is one of the most underrated films of the last decade. Set in the future, Minority Report sometimes plays like an action movie, but with a Spielberg touch it is transformed from the normal drab into a high flying sci-fi adventure. While it only managed one measly Oscar nomination for Sound Editing, it deserved a whole lot more, simply for being really cool.

22. X2: X-Men United – This is a personal favorite, and might surprise some to be seen so high on the list, but there is good reason for it. Before Brett Ratner destroyed the franchise by forgetting about a thing called a script and settling for popcorn trash, Bryan Singer created one of the most entertaining, thought provoking, and psychologically stunning movies of all time, and one of the greatest comic book adaptations ever created. It balanced perfectly the geekiness of the cool powers and special effects, with the tense and psychological aspects of mutations, military power, and sorrow. Hopefully one day, there will be another X-Men offspring that recaptures this particular moment in the franchise.

21. Avatar – Simply put: the highest grossing film of all time. But money and 3-D glasses weren’t the only reasons that we loved Avatar this past year. We loved it because it changed movie making forever, we loved it because it transported us to another world unlike we had ever seen since the first Star Wars, and we loved it because, despite constant trashing of Jim Cameron’s writing abilities, it gave us a heartfelt story twisted with an environmentally-friendly message, and captured the hearts of millions of people all over the world. We’ll call that last sentence Faulknarian.

Top 50 Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Comic Book Movies of All Time: Part 5

30. Young Frankenstein – Once again, I have put a comedy movie on this list, but for good reason. While most people would put this on a horror list, the comedy actually transforms it from a horror movie, into simply one of the greatest fantasies of all time. Mel Brooks has a knack for combining these two genres, and has done it on multiple occasions. So just consider this movie as representative of Spaceballs and History of World as well. Only Brooks would have the gall to mock the greatest movies of all time, and more importantly only he can pull it off.

29. Star Trek (2009) – This recent sci-fi flick didn’t manage a Best Picture nomination, but what it did manage to do is re-launch what was thought to have been a dead movie franchise. Furthermore it launched what will hopefully be three successful young careers in Zoe Saldana, Zachary Quinto, and the Chris Pine. J.J. Abrams was able to combine the silliness and Trekkie aspects of the movie, and combine them with flawless special effects, high paced action sequences, and enough good humor that even if you’re not a Trekkie (Like myself), you can’t help but get swept up in this magnificent adventure.

28. Jurassic Park – For every boy who ever played with dinosaur toys as a child, this movie was their dream come true. Spielberg, like all good geeks, has given us a variety of incredible adventures based on his own love of subjects, and Jurassic Park was no exception. The magic and mystery of Jurassic Park made us all believe that we really could recreate dinosaurs, and the authentic of their look only made the screen even more vibrant. While its sequels never amounted to much, we will always be left with this enduring masterpiece.

27. The Little Mermaid – There is a new movie coming out called Waking Sleeping Beauty, and it discusses the rebirth of Disney in the mid eighties and into the nineties. The reason for this rebirth, can be placed on the back of this classic fantasy of a young mermaid who dreams of a life on land with her love, only to realize that maybe life under the sea isn’t so bad. With vivid colors, incredible music, classic Disney comedy, and a new, fresh imagination, this movie wasn’t just the rebirth of Disney, it was a fantasy classic, and incredible movie.

26. Planet of the Apes (1968) – Before there were sequels and horrible remakes (sorry Tim), this Charlton Heston classic, introduced us to the futuristic world where apes were in charge, and humans were subordinate. What must have seemed like a crazy idea at the time, is not fully cemented into our pop culture. Besides the great makeup jobs, and the creation of a cool world, Planet of the Apes was also a thrilling action adventure, ones that Heston was best suited for, and before Star Wars captivated the hearts of millions in the 70’s, sci-fi geeks had to settle for this…as if that was a bad thing.

Top 50 Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Comic Book Movies of All Time: Part 4

35. Finding Nemo– In 2003, Pixar created what, in my opinion at least, was the best movie of the year, and would have been a benefactor of ten nominees. The story of Marlin, a desperate father trying to find his son, with the help of a ditzy friend Dory (brilliantly done by Ellen DeGeneres), was sweet, exciting, and hilarious. Not to mention that Pixar cast this entire picture under the sea, in a brilliant colorful world of mystery, madness, and well, a lots of water. But despite its fishy setting, Finding Nemo is one of those great Pixar classics that makes you forget that what you are seeing is only imagination.

34. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – I had to include at least one Harry Potter on the list, for not only being one of the most successful movie series of all time, but for consistently wowing critics and audiences all over the world. My personal favorite was this quirky entry by Alfonso Cuaron, the third book in the series, which introduces us to the character of Sirius Black. Harry Potter, all of the movies, are not only fantastical tales of wizards, witches, storybook creatures, and of course, a little bit of magic. But they are stories of growing up, for those of us that grew up with Harry in real time, these next two movies are the end of a magical ride.

33. Return of the Jedi – Not to spoil the surprise, but all three of the original Star Wars movies makes this list, and it’s obvious why this one is the first. It was not as spellbinding as its predecessors, and may have a little too much fur from the Ewoks, but no one can deny the cultural significance of this final chapter in the greatest series of all time. Furthermore, the movie itself is a wild, entertaining ride that ties up loose ends, and once again transports us into George Lucas’ incredible world.

32. 12 Monkeys – This is only one of the Terry Gilliam movies on the list, and while many will find it surprising that it is so high up, I think that it is to its credit, being one of the most underrated sci-fi classics of all time. To put it simply, it is a “masterpiece of madness” (IMDB user). The story of a man who time travels in order to learn more about the disease that has destroyed mankind, Gilliam has created a world of dark gloom, and terrifying consequences. He also happened to create one that is devastatingly well made, a story that is taut and interesting, and, of course, it doesn’t hurt that he had a great cast led by Brad Pitt and Bruce Willis.

31. The Terminator – While its sequel is considered a modern masterpiece, The Terminator in itself is a classic. It is the story of a cyborg in the future sent to kill a woman named Sarah Conner, whose son is the only for the future of humanity. Like most James Cameron movies, the storyline doesn’t always succeed, and the acting, well c’mon it’s Arnold, but when it comes to Terminator, none of that matters. Like all Cameron movies, the point of it is to enjoy the immenseness of it all, the incredible visuals, the high-paced action, the marvels of a new and strange world, and of course, the thought that because of this movie, we got Judgment Day.

Top 50 Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Comic Book Movies of All Time: Part 3

40. Ghostbusters – Another Bill Murray classic in the works here, and this one is a doozey. Once again combing effortless, laugh out loud humor, and fantasy is not easy work, but Ivan Reitman (who recently received a long-overdue Oscar nod for producing Up in the Air with his son Jason), Bill, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis), manage to find an inherent balance between the two genres creating one of the most classic films of the 80’s, and one of the best comedies and fantasies of all time.

39. Pan’s Labyrinth – This 2006 masterpiece was grossly overlooked by many, and for all those that hated ten nominees, I can’t help but wonder if there had been ten in 2006, this brilliant gem (which won 3 Oscars) might have gotten the recognition it deserved. Set in Fascist Spain in 1944, it presents an alternate reality to the cruel world of one young girl, and brings us a dark, compelling, and gripping drama that as a war movie alone is brilliant, but with Guillermo del Toro’s imagination was completely transformed. I think it is safe to say that The Hobbit is in good hands.

38. Toy Story/Toy Story 2 – I put these two together for one simple reason: I couldn’t decide which one was better. For those of us college kids that grew up on Pixar, Toy Story is what started it all, and this summer, 15 years after the first hit theatres, our childhood gets to take a full circles. The story of Buzz, Woody, and the gang may seem like a stretch, but by transporting to us this world, Pixar gave us a reason to become kids again, and we can’t thank them enough.

37. The Matrix – In 1999, this sci-fi world of the future blew our minds, kind of a like Avatar ten years later. This new world created by the brilliant minds of the Wachowski brothers, takes us to new world that commented on the growing computer age as the new millennium was about to dawn. While its sequels didn’t amount to much of anything, this first installment has become a modern day science fiction classic, and actually made me kinda like Keanu Reeves, which is saying a lot.

36. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – This quirky little comedy from Charlie Kaufman and Michael Gondry was weird, fantastical, and extremely well acted. The story consists of a man who undergoes a process to erase bad memories of a sour relationship. Kate Winslet was a revelation and Jim Carrey stretched his normal persona and gave us a performance not seen from him. Once again this is a movie that melds comedy and fantasy together in a quirky and interesting fashion that we will not soon forget.

Review: The Bounty Hunter

Milo and Nicole are divorced and bitter. Their marriage never worked out because Milo was an immature, gambling addict, and Nicole was a career obsessed woman who never really gave in a chance. In The Bounty Hunter, Milo (Gerard Butler) and Nicole (Jennifer Aniston), find themselves in a twist of fate, and reunited, maybe for good. When Nicole skips bail to find out information for a story, Milo, who has been fired from the police force and is now working as an alcoholic bounty hunter, is sent out to find her and bring her to jail. A cat and mouse game ensues, as Nicole constantly tries to escape and Milo is constantly chasing her. In the middle of their own drama, those trying to cover up the murder Nicole is investigating, and loan sharks trying to get gambling debts repaid by Milo are looking for them, only causing them more chaos. In the process, Milo and Nicole may have found something in each other they missed the first time around.

If the story line sounds jam-packed and convoluted, and a lacking attempt at mixing action and comedy and romance, you would be right. There are some funny gags, but mostly the screenplay plays too much of the action, and misses golden opportunities for laughs. More importantly, the story is trite, overused, and kinda boring.

As for its stars its a 50/50 for me. I have never been a huge Gerard Butler fan, but he needs to stay far away from movies where he has an American accent, and movies where he has to be romantic, because he does neither well. As for Aniston, I may be in the minority, but I actually thought she did very well considering what she was given. I think she is one of those actresses that has a lot of talent but hasn't found her vehicle yet, although I do have high hopes for her new movie with Jason Bateman called The Switch.

Overall, off all the bad romantic comedies out there, The Bounty Hunter certaintly isn't the worst, and at moments, its star lady shines, and it redeems itself when it had no right to. To be honest if you go into the movie theater looking for a couple hours of mindless fun, then this is your movie, just don't expect too much.

Grade: C

Top 50 Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Comic Book Movies Of All Time: Part 2

45. Sin City – Some people weren’t huge fans of Sin City, but for me it was comic-book/graphic novel heaven. For starters, just look at the cast: Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis, Benicio del Toro, Clive Owen, Alexis Bledel, Jessica Alba, Michael Clarke Duncan, Rosario Dawson, Jamie King, just to name a few. Once you get past the glare of the star power, you see that this movie perfectly captured the style, sensation, and color of a graphic novel, while maintaining its original essence, and giving it a little movie magic. And unlike Watchmen, it was actually watchable.

44. District 9 – This recent cult hit managed a well-deserved Best Picture nod, and although many critics out there are complaining about ten nominees, I’m happy to see this movie get in the mix. Shot in a documentary style with most unknown actors, District 9 will go down as a modern sci-fi masterpiece. For me, despite the unbelievable storyline, I was there the entire movie submersed in this fantasy world. Plus it wouldn’t be a sci-fi movie without a less-than-subtle political undercurrent.

43. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? – I know what you’re thinking, fantasy movie? While it was more comical than anything, you had to believe in the fantasy of Robert Zemeckis’ half-animated world. While others tried this format (Does anyone else remember the Space Jam debacle), Zemeckis successfully combined animation, live action, comedy, and a little bit of heart to create one of the most original and quirky fantasy films to date.

42. Nightmare Before Christmas – Before Tim Burton tackled Sweeney Todd and Alice in Wonderland, he was forever known as the producer and writer of this dark fantasy classic. Only Burton could take something as warm and fuzzy as Christmas and give it a dark twist, but what could have been childish or a disaster, instead became one of the cult-classics of all time, with its dark wit, and hilarious schemes.

41. Groundhog Day – So I guess you can tell, I am a sucker for comedies. So even in my all time fantasy/sci-fi list, I have managed to slip in five comedies, and we are only on 41! But anyone who has seen Bill Murray’s classic Groundhog Day knows it deserves a nod on any list it can possibly be. As a weatherman who has to live a bad day over and over again, Bill Murray has never been better. And if you take the time to sit back and enjoy you will capture not only the humor, but the fantasticalness of it all.

Top 50 Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Comic Book Movies of All Time: Part 1

50. Death Becomes Her – While this may not be most people’s favorite, this dark comedy/death fantasy was absolutely hilarious. Not only was it funny, at the time it was a visually cool. Between Meryl’s head being swung all the way around, and the huge hole in Goldie, I’m sure people at the time were marveled. Plus, when Meryl lays the line “There are the moments that make life worth living” after blowing that huge hole into Goldie, you couldn’t help but love it.

49. Pleasantville – Once again, not exactly a full fantasy movie, but it definitely fits the genre, and adds in humor, depth, and a social backdrop. The real difference is the great script by Gary Ross, and more importantly, stacked with some of the best actors in the biz including William H. Macy, Joan Allen, Don Knotts, Reese Witherspoon, Tobey Maguire, and the incredible Jeff Daniels. The reason that Pleasantville will go down as one of the great fantasies is that it transformed us and put us in a lost world, a world that needed a little bit of modernity and change, and it did it with lots of laughs.

48. The Abyss – To be honest, of all the Jim Cameron films this is not my favorite, but it certainly deserves a slot on this list. If not for the movie itself, at least for fantasy of filming it almost entirely underwater. Ok, so let’s be honest, The Abyss is an incredible sci-fi film, and was one of the highlights of a long and successful career for Cameron. Aliens, underwater, and Ed Harris, now that is a movie.

47. Children of Men – This post-apocalyptic thriller that came out in the best year for movies in the last 8 or so, 2006, would have been in the top ten spots had there been ten nominees. This dark fantasy world not only boasted great performances, but it gave us all a message to take home. Really Children of Men is just one of the many fantasy movies that teleports us to a made-up world, yet gives us lessons on our lives that can be taken back with us to reality. Not to mention that the story of the one pregnant woman who must be transported to save mankind in the year 2027 is totally awesome.

46. Dark City– This underground hit staring Rufus Sewell, William Hurt, Jennifer Connelly, and Kiefer Sutherland, reminds us of the brilliance and intensity that science fiction movies can bring to the screen. This film of a world where there is no sun, and where The Strangers must be stopped from destroying the world, and the hero is man that is struggling with his memory. If it sounds frantic, dark, and incredibly interesting, you are right, and 20 years from now, we are going to regret not giving this film the respected it so deserved.

How to Fix the Oscar Ceremony

Ok, I think we can all agree there were some huge mistakes this year in terms of the acutal ceremony (The winners were acutally pretty good all around). Here are some ideas for next year to make the ceremony itself and much more enjoyable experience:

1) In Memoriam - If you are going to do a huge section for those that have died, you might want to double check to make sure you got everybody. Even though Farrah Fawcett and Bea Arthur were more TV stars, they definitely deserved a spot if MJ, a musician, got one.

2) Tributes to Oscar winners/nominees only - I like John Hughes, but if they had time for a 15 min. tribute to him, why didn't they have time for Lauren Bacall, or the other more talented and more prestigious Honorary Oscar recepients, but time for a guy who was never even close to an Oscar, let alone a nomination?

3) Get rid of teen presenters - I'm was okay with all of the presenters, except for the smathering of teen stars like Zac Efron, Miley Cyrus, and Taylor Lautner. Neither of them have even gotten close to an Oscar nomination (and considering the projects they have chosen, won't for many years). These are the Academy Awards, not the Teen Choice Awards or MTV Movie Awards.

4) Go back to performing the songs - If your going to have street dancers dance out of step to the original scores, then the songs should be performed, plus I would have loved to have heard Marion Cotillard, Ryan Bingham or Jeff Bridges or Colin Farrell (or all three), and Anika Noni Rose live.

5) If you are going to have comedians host, they need to do more than just stand there and insult the nominees. I like Martin and Baldwin, and some of their jokes were hilarious, but overall it was kinda plain.

6) Get rid of friends, and go back to previous winners - I loved the idea last year of having 5 previous winners, but this year they went to friends of the nominees, and to be honest it was a waste of my time. Furthermore the supporting categories got backburnered in the process which is not cool.

7) Shorter - Get rid of the fluff and present awards, it is still WAY too long.

Lessons From the Oscars

Here is a great article from Steve Pond at The Wrap regarding the lessons learned from this year's Oscar season. I think it is a great article and is worth the read:

http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/critics-matter-and-other-oscar-lessons-15145?page=1

My First Post-Oscar Project

I have compiled a list of the 50 Greatest Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Comic-Book Movies of all time. I know that's a strange hodgepodge of categories, but I think I have done it! With midterms, papers, and etc. I am not sure when all of this will come together, but in the next couple of weeks expect a comprehensive list/analysis. I am also working on Top 100 Movies of the last 25 years (1984-2009), and potentially the 100 greatest comedy movies of all time, but everything is tenative. For now, I'm enjoying taking a break from constant Oscar coverage.

Year in Advance Oscar Predictions

All of this is mere specualtion but heres a look ahead:

Best Picture

Black Swan
The Fighter
Get Low
Hereafter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
The Tree of Life
True Grit

Best Director

Darren Aronofsky "Black Swan"
Joel and Ethan Coen "True Grit"
Clint Eastwood "Hereafter"
David Fincher "The Social Network"
Christopher Nolan "Inception"

Best Actor

Johnny Depp "The Rum Diary"
Robert Duvall "Get Low"
James Franco "Howl"
Ryan Gosling "Blue Valentine"
Mark Wahlberg "The Fighter"

Best Actress

Annette Benning "The Kids Are All Right" or "Mother and Child"
Julianne Moore "The Kids Are All Right"
Natalie Portman "Black Swan"
Julia Roberts "Eat, Pray, Love"
Michelle Williams "Blue Valentine"

Best Supporting Actor

Samuel L. Jackson "Mother and Child"
Bill Murray "Get Low"
Sean Penn "The Tree of Life"
Mark Ruffalo "The Kids Are All Right"
Donald Sutherland "The Eagle of the Ninth"

Best Supporting Actress

Emily Blunt "The Adjustment Bureau"
Cate Blanchett "Robin Hood"
Marion Cotillard "Inception"
Mary-Louise Parker "Howl"
Naomi Watts "Mother and Child"

Best Animated Feature

Despicable Me
Toy Story 2
Shrek Forever After

2010

Here is a potentional list of new items coming for The Awards Psychic

1) In depth Emmy coverage this summer/fall.
2) Top 100 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Movies of All Time
3) Top 100 Comedy Movies
4) Top 100 Movies of the Last 25 Years (1984-2009)
5) Top 50 Screenwriters of All Time
6) Coverage of Tony Awards

Just some ideas, plus more Reviews and Awards coverage for all major ceremonies. Will take a few days off, then be back!

State of the Race: Final Edition

Reaction to Winners and Ceremony
Well, after 4 very long hours, the Academy Awards finally ended with a huge victory for The Hurt Locker. Winning 6 awards, it defied the odds and showed millions of viewers that the independent movie is still alive, although those same viewers might skip out on the ceremony next year. The little movie that could beat the largest grossing motion picture of all time, and it was no easy feat.

The acting awards went off without a hitch, and we got some great acceptance speeches, especially Sandy Bullock's incredibly humble and emotional win for The Blind Side. There were some surprises however. The biggest was the win for Geoffrey Fletcher for Precious' screenplay, which meant Up in the Air went home empty handed. I was thrilled for Fletcher, and he was genuinely emotional, but Up in the Air was the best movie of the year, and it is a shame it took home zero awards. There were some technical flip flops, like Avatar taking Cinematography, and The Hurt Locker taking both Sound awards, but overall most of the winners were predicted to do so.

The ceremony itself was extremely long, and to be honest they gave great tributes to Horror movies, and even the late, great John Hughes, but couldn't find time to give their honorary winners even 5 minutes? Alec and Steve were funny, but not particuarly original or a stand-out. Comedians have proven to be okay hosts, but not as good as those who incorporate music and such into their monologue ala Billy Crystal, although the NPH opening was great, and made me wonder why he wasn't hosting. There were some awkward moments, and they also kinda shafted the supporting categories, by simply showing clips, not having their friends present like they did for the lead actors. Furthermore, they performed all the scores, but the original songs were left out, would have love to have heard Ryan Bingham, Marion Cotillard, and Anika Noni Rose perform live, but whatever. The ceremony would get a B- from me, as there were weird moments, strange cuts, and to be honest Steve and Alec took a back seat after the first 20 minutes, and we needed some hosting and direction.

How I did with my predictions:
Overall, for my first Oscar ceremony as a blogger, I think I did okay, and I know that some of the surprises threw off many others' pools. I got 17/24 right, and learned a few things about myself. I cannot predict the Sound awards, I went back and forth on who I was going to choose and went with Avatar for both. I had initially thought about splitting the winners which would have at least given me 18. I also missed the Geoffrey Fletcher win, as did most people. I also learned that I need to catch up on my shorts, because I missed all three in those categories. I was happy with my El Secreto De Sus Ojos prediction, and that I stuck with Star Trek for Makeup. Hopefully next year will be better.

The Impact:
So what does all of this mean for the future of the Academy Awards. To those in the industry, tonight was a night to validate independent movies, honor old friends, and continue its recent streak of picking box office pariahs. While the rating this year will probably be better than last years, The Hurt Locker winning will only confirm what many thought about Hollywood anyway. That it is behind the times, honoring old-fashioned camerawork instead of the stunning new technologies of Avatar and others like it, and that it is out of touch with mainstream America, only nominating the big films to appease dumbasses like ourselves. Now I personally am thrilled for Kathryn Bigelow and The Hurt Locker team. However, the Academy took great strides to include bigger films, and then rewarded one of the lowest grossing Best Picture winners of all time. Will this make them go back to five? Maybe eventually, but for now, I think they will stick with the experiment and see how it pans out for the next couple of years. To be honest, I think the Academy still needs to do something to encourage more recognition, or simply better recognition, but for now all I can say is congratulations to all the winners.

Thank you for all who stuck by through thick and thin of this long and laborious season. Later today I will post about the future of The Awards Psychic and what to expect in its second year. For now, thanks to all those, all 4 of you, who have read this blog, and I hope to continue to provide in depth awards coverage for many years to come. Thanks!

Academy Award Winners

I will be blogging live the winners...Well folks that is a full lid. I'll do a post game analysis. It's been real this season....Goodnight!

Best Supporting Actor - Christoph Waltz "Inglourious Basterds"
Best Animated Feature - Up
Best Original Song - "The Weary Kind" from Crazy Heart
Best Original Screenplay - Mark Boal "The Hurt Locker"
Best Animated Short - Logorama
Best Documentary Short - Music By Prudence
Best Live Action Short - The New Tenants
Best Makeup - Star Trek
Best Adapted Screenplay - Geoffrey Fletcher "Precious"!!!!!
Best Supporting Actress - Mo'Nique "Precious"!!!
Best Art Direction - Avatar
Best Costume Design - The Young Victoria
Best Sound Editing - The Hurt Locker
Best Sound Mixing - The Hurt Locker
Best Cinematography - Avatar!!!!!!!! (Sorry but THL Sound sweep ticked me off!)
Best Original Score - Michael Giacchino "Up"!!
Best Visual Effects - Avatar
Best Documentary Feature - The Cove
Best Film Editing - The Hurt Locker
Best Foreign Language - El Secreto de Sus Ojos (Happy I got this one right!)
Best Actor - Jeff Bridges "Crazy Heart"
Best Actress - Sandra Bullock "The Blind Side"
Best Director - Kathryn Bigelow "The Hurt Locker"
Best Picture - The Hurt Locker!

One Final Look...

As a reminder below, there are my picks for tonights awards. Tonight I will post live (if possible), and tomorrow I will have a huge post-game analysis. In the next week I will talk about what's next for The Awards Psychic in the coming months. Enjoy the show tonight. It is finally here...

Best Picture – Avatar
Best Director – Kathryn Bigelow “The Hurt Locker”
Best Actor – Jeff Bridges “Crazy Heart”
Best Actress – Sandra Bullock “The Blind Side”
Best Supporting Actor – Christoph Waltz “Inglourious Basterds”
Best Supporting Actress – Mo’Nique “Precious”
Best Original Screenplay – Mark Boal “The Hurt Locker”
Best Adapted Screenplay – Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner “Up in the Air”
Best Animated Feature – Up
Best Documentary Feature – The Cove
Best Foreign Language - El Secreto de Los Ojos (Argentina)
Best Art Direction - Avatar
Best Cinematography – Avatar or The Hurt Locker (leaning towards Avatar)
Best Costume Design – The Young Victoria
Best Film Editing – The Hurt Locker
Best Makeup – Star Trek
Best Original Score – Michael Giacchino “Up”
Best Original Song – “The Weary Kind” from Crazy Heart
Best Sound Editing – Avatar
Best Sound Mixing – Avatar
Best Visual Effects - Avatar
Best Documentary Short – The Last Truck
Best Animated Short – A Matter of Loaf and Death
Best Live Action Short – Miracle Fish

Final Academy Award Predictions

Best Picture

Will Win: Avatar
Should Win: Up in the Air
Could Win: The Hurt Locker and Inglourious Basterds
Commentary: I guess three sci-fi movies in one year was too much, but on to the race. I have been back and forth and narrowly I am going with Avatar. It is the movie that will change movie history, has changed movie history. To be honest though, my gut is going with The Hurt Locker, but I am going to stick to my guns. Also watch out for the Basterds, they are lurking…

Best Director

Will Win/Should Win: Kathryn Bigelow “The Hurt Locker”
Could Win: James Cameron “Avatar”
Commentary: Ironically, the top two picks this year were not actors movies, or writer’s movies, but directorial feats, pet projects that came to fruition because of the masterminds behind them. Both Bigelow and Cameron deserve this award, but Bigelow deserves just a little bit more. No matter what happens with Picture, I think this one is in the bag.

Best Actor

Will Win/Should Win: Jeff Bridges “Crazy Heart
Could Win: Jeremy Renner “The Hurt Locker
Commentary: If there is any justice in the world, The Dude will take home that elusive Oscar. Not only is his career worthy of a win, but he happened to give the best lead performance by any male actor this year. Period.

Best Actress

Will Win: Sandra Bullock “The Blind Side”
Should Win: Gabourey Sidibe “Precious”
Could Win: Meryl Streep “Julie & Julia”
Commentary: Gabby gave the most astonishing performance I had seen any many years, but is being overshadowed by her elder stateswomen. This battle is Streep v. Bullock, and with the unexpected support for The Blind Side, and the SAG win, I think she will finally get some recognition for 20 years of service to Hollywood.

Best Supporting Actor

Will Win: Christoph Waltz “Inglourious Basterds”
Should Win: Christoph Waltz or Christopher Plummer “The Last Station”
Could Win: Woody Harrelson “The Messenger”
Commentary: Christopher Plummer finally got a long-awaited and long overdue Oscar nomination, but this is Christoph Waltz’s year, and he is going for gold.

Best Supporting Actress
Will Win/Should Win: Mo’Nique “Precious”
Could Win: no one
Commentary: Duh

Best Original Screenplay

Will Win: Mark Boal “The Hurt Locker”
Should Win: Quentin Tarantino “Inglourious Basterds or the team from Up
Could Win: One of the three above
Commentary: Up and Inglourious Basterds were original, funny, and deserving. The Hurt Locker didn’t have the best script by any means, but I think it will win here. But if Quentin wins I’ll be jumping for joy.

Best Adapted Screenplay

Will Win/Should Win: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner “Up in the Air”
Could Win: Geoffrey Fletcher “Precious”
Commentary: Up in the Air deserves something, and this is the place for it. It was the wittiest and timeliest of all the BP nominations, and I hope it at least walks away with one piece of hardware.

Best Animated Feature

Will Win/Should Win: Up
Could Win: The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Commentary: Up was Pixar at its best, and being a BP nominee kinda seals this one in the bag.

Best Documentary Feature

Will Win: The Cove
Should Win: Food Inc.
Commentary: The Cove has won all the major precursors, and I think this one has it is bag.

Best Art Direction

Should Win: Nine
Will Win: Avatar
Commentary: Because if it wins Best Picture, it needs at least 3 other awards. OK that’s not a rule, but I’m going with it at this point.

Best Cinematography

Should Win: Inglourious Basterds
Will Win: Avatar or The Hurt Locker
Could Win: The White Ribbon
Commentary: I have no idea who is going to win this, hell even one of the other 3 nominees could win. So I am taking the liberty as a blogger and giving it to two movies, so I’m guessing one of the other three will win.

Best Costume Design

Should Win: Bright Star
Will Win: The Young Victoria
Could Win: Nine
Commentary: The flashiest of the period pieces usually wins, so I’m going with Vicky.

Best Film Editing

Should Win: Avatar
Will Win: The Hurt Locker
Could Win: Avatar, Inglourious Basterds
Commentary: I’m putting this in the winners column for The Hurt Locker. A month ago, I thought this one would be the Best Picture decider. Now I think HL will win, and it doesn’t mean much when it comes to the big prize.

Best Makeup

Will Win/Should Win: Star Trek
Could Win: The Young Victoria
Commentary: The Young Victoria won the BAFTA, so I’m hesitant to go with Trek, but I think they will reward Star Trek as the best of the three movies, kinda like a consolation prize.

Best Original Score

Should Win/Will Win: Michael Giacchino “Up”
Could Win: James Horner “Avatar” or The Hurt Locker guys
Commentary: While The Hurt Locker or Avatar could take this in a sweep, the best score of the year was Up, and it deserves and hopefully will win this one.

Best Original Song

Should Win/Will Win: The Weary Kind from Crazy Heart
Could Win: Take It All from Nine
Commentary: No reason, just will.

Best Sound Mixing

Will Win: Avatar
Should Win: Avatar
Could Win: The Hurt Locker
Commentary: This one is kinda up for grabs. It’s either between Avatar and The Hurt Locker. I’m going with Avatar because it deserves it…period.

Best Sound Editing

Should Win/Will Win: Avatar
Could Win: The Hurt Locker
Commentary: Unlike like its predecessor, I think Avatar actually has this one wrapped up.

Best Visual Effects

Should Win/Will Win: Avatar
Commentary: Duh.

Best Documentary Short – The Last Truck
Best Animated Short – A Matter of Loaf and Death
Best Live Action Short – Miracle Fish

Independent Spirit Award Winners

Big Night for Precious...winners below...Oscar predicts coming today!

BEST FEATURE: Precious
BEST DIRECTOR: Lee Daniels for Precious
BEST FEMALE LEAD: Gabby Sidibe for Precious
BEST MALE LEAD: Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE: Mo’Nique for Precious
BEST SUPPORTING MALE: Woody Harrelson for The Messenger
BEST FIRST FEATURE: Crazy Heart
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD: Humpday
BEST SCREENPLAY: Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber for 500 Days of Summer
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY: Geoffrey Fletcher for Precious
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Roger Deakins for A Serious Man
BEST DOCUMENTARY: Anvil!
BEST FOREIGN FILM: An Education
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD: Directors and Cast of A Serious Man
PRODUCERS AWARD: Karen Chien (The Exploding Girl, Santa Mesa)
SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD: Kyle Patrick Alvarez for Easier With Practice
TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD: Bill Ross, Turner Ross for 45365

If I Ran the Oscars...

Here are my personal picks if I were an Oscar voter. Later on this week I will post who I think will really win, but for now enjoy.

Best Picture

1. Avatar
2. Up in the Air
3. Up
4. Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH By Sapphire
5. Inglorious Basterds
6. An Education
7. The Hurt Locker
8. District 9
9. The Blind Side
10. A Serious Man
Commentary: Avatar is the movie that will live on in movie history. It was enthralling, transforming, and ground breaking...period.

Best Director: James Cameron "Avatar"
Commentary: Ok, so Kathryn Bigelow deserves this hands down, but if I were voting, I would give Cameron the nod for bringing what many thought was impossible to the screen, and changing cinema forever.

Best Actor: Jeff Bridges "Crazy Heart"
Commentary: Simply the best performance of any lead male this year, and after 5 nominations its about damn time.

Best Actress: Gabourey Sidibe "Precious"
Commentary: She did what it takes most actors years to accomplish: fully inhabit a character so much you forget someone's actually acting, and she did it on her first try. A brilliant performance, an incredible young woman, and the story of the year.

Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer "The Last Station"
Commentary: This brilliant performance is only one of the many over the last six decades Christopher Plummer has brought us. He deserves a tip of the hat for his incredible career.

Best Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique "Precious"
Commentary: Duh.

I'll just list the rest:

Best Original Screenplay – Bob Petersen, Pete Docter, Tom McCarthy "Up"
Best Adapted Screenplay – Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner “Up in the Air”
Best Animated Feature – Up
Best Art Direction – Nine
Best Cinematography – Avatar
Best Costume Design – Bright Star
Best Film Editing – Avatar
Best Makeup – Star Trek
Best Original Score – Michael Giacchino “Up”
Best Original Song – “The Weary Kind” from “Crazy Heart”
Best Sound Mixing – Avatar
Best Sound Editing – Avatar
Best Visual Effects – Avatar
Best Foreign Language Film – Un Prophete from France
Best Documentary Feature – Food, Inc.

ACM 2010 Nominations

To take a break from working on my final Oscar predictions (which will be up Saturday), I saw that the nominees for the ACM awards had been announced. Here they are:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

Kenny Chesney
Toby Keith
Brad Paisley
George Strait
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Keith Urban
Zac Brown Band

TOP MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
Darius Rucker
George Strait
Keith Urban

TOP FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Miranda Lambert
Reba McEntire
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Lee Ann Womack

TOP VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Randy Rogers Band
Rascal Flatts
Zac Brown Band

TOP VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR

Brooks & Dunn
Joey + Rory
Montgomery Gentry
Steel Magnolia
Sugarland

TOP NEW SOLO VOCALIST OF THE YEAR *

Luke Bryan
Jamey Johnson
Chris Young

TOP NEW VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR *

Bomshel
Joey + Rory
Steel Magnolia

TOP NEW VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR *

Eli Young Band
Gloriana
The Lost Trailers

ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company(s)]

American Saturday Night - Brad Paisley (Arista Nashville)
Produced by: Chris DuBois, Frank Rogers
Lady Antebellum - Lady Antebellum (Capitol Records Nashville)
Produced by: Victoria Shaw, Paul Worley
Play On - Carrie Underwood (19/Arista Nashville)
Produced by: Mark Bright
"Quitter" Produced by Max Martin & Shellback for Maratone Productions and Mark Bright
Revolution - Miranda Lambert (Columbia Nashville)
Produced by: Frank Liddell, Mike Wrucke
The Foundation - Zac Brown Band (Southern Ground / Bigger Picture / Atlantic)
Produced by: Keith Stegall, Zac Brown

SINGLE RECORD OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company(s)]

Need You Now - Lady Antebellum (Capitol Records Nashville)
Produced by: Lady Antebellum, Paul Worley
People Are Crazy - Billy Currington (Mercury)
Produced by: Carson Chamberlain, Billy Currington
Red Light - David Nail (MCA Nashville)
Produced by: Frank Liddell, Mike Wrucke
Toes - Zac Brown Band (Southern Ground / Bigger Picture / Atlantic)
Produced by: Keith Stegall, Zac Brown
White Liar - Miranda Lambert (Columbia Nashville)
Produced by: Frank Liddell, Mike Wrucke

SONG OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Composer(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]

Cowboy Casanova - Carrie Underwood
Composers: Mike Elizondo, Brett James, Carrie Underwood
Publishers: Brett James Cornelius Music (ASCAP), Carrie Okie Music (BMI), Rincon Ave Music
(ASCAP), Stage Three Songs (ASCAP)
Need You Now - Lady Antebellum
Composers: Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott
Publishers: EMI Foray Music (BMI), Darth Buddha (ASCAP), Dwhaywood Music (BMI), Hillary Dawn Publishing (SESAC), Radiobullets Publishing (BMI), Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI), Year Of The Dog Music (ASCAP)
People Are Crazy - Billy Currington
Composers: Bobby Braddock, Troy Jones
Publishers: Crozier Music Enterprises LLC (BMI), Mighty Nice Music (BMI), Sony/ATV Tree Publishing (BMI), Tiltawhirl Music (BMI)
White Liar - Miranda Lambert
Composers: Natalie Hemby, Miranda Lambert
Publishers: Pink Dog Publishing (BMI), Sony/ATV Tree Publishing (BMI), Tiltawhirl Music (BMI)
You Belong With Me - Taylor Swift
Composers: Liz Rose, Taylor Swift
Publishers: Sony/ATV Tree Publishing (BMI), Taylor Swift Music (BMI)

VIDEO OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)] (Off Camera Award)

Boots On – Randy Houser
Producer: Eric Welch
Director: Eric Welch (Drake footage: Vickie Vaughn)
Need You Now – Lady Antebellum
Producer: Clarke Gallican
Director: David McClister
Welcome To The Future – Brad Paisley
Producers: Mark Kalbfeld, Jim Shea, Peter Tilden
Director: Jim Shea
White Liar – Miranda Lambert
Producer: Tameron Hedge
Director: Chris Hicky
You Belong With Me – Taylor Swift
Producer: Randy Brewer
Director: Roman White

VOCAL EVENT OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company] (Off Camera Award)

Hillbilly Bone - Blake Shelton featuring Trace Adkins (Reprise Records / Warner Music Nashville)
Producer: Scott Hendricks
Honky Tonk Stomp - Brooks & Dunn featuring Billy Gibbons (Arista Nashville)
Producer: Ronnie Dunn, Terry McBride
I Told You So - Carrie Underwood featuring Randy Travis (19/Arista Nashville)
Producer: Mark Bright
I’m Alive - Kenny Chesney with Dave Matthews (Blue Chair/BNA)
Produced by: Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney
Seeing Stars - Jack Ingram featuring Patty Griffin (Big Machine Records)
Produced by: Jack Ingram, Jeremy Stover

VES Winners

Basically, Avatar seals up its Visual Effects Oscar, as if there was any doubt.


Visual Effects in Effects-driven Motion Picture: Avatar
Supporting Visual Effects: Sherlock Holmes (Avatar not nommed in category)
Outstanding models and miniatures in a feature motion picture: Avatar
Outstanding matte paintings in a motion picture: Avatar
Single Effect: Neytiri – drinking water from a leaf
Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture: District 9
Outstanding Animation in an Animated Movie: Up
Effects Animation in an Animated Movie: The balloons in Up
Animated Character in Live Action Movie: Neytiri, Avatar
Animated Character in Animated Movie: Carl in Up
Outstanding Environment – Avatar wins for jungle/biolume (had 3 noms)