BEST PICTURE:
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

Despite opening up the nominations to 10 pictures this year, there are really only 5 films with any shot at going home with the Oscar (Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Precious, and Up in the Air) and 5 films that should be honored just to get the nod (The Blind Side, District 9, An Education, A Serious Man, and Up). While the 5 main contender are all certainly great films, the competition comes down to Avatar (which would be the highest-grossing film to win Best Picture) vs. The Hurt Locker (which would actually be the LOWEST-grossing film to win Best Picture).

MY PREDICTION: The Hurt Locker

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BEST DIRECTOR:
James Cameron – Avatar
Kathryn Bigelow – The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino – Inglourious Basterds
Lee Daniels – Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
Jason Reitman – Up in the Air

This category will be yet another showdown between Avatar and The Hurt Locker. Ironically, the two directors in contention, James Cameron and Kathyrn Bigelow, were actually once married. Kathyrn Bigelow is only the fourth female director to be nominated for an Oscar and could actually be the first to win. Cameron, on the other hand, previously took home the Oscar for Best Director back in 1997 for Titanic. As much I think Bigelow deserves to win this Oscar, I believe that if The Hurt Locker wins Best Picture…it is more likely that Cameron / Avatar will take this one.

MY PREDICTION: James Cameron - Avatar

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

All great actors / performances in this category. Sadly I still haven’t gotten around to seeing Crazy Heart, and Jeff Bridges happens to be the clear favorite to finally take home his first Oscar.

MY PREDICTION: Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart

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BEST ACTRESS:
Sandra Bullock – The Blind Side
Helen Mirren – The Last Station
Carey Mulligan – An Education
Gabourey Sidibe – Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
Meryl Streep – Julie & Julia

Yes, Meryl Streep already has two Oscars. And yes, she has more Oscar nominations than any other actor in film history (16). However, she hasn’t actually WON an Oscar since 1983 (for Sophie’s Choice). And despite her brilliant performance as Julia Childs in Julie & Julia, it seems likely that she will leave empty handed yet again. Sandra Bullock, a beloved actress who’s earned her first career nod after more than two decades as an actress, actually topped Streep at the Screen Actor Guild Awards and seems to be the front-runner for the Oscar.

MY PREDICTION: Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side

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BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Matt Damon – Invictus
Woody Harrelson – The Messenger
Christopher Plummer – The Last Station
Stanley Tucci – The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz – Inglourious Basterds

I’m willing to put a lot of money on this one.

MY PREDICTION: Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds

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BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Penélope Cruz – Nine
Vera Farmiga – Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal – Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick – Up in the Air
Mo’Nique – Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire

Another ‘no-brainer’ here. Mo’Nique has been dominating this category since the film’s debut at Sundance over a year ago and is almost guaranteed to take home the Oscar.

MY PREDICTION: Mo’Nique – Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire

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BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
Mark Boal – The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino – Inglourious Basterds
Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman – The Messenger
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen – A Serious Man
Bob Peterson, Pete Docter – Up

This one is probably the toughest race to call. While Mark Boal’s script for The Hurt Locker probably has the most momentum due to the film’s overall support, Tarantino (who won this award back in 1995 for Pulp Fiction) demonstrates his knack for dialogue yet again in his brilliant script for Inglourious Basterds.

MY PREDICTION: Quentin Tarantino – Inglourious Basterds

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BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
Neill Blomkamp & Terri Tatchell – District 9
Nick Hornby – An Education
Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche – In the Loop
Geoffrey Fletcher – Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner – Up in the Air

Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner’s adaptation of the novel Up in the Air seems to be the clear front-runner in this category.

MY PREDICTION: Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner – Up in the Air

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BEST ANIMATED FEATURE:
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of Kells
Up

Out of the six feature films made by Pixar between 2001 and 2008, all have been nominated and four (Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Ratatouille and WALL-E) have won. This one is yet another ‘no-brainer.’

MY PREDICTION: Up

Disney-Pixar has released a brand new full trailer for Toy Story 3 (Watch the trailer below or here in HD!) Toy Story 3 is currently set to be released on June 18, 2010 in Disney Digital 3-D. It will feature the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and Joan Cusack (as well as Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, Estelle Harris, John Ratzenberger, Ned Beatty, Jodi Benson and Michael Keaton). The film was directed by Lee Unkrich (co-director of Toy Story 2 and Finding Nemo) and penned by Academy-Award winning screenwriter Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine).

The story picks up with Andy preparing to leave for college…leaving Buzz, Woody and the rest of his loyal toys troubled with a rather uncertain future. The toys find themselves in a room full of untamed tots who can’t wait to get their sticky little fingers on these “new” toys. Things start to get a little crazy as they try to stay together, ensuring “no toy gets left behind.”

Source: ComingSoon.net

What do you guys think? Are you excited for a new Toy Story? Do you agree with Disney/Pixar for making a third installment? Will it live up to the success of the first two films and all the other Disney/Pixar films? Feel free to share your thoughts!

Last Tuesday, nominations for the 82nd Academy Awards were announced. The awards will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre on ABC. Check out a complete list of the nominations here.

For those of you who feel out of the loop with all the Oscar nominated movies, I compiled a list of movies you should check out before Oscar night. A handful of them are currently available to rent or buy on DVD, some are still playing in theaters, and some will require a little bit of online resourcefulness

MOVIES TO WATCH BEFORE OSCAR NIGHT:

Currently available on DVD:
Inglourious Basterds
The Hurt Locker
District 9
Up
Julie & Julia
In the Loop
Coraline
A Serious Man [out 2/9]

Still in theaters:
Avatar
Up in the Air
An Education
The Blind Side
The Lovely Bones
A Single Man [The Art Theater]

Requires online resourcefulness:
Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
Crazy Heart
Invictus
The Last Station
The Messenger
Nine
The Princess and the Frog
Fantastic Mr. Fox

BEST PICTURE
Avatar
Inglourious Basterds
Up in the Air
Precious
The Hurt Locker
Invictus
An Education
Up
A Serious Man
Star Trek

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

BEST ACTRESS
Sandtra Bullock [The Blind Side]
Meryl Streep [Julie & Julia]
Gabourey Sidibe [Precious]
Carey Mulligan [An Education]
Emily Blunt [The Young Victoria]

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Matt Damon [Invictus]
Christoph Waltz [Inglourious Basterds]
Woody Harrelson [The Messenger]
Stanley Tucci [The Lovely Bones]
Christopher Plummer [The Last Station]

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Vera Farmiga [Up in the Air]
Anna Kendrick [Up in the Air]
Mo’Nique [Precious]
Penelope Cruz [Nine]
Julianne Moore [A Single Man]

BEST DIRECTOR
James Cameron [Avatar]
Kathryn Bigelow [The Hurt Locker]
Clint Eastwood [Invictus]
Quentin Tarantino [Inglorious Basterds]
Jason Reitman [Up in the Air]

*Predicted winner is in BOLD*

BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
Up in the Air

BEST MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
(500) Days of Summer
The Hangover
It’s Complicated
Julie & Julia
Nine

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart
George Clooney - Up in the Air
Colin Firth - A Single Man
Morgan Freeman - Invictus
Tobey Maguire - Brothers

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Matt Damon - The Informant!
Daniel Day-Lewis - Nine
Robert Downey Jr. - Sherlock Holmes
Joseph Gordon-Levitt - (500) Days of Summer
Michael Stuhlbarg - A Serious Man

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
Emily Blunt - The Young Victoria
Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side
Helen Mirren - The Last Station
Carey Mulligan - An Education
Gabourey Sidibe - Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Sandra Bullock - The Proposal
Marion Cotillard - Nine
Julia Roberts - Duplicity
Meryl Streep - It’s Complicated
Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Matt Damon - Invictus
Woody Harrelson - The Messenger
Christopher Plummer - The Last Station
Stanley Tucci - The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Penelope Cruz - Nine
Vera Farmiga - Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick - Up in the Air
Mo’Nique - Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
Julianne Moore - A Single Man

BEST DIRECTOR - MOTION PICTURE
Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker
James Cameron - Avatar
Clint Eastwood - Invictus
Jason Reitman - Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino - Inglourious Basterds

BEST SCREENPLAY - MOTION PICTURE
Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell - District 9
Mark Boal - The Hurt Locker
Nancy Meyers - It’s Complicated
Jason Reitman - Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino - Inglourious Basterds

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Coraline
The Princess and the Frog
Up

Fresh off the hype of Paula Abdul’s departure as a judge, the announcement of Ellen DeGeneres as the new fourth judge, and Simon Cowell declaring that this will be his last season on the show, America’s most watched TV show made its epic return last night with more bang than ever. The two-hour season premiere of American Idol highlighted the thousands of contestants who auditioned in Boston back in the summer. Since the auditions were well before the announcement of Ellen as the new judge, the Boston auditions featured guest judge Victoria Beckham (aka “Posh Spice” in the 90’s…or “David Beckham’s wife” today). The auditions were typical: ranging from tone-deaf weirdos to sixteen-year-old singing sensations. And of course there was the usual array of sob stories about people battling poverty or sickness in order to pursue their dream to become a famous singer…

Though the process of auditions on the show are often times grueling and exhausting to watch, there were a handful of contestants that really stood out to me. From the girls, there was 16 year-old Katie Stevens (who sings to and takes care of her grandmother with Alzheimer’s) and 21 year-old Ashley Rodriguez who wowed all four of the judges with her fantastic take on a difficult Alicia Keys song and her “commercial” (read “smokin’ hot”) look. Check out Ashley Rodriguez’s audition below:

From the guys there was Luke Shaffer (who had that acoustic singer-songwriter vibe), Justin Williams (who beat cancer after multiple surgeries and chemotherapy…and upon more research, he also made it to Hollywood last season and was part of the “White Chocolate” group audition featuring Idol winner himself, Kris Allen) and Tyler Grady, a drummer turned rock-star front man. Armed with shaggy hair, a vintage 70’s rock vibe, and an incredible take on Marvin Gaye’s “Let Get it On,” Tyler made quite an impression on the judges (especially female judges Kara DioGuardi and Victoria Beckham). Check out Tyler Grady’s audition below:

Did any of you guys catch Idol last night? What did you guys think? Which contestants really stood out to you? Did any of them have potential to be the next American Idol?

Last night, fans of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother were treated with one hell of a celebratory 100th episode. Titled “Girls vs. Suits,” Barney faces quite a dilemma when a smokin’ hot bartender asks him to give up his suits while Ted gets closer than ever to meeting the titular Mother. In addition to a few celebrity guest-stars, the episode featured an epic musical number called “Nothing Suits Me Like a Suit,” performed by resident song-and-dance man Neil Patrick Harris (Barney) and backed by the rest of the musically inclined cast members, 65 dancers and the strings of a 50-piece orchestra. Check out the big splashy musical number below:

5.) Where the Wild Things Are

Spike Jonze’s film adaptation of the classic children’s book, Where the Wild Things Are is a beautifully innovative work of art. Jonze successfully maintains the spirit of the book while still adding his own artistic visions. Though Wild Things is certainly not your typical ‘family film,’ people of all ages can appreciate the film in one way or another, whether it’s the breathtaking visuals, outstanding acting, or Max’s wild and emotional journey.

4.) Up

Yet another wonderful piece of work from the guys at Disney/Pixar. Much like previous Pixar films, Up includes a perfect blend of comedy, action, and powerful emotional themes and succeeds at turning a rather simple story into one incredibly heartfelt adventure.

3.) Star Trek

Forget Transformers. Forget Terminator. J.J. Abrams’s reboot of this classic science-fiction franchise perfectly demonstrates exactly what a summer action flick should be. The film features outstanding acting performances from its young, rather unknown cast and breath-taking action sequences that don’t solely rely on massive explosions and CGI. But what really makes Star Trek an incredible film is its ability to appeal to hardcore “Trekkies” as well as those of us who are just looking for a solid sci-fi action film.

2.) (500) Days of Summer

Unlike typical ‘romantic comedies’, (500) Days of Summer separates itself from the genre through its honest, sometimes painful, depiction of real-life relationships and its intelligently unique story structure. It strives at being both charming and witty as well as emotionally powerful thanks to the brilliant performances from its two young stars, Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. This is a fantastic little indie gem that is definitely worth checking out.

1.) Avatar

Probably the most anticipated film of the year…and fortunately, it lives up to all the hype. James Cameron proves yet again to be one of the only filmmakers in Hollywood to effectively make use of an extremely large budget and ground-breaking technology. Despite following a somewhat familiar storyline, the film basically revolutionizes the possibilities of what can be done in a movie. Avatar excels all across the board from its outstanding acting performances and brilliant directing to its stunning visual effects and heart-racing action sequences. This could very well be the ‘Star Wars’ of a new generation.

[HONORABLE MENTIONS]
The Hangover
Sugar
I Love You, Man
Away We Go
The Blind Side

So those are some of my favorite films of 2009. Please feel free to share your thoughts or post YOUR five favorite films of the year!

In the past five years the NFL has booked classic rock acts such as Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Prince, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and most recently, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band to perform during the Super Bowl halftime show. Who do you guys think of this on going trend of booking acts that tend to be more appealing to older generations? Is it possible that the NFL is avoiding newer, younger acts at risk of another Janet Jackson-type “wardrobe malfunction“?? Also, how do fans of The Who feel about Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend continuing to perform as The Who after the deaths of the other two original members John Entwistle and Keith Moon?

Feel free to share your thoughts!

Pitt in Inglourious Basterds

Damon in The Informant!

And Mr. Clooney in the upcoming film, The Men Who Stare At Goats

Hmmm, it seems that Roeper may have caught onto something here…