Oscar Predictions 2009

Time again for my fearless Oscar predictions. Last year, I didn’t do too badly but I did screw up royally with the short films. I’m hoping to make a comeback in those categories this year. Here are my predicitons of who I think will win (not necessarily who I want to win, but luckily I’m a big fan of Slumdog Millionaire). Here they are from smaller awards to the bigger ones.

Live Action Short Film: Spiielzeugland (Toyland)
(Holocaust film. Need I say more?)
Animated Short Film: Presto
(It’s Pixar. It was before WALL-E. The bunny is adorable.)
Documentary Short: The Witness – From the Balcony of Room 306
(Witness to the assassination of Martin Luther King? Why not?)
Sound Editing: The Dark Knight
(Gotta give Dark Knight something. They like to give blockbusters this award.)
Sound Mixing: The Dark Knight
(More often than not, the film that wins Best Sound Editing, wins this one too.)
Original Score: Slumdog Millionaire
(The driving rhythm of this film helped make it the masterpiece it is.)
Original Song: “Jai Ho” (Slumdog Millionaire)
(Who doesn’t like a Bollywood dance number? It’s pretty infectious.)
Visual Effects: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
(An old deformed body with Brad Pitt’s face pasted on. I’m impressed.)
Make Up: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
(The work it took to make Brad Pitt look 90 and also 25? Outstanding!)
Costume Design: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
(The Duchess is the safe choice, but I think Button needs more stuff.)
Art Direction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
(This is a hard one. Button is more epic in scale though.)
Film Editing: Slumdog Millionaire
(The flashbacks and quick cut editing make this film a great candidate.)
Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire
(Slumdog is beautifully shot. Interesting angles all around.)
Documentary Feature: Man on Wire
(Guy walks on a wire between the WTC towers. I’m still awaitng the rental.)
Animated Feature: WALL-E
(This one should have benn nominated for Best Picture. I think it’s a lock.)
Foreign Language Film: Waltz with Bashir
(It’s either Waltz or The Class. I’m going with the animated war film.)
Adapted Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire
(A pretty safe bet on this one.)
Original Screenplay: Milk
(I’d prefer WALL-E, but Hollywood needs to support this trailblazer.)
Best Director: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
(Shooting Slumdog was pretty ambitious. He’ll get his reward.)
Best Supporting Actress: Taraji P Henson (Benjamin Button)
(This race is wide open with Winslet gone. I’m going on a huge limb.)
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
(It’s a lock. I will be dumbfounded if he doesn’t win this one.)
Best Actress: Kate Winslet (The Reader)
(It’s between Winslet and Streep. Winslet’s never won. It’s about time.)
Best Actor: Sean Penn (Milk)
(Penn was amazing job as Harvey Milk. I would prefer Jenkins or Langella though.)
Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
(Frost/Nixon doesn’t have enough going for it but great acting. The Reader is polarizing the voters with its raw subject matter. Milk has some great elements but not enough for the top prize. Benjamin Button is epic and is second-runner up. Slumdog Millionaire not only has the momentum, but it has all its elements working together in perfect harmony. It’s the feel-good underdog story of the year.)

So let’s see how I do on Sunday. Who are you predicting? Feel free to comment especially if you think I’m way off.

TV: 30 Rock

STARRING: Tina Fey (SNL,Baby Mama), Alec Baldwin (The Departed, Pearl Harbor, Glengarry Glen Ross), Tracy Morgan (SNL, First Sunday)
CREATOR: Tina Fey (Mean Girls)
PLOT: Liz Lemon, head writer on a sketch comedy show has to deal with her arrogant boss, crazy new star and the rest of the wacky staff while trying to run the show.

FIVE OBSERVATIONS
4 What this show excels at is fast paced comedy. The jokes are both high-brow and low-brow with quick cuts and great pay-offs. Tina Fey and Robert Carlock hand in some of the funniest scripts on television.
4 While the ensemble works well together, there are three pairings that can’t be beat. Fey is always funny on her own, but she also plays a great straight man to Alec Baldwin’s blustery Jack Donaghy. Tracy Morgan does some really funny work with both Jack McBrayer (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and Jane Krakowski (Ally McBeal). They both push his ego to all new heights. It’s very fun to watch.
4 When a show is doing great stuff, famous people want to be a part of it. 30 Rock does a great job of using their guest stars. Oprah, Steven Martin, Jennifer Aniston. They fit into the 30 Rock world quite beautifully. I am a little worried though that they might become like Will & Grace with their guestapalooza shenanigans.
4 I love the way 30 Rock makes fun of NBC. They don’t even hide the branding. You see the logo everywhere and every episode is chock full of inside jokes. Love biting the hand that feeds them.
4 It’s too bad not enough people watch this show. It’s on it’s third year, it’s won multiple awards, Tina Fey was practically a household name with her Palin impression, and still 30 Rock doesn’t get enough love on Thursday nights. It looks like it’s going the Arrested Development route. It won’t be fully appreciated until it’s gone.
It’s sad really.

RECOMMENDATION
Must See Television

COMING SOON
TV reviews of Damages and Lost

Boycott CTV!

I'm pissed. I'm watching the Superbowl. I always watch the eastern feed so I can see the creative and funny American commercials. But wait, I'm seeing a lame-ass American Idol promo on CTV. WTF! I mostly watch the Superbowl for the commercials and thanks to CTV, I get nothing this year. Rot in hell, CTV! You are dead to me. Join in me in boycotting this useless Canadian network.

This is hardly the first time. Check out one of my previous posts. http://popculturepusher.blogspot.com/2006_09_01_archive.html

I hate you CTV!

Film: The Reader

STARRING: Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road, Little Children); Ralph Fiennes (Schindler’s List, Harry Potter)
David Kross (newcomer)
DIRECTOR: Stephen Daldry (The Hours)
WRITER: David Hare (The Hours)
PLOT: Nearly a decade after his affair with an older woman, Michael Berg, a law student, witnesses his former lover defend herself in a war-crime trial.

FIVE OBSERVATIONS
4 After seeing Revolutionary Road and now The Reader, I can safely say that Kate Winslet is one of the best actresses in the business. This is stellar work. She does a fantastic job of conveying so much emotion without uttering a word. Winslet is amazing and the main reason to see this film.
4 David Cross plays Michael Berg as a young boy/man and he is eerily captivating. It’s interesting to watch his character silently piece things together. Ralph Fiennes plays Michael Berg as an older man and I don’t know why he was cast except for physical similarities. Fiennes didn’t interest me as much as Cross but I will concede that he has a great reading voice.
4 The Reader did a great job with cinematography. Very nice work with close-ups and interesting angles. I find it odd that there were two directors of photography. Chris Menges (Stop-Loss, Notes on a Scandal) and Roger Deakins (No Country for Old Men, Revolutionary Road) both took turns behind the camera. So I don’t know who to credit for what but The Reader was a visually sharp.
4 As some may know, I’m not a strong book person. However, I did like how this film promoted literacy. I hope more people pick up some books because of this film. I might even do so myself.
4 There was a little too much nudity in The Reader. I know there is an affair going on, but I don’t need to see all the body parts (male & female). Not that I’m a prude or anything, but you should know what you’re getting yourself into.

RECOMMENDATION
Wait for the DVD
(Unless you want to prep yourself for the upcoming Oscars.)

COMING SOON
Probably something lighter like a romantic comedy