OSCARS 2010

You miss the Oscars last night? Here's a rundown of the winners:

Best Motion Picture the Year:
     The Hurt Locker

Best Performance by an Actor, Leading Role:
     Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

Best Performance by an Actress, Leading Role:
     Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side

Best Performance by an Actor, Supporting Role:
     Christoph Waltz, Inglorious Basterds

Best Performance by an Actress, Supporting Role:
     Mo'Nique, Precious

Best Achievement in Directing:
     Katheryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
       (The first time a woman has won)



For more information on these movies and other awards, head on over to imdb.com. Also, be on the lookout for our Special Oscar Edition of Kosher Sessions!

Oscar Rundown!

 

by Ryan

The Oscars will be on before you know it (March 7th) and the nominations have been out for about two weeks now. So, it seems it might be time for me to give you my view on what will happen, should happen, and is just plain wrong.


Best Picture:
Who will win: Avatar
Who should win: The Hurt Locker

Each film has 9 nominations, each in many of the key categories that are historically needed to win best picture. I get this overwhelming feeling that the Academy wont be able to see past Avatar's eye candy and its all-time high gross. It's really unfortunate because Cameron's ex-wife, Katheryn Bigelow, has really put together a superb movie that explore's the construct of the modern soldier's mind. While Avatar might have pushed the envelope as far as tech goes, The Hurt Locker really advanced the art of the entire film.


Actor in a Leading Role:
Who will win: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
Dark Horse: Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

Although I haven't seen the film, critics cannot stop raving about Jeff Bridges' performance in Crazy Heart. At least when they stop oogling about George Clooney in his mediocre performance in Up in the Air. Jeff Bridges has already won 4 pre-oscar awards. You might ask then, why not George Clooney if critics can't stop oogling? If you take a look at ew.com, Jeremy Renner has been nominated for as many awards as George Clooney AND has won more pre-oscar awards. While it seems the critics say they can't get over George Clooney, they actually prefer Renner.


Actress in a Leading Role:
Who will win: Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Dark Horse: Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side

Meryl Streep is the one to beat this year, she has been nominated and won many of the critical awards. Although, I'm still curious about this film. It didn't really seem to be one that would launch an Oscar winner. That's really where I see Bullock stealing this award. The Blind Side is a film that will continue to generate buzz and elevate Bullock to an Oscar. Has anyone seen Julie & Julia? Drop your comment.


Actor in a Supporting Role:
Who will win: Christoph Waltz, Inglorious Basterds

No question. Have you seen Inglorious Basterds? Christoph Waltz will win, I guarantee. If he doesn't, I want you to drop me a comment to remind me how wrong I was.


Actress in a Supporting Role:
Who will win: Mo'Nique, Precious

In much the same way the Actor in a Supporting Role is on lock, so it seems this one is. Mo'Nique has won all but one pre-oscar award, the same as Christoph Waltz. As you go down the list of her counterparts, there really aren't any names that stick out. What do you think?



Do you agree with me? Do you have something to say about this post? Drop us a comment!

It's Official No One Can Beat AVATAR

by Ryan

It's pretty much official. Avatar has surpassed Titanic as the highest grossing film of all time. Boxofficemojo.com has Avatar standing at $1.842 billion dollars, for the record, Titanic still sits at $1.843 billion. These figures are as of Sunday, and if you take into account Monday sales(Avatar tends to make over $2 million on Mondays) then it has ascended to the throne of top grossing. Something interesting though, is that it still trails Titanic in the domestic box office by about $45 million. That's a gap that Avatar could take care of by the end of this weekend.

Whats insane is that Avatar still makes nearly $40 million in a two day weekend. In case anyone is counting, that's 6 weekends its been out, which is the fastest anyone has gone to the top. Titanic took 41 weekends and Star Wars 29 weeks, the past two grossing leaders. Whats more is that people are still going out to see the film in mass numbers. By this time The Dark Knight was only making around $10 million a weekend and Titanic $25 million. Avatar just raked in $35 million.

Looking to the releases this weekend, I don't see Avatar being removed from the top of the box office. The two major films coming out this weekend are Edge of Darkness and When in Rome. Neither one stands a chance, I see Avatar gaining a second wind this weekend after the news breaks wide that it has broken the record. Those last few people who have held out will finally feel the need to shell out the bucks to go see Avatar and witness history.

I try to keep my posts short and this one is starting to run long, so I'll wrap it up. Whats the most intriguing to me is that there is no guarantee that Avatar is the best film of the year, its not guaranteed that it will in the Oscar. Critics still hold the The Hurt Locker is still a better over all film, some will say that Inglorious Basterds still poses a dark horse chance to take the prize. So I want to know what the attraction to the film is, what drew you in? Does Avatar secure it's Academy Award by being king of the hill? Drop us a comment and let us know!

Miss the Golden Globes?

If you missed the Golden Globes, here is a run-down of some of the major winners:

Best Motion Picture- Drama
Avatar

Best Motion Picture- Comedy or Musical
The Hangover

Best Performance by an Actor- Drama
Jeff Bridges- Crazy Heart

Best Performance by an Actress- Drama
Sandra Bullock- The Blind Side

Best Performance by an Actor- Comedy or Musical
Robert Downey Jr.- Sherlock Holmes

Best Performance by an Actress- Comedy or Musical
Meryl Streep- Julie & Julia

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Christoph Waltz- Inglorious Basterds

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Mo'Nique- Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Best Director- Motion Picture
James Cameron- Avatar

Best Screenplay- Motion Picture
Up In The Air

Best Animated Film
UP

by Ryan


Overall, I would have to agree with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The Hangover was the best comedy of the year, will anyone dispute that? Robert Downey Jr. and Christoph Waltz are both deserving of their awards as well, considering they both made the films they played in. UP is easily top 10 film of the year, arguably the best film, and should receive a nod from the Oscars in a few months.

There are a few awards I take a different stance on. Best Motion Picture- Drama went to Avatar, beating out The Hurt Locker, Inglorious Basterds, and Precious. The previous two easily beat Avatar in every sense of a film, except technological advancement and I attribute this award to critics still having a hard on about the visuals Cameron gave us. I hate to continue bashing Avatar because it is a good movie and the visuals are amazing, but its not better than the unique and exceptional Inglorious and Hurt Locker. So, when James Cameron won Best Director- Motion Picture beating out Katheryn Bigelow, Quentin Tarantino, Clint Eastwood, and Jason Reitman, I couldn't help and wonder if the HFPA felt obligated to give Cameron the award because it took him 10 years to direct his film.

The last award I question is Best Screenplay- Motion Picture going to Up in the Air. I know most of ya'll will disagree with me, and I want to hear your argument, but I again think that either The Hurt Locker or Inglorious Basterds had a better script. I'd even try and argue Avatar had a better script.

The Golden Globes are a major precursor and often signal what is to come at The Oscars. There is no doubt that Avatar winning Best Picture Drama has drivin' it stock up and over the early front runner, The Hurt Locker. No doubt the Oscar's will be interesting.

How do you think The Golden Globes went?

Inglorious Basterds

Rated by: Travis
4/4 Banana Peels

"We're in the Nazi killin' business and, cousin, business is a-boomin"

2 hours and 33 minutes of badassedness. Hitler's death was immaculate and the performances by Christoph Waltz and Brad Pitt are superb.



^^^Nation's Pride is a fictional Nazi propaganda film that appeared in Inglorious Basterds. The six-minute clip above was released as a promotion for IB and was directed by Eli Roth (dir. Hostel), who played the baseball bat-wielding Bear Jew.