Predictions for the Academy Award nominations being announced tomorrow, Jan. 24.
While there are the usual stone cold lock Oscar nominees this year, the current award season has divided up the booty just enough to make this an intriguing and challenging year for Oscar prognosticators.
I love a challenge so here – drumroll please – is my annual Oscar Tout Sheet, predicting who the nominees will be in the form of a racetrack tout sheet.
Two years ago, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences doubled the number of best picture nominees from five to 10 hoping to include more popular movies, not just the critically acclaimed art-house flicks. It worked, as ratings improved for the award telecast with a movie like The Blind Side in the mix.
However, perhaps thinking that an automatic 10 nominees watered down the quality somewhat, this year the Academy has created a complex mathematical system that will provide a minimum of five nominees and a maximum of 10.
There can still be 10 nominations, but those films would have to earn a certain percentage of first-place votes to move into a second round. The math gives me a headache, but basically there could be only five nominees this year or seven or eight or 10. Therefore I’ll also be guessing how many films will be nominated.
These are my odds, not the Vegas line. The nominations will be announced tomorrow, Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 8:30am on the morning news programs, and the Academy Awards will be presented on Sunday, Feb. 26, 8pm, on ABC, hosted by Billy Crystal.
Race 1: Best Supporting Actress
Octavia Spencer, The Help 3 to 2
Jessica Chastain, The Help EVEN
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids 4 to 1
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs 6 to 1
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants 10 to 1
Octavia Spencer (The Help), Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs), and Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) will match their SAG nominations with Oscar bids, with Spencer the frontrunner after her Golden Globe win. There is also buzz that Bérénice Bejo from The Artist will snag a nomination, but I have a gut feeling Woodley, who held her own opposite Clooney, gets that final spot.
Race 2: Best Supporting Actor
If you were planning to make a fictional look at what Navy SEALs do in real life, having active unit Navy SEALs in the main roles seems like a fascinating attempt at upping the realism of the firefights.
While I was recovering from surgery last month, several Oscar contenders opened. Here are some quick opinions on those films and what chance they might have when the Oscars are handed out Feb. 26.
When Brad Pitt and George Clooney are in Hollywood North to promote movies, the media blitz hits the frenzy button and rarely dies down. And so it was on the opening weekend of the Toronto International Film Festival with Pitt in town to promote the baseball movie Moneyball, and Clooney ...
After last week’s (Sept 1, 2011 issue) preview of some exciting movies on tap at the Toronto International Film Festival, here are the ten films from the Hollywood dream factory that I’m most looking forward to seeing, topped by the American version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. They are listed in chronological order. Contagion I love end-of-the-world dramas. Two of my favorites from this particular strain, the deadly virus genre, are The Satan Bug and The Andromeda Strain. My hope is that Steven Soderbergh has done the genre justice — he certainly has an amazing cast including Matt...
After ranking the worst movies of the year in last week’s column, it is time for the more pleasant task of naming my favorite movies of 2010. It was a decent year for movies, not vintage, but solid, and here are my favorites in alphabetical order: The Ghost Writer Roman Polanski’s film is a quietly effective thriller devoted to the theme of political maneuvering during wartime. It delivers a message about men in power whose secret policies are carried out not just to protect innocent citizens, but also to keep the power-hungry politicians in power. The Girl Who Played with Fire The second in a trio in of films based on the globally popular and bestselling Millennium Trilogy novels by the late Swedish author Stieg Larsson, it is not as compelling as the first film...
Before we get to the good stuff next week, when I announce my best films of the year list, here are the 10 films that either disappointed me, were flat out awful or that frustrated me because they could have been better.
For movie showtimes, click here Top Movies of 2005 Despite the box office decline, there was plenty to enjoy at the multiplex By Lori Hoffman --> A LESS THAN SCINTILLATING summer season aside, it w...
Movie fanatics love to have fun putting together lists, especially when a decade comes to a close. In honor of that tradition, I’ve put together a list of my favorite movies from the past 10 years.
As a movie junkie, I enjoy giving and receiving movie gifts at the holidays so I’m always on the lookout for movies that are either finally being released on DVD format, or classics that are available in Blu-ray for the first time. Here are some titles and collections that have caught my attention as excellent movie gifts.
When one looks back over the year and designates a “best 10” list, it isn’t really a “best” ten. In all honesty it is my 10 favorite films of the year, since one’s personal tastes are such a big part of remembering which films gave you the most pleasure or had the biggest emotional impact, or just made you laugh your ass off.
From prominent local business people, musicians and humanitarians, to movie stars, politicians and internationally known faces, 2011 bid farewell to many interesting and outstanding personalities.
The success of the Bourne trilogy has changed the landscape of spy movies. While there are still James Bond movies, even those have more grit these days. Safe House, starring Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds, is an obvious example of this new direction.
Romantic comedies have been so awful lately (with the major exception of Crazy, Stupid, Love) it is no wonder that director McG and his trio of writers decided to try and spiff up the genre by mashing it together with an action comedy.
Article:
Upcoming Casino Concerts in Atlantic City
Article:
Casino Promotions
Article:
Summer Guide 2013
Article:
South Jersey, Meet New Orleans
Article:
Summer 2013 Movie Preview
Article:
Garden State Girls
Article:
A ‘Resolution’ for Lamb of God
Article:
Historic Horse Racing a Sure Bet?
1. Anonymous said... on Jan 23, 2012 at 04:33PM
“"The Artist" is going to win BIG in Feb!”
2. Anonymous said... on Jan 24, 2012 at 03:36AM
“http://michaeljacksonmiracle.blogspot.com/”