Wade Durhams Movie Guide to the rest of 2009

Ok, lets be honest. There haven't been many Great movies this year, there have been good ones, but not many Great ones. Here are the only Great films. The scores are out of 200 combined RottenTomatoes and MetaCritic Scores (both out of 100)


The Hurt Locker 194
Up 186
Star Trek 179
Ponyo 177
Drag Me To Hell 174
An Education 174
A Serious Man 173
District 9 171
The Damned United 170

(I personally would include Inglourious Basterds, Watchmen, Where the Wild Things Are but the fucking critics don't agree)




But heres whats coming up soon that is worth watching for 2009.

The Box (November 6) .........................Maybe See It................. Kelly directing, but i doubt he can make another Darko happen

A Christmas Carol (Nov 6) ...................... Maybe See It............... Zemeckis, but it looks kind of cheesy.

The Fourth Kind (Nov 6) ...................... Avoid It............ Not really a true story, besides Paranormal already runied this movie.

The Men Who Stare at Goats(Nov 6)........... See It.................. Despite whatever the reviews will be the cast in this movie should work wonders together.

Precious (Nov 6)........................... See It ..................... Check out the trailer and reviews, then youll see why this is #1 on the possible oscar contender list.

2012 (Nov 13) ................................ See It.......................... Wether or not the reviews are good or bad, just like Day After Tomorrow this will be epic fun.

Pirate Radio (Nov 13) .................... Maybe See It.................. This has been the year for films that look good turn out to be just ok (Taking Woodstock, Public Enemies) but who knows.

Fantastic Mr. Fox (Nov 13) ............ See It ........................Wes Andersons a genius.

The Messenger (Nov 13) ............... See It.......................... Woody Harrelson is back to drama, and he is an excellent actor and with Ben Foster (Alpha Dog) who is excellent.

The Blind Side (nov 20) ...................Maybe See It ...................Could be either a dramatic train ride or wreck.

New Moon (Nov 20) .........................Avoid It........................ I'm not a fan but still leaving my bias behind I say no because they give away the ending in the preview, not appealing to non book fans.

Planet 51 (Nov 20)........................... Avoid It .................... Just Looks bad, go see Mr. Fox or buy Up.

Bad Lieutenant: PONO (Nov 20) ............. See It ................. looks likes Nicholas Cages best performance in awhile. However it wont be an oscar winner.

Ninja Assassin (Nov 25)..................... Maybe See It .............Looks like a good action flick, but kind of too dark for its own good.

Old Dogs (Nov 25)............................... Avoid It ................Wild Hogs, now Old Dogs. Dont give your money to this.

Me and Orson Welles (Nov 25)........... Maybe See It............ Don't know enough yet.

The Princess and the Frog (Nov 25) .....Maybe See IT ............. Disney back to the drawing board! however can they pull it off again?

The Road (Nov 25)............................ See IT................Author of No Country, Mortensen and his bad self, this should be a definate hit.

Armored (Dec 4).......................Maybe See It................This looks kind of like a dark film, but it may turn out to be a disappointing generic film.

Brothers (Dec 4)........................See It....................The preview pretty much tells you that you will cry and with a great cast of Gyllehall, Portman, and MAguire it should be great.

Everybodys Fine (Dec 4)................Maybe See It........Not much is known about this family comedy, besides a great ensemble.

Transylmania (Dec 4).................Avoid It...........It is impossible to make a good parody movie now, they are dead to me cause of movies like this.

Up in the Air (Dec 4).................See It................Top prediction for movie of the year, looks very touching and Clooney is in it.

Did You Hear About the Morgans?.....Avoid It.........Looks dumb and generic.

Invictus.....................................See IT...............For christs sake, Eastwood is directing and Freeman is Mandela.

The Lovely Bones.....................See It.................The book was fantastic, and Jackson is a great director.

A Single Main...........................Maybe See It.......Hearing good things...but idk.

Avatar....................................See It...........It'll either be an oscar winner or a blockbuster action scifi flick. Camerons crazy, but hes good.

Agora....................................Avoid It............Not interested. simple.

Nine.................................Maybe See It...........Looks too much like Marshalls Chicago, which I didnt like.

The Last Station................Maybe See It.............Looks kind of interesting, but not much is known.

Alvin and the Chipmunks 2....Avoid It...............First one was torture enough.

Its Complicated.....................See IT.............Looks like one of the few chick flicks I would enjoy.

Sherlock Holmes...................See It..............Downey Jr. is perfect for this, I cant wait.

Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus....See IT..... Looks like a beautiful dream.

My Movie Review: Catching Up 2009 Films

CATCHING UP
All my reviews for 2009 films so far.
By Wade Durham

The Hurt Locker 5/5

“Greatest War Movie of the Decade”

Up 5/5

“Heart-warming, and magical in every way, it’ll bring tears to your eyes”

Ponyo 3.5/5

“Visually Impressive cartoon that has little to offer”

Star Trek 4/5

“Star Trek is an epic adventure you won’t soon forget”

Drag Me To Hell 3.5/5

“Brings a lot to the horror-comedy genre”

District 9 4/5

“The Sci-Fi adventure/ drama that will keep you talking for weeks, District 9 is an impressive and satisfying summer flick”

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince 3.5/5

“Probably one of the better Harry Potters the excels not so much in cheap action fantasy thrills, but in preparing you for the big finale”

Adventureland 3/5

“Hilarious, a fun- bittersweet comedy about growing up in the ‘80s”

Zombieland 4/5

"A hilarious, mildly horrific rollercoaster ride, that is fun, special thanks to the excellent comedy acting from Harrelson and Eisenberg"

The Hangover 3.5/5

“Non-Stop laughing is here to be had, The Hangover is the comedy of the summer”

Worlds Greatest Dad 4/5

“ Very very dark but in a very very hilarious way pushes the limit in every manner”

Where the Wild Things Are 5/5

"Completely artistic and compelling, if looked at right the film is an absolute specticle like most art"

I Love You Man 3.5/5

“Hilarious indeed, but would be nothing without the talented sarcasm of Paul Rudd”

Inglourious Basterds 4.5/5

“Hilarious and yet epic war pic that shows us war isn’t always a tear fest, but a brutal massacre of pleasurable vengeance”

Public Enemies 3.5/5

“ After a grand 1 and a half hour long loop the film proves itself to be promising, the real Dillinger would be pleased”

Away We Go 4/5

"Krasinski and Rudolph make a pitch perfect awkward couple in the process of becoming more responsible people and trying to decide who they wanna be in life"

Duplicity 1.5/5

“A very dull film, that leaves you thinking why with such a cast can a film seriously be this BORING”

Paranormal Activity 4/5

"Very Haunting, horrific indie film, that sticks with you and haunts you much after its over."

Whip It 4/5

"A Bittersweet Chick Flick that hits the heart good, its also hilarious and beautiful acted."

The Informant! 2.5/5

“Soderbergh fails to appeal to a general audience, however Damon saves the film”

A Perfect Getaway 3/5

“Ultimately for movie-goers seeking a crazy fun twist”

Extract 3/5

“Typical Judge comedy, with hilarious characterization, yet sometimes a dragging feel”

9 3.5/5

“Dark and sometimes evil, 9 is a Burton-styles epic adventure, not for the faint of heart”

Funny People 3.5/5

“Drifts back and forth with hilarity and seriousness, sometimes failing to mix properly, but the final act gives you those long awaiting chills”

Notorious 4/5

“The great Biggie Smalls biopic proves itself morally great with a lot of feeling, a must see for any rap lover”

The Invention of Lying 3.5/5

"A soft comedy, with a deeper meaning behind it, Gervais is hilarious"

Taking of Pelham 123 3/5

“If your looking for an action packed Washington-Travolta epic mashup you got it, Pelham is fun as hell”

Bruno 2.5/5

“I’ll admit it, however vulgar and crude and poorly humored, Bruno can make you laugh”

My Sisters Keeper 3/5

“One of my favorite directors hits up his drama side only to realize it may not be his best field, however the cast is managed wel through the mangaled story”

Taking Woodstock 2.5/5

"Ang Lees new film is a miss, a story about a sensational concert, but theres hardly any music"

Observe and Report 4/5

“Rogen is hilarious in a perfect role for him, way better than James mall cop, Observe and Report tackles your laughing in many ways but mostly in the epic ending.”

Terminator Salvation 3/5

“Very gritty throughout, probably should’ve gone further with the grit but they stopped it at PG13”

My Bloody Valentine 3-D 3/5

“We can talk shit about how bad this horror movie is and how bad the genre itself is, but lets all be honest, the 3-D horror aspect and twist of MBV was fun”

Taken 3/5

“Pretty Entertaining, but loses its truth toward the middle, ending pretty cartoonly and predictably”

17 Again 2.5/5

“Enjoyable fantasty comedy”

The Proposal 2.5/5

“Another Reynolds comedy that prevails and fails both in different ways. The great Betty White is hysterical”

Jennifers Body 3.5/5

“Jennifers Body is bloody, sexy fun; Fox delivers the character perfectly in a mildly horrifying yet hilarious comedy-horror”

Halloween 2 2/5

“Zombies horror films are very artistically impressive, however sometimes to be a film artist you got to leave the classic horror cliché’ behind and maybe try and stun the audience”

Xmen Origins Wolverine 1.5/5

“Very sloppy story that kind of has you actually pissed off by the end. A waste of time”

Orphan 3/5

“A great demonic-child film, that stretches its long-felt hours into a stunning, thrilling ending.”

Night at the Museum 2 1/5

“A disgrace to the original, NATM2 is a horrible movie, that wastes great performance on supposably show-offy unfunny moments”

Knowing 3/5

“Knowing proves itself as an Armageddon movie realistically and horrorfyingly, however theres still much to get past with the flawed story and the bad acting”

Year One 1/5

“Horrible Movie, One of the worst of ’09 that shows us how big of a wash-up Black is as an actor, and how Michael Ceras sarcastic boyish charm can’t save a film (suprising)”

Haunting in Connecticut 2.5/5

“Not bad for your typical run of the mill horror, that seems inspired by the supposably similar true story that helped inspire Amytiville Horror, just the kid has cancer so we are “suppost” to be dramatically involved to”

Land of the Lost 2.5/5

“A fun movie for the fans of the show, which in no way is an insult to the show, but more of an insult to other potential audience members”

Saw VI 2.5/5

"A small step up for the trash series that its IV and V were, still its nothing special"

Gamer 2/5

“A film that spends all its time attempting to explain to us the situation of the movie. Action-candy that taste like shit”

The Ugly Truth 2.5/5

“Fun anti-chick flick exposing the wild side of a chick flick that is a fairly fun romantic comedy.”

Sorority Row 1.5/5

“A horror film that tries to hard with a dumb idea in the first place”

My Movie Review: Saw VI

My Movie Review: Saw VI
By Wade Durham


THE GIST: Another Saw movie, just in time for Halloween....oh boy. I knew from the start of 2009 we would be seeing another Saw movie at halloween, cause despite many critics efforts to say the films are pieces of shit, they still make a lot of money, especially from fanchise fans like myself. Yes I haven't cared for the last few Saws, in fact they have been getting worse. Saw (3.5/5) , SawII (3/5), Saw III (2.5/5), Saw IV (2/5), Saw V (1.5/5). Now here is 6 which seems like they tried to make Jigsaw look like more of a psycholgical figure than he already was as he is attacking a health insurance persons, making him decide if people should live or die. This film follows the previous one well and still tries to stay true to the series, but ultimately they can try as hard as they can, make it as gorey as they can, but it won't help the series. There will not be another good Saw movie ever. However my stair theory has been proven wrong by this one because it was much better than 4 and 5 because 4 and 5 were big on "solving the mystery" yadda yadda yadd. This one tries to be like fuck the mystery, lets try and take the shit from the last one taht we can clean it up and make a purpose behind some of these killings, lets make this seem not just about the gore but about who Jigsaw was psycholgical, what is thoughts were on life, as indicated in the earlier Saws, very nice step up indeed. However the films is still quite unmemorable, its story seems pretty basic, but simple was the right path.

2/5 Low Score

My Movie Review: Paranormal Activity
By Wade Durham

The Gist: When I first bought my ticket to Paranormal Activity I had yet to see the trailer, all I knew is it was suppost to be shot "blair witch style" that it was scary as hell and that it was on an extraordinarily low budget. Well what you have with Paranormal Activity is pretty indescribable. You see it scared the hell out of me and not in the cutesy gay make-you-jump way. Actual I probably only jumped twice. Anyways it is a movie that actually haunts you. The happenings with the haunting demon in the film are that of things you watch on youtube of people claiming that ghosts moved there door and stuff. However this film takes it to the next level and a very realistic manner. As far as scaring the shit out of you this film is great. I actually had to sleep that night with the lights on because I was afraid. So yes the film is scary, however the story seemed kind of dull to me, for the record a movie all in one location its hard not to be dull. While the filmed dragged on its first half with minor creepy situations, the second half returned with a haunting jump. So it started slow but I think it was the perfect build up to the ending, which is interesting. Paranormal Activity makes itself look real using the blair witch technique, and there will be a lot of rumors about it being real just like The Blair Witch, its not, don't worry. So to sum up my primary review this was a fantastic horror film to come out right in time for Halloween, probably the most scared i've ever been of a movie. However for some odd reason a year from now I think we will forget about it until someone brings it up randomly.

4/5 SUPERB SCORE



ACTING: With a low budget horror film you have to have unknown actors, and me enjoy films as much as I do know this film was fake, however I had friends who thought the movie was real, not just based on real but the actual movie. So that clarifys that the acting was good enough to fool the classic movie-goer.

EFFECTS: It be pretty interesting to know how some of the haunting tricks were done in this film, on such a low budget it shouldn't've been to complicated but all of it looked real.

MUSIC/Sound: Staying true to its realism there is no music in this film. However sound wise the timing is perfect enough to haunt and scare us with dead silence.

STORYLINE: It seems they built the story around the idea that they would have a very low budget, in some areas its kind of dull and boring, I mean of course we have seen films about hauntings in such. However I do think this is the first "haunting" film to get it right.

Genre(s): Horror

Written by: Oren Peli

Directed by: Oren Peli

Release Date:
Theatrical: September 25, 2009

Running Time: 99 minutes, Color

Origin: USA

RATING: R for language

Starring Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Mark Friedrichs, Amber Armstrong, and Ashley Palmer

The rules are simple. Pick your top 5 or 10 contenders for the main 6 categories of the Oscars. Money may be placed in this game. Points will be determined by the seed you picked. For example I pick Precious for my Best Pic Nom and it gets nominated I get 1 point. I pick Coraline and it gets nominated I get 25 points. You also don’t have to pick from the seed list you can pick something else and if it does get nominated you receive as much points as the final seed of that category. Any ties will result in splitting the winnings.

Oscar Prediction Bracket

Best Picture

1. __________________

2.___________________

3.___________________

4.___________________

5.___________________

6.___________________

7.___________________

8.___________________

9.___________________

10.___________________

Best Picture Seeds
1- Precious
2- Up in the Air
3-Nine
4-The Hurt Locker
5-Invictus
6-An Education
7-A Serious Man
8-Up
9- Bright Star
10-The Lovely Bones
11-A Single Man
12-Avatar
13-Amelia
14-Star Trek
15-The Road
16-Biutiful
17-The Men Who Stare at Goats
18-Where the Wild Things Are
19-The White Ribbon
20-The Informant!
21-Ponyo
22-District 9
23-The Damned United
24-Drag Me To Hell
25-Coraline


Best Director

1.______________________

2.______________________

3.______________________

4.______________________

5.______________________


Best Director Seeds
1-Lee Daniels, Precious (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
2-Jason Reitman, Up in the Air (1 Nomination, 0 Wins)
3- Kathyrn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
4-Lone Scherfig, An Education (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
5- Joel, Ethan Coen, A Serious Man (2 Nominations, 1 Win)
6-Jane Campion, Bright Star (1 Nomination, 0 Wins)
7- Clint Eastwood, Invictus (4 Nominations, 2 Wins)
8- Rob Marshall, Nine (1 Nomination, 0 Wins)
9-Michael Haneke, The White Ribbon (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
10- James Cameron, Avatar (1 Nomination, 1 Win)
11- John Hillcoat, The Road (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
12-Peter Jackson, The Lovely Bones (3 Nominations, 1 Win)
13- Mira Nair, Amelia (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
14- Grant Heslov, The Men Who Stare at Goats (1 Nomination, 0 Wins)
15- Spike Jonze, Where the Wild Things Are (1 Nomination, 0 Wins)









Best Actor

1.____________________

2.____________________

3.____________________

4.____________________

5.____________________



Best Actor Seeds
1- Morgan Freeman, Invictus (4 Nominations, 1 Win)
2- George Clooney, Up in the Air (2 Nominations, 1 Win)
3-Colin Firth, A Single Man (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
4- Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
5-Matt Damon, The Informant! (1 Nomination, 0 Wins)
6- Daniel Day-Lewis, Nine (4 Nominations, 2 Wins)
7-Christopher Plummer, The Last Station (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
8- Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
9- Viggo Mortensen, The Road (1 Nomination, 0 Wins)
10-Hal Holbrook, That Evening Sun (1 Nomination, 0 Wins)
11- Peter Saarsgard, An Education (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
12- Edward Norton, Leaves of Grass (2 Nominations, 0 Wins)
13- Michael Caine, Harry Brown Was Here (6 Nominations, 2 Wins)
14-Nicolas Cage, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2 Nominations, 1 Win)
15-Ben Whishaw, Bright Star (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)





Best Actress

1_______________________

2_______________________

3_______________________

4_______________________

5_______________________



Best Actress Seeds
1- Carey Mulligan, An Education (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
2- Gabourey Sidibe, Precious (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
3- Abbie Cornish, Bright Star (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
4-Meryl Streep, Julie and Julia (15 Nominations, 2 Wins)
5-Helen Mirren, Love Ranch (3 Nominations, 1 Win)
6- Hilary Swank, Amelia (2 Nominations, 2 Wins)
7- Audrey Tatou, Coco avant Chanel (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
8-Penelope Cruz, Broken Embraces (2 Nominations, 1 Win)
9-Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
10- Saorise Ronan, The Lovely Bones (1 Nomination, 0 Wins)
11- Michelle Pfeiffer, Cheri (3 Nominations, 0 Wins)
12- Michelle Monaghan, Trucker (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
13- Katie Jarvis, Fish Tank (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
14- Charlotte Gainsbourgh, Antichrist (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
15- Robin Wright Penn, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)


Supporting Actor

1__________________________

2__________________________

3__________________________

4__________________________

5__________________________


Supporting Actor Seeds
1-Alfred Molina, An Education (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
2- Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
3- Robert Duvall, The Road (6 Nominations, 1 Win)
4- Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
5- Matt Damon, Invictus (1 Nomination, 0 Wins)
6- Anthony Mackie, The Hurt Locker (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
7- Richard Gere, Amelia (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
8- Paul Schneider, Bright Star (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
9- Richard Kind, A Serious Man (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
10- James McAvoy, The Last Station (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
11- Kodi Scott-McPhee, The Road (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
12- Christian McKay, Me and Orson Welles (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
13- Ewan McGregor, Amelia (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
14- Jude Law, Sherlock Holmes (2 Nominations, 0 Wins)
15-Tobey Maguire, Brothers (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
Supporting Actress

1_____________________________

2_____________________________

3_____________________________

4_____________________________

5_____________________________


Supporting Actress Seeds
1-Mo’Nique, Precious (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
2- Penelope Cruz, Nine (2 Nominations, 1 Win)
3- Marion Cotillard, Nine (1 Nomination, 1 Win)
4- Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
5- Julianne Moore, A Single Man (4 Nominations, 0 Wins)
6- Judi Dench, Nine (6 Nominations, 1 Win)
7- Susan Sarandon, The Lovely Bones (5 Nominations, 1 Win)
8- Melanie Laurent, Inglourious Basterds (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
9- Mariah Carey, Precious (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)
10- Kim Basinger, The Burning Plain (1 Nomination, 1 Win)
11- Sophia Loren, Nine (2 Nominations, 1 Win)
12- Naomi Watts, Mother and Child (1 Nomination, 0 Wins)
13- Kathy Bates, Cheri (3 Nominations, 1 Win)
14- Sigourney Weaver, Avatar (3 Nominations, 0 Wins)
15- Imelda Staunton, Taking Woodstock (0 Nominations, 0 Wins)

Oscar Charts 2009 Predictions

This changes often, basically its my educated guesses for how the upcoming oscar nominees will turn out. Enjoy.


Oscar Prediction
Best Picture
-Amelia
-The Hurt Locker
-Invictus
-The Lovely Bones
-Nine
-Precious
-A Serious Man
-Star Trek
-Up
-Up in the Air

WINNER: Either Up in the Air or The Hurt Locker. Because The Hurt Locker has reviews locked but Up in the Air just looks like a winner, another possibility could be Precious.

RUNNER UP: An Education, Bright Star, A Single Man, Avatar, The Road

Director
Kathyrn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Joel, Ethan Coen, A Serious Man
Lee Daniels, Precious
Clint Eastwood, Invictus
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air

WINNER: My vote is on Reitman just because he seems overdue and he has a very modest yet satisfying directing style.

RUNNER UPS: Lone Scherfig, An Education; Jane Campion, Bright Star; Rob Marshall, Nine; Michael Haneke, The White Ribbon; and James Cameron, Avatar


Actor
-George Clooney, Up in the Air
-Colin Firth, A Single Man
-Morgan Freeman, Invictus
-Viggo Mortensen, The Road
-Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker


WINNER: Morgan Freeman, Invictus but I can see a possibility of Firth getting it for A Single Man.

RUNNER UP: Matt Damon, The Informant!; Daniel Day Lewis, Nine; Christopher Plummer, The Last Station; Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man; Hal Holbrook, That Evening Sun; Peter Sarsfaard, An Education; Nicolas Cage, Bad Lieutenant; and Mark Wahlberg, The Lovely Bones.


BEST ACTRESS
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Saorise Ronan, The Lovely Bones
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
Meryl Streep, Julie and Julia
Hilary Swank, Amelia

WINNER: Carey Mulligan is the best bet here.

RUNNER UP: Abbie Cornish, Bright Star; Helen Mirren, Love Ranch; Audrey Tatou, Coco avant Chanel; Penelope Cruz, Broken Embraces; Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air


Supporting Actor
Robert Duvall, The Road
Anthony Mackie, The Hurt Locker
Alfred Molina, An Education
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

WINNER: Waltzs performance was more than excellence so i'd have to say him, but he has some very tough competition.

RUNNER UP: Matt Damon, Invictus; Richard Gere, Amelia; Paul Schneider, Bright Star; Richard Kind, A Serious Man; James McAvoy, The Last Station


Supporting Actress
Marion Cotillard, Nine
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Mo'Nique, Precious
Susan Sarandon, The Lovely Bones

WINNER: Tough tough tough, but i'm going with Mo'Nique, she has received rave reviews and just looking at her in the trailer. It looks amazing.

RUNNER UP: Julianne Moore, A Single Man; Judi Dench, Nine; Melanie Laurent, Inglourious Basterds; Mariah Carey, Precious


Adapted Screenplay
-An Education
-Invictus
-The Lovely Bones
-Precious
-Up in the Air


WINNER: Probably Precious, its practically set in stone for a picture nominee, with a possible win so why not give it the screenplay to, however the screenwritters behind Lovely Bones are all past award nominees so idk.

RUNNER UP: Amelia, Nine, Where the Wild Things Are, The Informant!, The Road


Original Screenplay
-500 Days of Summer
-The Hurt Locker
-A Serious Man
-A Single Man
-Up

WINNER: The Coen Brothers are fantastic writers but the imaginaitive creative minds behind Up will probably be getting this award.

RUNNER UP: Bright Star; Away We Go; Pirate Radio; Avatar; The White Ribbon


Animated Feature
-Coraline
-Fantastic Mr. Fox
-Ponyo
-The Princess and the Frog
-Up

WINNER: Up is almost a gurantee.

RUNNER UP: Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, Planet 51, A Christmas Carol, 9, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs


Documentary Feature
-Anvil!: The Story of Anvil
-Capatilism: A Love Story
-The Cove
-Defamation
-Food Inc.

WINNER: The Cove is a beautiful documentary which reviews have ranked very favorably. Capitilism could catch up though Michael Moore is an oscar winner. An asshole but an oscar winner.

RUNNER UP: Burma VJ, The Beaches of Agnes, It Might Get Loud, Every Little Step, The September Issue

Foreign Film
-Baaria
-Forever Enthralled
-A Prophet
-Samson and Delilah
-The White Ribbon

WINNER: Close between A Prophet and The White Ribbon, review wise The White Ribbon though.

RUNNER UP: Afghan Star, I Killed My Mother, For a Moment, Freedom; Ward No. 6; The Secret of Her Eyes


Art Direction
-Amelia
-Avatar
-Bright Star
-Nine
-Where the Wild Things Are


WINNER: Probably Nine will have some good art toward it but Wild Things and Bright Star are in its shadow.

RUNNER UP: Harry Potter and the HAlf Blood Prince; Public Enemies; The Road; The Tempest


Cinematography
-Amelia
-Bright Star
-The Hurt Locker
-Nine
-The Road

WINNER: Probably The Hurt Locker, some of the angles in that film were extraorinary.

RUNNER UP" Public Enemies, Invictus, Broken Embraces, Avatar


Costume Design
-Amelia
-Bright Star
-Nine
-Public Enemies
-Where the Wild Things Are

WINNER: Bright Star has all that old age style that usually wins not to mention a 3 time nominee desiging who is probably overdue, however Nine and Public Enemies each have a Atwood designing who has 7 noms and 2 wins.

Editing
-Avatar
-Bright Star
-The Hurt Locker
-The Lovely Bones
-Nine

WINNER: Nine more than likely, musicals are usually favored. However The Hurt Locker could get it as well.

RUNNER UP: Biutiful, Public Enemies, An Education, Up in the Air


Makeup Design
-Avatar
-Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
-Star Trek

WINNER: Pretty Close but i'd probably have to say Avatar, the makeup does seem interestingly done in it.

RUNNER UP: Cheri, The Tempest, The Young Victoria, Bright Star, Where the Wild Things Are, The Road, Sherlock Holmes

Visual Effects
-Avatar
-Star Trek
-Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

WINNER: Effects wise id normally think Transformers would prevail but since it was a horrible film i'd have to say Avatar.

RUNNER UP: Harry Potter, District 9, Night at the Museum 2, The Lovely Bones, 2012, Terminator Salvation, GI Joe: Rise of Cobra


Original Score
-Agora
-Avatar
-A Christmas Carol
-Star Trek
-Up

WINNER: Avatar, because the score is done by Horner 7 time nominee and 1 win.

RUNNER UP: Broken Embraces, Bright Star, The Road, Coraline, The Lovely Bones


Original Song (Not sure of the song, but its probably in these movies.)
-Bruno
-A Christmas Carol
-Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs
-Nine
-Princess and the Frog

WINNER: Nine because its a musical, and may get more than one nominee.

RUNNER UP: Fame, Pirate Radio, Up, Up in the Air, Planet 51


Sound FX Editing
-2012
-Avatar
-The Hurt Locker
-Star Trek
-Up

WINNER: Avatar is a big technical category fan so it might take it or jsut give this one to Star Trek, it deserves at least one oscar.

RUNNER UP: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, District 9, GI JOe: Rise of Cobra, Public Enemies, Watchmen


Sound Mixing
-Avatar
-Nine
-Star Trek
-Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
-Up


WINNER: Once again Avatar looks pretty technically beastly.

RUNNER UP: 2012, The Hurt Locker, 9, District 9, Harry Potter

My Movie Review: Where the Wild Things Are.

Where the Wild Things Are: Movie Review.
By Wade Durham

The Gist: Based on Maurice Sendaks ever so fantastic children's book, Where the Wild Things Are lives up to its expectations. Starring Max Records as Max, who as an actor is definately someone to watch, an explorer the kid that represents the kid in all of us, but before you think Where the Wild Things Are is another goody lame kids film, it doesn't just represent the happiness in us, but the terror. However the portrayl of these emotions in the film are captured in the upmost artistic way. What Jonze has done here is found a way to capture the art of being a kid, never have I had such a near-exact flashback of my childhood. All the imagination, all the adventure. But Max alone doesn't just represnt the film we also are introduced to very unique monsters with very unique personalities. It seems the monsters had something to learn from Max as he had something to learn from them. Also its not just the story that prevails in the film, but the ever so excellent cinematography, which makes nearly ever frame a piece of beauty. No wonder this film is 5 years in the work, they didn't want anything short of excellence, and it delivers nothing short of such. Also note the classic use of puppets in the film, what Jonze has done here is used costumed puppets for the Wild Things and used CGI to function there faces and emotions, which get pretty deep. Someone who might not like this film may simply not get it, I think it primarily appears to people my age, teens and young adults who have their childhood right behind in the shadow, this film also us to remenist on the shadow that is our childhood. A very epic, dramatic and dark family film for the ages.

***** PERFECT SCORE!



ACTING: Max Records who is playing Max of the same name, doesn't have much experience behind him, but after this film I can safely say that we will be seeing him in more things, his performance was excellent and entirely believable not to mention the excellent voice acting from Dano, Gandolfini, Whitaker, Ambrose, and O'Hara.

EFFECTS: As I stated in my primary review, Jonze made the right choice going with puppet costumes, the CGI faces were a bonus, nothing is unrealistic. Also the feel of the movie is ultimately reflected on the beauty of the scenary.

MUSIC/SOUND: It is most certainly different, some scenes have a subtle quietness to them, others have a gentle, very impressive score. Then there is Karen O and the kids performing there occasional songs. Song to look for: Worried Shoes.

STORYLINE:I think when this was first announced book fans could only think "How the hell are they going to make a movie out of this?" Well of course Jonze had to reach out for a more explanatory storyline with an excellent script that takes what Sendak wrote and all the emotion of the book and enhances it into a beuatiful art of a film.

Movie Info

Genre(s): Adventure | Drama | Family/Kids | Fantasy

Written by: Spike Jonze
Dave Eggers

Directed by: Spike Jonze

Release Date:
Theatrical: October 16, 2009

Running Time: 101 minutes, Color

Origin: USA

RATING: PG for mild thematic elements, some adventure action and brief language

Starring Catherine Keener, Max Records, Mark Ruffalo, Lauren Ambrose, James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara, and Forest Whitaker

Top 20 Movies of the 00s (so far)

With the decade coming to end I thought I would create my Top list and just update it if any of these other films changes my mind.

1-
MY RATING: *****
WHY ITS GOOD: There are many reasons why Into the Wild gets this title. A Beautiful true story, with all the heart a movie can have captured very artistically and poetically. With an all-star cast as well included Academy Award Nominee Hal Holbrook and the future Oscar winner Emile Hirsch (my opinon). I was pretty hyped about this film when I first read about it and it lived beyond my expectations. The characters are true to the bone and appeal to the story in everyway. One for the ages and a great film to represent the decade.


2-
MY RATING: *****
WHY ITS GOOD: The first thing that appealed to my about this film was that Scorcese was behind the camera, then what appealed to me even more was the all-star ensemble in the casting list for the film. DiCaprio, Damon, Nicholson, Wahlberg, Sheen. Its a pretty damn big list. Anyway its not often a near 3 hour film can be pulled off successfully, but I was entertained for the WHOLE 3 hours, not a sigh or yawn in sight I sat in the theater leaning forward as this awesome, gangster story unfolded before me. Never has a film been so gritty, so real, and so...entertaining.


3-

MY RATING: *****
WHY ITS GOOD: Wasn't expecting a masterpiece here, but I got nothing short of it. First thoughts were damn a foreign film. What you truly have here is a fairy tale for adults. The story is seen through the eyes of a little girl during a war as she goes through various fantasy style adventures despite the depressing brutal happenings around her. Which ultimately unfolds into a drama that'll have you in tears. An amazing, artistically beuatiful film.


4-
MY RATING: *****
WHY ITS GOOD:Never have I ever been so moved by a film, Tim Burton steps away from his gothic side and more into his fairy tale side (which he should do more often) Big Fish is a fairy tale about life and growing old. The stories that are retold in this drama- fantasy are just pleasing to the eye, beuatiful and surreal, in a good way. Big Fish takes your imagination to places it has never been before. A definate must see.

5-

My RATING: *****
WHY ITS GOOD: Stepping away from the cliche' Best Picture Oscar Winners. Crash takes place in LA, through the eyes a various different people and how their lives are entangled with one other, the movies prime conflict dealing with racism and our actions. Crash speaks from the heart with a very well written script and a great ensemble, the second act has some of the greatest scenes in history.


6-
MY RATING: *****
WHY ITS GOOD: On the outside Little Miss Sunshine seems like a very basic film, actually theres not much complex about it, its a comedy based around a series of tragedies. Some moments in the film may put tears in the eyes then out of no where you are on the floor laughing. Its a truly great balance of comedy and drama with a cast acted out very well with six different characters with complete opposite personalities, making everything even more interesting.

7-
MY MOVIE RATING: *****
WHY ITS GOOD: The Lord of the Ring series is one of the biggest achievements in cinematic history. Return of the King, the final installment to the series, sums up the series still being epic, dramatic, artistic. A truly great film, Jackson at his peak.


8-
My RATING: *****
WHY IS GOOD: You either understand Wes Andersons style, or you don't. I however get an emotional jolt through my veins whenever I watch ANY of his films. Royal Tenenbaums being his best. The comical cast hold their own through dramatic situation. The film itself has a poetic feel to it, which is very well written out by Anderson and Owen Wilson. Bottom Line, You will laugh, you will be touched. You will enjoy this film.


9-
MY RATING: *****
WHY ITS GOOD: The very realistic, and gritty feel of Gladiator earns its spot on this list. A violent, yet enjoyable drama. Ridley Scott shows his skill going all out here....He should do this more often. Not to mention the excellent acting talents of Crowe and Phoenix. Gladiator completely deserved its oscar the first year of the decade.


10-
MY RATING: *****
WHY ITS GOOD: Whenever you think of the words "great trilogy" what comes to mind is the original Star Wars series and The Lord of the Rings. What makes Two Towers stand out from Fellowship was its feeling of getting even more into the action, some of the most realistic battle sequences in cinema. Impressive effects, Impressive turn for the story. Lord of the Rings Two Towers is nothing short of excellence.


11-
MY RATING: *****
WHY ITS GOOD: Never in all my years of movie-watching have I ever seen a film that stands out so artistically. Every clip, every frame can be used as as beautiful painting. The war sequences show the beauty in tragedy , the film itself is a deceptive, captavating, breathtaking experience and by the end you'll find yourself in tears.


12-
MY RATING: *****
WHY ITS GOOD: There are many reasons why Across the Universe is good. Probably the best musical of the decade, in my opinon. Taking Beatles songs and turning it into a musical was a fantastic idea, and the new versions of the songs the had were pretty good. While the story drifts you off into various trippy musical numbers the whole time you got the feel of the 60s-70s.


13-
MY RATING: *****
WHY ITS GOOD: Pixar. Thats why its good. But what makes Up stand out from other Pixar films is that its not afraid to go the extra mile with moments that would probably appeal more to adults than children. With an emotional punch that'll knock you in a happy daze, but it still maintains its childish side with enjoyable humour. Up is a movie that you base your lifes morals on. A Fantastic Movie.


14-
MY RATING: ****1/2
WHY ITS GOOD:Poetry in a film is rare these days, like its title Eternal Sunshine is a poem of a film, Eternal Sunshine, although bizzare, expresses emotional and artistic value, almost like a dream you don't want to wake up from. Carrey and Winslet lead the all star cast with emotional, surprisingly impressive performances. Kauffman lives in a dream world, this is true.


15-
MY RATING: ****1/2
WHY ITS GOOD: The Wrestler is.....different. This film was used as Rourkes comeback, but honestly its much more than that. Its a film about the falling of a star, the demise of a pro wrestler. The film is upsetting to the soul in everyway, dark-spirited. By the time the credits roll, the movie is the only think you can think about for like the next week. The Wrestler is a life movie, showing us that sometimes there is nothing to be happy about.


16-
MY RATING: *****
WHY ITS GOOD: The Hurt Locker is a tear-jerker. The best war film of the decade, this independant Iraq war flick definately needs more recognition. It is an epic film and it is heart poundingly intense. For an independant flick it achieves in being one of the more realistic war movies. The well done cast including Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, and others.

17-
MY RATING: ****1/2
WHY ITS GOOD: Nolan at his best. The Prestiege takes us into an entirely different perspective of magic, as Bale and Jackman go at it in an intense rivalry. The film progresses into a twistful, exceptional, artful piece of cinema, a fantastic popcorn flick.


18-
MY RATING: ****1/2
WHY ITS GOOD: This film is a classic. 70s can have Rocky, 80s can have Raging Bull, we will most happily take Cinderella Man as one of the greatest boxing, probably one of the greatest sports movies of all time. The film takes us back to the depression and you can feel the pain of the struggle, as Crowe attempts to become a professional boxer. Its an epic story, and very very moving.


19-
2MY RATING: ****1/2
WHY ITS GOOD: Taratinos style may just be ruthless violence to some, but ultimately he appeals to me as an artist. Directing films in directions that you would never expect them to be stirred into. Inglourious Basterds is excellent. The comedy is fresh, the drama is real. The comic style is artistic and it flows the film well together. And there is a great ensemble behind it all.


20-
MY RATING: *****
WHY ITS GOOD: The Coen Brothers. Simple. The film has a very intense feel to it, while no score is played throughout the entire film, which hightens the suspense pretty crazy shit starts happening throughout the film, and every other scene you will find yourself saying "damn" A very impressive film indeed. Not to mention the excellent talent of Javier Bardem as the psycho killer who bases peoples lives on a flip of a coin.


HONORABLE MENTIONS: O Brother Where Art Thou?, Punch Drunk Love, Cast Away, Sideways, Catch Me If You Can, There Will Be Blood, Slumdog Millionaire, United 93, SpiderMan2


So there you have it, feel free to comment below on your thoughts.