2010 Oscar Predictions

Tomorrow, at 5 am, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will release the nominations for the Oscar telecast in March. For some reason this nominations are being announced two weeks late, as they typically happen around the 20th of January. The delay is no matter, though, as it will give the awards more distance from the guild and Globes awards that have happened. I will make my picks for the big 8 categories: Screenwriting, Acting, Directing, and Picture. With 10 options for Best Picture, it is hard to imagine getting more then 3 wrong, but we'll see. Anyways, here are my predictions for the nominations of Oscar.

Best Original Screenplay:

Avatar

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

A Serious Man

Up

Rationale: I expect to see at least 4 of these movies in the Best Picture seat, and the Original screenplay section is a place where the best screenplays really get to shine. Many will argue that Avatar's screenplay is the weakest element of that movie, and I agree, but I don't see the Academy nominating anything else. A chance for maybe (500) Days of Sumer or, God forbid, The Hangover to snag a nomination. Otherwise, these are most likely your five.

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Crazy Heart

District 9

In the Loop

Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Up in the Air

Rationale: I'm taking a few outside chances here; Crazy Heart, Precious, and Up in the Air are all locked, but I'm unsure about District 9 or In the Loop. I think In the Loop would be a terrific nomination, and I would hate District 9 to be nominated, but it seems to be so loved by everyone. I don't get it, honestly, but apparently this is the year for sci-fi to shine. Star Trek or Julie & Julia could snag a nom as well.

Best Supporting Actress:

Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air

Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air

Diane Kruger, Inglourious Basterds

Mo'Nique, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Julianne Moore, A Single Man

Rationale: Nine doesn't seem loved by anyone other then the SAG and Globes, so I rule out Penelope Cruz and Marion Cotillard right away. Though they could still be nominated. I haven't seen A Single Man yet, but Julianne Moore is a favorite of the Academy and seems likely to snag the dark horse spot. Otherwise, the other four are pretty much guaranteed.

Best Supporting Actor:

Matt Damon, Invictus

Woody Harrelson, The Messenger

Christopher Plummer, The Last Station

Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones

Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Rationale: You can guarantee about 3 of these, with Tucci and Plummer being my unsure picks. I see Tucci missing out because The Lovely Bones is not much liked (unseen by me), and we already have a crazy villain in the category. Christian McKay, as Orson Welles in Me and Orson Welles seems like the only candidate likely to unseat somebody, but the movie isn't well known enough to be a serious threat. These will probably be the nominees.

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

Rationale: In December I predicted this category would be a showdown between Mulligan and Sidibe, but apparently the sands have shifted and it's between Bullock and Streep, with Bullock the favorite. How did this happen? Helen Mirren is the only one who could not be nominated, with Emily Blunt the likely alternative. Otherwise, another easy category.

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

Rationale: Again, I am copying the SAG exactly, because it seems the most logical. They are all strong contenders, though Jeremy Renner is the only one I see being unseated, perhaps by Viggo Mortensen for The Road. Otherwise, the rest of the slots are locked up. Unless the Academy loves Daniel Day Lewis enough to nominate him for anything.

Best Director:

Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker

James Cameron, Avatar

Lee Daniels, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Jason Reitman, Up in the Air

Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

Rationale: These are the five DGA nominees, and I see no reason for none of them to be nominated. Clint Eastwood or the Coens seem like the only likely upsetters, but their movies don't have enough heat behind them for this to be likely. Hopefully Bigelow will win, just like she deserves, and a woman can finally break the barrier as Best Director.

Best Picture

Avatar

District 9

An Education

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

A Serious Man

Star Trek

Up

Up in the Air

Rationale: The five DGA nominees are locked. As for the other five, just random guesses based on the PGA awards. I really would love to see A Serious Man nominated here. I'm guessing Up, but the animated film may be forever doomed to the Animated Feature category, and so it will be relegated there instead of here. If not Up, then Invictus. I seriously hope The Hangover doesn't get nominated; that would be a sad day for the Oscars (though last year was a sad day for the Oscars). Also, three sci-fi movies? Star Trek could be in or out, but since it has PGA love, I pick it. Same for District 9. This list right here, though, is a prime example for why 10 nominees is a bad idea. Go back to 5.

The nominees will be announced at 5:30 am PST tomorrow! I'll be up to watch them. HOORAY!

Top 10 of 2009

Here we are again. At the end of another long year in film. The year may have ended in January, but I give myself an extra month to see the films that don't get released near me until January. This year was pretty good for the movie world, and there are a few on my list that I might love even more later on. I can say, though, that this list has 10 movies I would have no problem sitting down and watching again. The quality wasn't as high, but the entertainment value was still there.

10. Inglourious Basterds

Dir. Quentin Tarantino

Quentin Tarantino finally released his much-delayed sixth film (if you count Kill Bill as one) and proved, once again, why he's so damn talented. It's a film that runs 150 minutes and is largely free of violence, relying on words to be the driving force. Brad Pitt stars as Lt. Aldo Raine, who leads a group of jews through Nazi land killing Nazis Apache-style. The violence is gruesome but brief, and Tarantino builds the suspense the old fashioned way: with characters, situation, and an abundance of dialogue. Melanie Laurent stars as Shosanna, the jewish girl who escapes execution to own a movie theater that hosts the premiere of the latest Nazi propaganda drivel. The film deserved the SAG award it won for Best Ensemble, because it really is an ensemble piece and no one character is the star. Brad Pitt is in maybe a third of the film. And it gives us one of the best villains of all time, Col. Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz), who makes milk and strudel terrifying.

9. Up in the Air

Dir. Jason Reitman

Jason Reitman has only made three feature movies in his career, and so far I have featured all three on my top 10 lists of their respected years. While this isn't his funniest movie (Thank You For Smoking still holds that title), it is definitely his best, a rich blend of comedy and drama, set against the backdrop of our current economic struggle. George Clooney is Ryan Bingham, who works for a company that loans him out to other companies to handle their layoffs. And business is never better then during this economic hardship. He prefers to be alone, but must show the ropes to an up and coming Cornell grad with an idea of how to fire people most cost-effectively. Clooney's character also dreams of reaching 10,000,000 frequent flyer miles. It's a movie with a lot of ideas that successfully balances all of them, and seems to strike a true chord. In the times we live in, something like this could not be more welcome.

8. Up

Dir. Pete Doctor

For the fourth year in a row, Pixar continues to rank on my list. Up is as spectacular as Wall•E (2008) or Ratatouille (2007), and is more of a throwback to silly children's entertainment. It opens with a five-minute sequence that beautifully says so much about life, love, and loss without a single word of dialogue that will bring you near to tears, and then embarks as a safer, more conventional adventure as geezer Carl Fredricksen lifts his house into the air and sets off to South America with Junior Explorer Russell in tow. Doug, the talking dog, is definitely a winner and everyone sees their dog personified in Doug, but the rest of the talking dogs, while entertaining, are boring, and so is the villain, an old explorer who has spent his life searching for some rare bird. Few Pixar movies have true villains (A Bug's Life, Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., and The Incredibles all have villains) but at least they are interesting. Still, Up will take you away on a grand adventure for the young and the old, and is still a worthy addition to the Pixar canon.

7. Goodbye Solo

Dir. Ramin Bahrani

Ramin Bahrani is another director who supposedly has never made a bad film. I haven't seen Man Push Cart or Chop Shop, but I have seen Goodbye Solo, and this film is one of pure beauty. Solo is a cab driver somewhere in a small North Carolina town who picks up an old man who requests to be taken to certain location. Solo becomes fascinated with the old man, and soon begins driving him everywhere and trying to befriend him, suspecting the old man of wanting to commit suicide. It's a beautiful tale of two very different people and two very different points in life coming together, and Bahrani has a mastery of moving his film along at just the right pace. The performances are also fantastic, as Souleymane Sy Savane radiates as Solo and Red West grumbles as William. The film has a perfect ending, and is really one of the rare joys of the year.

6. The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans

Dir. Werner Herzog

From a film of pure beauty to one that is all kinds of wrong, Bad Lieutenant is a remake of an early 90s film of nearly the same name. But if you are going to remake something, Werner Herzog is the man to do it, putting his unique spin on culture and life. Nicolas Cage has seldom been better as Terence McDonaugh, a New Orleans cop who gets promoted to Lieutenant as he suffers a chronic back pain that leads him to become a massive druggie. Cage infuses his character with a mix of madness and strange rationality, and the movie works because you believe him for every moment of the film. Two scenes will enter the film lexicon, one involving iguanas, the other involving a dancing soul. The movie is unhinged, much like Cage's character, and keeps getting more and more outrageous. Never have I seen a film that made me root for a more obviously wrong character, but this one does it superbly.

5. Tokyo Sonata

Dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Now back to a film that isn't necessarily beautiful, but definitely deserves to be seen in its own right. Tokyo Sonata tells the tale of a middle-class Japanese family that slowly begins to disintegrate, as the father loses his job and can't muster the courage to tell his family, and his youngest son begins exploring his interest in music. It's a tale of roles and where we fit in our society, which seems to be a timeless theme. The father pretends to go to work, and instead meets a fellow unemployee who teaches him the habit of looking important while really being without pay. The film's third act features a rather odd device, as all the characters hit their climax, but it is brought back by a beautifully done piano solo of Claude Debussy's "Claire de Lune," which leaves you sitting in the theater long after the credits have roled.

4. A Serious Man

Dir. Joel & Ethan Coen

A Serious Man was a movie that didn't go down easy on my initial viewing. As soon as it ended and the credits rolled, I sat there with a definite wtf expression on my face. But as the hours passed and I pondered the movie, I realized just how good it was. Essentially it is an adaptation of the Book of Job set in a Minnesota suburb in the 1960s. Michael Stuhlbarg is Larry Gopnik, a college professor who receives a bribe from a failing student, and who returns home to find his wife seeking a divorce for no apparent reason. Everything happens out of the blue, and more and more bad shit keeps happening to Larry. The film is also peppered with strange folk tales, one about a dentist who finds Hebrew on a patient's teeth and tries to investigate the meaning of it. The rabbi who is telling this story suddenly stops, and Gopnik sits there saying, "Why did you tell me that?" People will feel the same way about the movie in general, and that is more or less the point, but it still stands as one of the Coen's best works.

3. Gake no ue nonyo (Ponyo)

Dir. Hayao Miyazaki

Miyazaki is a master of animation and storytelling; his sure hand always guides a project successfully to a finish, and no one seems to have more imagination or balls then he does. Ponyo is adapted from The Little Mermaid (the Hans Christian Andersen story), but it takes that story and makes it so much more innocent and pure. Ponyo is a little fish of some kind who breaks free of her father's rule, and becomes friends with Sosuke. She transforms into a human, slowly, and her breach of the elements causes massive flooding and crazy storm weather to abound. The movie is about the pure joy of being a child, as embodied by Sosuke and Ponyo. The movie has pure exhilarating moments as Ponyo runs across fish waves, and Ponyo makes Sosuke's little toy boat large enough for them to go explore the flooded town. I saw the American voiced version, which is miscast (the kids are too old and Liam Neeson doesn't ring true), and it features the most prime example of a great, cute kid's song being taken and run through the Disney shitmill to create a bastardized Ponyo song (sung by young Cyrus and Jonas). I can't wait to really see the movie in it's original Japanese form, but even some bad voice acting can't keep this movie from being truly spectacular.

2. The Hurt Locker

Dir. Kathryn Bigelow

The Hurt Locker is the first Iraq war movie I have seen that is actually frickin' amazing. This is largely in part due to the fact that it is about the men fighting in the service, and doesn't meditate on why we are there or what we are doing there. The soldiers are there doing what they are ordered, and this film follows one particular bomb defusing nut, SFC William James (Jeremy Renner) and the various bombs he defuses. This is another prime example of tension and suspense that exists because we care about the characters, we care about the situation, and this is also Hitchcock's bomb theory fully embodied into an entire movie. Every bomb-defusion is wrought with tension, as are the various other activities. The cast is uniformly terrific, with Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty as the other two main soldiers of the unit. This movie is right now in a heated battle with Avatar for Best Picture, while Avatar is a fine film, it is nowhere near as awesome as this one. Kathryn Bigelow deserves the Oscar, and this deserves Best Picture. It's obviously not my favorite of the year, but it is number two, and that's pretty damn good.

1. Where the Wild Things Are

Dir. Spike Jonze

While Ponyo is about the joy of childhood, Where the Wild Things Are is about the pain and misunderstanding of being a child. It takes place at that time in a child's life when imagination is venturing out the door and real adult responsibilities begin to set in. It opens with my favorite moment of the year, as young Max (Max Records) barrels down the stairs in pure, unfiltered childhood energy. He escapes into his world where the Wild Things roam, played by a variety of voice actors including James Gandolfini, Chris Cooper, and Lauren Ambrose, and becomes associated with their world. Each of the Wild Things represent an aspect of Max's life, and are beautifully realized as costumes and computer generated images. Rather then creating them in Post, Spike Jonze has real fur and blood characters there the entire time, and animates their face. More so then anything, this movie reminded me of my youth, when I would enter my own worlds and shut the rest out. Many parents claimed that this movie was too scary for children, and I agree kids under 7 may not like it, but kids from 8 - 10 get it, and the rest of us can relate. It's not a movie for kids, it's a movie about kids, and they have as many emotional issues as adults, they are just personified in their imagination. Max Records is also terrific as young Max, who is a little brat at times, but we all were. But I mostly fell in love with the Wild Things, and there crazy world where danger always lurks, but if you have your friends, you'll be just fine.

I like to honor more then just ten films. Those were my ranked favorites, but there are 20 more that were also pretty good. Here they are, alphabetically:

Avatar

Crazy Heart

An Education

Fantastic Mr. Fox

(500) Days of Summer

Food, Inc.

The Girlfriend Experience

In the Loop

The White Ribbon

World's Greatest Dad

In addition, I would like to host my own impromptu awards. Here are my picks for Best Director, Actor, and the like:

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker

Runner-up: Spike Jonze, Where the Wild Things Are

Best Actor: Nicolas Cage, The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans

Runner-up: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

Best Actress: Carey Mulligan, An Education

Runner-up: Gabourey Sidibe, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Runner-up: Peter Capaldi, In the Loop

Best Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Runner-up: Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air

Best Screenplay: Inglourious Basterds

Runner-up: A Serious Man

And of course, no year review would be complete without a round-up of the worst this year had to offer. In this final section, I pick the most overrated movie and reveal the 5 worst of the year.

Most Overrated Movie: District 9

5 Worst of the Year:

5. Watchmen

Dir. Zack Snyder

Suposed to be an original take on the superhero story, based off of an excellent graphic novel. It has the best opening titles sequence of the year, no doubt, but with mostly uncompelling characters, this one falls FAAAAAR short.

4. Antichrist

Dir. Lars von Trier

It's just brutal for the sake of brutalities sake. It features some gorgeous cinematography, and clearly has an interesting message, but von Trier is so full of himself that the movie becomes a crazy misogynistic tale, though the roles are reversed briefly. Still, got to give Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg kudos for being courageous enough to try something like this.

3. Terminator Salvation

Dir. McG

Pure, pure shit. The worst of the Terminator films. Shit blows up, things happen, and Christian Bale is probably in one of his worst roles as John Connor. Mr. Avatar Sam Worthington shows up here as a robot thing, but the movie is dramatically empty, and the story is pointless. I hope there won't be too many more of these.

2. Gamer

Dir. Neveldine/Taylor

Another film that takes flashy coolness of substance, Gamer tries to have a cool message about corporations in the evil future and selling your body for money and blah blah blah, but really it's brainless thrill ride, with not thrills. Michael C. Hall is pretty awesome, and Gerard Butler is terrible as always. It must be in his contract to star in shitty movies.

1. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Dir. Michael Bay

Really, I have wasted enough breath on this movie. Definitely one of the worst pieces of shit I have ever seen. Mindless, racist, offensive, it violates every rule of the make a good movie book. I won't be back for Transformers 3, thank you very much.

AND THAT'S IT! 2010 awaits with more interesting, exciting movies. I can't wait to see everything that is in store for us this year, and to kick off a whole new decade! LET THE MOVIES COMMENCE!

Golden Globes: What Won vs. What I Picked

Last night saw the 67th Annual Golden Globes, which in many ways is the most fun awards show out there because the celebrities sit around, eat dinner, and get drunk at the Beverly Hilton. At the same time, it can be a show that awards for popularity rather then quality, as evidenced by Avatar and The Hangover taking the big awards. Now, don't get me wrong, I think Avatar is a really good film, I just don't think it is worthy of all these accolades. I'm pulling for Kathryn Bigelow for Best Director and The Hurt Locker for Best Picture.

I made predictions for every category last night, even the TV ones. Here they are, pooled together mainly so I can look back and see how I did. Really, this was where I picked what I thought should win, which benefited me in the Male TV Actor category.

Best Supporting Actor TV Stuff

Prediction: John Lithgow - Dexter

Winner: John Lithgow - Dexter

Best Supporting Actress TV Stuff

Prediction: Jane Lynch - Glee

Winner: Cholë Sevigny - Big Love

Fav Moment: The escort ripped her dress. She couldn't believe it.

Best Actor Mini Series or TV Movie

Prediction: Brendan Gleeson - Into the Storm

Winner: Kevin Bacon - Taking Chances

Best Actress Mini Series or TV Movie

Prediction: Jessica Lange - Grey Gardens

Winner: Drew Barrymore - Grey Gardens

Comments: I hate Drew Barrymore, and her acceptance speech was a travesty of stupidity.

Best Mini Series or TV Movie

Prediction: Into the Storm

Winner: Grey Gardens

Best TV Actor - Comedy or Musical

Prediction: Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock

Winner: Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock

Best TV Actress - Comedy or Musical

Prediction: Lea Michele - Glee

Winner: Toni Collette - The United States of Tara

Best TV Show - Comedy or Musical

Prediction: 30 Rock

Winner: Glee

Comments: True to form, Glee wins the only thing I predicted it not to win, and failed at the other categories

Best TV Actor - Drama

Prediction: Michael C. Hall - Dexter

Winner: Michael C. Hall - Dexter

Comments: Finally, this long overdue award is given to him. This and John Lithgow's win were my favorite moments of the night.

Best TV Actress - Drama

Prediction: January Jones - Mad Men

Winner: Julianna Margulies - The Good Wife

Best TV Show - Drama

Prediction: Dexter

Winner: Mad Men

Best Original Song

Prediction: "I See You" - Avatar

Winner: "The Weary Kind" - Crazy Heart

Comments: I saw Crazy Heart the day before the Globes, and had I made my predictions then, I would have picked it. Oh, hindsight.

Best Original Score

Prediction: Karen O and Carter Burwell - Where the Wild Things Are

Winner: Michael Giacchino - Up

Comments: I forgot how good the Up score was, though I still love the Wild Things score. Tough call, but I like Giacchino, so good for him.

Best Screenplay

Prediction: Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner - Up in the Air

Winner: Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner - Up in the Air

Fav Moment: Jason Reitman saying, "Why isn't Quentin up here?"

Best Director

Prediction: Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker

Winner: James Cameron - Avatar

Comments: A travesty, but I guess if you work on something for 12 years and it is as successful as Avatar it's going to win. Bigelow's movie was better.

Best Foreign Language Film

Prediction: The White Ribbon

Winner: The White Ribbon

Comments: I got lucky, I just picked the Palm D'or winner, which actually worked this time.

Best Animated Film

Prediction: Up

Winner: Up

Comments: Big surprise.

Best Supporting Actor

Prediction: Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds

Winner: Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress

Prediction: Mo'nique - Precious

Winner: Mo'nique - Precious

Comments: She gave the most heartfelt speech.

Best Actor - Comedy or Musical

Prediction: Matt Damon - The Informant!

Winner: Robert Downey, Jr. - Sherlock Holmes

Comments: He gave the best speech.

Best Actress - Comedy or Musical

Prediction: Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia

Winner: Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia

Best Picture - Comedy or Musical

Prediction: (500) Days of Summer

Winner: The Hangover

Comments: Worst call in the history of the Globes.

Best Actor - Drama

Prediction: George Clooney - Up in the Air

Winner: Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart

Fav Moment: The standing ovation they gave him.

Best Actress - Drama

Prediction: Gabourey Sidibe - Precious

Winner: Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side

Comments: So she won for helping under privileged kids? I guess I should see this movie to judge it fairly, but Sidibe and Carey Mulligan gave better performances then I've ever seen Bullock deliver.

Best Picture - Drama

Prediction: The Hurt Locker

Winner: Avatar

Comments: Hopefully the Academy will have better judgment, though something tells me not. We'll have to see how the guilds play out, but I honestly hope they go for what they think is the best, and not what is most popular. Also, I got my butt whooped in Movie Drama.

Total Score: 9.5/25 (I give myself .5 for still predicting Grey Gardens for Best Mini Series Actress) This is what happens when you predict with your heart, not your head.

The 39 Steps (1935)

Anyone who loves cinema has, at one point or another, seen Hitchcock. It's impossible not to; his films are their own, unique special brand, and while many have tried, none have made a film that can replicate the touch Hitchcock gives his pictures. Sure there have been more suspenseful works since then, but none have imbued their films with as much dry humor as Hitch does, at least in the way Hitch does.

39 Steps is not Hitch's best film, to be sure, but it is his first really good one. It's the film that really proved Hitch had an idea of what he was doing early on, he just didn't have his sure footing yet. It has many of the recognizable Hitchcock touches: an innocent man caught in a tale of intrigue, a ruthless villain who isn't seen much, and a blonde that becomes the love interest.

It also features probably the first great example of Hitchcock's MacGuffin, which is easily defined as the thing (object, person, anything) that motivates the plot, but the audience doesn't need to know what it is, only that it is essential it is obtained/stopped/whatever. The MacGuffin here isn't necessarily what The 39 Steps is, but what secret information they are trying to obtain.

We are introduced to Richard Hannay (Robert Donat), a Candian in London who attends a show where a gun shot is fired and panic breaks out. As he leaves, a young, sexy foreign woman asks to accompany him home to keep her safe from the men hunting her (you see, it was SHE that fired the gun). Hannay complies, and this is reason number one you don't take a mysterious, young, foreign, sexy woman home with you being hunted by spies. She divulges information about The 39 Steps, and the next morning she walks into Hannay's room with a knife in her back. Naturally, Hannay goes on the run because he has been framed for the murder, and to find out who is behind the secret organization.

Hitchcock uses the murder of a person to drive the plot, rather then what that key information is. Hannay spends much of the time on the run, and has a run-in with a blonde bombshell, Pamela (Madeleine Carroll), who doesn't believe him at first and keeps trying to turn him in. Slowly, of course, she comes round and eventually begins aiding him in his quest.

Hitch was a master at causing thrills, and none is more evident then in his brilliant set-up of his villain, Professor Jordan (Godfrey Tearle); Ms. Sexy Foreign spy tells Hannay that if he should ever run into a man with the top portion of his left pinky missing he had better run. Hitch finds something unique we won't forget, and when the Professor pulls out his hand and reveals the missing limb, it immediately instills the audience with a sense of danger. These classic methods are either gone or too rare for movies to deal with.

And here's the thing about the movie: it's thrilling, but at the same time it's not a completely stupid movie either. I definitely liked a lot more when I first saw it five or six years ago, but even on a second viewing (I had forgotten most of the movie by this point) I still found it engaging and entertaining. It's not as deep as one would like, which is typical of Hitchcock, but it is still smart.

It even takes a throw-away character, Mr. Memory (Wylie Watson) and uses him as a bookend piece AND an integral part to the story. Not a moment of this movie is wasted (thank goodness, since it is only 86 minutes!), and everything builds to its conclusion. I've seen a couple of Hitchcock's movies from the 30s, and I can say firmly this is the best of the bunch (of course I'm pending my upcoming viewing of The Lady Vanishes (1938), so that may change).

This is an important film for Hitchcock, and essential for any cinephile or Hitch lover. I'll reiterate again that this is by no means his best movie, but it certainly is the one that launched his career. Hitchcock wouldn't hit his stride until the 50s, when he churned out three or four masterpieces (the pinnacle of his career), but all the films leading up to that point are worth a look, if only to see how someone defines their style. I make it no secret that Alfred Hitchcock is my favorite director, because of his off-screen personality, and because of his unique dose of thrills.

67th Golden Globes Predictions

Ah, it's officially that time of year: Awards Season. And with the Golden Globes officially slated for the Sunday after next (the 17th), I'm just giddy with making predictions. 'Tis the season to start selecting SAG, DGA, PGA, and WGA awards, until we reach the big kahuna, the Oscars.

So why I am releasing predictions 10 days before the televised event? Well, I don't really care about the Golden Globes, and I care less about who wins. I mean, c'mon, Nine, one of the worst reviewed movies of the year, is up for multiple awards, and Sandra Bullock is up for Best Actress in a Comedy for The Proposal. I hardly take the Globes very seriously (then again, I shouldn't take the Oscars so seriously, but I do). So, why not release my predictions? Here they are, along with my rationale.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Prediction: John Lithgow for Dexter

Why: This is honestly one of the few categories where I have a lot of interest in who wins. Anyone who saw the most recent season of Dexter will agree that Lithgow turned in one of the most chilling and deranged performances as the Trinity killer. Michael Emerson won the Emmy for Lost and is also really good, but I'm really pulling for Lithgow. Dexter has won too few awards at this point and needs some recognition.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Prediction: Jane Lynch - Glee

Why: No idea. But Glee is a really popular show, so I'll just pick it. Other prognosticators know better, but I don't.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Prediction: Brendan Gleeson - Into the Storm

Why: Again, no reason since I haven't seen any of the nominees, but Brendan Gleeson was awesome in In Bruges, Harry Potter, and Six Shooter so he should win.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Prediction: Jessica Lange - Grey Gardens

Why: Grey Gardens has two nominations in this category, and I'll be damned if Drew Barrymore is winning it. Though I haven't seen any noms, so what do I know?

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Prediction: Into the Storm

Why: Brendan Gleeson, woot!

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical

Prediction: Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock

Why: HE ALWAYS WINS!

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical

Prediction: Lea Michele - Glee

Why: Because Glee is popular. Plus, she has a great voice (starred in Spring Awakening) and did a really good rendition of Defying Gravity. Though Edie Falco is pretty good bet depending on how popular Nurse Jackie is.

Best Television Series - Comedy or Musical

Prediction: 30 Rock

Why: While I keep touting Glee as being popular enough to win other categories, I think 30 Rock is the safe bet since it always wins this award. My personal preference show wise is The Office, but 30 Rock had a better 3rd Season then The Office had of a 5th season. So I got to give it to them.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama

Prediction: Michael C. Hall - Dexter

Why: I've predicted him EVERY time and he loses EVERY time. Theoretically he should win at some point...right?

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama

Prediction: January Jones - Mad Men

Why: Mad Men will actually probably win all the Drama categories, so I figure I should pencil it in for one of the three. Though watch, it will be the one category Mad Men doesn't win.

Best Television Series - Drama

Prediction: Dexter

Why: Almost as good as Season 1, and with an ending that made my Dad vow not to watch the show again, Season 4 of Dexter is truly a great run for the show, especially those last four episodes. Probably Mad Men, otherwise.

Best Original Song - Motion Picture

Prediction: "I See You" - Avatar

Why: Far less annoying and memorable then Celine Dion's tune from Titanic, I honestly don't know any of the songs and could care less which one of them wins.

Best Original Score - Motion Picture

Prediction: Karen O and Carter Burwell - Where the Wild Things Are

Why: This score has already been disqualified from the Original Score run at the Oscars, and really is the best of the nominated bunch. James Horner's score is just a retread of everything he's done in the past, though I wouldn't mind Michael Giacchino winning for Up; he is a fantastic and underrated composer. But this should go to Wild Things.

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture

Prediction: Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner - Up in the Air

Why: As far as screenplays go, this one is pretty solid. I'll be damned if Nancy Meyers or Neill Blomkamp is going to win this award, though Tarantino is overdue for his unique style. The Hurt Locker is certainly the best movie of the 5, but Up in the Air looks better on page then The Hurt Locker; that's a movie you need to see, you simply can't read it.

Best Director - Motion Picture

Prediction: Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker

Why: Well, A, this was the best movie of the bunch, but also B, its time a woman won the award, and Bigelow is certainly deserving of it. This wouldn't be a pity prize, and I am fully behind The Hurt Locker going all the way this year in Awards Season. But after over 100 years of movies and 82 years of Academy Awards, its finally time a woman was honored...and it can all start here.

Best Foreign Language Film

Prediction: The White Ribbon

Why: I haven't seen any of the nominees due to their lack of release currently, but The White Ribbon won the Palme D'or (certainly no indicator of awards potential) and automatically becomes my number one choice until I start seeing some of these movies. FYI, Broken Embraces and The Maid have already been released, I just haven't seen them yet.

Best Animated Feature Film

Prediction: Up

Why: I'm shocked Ponyo, easily the best animated film of the year, is missing from this bunch, and I'm going with Pixar because they are the safe bet. But I smell a Fantastic Mr. Fox upset, which I would be fine with. Pixar has won their fair share, though I still favor Up over Wes Anderson's whimsical tale. Special note should to the fact this is the first time five animated films have been nominated, due to an abundance of the style this year.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Prediction: Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds

Why: Similar to Heath Ledger last year, Waltz picked up Oscar buzz during the film's summer release and has held on strong into awards season. Of course another of the nominees could win due the sheer boredom of handing out Supporting Actor to a villain every time, but Waltz's performance is so chilling that you have to surrender to its sheer awesomeness.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Prediction: Mo'nique - Precious

Why: The performance is great, though it is award-bait as well. But she is going to be the powerhouse to be reckoned with this season, unless one of the Up in the Air ladies pulls through.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical

Prediction: Matt Damon - The Informant!

Why: I missed this movie while it was in theaters, but none of the nominees particularly stand out as strong candidates for this award. Daniel Day-Lewis could win simply because he's Daniel Day-Lewis, and Michael Stuhlbarg of A Serious Man could pull through as well. But honestly I'm flummoxed here and will go with what looked like a strong performance.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical

Prediction: Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia

Why: She's nominated twice (also for It's Complicated) so she should win either for either performance, though I think her show as Julia Child will be most popular. The other three or just so unlikely (Julia Roberts, Marion Cotillard, and Sandra Bullock) that this is probably one of the only categories I'm certain of.

Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical

Prediction: (500) Days of Summer

Why: It won't win, this I am really sure of, but I have no idea which of the nominees could win, and so I am left with my favorite movie of the two I saw in this category. The Hangover would be a shocker, so I highly doubt that, and can only really see Julie & Julia being a strong contender, along with Nine. I'd be fine if Summer or J/J won, but if the other three win (It's Complicated is the last nomination) the eck.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

Prediction: George Clooney - Up in the Air

Why: Jeremy Renner was shockingly not nominated here, and would be my first choice otherwise. Clooney has been gathering a small storm of praise and seems like a safe and likely choice, though Colin Firth and Jeff Bridges for A Single Man and Crazy Heart (both currently unseen by me), respectively seem to be power house performances ready to erupt into awards frenzy. Tobey Maguire is the real wtf here, and I'll just pretend that Jeremy Renner's version of military machismo is nominated.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama

Prediction: Gabourey Sidibe - Precious

Why: This category is going to be a massive battle between Carey Mulligan and Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe. I'm not sure where the Hollywood Foreign Press' tastes lie, but Sidibe gives the more obvious "courageous" performance, though Mulligan is required to build a character more. I'm torn between the two and would be happy if either won, but I think this is going to be Gabby's year, and then we'll never hear from her again (Jennifer Hudson anyone?), whereas Mulligan will probably continue to build her charm and roles.

Best Motion Picture - Drama

Prediction: The Hurt Locker

Why: Having seen all the nominees and liking or loving all of them, I can rightly say this is the strongest category in the entire show. I could see any of these movies winning, honestly, for various reasons. When it comes to Oscar I pick what I think will win, but since this is the Globes and I don't care, I'll pick what I think should win. Up in the Air seems like a very good second place or alternate winner, though if Avatar is going to start rearing its head this is where it will happen. But I hope Bigelow's war epic sweeps the season, and this is the place to start.

If you live in ET/CT then tune in for a live broadcast of the Globes! Otherwise us West Coasters will just get the winners as they are posted online and then watch the Awards show ignorant of what is going to happen.

The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans (2009)

Movies have a way of sneaking up and surprising you from time to time, you just never know when they are going to do it or when. Werner Herzog, the helmer of this remake of the 1992 film Martin Scorsese named as one of the ten best of the that decade, is definitely a reputable source for something unexpected.

Bad Lieutenant takes the bad cop formula and then ramps it up to the extreme. Nicolas Cage, who delivers my favorite leading actor performance this year, plays Terence McDonaugh, a good cop who suffers a back injury and is promoted to lieutenant (though based on the opening I wouldn't say he is all good). The movie chronicles his slow descent into madness, as he picks up a coke addiction, gambles endlessly, and cuts off one of his girlfriend's (Eva Mendes) most powerful clients (she is a prostitute, and he is ok with that).

There is also a plot tying everything together about the murder of a whole family, and McDonaugh's search for the killer. But this movie isn't about plot as it is about McDonaugh and his depravity. Near the opening, he lurks outside a club and pulls over an unsuspecting couple; he frisks them for drugs, then takes what he finds and rapes the guy's girlfriend right in front of him (though she goes willingly).

Such a character sounds unlikable and he really is an unlikeable person. But Cage is so electrifying in his performance of this corrupted man that you actually root for him as the bad shit piles on higher and higher. Herzog is known for his character studies (most notably the middling Strozek), and this definitely fits the bill. This performance could have easily been a caricature, but Cage instead fully embodies and believes in this role, and so do we.

The supporting actors are also really good, most notably Eva Mendes as the prostitute girlfriend. She is equal parts sexy and broken on the inside, and never once seems to be overselling her character. The same goes for rapper and Pimp My Ride host Xzibit as a drug kingpin, who has one of the most crazed car rides in recent memory.

The film will be noted for other unique elements that come into play; Herzog holds the camera on the gaze of reptiles, a crocodile and some infamous iguanas. Both shots inspire laughs, for different reasons, but both keep you magnetized to this lizards. And the iguanas will become a part of the film snob vernacular, as I fear far to few people will get to see this movie due to its limited release. But those iguanas, and a dancing soul, add to McDonaugh's crazed reality and hallucinations, whether that is due the medication, cocaine, or the mixture is irrelevant.

If you have the opportunity to see this movie, do it. I command you. It reaches a level of depravity I hadn't thought possible in a film portraying a "bad" cop; Dirty Harry would blush in this guy's presence. Let it be known to the world that Nicolas Cage's performance in this film is going to be the single unsung masterstroke of the year.

#1: Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001)

When I am older, I will look back on this decade as the time when I truly fell in love with the movies; when I started taking an active interest in all the films out there around me, seeking out classic black-&-white films and foreign films, and starting my path down the career of a filmmaker. No other decade can possibly hold as much significance to me as this one, because this was the decade of my youth.

So then why do I pick Hayao Miyazaki’s incredible Spirited Away as my number one movie of the decade? Personally, I can’t think of anything better. Miyazaki is one of the best filmmakers living today, and his body of work boasts some of the finest pieces of storytelling I can think of. Just this decade he has turned out three sublime movies, the other two being Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) and Ponyo (2008). He creates entire worlds that are wholly original, and his animations boast some of the most creative inspirations I have ever seen.

Spirited Away concerns the young girl Chihiro, who is moving with her parents to a new town. They take a detour and end up at what they assume is an abandoned theme park. The parents eat forbidden food and are turned into pigs, and Chihiro discovers the “theme park” is actually a bathhouse for spirits. She seeks employment from the witch who runs the place, Yubaba, and with the help of her new friends, Haku and Lin, she seeks a way to escape and get her parents back.

That summary comprises maybe the first forty minutes of the movie, and the rest is a spectacular delight, as Chihiro encounters river spirits, toads, a monster named No-Face, and an eight-armed man who operates the boiler room. Miyazaki has a deft touch that creates these characters and this world so firmly that you believe in them completely and are spirited away, so to speak, into this world.

This may not by Miyazaki’s best work in his filmography, and some may contend not his best film of the decade. But this film was my induction into the Miyazaki film world, and I cannot begin to describe the excitement I felt as I watched the movie for the first time; it is one of the few times I checked my brain at the door, not because it was juvenile, but because everything about it ensnared me and I just wanted to stay in this world forever. People often describe Star Wars (the original) as making them feel like a kid again, and I can say that is definitely true about this film. I would wager it is probably the film this decade I have seen the most times, because whenever I find out someone hasn’t seen it, I eagerly force them to watch it. Indeed, I watched this movie twice in one week the first time I saw it.

I think the reason I connect with the film so much is because it reminds me that in the world there are still people brimming with ideas and imagination, who are not afraid to express themselves fully, and in a wholly original way. It also proves that animation is not for children, a stigma that has been perpetuated by Disney films. Pixar films have tried to break that mold, but the general population still regards them as children’s fare. It is a sad reality, but hopefully animation can move away from this stigma and will be taken seriously as a real art form, worthy of comparison to the great movies of yore and present.

And so to this decade, I bid thee adieu. There are several thousand films I did not get a chance to see in time for this list, and I made this list without completely seeing some definite must sees. I was going to do this midway through next year, but by then who would really give a shit? Undoubtedly movies and rankings would be different if I did this list in six months, but I feel it is an accurate representation of my feelings now. I said I would modify it if I ended up seeing something genius, but that seems unnecessary now. This decade is over, and it is time to welcome in the new decade with open arms. 2010, here we come.