We Hate Hollywood

I wanted to finally take some time out to address some personal pet peeves.  The situation is that you’ve just asked someone what they thought of a particular movie.  Their response is terse and intellectually shallow.  Don’t get me wrong…I’ve said some of these things at some point in my life.  We all fall into these conversational ruts.  But please take a minute to think about how pointless these responses to a film are (of course, these mindless responses are not necessarily relegated only to film).  So, here are the Top Ten Dumbest Movie Reviews:

10.  It didn’t live up to the hype.  So what?  Screw hype.  You have to be able to just take a movie on its own terms.  This culture is so obsessed with knowing as much as they can about a movie before seeing it to get their excitement up.  So they watch clips, trailers, behind the scenes interviews, etc to tweak their enthusiasm levels or just out of curiosity.  But all of these things - especially trailers - are designed to make something look better than it is.  You have to understand that.  So, if you really want to experience a film as it is intended to be viewed, you have to go in with a clear mind.

9.  The book was better.  See my blog entry about this topic.

8.   It wasn’t bad/terrible.  Huh?  This is the kind of response you hear from people who a) Don’t really care for movies anyway; b) Didn’t care to see that particular movie to begin with; c) Are very very cynical people overall.  Either way, never trust this “review” from anyone’s lips.

7.  It was different/strange.  So what?  Were you hoping it was going to be a formulaic?  Was it strange because it didn’t end with an explosion thus fueling your Cro Magnon urges?  Ending a conversation with “Ehh…it was different” is about as exciting as answering a question about your job with “Oh…been keeping busy.  Pass the Cheez Whiz.”

6. It was interesting.  This is closely related to 7.  You have to support your searing insight somehow.  How was it interesting?  Were you moved by an actor’s performance?  Did the plot resonate with you?  Or was it just interesting because you somehow managed to struggle and stay awake through most of it?

5.  It was entertaining.  Hmmm.  Well movies are supposed to be entertaining, but they should do more than that.  If you’re only goal is to be entertained, then go sit in your bathtub with the shower running and pretend you’re in a sinking submarine.  It’s much cheaper and doesn’t require clothes.

4.  I hated it because I don’t like [insert actor or actress name].  This can be a tough one.  We all have certain actors that just make our skin crawl or that we just don’t like for reasons we aren’t sure of.  That’s natural.  But, if you look beyond this bias, I think you’ll be surprised at some truly great movies you’re overlooking.  I used to hate Richard Gere.  Maybe it was because I didn’t agree with his politics.  But one day many years ago, I decided to give him a shot.  As a result, I ended up really liking Primal Fear, Chicago, and The Hoax (to name a few).  If you are a true lover of film, you have to be able to separate the artist from the art.  If you can’t do it, then you probably shouldn’t watch movies.

3. I wouldn’t see it again.  OK.  This falls under the category of More Info Needed.  Is that because you don’t see movies twice or because you didn’t like it?  Eh never mind.  I won’t ask for your opinion again.

2. It was too depressing/scary/sad/cheerful.  Well, film is supposed to elicit an emotional response.  And it won’t always be happiness.  Life isn’t like that either.  If you only want to watch movies with happy endings, you are severely limiting your experience and approaching film with blinders on.  Sometimes, evil will get away (Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men) but you have to look at what the film is saying overall.  On the other hand, I don’t have a lot of respect for cynical people who disown a movie for being too happy or joyous.  Again, that may be the intent of the movie.  Just remember that film is subjective.  What is depressing to you may instead be poignant and moving to me.  But don’t dismiss a film just because it’s emotional impact isn’t what you wanted.  Find the truth in the art for yourself.

1. It’s not perfect.  I have news for you.  Most movies aren’t.  I’ve even admitted that the Golden Gun rating on this site isn’t for what I necessarily consider to be “perfect” movies.  A film can win an Oscar and still not be a perfect movie.  I don’t go to movies to see a perfect film.  I am going because I love the medium and because I want to have a great experience with it.  A movie should move you in some way.  You should have some kind of relationship with it, and some of those relationships can be intense.  But they can still have some minor flaws.  Stop saying something isn’t perfect.  Just talk about your encounter with it was.

What other ones annoy you?

* Saw 7 title - The next Saw chapter will be titled Saw 3D with the tagline “The Traps Come Alive”.  Shame on all of you who keep paying to see this dim-witted, drooling, brainless, insipid horror series.  As far as titles go, this isn’t as laughable as 5nal Destination.
* Yikes, Weird Al Yankovic is working on a movie.  I remember thinking he was funny 20 years ago.
* Get your Bruce Willis cologne!  No thanks.  I’m waiting for an Ian McShane scent.
* Uh oh.  It looks like Ed Norton won’t be the Hulk in the Avengers movie.  Sources are reporting that… zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
* Netflix and Relativity Media strike deal to stream some first-run theatrical films on Netflix.  This could really be a game changer if it works.  It’s fascinating to see the film world changing in regards to the potential of the internet.  This is one deal where it looks like we will really benefit as viewers.

• Director John Moore (of the thought provoking Max Payne) wants to direct an Ice Road Truckers movie.  When I first read this, I had to keep re-reading the story to make sure I got it right and wasn’t insane.  Fox has actually picked up the rights for the film.  So…Hollywood is moving on to turning reality shows into movies.  Just when I thought we’d already reached the bottom of the barrel.
• James Cameron plans to convert Titanic into 3D in 2012.  I don’t mean to keep beating a dead horse, but this 3D mania is seriously out of control.  How soon until we get Schindler’s List in 3D?  “The list is life…in 3D!!”
• Producer Gore Verbinski discusses the Bioshock movie.  Hollywood’s obsession with video game movies is like a mad scientist performing genetic experiments.  No matter how many failures, he keeps producing hideous creation after hideous creation.
• It was announced that relatively unknown actor Andrew Garfield will be the new Spider-Man.  I haven’t weighed in on this yet.  Mostly because I don’t give a shit.  Rebooting Spider-Man this soon is idiotic.  Sam Raimi already directed two good movies with the web slinging hero.  I’m fine with forgiving the third film and calling the series closed.  Hollywood has other plans:   Drive it into the ground.
• I don’t think anyone is surprised, but M. Night’s Shyamalan’s career continues to nose dive.  The Last Airbender is turning out to be the worst reviewed film of the year so far.  He is currently shopping another supernatural script around Hollywood, and there are no takers as of yet.  Could this be a make or break deal for him?
• Could Monsters be the next low-budget phenomena in the vein of Paranormal Activity?  Newcomer Gareth Edwards (just a little TV work so far) has been wowing audiences at film festivals.  The film concerns a possible alien infection in Mexico following a discovery by NASA six year prior.  While the numbers haven’t been confirmed, there are estimates that the production only cost 15k.

• Tom Cruise working on a Les Grossman movie?  Hollywood will never ever learn the lesson of “less is more”. Les Grossman was a funny character in Tropic Thunder.  But now, he is getting over-exposed.  This is the same phenomenon that plagues SNL movies.  Your characters are funny in short bits…never in an extended format.  Wayne’s World is the obvious exception to the rule.
• A remake of Ghost…in Japan.  Japan, your remakes rarely work here.  Know what happens with the reverse? 同上
• Die Hard 5 update.  Rumored title is Die Hard 24/7.  That’s all sorts of ridiculous.  Few action movies will match the intensity and crazy fun of the first Die Hard.  But this franchise needs to die.  I know this industry is based on money and “sure bets” but what if instead of doing sequels, Bruce Willis made other action movies just to give us something different?  Oh wait…he already gave us Cop Out, Surrogates, 16 Blocks, Lucky Number Slevin, and Hostage.  I stand corrected.
• Battleship moved up a week.  Yes, Peter Berg is directing a movie based on a board game.  Sort of a board game.  See the link for details on a project that sounds so bad, my brain struggles to comprehend it.  So much of it sounds awful but one thing I must point out.  Taylor Kitsch (Riggins on NBC’s “Friday Night Lights”) plays a commanding officer of a destroyer.  Kitsch is 29.  That is another trend in Hollywood that is outrageously stupid.  Casting fresh, hip, young faces in roles where the disparity between movie age and reality is so far apart.
• Is the Red Dawn remake going to die?  I want to end on this note simply because it’s an interesting look at a major Hollywood studio that is having serious financial problems.  MGM is in such dire straights financially that it is now run by its creditors instead of execs.  I don’t know what led to their woes, but they have been counting on a Poltergeist reboot and remakes of Robocop and Red Dawn to pull them into the black.  In addition to Red Dawn, the next James Bond film and The Hobbit are on ice.  MGM has been around since 1924.  The studio’s official motto is “Ars Gratia Artis”, a Latin phrase which means “Art for art’s sake”.  Now, MGM has made some landmark films over the years, but it’s interesting to me that they are floundering financially yet counting on mostly remakes to pull them out of the drek.  I know their issues are far more complicated but this is why people such as myself are strongly drawn towards independent film. Independent films, in general, get that idea about art better than the studios now.

• James Cameron was consulted on the oil spill in the Gulf.  The plan now is to shoot DVDs of Avatar into the ocean since that film was so good at sucking.
• Tom Selleck discusses the possibility of a 3 Men and a Baby sequel.  Let’s just hope Steve Guttenberg is available.
• Brett Ratner is producing his own edgy version of Snow White (Walt Disney is also working on its own revisionist retelling).  Of course…another beloved story for Ratner to ruin.
• A Rush Limbaugh movie?  Ugh.  Writer/producer James Sciafani describes it as “Citizen Kane meets Private Parts”.  That will be the only time in the history of film that that phrase is used.
• Midnight Run 2 is in the works?  I’m usually against sequels but you know what?  I would love to see Jonathan Mardukas and Jack Walsh annoy each other again.
• Christopher Nolan definitively answers the question of the Joker’s appearance in Batman 3.  As great as Ledger was in this role, I think another actor could have stepped up.  Regardless, this is a good call.

This is going to be a new weekly blog feature in which I just do a very quick roundup of news of the week focusing on stories that, to me, are perfect examples of the shallowness and idiocy of Hollywood. I will end these Random Shots with a look or two at something positive about the film industry (not necessarily Hollywood).

• In light of Megan Fox’s exit from Transformers 3, Heidi Montag submits her own video audition online to fill her shoes. The video is just a showcase of her firearms skills. More proof that she is one of the dumbest women in the world.  Not to mention, Michael Bay is already wooing Victoria’s Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley to replace Fox.  There are so many things wrong with this story, I don’t know where to begin.
• The Playstation 3 game “Heavy Rain” is being made into a movie.  Does Hollywood even recognize the irony here?  This is a game that already looks and feels very much like a movie…and is being turned into a movie.  It takes “out of ideas” to a whole new level.
• Drew Barrymore is rumored to be directing the Wizard of Oz sequel Surrendor Dorothy.  Wait…they’re doing a sequel to Wizard of Oz?  Is there any corner of cinema that is sacred?
• A Jackie Brown prequel is being made…without Tarantino.  Everyone say “WTF?” with me.
• The Footloose remake may have found its star. There are a ton of 80s films being remade which are near and dear to the hearts of many people.  The Karate Kid is shamefully in theaters now.  Upcoming remakes include Red Dawn, Short Circuit, and The Breakfast Club.  There are probably others I’m overlooking.  I know I rail against remakes, but the phenomenon really is getting worse.  It’s no wonder that much better independent films are having such a hard time getting made when Hollywood keeps churning this shit out, and people continue eating them up with a spoon.
• Speaking of independent film…one awesome bit of news this week is that Bruce Willis has landed a role in Rian Johnson’s Looper.  Rian Johnson is pretty new to the scene.  Looper will only be his third film after 2005’s Brick and 2008’s The Brothers Bloom.  Brick (a great movie well worth checking out) won Johnson multiple independent film awards…his first movie!  That is quite a feat.  I wasn’t as big a fan of The Brothers Bloom, but it’s obvious from watching his films that he has a firm command of the camera and a very real and bubbling passion for film.  He’s doing science fiction for his third film, and I’m really hoping he knocks it out of the park.

One of the biggest things that bothers me about Hollywood is the lack of originality in the product it continues to churn out.  We are mercilessly pelted with sequels, remakes, and adaptations of comic books, TV shows, and SNL bits.  Never is this more evident than during the summer months.  Of course, I don’t just automatically discount all sequels and remakes.  But, to actually look at what is forthcoming in the upcoming months is very disquieting.

I hear so many people deriding the contempt for mindless summer blockbusters arguing that they just want to enter a movie theater and turn their brain off.  I too, from time to time, enjoy a guilty pleasure.  But really?  Are we so willing to stumble drooling and open-mouthed into a theater that we’ve turned shitty movies into a billion dollar industry?  If you’re so starved for mindless entertainment, go play with your boogers for a while.

As we seek cool solace inside the multiplex this summer, let’s take a look at what will be on the menu:

Iron Man 2
MacGruber (an SNL bit)
Shrek Forever After
Sex and the City 2
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Marmaduke
The A-Team
The Karate Kid
Jonah Hex (comic book adaptation)
Toy Story 3
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
The Last Airbender
Predators
Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore
Dinner for Schmucks (remake of the French film, The Dinner Game)
Step Up 3D
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (comic book adaptation)
Nanny McPhee Returns
Piranha 3D (no, I’m not joking)

Some of these might be good movies (okay maybe two), but I hope you will just take a look at this list and seriously think about it.  If this list gets you excited, then this site is probably not for you.  But, if you’re sick of the same dreck over and over, then I can help.  Below are some other films opening this summer.  Yes, many of them will be hard or impossible to find.  If most of these are not opening near you, at least this list will give you an idea of movies to check out when they are in your area or on video.  I am also going to be resuming my Hidden Gems feature very soon.  My goal is to give you an alternative to the summer onslaught - a slate of movies to check out in the comfort of your own home via Netflix or similar service.

Casino Jack and the United States of Money - May 7 (NY and LA)

Metropia - May 12  (NY; Entire film also available now on YouTube)

180 South: Conquerors of the Useless - May 21 (limited release)

Micmacs - May 28 (NY; LA release: June 4)

Splice - June 4 (wide release) - We’ve seen films proclaiming the perils of cloning, but this looks well done and very creepy.

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Undead - June 11 (limited release) - We’ve seen films proclaiming the perils of cloning, but this looks well done and very creepy.

Winter’s Bone - June 11 (limited release)

Cyrus - June 18 (limited release)

Restrepo - June 25 (limited release)

Inception - June 16 (wide release and in IMAX) - Perhaps no other director is more competent with a “summer blockbuster”. Christopher Nolan’s films make huge money but are mature and thoughtful. This film is surrounded in secrecy. Not much is known about the plot.

Valhalla Rising - June 23 (limited release)

Mao’s Last Dancer - August 6 (wide release)

Down Terrace - August 20 (limited release)

Warning: This blog entry contains very explicit language that you wouldn’t normally see on this site. But to make a point, I am going to use it here.

Recently, I’ve listened to several film podcasts concerning Kick-Ass and read several reviews. I admit that I seem to be in the minority when it comes to judgments on the film. But what bothers me is how angry and defensive people get about the movie. I’m not going to name specific people, but I’ve heard some in the industry make fun of people that were offended by the film. Now me personally…I never said I was offended. I just personally found the experience disturbing to see an 11-year-old girl slaughtering guys left and right and spouting extreme profanities. As I said…in the spirit of satire, I could appreciate it but this wasn’t satire (see my review). People have suggested that if one was offended or disturbed by Hit Girl, remember that young girls have always done disturbing things in film (most notably Taxi Driver and The Professional). Okay, dumdums, for one thing, those films were dramas and in the context of the film, the actions of the young girls made sense. Kick-Ass is a comedy and seems to get a perverse thrill from Hit Girl’s killings and expletives. If it is trying to be a satire, it fails miserably in that it eventually becomes the very film it is making fun of.  If you loved the movie, fine.  We can have a discussion about its merits but don’t just label me “out of touch”, a pansy, or whatever name makes you feel better.

But what really bothers me is this pretentious anger that erupts towards people who are offended or disturbed by its content. Really? I, and people like me, just happen to be bothered by an 11-year-old girl saying “motherfucker”, “cock”, and “cunt” (for no other reason but to shock and elicit cheers and guffaws from the audience) and we’re the bad guys? Because we find it repulsive that a man would abuse his child by raising her to be a savage killer, we are the assholes who don’t understand the film’s artistic qualities? I hate to be repetitive, but I do have a very high tolerance for profanity and violence in film. I’m far from a prude. Ask anyone who knows me.  In fact, I’m not even against children cursing in movies.  It’s just this particular movie, in my opinion, handled it in very bad taste.  And had this been satire, I would have appreciated it (see previous paragraph). It is very troubling to me…this attitude in Hollywood that if I don’t “get” perversity, it makes me some kind of Pollyanna jerkoff.  Screw you.

I’m sickened sometimes by what passes as art these days. Artists, so often, insist that you accept everything they do as art no matter how offensive or ridiculous it is. You can’t shit in a box and call it art. Well you can, but I won’t buy it. I’ve also heard people laughing at this idea in regards to Kick-Ass and saying things like “It’s just a movie!” or “Don’t take it so seriously”. The message is “This isn’t art. It’s just entertainment!” Ok. Fine. And you’re entertained by Hit Girl?

The news a couple of weeks ago that ABC’s long running movie review show “At the Movies” was canceled was not a surprise but certainly does mark the closing of a chapter in film criticism. Of course, the show was made popular by Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, maybe the two best film critics to ever hold that position. Certainly, they were key in shaping the landscape of film criticism. The show has tried other pairings since Siskel died and Ebert was forced to leave due to his battle with cancer.

Currently, Michael Phillips and A.O. Scott run the show. Were they bad hosts? Actually, no. I was probably one of three people on the planet still watching them. But, I believe the low ratings were for 2 reasons. One, Disney-ABC Domestic TV had no idea what they were doing with the show. They jettisoned the thumbs ratings and implemented a new scale of “See It”, “Rent It”, or “Skip It”. Huh? I felt bad for Phillips and Scott watching them awkwardly give these stupid ratings. I won’t even get into the two Bens.

But, I think the most obvious reason is the raging popularity of online media. Newspapers across the country are letting film reviewers go at record paces. Richard Roeper now has his own site complete with video reviews. Hundreds if not thousands of regular Joes have started their own film sites and/or podcasts. Some succeed. Most fail. But the online review business in general is huge. I’ve read many articles where “experts” say that film criticism is dying. It certainly doesn’t look that way to me. New sites continue to spring up. Ask any ten people what their favorite review sites are, and you’ll get ten different answers. Matty Robinson of Filmspotting suggests that, if anything, film reviewers are more essential now than ever for the very reason that so much film is now so readily available.

Think about it…were you like me and grew up watching At the Movies seeing previews of obscure films that you knew would never come to your local theater? Now, just about anything committed to celluloid is available thanks to Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, etc. So, we find ourselves in an age where an enormous menu is suddenly available. So how does the average moviegoer know what’s worth watching? That’s where sites such as this one come in.

This site is going through some changes as I continue to strive to get new content up. I love talking about film and helping you find your way through this vast frontier of movies at your fingertips.  It is a real joy for me to highlight a film (be it in theaters currently or years old on DVD) and have someone discover something they love that they never knew existed.

Look for more posts in the future about how this site is changing. This site is not just a forum for my voice. “We” includes you. Be a part of this changing landscape!

I apologize for the delay.  In late January, I was involved with a death in the family.  After dealing with the grief and logistics of that, it’s just taken me some time to get going with this site again.  But here we go.

Last year, I wrote about why we hate Oscar.  I mentioned there that while there are things that annoy me about the telecast and the way the awards are handled overall, I still watch them even though I don’t put a lot of stock in them.  I love movies, so I still have an interest in watching the show.  I’m not crazy about making predictions but I do get asked a lot, so here we go.  Keep in mind that I have not seen all of the films.  I do my best, but it’s hard to see everything out there when you’re still a maverick in this game.

Best Picture:

Having 10 Best Picture nominations is stupid.  In the 1930s and 40s, there were 8-12 Best Picture nominees so this isn’t the first time this has happened.  But I - and most people I imagine - prefer keeping the 5 nominations.  The show is already long enough.  Plus, it lets in idiotic titles like Avatar.  One interesting sidenote is that instead of just picking their favorite, the Academy voters this year are doing a system where they rank the 10 films in order of preference.  Then, the bottom 2 are eliminated, and they are asked to vote again, etc.

The Hurt Locker (winner) - Terrific war film from Kathryn Bigelow.  It manages to be an insightful commentary on war as a drug and how it affects 3 people very differently while remaining politically neutral.  At the same time, it is a technical masterpiece and an absolute nail biter.  And why can’t an action film finally win the coveted prize?  In addition, Kathryn Bigelow won the Director’s Guild Award, and the film won the Producer’s Guild Award.  Historically, this points to an Oscar win.
Avatar - If The Hurt Locker loses, it will be to Avatar.  I’m still amazed at our capacity for stupidity.
The Blind Side - How the hell was this nominated?   I liked the film but it is nowhere near Oscar worthy.  Even more troubling is the fact that as the “true story” has become known, we see how manipulated we’ve been by the Hollywoodization of the film.
District 9 - A terrific piece of science fiction from South African director Neill Blomkamp.  If you haven’t seen this yet, you really should rent it.
An Education - the only film in this category I haven’t yet seen.
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
A Serious Man
Up - Sublime Pixar film.  Made my Top Ten of the Decade list
Up in the Air

Best Actor

Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart) (winner) - Jeff Bridges has been steamrolling his contenders in the other awards shows and deservedly so.  He is easily one of the best actors working today and his performance as Bad Blake is an absolute joy to watch.
Colin Firth (A Single Man) - Colin Firth’s performance is both haunting and heartbreaking.  A true achievement.
George Clooney (Up in the Air) - George makes acting look so easy, but that takes real skill.  He is perfect in this role.
Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) - Jeremy Renner has been in the business 20 years but it largely unknown until now.  This outstanding performance has finally put him on the map.
Morgan Freeman (Invictus) - Haven’t seen Invictus but the Academy loves Morgan even tho, many critics didn’t like this performance.

Best Actress

Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side) (winner) - Bullock has been gathering up many awards already.  This is her best role but, like the film, far from Oscar-worthy. Again, I’m betting on stupidity.
Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia) - If there is an upset, it will be Meryl.  And it would be justified.  I’m still amazed at Meryl’s ability to completely disappear into a character as she did with Julia Child.
Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) - She won’t win but to be nominated for your first performance is an astonishing feat.
Carey Mulligan (An Education) - Haven’t seen it
Helen Mirren (The Last Station) - Haven’t seen it.

Best Supporting Actor

Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds) (winner) - He will win by a landslide.  I can’t even think of a villainous performance more deserving in probably the last decade.
Matt Damon (Invictus) - Haven’t seen it.
Woody Harrelson (The Messenger) - Haven’t seen it.
Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones) - Haven’t seen it.
Christopher Plummer (The Last Station) - Haven’t seen it.

Best Supporting Actress

Mo’Nique (Precious) (winner) - I don’t think there are going to be any real surprises or upsets in the acting categories.  Mo’Nique walks away with this one easily.  Amazing performance as one of the most insidious mothers in film history.
Maggie Gyllenhaal (Crazy Heart) - I liked the film but thought Maggie was terribly miscast.  Her nomination is puzzling.
Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air) - Such a charismatic performance as the elusive object of Clooney’s desire.
Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air) - She has only been acting since 2003 and is only 24 years old with an Oscar nomination.  Her fiery yet vulnerable Natalie Keener is one of the best parts about the film.
Penélope Cruz (Nine) - Haven’t seen it.

Best Director

Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker) (winner) - As I mentioned before, Kathryn Bigelow walked away with the Director’s Guild Award which has correctly predicted the winner 50 out of the last 61 years.  She deserves it.  Her eye for action scenes and her ability to build tension are uncanny.
James Cameron (Avatar) - If Bigelow wins, it will be to her ex-husband.  And stupidity will once again have reared its head Sunday night.
Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds) - I had a hell of a good time with this film but one criticism I recently heard about QT that I believe holds some validity is that he creates individual scenes that are indelible masterpieces.  But, he needs to bring that same level of skill to his entire films to create better cohesion.
Lee Daniels (Precious) - Lee has created a really special film.  Just read my review.  I don’t have much more to say about it.
Jason Reitman (Up in the Air) - Jason makes his screenplay and his directing pop.  Every scene works.

Best Documentary Feature

The Cove (winner) - Louie Psihoyos has created a piece of thoughtful and exhilarating environmental propaganda that moved me deeply much to my surprise.
Food, Inc. - An unforgettable and disturbing look at how we consume.  If this wins, I’ll be happy too.
Burma VJ - Haven’t seen it.
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers - Haven’t seen it.
Which Way Home - Haven’t seen it.

Best Adapted Screenplay

Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner (Up in the Air) (winner)
Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell (District 9)
Nick Hornby (An Education)
Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche (In the Loop) - Excruciatingly funny.  I’d be happy with this win too.
Geoffrey Fletcher (Precious)

Best Original Screenplay

Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds) - Mark Boal won the Writer’s Guild Award this year, but I think QT will pull off the Oscar.
Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker)
Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman (The Messenger)
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen (A Serious Man)
Bob Peterson, Pete Docter. Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy (Up)