RKTBlog

Here are my Oscar predictions for this year. Mind you, I don’t think these are necessarily the best movies of the year. I haven’t seen many of the nominees this year, but I’m making a guess based on buzz and the past choices of the Academy in many cases.

BEST PICTURE:

The Hurt Locker

I haven’t seen The Hurt Locker, but I really want to. I’m guessing it probably deserves the win if it gets it. I have seen Avatar, on the other hand. I think it’s a close second for the award just based on the fact that the Oscars tend to smile on epics- you can’t get much more epic than Avatar. Still, it doesn’t deserve to win best picture. It was a fun roller coaster ride- definitely worth the money to see it in a 3D theater, but not the best movie by a long shot. If it wins the Oscar, which it could, I will be disappointed and District 9 should feel snubbed- it was the better sci fi movie of the two. Inglorious Basterds also has a shot, but I’m going to bet on The Hurt Locker.

BEST ACTOR: Jeff Bridges

I wouldn’t mind Colin Firth or Jeremy Renner winning this one.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Christopher Waltz

BEST ACTRESS:Sandra Bullock

Sandra Bullock bores me, as does The Blind Side, but I think she’s going to win.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Mo’Nique

ANIMATED FEATURE: UP

The “Married Life” sequence was the best piece of filmmaking to come from 2009 period.

ART DIRECTION: Avatar

Doctor Parnassus should probably win this one. Terry Gilliam may not be the most consistent filmmaker, but his movies are always visually brilliant. I also like the look of Nine (why isn’t it nominated for Cinematography, though??) But Avatar, in all it’s Lisa Frank-ness , still looked spectacular. It’s rare that a movie alien actually looks alien these days. The Na’vi themselves still looked too human for my tastes, but every other creature in the world looked plausible. And the world itself definitely inspired awe. So, I won’t be disappointed if Avatar wins this one, which I think it will.

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Avatar

COSTUME DESIGN:The Young Victoria

I’m rooting for Doctor Parnassus, and I like the sexy sleek black ditties in Nine. But the Oscars usually love a good period piece, so although I have nothing else to base this on but a hunch, I’m going to say The Young Victoria will win.

DIRECTING: James Cameron

I’m going to go out on a limb and say James Cameron should not win this award. I’d probably give it to Katheryn Bigelow. I’d even give it to Quentin Tarantino. But James Cameron will win because of the enormous technical undertaking that was Avatar. It was a huge movie to direct, and I think he’ll win it based on sheer volume. But he shouldn’t.

DOCUMENTARY: The Cove

DOCUMENTARY SHORT: No idea.

EDITING: Avatar

It was a darn exciting movie. And at three plus hours long, it didn’t feel it. So Avatar for editing works for me.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE: No idea.

MAKEUP: The Young Victoria (a total guess)

SCORE: UP, all the way.

A brilliant score. It will be remembered for years.

ORIGINAL SONG: No idea.

ANIMATED SHORT FILM: No idea, although I love me some Nick Park. So I’ll go with A Matter of Loaf or Death.

LIVE SHORT FIM: No idea.

SOUND EDITING: Avatar

SOUND MIXING: Avatar

VISUAL EFFECTS: Avatar, easily.

WRITING (Adapted Screenplay): Precious

WRITING (Original): The Hurt Locker

Those are my predicitions!

Here’s he latest trailer for Laika’s Coraline!

For my friends who aren’t in the industry, Hayao Miyazaki is not only a master of animation, but a master filmmaker as well.  His movies are some of the most delicate and imaginative works of popular art out there.  As expected, his newest film, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, is being picked up for distribution here in the States by Disney.

The story follows the adventures of Ponyo, a goldfish who dreams of being human, and his relationship with a five year old boy who finds him.  It’s an odd-looking movie, to be sure, but Miyazaki’s work is always a delight for children both young and old.  Check out the trailer below.

For my friends who aren’t in the industry, Hayao Miyazaki is not only a master of animation, but a master filmmaker as well. His movies are some of the most delicate and imaginative works of popular art out there. As expected, his newest film, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, is being picked up for distribution here in the States by Disney.

Back when I stated out in art school, everyone in my classes aspired to be a Disney animator, including myself. Unfortunately, these were the years when the quality of their movies had started to wane.  Disney had gotten itself into a rut, to the point where every animated feature was slapped with a musical number, whether it needed one or not.  The few times they deviated from this formula, it failed so spectacularly in other fundamental ways (storytelling in the case of Atlantis, marketing in the case of Lilo and Stitch) but always managed to blame it on the medium.  Meanwhile Pixar’s Toy Story hit the world like a lightning bolt, and got everything right.  Computer animation became the hot new thing, and Disney laid off its traditional animation artists. 

While I never expect traditional animation to regain its status in the movie theaters, I still think the medium has a lot of potential.   Read more »

Rotten Tomatoes has posted a few videos about the making of Laika’s upcoming animated feature, Coraline!  It’s a stop motion animated film directed by Henry Selick, the director of The Nightmare Before Christmas and based on a book by Neil Gaiman.  

Mike and I know a bunch of people who worked on it, and we want it to do well.  Check out the videos, tell your friends, and see it in the theatres this coming February!

Click here to go behind the scenes of Coraline at Rotten Tomatoes!

UPDATED: 8/24/08 Link corrected