MCN Columnists
David Poland

By David Poland poland@moviecitynews.com

Best Picture Chart

BEST PICTURE
Picture
Studio
Director
Stars
Comment
The Nomination 90% Locks (in alphabetical order)
Dec 25
Nine
TWC
Marshall
Day-Lewis
Et al
In a thin year, getting over the post-production fights, looking like the front-runner
May
Up
Disney
Docter
Petersen
-
Could the first animated film to get a BP nod in a year with an animated category get the win?
The Nomination 80% Locks (in alphabetical order)
Dec 11
Invictus
WB
Eastwood
Freeman
The Waiting Game…
Nov 13 Up In The Air
Par
Reitman
Clooney
Very well liked already… a reflective comedy
Nov 6
Precious
LG
Daniels
Sidibe
‘Nique
The race race
Toronto Contenders Looking Likely
Oct 9
An Education
SPC
Scherfig
Mulligan
Sarsgaard
Belle Of The Ball
Oct 2
A Serious Man
Focus
Coens
Stuhlbarg
Kind
It’s the Jewish Precious… but funny!
Nov
A Single Man
TWC
Ford
Firth
It’s the Gay Precious… but pretty!
Serious Contenders To Fill The Last 3 Slots(in alphabetical order)
June
The Hurt Locker
Sum
Bigelow
Renner
A great movie… will Summit spend to play?
August
Inglourious Basterds
TWC
Tarantino
Waltz
A more commercial film… but looking better and better as the “contenders” slide
Sept 25
Coco Before Chanel
SPC
Fontaine
Tautou
The strong small film for women…. could push out Streep’s Julia Child… or not
Nov 13
The Fantastic Mr Fox
Fox
Anderson
-
Fox Searchlight on it now!
Dec 18 Avatar
Fox
Cameron
?
Is it a gamebreaker?
The Still Blurry, Waiting For Focus
Dec 25?
The Lovely Bones
Par/DW
Jackson
Weiss
Ronan
Wahlberg
Tucci

Will get a late, limited release
Nov 6
A Christmas Carol
Dis
Zemeckis
Carrey
Oldman
A breakthrough?
Damaged Goods
Oct 2
Capitalism: A Love Story
Over
Moore
-
Folks are trying to get excited, but privately are dissapointed
Aug 7 Julie & Julia
Sony
Ephron
Streep
Adams
A modest hit… seen as all about Streep… could rise if others fall
Nov 25
The Road
TWC
Hillcoat
Theron
Mortensen
Not as problematic as righties claimed, but hard road for Oscar
The Walking Dead Since July’s Chart
June
Tetro
AmZ
Coppola
Gallo
Ehrenreich
People heard something was coming… didn’t know it landed
June
Cheri
Mir
Frears
Pfeiffer
Commerical miss
Aug 28
Taking Woodstock
Focus
Lee
-
Commerical miss
Sept 18 The Burning Plain
Mag
Arriaga
Theron
Too heavy for a theatrical…
Sept
Bright Star
BB
Campion
Whishaw
Cornish
DOR – Dead On Release
2010
Shutter Island
Par
Scorsese
DiCaprio
Moved to 2010
2010
Green Zone
U
Greengrass
Damon
2010
The Commercial Chasers (by release date)
May
Star Trek
Par
Abrams
Urban
Bloom off the rose with #4 summer finish
July
Public Enemies
U
Mann
Depp
Mann’s #2 high grosser ever has been tagged “a flop”
Feb
Coraline
Focus
Selick
-
Fighting the notion of 2 animated nominees
Sept
The Informant!
WB
Soderbergh
Damon
Tone is throwing some off
Nov 20 The Blind Side
WB
Hancock
Bullock
Bates
Could be a surprise
Dec 25
Sherlock Holmes
WB
Ritchie
Downey
Not likely… Guy Ritchie
Dec 25
It’s Complicated
U
Meyers
Streep
Baldwin
Martin
Could well be the surprise
The Arthouse Chasers (by release date)
Oct 23
Amelia
FxSch
Nair
Swank
No one is excited
Nov 20 Broken Embraces
SPC
Almodovar
Cruz
Excellent… but not a ground breaker
Dec 4
Brothers
Lions
Sheridan
Maguire
Gyllenhaal
It wasn’t at TIFF… how will it find wings with Precious as LGF’s true love?
Dec 4
Everybody’s Fine
Mir
Jones
DeNiro
Remake of a Tornatore classic
Dec?
Men Who Stare At Goats
Over
Heslov
Clooney
Bridges
Liked, not loved.
Dec 25 The White Ribbon
SPC
Hanaeke
-
Fine art
Unlikely To Race This Year (in alphabetical order)
Biutiful
U/Foc
Gonzalez-
Inarritu
Bardem
Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky
SPC
Kounen
Mikkelsen
Intrigues At Tire-Larigot (Micmacs)
WB
Jeunet
-
The Last Station
-
Hoffman
Plummer
Giamatti
Love Ranch
Think
Hackford
Mirren
Ondine
-
Jordan
Bachleda-Curus
Shanghai
TWC
Håfström

Cusack
Yun-Fat
Li

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“Just got back from Dark Shadows at the Lincoln Square IMAX (102′ wide screen, over 50 sears per row). I loved almost every second of it. What a shock. I can see why people under 49 hate it, and it’s not just because of its ’60s TV roots–it’s a very traditional, classic-style horror film: leisurely-paced, character-driven, beautifully designed (mostly real sets, not CGI), music used as a humorous or ironic underline, not particularly violent (there’s more blood in the 1970 version), perfectly cast with superb actors, and of course a nice sense of humor to balance the horror. No jump scenes, no teens sliced to pieces by some mask-wearing non-entity, just good old-fashioned story-telling. It’s more like Hugo than Hostel, and not just because it shares cast members and underperformed. And as for the much-derided third act: the complaints are horseshit. Everything that takes place in the climax is logically built up to in what precedes it. Yes, the werewolf is a surprise, but it shouldn’t be given the family history and that character’s behavior, and the explanation is eminently reasonable. In an era where Bridesmaids is considered award-worthy writing, it’s no surprise that many people have forgotten what a well-made script can be like. So fuck all the haters. Dark Shadows lived up to my expectations (no small feat), and should be seen by everyone who still appreciates quality, grown-up, Old Hollywood-style filmmaking. Cadavra has spoken.”
~ Cadavra on Dark Shadows

‘This grooming and styling thing? It’s fucking poodles. Human poodles. I feel sorry for a poodle because he’s a dog. You know, a dog is a fucking great creature. They would do anything for you. And the poodle gets a haircut. No one asks if the poodle wants his hair cut like that. Do they? They just fucking cut his hair like that. And he just walks around. And everyone is like, “Why is that poodle so snarky?” Fuck you. Style, I think, is panache. Who are you? What did you do today? And what are you worth to me? What do you have to offer the world? How did you spend your time today on this planet? How are you spending your time every second? What are you doing now? Are you alive, or are you somnambulant? If you are somnambulant, then you are a fucking prick. Style is your ability to be awake. But who the fuck am I to judge? I’m starting to get really arrogant.”
GQ: Whose tuxedo did you wear on the red carpet here in Cannes?
“J.Lindeberg. Because I really love his suits.”
~ Stylin’ Tom Hardy

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