The Essential Films

Monday, February 28, 2011

The 100 Greatest Films of All Time

100 - The French Connection (1971)

Director: William Friedkin
Writers: Ernest Tidyman
Stars: Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider and Fernando Rey

99 - King Kong (1933)

Director: Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack
Writers: James Ashmore Creelman, Ruth Rose
Stars: Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong and Bruce Cabot

98 - The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)

Director: Robert Wise
Writers: Edmund H. North
Stars: Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal and Hugh Marlowe

97 - The Apartment (1960)

Director: Billy Wilder
Writers: Billy Wilder, I.A.L. Diamond
Stars: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray

96 - Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

Director: George Roy Hill
Writer: William Goldman
Stars: Paul Newman, Robert Redford and Katharine Ross

95 - Ben-Hur (1959)

Director: William Wyler
Writers: Lew Wallace (novel), Karl Tunberg (screenplay)
Stars: Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins and Stephen Boyd

94 - Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Director: Tim Burton
Writers: Tim Burton, Caroline Thompson
Stars: Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder and Dianne Wiest

93 - E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Director: Steven Spielberg
Writer: Melissa Mathison
Stars: Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore and Peter Coyote

92 - Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Writer: Quentin Tarantino
Stars: Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger and Eli Roth

91 - Fargo (1996)

Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Writers: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Stars: William H. Macy, Frances McDormand and Steve Buscemi

90 - No Country for Old Men (2007)

Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Writers: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Stars: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin

89 - Braveheart (1995)

Director: Mel Gibson
Writer: Randall Wallace
Stars: Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau and Patrick McGoohan

88 - The Usual Suspects (1995)

Director: Bryan Singer
Writer: Christopher McQuarrie
Stars: Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne and Chazz Palminteri

87 - Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Director: Steven Spielberg
Writer: Robert Rodat
Stars: Tom Hanks, Matt Damon and Tom Sizemore

86 - Se7en (1995)

Director: David Fincher
Writer: Andrew Kevin Walker
Stars: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt and Kevin Spacey

85 - Forrest Gump (1994)

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Writer: Eric Roth
Stars: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise

84 - The Departed (2006)

Director: Martin Scorsese

Writers: William Monahan

Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson

83 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Director: Peter Jackson

Writers: Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson

Stars: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen and Orlando Bloom

82 - Jaws (1975)

Director: Steven Spielberg

Writers: Peter Benchley, Carl Gottlieb

Stars: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss

81 - Frankenstein (1931)

Director: James Whale

Writiers: Garrett Fort, Francis Edward Faragoh

Stars: Colin Clive, Mae Clarke and Boris Karloff

80 - Shane (1953)

Director: George Stevens

Writers: A.B. Guthrie Jr., Jack Sher

Stars: Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur and Van Heflin

79 - Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)

Director: Stanley Kramer

Writer: Abby Mann

Stars: Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster and Richard Widmark

78 - In the Heat of the Night (1967)

Director: Norman Jewison

Writers: Stirling Silliphant

Stars: Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger and Warren Oates

77 - WALL·E (2008)

Director: Andrew Stanton

Writers: Andrew Stanton Pete Docter

Stars: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight and Jeff Garlin

76 - Pan's Labyrinth (2007)

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Writer: Guillermo del Toro

Stars: Ivana Baquero, Ariadna Gil and Sergi López

75 - Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Director: James Cameron

Writers: James Cameron, William Wisher Jr.

Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton and Edward Furlong

74 - M (1931)

Director: Fritz Lang

Writers: Thea von Harbou, Fritz Lang

Stars: Peter Lorre, Ellen Widmann and Inge Landgut

73 - All About Eve (1950)

Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Writer: Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Stars: Bette Davis, Anne Baxter and George Sanders

72 - Alien (1979)

Director: Ridley Scott

Writers: Dan O'Bannon, Ronald Shusett

Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt and John Hurt

71 - Metropolis (1927)

Director: Fritz Lang

Writers: Thea von Harbou,

Stars: Brigitte Helm, Alfred Abel and Gustav Fröhlich

70 - The Pianist (2002)

Director: Roman Polanski

Writers: Ronald Harwood

Stars: Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann and Frank Finlay

69 - Blade Runner (1982)

Director: Ridley Scott

Writers: Hampton Fancher, David Webb Peoples

Stars: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer and Sean Young

68 - Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Writers: Quentin Tarantino

Stars: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth and Michael Madsen

67 - The Dark Knight (2008)

Director: Christopher Nolan

Writers: Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan

Stars: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger and Aaron Eckhart

66 - Bicycle Thieves (1948)

Director: Vittorio De Sica

Writers: Cesare Zavattini

Stars: Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola and Lianella Carell

65 - Unforgiven (1992)

Director: Clint Eastwood

Writer: David Webb Peoples

Stars: Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman

64 - 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Writers: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke

Stars: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood and William Sylvester

63 - Apocalypse Now (1979)

Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Writers: John Milius, Francis Ford Coppola
Stars: Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando and Robert Duvall

62 - The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Director: Jonathan Demme
Writer: Ted Tally
Stars: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins and Scott Glenn

61 - Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)

Director: F.W. Murnau
Writers: Hermann Sudermann, Carl Mayer
Stars: George O'Brien, Janet Gaynor and Margaret Livingston

60 - It Happened One Night (1934)

Director: Frank Capra
Writer: Robert Riskin
Stars: Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert and Walter Connolly

59 - The Wild Bunch (1969)

Director: Sam Peckinpah
Writers: Walon Green, Sam Peckinpah
Stars: William Holden, Ernest Borgnine and Robert Ryan

58 - Notorious (1946)

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Writer: Ben Hecht
Stars: Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman and Claude Rains

57 - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Director: Frank Capra
Writers: Sidney Buchman, Lewis R. Foster
Stars: James Stewart, Jean Arthur and Claude Rains

56 - Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

Director: Sidney Lumet
Writer: Frank Pierson
Stars: Al Pacino, John Cazale and Charles Durning

55 - Some Like It Hot (1959)

Director: Billy Wilder
Writers: Billy Wilder, I.A.L. Diamond
Stars: Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon

54 - To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

Director: Robert Mulligan
Writer: Horton Foote
Stars: Gregory Peck, John Megna and Frank Overton

53 - A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Director: Stanley Kubrick
Writer: Stanley Kubrick
Stars: Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee and Michael Bates

52 - The Great Dictator (1940)

Director: Charles Chaplin
Writer: Charles Chaplin
Stars: Charles Chaplin, Paulette Goddard and Jack Oakie

51 - The Conversation (1974)

Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Writer: Francis Ford Coppola
Stars: Gene Hackman, John Cazale and Allen Garfield

50 - The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

Director: John Frankenheimer
Writer: George Axelrod
Stars: Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey and Janet Leigh

49 - Double Indemnity (1944)

Director: Billy Wilder
Writer: Billy Wilder
Stars: Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck and Edward G. Robinson

48 - The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

Director: David Lean
Writers: Michael Wilson, Carl Foreman
Stars: William Holden, Alec Guinness and Jack Hawkins

47 - Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Director: David Lean
Writers: Robert Bolt, Michael Wilson
Stars: Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness and Anthony Quinn

46 - The Searchers (1956)

Director: John Ford
Writer: Frank S. Nugent
Stars: John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter and Vera Miles

45 - Annie Hall (1977)

Director: Woody Allen
Writers: Woody Allen, Marshall Brickman
Stars: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton and Tony Roberts

44 - Raging Bull (1980)

Director: Martin Scorsese
Writers: Paul Schrader, Mardik Martin
Stars: Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty and Joe Pesci

43 - The Wrestler (2008)

Director: Darren Aronofsky
Writer: Robert D. Siegel
Stars: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood

42 - Vertigo (1958)

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Writers: Alec Coppel, Samuel A. Taylor
Stars: James Stewart, Kim Novak and Barbara Bel Geddes

41 - Taxi Driver (1976)

Director: Martin Scorsese
Writer: Paul Schrader
Stars: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster and Cybill Shepherd

40 - Psycho (1960)

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Writers: Joseph Stefano
Stars: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh and Vera Miles

39 - Memento (2000)

Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer: Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan
Stars: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano

38 - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Director: Michel Gondry
Writers: Charlie Kaufman, Michel Gondry
Stars: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet and Tom Wilkinson

37 - The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Director: Frank Darabont
Writer: Frank Darabont
Stars: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman and Bob Gunton

36 - Fight Club (1999)

Director: David Fincher
Writers: Jim Uhls
Stars: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter

35 - Back to the Future (1985)

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Writers: Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale
Stars: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson

34 - The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

Director: John Huston
Writers: John Huston
Stars: Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston and Tim Holt

33 - The Grapes of Wrath (1940)

Director: John Ford
Writers: Nunnally Johnson
Stars: Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell and John Carradine

32 - The African Queen (1951)

Director: John Huston
Writers: James Agee, John Huston
Stars: Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn and Robert Morley

31 - The Third Man (1949)

Director: Carol Reed
Writers: Graham Greene
Stars: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten and Alida Valli

30 - On the Waterfront (1954)

Director: Elia Kazan
Writers: Budd Schulberg
Stars: Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Eva Marie Saint and Lee J. Cobb

29 - The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Director: John Huston
Writers: John Huston
Stars: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor and Gladys George

28 - Chinatown (1974)

Director: Roman Polanski
Writer: Robert Towne
Stars: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway and John Huston

27 - 12 Angry Men (1957)

Director: Sidney Lumet
Writer: Reginald Rose
Stars: Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb and Martin Balsam

26 - Singin' in the Rain (1952)

Directors: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly
Writers: Adolph Green, Betty Comden
Stars: Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds

25 - L.A. Confidential (1997)

Director: Curtis Hanson
Writers: Brian Helgeland
Stars: Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Kim Basinger and Guy Pearce

24 - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1966)

Director: Sergio Leone
Writers: Agenore Incrocci, Furio Scarpelli, Luciano Vincenzoni, Sergio Leone
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach and Lee Van Cleef

23 - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

Director: Milos Forman
Writers: Lawrence Hauben, Bo Goldman
Stars: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher and Danny DeVito

22 - Goodfellas (1990)

Director: Martin Scorsese
Writers: Nicholas Pileggi
Stars: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta and Joe Pesci

21 - Star Wars (1977)

Director: George Lucas
Writer: George Lucas
Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Alec Guinness, Peter Cushing and Carrie Fisher

20 - Rocky (1976)

Director: John G. Avildsen
Writer: Sylvester Stallone
Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Carl Weathers and Burt Young

19 - North by Northwest (1959)

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Writer: Ernest Lehman
Stars: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason

18 - Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

Director: Sergio Leone
Writers: Dario Argento, Bernardo Bertolucci
Stars: Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson and Claudia Cardinale

17 - Cool Hand Luke (1967)

Director: Stuart Rosenberg
Writers: Donn Pearce, Frank Pierson
Stars: Paul Newman, George Kennedy and Strother Martin

16 - Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

Director: Stanley Kubrick
Writers: Stanley Kubrick, Terry Southern
Stars: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott and Sterling Hayden

15 - Gone With the Wind (1939)

Director: Victor Fleming
Writers: Sidney Howard
Stars: Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh and Thomas Mitchell

14 - The Godfather Part II (1974)

Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Writers: Francis Ford Coppola, Mario Puzo
Stars: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Robert Duvall

13 - Schindler's List (1993)

Director: Steven Spielberg

Writers: Steven Zaillian

Stars: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes and Ben Kingsley

12 - Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Director: Steven Spielberg

Writers: Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas

Stars: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen and Paul Freeman

11 - The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Director: Victor Fleming

Writers: Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson

Stars: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan and Ray Bolger

10 - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Director: Irvin Kershner

Writers: Leigh Brackett, Lawrence Kasdan

Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, James Earl Jones

9 - Pulp Fiction (1994)

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Writers: Quentin Tarantino, Roger Avary

Stars: John Travolta, Uma Thurman and Samuel L. Jackson

8 - High Noon (1952)

Director: Fred Zinnemann

Writers: Carl Foreman

Stars: Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly and Thomas Mitchell

7 - Sunset Blvd. (1950)

Director: Billy Wilder

Writers: Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder

Stars: William Holden, Gloria Swanson and Erich von Stroheim

6 - Citizen Kane (1941)

Director: Orson Welles

Writers: Herman J. Mankiewicz, Orson Welles

Stars: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten and Dorothy Comingore

5 - City Lights (1931)

Director: Charles Chaplin

Writer: Charles Chaplin

Stars: Charles Chaplin, Virginia Cherrill and Florence Lee

4 - Rear Window (1954)

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Writers: John Michael Hayes

Stars: James Stewart, Grace Kelly and Wendell Corey

3 - It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Director: Frank Capra

Writers: Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett

Stars: James Stewart, Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore

2 - The Godfather (1972)

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Writers: Mario Puzo, Francis Ford Coppola

Stars: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and James Caan

1 - Casablanca (1942)

Director: Michael Curtiz

Writers: Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein

Stars: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid

A Rant on the Oscar In Memoriam Montage

I realize that the Academy makes mistakes. After all, Inception NOT getting an Editing or Director nomination?

But one of the classier moments of the night is always the "In Memoriam" package that honor the people in the film industry. Last night, the video packaged contained a noticeable number of omissions.

COREY HAIM
No one will ever confuse him for the greatest actor of his generation. But the fact remains that Haim was a big star in the 80s. Starring in movies such as The Lost Boys, License to Drive and Lucas. His career was pretty much non existent in the last 20 years, but that doesn't mean you forget about the man.

PETER GRAVES
While most people recognize him as the Captain from Airplane!, he was a veteran actor with many films under his belt including The Night of the Hunter, Stalag 17, Addams Family Values as well as the television show "Mission: Impossible."

BETTY GARRETT
Known mostly for her television work, she did plenty of work during the golden age of Hollywood musicals appearing in films such as On the Town, Take Me Out to the Ball Game and Neptune's Daughter.

LISA BLOUNT
An ACADEMY AWARD WINNER in 2001 for her short film The Accountant, Blount was also an actress that appeared in An Officer and a Gentleman and Prince of Darkness.

All I'm saying is, Academy, that you can't just pick and choose who was important and who wasn't. These people all had careers that deserved to be recognized. It's bad enough that you chose to "honor" the dead with Celine Dion, of all people, showing how completely out of touch you are. What's more annoying is that there were two people in the montage that you DID include that don't deserve the honor. One was an agent, the other a publicist. I'm not saying that these people didn't have important jobs or didn't have families and friends that cared about them, but they do not belong on the same list. This is supposed to be a dedication to the artists and creators and talents in the industry. Actors, Writers, Directors, Cinematographers, etc. You CAN'T make a film without them. You can, however, make a film without an agent or a publicist.

The montage video is linked below:

Sunday, February 27, 2011

And The Oscar Goes To...: The Essential Films Academy Awards Predictions

It's Hollywood's biggest night of the year. The 83rd Academy Awards ceremony is a night full of stars, dresses, celebrities, gossip and of course, that little golden man that means so much to so many of the industry's professionals.

Here, at The Essential Films, we had our own awards ceremony with The Essential Film Awards. And by ceremony I mean, of course, that I named all the winners and there was nobody actually in attendance to accept the "honor."

But since most people care more about The Oscars, this blog will devote an article to give you the official Essential Films predictions.

Best Motion Picture of the Year

The Nominees Are:
127 Hours
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

And The Oscar SHOULD Go To: Inception
But the Oscar WILL Go To: The Social Network

Inception was by far the best film of the year. However, this was an incredibly strong year. Hollywood tends to not award the Best Picture Oscar to a "blockbuster" like Inception. However, it's not unheard of. After all, films like Titanic and The Lord of the Rings have won in the past. But my gut says The Social Network, with a high probability of The King's Speech getting the win for a more traditional choice.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

The Nominees Are:

Javier Bardem for Biutiful
Jeff Bridges for True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg for The Social Network
Colin Firth for The King's Speech
James Franco for 127 Hours

And The Oscar Goes To:  Colin Firth, The King's Speech

This one is a no-brainer. Firth was amazing and was absolutely convincing as the speech impediment-ed King George. Jesse Eisenberg was really good this year and finally broke out of his shell of continually playing the same character. Jeff Bridges already has an Oscar for last year's Crazy Heart, which was good but not great, so I don't see the Oscar going to him. If it weren't for Colin Firth my vote would however go to James Franco. You're stuck in that canyon with him for two hours and you are still mesmerized by the end.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

The Nominees Are:

Annette Bening for The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman for Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence for Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman for Black Swan
Michelle Williams for Blue Valentine

And the Oscar Goes To:  Natalie Portman, Black Swan

This is Natalie Portman's year. The other actresses don't really stand much of a chance of winning this win. Though if I may opine, the wrong actress was nominated for The Kids Are All Right. Julianne Moore was the stronger of the two leads.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

The Nominees Are:

Christian Bale for The Fighter
John Hawkes for Winter's Bone
Jeremy Renner for The Town
Mark Ruffalo for The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush for The King's Speech

And the Oscar Goes To:  Christian Bale, The Fighter

Every performance on this list was great. John Hawkes really proved himself as a versatile character actor in Winter's Bone. Jeremy Renner is the only representative for The Town, which was criminally snubbed for a Best Picture, Director and Screenplay nomination. Ruffalo was charming in Kids and Geoffrey Rush was awesome in Speech. However, the Batman himself, Christian Bale, runs away with it. He blows away the competition in an incredibly strong category this year.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

The Nominees Are:

Amy Adams for The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter for The King's Speech
Melissa Leo for The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld for True Grit
Jacki Weaver for Animal Kingdom

And The Oscar Goes To:  Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit

Steinfeld, by all rights should have been placed in the Leading Actress category. She was after all, the main character of the film. Bu the Academy has a history of placing unknown actors and actresses in the Supporting category, especially if they have a better shot at winning. If not for this miscategorization, my pick would have gone for Amy Adams, who was brilliant in The Fighter.

Best Achievement in Directing

The Nominees Are:

Darren Aronofsky for Black Swan
Ethan Coen, Joel Coen for True Grit
David Fincher for The Social Network
Tom Hooper for The King's Speech
David O. Russell for The Fighter

And The Oscar SHOULD Go To:  Darren Aronofsky
But the Oscar WILL Go To:  David Fincher

Christopher Nolan was infamously snubbed for a directing nomination. As it is, though, Fincher will win this category. I love Fincher's work on Seven, Fight Club and Benjamin Button, and he's an incredible director who deserves an Oscar. However, Aronofsky should get the award this year. He took more risks and directed a more complex picture than Social Network. Network is ultimately a better film, but Aronofosky did a lot more on screen than Fincher.

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

The Nominees Are:

Another Year: Mike Leigh
The Fighter: Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson, Keith Dorrington
Inception: Christopher Nolan
The Kids Are All Right: Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg
The King's Speech: David Seidler

And The Oscar Goes To: Christopher Nolan, Inception

A strong writing year for original screenplays. I think Nolan will rightfully get win if for no other reason than to reward him politically for not getting a nomination for Director.

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published

The Nominees Are:

127 Hours: Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy
The Social Network: Aaron Sorkin
Toy Story 3: Michael Arndt, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich
True Grit: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Winter's Bone: Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini

And The Oscar Goes To:  Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network

I don't see how this DOESN'T win. It's clearly the best written of all the nominees. I could see, however, True Grit possibly winning and even Toy Story 3 as a dark horse. But my gut tells me Social Network.

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year

The Nominees Are:

How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3

And The Oscar Goes To:  Toy Story 3

There's a reason this Award is sometimes called the Pixar Award. They're masters of animation. Don't get me wrong, because How To Train Your Dragon was EXCELLENT. But the Academy loves Pixar, and I don't see them not rewarding the beloved franchise.

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year

The Nominees Are:

Biutiful (Mexico)
Dogtooth (Greece)
In a Better World (Denmark)
Incendies (Canada)
Outside the Law (Algeria)

And The Oscar SHOULD Go To:  Dogtooth
But the Oscar WILL Go To:  Biutiful

Admittedly, to date, I've only seen Dogtooth, but it was an incredibly original and hauntingly disturbing film. However, Biutiful is getting all the buzz...

Best Achievement in Cinematography

The Nominees Are:

Black Swan
Inception
The King's Speech
The Social Network
True Grit

And The Oscar Goes To:  Black Swan

Black Swan is just gorgeous to look at. It is a beautifully photographed film. Inception is a close second.

Best Achievement in Editing

The Nominees Are:

127 Hours
Black Swan
The Fighter
The King's Speech
The Social Network

And The Oscar Goes To:  Black Swan

Another category for which Inception should have been nominated. 127 Hours and The Social Network are both very strong contenders in this category, but Black Swan was ultimately more complex and as such, presumably much more difficult to edit into a coherent film.

Best Achievement in Art Direction

The Nominees Are:

Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Inception
The King's Speech
True Grit

And The Oscar Goes To:  Alice in Wonderland

TRON: Legacy should have had a nomination. Its visuals were incredible. However, given the nominees, Potter and Inception have really strong shots at winning, but I think it has to go to Alice. The production values on that film were incredible (the story on the other hand...)

Best Achievement in Costume Design

The Nominees Are:

Alice in Wonderland
I Am Love
The King's Speech
The Tempest
True Grit

And The Oscar Goes To:  Alice in Wonderland

Much for the same reasons listed above in the Art Direction category, Alice has to win here.

Best Achievement in Make-Up Effects

The Nominees Are:

Barney's Version
The Way Back
The Wolfman

And The Oscar Goes To:  The Wolfman

Honestly, I've not seen any of these films, but based purely on on trailers, my pick goes to Wolfman.

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score

The Nominees Are:

127 Hours: A.R. Rahman
How to Train Your Dragon: John Powell
Inception: Hans Zimmer
The King's Speech: Alexandre Desplat
The Social Network: Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

And The Oscar SHOULD Go To:  Inception, Hans Zimmer
But the Oscar WILL Go To:  The Social Network, Trent Reznor

I really loved Trent Reznor's score for Network, and it's always a good thing when a non-traditional choice wins. But my favorite score is Inception. Not since Danny Elfman's Batman has a score been so iconic. You hear and you immediately know what film its from.

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song

The Nominees Are:

127 Hours: A.R. Rahman, , Dido("If I Rise")
Country Strong: Tom Douglas, Hillary Lindsey, Troy Verges("Coming Home")
Tangled: Alan Menken, Glenn Slater("I See the Light")
Toy Story 3: Randy Newman("We Belong Together")

And The Oscar Goes To:  Toy Story 3, Randy Newman

If for no other reason, the song fits perfectly to the film.

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing

The Nominees Are:

Inception
The King's Speech
Salt
The Social Network
True Grit

And The Oscar Goes To: Inception

The sound mix in Inception is incredible. No other film even comes close.

Best Achievement in Sound Editing

The Nominees Are:

Inception
Toy Story 3
TRON: Legacy
True Grit
Unstoppable

And The Oscar SHOULD Go To: TRON: Legacy
But The Oscar WILL Go To:  Inception

I have no issue with Inception picking up another award, but the sound effects editing were just a tad more impressive in TRON.

Best Achievement in Visual Effects

The Nominees Are:

Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Hereafter
Inception
Iron Man 2

And The Oscar Goes To:  Inception

But, it's a close race. Inception just beats out Alice by a nose, with Harry Potter pulling into a close third. I really don't see either Iron Man nor Hereafter having much of a shot at all.

Best Documentary, Features

The Nominees Are:

Exit Through the Gift Shop
GasLand
Inside Job
Restrepo
Waste Land

And The Oscar Goes To:  Exit Through The Gift Shop

Again, I have not had the good fortune to see any of the nominated films. Making an educated guess as to what has all the buzz behind it though, Gift Shop seems a likely choice.

Tune in tomorrow to see how many we got right (and wrong!)

Monday, February 14, 2011

First Full Costume Picture from The Amazing Spider-Man

The new re-booted Spider-Man film starring Andrew Garfield is now officially called The Amazing Spider-Man.

The first full costume picture of Spidey is below. Notice the web-shooters!

Thursday, February 10, 2011

X-Men: First Class – The Trailer is HERE!

Watch the Trailer HERE

Monday, February 7, 2011

Captain America Super Bowl TV Spot

Watch the Captain America Super Bowl TV Spot HERE. Looking pretty awesome!

Saturday, February 5, 2011

The 2010 Essential Film Awards

Awards season is here. The Golden Globes, The SAG awards and obviously the Academy Awards. I'm a sucker for awards shows, or pretty much anything that celebrates film (much like this blog does.) So I am presenting to you loyal readers the first annual Essentials Awards. There is a very strict voting criteria. And that is as follows: All the winners are chosen by me based on my opinion. It's all very complicated I assure you.

Without further ado, on with the show.

The 2010 Essentials

Celebrating the films and cinematic achievements of 2010.

The Ten Best Films of 2010