The Best Picture Candidates

         Here is the list of the 265 movies that are eligible for the Best Picture Academy Award nomination.  I have seen 48 so far and will continue to update it throughout the Oscar season.  My color chart means:
Possible Top 10 Candidate  (I haven't seen everything yet, so my list is not finalized)
Seen it
Must see ASAP
Will see eventually
Should see, but don't want to
Will never watch and I'm offended that they could be even remotely considered for Best Picture
         Some have no coloring which means they are not on my radar for at all.  I have nothing against low-budget films or kids movies or even bad movies.  I do have a problem with expensive Hollywood crap and unnecessary, agenda-forcing malarkey.

ABDUCTION                                                                   

THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU - Terrible title, but it was watchable.                     

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN - Simon Pegg & Nick Frost are in it - I can't help myself.

AFRICAN CATS                                                                             

ALBERT NOBBS  - Glenn Close looks like she's wearing a mask.     

ALOIS NEBEL                                                                                     

ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS: CHIPWRECKED - I took my 4 year old nephew; Jason Lee has no excuse.

AMIGO  

ANONYMOUS                                                                      

ANOTHER EARTH 

ANOTHER HAPPY DAY

ANSWERS TO NOTHING

APOLLO 18

ARRUGAS (WRINKLES)

THE ART OF GETTING BY

ARTHUR - Don't remake movies I love, AKA The Bad News Bears 2005.

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS - I like Christmas movies.

THE ARTIST

@URFRENZ

ATLAS SHRUGGED PART 1

ATTACK THE BLOCK

BACK DOOR CHANNELS: THE PRICE OF PEACE

BAD TEACHER - It just wasn't funny.

BATTLE: LOS ANGELES

BEASTLY

BEATS, RHYMES & LIFE: THE TRAVELS OF A TRIBE CALLED QUEST

BEAUTIFUL BOY

THE BEAVER - Terrible Title #2.  I should see it just to be able to make fun of it properly.

BEGINNERS - Spoiler and Downer alert!  It was more about the Dad dying than him being gay.

A BETTER LIFE

THE BIG BANG

BIG MOMMAS: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON - Dozens of people should be fired for this.

THE BIG YEAR - Good cast, I guess.

BLACKTHORN

BLOODWORTH

THE BOY MIR - TEN YEARS IN AFGHANISTAN

BRIDESMAIDS - I liked it, but it's not as great as everyone thinks; it's too long, slow, and girly.

BRIGHTON ROCK

BUCKY LARSON BORN TO BE A STAR - Blech.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER - Chris Evans cannot carry a movie.

CARANCHO

CARNAGE - It's getting panned by critics.

CARS 2 - Hopefully, Pixar has learned that less Larry the Cable Guy is for the best.

A CAT IN PARIS

CEDAR RAPIDS - not really funny at all.

CERTIFIED COPY

THE CHANGE-UP - You can't possibly still need money, Jason Bateman.

CHICO & RITA

CIRCUMSTANCE

COLOMBIANA

CONAN THE BARBARIAN - I don't care what you do with early Schwarzenegger films.

THE CONQUEST

THE CONSPIRATOR

CONTAGION - Good cast, good director - it should be good, right?

CORIOLANUS

COURAGEOUS

COWBOYS & ALIENS - Harrison Ford's in it, so I guess I'll watch it at some point.

CRACKS

CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE. - A little contrived, but entertaining.

DAM999

A DANGEROUS METHOD - Full frontal Fassbender.

THE DARKEST HOUR

DAYDREAM NATION

THE DEBT-Terrible casting; they should have switched the young actors - compare head sizes.

THE DESCENDANTS - George wears lame, old-man pants but I still heart him.

THE DEVIL'S DOUBLE

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: RODRICK RULES

THE DILEMMA-HBO gives it 1 star yet calls it a 'gut-busting comedy.' Both are generous.

DIRTY GIRL

DOLPHIN TALE

DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK

DREAM HOUSE

DRIVE - I can't figure out Ryan Gosling or how I feel about him.  What's his real accent?

DRIVE ANGRY

THE EAGLE

ELEKTRA LUXX

EVERYTHING MUST GO

EXPORTING RAYMOND

EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE - Downer and not getting great reviews.

FAST FIVE - I haven't seen any of them and I'm okay with it.

50/50 - Can cancer be funny?  I'll let you know.  Not really.

FINAL DESTINATION 5 -  I saw the first one and that was enough.

FINDING KIND

THE FIRST GRADER

THE FLOWERS OF WAR

FLY AWAY

FOOTLOOSE - I don't super-love the original but this is just annoying.

FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS - How is this similar to No Strings Attached?  They both suck.

FRIGHT NIGHT - Pretty good vampire movie and I think I like Colin Farrell now.

THE FUTURE - I heard about the cat; no thanks.

GAINSBOURG: A HEROIC LIFE

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO-Good, even with the sporadic Swedish accents.

GLEE THE 3D CONCERT MOVIE - Completely unnecessary and I like the show.

GNOMEO & JULIET

A GOOD OLD FASHIONED ORGY - Jason Sudeikis is dead to me.

THE GRACE CARD

THE GREATEST MIRACLE

THE GREEN HORNET - Movies released in January are supposed to suck.

GREEN LANTERN - Movies with Ryan Reynolds tend to suck too.

THE GUARD

HALL PASS - Another Bad Jason Sudeikis Movie Alert.

THE HANGOVER PART II - Absolutely horrible; please stop production on the third one.

HANNA - It was alright.

HAPPY FEET TWO

HAPPYTHANKYOUMOREPLEASE

HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY HALLOWS #2 - I can't separate it from the book.

HELL AND BACK AGAIN

THE HELP - It would have been better if it followed the book more closely.  Damn you, reading!

HIGHER GROUND - A movie about religion that is longer than a mass.  I'm thinking no.

HITLER'S GRAVE

HOODWINKED TOO! HOOD VS. EVIL

HOP - I don't like Russell Brand in any form.

HORRIBLE BOSSES - An unfunny comedy with people I like or used to (yeah you Sudeikis).

HUGO

I AM NUMBER FOUR

I DON'T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT - Do you mean selling out to be in bad movies?

I MELT WITH YOU

THE IDES OF MARCH - George Clooney's the bad guy and that's about it.

IMMORTALS

IN DARKNESS

IN SEARCH OF GOD

IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY - Remember when Angelina Jolie wore Billy Bob's vial of blood and made out with her brother?  She's still apeshit and should be stopped.

IN TIME - It seemed kind of interesting, but no one liked it.

INSIDIOUS

THE IRON LADY

J. EDGAR

JACK AND JILL - Double blech.

JANE EYRE - One of my favorite books that I don't remember being quite this boring.

JOHNNY ENGLISH REBORN-A second one, really? Emmy winner Gillian Anderson, really?

JOSE AND PILAR

JUDY MOODY AND THE NOT BUMMER SUMMER

JUMPING THE BROOM

JUST GO WITH IT - Nicole Kidman was in this?!?  Relinquish your Oscar immediately.

JUSTIN BIEBER: NEVER SAY NEVER - Really?!?

KILL THE IRISHMAN - It looks alright.

KUNG FU PANDA 2

THE LADY

LARRY CROWNE - Good actors don't necessarily make a good movie.

THE LAST RIDE

LE HAVRE

LIFE, ABOVE ALL

LIKE CRAZY

LIMITLESS - meh.

THE LINCOLN LAWYER - Terrible title #3.

MACHINE GUN PREACHER

MARGARET

MARGIN CALL

MARS NEEDS MOMS

MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE

THE MECHANIC

MEEK'S CUTOFF

MEET MONICA VELOUR

MELANCHOLIA - Alexander Skarsgard being in this is just a bonus.

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS - It's magical and makes me want to read books and be smarter.

THE MILL & THE CROSS

MIRAL

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL - I haven't seen any of them and don't want to start now.  Maybe I would if Nick Frost were in it.

MR. POPPER'S PENGUINS - So Jim Carrey is done.

MONEYBALL - As a Cubs fan, all baseball movies make me sad.

MONTE CARLO

MOZART'S SISTER

THE MUPPETS - I just wish the voices were better - Fozzie was way off.

THE MUSIC NEVER STOPPED

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN - Michelle Williams should have bulked up more.

MYSTERIES OF LISBON

THE MYTH OF THE AMERICAN SLEEPOVER

THE NAMES OF LOVE

NEW YEAR'S EVE - I have no words.

NO STRINGS ATTACHED - See: Friends With Benefits

NORMAN

OF GODS AND MEN

OLIVE

ONE DAY

OUR IDIOT BROTHER

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3

PARIAH

PASSIONE

PAUL - I just really like Simon Pegg & Nick Frost - probably more than I should.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES - It'll be on USA someday.

POM WONDERFUL PRESENTS THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER SOLD - Interesting.

POTICHE

PRIEST

THE PRINCESS OF MONTPENSIER

PROJECT NIM

PROM

PUNCTURE

PUSS IN BOOTS - I do like saying "My name is Puss...in Boots" with the accent.

RAMPART - Woody Harrelson is supposed to be pretty good.

RANGO

REAL STEEL

REBIRTH

RED RIDING HOOD

RED STATE - Definitely not the normal Kevin Smith movie.  John Goodman is looking rough.

RESTLESS

RIO

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES - I liked it and it did what a prequel should.

THE RITE

THE ROOMMATE

THE RUM DIARY

SALVATION BOULEVARD

SANCTUM

SARAH'S KEY

SCREAM 4 - Really good and funny, on par with the first Scream.

SEASON OF THE WITCH

SENNA

A SEPARATION

SHAME - Full Frontal Fassbender Part Deux. - Clooney was right - he should play golf with it.

SHARK NIGHT 3D

SHERLOCK HOLMES: GAME OF SHADOWS - Don't confuse it with Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2. 

THE SITTER

THE SKIN I LIVE IN

THE SMELL OF SUCCESS

THE SMURFS -  Jonathan Winters is still alive, so that's good to know.

SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN

SOMETHING BORROWED - Almost Famous should have been Kate Hudson's only film.

A SOMEWHAT GENTLE MAN

SOUL SURFER

SOURCE CODE - Not bad.

SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD IN 4D - Say it ain't so Joe(l McHale).

STRAW DOGS - Why, Alexander Skarsgard, why????

SUBMARINE

SUCKER PUNCH

SUPER - Just too weird.

SUPER 8 - It made me remember why I like movies and also how CGI can ruin them.

TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT - The Wedding Singer was enough.

TAKE SHELTER

TERRI

THE THING - I didn't see the original but it has Kurt Russell and I'm sure this can't compare.

30 MINUTES OR LESS

THOR - Chris Hemsworth was very charming and Natalie Portman was very miscast.

3

THE THREE MUSKETEERS

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY

TOWER HEIST

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON - Just stop.

THE TREE OF LIFE - I heard it's like a Kubrick movie and I don't like Kubrick movies.

TRUST

TWILIGHT: BREAKING DAWN - PART 1 - It makes me weep for today's young women.

TYLER PERRY'S MADEA'S BIG HAPPY FAMILY - It just makes me weep.

TYRANNOSAUR

UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN RECALL HIS PAST LIVES

UNDEFEATED

UNKNOWN

A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR 3D CHRISTMAS - Whatever.

VIVA RIVA!

W.E.

WAR HORSE - This can't end well for the horse, it just can't.

WARRIOR - Training Montage Alert!  It was a little long yet it needed more resolution.

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS - I bet it doesn't end well for the elephants either.

THE WAY

WE BOUGHT A ZOO - And who knows how many animals die in this one!  

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN - Tilda Swinton is creeeepyyyyy.

WEEKEND

WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER?

THE WHISTLEBLOWER

WHITE IRISH DRINKERS - I have to see this one, right?

WIN WIN - Tom McCarthy is my new favorite writer/director. I love all 3 of his films.

WINNIE THE POOH - They better not kill any of these animals.

!WOMEN ART REVOLUTION

THE WOMEN ON THE 6TH FLOOR

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS - Quite possibly the best X-Men movie.

YOUNG ADULT - I can't sympathize with a character who watches 'The Kardashians'.

YOUNG GOETHE IN LOVE

YOUR HIGHNESS - Maybe on cable when there is absolutely nothing on.  Couldn't get through 20 minutes.

ZOOKEEPER - Ugh.

Golden Globes - 2012

Ricky Gervais was fairly tame this year and quite absent most of the evening.   While he was generally behaved, the nominations were offensive.  How was Breaking Bad not a nominee for Best Drama?  No 30 Rock, Ty Burrell, Sean Bean?   The Hollywood Foreign Press may be non-profit, but they must be willing to take bribes.  How else could Boss, Enlightened and Episodes be nominated?  Those networks have cash to spare.  And the winners seemed to be people they wanted to suck up to:  Spielberg, Madonna, Scorsese, Streep.  I don’t think people want to suck up to Kelsey Grammer, but his win was absolute horseshit.  If you’re going to screw over Bryan Cranston, at least go with Damian Lewis.  The fact that Matt LeBlanc previously won for Joey illustrates how ridiculous this awards show is.  I'm starting to think the People's Choice Awards have more esteem.  Just kidding, anything a regular person could vote for is stupid - look at democracy.

Some interesting moments:

• Johnny Depp’s accent – you’re from Kentucky but you sound like Bono.  You introduced Hugo; you didn’t win the Nobel.
• Busy Phillips – I guess she and Michelle Williams remained friends since Dawson’s Creek, but I prefer to think it was another way to sneak a Cougar Town actor onto TV.  Well played, Bill Lawrence.
• Gross man tans – Depp, Rob Lowe, Clooney, Hoffmann, Duchovny, Bradley Cooper, and Matt LeBlanc have all been browned to a crisp.
• Gross man arms – Madonna, Felicity Huffman and Angelina Jolie were all about the gun show.
• The Wire reunion – Idris Elba and Dominic West were both nominated for Best Actor in a Mini-Series and hugged it out when Idris won.  But then he used his British accent and ruined everything.
• Strangest Cutaway – Seth Rogen mentions his ‘massive erection’ and the next shot is Jodie Foster’s young sons.
• Silver Fox Alert - I knew about Matt LeBlanc's gray hair, but Tim Robbins has become the new Ted Danson.
• Best Aging – Madeline Stowe looked the hottest among her category’s nominees, but she couldn't have appreciated that 74 year old Dustin Hoffman said she was from ‘his generation.’ 
• 2^nd Best aging – Jane Fonda looked amazing.  She should give her doctor’s name to Dolly Parton.
• Most Inappropriate Touching – Ben’s Kingsley’s wife or well-paid escort sitting on his lap during Morgan Freeman’s acceptance speech. 
• Worst Dressed  – Thomas Jane.  Lamest cowboy ever.                        

TV at the Winter Break

Since so many shows have gone on winter break (February12th, Walking Dead, really?!?), here are some meditations on the first half of the season.

Best New Shows

• Homeland – I watched it in 2 days – I can’t imagine what it would be like to have to wait every week for a new episode.  It's fraught with twists, suspense and ‘Oh Shit’ moments.  Damian, Claire and Mandy Patinkin all deserve Emmy nominations.
• New Girl – She’s cute, awkward and quirky and so is the show.
• Surburgatory – Apparently, Jeremy Sisto grew up,  is playing a sane person and I like him a lot.  The girl is Emma Stone-ish and I like sarcasm and hating everyone, so she’s cool.  And who doesn’t like random appearances from a super-tan Alan Tudyk?  Dumb people.
• Ringer – It’s very soap opera-y, but it’s had some good twists.  Plus, they say Siobhan a lot.

Shows I Gave Up On

• Pan Am – I thought it would just be slutty broads in different countries, but one’s a spy???  And one’s French?   Is this a fairy tale?  One and done.
• Person of Interest – I liked Michael Emerson in Lost and I assume I’ve seen something with Jim Cavaziel (Frequency was a really long time ago), but I don’t like procedural crime dramas and there’s a new cast every week, blech.  2 was enough.
• Up All Night – I love Will Arnett, more specifically, I love GOB Bluth.  I’m not into babies or crying or lameness but I still gave it a try.  The deciding factor was Maya Rudolph’s Oprah-esque character.  A lot of people have a hard time managing jobs and babies, why do they have to be LA douchebags with a famous, way too over the top boss?  Bosses can suck when they’re regular people too.  3 and out – I really tried.

Shows I can’t believe I’m still watching

• 2 Broke Girls – No America, it’s not that good.  It’s rife with puns, wordplay and lame accents.  I like Kat Dennings, but her timing is off and she over-punctuates every joke.  Then there’s the laugh track.  Why CBS why??
• Once Upon a Time – I’ve watched every episode, so I’m kind of trapped now.  In my defense, I watch it while I do other things (obviously not cleaning), and it manages to hold 31% of my attention.
• Two and a Half Men – I don’t mind Ashton Kutcher.  What bugs me is that no one seems to remember that Judy Greer has already been on this show.  She played Ryan Stiles’ sister for a couple of episodes and dated Charlie in 2007.  I guess they fired the casting director with Charlie Sheen.

Things that TV needs to fix

• Community – So Whitney gets a new night and a full season, yet Community is in limbo?  Is there a radiation leak at NBC?  Why broadcast an original show with layered characters and 80 jokes per minute when you can air a canned laughter sitcom with a shrill, horse-faced hambone?  Stellar decision-making.

P.S.  I totally agree that Hearts of Darkness was better than Apocalypse Now.  (secret handshake)

• Cougar Town – It still has no time slot or date to return, but there are so many horrible shows on.  Have you seen the commercials for the guys that dress up like women to get jobs?  So this has more potential than Cougar Town, ABC?  A rehash of Bosom Buddies??   It only lasted 37 episodes in a time when people had more than a 2 second attention span.  Everyone who okayed this should be fired and then forced to watch all 3 episodes of Work It.  Vindication - Work It was canceled after 2 episodes and Cougar Town returns Feb. 14.