Well, the Oscars are done for another year. What did you think? There were some memorable moments this year: Melissa Leo’s speech meltdown, Melissa Leo’s mid-speech F-Bomb, James Franco in drag, Kirk Douglas owning the entire show, Gwyneth Paltrow’s god-awful excuse for singing, and James Franco’s god-awful excuse for co-hosting.

As for my Oscar predictions…15/24. Not completely embarrassing, but a fairly disappointing score overall. Next year, if I score less than 19/24, I’m smashing my laptop in a fit of rage and retiring from movies forever. Okay, I won’t. Though I’ll probably glare angrily at my T.V. and complain online. Seems more my style, after all.

Here are your 2010 Oscar winners:

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Javier Bardem in Biutiful
Jeff Bridges in True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network
Colin Firth in The King’s Speech
James Franco in 127 Hours

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale in The Fighter
John Hawkes in Winter’s Bone
Jeremy Renner in The Town
Mark Ruffalo in The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush in The King’s Speech

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Annette Bening in The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence in Winter’s Bone
Natalie Portman in Black Swan
Michelle Williams in Blue Valentine

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams in The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter in The King’s Speech
Melissa Leo in The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit
Jacki Weaver in Animal Kingdom

Best Animated Feature
How to Train Your Dragon
Toy Story 3
The Illusionist

Best Animated Short Film
Day & Night
The Gruffalo
Let’s Pollute
The Lost Thing
Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary)

Best Art Direction
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Inception
The King’s Speech
True Grit

Best Cinematography
Black Swan
Inception
The King’s Speech
The Social Network
True Grit

Best Costume Design
Alice in Wonderland
I Am Love
The King’s Speech
The Tempest
True Grit

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

Best Documentary Feature
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Gasland
Inside Job
Restrepo
Waste Land

Best Documentary Short Subject
Killing in the Name
Poster Girl
Strangers No More
Sun Come Up
The Warriors of Qiugang

Best Film Editing
Black Swan
The Fighter
The King’s Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network

Best Foreign Language Film
Biutiful
Dogtooth
In a Better World
Incendies
Outside the Law

Best Live Action Short Film
The Confession
The Crush
God of Love
Na Wewe
Wish 143

Best Makeup
Barney’s Version
The Way Back
The Wolfman

Best Original Score
How to Train Your Dragon
Inception
The King’s Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network

Best Original Song
Coming Home from Country Strong
I See the Light from Tangled
If I Rise from 127 Hours
We Belong Together from Toy Story 3

Best Picture
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King’s Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone

Best Sound Editing
Inception
Toy Story 3
Tron: Legacy
True Grit
Unstoppable

Best Sound Mixing
Inception
The King’s Speech
Salt
The Social Network
True Grit

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

Best Writing – Adapted Screenplay
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone

Best Writing – Original Screenplay
Another Year
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids are All Right
The King’s Speech

For the second year in a row, I’m live-tweeting the Oscars. Need to add an extra dose of sarcasm to your Oscar mix? Look no further!

So join me on Twitter, or you can follow along with the commentary on the right hand side of the site. And please, feel free to let me know what’s on your mind – I’ll be here all night. Contact me @ThatMovieSucked or message me directly.

But hurry! It’s about to start!

It’s that time of year. With one week to the main event, it’s time to put my balls on the chopping block and attempt to call this year’s Oscar winners.

But first, a bit of a caveat. While the following films are what I think will win, they’re not necessarily my favourites in each category. For instance, if I had it my way, Jacki Weaver would win Best Supporting Actress, Javier Bardem would win Best Actor, Restrepo would take Best Documentary, and Inception would not only take Best Art Direction, but it’d take the big honour of the night, Best Picture. And this is coming from a guy who loved The King’s Speech.

But hey, who knows — maybe my predictions will be wrong and my favourites will win. But, uh, if that happens, please don’t chop off my testicles. I’m fond of them.

Best Actor in a Leading Role: Colin Firth in The King’s Speech

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Christian Bale in The Fighter

Best Actress in a Leading Role: Natalie Portman in Black Swan

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Melissa Leo in The Fighter

Best Animated Feature: Toy Story 3

Best Animated Short Film: Day & Night

Best Art Direction: Alice in Wonderland

Best Cinematography: True Grit

Best Costume Design: The King’s Speech

Best Director: David Fincher for The Social Network

Best Documentary Feature: Exit Through the Gift Shop

Best Documentary Short Subject: Poster Girl

Best Film Editing: The Social Network

Best Foreign Language Film: Biutiful

Best Live Action Short Film: Na Wewe

Best Makeup: The Wolfman

Best Original Score: The Social Network

Best Original Song: I See the Light from Tangled

Best Picture: The King’s Speech

Best Sound Editing: Inception

Best Sound Mixing: Inception

Best Visual Effects: Inception

Best Writing – Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network

Best Writing – Original Screenplay: The King’s Speech

The nominees for the 2010 Oscars have just been released and for the most part, they’re surprisingly accurate. I never thought Jacki Weaver would get nominated for Animal Kingdom nor Javier Bardem for Biutiful, but hey, sometimes the Academy gets things very right.

And sometimes they also nominate Salt and Unstoppable.

The 2010 nominees are:

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Javier Bardem in Biutiful
Jeff Bridges in True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network
Colin Firth in The King’s Speech
James Franco in 127 Hours

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale in The Fighter
John Hawkes in Winter’s Bone
Jeremy Renner in The Town
Mark Ruffalo in The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush in The King’s Speech

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Annette Bening in The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence in Winter’s Bone
Natalie Portman in Black Swan
Michelle Williams in Blue Valentine

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams in The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter in The King’s Speech
Melissa Leo in The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit
Jacki Weaver in Animal Kingdom

Best Animated Feature
How to Train Your Dragon
Toy Story 3
The Illusionist

Best Animated Short Film
Day & Night
The Gruffalo
Let’s Pollute
The Lost Thing
Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary)

Best Art Direction
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Inception
The King’s Speech
True Grit

Best Cinematography
Black Swan
Inception
The King’s Speech
The Social Network
True Grit

Best Costume Design
Alice in Wonderland
I Am Love
The King’s Speech
The Tempest
True Grit

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

Best Documentary Feature
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Gasland
Inside Job
Restrepo
Waste Land

Best Documentary Short Subject
Killing in the Name
Poster Girl
Strangers No More
Sun Come Up
The Warriors of Qiugang

Best Film Editing
Black Swan
The Fighter
The King’s Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network

Best Foreign Language Film
Biutiful
Dogtooth
In a Better World
Incendies
Outside the Law

Best Live Action Short Film
The Confession
The Crush
God of Love
Na Wewe
Wish 143

Best Makeup
Barney’s Version
The Way Back
The Wolfman

Best Original Score
How to Train Your Dragon
Inception
The King’s Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network

Best Original Song
Coming Home from Country Strong
I See the Light from Tangled
If I Rise from 127 Hours
We Belong Together from Toy Story 3

Best Picture
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King’s Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone

Best Sound Editing
Inception
Toy Story 3
Tron: Legacy
True Grit
Unstoppable

Best Sound Mixing
Inception
The King’s Speech
Salt
The Social Network
True Grit

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

Best Writing – Adapted Screenplay
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone

Best Writing – Original Screenplay
Another Year
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids are All Right
The King’s Speech

2010 was a terrible year in film.

Legion, The Wolfman, Clash of the Titans, The A-Team, From Paris With Love, Little Fockers, Grown-Ups…it was like a never-ending stream of sewage flowing into our theatres.

But it wasn’t all bad news.  Among the 550ish movies released this year, there were some amazing pieces of film-making that, to quote one of the films on this list, “deserve some recognition.”

In alphabetical order, the top 10 movies of 2010 are:

Animal Kingdom

Look, just because Australia was founded by criminals, that doesn’t mean that they have some secret expertise at crafting superb crime dramas. That, my friend, is culturally insensitive. Shame on you.

Still, there’s no denying Animal Kingdom is one of the best crime films to come out in recent memory.

It chronicles the fall of the Cody family – a tight-knit family of criminals forced into a game of survival against the police, and ultimately, each other.

The film is nearly two hours of tension, always threatening to explode into something much worse. There have been many ‘crime family’ movies made before it, but Animal Kingdom remains an original, conveying a chilling authenticity that is hard to shake once the credits roll.

A must-see for fans of the genre.

Black Swan

“Dude, you mean that…ballet movie?”

Yes, hypothetical frat guy, that ballet movie. Now un-pop your collar, you look like a tool.

Black Swan is a modern, twisted retelling of Swan Lake, created from the same mind which took your happy thoughts and forever scarred them with Requiem for a Dream.

It’s a story of obsession, perfectionism, and losing one’s self. Darren Aronofsky took a classic story and reinvented it with his own unique stamp. Tchaikovsky’s classic score is also given a modern twisting to suit the film perfectly.

The movie is tense and unsettling and Natalie Portman’s acting is nothing short of amazing. She’s a serious contender for Best Leading Actress this year.

If you’re still not convinced, hypothetical frat guy, it also has Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis in a hot, lesbian sex scene. Thought that might change your mind.

Inception

Like anyone’s surprised this one is on the list.

It doesn’t matter who you are or where you live. You saw this movie.

Inception featured astounding effects, a memorable Hans Zimmerman score, and a twisted plot that people are still debating. It also was a bit of an anomaly:  a smart, summer blockbuster.

Christopher Nolan is one of the best directors around these days. Inception was a break from his Batman franchise, which let him get back to the Memento-like mind-bending that his fans know and love him for.

It also featured a great ensemble cast, and made everyone sit up and take notice of Tom Hardy and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Easily one of the best films of the summer.

Rabbit Hole

Dark, bold, and uncompromising, Rabbit Hole offers an unflinching look into the tragic world of losing a child.

Featuring dynamite performances by Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart, Rabbit Hole serves up believable reactions to tragedy, without the clichés. There are no platitudes or glossed over Hollywood endings to be found here – just honest, unpredictable life.

Every moment of heartbreak, grief and rage that encompasses their new lives feels genuine and hauntingly real.

So make no mistake, you’ll probably feel like a bag of shit when you’re done watching.

Awesome.

Restrepo

Very few of us will ever be anywhere near a battlefield. Restrepo shines by bringing the front lines to us.

This National Geographic documentary focuses on a year in the life of a group of US soldiers stationed in the most dangerous part of Afghanistan. In a place where every day brings about five firefights, Restrepo chronicles daily life.

The result is a remarkably candid portrait of war that reveals truths last year’s The Hurt Locker never even scratched the surface of. Restrepo provides an authentic look at the joy of comradery, the panic of battle, and the pain of lost friends.

The best documentary of the year.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Call this one the anti-Inception, because nobody saw this movie.

And that’s really a shame because Scott Pilgrim is a truly unique experience that really begged to be seen on the big screen. Like some sort of addict, I got my fix again and again.

It’s an amazing blend of pop culture and about half a dozen genres. It’s an example of paying meticulous detail to every moment of a film (watch how every scene flows seamlessly into the next). It also solidifies Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) as one of the most intriguing and original directors in the game these days.

But perhaps most amazing of all, it made me no longer hate Michael Cera. Truly it has done the impossible.

The King’s Speech

A historical film based around a future king learning to overcome his speech impediment. I can hear your yawn from here.

But that description really only tells half the story.

The King’s Speech is a funny and refreshingly human story. Most films about the monarchy are stiff and hard to relate to. The King’s Speech turns figureheads into real people with *gasp* actual personalities.

The dialogue is sharp and clever. Much of the movie focuses on the relationship between King George VI and his eccentric speech therapist, played by Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush, respectively. These two are the glue of the film, and their dynamic and thoroughly entertaining bond is fantastic to watch.

The movie serves as a metaphor for anyone having to overcome self-doubt. Firth captures a man with a stutter impeccably, never being too grating for the audience or disingenuous to his subject.

One of the best performances of the year.

The Social Network

I never took the idea of basing a movie on Facebook seriously.

But with David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin attaching their names to the project, The Social Network began to give me strange, unusual feelings of what can only be what some describe as ‘hope’.

Turns out that hope was well placed, because The Social Network turned out to be one of the surprise hits of the year.

Sorkin’s snappy dialogue is quick and clever, and turns what could have been a legal snooze fest into an exciting story of fame, fortune, and betrayal.

Sure, some of the details were clearly exaggerated, but the movie is better for it. I mean, would you rather have the 100% accurate version of Facebook’s origin? Months of writing code and saying no to drugs?

Also, Jesse Eisenberg’s performance as Mark Zuckerberg is engaging and hard to ignore. He adds a quiet, yet powerful screen presence to every scene he’s in.

Ultimately, The Social Network was fantastic, and showed us that movies based on popular websites can be huge successes.

Now to wait for the inevitable icanhascheezburger.com film.

Toy Story 3

Perfect trilogies are hard to come by.

That’s what makes the Toy Story saga so remarkable, and particularly, what makes Toy Story 3 one of the best movies of the year.

Toy Story 3 is the final film in the story of Woody and the gang, and ties plot elements up in an ending that feels organic and satisfying.

All the heart and great writing that made the other two so great is still intact. However, Toy Story 3 also introduces darker elements into the familiar mix, and challenges viewers with mature themes. One particularly emotional moment involving certain death is one of the most outstanding film scenes of the year.

A remarkable movie for young and old.

True Grit

Jeff Bridges snarls and swaggers his way through the Coen Brothers’ adaptation of Charles Portis’ classic novel, ‘True Grit’.

The plot is similar to many ‘you shot my pa’ westerns before it, but True Grit surpasses the basic formula. Characters feel three-dimensional and full. The ruthlessness of the old west feels intact and tangible. It’s less a movie than a window into another time.

Portis’ dialogue is brought to life by brilliant exchanges by Bridges and newcomer, Hailee Steinfeld. Likewise, moments of the Coens’ distinct influence can be felt in the films many moments of dark humour.

And it’s this constant of humour and darkness that takes a basic premise and makes it great.

One of the Coens’ most accessible films, and will no doubt do well come Oscar nomination time.

Honourable Mentions

The Fighter
127 Hours
The Kids Are All Right
How to Train Your Dragon
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Kick-Ass

You know, on second thought, maybe it wasn’t such a terrible year after all.

What do you guys think? Did one of your favourites get overlooked? Have your say in the comments.

Every October 23rd, on a hunt for brains and brain-flavoured condiments, the rotting dead shamble their way through downtown Toronto. You would think after eight years of this, the police/shotgun-wielding vigilantes would be better prepared, but droves of about 6,000 zombies nearly devoured those within mauling distance.

Here are the pictures I was able to get before fleeing in terror.

The horde, beginning their onslaught.

A fiend, relishing her latest victim.

J-J-Jimi?!

The barbershop zombies were great. They sang songs about brains and almost made me forget they were planning on eating me.

I’m assuming the zombie-lamb is from ‘Black Sheep’.

Even zombies have political ideals.

Moments before a close call with death.

Zombism knows no age.

Subway, eat fresh…brains.

Egads! Zombie-Smurfs

Zombie-Nazi from ‘Dead Snow’

These weren’t like any zombies I’d ever seen before, but I decided that arguing would only leave me open to brain-nibbling.

Garbage-zombie was very committed to finding brains wherever he could.

Evil, flannel-wearing, rabbit-zombie still haunts my soul.

The most famous zombie of all even made time to attempt to devour our frontal lobes.

For more information about Toronto’s annual zombie walk, check out torontozombiewalk.ca.

]]> http://www.thatmoviesucked.com/2010/10/toronto-zombie-walk/feed/ 6 http://www.thatmoviesucked.com/2010/08/the-big-move-to-toronto/ http://www.thatmoviesucked.com/2010/08/the-big-move-to-toronto/#comments Sun, 29 Aug 2010 09:45:10 +0000 Jonathan http://www.thatmoviesucked.com/?p=2134

Yes, I’ve been traveling again, but this time it’s a bit more permanent. After more than a day on board the longest train ride ever (note to parents: your screaming children need to be in bed by midnight when traveling with strangers in a smelly, cramped, metal tube), I’ve pulled up stakes from Halifax and have moved to Toronto.

What does this mean for you, oh valued reader? Well, probably very little. However, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is right around the corner and I will attempt to sell both my kidneys in order to attend. If I can, that means reviews, photos, and a soon to be deceased film blogger. Biology was never my strong suit.

Thanks for everything, Halifax. You’ve been one hell of a host, and definitely know how to show a guy a good time. By the way, if we could keep that one night between you and me a secret, I’d greatly appreciate it. I mean, what would Dartmouth and Bedford think?

Hello world. Long time no talk. I’ve been mostly offline for a few weeks, but no longer! The great Norwegian exodus is finally over and I’ve made the long trek back to fatty food and low prices. Mmmm early death.

I thought I might share a few pictures of one of my (many) trips to the theatre in Norway. Unfortunately, I never got any shots of the screen (due to potential anti-piracy freakouts in a language I don’t understand), but rest assured, it’s a big white rectangle.

The “Prince Theatre” in Trondheim. “Kino” is Norwegian for cinema, though it’s pronounced “shee-no” not “key-no”. I apologize, I promise I won’t try to be educational again.

A theatre lobby, with real, live people!

The dissection of a film projector. Shrek appears to be as shocked as I am.

One of these movies is one of the best this year. No, it’s not Marmaduke.

Even halfway around the world, there’s no escape from the horror.

Disney mural.

More Disney murals.

I thought this was particularly cool. All of the warm snacks are kept in these glass containers, so you can simply figure out what you want and take it up to the cash. Easier, faster lines, and the food didn’t even dry out. Perfect.

Some familiar faces and a couple Norwegian staples. Mmmmm Solo.

If you look carefully, you can see a few Shrek 4 promotions in the background. This theatre had them everywhere. I’m not sure if they actually saw the movie, but no quantity of giant Gingerbread Men could make me watch that again. Okay, maybe three.

But it wasn’t always this way. Before Superman got the ball rolling in 1978, nobody really considered the idea of taking a “nerdy” outlet like comics and turning them mainstream. Even afterward, it wasn’t until the late 80s-early 90s before comic-based movies really started to take off.

For a quick history lesson, as well as some facts you probably didn’t know (like that all three of the Punisher movies were the top superhero flops of all time), check out the infographic below, brought to us by the folks at KoldCast.tv. Click to enlarge.

*not exactly