This is a complicated, frustrating year. Most of the films in contention aren’t that great, the great performances and films are being largely ignored, and no prognosticator can agree on where the noms are going to line up in this field of 10. Hell, not even the voters can pick ten films to vote for! The nominations come out in less than 72 hours, so here are my kind of gutsy but most likely fail-filled predictions. Le sigh.

Best Picture
1. Avatar
2. The Hurt Locker
3. Inglourious Basterds
4. Up in the Air
5. Precious
6. The Blind Side
7. A Serious Man
8. Crazy Heart
9. An Education
10. Invictus

Best Director
1. Jim Cameron – Avatar
2. Kathryn Bigelow – The Hurt Locker
3. Jason Reitman – Up in the Air
4. Quentin Tarantino – Inglourious Basterds
5. Lee Daniels – Precious
Alternate: Clint Eastwood – Invictus

Best Actor
1. Colin Firth – A Single Man
2. Jeff Bridges – Crazy Heart
3. George Clooney – Up in the Air
4. Morgan Freeman – Invictus
5. Jeremy Renner – The Hurt Locker
Alternate: Sam Rockwell – Moon

Best Actress
1. Meryl Streep – Julie and Julia
2. Sandra Bullock – The Blind Side
3. Carey Mulligan – An Education
4. Gabourey Sidibe – Precious
5. Tilda Swinton – Julia
Alternate: Melanie Laurent – Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actor
1. Christoph Waltz – Inglourious Basterds
2. Woody Harrelson – The Messenger
3. Christopher Plummer – The Last Station
4. Stanley Tucci – The Lovely Bones
5. Matt Damon – Invictus
Alternate: Peter Capaldi – In the Loop

Best Supporting Actress
1. Mo’Nique – Precious
2. Julianne Moore – A Single Man
3. Anna Kendrick – Up in the Air
4. Vera Farmiga – Up in the Air
5. Maggie Gyllenhaal – Crazy Heart
Alternate: Melanie Laurent – Inglourious Basterds

Best Adapted Screenplay
1. Up in the Air
2. District 9
3. An Education
4. Precious
5. Julie & Julia
Alternate: A Single Man

Best Original Screenplay
1. Inglourious Basterds
2. (500) Days of Summer
3. The Hurt Locker
4. Up
5. A Serious Man
Alternate: It’s Complicated

Best Animated Feature
1. Up
2. Princess and the Frog
3. Coraline
4. The Fantastic Mr. Fox
5. Ponyo
Alternate: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Best Foreign Language Film
1. The White Ribbon
2. A Prophet
3. Samson & Delilah
4. The Secret in Their Eyes
5. The Milk of Sorrow
Alternate: Winter in Wartime

Best Documentary
1. The Cove
2. Food Inc.
3. Burma VJ
4. The Beaches of Agnes
5. Every Little Step
Alternate: Mugabe and the White African

Best Art Direction
1. Inglourious Basterds
2. Public Enemies
3. Sherlock Holmes
4. Avatar
5. A Serious Man
Alternate: Bright Star

Best Cinematography
1. Avatar
2. Inglourious Basterds
3. The White Ribbon
4. Nine
5. The Hurt Locker
Alternate: Where the Wild Things Are

Best Costumes
1. Nine
2. Sherlock Holmes
3. The Young Victoria
4. Inglourious Basterds
5. Sherlock Holmes
Alternate: Bruno

Best Editing
1. Avatar
2. The Hurt Locker
3. Inglourious Basterds
4. Up in the Air
5. District 9
Alternate: Precious

Best Makeup
1. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
2. Star Trek
3. District 9
Alternate: The Road

Best Sound Mixing
1. Avatar
2. The Hurt Locker
3. Star Trek
4. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
5. Inglourious Basterds
Alternate: District 9

Best Sound Editing
1. Avatar
2. The Hurt Locker
3. Star Trek
4. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
5. District 9
Alternate: Inglourious Basterds

Best Score
1. Avatar
2. Sherlock Holmes
3. A Serious Man
4. Public Enemies
5. Up
Alternate: Coco Before Chanel

Best Song
1. The Weary King – Crazy Heart
2. Cinema Italiano – Nine
3. I See You – Avatar
4. You’ve Got Me Wrapped Around Your Little Finger – An Education
5. I Want To Come Home – Everybody’s Fine
Alternate: Stu’s Song – The Hangover

Best Visual Effects
1. Avatar
2. District 9
3. Star Trek
Alternate: Where the Wild Things Are

The site will be back soon. There is a lot of things that have been on my plate that have been keeping me away from even thinking about this place, and old habits of not doing something die hard. So taste this little chunk that you are not going to read and like it. Re-posted from Jake Martinez’ Facebook. Since it was posted as a note for the world to see, I assume that there is no privacy issue on his part. I don’t care about the dumb girl involved.

Title: WTF

Sarah Blackford
January 18 at 7:56pm
I don’t know if you remember me, but I used to be your friend on here and on myspace. I just found you randomly when I was looking through picture comments, and then thought of you while watching this video. It’s so beautiful : )

-Sarah

Ellen’s Wedding Day Pictures & Video

Jake Martinez
January 18 at 8:02pm
Can you elaborate on why you thought of me while watching a video of Ellen Degeneres?
Sent via Facebook Mobile

Sarah Blackford
January 18 at 8:06pm
I thought you might appreciate it. It wasn’t that long ago that it was illegal for gay people to marry their partners, and it isn’t now. I am a Christian, but I am also an American, and I believe people deserve equal rights, no matter their age, color, gender, or sexual preference.

Jake Martinez
January 18 at 8:07pm
That is a great thing to hear. I’m glad you’ve had a change of heart.
Sent via Facebook Mobile

Sarah Blackford
January 24 at 5:55pm
Hi Jake,

This is difficult, but I must say it. Any sane person would just forget the whole conversation and let that be that. But I can’t, I have made you believe something that is not true. I was made to believe something that is not true. Satan is a deceitful being.
I was caught up in the “beauty” of Ellen and Portia’s relationship, and had a momentary lapse in judgment. I was deceived. I apologize for sending you that message. It was not truthful. I thought it was for a few moments, but then I remembered who I am and what I believe in. Yes, I am an American, but I am, first and foremost, a Christian. I believe in the “American Way” etc…, but when it goes against Christ’s teachings I cannot stand beside and agree with it. God’s Law is the Law that I choose to follow. You most likely do not understand, and might never, and this makes me deeply sad. But you have chosen your way of life and I have chosen mine.
I don’t hate or dislike you, or any gay person for that matter, nothing like it. I’d like to be a friend if anything. But I just don’t believe that your lifestyle, homosexuality, is right. I don’t have any defense except the Bible, which I’m sure you don’t believe. But that is where I find my comfort, way of living, strength, everything. I live and breath it. So I can’t tell you anything else other than the Bible, God’s Holy Word, says that it is not natural or right to be gay. I’m sorry I made you believe different.

-Sarah

Jake Martinez
January 24 at 6:32pm
Why are you messaging me?
I don’t care about your beliefs nor do I care to talk to you.
I deleted you for a reason.
Go away and preach to someone who cares.

——————–

So, this idiotic girl took it upon herself to send me a message, trying to get on my good side, and then take it back?

Look, I don’t care what the hell you believe in, God, the Devil, the fucking tooth fairy, but don’t message me and try to beg for me to re-add you after I’ve deleted you, and then do that.

She’s SUCH a Christian.
I’m sick of these Christians and their moral hypocrisy.
Keep your damn “Bible” out of my face.
I don’t preach my beliefs to you, so don’t do it to me.
Do you see me going around preaching about how I think the “Bible” is a work of fiction?
No, because I keep my mouth shut and so should you.

THANKS.

Hello distinguished members of the internet film press, blogosphere, etc.,

Matt Shapiro, the creator of “The Cinescape” that has gone around every year, has his new video out. After many people have copied the format and have raced to get them all out weeks before New Years, when he routinely puts them out (as Kees van Dijkhuizen’s video did for example).

I’m sending this to everyone because this year, Matt completely changed up the format. His videos have always been good, but like the rest of the people who make these videos, they were sentimental and nostalgic, maybe even too much so. This year, much to the disappointment of some on First Showing or AwardsDaily, who have already posted it, it is a very different breed of montage this year.

Set to Radiohead’s “Exit Music”, this one is a moody, somber, and overall artistic version of “the cinescape”, that doesn’t play as well to the “awwwwwwwww” factor. It’s different. It’s relevant. And most of all, it’s just plain damn good stuff.

Thanks for reading,
Zach Heltzel