Welcome back! Well, to some of you, anyway. To the rest of you, glad you decided to stop by and I hope this humble column helps you navigate the stacks of new releases each week. My goal is to point you toward titles of interest and warn you away from those films that seek to do nothing but leech away your time and give you nothing in return.

Full disclosure: I have not seen many of these titles, and what follows are not necessarily reviews, but opinions based upon what I know of the titles I pluck from the new release lists I peruse. The opinions I give based on the new releases are my own, and my recommendations are based on my personal interest. In any case, I hope you enjoy and perhaps find something you like or a title to point me towards.

Demonic Toys 2. Thought I would have a little fun with this week's pick and go with something a little less mainstream. Instead of gong popular or Oscar-nominated I went with something a lot lower on the budget scale. I have a soft spot for Charles Band and Full Moon Pictures. They have made a stream of super-low budget movies for decades. Some of them are classics while others are instantly forgettable, still no one made better movies with killer puppets. Also, I have met Charles Band and he is a fun guy with a passion for what he does. This long awaited sequel sees the puppets up to no good in an old castle. The trailer shows some poor CGI, but I am willing to overlook. This could be the perfect holdover until Puppet Master: Axis of Evil arrives.

The Boondock Saints: All Saints Day (also Blu-ray). Yes, the movie is fun and Clifton Collins Jr. is great as the new sidekick to the Saints, but this movie is essentially the same thing as the first one with less story. Fans will like it, I am sure, but do not expect anything great. For that matter, the original does not hold up all that well. There, I said it.

Up in the Air (also Blu-ray). Jason Reitman is fast becoming a great new voice on the big screen. With just three films he has established himself as someone who tells interesting stories and has interesting characters. This is the latest outing for the young filmmaker.This film tells the story if a man whose life choices are challenged on two fronts. He is at a crossroads and things are about to change. It is wonderfully written and acted and deserves your time.

Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire (also Blu-ray). This is a movie that is going to be talked about for some time. From start to finish it is an incredible experience that plumbs the depths of abuse and the lives it destroys and still manages to have that thread of hope. Even better is that the hope is born organically out of the story and the characters and is not tacked in for a merely emotional payoff. Great filmmaking and well deserving of the praise it has received.

Old Dogs (also Blu-ray). I passed this up on the big screen and will likely do so again on the small screen. Robin Williams and John Travolta team up for this comedy about a guy finding out he is a father. Aside from Seth Green, this does not look all that good. Anyone know otherwise?

Planet 51 (also Blu-ray). From the opening moments of Planet 51, the audience is bombarded with references to classic science fiction films like The Day the Earth Stood Still, Earth vs. The Flying Saucers, and War of the Worlds. There is even a running gag referencing a more recent creation, Alien. These references are folded in and kneaded into a dough comprised of 1950s sensibilities. These are then filtered through more modern lens, crafting a film that is part homage and part spoof. If you like the classics and want to see something a little silly and fun for the family, you'll like this.

Scarecrow and Mrs. King: The Complete First Season. I remember loving this when I was younger. Bruce Boxleitner and Kate Jackson star as a spy and a housewife. I do not remember any specifics, but I am interested in seeing if it holds up after all these years.

Capitalism: A Love Story (also Blu-ray). Michael Moore, love him or hate him, the man makes interesting films. Takn with a grain of salt they make for good conversation. This is no exception and seems like his least controversial for awhile. Give it a shot.

Nine Dead. Melissa Joan Hart in a thriller? Sure, why not? This one has 9 people in a warehouse being stalked by a killer in a mask with a gun. The set up does not exactly sound all that original, but it could still be fun. I hope because I would like to see it.

The Memory Thief. This is about an aimless young man who works at a tollbooth who has a chance meeting with a Holocaust survivor. He takes to the stories very strongly going so far as to act like one. It is an interesting idea and I was interested ever since I saw the poster some time ago.

That's right, Alice in Wonderland took off like a whirlwind and flew all the way to Oz. It's $116 million opening weekend made it the biggest March opening ever, not to mention te biggest opening outside the main summer months of May, June, and July. The Tim Burton helmed film is also the biggest opening of his career. The 3D film seemed to strike a chord with audiences as they seemed more than willing to charge out to theaters en masse for the first time in 2010.

The question now is going to be if it can keep it up. Do you think it will? I am not so sure it will. I cannot say I was terribly enamored with the film and I have to wonder if word of mouth will be able good enough to support continued strong box office returns. Don't get me wrong, there are lots of things to like about it. The imagery is very good, the 3D effect are well executed, and there are individual performances and scenes that I really enjoyed. The problem is that there is no glue holding it together and there is a sad lack of heart.

Coming in second is another mediocre film that has some good performances and tense scenes but fails to come together in a meaningful manner. The movie is Brooklyn's Finest, the latest cop thriller from Antoine Fuqua (Training Day). The film feels like a cross between The Departed and Training Day without rising to the level of either. The movie stars Ethan Hawke, Don Cheadle and Richard Gere as three cops on three different beats whose stories converge over a drug deal. If you like cop movies, this is the movie to see, just keep your expectations in check. The best part of the film? Don Cheadle. The man is a great actor.

Slipping to third place from the first place spot it has held for the past two weeks is Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island. The thriller based on a Dennis Lehane novel is one of the best films of the young year. It may have a 3 next to its title in the box office chart, but it came within $75,000 of being the number 2 film. It really is well worth seeing and if you haven't, do yourself a favor.

Fourth place is held by Cop Out. This second weekend sees the Kevin Smith directed comedy become the biggest film of his career outgrossing last year's Zack and Miri Make a Porno. I wish it was a better film. I wish it was a film that he wrote. This one does not have a heart and may have a couple of funny moments but fails to really develop into anything. Still, perhaps this work or hire will help him get funding for his own projects.

As for the rest of the chart, there is nothing particularly special except, perhaps, for one thing. Crazy Heart climbed up one spot and increased its take by nearly 35% over last week. I am sure it has to do with the buzz surrounding Jeff Bridges Oscar nomination, but whatever it takes to get people into theaters to see it on the big screen, right?

Next weekend sees a number of new releases enter the fray. Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass deliver Middle East thrills with Green Zone. Forest Whitaker and Carlos Mencia butt heads in Our Family Wedding. Robert Pattinson leaves behind the sparkles and glitter for Remember Me, a romantic drama he co-stars with Emilie de Ravin. Finally, Jay Baruchel arrives in She's Out of My League, a sex comedy that looks kind of funny but not necessarily good.
Two movies dropped off the list this week: Tooth Fairy (11) and The Wolfman (12).

This Week	Last Week	Title	Wknd Gross	Overall	Week in release
1	N	Alice in Wonderland (2010)	$116,101,023	$116,101,023	2
2	N	Brooklyn's Finest	$13,350,299	$13,350,299	1
3	1	Shutter Island	$13,225,411	$95,750,005	3
4	2	Cop Out	$9,289,311	$32,504,610	2
5	4	Avatar	$8,118,102	$720,607,444	12
6	3	The Crazies	$7,078,851	$27,472,164	2
7	5	Percy Jackson	$5,124,623	$78,057,749	4
8	6	Valentine's Day	$4,154,110	$106,303,870	4
9	10	Crazy Heart	$3,312,591	$29,532,002	12
10	7	Dear John	$2,782,079	$76,626,086	5

Box Office Predictions Recap
Not so bad on the numbering and not so bad on the grosses, so long as you don't count Alice in Wonderland. Who knew that Burton's Alice would fly so high? I guess I should have known. At the very least I should have been a little bit closer to the actual. This was a very big weekend and easily brought with it the biggest film of the year. I only wish the movie had been better. Seeing this pull down this enormous bank, I am hoping that Iron Man 2 outdoes it, the film looks great and I am really looking forward to that one.

Here is how the field matched up:

Actual	Prediction	Title	Wknd Gross	Prediction
1	1	Alice in Wonderland (2010)	$116,101,023	$65 million
3	2	Shutter Island	$13,350,299	$15 million
2	3	Brooklyn's Finest	$13,655,274	$10 million
4	4	Cop Out	$9,289,311	$9 million
5	5	Avatar	$8,118,102	$8 million
6	6	The Crazies	$7,078,851	$7.5 million
7	7	Percy Jackson	$5,124,623	$5 million
8	8	Valentine's Day	$4,154,110	$3.5 million
10	9	Dear John	$2,782,079	$3 million
12	10	The Wolfman	$1,636,835	$2 million

Well, this year's awards are safely in the rear view mirror. I think we made it through more or less unscathed, right? Were the awards as good as you thought they'd be? I hope so. After all, more people watched this particular telecast than have in the past five years. I guess they must be doing something right, like heaping the nominations on Avatar like they should have done with The Dark Knight last year. I'm sorry, just a little bitter for no particular reason, it's not like the Oscars have the final say on what films will ultimately be deemed classics. Time will step up to define that for us, it will just take, um, time.

In the afterglow of Hollywood's annual backslapping many people will swear off the awards for all time, others will discuss the fashions to no end and others complain about how all the wrong choices were made or some other such nonsense. The fact remains I have long since given up on the Academy's thoughts and choices falling into sync with my own. Fact of the matter, my number one film for 2009 was actually nominated, but I was not fooled into thinking it would win, and it didn't (it was District 9).

The evening did not start off too well for me. I was one of the more than 3 million customers that got cut off from ABC by Cablevision due to their contract disputes. I did watch the pre-show, where I had to tell my mom who all the celebrities were, there are precious few that she recognizes. I was entertained, but I swear, there is only so much Ryan Seacrest that anyone should be forced to endure. I think I was most amused when he was "interviewing" Mariah Carey. She stood there acting foolish and trying to open the slit in her dress the entire time, it was humorous and utterly ridiculous.

I started the evening watching the show via a live stream I found online. I did get to see the Neil Patrick Harris opening, which I thought was quite good. I see him hosting someday, I think he would do a great job. Then we get our dueling hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. I am not going to go into their performance, suffice to say I thought they did pretty good. job.

It was during the first award that ABC came back, sadly I missed most of Christoph Waltz's acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actor as I transitioned from my laptop and its little window stream to the living room and glorious high definition. Even with the disruption the ceremony got off to a good start with this victory. It is one that they got unequivocally right.

One thing that we should agree on going in is to not get too upset over the wrong ones that win. We know who deserved to win and who we would really want to win and so long as those films continue to work for us, popularity be damned. Still, there is no denying that in the vast majority of cases the nominees are good films made with a high level of skill.

Leading up to the awards I wrote a series of breakdowns and predictions. This is the most I have ever written about the nominees in the five years I have been writing. In the aftermath of all that writing combined with predictions over the past few years, I have discovered that there is not much in the way of genuine surprises. If you look at each category, can you honestly say you don't have a good idea of who will win? Yes, you will get a few wrong but there are bound to be a few close ones.

Of the 24 categories I made predictions in 19 of them. Unfortunately, in those remaining five categories I have not seen any of the nominees. For those keeping track, they are Animated Short, Live Action Short, Short Documentary, Documentary, and Foreign Language and for the record I want to see The Cove and The White Ribbon. Of those 19 categories I went 15 for 19.

The first one got wrong was Costume Design. It is probably the one I was most assured to get wrong as I predicted based on what I really liked as opposed to who I thought would win. The Young Victoria may be a good movie, but the look does not impress me, all of those films look the same. I picked The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. Now that would have been a well deserved victory.

The next incorrect prediction was for Sound Mixing. The winner was The Hurt Locker while I picked Avatar. Heck, I even had Star Trek over The Hurt Locker. I was thinking the two favorites for Best Picture would split the two sound categories. I was wrong.

This third incorrect category was the biggest surprise of the bunch. The category was Best Adapted Screenplay. I was positive that Up in the Air was going to win based on it being a very good screenplay and that it seemed to be winning every award leading up to the Oscars. The winner was Precious. Yes, it was a good movie, but was it the best written? Not really. Still, Geoffrey Fletcher was legitimately moved by the win and I am happy for him.

Finally, the last category I got wrong was Best Picture. The deeper into the night we got, the more sure I was that I had made the wrong decision. All the momentum swung the way of The Hurt Locker. The writing category signaled that Up in the Air wasn't going to win, taking it out of contention (I figured it to be the third of the big three contenders). I had a feeling Avatar was going to win based on the breakthrough visuals, technology, and the way that everybody can identify with it.

In the end I am happy that The Hurt Locker won, it really is a good movie. Unfortunately, based on it winning the most awards and the talk I hear around work the backlash has already begun. Of course, it also seems to be hitting Avatar as well. I am always amazed at how any film that receives a bunch of awards or makes a ton of money seems to instantly become a target. Yes, some have legitimate reasons for not liking a film, but I think many just speak out for the sake of doing it. Whatever, I still know how I feel about them and I still know the best movies of the year include the likes of District 9, The Road, and (500) Days of Summer.

Until another year, roll the credits!

This edition of my Oscar 2010 breakdown covers a trio of technical categories that involve a good deal of artistry. These categories are also of the variety that when done well you do not notice as you will be too involved with the bigger picture. Literally, good art direction, makeup, and costumes will blend into the story so that while you may remark on how good they are, they do not distract you from the story.

Let's start with Art Direction. The easiest way I can think of to describe this position is to compare it to Cinematography. Cinematography is the way the the sequences look while Art Direction concerns what is seen during those sequences. It is concerned with authenticity to the story and combines many of the other departments working on the film (like costumes and makeup).

The award itself has been in existence since the original ceremonies, however it was called Interior Decoration and it was won by William Cameron Menzies for both The Dove and Tempest. The award would go through its first evolution towards the one we know today in 1940 when the award was split to accommodate color films as well as black and white. The next stage came with a renaming in 1947 to Art Direction - Set Decoration. Ten years later the award was combined back into one for a brief period when it was once again split along color lines. The final change came in 1967 and it has stayed that way ever since.

The five nominees for the 2010 prize are:  Avatar: Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg, Kim Sinclair; The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus: David Warren, Anastasia Masaro, Caroline Smith; Nine: John Myhre, Gordon Sim; Sherlock Holmes: Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer; The Young Victoria: Patrice Vermette, Maggie Gray

All of the nominees are quite good, although there are titles that jump out at me, one is the likely winner and the other is film I would like to see win. But before getting to those two, let's take a look at those I do not believe will win. First is The Young Victoria, quite frankly it just does not excite me. It may be a good film (I haven't seen it) but it does not look any different than other costume dramas I've seen. Next is Nine. I am not quite sure what it is, but while it does look good it does not strike me as great, I think it may be the way it was cut. Finally, Sherlock Holmes has a great sense of fun around it and could have an outside shot.

I guess the remaining titles are pretty easy to guess. The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus is the movie I want to win. It has a great look combining the modern day with a bygone era with the carriage, not to mention the fantasy world of the Imaginarium. It just has a very unique look and feel. However, the winner will likely be Avatar. The science fiction epic has a great look and design that is a marvel to behold. It is also probably the most involved film with regards to the direction as much of it had to be created from scratch.

Next up is Best Costume Design. This award was created in 1947 and was awarded to Roger K. Furse for Hamlet for black and white films and to Dorothy Jeakins and Barbara Karinska for Joan of Arc for color films. The awards history mirrors that Art Direction with the color/black and white separation until 1967.

This year's nominees are: Bright Star: Janet Patterson, Coco avant Chanel: Catherine Leterrier, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus: Monique Prudhomme, Nine : Colleen Atwood, The Young Victoria : Sandy Powell

I am not sure who will win this category. It doesn't help that I have only seen one of the nominated features. That being true, I am going to try to whittle them down anyway. I am going to discount The Young Victoria, mainly because I am not the biggest fan of the period drama, but also because what little I have seen just did not impress me. Bright Star does not strike me as a winner either, although I know nothing about it. Coco avant Chanel could be a competitor, Audrey Tautou makes all of her costumes look good.

In the end, I suspect that Nine will tke the prize. The costume work is very good. Everyone looks great in their stylized costumes in the musical. However, I think a case could be made for The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. The Terry Gilliam directed film has a great look from the worn rags to the stage costumes to those in the Imaginarium. It goes hand in hand with the art direction. There really was nothing quite like it during the year.

I am a little noncommittal in this category, but I am going to come down on the side of Nine to win. Although, I would not be disappointed by a Parnassus victory.



Finally, let's take a look at Best Makeup. This award came into being in 1981 when An American Werewolf in London won for Rick Baker's great work. Over the years the award has gone to a blend of traditionally dramatic films and genre films, including horror. I am glad to see that this category will occasionally go outside the box and award genre films.

This year's nominees are: Il divo: Aldo Signoretti, Vittorio Sodano; Star Trek: Barney Burman, Mindy Hall, Joel Harlow; The Young Victoria: John Henry Gordon, Jenny Shircore

I have not seen Il divo or The Young Victoria, but I do not want either of them to win. The look of both of these films is very traditional, based on the trailers and a couple of clips. Neither one of them stand out. On the other hand Star Trek takes some chances with its alien creations and with its transformation of Eric Bana. I am hoping this one goes to the science fiction flick.



Be sure to tune in Sunday March 7, 2010 to see who wins!

Music is an important part of the film experience. A good score can heighten your reaction to good film, underscoring the emotional moments or enhance adrenalin pumping action sequences or anything in between. In the early days there was live organ music accompanying the films, I can only imagine what that must have been like. In any case, scores are an intrinsic part of our movie going experience and can also continue on as a separate creative work. Alongside film scores are songs written specifically for films, more pop-type tracks that can be thematically important to the experience, or just add another element to the experience.

The award for original music has existed since 1934 when the first statuette was awarded to Louis Silvers and the Columbia Studio Music Department for One Night of Love. The award did go through a few changes over its lifespan. There were a few years when there were two awards, one for Original Score and one for Scoring. I am not sure what the difference was there. It would then go through a long stretch where there were still two awards but they were for Dramatic or Comedic Film and for a Musical feature. It would go through another transformation in 1962 when the awards went for Original Music Score and Scoring of Music-adaptation or treatment. The 1970s saw another renaming of the prize to Original Score and Original Song Score. It was not until 1980 that the award took on the form that we know it today as Original Score and a single statuette.

There are five films vying for the award this year: Avatar: James Horner; Fantastic Mr. Fox: Alexandre Desplat; The Hurt Locker: Marco Beltrami, Buck Sanders; Sherlock Holmes: Hans Zimmer; Up: Michael Giacchino

There is some very good music there, although there is one omission, an expected one. My favorite score of the year was Christopher Young's for Drag Me to Hell. Frankly, I am not surprised in the least, I mean it is a score for a horror film and how often do you see horror recognized by the Academy? That's right, not often.

As for these nominees? I immediately see Avatar, Up, and Sherlock Holmes jump out as early favorites. I did enjoy Alexandre Desplat's work in Fantastic Mr. Fox and to a lesser extent Marco Beltrami's The Hurt Locker but I don't see either one of them as a legitimate contender.

Among the three top contenders I have a strong suspicion that Michael Giacchino is going to walk away with the statue for Up. It is really a wonderful score that works just as well with the movie as it does on its own. It has a jazzy, light as air feel that plays with the heart strings, especially during te opening montage. I tell you, he is a composer to keep an eye on. As for James Horner and Hans Zimmer, they both turned in exceptional work, with Zimmer pulling slightly ahead for his inventive Holmes work.

Here is a sample of Michael Giacchino's Up score, a piece entitled "Married Life":

The Original Song Oscar debuted the same year as the score award, 1934. The first award went to "The Continental" from The Gay Divorcee, music by Con Conrad and lyrics: Herb Magidson. Unlike the score award, the prize for Original Song has enjoyed an uninterrupted run since its inception.

Here are this year's nominees: "Almost There" - The Princess and the Frog - Music and Lyrics: Randy Newman; "Down in New Orleans" - The Princess and the Frog - Music and Lyrics: Randy Newman; "Loin de Paname" - Paris 36 - Music: Reinhardt Wagner, Lyrics: Frank Thomas; "Take It All" - Nine - Music and Lyrics: Maury Yeston; "The Weary Kind" - Crazy Heart - Music and Lyrics: Ryan Bingham and T-Bone Burnett

Looking at them, I find it very easy to pick the winner. First, let's peek at the ones who won't win. I cannot see either of the Princess and the Frog tunes winning. Yes, the film is very enjoyable and the music works well within the context, I don't feel either one of them are all that memorable or worthy of the win. Next is "Loin de Paname" from Paris 36, a film I had never even heard of before now, is certainly a lovely tune and has a very nice and light flow to it. I just think the film may be too obscure and work against its chances, although it has made me interested in seeing the film.

All right, three songs down and two to go, do you see where I am heading? "Take it All" from Nine features the actress that should have been nominated for supporting actress and also happens to be he wrong song from this film to be nominated. If you were to take a song from this film I would have gone with "Be Italian" or even  "My Husband Makes Movies," both of which I prefer to the chosen film.

This leaves one song left to be your winner, "The Weary Kind" from Crazy Heart. This is a movie that is the perfect theme for the movie. If there is one nominated song that is immediately identifiable with its film, one song that perfectly sums up its movie, this is it. It is a beautiful song that really stands out among the other nominees and it will walk away with the statuette.

Here is the song performed by co-writer Ryan Bingham:

This week's wide releases -
Alice in Wonderland
Brooklyn's Finest


Start saying your goodbyes to Avatar. This is the weekend where it loses a large portion of its 3D theaters to Tim Burton's latest outing.I guess this also signals the beginning of the end of the film in theaters as its theater count will begin to dwindle and its box office take begins to drop a little faster. It is not a sad thing just an inevitable one. It is a good film, a historical one even. It is interesting that this is happening on the eve of the Oscars where a couple of key victories could give it a box office bump. In any case, it is time to begin looking forward, we are not that far away from the 2010 blockbuster season with all of its hopeful riches. This weekend sees a flight of fancy and a gritty street level drama enter the theater. What will you be seeing?

Alice in Wonderland. (2010, 110 minutes, PG, Fantasy) I have been looking forward to this for some time. I am a big fan of Tim Burton's and this material seems to be an interesting fit for his gothic visions. I also find it interesting that it is not really a straight version of the classic stories, nor is it a take on the Disney version (despite this being bankrolled by the Mouse House). Tim Burton and screenwriter Linda Woolverton used Lewis Caroll's stories as a launching point. The film is actually a sequel of sorts, Alice is no longer a child and this is not her first journey into Wonderland. She finds herself back inside with all of the familiar denizens of Wonderland with a Red Queen who is more dangerous than ever. The cast includes Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Ann Hathaway, Crispin Glover, Alan Rickman, and Stephen Fry. One thing I did find funny was the reasoning the MPAA gave for the rating: "a smoking caterpillar, scary situations, scary images and fantasy action violence." Yes, is says "a smoking caterpillar."

Brooklyn's Finest. (2010, 133 minutes, R, thriller) I am not so sure about this one. The cast is pretty good and the director has done good work in the past. The problem here is that it looks like just another gritty cop film that we have seen many times in the past. Could it prove me wrong? I would welcome it. I do not expect it to be, merely generic. The film centers on a trio of cops and one big drug bust. Richard Gere plays the veteran on the verge of retirement, Ethan Hawke is the officer who will cross lines to provide for his family, and Don Cheadle is the undercover operative struggling with shifting alliances. On the other side of the coin is Wesley Snipes (wow, how long has it been since he's been on the big screen?). Either way it goes, I think it will have a respectable open.



Also opening this week, but not near me:

• Nothing, no other films are opening this weekend.

Box Office Predictions
Well, Shutter Island had its two weeks on top and now it is time for it to slide. Tim Burton's 3D fantasy is going to overtake the top spot by a long shot. This is likely the highest anticipated film to arrive so far this year and is set to make a killing at the box office. The rest of the top ten is going to be a dogfight.

Here is how I think it could play out:

Rank	Title	Box Office
1	Alice in Wonderland (2010)	$65 million
2	Shutter Island	$15 million
3	Brooklyn's Finest	$10 million
4	Cop Out	$9 million
5	Avatar	$8 million
6	The Crazies	$7.5 million
7	Percy Jackson	$5 million
8	Valentine's Day	$3.5 million
9	Dear John	$3 million
10	The Wolfman	$2 million

Without directors there would be no movies. Directors use their vision and knowledge of the medium to bring us the images and stories that we love. Clearly some do it better than others and a few of those who demonstrate the skills needed to succeed at the highest levels are recognized with Oscar nominations. Now, to get there the directors need stories, enter the writers. To take it all the way down to its basest levels, without writers there would be no film. You could look at them as the most important piece of the puzzle, for better or for worse. Just like the directors, writers also are recognized, but they have two categories, one for original screenplays and one for adapted screenplays. Not all of our films are original ideas, you know!

The Best Directing Oscar has been around as long as the awards themselves. The first award was given in 1927 to Frank Borzage for Seventh Heaven and Lewis Milestone for Two Arabian Knights. That first year had an award for dramatic and one for comedic films. It was the only year that this had happened. The award has had a straight run right through to the modern day. However, there were a couple of years where they actually announced the finishing order of the directorial nominees in the 1930's. The most interesting year was 1935 when the second highest vote getter wasn't a nominee but a write in candidate, Michael Curtiz for Captain Blood. Makes me wonder how ofter there are write-ins? Something tells me no very long.

Unlike the award for directing, the writing Oscars have had a different path. Originally there was an award for Best Adapted Screenplay and one for Best Story. This would last until 1940 when the Best Original Screenplay award was introduced. The Best Story award would continue on until it was retired after the 1956 ceremony.

Without further adieu, let's take a look at the three categories, their nominees, and who I think will win.

Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker, James Cameron for Avatar, Lee Daniels for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, Jason Reitman for Up in the Air, Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds

The front-runners here need to Kathryn Bigelow and James Cameron. Their respective films have realy been gathering a head of steam with both winning numerous awards and Avatar becoming the highest grossing film of all time. I would tend to agree with them, although I would like to saw Quentin Tarantino is in the mix. It is more likely Quentin will come in third place.

Lee Daniels did a wonderful job bringing grit, humanity, reality, and honesty to Precious. That said, it is not really a flashy film and is more centered on the characters. This would make this film a dark horse. Also in this category is Jason Reitman. Up in the Air is a very good film, but Reitman's style is that he doesn't have a style. He has a good sense of pacing and knows how to make a scene work, but I do not see him being a favorite of the Academy.

My final word is going to say Kathryn Bigelow wins. The Hurt Locker has a great visual sense, a stylized flair, and an intimate intensity that is second to none. It is an involving film that leaves politics out of the Middle East and focuses on the men on the ground.

Best Original Screenplay
The Hurt Locker: Mark Boal; Inglourious Basterds: Quentin Tarantino; The Messenger: Alessandro Camon, Oren Moverman; A Serious Man: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen; Up: Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Thomas McCarthy

The one film I have not seen here is The Messenger. I have heard good things about it, but it never played around me. It is not because I did not see it, but I do not believe this will win. At the same time I do bot believe Up will either. I just have to say that the silent montage is some of the strongest and most effective scenes written this year.

The race is going to come down to The Hurt Locker and Inglourious Basterds. Even that I do not believe will really be much of a race. I would love to see Quentin Tarantino walk away with the prize, something to put next to his Pulp Fiction statue. In the end, I foresee Mark Boal winning for The Hurt Locker. The screenplay is quite strong and does a fine job of putting us right there in the action. It did win the Writers Guild award which could be an indicator that it will take the big one too.



Best Adapted Screenplay
District 9: Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell; An Education: Nick Hornby; In the Loop: Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche; Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire: Geoffrey Fletcher; Up in the Air: Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner

This is all but a lock for Reitman and Turner. They turned in an incredibly timely and very well written screenplay for Up in the Air. I love seeing the District 9 nomination, but much like its Best Picture nod, it real does not stand much of a chance. An Education I found a bit surprising as most of the buzz I have heard centers around Carey Mulligan's nominated performance.

Precious was very well written, but it also crams a lot of issues into its runtime. While it all works in the end and is done with skill, I feel it may be a bit much and not really be considered the best of the best. Not to take anything away as it is very well written, I just don't feel it is the best. The last nominee is In the Loop, a movie I think I would like. It is a political satire that has moments of poetry in cussing, judging by clips I have heard.

Again, this is Up in he Air's to lose and I do not think it will. It is smart, witty, touching, and hits on many levels. It has also won a Writer's Guild award and the Golden Globe.



Be sure to tune in Sunday March 7, 2010 to see if I am close.

There are four acting categories and twenty nominees. That is a lot of performances and the funny thing is, there are always other great performances that we can bicker and argue about. I know there are performances I would have loved to have seen here that didn't make it, but I cannot take the argument too far as there are a number of performances I did not see. Sure, I saw most of them, but for as many movies as I see and the manyu more I try to see, there are always going to be a few that fall through the cracks.

This being true, I am primarily going to focus on the performance I think will win each category with a few notes along the way. This will not be as in depth as other Oscar columns that have come recently, but I am sure will get the general direction in which I am heading. I would also love to hear your thoughts on who you think will win.

2010s roster of nominees cover fourteen different films with Up in the Air receiving the most acting nominations (3). Who will walk away with the big prizes? Read on.

Best Actor
The five nominees are Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart, George Clooney for Up in the Air, Colin Firth for A Single Man, Morgan Freeman for Invictus, and Jeremy Renner for The Hurt Locker

I see this category as a three way race between Bridges, Clooney, and Renner. I hear Firth is very good, but the film never seem to get any momentum going behind, which leads me to believe he is a dark horse. I have seen Invictus and yes, I think that Freeman is good, I just do not see it as a winning performance, although the Academy does seem to like biopics and their lead actors.

There are a couple of names that I feel have been overlooked for nominations. Among the non-nominees that deserve some recognition are Sam Rockwell for his great work in Moon, Viggo Mortensen for The Road, Nicolas Cage for his wild performance in Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, and Michael Stuhlbarg for A Serious Man.

As for the winner? It is going to fall to Jeff Bridges who gives one of the best performances of his career will walk away with the top prize. For one, he is great in the film giving a completely credible and engrossing performance as a broken down country star. Secondly, I think the Academy may feel bad about not giving it to Mickey Rourke last year. Well, not really, but I still think he will win (although it should be Sam Rockwell). Clooney would not surprise me, but he already has a win and Bridges is overdue. Jeremy Renner has a shot, but is a dark horse among the big three.

Best Actress
Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side, Helen Mirren for The Last Station, Carey Mulligan for An Education, Gabourey Sidibe for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia

I am at a major disadvantage when it comes to the Actress category. I have only seen two of the performances. The funny thing is that one of the ones I saw is the one I would like to see win, while one of the ones I did not see is the one I am expecting to win. So far as overlooked performances go, I can only think of would have been thinking outside the box and never really had a chance. The performance would be Zoe Saldanna from Avatar. As the NaVi Neytiri, she was compelling and the character had depth and emotion. Interesting considering it is a motion capture performance.

As for the winner? I have a strong suspicion that Sandra Bullock will win for The Blind Side. I have not seen the film, but it has had such strong word of mouth and some great momentum through the awards season. On the other hand, I would rather see Gabourey Sidibe win for her work as the title character of Precious.



Best Supporting Actor
Matt Damon for Invictus, Woody Harrelson for The Messenger, Christopher Plummer for The Last Station, Stanley Tucci for The Lovely Bones, Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds.

There are some very good performances, although once again, I did not see a couple of them (Plummer and Harrelson) and then you have Stanley Tucci who was the best thing about The Lovely Bones. Fortunately, I feel fairly certain the winner will come from one I have seen. Of course, it is not hard to predict when he has been winning awards left and right leading to this ceremony.

It is funny, as I look at the nominees, even the ones I have seen, the winner is a foregone conclusion. Without a doubt Christoph Waltz will be walking away with the top prize. His work as Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds is incredible. He is a force of nature as the film's villain. Whenever he is onscreen you will not be able to take your eyes off of him.

Still, there are still those who were overlooked. Primarily, I am thinking of Jackie Earl Haley who was electrifying as Rorshach in Watchmen.



Best Supporting Actress
Penélope Cruz for Nine, Vera Farmiga for Up in the Air, Maggie Gyllenhaal for Crazy Heart, Anna Kendrick for Up in the Air, Mo'nique for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Finally, a category in which I have seen all of the nominees! Most of the performances here are very good, the one notable exception is that they nominated the wrong actress from Nine. Sure, Penelope Cruz was a little flashier and more prominent, but it was not the best one here. They should have nominated Marion Cotillard as Daniel Day Lewis' long suffering wife. However, in the end it matters not as neither one was going to win.

I my feeling is that Mo'nique is going to win. First off, her performance is eye catching in its cruelty and builds to the revelations at the end. Secondly, the Academy loves actors that go through transformations and this is not the same Mo'nique we know from the comedy stage. At the same time, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick both gave strong performances and a win by one of them could signal a big night for Up in the Air.



Would I have preferred to see all of the nominated performances beforehand? Of course! However, I think it is still relatively easy to guess the winners or at least have a good idea of the likelihood of a given nominee. Be sure to check out the ceremony on March 7, 2010.

With a band name like Dirge Within, I naturally go into the experience with certain expectations. Band names tend to do that, think about some of the classic metal acts out there like Metallica and Slayer. When you hear those names, even without knowing what they sound like you have a mental image of what to expect, right? I know the image conjured up in my mind comes pretty close to the truth. Now, when I hear the name Dirge Within I am expecting something a little to the doom metal side of the coin, maybe a little sludge metal. Either way I am looking to hear something dark and heavy, perhaps even something like Dark Tranquility. This has turned out not to be the case. Am I disappointed? Perhaps a little, fortunately solid music makes up for it.

Dirge Within is a metal band with some slight hard rock tendencies that could very easily be lumped into the metalcore genre, although I think that would oversimplify it and not accurately reflect reality. However, I am not sure what genre I would put them in. Genre classifications are fun, aren't they? I think I would call them a heavier, yet still accessible, version of Disturbed.

Force Fed Lies is an album packed with well written songs, good instrumentation, spotless production, and an overall attractiveness that makes it very easy to get into. Issues arise as the more you listen, the more it seems to be calculated to play towards the middle. It does not take any chances, none of he songs push boundaries or target the fringe. The music is all very safe. This is not to say it is not good, worthwhile, or anything of the sort, I just don't think it will be remembered a few years down the road other than a footnote.

The band is the latest project by guitarist Shaun Glass. Glass was a founding member of metal act SOiL and had previously been a part of death metal act Broken Hope. He parted ways with SOiL back in 2007 over personal differences. This was also he same time he turned his attentions to Dirge Within, which was then just Dirge. I am amused at how he described the project then compared with what they actually sound like. Glass was quoted as saying the direction was "total f*cking extreme metal in a very modern thrash style." Read that and then check out Force Fed Lies. Not quite the same thing are they?

All right, that sounds like I am getting down on them, but I'm not. I may be playing the role of apologist for enjoying what is a solid if very mediocre album, but somethings things hit me in strange ways. On one hand this album is really catchy, but on the other hand I thirst for more substance. This is the sort of music I can put on in the background while doing other things and still get a heavy groove on. There is no shame in that.

Force Fed Lies gets off to a pretty good start with the super groove of "Self Medicate." It is deceptively heavy and has a great sing-along section. It is a good example of what the rest of the album is like. Figure this as the average, some songs lean a little heavier and some a little lighter, but they all fall in this range.

When it comes to the better songs, you will want to focus in on "New Disease," which features a nice smooth opening before kicking in with some muscle making it one of the heavier tracks. The title track has a good groove that is easy to bang your head to. Not to be left out is "Inhuman," a nice little rocker featuring some guest vocals from Wayne Static.

Vocalist Jerms has a pretty good voice and can cover decent ground from a growling voice to clean vocals. The rhythm section is comprised of Paz on bass and Jimmy Knight on drums. They do a solid job at keeping the rhythm while not really standing out. Shaun Glass handles guitar duties with Matthew Szlachta, together they deliver some strong grooves to get into as the album gets its groove on.

Bottomline. Very easy to get into, very easy to like, but also very forgettable. This really is a frustrating album. I really want to like the album, but it cannot quite make it over the hump. It seems content with where it is, doing it solidly without pressing further. Perhaps this will be a launching pad for something more? When it comes right down to it, I do recommend the album, I suspect I may revisit it on occasion for some metal groove.

Mildly Recommended.

Welcome back! Well, to some of you, anyway. To the rest of you, glad you decided to stop by and I hope this humble column helps you navigate the stacks of new releases each week. My goal is to point you toward titles of interest and warn you away from those films that seek to do nothing but leech away your time and give you nothing in return.

Full disclosure: I have not seen many of these titles, and what follows are not necessarily reviews, but opinions based upon what I know of the titles I pluck from the new release lists I peruse. The opinions I give based on the new releases are my own, and my recommendations are based on my personal interest. In any case, I hope you enjoy and perhaps find something you like or a title to point me towards.

Where the Wild Things Are (also Blu-ray). This is a movie that I knew was special as I left the theater, however I was not as enamored with it as I had hoped to be. At the same time, I think it is one of those movies that will only grow in estimation over the years.Spike Jonz took Maurice Sendak's minimalist children's tale and turned it into a rumination on childhood and growing up for adults. It truly is a remarkable work that pulls not punches and is truly original. If you missed it, do yourself a favor and give it a shot. It is quite different than anything you've seen for awhile.

2012 (also Blu-ray). As a fun disaster film, this fills the bill. However, if you are looking for anything to stimulate the intellectual centers of the brain, you are going to want to go somewhere else. The movie is fun and exciting, there is no denying that. Was I expecting a masterpiece? No, not at all. I essentially got what I was expecting, which is a visual extravaganza with some melodrama to string it along.Watch as Roland Emmerich takes the best effects money can by and proceeds to destroy the world. Allow John Cusack to play your guide through the apocalypse, just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Ponyo (also Blu-ray). Hayao Miyazaki's latest offering is a beautiful piece of animation that more specifically targets the youth than in other recent outings. It is the story of Sosuke and Ponyo the goldfish. It is a story of innocence and love and is fairly simple and straightforward. What is interesting is how it keeps its focus on the simplest of characters and only hints at the bigger story. For once, this is a movie not interested in the big story, instead it gives us the ground view from the children. It is an great decision that works very, very well.

Clash of the Titans (also Blu-ray). Arriving on special edition DVD and steel book Blu-ray comes this old school fantasy classic, just in time for the remake. This telling of the story of Perseus has a nice collection of stars including Harry Hamlin, Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, Ursula Andress, and Burgess Meredith. I have not seen this in a long time. Perhaps I should pay it a revisit.

The Neverending Story (Blu-ray). I loved this movie when I was younger. It tells of a young boy who finds freedom and fantasy in the pages of a magical book, a book given its power by being read. It was directed and co-written by Wolfgang Peterson. I look for to revisiting the adventure and seeing if it still holds so many years later.

Bitch Slap. Been looking forward to this one. Three women travel into the desert to steal a fortune in diamonds from a ruthless kingpin. The movie looks corny and cheesy and a lot of fun. It does not look like one I will need to engage the brain for.

Ninja (also Blu-ray). This straight to video affair looks like a throwback to the era of Sho Kosugi ninja flicks in the 1980s. It looks corny, has a cheesy atmosphere, but looks to have plenty of ninja action.

Cold Souls. This is a strange, surreal, film that appears to be directly influenced by the work of Charlie Kaufman. It has that sort of strange, off-kilter feel to it, where things are not quite what they seem. Paul Giamatti stars as Paul Giamatti, an actor who sells his soul in the hopes of improving his acting, but then decides he wants it back only to find it has been sold on the Russian black market. Interesting and very odd.

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (Blu-ray). This is an undeniable classic. It offers up some great fights, possibly the best training sequence, and made Gordon Liu a star. If you are a fan of martial arts films, this is an absolute must see. I am curious to see how this looks on Blu-ray.

Gentleman Broncos. From the mind behind Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre comes another tale of the weird. I have not yet seen it and have heard it isn't that great. Still, I am looking forward to it. It centers on a teenager attendign a fantasy convention where he discovers his story idea has been stolen by an established writer.

My Neighbor Totoro, Castle in the Sky, Kiki's Delivery Service. Arriving along with Ponyo, a trio of Miyazaki classics on special edition DVD. These are all great films that you should have in your collection. There is something about the way he tells his stories, the way his characters are animated, they are all unique and interesting, a real master.

The wait is over, two big (well, maybe not so big) things happened this weeked. The lesser event is that we know have the first 2010 film to repeat as the top film. Shutter Island is that film, holding onto the top spot for two weekends. I doubt it will get a third, but this is something you cannot take away. Fortuntely, the movie is really quite good. The other, more momentous event is Avatar has crossed $700 million. Yes, that is an insane number and it would seem that it has a shot at $750 million.

Martin Scorsese could be on his way to a new career high in box office gross if Shutter Island can hold up. The thriller has already given the legendary director the biggest opening of his illustrious career. This movie really surprised me. With Dicaprio and Scorsese you had to know going in that it was going to be something special. They deliver the goods with some great atmosphere, an engrossing story, and strong performances led by a nicely layered character from Dicaprio.

Second place brings us the first of the weekends new releases. The Kevin Smith directed Cop Out. The film opened well and appears to have a shot at becoming his highest grossing film. It is a shame that it is one of his worst. Granted, the screenplay is not his so the blame is not entirely his. The buddy cop spoof fails to deliver an interesting story and does not have nay character that I find interesting. Better luck next time.

The Crazies finished third with a respectable $16 million. Better than I was expecting in both box office gross and in film quality. The movie creates a nice paranoid atmosphere as it begins to hit the fan and our heroes are at a loss to explain it and are doing all they can to keep themselves alive. Nice blood, a story that doesn't give you everything, and frightening implications all add up to a remake that does it right.

Avatar finished fourth his week, its lowest yet. Still, it was only off 15% from last week. It is having an amazing run that will probably dip a bit faster now that Alice in Wonderland is poised to poach 3D theaters. Still, the film is quite amazing and I find it to have been better the second time around.

There is nothing else of any real import in the latter half of the chart. Well, perhaps Crazy Heart dipping a mere 15% is worth noting, especially with its Oscar nominations and the award ceremony fast approaching.

Next weekend will see the arrival of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, which is actually a sequel. Also joining the fray is Brooklyn's Finest from Antoine Fuqua and starring Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Wesley Snipes, and Ethan Hawke.

Two movies dropped off the list this week: From Paris with Love (13) and Edge of Darkness (14).

This Week	Last Week	Title	Wknd Gross	Overall	Week in release
1	1	Shutter Island	$22,665,205	$75,541,571	2
2	N	Cop Out	$18,211,126	$18,211,126	1
3	N	The Crazies	$16,067,552	$16,067,552	1
4	3	Avatar	$13,655,274	$706,560,068	11
5	4	Percy Jackson	$9,583,421	$70,998,280	3
6	2	Valentine's Day	$9,063,036	$99,916,240	3
7	6	Dear John	$4,808,498	$72,432,096	4
8	5	The Wolfman	$4,259,865	$57,380,125	3
9	7	Tooth Fairy	$3,425,333	$53,841,454	6
10	8	Crazy Heart	$2,462,384	$25,009,496	11

Box Office Predictions Recap
Not bad at all. Not perfect by any stretch, but I am pretty appy with how it turned out. With the exception of The Crazies and Dear John, my dollars were really pretty close. In the case of The Crazies, I am pretty happy it came in higher than I expected as the movie really is quite good, surprisngly so. Hopefully word of mouth will help it along.

Here is how the field matched up:

Actual	Prediction	Title	Wknd Gross	Prediction
1	1	Shutter Island	$22,665,205	$23 million
2	2	Cop Out	$18,211,126	$19 million
4	3	Avatar	$13,655,274	$13.5 million
3	4	The Crazies	$16,067,552	$12 million
5	5	Percy Jackson	$9,583,421	$9 million
6	6	Valentine's Day	$9,063,036	$8 million
8	7	The Wolfman	$4,259,865	$5 million
9	8	The Tooth Fairy	$3,425,333	$3.5 million
7	9	Dear John	$4,808,498	$3.25 million
10	10	Crazy Heart	$2,462,384	$2 million

When I first heard that Kevin Smith was making a film called A Couple of Dicks, I was in. When I heard that Kevin Smith was making a film with Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan, I was in. When I heard the title was being changed to Cop Out, I had mild disappointment but I was still in. When I saw the first trailer and it did not look like a Kevin Smith film, I was in but to a slightly smaller degree. When I saw the red-band trailer and it felt more like a Keven Smith movie, I felt reasurred and I was in. When I learned that Kevin Smith did not write the script, I became curious. Now that I have seen the film, I am out and I feel sad.

Supposedly, before Warner Brothers and Kevin Smith got the screenplay out of turnaround it was on the blacklist, meaning it was considered one of the best currently unproduced screenplays in Hollywood. If that is the case, there must not be all that many good scripts out there. This one, written by Robb and Mark Cullen, has a few funny moments but is otherwise devoid of heart, character, and discernible plot. It also feels like it received a bit of a punch up by Smith, although he has said that kept very close to the original screenplay.

Well, here is the story, such that it is, Jimmy (Willis) and Paul (Morgan) are detectives and have been partners for a long time. They are good at what they do, but they tend to be a little unconventional, think Riggs and Murtagh. Their latest screw-up finds them suspended without pay. This seems like a small setback for these two as Paul worries about potential marital infidelity and Jimmy is worried about paying for his daughter's wedding. It all comes together as the bad guy they are chasing happens to have stolen Jimmy's valuable baseball card that was to be used for the wedding.

I guess that is about as far as the plot goes. The in between moments are filled with shootouts and plenty of conversations involving bodily functions and fluids. Now, do not get me wrong, I am all for shootouts and bodily fluid humor, but there needs to be something more. This movie does not have that something more.

I saw there in the theater with people laughing around me, wondering what they saw that I didn't. I was envious of their experience as what they had is what I wanted. I tend to be on the optimistic side of things when I go to the movies and I really wanted to like this, but I just couldn't. It was devoid of anything interesting and I could not bring myself to care.

Like I already mentioned, the screenplay fails to deliver on anything. I will admit to there being a few funny moments but they are few and far between, not to mention most of them being in the trailers. What I was hoping for was character that I never got. That is what makes Kevin Smith's screenplays work so well. He may revel in grade school potty humor, but his work in vulgarity is poetry. He weaves it into stories of friendship, camaraderie and human experience. Of course it is all done in a stylized manner and is not "real" despite having a very specific reality. This film does not have that. It goes for the quick joke and moves on.




The performances don't really help. Bruce Willis is sleepwalking through the role. It does not look like he really wants to be their. On the other hand, Tracy Morgan doesn't seem to have anywhere else to go and he brought his 30 Rock character with him. As for the rest? Does it really matter? None of the pieces go together and none of their threads have any sort of impact.

So far as Smith's direction goes, it is an interesting development in his growth. He has never been a terribly visual director. He is far more likely to lock the camera down and make sure the actors stay in frame than he is to move around. I am sure this has more to do with him primarily being a writer. Here the camera moves a lot, tracking shots, crane shots, more movement than has ever been in a Smith film. I would not say he was terribly good, but it was serviceable. I only wish the movie was more worthwhile.

Bottomline. I daresay this is the worst film in Kevin Smith's cannon. Is it a coincidence that it is the first he has not written? I would like to hope so. I also want to hope that he gets back to writing and rectifies the situation with his next film. In the meantime, I suggest skipping Cop Out and instead take in one of his other films, perhaps Zack and Miri Make a Porno or Clerks 2? Both have the vulgar humor you crave along with better characters and actual heart.

Not Recommended.

A few years after George Romero redefined the cinematic zombie forever and a few years before he gave them their arguably defining moment on the big screen, he took time out to craft a paranoid thriller. The film was called The Crazies and it focused on a small town infected with an unknown virus and targeted by the government and military for containment at all costs. It was a very low-budget affair that was more effective in concept than in execution, but it successfully puts the viewer on edge as the grip of hysteria closes around everyone involved. Now, 27-years after its release we are faced with a remake.

On the surface it seems like an odd film to remake, while at the same time is the perfect type of film to remake. The film was a modest success in its original 1973 incarnation and has enjoyed something of a cult status in the years since where is is possibly more notable as a Romero film than anything else. This low-level of common knowledge plays against one of the reasons Hollywood likes doing them, the built in brand recognition, I mean many of my friends did not even know there was an original film. This is not like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th, or even The Amityville Horror. This means for the public at large the film will live or die on its own merits while also dealing with the vocal minority of fans who will be looking to compare it to the original.

So how is this new take? Surprisingly very good. It is a solid horror/thriller that is not without its flaws. Fortunately, director Breck Eisner does a fine job of keeping the pace up and the atmosphere tense, helping make the flaws less noticeable. The story told is one that can make anyone paranoid. This is a horror film that lurks around the edges of believability. Are those edges strained? Sure, but only in the effort of making the film stronger and it fails to lessen the impact of the implications.

What exactly is going on? The opening of the film gives a very god idea of what is about to happen before taking us back two days to the start of the mess, giving us a good look at where we are going before taking us to the more idyllic setting of the small town, might as well be called Anywhere, USA.

Set in a small Iowa town we are introduced to David Dutton (Timothy Olyphant), the town sheriff, and his wife Judy (Radha Mitchell), the doctor. After leaving the office, David goes to watch the local high school team play baseball, During the game one of the townsman walks onto the field looking rather out of sorts and carrying a shotgun. Needless to say, this does not go well.




Shortly after this event things begin to go downhill. Judy begins to see some patients experiencing strange symptoms. We witness strange trance-like states which are then followed by extreme acts of violence and murder. David and his deputy, Russell (Joe Anderson), are left scrambling to figure out what exactly is going on. Then all hell breaks loose as the military show up in their hazmat suits, guns and sternly delivered orders as townsfolk are rounded up and herded like cattle.

Our focus quickly pares down to four survivors, David, Judy, Russell, and Becca (Danielle Panabaker) and their attempt to simultaneously survive and figure out what is going on. Their efforts fly in the face of the military guys swarming around the town rounding people up and killing when necessary, sometimes it isn't necessary. In the face of this incident, it becomes hard to tell who is crazy and who isn't. Think about what your reaction may be.

The Crazies is very effective at keeping the audience in the dark, Essentially, we are in the same boat as David as is perpetually perplexed by what is going on. There are references to where the problem started and what it actually is going on. While the explanations we do get do not always seem to jive with what we see they do not necessarily lead to plot holes. It is interesting how no one who knows anything seems to know everything and the information they have is not necessarily correct. We are given enough information to draw conclusions from, but not enough so there are always doubts.

If there is one problem I have, and this can be explained away by my prior paragraph, but I wish they set up the rules of the virus a little better. I can tell you what they should have done, they should have taken the explanatory line from the original film. That would have worked perfectly. No, I am not going to tel you what it is, go watch it for yourself.




The performances are all solid. Timothy Olyphant really stood out as delivering a good performance. He provides a compelling character who has a lot going on. He plays a character who takes his job and his relationships seriously while also not being perfect. This is easily one of his better performances (easily above the likes of Hitman and Live Free or Die Hard). Not to be left behind is Joe Anderson as the deputy. He is nearly unrecognizable here (a few times I thought it was Clifton Collins Jr.) and is quite interesting in his approach to the role.

The biggest surprise here may be director Breck Eisner (son of former Disney CEO Michael Eisner). His biggest film prior to this was Sahara, a middling adventure film. Here he brings a distinct style. He uses some interesting angles and knows how to keep the tension in place. Very good.

Bottomline. This movie is such a surprise. I honestly was not expecting much from it, but go a film teeming with paranoid tension. It makes you question things. This is how you make an effective remake, feed off the original, improve on the execution and remain true to the source. It is no great film, but very effective with interesting characters, decent amount of gore, and a good story.

Recommended.

Contrary to the uninformed belief, Sound Mixing and Sound Editing are indeed different. Like I mentioned in my Sound Editing column, I was (am?) one of the uninformed who could not really tell you the difference. I have done a little bit of research a this point and now understand the basic differences between them. There is a pretty well defined line between the two categories. Editing involves the creation of sounds, foley effects, dialogue, and making sure all of the scenes have the right sounds. Mixing, on the other hand has to do with bringing all those sound elements together making sure the levels are right, that the focus is where it should be and the right sounds are in the right place.

Yes, the categories are definitely related to each other, but they are done be different people and they are both very important to the film. So far as who wins the top prize, the popular opinion I see around he web is that the loudest movie among the nominees is the one who wins. However, as I look at the winners over the past few years, I have to disagree with that sentiment. For example Transformers did not win and that was easily the loudest nominee that year. It lost to The Bourne Ultimatum. All right, I guess that's a loud movie too. Looking at othe recent winners, I would not consider Slumdog Millionaire, Dreamgirls, or Ray to be particularly loud.
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I will say it is an interesting idea of assuming the loudest being to be winner as many likely identify "good" sound with high volume. I think a good approach would be to judge it as you judge quality speakers. You do that by listening to low volumes, if the sound definition is still good and well representative of the source, the speakers are good. Poor or cheap speakers will lose quality quicker at low volumes than high and good speakers can be listened to very low and still give a solid experience. What I am saying is maybe we should pay more attention to the quieter moments. Although, while this is a probably a good way to get an idea, it is not the whole picture. We must look at the bigger picture of the scene and even bigger at the film as a whole.

The award has existed since the dawn of the Talkie, nearly as long as the awards themselves. It was originally just called "Sound" (it was changed when Sound Editing entered the fray in the early 1960s. The first winner was The Big House for 1929-1930, a film I've never heard of. Actually the first winner I have heard of did not come until 1942 when Yankee Doodle Dandy.

This year there are five flms nominated for the award and it looks like many other categories I have looked at. Alphabetically, the nominated films are: Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Inglorious Basterds, Star Trek, and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

Now to take a look at them in the order I believe they will finish:

Inglourious Basterds
I love the film and have said as much before, I just do not really see it as a viable candidate in these more technical categories. The film is highly dialogue driven (it is Quentin Tarantino after all) and ir sounds just right. Seriously, I have nothing but love for the film and the mix is a good one, I just do not find that it jumps out at me.  guess that could b the sign of a good mix, right? I suppose so. However, I feel other films are stronger in the mix area, or at least more active.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
This is a good one if you are looking for loud and obnoxious. This movie has a lot going on in the sound mix from transformations to explosions, crunching metal to the roar of engines, not to mention dialogue and a host of other sounds. Quite frankly, the mixing team has their hands full to keep it from flying completely off the rails. This could not have been an easy task considering what is going on visually. It is a delicate balancing act to make sure we get the right mix. For what it is, it is solid, as good as can be expected, but when taken in conjunction with the film as a whole, it is a bit of a mess. Perhaps this team should be commended for doing what they did with what they had to contend with.



The Hurt Locker
Now, this placing may be a little arbitrary by me, wanting to see another film higher up the list. In the end my ordering does not really mean much as we will only ever know the number one film. In any case, this movie does have a very good mix. It features a great dynamic mix of loud and soft. The opening sequence is a good example of the dynamics. It has the quiet intensity that goes with revealing the bomb, the high energy of finding someone with questionable intentions, it has friendly conversations, not to mention the moving footsteps and tire treads of the remote controlled machine they use. All of which has a perfect balance to get you on the edge of you seat. The rest of the movie follows that lead. It definitely has a shot at winning.



Star Trek
I would love to be able to call Star Trek an Oscar winning film. Sadly, I feel pretty sure that will not be the case, so I will have to settle for Oscar nominee. That is't so bad is it? Especially considering the film had so many questions prior to its release. As for the mix, it is very good. It strikes a balance between the barely contained insanity of the Transformers sequel and the finely honed intensity of The Hurt Locker. This film brings a balance to the dialogue, ambiance, score, and th plethora of special effects sounds that were created just for this movie. The movie is just so much fun and the sound is a big part of that, everything in its right place.



Avatar
James Cameron's first fictional film since Titanic is a pop-culture and technological phenomenon. It has captured people's imaginations in ways that few films have been able to do. All manner of technology was created to make it work. While reading up on the film, I learned that the CG elements could be edited in pieces and in layers (face and body separate from each other and then different layers of the background). It is quite fascinating. Now combine those elements with the combination of on set sound and newly created sounds blended to just the right balance to suck you into this alien world. I do not think this is the greatest film, but there is something so special about what it has accomplished and the audio mix goes along way to selling the immersive nature of the 3D film. I have a good feeling this will com out on top.