South Dakota, Everyone

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Oscar Predix

Avatar will win best picture, because no, Hurt Locker won't, neither will Sandra Bullock Helps the Black People, neither will Jews in Trouble, neither will Disney Kills Old People, etc. etc.

You remember the last time a movie earned the most money ever, was directed by James Cameron and won? Well, it's gonna happen again. And get over it, 'cause Avatar was a good movie, mmmkay?

Kathryn Bigelow will win her directing Oscar. She won the DGA, end of story. They're not going to give it to her ex, since they didn't give it to him for his 'Fuck You Money" movie 13 years ago.

I think the best actor category is really a face-off between Jeff Bridges and Jeremy Renner. Not entirely sure though, because I haven't seen Crazy Heart yet. The buzz around Bridges is huge, so it's probably a good bet. They're not going to give it to Morgan Freeman. C'mon, are they really serious about him getting this nom when the main character in Rugby Cures Racism was played by Matt Damon?

Christoph Waltz will win best supporting actor for his turn in Inglourious Basterds. This is a fact, like photosynthesis. Sorry, Sir-in-Canada Christopher Plummer. Better luck next time.

Sandra Bullock will not win best actress for ending racism with sports, especially if Matt Damon won't win in that role, ESPECIALLY if Morgan Freeman won't win for playing Nelson Mandella. Except Bullock will win. Because the Academy sent us a message a few years ago that films the likes of Crash are high-caliber social commentary. They are very, very stupid, after all. Sorry to all the other nominees, but this is Bullock's year. I'll be sure to rent The Net to celebrate.

Really don't know who's winning best supporting actress. Haven't seen most of them yet. Vera Farmiga is very good in Up In The Air. But the Crazy Heart buzz may give it to Gyllenhaal.

Animated category's hard this year. I loved so much of it, but I especially loved Up, and Pixar's a good bet in any year, especially since, in the new expanded (and perfectly uselessly expanded) category, Up won't beat Avatar. So Up it is. As much as I love Coraline and Fantastic Mr. Fox, they're more niche market films, and we know how the Academy feels about those!

Film editing, cinematography and screenwriting must all go to Inglourious Basterds.

And frankly, it was the best film of 2009, period, and I will brook no argument on this. It's an extraordinary, extraordinary film.

In the Loop should win adapted screenplay, but Up In The Air will win, which is ok, because it's awesome, and Jason Reitman deserves a screenplay award for writing this wonderful movie.

All that scribbling here, but really, this is Avatar's year, because in case you haven't noticed, Hollywood needs money too, right now, and Avatar will bring it in like Tolkien did seven years ago. Avatar will win every fx category there is, for all its animation and 3-d layering. So be it. It was a good movie.

Always Wanted This

Q. I've read enough of your writing to gather that you admire, or did admire at one time, the film "Pink Floyd - The Wall." This is one of my all-time favorite films, and you are my all-time favorite film writer. I've read enough of your reviews and commentary to pick up on multiple references to this film, always positive, but have never read your actual full length review of the film. I assume there must be one. Maybe there isn't. I can't find it on IMDb.com or your own website.
Paul Apel

A. I did and do love it. I have no idea why I didn't review it at the time. It has been chosen for opening night of Ebertfest 2010, and between now and then I plan to write a Great Movie piece about it.

- Ebert's Answerman Column

It was, and remains, an extraordinary movie:

An Example...

....of a producer whom I would not normally find myself in a position to play, but still find very, very interesting, and of course, very good. Tricky, unique production technique here:



Major Lazer - When You Hear the Bassline (Tony Senghore mix)

It's Dutch, Bitch

Rogerseventytwo - Imagination

Oh Bother

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Remember this, from last week? Well, it turns out strapping them down Alex-the-Droog isn't the worst advice, because apparently their entire careers are dependent on their collective amnesia and the amnesia of their followers. Christ on a melting cap.

Required Viewing

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Every single one of these unbelievably addlepated nitwits who've been repeating this meme ought to be forced droog-in-a-chair to watch this clip and get goddamned real.

The stupidity of these people would just be funny if it weren't so predatory.

But It's Ok

When Lynch Met Lucas from Sascha Ciezata on Vimeo.

(Via)

Idiocracy

Every two months or so she comes back. People start acting like she has a chance. I don't know, maybe she does. I still doubt it.

My family is in lockstep with comparing Obama to Latin-American dictators. They believe everything they hear on the radio and on Fox News. They think Obama's going to raise the taxes on people's retirement funds (since they heard this on the radio, it's probably complete bullshit).

He may well have to, though. And if that happens, I'm not crying for anyone in my family who voted for two criminal presidents starting in 1968, and supported policies since then that have driven up the deficit and rammed our economy into oblivion. Not crying for any of you who did that. If you really believe in limited government, vote like it. You never, ever have, and in my most extreme moments, when I look at the likelihood of retiring with any sort of benefits myself, I gotta say, I don't care if they tax you into the stone-age. You break it, you bought it.

'Course, you could support a policy of raising the tax-rate for the wealthy back up to a pre-Reagan 70%. Deficit fixed, debt paid down, well before the middle-age of us millenials.

But we won't. And Obama won't. Because he's a radical socialist(?).

And they may have to raise your taxes, your never-ending Obama temper-tantrum notwithstanding.

Good luck with your Alaskan horrorshow.

Oh, For the Love of Beagles

Today at the Daily Dish:

Stay Classy, Rush

The now Miss America judge said this to Gretchen Carlson:

I love women. I don’t know where all this got started. I love the women’s movement — especially when walking behind it.

Again: imagine Reagan saying something like that. You can't, can you?


Love your writing, Sully, even though your Reagan-crush blinds you, sometimes:

...But the reverse is true. Each year the need grows greater; the program grows greater. We were told four years ago that 17 million people went to bed hungry each night. Well that was probably true. They were all on a diet.

- Ronald Reagan - A Time For Choosing (Speech 1964)

University of &$#*&$

I don't agree with a lot of this, but holy shit it's funny (and great film criticism).

(Hat Tip: Nastinchka)

Squeee