The Academy Awards Are Tonight!

Best Picture

"The King's Speech," "True Grit," "Inception," "The Social Network," "Black Swan," "The Fighter," "The Kids Are All Right," "Toy Story 3," "127 Hours," "Winter's Bone"

Breakdown: It's really hard to argue against any of these nominees, but it's clearly a two-horse race between "The King's Speech" and "The Social Network," although it wouldn't be a major surprise at all to see box-office favorite "True Grit" pick up the award.

Who Should Win: "The Social Network." There's just something about this movie that I can't shake. David Fincher's directing, Aaron Sorkin's writing, Trent Reznor's score, and the acting of Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake all combine together to create what in my opinion is the best all around movie of the year. While some people have called the film "The Facebook Movie," it's really about much more than Facebook. It's about culture and the generation we live in now.

Who Will Win: "The King's Speech." At the beginning of awards season, it looked as if "The Social Network" could not be stopped. It seemingly was winning every critics award imaginable and was starting to have the feel of an Oscar lock. But the race got interesting late in the game as "The King's Speech" started to rack up awards and after winning the award for director Tom Hooper from the DGA, the historical drama looks to be the front-runner.

Snubs: "The Town." While I think "Winter's Bone" is completely deserving of its nomination, Ben Affleck's Boston crime drama easily could have slid in to (what was most likely) the tenth slot.

Best Director

David Fincher ("The Social Network"), Tom Hooper ("The King's Speech"), Darren Aronofsky, ("Black Swan"), David O. Russell ("The Fighter"), Joel and Ethan Coen ("True Grit")

Breakdown: It's hard to argue with any of the five nominations in this category, but it's a two-horse race again, this time with Fincher and Hooper. Both films, "The Social Network" and "The King's Speech," have enjoyed high praise everywhere, and if one of these two didn't win the award, I would be surprised. While the Coens have past pedigree in the category, I think it's between Hooper and Fincher.

Who Should Win: David Fincher has directed some truly great films in the past, including "Seven," "Fight Club" and "Zodiac," and I think he made the best picture of the year in "The Social Network." It should be his award.

Who Will Win: Fincher has it. His film and his work on it have earned widespread praise and although Hooper won the DGA Award (making him sort of a frontrunner), I still think Fincher will pull away with it.

Snubs: Christopher Nolan! "Inception," In one of the most glaring snubs in recent memory, Nolan was shut out of this category again (after another snub for "The Dark Knight). Conspiracy theories abound, but I think the reason for the snub is because some voters just didn't understand "Inception" (which means they are dumb), but whatever the reason, he deserves to be miffed. Hopefully with "The Dark Knight Rises," Nolan will get his due.

Best Actor

Colin Firth ("The King's Speech"), Jeff Bridges ("True Grit"), Jesse Eisenberg ("The Social Network"), James Franco ("127 Hours"), Javier Bardem ("Biutiful")

Breakdown: While all five actors gave amazing performances, this feels like its Firth's award to lose. He won the Golden Globe and his performance has been unanimously praised for its realistic portrayal of a character suffering from a stammer. Both Franco and Eisenberg were fantastic, and if not for Firth, either of them would be deserving.

Who Should Win: Whenever an actor is nominated two years in a row for Best Actor, I think that is truly an amazing accomplishment. Both Firth and Bridges pulled it off this year (Bridges won for "Crazy Heart" last year, while Firth was in "A Single Man") and while I think Bridges was great as Rooster Cogburn, it's Firth's year.

Who Will Win: Firth is the frontrunner and he will take it home.

Snubs: You name it. From Robert Duvall of "Get Low" to Ryan Gosling of "Blue Valentine" to Mark Wahlberg of "The Fighter." All three have legitimate beef with the Academy, but I can't argue with any of the five nominated. That said, Gosling was exceptional.

Best Actress

Annette Bening ("The Kids Are All Right"), Natalie Portman ("Black Swan"), Jennifer Lawrence ("Winter's Bone"), Nicole Kidman ("Rabbit Hole"), Michelle Williams ("Blue Valentine")

Breakdown: Another category that seems as if it's down to two nominees: Annette Bening and Natalie Portman are the frontrunners. Portman was previously nominated as a supporting actress for 2004's "Closer" and Bening has been nominated four times without winning.

Who Should Win: I thought both Bening and Portman were fantastic, but I think it's Portman who should win this year, because "Black Swan" totally fell on her shoulders and she was great in it. It was a physically and mentally demanding role, she took it head on--and she nailed it.

Who Will Win: While I think Portman could easily take this, I actually think the Academy will finally call on Bening for the first time.

Snubs: Hailee Steinfeld of "True Grit." I should call this the "Sort Of Snub." While I think it's great that she was nominated for Supporting Actress (which she has an actual chance to win), her character was more of a leading role, and I think she deserved a nomination for Best Actress, although I understand the voters reasoning.

Best Supporting Actor

Christian Bale ("The Fighter"), Geoffrey Rush ("The King's Speech"), Jeremy Renner ("The Town"), Mark Ruffalo ("The Kids Are All Right"), John Hawkes ("Winter's Bone")

Breakdown: While obviously every Oscar category is "deep" in the sense that the nominees are all deserving, this category is probably the strongest of any from top to bottom this year. While Bale was a knockout in "The Fighter" and is the front-runner, in any other year each four of these actors could take home the award. Ruffalo gave an amazing performance in "The Kids Are Alright,"and while I don't think he'll win this year, he was fantastic.

Who Should Win: I do think Bale was amazing, and he should win the award, but for the sake of it, and because I am a huge fan, I'll say John Hawkes should win. He has been spinning great performances for years (including in "Deadwood" among many others) and after seeing "Winter's Bone," I was floored by his performance.

Who Will Win: Bale is the frontrunner and after a slew of great career roles, he deserves this award.

Snubs: Justin Timberlake and Andrew Garfield ("The Social Network"). Each snub shows just how much voters liked "Winter's Bone," which I admit I was a fan of, as well. Although I loved Hawkes in the film, I think both these actors could have received a nomination. Timberlake was great and Garfield was even better--he played the emotional and sympathetic center of the year's best film.

Best Supporting Actress

Melissa Leo ("The Fighter"), Amy Adams ("The Fighter"), Helena Bonham Carter ("The King's Speech"), Hailee Steinfeld ("True Grit") Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom")

Breakdown: When a film has two nominations in one category, it says a lot. While Carter gave an amazing performance, as did Weaver, it seems to be Leo's award to lose (apart from her strange Oscar campaign photos).

Who Should Win: Steinfeld was amazing in "True Grit" and based on pure performance, she should win.

Who Will Win: Leo most likely will take home the award for her loud and realistic portrayal of boxer Micky Ward's mother.

Snubs: Mila Kunis ("Black Swan") and Julianne Moore ("The Kids Are All Right"). Both were absolutely deserving but were shut out in a strong year for the category. Kunis was great in "Black Swan" and has a definite gripe here.

Other thoughts and observations:

-Snub: Lee Smith - Editing - Inception. Come on, that last act when the movie is jumping through three different levels of dreaming isn't Oscar worthy? Please.

-I hope Christopher Nolan wins for Best Original Screenplay for "Inception." The film was fantastic and do you get a script more original than that? Don't think so.

-Snub: Daft Punk - Score - Tron: Legacy. I'm probably biased because I am a Daft Punk fan, but their electronic and transy soundtrack to the new "Tron" film definitely deserved a nomination. But if Trent Reznor loses the award, it's an injustice.

-I don't care if they thought the film wasn't that great overall, but "Tron: Legacy" getting shut out of an Effects Oscar just doesn't make sense.

The Academy Awards air tonight on ABC.

Paul Walker Sold At A "Pawn Shop"

While many people remember Fred Durst best for his work as the front man of the band Limp Bizkit, more recently he has proved he has a knack for directing films. In 2008, he directed the Ice Cube film "The Longshots," which was nothing special, but in 2007 Durst completely shocked me with his excellent work on "The Education of Charlie Banks."

Starring a pre-Oscar nominated Jesse Eisenberg in a pitch perfect role, the film was a tale of friendship, secrets and higher education that showed that Durst had a feel for cinema and was a skilled director. For his next project, Durst is aiming for something more along the lines of "Banks" rather than a comedy like "Longshots," and it has just added a leading man.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Paul Walker will star in the Durst-directed thriller "Pawn Shop Chronicles" for Lionsgate.

The article describes the project as "hillbilly Pulp Fiction" and follows interconnected stories centering on a missing wedding ring, which leads to a wild-goose chase involving meth addicts, skinheads and an Elvis impersonator.

Actor-turned-writer Adam Minarovich penned the script while Jordan Schur, David Mimran and Steven Schneider are producing along with Durst.

I'm not sure exactly why, but there was always something I liked about Paul Walker. Sure, his acting could be a bit stiff, but he was solid back in the day in "She's All That" and he was pretty good in the mediocre "Running Scared." I think he could be a good fit here, but the reason I look at this project as a potentially successful one is due to Durst.

If you're a fan of good movies or Jesse Eisenberg, seriously do yourself a favor and get your hands on "The Education of Charlie Banks" because it really is worthwhile. This new project seems suited for him, and I'd expect it to be a solid film all around, especially from the director's chair.

Shooting aims to kick off this spring in Michigan.

Wentworth Miller Goes "Analog"

Back when "Prison Break" first premiered, lead actor Wentworth Miller looked like a superstar in the making. The badass shaved head, the solid acting--it just seemed to me like he had the chance to break out in a big way. That never happened for Miller, although "Prison Break" did end up lasting for four seasons, which is something to be proud of, I guess.

Either way, Miller didn’t do much with his star chance, so it's great to see him headlining a new project, even if it is a small one. According to Variety, Miller is attached to star in the $3 million indie dramedy "Analog."

The story follows an introverted genius who tries to find a love connection in an increasingly digital world. Mike Million ("Tenure") directs from his own 2005 Black List screenplay.

Maybe I have a soft spot for Miller because he went to high school in my neighborhood, but either way, I really think he is a solid actor and perhaps this film could lead him to doing more movies in the future. The simple premise of the film sound very unique and the fact that the script was on the Black List is a huge plus for the project.

Brendan McDonald is producing with shooting potentially ready to start this summer in Michigan.

Binoche, Amlric Enter The "Cosmopolis"

David Cronenberg hasn't directed a feature film since 2007's "Eastern Promises," which makes his next feature "Cosmopolis" all the more exciting. On top of the fact that it's based on Don DeLillo's excellent novel, the film's cast is shaping up extremely nicely.

According to C7nema, French actors Juliette Binoche and Mathieu Amalric ("Quantum of Solace") have joined the cast of Cronenberg‘s upcoming adaptation.

Based on the novel by Don DeLillo, the story follows a day in the life of newly married billionaire Eric Packer (Robert Pattinson) as he cheats on his wife, is pursued by a stalker (Paul Giamatti), gets attacked by a protester and gradually loses his entire fortune over the course of a single day.

DeLillo's book is really interesting and while I thought the story would be very hard to adapt to film, I think Cronenberg is a director who is totally up to task. While he hasn't helmed a film in a few years, his past few films have been nothing short of excellent, especially Cronenberg's 2005 film "A History of Violence," which starred Maria Bello and Viggo Mortensen.

The supporting cast of "Cosmopolis" is superb and deep, with Giamatti and now Binoche and Amalric, who was amazing in "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" a few years ago.

Production on the film is aiming for a start on May 24th in Toronto.

"Tron" Scribes Talk "Once Upon a Time"

Based on the work they did on "Lost," Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz proved they are one of the most talented science-fiction screenwriting teams out there. They wrote many episodes for the series, including such memorable ones as "Something Nice Back Home," "Every Man for Himself," "Dave," "Fire and Water" and "Greatest Hits," which was one of the most emotional of the series.

They followed up their work on the show with a little film called "Tron: Legacy" and while not all die-hard fans liked the film, I thought it was pretty good considering how high expectations were for the project.

The duo are currently working on a TV series for ABC titled "Once Upon a Time" and they spoke to Vulture in an interview about the show, revealing some interesting details about it.

The part-fantasy story revolves around "A young boy who lives in Storybrooke, Maine, where he's convinced things aren't what they seem, and we also get glimpses of a fairy tale land where familiar evil queens and dwarves with sharply drawn personalities are quite real."

Horowitz said in the interview: "We want to take the iconography that we've always loved and find a new way to look at what makes these fairy-tale characters tick."

Kitsis said that "there will be self-contained stories in each episode. [And] there will be a larger mythology at work. But it's not like if you miss an episode one week, you can't catch up."

Just based on their past work, I would watch the show, but after reading more details about it, the series sounds like it could be something very unique, which often is not seen on network TV. The show begins by jumping between two different world's--the fairytale and the Storybrooke, which sounds very "Lost" influenced, and that's not a bad thing.

While the project is still early in development, it could be a surprise hit for the network.

Richard Kelly Visits "Corpus Christi"

Whether you loved it or hated it, if you saw "Donnie Darko," you have to admit that Richard Kelly has a distinct and unique skill and vision when it comes to film. He isn't conventional and while some of his films were a bit muddled, like "Southland Tales," for example, his projects at least make audiences think outside "The Box."

Kelly, in fact, last directed the previously mentioned "The Box" and for his next project, he will work on something a bit more conventional. According to Variety, Kelly will next write and direct the contemporary thriller "Corpus Christi," which will be co-financed through his own company, Darko Entertainment.

The Texas-set project will be a foray into a more traditional narrative for the "Donnie Darko" director, with the story concerning a mentally unstable Iraq war veteran who forges a strange friendship with his boss, the wealthy and politically ambitious owner of a supermarket chain.

While the plot of the film sounds a bit strange, this will be Kelly's first film without heavy science-fiction effects or elements. I was a big fan of "Donnie Darko," I thought it was a strange and totally original idea, and I thought what Kelly did with time travel was fresh and pretty intelligent. Although I wasn't as big of a fan of "Southland Tales" or "The Box," I was always curious at what Kelly could do on a more conventional film, and it looks like we'll all have a chance to see that.

Kelly's unique skill set should be well suited for this film and it will be interesting to see how he tackles the idea of having the main character be a mentally unstable war veteran.

Kelly, Eli Roth and Sean McKittrick will produce and shooting will kick off on location in July. Casting is under way and an announcement is expected within the next month.

Danny Boyle Tries "Sharp" Werewolves

The director/writer team of Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy has proven to a successful formula in recent years. The two scored Oscar gold for their work on "Slumdog Millionaire," and this past year they lent their talents to the Oscar-nominated "127 Hours," so it's not a surprise that they would want to work together again.

According to the site InContention, who spoke with Beaufoy, the writer said that he's working on a film adaptation of Toby Barlow's werewolf-themed poem “Sharp Teeth,” which Boyle may direct.

The story follows a trio of werewolves in East Los Angeles. Characters include a lawyer with ambitious plans to takeover the city, a dogcatcher and loner who falls for a beautiful and mysterious woman, and a detective investigating dog-related murders.

In the article, Beaufoy explains that he has been taking ridealongs with LAPD officers in Compton and Watts for research. Boyle himself is currently working on a soon-to-open stage adaptation of "Frankenstein."

If only because of their track record, anything these two work on together is something worth being interested in, but beyond that, I think the story would be something Boyle would love to tackle.

He has worked on numerous types of films in his career, including the drug-fueled "Trainspotting," the horror/survival film "28 Days Later," and the science fiction film "Sunshine." This type of film would be another way for Boyle to show off his signature creativity and style.

No release date is set yet, but look for news in the coming weeks.

Levy Helms "Fantastic Voyage" Remake

Director Shawn Levy is still putting the finishing touches on his robot boxing film "Real Steel," but that hasn't kept him from lining up his next possible job. According to Deadline, Levy has been tapped to direct the James Cameron-produced 3D remake of the sci-fi classic "Fantastic Voyage" for 20th Century Fox.

Based on the 1966 film, the voyage revolves around a team of scientists who are shrunk to atomic size and sent in a miniature submarine inside the body of a scientist to save his life.

The film has been in development for awhile with director Paul Greengrass attached last year, but when he left, it became one of the most wanted open spots in the industry. A whole crop of names, including Darren Aronofsky, Timur Bekmambetov, Jonathan Mostow and Louis Leterrier met with Cameron about the gig, but it looks as if Levy is his man for the job. Shane Salerno penned the script, which Laeta Kalogridis performed re-writes on it.

While Levy doesn't seem like the most obvious choice of the crop for an action film due to his background in comedy with films like "Cheaper By the Dozen" and "What Happens in Vegas," Levy has recently shown he is looking to broaden his horizons. His upcoming film "Real Steel" is a science fiction/action/sports story and Levy also has signed on for another action/adventure picture with Fox.

This film could be a huge success due to the subject matter and James Cameron's involvement. We all saw what he could create with 3D imagery and technology in "Avatar," so I can only imagine what he'll do with the inside of a human body.

With Levy at the helm this could play well to general audiences and turn out to be a big hit down the line.

Redford To Act In "Gold in the Snow"?

Robert Redford hasn't stepped in front of the camera for an acting gig since 2007's "Lions For Lambs," and it's not like that film was great or anything. It's been quite a while since the aging film star took to the screen, but it looks as if that might just happen.

According to The Playlist, Redford might be making a return to star in Nicolas Vanier‘s next directorial effort, "Gold In The Snow."

An English-language adaptation of Vanier‘s own 2004 novel, the film would find Redford playing an old trapper who helps a young American man seeking gold along the Klondike river in Alaska in 1897. Three well-known actors are said to be in contention for the younger role.

Although Redford's role in the film will most likely be small, I'd be thrilled to see him in front of the camera again. I recently watched "All the President's Men" again for the first time in a while, and I marveled at how great Redford was in the film. On top of that, "Spy Game" always has been a personal favorite and it made me hope that Redford would do more acting work in his later years.

Redford directed the upcoming historical drama "The Conspirator" starring James McAvoy, which will be released in April.

Shooting for "Gold" would take place over the course of a year to capture the Yukon territory as it passes through the various seasons.

Classic Album Reivew: The Roots, "Do You Want More?!!!??!"

Throughout the years artists, critics, writers and musicians have drawn tons of comparisons between hip-hop and jazz, and no group has combined the two genres better than The Roots.

Since the group is so successful now and currently serves as Jimmy Fallon's house band on "Late Night," it's almost hard to remember that there was a time when mainstream success eluded the group.

The origins of the group began when rapper Black Thought (Tariq Trotter) and drummer Questlove (Ahmir Thompson) met and became friends at the Philadelphia High School for Creative Performing Arts in the late '80s. As the next few years went by they began to do shows around Philadelphia and New York City with bassist Leonard "Hub" Hubbard and rapper Malik B, the Roots and eventually recorded a debut album, titled "Organix."

The band produced the album independently and originally sold it at shows in Europe. The group earned itself a very loyal following and as time went on, the album earned a great deal of buzz around the industry and led to the group finally getting some studio recognition.

After releasing "From the Ground Up" EP in 1994, the group went to work on their first official studio album, which showed off how truly skilled they were at combining elements of hip-hop, jazz and live instruments. Unlike some other artists, the group didn't use the combination as a commercial gimmick, instead they fuse the two together to great a new genre in itself and a sound that is truly intoxicating.

Their first true studio album "Do You Want More???" was released in January of 1995 and was extremely well received by both fans and critics. The album is long, clocking in at over 70 minutes, but in this case quantity equals quality. From top to bottom, every track is solid, especially "Lazy Afternoon," the title track "Do You Want More?!!!??!," "Distortion to Static," "? vs. Rahzel," and "Mellow My Man."

The thing that makes the album work so well is how the group takes a completely original approach to the hip-hop genre, with their jazzy instrumentals and socially conscious lyrics. One track in which this really shines through is on "Distortion to Static," which features a provocatively smooth beat and some of the best verses on the album.



Malik B is supremely confident on the track as he raps: "Yo, I'm every MC, it's all in me/That's the way it is, when ya gotta be/Indeed as I distort I proceed, I need / Gettin hotter than sacks of boom, in my room at the Ramada/Four tanks in your memory banks to fill up/I provide the static, with scratch to match, while you catch the vibe/Most can play high post, but yo that don't mean shit/Because my click'll make a motherfucker sick."

Black Thought has one of the truly unique flows and voices in the hip-hop industry and his work on this album is one reason why it holds up so well after all these years. On the title track "Do You Want More?!!!??!," Thought takes center stage, spitting some great lines over a truly amazing beat, which uses perfectly placed Scottish bagpipes mixed in with a hard drum from Questlove.



Thought opens the track with a hard sound that hooks you in and keeps you until the track ends. He raps ferociously as he spits: "Like I'm a medical doctor, watch the damage/I inflict properly, ain't nobody risin on top of me/I be droppin more plot in my mic monopoly/Got to be, got to be reality, Stevie Wonder see/Black Thought be me, I groove ba-by/Or I clue they say baby/Would you get with this? Not even maybe."

Although it isn't exactly a conventional track, I couldn’t write this without mentioning "? vs. Rahzel," which is my one of my personal favorites from the album. While it is mainly instrumentals and a beat and doesn't feature any verses, the track is a favorite of mine because it has two of my favorite hip-hop artists showing off their skills front and center. The track features Questlove banging out the drums while Rahzel mixes in his patented beat-boxing techniques, combining for a unique sound not found on many other hip-hop albums.



The track epitomizes The Roots' jazz influences, with Rahzel's beats and Questlove's drums forming an improvisational loop of just pure music and jamming. Another track that really shows off those influences as well is "Mellow My Man," which features heavy electric piano grooves and realistic lyrics.

With their offbeat delivery and live instrumental sound, The Toots literally were like no other group out there. The group was extremely musically talented, that was clear, but they also possessed a skill at linking the experimental nature jazz with the gritty life of the streets and hip-hop. Due to its jazzy influences, "Do You Want More?!!!??!" sometimes sounds more like an album bred from old-school hip-hop rather than contemporary rap.

The group lets the music breathe throughout the album, letting tracks build as they go one and creating a funkadelic hip-hop sound that is impossible to copycat. The album was a blueprint for combining hip-hop and jazz; it emphatically put The Roots on the map, and is definitely a classic.