Award shows really aren’t my favorite; I find them too long, too embarrassing and too egotistical. The one I often make an exception for is the Academy Awards, though I usually record it and then fast-forward through the icky parts.

The 85th Academy Awards will be on your television beginning at 6 central Sunday, February 24. Hosted by Seth MacFarlane, the show promises to be everything Hollywood. So tune in early for the red-carpet extravaganza, and stay for the top (and last) Oscar of the night, the Best Picture.

This year, nine films are vying for Best Picture: Amour, Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook and Zero Dark Thirty.

I’ve seen three so far (Argo, Les Miserables and Lincoln), and hope to see Beasts of the Southern Wild before the 24th. Friends have given good reviews to Django Unchained, Life of Pi, Silver Linings Playbook and Zero Dark Thirty.

The directors of only five of those films are up for an Oscar: Ang Lee for Life of Pi, Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild, Michael Haneke for Amour, Steven Spielberg for Lincoln, and David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook.

 
For both awards, my vote is on Lincoln and Steven Spielberg.

For Best Actor and Best Actress, the nominees are: Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook), Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln), Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables), Joaquin Phoenix (The Master), Denzel Washington (Flight), Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty), Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook), Emmanuelle Riva (Amour), Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild), and Naomi Watts (The Impossible).

Two of the Best Actor nominees are nominated for the first time: Cooper and Jackman. While Phoenix has been nominated twice (Supporting Actor for Gladiator and Best Actor for Walk the Line), he has never won. Day-Lewis has been nominated five times and has two Oscars: for My Left Foot and There Will Be Blood. Washington is the history maker this go-round; this is his sixth nomination – a first for an African American actor – and he has won twice (Supporting Actor for Glory and Best Actor for Training Day).

The ages for the five Best Actress nominees range from 85 (Riva) to 9 (Wallis). While three of the five have been nominated before, none of them have won. Chastain was nominated for a Supporting Actress award for her role in The Help; Lawrence was nominated for Best Actress for Winter’s Bone; and Watts was nominated for Best Actress for 21 Grams.

Riva and Wallis are the oldest and the youngest nominees in the history of the Academy Awards.

My votes go to Day-Lewis for Lincoln and Watts for The Impossible.

  In the supporting categories, the nominees are Alan Arkin for Argo, Robert de Niro for Silver Linings Playbook, Philip Seymour Hoffman for The Master, Tommy Lee Jones for Lincoln, Christoph Waltz for Django Unchained, Amy Adams for The Master, Sally Field for Lincoln, Anne Hathaway for Les Miserables, Helen Hunt for The Sessions and Jacki Weaver for Silver Linings Playbook.

All five of the veteran actors have been nominated: de Niro seven times (winning Supporting Actor for The Godfather Part II and Best Actor for Raging Bull); Arkin, a three-time nominee, won for his supporting role in Little Miss Sunshine; Hoffman, nominated three times, has one Best Actor for Capote; Jones, another three-time nominee, won Supporting Actor for The Fugitive; and Waltz won after his first nomination as Supporting Actor for his role in Inglourious Basterds.

For the actresses, again all veterans, Field has been nominated twice and won both times, for Norma Rae and Places in the Heart; and Hunt won for her lead role in As Good As It Gets. For the other three, Adams has been nominated three times (Junebug, Doubt, The Fighter), and both Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married) and Weaver (Animal Kingdom) have one nomination.

My votes go to Jones and Field. (Can you tell I’m slightly prejudiced in favor of Lincoln?)

You can join in the voting fun through Facebook or by printing out the ballot from the Academy Awards website. And throw a party while you’re at it.

Whatever you do, have fun!

See ya at the movies!

February is Oscar Time, as Hollywood celebrates everything Hollywood, and the movie-goers have the chance to view the spectacle as it unfolds. Get your Oscar-watching parties planned as the 84th Academy Awards begin at 6 p.m. CT February 26 on ABC.

The 2011 nominees were announced January 24. Of course, there are a lot of categories, but most of us are only concerned with six: Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Achievement in Directing, and Best Motion Picture of the Year.

Now I enjoy hearing about the Oscars, although I usually don’t watch the entire broadcast. I often record it and then fast-forward through all the boring bits, and the overly embarrassing parts. I do like the opening numbers, the musical numbers, and hearing which film won Best Picture, and I enjoy fast-forwarding through the red carpet arrivals, just for the dresses.

So what’s all the hullabaloo?

There are nine movies nominated for Best Picture: The Artist, The Descendants, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, The Help, Hugo, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, The Tree of Life, and War Horse.

I’ve seen three of the nine. What about you? While I enjoyed The Descendants, I don’t think it’s Best Picture worthy; likewise with Midnight in Paris and Moneyball. A friend tells me The Help was very good, and I’ve heard good things about Extremely Loud and Hugo. The Artist is a new/old concept for Hollywood: a silent picture shot in black and white, so I’m not sure how that will fare in today’s world of more-is-better attitude. A movie about a horse in World War I seems to be out of the running even before it gets out of the gate, though with Steven Spielberg behind War Horse, it might have a shot, albeit that it’s a dark horse. That leaves The Tree of Life, which by all accounts is too long, more than a bit confusing and depressing. Sounds like a perfect Oscar match, doesn’t it?

Just kidding. I have absolutely no clue as to which film will win the golden statue.

As for Best Director, well, that’s up in the air too. Michel Hazanavicius was nominated for The Artist (he also wrote the original screenplay and is nominated for that as well); Alexander Payne is up for The Descendants; Martin Scorsese for Hugo; Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris (another nominee for original screenplay, as well); and Terrence Malick for The Tree of Life. It’s usually a case of Best Director matching Best Picture, but that’s not necessarily true. My guess, again, just a guess, is Terrence Malick – or maybe Martin Scorsese.

The acting awards are probably the public’s favorite categories. So who’s vying for an Oscar?

In the Best Actress category, Glenn Close was nominated for Albert Nobbs; Viola Davis for The Help; Rooney Mara for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo; Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady; and Michelle Williams for My Week With Marilyn.

For Best Supporting Actress, we have Berenice Bejo nominated for her role in The Artist; Jessica Chastain for The Help; Melissa McCarthy for Bridesmaids; Janet McTeer for Albert Nobbs; and Octavia Spencer for The Help.

It would be great if one of the new nominees were to take the prize. I’m rooting for Viola Davis or Michelle Williams, and for Octavia Spencer.

For Best Actor, the nominees are Demian Bichir for A Better Life; George Clooney for The Descendants, Jean Dujardin for The Artist; Gary Oldman for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy; and Brad Pitt for Moneyball.

For Best Supporting Actor, Kenneth Branagh was nominated for his role in My Week With Marilyn; Jonah Hill for Moneyball; Nick Nolte for Warrior, Christopher Plummer for Beginners; and Max von Sydow for Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.

I’d vote for Gary Oldman and Christopher Plummer. I’ve seen Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and can attest that Oldman gives a top performance, and I have it on good authority that Plummer is excellent in Beginners.

Always of interest for me are the categories for Cinematography and Costume Design, and I enjoy the music selections too. And while there are five nominees for Original Score, only two Original Songs made the list: Man or Muppet from The Muppets, with music and lyrics by Bret McKenzie; and Real in Rio from Rio, music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown and lyrics by Siedah Garrett. It’ll be fun seeing these two numbers performed, although I’ll probably see them either in YouTube the next day or as I fast forward through the entire, probably too-long broadcast.

However you watch the 84th Academy Awards – whether it’s live or on the DVR or on the computer – remember to add a few new titles to your to-rent list, and enjoy the Hollywood spectacle.

See ya at the movies!

My movie watching in August was downgraded to practically non-existent. Books took center stage (I’m currently trying to catch up with Nevada Barr’s Anna Pigeon series – on Borderline at the moment, and I have Deborah Harkness' debut novel, A Discovery of Witches, waiting in the wings).

Netflix provided The Invisible (yawn), The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai in the 8th Dimension (a 1984 camp-fest with a lot of familiar faces – it was fun), and the wrong Changeling (I could have sworn I selected the right one! Sigh). I have In the Valley of Elah (starring Tommy Lee Jones) waiting in my DVD player.

I also rented Arthur (the remake with Russell Brand and Helen Mirren – not that good, tho Mirren was terrific as always) and Paul(raunchy, fun, but ultimately not that great).

I did see Captain America, and it’s worth the trip to the theater, tho it might already be gone from most cineplexes.

Other August films I thought I might see – I’ll add The Help, One Day, Fright Night, Conan the Barbarian and Griff the Invisible to my to-rent list. The others, I’m ignoring.

Now on to September!

The Debt opens this weekend, and stars Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson, Sam Worthington and Jessica Chastain. Rated R, the film takes place during two different time periods, following a Mossad secret mission during the 1960s, and how that event affects the participants today. I’m hoping to see The Debt this weekend – I’ll let you know.

Also opening over the Labor Day weekend: Apollo 18, rated R, shot in the style of The Blair Witch Project, the tagline says it all “There’s a reason we’ve never gone back to the moon”; and A Good Old-Fashioned Orgy, rated R, follows the misadventures of a group of friends, now in their 30s, attempting to capture the care-free feelings from high school.

For the weekend of September 9, we have Contagion opening. Rated PG-13, the movie stars a host of familiar faces, including Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Laurence Fishburne, John Hawkes and Jude Law. Too scary for me – I’ll pass. Also opening is Warrior (more my speed), rated PG-13 and starring Tom Hardy, Nick Nolte and Joel Edgerton, which pits two brothers against each other in the extreme fight scene.

One of the films I’m looking forward to this month opens September 16: Drive, rated R, stars Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Ron Perlman and Bryan Cranston. Gosling is a stuntman moonlighting as a driver for those with criminal intentions. Looks intense. Also opening this weekend are I Don’t Know How She Does It, starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear and not yet rated; and Straw Dogs, starring James Marsden and Kate Bosworth in this remake of the 1971 film.

September 23 brings another movie I’m anticipating: Moneyball, starring Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill and Robin Wright. The baseball movie (tho it’s about more than just the sport) is based on a true story and is not yet rated. The weekend also finds opening Abduction, rated PG-13 and starring Taylor Lautner as a young man who discovers he was abducted as a baby; Machine Gun Preacher, rated R, starring Gerard Butler as a former biker who finds God and then goes to the Sudan to fight for children being forced to become soldiers (it’s based on a true story); Killer Elite, rated R, which stars Jason Statham, Clive Owen and Robert De Niro; and Dolphin Tale, rated PG, starring Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, Harry Connick Jr. and a dolphin without a tail.

For the last weekend of month, we can find in the theater: 50/50, rated R and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen in a film penned by Rogen’s friend Will Reiser (JGL’s character is based on Reiser and Rogen plays a version of himself); Dream House, rated PG-13, a horror flick starring Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz (the romance began here); What’s Your Number, rated R, starring Anna Faris, Chris Pratt, Chris Evans, Ryan Phillippe and Joel McHale in a comedy about finding true love; Margaret, rated R, starring Anna Paquin, Matt Damon and Mark Ruffalo, is an indie originally shot in 2005 and just now being released; Take Shelter, rated R, with Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain about a man who thinks he may be going insane; and Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, rated R, which stars Tyler Labine and Alan Tudyk as two mountain vacationers pitted against a group of college kids (while I love Tudyk, I’m going to skip this one).

For October, keep an eye on Real Steel (sci-fi with Hugh Jackman and robots!), The Ides of March (political thriller with Ryan Gosling – busy guy), Footloose (a remake – I have no idea why), The Three Musketeers (another tale of the sword – looks good), The Rum Diary (Johnny Depp’s latest), Anonymous (period piece about who really penned Shakespeare’s plays) and Safe (Jason Statham – do I need to say more?). And for November, watch for Tower Heist (even with Ben Stiller this looks good); Happy Feet 2 (happy!); Hugo (the trailers look great): Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (remake alert); The Descendants (lastest from George Clooney); and The Artist (look back at 1927 Hollywood).

What do you recommend? See ya at the movies!

 Since we last talked movies, I’ve gone to the theater to see Buck (a documentary showing at the local art film theater; excellent); Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2(sad to see the franchise end; this was an excellent ending, though); and Cowboys & Aliens (an interesting take on alien movies, well done, good if you like lots of explosions, and the special effects were excellent).

Rentals includedStolen(stars Jon Hamm of HBO’s Mad Men; haunting); Independence Day (from my collection; love the scene when Will Smith shoots down the alien craft and drags the alien into Area 51); Crazy Heart(not sure why it won so many awards, I don’t find drunks entertaining); Alien Trespass (fun, if you remember this is all campy cheesiness); Cleaner(with Samuel Jackson, kind of an interesting mystery but it’s also fairly predictable); I tried to watch From Paris With Love, but turned it off after about 15 minutes;In the Electric Mist (stars Tommy Lee Jones, kind of intriguing and kind of boring, all at the same time); and I started to watch Ondine, with Colin Farrell, but the Netflix Streaming version ended at 17 minutes. Sigh.

I have plans to see Captain America in the near future. I decided that Larry Crowne and Crazy Stupid Lovewere perfect rentals, so I’ll see those one of these days.

What’s in store for August, you ask? Well, in two words: Not much. (Why am I saying that so often these days?!)

 August 5 brings Rise of the Planet of the Apes, starring James Franco, Andy Serkis and Brian Cox. I have no desire to see this prequel. The classic 1968 film starring Charlton Heston is the only Planet of the Apes movie I need to see. (The four sequels in the early 1970s weren’t great, though I’ll take them over the prequel any day.) The prequel is rated PG-13.

The Change-Up , rated R, stars Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds as two friends envious of the other’s life. A body switch proves what? And in limited release, The Whistleblower, rated R, stars Rachel Weisz as a police officer serving as a U.N. peacekeeper in Bosnia.

August 12 finds 30 Minutes or Less opening at your local theater. Not yet rated, the film stars Jessie Eisenberg as the kidnapped pizza delivery guy forced to rob a bank. The film will have wide appeal, I’m sure.

More my speed is The Help, starring Emma Stone, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer, which opens August 10 and is rated PG-13. Good and bad buzz on this one; the book was a bestseller, so we’ll see how the big screen version does. Final Destination 5 is rated R, of course, and is in 3D. And the title of Glee: The 3D Concert Movie says it all.

August 19 brings One Day, rated PG-13, to the big screen. Starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess, the movie shows the two meeting on the same day for two decades. Reminds me of the Broadway play and movie Same Time, Next Year (the 1978 movie starred Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn).

Also opening this weekend: Fright Night, rated R, finds a vampire (Colin Farrell) living next door to teen Anton Yelchin who goes to a magician (David Tennant) for help in this remake of a 1985 cult classic; Conan the Barbarian, rated R and in 3D, stars Jason Momoa as the barbarian in this new interpretation of the original Robert E. Howard stories; Spy Kids: All the Time in the World in 4D (rated PG) stars Jessica Alba, Jeremy Pivin and Joel McHale in a reboot of the popular family franchise; Griff the Invisible, rated PG-13 and in limited release, stars Ryan Kwanten as an office worker moonlighting as a superhero, and also in limited release, the R-rated Amigo, the latest from director/writer John Sayles, takes a look at the Philippine-American War.

Opening August 26, Our Idiot Brother stars Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel and Emily Mortimer in an R-rated comedy about stoner Ned and his affect on the lives of his three sisters. My only question is, why, Paul, why?

Also opening this weekend: Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, rated R and starring Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce, takes a horrifying twist as a young girl (Bailee Madison) discovers creatures in her father’s new home; Colombiana, rated PG-13, stars Zoe Saldana as an assassin after the mobster who killed her parents; and in limited release, Higher Ground, rated R, examines a woman’s struggle with her faith in an adaptation of the book This Dark World.

I might see The Whistleblower, The Help, Fright Night and Conan the Barbarian. Then again, they all might wait for my to-rent list. I see a lot of rentals in my future.

In September, look for The Debt (this one looks very good), Warrior, Drive, Moneyball (the buzz is high on Brad Pitt’s performance), KillerElite, Dolphin Tale (my niece has personally met the dolphin at the center of this feel-good movie), 50/50and Dream House. Wow, looks like things might be picking up!

What’s on your must-see list? See ya at the movies!