Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Oscar Picks and Shovels

Admittedly, I am not much when it comes to handicapping the Oscars, so let's get it out of the way while the fresh stench of the nominations waft through my nostrils. This way, when people ask, I will direct them to The Big Screen.

Here is a complete list of this year's nominees.

Best Picture: The Artist

Hugo would be my personal choice (DUH!), but it doesn't stand a chance against this year's odds on favorite to win.

Best Director: Terrence Malick

They finally gave it to Marty a few years ago for His worst film. Hugo is too good for them. Normally Best Picture and Best Director go hand in hand, but something tells me that they are finally going to give it to Malick for Badlands.

Best Actor: George Clooney

It's not a bad performance by any means, but Oscar-worthy? Then again, the Academy has been know to pull a PC switch, and if that's the case the award will go to the much more deserving Demian Bichir for A Better Life.

Best Actress: Viola Davis

I have yet to see Albert Nobbs. The poster art scares the crap out of me! At first I thought it was Glenn Close in The Marcel Marceau Story. By now, Meryl Streep has accumulated enough golden doorstops that I think the Academy will pass on her latex-laden, Rich Little-ish impression of Margaret Thatcher. While she has yet to win, the same applies to Michelle Williams interpretation of Marilyn. Oscar L-O-V-E-S message pictures and looking past the performances, neither The Iron Lady nor My Week With Marilyn has much to say. The Help, on the other hand, is an easy to swallow look back at race relations told from the point-of-view of revenge-seeking African American domestic slaves. How can it miss? Besides, Davis' performance is the only thing in the film worth looking at.

Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer

No Albert Brooks, eh? Putan disgrazzia! There are no "important" Holocaust pictures nominated this year, so there is an outside chance that Max Von Sydow could walk away with it, but don't count on it. Plummer is a terrific actor who has yet to stand in Oscar's spotlight. This is his year. I hope they play Edelweiss as he walks up to accept the award.

Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer

Guilt-ridden Academy voters are bound to find something profound in Spencer's performance as the maid with the "stoolproof" recipe for pies.

Best Original Screenplay: A Separation

They'd be crazy not to go with Margin Call, J.C. Chandor's brilliant script that tells you everything by telling you nothing. The Artist is a rehash of Hollywood chestnuts Singin' in the Rain and A Star is Born, and since it's already slated to win best picture, the voters will probably probably decide to spread the wealth. A Separation is definitely a message picture, but one that manages to smuggle in its caveats while still having a story to tell.

Best Adapted Screenplay: The Descendants

If they give it to Clooney's made-for-TV tale of politics, I'm going to pull a Travis Bickle and shoot my television. The Descendants is a story of betrayal and divorce, two topics Academy voters are fluent in.

Best Animated Feature: Who cares?

Best Foreign Language Film?

I've only seen one of the nominees, so it's anybody's guess.

Best Documentary Feature?

See above.

Best Cinematography: The Artist

It was shot in black-and-white. Out of some perverse sense of nostalgia, the Academy will choose The Artist over Robert Richardson's superior textured 3D imagery.

Best "Original" Score: Bernard Herrmann for The Artist

Best Original Song: Who cares?

Best Editing: Hugo

Go Thelma!

Mr. Lickona and I have done our part, and I for one do not want to waste anymore time talking about the Oscars until they air on February 26. I'll be blogging my heart out during the festivities, so by all means, stop in and tell me how much you enjoy the show.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

March is typically windy, Sage scents in the foothills

Butterflies may cross the county
Next Article

2024 continues to impress with yellowfin much closer to San Diego than they should be

New rockfish regulations coming this week as opener approaches

Admittedly, I am not much when it comes to handicapping the Oscars, so let's get it out of the way while the fresh stench of the nominations waft through my nostrils. This way, when people ask, I will direct them to The Big Screen.

Here is a complete list of this year's nominees.

Best Picture: The Artist

Hugo would be my personal choice (DUH!), but it doesn't stand a chance against this year's odds on favorite to win.

Best Director: Terrence Malick

They finally gave it to Marty a few years ago for His worst film. Hugo is too good for them. Normally Best Picture and Best Director go hand in hand, but something tells me that they are finally going to give it to Malick for Badlands.

Best Actor: George Clooney

It's not a bad performance by any means, but Oscar-worthy? Then again, the Academy has been know to pull a PC switch, and if that's the case the award will go to the much more deserving Demian Bichir for A Better Life.

Best Actress: Viola Davis

I have yet to see Albert Nobbs. The poster art scares the crap out of me! At first I thought it was Glenn Close in The Marcel Marceau Story. By now, Meryl Streep has accumulated enough golden doorstops that I think the Academy will pass on her latex-laden, Rich Little-ish impression of Margaret Thatcher. While she has yet to win, the same applies to Michelle Williams interpretation of Marilyn. Oscar L-O-V-E-S message pictures and looking past the performances, neither The Iron Lady nor My Week With Marilyn has much to say. The Help, on the other hand, is an easy to swallow look back at race relations told from the point-of-view of revenge-seeking African American domestic slaves. How can it miss? Besides, Davis' performance is the only thing in the film worth looking at.

Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer

No Albert Brooks, eh? Putan disgrazzia! There are no "important" Holocaust pictures nominated this year, so there is an outside chance that Max Von Sydow could walk away with it, but don't count on it. Plummer is a terrific actor who has yet to stand in Oscar's spotlight. This is his year. I hope they play Edelweiss as he walks up to accept the award.

Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer

Guilt-ridden Academy voters are bound to find something profound in Spencer's performance as the maid with the "stoolproof" recipe for pies.

Best Original Screenplay: A Separation

They'd be crazy not to go with Margin Call, J.C. Chandor's brilliant script that tells you everything by telling you nothing. The Artist is a rehash of Hollywood chestnuts Singin' in the Rain and A Star is Born, and since it's already slated to win best picture, the voters will probably probably decide to spread the wealth. A Separation is definitely a message picture, but one that manages to smuggle in its caveats while still having a story to tell.

Best Adapted Screenplay: The Descendants

If they give it to Clooney's made-for-TV tale of politics, I'm going to pull a Travis Bickle and shoot my television. The Descendants is a story of betrayal and divorce, two topics Academy voters are fluent in.

Best Animated Feature: Who cares?

Best Foreign Language Film?

I've only seen one of the nominees, so it's anybody's guess.

Best Documentary Feature?

See above.

Best Cinematography: The Artist

It was shot in black-and-white. Out of some perverse sense of nostalgia, the Academy will choose The Artist over Robert Richardson's superior textured 3D imagery.

Best "Original" Score: Bernard Herrmann for The Artist

Best Original Song: Who cares?

Best Editing: Hugo

Go Thelma!

Mr. Lickona and I have done our part, and I for one do not want to waste anymore time talking about the Oscars until they air on February 26. I'll be blogging my heart out during the festivities, so by all means, stop in and tell me how much you enjoy the show.

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Oscar® poop

Next Article

Golden Globe Nominations Spark "Scorsez" Snub!

Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.