2010-03-07

Blogging From Kenya: Shaun Groves

I've been enjoying reading Shaun Groves' blog lately. He's been posting from his trip to Kenya.
Shaun, known for the music he writes and performs, has been a full time ambassador for Compassion. So far he has led several trips with for Compassion; leading teams comprised of bloggers.
I have two goals with my blog.
#1 Entertain myself.
#2 Go on a trip with Shaun.
Check out Shaun's blog here: http://shaungroves.com/.

Academy Awards 2010

Okay, here are my predictions for this year. Generally I just care about the major categories, but I've gone ahead and made predictions for each award.

Best Picture
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air.
I actually saw everyone of these films. All were really good.
My favorite: Inglourious Basterds
My prediction: The Hurt Locker

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)
George Clooney (Up in the Air)
Colin Firth (A Single Man)
Morgan Freeman (Invictus)
Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker)
I only saw Up in the Air, Invictus and The Hurt Locker. I've heard alot about Jeff Bridges' role and that he's the front runner. The Academy seems to like giving actors their due. Recently I scrolled through Bridges' IMBD page - he is due.
My favorite: George Clooney
My prediction: Jeff Bridges

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side)
Helen Mirren (The Last Station)
Carey Mulligan (An Education)
Gabourey Sidibe (Precious)
Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia)
I saw each of these films except The Last Station. This is a tough category, much more than the men. Bullock had a strong role, Mulligan was really good, and Sidibe broke my heart. But Streep became Julia Childs.
My favorite: Meryl Streep
My prediction: Meryl Streep

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Matt Damon (Invictus)
Woody Harrelson (The Messenger)
Christopher Plummer (The Last Station)
Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones)
Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)
I only saw Invictus, The Lovely Bones and Inglourious Basterds. Stanley Tucci had an amazing performance and I've heard Woody Harrelson is great in The Messenger, but Christoph Waltz was ridiculous.
My favorite: Christoph Waltz
My prediction: Christoph Waltz

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Penelope Cruz (Nine)
Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air)
Maggie Gyllenhaal (Crazy Heart)
Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air)
Mo'Nique (Precious)
Again, the ladies had some strong roles this year. Definitely the year for the ladies. I didn't see Crazy Heart but I did see the other four performances. Farmiga and Kendrick were great but would split their votes. Cruz is smoking in Nine. However, I'd have to say that Mo'Nique takes this statue. She stirs up both holy anger and breaks your heart.
My favorite: Mo'Nique
My prediction: Mo'Nique

Animated Feature Film
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of Kells
Up
I only saw Up, so...
My favorite: Up
My prediction: Up

Art Direction
Avatar
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
Sherlock Holmes
The Young Victoria
I only saw Avatar, Nine and Sherlock Holmes.
My favorite: Nine
My prediction: Avatar

Cinematography
Avatar
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band)
I saw all except The White Rabbit.
My favorite: Avatar
My prediction: Avatar

Costume Design
Bright Star
Coco Before Chanel
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
The Young Victoria
I only saw Nine, so...
My favorite: Nine
My prediction: Nine

Directing
James Cameron (Avatar)
Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)
Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds)
Lee Daniels (Precious)
Jason Reitman (Up in the Air)
I saw all of these. Taking into account that the Oscars like breaking social barriers and no woman has ever won this award and Daniels is the first African American to be nominated - this becomes a difficult category.
My favorite: Quentin Tarantino
My prediction: James Cameron

Documentary Feature
Burma VJ
The Cove
Food, Inc
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
Which Way Home
I didn't see any of these, so this is just a guess.
My prediction: Food, Inc

Documentary Short
China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province
The Last Campaign of Governor Boooth Gardner
The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
Music by Prudence
Rabbit a la Berlin
I didn't see any of these, so this is just a guess.
My Prediction: The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant

Film Editing
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
I have a feeling Avatar will clean up in the technical categories.
My prediction: Avatar

Foreign Language Film
Ajami
The Milk of Sorrow (La Teta Asustada)
A Prophet (Un Prophete)
The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos)
The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band)
Has anyone seen any of these films? I haven't. So I'm just guessing here.
My prediction: The White Ribbon

Makeup
Il Divo
Star Trek
The Young Victoria
Yay! A reason for Star Trek to win an award.
My prediction: Star Trek

Music (Original Score)
Avatar
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Hurt Locker
Sherlock Holmes
Up
Can't honestly say that I remember any of these.
My prediction: Avatar

Music (Original Song)
"Almost There" (The Princess and the Frog)
"Down in New Orleans" (The Princess and the Frog)
"Loin de Paname" (Paris 36)
"Take It All" (Nine)
"The Weary Kind" (Crazy Heart)
I only saw Nine. And that movie was stuck in my head for weeks, and not just all the pretty women in it.
My prediction: "Take It All" (Nine)

Short Film (Animated)
French Roast
Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty
The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)
Logorama
A Matter of Loaf and Death
I have only seen Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty, so that'll be my pick.
My prediction: Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty

Short Film (Live Action)
The Door
Instead of Abracadabra
Kavi
Miracle Fish
The New Tenants
I have no clue. But abracadabra is fun to say, so...
My prediction: Instead of Abracadabra

Sound Editing
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Up
My Prediction: Avatar

Sound Mixing
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
My Prediction: Avatar

Visual Effects
Avatar
ItalicDistrict 9
Star Trek
My prediction: Avatar

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
District 9
An Education
In the Loop
Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
Up in the Air
My favorite: Up in the Air
My prediction: Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Writing (Original Screenplay)
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The Messenger
A Serious Man
Up
My favorite: Inglourious Basterds
My prediction: Inglourious Basterds

What about you?

2 Vampires, ah ah ah

This is the the vampire movie I want to see; watching The Count beat the crap out of that sappy flash in the pan.
(via)