I Rank the Best Picture Nominations

10. The Kids Are Alright
An awful film that borders on being prejudice toward straight people.  The
writers clearly didn't care about their characters.  I am baffled as to why films
get Oscar nominations just because they have gay themes.  I know that gay
people should probably be offended by this blatant and unrealistic stereotype.

9. 127 Hours
Basically, you take the news story, some Danny Boyle visuals and James Franco's
fantastic acting ability and poof, you have a movie.  The question is: do you have a
best picture worthy movie?  I really don't think so.  It's an entertaining film but little
else.

8. Toy Story 3
A wonderful family treat with stellar animation and superb storytelling.
However, the problem with this film being nominated for the award is that
it is no where near as good as it's two predecessors.  Neither of those films
ever received a nomination like this.  

7. Inception
If you're reading through this list, you've probably realized that I don't agree
with most of this year's nominees.  Inception is no exception.  As a summer
blockbuster, it's incredible with non stop action and more than decent performances.
However, the lack of originality and overuse of cliche  action moments makes me confused
as to why this deserves to be considered best picture. 

6. True Grit
All the right intentions are here, barring what Steven Spielberg was expecting to
get out of it.  The reason this film fails is because it's too Hollywood and is missing
the "grit" that its title boasts.  It simply did not feel like Cohen Brothers movie and
that was a very big letdown.

5. The Fighter
Finally, the first film on the list that believe should be on the list.  I usually don't
enjoy biopics but the pacing of this one kept me entertained.  I would also like to
mention that Christian Bale's performance is arguably the best of the year.  This
is one you should see.

4. Winter's Bone
Dark, mysterious, disturbing and moving.  Winter's Bone takes you into its
world and doesn't let you breathe until it's over.  I was glad to see it on the
list and hope it urges more people to check it out.

3. The King's Speech
Most of the time, simplicity is the most beautiful thing a film can have.  The
King's Speech proves.  It is truly just a film about a king going through speech
therapy so he can give a speech.  The of this is that the filmmakers were able to
focus on the story and the incredible dialogue.  Not to mention, the actors were
unbelievable. 

2. Black Swan
As a classic horror fanatic, I was pleased to see such a dark and disturbing
film on the list.  It's easily one of 2010's best and any fan of the macabre will
be amazed.

1. The Social Network
Here it is, what I think is the best possible candidate for best picture.  This is
one of the best character studies I can recall and as a filmmaker, there have been
few films that have inspired me like it has.  The script, dialogue, story, direction
and just about everything else, except Justin Timberlake, is simply awesome. It
won at The Globes, let's keep our fingers crossed!

A Lot of New Reviews!

Falling Down(1993) - 8/10 stars.
A great movie in its own right.  Falling
Down shows the extremes that most of
us fantasize about going to when everyday
life becomes irritating.  

Mega Shark vs. Crocosaurus(2010) - 2/10 stars.
Absolutely awful film.  I expected to at least enjoy
it because of how bad it was but nothing about this
Jaleel White(Steve Urkel) vehicle was fun.  I even
ended up having to fast forward so the illusive ending
would arrive faster.

Death Valley: The Revenge of Bloody Bill(2004) - 3/10 stars.
Unlike Mega Shark, Death Valley is one of the most entertaining
piss-poor films I've seen.  The acting, story and everything is
blatantly awful but you will love every second of it.  The people
That said Troll 2 was the best worst movie ever never saw this piece
of cinema trash.

The Craigslist Killer(2011) - 6/10 stars.
This is probably the best Lifetime movie ever
made but anyone who is familiar with this TV
station knows that's not saying much.  I enjoyed
it for what it is but the true story is so twisted on
its own that this film could have been much better.

Cyrus(2010) - 7/10 stars.
By no means is this either of the stars' best
film but it has enough charm, wit and offbeat
chemistry that it will keep you interested.

Daybreakers(2009) - 6/10 stars.
A very promising premise squandered by
its execution and over use of CGI and big-budget
Hollywood techniques.  Had George Romero made
this film in the 70's, it would have been a knockout.

Dead Ringers(1988) - 9/10 stars.
David Cronenberg truly is the master
of psychological horror and this film
is a testament to that.  It will, without
question, get under your skin but not
in the traditional way.  See for yourself!

Defendor(2009) - 8/10 stars.
Defendor is not what most people will
expect when they pop the DVD in the
player but for most, it will be better.  It's
marketed as a comedy but the truth is it's
a very touching drama with a brilliant
performance from Woody Harrelson.

The Fly(1986) - 9/10 stars.
I know it's ridiculous to be watching David
Cronenberg's The Fly for the first time in 2011.
However, that's exactly the case here.  There's
not much to say other than you should probably
watch it ASAP.  

Sunset Blvd.(1950) - 10/10 stars.
The narrative and bizarre over tone of
this picture contribute heavily.  This is
now in my top 5.  It's too bad Billy Wilder
couldn't have lived forever!

Jolly Roger: Massacre at Cutter's Cove(2005) - 2/10 stars.
Another "gem" from the Asylum Company.
Much like Bloody Bill, it's great to laugh at
but has no credibility anywhere else.

Let Me In(2010) - 7/10 stars.
Surprisingly, this remake was very enjoyable.
Granted, it was pretty pointless to remake Let
the Right One In but we have to account for
all the lazy Americans that can't read subtitles.

Monsters(2010) - 8/10 stars.
A very low budget creature flick in the
vein of Cloverfield or The Host that I would
say is actually superior to those two.  Low
budget films have to focus on story and
character development and this one shines
at it.  Check it out!

Mum & Dad(2008) - 8/10 stars.
Unsettling and overly disturbing, to say
the least.  Mum & Dad plays out like the
British version of Leave it to Beaver meets
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  There is one
particular scene toward the end that haunted me
for days.  This is a necessity for any horror fan.

Puppetmaster(1989) - 5/10 stars.
While there are few moments of iconic
horror, this little scare flick mostly falls
flat.  The puppet effects are great but
just about everything else, including
the story and mostly the acting, is piss
poor.  

I Spit on Your Grave(2010) - 3/10 stars.
The original was terrible and now the remake
is terrible.  There are few things that make this
one a tad bit better than it's predecessor but
it's still not enough to make this worth watching.

Frozen(2010) - 8/10 stars.
Psycho kept you out of the shower, Jaws
kept you out of the ocean and now Frozen
will keep you far away from any ski lift.
Adam Green really shows his talent for
direction and his love for horror in this one.

The Ghost Writer(2010) - 8/10 stars.
A complete throwback to films like The
Man Who Knew Too Much or North By
Northwest.  Polanski proves once again that
filmmaking is what he does best and McGregor
gives a wonderful performance.

Winter's Bone(2010) - 9/10 stars.
Subtlety, to me, is the most beautiful thing in
film if it's used correctly.  Winter's Bone uses
that technique to its every advantage.  Not the
best film of the year, but I'm happy it got the
nomination.