Finally, I found the fill 16 minute version of Logorama, a short animated film I saw at the Chicago International Film Festival. It is the single greatest work on animation ever made (Fantastic Mr. Fox is the best feature length animation). To not watch this would be a disservice.

The following are the nominees and winners using each Oscar category, based solely on my opinion. No actual nominations, other award winners, or other websites played a role in my decisions. Each category nominee is listed in the order of finish. After the actual nominees are posted, I will make predictions for the actual show...



BEST PICTURE:
Avatar (Best Picture)
Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
A Single Man
Moon
Precious
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
500 Days of Summer
The Messenger
An Education

BEST DIRECTOR:
James Cameron/Avatar (winner)
Kathryn Bigelow/The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino/Inglourious Basterds
Lee Daniels/Precious
Tom Ford/A Single Man

BEST ACTOR:
Colin Firth/A Single Man (winner)
Jeff Bridges/Crazy Heart
Sam Rockwell/Moon
Matt Damon/The Informant!
Jeremy Renner/The Hurt Locker

BEST ACTRESS:
Gabourey Sidibe/Precious (winner)
Zoe Saldana/Avatar
Meryl Streep/Julie & Julia
Carey Mulligan/An Education
Emily Blunt/The Young Victoria

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Christoph Waltz/Inglourious Basterds (winner)
Brad Pitt/Inglourious Basterds
Woody Harrelson/The Messenger
Christopher Plummer/The Last Station
Alfred Molina/An Education

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Mo'Nique/Precious (winner)
Melanie Laurent/Inglourious Basterds
Julianne Moore/A Single Man
Vera Farmiga/Up In The Air
Samantha Morton/The Messenger

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
Fantastic Mr. Fox (winner)
A Single Man
Precious
An Education
Public Enemies

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
Inglourious Basterds (winner)
The Hurt Locker
500 Days of Summer
Up
The Messenger

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:
Inglourious Basterds (winner)
Avatar
A Single Man
The Hurt Locker
Away We Go

BEST ART DIRECTION:
Inglourious Basterds (winner)
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Nine
Public Enemies
A Single Man

BEST EDITING:
500 Days of Summer (winner)
District 9
Inglourious Basterds
The Hurt Locker
Up In The Air

BEST COSTUME DESIGN:
Inglourious Basterds (winner)
Bright Star
The Young Victoria
Sherlock Holmes
Nine

BEST MAKEUP:
A Single Man (winner)
Star Trek
District 9
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
The Young Victoria

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:
A Single Man (winner)
Avatar
Sherlock Holmes
Public Enemies
Moon

BEST SOUND EDITING:
Avatar (winner)
Up
Star Trek
The Hurt Locker
District 9

BEST SOUND MIXING:
Avatar (winner)
Up
The Hurt Locker
Star Trek
District 9

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:
Avatar (winner)
Star Trek
District 9

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM:
The Fantastic Mr. Fox (winner)
Up
Coraline
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
The Princess and the Frog

BEST DOCUMENTARY:
The Cove (winner)
Food, Inc.

Here are the official videos from Production in Action 2010. This is a month-long process in which Flashpoint Academy allows students to work directly with industry professionals and Second City actors (in this case) to create a 30-minute SNL-style sketch comedy show. The end result was fantastic and below are the online videos created entirely by students (some of which I helped).

FLASHPOINT ACADEMY DIGITAL MUSIC VIDEO - FU WINTER from HOWARD TULLMAN on Vimeo.

DIGITAL SHORT TWO FROM FLASHPOINT ACADEMY - MATCHES.COM - FROM PRODUCTION IN ACTION from HOWARD TULLMAN on Vimeo.

FLASHPOINT ACADEMY DIGITAL SHORT ONE - "STUFF-IT" - FROM PRODUCTION IN ACTION from HOWARD TULLMAN on Vimeo.

FLASHPOINT ACADEMY DIGITAL SHORT 4 - JUST CHILLIN' from HOWARD TULLMAN on Vimeo.

FLASHPOINT ACADEMY DIGITAL SHORT 3 - SNUGGIE from HOWARD TULLMAN on Vimeo.

FLASHPOINT ACADEMY DIGITAL SHORT 5 - CANDY from HOWARD TULLMAN on Vimeo.

From most to "least most," here are the films I most look forward to in 2010.

Inception (July 16)
Yea, nothing can be more exciting than a Christopher Nolan movie. Especially when we know it's his baby. He's got to pull an even bigger rabbit out of the same hat this time after Dark Knight. But it's not about the financial returns and if people label it a disappointment because it doesn't make $1 billion, then I will be disappointed. BUT, given the hype and potential for awesomeness, it will make bank. This film will be the first time Leonardo DiCaprio and Chris Nolan collaborate, so that should be interesting. Also, Marion Cotillard is amazing.


Black Swan (TBD)
The release date has not been publicized, but based on this films progress, it'll likely be a Winter release. I read the script, even though it has some seriously spoilerific material. I've never wanted to read the next word so much in my life. It's one of the most brilliantly crafted and intensely interesting stories I've read. It will definitely give Darren Aronofsky to showcase his abilities as a director, and continue to give him opportunities to explore the depths of his actors. Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis star in this thriller about ballerinas and rivalry. On the surface it may not sound like much, but trust me, it is.


Shutter Island (Feb. 19)
Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio? I'm in. From the looks of the trailer, it seems the plot is nearly identical to the Halle Berry flop thriller Gothika. But put real stars and one of the most prestigious director of all time in the mix and you've got potential gold. The concern of mine is that the production company kept pushing back the release date and landed on my birthday. That's a bad thing because January-February tend to be the place for movies to die. Hard to imagine a flop with the big names involved, but I will remain optimistic based on trailers. I hope he scares me out of my shoes.


Iron Man 2 (May 7)
Of course this will be awesome. Hilarious and action-packed. Robert Downey Jr. returns with Jon Favreau helming the campaign again. Mickey Rourke is coming in as the Russian baddie and that just has brilliance written all over it. He looks completely badass in the trailers. Not much has been shown of Scarlett Johannson's character in the trailers, but that's a sure-thing of beautiful violence. Gwenyth Paltrow returns and it's always a pleasure to see her. This will likely be just non-stop action, but I do hope the interesting plot of the first can hold strong. The new trend in Hollywood is for the sequels to end up better than the originals.


The Wolfman (Feb. 12)
If I wasn't already interested in the story, the actors hired did the trick. Benicio Del Toro headlines the escapade here. But add in Hugo Weaving as a villain, Emily Blunt as the romantic interest, and Anthony Hopkins as the teacher-type. The plot doesn't seem too complex, or too different from Jack Nicholson's awesome original. I am still interested, as the trailers are showing a dark and haunting tale. As it should.


Kick-Ass (April 16)
Check out the trailers for this film and you know what you are getting. A homemade ass-kicking, foul-mouthed movie about teenage superheroes with no powers. Sounds amazing, really, even on paper. But the trailers have sparked plenty of interest from me considering the excessive violence, crude language from younglings, and a surprisingly intriguing character played by Nic Cage. I'm in for this one.


The Fighter (TBD)
Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg star in a film where it's not the trailer (which does not exist), or the plot that has made me intrigued, but rather the on-set photos. Once again, Christian Bale defies logic and slims himself to disgusting shape (a la The Machinist and Rescue Dawn). Seems to be his trademark for post-Batman performances now. He looks frightening. Amy Adams will balance the cast nicely.


Robin Hood (May 14)
As if the 109 previous portrayals of Robin Hood weren't enough, it would appear Ridley Scott may be gearing up for a trilogy of sorts on the arrow-slinging thief. And go figure, he is teaming up with Russell Crowe again. A beefy Crowe at that. I am concerned that this storyline may have gone stale after Kevin Costner gave us a stellar film in the 90s. But with Mark Strong and Cate Blanchett co-starring, anything is possible. Kevin Durand will make a nice Little John I think. I'll give Ridley Scott the credit as one of the more reliable filmmakers of today and live with my anticipation.


Alice in Wonderland (March 5)
Now, I consider Tim Burton's last film based on a book to have been an epic failure. He nearly destroyed everything I loved about the 1971 Willy Wonka. But I've always loved Tim Burton's work, and he deserves another chance. Again, he'll be sticking to the original story, which the original movie did not do entirely. So, all the ingredients are leaning towards another colossal joke. But damn do those trailers look cool. I'm thinking this is another movie to check out in 3D. Especially since I don't do drugs. I pray this is an entertaining and trippy film, and not ridiculously stupid like his Chocolate Factory.


The Expendables (August 13)
An action film that recognizes itself as an homage to the old days of action. Sylvester Stallone, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Randy Couture, Steve "Stone Cold" Austin, David Zayas, Danny Trejo, the late Brittany Murphy, and Arnold Schwarzenegger returns. IT DOESN'T GET ANY MORE BADASS THAN THAT!!!!!


Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps (April 23)
The original Wall Street was really a fantastic movie. To see Michael Douglas returning gives me assurance that the script is solid. Oliver Stone will direct again and the unreliable Charlie Sheen returns as well. More interesting is the addition of Shia LaBeouf, an actor I greatly respect. On the other side, Carey Mulligan shows up as Gordon Gekko's daughter. So there's your plot right there. It will be a roller-coaster ride of emotions and modern-day money issues. We know Oliver Stone likes to make his opinions known, so my concern lay in the possibility of this turning into a documentary or a liberal propaganda item.


Your Highness (October 1)
"A fantasy movie about an arrogant, lazy prince and his more heroic brother who must complete a quest in order to save their father's kingdom." Now, throw into that Danny McBride as the lead and I'm sold. Oh, James Franco is in it, too? Awesome. Hold on! Zooey Deschanel and Natalie Portman as well! Holy shit, this is going to be awesome! And considering this is coming from the twisted comedic mind of Danny McBride's own hand, I am pleased.


Machete (April 16)
Danny Trejo in the spin-off of a trailer made for the Grindhouse Double Feature. Eli Roth came up with this idea and enough people loved it that it is now a movie. We will finally get to see Danny Trejo murder a hell of a lot of people. Awesome.

The Green Hornet (December 22)
It's hard to see this as a Michel Gondry project, but I do love that man's work. And with Seth Rogen as the headliner and thruster of this project, I definitely think it is in good hands. I will admit I know nothing of The Green Hornet, but my interest is already there. I'll research more in December. This will give us a great opportunity to see Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds) again. I am a little concerned about Cameron Diaz as she seems to be the main female in this picture and I hope she isn't playing the love interest. To see her as a bad guy/woman would be fantastic.

Due Date (November 5)
Todd Phillips directing Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis. Need I say more!?

The Losers (April 9)
I know nothing of the graphic novel on which this film is based. I've always enjoyed Peter Berg's writing. MY big concern? The director's other credits are I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer and Stomp The Yard. The cast is also top heavy with Zoe Saldana (Avatar) and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen). After that it becomes a small-time cast. That could be very good or very bad. The buzz is that the graphic novel is awesome, but who knows about this movie.

Tron Legacy (December 7)
Based solely on the trailer, I am interested. It looks cool and stars Jeff Bridges in a role that nearly defined his career. Olivia Wilde is gorgeous, but can she help carry a film as the female lead? This will be director Joseph Kosinski's first film under that title. He doesn't have a single piece of work on his IMDb page as a director. Seriously.

Jonah Hex (June 18)
For some reason, Megan Fox is the headliner of a cast filled with stars. Josh Brolin leads the likes of John Malkovich, Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds), Michael Shannon, and Will Arnett (really?). I don't know what to make of this movie. The plot is insane: "In the Wild West, a scarred bounty hunter tracks a voodoo practitioner bent on liberating the South by raising an army of the undead." I'm ready to love this film, but not ready to stake anything on it.

Salt (July 23)
The first half of the trailer almost made it look bad, but then it kicked into gear. The plot confuses me a bit, but I'm always down for a sexy Angelina Jolie character. Looks a bit too much like Bourne Identity, though, and that scares me. I sure hope there is some originality in the story and it isn't just another Wanted for Jolie. She needs to start finding some meaty roles.

The A-Team (June 11)
Not in the least interested in this movie at all because of the original TV series. But I do want to see Sharlto Copley (District 9) as his career blossoms. I've always enjoyed watching Bradley Cooper act, and Liam Neeson is a bona fide badass. But Rampage Jackson? Really? Screw that. Jessica Biel is a pretty face with no ability, but Patrick Wilson always pulls through. This could be an epic failure, or an amazing joy-ride. We'll see.

Secretariat (October 8)
Fantastic story. Full of passion, dedication, victory, and heartbreak. It's the story of the owner of the horse, which may or may not be a good thing. I'm not sure if this is vying for some Oscar recognition, but that would be something for Diane Lane's dead career. This movie has almost no star power, so will rely on the public's knowledge of Secretariat most likely. That's enough for me.

I find myself truly loving this movie. The individual performances are all profound, but Carey Mulligan really exceeds in every way. It was amazing to see that she is actually 24 years old. She looked like a 16-year old and not a year older. And that's what really sold me into this film. I felt every bit of discomfort and young innocence I was supposed to from the storyline.

Really, not enough can be said for Carey Mulligan's performance. She portrays a 16-year old girl, going on 17, who struggles with the boredom of being an upstanding woman in the early 60s (not an easy task). Meanwhile, she dreams of traveling, learning foreign languages, listening to French music, and simply finding herself. The problem is her father, played brilliantly by Alfred Molina, is bent on her living the expected lifestyle. Now, what I loved is that he didn't play the prototype father in this situation. You're probably thinking he'll be violent and angry and throw plates and such. Instead, he really wants his daughter to be happy, and his perception is simply one-track.

When David (Peter Sarsgaard) begins wooing her parents and convincing them that he is a good man and wants their daughter to be happy, they buy into it. Everything about him is too good to be true, and you continue to anticipate some revelation or moment of violence. Something does happen in this film that changes everything, but I promise it is not what you expect. The natural attitudes towards the sexual tension between the two characters is unbearable at times as a viewer. How normal it is for an older man to court a not-even-17-year-old is hard to watch. But I never felt it was fake. Rather, it seems perfectly adequate and believable. You get swept up just like Jenny throughout the film. It all feels too good to be true, but you forget about that and simply enjoy the early 60s parade of love and music and romance.

It's the ups and downs and back and forths of this young girl's experience that takes you away. There is so much to experience and she goes through most of it. It truly is an A-B-A-B-A storyline. you get tugged every which way and you can't help but express your concern for a girl that doesn't know what's best for her.

The film thrives on the personalities and the performances. There is a great plot in there as well, but the emotion put on display really drove me as an audience member and I am deeply grateful for it. I wasn't sure if An Education would be boring, exciting, or just interesting. I didn't expect to be taken for a wonderful ride and it's unfortunate that the film may get lost in the shuffle of 2009 and become a forgotten gem.

Grade: B+

My first film...a three-minute short and pretty self-explanatory.

Now that was a movie! Wes Anderson is truly creeping into my top 5 ever so slightly. There is a consistency and relevancy to all of his films that allow us to not only laugh, but feel something for characters that are so offbeat from reality we have no business loving them. Such is the case in Fantastic Mr. Fox. Why should I care for the tale of a family of foxes struggling to survive in a world where the father is a constant screw-up endangering everyone. Not to mention, it's done entirely in stop-motion animation.

The film is funny from start to finish. There is never a scene that doesn't make you laugh or feel something. The production design is completely flawless, leaving you jaw-dropped at times wondering how it looks so good. But what's even better is how Wes Anderson takes a step back and allows it to look fake. He doesn't try to make Pinocchio a real boy. Instead, the humor lay within the scenery and the way the characters interact. Well, part of the humor that is.

Every character stems from a real animal and they all carry fundamentally hilarious characteristics. And the plot surrounds itself by this fact that all animals are different and specialize in various skills. It's really a perfect composition of what we already know being mixed with an imaginary world.

I typically think it's impossible to capture raw emotion in any form of animation, but this year has proven me wrong. With Coraline, Up, and now Fantastic Mr. Fox, I grow ever more fond of the animated style. And while I still think Anderson's craft is even better in live-action, the voiceovers add a dimension that allows us to imagine more about the characters themselves. As usual, I dislike George Clooney's voice, but again he picks an awesome character to portray. the movie really thrives on everybody else, though. All the supporting roles drive Fantastic Mr. Fox above a memorable film into an unforgettable one.

The Fantastic Mr. Fox is hands-down my favorite animated film ever, finally surpassing the long reign of The Nightmare Before Christmas. I am proud to say it, too. And I hope Wes Anderson never changes his style.

Grade: A

Going into this film, I was looking for one thing and one thing only; an Oscar-worthy performance by Colin Firth. Well, I got it. And so did all of us. I sure hope he gets that nutless golden man, because he deserves all of it. Sure, Jeff Bridges did a nice job, but the film surrounding him was weak compared to A Single Man. Why not have back-to-back homosexual characters winning an Oscar for Best Actor? It should happen. But luckily, the film doesn't have to rely heavily on...a single man...to succeed.

A Single Man explores the life of George, whose lover dies in a car accident, leaving him relatively alone. It's not like he wasn't singled out enough as it was being a gay man in the early 60s. I struggled early with which meaning of the word "single" applied to this film. Was he single and looking? Was he just one man? It's actually an interesting question to ask yourself throughout the film. There is a great grasp for the time period it takes place during. While it is disguised as a character study, this movie is as much a time capsule as anything. It really takes you to the time.

But A Single Man succeeds on more levels than just the brilliance in acting. The cinematography is breathtaking. And it's a different form this time. No massive landscapes or pretty buildings. Instead, the filmmaker decided to get up close and personal with the characters. We get to experience the way George views the people around him. He investigates their every wrinkle. I can't even remember how many close-up eyeball shots there were. The colors switch from vivid memories of a love lost to the dark tones of a dreary life alone.

The other aspect of the film that drew me in was the original score. Abel Korzeniowski designed a magnificent orchestral accompaniment to this emotionally gripping film. The final minutes of the movie nearly brought me to tears. In fact, I actually had a physical knot in my stomach for a while outside the theater. And I owe a lot of that to the music. At times it takes the 60s and tosses it in your face. Other times, it is totally original, with a faint resemblance to the powerful score from The Fountain (Darren Aronofsky).

The performances did drive this film, except for some unfortunately weak acting by Nicholas Hoult as the young college boy, Kenny. Matthew Goode (Ozymandius in Watchmen) actually proves to be a decent actor, thankfully erasing his awfulness from Watchmen. Julianne Moore nails her small role and deserves at least a nomination for Best Supporting Actress. But Colin Firth really embodies George and gave a tremendously homosexual man resonance with people like myself, who don't know the slightest thing about living in that universe. Bravo to everybody involved in this film and good luck at the Oscars.

Grade: A-

A Serious Man is a seriously bad film. I really thought I was going to enjoy this movie. It's been garnering massive buzz from critics and involves a heavy dose of Jewish humor which I always love. Instead, it was a hodgepodge of misguided efforts to create dark humor and confuse the audience. Well, they succeeded in the latter. When you look at the Coen Brothers, they really are sliding down a bad hill. No Country For Old Men was a boring mess. Burn After Reading was hilarious at times, but as a story it was a total joke. Now, A Serious Man misses every single mark it strived for. Unless they were just on a litany of drugs while reading the Torah or something.

The film frustrated me so much that I just would rather keep this short and to the point. The cinematography was pleasant at times, but never enough of a success to distract me from the story. What a tremendously boring movie. I nearly fell asleep a few times and that is extremely difficult to make me do in a theater. I actually wanted to leave on a number of occasions. No lie. But I kept telling myself the last act would explain everything and make it an awesome experience. Boy was I wrong. The entire first scene didn't even make sense, had nothing to do with the film, and didn't even make any sense. Did I say that yet? The ending was weird, just like No Country. The film had its moments that made me laugh, sure, but event he worst comedians int he world can draw a laugh or two.

Just bad. Overall, just really, really bad. I do not recommend this movie to anybody.

Grade: D-

The buzz surrounding this film is that it's essentially this year's The Wrestler. Even the trailers promote is as such. And it is with that comparison that Crazy Heart loses at least one letter grade with me. Call it bad timing, but this film just shouldn't be compared to another simply because it's about an old, washed-up has-been hanging on to his life while trying to find his stride again. Crazy Heart tries to be about all of that, but instead the film itself hangs on by the thread of superb acting and great music.

I kept hoping for some part of Crazy Heart to resonate with me personally. And I don't mean the truly personal. I mean that aspect of all human life that a film can connect with without going after a specific population of people. It takes about an hour for the film to begin its stride. Something ACTUALLY HAPPENS, but at the expense of sixty minutes of barely anything. You keep hoping for this to happen, or that to happen, but the filmmaker chose to keep you waiting. It does pay off, but only for a short time, as the movie ends quickly thereafter.

At its core, the film follows an old country singer who is playing dive bars and bowling alleys to keep the gig alive. His estranged musical pupil, Tommy Sweet, played forgettably by Colin Farrell, is courting him back to the stage to help as a writer. Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhall), his newfound love interest with a child is the only real catalyst for any kind of true emotion in the film. Never once did I feel pity for the man the film started with. Instead, it took a mistake after an hour of waiting for me to finally think this guy may actually be falling apart.

The film is a success in some ways, though. The acting is generally superb. I wish they never brought in Colin Farrell for a role much more suited for a no-name, but I understand the desire to have a familiar face play a "famous character." Jeff Bridges plays Bad Blake to perfection. It's another case of an actor with whom, after viewing, I can't imagine another in his shoes. Bridges just about never does anything wrong, and he's still got drama in him amidst all the comedy. But it was Maggie Gyllenhall that really stole the show for me. She'd run away with Best Supporting Actress if it weren't for Mo'Nique in Precious. It's a pleasure to see an actress hitting her peak in an industry and know that it's happening in front of your eyes. Her career has blossomed into one that can nearly guarantee a solid performance every time. Oh, and Robert Duvall is pretty damn funny in this film. Great, tiny role.

As much as I wanted to fall in love with this movie and the characters within, I always felt a disconnect. It always seemed as fake as a movie. The Wrestler ripped me to shreds, but Crazy Heart had me curious instead of worried. Is it a bad film? Absolutely not. It's a decent movie about an intriguing character played by fantastic actors. It should be seen, but not by anybody in a rush. There are better ones out there.


Grade: B-