Golden Globes

Erik Bates | January 17, 2011
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Jon Berry | January 17, 2011
I personally found the Social Network to be quite fantastic, but I wouldn't say it was better than Black Swan.

I think it deserved Best Score and Best Script, but I was surprised at best director and best drama motion picture.

Jackie Mason | January 17, 2011
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Jon Berry | January 17, 2011
Hm, I would say it's mentally taxing more then gruesome. It's quite creepy, but the film itself is just daunting to watch in a very Aronofsky way. I would say, if you can stomach it, it'd be worth it, just for some amazing performances and strong film making. But I could understand it being too hard to watch, I felt exhausted by the end of it.

Scott Hardie | January 18, 2011
The Golden Globes seems to have some growing pains. It wants to be as important and respectable as the Oscars, so it has started selecting more predictable, mainstream, "safe" choices like Erik pointed out, which of course makes it less interesting. The formerly anything-goes nature of the broadcast is probably history after Ricky Gervais's roast of every celebrity he laid his eyes on, making him the least popular man in Hollywood this week. If next year's selections and hosting are even more dull, what will be the point? The Globes never had much legitimacy, but it had plenty of entertainment value as the anti-Oscars. Now it seems to want to trade the latter for the former. Good luck with that.

Samir Mehta | January 19, 2011
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Jon Berry | January 19, 2011
Seriously. The only one I felt maybe, MAYBE was a little crass was the one about Robert Downey Jr, but even that one was the type of joke that has been made many a time.

Erik Bates | January 20, 2011
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Scott Hardie | January 30, 2011
Is it too late to hire Ricky Gervais to host the Oscars? The Academy could really use his help livening things up this year. I know I'm getting too old and too busy to care about the Oscars like I used to, but this year's crop of nominees really seems to have reached a new low in excitement. The Social Network? The King's Speech? True Grit? Fine pictures all, I'm sure, but none seem to be sending evangelists into the streets singing their praises. I'm excited about exactly one Best Picture nominee, and it has about as much chance of winning as its pseudo-predecessor The Dark Knight did two years ago when it wasn't nominated.

Jackie Mason | January 31, 2011
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Samir Mehta | January 31, 2011
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Jon Berry | February 1, 2011
Jackie, I recall Sean Penn got quite pissed at a remark Chris Rock made about Jude Law sort of being a second choice for roles, and even made a little snap about it when he went up to present.

But I think the big difference was how tame they were. Chris Rock was quite tame, John Stewart was tame, and sometimes that can work well, but here they missed the mark somewhat. I miss the days of Billy Crystal, someone who was just on the whole time. I got nothing against Ricky's performance, but Crystal was a nice different style, the ying and yangs of award hosting.

But I agree, I wish Ricky would do the awards. Or better yet, Karl Pilkington. As much as I like Anne Hathaway and James Franco, them hosting it sounds dreadful. Truly dreadful.

But, I'll watch the awards, as I always do, I'll drink, I'll yell at the TV and I'll love it. Before I thought Black Swan was guaranteed for best Picture, although I think the strongest competitors are The King's Speech and the Social Network.

Jackie Mason | February 2, 2011
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Jon Berry | February 2, 2011
Oh man, Ellen was pretty charming. She had a real sweet quality to the whole thing.

And Chris Rock DID have some controversy, but he was also pretty stale. It's like he was too afraid of being controversial, but then some comments just bugged people, so it didn't flow.

Scott Hardie | February 2, 2011
I don't know a lot about the Globes, but from what I read, Gervais was just as offensive last year and nobody said a thing. I would join others in suspecting that this controversy is just invented to generate PR buzz, but for what? It's almost a year until the next one, and Gervais apparently won't be back.

Samir, Winter's Bone is one of several titles that doesn't seem to have a chance. I was speaking of Inception. I don't mean to skewer the Oscars contest; this is just my opinion and I could be wrong.

Jon, it seems to me that Sean Penn gets pissed at pretty much everything. :-) There's a guy who really needs a sense of humor.

I never really cared for Billy Crystal's mugging and impersonations. His humor just isn't my thing. I give him credit for raising the energy level high and keeping it there throughout his broadcasts, but he's had years of practice doing this; most of the hosts these days get exactly one chance. Steve Martin is the only recent host who has been pretty good at it.

Steve West | February 2, 2011
I thought she was completely charming. Recent hosts have made me feel like I've been scoured with humor sandpaper. Irony and mild sarcasm works so much better for me than scathing insults delivered tongue in cheek.

Scott Hardie | February 2, 2011
The producers seem to have given up trying to please everybody with humor - "he's too harsh," "she's not funny" - so now they're going for all-musical presentations. Because that worked so well once upon a time.

Samir Mehta | February 2, 2011
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Jon Berry | February 2, 2011
Really? I felt Nolan, as great as he is, did not deliver on the same directorial level as the others. Keep in mind the others had films that were purely driven by acting and script, Nolan had the benefit of great action, beautiful CGI, etc. I loved Inception, but I feel he outdirected himself with The Dark Knight alone.

Great director, really great, but I was more shocked Danny Boyle wasn't on the list than Nolan.

Scott - Too true, it seems just easier to get very tame people. I don't see why, though, Hugh Jackman, as cool a guy as he was, just brought little to the table.

Steve - She was quite fantastic, not sure why they didn't bring her back.

Samir - Just saw Winter's Bone last night, great great film. John Hawkes was phenomenal, only person that'll give Bale a run for his money, I think.

Samir Mehta | February 2, 2011
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Ryan Dunn | February 2, 2011
I'm just gonna say it...I thought Inception sucked.

Scott Hardie | February 6, 2011
As Ryan demonstrated, Inception has too many detractors to do well in the Oscar voting, even if weren't already handicapped as a science fiction film. My opinion is exactly in line with Samir's. Inception is too big, too complex (a decade of planning), and too technically accomplished to be completely ignored. Its nomination will have to be enough of an honor.

The popular prediction (here and elsewhere) that mystifies me is Christian Bale in The Fighter. Here's a rare case where seeing the movie might actually matter, since I just don't get it otherwise. Bale is respected but not especially liked by Hollywood, and director David O. Russell is hated by many in the industry; that The Fighter got any nominations is a wonder by itself. Bale has been giving great performances for years, but this seems like a minor role in his career to make the one that becomes his Oscar; people win all the time for minor performances after a lifetime of good work, but there's little sense that Bale is truly overdue or that it's now-or-never, since he'll deliver more good work for years to come. The name I see being much more likely is Geoffrey Rush, who delivered an actor's performance (playing an actor no less) in a movie loved by actors, who dominate the voting and are the biggest source of momentum for The King's Speech. How can they get so firmly behind the movie, Colin Firth, and barely-accomplished director Tom Hooper that those nominations seem like locks to win... and then abandon Geoffrey Rush, who is genial and supportive as a professional (and has been delivering his own great performances for years), in favor of the abrasive and divisive Bale? I even think Helena Bonham Carter has a better chance than she's given credit for, but I guess the Academy can't give The King's Speech awards for everything. Anyway, either The Fighter contains one hell of a performance by Christian Bale, or I'm oblivious to some other major factor in this.

Jon Berry | February 6, 2011
Here is my issue... I loved both films, The Fight and the King's Speech, and I adore Geoffrey Rush, I think he is truly fantastic...

But Bale outperformed him this year. I agree, you'd have to see the movie, but that's because Bale really does something new for himself, he doesn't go by the classic Baleisms, as great an actor as he can be, this was refreshing to really see him go for broke. After all the successes he's had as a leading man, he needed a role like Dickey Ward. I think if/when you watch it, you'll see what I mean, I don't wanna give anything away.

And Rush, my issue here is, despite being fantastic, this is a role we've seen Rush in before. This is not as big a departure from his catalogue, and even though he truly shines, he is not the show stealer either (Firth had to be).

In my opinion, the best supporting actor oscar tends to go to these show stealers, who outshine the supposed leads. Heath Ledger, Christoph Waltz, Javier Bardem (and Christian Bale) all outshine the people they are, for lack of a better term, supporting.

I would say the Fighter is a very strong film, but all are in their own ways. It was just a performance that, for someone that's been a bit abrasive of Bale the last few years, was completely won over.

Just my two rambling cents xD