Sitting in “judgment” of short films is a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, a short should have a real sense of completeness to it, leaving the viewer with the sensation that they’ve seen a “fullness” of story. On the other hand, the best (in my opinion) short films are shorts in name only. They feel larger, they revolve around stories with a strong central idea, they deliver the theme in interesting ways, and they give us characters in whose world I would like to spend more time.
And so, with that in mind, I give you the winners of the 1st Semi-Annual F.E.D. “Festie” Awards.
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This year’s first DVXUser film festival included no less than 49 original short films. Some were made by long-time forum members, others from first-timers making their film festival debut.
After watching every single one of them, I thought I’d recognize some of the more outstanding achievements of Betrayal Fest.
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Many people have emailed me, asking me for my Oscar picks for 2010. I’ve hesitated, knowing they would likely take this information to some back-alley speakeasy, hand it off to their bookie, and bet their house, their car and their kidneys on my picks.
I don’t want that responsibility, that pressure. But ultimately, I’ve decided that what you do with your vital organs is up to you. Here are the winners for Sunday’s Academy Awards…
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Sadly, we are squarely in Hollywood’s dead zone right now. This week’s new movies are mostly proof of that.
From Paris With Love
See It If: Bald Travolta gets you all excited.
Don’t See It If: You prefer actual excitement to get you excited.
The Call: Meh.
Dear John
See It If: The idea of a new film from Lasse Hallstrom is appealing to you.
Don’t See It If: You think Nicholas Sparks should be brought up on war crimes charges for his assault on literature.
The Call: Wait for it to air on Lifetime.
District 13: Ultimatum
See It If: You aspire to parkour your way across Europe.
Don’t See It If: You’re afraid of heights (and Europeans).
The Call: This looks like a pretty strong action flick. If that’s your thing, get some.
HOLLYWOOD, CA – In an awards-nomination surprise, both James Cameron and his massive ego were nominated for the Best Director Oscar for their work on the blockbuster sci-fi epic Avatar. Nominated alongside Cameron and his ego was Kathryn Bigelow, director of The Hurt Locker and an ex-wife of Cameron. Also tapped for the honor were Jason Reitman (Up In the Air), Lee Daniels (Precious), and Quentin Tarantino (Inglorious Basterds).
While Cameron took home the same award for 1997’s Titanic, his ego was famously passed over that year in favor of Atom Egoyan, director of The Sweet Hereafter. Industry insiders say Cameron’s ego long resented the oversight, though his nomination fo Avatar should help mitigate further reprisals against Egoyan, who has worked in relative anonymity since 1998.
From his lair deep inside a hollowed-out volcano, Cameron’s ego congratulated both himself and his fellow nominees. “It is truly an honor to be nominated alongside such esteemed and talented directors, including one I used to bang on a regular basis,” said Cameron’s ego, before throwing himself into a huge pile of money at his feet.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been combing through films and putting together my picks for those who should be recognized tomorrow morning (and in March) with Oscar nominations. Now I’ve collected all of my choices and present them here…
I give you the First Annual Feddy Awards Extravaganza!
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And my nominees for Best Art Direction are…
Inglorious Basterds
An Education
The Young Victoria
Watchmen
The Lovely Bones
Avatar
Let me define for you what I believe “art direction” means. To me, the art department brings a unified vision of the “look” of a film to life. This is truly a collaborative effort between many talented people, but the best art direction feels both completely authentic and fresh, and a lot of the work in this category fits into this description.
But the little golden drinking buddy goes to…Watchmen.
And the nominees for the Best Visual Effects Oscar should be…
Avatar
Avatar
Avatar
Star Trek
District 9
Avatar
I’ve decided to recognize Avatar here with four of the six nominations in the category. It’s simply the most detailed use of computer-generated visual effects we’ve ever seen in film.
And the award goes to…District 9.
Just kidding. It goes to Avatar.
Perhaps there will come a year when Oscar realizes that animated films are not lesser animals to be led to awards-season slaughter. In fact, with the Best Picture category expanded to ten films for 2010, I’d be surprised if at least one of the following films is not included, and perhaps even three.
But we’re here to talk about Best Animated Film. And the nominees are (or should be)…
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Up
Coraline
Ponyo
Mary & Max
Avatar
Yes, folks, Avatar is an animated f*$#ing film. Over half of the movie is computer-generated, and the other half feels like it was acted by computer-generated actors. So here it is. I’m hoping including them here inspires some to seek out Mary & Max and Ponyo, they’re worth the trouble.
But the award for Best Animated Film goes to…Fantastic Mr. Fox.
Looks like a bad weekend for new movies…
When In Rome
See It If: You love predictable, by-the-numbers romantic comedies.
Don’t See It If: You hate Dax Shepard as much as I do.
The Call: Don’t bother. Seriously. Go see The Young Victoria instead.
Edge of Darkness
See It If: You have a movie-theater-gift-card expiring on Sunday.
Don’t See It If: You prefer to think of Mel Gibson as Mad Max.
The Call: Looks like a potential matinee candidate, but I’ll probably wait for it on cable.
