I think Nine should of gotten a best Cinematography nod as well

I'm happy as long as Christoph Waltz wins and 'Avatar' doesn't get best picture (I liked it a lot but come on!)

As a longtime Christopher Plummer fan, it's awesome to see General Chang finally up for an Oscar nod this year. Not a bad accomplishment for an 80 year-old.

Visual effects? Maybe. Cinematography? Definitely not. Best Picture? Never.

Wish The Road and World's Greatest Dad would have gotten best picture and actor nominations. I thought World's Greatest Dad would have gotten in easy with 10 nominees.

Did World's Greatest Dad actually qualify? I watched it on HDNet Movies "before it's in theaters".

I blame the Weinstein's horrible handling of The Road for it not getting recognized. They probably didn't even bother sending out screeners.

I think your Dark Horses all got shot out behind the barn before the announcement ....

If Wall-E was never nominated for best picture, what makes the academy think Up deserves to be. because old people liked it? i liked Up, but Wall-E was as close to a masterpiece as an animated film can get. i hope Coraline gets the best animated award. as for best picture; a bastards, district 9, or avatar win would put a smile on my face. only if watchmen and zombieland were on the list then i could say my 5 favorite films of the year were nominated. i was hoping bill murray as bill murray would get a nomination.

It's simple. There are 10 best picture slots this year. There weren't last year.

Does that fact that it is now absolutely obvious who the four acting winners will be, and (if you've watched the Globes and SAG) you've already seen them give acceptance speeches, lessen your interest in watching the Oscars?

I don't think Best Actress is obvious at all and I think Clooney still has a great shot at Best Actor.

Happy to see Woody Harrelson as a nominee. The last time was, I believe, in 1995 for People Vs Larry Flynt.

How's The Messenger, anyway? Heavy-handed, or something above that?

Then you aren't paying attention.

Bullock and Streep tied for the critics' award

Bullock and Streep both won at the Globes, but Bullock won in the more important Drama category.

The Oscar nominees are the same five as the SAG nominees, and Bullock won the SAG.

And if all that wasn't enough:
The Blind Side was a surprise inclusion in the Best Picture nominees.


Hollywood loves it when they get the opportunity to reward a real old-fashioned Movie Star for what they consider to be an acting risk.
[See Roberts, J. in Brockovich, E.]

George Clooney is a real old-fashioned Movie Star, but he already has an Oscar, and Jeff Bridges --who's been nominated 5 times over a 40 year career does not.

Plus, just like in the actresses, the nominees are the same as the SAG, and Bridges won there.

Wasn't Mickey Rourke meant to be a lock last year?

It's a heavy movie, but I wouldn't call it heavy handed. You have to see it. I agree with it's nominations. The movie made my top 10 this year.

I'm going to be really pissed off if Sandra Bullock takes home the Oscar. Sure, she turned in a nice performance. And possibly the best of her career. But it's NOT the best performance by a female this year. I mean, come on! I've seen all the nominated performances, and Streep gives the best. IMO.

No. Sean Penn won the SAG, and went on to win the Oscar.

Technically, a film could get 10% of the vote +1 and win Best picture. The voting has changed completely this year with the 10 nominees to prevent just that. A film needs 50% of the vote, but this is made up of both #1 votes and preferential votes for the film at #2, #3 and so on.

I realize that a film could win with 10% +1 but that's not going to happen. In terms of first place votes, I see it like this.

Avatar - 20%
The Blind Side - 2%
District 9 - 3%
An Education - 3%
The Hurt Locker - 30%
Inglourious Basterds - 15%
Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire - 10%
A Serious Man - 2%
Up - 5%
Up in the Air - 10%

Best Pic: Avatar
Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Best Actress: Sandra Bullock
Best Actor: Jeff Bridges
Best Sup. Actress: Mo'Nique
Best Sup. Actor: Christoph Waltz
Animated: Up
Art Direction: Avatar
Original Screenplay.: The Hurt Locker
Adapted Screenplay: District 9

That's what I'm saying. With the new preferential voting, a film can't win with just 10%+1. It needs, with a combination of #1, #2 and #3 votes and so on, to have a majority vote of 50%+1.

All I know is that it's fricking awesome that the director of the finest bank-robbing surfing movie of all time, Point Break, may win an Oscar next month.

I didn't even think of that. Good point.

Actually, it was.

Eligible Oscar titles (PDF)

It's on page 57.

How come 2012 didn't get nominated for Best Visual Effects?