Old Dogs trailer.... More like Old Hat ?

This looks kind of like a rehashing of Three Men and A Baby. I just kept thinking to myself while watching this trailer...why is Travolta and Williams doing this ? Must have been a good pay day. I know you can't take everything just from a trailer, but this clearly looks like the two are mailing it in. Remember when Robin Williams did top notch work with great writers and filmmakers ? Oscar nominated fare. He looks like he is accepting every offer that comes his way. And could Seth Green look more out of place with these guys ?

Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin to host The Oscar's

I think that's good news. Steve Martin was solid his previous times as host and Alec Baldwin has proven his comic chops on 30 Rock. I just hope the ceremony ditches that one experiment with 5 previous actors on stage giving out the nominations. I hope they go back to the tried and true way of the previous years winners that go on stage and give out the nods.

Inception shows a brand new dream technology as premise

Christopher Nolan ( The Dark Knight, The Prestige ) looks to follow that epic, easily the most anticipated film of 2008, with possibly the most anticipated film of 2010 as well with his sci-fi, psycological thriller titled Inception.
The film, which is wrapping filming this month, budgeted at 200 million dollars stars Leonardo Dicaprio, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Marion Cottilard, Cillian Murphy, Michael Caine and Lukas Haas.
There are spoilers to the premise of the film on the internet, but I won't go any farther then saying the movie is about a CEO ( DiCaprio ) of a corporation that has developed a technology to be able to enter the minds of people and extract certain info from them.
The CEO intentions are not quite on the up and up which will lead him into a blackmail set by the films villain ( Watanabe ) Inception will see a July 16th release date.

So by as early as November everyone knows what will be nominated for Best Picture ?

Here's the STRONG possiblities ( In alphabetical order )

1) An Education
2) A Serious Man
3) Avatar
4) Inglourious Bastereds
5) Invictus
6) Nine
7) Precious
8) Star Trek
9) The Hurt Locker
10) The Last Station
11) The Lovely Bones
12) The Road
13) Up In The Air
14) Up
15) Where The Wild Things Are

This is the consensus so far with a lot of critics. These are guesses at this point ovbiously.

Possibly the best first 5 months in movie history in 2010

As a fan of motion pictures for a very long time, I do not remember a first of the year being as strong as this one. Usually, as the history in movie releases has shown us, the first few months are not the best/award worthy films of the year. But 2010 will be different. Here are 16 pretty quality films being released between 1/1-5-30.

1-15 The Book Of Eli ( Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis )
The Last Station ( Christopher Plummer, Helen Mirren, James McAvoy, Paul Giamatti )
1-22 Creation ( Paul Bettany, Jennifer Connelly, Jeremy Northam, Toby Jones )
1-29 Edge Of Darkness ( Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone )
2-12 I Love You, Phillip Morris ( Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor )
2-12 The Wolfman ( Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt )
2-19 Shutter Island ( Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Emily Mortimor, Max Von Sydow, Michelle Willams, Jackie Earle Haley ) )
3-5 Alice In Wonderland ( Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska as Alice, Alan Rickman, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Crispon Glover, Christopher Lee, Michael Sheen )
3-5 Brooklyn's Finest ( Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes )
3-12 Green Zone ( Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear, Brendan Gleeson, Jason Isaacs, Amy Ryan )
3-26 Clash Of The Titans ( Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Danny Huston )
4-9 Date Night ( Steve Carrell, Tina Fey, Mark Wahlberg, Marl Ruffalo, James Franco, Mila Kunis, Ray Liotta, Taraji P. Henson, Kristen Wiig )
4-23 Wall Street 2 ( Michael Douglas, Shia LaBeouf, Carey Mulligan, Josh Brolin, Frank Langella, Susan Sarandon )
5-7 Iron Man 2 ( Robert Downey Jr. Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johansson )
5-14 Robin Hood ( Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Max Von Sydow, Mark Strong )
5-28 Prince Of Persia ( Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Aterton, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina )

Not too shabby beginning of the year...

Sorry Depp fans... no Oscar nod this year

I find it hard to believe, or maybe I should say, pretty far fetched to look at some other movie and or Oscar websites that have Jonny Depp predicted to get an Oscar nomination for his role in Public Enemies. Please...I am not a Depp basher, I think he's quite a good thesp, but there was nothing outstanding or extremely special about his portrayal as John Dillinger. Off the top of my head I can name 5 more intriguing performances he has done. He stands a much better chance next year for his role in the Rum Diary. It's NOT going to be for Public Enemies though.

Saoirse Ronan still a favorite for a Best Actress nod ?

The 15 year old ( pronouced " shur-shee " ) that will play young Susie Salmon in next months The Lovely Bones is still on many critics and movie website pundits predictions that she will be nominated for 1 of the 5 slots for the Best Actress Oscar. Seems everybody who has a voice, has the 5 ladies already sewn up. Streep, Mulligan, Sidibe, Cornish and Ronan.
I have seen the trailer and have just recently re-read the book, and I see the characters as more of an ensemble piece. I would never say that her age is the reason why I don't see it, I just don't think it's going to happen.
Everyone who once ( for a minute ) lauded Emily Watson's sizzling, enigmatic performance witnessed just from the trailer in Within The Whirlwind, have all but forgotten her or think the movie is dead in the water and won't see a 2009 release date.
I do know this...on November 15th the film will get a screening at The Boston Jewish Film Festival. I think the Best Actress Oscar race would be a fail if her name wasn't added in the discussion. Crossing my fingers for a buyer and 2009 release.
As of now, looking like an uphill battle.