Early Oscar Predictions/Reaction

• Can you explain to me what the freaking obsession with Clive Owen and Natalie Portman in Closer is? Is it because they didn’t break out into laughter in the middle of their porno lines? That movie is so terrible, and I think for you to truly understand how raunchy and just awkward it is, Brendan and I will transcribe the scene between Owen and Portman when they’re at the strip club. “Like heaven.”

• Very excited for Jamie Foxx, obviously. Since there isn’t an award show for Best Body of Work for a year, it’s only fitting he gets nominated for Ray, which I’m going to download now I think, and for Collateral, which I thought was really great. I’m hoping Tom Cruise is his sidekick for the entire night, playing up to him and chest-bumping while wearing the Cheesy Tom Cruise grin. Who wouldn’t enjoy that?

• Paul Giamatti didn’t get nominated for Sideways, and it’s a freaking flipping shame. I’m not sure who I remove from that list, but you’ve got make room for Giamatti, just for the scene in the vineyard when he drinks from the spitter.

• But on a positive Sideways note, Virginia Madsen and Thomas Haden Church are both nominated, which is fantastic, along with the whole movie getting a Best Picture nomination. That was a quality, fun movie, and I hope it can run with the big boys come Oscar night.

• Sean informs me that the Best Actress category is going to be a battle between Annette Benning for Being Julia and Hilary Swank for Million Dollar Baby. I don’t know what Julia is about, and the Sports Guy said Baby’s ending is so terrible he can’t recommend the movie to anyone, despite the fact it’s good throughout. You can tell I’m really disappointed that Kate Winslet isn’t going to get any real love for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless, despite her nomination.

• As upset as I am Giamatti isn’t nominated for Best Actor, you absolutely have to love the fact that Don Cheadle is probably the least recognizable name among the five contenders. Eastwood vs. DiCaprio vs. Depp vs. Foxx vs. Cheadle? That’s like some kind of all-star super category, and I’ll give the early edge to Eastwood since he apparently cries in Baby. I guess we’re going to have to download and watch that as a section as well, since it’s nominated for so freaking much.

• I’m not sure if you realized this, but at least on Ares Lite you can find essentially any move you want to for download, except for Sideway. What will you find instead, you ask? Apparently some lovely girl named Krista Allen appearing in something called Emmanuelle Sideways Fuck. And if you thought that line was completely uncalled for and inappropriate, multiply it by two hours and you have Closer.

• I’m really glad Passion of the Christ didn’t garner any major nominations, but I’m also very disappointed Spiderman 2 didn’t get any major love. Hopefully it sweeps up all the technical categories it’s nominated for, but I wish it had some stronger categories to compete in.

• Sean’s Early Picks: Foxx for Best Actor, Benning for Best Actress and The Aviator for Best Picture. He doesn’t feel informed enough to make Supporting picks, but that isn’t going to stop me, despite not seeing half the movies involved.

• Chris’s Early Picks: Eastwood for Best Actor, because he cries, though I’m rooting for Cheadle, Depp or Foxx; Benning for Best Actress because Swank beat her for the cross-dressing one; Morgan Freeman for Supporting Actor because he’s Morgan freaking Freeman, although I’ll definitely be rooting for Haden Church; Virginia Madsen for Supporting Actress; and while my head tells me The Aviator because in Sean’s words, “it’s the most Oscar-winning-type film”, I’m going to take Sideways in an upset, although I wouldn’t be surprised if Million Dollar Baby sneaks in there.

You can find a link to a list of all the nominees here, and you should be able to find most of the films for download on Ares Lite or your local downloading program. Since I started typing this, I’ve got downloads going on of Finding Neverland, Ray and Million Dollar Baby. Again, Sideways is really hard to find.