Shameless Plug: My Oscar-Predicting TV Appearance!

Time for another installment of Beyond the Awkward, where we discuss and divulge things that go beyond the scope of this site. Because--did you know?--there are other things out there besides this site. I know, right?!

Since Awkward is What We Aim For is sorely lacking in podcasts and the like, I thought I would share with you guys the latest episode of ROAR Network, LMU's student network's news show, ROAR Dispatch, which features yours truly (normally the Assistant Director of Programming at the network but for one appearance only an on-air talent) predicting the Oscars. That's right--I'm like the next Dave Karger or Ben Lyons. Except not really. At all.

ME! Hi.

My picks are no different than they are on the site, but hey, you can see me in person! Plus, you can check out all of ROAR's content--we're an up-and-coming network, but our website is top-tier and you can see some of our new content. Check out my appearance by following this link. (I come on-screen about twelve minutes in, in the last fifth of the show. I'm the one in the purple shirt!)

  


ROAR Dispatch: Episode 7 from ROAR Network on Vimeo.

Liam Neeson in Taken 2: Starring Bridget Von Hammersmark and Betty Draper

Unknown, starring Liam Neeson, is a film you've seen before.

There’s a lot to like about Unknown, from the completely game performances by stars Liam Neeson and Diane Kruger to the taut, thrilling and actually quite possible screenplay, adapted by Oliver Butcher and Stephen Cornwell from a novel called Out of My Head by Didier van Cauwelaert. There is, in turn, a lot to dislike as well: the underdeveloped characters, the sometimes half-baked action sequences and the high number of twists without much real payoff.

Updated: The Awkwards! Honoring the Best in Film from 2010

UPDATED 2/23/11: With the Oscars just days away, I thought it best to update my individual awards, making some changes for what I now consider premature decisions.

Well, you know what I think will be nominated for the Oscars this year. But if I were running my own awards show, it would look a little different. That's right, fasten your seat belts for a long, long trip, because it's time for the 3rd Annual Awkwards!

Unlike the Oscars, I only have 15 categories, and of those, I only use seven of the Academy's (technically, eight, but I use slightly different criterion for my Best Artistic Direction award). Some are more fun than others, but overall, I want to capture all aspects of a film in these categories that may have not as much to do with the technical work, but what, as an audience, we appreciate.

I also award 5th through 1st, so no one feels left out. After all, these are by far the most important awards given out this season... (*snigger*... did I just snigger at myself?) The only other rule I have is that one performer can't be nominated twice in one category.


A quick note on the graphic: in honor of the award being called the Awkward, I present one of the more awkward moments in Oscar history--the interruption of the Best Documentary Short Music By Prudence winner's acceptance speech by a booted producer from the project--as a representation of how truly awkward awards can be.

Left ineligible originally this year were Barney's Version, Frankie and Alice, Biutiful, Country Strong, The Company Men, Blue Valentine, Another Year and The Way Back due to their limited releases. It's an unwritten (well, now it's written) rule of the Awkwards that one-week "qualifier runs" carry no water here. I took off this restriction for this update, but the only film it benefited was Blue Valentine.

So, without further ado, let's get started...

Sticking to My Guns: Why I'm Predicting Amy Adams

I don't fancy myself an Oscar savant of any kind. I realize that most of my high scores in prediction pools are largely because I pay very close attention to the opinions of others. So if I'm predicting something to be nominated or win, it's likely because I saw the prediction elsewhere, thought there was good logic behind it and decided to predict it myself.

"I like my life."

And yet this year, I'm making one screwball prediction that is almost destined to fall short: Amy Adams for Best Supporting Actress. That's right: over her The Fighter co-star Melissa Leo, over BAFTA winner Helena Bonham Carter, over my former personal pick Jacki Weaver (my opinion's shifted a bit in recent weeks), and over wunderkind child actress Hailee Steinfeld. What gives me such faith in the three-time Oscar nominee who's never really come close to the gold before? What makes me think that Adams, who absolutely no one is predicting to win, is such a sure bet to win the gold?

In short, I have no idea. But I'm sticking to my guns.

Oscar Predictions: One Week Out

Sorry for the quiet on the blog recently--burnout from awards talk added to a ridiculous workload this week prevented most updates. Two quick updates--first, the obvious: we're one week away from the Oscars, so final predictions are up. As always, you can find them (with all 24 categories!) by clicking on the Current Oscar Predictions tab. (Sorry for any graphical hiccups.)

I'm predicting a near-sweep for The King's Speech, though a small one--only six statuettes. I also have The Social Network and Inception picking up three Oscars, while Black Swan, Tangled, True Grit and Toy Story 3 each get one.

The second update is a very exciting one--things are gonna get a lot more awkward! Awkward is What We Aim For is now a partner of Reel Artsy, another film blog that loves to feature the awkward. You'll be able to read my Netflix Pix features on that site as well as here very soon, and we hope to get more collaborations working as soon as possible. Exciting times!

As far as next Sunday's festivities are concerned, I plan to live-blog, and I'll probably have a few more pieces up this week about specific races that I think are still contended, etc. And you can bet I'll be back on Monday morning to praise and bitch the ceremony, the winners, and the dresses.

It's kinda like Christmas week for all us Oscar watchers. Let's hope we get something good and not a big lump of coal.

It's an Adjustment, But a Good One

The reviews have been coming slowly but surely recently (sorry, blame work piling up), but after seeing Rabbit Hole a second time yesterday (still a great movie, still wouldn't make my Top Ten simply because its strength is in the performances, not the overall film) and seeing the trailer for the new film The Adjustment Bureau attached, I realized I had to write a review of the new thriller just to talk about what the movie really is, as opposed to what it's being marketed as.

Wow, this movie looks so serious! Too bad it kinda isn't!

Oscar Predictions Revised: Fincher Up, Leo Down

The Oscar Predictions tab has been updated to reflect new predictions. My current bet is The King's Speech/Fincher/Firth/Portman/Bale/Adams, but we'll have to see exactly what turns this race takes. I'm probably going to add the other 12 categories sometime soon--all depends on time and effort I can put in.

Am I overestimating how Leo will be affected by her rogue FYC campaign? If she loses, will it be to Steinfeld instead of Adams? Is there any drama in any of these races other than Best Supporting Actress? Take it to the comments!

Consider: Melissa Leo is Really Screwing Up

Melissa Leo is asking us to consider her, but all I'm considering is how Amy Adams will look accepting her Oscar come February 27th.

If you haven't yet heard about the new, self-funded For Your Consideration ads Melissa Leo has in circulation right now, let me get you up to speed. These:

 

are the infamous ads that Leo decided to purchase and produce to supplement her For Your Consideration campaign. Leo is nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars to be held later this month, and apparently she doesn't think the general ads for her film, The Fighter, are good enough. In fact, she doesn't even think her performance as bad mother Alice Ecklund is good enough. No, she wants you to consider Melissa Leo, the actress. And I think we should consider exactly how stupid this is.

Why The King's Speech Winning Best Picture Does Not Matter

Now that I've voiced exactly why a Best Picture win for The King's Speech is kind of a bonkers idea, I'm going to explain exactly why that event wouldn't really affect anything.

"But Kevin," you ask, "why doesn't it matter? Didn't you just say Speech shouldn't win Best Picture?" Well, yes, I did say that. And I certainly haven't recanted my position on that matter. If it wins on the 27th of this month, I will be annoyed, probably even angry, with the idea that the Academy has failed once again to recognize the best film made this year.

And it is that statement that makes me realize exactly why a win for The King's Speech doesn't matter. Because depending on your school of criticism, the "Best" could be completely different. Because as much as we pretend "Best" is objective, it is, at least partially, subjective. And there are so many great things about Speech that it is an acceptable Best Picture winner, if not a great one.

Netflix Pix: Of Clubs Both Fight and the Moulin Rouge!

It's Netflix Pix time once again--apologies for the delay! My intention was to make this a regular Sunday series but it seems more likely that once every two weeks is a better aim.

This week, we have two regular-mail picks, both centered around the ideas of clubs--albeit entirely different clubs. Today, we'll visit Tyler Durden's Fight Club and Harold Zeigler's Moulin Rouge!