My Award Nominations: Best Original Song

There weren't that many films with good original songs this year (basically there was Begin Again and then everything else), but the songs that did I decide upon I rather like. Have a listen to my five Best Original Song nominees after the cut:

'Dragons 2' Secures its Oscar-by-Default Position

DreamWorks' How to Train Your Dragon 2 took home six Annie Awards, including Best Animated Feature and Best Directing for writer-director Dean DeBlois. With the Golden Globe also in hand and the former frontrunner out of the way, it's looking more and more like the beloved franchise will get to bask in Oscar glory.

Speaking of that former frontrunner, Academy snubees Phil Lord and Chris Miller did get a consolation prize for Best Writing, as appropriate a place as any to honour The LEGO Movie's meta comedy stylings.

Among Dragons' remaining Oscar competition, The Boxtrolls won two richly deserved trophies (for its immaculate production design and Ben Kinsgley's inimitable performance), while Big Hero 6 took home only one (albeit a hard-earned one for it cool animated effects).

But Disney can take solace in that fact that their Best Animated Short Oscar contender Feast won its correlative category here. The crowd-pleasing toon is indeed a formidable threat for the Academy Award.

Sadly, GKIDS offerings Song of the Sea and Princess Kaguya were too modest to impress the organization. See all the winners after the cut.

One Category at a Time: Animated Feature

Guys, we need to talk about Best Animated Feature. Most years, this is one category that hardly requires discussion at all. If it isn't a slam dunk victory for one obvious frontrunner (which it almost always is), then it can at least be boiled down to a two-horse race with the also-rans far in the distance. This year was shaping up to be another easy call you could use to inflate your prediction accuracy, until the biggest shocker of nomination morning. Everyone enjoys griping about presumed snubs that ultimately don't affect the outcome of the awards race, but this is one snub that has truly blown the category wide open.

The cast of The LEGO Movie is stunned by its Oscar snub!

Awards Season Primed for Defining Weekend with 2 Key Guilds...

For many pundits, the Oscar race has already settled into a predictable groove, with many people picking Boyhood as the odds-on favourite.

I... am not convinced. Not yet, anyway.

Yes, Boyhood has been winning Best Picture prizes left, right and centre for the last two months, but let's put things into a bit of context: Every award it's collected all season has been from some critics or media group. It's the sort of ambitious, artistically inspired movie that was always going to appeal to them, but these people don't vote on Academy Awards.

There is an Oscar season from years past that immediately springs to mind when I consider the pattern of this season thus far: The 2010/2011 season, in which
The Social Network won every critics honour under the sun before its momentum was snatched away by The King's Speech. When was it that the eventual Best Picture winner made its move? --- At the Producers Guild of America Awards.

My Award Nominations: Best Animated Feature

I saw only six animated films last year, so it was easier for me to decide which one not to nominate (an easy choice, really). I suppose I'm being too generous in allowing five nominees for a category with so few contenders, but what of it? Only one will win (another easy choice), but the others deserve this brief moment in the limelight for merely existing. Animated movies are tedious and difficult to produce, after all. So here are my nominees for Best Animated Feature of 2014:

My Award Nominations: Best Sound Editing

For today's entry on my ballot, we're lending an ear to the best sound jobs of 2014. Herewith are my nominees for Best Sound Editing, which will be followed later today by my sound mixing favourites. I usually try to minimize overlap between the two categories, although there are always a couple of titles that deserve recognition in both. You'll just have to guess which of these five will double dip!

CAS Nominees include... Interstellar?

The Cinema Audio Society has named their choices for the best sound mixes of the year, and the biggest jaw-dropper is that apparently they heard something in Interstellar that the rest of us couldn't hear (literally, couldn't hear). How can this happen? And from a group of sound mixing professionals, no less!?!

I wonder if, assuming it gets the nominations, it might take both sound categories at the Oscars just because it seems on paper to be that 'type' of movie. Do the right thing, Academy: Actually listen to the films and decide what you think has the best sound.

For instance, a film like, say, Birdman (also nominated by the CAS) is a great example of a movie wherein the clarity of the sound recording and post-production mix does an excellent job of pulling you into the scene.

Two of the other nominees are ones I'm currently predicting for Oscar nods; American Sniper and Unbroken, although I have to think long and hard about the latter's real chances. Rounding out the five is Guardians of the Galaxy, which I wouldn't expect to score anywhere beyond effects and makeup with AMPAS.

The five CAS nominees, again, are:

American Sniper
Birdman
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
Unbroken

The animated contenders after the cut.

Golden Globes live blog

6:44
The stars are arriving. The show will start in an hour and a bit. Pumped up!!!

(You can read lots of fashion snark on Twitter, including from me, but I'll keep this space clear until the show starts)

Sunday Top Ten: Last Minute FYCs

Hard to believe that in a mere five days, Oscar ballots will be in. I'm sure there are no Academy members reading this, but it's still fun to bang the drum for one's favourite awards hopeful. Here are ten long shots (very long shots) that I feel would make inspired nominees:

NBR pipes up for 'A Most Violent Year'

The significance of the National Board of Review is always debated when they chime in each December. Since it isn't really a critic group or an industry organization, they can sometimes make choices that will certainly not be reflected by the Academy two months down the road. Then again, sometimes those odd choices can serve as a nifty exposure boost for a low-profile contender (remember Jacky Weaver back in 2010?)

This year, it's J.C. Chandor's A Most Violent Year that could benefit the most from their singular taste, picking up mentions for stars Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain in addition to the Best Film honour. As a small film just on the outside of the Best Picture bubble (kinda like Chandor's All Is Lost, ultimately an under-seen awards disappointment last year), this could do a real service to the film.

'Boxtrolls' leads ANNIE Award nominations

The New York critics weren't the only ones sounding off this Monday, as ASIFA-Hollywood released their loooong list of nominees. Laika's The Boxtrolls hauled in 13 nominations, the most of any contender in the field. Clearly there's a lot of respect for the craft, and rightly so.

Not too far behind with ten nominations of its own was DreamWorks' How to Train Your Dragon 2, which would be my preference for the win, but I'm not getting my hopes too high. There's a logical argument to be made that the hipness of The LEGO Movie will lead it to victory this season. We shall see.

The Best Animated Short category, meanwhile, features five of the contenders on the Oscar shortlist.

Check out all the film nominees after the cut, with some subjective commentary:

Review - How to Train Your Dragon 2

It's usually hard to get excited about the film franchises of DreamWorks Animation. In order to cling to the pop culture zeitgeist on which so many of them depend, the studio churns out sequels and spinoffs with a rapidity and middling quality that might be better suited to television! One could therefore be forgiven for being pessimistic on the prospects of a sequel to How to Train Your Dragon, a critically acclaimed box office hit that spun the quaint morality tale of how an oddball viking named Hiccup (Jay Burachel) managed to capture and bond with the most unlikely of pets: a wild dragon he named Toothless.

I quite enjoyed that film when it was released back in 2010, and my affection for it has only grown since then. Obviously, my hopes weren't too high for its inevitable follow-up, but this is one sequel for which DreamWorks deserved the benefit of the doubt. How to Train Your Dragon 2 truly delivers, and with fiery confidence to boot. Not only is it the studio's most thrilling adventure to date, but also its most thematically robust and elegantly handled as well.

The story picks up five years after the events of the first Dragon, in which time the once dragon-fearing highland village of Berk has become a more harmonious place where Vikings and dragons happily coexist. Hiccup's father Stoick (Gerard Butler) is intent on preparing his son to eventually succeed him as clan chieftain, but the soul-searching Hiccup naturally has his doubts. He'd rather devote his time to flying around on Toothless, mapping out new lands, outfitted with a tricked-out steampunk wing-suit that allows him to literally glide alongside his winged companion.

MPSE winners!

This is a pretty good slate. Inception took home two deserved trophies for Richard King's terrific sound design and for the outstanding integration of Hans Zimmer's music. It's the one with the Oscar heat in this category, but there's still a chance True Grit could upset.

The Social Network, meanwhile, impressed the organization with its tricky tidying-up of Aaron Sorkin's dizzying dialogue. Fine choice, but I may have liked to see TRON Legacy take that category.

Finally, I'm thrilled to see Randy Thom get his due for How to Train Your Dragon, the best sound editing of the year sadly overlooked by Oscar.

Best Sound Effects and Foley in a Feature Film: Inception
Best Dialogue and ADR in a Feature Film: The Social Network
Best Sound Effects, Foley, Music, Dialogue and ADR in a Animated Feature Film: How to Train Your Dragon Sweet!
Best Music Editing in a Feature Film: Inception
Best Music Editing in a Musical Feature: Country Strong
Best Sound Editing in a Documentary: Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage
Best Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue and ADR in a Foreign Feature: Micmacs

One Category at a time: Original Score

Not sure how to feel about this category. On the one hand, I could rejoice that my three favourite scores of the year all managed nominations from this often-questionable branch. On the other hand, I could despair that all of them are likely to lose to a far inferior score. On the other hand, the composer of said score should have won two years ago, and it'd be nice to see him win the Oscar he should already have. On the other hand, it'd be annoying to see him win his Oscar for a score that doesn't even come close to the inventiveness and memorability of his previous work, let alone his fellow nominees this year. What's a guy to do?

That score which is causing me so much grief is Alexandre Desplat's for The King's Speech. It looks like the one that's going to win to me, but deep down, it just doesn't sound right, does it?

What Hans Zimmer did on Inception is a brilliant accomplishment in building mood and intensity. John Powell's music, enjoyable and beautiful, makes How to Train Your Dragon soar. The identity Reznor and Ross infused into The Social Network is highly unique; a completely successful defiance of convention that works without intruding. They're all the epitome of effective and unforgettable music.

And then there's The King's Speech...

...and I struggle to find something to say. Not to sully Desplat's elegant work with petty quibbles, but I get the feeling that (assuming he wins) this'll be one of those Oscar wins that people will look back on 50 years from now, scrunch their noses and say, "Really?"

Could Inception upset? They may not like the movie enough. How to Train Your Dragon? Not a Best Picture nominee. The Social Network? Too atypical.

Oh yeah, A.R. Rahman (who robbed Desplat of the Oscar he should have won two years ago) is also nominated, but I don't think 127 Hours has enough support to factor into the equation here.

Will win: The King's Speech
Runner-up: Inception

Should win: Inception
Should have been nominated: TRON Legacy

Annie Award winners: Dragon dominates

How to Train Your Dragon owned the Annies, winning all ten of the feature animation categories. Who could've seen that coming, right? (wink, wink)

It's a pity that the Dreamworks-dominated voting body of the International Animation Film Society-Hollywood wasn't thoughtful enough to spread the love around to some other talent who really deserved it more than How to Train Your Dragon in some categories, but the expectation that this would happen does soften the hurt. Plus, a sweep for this delightful fable is by far less outrageous than the Kung-Fu Panda sweep two years ago. Consider this one last "hooray!" for the film before it loses the Oscar. And it is nice to see John Powell win at least something this season for his wonderful score.

Best Animated Feature: How to Train Your Dragon
Best Directing in a Feature Production: Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, How to Train Your Dragon
Best Writing in a Feature Production: William Davies, Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders, How to Train Your Dragon
Best Animated Short: Day and Night

The rest after the cut.

VES winners

As we might have expected, Inception lead the way, winning all four of its nominations. Close behind was How to Train Your Dragon which swept the three animation categories. It's too bad they couldn't spread the love around to Legend of the Guardians' astonishing effects animation, but I suppose that was a long shot.

Oscar nominees Hereafter and Harry Potter each scooped a single consolatory win.

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual-Effects Driven Feature Motion Picture
Inception

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Feature Motion Picture
Hereafter

Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
How to Train Your Dragon

Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I – Dobby

Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
How to Train Your Dragon – Toothless

Outstanding Effects Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
How to Train Your Dragon

Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture
Inception – Paris Dreamscape

Outstanding Models & Miniatures in a Feature Motion Picture
Inception – Hospital Fortress Destruction

Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture
Inception

Visionary Award
Christopher Nolan

One Category at a Time: Animated Feature

Alright. Phase 1 is over and done with, and I think most will agree that despite The Social Network's unprecedentedly strong start with the critics, it's The King's Speech that came hurtling into Phase 2 with the most momentum at just the right time. So with 22 business days remaining until Oscar night, that leaves me just enough time to get down to what I love to do; a category-by-category breakdown of the nominees, who should win, who will win.
Starting off is Best Animated Feature. Regrettably, the list of submissions this year was one short of making that arbitrary magic number of 16, so the field of nominees could be no larger than three, resulting in the sad exclusion of the wonderful Tangled. As consolation, however, we still have a trio of terrific movies, any of which would make a deserving winner.

Obviously, Toy Story 3 is the one to beat. Its whimsical humour and heartstring-tugging finale were more than enough to push it into the Best Picture race. Much like Up last year, that should really be all the information we need to call it for a victory here.

But is it an "easy" victory?

The other two nominees will take some votes as well. Maybe not so much The Illusionist, which simply doesn't have as big an audience, but How to Train Your Dragon has its champions. Dreamworks showed us that they are capable of telling stories with genuine emotion behind them, and that's the sort of movie that gets votes. Probably not enough to topple the Toys, but hopefully this is a sign that Dreamworks is on the track for a creative hot streak.

Will win: Toy Story 3
Runner-up: How to Train Your Dragon

Should win: Toy Story 3
Should have been nominated: Tangled

Fails and Wins of the Epic Variety

Now that I've had a chance to mull things over a bit, it's time for me to decide where I stand when it comes to this year's slate of Academy Award nominees. All said and done, things went more or less according to plan, so it's easiest to discuss my observations on an individual basis.

-The first thing that strikes me is how much the overall nominations were hogged by all the Best Picture nominees. Only four non-Best-Picture nominees (Biutiful, Alice, Harry Potter, Dragon) received multiple nominations. Beyond a smattering of single-nominated films, all the nominations went to Best Picture contenders. Each one as at least 4 nominations.

-With twelve noms to The King's Speech including Sound Mixing, I think it's safe to say it's the frontrunner.

-The most glaring surprise is the omission of Christopher Nolan in Best Director... again. Frustrating more than shocking. I might be a little more surprised if they hadn't done the exact same thing with Memento and The Dark Knight.
FAIL

-So sad that Ryan Gosling couldn't manage a nod for his astonishing work in Blue Valentine (FAIL), but so happy for Javier Bardem breaking through with his challenging and terrific performance in Biutiful (WIN). Other than that, no real surprises in the acting categories.

-More egregious than Christopher Nolan's snub in Best Director is Lee Smith's snub in Film Editing. How the editors branch failed to call Inception one of the five best edited films of the year is beyond me!
FAIL! FAIL! FAIL!

-I Am Love's nom in Costume Design came out of nowhere, but it's a smart contemporary nomination and a pleasant surprise.
WIN

-Relieved to see How to Train Your Dragon make it in for Original Score.
WIN

-No "Shine" for Best Song?
FAIL

-No Alice for Best Makeup!
WIN

-Exit Through the Gift Shop for Best Documentary!
HUGE WIN

-Dogtooth for Best Foreign Film?
???

My Award nominations: Original Score

Best Original Score:

How to Train Your Dragon (John Powell):

Powell gives an enjoyable Celtic/Gaelic mash-up to the film, making great use of bagpipes, snare drums, & recorder. Has the most memorable melodies of the year.

Inception (Hans Zimmer):

Zimmer's layered, powerful score is right on target with all the emotional cues and bombastic action sequences. A wholly original, commanding, and effective work.

The Social Network (Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross):

Reznor and Ross' dense atmospheric themes help to give the movie a unique aesthetic identity; soft spoken but agitated, with a somewhat hostile edge.

Tangled (Alan Menken):

Chalk it up to nostalgia, but Menken's score just managed to hit a soft spot with me, taking me back to the days of my childhood when he'd be producing an Oscar-winning score every two years.

TRON Legacy (Daft Punk):

Their musical stylings are a perfect fit for the cyber environments of TRON Legacy. They aptly combine synthesized beats with full-bodied orchestrations.

Just missed: The Ghost Writer, I Am Love, True Grit

My Award nominations: Sound Editing

Sound Editing:

Black Swan (Brain Emrich, Craig Henighan):
Dance steps and swirling costumes sound suspiciously like fluttering wings. Creative ambient noise cranks up the tension considerably.

How to Train Your Dragon (Al Nelson, Randy Thom, Jonathan Null):
A plethora of wonderfully imaginative and persuasive dragon sound effects stand out, although let's not forget all those awesome Viking war machines!

Inception (Richard King):
Explosions and weapon-fire are subtly altered to give a convincing but slightly surreal palette of sounds for the dream world.

Robin Hood (Harry Cohen, Ann Scibelli, Wylie Stateman, Mark Stoeckinger):
Didn't care for the movie, but it sounded great! Those zipping arrows and combative clanks are what carried the action sequences.

TRON Legacy (Steve Boeddeker, Christopher Boyes, Addison Teague, Gwen Whittle):
Those digitized crashes, hums, vrooms, and booms feel right at home in The Grid. They sound appropriately dangerous as well.

Just missed: 127 Hours, Iron Man 2, Scott Pilgrim vs the World