In a film year as terrible as 2016 it is only natural that its Oscar representatives would be just as lacking and when I heard this year's nominees the first words to come to mind were unimpressive, overpraised, undeserving, etc etc. Here's a brief rundown:

While the Academy will certainly pat itself on the back and reward the uninspired La La Land, Manchester by the Sea is really the only film of considerable substance of the nine nominated. Lion fell apart in its second act as did Moonlight in its third, Arrival and Hidden Figures are overrated liberal fantasies, Fences was a worthwhile adaptation but only really for its source material, and the nominations for the familiar Hell or High Water and Hackneyed Ridge sorry Hacksaw Ridge left me scratching my head. And with all of their phony political correctness, the Academy showed their true prejudice by failing to nominate Silence and Scorsese, their greatest living practitioner. 

As for the actors, thankfully we should see a winner for a great performance in Casey Affleck. Denzel Washington got nominated for playing himself, Ryan Gosling for being a worse singer than Russell Crowe, Andrew Garfield for failing at playing a hillbilly (he should have been up for Silence) and Viggo Mortensen was a welcomed surprise. 

Another unexpected nod was Isabelle Huppert's for her sly turn in Elle. Natalie Portman's was expected but still blah, Emma Stone, who was just as unimpressive as Gosling, Meryl Streep because they had to, and Ruth Negga may as well have been part of the wallpaper in Loving because she was put to so little use in Jeff Nichols' bland movie. I was pleased, however, that Amy Adams was overlooked for Arrival. 

In a category that is usually the most lively, the male supporting actors couldn't be more dull: Lucas Hedges in a disappointing performance in a great movie, Jeff Bridges for impersonating a Jeff Bridges caricature, Michael Shannon in a performance bordering on parody in one of the worst movies of the year. Dev Patel was strong however and Mahershala Ali was excellent in a role he was written out of far too quickly. 

On the girls' side, I think I'm rooting for Viola Davis but Michelle Williams was great too. Nicole Kidman's performance was in earnest but Octavia Spenser's was obnoxious and Naomie Harris was nothing to write home about.

For the directors, it bears mentioning Scorsese's snub again in what could have been a celebration of a great career and movie. Any sane Academy would vote for Kenneth Lonergan and Manchester but right now I would say it is too close to call between Barry Jenkins and Damian Chazelle. Denis Villeneuve and Mel Gibson (in an inexplicable reversal of fortune) were given make up nominations.

This was the year where I had to take a hard look in the mirror and face the fact that I use the Academy Award telecast to fuel my own cynicism and finally recognize the show for the sycophantic, insincere, self-serving, phony baloney stroke fest that everyone always knew it always was. I don't want to harp on Chris Rock's performance as emcee but if I wanted a prolonged guilt trip I would attend mass a couple times in a row. It would be impossible for him not to address the elephant in the room but for it to predominate the entire night without taking it anywhere interesting or constructive is a waste. As for the awards, it was cool to see Mad Max clean up in the technical categories, which wasn't all that much of a given considering competition from Star Wars and The Revenant. Everyone was thrilled Ennio Morricone won for Hateful 8. The movie was trash, the score forgettable, and at this point does he really need a competitive Oscar to validate an extraordinary career. Anyway I was really rooting for John Williams to win his 97th Oscar. Brilliant job at recycling the Imperial Death March. Mark Rylance was probably the biggest upset, winning in a disappointing supporting category. Sorry Sly. Maybe you can score one for Expendables 4. Alicia Vikander, meh. Brie Larson was the weakest of a surprisingly strong Actress lot and Leo. At last. You were so extraordinary in all those green screen scenes and you were probably really cold for like twenty minutes a day for a three month shoot. Plus thanks for the advice. I will carry the torch and fight the good fight against the "politics of greed" while you jet set with supermodels and get paid 20 million dollars to do commercials. Soldier on mate! Inarritu went to impressive places for his second straight directing award but how do you not give that one to George Miller. Finally, although its another social justice honoree for Best Picture, Spotlight was an excellent form of near defunct filmmaking and it was nice cherry on the top of a soul sucking Oscar sundae. See you next year folks.

Stutterer, one of this year's Live Action Short nominees

West Bank religious tensions. Ethnic Cleansing. Child endangerment and kidnapping. Communication barriers. Butchering a stillborn baby to save the mother's life. All part of the lighthearted frolic that is the Oscar Nominated Live Action S horts. The program seems somehow even less inspiring and more pandering this year, as if it is all to apparent to the filmmakers that not creativity but the presentation of timely, horrid shit will secure a nomination. That being said there was some good stuff on hand. Here's a brief rundown:

Ave Maria

Farcical, amusing comedy shows a Jewish family involved in a car accident in Arab town in Palestine and seeking assistance from some cloistered nuns.

*** out of ****

Shok

Overwrought but well filmed piece shows Albanian man dolefully reflecting on a childhood friendship during the Kosovo war.

*** out of ****

Everything Will Be Okay

A German father facing loss of custody picks up his daughter and heads to the toy store and the fair before having emergency passports forged and attempting to catch a flight to Manila. This was the first short that really got to me. Its well filmed, well acted, but what's the point (besides the lengths a father will go to blah blah blah)?

** out of ****

Stutterer

An intellectual logophile mute anguishes over meeting the girl he has been conversing with online. My favorite of the lot, employing wit, imagination, and earned empathy. 

**** out of ****

Day One

Ok let's see: a rookie female translator in Afghanistan is forced to deliver a thought to be stillborn from the mother's wound (the husband of whom is a just detained bombmaker) by herself in order to preserve Islam custom. Ugh. 

** out ****

Ok folks that wraps it up. After making it out of the shorts program alive, you can find me on the couch the next couple of days popping Xanax, drinking Maker's Mark, and watching the Sound of Music to recover.

This year's animated short program, always a fun little excursion despite the quality of its content, runs the gamut from baffling, unspectacular, intricate,  amiable, and finally extraordinary (along with four additional non-nominated films which are likewise a mixed bag). Here's a brief rundown of each of the nine shorts shown in the program:

Here's a list of bulleted points about today's nominations because I didn't really feel like formulating it into a cohesive post:

-Carol and Todd Haynes were snubbed for Picture/Director. The film had more care and craft than most of the films nominated.

-Ridley Scott being overlooked for The Martian is surprising. I thought for certain he would be honored for making a Roland Emmerich movie appear award worthy and for making Matt Damon and his pony tail look cool.

-Steven Spielberg's was able to buy Bridge of Spies a picture nod though he couldn't score himself one for directing.

-Scratching my head at the Adam McKay directing nomination for The Big Short in a film that lacked style and had no direction.

-The Lenny Abrahamson nod came out of nowhere and I can't quite call it deserved

-It was good to see Charlotte Rampling nominated for a film I haven't seen

-Oscar bait Joy and The Danish Girl unfortunately got their due

-For the supporters I would have put Stanley Tucci or Michael Keaton up over Mark Ruffalo and Steve Carell over Christian Bale. It was nice to see Rachel McAdams nominated, Rooney Mara should have been up with the lead ladies, and I could have done without Jennifer Jason Leigh.

OK so those just ended up being mostly gripes. Otherwise I was pretty satisfied. Check out the nominees here: http://time.com/4178963/oscar-nominations-2016/

In recent years it has become almost standard that Oscar will play it safe and this year Neil Patrick Harris proved no exception as host with his toothless, stale humor and uninspired opening musical act (only given life by a huge assist from Jack Black (the ones you want to host the show never do)) aimed at a likewise colorless generation who somehow find this smarmy twerp to be one of the industry's grandest entertainers. Otherwise, the rest of the production offered very few laughs (I did appreciate NPH's Birdman spoof) and unfortunately consisted mostly of musical performances, with the crowd's reaction to John Legend and Common's Selma number being a nauseating low point of the evening, and the odd and overlong Lady Gaga Sound of Music rendering only redeemed by the appearance of Julie Andrews. As per the awards, there were few surprises, excepting a few major ones which unfortunately favored the overlauded and self-important Birdman. J.K. Simmons, in a deserving win for Best Supporting Actor, had the speech of the night: succinct, funny, and tender though not cloying. Patricia Arquette, another meritorious supporting winner, offered the worst speech who for some reason chose the occasion to use the Oscar podium as a platform for equal wages for women, as she dispassionately read her lecture from notecards. Julianne Moore won an overdue Oscar for an unworthy role and Eddie Redmayne, the least deserving contestant in his field, took home the trophy because he was the only nominee who played a physically handicapped person. I had issues with every Oscar Birdman, the big winner of the night, took home starting with the Cinematography trophy for back to back recipient Emmanuel Lubezki. The simulated continual tracking shot seems more like an editing feat (a category in which it wasn't even nominated) and the rest of the bland photography pales in comparison to like nominated films such as Mr. Turner, Ida, and The Grand Budapest Hotel. Lastly, the greatest disappointment of the evening had to be the favorite Boyhood losing steam as it reached the finish line. Though the Academy voted differently, down the line I believe Richard Linklater's 12 year labor of love will be looked back upon as the finest achievement of 2014.

This morning's announcement of the Academy Awards nominations left me as contented as I have ever felt upon hearing of the nominees, perhaps because 2014's gaping dearth of cinematic quality made snubbed films few and far between while also allowing more than a few stinkers to snag some coveted spots. The Grand Budapest Hotel and Birdman led the way with nine nods apiece, and while it is good to see Wes Anderson get the unexpected recognition he deserves, I still am failing to grasp the fascination behind Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's mediocre movie. Boyhood still appears to be the favorite, American Sniper fared better than predicted, and the Academy again showed Christopher Nolan out of its favor by snubbing Interstellar in the major categories in addition to the heavy handed Selma, which only scored a Best Picture nod. Nightcrawler did not make the last second stride many thought it would, although it did snag an Original Screenplay nomination. In outlying categories, the biggest shock of the day may have came when The Lego Movie was shut out in the Animated category, I was bummed to see Steve James' Roger Ebert documentary Life Itself go by the wayside, and it was nice to see Ida procure nominations in the Foreign Language and Cinematography fields. Here are some thoughts on the major awards categories:

Best Picture

Since they've expanded the Best Picture category a few years back, this year is the fewest nominees we have seen with eight, perhaps another reflection of the sad state of the movie industry. Again Boyhood appears the favorite, and rightly so, and to my mind sees its only competition from Birdman. It was good to see nods for The Grand Budapest Hotel and Whiplash and I can't understand why excellent films like Nightcrawler, Inherent Vice, and Fury didn't make a bigger splash. I also found it odd that Bennett Miller drew a Best Directing nomination without Foxcatcher cracking this category.

Should Win: Boyhood

Will Win: Boyhood

Best Director

I don't see how Richard Linklater loses here. His magnum opus has been roundly heralded on the awards circuit and I don't expect that to change. Bennett Miller and Wes Anderson (his first) also received very deserving nods.

Should Win: Richard Linklater, Boyhood

Will Win: Richard Linklater, Boyhood

Best Actor

Michael Keaton was the sole redeeming quality of Birdman and for putting himself and his career on the line, he should be the recipient of this year's Best Actor trophy. He could see some major competition from Eddie Redmayne who did a fine job in mimicking Stephen Hawking physically but did not really create a character in The Theory of Everything. Bradley Cooper is a surprise in his third straight year on the podium (I haven't seen American Sniper yet), Benedict Cumberbatch finally gets a well deserved nod, and I appreciated Steve Carell in Foxcatcher although it was really a leading role. Finally, why didn't Ralph Fiennes, Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, and Jake Gyllenhaal receive more of a push?

Should Win: Michael Keaton, Birdman

Will Win: Michael Keaton, Birdman

Best Actress

2014 was once more a slack year for actresses. Granted I haven't seen two of the nominated performances yet (Marion Cotillard in Two Days, One Night and Julianne Moore in Still Alice), but very little in what I saw otherwise was praiseworthy. Of the remaining nominees Rosamund Pike and Reese Witherspoon ranged from irritating to unspectacular and Felicity Jones was just plain forgettable. I only wish the Academy would have found room for Hillary Swank for a superb work in The Homesman.

Should Win: Marion Cotillard, Two Days, One Night (I suppose)

Will Win: Julianne Moore, Still Alice

Best Supporting Actor

Always the most interesting category and this year is no exception. J.K. Simmons is the favorite for powerfully honing his talents as a tyrannical jazz instructor but if pressed I would be hard torn between Ethan Hawke's imperfect though well meaning father in Boyhood and Mark Ruffalo's self-assured, tragic Olympian in Foxcatcher. I haven't seen Robert Duvall's work in The Judge and I don't understand what people found so special about Ed Norton in Birdman. As for snubs, I just want to add that the Academy (and everyone handing out awards this season) really missed the boat when it came to nominating Shia LaBeouf for his work in Fury.

Should Win: Ethan Hawke, Boyhood

Will Win: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

Best Supporting Actress

Patricia Arquette and Keira Knightley were impressive in unassuming roles. Laura Dern and Emma Stone pushed the envelope of irritation in extremely grating performances and if anyone other than her majesty Meryl Streep would have played her role in Into the Woods, you could guarantee it would have not been up for an award, no matter how strong the showing. Lastly, I would have liked to see some recognition for Rene Russo in Nightcrawler.

Should Win: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood

Will Win: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood

Well, James Franco and Anne Hathaway can breathe a huge sigh of relief. Their thought to be insurmountable Oscar worst stint as co-hosts has been topped this year by Ellen Degeneres, a returning emcee following a seven year hiatus who set a new standard for bland, easy, and unfunny humor in her hosting duties. Cap that off with an entirely predictable award show bestowed by a humorless, MTV geared smattering of presenters, it all and all wound up being the perfect way to top off a horrendous year in movies. Almost every deserving nominee went home empty-handed while each contender expected to win did. This is the first year in memory where no surprises were to be had in major categories and, to make matters worst, none of the winners had anything intelligent or memorable to say. Exactly whose idea was it to forgo any attempt at humor whatsoever during the telecast and whose bright idea was it to bring back performances of all four Best Song nominees (although it was a blessing that they weren't mic'd up properly)? In wracking my brain to find agreeable qualities to attribute to tonight's show, it's sad that all I can come up with is that its producers did their damnedest to keep things brief.

Well Chuck Berry said it best when he intoned "it goes to show you never can tell" and that is especially true about this morning's Oscar nominations. In a year that was as lacking as any I could remember since I began regularly attending the movies, I was generally pleased with the Academy's choices. Of course I have some bones to pick, the overachieving American Hustle outdid itself again scoring nods in every major category, and Dallas Buyers Club, much like it's indomitable protagonist, brought itself back from the dead (one of the biggest jokes of the day is it's procurance of a screenwriting nod for a movie that resembled little more than an Illness of the Week flick). There were omissions for Tom Hanks, who was strong in two pictures, and in what I perceive as the biggest robbery of the day, Inside Llewyn Davis was virtually unrecognized with only Bruno Delbonnel getting an expected cinematography nod in addition to another minor one. I was very happy with the many accolades for Nebraska and The Wolf of Wall Street, two excellent pictures that looked like they might be overlooked and it was nice to see The Butler being completely shut out. So, click here for a complete list of nominees, and without further adieu, here is a brief breakdown of the major categories:

Best Picture

Nine pictures, no major surprises or complaints. I couldn't stand American Hustle or Her, but they were acclaimed, popular movies made by trendy people and you can't really argue when critics and audiences have their minds made up before seeing the movie. Dallas Buyers Club is the only unexpected disappointment: it's a movie that doesn't fulfill its promise and winds up being run of the mill, the one thing you thought it wouldn't be. I loved how Philomena received a nomination but I'm curious as to whether its anti-Catholic material was used to sell it to voters. I also liked how Captain Phillips wasn't forgotten (an October release, eons ago for the short term memories of the Academy). The race seems to be between 12 Years a Slave, Gravity, and American Hustle (unfortunately I'd give the edge to David O. Russell's unfairly praised picture) but Nebraska and The Wolf of Wall Street are the best of the lot, both funny and relevant to our times.

Should Win: Nebraska

Will Win: American Hustle

Best Director

The strongest of the categories, only David O. Russell doesn't belong, even though his chances of winning are strong. I won't complain if any of the others do take home the trophy but I think Scorsese had the greatest achievement and most memorable, impressive set pieces (yes, even over Alfonso Cuaraon's mesmeric long takes in space). However, even if Marty doesn't win and hears Russell's name being called, he should go up and accept anyway since his technique was completely ripped off for American Hustle.

Should Win: Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street

Will Win: Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity

Best Actor

So Christian Bale dons a pot belly and a combover while affecting his worst Fonzie impersonation and squeezes out one of at least five great(er) performances (Idris Elba, Tom Hanks, Robert Redford, Michael B. Jordan, Oscar Isaac) when the Academy bafflingly gives him a nod in an incredibly packed race. That being said I loved the praise for Leo and Bruce Dern, who both did career work and appeared to be on the outside looking in. Someone in Hollywood finally wised up and gave Chiwetel Ejiofor the lead role he deserved and he responded with a remarkable performance and Matthew McConaughey deserves the attention, if not for his great turn, then for his recent acting blitz.

Should Win: Bruce Dern, Nebraska (I always root for the old guys and he was great)

Will Win: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave

Best Actress

This category is weak sauce and they could have done so much better. I love how Meryl Streep bemoans award season but always winds up at the big dance, often for unworthy movies. I secretly suspect that she works these nominations (her 18th) into her contract (full disclosure: I have yet to see August, Osage County). Amy Adams and Cate Blanchett don't belong here and I couldn't figure out exactly what either was doing in their respective roles. I loved Sandra Bullock and Judi Dench, I just wish they could have been joined by Adele Exarchopoulous (Blue is the Warmest Color) and Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Enough Said).

Should Win: Judi Dench, Philomena

Will Win: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine

Best Supporting Actor

In all the years I can recall this is the first time I'd refer to this category as fairly lackluster. I wasn't as taken with Michael Fassbender as most. He was good but I prefer to think of this as a makeup nomination for when he was unfairly overlooked for his unprecedented year in 2011. Jonah Hill was deserving and non-actor Barkhad Abdi's nomination for Captain Phillips may be my favorite of the year. On the other end of the spectrum is Bradley Cooper. The guy is on fire right now but if you have to nominate him can't you put him up for something like The Place Beyond the Pines where his work was the only stellar part in an otherwise unworthy picture. Geez, I'd imagine even his work in The Hangover III was more restrained than in American Hustle. This is Jared Leto's year but I wonder if it was really that much of a stretch for him to play a woman. This was also a missed opportunity to tribute James Gandolfini for his fine work in Enough Said.

Should Win: Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips

Will Win: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

If you submit a ballot picking the Oscar winners and have more correct picks than me, then you win a DVD of your choosing valued at $15.00 or less. Only one winner and no cost to enter. Submit you picks before 7:00PM EST on February 24, 2013. This year, however, I have decided not to handicap myself by going first. I will release my picks sometime between the deadline and the start of the show at 8pm. Due to being limited by trial accounts on various survey sites, this year's survey only consists of the major races plus a tiebreaker. If a tie remains with the tie breaker in place, I'll flip a coin.

Enter to win at the following link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Z8958T6

This year the Oscar nominated shorts left town almost as quickly as they came in, and I was only able to catch the animated program which is available entirely online from various outlets. Frankly, I don't feel I'm missing much with the two programs I've forgone, being the Live Action and Documentary, in that they tend to be serious and self-important, and I've read that this year was no different. With this year's animated entries though, they did prove to be a pleasant surprise and there was no creative dearth as had been the case over the last several years. The nominees span several animated formats and storytelling techniques, but all share one thing in common: a complete lack of dialogue. My favorites were "Adam and Dog", which tells the story of the first man's pet in the Garden of Eden and "Fresh Guacomole", which provides a variant recipe for the dish in and told in under two minutes. Also well done were "Paperman", about a young man attempting to make contact with a girl who caught his eye, "Head over Heels" which tells of an older couple living at opposite ends of their floating, constantly rotating house, and "The Longest Daycare", a Simpsons short where baby Maggie experiences an inexorable day at the Ayn Rand school for gifted babies. Here are four of this year's five nominees.

The Oscars were announced this morning with a few surprises, all major, and almost none of them good which left me with the larger question of why I even bothered to get out of bed. You can find the entire list of nominees at this link: http://www.imdb.com/oscars/nominations/. Here is my take on the nominations:

Best Picture

There wasn't really a problem of omission this year (although I thought that "Moonrise Kingdom" would get the recognition it deserves) but due to the added slots, which have been present for a few years now, we again see several undeserving nominees, this year's being "Les Miserables", which has minions of fans who aren't even considering its film quality, and "Beasts of the Southern Wild.", a gorgeous yet seriously misguided and pretentious art house film. Without having seen it, I was still pleased that "Amour" was nominated and the rest ("Argo", "Django Unchained", "Life of Pi", "Lincoln", "Silver Linings Playbook", and "Zero Dark Thirty") were expected and worthy of their distinction. I would say this is a hard category to handicap, especially due to the surprises in the directing category. "Lincoln" is the best film of the lot but I could see the Academy voting for "Pi", which was also excellent.

Will Win: "Life of Pi"

Should Win: "Lincoln"

Best Director

Although I didn't find "Argo" to be quite the masterwork that many had deemed, and was somewhat pleased to see the wind knocked out of its sails when Ben Affleck was passed over, this directing category is  a veritable mess. No one is making movies on the same level as Quentin Tarantino yet he is missing as is Wes Anderson and Kathryn Bigelow. I guess the Academy felt they had done their social duty after her historical win the last time around. Instead we have the biggest shocker of the day in Benh Zeitlin scoring an undeserved nod for "Beasts", which again was beautiful but bullshit. David O. Russell also joins the party, whose "Playbooks" was great but not nearly as ambitious as some of the ones who are sitting out. It was nice to see Michael Haneke join the ranks for "Amour", which I see as a tribute to someone who has consistently made challenging and excellent films throughout a lengthy career. I still think this boils down to a race between "Lincoln" and "Pi" and again find it almost impossible to pick a winner.

Will Win: Steven Spielberg, "Lincoln"

Should Win: Ang Lee, "Life of Pi"

Best Actor

This is Daniel Day-Lewis' category. I don't even think there's a discussion about that and rightfully so. That being said, we're seeing nominations for Denzel Washington, Joaquin Phoenix, and Bradley Cooper, all turning in what I deem as their career best work and then we have Hugh Jackman. Don't even get me started before I go into a Dr. Cox-like rant and pop a blood vessel. John Hawkes was robbed.

Will Win: Daniel Day-Lewis, "Lincoln"

Should Win: Daniel Day-Lewis, "Lincoln"

Best Actress

The women did not show up this year. There I said it. Meryl Streep takes a year off from serious filmmaking and the category feels like a vast wasteland. I was not impressed by anyone in this category. I found Jennifer Lawrence insufferable, and the only sore spot of "Silver Linings", Naomi Watts was grating in "The Impossible" and Jessica Chastain, the frontrunner, even struggled during parts of "Zero Dark Thirty" (to be fair she had many excellent moments). Again, I haven't seen "Amour" and I expect Emmanuelle Riva  to be great, but at 85, her nomination makes her the oldest in Academy history and allows them to nominate the youngest ever in 9 year old Quvenzhane Wallis for "Beasts." I have never liked the inclusion of child actors at the Oscars. Wallis had spunk but I would like to see this spot go to someone who actually practices the craft. 

Will Win: Jessica Chastain, "Zero Dark Thirty"

Should Win: Jessica Chastain, "Zero Dark Thirty"

Best Supporting Actor

Still the most interesting and stalwart of all the categories. Five previous winners vie for the award. I believe that's never happened before. They did the right thing and nominated Christoph Waltz over Leo for "Django." Robert De Niro reasserted himself in an incredible performance and Tommy Lee Jones was as great as always. I didn't really care for Philip Seymour Hoffman's performance in "The Master" which was just his typical brand of yelling and I would have nominated someone else over Alan Arkin, either William H. Macy for "The Sessions" or Bruce Willis for "Moonrise Kingdom" or "Looper", but that wasn't going to happen.

Will Win: Tommy Lee Jones, "Lincoln"

Should Win: (push) Tommy Lee Jones, Robert De Niro, Christoph Waltz

Best Supporting Actress

The least deserving will win the Oscar. Anne Hathaway was over-the-top in "Les Miz" but the other four women who will be smiling politely when she accepts her award were all very good. Amy Adams seemed like she was on the sidelines when her "Master" costars were reaping acclaim for their performances earlier in the year. It's nice to see her recognized. Sally Field delivered an unexpectedly volatile performance as  the headstrong and unstable Mary Lincoln, Helen Hunt was brave as a sex surrogate in "The Sessions", and Jacki Weaver was so good serving as the glue for a house full of loonies. 

Will Win: Anne Hathaway, "Les Miserables"

Should Win: Sally Field, "Lincoln"

Stay tuned for my Oscar contest to be posted shortly...

Tonight's Oscar telecast represented a return to form for the esteemed award show after last year's Hathaway/Franco debacle with Billy Crystal proving why he's a top emcee in a highly entertaining turn as host. In addition to Crystal's humorous opening skit and song-and-dance, the show also took some surprising chances which paid off nicely including a funny sketch by Christopher Guest and his gang and a breathtaking showcase by Cirque du Soleil. For a show which offered virtually no great surprises, the entire fare moved swiftly and was largely beguiling. Here are some notations of a few of my thoughts on the affair followed by my annual contest results which I unfortunately did not win again:

This year's Oscar contest was won by a Mr. Michael Johnson, with yours truly finishing a little ahead of midstream with 50% of the vote. Here are the results, out of 24 categories:

Another Oscar nomination morning has come and gone and once again had its share of pleasant surprises and outrageous snubs. Here's a rundown of the major categories, who should have made it, who shouldn't have, and who's going to take home the big prize in a month.

Best Picture

Due to undeserving films snagging nominations when the Academy expanded their top prize to ten nominees, this year the nominees must have received 5% of first place votes, leaving us with nine contenders for Best Picture. Aside from a nomination for the largely panned "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close", there were no great surprises and it was nice to see "The Tree of Life" and "Midnight in Paris" get the recognition they deserved. While "Hugo" more brilliantly captured the early movie making era, people were enamored with "The Artist" and it should win this year's top prize, although "The Help" and "The Descendants" have outside chances as well.

Will Win: "The Artist"

Should Win: "Hugo"

Best Director

The Academy did a wonderful job with the directing category nominating outsiders Terence Malick and Woody Allen alongside Martin Scorsese and Alexander Payne, all of whom did an excellent job with their films. Unfortunately, the least deserving nominee will walk away with the director's statue.

Will Win: Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"

Should Win: Martin Scorsese, "Hugo"

Best Actor

In the best actor category, the Academy made two of the most outrageous snubs while also granting a long overdue nomination to a long passed over performer. Gary Oldman's nod for "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" puts an end to an absurd streak of being overlooked. Michael Fassbender's snub however for his brutal portrayal of a sex addict in "Shame", the best performance of the year in my mind, is evidence of The Academy's prudish image conscious nature and the same reason that cost Oldman nods for several of his past searing performances. It is also criminal that Michael Shannon was not recognized for "Take Shelter" and I'm not sure why Demian Bichir was nominated for "A Better Life", a film that I and many others have not seen. A solution to this problem would be to instead nominate Brad Pitt in the supporting category for his excellent work in "The Tree of Life" instead of putting him in for "Moneyball", although he was good in that as well. Anyways, I think George Clooney's career best performance in "The Descendants" will edge out Jean Dujardin in "The Artist".

Will Win: George Clooney, "The Descendants"

Should Win: Michael Fassbender, "Shame"

Of Those Who Can Win: George Clooney: "The Descendants"

Best Actress

More surprises here with Rooney Mara getting a deserving but unexpected nod for "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". I haven't seen it yet, but with its egregious and aggressive ad campaign, I'm a little disappointed with Glen Close's nomination for Albert Nobbs, when such great performances from the likes of Juliette Binoche ("Certified Copy"), Kirsten Dunst ("Melancholia"), Vera Farmiga ("Higher Ground"), Elizabeth Olsen ("Martha Marcy Mae Marlene"), Charlize Theron ("Young Adult"), and Mia Wasikowska ("Jane Eyre" and "Restless") were left in the wind. I have no idea where the chips will fall here. There's strong support for Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, and Michelle Williams and although Davis was the only one of the trio not to win a Golden Globe I think the Academy will honor her.

Will Win: Viola Davis, "The Help"

Should Win: Rooney Mara, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"

Best Supporting Actor

Following the Fassbender snub, the second greatest outrage comes with Albert Brooks being refused a nomination for "Drive" in a ferocious turn as a ruthless L.A. businessman in one of the year's best performance. Jonah Hill was affable in "Moneyball" but nowhere near Brooks' league as far as acting is concerned. I also would have liked to see a nod for Armie Hammer for his fine work in J. Edgar. That being said, I was ecstatic when I heard Kenneth Branagh and Nick Nolte's names being read as well as 82-year-old stalwarts Christopher Plummer and Max von Sydow, all of whom contributed excellently.

Will Win: Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"

Should Win: Albert Brooks, "Drive"

Of Those Who Can Win: Nick Nolte, "Warrior"

Best Supporting Actress

I'm not sure where I stand on the Melissa McCarthy nomination. I hate to harp on the Fassbender thing, but how can the Academy honor a performance that celebrates defecation and vomiting among other things but ignore another due to its adult sexual subject matter, which I believe they did? Back to the point, McCarthy did contribute fine work, but the fact that she stole the slot from Shailene Woodley and her excellent work in "The Descendants" doesn't quite sit right either. Also, Jodie Foster and Kate Winslet were equally great in "Carnage", as was Carey Mulligan in "Shame", all of whom should have received recognition, especially in such a weak field of nominees. Again I haven't seen "Albert Nobbs" and can't judge Janet McTeer's performance. I didn't think Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer were any great shakes in "The Help", although I'm glad Chastain got recognized for her remarkable year. Berenice Bejo was pretty charming in "The Artist" and I think she'll squeeze past Spencer and take home the Oscar.

Will Win: Berenice Bejo, "The Artist"

Should Win: Shailene Woodley, "The Descendants"

Of Those Who Can: Berenice Bejo, "The Artist"