81st Annual Academy Awards

[Dark Donnie]

The 81st Academy Awards nominations were announced today at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater, and boy is this year going to be exciting!

Hugh Jackman will be hosting the show, which will honor outstanding film achievements from 2008.

The Academy is keeping its presenters a secret until the day of the show, which will take place on Sunday, February 22 on ABC.

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Richard Jenkins--The Visitor
Frank Langella--Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn--Milk
Brad Pitt--The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke--The Wrestler

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Josh Brolin--Milk
Robert Downey Jr.--Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman--Doubt
Heath Ledger--The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon--Revolutionary Road

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Anne Hathaway--Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie--Changeling
Melissa Leo--Frozen River
Meryl Streep--Doubt
Kate Winslet--Revolutionary Road

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Amy Adams--Doubt Penelope Cruz--Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis--Doubt
Taraji P. Henson--The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei--The Wrestler

BEST DIRECTOR
David Fincher--The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard--Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant--Milk
Stephen Daldry--The Reader
Danny Boyle--Slumdog Millionaire

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Frozen
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Milk
Wall-E

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Eric Roth--The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
John Patrick Shanley--Doubt
Peter Morgan--Frost/Nixon
David Hare--The Reader
Simon Beaufoy--Slumdog Millionaire

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
Wall-E

BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Achievement in art direction

“Changeling” (Universal), Art Direction: James J. Murakami, Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt, Set Decoration: Victor J. Zolfo
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Nathan Crowley, Set Decoration: Peter Lando
“The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Art Direction: Michael Carlin, Set Decoration: Rebecca Alleway
“Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Art Direction: Kristi Zea, Set Decoration: Debra Schutt

Achievement in cinematography

“Changeling” (Universal), Tom Stern
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Claudio Miranda
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Wally Pfister
“The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Chris Menges and Roger Deakins
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Anthony Dod Mantle


Achievement in film editing

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lee Smith
“Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Mike Hill and Dan Hanley
“Milk” (Focus Features), Elliot Graham
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Chris Dickens

Achievement in makeup

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Greg Cannom
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), John Caglione, Jr. and Conor O’Sullivan
“Hellboy II: The Golden Army” (Universal), Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz



Achievement in sound editing

“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Richard King
“Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Tom Sayers
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood
“Wanted” (Universal),Wylie Stateman

Achievement in sound mixing

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney),Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt
“Wanted” (Universal), Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt

Achievement in visual effects

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin
“Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan

Surprised no Springsteen

[Kahoot]

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Frozen
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Milk
Wall-E

'Mon thee,
Wall-E!

[GuardianofOa]

In Bruges was a sick movie. I loved that film. I did not get to see Frost/Nixon, though I wanted to. I was dissapointed by Wall-E and I didn't see Bolt, why would I? And I am sure Kung Fu Panda was horrible.

I hope Rourke takes it for sure.

[Bad Supe's Girl]

Thanks Dark for the list

[Rocker22]

Interesting.

[Wesley Dodds]

Iron Man for Best Visual Effects! Not once did it feel like you were watching a special effect in that movie and its next to impossible to tell which one is the CGI suit and which is the one they actually built.

[Bim]

Originally Posted by Wesley Dodds

Iron Man for Best Visual Effects! Not once did it feel like you were watching a special effect in that movie and its next to impossible to tell which one is the CGI suit and which is the one they actually built.

I agree, i really hope IM gets this one

[terry78]

I liked TDK, really liked it actually, but it wasn't Best Pic material. It just wasn't. They captured everything about the comic characters to a tee, but in the grand scheme, it wasn't one of the best of the year to me. The Wrestler was. I think no one can gripe since it's already got 8 other nods.

[Evil Twin]

Originally Posted by terry78

I think no one can gripe since it's already got 8 other nods.

New to the internet?

[terry78]

Originally Posted by Evil Twin

New to the internet?

Yeah, I know everyone on here would give up those 8 other nods in place of best pic, best director.

[Hunter Rider]

Ok Ive now seen every nominated performance and movie in the 6 major categories so here are my overall thoughts.

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Richard Jenkins--The Visitor
Frank Langella--Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn--Milk
Brad Pitt--The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke--The Wrestler

For me there is only one winner here and it is Rourke, a performance of a lifetime by any actors standards and unless the Academy buckles under certain pressures it is the hellraising comeback king that will walk off with the statue this Sunday, however I think they may well buckle and Penn will be the one to nab the golden baldy.

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Anne Hathaway--Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie--Changeling
Melissa Leo--Frozen River
Meryl Streep--Doubt
Kate Winslet--Revolutionary Road

For me this is a two lady race despite the never ending love for Streep, I feel this is Hathaway vs Winslet and while Kate was superb, for me just like Rourke, Anne inhabited the skin of her character and became someone else entirely in a very raw fashion, however with big Harv in her corner and all her prior nominations weighing things in her favour I think it will be Winslet's night.

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Josh Brolin--Milk
Robert Downey Jr.--Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman--Doubt
Heath Ledger--The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon--Revolutionary Road

Not much to say other than Ledger, even the Academy can't drop the ball on this one.

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Amy Adams--Doubt Penelope Cruz--Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis--Doubt
Taraji P. Henson--The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei--The Wrestler

Crus will win this hands down, but while i found her performance cooky and fun I think Tomei was the best followed by Taraji P Henson.

BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

These five wouldn't be my five but out of what is there I think Slumdog is and will be the deserving winner, I am sure the Academy would much rather have Pitt and co standing on the stage at the end of the show with their $150M lavish epic but they aren't gonna be able to justify it.

BEST DIRECTOR
David Fincher--The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard--Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant--Milk
Stephen Daldry--The Reader
Danny Boyle--Slumdog Millionaire

This is the one I think may throw up a surprise, in the early running I felt this would be Boyles award while they snubbed Slumdog as best picture in favour of Button, however with Slumdog looking a lock it may well be Fincher that gets this award, I still doubt it and think Boyle will take it, but I wouldn't be entirely shocked if the envelope opened and Fincher's name was announced, I hope not though b/c he has done better work and hopefully will in the future.

[Bim]

Originally Posted by terry78

I liked TDK, really liked it actually, but it wasn't Best Pic material. It just wasn't. They captured everything about the comic characters to a tee, but in the grand scheme, it wasn't one of the best of the year to me. The Wrestler was. I think no one can gripe since it's already got 8 other nods.

I agree with you, but dont u dare say that in the Batman part of the forum

Fans will gripe and complain and get angry, trust me. It wont end for a while.

[Poetic Chaos]

Originally Posted by Bim

I agree with you, but dont u dare say that in the Batman part of the forum

Fans will gripe and complain and get angry, trust me. It wont end for a while.

I just went in there...

THINGS ARE WORSE THAN EVER!

[Kahoot]

The tank vs. missile bit of Iron Man was the only bit that I felt let it down on visual effects.

[Wesley Dodds]

Originally Posted by Kahoot

The tank vs. missile bit of Iron Man was the only bit that I felt let it down on visual effects.

Really? I thought that was great too. I liked the strut as he walked away... Showed rather nicely that Stark was beginning to get into this Superhero thing.

[scifiwolf]

Here is a breakdown of number of nominations for the major contenders:

Top Five:
13 - Curious Case of Benjamin Button
10 - Slumdog Millionaire
10 - WALL-E
8 - The Dark Knight
8 - Milk

The Rest:
5 - Doubt
5 - Frost/Nixon
5 - The Reader
3 - Changeling
3 - Revolutionary Road
2 - The Wrestler

I think all the other nominees just had one. If you look at the top five, those are what deserved the BP nominations, IMO.

[Rac]

Originally Posted by Wesley Dodds

Iron Man for Best Visual Effects! Not once did it feel like you were watching a special effect in that movie and its next to impossible to tell which one is the CGI suit and which is the one they actually built.

Mark 1 looked CGI as hell when he was breaking out from the cave.

[Kahoot]

Originally Posted by Rac

Mark 1 looked CGI as hell when he was breaking out from the cave.

But they made the Mark 1, it was a real thing.

[Hunter Rider]

I guess 'The Wrestler' and 'TDK' being based on "Low brow" forms of entertainment did them in, hell even the Boss got snubbed, this is a very indicative list. All i really care about now is Rourke winning, the rest have become merely a political hand grabbing exercise.

[That-Guy]

Wanted received a nomination. I just threw up a little bit in my mouth.

Glad Heath received a nom, but I wish TDK or Nolan had been recognized. But as usual, it mostly got nominations for awards that no one cares about, like sound editing and mixing (which, ironically, I felt was one of the films weaker points).

Looks like Slumdog or Frost/Nixon are poised to take Best Picture, but for the life of me, I still have no interest in seeing either of those movies. I will... eventually... but all in all, this list is a bit disappointing.

Why the hell did they only nominate three songs? Aren't there usually five noms?

[PyroChamber]

Originally Posted by That-Guy

Why the hell did they only nominate three songs? Aren't there usually five noms?

I think it's usually three noms. When Three Six Mafia won they were up against the theme from Crash and Dolly Parton's song from Transamerica.

[Dark Donnie]

Originally Posted by That-Guy

Wanted received TWO nominations. I just threw up a little bit in my mouth.

Glad Heath received a nom, but I wish TDK or Nolan had been recognized. But as usual, it mostly got nominations for awards that no one cares about, like sound editing and mixing (which, ironically, I felt was one of the films weaker points).

Looks like Slumdog or Frost/Nixon are poised to take Best Picture, but for the life of me, I still have no interest in seeing either of those movies. I will... eventually... but all in all, this list is a bit disappointing.

Why the hell did they only nominate three songs? Aren't there usually five noms?

*Fixed

[[A]]

Originally Posted by Hunter Rider

I guess 'The Wrestler' and 'TDK' being based on "Low brow" forms of entertainment did them in, hell even the Boss got snubbed, this is a very indicative list. All i really care about now is Rourke winning, the rest have become merely a political hand grabbing exercise.

He better does.

[Immortalfire]

The Academy is scared to death to honor what really was the best movie of the year, only because it was based off a comic book. It's more important to honor films with political agendas.

Screw them

[Zacky]

Originally Posted by Immortalfire

The Academy is scared to death to honor what really was the best movie of the year, only because it was based off a comic book. It's more important to honor films with political agendas.

Screw them

qft brotha.