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Forget about Christmas.  My favourite day of the year has arrived.  It’s time for the Academy Awards!  They kick off at 11am next Monday morning (Feb 28) Brisbane time.  I’ve organised the day off work and will be sitting at home with coke and popcorn.  I’ll be tweeting throughout the ceremony so you’ll be able to hear all my ramblings by following my feed – http://twitter.com/icestorm77.
 
Before I get to my form guide, a few quick things you need to know…
 
Oscars Competition!
 
Make sure you enter my 11th annual Pick The Oscars competition.
 
As I have done for the last 10 years, I have selected 6 of the more wide-open categories below (some trickier than others) and everyone is invited to pick who they think will be the winner.

In the event of a tie, the winner will be determined using the tie-breaker question below. You just have to guess the age of the person who presents the award for best picture. If two or more people present, an average age will be used.

First prize is a $100 voucher at JB Hi Fi. Hopefully you'll be able to use it wisely and buy some great DVDs. Further, I'll invite you and a friend along to the film preview of choice. Second prize is a $50 JB Hi Fi voucher. I'm also offering a "lucky door" prize this year. Another $50 voucher will be up for grabs and the winner will be selected randomly. So don't worry if you think your choices are a little crazy - you can still win!

You can only enter once so think it over and choose carefully. Best of luck!
 
Now’s the part where you can click here and put in your entry.
 
Oscars Betting!
 
I do like to have a bet on the Oscars and this year is no exception.  My cumulative profit since 1996 is $3,703.
 
I had a small win on the Golden Globes (up $30) but then took a hit at the BAFTAs when Tom Hooper lost in a surprise to David Fincher for best director (costing me $250).  For full disclosure, here are my bets…
 
$400 on Hailee Steinfeld to win the Oscar for best supporting actress at odds of $4.
$500 on The King’s Speech to win the Oscar for best picture at odds of $2.
$200 on Tom Hooper to win the Oscar for best director at odds of $3.50.
$200 on The King’s Speech to win the Oscar for best editing at odds of $5.50.
$100 on The King’s Speech to win the Oscar for best cinematography at odds of $5.
$50 on the Oscar winner for best actress to be wearing a black dress at odds of $6.
 
I’m more confident about some than others.  I think they are all good value however.  I could lose as much as $1,700 but I could win as much as $3,750.  Fingers crossed!
 
Oscars Form Guide
 
Before I get to the form guide, there’s one important decision that every Oscar tipster has to make each year – sweep or share.
 
The way the Oscars works is as follows.  When selecting the nominees, only those in the specialist fields get to vote.  For example, only the film editors in the Academy choose the nominees for best film editing.  Only the actors vote in the acting categories.  The only category which is different is best picture – where everyone votes.
 
When it comes to picking the winner (once the nominees have been chosen), all Academy members vote in every category.  I’ve always found this strange (the BAFTAs do it differently) but that’s the system that’s been passed down for decades.  What does this mean?  Well, some years you get a sweep.  If a film is popular amongst Academy members, it can often win in a lot of categories – even if it doesn’t deserve it.  They simply tick the box in every category where their favourite film is nominated.
 
I first experienced this back in 1996.  The English Patient picked up 9 Oscars.  This included surprise wins in the best supporting actress (Juliette Binoche) and sound categories.  Did The English Patient really have better sound that Independence Day, The Rock and Twister?  I wasn’t convinced.
 
Other recent films which have “swept” included Titanic (11 wins from 14 nominations in 1997), The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (11 wins from 11 nominations in 2003), Slumdog Millionaire (8 wins from 10 nominations in 2008) and The Hurt Locker (6 wins from 9 nominations in 2009).
 
In contrast, you have years where the awards are “shared” around.  Whilst the voting results are never released, I’d say these would be the years when the voting is quite close.  It could be a handful of votes (from Academy members making a more informed choice in certain categories) that could affect the outcome.
 
2004 was perhaps the best example I can think of a shared year.  Million Dollar Baby won best picture, best director, best actress (Swank) and best supporting actor (Freeman).  The Aviator didn’t win best picture but actually won more awards – it picked up art direction, cinematography, costume design, editing and supporting actress (The Aviator).  The other three nominees for best picture all picked up awards.  Finding Neverland won best score, Ray won best actor and best sound and Sideways won best adapted screenplay.
 
The King’s Speech is this year’s frontrunner, albeit a strange one.  It didn’t win a single best picture honour from any of the major critics associations.  Everyone had written it off until it won the big 3 awards (voted by peers) – the Producer’s Guild, the Director’s Guild and the Screen Actor’s Guild.  The fact it has 12 nominations (more than any other film this year) also shows its support.
 
Now the big question is – will The King’s Speech sweep?  Will it win in categories like directing, original score, film editing and cinematography?  Or will we see awards shared around amongst other films like The Social Network, Black Swan, The Fighter and Inception.
 
I’ve given this some thought and I’m going with the sweep!  As I said above, it’s won the big 3 lead up awards and dominates the nominations.  It is also doing very well at the box-office in the United States (the film has now made more money than The Social Network) and it has such a wide appeal across all age groups.  I think it’s timed its run perfectly.  I also tipped it as the film to beat in my awards season guide back in November.
 
On that note, let’s look at the specific categories…
 
Best Motion Picture of the Year
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone
 
Most have put this down to a two horse race between The King’s Speech and The Social Network.  I think True Grit is the only film which could possibly cause a huge upset (I’m not betting on it though).  Only twice since 1989 has a film won both the Producer’s Guild and Director’s Guild awards and gone on to lose best picture - Apollo 13 in 1995 and Saving Private Ryan in 1998.  Is it going to be one of those bizarre years?  I don’t think so.  With 12 nominations under its belt, The King’s Speech has this prize in the bag.  Matt’s Pick: The King’s Speech.
 
Best Achievement in Directing

Black Swan - Darren Aronofsky
The Fighter - David O. Russell
The King's Speech - Tom Hooper
The Social Network - David Fincher
True Grit - Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
 
This is the most anticipated award of the night for me.  David Fincher (The Social Network) has been making great films for years (Seven, Fight Club, The Game, Zodiac) and Academy members tend to take that into consideration.  They like to honour those who have paid their dues.  Fincher has cleaned up the critic’s awards too.  The race went pear shaped when Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) won the Director’s Guild Award.  This is huge because since 1948, more than 90% of the Guild Award winners have gone on to claim the best director Oscar.  It’s a remarkable correlation!  The last time it didn’t happen was in 2002 when Rob Marshall (Chicago) won the Guild and Roman Polanski (The Pianist) won the Oscar.  Many have been critical of Hooper’s Guild win – saying that The King’s Speech is an actors film rather than a directors film.  I think that’s a nonsense argument.  The reality is that Hooper has made a film which has deeply moved many people.  Ok, it doesn’t have flashy special effects and editing but the film didn’t require that.  Matt’s Pick: The King's Speech - Tom Hooper.
 
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Javier Bardem in Biutiful
Jeff Bridges in True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network
Colin Firth in The King's Speech
James Franco in 127 Hours
 
If Colin Firth loses this, I’ll walk to Perth.  He’s won everything in the lead up and Sportsbet are currently offering odds of $1.02.  I think it’s good value.  Matt’s Pick: Colin Firth in The King's Speech.
 
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Annette Bening in The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence in Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman in Black Swan
Michelle Williams in Blue Valentine
 
This race is Natalie Portman’s to lose… and it can be lost.  Portman is ridiculously short ($1.03 odds) but Bening looms as a danger.  Many think Bening is overdue having narrowly missed taking the award in 1999 and 2004 (for American Beauty and Being Julia).  My own personal preference is Nicole Kidman but I’m going with the consensus and will predict Portman.  I do hope she wears a black dress in honour of her film.  Matt’s Pick: Natalie Portman in Black Swan.
 
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale in The Fighter
John Hawkes in Winter's Bone
Jeremy Renner in The Town
Mark Ruffalo in The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush in The King's Speech
 
Here’s another category with a potential upset on the cards.  Bale has been in front from the start of the race but the sudden love for The King’s Speech sees Geoffrey Rush move into contention.  I do think that Speech will sweep but it will fall just short in this category.  Bale has an impressive resume and I think he’s more likely to be chosen than Rush (who already has an Oscar on his mantelpiece).  Matt’s Pick: Christian Bale in The Fighter.
 
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams in The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter in The King's Speech
Melissa Leo in The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit
Jacki Weaver in Animal Kingdom
 
Aside from best director, this is the other big category that has my attention.  It’s a lottery as far as I’m concerned.  The only actor I’d rule out would be Jackie Weaver.  As great as she was, I think she has no chance.  She’s the only nominee from Animal Kingdom and she’s up against 4 actresses who all feature in best picture nominees.  That said, this is the category which throws up big upsets.  Marcia Gay Harden surprised us all ten years ago when she won for Pollock (without a Golden Globe or Screen Actor’s Guild nomination).  Melissa Leo is the favourite but a vulnerable one.  As she’s the best thing in True Grit (which itself earned 10 nominations), I think 14 year old Hailee Steinfeld will take this out.  Matt’s Pick: Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit.
 
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3 Unkrich
True Grit
Winter's Bone
 
The best quality of The Social Network was its screenplay and it’s a short priced favourite here.  This award will be a big test of its support.  I think it deserves the win but it’s up against 4 other best picture nominees that will all have their supporters.  Will the older Academy members vote for a film about a social networking site?  Do they even know what the internet is?  Or will they fall back on a traditional western like True Grit?  Matt’s Pick: The Social Network.
 
Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Another Year
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech
 
Another quality list but I’d be very surprised if The King’s Speech didn’t win here.  Matt’s Pick: The King's Speech.
 
Best Achievement in Editing
Black Swan
The Fighter
The King's Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network
 
This category is more significant than you might think.  The winner here often goes on to win best picture.  It’s happened 6 times in the last 8 years.  Perhaps the reason is that it’s very difficult for the broader Academy to single out the uniqueness of a film’s editing.  They can see special effects and they can hear music but it’s very hard to pick up the subtleties of editing.  I’ve a strong hunch they just pick their favourite film in this category which is why I think The King’s Speech will take it.  I’ve got a bet on it too.  Most pundits are tipping The Social Network as it’s they consider it the best in this category and it also won the Eddie Award (voted upon by editors).  If weren’t going with the sweep, I’d tip The Social Network but could make a case for any of the films winning.  Matt’s Pick: The King's Speech.
 
Best Achievement in Cinematography
Black Swan
Inception
The King's Speech
The Social Network
True Grit
 
This category is a beauty.  Again, I’m going with The King’s Speech on the back of a sweep (I must sound like a broken record by now).  However, many have been raving about the cinematography in Black Swan.  You can’t forget True Grit either – Roger Deakins has been nominated 8 times previously and is yet to win.  Matt’s Pick: The King's Speech.
 
Best Achievement in Art Direction
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Inception
The King's Speech
True Grit

This is a tricky one too.  I’d rule out Alice In Wonderland and Harry Potter on the basis they weren’t highly regarded as films in their own right.  True Grit didn’t stand out for me in this category so I see it as a race between the flashy Inception and the subtle King’s Speech.  Period pieces do tend to earn more votes and whilst I loved Inception, I’ve got to trust my instinct.  Matt’s Pick: Inception.
 
Best Achievement in Costume Design
Alice in Wonderland
I Am Love
The King's Speech
The Tempest
True Grit
 
It’s nice to see I Am Love get a nomination (one of my top 10 films for 2010) but it won’t win here.  Alice In Wonderland is being talked up as a big challenger but my vote is with Speech.  As with art direction, period pieces tend to carry more weight in this category.  Matt’s Pick: The King's Speech.
 
Best Achievement in Makeup
Barney's Version
The Way Back
The Wolfman
 
This is a cool list of nominees.  For all three films, it’s their only nomination on the night.  Who will win?  It’s impossible to say.  If there was a big film amongst the nominees, it would be a lot easier to choose.  Whilst it was hated by many critics, I think The Wolfman is the best chance on the basis it was the more widely seen (looking at the box-office) of the nominees.  Matt’s Pick: The Wolfman.
 
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
How to Train Your Dragon
Inception
The King's Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network
 
As a lover of soundtrack, this is one of my favourite categories at the Oscars.  I’ve always been a Hans Zimmer fan and I think his music in Inception is part of the reason why I loved it so much.  I don’t think it’ll help him this year though.  I’ll tip The King’s Speech to edge out The Social Network in this duel.  Matt’s Pick: The King's Speech.
 
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
Coming Home from Country Strong
I See the Light from Tangled
If I Rise from 127 Hours
We Belong Together from Toy Story 3
 
Animated films have a strong record in this category so it’s probably a race between Tangled and Toy Story 3.  I’ll lean with the best picture nominee – Toy Story 3.  Matt’s Pick: We Belong Together from Toy Story 3.
 
Best Achievement in Sound Mixing
Inception
The King's Speech
Salt
The Social Network
True Grit
 
I’m going to break with my sweep here and tip Inception in the two sound categories.  Loud, action type films have a track record in these categories which makes it a perfect choice.  The fact it’s the only nominee in both categories also says a lot.  Matt’s Pick: Inception.
 
Best Achievement in Sound Editing
Inception
Toy Story 3
Tron: Legacy
True Grit
Unstoppable
 
See previous comments.  Matt’s Pick: Inception.
 
Best Achievement in Visual Effects
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Hereafter
Inception
Iron Man 2
 
This category appears as easy as best actor.  You’d be a brave person to bet against the incredible visuals in Inception.  Matt’s Pick: Inception.
 
Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3
 
Another easy category.  Toy Story 3 is a best picture nominee and seems to be loved by everyone.  Can’t lose.  Matt’s Pick: Toy Story 3.
 
Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Biutiful - Mexico
Dogtooth - Greece
In a Better World - Denmark
Incendies - Canada
Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi) - Algeria
 
If there’s a category which offers regular surprises, this is it.  You can’t vote unless you’ve been to special screenings of all five nominees and so this greatly decreases the number of votes in the pool.  A film may have a lot of raves but that counts for little in this category.  Last year’s upset win by The Secret In Their Eyes (over the more fancied The White Ribbon and A Prophet) is proof of that. Tough to pick but I’ll go win the Golden Globe winner and select Denmark’s entry.  Matt’s Pick: In a Better World – Denmark.
 
Best Documentary, Features
Exit through the Gift Shop
Gasland
Inside Job
Restrepo
Waste Land
 
This is another intriguing category which is only voted upon by a smaller pool of Academy members (who have seen them all).  You’re guess is as good as mine but I really enjoyed Inside Job so will vote with my heart this time.  Matt’s Pick: Inside Job.
 
Best Documentary, Short Subjects
Killing in the Name
Poster Girl
Strangers No More
Sun Come Up
The Warriors of Qiugang
 
I really am guessing this time.  All of these films cover political/social issues so I’ll take stab.  Matt’s Pick: Strangers No More.
 
Best Short Film, Animated
Day & Night
The Gruffalo
Let's Pollute
The Lost Thing
Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary)
 
No idea.  Matt’s Pick: The Gruffalo.
 
Best Short Film, Live Action
The Confession
The Crush
God of Love
Na Wewe
Wish 143
 
I’ll be heating up my popcorn at this point in the show but I need something to record as my pick.  Matt’s Pick: Wish 143.
 
Don’t forget to enter my Oscars competition and I look forward to talking about all the winners in next week’s blog!

    

A quick plug to the Windows On Europe Film Festival which kicks off at the Dendy Portside this Saturday (Feb 19) and runs for a week.  There are films from 14 countries and they cover a wide variety of genres.  You can find out more by clicking here.  Tickets are just $12.50 and I might see you at a film or two.

 

We’re now two weeks out from the Academy Awards and in next week’s blog, I’ll be launching my annual Oscars competition.  In the meantime, I thought I might test you out with some Oscars trivia.  There are 10 questions – some easy, some a little more difficult.  Enjoy!

 

1.  Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech) has been nominated for an Academy Award this year.  Only two people in history have won an Oscar for best leading actor and then later gone on to win the Oscar for best supporting actor.  Jack Nicholson was one of them.  Who was the other?

(a)  Kevin Spacey

(b)  Gene Hackman

(c)  Denzel Washington

(d)  Jack Lemmon

 

2.  She’s amazing in the film but it’s hard to believe Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) is just 14 years of age.  She’s been nominated for best supporting actress at this year’s Oscars but she won’t be setting any records if she wins.  Two actresses have taken home the statuette in this category despite being even younger!  Anna Paquin (The Piano) was just 11 when she won in 1993.  Who was the other?

(a)  Tatum O’Neal

(b)  Mary Badham

(c)  Shirley Temple

(d)  Jodie Foster

 

3.  1994 is considered by many as one of cinema’s great years.  So many fantastic movies were made.  All of these films were nominated for at least 7 Academy Awards but which one lost in every category?

(a)  Forrest Gump

(b)  Pulp Fiction

(c)  Bullets Over Broadway

(d)  The Shawshank Redemption

 

4.  It doesn’t happen very often (given there are so many voting members) but there have been a handful of ties in Academy Awards history.  The last was back in 1994.  In which of the following categories has a tie never occurred?

(a)  Best documentary feature

(b)  Best documentary short subject

(c)  Best actress

(d)  Best cinematography

 

5.  It’s a landmark year for Australians at the Oscars.  For only the second time in history, we have three Aussies up for acting awards – Geoffrey Rush, Nicole Kidman and Jackie Weaver.  That’s not bad when you consider there are only 20 acting slots to fill.  On that note, which Australian actor has received the most nominations?

(a)  Cate Blanchett

(b)  Nicole Kidman

(c)  Judy Davis

(d)  Geoffrey Rush

 

6.  The “big five” awards at the Oscars are considered to be best picture, best director, best screenplay, best actor and best actress.  Only three films have managed to win them all.  That total won’t change this year either as no film is nominated in all five categories.  Which one of the following did not win the “big five”?

(a)  One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest

(b)  It Happened One Night

(c)  Gone With The Wind

(d)  The Silence Of The Lambs

 

7.  In terms of predicting the Oscars, there is one lead up event that stands out – the Director’s Guild Award for “Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures”.  Since it was first handed out in 1949, only 6 winners have not gone on to claim the Academy Award for best director.  That’s a better than 90% strike rate!  Despite that amazing correlation, there have been two directors who won the Director’s Guild Award but weren’t even nominated at the Oscars.  Ron Howard (Apollo 13) was one.  Who was the other?

(a)  Bruce Beresford

(b)  Anthony Harvey

(c)  Steven Spielberg

(d)  Woody Allen

 

8.  There is a separate category at the Academy Awards for best foreign language film.  Each country can only nominate one film however.  Which country has received the most number of wins in this category?

(a)  France

(b)  Spain

(c)  Germany

(d)  Italy

 

9.  In 2001, one of the Academy Award winners was not at the ceremony to accept the award.  In fact, he was in Australia at the time and accepted the award via satellite.  Who was it?

(a)  Bob Dylan

(b)  Russell Crowe

(c)  Benecio Del Toro

(d)  Stephen Soderbergh

 

10.  Two of my favourite categories at the Oscars are best original screenplay and best adapted screenplay.  If you ask me, the script is the most important element of any movie.  Who is the only person to have won an acting Oscar and a screenplay Oscar?

(a)  Matt Damon

(b)  Billy Bob Thornton

(c)  Emma Thompson

(d)  Woody Allen

 

Answers down below…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answers…

 

1. (b)  Gene Hackman won best leading actor in 1972 for The French Connection and then won best supporting actor in 1993 for Unforgiven.

 

2. (a)  Tatum O’Neal won in 1974 for her performance in Paper Moon.  She was just 10 years old.

 

3. (d)  Many now regard it as one of the best movies of all time but The Shawshank Redemption didn’t win a single Oscar.

 

4. (d)  We’ve never seen a tie in the best cinematography category.

 

5. (a)  Cate Blanchett has 5 nominations – Elizabeth, The Aviator, Notes On A Scandal, I’m Not There and Elizabeth: The Golden Age.  Geoffrey Rush has 4, Nicole Kidman has 3 and Judy Davis has 2.

 

6. (c)  Gone With The Wind could only manage 4 of the big 5.  Clark Gable lost the best actor award to Robert Donat in Goodbye, Mr. Chips.

 

7. (c)  Steven Spielberg won the Director’s Guild Award in 1985 for The Colour Purple.  The film went on to score 11 Academy Award nominations but amazingly, Spielberg wasn’t amongst them.

 

8. (d)  It’s a tight race but Italy has notched up 13 wins in this category.  France has had more nominations but only has a total of 12 wins.  Spain and Japan are next best with just 4 wins.  Germany has only won 3 times.

 

9. (a)  Bob Dylan won the Academy Award in 2001 for his song “Things Have Changed” from the great film Wonder Boys.  He was on tour in Australia at the time and actually performed the song for the ceremony via satellite.

 

10. (c)  All four of the names listed have won an Oscar for best screenplay but only Emma Thompson picked up both (adapted screenplay for Sense & Sensibility and best actress for Howard’s End).

 

It feels like I’ve been blogging about nothing but film awards so far this year and so while we await the Academy Awards (Feb 27), I thought it an opportune time to change the subject matter.

 

One of the more popular parts of my www.thefilmpie.com website is the Brisbane Cinema Guide.  Given that I see a lot of movies, I have the chance to get to many of Brisbane’s cinemas on a regular basis.  I first published the Guide back in 2005 and it was fortunate that I did.  A producer stumbled across it from 612ABC and I’ve had a gig reviewing movies live on radio ever since.

 

I’ve tried to keep the Guide up to date but my last major review was in April 2008.  Over the Christmas holidays, I spent a couple of days visiting Brisbane’s cinemas to get some new photos and the latest price information.

 

You can check it out by clicking on the following link – Brisbane Cinema Guide.

 

The front page is a handy link if you’re ever looking for a single page that links to all of the cinema’s websites.  If you click on my review, you can see my own critique of each cinema.  I’ll let you read what’s of interest to you but thought I’d go through my favourites in terms of the three major review criteria I have used…

 

Best Price – Cineplex Chain (Balmoral, Hawthorne and Southbank)

 

You just can’t beat these cinemas in terms of price.  There’s nothing even in the same ballpark.  If I think back to my university days and Marketing 101, this is a cinema chain that has differentiated themselves via the easiest way possible – by charging the lowest price.

 

This of course can sometimes be a negative.  I’ve had many friends turn up to a screening and learn that it’s sold out.  I realise you can book online but not everyone likes to do that.  Also (and without sounding snooty), the Southbank cinemas can attract a large number of annoying kids/students.  They tend to take advantage of the low prices and then feel it necessary to annoy others during the movie (by talking to others and using mobile phones).

 

Let’s be honest though.  If you’re going with a group of friends to the movies and you want to save a few dollars, you simply must go to a Cineplex theatre.  The most you’ll pay for a ticket is $8.50 (to a 2D movie) and the candy bar prices are outrageously low.  A small coke and popcorn will set you back a total of $4.10.  Compare that with what you’ll pay at an Event or Hoyts cinema.

 

Best Cinema Quality & Service – Blue Room Cinebar (Rosalie)

 

I’ve always been a fan of the Blue Room Cinebar.  They’ve taken the Event Cinema’s concept of “gold class” and made it much more affordable to the average person.

 

When they opened in 2005, they had two screens which could only hold about 30 people.  Whilst it was nice to be able to enjoy a meal and an alcoholic beverage during the film, it was a little squashy.  That changed a few years ago when they opened a new third screen with luxurious seats and a lot more room (it seats 60 people). 

 

The chairs don’t recline (like in Event Gold Class) but apart from that, there’s really no difference in terms of quality.  The great news is that the Blue Room’s maximum ticket price is $21.50 (on Friday and Saturday nights).  At Event Gold Class, you’ll pay almost double - $39.00.  When you look at those numbers, it’s not hard to see why I like recommending this cinema to others.  You get a licensed, luxury theatre at an affordable price with very good service.  What more could you want?

 

Best Movie Quality & Range – Palace Centro (New Farm)

 

When it comes down to it, there’s been one cinema in Brisbane which has always been my favourite – the Palace Centro at New Farm.  I spoke with the owner of the Palace chain, Antonio Zeccola, at the Italian Film Festival last year and we chatted about the Centro cinema.  It may have been open for more than 10 years but it looks as new as ever.  The design of the 4 cinemas is fantastic and I love the lobby and waiting area.  The staff are also very friendly and have a nice knowledge of the films being screened.

 

First and foremost, the Palace Centro shows great movies.  The Barracks tends to show more commercial fare which leaves the Centro with some of the smaller, independent releases.  Films currently showing at the Centro include Black Swan, Blue Valentine, Catfish, The Fighter, The King’s Speech and True Grit.  That is a great list.

 

I’ve always thought it’d be cool to own a cinema one day and if I’m lucky enough to get that chance, I’d mould it in an image of the Palace Centro.

 

 

You can use the link above to go through all the other cinemas but a few quick notable comments…

 

The Event / Birch Carroll & Coyle chain continue to be the most expensive.  A full priced ticket will set you back $16.50 and a popcorn & coke combo will lighten your wallet by a further $10.

 

The Hoyts chain have remerged in Brisbane by taking over the AMC group of cinemas.  With that, we’ve seen an increase in prices as well.  The ticket prices are slightly less than Event but are still high relative to others.  It’ll be interesting to see how these cinemas perform over the next few years now that they’ve been acquired by Hoyts.

 

A big thumbs up goes to the Regal Twin which has greatly improved its move quality and range.  It only has two screens but is now marketed as a “boutique arthouse cinema”.  It’s handy for those on the southside who can’t get across town to the Palace Centro or Dendy Portside.  Currently showing at the Regal Twin are Tamara Drewe, Another Year, Black Swan and The King’s Speech.

 

Two cinemas which closed and then came back to life over the past two years have been the Tribal Theatre (the old Dendy on George Street) and the Schonell Theatre at the University of Queensland.  Both are showing a mix of classic and second-release films.

 

People often ask for my opinion on the Dendy Portside.  My answer is that I like it but it’s not as good as the Palace Centro or Barracks.  I dislike the 3D glasses they use at Portside and I often feel that the sound quality isn’t as good as it should be (particularly in the small cinema 5 – which no one is a fan of).

 

That’s it from me for another week.  Hopefully I’ll see you at some point in time at the Palace Centro!

 

 

I love a good awards season and yes, this year has produced a very good one.  The Social Network looked on track for an incredible sweep.  It was awarded the best film prize by the critics in Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Florida, Washington DC and Toronto.  It then won the Golden Globe and the Critics Choice Award.

 

I admit to being puzzled.  I really enjoyed The Social Network but why wasn’t more love going to other highly regarded films from 2010?  I speak of The King’s Speech, Inception, Toy Story 3, Winter’s Bone, True Grit, The Fighter, Black Swan and The Kids Are All Right.  These critics organisations seemed to be like “lemmings”.  Could they all possibly have the same tastes?

 

The race started to change last week.  The King’s Speech caused a big upset when it took home the Producer’s Guild Award.  This is an important prize as since it started in 1989, 14 of the 21 winners went on to take the Oscar for best picture.  It’s also significant because it uses the same preferential voting system that the Academy use when deciding best picture.  Just because a film gets the most number 1 votes, doesn’t make it a guaranteed winner.

 

Then came the Academy Award nominations (which I wrote about in last week’s blog).  The King’s Speech was out in front with 12 nominations.  True Grit was next with 10 and The Social Network picked up 8.  I’m not reading too much into the nominations but it does highlight a lot of support for The King’s Speech.  This isn’t a film that’s slipping past people.

 

The most shocking twist in this year’s race came last night when Tom Hooper won the Director’s Guild Award for The King’s Speech.  Not many saw this coming because (1) he’s a relatively new director on the block and (2) The Social Network’s David Fincher has won almost every award so far.  This is the award I look at most closely because 1948, more than 90% have gone on to win the best director Oscar.  The correlation between these two honours is remarkable.  The last time it didn’t happen was in 2002 when Rob Marshall (Chicago) won the Guild and Roman Polanski (The Pianist) won the Oscar.

 

To take it a step further, the film which wins best director at the Oscars often wins best picture.  Since 1957, the film which won best director also won best picture 85% of the time.  Again, that’s a strong correlation.

 

The last piece of the puzzle fitted into place earlier today.  The King’s Speech took out the Screen Actor’s Guild Award for best ensemble.  The awards went as scripted with the 4 favourite actors all getting up – Colin Firth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale and Melissa Leo.

 

There are often surprises at the Academy Awards but right now, the momentum is with The King’s Speech.  The fact that it’s won the Producer’s Guild Award, the Director’s Guild Award, the Screen Actor’s Guild Award and has received the most nominations is a very strong indicator of its popularity.  I’m not saying I agree with the voters (I thought The Social Network was slightly better) but the numbers don’t lie.  People love The King’s Speech.  We all knew that back in September 2010 when it took the lucrative audience award at the Toronto Film Festival.

 

Can The Social Network still win?  The answer is yes.  Would I bet on it?  The answer is no.

 

The shift towards The King’s Speech has certainly caught raised some eyebrows (to say it politely).  There were many negative comments posted on the Awards Daily forum.  I can best sum up the negativity with this comment from columnist Jeffrey Wells – “Early tomorrow morning the henchmen of Soviet Colonel Dimitri Ilyavich Karger will kick my door in and put me on a train to a Siberian gulag, and I'll go willingly because I know when the jig is up. My spirit is spent. I'm feeling so downhearted I'm wondering if I can even sleep tonight.

 

I realise that people tend to get a bit sensitive when it comes to big film awards.  I was none too pleased when Crash upset Brokeback Mountain in 2005.  Nothing can be done though.  The King’s Speech isn’t the best film of 2010 in my eyes (that honour belongs to Inception) but I won’t be unhappy if it wins… because I now have money on it!

 

Following the win by The King’s Speech at the Director’s Guild Awards, I have pounced and invested some big cash.  One particular sports betting agency in Australia failed to update their odds following Hooper’s win yesterday and so I took the opportunity to pounce.  My bets are for 2011 are:

 

$400 on Hailee Steinfeld to win the Oscar for best supporting actress at odds of $4.

$500 on The King’s Speech to win the Oscar for best picture at odds of $2.

$200 on Tom Hooper to win the Oscar for best director at odds of $3.50.

$50 on the Oscar winner for best actress to be wearing a black dress at odds of $6.

$250 on Tom Hooper to win the BAFTA for best director at odds of $3.

 

Before you ask, I had $50 left in my account which is why I had the bet on Natalie Portman’s (the likely best actress winner) dress.  She’s heavily pregnant and I think a black dress will suit.  We’ll see.

 

As you can see above, the odds for The King’s Speech and Tom Hooper are very juicy indeed.  Centrebet has wound the film into $1.50 for best picture and Tom Hooper into $2.00 for best director.

 

I wagered my bet on Steinfeld a week ago and I think she’s still good value (now out to $7 following Melissa Leo’s win today) in a hard to predict category – best supporting actress.  Melissa Leo is the deserved frontrunner but I’m still worried that her co-star in The Fighter, Amy Adams, might take votes from her.  Given that Steinfeld is the best thing in True Grit and it seems to be well-liked by the Academy (with 10 noms), she’s a decent chance.

 

Like anything, none of the above bets are sure things.  You win some and you lose some.  But if you can keep getting good value (which I think I have based on the above odds), then you should be ahead in the long run.  My total profit on awards betting since 1996 is $3,733 and hopefully that shows I know what I’m talking about.

 

All we can do now is sit and wait.  The Oscars are held on February 27.