Oscar madness

With the big awards show set for Sunday night, I guess I might as well chime in on the Oscars.

I wrote last month about The Blind Side, a Best Picture nominee I simply can't believe anyone would seriously consider Oscar-caliber material. But some are saying we might expect a surprise winner this year because of the new voting formula in the Best Picture category.

This WSJ article sums up my thoughts about the prospect of the new system of voting possibly resulting in an unthinkable Oscar upset:

Which wrist to slit first if "The Blind Side" wins?

Of the two favorites, Avatar and The Hurt Locker, I prefer the latter. But my favorite films of the year were quite different from the nominees. Oscar candidates that I did NOT include in my top 10 are Avatar, The Blind Side, District 9, Precious and Up. Of those, the only one I might consider adding to my list is District 9, excellent on a second viewing on Blu-ray the other night.

As for Up, I agree with this critic that the best part of that animated feature is the amazing montage near the start of the movie. It makes you laugh, cry, breaks your heart... all in just over 4 minutes. Too bad the rest of the film is so pedestrian. Here is that brilliant, heartbreaking sequence. The score by Michael Giacchino should win him an Oscar Sunday night. I'll be watching.