John's 2011 Oscar Picks

Even though I just finished slaving away over my top 10 of 2010 list, I figured I'd try to sneak in some Oscar picks too.

Truth be told, it was kind of fun because 2010 ended up being a pretty solid year for movies. (Whereas last year, it kind of felt like we had to strain to find 10 Best Picture nominees.)

Anyway, I hope you don't mind if I just jump right in. Below you'll find my official pick for who I believe WILL win tonight, as well as who would actually get my vote.

(Warning: My picks will become completely arbitrary as we get to the more obscure categories.)

Best Picture
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids are All Right
The King's Speech
The Social Network
127 Hours
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone


Will win: The King's Speech
Should win: Toy Story 3


What John Thinks: "The King's Speech" had Oscar written all over it even before it opened at your local movie theatre. "Toy Story 3" will never win because voters will see its inevitable Best Animated Film Oscar as enough of a reward. I wonder if there will soon be a year when a highly-acclaimed animated movie bypasses the Best Animated Film category and pushes all of its chips onto the Best Picture race.



Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Annette Bening (The Kids are All Right)
Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole)
Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone)
Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine)

Will and should win: Natalie Portman.

What John Thinks: I've said it before, but I'll say it again. I think she gave the best performance out of any actor last year.



Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Javier Bardem (Biutiful)
Jeff Bridges (True Grit)
Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network)
Colin Firth (The King's Speech)
James Franco (127 Hours)

Will win: Colin Firth
Should win: Jesse Eisenberg

What John Thinks: Firth will be an extremely worthy winner for his triumphant and crowd-pleasing turn in "The King's Speech", but I'd give the trophy to Eisenberg for his fearlessly abrasive performance and the way he made Aaron Sorkin's challenging dialogue sound like it was written especially for him.


Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale (The Fighter)
John Hawkes (Winter's Bone)
Jeremy Renner (The Town)
Mark Ruffalo (The Kids are All Right)
Geoffrey Rush (The King's Speech)

Will win: Christian Bale
Should win: Geoffrey Rush

What John Thinks: I'm going to be thrilled for Bale because he's long overdue and he's incredible in "The Fighter", but Rush (a past Oscar winner) was my favorite thing in "The King's Speech" and worthy of the prize.



Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams (The Fighter)
Helena Bonham Carter (The King's Speech)
Melissa Leo (The Fighter)
Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)
Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom)

Will win: Melissa Leo
Should win: Amy Adams

What John Thinks: Leo's been mostly cleaning up at the major award ceremonies, so she's likely to do the same at the Oscars. (Even if there's a chance that she might be a little crazy.) I'd give the award to Adams, who radiated strength and toughness (words not usually associated with Amy Adams), as well as love in "The Fighter." Steinfeld is also a strong contender, but that was CLEARLY a lead performance, so I wouldn't give her my vote since she doesn't belong in this category.



Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3

Will and should win: Toy Story 3

What John Thinks: Duh! It's the only one of these that's also up for Best Picture, so which do YOU think the Academy likes the most.



Best Documentary Short Subject
Killing in the Name
Poster Girl
Strangers No More
Sun Come Up
The Warriors of Qiugang

Will win: Killing in the Name
Should win: The Warriors of Qiugang

What John Thinks: Obviously, I haven't seen either, but "Killing in the Name" sounds appropriately grave. Meanwhile, I'd like to see "The Warrios of Quigang" win just so I could watch whichever poor soul is presenting struggle to pronounce "Quigang."



Best Short Film (Animated)
Day & Night
The Gruffalo
Let's Pollute
The Lost Thing
Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary)

Will win: Day & Night
Should win: The Gruffalo

What John Thinks: Pixar's "Day & Night" will win, but I actually thought it was one of their weakest offerings. I'm going with "The Gruffalo", which is also my nickname for Mark Ruffalo.



Best Short Film (Live Action)
The Confession
The Crush
God of Love
Na Wewe
Wish 143

Win and should win: God of Love

What John Thinks: "God of Love" has this on lockdown. Someone please let me know if I'm wright, since I'll probably be in the bathroom during this part.



Achievement in Art Direction
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Inception
The King's Speech
True Grit

Will and should win: Inception

What John Thinks: Since "Inception" will likely be shut out of most of the major awards, I expect it to mostly clean up in the technical categories. I'm not sure how much of "Alice in Wonderland" was art direction, and how much was green screen. "The King Speech" could pull a slight upset.



Achievement in Cinematography
Black Swan
Inception
The King's Speech
The Social Network
True Grit

Will win: True Grit
Should win: Black Swan

What John Thinks: "True Grit" was a big hit and has the second most Oscar nominations out of any movie this year. Yet outside of this category and Steinfeld for Supporting Actress, it has little chance of winning anything. I say the Academy throws them a bone. I'd give the prize to "Black Swan" and its stunning, urgent camera work.



Achievement in Costume Design
Alice in Wonderland
I Am Love
The King's Speech
The Tempest
True Grit

Will win and should win: The King's Speech

What John Thinks: Again, I'm just not sure how much of the stuff in "Alice" was actually there. I'm playing it safe and going with "The King's Speech", which is what the Academy is likely to do as well.



Achievement in Directing
Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan)
David O. Russell (The Fighter)
Tom Hooper (The King's Speech)
David Fincher (The Social Network)
Joel and Ethan Coen (True Grit)

Will win and should win: David Fincher

What John Thinks: The actual race appears to be between Fincher and Tom Hooper. In my world Fincher would be battling it out with Aronofsky. Either way, I'd give Fincher the edge for crafting an entertaining movie out of a bunch of guys sitting around dorm rooms, huddled around computers or sitting at a deposition.



Best Documentary Feature
Exit through the Gift Shop
Gasland
Inside Job
Restrepo
Waste Land

Will win: Inside Job
Should win: Gasland

What John Thinks: The Academy will want to look current by honoring a film about our country's economic meltdown. I'm going with Gasland because...it's the only one I've seen (a little bit of).



Achievement in Makeup
Barney's Version
The Way Back
The Wolfman

Will win and should win: The Wolfman

What John Thinks: Makeup artist Rick Baker is a legend, and I suspect his makeup work was probably the best part of a crappy movie. He'll take the Oscar over weak competition.



Achievement in Film Editing
Black Swan
The Fighter
The King's Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network

Will win: The Social Network
Should win: Black Swan

What John Thinks: My real "Should win" is "Inception" (how the heck is it not up for Editing), but I think "The Social Network" will take the prize for keeping the pace moving and interesting.



Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Biutiful (Mexico)
Dogtooth (Greece)
In a Better World (Denmark)
Incendies (Canada)
Hors la Loi (Algeria)

Will and should win: In a Better World

What John Thinks: It won this category at the Golden Globes, so, um, there's that!


Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)
How to Train Your Dragon
Inception
The King's Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network

Will win: The Social Network
Should win: Inception

What John Thinks: "The King's Speech" is a possible spoiler, but I don't think the Academy will pass up the chance to seem hip and give the prize to a deserving Trent Reznor. (But not TOO hip, since Daft Punk weren't nominated for "Tron: Legacy.") Meanwhile, I'd give the Oscar to "Inception" composer Hans Zimmer. Thanks to dozens of YouTube videos, we now know his "Inception" score instantly makes ANYTHING seem more exciting.



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

Will win: "If I Rise"
Should win: "I See the Light"

What John Thinks: I see this as the only realistic chance for the Academy to honor "127 Hours." I'd give it to "I See the Light" from "Tangled", because I actually have a clear recollection of the song. (On the other hand, I saw "Toy Story 3", and I LOVED "Toy Story 3", but I have no idea what the hell "We Belong Together" is supposed to be.)



Achievement in Sound Editing
Inception
Toy Story 3
TRON: Legacy
True Grit
Unstoppable



Achievement in Sound Mixing
Inception
The King's Speech
Salt
The Social Network
True Grit

Will and should win: Inception

What John Thinks: I'm taking "Inception" to win both "Sound" categories even if I STILL have no idea what the difference between them is.



Achievement in Visual Effects
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Hereafter
Inception
Iron Man 2

Will win: Inception
Should win: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I

What John Thinks: "Inception" will win because no movie was smarter about the way it utilized its visual effects to serve the story, but I'd reward "Harry Potter" for its consistently excellent (and now-underappreciated) effects. (Including several characters who were completely computer generated.)



Adapted Screenplay
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

Will and should win: The Social Network

What John Thinks: Aaron Sorkin's verbose and rapid-fire screenplay is a lock.



Original Screenplay
Another Year
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids are All Right
The King's Speech

Will win and should win: The King's Speech

What John Thinks: I gave "Inception" a strong look here, but it IS a little heavy and clunky on the exposition. That's why I'm going with "The King's Speech", which turned a potentially stuffy and specific story and transformed it into a film with universal appeal. (I'll let other people fight over how true to life it was.)

John's (and Erica's) 2010 Oscar Picks

There's a lot of buzz around this year's Academy Awards.


We've got 10 nominees for Best Picture for the first time in decades. We've got big hits (including the biggest hit of all time) in the running for the big prizes. We've got a pair of hosts (Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin) for the first time in recent history.


And now we've got official Oscar picks from me and a very special guest prognosticator! (That's gotta rank right up there with the stuff in the previous paragraph, right?)


It's Saturday night and we just finished watching "A Serious Man", bringing me up to a respectable 8 out of 10 Best Picture nominees watched. (I think Erica quickly got over the fact that it wasn't the one with Colin Firth.)


That's as far as I'm gonna get, so let's get on with the picks!


Best Picture

“Avatar”
“The Blind Side”
“District 9”
“An Education”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
“A Serious Man”
“Up”
“Up in the Air”


John Thinks: "Hurt Locker" will win, "Inglourious Basterds" should win. I liked a lot of these movies (especially "Up in the Air" and "Avatar"), but none of them exhilarated me while also engaging me on an intellectual level the way "Basterds" did.


Erica Thinks: "Avatar" will win, "The Hurt Locker" should win.


Actor in a Leading Role

Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
Colin Firth in “A Single Man”
Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”


John Thinks: Jeff Bridges will win, George Clooney should win. Bridges is the best thing about "Crazy Heart", but it feels like the reason he's going to win it's because it's "his turn", not necessarily because he's the best in this race. I think Renner was excellent, but I'll give Clooney the edge simply because I don't think he's getting the credit he deserves - he made it look easy.

Erica Thinks: Jeff Bridges will win, Jeremy Renner should win.

Actor in a Supporting Role

Matt Damon in “Invictus”
Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”
Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”
Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”
Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”


John Thinks: Christoph Waltz will and should win. I said Waltz gave the best performance of any actor this year back when I reviewed the movie in September, and I haven't changed my mind.


Erica Thinks: Christoph Waltz will and should win. ("I felt like he was good in his monologues and his interactions with others - he was awesome. If he wasn't in the movie, it wouldn't have been as good.")

Actress in a Leading Role

Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”
Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”
Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”


John Thinks: Meryl Streep will and should win. I realize Bullock is the favorite (and the "her turn" factor comes into play here too), but I'm tired (and I suspect members of the Academy are tired) of Streep's excellence being taken for granted.


Erica Thinks: Sandra Bullock will win, Meryl Streep should win.

Actress in a Supporting Role

Penélope Cruz in “Nine”
Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”
Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”
Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”
Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”


John Thinks: Mo'Nique will win, Anna Kendrick should win. Nothing against Mo'Nique (I didn't get to see "Precious"), but Kendrick's performance was the most pleasant surprise of the year - besides Waltz.


Erica Thinks: Mo'Nique will and should win.

Animated Feature Film

“Coraline”
“Fantastic Mr. Fox”
“The Princess and the Frog”
“The Secret of Kells”
“Up”


John Thinks: "Up" will and should win. I can agree with those who say "Up" isn't Pixar's strongest effort, but it still earned its Best Picture nomination because it really is one of the 10 best movies of the year.


Erica Thinks: "Up" will and should win.

Art Direction

“Avatar”
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”
“Nine”
“Sherlock Holmes”
“The Young Victoria”


John Thinks: "Avatar" will and should win.


Erica Thinks: "Avatar" will win, "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" should win. ("Because it's very Imaginarium-tive.")


Cinematography

“Avatar”
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“The White Ribbon”


John Thinks: "The Hurt Locker" will and should win. The look of "The Hurt Locker" is probably its most underrated aspect. (Did you know that it was directed by a woman?)


Erica Thinks: "The Hurt Locker" will and should win.

Costume Design

“Bright Star”
“Coco before Chanel”
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”
“Nine”
“The Young Victoria”


John Thinks: "Nine" will win, "The Young Victoria" should win. "Nine" costume designer is one of the few costume designers I've actually heard of, so I'll go with the past Oscar winner.


Erica Thinks: "The Young Victoria" will win, "Coco Before Chanel" should win. ("It must be about fashion, right? So if they got that part right, it should win.")

Directing

“Avatar” James Cameron
“The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow
“Inglourious Basterds” Quentin Tarantino
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels
“Up in the Air” Jason Reitman


John Thinks: Kathryn Bigelow will and should win. She succeeded where many others who've tried to tackle the Iraq War have failed by mostly eschewing politics and focusing on making a kickass action movie.


Erica Thinks: James Cameron will win, Quentin Tarantino should win.

Documentary (Feature)

“Burma VJ”
“The Cove”
“Food, Inc.”
“The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers”
“Which Way Home”


John Thinks: "The Cove" will, and should win. I don't get out to too many documentaries, so these will all be shots in the dark.


Erica Thinks: "Food Inc." will and should win.

Documentary (Short Subject)

“China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province”
“The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner”
“The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant”
“Music by Prudence”
“Rabbit à la Berlin”


John Thinks: "Music by Prudence" will win, "Rabbit a la Berlin" should win. I don't really think "Rabbit a la Berlin" should win (I haven't seen any of these) - it was just the easiest one to type.


Erica Thinks: "The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant" will win, "The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner." ("Because we're never going to see another campaign again - it's the last one.)


Film Editing

“Avatar”
“District 9”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”


John Thinks: "Avatar" will win, "Inglourious Basterds" should win. Sally Menke ("Basterds") is one of the best editors in the business, and she deserves an Oscar one day.


Erica Thinks: "Inglourious Basterds" will and should win.

Foreign Language Film

“Ajami” Israel
“The Milk of Sorrow (La Teta Asustada)” Peru
“A Prophet (Un Prophète)” France
“The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos)” Argentina
“The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band)” Germany


John Thinks: "The White Ribbon" will win, "A Prophet" should win. I hear "A Prophet" is amazing.


Erica Thinks: "The White Ribbon" will and should win. ("Because I saw it was nominated for another award.")

Makeup

“Il Divo”
“Star Trek”
“The Young Victoria”


John Thinks: "Star Trek" will and should win.


Erica Thinks: "Star Trek" will and should win. I guess those Romulan tattoos left an impression on both of us.


Music (Original Score)

“Avatar”
“Fantastic Mr. Fox”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Sherlock Holmes”
“Up”


John Thinks: "Up" will and should win. Michael Giacchino ("Lost") is a genius and he deserves an Oscar.


Erica Thinks: "Up" will and should win.

Music (Original Song)

“Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog”
“Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog”
“Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36”
“Take It All” from “Nine”
“The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart”


John Thinks: "The Weary Kind" will and should win. Actually, I thought "Fallin' and Flying" AND "I Don't Know" were both better picks from "Crazy Heart", but "The Weary Kind" will win.


Erica Thinks: "The Weary Kind" will and should win.


Short Film (Animated)

“French Roast”
“Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty”
“The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)”
“Logorama”
“A Matter of Loaf and Death”


John Thinks: "A Matter of Loaf and Death" will and should win. If there's one thing I like more than the Oscars, it's a cheesy pun.


Erica Thinks: "Logorama" will win, "A Matter of Loaf and Death" should win. ("I don't know.")

Short Film (Live Action)

“The Door”
“Instead of Abracadabra”
“Kavi”
“Miracle Fish”
“The New Tenants”

John Thinks: "Miracle Fish" will win, "Instead of Abacadabra" should win. "Miracle Fish" just came about at the right time - this Oscar should belong to "Instead of Abacadabra" but these things are SO political! (Obviously, I have no idea what I'm talking about.)

Erica Thinks: "The New Tenants" will win, "Kavi" should win.

Sound Editing

“Avatar”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Star Trek”
“Up”

John Thinks: "Avatar" will and should win.

Erica Thinks: "The Hurt Locker" will and should win.

Sound Mixing

“Avatar”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Star Trek”
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”

John Thinks: "Avatar" will and should win. Ok, so this is the part where I usually make a joke about not knowing the difference between Sound Editing and Sound Mixing. This year, I actually went online and tried to learn what the difference is - and I still don't get it. I'm hopeless. Please help!

Erica Thinks: "Avatar" will win, "The Hurt Locker" should win.

Visual Effects

"Avatar"
"District 9"
"Star Trek"

John Thinks: "Avatar" will and should win. "Star Trek" and "District 9" are both EXCELLENT candidates and it's a shame that they don't stand a chance against the unbeatable (and deserving) "Avatar."

Erica Thinks: "Avatar" will and should win.

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

“District 9”
“An Education”
“In the Loop”
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire"

"Up in the Air"

John Thinks: "Up in the Air" will and should win. It's the one award "Up in the Air" will (deservedly) pick up.

Erica Thinks: "An Education" will win, "Precious" should win.

Writing (Original Screenplay)

“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“The Messenger”
“A Serious Man”
“Up”

John Thinks: "Inglourious Basterds" will and should win. "The Hurt Locker" is the favorite, but this is the best chance for the Academy to honor Quentin Tarantino.

Erica Thinks: "The Hurt Locker" will win, "A Serious Man" should win. I guess "A Serious Man" made some kind of impression.

John's Emmy 2009 Diary

It's been more than a year since I've done a diary.

I think it's time we change that. I'm home tonight, there's an awards show on, and I've wrestled the laptop away from my girlfriend Erica. Let's see if I've still got it as I check out the 2009 Emmy Awards.

0:01: Not even a, “Hi” from host Neil Patrick Harris – just straight into a musical number. Hopefully, this means they’ll keep this show under three hours.

0:03: A have to admit, this song got off to a bit of a slow start for me, but rapid fire jokes about Paula Abdul, and crushing on Christina Hendricks and Jon Hamm won me back.

0:05: His bit about shows not having theme songs anymore is funny because it’s the kind of thing we’ve all talked about with our friends. (Or is that just me?)

0:06: Congratulations! If you had “six minutes” in the “first Kanye joke of the evening” pool, you win!

0:08: I’m not sure we needed a montage about the year in comedy since we all pretty much have our favorites and I’m not sure a random selection of scenes is going to make us start watching a show we’ve never seen, but we’re getting one anyway.

0:10: Liz Lemon and Dr. Drew Baird present the first award of the evening: Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy. Unfortunately, even Tina Fey and Jon Hamm can’t entirely sell the lame presenter chatter.

0:12: The nominees are doing a much better job selling the “Completely Random Eyewear” bit, with Vanessa L. Williams (in “Ugly Betty” character)adding the exclamation point by refusing the play along.

0:13: Announcer John Hodgman (“And I’m a P.C.”) informs us that winner Kristin Chenoweth would’ve become a private eye if she hadn’t become an actress. Her thrilled reaction and completely charming speech (“I want to be on ‘Mad Men’”) make up for the fact that I would’ve preferred for Jane Krakoski, Kristin Wiig or Williams to win. Congratulations, Ms. Chenoweth!

0:14: Mystery solved. The eyewear thing was Amy Poehler’s idea.

0:21: Oh great! Now it’s entirely possible (meaning EXTREMELY likely) that Hodgman was making up the private eye thing about Chenoweth since he just admitted he’ll be making up facts about each nominee.

0:22: The cast of “How I Met Your Mother” (they got that plug out of the way early) is here to present the “Best Writing for a Comedy Series” award to “30 Rock.”

0:23: By the way, I wrote the previous entry before “30 Rock” won. I swear! Also, it’s official. Hodgman is making up all the tidbits about the winners. Another thing is official: I’m unbelievably gullible for believing that Kristin Chenoweth/private eye thing. (I guess I wanted it to be true.)

0:24: I’m not sure how current a Harlem Globetrotters joke is, but Harris kinda saved it by making fun of how lame it was.

0:25: Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Amy Poehler come out to present Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy. With Jeremy Piven out of the way, it’s gonna be Neil Patrick Harris, right?! Nice job by Harris of finding a seat in the audience and sitting there when his name was called as a nominee.

0:26: Kevin Dillon did an even worse job of hiding his disappointment that Jon Cryer won for “Two and a Half Men” than I did. He looked pretty sad. Cryer is a nice, funny guy, but I would’ve taken pretty much every other nominee over him, as well as several people who weren’t nominated (Ed Helms, John Krasinski, Jason Segel, Jeremy Piven, etc.)

0:33: As sad as it is, Harris’ loss should give him plenty of comedic ammo for the rest of the evening. He introduces the “omni-talented” Justin Timberlake.

0:34: JT’s here to present Best Actress in a Comedy Series. I’m not sure I love that they’re getting all the comedy categories out of the way first (comedy matters, damnit!) but it’s making the first half of this show interesting. On a related note, is there any way Fey doesn’t win again?

0:35: Sarah Silverman doesn’t get the memo that she’s up for Best Actress and not Best Supporting Actress and wears a fake mustache. JT makes a nice, spontaneous joke about hormones (it’s almost not fair that this guy is really funny too) and Toni Collette wins in a mini-upset!

0:38: Harris is interviewing Cryer in the press area and Cryer is gamely playing along. I knew he’d milk the loss and this is good stuff.

0:39: The “Gossip Girl”s come out to tell us who won the “Best Guest Actor and Actress in a Comedy Series” awards last week.

0:40: The Kanye joke count is now at 2, thanks to Timberlake, who won for Guest Actor in a Comedy thanks to his SNL hosting gig. Fey won the Guest Actress award for her extended Sarah Palin impression on SNL.

0:42: As bizarre as the pre-taped bits for the “Best Director in a Comedy Series” nominees are, I like that they prepared a little something to liven the category up. Why should the nominees for “Best Writing for a Variety, Music, or Comedy Series” get to have all the fun? By the way, “The Office” wins the directing award. Yay!

0:49: I thought I was the only one who remembered (laughing at) Rob Lowe’s failed “drama” series, “Dr. Vegas.” Apparently, Rob Lowe remembers too. He’s here to present Best Actor in a Comedy Series. My heart says Steve Carell or Jemaine Clement, but my head tells me it’s going to be Alec Baldwin.

0:51: Baldwin is VERY funny, but damnit - Steve Carell needs to win an Emmy for playing Michael Scott before it’s all said and done. He just HAS to. Baldwin’s solid, heartfelt speech dedicated mostly to Lorne Michaels helps takes the sting off. A little. Very little.

0:54: Not sure why they played a violent (and mostly unfunny) “Family Guy” bit right before telling us we were moving to reality show awards, but here we are anyway. As far as the comedy categories were concerned, I was happy to see the prizes spread out a bit – it’s a nice change from the “30 Rock” monopoly.

0:55: It’s probably bad that I’m finding this montage of reality shows more entertaining than the comedy one. It’s just that people on reality shows are more bat s--- crazy – and I like that.

0:56: Maksim Chmekorvskiy and Karina Smirnoff are performing together. They’re pros, so I’m expecting zero awkwardness stemming from the fact that they recently broke off their engagement. In a related story, is it sad that I did NOT have to look up how to spell their names on Google? (I say it is.)

0:57: Some dancers from “So You Think You Can Dance” come out, and they eventually are joined by the “Dancing with the Stars” pros. I watch both shows, I love both shows, but I was pretty underwhelmed. I would’ve preferred an all-out dance battle.

0:59: Hayden Panettiere and Neil Patrick Harris-nemesis Jon Cryer present the Best Reality Show Emmy to Jeff Probst. He’s won this award every year that it’s existed (which is only two): how long until they rename it the “Jeff Probst Award”? (I’m surprised they haven’t renamed the Best Reality Show Award, “The Amazing Race Award.”)

1:07: Present Tracy Morgan does nothing to quiet the haters who say he doesn’t really “act” on “30 Rock” as he loopily presents the nominees for “The Amazing Race Award.” (You can probably guess who won.)

1:09: Now we’re getting the TV Movies and Miniseries awards, and I’m getting a snack from the kitchen. (Sorry, but I’m too poor for HBO, which is the network that usually dominates these things.) I have to say - I felt more prestigious just watching that montage.

1:12: Husband-and-wife team Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick come out to present Best Supporting Actor and Actress in a TV Movie or Miniseries. Shoreh Agdashloo wins Supporting Actress, which absolutely delights me because I kinda had a crush on her during season 4 of “24.” She needs to be back on a channel I can afford! Ken Howard wins Supporting Actor for “Grey Gardens.” I have a feeling this won’t be the last time “Grey Gardens” wins. (It’s the one miniseries I’ve heard of, so it HAS to be good.)

1:15: You expect Justin Timberlake to make a Kanye joke, but Ken Howard?! Well done, sir! We’re up to three if you’re scoring at home (and I obviously am).

1:22: Chandra Wilson and Kate Walsh (my two favorite parts of “Grey’s Anatomy” from back when I still cared about that show) are out to present Best Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries. Brendan Gleeson (a great actor) wins for a movie I’ve never heard of (“Into the Storm” for the record) and gives a touching speech about his wife and mom.

1:25: I’m thinking they should probably ditch the rest of this “Best Seat in the House” gig. It’s just not working. “Ghost Whisperer” Jennifer Love-Hewitt and “Medium” Patricia Arquette come out to present Best Writing and Directing for a TV Movie or Miniseries” to “Little Dorrit”, which wins both prizes. But they already knew that.

1:30: The show is (ideally) halfway over. I just wanted to say hello and (figuratively) pat you on the back for making it this far. Also, you must have A LOT of time on your hands.

1:31: I saw “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along blog” for the first time last week. I thought I was WAY late to the party, but judging from this “Dr. Horrible” spoof happening on my screen it seems I’m right on time!

1:33: Question: If we all agree that the accounting portion of award shows is boring and a waste of time, why do we keep trying to come up with clever ways of making that time more palatable? Why not just get rid of it altogether? (It HAS to be in some contract somewhere that we have to see these accountants at some point.)

1:34: Alec Baldwin presents “Grey Gardens” star Jessica Lange with the Emmy for Best Actress in a TV Movie or Miniseries. I thought Drew Barrymore would win, but at least we saw a quick shot of Justin Long next to her. (The show is showing remarkable restraint by not going to the “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” well.)

1:42: Erica (welcome to the diary!) points out that Kiefer Sutherland peeked at co-presenter Anna Torv’s breasts. We’re not mad at him – they were pretty out there, and he simply got busted. By the way, “Grey Gardens” wins for Best TV Movie.

1:44: Erica brings up an interesting point. How can something on HBO win for Best TV Movie? Shouldn’t the slogan, “It’s not TV, it’s HBO” automatically disqualify them from winning? While I was being an idiot just now, “Little Dorrit” won Best Miniseries. The awards for Variety, Music and Comedy programs are up next.

1:51: Oh those silly directors and their “comedy.” Anyway, the writers are here to show them how to do a silly and irreverent Emmy nomination thing. Conan’s team takes the prize for its Facebook/ignoring friend requests bit.

1:55: However, “The Daily Show” wins the writing Emmy (again), while “American Idol” wins the directing award.

2:02: Jimmy Fallon is doing a weird and funny Auto-Tune bit before he falls down (on purpose). I love how much Steve Carell is enjoying this. (Great, I’m getting mad again because Carell didn’t win.)

2:03: Fallon’s here to present Best Original Music and Lyrics – I believe this is the first time this award has made it on TV. Smart move.

2:05: I thought “Motherlover” was a lock, but the catchy-sounding “Team from the 81st Annual Academy Awards” takes the prize in one of the night’s few upsets. Nice speech by the leader of the “Team” (and bearded Joaquin Phoenix lookalike) acknowledging the fact that organizers probably thought Justin Timberlake would win instead of them.

2:08: Ricky Gervais is back again doing his thing – taking up a little too much time and making fun of Steve Carell while making us not care because he’s VERY funny. He presents the “Best Variety, Musical or Comedy Series” award to (gasp!) “The Daily Show.”

2:16: The stuff I said about the accountants – ditto for the president of the academy. Let’s just ditch him altogether!

2:20: I kinda loved how LL Cool J didn’t even try to sell Chris O’Donnell’s lame presenter joke. The pair is out to give out Best Supporting Actor and Actress in a Drama Series.

2:21: I literally pumped my fist and yelled, “Yes!” when Michael Emerson of “Lost” won! I repeat – YES!

2:22: I love “24” and I thought Cherry Jones was good, but, really? I hate “Grey’s Anatomy”, but Oh and Wilson deserve that trophy.

2:23: I didn’t call Sarah McLachlan “The Songstress of Sad” – Erica did. She’s out to sing during the In Memoriam portion of the evening. Thankfully they’re staying away from the swooping camera shots that plagued Queen Latifah’s In Memoriam performance during the Oscars and made it hard to see the people being honored. Let’s see who gets the loudest applause.

2:25: I had Natasha Richardson in the lead (just an awful shame). Then Bea Arthur came and took a commanding lead. Paul Newman is making a strong push, but I think Arthur’s applause is still the loudest. Michael Jackson, Patrick Swayze and Walter Cronkite also get nice ovations. The point is that we lost a lot of wonderfully-talented people this past year. Too bad.

2:32: Stephen Moyer and David Boreanaz introduce Guest Actor and Actress in a Drama winners Michael J. Fox and Ellen Burstyn, who turn around and present Best Directing in a Drama Series to “ER” and Best Writing in a Drama Series to “Mad Men.” “Mad” creator Matthew Weiner smartly hedged his bets by getting himself nominated in four out of the five slots.

2:39: Simon Baker comes out to present Best Actress in a Drama Series. I know the Emmys love Mariska Hargitay, and the rest of the nominees are super-duper-stars, but go Elisabeth Moss!

2:41: Glenn Close is still the biggest, most imposing star of the bunch and wins again. It also helps that she’s REALLY good.

2:48: Dana Delany is out to present Best Actor in a Drama Series. No offense to Dana Delany (I think she’s great and underused on “Desperate Housewives”), but weren’t any of the more famous “Housewives” available?

2:50: You can’t really say it’s an upset if this is the second year in a row that Bryan Cranston has won over his buzzier competitors. I’ve never seen “Breaking Bad”, but I’ve heard great things about it. Good for him. However, I’d still like to see Hugh Laurie win an Emmy at some point. (He’s the Steve Carell of Drama.)

2:52: Comedy legend Bob Newheart is out to present Best Comedy Series (makes sense) to “30 Rock.” The guy can still get off some good one-liners, but he’s going to cause this show to go over time singlehandedly.

2:54: In case you’re wondering, I wrote the sentence about “30 Rock” winning before it happened just now. Seriously. Tina Fey isn’t even bothering to act surprised anymore. (Neither am I.) Nice zing to The Jay Leno Show, by the way.

2:56: Why have Cat Deeley on the show, if you’re only going to use her two or three times? She announces that “True Blood” won the fan-voted “Best Breakthrough Performance” “Award” (How MTV Movie Awards of them!)

3:01: Sigourney Weaver comes out to hurriedly present Best Drama Series to “Mad Men.” I feel about this the way I feel about the “30 Rock” win – it’s a deserving victory, but oh so typical. Still, congrats to the excellent “Mad Men” cast and crew.

3:03: That’s our show. If you made it this far in the diary, then God bless you. Please excuse the inevitable typos. (It's late!) Go ahead and tell me what you thought of Neil Patrick Harris as host (pretty good, if a little underused) and, oh yeah, the winners.

What John Thinks...of the 2009 Emmy Nominations

Another year, another batch of somewhat surprising, mostly-infuriating Emmy nominations.

Instead of copy/pasting all the major nominees and praising/complaining about each of their merits, I’ll let you peruse the list yourself and give you my general thoughts.

(Warning: Though I try my best to be fair, the following contains extreme bias towards the shows I love.)

The Good:
Maybe it’s my imagination, but I feel like there are more new names in the major categories than in recent years -and I like it. The big question is whether this is due to a genuine movement toward appreciating fresh material or if it’s because the increase in number of nominees (from five to seven in the Best Drama and Best Comedy Series, and from five to six in the major acting categories) inevitably resulted in a batch of new names. I’m cynical when it comes to these major awards, so I’m leaning towards the latter. This just seems like a less drastic version of what the Oscars just did.

Still, I got a kick out of seeing Jim Parsons, Simon Baker and Aaron Paul among the acting nominees and "ow I Met Your Mother"up for best comedy -and I don’t even watch "ig Bang Theory" "he Mentalist" "reaking Bad"or "Mother." It's just nice to see something different.

I’m also amused by the fact that Justin Timberlake picked up two Emmy nominations (for Guest Actor in a Comedy Series when he hosted "Saturday Night Live" and for co-writing "Motherlover"). We’re not exactly giving him a ton of incentive to get back to his day job.

The Great:
"Flight of the Conchords" is up for Best Comedy Series and Jemaine Clement (pictured, right) is in the race for Best Actor. (No offense to Bret McKenzie, but Jemaine is the man!) This delighted me so much that I don’t even care that the first season was noticeably funnier than the nominated second season. These guys are brilliant and it’s well deserved. (If Rhys Darby had picked up a Best Supporting Actor nom, things would’ve been perfect.)

Speaking of that category, I was thrilled to see Tracy Morgan get recognized for "30 Rock." Some people may complain that he doesn’t really act and that he’s playing himself. All I know is that pretty much everything his artfully bizarre characters says makes me laugh out loud

The Bad:
I like Tony Shalhoub, I really do. I also consider myself to be a pretty TV-savvy person.

That being said, I honestly had NO idea that "Monk" was still on. More importantly, could someone who DOES watch the show please explain to me, in detail, what Shalhoub did this past year that’s merited yet another nomination. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t believe that we should ignore a show just because it’s been on a long while (which seems to be what happened to "The Shield"), but in Shalhoub’s specific case, I’d really, honestly like to hear a "Monk" fan tell me that he hasn’t been on autopilot the last three years and that he really dug deep this past TV season.

I mean, wouldn’t it have been more fun to see someone like Zachary Levi of "Chuck" or Lee Pace of "Pushing Daisies." I admit I didn’t watch either show, but people LOVE them. How about Stephen Colbert for "The Colbert Report" as a left field pick? (Who else has created a more fully-realized character in the last couple of years?)

The Ugly:
Where do I start?

Let’s start with a small snub: I just started watching "So You Think You Can Dance" regularly this summer, but it already seems pretty obvious that Cat Deeley is the best, most charming/likable Reality Show host. So how come no nomination for the impossibly-tall emcee?

How about only one member (Michael Emerson) from the excellent cast of "Lost" getting a nomination? Since I have a policy that I can’t bring up an actor without mentioning who I’d have them replace as an actual nominee, I’d happily switch out Baker (sorry, dude) for Josh Holloway, who did just as great a job stepping up as a leading man as Sawyer did on "Lost." I’d also sub out the fine, but underutilized Chandra Wilson in favor of Elizabeth Mitchell in the Supporting Actress category, for helping make Juliet and Sawyer’s ludicrous-on-paper hookup seem totally believable.

Now let’s talk about the ongoing travesty that is Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton being snubbed in the Best Actor/Actress race AGAIN. All they do is portray the most believable (and likable) married couple in recent memory. I’d sub in Chandler for past nominee Michael C. Hall (sorry "Dexter" fans) and I’d use Britton to replace Mariska Hargitay. I know it’s not Hargitay’s fault that "SVU" is a mess now, but slightly rising above crap material doesn’t compare to what Britton is doing - she helps make "FNL" one of the best shows on TV. Even Timberlake has two Emmy noms. Come on!

However, the biggest snub is that the excellent final season of "The Shield" got nothing. Nothing for stars Michael Chiklis or Walton Goggins (who I’d, respectively, have replace Gabriel Byrne and the surprisingly-overrated-on-"Damages" William Hurt). I mean, the show was number one on some of the most prestigious year-end lists in 2008! This is the biggest shame of all - and I’d happily sub out "House", which is still good, but somehow manages to be both uneven and formulaic at times.

So what’d you think of this year’s Emmy nominees? What actor/actress or show were you delighted or annoyed to see again? (Speak up, "Battlestar Galactica" fans!)

What John Thinks...of the change to the Oscar Best Picture race

When I first heard about the Academy Awards expanding its Best Picture race to include 10 movies instead of five, I have to admit - I thought it was pretty great.

Finally, quality blockbusters (meaning movies that regular people actually watch) would get their shot at a prize more prestigious than a People’s Choice or an MTV Movie Award. This change even has precedent: in the 1930’s and 40’s the Oscars had anywhere from eight to 12 Best Picture nominees (that’s your movie trivia tidbit of the day).

However, the more I think about this new development, the less I like it.

My main problem is that this has a strong whiff of COPOUT. Instead of simply recognizing that films like "Wall-E" and "The Dark Knight" (two examples just from last year) are among the top 5 movies of the year, they've just changed the rules to placate more casual movie fans and try to grab a bigger audience for the Oscar telecast. By making this change, the Academy is basically admitting they could never accept that terrific animated movies and big-budget blockbusters belonged among the year's best under the old system.

Besides, this doesn’t get to the heart of the problem. The same old stuffy, out-of-touch Academy Awards voters are going to be voting on who actually wins, so it’s not likely any of the new, more-popular choices actually have a chance in hell of winning. In short, if someone says "it’s an honor just to be nominated", they damn well better mean it.

A smaller, more-irritating issue is that this makes me a little mad for all the deserving movies in recent years that missed out on this new opportunity for Oscar recognition simply because they had the misfortune of coming out before 2009.

Then again, better late than never.
All things considered, I like the change overall because the Oscars have become hopelessly stale in recent years. It was time for something drastic. Sure, the Oscar telecast could possibly balloon close to five hours, and this whole experiment could turn out to be a total disaster, but at least they’re doing SOMETHING.

When the most recent Oscar nominations came out, my main complaint was that they were depressingly typical. I think this change will mostly accommodate the general movie going public (i.e. people who aren't movie nerds like me) who can tune in and root for nominees that they’ve actually seen. It also has a chance of making the Best Picture race more interesting. "Interesting" is not really a word, I've associated with the Oscars in recent years.

John's (and Friends') Oscar Picks

Ok, so I’m away from my regular computer. Still, my friend Johnny has

been kind enough to let me use his computer so I could get our SUPER
last-minute Oscar picks in. Let’s get right to it.

BEST PICTURE
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

John and Erica Think: Slumdog Millionaire

Alex Thinks: Milk

Johnny Thinks: Frost/ Nixon

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


John and Alex Think: Danny Boyle

Erica Thinks: Gus Van Sant

Johnny Thinks: David Fincher

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Frozen River
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Milk
WALL-E


John, Erica and Johnny Think: Milk

Alex Thinks: Wall-E

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire


John, Johnny Think: Slumdog Millionaire

Alex: Benjamin Button

Erica: Frost/Nixon

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


John and Erica Think: Sean Penn

Johnny and Alex Think: Brad Pitt

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married

Angelina Jolie, Changeling

Melissa Leo, Frozen River

Meryl Streep, Doubt

Kate Winslet, The Reader


John and Alex Think: Meryl
Streep

Johnny Thinks: Anne Hathaway

Erica Thinks: Kate Winslet

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Josh Brolin, Milk

Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder

Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt

Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road


John, Alex, Johnny Think: Heath Ledger

Erica Thinks: Michael Shannon

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Amy Adams, Doubt

Penélope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Viola Davis, Doubt

Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin
Button

Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

John and Erica Think:
Penelope Cruz

Alex Thinks: Amy
Adams

Johnny Thinks: Marisa Tomei

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
The Baader Meinhof Complex
(Germany)
The Class (France)
Departures (Japan)
Revanche (Austria)
Waltz with Bashir (Israel)


John Thinks: Waltz with Bashir

Alex Thinks: Departures

Erica Thinks: Revanche

Johnny Thinks: The Baader Meinhof Complex

ANIMATED FEATURE
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E

We all pick: Wall-E

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
Encounters at the End of the World
The Garden
Man on Wire
Trouble the Water

John, Erica and Alex Think: Man on Wire

Johnny Thinks: Encounters at the End of the World

DOCUMENTARY SHORT
The Conscience of Nhem En
The Final Inch
Smile Pinki
The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306

John and Johnny Think: Smile Pinki

Alex Thinks: The Witness

Erica Thinks: The Final Inch

SHORT FILM - ANIMATED
La Maison En Petits Cubes
Lavatory - Lovestory
Oktapodi
Presto
This Way Up

John Thinks: La
Maison En Petits Cubes

Alex and Johnny Think: Presto

Erica Thinks: Oktapodi

SHORT FILM - LIVE ACTION
Auf Der Strecke (On the Line)
Manon on the Asphalt
New Boy
The Pig
Spielzeugland (Toyland)


John Thinks: The Pig

Erica Thinks: New Boy

Alex Thinks: Spielzeugland

Johnny Thinks: Auf Der Strecke

ORIGINAL SCORE
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Defiance
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E

John and Erica Think: Slumdog Millionaire

Johnny Thinks: Benjamin Button

Alex Thinks: Wall-E

ORIGINAL SONG

"Down to Earth" - WALL-E

"Jai Ho" - Slumdog Millionaire

"O Saya" - Slumdog Millionaire


John Thinks: O Saya

Alex and Erica Think: Down to Earth

Johnny Thinks: Jai Ho

ART DIRECTION
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Duchess
Revolutionary Road

John and Erica Think: Benjamin Button

Johnny and Alex Think: Dark Knight

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire


John and Erica Think: Slumdog Millionaire

Alex Thinks: Dark Knight

Johnny Thinks: Benjamin Button

COSTUME DESIGN
Australia
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Duchess
Milk
Revolutionary Road


John and Erica Think: The Duchess

Alex and Johnny Think: Benjamin Button

MAKEUP
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Hellboy II: The Golden Army


Erica Thinks: Benjamin Button

John, Alex and Johnny Think: The Dark Knight

SOUND MIXING
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Wanted

John, Alex and Erica Think: The Dark Knight

Johnny Thinks: Wall-E

SOUND EDITING
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Wanted


John Thinks: Slumdog Millionaire

Erica Thinks: The Dark Knight

Johnny and Alex Think: Iron Man

VISUAL EFFECTS
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Iron Man

John and Erica Think: Benjamin Button

Alex Thinks: The Dark Knight

Johnny Thinks: Iron Man

FILM EDITING
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire

John and Erica Think: Slumdog Millionaire

Alex and Johnny Think : The Dark Knight

What John Thinks...of the 81st Annual Oscar Nominations

Boooooorrrrrriiiiiinnng.

That pretty much sums up my thoughts on this year’s crop of Oscar nominees. In a year with so many terrific and varied films and performances, the Academy’s picks were disappointingly typical, especially in the Best Picture race.

I mean don’t necessarily mean any offense toward “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, “Frost/Nixon”, “Milk”, “The Reader” or “Slumdog Millionaire.” I’ve actually only had the chance to see one of this year’s Best Picture contenders so far, but I plan on seeing them all before the Oscar telecast on Feb. 22 and, for all I know I could end up thinking they were the five best movies of the year.

However, as it stands now, the picks look like they came out of the same overdone Oscar playbook that’s been used for the better part of the last decade. There’s the painfully obvious Oscar-baiting, big-budget prestige pic (“Benjamin Button”), the biopic/true story of a famous figure (“Milk” and “Frost/Nixon”), the Holocaust pic (has this ACTUALLY become a genre?) and the indie sensation that everyone is possibly (probably?) overrating just a tad (“Slumdog Millionaire”, welcome to the “Juno” and “Little Miss Sunshine” club.

What’s especially maddening is that there were actually a couple of big ‘ol Hollywood hits the Oscars could’ve picked for the big race to make things interesting in “The Dark Knight” and “Wall-E.” I wish I could say I was shocked that “The Dark Knight” was left off the Best Picture race (I’ve always had an “I’ll believe when I see it approach”), while Wall-E being relegated to the “Best Animated Feature” race was one of the day’s more predictable outcomes, despite the fact that it’s the best love story of the year (and the last couple of years).

I’m not saying that the Oscars needed to include “The Dark Knight” or “Wall-E” JUST to make things interesting for the casual viewer that may not make it out to theatre to see the prestige pics. The Oscars should ALWAYS be about honoring the year’s best. What I’m saying is that, in my humble opinion, “The Dark Knight” and “Wall-E” WERE among the year’s best, and the MAIN reasons they didn’t get nominated is because a lot of people liked them (the general public can’t know what’s good for them, right?) and they happened to be an action movie and a cartoon, which are, unfortunately, not part of the Oscar playbook.

There WERE a few pleasant mini-surprises in the acting categories. I was happy to see Melissa Leo and Richard Jenkins in the Best Actress and Best Actor race, respectively. (I’m especially happy for Jenkins since I’m a huge “Six Feet Under” fan). However, the rest of the pics were ho-hum. Yes, it’s good to see Mickey Rourke get an Oscar nom, but that was a given thanks to all the awards and nominations he’s picked up so far during awards season. Yes, it was wonderful to see Heath Ledger get a Best Supporting Actor nomination, but, again, it wasn’t exactly a shocker and, after “The Dark Knight” snub for Best Picture, it actually feels more like the measly bone the Academy decided to throw at the year’s biggest movie.

So what’d you think of this year’s Oscar nominations? Anyone you were particularly delighted to see or shocked to see left out?

Random Thought of the Moment: Sure-To-Be-Unpopular Opinion Edition

Nobody likes Kate Winslet more than I do. Well maybe her husband, kids and a few other people do, but not many.

However, I was surprised by how completely turned off I was during both of her Golden Globe acceptance speeches last night. I get that she’d been obscenely overdue for a Golden Globe and remains obscenely overdue for an Oscar, and I’ve always hoped the latter situation resolves itself within the next two months.

Still, a potential Winslet victory might be a little less special if she turns into the blubbering, over long indulgent mess she was last night. I know I’m sounding like a bit (ok, a LOT) of a Frosty the Snowman here, but get a hold of yourself woman! It’s not even the Oscar! Also, you’re the best actress in your generation — you really had NO idea you could win?

Also, if you’re going to be emotional, at least pull it together long enough to sneak in something significant like Halle Berry did during her hysterical Oscar speech (too bad that win looks more like a jinx every passing year). I WILL say her forgotting Angelina Jolie's name was totally unintentional and pretty funny.

I understand that I can’t dictate how any person should act upon winning an award that’s very important to them. I have no idea how I’d react! I guess, for some reason, I expected better out of Kate Winslet. Hell, I even enjoyed Colin Farrell’s rambling speech more than Winslet’s words, which singlehandedly made the show go over time.

The second order of business is “30 Rock.” I know my girlfriend Erica’s gonna kill me for the Winslet bash, but she’ll have my back in this one — I hate to sound like one of the haters Tina Fey told to suck it, but does “30 Rock” really need to win EVERYthing? Yes, it’s a very funny and witty show, but is it THAT much better than all the other comedies on TV that the other shows don’t stand a chance.

Full disclosure: I’m an “Office” freak who thinks the people at Dunder Mifflin put on the best show on TV. However, I think “Weeds” had a remarkably strong season. Also, “Ugly Betty” and “Desperate Housewives” have impressively sustained their creativity to merit consideration.

I’m not saying any of those shows is DEFINITELY better than “30 Rock” (actually, I AM saying that “The Office” is better), I just wish TV critics would get over their obvious crushes on Tina Fey and Co. We get it critics — you like the show because it’s about TV and about a world you’re intimately familiar with. However, I WON’T go as far as to say that the “30 Rock isn’t clever”, which may or may not have been something Erica said.

Do I have a point with either of these two gripes or (as I suspect) am I totally nuts?

What John Thinks: The 2008 Emmy Nominations (Comedy)

As promised here are my thoughts on the comedic nominees. Unfortunately, this appears to be the place where Emmy got really lazy:

Best Comedy: Curb Your Enthusiasm; Entourage; The Office; 30 Rock; Two and a Half Men.

What John Thinks: I swear I don't hate "Two and a Half Men" (as a lot of people seem to). It makes me chuckle pretty often. However, by no stretch of the imagination is it one of the five best comedies. Since "Boston Legal" is a drama, I'd sub it in for "Men". "30 Rock" (pictured, right), which led all regular series with 17 nominations, and "The Office" are two of my favorites, so I'm always glad to see them. I didn't watch this past season of "Curb", but I know it's consistently funny. Still, I would've liked to have seen something fresh in there, like "How I Met Your Mother", "Flight of the Conchords", "Pushing Daisies" or "Chuck" (if it's even considered a comedy). I'd probably give "How I Met Your Mother" that nod.

I mean, it's like the Emmy committee isn't even watching the shows anymore and just nominating them out of habit. What better example than "Entourage"? I'm a fan and I watch all the episodes, but this season was uneven at best. If Emmy wanted to honor an uneven show, I think "Ugly Betty" would've been slightly more deserving. Then again, I would've cut both of them out and slipped in "Desperate Housewives" which almost got back to its first-season high.

Best Actor in a Comedy: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock; Steve Carell, The Office; Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies; Tony Shalhoub, Monk; Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men.

What John Thinks: Carell and Baldwin are two of the best. I've never seen "Pushing Daisies", but from all accounts Pace is a charming lead on a charming little show, so I can't complain too much. I'd take out Sheen in favor of James Spader and "Boston Legal" and I'd take out Tony Shalhoub (who I'm convinced Emmy would nominate even if it turned out he'd been dead the past three years) for, wait for it, Stephen Colbert of "The Colbert Report!" (Stay with me on this one, I'll explain more a bit later.)

Best Actress in a Comedy: Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?; America Ferrera, Ugly Betty; Tina Fey, 30 Rock; Julia Louis-Dreyfus, New Adventures of Old Christine; Mary Louise Parker, Weeds.

What John Thinks: I'm delighted to see Fey and Parker again because I'm a fan of both shows. I'm happy to see Dreyfuss because I think she's great, and delightfully surprised to see Applegate for the charming "Samantha Who." However, as cool as it is that a Latina is headlining a hit show, I'd take out Ferrara for "Ugly Betty" because, well, she's just not that funny (and not as great a straight man as someone like Fey). Instead, I'd sub in a "Desperate" housewife — how about Dana Delaney for helping rescue the show this year?

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy: Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men; Kevin Dillon, Entourage; Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother; Jeremy Piven, Entourage; Rainn Wilson, The Office.

What John Thinks: Ok, these "Supporting" categories in comedy are so tricky because there are SO many deserving scene stealers. I'm leaving Wilson, Piven (the best thing about Entourage, by far) and Harris in. I like Dillon and Cryer, but there are many more deserving names out there. I'd usually throw in a plug for John Krasinski of "The Office", but I actually feel like Jim didn't have as strong of a year (it was mostly about Pam's growth).

I'd actually put Ed Helms of "The Office" ahead of Krasinski this year, and "Ugly Betty" also has a strong candidate in Marc Urie, but I'd fill those last two slots with Justin Kirk of "Weeds" (who makes gold out of the most ridiculous plots) and Tracy Morgan. Sure, you can argue how much Tracy Morgan actually "acts," and you may not like his style. All I know is that he makes me laugh almost anytime he says anything on "30 Rock" ("Tell her you want your genitals and her genitals to do a high-five").

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy: Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies; Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live; Jean Smart, Samantha Who?; Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men; Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty.

What John Thinks: Taylor is arguably the best thing about "Two and a Half Men", but there's no way I'd nominate her over Jenna Fischer of "The Office", so I'd substitute those two. Williams and Chenoweth can stay, and I was pleasantly surprised to see Smart up for this award because she delivers on "Samantha Who."

Let's talk about Amy Poehler. I think it's pretty awesome that someone from SNL could get a nod in a major category like this, instead of being banished to the "Variety, Musical or Comedy Special" award. To be honest, I didn't even know Poehler was eligible. I mean, you're telling me that all this time people like Dana Carvey and Phil Hartman weren't nominated for "Best Supporting Actor" for doing superior work on SNL. Seeing that Poehler IS eligible, that's why I wrote Colbert should pick up a nomination for Best Actor because I can think of fewer performers who do a better job of embodying a character.

The problem I have with Poehler's nomination is that she's not even the female I'd nominate from her own show. If they wanted to recognize an SNL performer, the Emmys would've been wise to nominate the brilliant Kristen Wiig, instead of Poehler, who already has more than enough exposure. On the other hand, if I were looking to fill Poehler's slot with a non-SNL performer, I'd probably look to Jennifer Esposito of "Samantha Who" or Ana Ortiz of "Ugly Betty." Actually, those two are great, but my nod would go to Jane Krakowski, who steals almost every scene she's in on "30 Rock."

What John Thinks: The 2008 Emmy Nominations (Drama)

The nominations for this year's Emmys (which will be broadcast Sept. 21) were released today and, as usual, there was some stuff to like and more than enough stuff to dislike.
For example, a record number of basic cable shows like Mad Men (pictured, left), Damages and Breaking Bad, received nominations in major categories. Unfortunately, we also got a discouraging amount of retreads (mostly in the comedy categories) and nominations mostly based on star power over merit.

The Emmys selection and voting process is notoriously goofy and unpredictable (which make them interesting and infuriating at the same time), so I'll give you my sure-to-be-WAY-off picks at a later date.

I'll get to the comedic categories later, but right now I'll give you my thoughts (as if you asked for them) on the major dramatic series races. (As always, if I want to talk about someone that should've gotten recognition, I have to take one of the nominees out.)

Best Drama: Boston Legal; Damages; Dexter; House; Lost; Mad Men.

What John Thinks: I loved "Lost" and "Damages", and I think "House" finished the season VERY strongly, so I don't have any problem with those two shows being included. I've only ever seen on episode of "Dexter" and I've never seen "Mad Men", but I'm recording the first season, which is airing in its entirety on AMC this Sunday. Finally, I've said it before, but I'll say it again — I'm a fan of "Boston Legal," but it's a comedy, not a drama. As a result, I'd take out "Mad" and "Legal" and sub in "Friday Night Lights" (still strong in second season) and "The Wire" (I personally loved the final season, and don't get the grumblings about it).
Mostly though, I'm just happy "Grey's Anatomy" didn't get a token nomination.

Best Actor in a Drama: Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment; Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad; Michael C. Hall, Dexter; Jon Hamm, Mad Men; Hugh Laurie, House; James Spader, Boston Legal.

What John Thinks: This is a toughie for me because I haven't really seen Byrne's, Cranston's, or Hamm's work. I know I'd definitely take out Spader in this category (and put him in "Comedy," where he belongs) and put in Kyle Chandler of "Friday Night Lights." I'd also probably take Byrne out and slide Michael Emerson from "Lost" into the lead category to make space in the crowded "Supporting Actor" field.

Best Actress in a Drama: Glenn Close, Damages; Sally Field, Brothers and Sisters; Mariska Hargitay, Law and Order: SVU; Holly Hunter, Saving Grace; Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer.

What John Thinks: It may not be fair because I don't watch any of their shows (except for Close's "Damages", but it feels like Emmy is honoring Hunter, Field and maybe even Sedgwick for coming to TV from movies and classing the place up. Assuming Field and Sedgwick legitimately earned their nods (which is the impression I get), I'd take out Hunter and sub in "Friday Night Lights" much less famous Connie Britton — her and Chandler are the best married couple on TV. I'd also take out Hargitay (sorry, but SVU is just silly now) and put in "Tell Me You Love Me's" Ally Walker or Sonja Walger. You could really flip a coin between those two because they're equally deserving.

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama: Ted Danson, Damages; Michael Emerson, Lost; Zeljko Ivanek, Damages; William Shatner, Boston Legal; John Slattery, Mad Men.

What John Thinks: I'm not touching Danson or Ivanek because they were two of the nominees I was most delighted to see up for the award. Since I moved Emerson to the lead actor category and Shatner would be in the comedic race in my world, I'd sub in Henry Ian Cusick from "Lost" and Clark Johnson from "The Wire" (for absolutely making the final season's newspaper storyline). Since I haven't seen "Mad Men", I'd also take out Slattery (sorry) and put in the excellent Tim DeKay of "Tell Me You Love Me" or Robert Sean Leonard from "House."

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama: Candice Bergen, Boston Legal; Rachel Griffiths, Brothers and Sisters; Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy; Dianne Wiest, In Treatment; Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy.

What John Thinks: Not only would I not nominate Bergen in this category because "Legal" is a comedy, but I just don't think she's that great on that show — her role is kind of beneath her. I'd sub in Yunjin Kim of "Lost" in her place. Also, since Sandra Oh wasn't really given anything to do on "Grey's" this year, I'd put Jane Alexander's psychiatrist from "Tell Me You Love Me" in there. Also, I'd probably take out either Griffiths or Wiest and sub in Chloe Sevigny in "Big Love." I've only seen one episode, but she was something fierce.

John's 2008 MTV Movie Awards Diary

From the guy who brought you "John's Grammy Diary" and "John's 2008 Oscar Diary" comes the logical next step in prestigious awards-show diaries — "John's 2008 MTV Movie Awards Diary!"

(needle scratching on record sound)

Honestly though, despite the fact that the MTV Movie Awards have lost a bit of their edge over the years (ok, a lot of their edge), it's still an entertaining show, with its non-traditional categories and movie parodies. Hopefully, we'll have a good show on our hands tonight.

With no Erica by my side tonight (she's with her family for the weekend), I have no one to bounce my sarcastic remarks off of tonight. So I apologize in advance for all the comments that are sure to fall flat because I didn't have Erica's eye rolls to let me know they were completely idiotic.

Either way, let me reach for some guava pineapple juice and let's get on with the show.

-0:02 Sorry, I just peeked at the pre-show by accident and Brendan Frasier was acting like a maniac screaming over Sarah Jessica Parker and trying to promote his two movies. I like the guy, but I kinda wish somebody had a taser just then.

0:01 I can't think of any movie in recent years looking more aggressively unfunny than "The Love Guru" — hopefully host Mike Myers dumps the whole guru thing for this show. Ok, he's dressed in a suit, so it's already a promising start.

0:03 I like that Myers and the writers took a shot at bad awards show monologues before busting out with a — dance party! Very delightfully out of left field and Myers held his own. Makes me wish all over again that he made more than one non-Shrek movie every five years or so (as long as that movie's not "The Love Guru").

0:05 The cast of "Hancock" comes out to present "Best Female Performance", and I have to say, Jason Bateman's "Han-Cock" audience participation joke snuck up on me. Well done. Also, is there any way Ellen Page doesn't win this?

0:07 No, there isn't. She's giving a nice, heartfelt speech, but I can mostly only concentrate on the fact that she has to tiptoe to reach the mike.

0:09 Ok, so we ARE still doing "No Country for Old Men" jokes. (By the way, can you think of a more unlikely movie to inspire so much comedic material? Get back to me on that one.)

0:14 Will Ferrell and "rising comedy star" Danny McBride come out to present "Best Fight". I haven't seen "The Foot Fist Way", but I hope this guy's really funny, given the push he's getting (roles in "Pineapple Express" and "Tropic Thunder"). Their overlong bit on fighting illiteracy is not very encouraging.

0:17 This category cracks me up. Where else is "Never Back Down" going to get a nomination for anything? I also loved the unintended comedy in "Alien vs. Predator: Requiem" being nominated for "Aliens vs. Predators."

0:18 Ok, this isn't a real awards show, so I'm not going to get too riled up, but how the f--- did "The Bourne Ultimatum" not win this category? On the other hand, now "Never Back Down" has a win to go with the nomination I never thought it would get. Honestly, I'd completely forgotten this movie even existed until a minute ago.

0:20 I'm convinced the only way they could get Edward Norton to take part in this ridiculous show was to let him introduce Coldplay and let him retain some artistic cred. At least he's a good sport when he screws up the "Cold- play" thing with Liv Tyler at the end of their intro.

0:24 I like the new Coldplay song, but can't take my eyes off the red confetti/rose pedal thing stuck to Chris Martin's forehead for 60 percent of his performance. (Have you noticed that I'm very easily distracted yet?)

0:29 I LOVE the cut to "Superbad"s Jonah Hill in the audience when Seth Rogen and James Franco are introduced with a "that used to be me up there — damn you, Franco" look on his face. They're out there to introduce what may be this show's most ridiculous category to date — "Best Summer Movie So Far." I'm not liking "Speed Racer"s chances. (Then again, I didn't like "Never Back Down"s chances.)

0:31 "Iron Man" wins as expected and Robert Downey Jr. and a trim Jon Favreau accept. The lovefest for this crew continues. Good times.

0:37 I wonder if Usher is tired of doing that same dance routine from "Love in this Club" yet. It's in the video, and I've recently seen him do it on "SNL", "Dancing with the Stars" and now an MTV commercial. I bet he'd do it at your birthday party if you asked him.

0:40 Myers just got done with a bizarre, mostly unfunny routine as some sort of nutritionist to the stars. Maybe it's just me, but I just want the straightforward movie parodies that usually feature Andy Dick and/or Jimmy Fallon. I guess Andy Dick and Jimmy Fallon are busy doing, um, nevermind.

0:41 Sarah Jessica Parker and Jennifer Hudson's breasts come out to present "Best Male Performance."

0:42 Will Smith wins for "I Am Legend" and Matt Damon punches a wall somewhere because of the ongoing disrespect "The Bourne Ultimatum" is getting from this show.

0:48 Now a reunion with Dana Carvey for a "Wayne's World" skit — THAT'S more like it. It almost doesn't matter what they do, I'm probably going to dig it. Fortunately, they're funny anyway. (Then again, I enjoy good porno puns more than the average person.) "Alvin IN the Chipmunks" is wrong in the best possible way.

0:53 Don't ask me why, but the trio of Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway and Dwayne Johnson just completely works for me. Somebody in the audience threw out a "that's what she said" just for good measure. They're there to present "Best Comedic Performance."

0:57 This category instantly lost credibility by nominating Adam Sandler for "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry," which some respected experts called the worst movie of last year.

0:58 Whoa, Johnny Depp is there to pick up his award! People go crazy for his "surprise" appearance for the second year in a row! (Except for Chris Brown and Rihanna, who look totally unimpressed.) Seriously though, it's really good to see him there and delivering one of his charmingly awkward acceptance speeches. I love how he just sort of wanders on stage, picks up the bucket of popcorn and goes home. I'm looking forward to his surprise appearance next year.

1:00 Probably not a good sign that the "Dirty Mouth" short film featuring Verne Troyer and the MTV Movie Award winding up in a men's room is funnier than any non-"Wayne's World" related material Mike Myers has come up with.

1:02 The crowd goes considerably less crazy for Tom Cruise than they did for Johnny Depp as Cruise comes out to present Adam Sandler with the "MTV Generation Award." He does a nice job of delivering a scripted intro of Sandler's legendary film oeuvre.

1:04 By the way, in what universe did you think Tom Cruise would be presenting Adam Sandler with any sort of award? Ladies and gentlemen, the MTV Movie Awards!

1:05 I like that Sandler's gone back to his mid-90's comedic songs roots. And he's spoofing "Nobody Does it Better" from "The Spy Who Loved Me," keeping with the evening's movie-related festivities.

1:07 You just knew Rob Schneider would be involved somehow. He brought Kevin James along with him, giving me another unfortunate "Chuck and Larry" flashback.

1:16 This "Tropic Thunder" bit is ABSOLUTELY delivering the goods. Hopefully Stiller, Black and Iron Man, I mean, Downey Jr. have just as much chemistry in their movie as they do in real life.

1:18 And now Robert Downey Jr. is hitting Jack Black in the balls with a hammer. Still, is Karl (Stiller's "nephew") stealing the show here? (I'm leaning towards "yes.")

1:19 P. Diddy, Lindsay Lohan and Verne Troyer walk into a bar — oh no wait, they're out here to present "Best Breakthrough Performance." This award has "McLovin" written all over it.

1:21 I just made the fatal mistake of underestimating Zac Efron's gigantic fan base. Also, I think I just saw Verne Troyer creep under Lindsay Lohan's dress on his way to congratulate the winner.

1:28 Brendan Frasier is back on my TV to present the award for "Best Villain" and his voice appears to be mostly gone from screaming like a lunatic earlier. I mean, I'd guess I'd be pretty excited if I were him and nobody had seen me in two years.

1:29 Not a shocker that Johnny Depp wins again. He comes out from the private area he has set up backstage (apparently he has some phobia of sitting in the audience like everyone else). Once again, no one really listens to what he says during his "speech" and is mostly drowned out by screaming girls.

1:31 The cast of "The House Bunny" (will this finally be the movie with the talented Anna Faris in a big role in that won't be awful?) comes out to introduce "The Pussycat Dolls." I can think of no better time to grab a snack.

1:34 Ok, I'm back, and surprised to find the Dolls sound shockingly not-awful. And by "the Dolls", I mean Nicole Scherzinger, who's still doing all the singing. However, they look exactly as skanky as I thought they would.

1:40 I guess Will Ferrell was wearing too much clothing earlier, so Rainn Wilson felt the need to pick up the slack, appearing naked except for a bouquet of flowers. He and Megan Fox are there to present "Best Kiss."

1:43 So "The Bourne Ultimatum" continues to be shut out, but "Never Back Down" and now "Step Up 2 the Streets" have awards. Ladies and gentlemen, the MTV Movie Awards (at least the winners now-customary kiss delivered).

1:45 Mike Myers is appearing in another mostly unfunny bit, this time as an animal trainer. Jon Favreau and Elijah Wood (he always shows up unexpectedly) are scoring most of the laughs. Still, as uncomfortable as it was, this was better than the nutritionist bit from earlier in the show.

1:52 The cast of "Tropic Thunder" comes out to present the night's biggest award — "Best Movie." More good stuff, playing up Robert Downey Jr.'s recent massive success ("forged in a cauldron of his own genius) and Stiller pretending to be jealous (what are you, like 1 for 76?).

1:53 Did RDJ shave since earlier in the show when "Iron Man" won a prize?

1:56 "Transformers" wins "Best Movie" (ladies and gentlemen, the MTV Movie Awards) and Michael Bay even manages to sneak in a VERY early plug for "Transformers 2." Awesome.

1:57 Despite some questionable results due to fan balloting and Mike Myers' hosting being sort of a letdown after his opening, the "Wayne's World" reunion and the stuff with the "Tropic Thunder" cast was gold. Also, I can't fully trash any awards show that ends in under two hours. B- Thanks for reading!