PopSnap! 2010 Oscar Picks

It's that time of year again. Oscar time! So, grab yourself a Barley Pop--if you're A Single Man, get an Avatar, take your Crazy Heart, and go Up to The Hurt Locker to take a look at our predictions for the winners of top prizes this year.
Before we get to the picks, in many ways this has been an easy year for Oscar, with favorites certain to win in many categories. But you never know what or who might pull an upset.
Here are our selections for the golden statue this year:

Best Supporting Actress:

We were united on this one. Grant, Katie, and I all selected Mo'Nique for her performance in the film "Precious." This would be her first Academy Award. Although my heart still goes out to Vera Farmiga for her work in "Up In The Air."



Best Supporting Actor:

Another unanimous decision, and a pretty easy choice here. We all chose Christoph Waltz for "Inglorious Basterds." He's already received the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards for this one.





Best Actress:
Another great list of nominees:

Katie says she's pulling for Sandra Bullock in "The Blind Side," but also feels like Gabourey Sadibe from "Precious" could win.
Grant's pick: Sandra Bullock.

My pick: Meryl Streep for "Julie & Julia," a charming, mesmerizing performance in my opinion.









Best Actor:

We all chose Jeff Bridges for his fine work in "Crazy Heart." Such a true to life portrayal of a broken man on a search for redemption, and some wonderful music featured here.







Best Director:
Many people say it all comes down to Kathryn Bigelow for "The Hurt Locker," and her ex, James Cameron for "Avatar."

Katie's pick: James Cameron.

Grant's pick: Kathryn Bigelow.
My pick: Kathryn Bigelow.

Overlooked director nominee: Jason Reitman for "Up In The Air."









Best Picture:
For the first time in many years, there are 10 Best Picture nominees this year.

Katie's pick: "The Blind Side"

Grant's pick: "Avatar"
My pick: "The Blind Side"

Congratulations to all of the nominees. Tune in Sunday night on ABC to watch co-hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, and find out who will take home the coveted statuette!

Be sure to listen to our Podcast on blogtalkradio for more discussion on this year's nominees. You'll find it on the right hand side of the page. We'll recap the show, and the winners next week.

James Cameron Sinks His Own Ship

"Avatar" can’t be stopped. While the doe-eyed rainforest warriors have yet to overtake the Caped Crusader in “The Dark Knight,” (in domestic sales) the oversea box office has surpassed James Cameron’s other indie flick, Titanic. Raking in $1.859 billion in the process, "Avatar" offers more than just a pretty face and $13 ticket price.

Leaving the visuals out of the equation in a sea of remakes and wish-they-had-never-been-mades, the original idea of the Na'vi people created by Cameron is refreshing. I can’t agree with the people who say this movie is an old idea with new visuals; The film stands for more than that, and money speaks louder than words. Word–of-mouth from this film should happily keep people in their 3D glasses.

Much has changed since the movie “Titanic” debuted in 1997. Theatre-goers can experience "Avatar" in multiple formats including 2D, 3D, and IMAX.

I saw this movie in 3D, and the anticipation of what would be flying out of the screen was worth the extra dough!! I suggest seeing "Avatar" in 3D while you can. I don’t know about you, but I won’t be buying a 3D TV anytime soon. If you can appreciate the movie for what it is, an action blockbuster filled with creative creature and lush landscapes, you will enjoy the experience. In the end, isn’t that what movies are all about anyway?

Cameron’s "Avatar" set the standard for blockbusters from now on. This is the season where the Oscar indie-flicks reign supreme, and the winter months don’t usually see movies with huge budgets; "Avatar" maintained a rumored $300-500 million budget. I have a feeling “It’s no Avatar” will be a widely used phrase to characterize a movie that just doesn’t impress the way "Avatar" has for present audiences and critics. Until we can start tasting movies, I think "Avatar" has laid the map outlining the directions all new movies will ultimately have to follow. It looks like James Cameron has sunk the Titanic yet again, but either way, he wins.