Best Actor Nomination Predictions (Courtesy of Someone Who Has Seen 4 Movies from 2011)

GEORGE CLOONEY, THE DESCENDANTS - He is quickly gaining a Streep-like level of admiration in Hollywood.  He's handsome, he directs, he acts, he aids Darfur.  There is no way they will pass up any opportunity to nominate Clooney for anything.  Definitely the front-runner.

Best Actress Nomination Predictions (Courtesy of Someone Who Has Seen 4 Movies from 2011)

MERYL STEEP, THE IRON LADY - If she can get a nomination for Music of the Heart, I think she can get one for playing a famous person in a role that requires her to don extensive makeup, hair, and an accent.  The movie is not supposed to be anything special, but Streep is always amazing.

Best Picture Nomination Predictions (Courtesy of Someone Who Has Seen 4 Movies from 2011)

Yes, I am a terrible film blogger whose life has become so busy that I don't have time to watch more than 4 goddamn new movies in a year, but that doesn't mean that we can't have fun talking about movies, does it?  I'll take the next few posts to predict the 2012 Oscar nominations starting with best picture.  [For the record, the only 2011 movies that I have seen are Terri, Moneyball, The Artist, and Cedar Rapids]

Horror Films 101

Thought you might enjoy this semantic map I created for a class assignment.  Click to enlarge.

Halloween Channel Flipping

I thought it might be fun to see what's on TV on this All Hallows' Evening.  I am hoping to find something nice and scary.

Great Performances: Jason Miller in The Exorcist

From time to time, I want to highlight a performance that I find truly remarkable.  This may be from film or TV and could be a leading role, a supporting role, or even a guest appearance.

I am not sure what is more amazing: Jason Miller's performance in The Exorcist or the fact that it was the first movie that he had ever acted in.  The studio wanted a marquee name for the role of haunted Jesuit priest Damian Karras.  Jack Nicholson was reportedly screen-tested and Stacey Keach was actually hired for the part before director William Friedkin spotted Jason Miller (father of actor Jason Patric) in an off-Broadway play and asked that the studio buy out Keach's contract.  The play in question was That Championship Season, which had also been written by Miller and it made him an overnight success as a playwright, going on to win the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1973.  Friedkin won the battle with the studio, who banked on the fact that an adaptation of a bestselling novel had a built-in audience.

10 Horror Movies That Should Have Been Better

It has been an unacceptable four months since my last post, but what better time to get things rolling again than October with a post on my favorite subject--horror flicks.  This list is not about scary films that I dislike - on the contrary, I actually admire these movies, but I have always felt that the premises promised more than the films delivered.  They could have been truly great if the creators had made a few different choices.  I am curious to know if you agree... [Spoilers ahead]