We know some of you are missing out on the Oscars because of some shady under the table deals with Disney, but this is all the more reason for you to    . For those of you who aren’t fans of football, not really into baseball, or just don’t give a shit about sports in general; there’s the Oscars. And, like the other aforementioned nation wide events, bets are being placed as to who will win what. Now if you know anything about the Academy or the politics they play in Hollywood, you know that the Oscars are mostly bullshit; shiny gold sculptures that dignify the best ass kissing in town. Anyway, that in mind, we have a list of our Oscar predictions. Not based on merit, but based on the sometimes bullshit meter that is played.

Best Original Screenplay:

Nominees -

The Hurt Locker

Inglorious Bastards

The Messenger

A Serious Man

Up

Winner: The Messenger

We really hope this wonderful film doesn’t go home empty. We wish Oren and Alessandro the best.

2nd Contender: Inglorious Basterds (Reason? Well… it’s gotta win something.)

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Nominees –

District 9

An Education

In the Loop

Precious

Up in the Air

Winner: Up in the Air

Reason? We’re not even sure why this film is nominated for anything, but the best thing it has going for it is it’s screenplay. Perhaps, the Academy wants to give good ol’ Jason Reitman a pat on the back?

2nd Contender: Precious

Best Direcor

Nominees –

Avatar (James Cameron)

The Hurt Locker (Katheryn Bigelow)

Inglorious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino)

Precious (Lee Daniels)

Up in the Air (Jason Reitman)

Winner: James Cameron

Believe it or not, this is a toss up. While Cameron dominated the Globes, Kathryn rocked the DGAs. Both normally set the bar for what can be seen as a unanimous decision as to who will win the Oscar. However, I feel as though this is more a game of politics (as seen by this instance of douchebaggery) than it is a game of merit. Who has more power, as a director right now, than James Cameron?

2nd Contender: Kathryn Bigelow

Best Cinematography

Nominees-

Avatar (Mauro Fiore)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Bruno Delbonnel)

Hurt Locker (Barry Ackroyd)

Inglorious Basterds (Robert Richardson)

The White Ribbon (Christian Berger)

Winner: Inglorious Basterds

If you’ve seen the movie, there should be no question. Perfectly shaped shots and skillfully executed as to emit the emotion of the scene are what give this film the winning edge against it’s peers.

2nd Contender: The White Ribbon

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Nominees -

Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)

George Clooney (Up in the Air)

Colin Firth (A Single Man)

Morgan Freeman (Invictus)

Jeremy Renner (Hurt Locker)

Winner: Jeff Bridges

Although, all of the actors in this category did a good job the waves of praise seem to be leaning toward Jeff Bridges. It’s also his fifth time nominated with no wins. This is one of the rare cases where the ‘He finally got one’ Oscars will be well deserved.

2nd Contender: Jeremy Renner

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Nominees -

Matt Damon (Invictus)

Woody Harrelson (The Messenger)

Christopher Plummer (The Last Station)

Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones)

Christopher Waltz (Inglorious Basterds)

Winner: Christopher Waltz

The nest thing about this category is that the supporting roles are often what makes the film. Nothing is more true than in the case than in ‘Inglorious Basterds’. The most redeeming part of that film was watching the mostly foreign ‘for TV’ actor, Christopher Waltz outsmart the protagonists during the funniest scenes in the movie. Or was it the surprisingly nonchalant attitude near the end after an obvious defeat of the Axis Powers near the end.

2nd Contender: Woody Harrelson

Best Actress

Nominees -

Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side)

Helen Mirren (The Last Station)

Carey Mulligan (An Education)

Gabourney Sibide (Precious)

Meryl Streep (Julia & Julia)

Winner: Sandra Bullock

I mean, it’s the only chance she’ll get. Why not…

2nd Contender: Gabourney Sibide

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Nominees -

Penelope Cruz (Nine)

Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air)

Maggie Gylenhaal (Crazy Heart)

Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air)

Mo’Nique (Precious)

Winner: Mo’Nique

Once again, this guess is based mostly on whispers and crowd favoritism. It’d be a shame if she didn’t win. And it’d piss a lot of people off.

2nd Contender: Vera Farmiga

Best Picture of the Year

Nominees –

Avatar

The Blind Side

District 9

An Education

The Hurt Locker

Inglorious Basterds

Precious

A Serious Man

Up

Up in the Air

Winner: The Hurt Locker

Reason? Because James Cameron said so. I’m pretty sure he’ll actually be upset if he won. Then again

Best Foreign Language Film

Nominees -

Ajami (Israel)

El Secreto se sus Ojos (Argentina)

The Milk of Sorrow (Peru)

Un Prophete (France)

The White Ribbon (Germany)

Winner: Un Prophete

This has been hailed by many as the film of the year. No matter what happens, if you have not had the chance to see this film yet please find a theater playing it near you and check it out.

2nd Contender: The White Ribbon

The word “remake” can make every critic cringe and writhe in their seats. Granted, the original was not very entertaining but that’s the point. A bad film that was bad the first time is pretty sure to be bad the second time around. While, a good film that was good does not need a second cycle to ‘update’ the feels. And yet film studios continue to shell out these abominations in the hopes that one could slip through the cracks and become a hit. So, is the Crazies such a film?

Fuck no. Not at all. Believe it or not it’s tough to say something like that; especially, because there are a lot of people who put a lot of hard work into this film and who likely hope this film may be a substantial offering into a recycled genre. Sadly, a lot of them will be disappointed; as will most of the audience. There’s absolutely no illusion about what you’re getting into when you say to yourself (or, God forbid, someone else), “I really wanna see that movie.” Nevertheless, it’s not an excuse for what you actually get to see.

The story take place in everytown, Iowa (the place has a name, but who cares?). You know: corn fields, baseball, guns, whiteness. In this wonderful cornucopia of fuck-all happens to be the home of an accidental viral outbreak that sends its victims into a frenzy, often killing or brutalizing others around them, before succumbing to the disease. For all intents and purposes, this is your standard horror film. It’s got a spooky plot, a spooky ambiance, and plenty of false scares that jolt you a degree or two out of your seat. The gore is not quite as thick as you think, but when it is gory it’s really gory. Something most people would stay far away from. The other problem with this film is that every horrific situation (save the end) seems to be extremely contrived and farfetched. You would think that an entire town taken over by blood lusty people and shoot-to-kill government cronies could make for a pretty sticky situation, but none of it comes off genuine.

If you wanna see a horror film and this is all there is, then fine; it’ll quench your thirst for blood. But if you’re anyone else on this planet, I suggest you stay far, far away.

Shutter Island has the recipe for success. It has a legendary director at the helm Martin Scorsese (Goodfellas, The Departed) and it stars his current go-to guy Leonardo DiCaprio, who might be giving his best performance to date. If it’s not Leo’s best, it’s definitely his most complex. Based on Dennis Lehane’s (Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone) novel of the same name, Marty and Leo take us on another cinematic ride. With all those ingredients, it should be a masterpiece right?

Shutter Island is an excellent film, let me say that up front. It is well acted and well directed, but times it doesn’t feel like Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese; it felt like it could easily be Jimmy Stewart and Alfred Hitchcock. The way it’s shot is reminiscent of the 1950’s from the music to the atmosphere. But there are a lot of scenes that seem to over stay their welcome. Whether they’re in a cave or talking to a prisoner, they just stay long enough for your mind to wander. It’s not a scary film even though scary and disturbing things happen throughout. Somehow Scorsese strings it all together to make a fine piece of work.

However, there is something wrong with Shutter Island but I can’t put my finger on it. At times I think it’s pacing, but the pace of the film adds to the mental aspect, and I don’t think the film would be so successful if it were any shorter. Every time I think of something wrong with the movie, I find something to prove me wrong.

The film is set in 1954 in which federal marshals Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) are sent to Ashecliffe mental hospital on Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of a patient. Along the way, we see into Teddy’s past concerning his wife and his duty during World War II (which makes think, “Where’s that WWII picture at Marty?”). Ben Kingsley plays Dr. Cawley, that traditional character who feeds the main character and audience the information. The ending is a predictable mind boggler but after much thought and debate, it does hold up and make sense as a great thriller.

Shutter Island is a movie that you need to soak in. It has an ending you’ll be talking about for a while after, and hopefully discovering as you do. It’s not as good as The Departed, my personal Scorsese favorite, but it’s definitely a picture you shouldn’t miss; especially with all the crap that is usually shoveled into January and February.

Valentine’s Day is, for better or worse, a film that cannot fail. Almost every aspect of this financial venture is loaded with a studio’s various and unyielding attempts at success insurance. With a wholesome message, a well timed release date and the celebrity pulling power of over sixty Boeing jet engines, it’s hard to imagine Valentine’s Day doing anything other than phenomenally well in the box office.

I can, of course, accuse Valentine’s Day of these things because I am definitely not part of its targeted demographic. There is a tendency for the camera to move away  from the action, on numerous occasions, in order to employ imagery that is quintessentially unnecessary for the progression of the film’s plot or the relaying of any kind of image that compounds or contextualises any event that may be going on within it. What we are given in these instances is cute. Just cute. At any moment you could find yourself looking at either two toddlers awkwardly kissing each other, a baby, two attractive, rich, Caucasian blondes canoodling in a park, or even a rose petal floating atop a river as a family of ducklings and their mother swim past it. As a consequence of this, I’m lead to believe that Valentine’s Day is aimed squarely at the faces of the fairer sex. It’s a chick flick, and it fulfils its brief well.

And why shouldn’t it? You signpost a product as being targeted at women and suddenly your market is half the population. Score. Aside from this, lip-service is paid to racial, sexual and gender equality throughout to widen the market. George Lopez is of particular note, playing the funny, slightly-poorer-than-the-rest-of-the-cast, world-wizened Mexican immigrant. I wouldn’t bring it up if George Lopez was simply ethnic and present, but the script is full of reminders of the fact that he is ethnic and present. We apparently have to be reminded.

This isn’t to suggest that this is a bad movie, however. For a film that juggles around as many subplots as it does given the extensive cast list, everything is tied off very neatly and satisfyingly. It also showcases a specifically modern kind of comedy. The standardised slapstick is there, but much of the dialogue is characterised by a kind of oddball social awkwardness pulled from the likes of The Office and Arrested Development. It’s slightly more contemporary in style than you might expect from something that’s advertised as a more classical kind of romantic comedy. And, more importantly, it’s quite funny, and I’m unable to claim that I didn’t enjoy it.

However, in spite of Valentine’s Day’s strengths, I must here address anyone thinking of seeing it directly: are you so lacking in imagination as to actually consider taking a loved one to a film named after the event that you are so lacklustrely and dutifully attempting to celebrate? Why not ask your partner what they want to do for the day, or even if they care to make much of a to-do over the whole affair, or, better yet, why not figure out something you’ll both get some kind of mutual enjoyment out of? Maybe you could buy them their favourite sandwich or that shiny thing you saw them eyeing up in that store last Saturday. That one they pointed to saying, “Doesn’t that look nice?” as their eyes widened as if to scream, “Purchase! Purchase it for me!”. Failing that, just give them a cuddle and tell them they’re appreciated, and don’t take them to a generically titled film, which will only serve to highlight your own laziness.

How did you meet Animal Collective?

I met them 2002. I was with Black Dice and it was my very first time going on tour.And we were meeting up with them in Louisiana and they were going on tour. So, I basically met them on tour. And that was their first tour as well so it was really, really RAW. Really gnarley, really… what’s the word I’m looking for? Not confrontational, but just pretty… I don’t know.

So, how did the relationship grow to where you were doing the videos?
Well, then just from there, I started to know them in New York. I had met Dave in school. He went to NYU briefly while I was there, then he left. So I wouldn’t say I knew them from college. I was in film school and Dave and Eric from Black Dice did music and sound for my senior experimental movie; so, they knew that I made stuff and just from hanging out and watching movies and sharing tastes they knew that, at the very least I was someone who knew how to technically use a camera. And had made some interesting stuff.

The rabbit video I did for them was basically like the first thing that I did outside of college and I was really excited and put a lot of work into it. If anything, I was pretty fresh off the college experience. With setting up a shoot and how to do it. It was very meticulously storyboarded and had everything planned out and then- basically from there that was kind of right where they broke with that album and I’ve been lucky enough to have been friends with them since. They’re super supportive of me and given me a lot of opportunity, so that’s just kind of how it happened.
What was the inspiration behind the “Who Could Win the Rabbit?” video?
The rabbit video was actually… they came to me with the idea. They’re like, “We want to have a tortoise and hare on bikes. And whether it was puppets or whether it was them or whatever, it was up to me. So, I then designed the costume, the look of it, chose a location, then shot it, did all the editing… So that’s kind of how the “Summertime Clothes’ video worked and also for the movie. They’ll come to me with an idea (usually) minimal, really, really raw. They’ll be like, “Oh. We want to do this.” “Ok. Then what.” “Oh, well we thought you could fill that in.” Literally, the smallest idea. Then I say, “Ok” and just expound upon it. Then, I’ll work on the design and how it’s gonna look and such. So, that video: tortoise & hare, totally their idea and then I just did the costumes. So, Dave’ll do this and then I would do this. Then, we shot it and I edited for a long time. Or what seemed like a long time. I edited for like 4 weeks; then, worked with someone else on the composites. Yeah, ya know, I was happy this was the first thing I did outside of school.

Have you seen Donnie Darko?
Yeah…

They kind of stole your design a little bit.
I don’t know if they made it at the same time though!

Did they?
I thought they did. Didn’t they?

It was about 5 years ago.
Well, you know, it’s not like- actually I heard that Dunkin’ Doughnuts straight up ripped off the video.

Oh, really?
I never saw, but a friend saw. This Dunkin’ Doughnuts commercial that basically looked like the “Who Could Win a Rabbit?” video. So, I’m not super protective of that idea because it’s common archetype, ya know? It’s “Tortoise and the Hare”.

How much of the visuals do you think come from the music itself?
I would say it’s “Super, super important to me.” I do my own editing and I don’t think I’m anyone who could ever cut something, slap it together, and then put it in a video. Even if it was a Mariah Carey video, ya know? Where it’s just like: obviously there’s not cuts happening to the beats or for effect or anything. It’s just her looking pretty or something. I’ve done editing jobs where it’s like something crappy songwise or for a band and I think that’s what I’ll do. “Oh. I’ll just cut it all together and then slap it on the song at the last minute that way I don’t have to listen to the music.” But I always feel like I’m bound to the track and I feel like that’s ‘cause right outside of college that’s what I got into. A lot of the 60s filmmakers out in California where they did this thing called synesthesia. Those films where it was a visual representation of the sound. I very much take influence from and need the sound. That’s why making the Animal Collective movie was crazy and weird. For the longest time, I didn’t have any music. So, I’d make cuts and say, “Ok. Make a song for this. And hopefully you’ll make something that’ll all fit this.” There would be a back forth, which was nice, but for the longest time it was really ambiguous. I was like, I have no idea what their gonna do for this scene.

Where did the name ODDSAC come from?

It took a while to find the title because the whole piece is kinda schizophrenic piece. It’s got a lot of different tones, it’s all over the place. Anything we came up with for the title was gonna be A. completely random and total bullshit because the nature of the piece is kind of out there or it was gonna be too literal. I mean, you wouldn’t want it to be “Trippy Colors” by Animal Collective and Danny Perez. I wanted something in the title that was visual. O-D-D-S-A-C fulfilled that-

So, it is an acronym?
No, it’s not. My girlfriend already found stuff online where people were trying to find the meaning to it… keep trying. So, Oddsac is good because- well, I’ll have to practice this answer I guess. ODD, I feel like, implies this tongue in cheek element which I like. I definitely find humor to it. It doesn’t take itself super seriously. SAC is interesting to me because it’s a verb and a noun. It implies a singular thing containing multiple things. Which is the same as the movie as far as being this singular thing. It’s not meant to be a music video or a series of music videos. It’s meant to be this singular thing. And sack can also be a verb. As in someone getting sacked. I liked that because it’s sort of comic aggressive. As to where a sack is totally docile. It’s kind of these two different words and then you tack ODD onto it and you think, “Oh, yeah. That’s kind of funny.”

You really thought that through.
I  have.

How do you feel about your film premiering at Sundance?
I’m just excited to get it out there, man. I could show it to a retirement home and be excited. It’s a bug out. I haven’t really processed it. I’m really happy. I’ve been with this thing for 4 years. I’ve been way too inside of my own head. As far as it being Sundance… I ain’t gonna lie, man. It’s kind of a certain amount of validation, too. Before I found out I got in, I was wallowing. “Ohh. I didn’t get in,” or, “Oh, am I crazy?”. Is this total nonsense or something I’ve puled out of my ass. It’s not good to put all your eggs in one basket-
-or in one sack.

Or in one sack. Just because Sundance excepted me doesn’t mean… ya know, it could go down like hell. They could hate it and say “This is garbage. This is self-indulgant.” But I’m excited about it.

So, is it gonna be an arthouse release?
I think we’re gonna do a screening tour. I’m excited just to try. Maybe in bigger cities we’ll try a multiple night run, but I don’t think it’ll theatrical release. It’s also, like, 50 minutes.
Is this film a little bit like The Wall?
I’ve actually never even seen the film.
It’s like a mix of narrative which gets broken apart randomly.
It’s probably a lot less narrative than that. I really feel like this is a 21st century work. Not that it’s super advanced and you’re gonna see new technology, but it’s a 21st century work as in everything is on the cusp of changing. The music industry has gone to shit, the movie industry is not far behind, everything. Every generation feels like they’re falling apart, but let’s focus on media. Media, music, movies, and internet. It is in a major change. Shit’s gonna be crazy different 10 years from now. 5 years from now rental stores will be gone. I bet ya. All these things are changing. So, when I say this is gonna be a 21st century work, it is reflective on itself. It is introverted on itself, as far as I am a slave to the screen. I watch movies and I watch youtube all the time. The way you take in information and they way you get it back out there. For instance, this was released in a day and bam! I’m going to Sundance. It’s a reaction to all these things; from being constantly bombarding by these things. Where the fuck else are we gonna go from here?

Do you have any other projects that you’re working on right now?
I mean, I have another long format feature that would not be affiliated with any band. So, if I could find someone who would be interested and wants to give me some more dough I’d really want to do that. I really want to work with this band, these friends of mine, IUD, up in New York. It’s one member from Gang Gang Dance and one member from Growing. It’s two female drummers; really dirge and heavy like Fucked Up. It almost sounds like a marching line getting sped up. And girls singing about getting fucked. It’s really good. I’m also gonna be doing a lot of shows with Panda Bear this year in Europe. Basically, just gonna finish this up and hope to be in a different place a year from now.

ODDSAC Trailer:

This is the fourth part of a four part piece in which we suggest 12 films you should look for in the upcoming year. The first had 12-10, the second had 9-7, the third had 6-4, this contains films 3-1.

3. Iron Man 2
Dir. Jon Favreau
May 7, 2010
It’s been a long two years to wait for the sequel to 2008’s Iron Man. Now, that wait is almost over. Robert Downey Jr. returns as the title character along with Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, however, the rest of the cast as either changed or taken steroids. Don Cheadle has replaced Terrence Howard as Col. Rhodes (and as War Machine, sorry Terry) and Scarlett Johansson plays S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Black Widow. Sam Rockwell joins the cast as rival weapons mogul Justin Hammer and Mickey Rourke arrives on the scene as main villain Whiplash. It seems Marvel is attempting to make their The Dark Knight, we’ll see. The good news: Iron Man 2 is sure to make a smash at the box office because it officially kicks off summer movie season on May 7. The bad news: We’re the second to last country to get the film. The entire rest of the world gets the film April 30 but we have to wait a week later.

2. The Green Hornet
Dir. Michel Gondry
December 22, 2010
“From the guys who wrote Superbad and Pineapple Express, and from the guy who brought you Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind…” I can’t wait to not only see this movie, but to see their marketing campaign. How do you sell a movie from these two writers and this director working on the same movie? Regardless, Michel Gondry helms Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s script in what has to be one of the most entertaining experiences of 2010. I’m excited just on the fact that Gondry got the job from his fight choreography test tape. Also, remember Colonel Hans Landa from Inglourious Basterds? Yeah, Christoph Waltz played the Los Angeles drug lord Chudnofsky. Put that into your pipe and smoke it. Fun fact: In Knocked Up, when Seth Rogen is putting his new life together, there is an Eternal Sunshine poster on the wall behind him.

1. Inception
Dir. Christopher Nolan
July 16, 2010
Well here it is. Easily claiming the number one spot, Christopher Nolan and Inception are sure to create the greatest mindfrak of the year. Nolan (The Dark Knight, The Prestige) even said this was his most challenging film to make. Not much, in terms of story, is given to us in the trailer. We just see people jumping through hallways, avoiding misplaced trains, and playing with tops. But at this point, at least from Nolan, isn’t that enough? I was sitting in the theater watching Parisian buildings fold over themselves and knew exactly where my ass was going to be parked on July 16. Right in front of the IMAX screen when Nolan would be making my head hurt. Nolan had one hell of a decade (Memento, Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Dark Knight) and it’s no wonder he had his pet project greenlit. Just by those four movies, I know he has the talent to pull this off. He doesn’t need to tell me anything else to sell me. The only thing that disappoints me; is that most of the mouth-breathing world won’t like or understand it.

This is the third part of a four part piece in which we suggest 12 films you should look for in the upcoming year. The first had 12-10, the second had 9-7, this contains 6-4, and the fourth will have 3-1.

6. Kick-Ass
Dir. Matthew Vaughn
April 16, 2010
I think it’s safe to say already that Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake, Stardust) has made his best film. I know that’s a ballsy statement, but this movie is even ballsier.Funded on only credit cards initially, Vaughn set out to make a realistic comic book movie that, pun intended, would kick ass. Based on the comic book series of the same name, written by motormouth Mark Millar (Wanted), Kick-Ass follows a kid who dressed up in a scuba suit and thinks he’s a superhero. However, he’s not the only one who fights crime in the city, because honestly that always seems to be the case. There’s Red Mist played by McLovin and Hit-Girl, played by the younger sister from (500) Days of Summer. Then there’s Big Daddy played by my least favorite actor, Nicolas Cage. But by this point, I already like so many things about this flick that I’m gonna let him slide. Let the blood and bullets fly.

5. Shutter Island
Dir. Martin Scorsese
February 19, 2010
Despite having one of the worst trailers of all time (in terms of giving away plot), this movie is still immensely more anticipated than anything else coming out in January or February. It doesn’t seem that the DiCaprio/Scorsese train can be stopped. What I got from the trailer was that federal marshall Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) travels to Shutter Island with his partner to find one of their missing mental patients. By that point, terror ensues. Shutter Island is based on the novel by Dennis Lehane (who wrote such pick-me-ups as Mystic River and Gone Baby Gone) and is sure to be one Scorsese’s best films. I can say this because I’ve read the novel and I know Scorsese can pull off a horror movie, I just do okay?

4. Black Swan
Dir. Darren Aronofsky
4Q 2010
Not too much is known about this project currently. All that is known is that Aronofsky (Requiem For A Dream, The Fountain, The Wrestler) is making a movie about two rival ballerinas. The protagonist is the always delightful Natalie Portman who plays a ballerina trying to make it in the big show. However, she finds her self rivaled by a ballerina who is almost exactly as skilled as herself played by Mila Kunis. Now gentlemen, if you weren’t sold on the fact of Natalie and Mila, let me take it a step further: From recent script reviews, there is a sex scene between Portman and Kunis’ character in the film. I’m just going to leave you to your thoughts.

Stay Tuned for Part 4.

This is the second part of a four part piece in which we suggest 12 films you should look for in the upcoming year. The first had 12-10, this contains 9-7, the third 6-4, and the fourth will have 3-1.

9. Toy Story 3
Dir. Lee Unkrich
June 18, 2010
I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to see every piece of magic Pixar churned out. Granted, I can see this being their worst film. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be bad, because I really hope it’s better than Cars. This flick means a lot to me in many ways, first being that I grew up with these characters. I remember meeting Woody and Buzz when I was a kid and knowing that 3D animation was the coolest thing ever. Secondly, the human character of Andy is going away to college, another nostalgic sign of growing up and getting further away from my toys. I recently saw Toy Story 1 and 2 in 3D not too long ago and I can’t believe I forgot how good they are.

8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I
Dir. David Yates
November 19, 2010
It’s finally coming to an end. Once the eighth movie (even though there’s no eighth book) is released, it will be a full decade since the first movie started raking in money. Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge Pot(ter)head; I’ve read all the books, and I’ve seen all the movies, so I can’t wait to see how this magical movie monster comes to an end. The thing that gives this particular movie an extra boost of appeal, is it’s inevitable cliffhanger ending. It reveals right in the title that you’re going to leave the theater either pissed off or wanting more. Most likely it will be the latter, we’ll see.

7. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Dir. Edgar Wright
August 13, 2010
Finally, the guy behind Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz tackles a comic book adaptation. Based on Bryan Lee O’Malley’s cult comic book series, Scott Pilgrim tells the story of a Canadian wannabe rockstar who tries to win the heart of a Ramona V. Flowers. That’s all fine and dandy, but Scott (played by Michael Cera) will have to battle his way through Ramona’s seven evil ex-boyfriends in order to be with her. The style and direction is what’s going to make this movie amazing. Already we have a production photo in which Cera is running up a wall with a flaming katana. I’m not too sure what else I need to say. Early word of mouth from test screenings has been nothing short of amazing. Evidently, the film starts off with the Universal logo in 8-bit graphics accented by awesome 80’s video game music; Sweet.

Stay tuned for Part 3.