Fresh Loaf

1. Our complete Oscar predictions, even ‘Documentary Short’ (It undoubtedly was Fresh Loaf’s gusto for “The Conscience of Nhem En’s” that pushed this blog post over the top.)

2. Upcoming AJC cuts to be ’substantial’ (Tragic and unfair, but not really a surprise.)

3. The Televangelist: ‘Lost’ episode 6 (What happened Ben? What happened to Aaron? What happened to Kate’s unconvincing attempt to abide by the law?)

4. Georgia has the Bible Belt blues (The Christian Coaltion relied on teetotaling teenagers to threaten our chance to buy beer on Sundays. Meanies.)

5. Madea Goes to Jail, locks out critics (Tyler Perry is predictably cagey about his newest project.)

(Photo by Ishika Mohan)

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My favorite part of last night’s Oscars show (if I can find a better-quality copy, I’ll link to it):

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MILLION DOLLAR BABY: 'Slumdog Millionaire' took home eight awards, including Best Picture

Another Oscars telecast has come and gone. High points included Ben Stiller as an aloof, contrary and disheveled Joaquin Phoenix, the James Franco/Seth Rogen bit, and, of course, Sean Penn calling the Academy a “bunch of commie, liberal, homo-loving sons of guns” during his Best Actor acceptance speech. (Thank goodness he didn’t say bitch there, right? That would’ve been pushing it.) Oh! How could I forget the acceptance speech for Best Animated Short, where the Japanese director of “La maison en petits cubes” actually said, “Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto!” I kid you not. Low points included Hugh Jackman’s declaration that “Musicals are back!” and Sophia Loren’s rise from the dead. Slumdog Millionaire kicked ass and took names, to no one’s surprise. Here’s a recap of the top categories next to the predictions from last week’s CL reader’s poll. P.S. Thanks to all who participated in last night’s live-blog.

Actor in a supporting role: Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight (CL readers’ prediction: Heath Ledger)

Actress in a supporting role: Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (CL readers’ prediction: Marisa Tomei for The Wrestler)

Actor in a leading role: Sean Penn for Milk (CL readers’ prediction: Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler)

Actress in a leading role: Kate Winslet for The Reader (CL readers’ prediction: Kate Winslet)

Directing: Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire (CL readers’ prediction: Danny Boyle)

Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire (CL readers’ prediction: Slumdog Millionaire)

Check out Oscar.com for the complete list.

(Photo by Ishika Mohan)

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The bar at the Fork & Screen

I wasn’t sure I was cut out for spending a Saturday watching all five best picture nominees back-to-back in a Buckhead dinner theater. This was the kind of activity reserved for trekkies or Star Wars and Lord  of the Rings fanatics. But work demands sacrifices, and since I’m in charge of CL’s Oscar live-blog tonight, I figured I owed it to y’all to have seen more than Pineapple Express and Slumdog Millionaire. As it turns out, I’m pretty good at sitting, watching and eating for hours on end. Allison Keene, aka the Televangelist, who came along too, ain’t too bad either. The AMC Buckhead Fork & Screen proved a decent venue, if a bit cold and noisy. But once I got my coffee and we figured out how to adjust our seats, things went fairly smoothly. When I sat down today to do my recap, Allison had already turned one out. So rather than tell you the same things twice, I’ll leave you with Allison’s tales of German indiscretions, fanny fatigue, and four out of five recommendations (with which I concur)…:

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1) The Tuaca Body Art Ball stops by Opera.

2) Watch the Oscars with us!

3) Out on Film presents Ready? OK! at the Plaza Theatre.

4) Michael Franti and Spearhead play Variety Playhouse.

5) Cornel West speaks at Georgia Tech’s Black Leadership Conference.

(Photo courtesy Tuaca Body Art Ball)

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Heath Ledger (front) as the Joker, your pick for Best supporting actor

The votes are in, and the awards go to:

Actor in a supporting role: Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight, with 80 percent of the votes

Actress in a supporting role: Marisa Tomei for The Wrestler, with 36 percent, barley beating out Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, who came in with 32 percent

Actor in a leading role: Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler, with 56 percent

Actress in a leading role: Kate Winslet for The Reader, with 67 percent

Directing: Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire, with 53 percent

Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire, with 57 percent

Thanks to everyone who voted. We’ll see how closely our picks match the Academy’s this Sunday. Don’t forget to visit FreshLoaf during the Oscars for our live-blog!

(Photo courtesy Warner Brothers)

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The CL Readers’ Choice Oscar polls that is. Cast your vote here for best supporting actress/actor, lead actress/actor, directing and best picture. Polls close at 5 p.m., when we’ll tally the votes and see who wins. Not sure who to vote for? Check out our cheat sheet here, and Curt Holman’s Oscar picks here.

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POUND IT OUT: "Which way to the bar?"

The idea of an Academy Awards drinking game seems almost like a hindrance during a global economic downward spiral: won’t obeying pesky rules just impede our nightly, alcohol-fueled descent into sweet, sweet oblivion? If you want Oscar Party-inebriation to come sooner rather than later, consider taking a drink for every awkward appearance of a young Hollywood star like Zac Efron, or every time the orchestra cuts off an acceptance speech, or maybe just whenever someone says “And the Oscar goes to…” Or says “Oscar,” for that matter. Otherwise, here are some suggested rules for the 81st Academy Award show, airing on ABC at 8:30 p.m. Warning: if you get too drunk, you might miss our simultaneous Liveblogging on Fresh Loaf. (Oscar the Souse would like to acknowledge the suggestions of Kent Gash, William Goss and Doug Hamilton.)

• First, if host Hugh Jackman plugs his upcoming movie X-Men Origins: Wolverine, take a drink. If he does so by tearing open an Academy Award envelope with one of his adamantium claws, finish your drink.
• If Slumdog Millionaire wins Best Picture, drink tea from your party’s designated chai-wallah. But treat him with respect, because he might be able to buy and sell you by the end of the night.
• If Milk wins Best Picture, have a milk-based drink like a White Russian, but under no circumstances have a milkshake, because “I drink your milkshake” is just so pre-recession.
• If The Curious Case of Benjamin Button wins Best Picture, drink a hurricane. You know, because of the Katrina themes? And the New Orleans setting? What – too soon?
• If Mickey Rourke wins Best Actor for The Wrestler, take a drink, inject your buttock with an unidentified steroid and shave your armpits before the rest of the party guest hit you with a folding chair and fire staple-guns at you.
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BURIED TREASURE: "This Way Up" stands out among Oscar-nominated short films.

The nominees for Best Animated and Live Action Short Film tend to be the most obscure entries on Oscar night, not counting the documentary categories, of course. The relative obscurity of short subjects makes the Oscar Nominated Short Films 2009 program, divided into animated and live-action segments, so handy.

I guarantee, however, that most of you have already seen one of the animated shorts. Pixar’s “Presto,” about a pompous stage magician and his hungry bunny. It was attached to last summer’s WALL-E and received a bigger showcase than its competitors could have dreamed of. Although it’s one of Pixar’s best shorts, and a delightful tribute to the slapstick cartoons of past generations, “Presto” has garnered more than enough approbation, so it’d be nice if one of the other nominees won the statuette.

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The 2009 Academy Awards may have the most predictable Oscar slate in recent memory: most of the likely winners look like they’ll carry their categories in a walk. But upsets happen every year, and the most surprising turn of events would be if nothing surprising happened. (By the way, did we mention that we’ll be Liveblogging the Oscars broadcast on Sunday night? We did? Just checking.) At any rate, here’s my complete list of predictions in every categories. And they’re my final answers, Anil Kapoor.

Best Picture: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, Milk, The Reader , Slumdog Millionaire

Prediction: Benjamin Button received the most nominations and has earned the most money at the box office, Milk has the greatest political cachet, but Slumdog Millionaire has the most momentum, having virtually swept the various Guild awards. Plus the movie actually leaves the audience feeling good, which can’t hurt at times like these.

Best Director: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire), Stephen Daldry (The Reader), David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon), Gus Van Sant (Milk)

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CL’s Curt Holman discusses the nominees, the snubs and the sure things with Atlanta Film Festival executive director Gabe Wardell. They also chat about the upcoming AFF (April 16-25) and the Spirit Awards (Sat., Feb. 21).

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Sometimes I forget my own mother’s birthday. In fact, it would be a serious problem if I didn’t write it down. So, don’t feel bad if you can’t remember which movies you saw this year or what they were about because we’ve been keeping track the whole time. For example, if you think Revolutionary Road was that really long movie about Che Guevera, you’re just wrong and need to read Curt Holman’s review to jog your memory. Check out this list of the top nominees after the jump:

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Academy, schmacademy. We hold your opinions in much higher regard, dear readers. Pollster whiz Nate Silver (who called the 2008 presidential election long before you stepped into that seven-hour voting line) has posted his picks to win. But he uses math and computers and logic and stuff, which we frown upon here at the Loaf. Curt Holman will select his picks later this week based on having seen the nominated films and judged them with his stern critical eye. While we respect Curt’s wisdom and Nate’s calculus skills, we also think there’s merit to choosing winners based on number of nude scenes (Kate Winslet) or how drastically they altered their appearance for a role (Robert Downey Jr.). So the floor is yours, readers. Cast your votes now and we’ll announce CL’s Readers’ Choice Awards Friday afternoon. Make sure you read past the jump and vote in all six categories…

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Feeling a little down at the prospect of putting on a classy new cocktail dress just to watch Sunday’s Academy Awards in your living room? While there aren’t a whole lot of Oscar events around town, we’ve got the goods on a few solid options — and the lack of parties is all the more reason to check out CL’s Oscar coverage.

Prepare mentally for the showdown and check out all five Best Picture nominees in a single day at the AMC Best Picture Showcase this Saturday.

Oscar Nights® America – Atlanta, Atlanta’s only official Oscar party, features cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and dessert, as well as a silent auction, cigar bar and WSB-TV’s Jovita Moore as emcee. Proceeds benefit the Center for Family Resources, which helps low-income families find employment, education and housing — so the warm and fuzzy feelings won’t solely be the result of Hugh Jackman on the big screen.

Women in Film and Television is holding a slightly more laid-back party at STATS. With five bars and lots of TVs, STATS is a good place to relax and network while watching the festivities. There’s also an Oscar prediction contest with prizes.

(Photo © A.M.P.A.S.)

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It’s T-5 days ’til the Oscars and we’ve got a smorgasbord of coverage planned. Who cares, you say? The Oscars are fixed!, you bemoan. I saw Madea Goes to Jail instead of Milk last Friday, you admit.

Well, we hear ya, so we’re bringing you options. Tomorrow, Curt Holman discusses the nominees, the snubs and the sure things in a podcast with Atlanta Film Festival executive director Gabe Wardell. They’ll also chat about the upcoming AFF (April 16-25) and the Spirit Awards (Sat., Feb. 21).

For those of you who’ve heard of the Best Picture nominees, but have failed to actually see any of them, CL blogger Allison Keene and I will undertake the heroic effort of watching all five films in one afternoon at the AMC Best Picture Showcase this Sat., Feb. 21, and will blog about the flicks. The event is open to the public, but I warn you: Our jobs, which entail sitting and staring at screens for eight-plus hours at a time, have us conditioned for the experience in a way the average moviegoer is not.

We know the rest of you are only here for the booze (lushes). Our Events page will have all the goods on local Oscar parties later this week, or you could stay in and play Curt’s Academy Awards drinking game, Oscar the Souse, and comment on our Oscar night live-blog. There’s always room for more bitchy fashion commentary.

Check back to our A&E page throughout the week for more Oscar swag including Curt’s 2009 version of Oscar the Souse and his picks to win, an online CL reader’s poll, and a nominee cheat sheet of CL reviews.

(Photo courtesy EW.com/AP/Wide World)

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Kelly: South DeKalb Mall. It’s terrible. It’s all high school kids going nuts. They’re always screaming at the screen. Drinks are splattered all around me. I get popcorn thrown on my head. It’s a day out at the zoo. People there never shut up. The floors are always sticky. They bring their screaming babies and never shut up. I’d rather drive 30 miles out of the way than go to that theater, even for a crappy C-movie. It always smells like someone peed in your seat.

Jane: Regal [Cinemas Hollywood] 24. God, it is awful. They tore down a beautiful drive-in to put this damn thing in. Twenty-four movies is just confusing. You want to go watch a movie, instead you’re listening to an 8-year-old translate the movie for his entire family. It’s always very crowded. It’s like parking at the mall on Christmas Eve. Instead of walking in to enjoy a movie, you feel like cattle hoping for a seat or a piece of popcorn. The experience is not enjoyable.

Nik: Atlantic Station is hell. It’s like a cancerous boil sprung out of the earth. It is horrible parking, almost like a labyrinth to find your way out of there. They trap you in there with the gates, and the [parking] cards constantly mess up. The concession stand is horrible. They don’t know the meaning of customer service. It’s a date crowd, and they also get people with families at 12:30 at night. So halfway through the movie, at a horror movie, you hear babies crying.

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This is no joy in Gotham City this morning following the Academy Award nominations. Heath Ledger earned the expected, posthumous Best Supporting Actor nod for The Dark Knight, but that’s the only major award garnered by the downbeat Batman film, which happens to be the second-highest grossing film ever made. The Producers, Directors and Writers Guilds all nominated The Dark Knight, but the Academy, never one to eagerly embrace genre films, shut it out of the Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay categories while giving it eight nominations overall.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, Milk and Slumdog Millionaire all earned major nominations, including Best Picture, as expected. Button got the most total nods, at 13, with Slumdog the runner-up, with 10.

So what took the Dark Knight’s “slot?” Apparently The Reader, the post-Holocaust drama starring Kate Winslet (pictured). Not only did Oscar give it nominations for Best Picture, Best Director for Stephen Daldry and Best Adapted Screenplay, Kate Winslet triumphed over herself in Revolutionary Road. The studios had campaigned for Winslet as Supporting Actress in The Reader and lead in Revolutionary Road, but Academy instead gave her lead nomination and snubbed Revolutionary Road in the rest of the major categories, except Michael Shannon as supporting actor.

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