Fantaverse Society of Film Critics Awards show 2008

That in memoriam actually had me pretty choked up. It was a very tough year. Normally there are like 2 names I recognize. This year was rough. May all those fine contributions to the acting craft rest in peace.

Women have come a long way in a short time. There are not a lot of roles out there where women can get past their beauty and find something real to communicate with on screen. But when it happens it is magical. Maybe, it's my hormones talking but I find that when a women takes a commanding performance, it's way more impressive then if a guy does it. Actually, i don't think that's hormones, that's probably my sociology classes coming back to me.

Anyways, 2009 brought us a diverse set of women for us to juggle around in our minds.
First, we have a 'happy go lucky' star making performance by Sally Hawkins as Poppy in Happy Go lucky.

Then we had a women who lost her son and most defintely wanted him back. That lady was Angelina Jolie as Christine Collins in Changeling.

We've got a nun who ain't taking no shit from Father Flynn. That would be the ever nominated Meryl Streep as Sister Aloysius in Doubt.

Next, we've got a chick who is 33 but barely looks 23. She plays a housewife looking for more, maybe a trip to France even. That would be the ever so classically beautiful Kate Winslet as April Wheeler in Revolutionary Road.

Finally, and appropriately, we've got a lady on her deathbed retelling a story of this curious case. That lady would be Cate Blanchett as Daisy in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

And the winner is . . . .

Kate Winslet in Revolutionary Road



she is totally psyched!

Kate Winslet makes it through the barrage of fine female performance ironically in a role the academy overlooked.

Undeadmonkey was going to present the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role but since he is not here I guess I will do it.
The nominees for Best Actor in a Leading Role are:

Sean Penn playing the inspiring life and tragic death of Harvey Milk in 'Milk'

Mickey Rourke playing an aging wrestler trying to relive his glory days in The Wrestler

Frank Langella playing the 37th President of the United States Richard Nixon in Frost/Nixon

Brad Pitt playing Benjamin Button who has to live life backwards in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Leonardo DiCaprio playing Frank Wheeler who seemingly has it all in Revolutionary Road

Robert Downey Jr. playing the billionaire playboy Tony Stark in Iron Man

The winner is...

Mickey Rourke The Wrestler

Well at least we didn't screw this up. Now I just hope I can say the same for the academy on Sunday. Absolutely deserving. Its been a very solid night.

RAM JAM!!!!

Nice win there. 100% behind it.

And now to present the penultimate award of the evening for Achievement in Directing, Geezer.

Some seriously talented directors achieved some monumental accomplishments in 2008. Your nominees for Best Director are:

He has already accomplished great science fiction, as well as zombie horror. Now he takes his turn at a triumphant tale in the greatest achievement of his career. Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire

After mesmerizing us with the innovative Memento, Spellbinding us in the prestige and revitalizing a dying franchise in Batman Begins, Christopher Nolan gave us the masterpiece that was The Dark Knight.

Having already combined with Brad Pitt twice before in Se7en and Fight Club, David Fincher once again proves why he is one of today's best directors in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Showing he is not all about style, and can create something out of grit, dirt and raw emotion, Darren Aronofski pulls off a film few others could have done.

After two wildly successful turn's directing for Pixar in A Bug's Life and Finding Nemo, Andrew Stanton pulls off the masterpiece film we all knew he could, with Wall-E

And the winner is... Probably more of an upset here than it will be on sunday, Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire.

Wow...couldn't have seen that coming!

Seriously, though.

That definitely is a real upset around here

And now for the final award of the evening, Best Picture.

Throughout the show we have watched the Featurettes of each respective nominee, here's a reminder:

Slumdog Millionaire


The Dark Knight


WALL•E


The Curious Case of Benjamin Button


The Wrestler



and the winner is....

The Dark Knight

clapclapclap


btw, just got back from the Wrestler... amazing movie.. definitely deserving of being a top 5 contender for the year.. and i'm not normally an Aronofsky fan

It was about as predictable as watching slumdog win on Sunday night will be. That said, this win is so much more satisfying, as it is truly the best picture of the year. Soon I will be posting the films that should have won best picture for the last 30 years. And yes, the Dark Knight is my pick for 2008. Thanks for a great night guys. Not terribly disappointed anywhere.

p.s. Writing and talking about and watching the trailer and listening to the song has REALLY made me want to go watch the Wrestler again. Glad you enjoyed it NSpan.

Damn, I thought The Wrestler had an outside shot at an upset there!

Solid, diverse picks overall though!

I saw that coming a mile away. No one can deny the forum's love for The Dark Knight.

Most other years I would have been picking the Wrestler all the way. But it had the unfortunate task of going up against the best movie ever made.

Geez, you really think Slumdog Millionaire is going to win? I mean, I'm sure most everyone else here is of the same opinion given it's kicking ass at every single major awards ceremony, but I'm thinking the Academy is going to surprise us this year. The last two years weren't even really close at all. With only two nominated films really having a shot at the title both years, but this year, I think any one of the nominees could grab it. I don't think they're all necessarily deserving, but it's a pretty open race I think.

Well there we have it, 2 and a half hours later, our winners.

Best Picture
The Dark Knight

Best Director
Danny Boyle – Slumdog Millionaire

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Kate Winslet- Revolutionary Road

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler

Best Foreign Language Film
Let the Right One In

Best Cast
The Dark Knight

Best Screenplay
In Bruges – Martin McDonagh

Breakthrough Performance
James Franco- Pineapple Express

I would like to give Special thanks to Buscemi, Keyser, Geezer, Undeadmonkey, A_Roode, IPKI$$, Silversurfer, Numbersix99, Trans and JackO without you guys tonight would not be possible. To everyone else who voted Shryke, Banks, Barca, NSpan, johnErle, Mr. I, jas_8382 and Rasgriz a big Thank You also.

To play us out Heath Ledger and others who aren't with us any more

I absolutely think Slumdog is going to win. I think its a foregone conclusion. The Oscars love to play it safe. Its won everything. If you really think its wide open, you should start placing bets on the other contenders. You'd make a big profit. Slumdog is a HUGE favorite amongst odds-makers.

I personally don't want it to win, but hey, who am I? I'd pick Benjamin Button, because my top 3 films weren't nominated.