The Oscars are Coming!

Besides the Inauguration, the other blessed event this week is the announcement of the nominations for the 81st Academy Awards!

I was lame this year and totally slept through them (the annoucement usually happens at 5:35am PST and usually I'm awake and ready to go but for some reason not this year).

I'm going to post more of my thoughts tomorrow but here are my 5 initial musings:

1. Benjy, Slumdog and Milk kicked Ass.
With 13, 10 and 8 noms respectively, those 3 movies rocked the house. I'm in LOVE with Slumdog and Milk so I couldn't be happier to see them nominated. I liked "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (more than most folks) so i'm not going to hate on it but...

2. Snubbing "The Dark Knight" for Best Pic was FOUL!!!!
i'm sorry - Benjy was nice and all but I was nowhere near as compelling or visually enthralling as Dark Knight. Chris Nolan and company were robbed and should send in a bunch of men dressed in clown masks to wreck shit. I'm pissed.

3. Great actors were recognized while some were snubbed!
Kate Winslet was nominated for the "Reader" but she BURNED DOWN THE HOUSE in "Revolutionary Road" so I think she should have been nominated for both IMHO. Kristen Scott-Thomas (I've Loved You So Long), Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire) and even my boy Leo deserved recognition this year as well.

Thank God the Academy saw fit to nom Melissa Leo (Frozen River), Richard Jenkins (The Visitor) and Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road) for their awesome work - three amazing performances which should not be missed.

4. New Black Folks were Nominated!
Viola Davis (Doubt) and Taraji P. Henson (Benjy) were both nominated for Best Supporting Actress. Great news for all of us as the Academy continues to broaden its horizons and recognize more people of color each and every year.

Of the two performances, I feel like Viola really brought the heat in her few scenes in Doubt. She tore Meryl a new one in her pivotal scene (all with the snot running out of her nose!). Sadly, i thought Taraji was only ok frankly. I know Taraji can bring more fire to her work and I didn't really see get the meaty scene she deserved to really lay into Brad's old backwards ass.

I felt like Fincher kind of regulated her to more of a Mammy role vs. a more 3D character. I had the pleasure to meet Taraji a few years ago at a work thang and I don't think things were going her way at that time; she was complaining about bit about Hollywood and the current status of her career. I told her to hang in there and that great things were going to come her way - I'm glad to see that I was right!

5. We get to see Mickey Rourke on the Red Carpet!
I wonder how high will he be? That alone will be worth tuning in to ABC on Feb. 22 let alone what kind of love poem he will read to his dogs! He is certifiable whack job but God, he was amazing in "The Wrestler."

Ok, those are my initial thoughts for now but more tomorrow (if I have more to say!). Here is a link to reactions from some of the nominees.

Click here for a full list of nominees or scroll down below:

Best Motion Picture of the Year
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button • Frost/Nixon • Milk • The Reader • Slumdog Millionaire

Achievement in Directing
• David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button • Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon • Gus Van Sant, Milk • Stephen Daldry, The Reader • Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
• Richard Jenkins, The Visitor • Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon • Sean Penn, Milk • Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button • Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
• Josh Brolin, Milk • Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder • Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt • Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight • Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
• Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married • Angelina Jolie, Changeling • Melissa Leo, Frozen River • Kate Winslet. The Reader • Meryls Streep, Doubt

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
• Amy Adams, Doubt • Penélope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona • Viola Davis, Doubt • Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button • Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
• Bolt • Kung Fu Panda • Wall-E

Original Screenplay
• Dustin Lance Black, Milk • Courtney Hunt, Frozen River • Mike Leigh, Happy Go Lucky • Martin McDonagh, In Bruges • Andrew Stanton and Jim Reardon, WALL-E

Adapted Screenplay
• Eric Roth and Robin Swicord, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button • John Patrick Shanley, Doubt • Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon • David Hare, The Reader • Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
• The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany) • The Class (France) • Departures (Japan) • Revanche (Austria) • Waltz With Bashir (Israel)

Original Score
• Alexandre Desplat, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button • James Newton Howard, Defiance • Danny Elfman, Milk • A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire • Thomas Newman, WALL-E

Original Song
• "Down to Earth," Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman; WALL-E • "Jai Ho," A. R. Rahman and Gulzar; Slumdog Millionaire • "O Saya," A. R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam; Slumdog Millionaire

Achievement in Art Direction
• Changeling • The Curious Case of Benjamin Button • The Dark Knight • The Duchess • Revolutionary Road

Achievement in Cinematography
• Changeling • The Curious Case of Benjamin Button • The Dark Knight • The Reader • Slumdog Millionaire

Achievement in Costume Design
• Australia • The Curious Case of Benjamin Button • The Duchess • Milk • Revolutionary Road

Best Documentary Feature
• The Betrayal (Nerakhoon) • Encounters at the End of the World • The Garden • Man on Wire • Trouble the Water

Best Documentary Short Subject
• The Conscience of Nhem En • The Final Inch • Smile Pinki • The Witness—From the Balcony of Room 306

Achievement in Film Editing
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button • The Dark Knight • Frost/Nixon • Milk • Slumdog Millionaire

Achievement in Makeup
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button • The Dark Knight • Frost/Nixon • Milk • Slumdog Millionaire Best Animated Short Film
• La Maison en Petits Cubes • Lavatory—Lovestory • Oktapodi • Presto • This Way Up

Best Live Action Short Film
• Auf der Strecke (On the Line) • Manon on the Asphalt • New Boy • The Pig • Spielzeugland (Toyland)

Achievement in Sound Editing
• The Dark Knight • Iron Man • Slumdog Millionaire • WALL-E • Wanted

Achievement in Sound Mixing
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button • The Dark Knight • Slumdog Millionaire • WALL-E • Wanted

Achievement in Visual Effects
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button • The Dark Knight • Iron Man