Best Albums of 2010, Thus Far

2010 is already shaping up to be a strong one musically, with several memorable albums from newcomers and veterans alike. Here's a quick run down, in no particular order, of the best that 2010 has offered up thus far:




HOT CHIP - One Life Stand
Key Track: "One Life Stand"




CARIBOU - Swim
Key Track: "Odessa"

Oscar 2010 Predictions

Back to old habits...

BEST PICTURE
Who Was Robbed: Star Trek, Fantastic Mr. Fox
Who Should Win: The Hurt Locker or A Serious Man.
Who Will Win: The Hurt Locker

BEST DIRECTOR
Who Was Robbed: Neil Blomkamp, District 9
Who Should Win: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Who Will Win: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker

BEST ACTOR
Who Was Robbed: Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man
Who Should Win: Colin Firth, A Single Man
Who Will Win: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

BEST ACTRESS
Who Was Robbed: Tilda Swinton, Julia
Who Should Win: Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Who Will Win: Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Who Was Robbed: Peter Capaldi, In The Loop
Who Should Win: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Who Will Win: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Who Was Robbed: Melanie Laurent, Diane Kruger, Inglourious Basterds
Who Should Win: Mo'Nique, Precious
Who Will Win: Mo'Nique, Precious

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Who Was Robbed: None
Who Should Win: Any of the nominees
Who Will Win: Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Who Was Robbed: Fantastic Mr. Fox
Who Should Win: Up In The Air or In The Loop
Who Will Win: Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner, Up In The Air

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Who Will Win: Avatar

BEST FILM EDITING
Who Will Win: The Hurt Locker

BEST ART DIRECTION
Who Will Win: Avatar

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Who Will Win: The Young Victoria

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Who Will Win: Up

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Who Will Win: "The Weary Kind" - Crazy Heart

BEST SOUND MIXING
Who Will Win: The Hurt Locker

BEST SOUND EDITING
Who Will Win: Avatar

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Who Will Win: Avatar

BEST MAKEUP
Who Will Win: Star Trek

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Who Will Win: Up

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM
Who Will Win: A Matter Of Loaf and Death

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Who Will Win: The White Ribbon

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
Who Will Win: The Cove

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM
Who Will Win: Music With Prudence

LOST: "Sundown" Episode Review

Tonight's episode of Lost continues Season 6's steady dash towards the series finale.  A Sayid-centric episode, "Sundown" breaks the structural mirror image to Season 1 as Kate, Locke, and Jack each had episodes devoted in the same order.  In Season 1, interestingly enough, a "Sun" episode was next slated: "House of the Rising Sun."  No matter since this episode picks up Sayid, who for all intents and purposes, has been sitting around in the background for far too long (to say nothing of poor Miles), and places him back front and center, with a vengeance.

If you're so good at killing people, take a crack at ol' Smokey for me, ok?  Thanks.

Sayid's flash-sideways is a little less exciting than his Island timeline but it is revealing nonetheless.  It focuses on a visit to his lifetime love Nadia, who, in this timeline, happens to be married to his brother Omer, and has two children.  The romantic tension remains palpable, and since no Sayid episode should be devoid of some true ass-kicking, we also find his brother has gotten in deep with some unsavory individuals.

OK Go does it again

They caused an Internet sensation with their viral dancing treadmill music video, but this is a pretty incredible clip for the song "This Too Shall Pass" off their most recent album Of the Blue Colour of the Sky.  I wonder how many times it took them to pull this off.

New Gorillaz Music Video "Stylo" featuring Bruce Willis

Thoughts on Shutter Island

I'll admit that I was a bit frustrated by Shutter Island after a first viewing, echoing the relative critical disappointment that preceded its release.  How could Scorsese allow me to sit through two and a half hours to arrive at the same conclusion I surmised after watching the trailer months ago?  Because this is supposed to be a "twist" movie, right?  Right?  Well, not entirely.  As a devoted Scorsese fan, I figured I owed him another chance, and with a second viewing one is able to avoid the tricky expectations game and the true fiery genius of Scorsese's murky Shutter Island begins to break through.  

What is russtifer?

Some of you who have been around the Oscar blog circuit may remember And the Oscar Goes To..., one of several websites inspired and spawned by Sasha Stone's classic AwardsDaily (then OscarWatch).  ATOGT, as it was often abbreviated, passed gently into the good night in 2007, after Martin Scorsese finally obtained Oscar gold with The Departed.  Since that time I've spent my time working and reading, all the while following the Oscar race, although from a considerable distance.  This new blog is in no means a return to Oscar prognostication, and in fact will be more of a showcase for my general interest in cinema, music, television, science, and medicine, as well as whatever other randomness comes into my head.  That said--once an Oscar fiend, always an Oscar fiend--so expect spotty coverage from time to time.  I'll try to regularly blog as my work schedule allows, so bear with me in the times of emotional chaos that often occur.  Let's have some fun.