Best Picture Oscar Catch Up

I've just got back from finally seeing Django Unchained and with just two days left until the Oscar ceremony, I've still got to see Beasts of the Southern Wild and Lincoln out of the best picture nominees. Showcase Cinemas are doing a special offer for their Insider members that you can get two tickets to Beasts for only £5 all this week up to Thursday and you can get a single ticket for Lincoln for just £5.

Of the Best Picture nominees, I have already seen the following and if I've reviewed them, just click the title:

Argo
Amour
Life of Pi
Silver Linings Playbook
Les Miserables
Django Unchained
Zero Dark Thirty 

For some reason I've only reviewed five of these and I'm afraid it's far too late to write reviews of Argo and Amour as I saw them both ages ago. Suffice to say, I loved Argo but Amour wasn't really my bag, well crafted and superbly acted though it undoubtedly is.

As I said in this post the other day, I've got a little bit of money riding on the Oscars this year and am hoping selfishly and stupidly for Zero Dark Thirty to win best picture; not for its directing, acting, story, cinematography or the whole producing package but simply because the odds are about 80/1 and I'd make a killing!

Anyway this is by far the most of the best picture nominees I have ever seen before the Oscar ceremony so it all makes the awards season slightly more interesting and entertaining than I normally find it. I guess the main purpose of this post is to ask anyone reading this, how may of the best picture nominees have you seen?

And if I could only see one out of Beasts of the Southern Wild or Lincoln before the awards ceremony, what would you recommend is the one I should go for?

So far, for me I'd like either Argo or Life of Pi to bag the award. Les Mis and Amour should get some for acting and give Tarantino one for his best screenplay since Pulp Fiction!

Radio Debut at Amazing Radio

On Wednesday I got the opportunity to record a segment for Amazing Radio talking film with Ruth Barnes on her breakfast show.  It aired today at just after 9am and thanks to the wonders of internet radio and all that, you can still listen to it for a little while!  Head here to hear the show, click on Amazing Rewind - Ruth Barnes At Breakfast 16.11.12 and my part starts around the 2.07.00 mark!  I was representing Filmoria and was asked to discuss the new releases heading into UK cinemas this weekend.

It wasn't the best week for me to be doing this unfortunately as I hadn't seen all the films on release and I'm not going to admit to how many of these films I've actually seen.  But I gave it my best shot at sounding like I knew what I was talking about and apart from all the umming and aaahing and stuttering and my monotonous tone, I think it went pretty well.

Also with Ruth saying such kind things about Filmoria and also my radio debut, I forgot to get the web address for Filmoria out.  I'm sure people will be able to find it with a search engine but I still would have liked to say www.filmoria.co.uk  There anyway I hope that sort of makes up for it.

Anyway the host Ruth is absolutely lovely and knows her stuff.  She is a Haneke fan and had clearly done her research on the films we discussed so the whole thing was an absolute pleasure and I'm incredibly grateful to Filmoria for the opportunity!

The films we discussed were:

Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2 reviewed here



Amour reviewed here



Up There reviewed here

Can't embed the trailer sorry!

Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet



 Head here to hear the show, click on Amazing Rewind - Ruth Barnes At Breakfast 16.11.12 and my part starts around the 2.07.00 mark!

If you give it a listen please let me know how you think I did!