2011 Review

Another year over and done with and once again, my blog has had even less posts than any previous years. At this rate I seem to just be posting about the Oscars, E3 and doing a yearly review. Oh well, if this is all my blog is used for, then that’ll do.

Anyway, here goes:

Films

I first have to say that in my opinion, this has been truly awful year for films. I’ve really struggled to find 3 films to fill my top 3, and even then, whilst good, none of these has totally blown me away. I’d give each of these films no higher than an 8/10 (with the exception of The Girl Who Leaped Through Time, which is a clear 9/10, but technically that wasn’t released in 2011), which is pretty poor for a best of list.

I have to say, however, that I have been to the cinema less and less over the last few years, and tend to catch up on films later down the line via the likes of Lovefilm, but I still go to the cinema if there is a film that I desperately want to see, and this year there seems to be a definite lack of “”must see” films.

Top 3 films of 2010

The Girl Who Leaped Through Time

Okay, yet again this it a bit of a cheat, as this film was released in 2006 (although I’m not sure when it first came out on DVD/Blu-ray over here), but what the hell. As I seem to be catching up on a great number of films late recently, I’m adding it for the hell of it.

An enchanting, clever and moving Anime film about high school, love and time travel. Also, definitely my film of the year.

Rango

For once (in a long time) a Pixar film has not managed to make it into my top 3, instead that place has gone to Rango. A bizarre and hilarious CGI take on spaghetti westerns of old.

Black Swan

What I loved about this movie is that if you didn’t know any better going into the film, you wouldn’t realise that beyond the exterior of a simple film about ballet, lies a shocking and disturbing horror film underneath.

Notable mentions (for good or bad)

Source Code
Not quite as good as Moon, but a great second film from Duncan Jones. Reminds me a great deal of a sci-fi cross between Quantum Leap and Groundhog Day, but in a good way.

Thor and Captain America
Surprisingly good superhero adaptations, and probably the best Marvel films to date (I was not a fan of the Iron Man movies)

Julia’s Eyes
Not quite as good as I had hoped, but has to be mentioned as my token Spanish horror film of the year.

Sucker Punch
I really, REALLY wanted to like this. I loved Watchmen, Dawn of the Dead and 300, and as such believed that as this was an original script from Zack Snyder, that this would be a more personal, more spectacular and perhaps even a better film for it. Wrong, wrong and wrong again.

A Slew of Anime films:
I seem to have catched up on a great number of anime films this year, most of which have been quite excellent. As such, I thought that I’d list a few of them here:
Summer Wars
Arriety
Whisper of the Heart
The Cat Returns


Games

Top 3 games on 2010

This really was a tough one to call... but I just about whittled it down to the top 3 which are as follows:

Xenoblade Chronicles - Wii

This is, without a doubt, the game that I have spent the most time playing in 2011. It is also unquestionably, the best JRPG of this generation of consoles. In fact, I remember recently reading on a forum thread asking what the best Final Fantasy game was since VII that someone had simply answered “Xenoblade Chronicle”. It made me chuckle, but it is also very true.

It combines the best parts of Final Fantasy XII (battle system), with Final Fantasy VIII (equipment customization with crystals) and adds its own spin on things adding further additional elements. This together with a truly excellent story and memorable and likeable characters, and also some truly stunning environments on the humble Wii, made for an exceptional game.

Uncharted 3 – PS3

First of all, I think I need to get out of the way the fact that I think that Uncharted 2 is the better game, and is the pinnacle of the series so far, but saying that Uncharted 3 comes very close to the lofty highs of Uncharted 2.

As with any game in the Uncharted series, it’s the set-pieces that make the game, for Uncharted 2 the highlights for me were the train chapter and the tank chapter, for Uncharted 3 this is the chapters on a cruise liner and the truck convoy. Whilst obviously inspired by the likes of the Poseidon Adventure and Raiders of the Lost Ark, these were still fantastic gaming moments and the reason why the Uncharted games are so fantastic. In no other game that I can think of, does it really feel like you’re playing in a summer blockbuster movie.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - Wii

Well, first I have to say that I haven't had as much time with this game as the others in my top 3 list, but what I have played so far, I have loved. I'm currently on the third dungeon, of I don't know how many, but what I have been able to ascertain so far is that this game still carries the same Zelda DNA, but at the same time is a very different beast than the past few Zelda's. This is largely due to to the motion controls, which whilst getting a little while to get used to, really do add to the experience.

The other elements which I think I should ass is that the puzzles also seem moire varied than previous and also very devious in places. The fights are also a lot more difficult, even lesser enemies need to be carefully approached and dealt with. Lastly, for some reason the story and Link's connection to Zelda, feels that bit more personal in this game than those previous.

Overall, it's Zelda, and I still love it!

I have to add (before I go onto the notable mentions), that I have also not had the chance to play Skyrim and also Batman: Arkham City during 2011 (I had both for Christmas, but Zelda and Mario Kart have taken priority). I hope to play these during early 2012.

Notable mentions (for good or bad)

LA Noire
Started off really promising, but it got boring real quick. It had all the appearances of an open game, but in reality was far from this. What really got on my nerves was that no matter how well, or poorly, you did on a case, the outcome seemed to be pretty much the same.

Infamous 2
Mentioned for the purpose of bringing up the truly fantastic evil (as opposed to the good route) ending. It’s rare that a games plot surprises me, but this came as a shock for 2 separate reasons, which I won’t spoil here. Overall it was a game which was great fun to play, but didn’t vary greatly from the original. All the same, a great PS3 exclusive.

Mario Kart 7
Only just recently got for Christmas and as such, have not put in as much time with it as I would like, but out of this and Mario Land 3D, I've spent much more time with this. I'd even go as far to say that this very nearly sneaked into my top 3 games of the year. What I have played so far, leads me to believe that this is quite possibly the most finely tuned Mario Kart game since Mario Kart DS (minus the annoying snaking which ruined online games).

Super Mario Land 3D
Also just got for Christmas (present to myself). Seems very much like the classic Mario games of old, specifically the likes of Mario 3 and Mario World. Even on a small screen, this still shines.

Pullblox
A small downloadable game for the 3DS, but a fantastic little puzzle game. It is also the best use of 3D in a game to date.

Battlefield 3
The best online multiplayer game of 2011 IMHO.

Life

A few bullet points of memorable things in my life from 2011:

My holiday in Wales with Roz and Elliot. Highlights include standing in a park that I used to visit as a child with a fantastic view of the Severn Bridge and also taking Elliot out on a mountain bike trip, only to get terribly lost in the wilds of Wales.

A trip to Budapest for a work course, this being my first trip to another European country apart from the UK and France.

Having to (recently) explain to Elliot what breast implants were, only for him to reply “why on earth would someone want to do that?”

Okay, I’m officially stumped to think of a number of other points, but what I will say is that although I can’t provide a long list of bullet points for the year, overall it has been a very happy year, made all the more happier because I get to spend a large majority of my time with both Roz and Elliot. After all, it’s not necessarily the big events in a year that make it a good year, it is also the small quite moments that makes life good.

Lastly.... A Happy New Year to everyone!

Okay then… Roll on 2012!

Happy Christmas everyone!

Just a quick note to wish everyone a very merry Christmas!

Most anticipated games of 2012

As there are only a couple of months left of 2011 (hasn’t it gone fast), and most of the games for the last quarter of 2011 are now know, I thought I’d take this opportunity to look towards 2012 and my most anticipated games (that are known at present) for next year.

This is all bearing in mind that the world does not end in 2012 of course!

Anyway, without further ado starting from 10 and going all the way up to 1:

10: Animal Crossing (3DS)

I really got into Animal Crossing when it came out on the Gamecube and also to a lesser extent when it came out on the DS. I never got around to playing the Wii version, but for some reason I’m really looking forward to the 3DS version of this series.

I’m hoping that they make good use of the internet community this time and also that Streetpass and Spotpass are used well with this game (where I can see a great deal of promise).

9: Nu Ni Kuni (PS3)

There is also another DS game in this series due out, but it is the PS3 game which I’m really looking forward to.

I love Studio Ghibli, and the thought of them teaming up with Level 5 (who I really like as developers) is just fantastic. The art style really makes this, in my opinion, quite simply the most gorgeous game on the PS3, and if Dragon Quest IX is anything to go by, I’m hoping that the JPRG gameplay also matches the visuals.

8: Fire Emblem (3DS)

I have never played a Fire Emblem game, and I think that it is about time that I do.

I love the other strategic game by Intelligent Systems, namely the Advance Wars series, but for some reason or another have never got around to picking up one of the Fire Emblem games, possibly because next to the Advance Wars games they have in the past looked a little dated.

7: Uncharted: Golden Abyss (PSV)

There is a strong possibility that I may buy myself a Playstation Vita and the main reason for this is Uncharted: Golden Abyss. Whilst I have my doubts that a handheld version of this game will reach the dizzy heights of the PS3 games, even if this almost as good as the console versions, that will be plenty good enough for me!

It’s just a bit of shame that there doesn’t appear to be an online component to this game, as I’ve come to really like Uncharted online of late.

6: Starhawk (PS3)

I was a big fan of Warhawk when it was released on the PS3, even to this day it is one of my favourite multiplayer experiences on the PS3. As such I’m also excited about the sequel.

Warhawk always played like an arcade version of Battlefield, and Starhawk looks like it will play in a similar style, except that there are now stages set in space, and the fact that you can also add buildings to the landscape in a semi-RTS fashion. There is also a single player game in there (something that Warhawk lacked), although I believe that it is likely that multiplayer will likely be the big draw.

5: Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright (3DS)

This was on my list from last year, and obviously did not make it out during the year (even in Japan). Here’s hoping that A: This is localised for Europe and B: This is released during 2012. Hopefully given the popularity of both characters and the fact that it topped the poll on Level 5’s website a few months ago for preferred games to be localised, will ensure that it is released.

I’m still not sure how they will mix the puzzle solving with the investigations and court room proceedings, but I have very high hopes.

4: Journey (PS3)

I was lucky enough to be part of the closed Beta for this (I was selected because I purchased both Flow and Flower on release – and also because of the playtime I put into each). I’ll also go on record stating that in my opinion Flower is the most remarkable indie/download only game that I have ever played. From my short time playing Journey, I believe that this could very well top Flower.

Journey has all of the wonder of Flower and also the sense of scale and isolation of Shadow of the Colossus. I say isolation, except for the fact that you are met on your journey by another online player, someone that you do not know, and never will know. Through the most basic of gestures you communicate with this other player and aid each other through the game.

My experiences with the Beta of Journey (which was for a very brief period), were simply magical. I can’t wait for the full release.

3: Bioshock Infinite (Multi)

I really enjoyed Bioshock when it was originally released on the PS3, and also enjoyed Bioshock 2 (which actually improved on the first game in a few area’s), but I was never a big fan of the System Shock series.

From what I have seen so far of Bioshock Infinite has great impressed me. I don’t think that it’ll deviate that much from the framework put down by the original Bioshock, and will also likely be a very linear game, but to be honest that’s fine by me, as what I have seen so far looks positively stunning!

2: Borderlands 2 (Multi)

I was a big fan of Borderlands when it was released and still believe that it has one of the most excellent co-operative experiences out there. Aside from a few issues that I had with the DLC, I loved pretty much every moment with this game, and played through it more than once. As such, I’m definitely looking forward to the sequel. So long as they can iron out a few of the kinks with the first game, this should be one of my absolute must have games of 2012.

1: The Last Guardian (PS3)

This was number 1 of my most anticipated games of 2010 and number 2 for 2011 (beaten by Uncharted 3). This year I’ve moved it back up to number 1 again in the hope that it eventually comes out at some stage during 2012 (surely it has to!)

I’ve also recently been playing both the HD remastered versions of both ICO and Shadow of the Colossus, which makes the yearning for this game all the greater!


Other games that I’m looking forward to, that didn’t quite make the list:

Resident Evil: Revelations (3DS)
Final Fantasy XIII-2 (Multi)
Tomb Raider (Multi)
Metal Gear Solid: Rising (Multi)
Paper Mario (3DS)
Luigi’s Mansion 2 (3DS)
Dragon Quest X (Wii/WiiU)
Gravity Rush (PSV)
The Last Story (Wii)
Mass Effect 3 (Multi)

There are of course also a number of unknown factors.

- Obviously there could be games coming out in 2012 that have not yet been announced yet, which will surpass those that I already have noted above.

- Next to nothing is known in relation to the WiiU in respect of the games that will come out on this (okay, maybe a few cross platform games are known but not exclusive games and specifically whatever Nintendo will be bringing to the console).

Finally, games that I’m looking forward to, where the release date is a big BIG, unknown:

Final Fantasy XIII Versus
Half Life 2: Episode 3 (although I still believe that they might just skip ahead to Half Life 3)
GTA V (It’s bound to happen)

E3 2011 predictions

Okay, it’s that time of year where E3 is looming and I start making my predictions... So here goes

(I must state again that I have both a Nintendo and Sony products, not Microsoft, as such, my Microsoft predictions are limited, as I don’t tend to follow X-box news)

Nintendo

For Wii:

• Very few game announcements will be made, but those that are made will be the big Japanese releases which have previously not been translated, namely: Pandora Tower & The Last Story (both of which would be good).

• Dragon Quest X will be shown (perhaps).

• There will be a further price drop for the Wii (hopefully bringing it to the $150 to $99 bracket for the US). As such, the Wii will be positioned as a budget home console system... Which will continue to perform as a little brother to Project Cafe.

• A budget range of games will be announced for the Wii (a classics range) including the likes of Mario Kart etc again to compliment the position of the Wii as a budget console.

• A full proper trailer will be shown for Zelda: Skyward Sword, hopefully revealing a little more about the game.

(Note: Just as I was posting this, I have read that 2 of my predictions have already passed, namely the price drop and budget range)

For DS/3DS:

• A release date will be given for Mario Kart 3DS as winter 2011 and more footage will be shown.

• Footage will be shown for Mario 3DS and a title will be given to it, but it will be announced (probably after the conference) that this will not make a 2011 launch.

• Further details will be given in respect of 3D movie download and 3D streaming, along with an approximate launch date for these services.

• Monster Hunter will be announced for the 3DS (or the NGP – or both).

• A Pikmin game will be shown (or Project Cafe).

• More footage will be shown of the following games: Starfox 3D, Paper Mario 3D, Animal Crossing 3D and Kid Icarus: Uprising.

• A new trailer will be shown for Resident Evil: Revelations.

• A trailer will be shown for a Metal Gear Solid game for the 3DS, however it may not be Snake Eater, but may be another game (possibly or an original game)

• The virtual console for the 3DS will be expanded to include other platforms.

For Project Cafe:

• Will be given an official name (possibly Stream).

• The console and the controller will be unveiled and will be playable at E3.

• A worldwide release date is given as winter 2012 (or sooner if we are lucky, but no sooner than April 2012).

• The controller will be like a cross between an ipad and a gamecube controller and will feature a 6 inch touchscreen.

• The console with be backwards compatible with both the Wii and gamecube and (hopefully) convert games to 720p or 1080p.

• The console will allow you to transfer all virtual console and Wiiware from the Wii.

• There will be a proper online service akin to Xbox Live and PSN and this will also be tied in with the 3DS friend code. Speaking of which, there will be none of the stupid friend code per game nonsense of the Wii.

• There will likely be further surprises in relation to the console or the controller.

• A Pikmin game will be shown (or 3DS).

• Retro Studio’s will announce their next game for Project Cafe, possibly a new Metroid Prime game.

• A trailer will be shown for a Project Cafe version of Smash Bros.

• Nintendo will get a group of developers to state how fantastic and innovative the machine is.

• Not much will be shown in the way of games, but there will be rough demo’s available for people to try out the console, many of which will be aimed at the “hardcore” audience.

• The 3DS will be shown to be able to connect to Project Cafe in some form, either acting as an additional controller or similar.

  
  

Sony

For PS3:

• Starhawk (sequel to Warhawk will be announced – if not for the NGP)

• Extended service for Playstation Plus customers will be announced.

• There will be some form of apology for the PSN leak mess-up, together with assurances that this will not happen again.

• A further trailer for Uncharted: Drake’s Deception will be shown.

• Sony will make a big deal of the games which support Playstation Move and 3D.

• There will be a further price drop announcement.

• Agent (Rockstar) will finally be shown.

• No mention will be made of a next generation machine (Playstation 4).

• More footage will be shown for The Last Guardian.

• HD remakes of the Metal Gear Solid games will be announced (MGS, MGS2 & MGS3).

• Valve announce that they will be releasing PS3 versions of Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 as a compilation package.

For NGP:

• The official name will be announced, which will either be PSP2 or something along the lines of PSP (subtitle).

• Further games will be shown including: Uncharted portable, Possibly Final Fantasy VII remake and a new Wipeout game.

• Monster Hunter will be announced for the NGP (or the 3DS – or both).

• The NGP will be given a launch date and a price which will be very similar to the 3DS.

• There will be some sort of connection between certain games on the PS3 and NGP, allowing games to be played on the go between both devices.

Microsoft

• A remake of the original Halo will be announced for the 360, with a Holiday 2011 launch.

• There will be a further price drop announcement.

• A slew of games will be shown for Kinect, many of which will attempt to be aimed at the hardcore audience.

• Dance Central 2 will be shown for Kinect.

• Further enhancements to Xbox Live will be announced, including access to further services via Live.

• Microsoft will likely take to opportunity to take a dig at PSN and go out of their way to state that Xbox live is both a more secure and better service and value for money.

• The next Call of Duty game will be shown and will have exclusive content for Xbox.

• Other game will also be shown stating that there is exclusive content/DLC for Xbox (Mass Effect 3 possibly).

• No mention will be made of a next generation machine (Xbox 720?)

Multi platform

• GTA V will be announced (with a launch due for Spring 2012).

• A new Soul Calibur game will be announced.

• A full trailer for Metal Gear Solid: Risen will be shown.

• A new (fantastic) trailer is shown for Bioshock: Infinite

• The new multiplatform game from Bungie (a FPS) is announced.

• The new multiplatform game from Insomniac (a FPS) is announced.

• There is news (and a tentative release date) for the next Half Life game. They also state that they have scrapped episode 3 and instead will be incorporating this into Half Life 3 (fingers crossed).

3DS thoughts/comments

Okay now, I've had the 3DS now for a long weekend, and have had a chance to put it through it's paces, and I thought I'd take the opportunity to jot down a few thoughts on my blog.

For the record, the games which I got with the 3DS were as follows:

Pilot Wings
Street Fighter IV
Ridge Racer

I'd also like to add that I got the aqua blue model, in light of the fact that my original DS (phat) was silver, my DS lite was white and my Dsi was black. As such, I wanted something with a little more colour :)

Anyway, my thoughts (both good and bad), as bullet points (as I'm lazy).

- When I first saw the 3D effect, it really blew me away, but at the same time I also found it extremely intense (too much so). The fact that I first witnessed this at approximately half past midnight, and felt very tired, probably didn't help... speaking of which:

- My first lesson learned, the 3D effect is not good if you are feeling tired (especially fast moving, quick reflexes type games – Ridge Racer, I'm looking at you).

- Past my first experience, the next day, once I had more type to play (and was less tired), I found that I could get used to it, and found that depending on the type of game played, the 3D slider needs to be adjusted slightly.

- Also, the more you play with the 3DS, the more you tend to get used to the 3D effect and adjust to it quicker and quicker.

- One think that I actively HATE about 3D movies at the cinema, is that the 3D glasses that you have to wear are tinted (and are really like shades – which you wear in the dark). As a consequence, I often find that the colours of the film are muted and dulled (which isn't surprising), and as such pretty much prefer no 3D viewing. As the 3DS doesn't need glasses, this isn't an issue and the colours look as vibrant as you would expect from a Nintendo system.

- You know the type of warning you get in games that advises you to take a break every 30 minutes for 10 minutes. Normally, I pretty much ignore these, but in the 3DS's case, I think that this is quite prudent.

- For games where there are several levels of depth (such as Pilotwings), I tend to find that I need to turn the 3D effect down to half, or slightly lower. The fact remains that it still looks stunning in 3D even on lowers settings.

- I tend to find the higher the 3D slider, the closer you need to hold the 3DS to you.

- For AR games (which are also very cool) you need to have the 3D slider turned down low, as you need to move with the 3DS, which can sometimes loose the 3D effect, which is less jarring at a lower 3D level.

- Speaking of which, the 3D sweet spot is relatively small, and it takes a few plays to get used to this (i.e. to learn to keep your posture steady), but after a while you get used to this, and I haven't found this to be much of an issue.

- I think it is very likely that different people have a different perception of the 3D effect, but then again to some extent, the 3D slider helps to address this.

- The graphics are a definite step up from the DS, and the 3DS feels very much like a portable Wii, as far as power goes, which is great. The resolution, whilst not up to ipod touch retina standards, is still much better than the DS and seems more than adequate.

- I have tended to find that the added depth rally adds something to some games. With the likes of Pilotwings and Ridge Racer, I find that this really helps me to judge distance in the game, which in turn assists how I play the game.

- Going from 3DS to a monitor/ipod touch is a little weird, as I find myself looking at the screen and find that my brain is trying to make a 3D picture out of a 2D plane.

- The battery life really is approximately 3-5 hours, which compared to other DS models, is far from great. The fact that I have been using it a lot each day, and so has Elliot, has meant that I have been charging this pretty much every evening. This is far from perfect, but I'm learning to live with it. There are also 3rd part battery solutions coming, should I need these if I find this to be too much of an issue.

- I think that the analogue nub/joystick, is very good.

Overall, I'm very impressed with the 3DS. There's simply nothing quite like it out there at the moment, and I'm loving my experiences with it. It's a great machine and a definite step up from the normal DS. It's not perfect, and requires some tweaking and getting used to. Additionally, I have no doubt that there will likely be a 3DS lite in maybe a couple of years, which probably address a few of the issues (namely battery life and viewing angles), but at the same time, I would not want to wait until this, and would have no problem recommending the 3DS.

I'm also super hyped up at the prospect of 3D Ocarina of Time in a couple of months :)

There are probably more points, but these are all I can think of at present. I'm looking forward to trying out streetpass when I'm in London next week, as so far I have not had any joy with this, but like the concept of it.

Oscar results

BEST PICTURE
My prediction: The Social Network

WRONG - The King's Speech

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
My prediction: Colin Firth for "The King's Speech"

RIGHT

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
My prediction: Natalie Portman for "Black Swan"

RIGHT

DIRECTING
My prediction: David Fincher for "The Social Network"

WRONG - Tom Hooper for The King's Speech

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
My prediction: Christian Bale for "The Fighter"

RIGHT

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
My prediction: Helena Bonham Carter for "The King's Speech"

WRONG - Melissa Leo for The Fighter

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
My prediction: "Toy Story 3"

RIGHT

SCREENPLAY (Adapted)
My prediction: Aaron Sorkin for "The Social Network"

RIGHT

SCREENPLAY (Original)
My prediction: Christopher Nolan for "Inception"

WRONG - The King's Speech - BLAH!

ART DIRECTION
My prediction: "Inception"

WRONG - Alice in Wonderland

CINEMATOGRAPHY
My prediction: "Inception"

RIGHT

COSTUME DESIGN
My prediction: "Alice in Wonderland"

RIGHT

FILM EDITING
My prediction: "The Social Network"

RIGHT

MAKEUP
My prediction: "The Wolfman"

RIGHT

MUSIC (SCORE)
My prediction: "Inception"

WRONG -The Social Network

MUSIC (SONG)
My prediction: 'We Belong Together" from "Toy Story 3"

RIGHT

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
My prediction: "The Gruffalo"

WRONG - The Lost Things

SOUND EDITING
My prediction: "Inception"

RIGHT

SOUND MIXING
My prediction: "Inception"

RIGHT

VISUAL EFFECTS
My prediction: "Inception"

RIGHT

Totals:

13/20

65%

i.e. - could have done better!

Oscar predictions 2011

BEST PICTURE
As much as I’d like to see Inception win this (or alternatively Toy Story 3), I think that it will be between The King’s Speech, Black Swan and The Social Network. I think this really is a tough call this year. Black Swan is likely too dark and grotesque to win (I’d also like to see this win, but think that this is the least likely out of these three), The King’s Speech is VERY Oscar friendly, but a bit lacking in my opinion and The Social Network, whilst good (but far from Fincher’s best) is probably a bit too current for most of the Academy voters.

My prediction: The Social Network

(But it really should be Inception)

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
My prediction: Colin Firth for "The King's Speech"

...and I’d be surprised if I was wrong on this one.

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
My prediction: Natalie Portman for "Black Swan"

...and I’d also be surprised if I was wrong on this one.

DIRECTING
I think this will be between Aronofsky and Fincher...

My prediction: David Fincher for "The Social Network"

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
I’d say that this is between Bale and Rush. Going against Bale is the fact that he still has a stigma attached to him following his well known rant, and Rush has already won an Oscar for Shine. Taking into account the end credits of the Fighter, where the real character (Dickie) played by Bale was shown, it was clear how close and uncanny he played this. As such...

My prediction: Christian Bale for "The Fighter"

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
I’m finding this hard to choose between Adams, Bonham Carter, Leo and Steinfeld (so in other words most of them). I think the Fighter nominations will likely cancel each other out, so that leaves Bonham Carter and Steinfeld. Steinfeld was the best thing in True Grit, but Bonham Carter has never won before and has been in a lot of great films.

My prediction: Helena Bonham Carter for "The King's Speech"

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Do not know enough to predict.

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
My prediction: "Toy Story 3"

Anything less would be a crime!

SCREENPLAY (Adapted)
My prediction: Aaron Sorkin for "The Social Network"

SCREENPLAY (Original)
My prediction: Christopher Nolan for "Inception"

After all, Nolan deserves to win something following his Best Director snub!

ART DIRECTION
My prediction: "Inception"

CINEMATOGRAPHY
My prediction: "Inception"

COSTUME DESIGN
My prediction: "Alice in Wonderland"

As much as I didn’t like the film, you can’t fault the costume design!

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Do not know enough to predict.

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
Do not know enough to predict.

FILM EDITING
My prediction: "The Social Network"

If only for the fact that I have it for Best Picture.

MAKEUP
My prediction: "The Wolfman"

MUSIC (SCORE)
My prediction: "Inception"

I thought Inception had a clever and memorable score and really deserves to win.

MUSIC (SONG)
My prediction: 'We Belong Together" from "Toy Story 3"

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
My prediction: "The Gruffalo"

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
Do not know enough to predict.

SOUND EDITING
My prediction: "Inception"

SOUND MIXING
My prediction: "Inception"

VISUAL EFFECTS
My prediction: "Inception"

So overall, I think that Inception will come out of the Oscars winning a fair few of the technical and lesser awards, but not the big awards (apart from original screenplay – fingers crossed).

The King’s Speech will do well winning 2 of the acting awards.

The Social Network will win the main awards.

Let’s see how I do!

Oscar nominations 2011

Okay, here we go...

The Oscar nominations are up and are repeated below. I should be off to London in just over 2 weeks time, so hope to catch up on some of the nominated films which I have not yet seen and as such, will likely post my predictions shortly following this. I already have a few ideas of what the likely winners are, but do not want to jump the gun.

I must admit I’m a little miffed that Christopher Nolan isn’t up for best director, which seems a little insane. As such, the likelihood of Inception taking away best picture is now very slim.

Anyway, here they are:

BEST PICTURE
"127 Hours"
"Black Swan"
"The Fighter"
"Inception"
"The Kids Are All Right"
"The King's Speech"
"The Social Network"
"Toy Story 3"
"True Grit"
"Winter's Bone"

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Javier Bardem for "Biutiful"
Jeff Bridges for "True Grit"
Jesse Eisenberg for "The Social Network"
Colin Firth for "The King's Speech"
James Franco for "127 Hours"

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Annette Benning for "The Kids Are All Right"
Nicole Kidman for "127 Hours"
Jennifer Lawrence for "Winter's Bone"
Natalie Portman for "Black Swan"
Michelle Williams for "Blue Valentine"

DIRECTING
Darren Aronofsky for "Black Swan"
David O. Russell for "The Fighter"
Tom Hooper for "The King's Speech"
David Fincher for "The Social Network"
Joel & Ethan Coen for "True Grit"

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Christian Bale for "The Fighter"
Mark Ruffalo for "The Kids Are All Right"
Geoffrey Rush for "The King's Speech"
Jeremy Renner for "The Town"
John Hawkes for "Winter's Bone"

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Amy Adams for "The Fighter"
Helena Bonham Carter for "The King's Speech"
Melissa Leo for "The Fighter"
Hailee Steinfeld for "True Grit"
Jacki Weaver for "Animal Kingdom"

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"Biutiful" - Mexico
"Dogtooth" - Greece
"In a Better World" - Denmark
"Incendies" - Canada
"Hors la Loi" ("Outside the Law") – Algeria

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
"How To Train Your Dragon"
"The Illusionist"
"Toy Story 3"

SCREENPLAY (Adapted)
Michael Arndt for "Toy Story 3"
Simon Beaufoy & Danny Boyle for "127 Hours"
Joel & Ethan Coen for "True Grit "
Aaron Sorkin for "The Social Network"
Debra Granki, Anne Rosellini for "Winter's Bone"

SCREENPLAY (Original)
Mike Leigh for "Another Year"
Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg for "The Kids Are All Right"
Christopher Nolan for "Inception"
David Seidler for "The King’s Speech"
Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson, Keith Dorrington for "The Fighter"

ART DIRECTION
"Alice in Wonderland"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One" "Inception"
"The King's Speech"
"True Grit"

CINEMATOGRAPHY
"Black Swan"
"Inception"
"The King's Speech"
"The Social Network"
"True Grit"

COSTUME DESIGN
"Alice in Wonderland"
"I Am Love"
"The King's Speech"
"The Tempest"
"True Grit"

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
"Exit Through the Gift Shop"
"Gasland"
"Inside Job"
"Restrepo"
"Waste Land"

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
"Killing in the Name"
"Poster Girl"
"Strangers No More"
"Sun Come Up"
"The Warriors of Qiugang"

FILM EDITING
"127 Hours"
"Black Swan"
"The Fighter"
"The King's Speech"
"The Social Network"

MAKEUP
"Barney's Version"
"The Way Back"
"The Wolfman"

MUSIC (SCORE)
A.R. Rahman for "127 Hours"
John Powell for "How To Train Your Dragon"
Hans Zimmer for "Inception"
Alexandre Desplat for "The King's Speech"
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for "The Social Network"

MUSIC (SONG)
'Coming Home' from "Country Strong"
'I See the Light' from "Tangled"
'If I Rise' from "127 Hours"
'We Belong Together" from "Toy Story 3"

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
"Day & Night"
"The Gruffalo"
"Let’s Pollute"
"The Lost Thing"
"Madagascar, a Journey Diary"

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
"The Confession"
"The Crush"
"God of Love"
"Na Wewe"
"Wish 143"

SOUND EDITING
"Inception"
"Toy Story 3"
"Tron: Legacy"
"True Grit"
"Unstoppable"

SOUND MIXING
"Inception"
"The King's Speech"
"Salt"
"The Social Network"
"True Grit"

VISUAL EFFECTS
"Alice in Wonderland"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1"
"Hereafter"
"Inception"
"Iron Man 2"