2013 Review

Another year and another yearly review. So without further introductions:

Films

Top 3 films of 2012

Looper

I think when I went to watch this, I was expecting an action film, a good action film, but still an action film all the same. It turned out that it was a very different beast than what I was expecting, with the vast majority of the last half of the film being set in a house in the countryside.

Although it was not a perfect film and it could be easy to pick apart several aspects of it, I still believe that the premise and the execution of the film was excellent and it is certainly my favourite Sci-Fi film for many years.

The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight was a very tough act to follow, and to my mind at least, the Dark Knight Rises is a weaker film than the middle film in the trilogy, however this isn’t to say that it isn’t still an excellent film in its own right. What Rises has done, however is crafted an excellent finale to the trilogy, not shying away from shutting the door on this aspect of the franchise, and in that respect it does a very fine job indeed.

I have always been a big Batman fan and as such, it ticked all the right boxes for me (except maybe for Bane – whom I’ve never been fond of as a villain). Overall, however, it is an epic film that takes things at its own pace and is an enjoyable ride (for me at least) from start to finish. I also have to add that it is by far the most enjoyable cinema experience that I have had this year (watching it twice at the IMAX in London)

Pirates: An Adventure with Scientists

Probably a bit of a bizarre choice for my top 3, but my goodness this was just such an inventive and joyous film that I think that it belongs.

It has often been the case that an animated film of some sort has made it into my top 3, often from Pixar, but this year (and last) Pixar's films have not been up to their usual standards. This year, it is time for Aardman to fit the bill.

Notable mentions (for good or bad)

The Avengers

A great Superhero film, but I still preferred The Dark Knight Rises.

For the life of me, I can't think of many other films that I have seen over the course of 2012 that are really that worthwhile mentioning!

Games

Top 3 games on 2012

The Walking Dead (PS3)

Without a shadow of a doubt, this has to be my top game of 2012.

There seem to have been a lot of games of late where decisions that you make during the course of the game have an effect on the outcome in one way or another (The Mass Effect games and Heavy Rain spring to mind). The Walking Dead, however played this better than most, because you really cared about the characters, and while the end result of the game may have been similar despite your actions, the ongoing interactions with the characters certainly seem to matter.

It’s quite something when I can say that this game probably exceeds both the graphics novels, and TV series that has come before it. I can also unashamedly say that this is without a doubt the game that I have been most emotionally invested in ever.

Journey (PS3)

This is a very short game. So short, that I think I finished it in a single play through. Despite this, I still believe that this belongs in my list of the top 3 games of 2012.

First of all, the fact that you share your journey with a complete stranger, where communication is very limited between the two of you is absolute genius. It’s hard to explain why, but it just fits in so well with the game

Borderlands 2 (PS3)

I played the first game to death, and the same can be said for the sequel.

This seems to iron out the few problems that existed in the first game and at the same time ramped up the humour and story (which to be honest was a little lacking in the first game). I went as far as far buying the season pass for the game and whilst I have finished the first DLC, I'm still working my way through the second (although the Wii U has distracted me).

Overall, this is the pinnacle so far of the shooter/RPG blender genre.

Notable mentions (for good or bad)

Gravity Rush (Vita)

Very almost made it within the top 3 games of 2012 and by far the best game available on the Vita IMHO.

ZombiU (Wii U)

The finest game from the Wii U launch line up. This is the first time in ages where there has been a proper survivor horror game out there since the likes of Resident Evil became a third person shooter. In fact it plays very much like Resident Evil 2 but from a first person perspective.

The Unfinished Swan (PS3)

Another great downloadable title for the PS3, which is also back by rather a moving story.

Mass Effect 3

A fantastic end to the game series, which had a great payoff (despite all the online moaners)

Life

A few bullet points of memorable things in my life from 2012:

• Overall I have been in good health for the year, barring a spate of Labyrinthitus (vertigo induced extended dizzy spells).
  
  
• I have (somehow) managed to get further promoted at work this year, which I have been finding somewhat of a challenge.
  
  
• I've been very proud of both Roz and Elliot over the year. Roz for the effort that she has put into establishing a charity which is clearly close to her heart and also Elliot for doing so well at school.
  
  
• I also turned 40 this year, and boy am I starting to feel it... I'm not sure if it is a psychological sign of turning 40, but I certainly have been feeling older over the course of this year.
  
  
  Our holiday in 2012 unfortunately started with us all falling foul of Flu and as such, much of LA and Las Vegas was pretty much a washout. By the time we reached San Francisco we were all feeling better and we all had a great time during the last few days of our holiday  

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Wii U review

So, I've had the Wii U for a few days now, so I thought that I would take the opportunity to post my initial thoughts.

First of all, the console itself. To be honest, there isn't really a lot to be said about the physical console, it looks very similar to the Wii, but slightly longer and black (I have the premium model). The focus is really on the controller and as such, I shall cover that is greater detail.

When I first took hold of the controller my initial impression was that it seemed smaller than I'd imagined it would be, secondly it felt much lighter than I'd imagined. Although the screen is smaller than that of the iPad, and the resolution is just 480p, the quality is still excellent and more than sufficient when playing games solely off of the controller. The placement of the control sticks and buttons takes a little while to get used to, but after a whole it becomes second nature. Overall then, I have been very impressed with the controller and the console so far.

I have to mention the fact that the Wii U requires a large firmware update before you can use all the functions. This comes in at approx 1gb to download and will probably take around 1-2 hours to download. You can if you wish, when asked by the Wii U, cancel the download initially, then this will download automatically in the background, allowing you to spend the first few hour of your console experience playing games, rather than watching a progress bar. This is not very clear in the text shown by Nintendo and as such a good many people have been frustrated by this initial setup. Luckily, it was all fine for me, but all the same, it is not an ideal start and it is something that Nintendo really should have had in place when releasing the Wii U.

The really killer app with the Wii U (besides the unique controller) has to be Miiverse. This is installed following the firmware update and is the Nintendo social network that runs alongside the Wii U. It comes across as a mixture of Twitter, pictochat and a forum and works very well. I've also been very pleasantly surprised that so far there has not been any negative sides to Miiverse (such as online trolls and the normal idiots that you often find online). Instead Nintendo seem to have fostered a very positive community with Miiverse, and I hope that this continues. An example that I would give would be that I was struggling with a particular enemy in the Zelda minigame in Nintendoland, so pressed the home button, went into Miiverse and posted asking for help (including a screenshot showing where I was struggling), within minutes, I'd already received a few helpful replies. So overall I have been very impressed with Miiverse as well as the creativity of some of the artwork posted on this.

There has been some debate as to the actual power of the Wii U when compared to the PS3 and 360. From my experience I would say that the graphics do exceed that of the PS3, but only marginally so (I can't really comment in relation to the 360). So not a huge leapt, but then again I'm not someone who is craving anything that much more at present and as such, this hasn't been an issue for me in the slightest.

A quick note on the games that I have played.

Nintendoland - I have to say that I didn't have that high expectations for his and if it wasn't included with the premium pack, I probably wouldn't have bothered with it. I have however found that I have been very pleasantly surprised. There is a good mix of games included, all of which make good use of the different game pad functions. It is great on your own, but even better with a group of people. An essential purchase with the Wii U.

New Super Mario U - I have only played a bit of this so far, as I am saving this to play together with my family, but what I have played so far had been great fun. If you enjoyed that Wii version, I would also recommend this.

ZombiU - This is how Survivor horror games used to be. It's hard, very hard. This, however is a good thing, just don't go into it expecting your regular FPS, this is more like the old Resident Evil games but from a first perspective view. It also makes excellent use of the controller. So if you are looking for an old school difficult game, which is inventive and interesting, I'd also recommend this.

Sonic Racing - Got this as part of a bundle, but wasn't very impressed, as such returned it quickly and instead got:

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 - I haven't played a COD game in ages, but what I have played of this so far has impressed me. The campaign seems impressive and online works smoothly, the only complaint that I would say is that the online community is not as large as the other 2 consoles, but then again the Wii U is only just out. If you haven't go this yet and are interested, I can confirm that it works a treat on the Wii U.

Nano Assault Neo - a great twin stick shooter. Reminds me very much of Super Stardust, and that is good praise indeed.

Trine 2 Director's Cut - Have only had a quick go of this do far, but boy are the graphics impressive. It also seems to make good use of the gamepad. I'm really looking forward to putting more time into this.

I haven't mentioned yet, but the ability to be able to play a large percentage of the games without using a TV is also a killer feature. Should my wife wish to watch TV whilst I am playing, this is not an issue at all, I can just continue playing on the gamepad. I can see that this would be a huge bonus for most families.

So that's it, my initial impressions. To sum up, I would say that I have been very impressed so far. Once more Nintendo are doing there own thing, the console is certainly unique and different and I can't wait to see how developers utilise this further down the line.

Most anticipated games of 2013 (and beyond)

It is around this time of year that I tend to do a post detailing my most anticipated games of the following year. It has come to my attention however, that these games have often not come out in the year that I had anticipated they would, or even not at all (I’m looking at you The Last Guardian, and also you Final Fantasy Versus). As such, I have changed this to a list of my most anticipated games for 2013 (hopefully) or beyond.

Starting from 10 to 1:

10. Bioshock Infinite (Multi)

I loved Bioshock, and also Bioshock 2 (although I know many didn’t) and this game looks to improve further with the formula. Hopfully there shouldn’t be too much longer to find out exactly how great this game could be.

9. Grand Theft Auto V (Multi)

Whilst GTA4 may not have been as good as the previous games in the series (IMHO), the DLC for it seemed to learn from its mistakes and invest a little fun into the proceedings. GTA5 however looks to be very ambitious and also, hopefully equally fun to play.

Very little is known about the game at present, but I’m still really looking forward to it.

8. Animal Crossing 3DS (3DS)

Unfortunately this missed the 2013 expected release date, although it is being released very early in 2013 in Japan. It seems like ages since I have played an Animal Crossing game and to be fair I only really got stuck into the Gamecube version, but this seems like such a good fit for the 3DS (especially including Streetpass functionality). It’s also good to see that there have been a few notable changes to the standards in the game which should make for a more refreshing Animal Crossing experience.

7. Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright (3DS)

Take two franchise that I really love, mix them together and you get this gem of a title. Whilst I may favour the more traditional Ace Attorney 5, this still looks like a fantastic game, even if it may still be a little while until it comes to the West.

6. Ni No Kuni (PS3)

I’ve been looking forward to this for a few years now, and it will finally be released in January of 2013. After the missteps made by Square-Enix on Final Fantasy XIII, and the fact that Dragon Quest X has turned into a MMO, this is the one true traditional JRPG still standing. The fact that it is also created in conjunction with Studio Ghibli (and looks absolutely gorgeous as a result) is also a big bonus.

5. Bayonetta 2 (Wii U)

This was the real surprise when Nintendo announced the price and release dates for the Wii U, I don’t think anyone could have predicted that Nintendo would announce that Bayonetta 2 would be released exclusively for the Wii U. The fact that Bayonetta 2 is being released at all is fantastic, and it would seem that the only reason that this is coming to fruition is that Nintendo have backed this, when previously Sega backed out of agreeing to publish.

This, more than anything, is an attempt by Nintendo to show that the Wii U can appeal to the hardcore audience as well as the casual audience, and I for one, more than welcome its presence.

4. Ace Attorney 5 (3DS)

It feels like an age since I last played an Ace Attorney game with Phoenix Wright as a lead. The forth Ace Attorney game featured Apollo Justice, and whilst good, did not live up to the first 3 games. The fact that this is also now running on improved hardware on the 3DS is also a bonus. Overall, this has got to be my most anticipated handheld game of (hopefully) 2013.

3. The Last Guardian (PS3)

This game has been on my list of most anticipated games for 3 years previous to this (at time at the very top of the list). I am honestly starting to question whether it will ever be released at all, or whether it will skip the PS3 and instead head for the PS4!

I cannot deny that the stories of development difficulties and staff members leaving the project hasn’t dampened my enthusiasm a little, but after ICO and Shadow of the Colossus, how can I not still be excited about this game!

2. The Last of Us (PS3)

The Uncharted games have been the absolute highlights on the PS3 and this game looks to be just as good, but with a more realistic edge than any of the games in the Uncharted series.

Naughty Dog seem to be putting their all into this, and the fact that this is being developed by the team who produced Uncharted 2 (the best in the series) certainly shows. I just hope that it lives up to its promise.

1. Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes (Multi)

I have recently been replaying through all of the Metal Gear solid games and have been loving every moment of them (well maybe not so much the extended ending on Metal Gear solid 4). Then I saw the trailer for Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes and that totally blew me away.

My only suspicion is that the graphics shown really don’t look like they will run on the current generation of consoles and as such, this game may be pushed back until the PS4/Xbox 720 is released. Either way, this is now my most anticipated game.


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

Tomb Raider (Multi)

Fire Emblem 3DS (3DS)

Aliens: Colonial Marines (Multi)

Bravely Default: Flying Fairy (3DS)

Final Fantasy XIII Versus (PS3)

Half Life 2: Episode 3 / Half Life 3 (Multi – hopefully)

Tearaway (Vita)

Persona 4: The Golden (Vita)

Dragon Quest X (Wii/WiiU)

Rayman Legends (WiiU)

There are of course also a number of unknown factors.

- Only games over the launch window up to the end of March 2013 have been announced for the Wii U so far, and I would anticipate that Nintendo would be aiming to get a few strong first party games out by the end of 2013 (most likely a 3D Mario game and also something from Retro – a new Metroid Prime game please).

- It is not clear yet when the next consoles from Sony and Microsoft will be launched, but this may also be by the end of 2013, in which case there would likely be some strong launch games to support these consoles.

E3 predictions 2012

E3 2011 predictions

Okay, E3 is now less than a month away and as such, I thought that it was about time that I start making my predictions... So here goes

(I must state again that I have both Nintendo and Sony products, not Microsoft, as such, for this year I haven’t made predictions for Microsoft.)

Nintendo

For Wii:
- Next to nothing will be announced for Wii, this will be ignored. An announcement of Pandora’s Tower for the US is a possibility, together with a few other small games, but other than this, not much.
- A further price cut for the existing Wii

For 3DS:
- Footage for New Super Mario Bros 2 will be shown.
- There will be an announcement of a new Zelda game coming out, which will either be a brand new release, or a 3DS version of either A Link to the Past or Majora’s Mask.
- Footage will be shown of Monster Hunter 4.
- There will be no redesign for the 3DS (at present, this will be next year).
- Further footage will be shown of other games due for release, such as Luigi’s Mansion 2, Animal Crossing, Paper Mario and Fire Emblem.
- The 3DS will be integrated into a new online service (akin to Xbox Live and PSN) with the launch of the WiiU.
- DLC is announced for both Mario Kart 7 and also Mario 3D Land, with indications that there will also be DLC for other Nintendo games (such as Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing).
- A number of new games developed for the e-shop will be shown.
- The new game in the Brain Age/Brain Training series will be shown.

For Wii U:
- Wii U will be confirmed as the final name for the system (although the logo for Wii U will be changed.
- The console and the controller design will be changed from that shown at E3 2011. The controller will look sleeker and the console will look different enough to the Wii to distance itself from the prior generation.
- A worldwide release date is given, but not a price.
- I’m hoping that they announce that the console with be backwards compatible with both the Wii and gamecube and convert games to 720p or 1080p (which would be fantastic).
- It will be announced that 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. It is also a possibility that the online service may be connected to, or integrate with either Steam or EA Origin.
- Some form if trophies/achievement system is incorporated with the Wii U.
- A trailer will be shown for Pikmin 3 for the Wii U and this will also be playable (and look great in HD).
- Retro Studio’s will announce their next game for Wii U as a new Metroid Prime game.
- A trailer will be shown for the Wii U version of Smash Bros, although this will be very early on in development.
- Eternal Darkness 2 is announced.
- Footage is shown of Dragon Quest X running on the Wii U.
- Footage of a New Super Mario game (2D) is shown.
- Either a brand new F-Zero, or a brand new Starfox (more likely) game is shown.
- A brand new IP from Miyamoto is shown.
- There will be a great deal of support from some third parties, most notably the likes of EA, Ubisoft and Capcom.
- A fair few games will be shown to use near field communication to convert figures into in-game icons. One of these games will be Smash Bros.
- Footage will be shown of Aliens: Colonial Marines

Sony

For PS3:
- Extended service for Playstation Plus or a revised tiered service for customers will be announced.
- A further trailer for The Last of Us will be shown, with in game footage.
- There will be a further price drop announcement.
- Agent (Rockstar) will finally be shown (come on – surely).
- Nothing will be shown in relation to the Playstation 4/Orbis, other than perhaps a mention that they are currently working on developing next generation hardware.
- A new trailer will be shown for The Last Guardian, and a release date will be given as Holiday 2012 (it has to come out eventually!)
- New Footage will be shown of Little Big Planet Karting, God of Ware: Ascention and Playstation All Stars (together with an updated roster).
- A greater selection of PS2 downloadable classics will be announced, together with the fact that they can also be played on the Vita.
- There will be much less mention of Playstation Move then there has been the last 2 years.

For Vita:
- It will be announced that Resident Evil: Revelations is being ported to the Vita.
- A new Dissidia: Final Fantasy game will be announced.
- A Monster Hunter game will be announced or Sony will show a game developed internally which closely resembles Monster Hunter.
- New games in the Locoroco and Patapon series will be announced.
- New footage and a release date will be given for Little Big Planet on the Vita.
- A greater selection of PS2 downloadable classics will be announced, together with the fact that they can also be played on the Vita.
- An update will be announced for the Vita, allowing the emulation of PSOne game and PS2 games.
- Either a price drop, or a new console package (including a game or games) will be announced.
- A remake of Final Fantasy VII is announced for the Vita and will be shown together with the previously announced Final Fantasy X.

Multi platform

- A new trailer and launch date will be announced for GTA V (probably just ahead of E3).
- A new (fantastic) trailer is shown for Bioshock: Infinite
- A new trailer will be shown for Borderlands 2 (which will continue to look incredible).
- A new trailer and demo is shown for Tomb Raider, showing much more of the game than that shown previously.
- Mirror Edge 2 is announced (because it HAS to happen)
- Final Fantasy XV will be announced, which will be a single player game and also will have an old-school Final Fantasy look to it.
- The new multiplatform game from Bungie (a FPS) is announced.
- A new Burnout game will be announced by EA, and this will be akin to the Burnout’s of old rather than Paradise (i.e. similar to Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit).
- There is news (and a tentative release date) for the next Half Life game (despite what Valve have said). They also state that they have scrapped episode 3 and instead will be incorporating this into Half Life 3 (fingers crossed).

Oscar results

Right, so here are the Oscar results and how I did…

BEST PICTURE
The Artist

RIGHT

BEST DIRECTOR
The Artist - Michel Hazanavicius

RIGHT

BEST ACTOR
Jean Dujardin - The Artist

RIGHT

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christopher Plummer - Beginners

RIGHT

BEST ACTRESS
Viola Davis - The Help

WRONG – Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Octavia Spencer - The Help

RIGHT

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Rango

RIGHT

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Descendants - Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon &
Jim Rash

RIGHT

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Artist - Michel Hazanavicius

WRONG – Midnight in Paris

ART DIRECTION
The Artist - Production Design: Laurence Bennett, Set Decoration: Robert Gould

WRONG – Hugo

CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Artist - Guillaume Schiffman

WRONG - Hugo

COSTUME DESIGN
The Artist - Mark Bridges

RIGHT

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

No prediction made.

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

No prediction made.

BEST FILM EDITING
The Artist - Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius

WRONG – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

No prediction made.

BEST MAKEUP
Albert Nobbs - Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and
Matthew W. Mungle

WRONG – The Iron Lady

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Artist - Ludovic Bource

RIGHT

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Man or Muppet - The Muppets, Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie

RIGHT

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

No prediction made.

BEST LIVE FILM

No prediction made.

BEST SOUND EDITING
Drive - Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis

WRONG - Hugo

BEST SOUND MIXING
Hugo - Tom Fleischman and John Midgley

WRONG - Hugo

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Rise of the Planet of the Apes - Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett

WRONG – Hugo

Total results:

11 / 19 or 58% correct

Playstation Vita review

Vita review

Okay, I’ve had my Playstation Vita for a few days now, and I thought that I’d take the opportunity to write down a few thoughts (similar to what I did for the 3DS last year). Anyway, how I thought I’d approach this is by noting down both the good points and also the slight negatives.

Good points:

- It’s a current gen console in your hands, it really is. Uncharted plays just like Uncharted on the PS3. As a portable console, it packs a lot of punch.

- The OLED screen is big and beautiful. Again, it puts any other handheld to shame. The resolution, while not HD and not up to iphone retina standard, is a big jump from the DS, PSP and even the 3DS.

- In all the games that I have played, there is a greater sense of social connectivity with other SEN users. Scoreboards update with friends and other SEN users, ghost data is automatically added as you play and it keeps you updated with your friends progress, achievements and whether they have beaten you on certain sections of the games.

- Two analogue sticks. Yep, it’s an important addition for some games. Whilst not all games require the use of a second analogue stick, anything like a first or third person shooter struggles without this.

- I only owned a PSP for a relatively short while and as such, I missed out on a great many of the later games. Now with a Vita, I can download this missed games and play to my heart’s content.

Negatives:

- Just like you have to put up with loading screens on home consoles, now you have to put up with them on the Vita. Unfortunately, when you are not used to this (GB and DS have never had much of an issue with this) this can initially be annoying.

- I find that the “X” button is a little too close the second analogue stick for my liking. This could be because I have fat thumbs, but a little more room in this area would have been appreciated.

- So black, so shiny, so many fingerprints.

- The battery power is similar to that of the 3DS, which is still not ideal for a portable, but probably unavoidable with current battery technology.

As for the games, I got Uncharted: Golden Abyss and Wipeout 2048 on cart and have downloaded Motorstorm RC and Super Stardust Delta. Granted all of these are continuations of known franchises, but I will also likely be getting some original games (such as Escape Plan and Gravity Rush) in the near future. So far, I have been very impressed with both the selection and quality of the games.

I know that there are questions to be asked as to the relevance of a portable gaming console in light of the rise of smartphones and tablets, but signs seem to show that 3DS sales have picked up after initial concerns and I firmly believe that there is a place still for portable consoles. As an owner of an ipod touch, 3DS and now a Vita, I believe that for people with more than a passing interest in gaming, that solely a touch screen interface does not satisfy the gaming itch for me. It could also be argued that due to the size of the Vita, that it isn’t a true portable system, but for me, I tend to use it around the house whilst Roz or Elliot are using the TV, or during my lunch at work, or lazing in bed. In short, I believe that there is a place for portable consoles in my life and I’m sure that I cannot be alone.

Oscar predictions 2012

Okay then, after a long delay, here are my Oscar predictions for the year…

I must first say that I have found last year rather underwhelming film wise, and as such I do not think that the selection of films this years is that great. Also, there is not one particular film that has been nominated for any category, which I feel that passionate about.

That being said, here are my predictions.

BEST PICTURE

The Artist

In a time when films seem to be losing their place in the modern world, this film harks back to Hollywood of old, and ir rather clever to boot. As such, I really don’t see anything else winning.

BEST DIRECTOR
The Artist - Michel Hazanavicius

BEST ACTOR
Jean Dujardin - The Artist

He gave a great performance, and I think that it is deserving (although would love to see Gary Oldman win)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christopher Plummer - Beginners

Not necessarily for this film, but more due to age and previous performances.

BEST ACTRESS
Viola Davis - The Help

This is between Viola Davis and Meryl Streep. It could go to Meryl Steep just because she has been nominated so many damn times, and only actually won a couple of time. Streeps film, however, has not been as well received and America loved the Help. As such, I’m going with Viola Davis.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Octavia Spencer - The Help

Again, I predict another win for The Help with this one.

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Rango

I’d be disappointed if it was anything else!

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Descendants - Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon &
Jim Rash

A tough one to call, but I’ll go with this.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Artist - Michel Hazanavicius

Seems an odd choice since there is (almost) no written dialogue, but I still think it’ll win.

ART DIRECTION
The Artist - Production Design: Laurence Bennett, Set Decoration: Robert Gould

CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Artist - Guillaume Schiffman

COSTUME DESIGN
The Artist - Mark Bridges

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

No prediction made.

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

No prediction made.

BEST FILM EDITING
The Artist - Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

No prediction made.

BEST MAKEUP
Albert Nobbs - Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and
Matthew W. Mungle

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Artist - Ludovic Bource

Another tough call, but as The artist needs to convey so much without dialogue, I think that this will win (although they did use some of Vertigo’s score)

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Man or Muppet - The Muppets, Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie

IT’S THE MUPPETS!

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

No prediction made.

BEST LIVE FILM

No prediction made.

BEST SOUND EDITING
Drive - Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis

BEST SOUND MIXING
Hugo - Tom Fleischman and John Midgley

Well, let’s see how I do!

Oscar nominations 2012

Well here they are, the oscar nominations for 2012:

BEST PICTURE
The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse

BEST DIRECTOR
The Artist - Michel Hazanavicius
The Descendants - Alexander Payne
Hugo - Martin Scorsese
Midnight in Paris - Woody Allen
The Tree of Life - Terrence Malick

BEST ACTOR
Demián Bichir - A Better Life
George Clooney - The Descendants
Jean Dujardin - The Artist
Gary Oldman - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt -Moneyball

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Kenneth Branagh - My Week with Marilyn
Jonah Hill - Moneyball
Nick Nolte - Warrior
Christopher Plummer - Beginners
Max von Sydow - Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

BEST ACTRESS
Glenn Close - Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis - The Help
Rooney Mara - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams - My Week with Marilyn

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Bérénice Bejo - The Artist
Jessica Chastain - The Help
Melissa McCarthy - Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer - Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer - The Help

BEST ANIMATED FILM
A Cat in Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Descendants - Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon &
Jim Rash
Hugo - John Logan
The Ides of March - George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
Moneyball - Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin
Story by Stan Chervin
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Artist - Michel Hazanavicius
Bridesmaids - Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
Margin Call - J.C. Chandor
Midnight in Paris - Woody Allen
A Separation - Asghar Farhadi


ART DIRECTION
The Artist - Production Design: Laurence Bennett, Set Decoration: Robert Gould
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Part 2 – Production Design: Stuart Craig, Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
Hugo - Production Design: Dante Ferretti, Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
Midnight in Paris - Production Design: Anne Seibel, Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil
War Horse - Production Design: Rick Carter, Set Decoration: Lee Sandales

CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Artist - Guillaume Schiffman
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Jeff Cronenweth
Hugo - Robert Richardson
The Tree of Life - Emmanuel Lubezki
War Horse - Janusz Kaminski

COSTUME DESIGN
Anonymous - Lisy Christl
The Artist - Mark Bridges
Hugo - Sandy Powell
Jane Eyre - Michael O’Connor
W.E. - Arianne Phillips

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Hell and Back Again
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth
Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
God Is the Bigger Elvis
Incident in New Baghdad
Saving Face
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom

BEST FILM EDITING
The Artist - Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
The Descendants - Kevin Tent
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
Hugo - Thelma Schoonmaker
Moneyball - Christopher Tellefsen

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Bullhead - Belgium
Footnote - Israel
In Darkness - Poland
Monsieur Lazhar - Canada
A Separation - Iran

BEST MAKEUP
Albert Nobbs - Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and
Matthew W. Mungle
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Part 2 - Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight and Lisa Tomblin
The Iron Lady - Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Adventures of Tintin - John Williams
The Artist - Ludovic Bource
Hugo - Howard Shore
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - Alberto Iglesias
War Horse - John Williams

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Man or Muppet - The Muppets, Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
Real in Rio – Rio, Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown
Lyric by Siedah Garrett

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
Dimanche/Sunday - Patrick Doyon
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore - William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg
La Luna - Enrico Casarosa
A Morning Stroll - Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe
Wild Life - Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

BEST LIVE FILM
Pentecost - Peter McDonald and Eimear O’Kane
Raju - Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren
The Shore - Terry George and Oorlagh George
Time Freak - Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey
Tuba Atlantic - Hallvar Witzø

BEST SOUND EDITING
Drive - Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Ren Klyce
Hugo - Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
Transformers: Dark of the Moon - Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
War Horse - Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom

BEST SOUND MIXING
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson
Hugo - Tom Fleischman and John Midgley
Moneyball - Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and
Ed Novick
Transformers: Dark of the Moon - Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin
War Horse - Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and
Stuart Wilson

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Part 2 - Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and
John Richardson
Hugo - Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and
Alex Henning
Real Steel - Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg
Rise of the Planet of the Apes - Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett
Transformers: Dark of the Moon - Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier