A recap of James Cameron's Sanctum

(Above) Richard Roxburgh on one of Sanctum's cave sets at Warner Roadshow studios.

Later today I’m heading on the set of 3D underwater epic Sanctum and interviewing James Cameron. And yes, I’m most likely to pee my pants with excitement given he’s the Jesus of fanboys (and girls) everywhere. In the mean time, I thought I would recap his latest project and throw in some exclusive updates too just because, well, I’m awesome.

Note: If by some ungodly chance you are a Sanctum virgin, then I suggest you check out my exclusive with director Alister Grierson and location manager Chris Strewe in November here.

The Concept

Sanctum is set underwater and tells the story of a cave-diving team, made up of a billionaire and a father and son, who become trapped during an expedition to the unexplored and least accessible cave system in the world. It is based on the real-life experience of the film’s producer and writer Andrew Wight, who was trapped underwater with 14 other Aussies for around 30 hours when the entrance to a cave they were exploring under the Nullarbor's Pannikin Plains collapsed during a freak storm. The drama happened in 1988 and Wight made a documentary about the ordeal before managing to convince his mate `Jim’ to make a movie. Wight and Cameron have a close working relationship and have collaborated on a number of projects including Ghosts of the Abyss.

The ball got rolling after Cameron saw footage of Gold Coast director Alister Grierson’s low-budget war drama Kokoda and pursued him for the role of director. Grierson’s no fool and jumped at the opportunity to direct under the guidance of one of Hollywood’s most successful directors ever.

Grierson won the prestigious Tropfest short film festival five years ago and is using many of the same crew members on Sanctum as he did for his short film.

The Cast
The stars of the film are Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd (above) as the billionaire underwriting the diving expedition, the perpetual villain Richard Roxburgh as `the dad' character and up and comer Rhys Wakefield (below) as his teenage son. The Home & Away alumni was very impressive in The Black Balloon and this is likely to be Wakefield’s breakthrough into mainstream Hollywood. The three characters
The rest of the small cast is made of Aussies too, including the perpetual villain Richard Roxburgh, although his role is unknown.

A sneaky source who works at the accommodation where Gruffudd is staying in Broadbeach tells me he has been on the Gold Coast since late December with his wife Alice Evans and their baby Ella (who is ridiculously cute by the way).

Filming

(Above) Director Alister Grierson on the Sanctum set at Jacob's Well.

Shooting began at Warner Roadshow studios on the Gold Coast in November, with opening exterior shots filmed at properties in Bonogin and Jacob's Well. Set in Papua New Guinea, majority of the filming is being conducted in Sound Stages 2 and 8, with crews filming underwater scenes in the studio's $2.1 million water tank.

Grierson says filming should wrap towards the end of March and then post-production work will begin. Sanctum is tagged with a 2010 release date but could be pushed back to early 2011.

(Above) On the Sanctum set.

I hope that catches you up on everything Sanctum-related. It’s set to be the first underwater 3D fiction-film which, although is a very specific category, is sure to be incredible given the people behind the project.

Stand by for Movie Mazzupial's interview with James Cameron, director Alister Grierson and producer Andrew Wight this afternoon and more on-set pics.

Stone the crows

Okay, granted the above title is pretty shitious but it was either that or `lets get Stone-ed’. Sigh.

I did an interview with the incredibly lovely Julia Stone today in the lead up to the release of the new Angus & Julia Stone album Down By The Way. For those of you who don’t have ears, Julia is one half of the Aussie brother-sister folk/acoustic duo (above). I’m huge fans of the pair who make beautiful, beautiful music and their last album A Book Like This is literally imprinted on my heart. Their vocal combinations, exquisite lyrics and sweet melodies make for an unforgettable act and I suggest you check out the video to their latest single And The Boys.

Anyway, being the cinephile I am I got a little side-tracked during the interview and ended up discussing movies with Julia. I enjoyed what she had to say so much, I thought I’d share it with you also.

Movie Mazzupial: So, this may be getting a little off topic but I’m curious to know; what are some of your favourite movies?
Julia: Ah, that’s a hard one. There are so many, gosh. Me and You and Everyone We Know, I love that. I saw a movie the other day French Film, I think that’s what it’s called. It was about this French film director and a journalist who had to write about him even though he thinks he’s a real twat. He hates the French and how they think they know everything about love, but at the same time he’s in a relationship that’s falling apart and he comes to realise that maybe what he thought he knew about love is different to what it actually is. Hmm, what else? There are so many great ones…what are some of your favourites?

MM: Mine?
J: Yeah.

MM: (Laughs) Oh god, that’s an impossible question for me. It’s like saying `which one of your children do you love the most?’ Um, there are heaps and heaps but right at the top of the list would be Brick, it’s amazing.
J: Wait, did you say Brick?

MM: Yeah, it’s directed by Rian Johnson and is this brilliant little indie, noir-esque detective drama set in a high school.
J: Okay, cool, I’m writing that down.

MM: And The New World by Terrence Malick is mind blowing, definitely one of my favourite films of all time. It’s about the story of Pocahontas but shot in this beautiful, naturalistic way.
J: Ohhh, is it dark? I could imagine that story being quite dark.

MM: Yeah, I guess elements to it are dark but it’s made more like a raw, documentary kind of thing.
J: Have you seen Let The Right One In?

MM: Oh my goodness, yes! I love that movie! It was one of my favourite films of last year. It’s so beautiful and creepy.
J: That was great, it was really good.

MM: And I loved the effect the blood had against the whiteness of the snow. Visually it was very impressive.
J: And even the little noises she made like *attempts to make sucking noises* tccht tccht tccht. It was great.

MM: Yeah, but now they’re going to destroy it by doing an American remake. It’s in the works at the moment.
J: What? It only just came out. Oh, that’s a shame. They have to ruin everything, don’t they? Like, Angus and I are big Ricky Gervais fans and why they would ever think they could do an American version of The Office…I don’t know. I’ve seen it and it’s okay, it’s funny, but it completely misses the raw awkwardness of the British version.


And that, my friends, concludes the movie rant. Personally I’m just chuffed to hear her sweet voice say “twats”. Hilarious.

Angus & Julia Stone’s new album Down By The Way is out in Australian on March 12 and later overseas. I’ve heard a preview copy and trust me, it’s just as beautiful as A Book Like This and in many ways more superior. But hey, I might just be biased because she was awesome and chatted about movies with me. Meh.

You can check out their MySpace page here.

C'mon baby make it hurt so good

Why is it when director Michael Bay makes movies about masculinity (Bad Boys, The Rock, Transformers etc) he ends up degrading women and assaulting the senses? Whereas when Kathryn Bigelow broaches the subject, despite not having a penis, she is able to bring a sense of understanding and finesse.

In her latest film Bigelow paints a portrait of the military's most unrecognized heroes; the technicians of the bomb squad. The Hurt Locker chronicles the lives of three members of the Army's elite Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) squad as they battle insurgents and each other to seek out and disarm a wave of roadside bombs on the streets of Baghdad.

The character set-up is basic; Staff Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner) is the new cocky-but-brilliant bomb disarmer who disrupts the comfortable group dynamic with his rogue methods. Yet it is the extraordinary circumstances these men find themselves in and Bigelow's masterful direction that propel the story forward.

Bigelow doesn't seem too far removed from her Point Break days in the bromance between the soldiers and masculine-fuelled rivalry, yet the overindulgent cheesiness that plagued her previous films is replaced with raw emotion. Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders help build the suspense with a modest score that surges forward at the crucial moments, before slipping into the background when needed.
Elevated by an Oscar-nominated performance from Renner (above), keep an eye out for fleeting cameos from the likes of Guy Pearce and Ralph Fiennes. Not to mention the superb work of location scouts and set decorators to recreate war-torn Iraq in Amman, Jordan.

Another strong point is the story, written by freelance journalist and Playboy contributor Mark Boal. Based on his accounts as a journalist embedded with an American bomb squad in the Iraq war, Bigelow was already familiar with his work and adapted one of his previous articles into television series The Inside. The pair kept in touch about his experiences and he eventually moulded them into a fictional retelling of real events. Wanting to show the soldiers experiences beyond “what you see on CNN” Boal certainly achieves that, with the script equaling his brilliant work on 2007's The Valley Of Elah.

It is easy to pigeon-hole The Hurt Locker as a war drama, which it is, but it is also a bad-ass action film that transcends the superficiality of the genre by exploring the reactions of soldiers to extremely violent and traumatic situations. For every superbly choreographed action-sequence, there is a slow-motion shot of a bomb disintegrating the surrounding landscape in a beautiful, almost dreamlike way. Mixed in with the struggles of the central characters are close-up's of the war-ravaged faces of Iraqi civilians or a feral cat hopping through the rubbish on the streets.

Bigelow delivers her message in small, meaningful packages throughout the film building to a finished product that serves as one of the best dramatizations of the Iraq war.

The Hurt Locker is leading the 2010 Oscar race with Avatar, both with nine nominations.

It is released in metropolitan cinemas this Thursday, February 18 and regional cinemas next Thursday, February 25.

My heart's a shutter

Shutter Island marks the fourth collaboration with director Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio, after their multiple Oscar-award winning efforts Gangs Of New York, The Aviator and The Departed. Based on the novel by Mystic River author Dennis Lehane, DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo play two US marshals called to a remote island to investigate the disappearance of a murderer from an institution for the criminally insane.

On the surface Shutter Island looks like a simple mystery-thriller, but nothing about this film is simple. From the themes explored to the complex characters, Scorsese is a master storyteller and it is not long before you find yourself trapped in the intricate web he has crafted. The plot twists come with dizzying speed, leaving you feeling disoriented and slightly uncomfortable, somewhat like the occupants of the Shutter Island facility.

The performances from the top rate cast strengthen the illusion and the always impressive DiCaprio sets a new bar for himself as the tormented investigator. The supporting cast in Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Emily Mortimer and Patricia Clarkson are all captivating, especially Williams who shows off her superb range.

Visually, this is some of Scorsese's best work, as a muted colour palette of greys and blues contrast dramatically with the warm hues of the dream and flashback sequences. The noir-esque moments are balanced nicely by the Hitchcockian story arcs which lead to some truly eerie scenes.

Slightly longer than it needs to be, Scorsese doesn't rush, unwinding his intense narrative slowly, leaving goosebumps on your arm like the best kind of horror film. Without spoiling Shutter Island's biggest gift to the audience, it is a thrilling, often creepy, journey that takes you places you never expected to go.

Shutter Island opens this Thursday, February 18.

Isabel Lucas sings for her supper

An Australian musical-comedy began shooting in and around Brisbane today, starring uber hottie Isabel Lucas (above) in the lead role.

A Heartbeat Away is International Emmy award-winning and acclaimed theatre director Gale Edwards directorial debut and is being produced by Queenslander Chris Fitchett, of Pictures in Paradise.

After being delayed last year due to refinancing, the film has no doubt gained momentum given the success of fellow Australian musical-comedy, Bran Nue Day, at the box office. The film’s budget has been trimmed to just under $7 million, down from $8 million originally, due to the effects of the economic apocalypse etc.

Coming from a background in theatre direction, Edwards is the lady behind international stage hits The Boy From Oz and Jesus Christ Superstar, which won her an International Emmy award in 2001. A Heartbeat Away is her first foray into feature film directing and hopefully she has the cross-over talent off Richard Harris.

“It's a charming, funny and moving human story with some interesting deeper layers, and the cinematographic possibilities are exciting,” says Edwards.
“The chance to tell this story through the medium of film, with a terrific cast of actors, is an enticing challenge.
“Music is very close to my own heart. This is a genre I love.”

The film is about an aspiring rock guitarist who is forced to take over his father’s brass band four weeks before a major competition. As mentioned, Isabel Lucas is the big name leading the cast with Sebastian Gregory (below) in the major male role. Gregory is a bit of an Aussie rising star and if you pay attention to local films you would recognise him from Acolytes, Accidents Happen and Beautiful. And yes, it does look like he wants to front My Chemical Romance.
Veteran actor Williams Zappa is also thrown in there along with Tammy Macintosh and Colin Friels.

But the big question is, can Lucas sing? Ha, kidding, totally kidding. No one cares if she can sing. As long as she pouts at the right moment and looks suitably dainty, audiences will dig it.

A Heartbeat Away is being financed by Screen Australia, Screen Queensland, Cutting Edge Pty Ltd and Quickfire Films from the UK. Oh, and since Screen Queensland are involved, that’s the perfect opportunity for the premier’s office to pump out a press release with the following comments from Premier Anna Bligh.

"A Heartbeat Away, featuring Isabel Lucas and Colin Friels, has been supported by our government through Screen Queensland with over $3 million in funding," she says.
"To be shot solely in Queensland with filming beginning this week, this production will help generate over $10.4 million in economic activity for the state and create 215 jobs.
"This production is yet another example of the success of Queensland’s screen industry, with several Queensland projects either filming or recently completed.
"After the international success of Queensland film Daybreakers, which opened in Australia in early February, we are all looking forward to many more significant projects coming from Queensland."

She has a point, Daybreakers rocked and it’s always good to see more films being made here that are marketable overseas (hello there Sanctum).

Daybreakers producer Chris Brown is also on board, so I have faith. Filming will continue to the end of March mainly in Shorncliffe, but also keep an eye out for film crews in Brisbane sporting fields and schools.

A Heartbeat Away will be released in cinemas sometime in 2011.

Time to get Tropfesty

(Above) The 2009 Tropfest in Sydney

And no, unfortunately that isn't as dirty as it sounds.

The world's largest short film festival, the Movie Extra Tropfest, is on again this weekend and by some beautiful sign from the Gods, it's coming to the Gold Coast. I know what you're thinking; `so what? I don't live on the Gold Coast.' But for those of us who call the cultural vacuum home, having an event like this each year is a glorious reminder that yes, there is artistic expression and free-thinking individuals somewhere. Rejoice!

The festival is one of Australia's most iconic cultural events and has grown from humble beginnings in the early nineties at the Tropicana Café in Sydney, to what is now the largest outdoor short film festival globally. Out of thousands of films that entered, the 16 finalists will be screened on Sunday night with the 14 finalists in the Trop Jr category playing in the afternoon.

The finalists are broadcast nationally to a live audience of more than 150,000 via simultaneous satellite broadcast in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Hobart, Canberra, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Perth. A fantastic opportunity for up and coming filmmakers, the top entrants compete for prizes worth $150,000 across several categories.

(Above) Tropfest festival director John Polson, who also directed the Russel Crowe-starring film Tenderness (for those of you playing at home)

Festival director and founder John Polson says watching the entries is the best part of his job, but choosing the final 16 is the "the toughest''.
"This year's line-up encompasses an incredible, entertaining and thought-provoking mix of comedy, drama, animation, documentary and even mocumentary,'' he says.
"There are some familiar faces amongst the 16 finalists, including some past Tropfest finalists, but it's also great to be able to showcase some of Australia's best, new filmmaking talent.''

The flick I'm, er, rooting for is Testicle, an animated short film from a duo in Queensland about a baby born with one testicle. You've got to admit, it's pretty ballsy *insert face slap here*.

The festival highlights will also be broadcast live on the Movie Extra Channel.

If you feel like you're missing out, never fear because Tropfest is a global event and the New York leg is one of the biggest so I suggest check out the website here for all the details on a Tropfest near you.

(Above) Vintage Tropfest action

Exclusive interview with Mia Wasikowska

With Time Burton’s epic-looking version of Alice In Wonderland set to be released in less than a month, Movie Mazzupial had a chance to chat with Alice. Okay, not literally Alice because she’s a fictional character and that would mean I’m slightly crazy. Rather, the sweet Australian actress who plays her; Mia Wasikowska (above).

The 20-year-old actress first burst on the scene with a supporting role in the brilliant Aussie flick Suburban Mayhem in 2006. Her big break though came when she starred in the award-winning series In Treatment, which led to roles in larger Hollywood films like Defiance.

Yet nothing can compare to what is arguably the biggest role of her career as a grown-up Alice in Burton’s 3D version of the classic tale.

The trailers and stills from the movie have been going loco online, mainly because they look incredible. Personally, this is the film I’m looking to most in 2010 so you can understand my excitement when I got to chat with Wasikowska today about what it was like to be part of this exceptional film. A ridiculously sweet, polite and soft-spoken girl, she shared some interesting perspectives on the future of 3D, her favourite films and of course, what it’s like to work with some of the most powerful and respected people in the industry.

I hope you enjoy the interview transcript as much I did chatting to her, she’s truly lovely.

MM: Firstly, what was it like to film a movie like this? It looks like an amazing process to be a part of?
Mia: It was fantastic. Its been a really long process because we shot the movie in 2008, towards the end of the year and it’s almost been two years now. It has been a fantastic experience.

MM: From an acting perspective, what was that like? I mean, did you have to visualise a lot of what was going on given the use of a green screen?
Mia: Well, three months of it was green screen and there’s not a lot to draw from. You have to rely on concept art and the director telling you what you’re feeling. It’s strange. There were scenes when I had to interact with a tennis ball or sticky tape which was about 50 per cent of the movie.

MM: Have you read the book? Most people know the story from the Disney movie but the book is quite dark.
Mia: I have, I read it again before I started filming and as an adult saw a different side to it as kid. It’s such a unique story. I saw the observations, the darkness and the humour that I didn’t before. It’s such a beloved story by so many people and to be able to bring it to another generation is such a big honour.

MM: Did it seem surreal to you, coming from a background of lower budget Australian films or even gritty dramas like Defiance?
Mia: Not at all. Where I come from, especially living in Canberra in a completely different world, everyone was really great at making me feel very welcome and comfortable.
MM: And what was it like to work with Tim Burton?
Mia: Tim’s so great and such a wonderful person. He was so collaborative and open to my ideas, and he gives you so much trust from the beginning. He’s so clear with his vision and his direction. I really admire him.

MM: Could you see yourself working with him again in the future?
Mia: I’d love to work with him again as he’s an incredible artist and filmmaker. Being able to watch the whole process of him finding a project and bringing it to life was incredible to see. I learnt a lot and it was amazing to be a part of that.

MM: What was it like to work with such an amazing cast? It seems pretty much anyone who’s anyone is there like Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Crispin Glover, you know what I mean.
Mia: It was great, it was similar in that they made me feel very comfortable. I grew up watching them and loving everything they were in so it was very surreal. It was almost like taking their careers as an example and I’m very inspired by the way they have navigated their way through life and their careers. That was very cool for me.

MM: So was it easier to interact with them as an actor once they were recreated into those amazing characters?
Mia: That was the best part. Seeing them in all their costumes and makeup gave me ideas and that’s a lot of how we had to get inspiration for the characters. The first time I saw Johnny is his full hair and make-up I didn’t even recognise him so it was very easy to believe him as that character.

MM: I bet, the images I’ve seen so far are incredible. What kind of research did you have to do for Alice?
Mia: I used the storybooks as the backbone of who she is and it was the framework for our Alice because in our story she’s 19 and older, a different person to who she is in the book. I drew experience from the process I’ve gone through as a teenager and seen my friends go through, that awkwardness and feeling that all these pressures are on you. It was about stripping away Alice the icon, the fairytale, and just finding the teenager.

MM: Given the success of Avatar and being part of Alice, which is no doubt going to be a huge 3D film, do you think that 3D is the future of filmmaking?
Mia: I’m not entirely sure it’s the future, it’s definitely going to be very popular and interesting to see how the technology evolves and when it’s used and how. I’m definitely still in love with film film’s though.
MM: What’s another fairytale you would like to see brought to life? I understand you passed up a Sleeping Beauty adaptation recently.
Mia: Yeah, um, I’m probably a little old but I always loved Hansel & Gretel.

MM: That would be great, I could definitely see Tim Burton doing a version of that given the darkness and gothic themes.
Mia: Yeah, totally. I think he already has done something like that.

MM: So what’s next for you? What’s the next project you have coming up?
Mia: I start Jane Eyre at the end of March so I’m looking forward to that. I love doing things that are different from anything I’ve done before. It keeps it interesting, doing different things in different ways. I look forward to finding lots of different characters that challenge me and to also give something back to the audience.

MM: This is a bit off topic from the Alice In Wonderland stuff, but what are some of your favourite films or films that inspired you to get in this industry?
I really loved A Woman Under The Influence and Blue, Red and White. I love Sophie’s Choice, The Piano, An Angel At The Table. Um, there’s so many.

MM: Yeah, I know, sorry. It’s a bit of an impossible question. What do you think it is about these films that you love so much? I mean, are there underlying themes or great performances that attract you?
Mia: The characters are very unique and you don’t see them anywhere else except in those films. There are wonderful actors that portray those parts, they’re beautiful stories, beautifully filmed and everything about those films is amazing.

MM: Okay, well, thanks so much for your time and I hope you have fun on the press tour and all the premieres and everything, it should be very exciting.

Mia: Yes and thank you, thanks for doing this. I hope you have a lovely day.

Alice In Wonderland is released in cinemas on March 4.

No chocolate-box analogies here beyatch

The latest film from Garry Marshall, the director of Pretty Woman, feels like a deflated love-heart balloon a week after Valentine's Day. It's tired, used and tainted with the promise of what it could have been if given a little more care.

Valentine's Day is America's version of Love Actually and follows intertwining couples and singles in Los Angeles as they make-up and break-up on the romantic holiday. It stars a who's who of Hollywood A-listers including Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Ashton Kutcher, Jennifer Garner, Jamie Foxx, Shirley MacLaine, Jessica Alba, Bradley Cooper, Jessica Biel, Taylor Lautner and Taylor Swift (to name a few).

Unlike Love Actually the presence of so many stars hinders rather than helps the film, but that could be due to Marshall's flimsy direction. It's unashamedly a romantic comedy, which would be fine if it was actually romantic. Cute animals, kissing kids and canoodling old couples don't make up for a lack of chemistry between the lead characters. Sure, Hathaway steals every scene she's in as a part-time phone sex worker and Foxx brings more than his fair share of comic relief, but that's not enough to make up for a `meh' story.

Fans of country crooner Swift will be unsatisfied with her acting debut as a stuck-up highschool dancer and her erratic, Golden Raspberry Award-worthy performance will leave audiences cringing.

Essentially Valentine's Day is a telemovie-quality film, right down to the flat camera work, cliché characters and uninspired scenarios. It will please hardcore fans of the rom-com genre, the rest of us however will be left reaching for a bucket.

The reality is, Valentine's Day makes for a much better horror movie subject a la My Bloody Valentine 3D (the 80s original is worth a look too).

That Thing you do

See that? See what I did there with the headline? Clever huh *insert cricket noise and tumble weed here. Moving on…uber-talented Australian lad Joel Edgerton is set star in a remake of The Thing.

The Hollywood remake is said to be a remake of John Carpetner’s `82 version of The Thing which was a remake of the Howard Hanks’ `51 film The Thing From Another World which was a take on the `38 short Who Goes There?

If you lead a more exciting life then I, a fun game could be played involving a shot of whiskey every time I use the word `remake’. An even funner game would be a shot every time Hollywood did another remake (shot!) which would have you in a medically induced coma in 45 minutes ….approximately.

Remake (shot!) negativity aside, I’m actually semi-excited about this, mainly because Edgerton (below) is involved and frankly, I consider him a bit of a multi-talented, cinematic genius. Did I mention his most recent film Animal Kingdom picked up the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance? And don’t even get me started on The Square.

The Thing follows a shape-shifting alien who terrorizes a group of people in Antarctica. Sounds a bit like the first Alien Vs Predator to me, but less shit.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead will co-star, which is good if she behaves like she did in Death Proof and frightening if she pulls a Make It Happen. Her character is a PhD candidate (cough) who joins a Norwegian research team in Antarctica after it discovers an alien ship in the ice. When the trapped organism is freed and begins a series of attacks, she is forced to team up with a blue-collar mercenary helicopter pilot (Edgerton) to stop the rampage.

Dutch producer Matthijs Van Heijningen makes his directorial debut with The Thing which begins filming on March 15 in Toronto.

No word yet on a release date or 3D inclinations.

2010 Oscar nominations

And the winner is….well, we won’t know that for a fair few weeks yet but the 2010 Oscar nominations are in! Woo! All is pretty much as expected, with the big surprise being District 9 in the best picture category. Not that it will win, but it’s nice to see it get some acknowledgement anyway.

What isn’t nice is the bullshit exclusion of Moon in every freakin category! At the very least Sam Rockwell should have got a best lead actor nod and Duncan Jones a best original screenplay nomination. What. A. Joke. Other atrocities this year include Abbie Cornish missing out on a best actress nod and the movies robbed of an Academy high-five include Moon, Bright Star, Let The Right One In, Moon, Samson and Delilah, Moon and Nowhere Boy. Sigh.

Moving on, a very chipper Anne Hathaway read the Oscar nominations this morning and here is the full list. I’ve highlighted the winners I think deserve the shiny gold man, all things being true and fair in the world. Oh, but wait, they’re not *insert can kicking here*

Actress in a supporting role

Mo'Nique in Precious

Vera Farmiga in Up in the Air

Penelope Cruz in Nine

Anna Kendrick in Up in the Air

Maggie Gyllenhaal in Crazy Heart

Actor in a supporting role

Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds

Christopher Plummer in The Last Station

Matt Damon in Invictus

Stanley Tucci in The Lovely Bones

Woody Harrelson in The Messenger

Actress in a leading role

Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia

Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side

Helen Mirren in The Last Station

Gabourey Sidibe in Precious

Carey Mulligan in An Education

Actor in a leading role

Morgan Freeman in Invictus

Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart

George Clooney in Up in the Air

Colin Firth in A Single Man

Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker

Animated feature film

Up (Pete Docter and Bob Peterson)

The Princess and the Frog (Ron Clements and John Musker)

Coraline (Henry Selick)

Fantastic Mr Fox (Wes Anderson)

The Secret of Kells (Tomm Moore)

Foreign language film

Ajami (Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani, Israel)

A Prophet (Jacques Audiard, France)

The Secret of Her Eyes (Juan Jose Campanella, Argentina)

The White Ribbon (Michael Haneke, Germany)

The Milk of Sorrow (Claudia Llosa, Peru)

Directing

Avatar (James Cameron)

The Hurt Locker (Kathryn Bigelow)

Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino)

Up in the Air (Jason Reitman)

Precious (Lee Daniels)

Writing (adapted screenplay)

District 9 (Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell)

An Education (Nick Hornby)

Precious (Geoffrey Fletcher)

Up in the Air (Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner)

In the Loop (Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci and Tony Roche)

Writing (original screenplay)

The Hurt Locker (Mark Boal)

Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino)

A Serious Man (Joel and Ethan Coen)

Up (Pete Docter and Bob Petersen)

The Messenger (Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman)

Best picture

Avatar (James Cameron and Jon Landau, producers)

District 9 (Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, producers)

An Education (Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, producers)

The Hurt Locker (nominees to be determined)

Inglourious Basterds (Lawrence Bender, producer)

Precious (Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, producers)

A Serious Man (Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, producers)

Up in the Air (Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, producers)

The Blind Side (nominees to be determined)Up (Jonas Rivera, producer)

Art direction

Avatar (art direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; set decoration: Kim Sinclair)

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (art direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro; set decoration: Caroline Smith)

Nine (art direction: John Myhre; set decoration: Gordon Sim)

Sherlock Holmes (art direction: Sarah Greenwood; set decoration: Katie Spencer)

The Young Victoria (art direction: Patrice Vermette; set decoration: Maggie Gray)

Cinematography

Avatar (Mauro Fiore)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Bruno Delbonnel)

The Hurt Locker (Barry Ackroyd)

Inglourious Basterds (Robert Richardson)

The White Ribbon (Christian Berger)

Costume design

Bright Star (Janet Patterson)

Coco Before Chanel (Catherine Leterrier)

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (Monique Prudhomme)

Nine (Colleen Atwood)

The Young Victoria (Sandy Powell)

Documentary (feature)

Burma VJ (Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller)

The Cove (nominees to be determined)

Food, Inc (Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein)

The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers (Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith)

Which Way Home (Rebecca Cammisa)

Documentary (short subject)

China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province (Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill)

The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner (Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher)

The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant (Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert)

Music by Prudence (Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett)

Rabbit à la Berlin (Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra)

Film editing

Avatar (Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron)

District 9 (Julian Clarke)

The Hurt Locker (Bob Murawski and Chris Innis)

Inglourious Basterds (Sally Menke)

Precious (Joe Klotz)

Makeup

Il Divo (Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano)

The Young Victoria (Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore)

Star Trek (Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow)

Music (original score)

Avatar (James Horner)

Fantastic Mr Fox (Alexandre Desplat)

Up (Michael Giacchino)

The Hurt Locker (Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders)

Sherlock Holmes (Hans Zimmer)

Music (original song)

Almost There, from The Princess and the Frog by Randy Newman

Down in New Orleans, from The Princess and the Frog by Randy Newman

Loin de Paname, from Paris 36 by Reinhardt Wagner and Frank Thomas

Take it All, from Nine by Maury Yeston

The Weary Kind, from Crazy Heart by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Short film (animated)

French Roast (Fabrice O Joubert)

Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty (Nicky Phelan and Darragh O'Connell)

Logoramam (Nicolas Schmerkin)

The Lady and the Reaper (Javier Recio Gracia)

A Matter of Loaf and Death (Nick Park)

Short film (live action)

The Door (Juanita Wilson and James Flynn)

Instead of Abracadabra (Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström)

Kavi (Gregg Helvey)

Miracle Fish (Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey)

The New Tenants (Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson)

Sound editing

Avatar (Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle)

The Hurt Locker (Paul NJ Ottosson)

Inglourious Basterds (Wylie Stateman)

Star Trek (Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin)

Up (Michael Silvers and Tom Myers)

Sound mixing

Avatar (Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson)

The Hurt Locker (Paul NJ Ottosson and Ray Beckett)

Inglourious Basterds (Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano)

Star Trek (Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J Devlin)

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Greg P Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson)

Visual effects

Avatar (Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R Jones)

District 9 (Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken)

Star Trek (Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton)

The Oscars are on March 7.

And the Razzie nominations for 2010 are...

In the lead up to the Oscar nominations (ohhh excitement!) in a few hours I thought I’d recap the list of nominees for the just as enjoyable Razzie awards. For those of you who have been abducted and living in a basement for the past…ever, the Razzie’s celebrate the worst of the worst Hollywood films and actors. So, basically everything Michael Bay has ever done.

A full list of nominees is below, but let me just point out this year’s field is led deservedly by the Jonas Brothers; the three worst things to happen music and movies combined. Seriously, on screen they are like three squirming Elvis’ in Fun In Acapulco…not a good thing.

WORST PICTURE OF 2009
"All About Steve"
"G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra"
"Land of the Lost"
"Old Dogs""
"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"

WORST ACTOR OF 2009
All Three Jonas Brothers, "Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience"
Will Ferrell, "Land of the Lost"
Steve Martin, "Pink Panther 2"
Eddie Murphy, "Imagine That"
John Travolta, "Old Dogs"

WORST ACTRESS Of 2009
Beyonce, "Obsessed"
Sandra Bullock, "All About Steve"
Miley Cyrus, "Hannah Montana: The Movie"
Megan Fox, "Jennifer’s Body" and "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"
Sarah Jessica Parker, "Did You Hear About the Morgans?"

WORST SCREEN COUPLE OF 2009
Any Two (or More) Jonas Brothers, "The Jonas Brothers 3-D Concert Experience"
Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper, "All About Steve"
Will Ferrell and any co-star, Creature or "Comic Riff," "Land of the Lost"
Shia Lebouf & Either Megan Fox or Any Transformer, "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"
Kristin Stewart and either Robert Pattinson or Taylor Lautner, "Twilight Saga: New Moon"

WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS OF 2009
Candice Bergen, "Bride Wars"
Ali Larter, "Obsessed"
Sienna Miller, "G.I. Joe"
Kelly Preston,"Old Dogs"
Julie White (as Mom), "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"

WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR OF 2009
Billy Ray Cyrus, "Hannah Montana: The Movie"
Hugh Hefner (as himself), "Miss March"
Robert Pattinson, "Twilight Saga: New Moon"
Jorma Taccone (as Cha-Ka), "Land of the Lost"
Marlon Wayans, "G.I. Joe"

WORST PICTURE OF THE DECADE
"Battlefield Earth" (2000)
"Freddy Got Fingered" (2001)
"Gigli" (2003)
"I Know Who Killed Me" (2007)
"Swept Away" (2002)

WORST ACTOR OF THE DECADE
Ben Affleck - "Daredevil," "Gigli," "Jersey Girl," "Paycheck," "Pearl Harbor," "Surviving Christmas"
Eddie Murphy - "Adventures of Pluto Nash," "I Spy," "Imagine That," "Meet Dave," "Norbit," "Showtime"
Mike Myers - "Cat in the Hat," "The Love Guru"
Rob Schneider - "The Animal," "Benchwarmers," "Deuce Bigalo: European Gigolo," "Grandma's Boy," "The Hot Chick," "I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry," "Little Man," "Little Nicky"
John Travolta - "Battlefield Earth," "Domestic Disturbance," "Lucky Numbers," "Old Dogs," "Swordfish"

WORST ACTRESS OF THE DECADE
Mariah Carey – "Glitter"
Paris Hilton - "The Hottie & The Nottie," "House of Whacks," "Repo: The Genetic Opera"

Lindsay Lohan - "Herbie Fully Loaded," "I Know Who Killed Me," "Just My Luck"
Jennifer Lopez - "Angel Eyes," "Enough," "Gigli," "Jersey Girl," "Maid in Manhattan," "Monster-in-Law," "The Wedding Planner"
Madonna - "Die Another Day," "The Next Best Thing," "Swept Away"

The Razzie award winners are announced on March 6, the eve of the Oscars.