http://www.totalfilm.com/news/oscar-nominations-the-artist-leads-the-way

Oscar nominations: The Artist leads the way
Tribute to silent cinema nominated in five major categories
Jan 24th 2012 By George Wales

The nominations for the 2012 Academy Awards have been announced, with The Artist leading the way with five nominations in major categories, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor.

The announcement wasn’t peppered with shocks, although there were one or two surprises along the way, with Gary Oldman receiving a surprise nomination for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, but Michael Fassbender missing out for Shame.

Drive was one of the highest profile films to be passed over (gettnig just one nod for Sound Editing), whilst Tintin was overlooked in the Animated Film category. Meanwhile, Melissa McCarthy garnered a rare supporting actress nod for a comedy performer, having been recognised for her sterling work in Bridesmaids.

Hugo got the most nominations overall (11), with The Artist following closely behind (10). Transformers: Dark Of The Moon and The Tree Of Life are neck and neck with three each.

Take a look at the list below for full details of who has got the nod for the key awards at the 84th Academy Awards ceremony on 26 February…

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

Best Actress
Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs)
Rooney Mara (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo)
Viola Davis (The Help)
Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
Michelle Williams (My Week With Marilyn)

Best Actor
Demian Behir (A Better Life)
George Clooney (The Descendants)
Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)
Brad Pitt (Moneyball)

Supporting Actress
Bérénice Bejo (The Artist)
Jessica Chastain (The Help)
Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids)
Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs)
Octavia Spencer (The Help)

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 Director
Woody Allen (Midnight In Paris)
Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Alexander Payne (The Descendants)
Martin Scorcese (Hugo)
Terence Malick (The Tree Of Life)

Best Original Screenplay
The Artist
Bridesmaids
Midnight in Paris
Margin Call
A Separation

Best Adapted Screenplay
The Descendants
Hugo
The Ides of March
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Best Foreign Feature
Bullhead
Footnote
In Darkness
Monsier Lazhar
In Separation

Best Animated Feature
A Cat in Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango

Art Direction

The Artist
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Hugo
Midnight In Paris
War Horse

Cinematography

The Artist
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
The Tree Of Life
War Horse

Costume Design

Anonymous
The Artist
Hugo
Jane Eyre
W.E.

Documentary Feature

Hell And Back Again
If A Tree Falls: A Story Of The Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated

Documentary Short Subject

The Barber Of Birmingham: Foot Soldier Of The Civil Rights Movement
God Is The Bigger Elvis
Incident In New Baghdad
Saving Face
The Tsumani And The Cherry Blossom

Film Editing

The Artist
The Descendants
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball

Make Up

Albert Nobbs
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
The Iron Lady

Music (Original Score)

The Adventures Of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn
The Artist
Hugo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse

Music (Original Song)

The Muppets - 'Man Or Muppet'
Rio - 'Real In Rio'

Short Film (Animated)

Dimanche / Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books Of Mr Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life

Short Film (Live Action)

Pentecost
Raju
The Shore
Time Freak
Tuba Atlantic

Sound Editing

Drive
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Transformers: Dark Of The Moon
War Horse

Sound Mixing

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball
Transformers: Dark Of The Moon
War Horse

Source: THR

http://www.irishcentral.com/ent/movies/-Rooney-Mara-tipped-for-Best-Lead-Actress---Oscar-nominations-for-2012-announced-137963903.html

Rooney Mara tipped for Best Lead Actress - Oscar nominations for 2012 announced - VIDEOS
Irish and Irish American movie celebs nominated for big awards
By
KERRY O'SHEA,
IrishCentral Intern

Published Tuesday, January 24, 2012, 10:57 AM
Updated Tuesday, January 24, 2012, 5:44 PM

Irish and Irish American actors and themes are making a big splash with this year’s Academy Award nominations which were announced earlier this morning. Delivering the nominations live were actress Jennifer Lawrence and the president of the Academy Tom Sherak.

Not surprisingly, Irish actress Rooney Mara was nominated for Best Lead Actress for her work in the film adaptation of the popular book series ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.’ The film, which is the first in its trilogy, is also nominated for Best Cinematography.

Glenn Close’s project ‘Albert Nobbs’ which was filmed in Dublin made an impression on Academy voters, garnering two major nominations. The film, set in 19th century Ireland, tells the story of a woman (portrayed by Close) who is passing as a man to advance herself in society. Close is nominated alongside Rooney Mara for Best Leading Actress, and Janet McTeer is nominated for Best Supporting Actress in the film.

In what many to consider to be her big breakout role, Irish American actress Melissa McCarthy secured the nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in this summer’s smash hit comedy ‘Bridesmaids.’ McCarthy is the only actor from the film nominated, though the film itself is nominated for Best Original Writing. McCarthy won an Emmy this past September for her role on the CBS comedy ‘Mike and Molly.’

_________________
Read More:
Glenn Close’s ‘Albert Nobbs’ and Michael Fassbender’s ‘Shame’ tipped for Oscar recognition

Meryl Streep’s ‘The Iron Lady’ insulting to Margaret Thatcher - VIDEO

Emmy award winning Melissa McCarthy wows on ‘Saturday Night Live’ – VIDEOS
_________________

Also nominated for Best Supporting Actress is Irish American Jessica Chastain for her role in ‘The Help.’ Chastain is nominated alongside her co-star from the film Octavia Spencer. The film adaptation of the popular book secured several other nominations as well, including Best Picture, and Best Actress in a Leading Role (Viola Davis).

George Clooney, whose father is set to be the focus of an upcoming documentary exploring the Clooney’s Irish roots, is nominated for Best Leading Actor for his role in ‘The Descendants.’ The film is also nominated for Best Picture, Best Directing and Best Adapted Writing. Clooney won the Golden Globe for Best Actor for his role in ‘The Descendants;’ does that mean he has the Oscar secured, too?

Clooney’s other big film for 2011, ‘The Ides of March’, is also nominated for Best Adapted Writing.

Belfast native Kenneth Branagh is nominated for his role in the Marilyn Monroe biopic ‘My Week with Marilyn.’ His co-star Michelle Williams is nominated for her portrayal of Monroe in the movie.

Meryl Streep is nominated - for an astounding 17th time - for her portrayal of once British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in the film ‘The Iron Lady.’ Streep’s nomination is the only major one for the film.

Nick Nolte is nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in ‘Warrior,’ a film about an Irish family in Pittsburgh.

Snubbed from this year’s nominations is Co Kerry native Michael Fassbender for his gripping role in the graphic film ‘Shame,’ which is about an Irish born sex-addict.

Who are your picks to bring home trophies on this year’s February 5th Academy Awards? Share in the comments below!

Here is the list of the major award nominations for 2012 from CelebrityCafe.com :

Best Picture:
The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse

Actor in a Leading Role:
Demian Bichir - A Better Life
George Clooney - The Descendants
Jean Dujardin - The Artist
Gary Oldman - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt - Moneyball

Actress in a Leading Role:
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

Supporting Actor:
Kenneth Branagh - My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill - Moneyball
Nick Nolte - Warrior
Christopher Plummer - Beginners
Max von Sydow - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Supporting Actress:
Berenice Bejo - The Artist
Jessica Chastain - The Help
Melissa McCarthy - Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer - Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer - The Help

Animated Film:
A Cat In Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango

Cinematography:
The Artist
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
The Tree of Life
War Horse

Directing:
Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist
Alexander Payne - The Descendants
Martin Scorsese - Hugo
Woody Allen - Midnight In Paris
Terrence Malick - The Tree of Life

Foreign Language Film:
Bullhead
Monsieur Lazhar
A Separation
Footnote
In Darkness

Writing (Adapted):
The Descendants
Hugo
The Ides of March
Moneyball
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Writing (Original):
The Artist
Bridesmaids
Margin Call
Midnight in Paris
A Separation

http://moviecultists.com/2012/01/24/who-will-walk-away-with-the-oscars/

Who Will Walk Away With the Oscars?

Written by Marty Shaw on 1/24/12 • Bookmark and Share • Filed under:

Oscar Statues

It’s that special time of year when the line is drawn in the sand between moviegoers and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which revealed the nominees for the 84th Academy Awards earlier today, because there’s always disagreement over who got the nod and who got the shaft. Hit the jump to see if your favorites made the cut.

I haven’t seen many of the films on the list (Oscar and I rarely see eye-to-eye) but I am shocked that a few names are missing. Michael Fassbender, who seemed to own 2011, isn’t anywhere to be found? TinTin isn’t up for Best Animated Film? Drive gets a nod for sound editing and nothing else? Someone really got shafted there.

You can check out the list below and then find out who takes the little guy named Oscar home on Sunday, February 26, on ABC.

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

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

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 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 Actor

Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Max Von Sydow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Best Supporting Actress

Bérénice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help

Best Original Screenplay

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

Best Adapted Screenplay

Alexander Payne, Jim Rash & Nat Faxon, The Descendants
John Logan, Hugo
George Clooney, Grant Heslov & Beau Willimon, The Ides of March
Aaron Sorkin & Steven Zaillian, Moneyball
Peter Straughan & Bridget O’Connor, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Best Animated Film

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

Best Foreign Language Film

Bullhead (Belgium)
Monsieur Lazhar (Canada)
A Separation (Iran)
Footnote (Israel)
In Darkness (Poland)

Art Direction

The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
War Horse

Costume Design

Anonymous
The Artist
Hugo
Jane Eyre
W.E.

Documentary Feature

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

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

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

Makeup

Albert Nobbs, Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
The Iron Lady, Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

Music (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

Music (Original Song)

“Man or Muppet” from The Muppets, Bret McKenzie
“Real in Rio” from Rio, Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown and Siedah Garrett

Short Film (Animated)

Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life

Short Film (Live Action)

Pentecost
Raju
The Shore
Time Freak
Tuba Atlantic

Sound Editing

Drive
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse

Sound Mixing

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Monyeball
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse

Visual Effects

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Real Steel
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark of the Moon

What do you think? Who got snubbed? Who got an undeserved pat on the back?

http://www.nextmovie.com/blog/2012-oscars-snub-surprises/

25 Shockers from the 2012 Oscar Nominations
By Sandie Angulo Chen | Jan 24, 2012 | 11:06 AM |

Albert Brooks in Drive
Film District

It's Academy Award Nominations Day, which means for every sure-thing nominee to applaud (go George Clooney!) or fan fave who squeaks in (woo hoo Melissa McCarthy!), there's a snub to bemoan (where's Albert Brooks?) or a huge surprise to marvel at (who's Demian Bichir?), and this year's list of Oscar hopefuls contains several shockers.

Before we start a month of predictions and odds-making, let's take a moment to point out the many ways the Academy missed the mark or pleasantly surprised us with their picks.
Hugo
Paramount
Hugonian Domination

We hope Martin Scorsese thanks his wife this morning for demanding he make a movie their 12-year-old daughter could actually see. The Oscar winner's adaptation of a beloved children's book just scored an impressive 11 nominations in basically everything except the performance categories (most notable snubbing: Sir Ben Kingsley). Although it's highly the movie will sweep "Return of the King"-style, it's still a coup for the quintessential New Yorker's film to receive the most nominations of the year.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Nominated

After missing the deadline to be named in most of the critics' best-of-2011 lists and then being passed over for the Globes, it seemed Stephen Daldry's emotional adaptation would remain a tearjerker without any acclaim. But the Academy obviously responded to the 9/11 drama, particularly Max von Sydow's wordless performance; he's up for Best Supporting Actor. Even more surprising? The movie grabbed one of the coveted Best Picture spots.
Melissa McCarthy Better Pick Out Dress Again

Melissa McCarthy may not have nabbed a Golden Globes nomination for her hilariously scene-stealing performance in "Bridesmaids," but the Academy more than made up for the Hollywood Foreign Press' mistake. Not only is McCarthy scoring one for funny ladies everywhere, but she has proven pretending to poop is a fine art. She faces tough competition, but McCarthy is already a winner to us.
Albert Brooks Won't Need Driver

Despite receiving several accolades and award nominations for his surprisingly against-type role as a Los Angeles gangster in "Drive," Brooks was completely (and unforgivably) overlooked for the Academy Awards. We don't want to blame anyone, but it looks like Max von Sydow and/or Jonah Hill stole Brooks' place. And while we're complaining about Brook's lack of a nomination, it's a shame that Nicholas Winding Refn's beautifully acted critical darling isn't represented, save for a Best Sound Editing nod.
No Love for Genre Pics in Best Pic Category
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Sony

Some movies just can't break out of their genres. Even with universally fabulous reviews, a ton of fans and stellar casts, movies like "Bridesmaids," "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II" and "The Girl With the Drag Tattoo" were all frozen out of the Best Picture race. Is it because James Cameron didn't direct them? We'll never know, but we're still sad (especially about "Potter").
DiCaprio J.Snubbed

Leonardo DiCaprio is no stranger to the Academy Awards; he's been nominated three times, but this was not his year. The "J. Edgar" star's transformation into the legendary FBI head may have been a classic case of Clint Eastwood Oscar bait, but the Academy (for once) didn't bite. Sorry, Leo, but there's always 2013. If anything should earn you some Oscar gold, it's playing Jay Gatsby.
'Tree of Life' Has Enough Ardent Fans

Never underestimate how many Hollywood insiders adore Terrence Malick. The auteur's polarizing treatise on the meaning of life and family didn't score any Golden Globe nominations, but now it's competing in two major categories (Best Picture and Best Director), not just Cinematography as expected. And with its stars Jessica Chastain and Brad Pitt nominated for other films, there will be plenty of 'Life' love on Oscars night.
Shailene Woodley Loses Inheritance

She had one of the biggest breakouts of 2011, but the young actress who went toe-to-toe with George Clooney will have to wait for an Academy Award nomination. Instead, the voters selected Jessica Chastain – ostensibly for "The Help," but probably for impressing audiences in "The Tree of Life" and "Take Shelter" as well last year.


Jonah Hill in Moneyball
Sony
Jonah Hill, Oscar Nominee

What a milestone year for Jonah Hill. Not only did he lose 40 pounds and join the elite list of men who can claim a Brad Pitt bromance, but he also received an Academy Award nomination for playing Pitt's geektastic sidekick in "Moneyball." And whether or not he goes home with Oscar gold (our money's on Christopher Plummer, who has yet to win), he's now got bragging rights over Seth Rogen, Jason Segel and the rest of his bros.
The Girl With the Oscar Nomination

Last year, Rooney Mara made waves for beating out scores of other Hollywood starlets to land the much-desired role of Lisbeth Salander in David Fincher's Americanized take on "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo." This year, the 26-year-old actress proved she was the right woman for the job with an Academy Award nomination. We couldn't be more chuffed, because Mara killed as the badass private investigator, and we can't wait to see her play the mysteriously inked character again and again.
We Need to Talk About Tilda Swinton

Swinton's much lauded portrayal of maternal horror in the difficult-to-watch "We Need To Talk About Kevin" (even seasoned movie lovers like us found it cringe-inducing at times) must have been a little too hard for the Academy voters to screen, because Swinton was surprisingly left off the Best Actress list. We think Swinton's nomination went to Rooney Mara instead.
Hello Animated Features We've Never Heard Of

We're not sure what happened to "The Adventures of Tintin," but the nominations for Best Animated Feature included two films that have been completely off our radar: "A Cat in Paris" and "Chico & Rita." Both are foreign animated films ("Cat" is French, "Chico" Spanish), and now we'd love to figure out how to see them. True to its title, "Cat" follows a feline's adventures in Paris, while "Chico & Rita" is a love story about a pianist and a beautiful singer who meet in pre-Castro Havana.
Fassbender, Penis Joke Lovers Both Lose

Nothing would've made us happier than to see a repeat of George Clooney's Golden Globes speech, but alas, it's not meant to be at the Oscars. Maybe Academy voters are more conservative than their foreign press counterparts, because Michael Fassbender's brave and raw (read: full frontal) performance in "Shame" went unrewarded. Penis joke fans everywhere will have to hang their heads down low.
There Were Only Two Good Songs This Year?

Those of us hoping for round two of the Elton John vs. Madonna standoff will have to keep waiting. Neither the Material Girl's Golden Globe-winning "W.E." single, "Masterpiece," Sir Elton's "Gnomeo & Juliet" song, "Hello Hello," OR Mary J. Blige's "The Help" song, "The Living Proof," earned nominations. Don't get us wrong, we loved Bret McKenzie's philosophical "Muppets" anthem "Man or Muppet" and the catchy Brazilian tune "Real in Rio" from "Rio," but really, Academy – only two songs? Did someone lose the names of the other nominees?
Summit
Meet Demián Bichir

We don't want to brag or anything, but we've been fans of Demián since he played Mary Louise Parker's studly third husband, a Mexican politician and druglord, on "Weeds." In Chris Weitz' father-son drama "A Better Life," Bichir portrays a Mexican immigrant desperate to provide his teenage son with all the opportunities the U.S. has to offer. The powerful role earned Bichir career-making reviews, applauding his "quietly potent," "pitch-perfect" performance.
'Tintin' Makes No Motion

Despite its impressive pedigree, the motion-capture adaptation of the renowned European comic books didn't score any Oscar love. Even with two Academy Award-winning filmmakers at the helm, "Tintin" only earned one nomination: Best Score for John Williams (who unlike Spielberg, was also nominated for "War Horse").
Spielberg Loses Directing 'War'

The Academy loves Steven Spielberg, but apparently he canceled himself out with his two December releases. While it's no surprise "Tintin" didn't generate any award buzz for the legendary filmmaker, it's surprising that his six-time-nominated drama "War Horse" failed to earn Spielberg his 7th Best Director nomination. Since he's the movie's producer, however, he still has a chance to take home a trophy.
Oldman Quietly Sneaks In

Like his tightlipped British intelligence officer George Smiley in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," Oldman quietly landed in the Best Actor's race. Understated performances are usually overshadowed by larger-than-life roles, so it's a pleasant surprise that Oldman finally (finally!) earned his first Academy Award nomination. We had to double-check that to be sure, since it seems so incomprehensible, but Oldman has never been nominated before this year. It's about time.
'W.E.' Is Academy-Approved

Many found the pair of Globe Globe nominations (for Best Original Song and Best Original Score) and subsequent win (for the former) for the Madonna written-and-directed "W.E." to be the usual case of Hollywood Foreign Press celebrity brownnosing. But the widely panned film has also made the cut at the Oscars – and no, it's not in a musical category, but rather for Best Costume Design. Will Madge still show?
Do Not Beware the 'Ides of March'

Well, OK, George Clooney's political drama did garner a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, but otherwise it didn't make quite the Oscar splash "Good Night, and Good Luck" did six years ago. But Clooney should be celebrating even if "Ides of March" didn't land more nods. Not only is he up for screenwriting, he's the frontrunner to win Best Actor.
View Gallery »
Theron Won't Three-Peat

Charlize Theron did a terrific job playing a terribly unlikable protagonist in "Young Adult," but her Golden Globe-nominated performance didn't get a chance at a happy ending come Oscar night. In fact, the Diablo Cody-penned, Jason Reitman-directed comedy must have been too snarky for the Academy, which shut out the movie altogether. If she's anything like her character Mavis, Theron will drown her sorrows in a 2-liter bottle of Diet Coke and some fast food.
Trent Reznor Does Not Score

Thanks to John Williams' double nominations for "Tintin" and "War Horse," several equally as deserving composers didn't get a nod this year, including "Harry Potter" scorer Alexandre Desplat (who also composed "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close"), Dario Marianelli for "Jane Eyre" and Trent Reznor for "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo." It must've been too much to expect Reznor, who won last year for "The Social Network," to repeat. Our response: a full-throated Karen O. yell of disapproval!
Ryan Gosling 0-for-3

Rarely does an actor generate so much buzz for three such different and fantastic roles in a single year. Despite his photo-shopped abs and Method acting skills, Gosling still couldn't woo the Academy into honoring him with a nomination (we hoped for "Drive"). We're not sure why the Oscars haven't fallen for Gosling like the rest of us (well, except for his 2006 performance in "Half Nelson"), but he wuz robbed!
Kristen Wiig Is Oscar-Nominated

Even though we're disappointed that "Bridesmaids" didn't end up on the Best Picture list, at least it got two high-profile, well-deserved nominations: one for Melissa McCarthy and one for Kristen Wiig and her writing partner Annie Mumolo (you know, the terrified flier sitting next to Wiig on the doomed flight to Las Vegas) for Best Original Screenplay. If she wins, Wiig should return to Manhattan and treat her "SNL" peeps to one amazing after-party.
Ugh, And for the Last Time… No Harry Potter

We've saved our biggest disappointment for last: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" didn't score a Best Picture nomination (it did, however, score three technical nods). It isn't just because we're unabashed fans of the series or because it's the epic saga's final installment. It's because the movie is genuinely one of 2011's best, or should we say, magical, films, and it deserved to be recognized. As Entertainment Weekly said of the series finale, "the thrilling conclusion to a phenomenal cinematic story 10 years in the telling, 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2' is proof that authentic movie excitement is its own form of magic." Amen.

http://www.buzzfocus.com/2012/01/24/oscar-nominations-academy-awards-2012/

‘Hugo’ Scores 11 & ‘The Artist’ Earns 10 Oscar Nominations
By Ernie Estrella : January 24, 2012


the artist oscars

Start ordering your cheese and wine and planning your Oscars parties, the nominees have been announced for the 2012 Academy Awards. Hot off the win from the Golden Globes, The Descendants scored five nominations in big categories but it was Hugo and The Artist that both roped in 10 nominations to lead the way. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close snagged a few nominations after being completely shut out in the Golden Globes.

Poor, Michael Fassbender. The Academy turned their backs on him after he gave us four excellent performances this year (Shame, X-Men First Class, Jayne Eyre, and A Dangerous Method) and may have had the best year as an actor. Also leading the parade of the snubbed were Leonardo DiCaprio for J. Edgar, The Adventures of Tintin, and Hollywood’s trendy movie mood setters Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for their score for The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

More interesting nominations and snubs include:

• For Best Leading Actor: Demián Bichir in A Better Life
• For Best Leading Actress: Rooney Mara in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
• For Best Supporting Actor: Nick Nolte in Warrior
• For Best Supporting Actress: Melissa McCarthy in Bridesmainds
• For Best Animated Feature: A Cat in Paris and Chico & Rita
• For Best Original Score: John Williams was nominated twice for War Horse and The Adventures of Tintin

• SNUB: Adventures of Tintin for Best Animated Feature
• SNUB: Shailene Woodley (The Descendants) for Best Supporting Actress
• SNUB: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) for Best Score
• SNUB: Andy Serkis (Rise of the Planet of The Apes) for Best Leading Actor
• SNUB: Michael Fassbender (Shame and many others) for Best Lead Actor
• SNUB: Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin) for Best Lead Actress
• SNUB: Leonardo DiCaprio (J.Edgar) For Best Lead Actor
• SNUB: Mia Wasikowska (Jane Eyre) for Best Lead Actress

michael fassbender shame

The Oscars also righted some wrongs from the Golden Globes including giving Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life) a Directing nomination over George Clooney (Ides of March), leaving Cars 2 off of the nominations, leaving Madonna and her original song for W.E. as well as the film’s original score off the nominations, getting “Man or Muppet” on the ballot and also nominating Gary Oldman for Best Lead Actor.

Tune into ABC on Sunday, February 27, 7pm EST to find out who takes home the Academy Awards. Below is a complete list of the nominees:

Best Picture
• The Artist
• The Descendants
• Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
• The Help
• Hugo
• Midnight in Paris
• Moneyball
• The Tree of Life
• War Horse

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

rooney mara dragon tattoo oscars

Best Actor
• Demian 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 and Incredibly Close

Best Supporting Actress
• Berenice Bejo, The Artist
• Jessica Chastain, The Help
• Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
• Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
• Octavia Spencer, The Help

the help oscars

Best 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

Best Costume Design
• The Artist, Mark Bridges
• Hugo, Sandy Powell
• W.E. Arianne Phillips
• The Artist, Guillaume Schiffman
• Jayne Eyre, Michael O’Connor

Best Art Direction
• The Artist, Laurence Bennett and Robert Gould
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Stuart Craig and Stephenie McMillan
• Hugo, Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Chiavo
• War Horse, Rick Carter and Sandales

Best Editing
• The Artist, Ann-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 Director
• Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen
• The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius
• The Descendants, Alexander Payne
• Hugo, Martin Scorsese
• The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick

Best Foreign Language Film
• Bullhead – Belgium, Michael R. Roskam, director
• Monsieur Lazhar – Canada, Philippe Falardeau, director
• Footnote – Israel, Joseph Cedar, director
• In Darkness – Poland, Agnieszka Holland, director
• A Separation– Iran, Asghar Farhadi, director

a separation iran oscars

Best Animated Feature
• A Cat in Paris
• Chico & Rita
• Kung Fu Panda 2
• Puss in Boots
• Rango

Best Animated Short
• La Luna, Enrico Casarosa
• The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, William Joyce and Brandon Oldenbug
• Dimanche/Sunday, Patrick Doyon
• Wild Life, Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby
• A Morning Stroll, Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe

Best Life Action Short
• Pentecost
• Raju
• The Shore
• Time Freak
• Tuba Atlantic

Best Original Song
• “Man or Muppet” from The Muppets
• ”Real in RIO from RIO

Best Original Score
• The Adventures of Tintin, John Williams
• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Alberto Iglesias
• The Artist, Ludovic Bource
• Hugo, Howard Shore
• War Horse, John Williams

Best Makeup
• Albert Nobbs
• The Iron Lady
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

moneyball oscars

Documentary Feature
• Hell and Back Again
• If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
• Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
• Pina
• Undefeated

Documentary Short
• The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
• God is the Bigger Elvis
• Incident in New Bagdad
• Saving Face
• The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom

Best Adapted Screenplay
• The Descendants, Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash
• Hugo, John Logan
• The Ides of March, George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
• Moneyball, Steve Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Story by Stan Chervin.
• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Bridget O’ Connor and Peter Straughan

Best Original Screenplay
• The Artist, Michael Hazanavicius
• Bridesmaids, Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig
• Margin Call, J.C. Chandor
• Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen
• A Separation, Asghar Farhadi

hugo oscars

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
• Hugo
• Moneyball
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon
• War Horse
• The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Best Visual Effects
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
• Hugo
• Real Steel
• Rise of the Planet of the Apes
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Are you surprised by any of the picks? Think something else should have made it? Did we miss a snub? Let us know your Oscar snubs and picks below and tell us what was your Best Picture of the year and why, below.

http://www.hollywoodnews.com/2012/01/24/no-%E2%80%9Cshame%E2%80%9D-for-oscars-big-snubs/

Tue, Jan 24 2012 | Published in *NEWS, AWARDS, CELEBS, HEADLINE, HEADLINES, MOVIES, TV
No “Shame” for Oscars – Big Snubs
By: Roger Friedman

By Roger Friedman

HollywoodNews.com: The Oscar nominations are in, and there are lots of movies and actors who got left out. Steve McQueen’s “Shame” was totally snubbed, along with actors Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan. Too much sex? The Academy rejected full frontal nudity, that’s for sure. A fascinating film, but depressing–and now set to become a video hit only. Clint Eastwood’s “J Edgar” never caught on at the box office, and now the actors–Leonardo DiCaprio and Armie Hammer–are out in the cold as well. “J Edgar” was very well made, but the point of the story was lost–it was not a love story that people wanted to see, but the saga of Hoover’s abuse of power.

Also gone are “Drive”–with Albert Brooks and Ryan Gosling’s terrific work, plus Jason Reitman’s “Young Adult”–simply released at the wrong time. It should have gone to Sundance and worked the festivals. Too edgy for Christmas. “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” produced only love for Rooney Mara. And the big shock–that the Academy didn’t want Steven Spielberg’s “Tintin” at all, and chose obscure animated films instead. Wow. Plus, only two nominations for Best Song–that’s going to be a short segment–the songs from “The Help” and “Gnomeo and Juliet” didn’t register at all.

Some congrats–in documentaries to Joe Berlinger’s “Paradise Lost 3″ and to Wim Wender’s “Pina.” And in costumes, it’s nice that “Anonymous” got a nod. Even if the movie was loony, it looked great.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/dec/14/awards-season-2011-12-nominees-winners

Awards season 2011-12: All the major nominees and winners, including Oscars nominations

The 2011 awards season is hotting up. In the run-up to the Oscars, track the key nominees and winners here; can you predict who will triumph this year?
• Get the data

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Comments (

Oscars
The 2011 film awards season is underway, in the run-up to the Oscars next February. Photograph: Gary Hershorn/REUTERS

The Academy Awards nominations have been announced, and we're one step closer to finding out who will scoop the Oscars this awards season.

As expected, Jean Dujardin (The Artist) and George Clooney (The Descendants), who both won Golden Globes last week, head the best actor nominations.

Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) and Michelle Williams (My Week With Marilyn), who also shared the glory at the Golden Globes, are nominated in the best actress category.

Ryan Gosling, Michael Fassbender and Tilda Swinton, who had ranked highly on our spreadsheet of nominations, have been overlooked by the Academy.

The Descendants and The Artist lead the race for best film Oscar. The latter has garnered the most nominations this awards season according to our data, with eight for best film and seven for director Michel Hazanavicius.

Hazanavicius took the London Critics' Circle prize for best director last week, but Martin Scorsese won the Golden Globe last week for Hugo. Could an animated film scoop one of the top prizes on Oscar night?

This year we're tracking all the major nominees and winners in the run-up to the Oscars on 26 February (just like we did in 2009 and 2010), in categories including best actor and actress, director, film and screenplay.

Those categories that have been left out - like cinematographer, short film and editing - have been ignored because they aren't presented in sufficient award ceremonies to warrant a comparison.

Download the spreadsheet for the full list of nominees and winners so far.

What do you think? Have your say below.

Data summary
Awards

Nominee

Nominee

Nominee

Nominee

Nominee

Nominee
New York Film Critics Brad Pitt
LA Film Critics Michael Fass – bender Michael Shannon
European Film Awards Colin Firth Jean Dujardin Mikael Persbrandt Michel Piccoli André Wilms
Critics' Choice Awards George Clooney Leonardo DiCaprio Jean Dujardin Michael Fass – bender Ryan Gosling Brad Pitt
Golden Globes - drama George Clooney Leonardo DiCaprio Michael Fass – bender Ryan Gosling Brad Pitt
Golden Globes - musical/comedy Jean Dujardin Brendan Gleeson Joseph Gordon – Levitt Ryan Gosling Owen Wilson
London Film Critics Jean Dujardin George Clooney Michael Fass – bender Ryan Gosling Gary Oldman
Screen Actors Guild Demián Bichir George Clooney Leonardo DiCaprio Jean Dujardin Brad Pitt
Baftas Brad Pitt Gary Oldman George Clooney Jean Dujardin Michael Fass – bender
Academy Awards Demián Bichir George Clooney Jean Dujardin Gary Oldman Brad Pitt

Best actress nominees
Awards

Nominee

Nominee

Nominee

Nominee

Nominee

Nominee
New York Film Critics Meryl Streep
LA Film Critics Yun Jung-Hee Kirsten Dunst
European Film Awards Tilda Swinton Cécile de France Charlotte Gains -bourg Nadezhda Markina Kirsten Dunst
Critics' Choice Awards Viola Davis Elizabeth Olsen Meryl Streep Tilda Swinton Charlize Theron Michelle Williams
Golden Globes - drama Meryl Streep Viola Davis Rooney Mara Glenn Close Tilda Swinton
Golden Globes - musical/comedy Michelle Williams Charlize Theron Kristen Wiig Jodie Foster Kate Winslet
London Film Critics Anna Paquin Meryl Streep Kirsten Dunst Tilda Swinton Michelle Williams
Screen Actors Guild Glenn Close Viola Davis Meryl Streep Tilda Swinton Michelle Williams
Baftas Bérénice Bejo Meryl Streep Michelle Williams Tilda Swinton Viola Davis
Academy Awards Glenn Close Viola Davis Rooney Mara Meryl Streep Michelle Williams

Download the data


• DATA: All the major nominees and winners for the 2011 film awards season

http://www.showbiz411.com/2012/01/24/no-shame-for-oscars-or-hoover-reitman-drive-tattoo-or-tintin

No “Shame” for Oscars, or Hoover, Reitman, Drive, Tattoo or Tintin
michael_fassbender_shame
01/24/12 9:39am Roger Friedman 0

The Oscar nominations are in, and there are lots of movies and actors who got left out. Steve McQueen’s “Shame” was totally snubbed, along with actors Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan. Too much sex? The Academy rejected full frontal nudity, that’s for sure. A fascinating film, but depressing–and now set to become a video hit only. Clint Eastwood’s “J Edgar” never caught on at the box office, and now the actors–Leonardo DiCaprio and Armie Hammer–are out in the cold as well. “J Edgar” was very well made, but the point of the story was lost–it was not a love story that people wanted to see, but the saga of Hoover’s abuse of power.

Also gone are “Drive”–with Albert Brooks and Ryan Gosling’s terrific work, plus Jason Reitman’s “Young Adult”–simply released at the wrong time. It should have gone to Sundance and worked the festivals. Too edgy for Christmas. “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” produced only love for Rooney Mara. And the big shock–that the Academy didn’t want Steven Spielberg’s “Tintin” at all, and chose obscure animated films instead. Wow. Plus, only two nominations for Best Song–that’s going to be a short segment–the songs from “The Help” and “Gnomeo and Juliet” didn’t register at all.

Some congrats–in documentaries to Joe Berlinger’s “Paradise Lost 3″ and to Wim Wender’s “Pina.” And in costumes, it’s nice that “Anonymous” got a nod. Even if the movie was loony, it looked great.

http://www.peoplestylewatch.com/people/stylewatch/package/article/0,,20552373_20564190,00.html?xid=rss-fullcontent

Oscar Nominations 2012: Was Leonardo DiCaprio Snubbed?

By Alison Schwartz

Tuesday January 24, 2012 12:55 PM EST
Oscar Nominations 2012: Was Leonardo DiCaprio Snubbed? | Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Fassbender, Ryan Gosling

Veteran movie stars Brad Pitt and George Clooney made the cut. So did funny girl Melissa McCarthy, along with fresher faces like Rooney Mara and Jean Dujardin. But, as usual, not everyone was recognized by the Academy Awards when the nominations were announced Tuesday morning.

In fact, some leading men who seemed a shoo-in for a gold statue were snubbed from the Best Actor category: Michael Fassbender, Ryan Gosling and Leonardo DiCaprio.

PHOTOS: Awards Season '12: Stars Honor the Best in Show


Although the role earned him a Golden Globe Awards nomination, Fassbender's provocative role as a sex addict for Shame did not secure him a spot on the list. Also left out: Gosling, who was a double-nominee at the Globes for his roles in Crazy, Stupid, Love and The Ides of March (for which Clooney is nominated for Adapted Screenplay).

No stranger to snubs, DiCaprio didn't receive recognition for his work in the J. Edgar biopic, although he might get a little redemption at Sunday's Screen Actors Guild Awards.

With Clooney (The Descendants), Pitt (Moneyball), Demián Bichir (A Better Life), Jean Dujardin (The Artist) and Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) preparing to face off on Feb. 26 for the 84th Annual Academy Awards, airing live from Hollywood's Kodak Theatre on ABC at 7 p.m., tell us: Which leading man should have gotten an Oscar nod?

http://www.bestweekever.tv/2012-01-24/oscars-snub-michael-fassbender-are-officially-dead-to-me/

24 January
Tuesday

Share12

Oscars Snub Michael Fassbender; Are Officially Dead To Me
By Michelle Collins

It’s a veritable Christmas morning for Hollywood today, as at 5 AM, a small, exclusive lucky group of folks were awoken to telephone calls congratulating them on their Oscar nominations. Ah yes, the Academy Awards, America’s most cherished ass kissing festival, where celebrities get showered with gifts, attention, fine foods and good wine, while we sit in our dimly lit offices shoveling the same mixed salad we’ve been eating every day for years into our mouths despite the fact that somehow we seem to be gaining weight. (Too personal, I digress. Snap out of it! — Cher)

Anyway, today is that day of initial glee so many lucky folks in Hollywood will awake to. And then, of course, you have those that get famously snubbed. Ignored. Overlooked. Forgotten. No giftbag for you. Charlize Theron in Young Adult?

Ryan Gosling???? You better Drive your ass out of here cause you’ve been

The very handsome writer and director of The Help, Tate Taylor? Hate to be the one to break the news, but you’re getting Tatey Taylor Snubbed Bye:

Albert Brooks already knows what I’m going to say to him, doesn’t he?

Hol up… where the HELL is Uggie on this list???

Tin Tin? For God’s Sake… don’t tell me they snubbed Tin Tin.

Yes, the Academy takes no prisoners this year, as many of our favorite performances (NOT EVEN TIN TIN?!) were left on the cutting room floor. But no snub matches the length and girth of the following one, because our beloved Michael Fassbender was left out of the Best Actor running for his penis’ star performance in Shame, aka Classy Art House Mom Porn.

Hey Academy, do you think it’s easy showing off your shvanz for the cameras for hours on end? It isn’t. Trust me. I would know. (I wouldn’t.) Fassbender is one of the most exciting and excitable actors working today. Plus, he has legs like former American president Abraham Lincoln. Doesn’t that count for anything these days?

I can’t even lie… I haven’t seen Shame yet. The reason being I’m pretty sure it’s still illegal to pleasure oneself at the Arclight Cinemas on Sunset. (Wait, it’s legal now? BRB.) But you can believe that once Shame is out on DVD, I will be “live-streaming” it (don’t even know what this innuendo means but it stays) into my home, riiiight after I’m done watching this for the 10,000th time.

Looking over the list of Oscar Nominees, which are posted below, there are some great movies nominated — happy to see The Artist get some love, as well as the wonderful women in The Help, and Melissa McCarthy (!!!) and the writers of Bridesmaids – but there are also some real “confusers.” Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close, aka Precocious: Based on the Novel by Sapphire, looks HORRENDY, and as much as I am deeply in love with my fellow cripple Brad Pitt, The Tree Of Life was on Norbit Sequel levels for me.

In other words, the Oscars are the same as they are every year: Snobby, elite, old, and devoid of any Fassbender penis. Shame, indeed. On YOU, Academy Members. “For I have seen the nipple on your soul!” — Elaine Benes.

Below, a near complete list of the Oscar Nominees (let’s face it, the ones we care about).

Best Picture

“The Artist” Thomas Langmann, Producer
“The Descendants” Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers
“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” Scott Rudin, Producer
“The Help” Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers
“Hugo” Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers
“Midnight in Paris” Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers
“Moneyball” Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers
“The Tree of Life” Nominees to be determined
“War Horse” Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers

Actor in a Leading Role

Demián Bichir in “A Better Life”
George Clooney in “The Descendants”
Jean Dujardin in “The Artist”
Gary Oldman in “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”
Brad Pitt in “Moneyball”

Actress in a Leading Role

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

Actor in a Supporting Role

Kenneth Branagh in “My Week with Marilyn”
Jonah Hill in “Moneyball”
Nick Nolte in “Warrior”
Christopher Plummer in “Beginners”
Max von Sydow in “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”

Actress in a Supporting Role

Bérénice Bejo in “The Artist”
Jessica Chastain in “The Help”
Melissa McCarthy in “Bridesmaids”
Janet McTeer in “Albert Nobbs”
Octavia Spencer in “The Help”

Animated Feature Film

“A Cat in Paris” Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli
“Chico & Rita” Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal
“Kung Fu Panda 2″ Jennifer Yuh Nelson
“Puss in Boots” Chris Miller
“Rango” Gore Verbinski

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

Directing

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

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

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

Writing (Original Screenplay)

“The Artist” Written by Michel Hazanavicius
“Bridesmaids” Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
“Margin Call” Written by J.C. Chandor
“Midnight in Paris” Written by Woody Allen
“A Separation” Written by Asghar Farhadi

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

Foreign Language Film

“Bullhead” Belgium
“Footnote”
“In Darkness” Poland
“Monsieur Lazhar” Canada
“A Separation” Iran

Makeup

“Albert Nobbs” Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
“The Iron Lady” Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

Music (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

Music (Original Song)

“Man or Muppet” from “The Muppets” Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
“Real in Rio” from “Rio” Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown Lyric by Siedah Garrett

http://extratv.warnerbros.com/2012/01/2012_oscar_nominations_8_surprises_and_snubs.php#snub

2012 Oscar Nominations: 8 Surprises and Snubs
January 24, 2012 | Academy Awards

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has spoken! The 84th Academy Award nominations were announced Tuesday, with a few surprises and notable omissions.

Click here for a complete list of nominations!

Oscar Nominations 2012: 8 Surprises and Snubs

2 of 8
Snub!

Michael Fassbender missed the Best Actor cut for his searing portrayal of a sex addict in “Shame.” That is a shame.

http://filmonic.com/oscar-nominations-analysis-snubs-and-surprises

Oscar nominations analysis: snubs and surprises

by Rob on January 24, 2012 · 5 Comments

the adventures of tintin When last year’s nominations were announced, there were very few surprises. The general consensus was that things went as expected. This year, however, the Academy spiced things up with a bunch of snubs and surprises.

SNUBS

michael fassbender shame

Michael Fassbender (Shame), Leonardo DiCaprio (J Edgar), and Ryan Gosling (Drive and The Ides of March) are all missing from the Best Actor category. I did not expect all three to make the cut, but I did expect at least one of them to get a nod. It seems the Academy decided to snub the 30-somethings in favor of the old guys this year.

The Adventures of Tintin didn’t land a Best Animated Feature nomination. This just goes to show how different the Oscars are from the Golden Globes. Just nine days after Steven Spielberg’s animated film beat out its competitors at the Globes, it only manages to nab a Best Original Score nomination from the Academy.

Albert Brooks (Drive) is absent from the Best Supporting Actor race. I’m actually quite happy with the five nominees in this category, but Brooks is a well-respected actor who has a heavy force earlier on this awards season. That kind of formula often equates to an Oscar nod, but it looks like his momentum died out too early.

One of the strangest snubs is in the Original Song category. For some reason, the members of the Academy only felt two songs from the entire year were worth nominating. Don’t get me wrong, I’m enormously happy that Bret McKenzie is getting some love from his work on The Muppets, but historically, there have never been less than three nominated songs, and prior to 1946 there were often ten. Was 2011 such an awful year for music in the movies? I doubt it. The list of songs that could have been added to the mix is a long one, including any one of the five that were nominated at the Golden Globes, or even a handful of other songs from The Muppets.

Nothing at all for 50/50. Nobody could have been expecting much, but there are many who thought that a Best Original Screenplay nod was coming.

Tilda Swinton was left off the ballot for her performance in We Need to Talk About Kevin. It would have been much more shocking if Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) or Viola Davis (The Help) had been snubbed, but ripples of outrage at Swinton’s absence have emerged and are mostly directed at the inclusion of Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) in her place. Mara’s presence shouldn’t be such a surprise, however, considering her performance in Fincher’s blockbuster has been universally praised, and she’s been nominated for several other awards, including the Golden Globe.

SURPRISES

ttss oldman1

Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and Demián Bichir (A Better Life) fill in the Best Actor slots. A lot of people will be praising the cinematic gods for the fact that Oldman, who has long been considered one of the most underrated actors around, has finally snagged his first Oscar nomination. He garnered some significant buzz early on, but much of that faded until last week’s BAFTA nominations were announced. It’s not a huge surprise, but it is a pleasant one. Bichir’s presence in the category has some folks scratching their heads, not because of his performance, but because they have no idea who he is. Bichir is well-known actor in Mexico, but has only recently received much exposure elsewhere, largely due to his role on TV’s Weeds. He has shown up from time to time in other awards this year (he’s nominated for a SAG award and Independent Spirit Award), so his nomination isn’t entirely out of the blue. But it is a surprise, considering other actors, such as the aforementioned Fassbender and DiCaprio, had much more buzz surrounding them.

Bridesmaids gets some love. Not only did Melissa McCarthy nab a Best Supporting Actor nod, which isn’t a surprise so much as a relief, but Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo have found themselves matched up against the likes of Woody Allen and Michel Hazanavicius in the Best Original Screenplay competition.

Hugo gets eleven nominations–more than any other film this year. It looks like Scorsese’s family flick is steadily gaining momentum as the Oscars near. Each individual nomination isn’t surprising, but the grand total is somewhat staggering. The general expectation was that The Artist would lead the nominations. Michel Hazanavicius’ silent film is still the Best Picture front runner, but Hugo is making a strong play for the big prize through the sheer number of nominations, and due to the fact that Martin Scorsese has been a long-time Oscar darling, even if it took the Academy so long to finally give him a directing trophy.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close gets a Best Picture nod. All right, with ten potential Best Picture slots, it’s hard to say that anything is really a surprise, but this movie hasn’t had a particularly strong showing this awards season, and its critical reception has been hit-and-miss at best. It currently sits at 48% on Rotten Tomatoes, which isn’t the ultimate authority on Oscar-worthy film making, but certainly indicates that the movie isn’t winning over its audiences.

Speaking of the Best Picture category, nine out of a possible ten films made the cut. What movie do you think should have filled in that gap? Who else do you think was snubbed? Sound off in the comments below.

The 84th Academy Awards ceremony airs on Sunday, February 26th. You can see the full list of nominations here.

http://blogs.coventrytelegraph.net/thegeekfiles/2012/01/oscar-nominations-2012-hugo-ov.html

Oscar nominations 2012: Hugo overtakes The Artist, sci-fi and fantasy again sinks to sound and visual categories
By David Bentley on Jan 24, 12 03:02 PM

Oscars 2012 logo.jpg

NOMINATIONS for the 2012 Oscars have been unveiled - and have this year added some big surprises.

But predictably - and perhaps with justification in some instances - the sci-fi and fantasy films were either excluded or relegated to the sound and visual categories.

In a recent poll I asked Geek Files readers which of the nine films under consideration for a visual effects awards should make it to the final five.

Your top choice was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, followed by Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Transformers: Dark of the Moon and tied in fourth place Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Captain America: The First Avenger and X-Men: First Class, and then Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Hugo and Real Steel.

The Academy chose to put forward Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Hugo, Real Steel, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

Of course, I'm disappointed that the undoubted finesse and character focus of the X-Men revamp didn't get a mention somewhere but not entirely surprised, as superhero films are usually shunned; even The Dark Knight was nominated only for sound editing and Heath Ledger's supporting actor performance, though it did win both.

The final Potter film also earned nods in make-up and art direction while Michael Bay's third Transformers action film was also acknowledged in the sound mixing and sound editing categories.

Spielberg's computer-animated, motion-capture film The Adventures of Tintin earned just a nomination for original score.

Martin Scorsese's Hugo - his first animated feature and his first film in 3D - leads the way this year with 11 nominations, one more than the hotly-tipped, highly-acclaimed The Artist with 10.

The other films in the best picture list are The Descendants, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Help, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, The Tree of Life and War Horse.

Spielberg failed to earn a nod for War Horse in the director category, which instead picked Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist), Alexander Payne (The Descendants), Martin Scorsese (Hugo), Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris) and Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life) as the contenders.

The actors vying for the famous trophy are Demian Bichir (A Better Life), George Clooney (The Descendants), Jean Dujardin (The Artist), Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and Brad Pitt (Moneyball). It was a welcome acknowledgement for Oldman, who has at last earned his first Oscar nomination, but a snub for Michael Fassbender who was expected to be up for his role as a sex addict in Shame.

Nominated for best actress are Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs), Viola Davis (The Help), Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) and Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn). No sign of Tilda Swinton, who was expected to earn a nod for We Need To Talk About Kevin.

The nominations for the 84th Academy Awards were announced in Beverly Hills by actress Jennifer Lawrence and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Tom Sherak.

The awards will be presented on February 26 by Billy Crystal.

Hugo newfilmstill.jpg

Here's the full list:

Academy Awards 2012 nominations

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

Best actor
Demian Bichir - A Better Life
George Clooney - The Descendants
Jean Dujardin - The Artist
Gary Oldman - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt - Moneyball

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

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

Supporting actress
Berenice Bejo - The Artist
Jessica Chastain - The Help
Melissa McCarthy - Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer - Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer - The Help

Adapted screenplay
The Descendants
Hugo
The Ides of March
Moneyball
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Original screenplay
The Artist
Bridesmaids
Margin Call
Midnight In Paris
A Separation

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

Animated feature film
A Cat in Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango

Art direction
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
War Horse

Cinematography
The Artist
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
The Tree of Life
War Horse

Costume design
Anonymous
The Artist
Hugo
Jane Eyre
W.E.

Documentary (feature):
Hell and Back Again
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated

Documentary (short subject):
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

Film editing:
The Artist
The Descendants
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball

Foreign language film
Bullhead (Belgium)
Footnote (Israel)
In Darkness (Poland)
Monsieur Lazhar (Canada)
A Separation (Iran)

Make-up
Albert Nobbs
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
The Iron Lady

Music (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

Music (Original Song)
Man or Muppet (The Muppets)
Real in Rio (Rio)

Short film (animated)
Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life

Short film (live action)
Pentecost
Raju
The Shore
Time Freak
Tuba Atlantic

Sound editing
Drive
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse

Sound mixing
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse

Visual effects
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Real Steel
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark of the Moon

http://news.moviefone.com/scott-mendelson/oscar-nominations-2012_b_1228849.html

The Lesson for This Year's Oscar Nominees? Don't Be an R-rated Film!
Posted: 01/24/2012 4:24 pm

For a list of the complete nominations, go HERE. As always, click on the movies with links for the original theatrical review. I write a lot about the inexplicable trend of how the various year-end awards groups only consider 'appropriate' movies to be considered awards-material. There is and always has been a certain disdain for populist entertainment, a trend that's only gotten worse as the independent film movement exploded in the early 1990s and the year-end Oscar bait-calender got more jam-packed over the last five weeks of the year. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part II may have received almost unanimously rave reviews (96% positive on Rotten Tomatoes), but it doesn't count because it was a big-budget fantasy drama that is considered 'popular' entertainment. Bridesmaids may have been one of the most successful R-rated comedies of recent years, a well-reviewed (90% on Rotten Tomatoes) comedy that may have been a game-changer in terms of how mass-market female-driven entertainments are viewed in terms of their commercial potential. But no, it's not a character-driven dramedy that's one of the best films of the year, it's just that 'women s$#! in a sink' movie, so it's not worthy. But a drama with Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock that's gasp... about 9/11?! That's EXACTLY the kind of film that is supposed to be among the year's best, right? And so it is that Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, a film with a 48% positive ranking on Rotten Tomatoes and a 46% score on Metacritic is now considered by the Academy to be one of the nine best films of the year.


Other than that insane nomination, today's Oscar nominations were a generally inoffensive bunch (I kinda hate Midnight In Paris, but it's a mid-summer release that plenty of people absolutely love). The most surprising and egregious omissions were in the Original Screenplay category, where 50/50, Young Adult, and Win/Win didn't make the cut, losing out to surprise (and worthy) contenders Margin Call and A Separation. I would have tossed Woody Allen's Midnight In Paris script and The Artist, but that was never going to happen (alas, Allen is likely going to win). The much-discussed voting system for Best Picture, which was intended to yield between five and ten Best Picture nominees (and, in my opinion, unofficially weed out the more mainstream contenders), had an interesting and frankly not terrible effect. Since there was so much emphasis on a voter's absolute favorite film of the year, what we ended up with are nine films that can indeed be looked at as films the respective voters are passionate about. A film like Tree of Life generally brought about a love/hate it attitude, but those that loved it were likely to consider it among their very favorites of the year, so it made the cut. Moneyball is arguably a slight surprise, but again, there was a passionate 'this is the best film of the year' following. Having a small niche in the Academy that loved it was more useful this year than merely being liked by everyone. Which I guess explains the nomination for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, but geez (I guess I have to see it now...). At least my wild speculation last November may have been on the mark.

Unless you're Sasha Stone of Awards Daily, you probably didn't *love* The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, so it (rightfully) ended up honored for its one excellent element, Rooney Mara's star turn. The Best Actress category is one of several where you could almost an entire alternate category under 'damn-well should have been nominated' (Charlize Theron, Kristen Wiig, Tilda Swinton, Kristen Dunst, and Elizabeth Olsen). Happy semi-surprises popped up in the Best Actor category, with Demian Bichir scoring for his terrific lead performance in A Better Life and Gary Oldman scoring his first (!) Oscar nomination for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. As a result, Michael Fassbender lost out on what seemed a surefire nod for his star turn in Shame. Less expected but still disappointing was Michael Shannon's failure to get a nod, in fact the entire shut-out of Take Shelter. Also annoying but expected was the nomination for Jessica Chastain (that's good) for The Help (again... Take friggin Shelter!!), meaning that The Help scored three acting noms (along with Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer) along with its Best Picture nomination (for the record, I like the movie and am glad that at least one critically-acclaimed populist entertainment made the cut). In good news semi-surprises, Nick Nolte overcame Warrior's dreadful box office to score a much-deserved Best Supporting Actor nomination. I hope he wins.

In somewhat refreshing news, Clint Eastwood's lukewarm J. Edgar was completely shut-out, due to the fact that no one really liked it (The Iron Lady, which is even worse, should have suffered the same fate). In a somewhat surprising turn, two animated films that no one has ever heard of, A Cat In Paris and Chico and Rita, took the two Best Animated Film slots that were supposed to be reserved for Pixar's Cars 2 and Steven Spielberg's motion-capture adventure The Adventures of Tintin. I didn't like either film, but the omission of the popular Tintin again shows the Academy's issues with motion-capture both as a tool for animation and a form of acting (it's both, people...). In other words, Andy Serkis's performance in Rise of the Planet of the Apes never had a shot. Still, War Horse's deserved Best Picture nomination hopefully made up for Tintin's theoretical slight. On the plus side, Kung Fu Panda 2 and Puss in Boots snuck in alongside presumptive favorite Rango. Weirdly, the original song category had only two nominations. "Real In Rio" (from Rio) and the now-presumptive favorite "Man or Muppet" (from The Muppets). Ironically, in a year filled with films centered around nostalgia, the two that viewed nostalgia the most critically, The Muppets and Young Adult, were both mostly shut-out (and the most unchallenging of the bunch, The Artist, is probably going to win).

There were five nominees for Best Visual Effects, and I was heartened to see the terrific special effects for Transformers: Dark of the Moon sneak in despite the general (and somewhat justified) critical distaste for the franchise. Somewhat surprising was the inclusion of Real Steel, with its surprisingly low-key robot-boxing effects work. Along with presumptive favorite Rise of the Planet of the Apes, two of the five nominees were films that cost under $100 million. The other two were Hugo (which led all films with 11 nominations, including Best Picture, arguably all deserved) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part II (the latter of which only scored the usual three technical nods, along with Best Make-Up and Best Art Direction).

Overall, the biggest disappointment was the lack of much outside-the-box thinking. There was no Alan Rickman Best Supporting Actor nomination, no Kristen Wiig Best Actress nomination, no love for art-house darlings like Take Shelter or Martha Marcy May Marlene, a complete shut-out for Young Adult, and no real momentum for critically-acclaimed populist entertainment like the aforementioned Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part II or Bridesmaids. With as much respect as possible for Melissa McCarthy (who did her job and got laughs as the scene-stealing clown), her nomination as the biggest representation of the film is a sign that it was mostly written off as the 'girls s$#! in a sink' movie. A film filled with realistic and three-dimensional female characters received its only major acting nomination for its most over-the-top and least realistic character. I'm not trying to pick on McCarthy, I'm happy she'll be getting tons more work off of the success of the film, so if you want to see her ace a more three-dimensional role, track down The Nines. Or just check out the early seasons of Gilmore Girls.

And while I have no love for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, it's exclusion along with Bridesmaids and Young Adult from the Best Picture category sends a clear 'only one token girl movie allowed' message. You're going to read a lot of essays over the next week about how the Academy embraced a bunch of uplifting 'feel-good' movies over darker fare. And frankly that's bunk, based on the misconception that The Help and War Horse are actually feel-good movies, rather than the pessimistic downers that they are (but then, there are people who actually think Precious has a happy ending too...). What is clear is that the Academy basically ignored R-rated movies, as The Descendants was the only R-rated Best Picture nominee this year. And if you look at those that theoretically could have made the cut (Young Adult, Bridesmaids, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Margin Call, Take Shelter, The Ides of March, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part II, etc) nearly every single one of them was R-rated.

In a year when the once-dreaded MPAA rating made somewhat of a comeback, it is disheartening to see that 'adult films' pretty much got shut out not just in the Best Picture category but in many of the major categories as well. Scrolling down the big six categories, only Albert Noobs (2 acting nods), Beginners (1 acting nod for Christopher Plummer), Margin Call (1 screenplay nod), The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (1 acting nomination), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1 acting and 1 screenplay nod), Bridesmaids (1 acting and 1 screenplay nod), and The Descendants (4 nominations) were R-rated films, with a total of 13 out of a possible 44 nomination slots. It would seem that the lesson this year is that if you want a shot at Oscar glory, make sure your film is rated PG-13 or PG... Anyway, for my own personal year-in-review lists, go here. As always, share your thoughts below. What was the happiest surprise nod, and the most depressing omission?

Scott Mendelson

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Patton-Oswalt-Reacts-Academy-Award-Nominations-29019.html

Patton Oswalt Reacts To To The Academy Award Nominations
discussion5 Comments published: 2012-01-24 15:04:06 Author: Eric Eisenberg
On the day that the Oscars are announced, the only word more popular than "nominee" is "snub." Every year there are a group of filmmakers and actors who everyone thinks should have been nominated for their work in the previous year, but is passed over by The Academy. And this year is no different. Between Albert Brooks' work in Drive, Michael Fassbender's performance in Shame, Andy Serkis' turn in Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Tilda Swinton's show in We Need To Talk About Kevin, the national conversation has been as much about who didn't get nominated as much as it has been about who has. So Patton Oswalt, who earned a bit of buzz himself thanks to his performance in Young Adult, has decided to have some fun with it.

Following the announcement of the Oscar nominees, Oswalt took to his Twitter account (if you're not already following him you really should be) to craft a scene featuring all of the snubbed artists getting together at a bar in Los Angeles called The Drawing Room. It's a short scene, but a hilarious one that ends, of course, at Legoland. (I've reordered the Tweets so that you can read it from top to bottom)



I will admit that I am disappointed with the Academy's choices this year (only one for Drive and zero for 50/50? Really?), but we should all put it in perspective. While we might like the idea of our favorite actors and filmmakers winning awards for their great work, the truth is that the awards are really just for show. You should just be happy that Hollywood is still making movies that you love and not worry about a little gold statue.