2010 Battle Royale: Saints vs. Colts vs. Avatar vs. The Hurt Locker

Thank goodness for some good grudge matches this winter to heat things up, particularly if we're looking at 6 more weeks of winter - damn groundhog.  First up this weekend, the XLIV Superbowl this Sunday, shaping up to be a great head to head match of two of the best teams in the NFL.  And if pigskin isn't your thing, now you've got Avatar vs. The Hurt Locker to look forward to, with the announcement today of nominees for the 82nd Academy Awards.  Football fans fear not, this will surely be just as bloody as the Superbowl, as directors James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow (no relation to Deuce) fight it out with both their movies nominated for 9 awards.  And to add to our cage match, they're ex-husband and wife!  Oh Shakespeare, what you could've done with this story.

I was a bit surprised of The Hurt Locker appearing as the dark horse this year.  All of a sudden I'm hearing all over the news that it's the best war movie of all time.  Really?  Where the hell was the buzz when it came out in theaters?  I certainly don't remember hearing anything about it - do you?  Honestly, tell me - am I the only one that heard nothing about this until award season?  I think the big question will be if it can clinch the top Best Picture award.  The last "greatest war movie of all time" Saving Private Ryan, ended up losing the big prize to Shakespeare in Love. Is it payback time?  What an upset THAT would be.  It would certainly prove it's not how much money you have to make a movie, as long as you can afford to pay one good writer.

The other big surprise this year, at least for me, was that the Academy has opened up the Best Picture category to not five, but TEN nominees.  The last time they pulled a move like that Roosevelt was in office - literally, 1943 was the last time so many movies were nominated for Best Picture.  I mean come on, what'd you just get lazy people?  Who do you think you are trying to please everyone...Barack Obama?  I could've easily helped whittle some of those down for you - The Blind Side...Up...District 9!!??  I mean kudos to Up for being only the second animated movie to get nominated for Best Picture, but it's not Best Picture material if you ask me.  Maybe if they had taken that obnoxious dog out back and shot it at some point for dramatic effect, but otherwise...no.

Of course all the talking heads are saying this year's nominees are a snapshot of today's society...taking on race, war, unemployment and poverty.  I'm not sure what that says about Inglourious Bastards, but perhaps there is some truth to the others.  Oscar does like to pretend it's socially conscience and reflects the real world, but I think that's just over compensation for his lack of gold genitalia.

On the whole not too many surprises, particularly in the acting categories, but there are a lot of random films nominated across the board, versus a few big movies dominating all categories.  It's nice to see a variety of movies recognized and that will certainly make for an interesting night, but it makes TMMC's job a hell of a lot harder.  Anyone interested in helping by submitting guest reviews?

In other news, Sandra Bullock had both the best and worst day of her life, nominated for Oscar's Best Actress the same day she was nominated for the Razzie's Worst Actress, for her role in that smash flop All About Steve.  If you've been out of the loop for the last 30 years, The Razzies are like the Oscars, except they celebrate the worst in movies. Land of the Lost and Transformers 2 (or Trannies, Too) both lead the awards with seven nominations and both deservedly so.  Check out all of this year's nominees of movies you wish were never made.

Just over a month away until the big night when all our predictions will be answered.  Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin are co-hosting, so it'll either be really good, or really bad.  I'm sure they won't be bitter at all that their movie It's Complicated was nominated for...well, nothing.  TMMC will certainly cover all the news and announcements till then, but for starters, check out a full list of nominees and start heading to the movies to try and play catch up!