The Reel Story Presented By My Cinema Flix

The Academy Awards are this Sunday, Feb. 27, and The Reel Story Presented By My Cinema Flix is offering picks for who should take home Hollywood's most coveted prize:

Best Picture : Wouldn't you know it? The one film nominated for Best Picture that I haven't seen will likely be the one to win it: The King's Speech. As of this week, I haven't seen the Colin Firth-led film, but not because of a lack of interest; instead, it's a lack of available time. After picking up big wins from the Screen Actors Guild, the Independent Spirit Awards, and a host of others, this film about a stammering king is making a strong push for Oscar. Its only real competition is my favorite film of 2010, The Social Network. While the 'Facebook movie' did claim the Golden Globe for best film, the recent uptick in popularity of The King's Speech will likely leave The Social Network a close second.

Best Actor : While the battle between The King's Speech and The Social Network for Best Picture will likely be a close race, the fight between those films' male leads is looking a bit more one-sided. Firth, as King George VI, has given what many describe as a career-defining role. That's a mighty big statement, considering that career also features notable turns in movies like A Single Man, Love Actually, and Girl With A Pearl Earring. The Social Network's Jesse Eisenberg was impressive as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, and James Franco was brilliant as ill-fated rock climber Aron Ralston in 127 Hours, but expect the Oscar to go to the King.

Best Actress : "Always the bridesmaid, never the bride": perhaps four-time Academy Award nominee Annette Benning should get that motto tattooed on her body. Despite a remarkable performance in the indie film The Kids Are All Right, Benning will likely be watching from her seat as Natalie Portman waddles her pregnant body up to the stage to accept this trophy. Portman has been preparing for years for her role in the ballet thriller The Black Swan, and that hard work showed as she absolutely nailed the portrayal of multi-faceted character Nina Sayers. Dark horse nominee Michelle Williams could pull out a surprising victory for her performance in the romantic drama Blue Valentine, but consider that a very long shot behind Portman, who deservedly won the Golden Globe and the SAG awards.

Best Supporting Actor : If there's any sense at all in Tinseltown (and sometimes that's doubtful), Christian Bale will win his first Oscar as Dicky Eklund in The Fighter. Bale didn't so much play the drug-addicted Eklund as he became the man, giving a scene-stealing performance in a movie that featured a lot of them (see Best Supporting Actress below). The King's Speech's Geoffrey Rush could give Bale a run for his money, but Bale should win this fight.

Best Supporting Actress : Melissa Leo won the Golden Globe and the SAG award for her performance as the aforementioned Eklund's mother in The Fighter, but her co-star Amy Adams could very well take the Oscar. Both women gave excellent performances as women who loved Mark Wahlberg's Micky Ward, but hated one another. Leo's recent attempts to sway Oscar votes by producing ads promoting herself in Hollywood trade publications may cost her some credibility, which could mean the Oscar for Adams. But, consider this, as well: Oscar loves children, and loves the Coen Brothers. Perhaps 14 year old Haliee Steinfeld will win the award for the Coen Bros-directed True Grit? This is shaping up to be the best race of the night.

Best Direction : Christopher Nolan for Inception. Wait, he wasn't nominated?! As my mind still tries to wrap itself around that blunder on the part of the Academy, I'll go with David Fincher for The Social Network. A lot has been made about Aaron Sorkin's screenplay being possibly the greatest thing ever written (note the use of hyperbole), but even with a great script this could easily have been a made-for-TV movie. It was Fincher's direction that brought the words, and the actors speaking them, together in an intelligent and entertaining way that made a movie about glorified computer hackers, well, intelligent and entertaining. Of the five directors getting their names on the ballot, Fincher is the most deserving.

Everyone and their brother will be giving you their lists of the year's top movies over the coming weeks, and since I'm somebody's brother, I've decided to do the same. Here, in no particular order, are my faves from the past 12 months:

The Last Exorcism (Released Aug. 27): Perhaps because of its title and marketing, many people likely saw this (or avoided it) because they figured it was another horror story about satanic possession. And while that's not technically false, it is selling the film short. Patrick Fabian turns in a mesmerizing performance as minister Cotton Marcus who, fearing he is losing his belief in God, agrees to allow a documentary film crew record him performing an "exorcism" on a poor farm girl. Why put the word exorcism in quotation marks? Because Marcus believes it's a crock. He admits to the film crew he does not believe the girl is possessed, but agrees to go along with the charade in order to bilk the girl's family out of their money, and show the world (through the documentarian's lens) that such possessions in general are often bogus. But, the minister is the one thrown for a loop when the girl's actions appear at times genuinely demonic, and the girl's family seems ready to kill her instead of finding her help. The audience is left to decide whether an actual possession occured, or if the minister and his crew were taken for one hell of a ride. Sometimes funny, sometimes scary, but intriguing throughout, The Last Exorcism will keep you talking long after the final credits.

Buried (Released Oct. 8): Ryan Reynolds turns in easily his best performance to date as Paul Conroy, a U.S. contractor working in Iraq who wakes up to find himself in a coffin. He doesn't know how he got there, where he is, or how he'll escape. And neither does the audience. We're forced to watch for 95 excrutiating minutes as Paul uses a cell phone to try to figure out the answers to his pressing questions, the most dire being will he get out alive? Reynolds is the only actor on screen for the entire film, and it's a huge testament to his talent that he's able to carry the movie from its puzzling beginning to its shocking end. Buried is not an easy film to watch, but is likely the most haunting picture you'll see this year.

Toy Story 3 (Released June 18): While the first two films on my list likely won't show up on many other Best Of's, this one definitely will, and for good reason. Pixar dives into the toy chest one last time to bring us Woody, Buzz, Mr. Potato Head, and all their friends (including some newcomers), as they deal with their owner Andy's impending departure for college. It seems the creators of this film weren't gearing it towards the kids of today, but rather the kids who joined the Toy Story ride with the release of the first film 15 years ago. Those kids are grown up now, and it's a grown up film we get with Toy Story 3, complete with adult (yet not risque) humor, action, and a climax that could bring you close to tears. It's the most bold film of the series, and while your kids will like it, you may very well love it.

The Town (Released Sept. 17): While perhaps not the snappiest of titles, especially for a bank heist movie, The Town delivers the goods for fans wanting fast-paced excitement, strong dialogue, and solid acting down the roster. Ben Affleck -- yes, Ben Affleck -- directs and stars in a roughly two hour look at the adrenaline push of a bank robber, and the emotions that can get tangled with an innocent hostage. While Affleck's acting has never been better, and fellow partner in crime Jeremy Renner is downright scary good, it's Jon Hamm who steals the show as an FBI agent tracking down the gang of thieves. Hamm should be a shoe-in for a Best Supporting Actor nod, and don't be surprised to see Renner grab one, as well. Based on the novel by Chuck Hogan, The Town steps on the gas, and rarely lets up.

The Social Network (Released Oct. 1): I said these selections were in no particular order, but this David Fincher-directed film is number one on my list. A movie about the birth of Facebook couldn't possibly be interesting, right? Fincher, writer Aaron Sorkin, and actors Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, and Justin Timberlake prove that notion wrong with a story that includes a little romance, a little backstabbing, an interesting debate of right and wrong, and the machine-gun style dialogue you'd expect from Sorkin's pen. Eisenberg knocks it out of the park in the leading role of Mark Zuckerberg, creator of Facebook, and could land a nomination for Best Actor. Garfield, relatively unknown before the film's release, nails it as Zuckerberg's friend and business partner Eduardo Severein, and the pop star Timberlake puts to bed doubts about his acting chops as the engaging Sean Parker, creator of Napster, and eventual investor in Facebook. While the film has been criticized for playing fast and loose with the facts (especially by the real Zuckerberg), it's an enthralling look at how a billion dollar idea can be born, changed, stolen, and fought for, all with a few keystrokes and the click of a mouse.

Nicole Kidman's latest drama about how a married couple deals with the death of their child looks like one huge tear-jerker, but also possible Oscar material. Check out Kidman and Aaron Eckhart in the trailer for Rabbit Hole, courtesy of the Internet Movie Database:

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3003816217/

Rabbit Hole is scheduled to be released to U.S. theaters in December.

Ron Howard is taking off his hat as director of dramatic films to wear one of a comedy director in the new film, "The Dilemma". Love-him-or-hate-him Vince Vaughn teams up with underrated actor Kevin James in the comedy about a friend who knows a secret about another friend's wife. Here's the trailer, courtesy of the Internet Movie Database:

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3388803353/

Click the link below to hear Dan's interview with www.starpulse.com contributing movie writer Matt Newlin about the fall movie season!

http://www.klpw.com/sites/default/files/intdfnewlin.mp3

Danny Boyle is fast making a name for himself as a go-to director, thanks to films like Oscar winner "Slumdog Millionaire", the terrifyingly good "28 Days Later", and cult films "Trainspotting" and "A Life Less Ordinary". He's coming back in November with "127 Hours", and he's got the solid James Franco in the driver's seat...or, well, the bicycle seat. Franco stars as Aron Ralston, the real-life adventurist who runs into trouble in the Utah canyons:

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi298255897/

Thanks to the Internet Movie Database for the trailer. A movie just about Ralston's quirky, outgoing attitude would probably be sufficient enough for a film (look at Emile Hirsch as Chris McCandless in "Into The Wild"), but throw in the danger of being trapped in the desert, and you've got a near guaranteed hit.

Remember when actor Joaquin Phoenix made that bizarre appearance on "Late Show With David Letterman"? You know, the one in which he appeared all hairy and scraggly, and only mumbled answers? Or, how about when Joaquin told the world he was going to be a rapper? Well, finally we may get some answers as to what was going on. Here's the teaser trailer for the new documentary "I'm Still Here", courtesy of the Internet Movie Database:

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1742407193/

The movie's directed by Casey Affleck, actor and brother of Ben Affleck.

Is it just me or does it seem Hollywood is finally realizing what an asset actor Paul Rudd is to a movie? Personally, I feel he's better as a sidekick, as opposed to a leading role, but regardless of the part, he brings his A-game each time out. This Christmas he teams up with the sometimes unbearable-to-watch Reese Witherspoon, and veteran thespian Jack Nicholson in the romantic comedy "How Do You Know." Check out the trailer, courtesy of the Internet Movie Database:

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3436250649/

My prediction: Christmas opening + lighthearted comedy + decent cast = big box office, at least opening weekend.

Call me a sucker for horror movies, but I loved 2009's Paranormal Activity. It received a lot of comparisons to The Blair Witch Project (which I hated, by the way) due to the films' low budgets and handheld camera-shooting styles, and I felt it was the strongest horror movie of the year. Well, not wanting to miss out on a possible cash cow (the Saw series, anyone?), Hollywood has churned out a sequel. The teaser trailer, courtesy of the Internet Movie Database, doesn't reveal much...

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi430835225/

The film is already generating buzz as the trailer was pulled from theaters after it aired before screenings of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. The reason for the yank? Complaints from viewers that it was "too scary". Personally, this sounds like a publicity stunt...

C'mon, you knew this comic book-to-movie craze wasn't going to end anytime soon. True, Jonah Hex bombed, but that's not stopping Hollywood from putting more comic book heroes on the big screen. Here, courtesy of the Internet Movie Database, is the trailer for 2011's Green Hornet:

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi616236569/

Yes, that's funnyman Seth Rogan in the lead role. The villain is played by Christoph Waltz, best known for his Oscar winning portrayal of a Nazi officer in 2009's Inglourious Basterds.

I've often said I have no problem with remakes; they can offer a new take on a known story, and at times can even improve upon the source material. However, sequels are a different beast. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against sequels, per se, I just feel most of them are copycat refreshers of the first film, and rarely offer anything of worth.

Well, here's a sequel I didn't think we'd ever see in the works,:Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. Michael Douglas reprises his role as Wall Street honcho Gordon Gekko, and teams up with Hollywood's favorite male 20-something, Shia LaBeouf. LaBeouf appears to be playing essentially the same role made famous by Charlie Sheen in the 1987 original. Oliver Stone is back in the director's chair. Here's the trailer, courtesy of the Internet Movie Database:

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi875627545/

Okay, so shoot me, but I'm a Ryan Reynolds fan. Admittedly he's done some fairly asinine flicks (Van Wilder and Blade: Trinity come to mind), but as an actor I think he's highly talented. Here's the teaser for his latest thriller, "Buried". Interesting premise but I fear it's like "Cast Away" -- unless you've got an engaging lead actor, the film's going to grow stale very quickly.

Trailer, courtesy of imdb.com:

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1796343577/