I love movies and I love the Oscars.
As with most awards programs, the choices of not only winners, but of the nominees themselves are baffling. But this year, there aren't too many things to quibble about.
OK, a little quibbling. That's part of the annual ritual.
Christopher Nolan didn't get a best director nomination for Inception, a movie that was totally his.
And I think Ryan Gosling not getting a nod for his Blue Valentine role is wrong on so many levels, although there is a a strong best actor field this year.
The same goes for Jackie Burkhart Mila Kunis, who was overlooked for her supporting part in Black Swan.
But all in all, good films and actors were recognized, even in the bloated 10 best movies list.
The King's Speech received the most nominations. The Social Network and Inception each got eight.
But I was especially thrilled that True Grit gets 10 shots at taking home a statuette on Feb. 27. Take that Foreign Press Association Golden Globes!
I like westerns. Hey, I'm from Texas, West Texas to be precise. And I love the Coen Brothers' work.
Taxes and movies: The remake of True Grit was shot in Texas and New Mexico. Both states offer film companies tax breaks for filming within their borders.
Tax credits to lure movie makers aren't without criticism.
In addition to differences in film tastes, there's the continuing debate over just who really benefits. In a recent article for the New York Times, Michael Cieply noted:
Government subsidies for film and television productions proliferated in flush times as more than 40 states competed for entertainment work. Those subsidies face an uncertain future as new governors and lawmakers, many of them fiscal conservatives, join incumbents like [New Jersey governor Chris] Christie in trying to balance budgets without losing jobs.
According to the paper, taxpayer support helped How Do You Know, The Social Network, Love and Other Drugs and 127 Hours make it to a big screen near you.
And other countries continue to underwrite film productions within their borders. Foreign film making competition was what prompted creation of the various state subsidies.
Some of the U.S. state tax breaks likely will end or be scaled back. But some will survive.
And when the movies are big box office hits or are highly acclaimed, you can be sure that Hollywood will make sure that folks know that taxpayers were uncredited contributors to the films.
Was your favorite film of 2010 nominated? The much-panned The Tourist wasn't nominated for anything, but Alice in Wonderland got a couple, so we still might see Johnny Depp on the red carpet.
And his Tourist costar Angelina Jolie's other 2010 film, Salt, was nominated for best sound mixing so Brangelina might show up at the Kodak Theatre next month, too.
Find out exactly which films were nomiated for what at the official Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences website.
And read more on today's nominations at Speakeasy, Movie Nation, Flavorwire and Moviefone.
Related posts:
- More states balking at subsidizing outrageous films
- 'Machete' pushes Texas' tax break buttons
- Tax breaks help TV zombies survive
- Scary! Tax breaks for filmmakers
- Oscars idiocy and a half-hearted hooray
for Hollywood tax breaks - Film tax credit survives California $ woes
- Hooray for Hollywood tax breaks
- Shawshank's tax redemption
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