THE CYNEPHILE

Kathryn Bigelow: Will she achieve mythic status as the first woman to win Best Director?

So I can’t resist chiming in with my favorites, even though the nominees are exceptionally uninspired this year. As the Academy repeatedly demonstrates, committees, commercialism and eclectic choices don’t mix. Keep in mind that my ”should wins” are culled from the nominations, and not my art film fantasies of who deserves to have been shortlisted (two words: Claire Denis).

Oh and for all of you Smartphone users: there’s a very fun Oscar App that you should download if you like to call the horse race in advance, and weigh your picks against the hoi polloi. It is also necessary to imbibe something to get through the ceremony, especially the insipid “best song” category. (Please don’t drink the Pandora punch; it looks revolting.)

Best Picture

Should win: The Hurt Locker

Will win: Avatar

Best Director

Should win: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker

Will win: Kathryn Bigelow

Best Actor

Should win: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

Will win: George Clooney, Up in the Air

Best Supporting Actor

Should win: Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones (His performance is the only thing that makes this movie bearable.)

Will win: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Best Actress

Should win: Carey Mulligan, An Education

Will win: Carey Mulligan

Carey Mulligan from An Education and Mo’Nique from Precious.

Best Supporting Actress

Should win: Mo’Nique, Precious: I Refuse to Write the Entire Title Because it is Pretentious and Unecessary

Will win: Mo’Nique

Best Animated Film

Should win: I’m impossibly torn between Coraline & Fantastic Mr. Fox

Will win: Up

Best Foreign Language Film

Should win: The White Ribbon (Désolée, M. Audiard)

Will win: The White Ribbon

art + video
It’s Armory Week, and the number of openings, events and parties in the next few days makes my head spin. Aside from the usual mainstays, the new kid on the block this year is the Independent. Born out the ashes of X-initiative, it offers an alternative to the inescapable shopping mall ambiance of the art fair — there’s even a panel on gluttony! And a film program too. Check it out here.

Scope also has a video program, with work by Martha Colburn, George Kuchar and fashion-y films. Sashay!

design
Check out the next generation of Polish film poster design.

fashion
Look who’s copying a page from the Vezzoli playbook: Agyness Deyn deigns to appear in a McDermott and McGough film.

film reviews
Andrew Grant (nom de blog: filmbrain) reviews The Ghost Writer, and thinks it’s pretty good.
You should see it, especially since all proceeds from the film go to the Roman Polanski legal defense fund. (Kidding!)

mystery flavor
My favorite posthuman Andrei Codrescu is anti-Avatar, and pro-zombie. Deliciously brainy as always.

My friend Ziyan and I as zombie-vampire hybrids. Kristen Stewart, eat your heart out.

new york
Movie program ephemera from the 8th street Playhouse, which I remember going to as a little girl. Thanks to reader Jack for the tip.

photography
Andy Warhol: Unexposed Exposures just opened at Steven Kashar.
If the Factory had had a facebook page, these would be the pictures that they would post to their wall. Lots o’ pics online too.

watch online
The first and only truly Beat film Pull My Daisy (Frank and Leslie, 1959) is on Google Video.