Ok, so it’s on. Just 33 days till Oscars and nominations are now out. Nothing really surprising for the most part. So lets quickly go over my expectations from what I’ve seen last year.

The Social Network should and will most probably take home Oscar for best adapted screenplay, director, music and probably editing. As far as best movie goes, I’ll abstain myself from any predictions there. Most of the nominees have deserved it (tho I’m still doubting about Kids Are All Right after seeing it few days ago, but w/e).

My second favorite this year Black Swan will probably earn Oscar for Natalie Portman… and sadly thats about it. Tho I love it to bits, its more like heart and mind thing - your mind says it won’t be the one. But, oh, how I would like to see Daren Aronofsky going home with Oscar this year. He has never disappointed me.

The Kings Speech will most definitely get an Oscar for Colin Firths amazing performance as stuttering king George IV and also most probably one for Geoffrey Rush in supporting role. Those two made one of the best on screen duos this year. Tho I wouldn’t be to disappointed if Christian Bale won it for his role in The Fighter.

Another of my favorites, True Grit. Well, I see it earning Oscar for Hailee Steinfeld as best supporting actress, and possibly for best art direction and costume design. Tho both those nominations are rather… unimpressive.

Lastly onto special effects category, which leaves me bit lost. Only possible winner is see here is Inception. Other had either mediocre effects or… or… I don’t know. I mean, Alice In Wonderland and Iron Man… Yawn. Where’s Tron: Legacy and Scott Pilgrim? And, actually, where’s Scott Pilgrim in film editing category? But anyhow - when it comes to special effects it wouldn’t be the first time for some weird choices when it comes to academy. Remember the year Golden Compass won over Transformers?

There are some more categories, but this was what I mostly had to say about it all. Looking forward to another Oscar night on big screen this year.

It’s that time of the year again! 2011 isn’t far away so it’s the time for various top whatevers. And due to fact that some of the highly anticipated stuff like TRON Legacy, Black Swan and True Grit isn’t coming out here till next year, I guess I’ll kick it off with movie top… something. It may very well be I’ve forgotten something, but at this point only movies that stand out are… *drum tremolo* bear in mind that this is purely subjective and all *drum tremolo*

• Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Yes, yes, YES! A thousand times yes! This was the most refreshing experience in years and truly An Epic of Epic Epicness, like tagline states.Unconventional in its presentation. The more I think about it the more I love it. At the risk of sounding like a fanboy (heck, I probably already sound like it) I’ll just say this - I can’t name a single aspect that was bad or even just slightly wrong in it.

Paraphrasing one of the forum comments on IMDB, this movie is like if a comic-reader banged a hot scene girl who plays video games and this is their little spazz baby that lives on Redbull and collects samurai swords. It has everything from people beaten up until they turn into money and badass rock and electronic soundtrack with guitar battles to lesbians and huge monkey monster fighting dragons. Michael Cera is redeemed for being the same guy for six movies in a row.

Makes me sad, that boring and empty trainwreck that Expendables was, got almost universal appraisal. Or take Kick-Ass, that’s often compared to Scott Pilgrim. While it wasn’t bad per se, it definitely was bit lackluster. It had elements, that worked and idea itself, but it just somehow got nowhere.

• Social Network

Probably takes second position this year. A marvelously well made movie, in a way that Fincher does. Pitch perfect pace, fast but not rushed it somehow cut away every last bit of fat compressing what could have as well been generally boring 6 hour marathon in movie 1/3 the length that grabs you with first frame and doesn’t let go till the very end.

Great cast, great acting, amazing soundtrack from Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross that fit perfectly. Also amazing script from Aaron Sorkin with frantic dialogues that work.

• Inception

Not sure in which order to rank Inception and Toy Story, but guess I’ll go with Inception for place #3 as it still bit more fresh in my head. One of the occasions that hype leading up to the movie wasn’t overstated. The end result realy did delivered. Original and well played out idea (relatively), huge and impressive action scenes, great cast. I really don’t have much to add on this one.

• Toy Story 3

Guess it’s kinda shared #3 with Inception for Toy Story 3. Besides Pixar’s pristine track of records with amazing and heartfelt movies, Toy Story is special for me for the sole fact, that back in 1995, at the age of 7, when first installment in, what is now, trilogy came out, I had won my first contest ever and got free tickets to see Toy Story. That’s on bit sentimental note.

As far as Toy Story 3 goes, now-a-days it’s hard to be surprised by Pixar, as pretty much every animation movie they make is just amazing. I say “amazing” much? Don’t I? Anyhow.