The nominees are in.

http://oscar.go.com/nominees

Best Picture:  American Hustle, Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyers Club, Gravity, Her, Nebraska, Philomena,  12 Years a Slave, The Wolf of Wall Street

Best Actor:  Christain Bale, American Hustle;  Bruce Dern, Nebraska;  Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street;  Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave;  Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club

Best Actress:  Amy Adams, American Hustle;  Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine;  Sandra Bullock, Gravity;  Judi Dench, Philomena;  Meryl Streep,  August:  Osage County

Best Supporting Actor:  Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips;  Bradley Cooper, American Hustle;  Michael Fassbender, 12 Years A Slave;  Jonah Hill, The Wolf of Wall Street;  Jared Leto,  Dallas Buyers Club

Best Supporting Actress:  Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine;  Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle;  Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years A Slave;  Julia Roberts, August:  Osage County;  June Squibb, Nebraska

Best Director:  David O' Russell, American Hustle;  Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity;  Alexander Payne, Nebraska;  Steve McQueen, 12 Years A Slave;  Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street

Very surprised Hanks wasn't nominated for Captain Phillips. I thought the scene after Phillips is rescued would earn him a nomination alone.

I still need to see a lot of movies.

I'd give "American Hustle" the clean sweep -- at least in the acting categories.

But...I still need to see "12 Years a Slave"

AH just shouldn't get best picture...The movie itself was good but not great.

But the acting was phenomenal.

I'd give "American Hustle" the clean sweep -- at least in the acting categories.

 

But...I still need to see "12 Years a Slave"

Everything I've read has said that Jared Leto is a lock for Best Supporting Actor

Best Picture:  American Hustle, Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyers Club, Gravity, Her, Nebraska, Philomena,  12 Years a Slave, The Wolf of Wall Street

Still don't like the fact there are so many nominees for Best Picture. I know it's been a few years atleast.

Best Picture:  American Hustle, Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyers Club, Gravity, Her, Nebraska, Philomena,  12 Years a Slave, The Wolf of Wall Street

Of these, I've seen American Hustle, Wolf of Wall Street, Captain Phillips, and I plan on watching Dallas Buyers Club, 12 years a slave, and Her during Snowmageddon coming up. Of those first three, I think American Hustle has the best shot. Wolf might have been just too over the top for the Academy, and Captain Phillips was just good, not great to me.

I could see the Academy going with something like Gravity though. It's the one that the style stands out from the rest of the nominees, which they seem to love to go for. Like "The Artist" winning a couple years ago. Although 2011 was a crap year for movies.

So far I've seen:

12 Years a Slave

American Hustle

Captain Phillips

Dallas Buyers Club

Gravity

Wolf of Wall Street

It's been a pretty weak year for movies, IMO. All these films were good in their own right but nothing has blown me away.

Gravity was probably the most technically sound movie ever made and will win the most awards. 

Right now I'd vote for 12YAS for its groundbreaking depiction of slavery. I liked AH but it came off too Goodfellas and I feel like Russell's films have a ceiling. Wolf of Wall Street was probably my favorite film of the year, but it ran too long and I do feel like another dimension could have been added to the film had they shown the victims.

I recant my statement. It hasn't been a weak year for movies. There have been a lot of very good movies. Gravity and 12YAS will probably go down as classics when its all said and done.

So I am coming around.

But I don't know if 2007 will ever be equaled IMO.

I'm still getting around to watching LAST year's best films

Seriously, I have Argo, Silver Linings Playbook, and Zero Dark Thirty on my shelf ready to watch tomorrow.

I'm still getting around to watching LAST year's best films
 
Seriously, I have Argo, Silver Linings Playbook, and Zero Dark Thirty on my shelf ready to watch tomorrow.