Back in October, I posted my first annual T.O.P.s (Trailer Oscar Predictions), attempting to prematurely predict Oscar nominees based on trailers alone. I am already laughing at how ridiculous some of them are. The motion picture landscape has since shifted, as various awards have already been doled out and buzz for certain films has ebbed and flowed. Since that time, I have only seen a handful of the movies I mentioned (A Mighty Heart, American Gangster, Juno, Michael Clayton), I’ve yet to see some potentially major contenders in various categories (Atonement, La Vie En Rose, No Country For Old Men, Ratatouille, Sweeney Todd, There Will Be Blood), and have added one to my must-see list (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly).

I have a feeling that There Will Be Blood and No Country For Old Men will garner the most nominations. I’m pretty sure that Marion Cotillard is a lock for a Best Actress nod (La Vie En Rose) and Diablo Cody will be recognized for Best Original Screenplay (Juno), and I’d love to see Hal Holbrook get nominated (Best Supporting Actor) for his brief yet extremely poignant performance in Into the Wild. Other than that, I’m prepared for a few pleasant surprises (Ryan Gosling for Lars and the Real Girl or Zodiac for Best Picture or Fincher for Best Director). It would also be fantastic to see Cate Blanchett continue her Oscar dominance with dual nods for Elizabeth: The Golden Age and I’m Not There.

If the Academy fails to recognize any of the beautiful music from Once, I will be very disappointed. The fact that both Eminem and Three 6 Mafia have Oscars on their mantles as previous winners for Best Original Song, however, leads me to believe that this is a strong possibility.

I’ve had a MySpace page for almost two years now, and I’ve made some great virtual acquaintances who primarily share my interests in television, film, music and general pop culture. Like most people, I find MySpace to be fairly addictive; I constantly update my profile, subscribe to and read numerous blogs, and scroll through my friends’ pages. But here are the two main reasons I really enjoy MySpace: 1) a wider audience for my blog; I am able to post my entries there, and have added a large number of Lost fans to my distribution list as a result, and 2) many writers and actors from my favorite shows maintain their own pages and blogs, and that kind of accessibility is quite a treat for true fans.

Recently, my 17 year old niece suggested that I also create a Facebook page (thanks, Mags!).  I was initially hesitant because, in all honesty, I thought I was too old. However, after perusing various pages and noticing that far more of my college friends are on Facebook than MySpace, I decided to take the plunge. Besides, I love discovering fellow Lost friends from all corners, and Facebook provides me with new opportunities to do so.

Right now my Facebook page is under construction, and I’m not a fan of the layout and format just yet (at least compared to MySpace).  But I would love to add new friends to both Facebook and MySpace. If you’re a member of either and enjoy this blog and/or Lost, add me as a friend! I open every invite to see what we have in common, and only deny those that are obvious spam, porn or from a band/musician that isn’t up my alley (i.e. hair metal).

Facebook
MySpace

If you’re not on either social network or you’d like to be added to my Lost distribution list (to receive weekly Lost theories & thoughts following each episode, beginning with next week’s Season 4 premiere), simply send me an email to jo@jopinionated.com with the word LOST in the subject line.

Cloverfield is an experience more than anything else, a visually violent ride that is not for those who are prone to motion sickness. Filmed entirely by handheld camera from the perspective of a group of friends in New York under attack from an unknown being, it is a tense, psychological adventure. But I certainly wouldn’t classify it as a horror movie; the film is more disturbing than terrifying (and not just because of the eerily familiar 9/11 NYC imagery).

I couldn’t begin to describe the actual ‘monster’ in Cloverfield, and I’m not sure that’s even an accurate word to characterize it. It did not resemble Godzilla or any other movie monster/alien hybrid we’ve ever seen before. When we were finally treated to a close-up of the nameless behemoth, my jaw dropped and I responded with a whispered “Oh, shit! Wow.”

Everyone involved with the creation of Cloverfield is connected to producer J.J. Abrams. The movie was written by Drew Goddard (Lost, Alias, Angel, Buffy) and directed by Matt Reeves (Felicity). I think it was a very bold choice to put Reeves at the helm of what must have been one hell of a production, and quite clever to equip the relatively unknown cast with cameras for most of the footage.

I’d heard rumors that there were a few subtle nods to Lost fans in Cloverfield, but the only one I noticed was the casting of Chris Mulkey (see photo below) in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it role as a military lieutenant. He is the character actor who played the leader of the pot farmers in last season’s Locke-centric flashback (“Further Instructions”). He also briefly appeared as the jerk who replaced Coach Taylor on Friday Night Lights earlier this season.

That was a long-winded way of letting you in on a poorly-kept secret: I have been and always will be a huge fan The X-Files. Up until recently, I had every single episode of the TV show on VHS. And I am finally about to own the entire series on DVD. That, coupled with the fact that the first production stills from the Untitled X-Files Sequel came out this morning (see example below), is why I am giddy like a schoolgirl right now.

The good news for loyal fans is that the sequel is being directed and co-written by X-Files creator Chris Carter (the other screenwriter is X-Files writer/producer Frank Spotnitz). Along with David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, they have only announced a few of the other ‘name’ cast members: Amanda Peet, Xzibit, and Billy Connolly. There isn’t an official title to the new film, but IMDB lists the possibilities as either The X-Files 2 or The X-Files: Done One.

Not only do I not know what the sequel is about, I am going to do my best to remain spoiler-free. I can’t imagine how my life would have been if blogging and message boards were as widespread back when the television series was at the height of its popularity. I’d probably still be single…

Although you all know how much I love Lost, I’d like to end this post with a visual illustration of my longterm dedication to this particular television series and movie franchise.

Let’s be honest, Sayid & Sawyer are hot, but they aren’t great names for felines. Besides, I specifically chose these cats because of their color and relation to The X-Files characters/actors; Mulder is kind of brooding and wears his dark coat well, Scully is smarter and she knows it – AND she sports the trademark red hair.

Season 4 of Lost is fast approaching. Eight brand new episodes in a row, beginning January 31.