Best motion picture of the year
“Milk” (Focus Features)

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Josh Brolin in “Milk” (Focus Features)

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Meryl Streep in “Doubt” (Miramax)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Taraji P. Henson in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)

Best animated feature film of the year
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney)

Achievement in art direction
“Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)

Achievement in cinematography
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight)

Achievement in costume design
“The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films)

Achievement in directing
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight)

Best documentary feature
“Encounters at the End of the World” (THINKFilm and Image Entertainment)

Achievement in film editing
“Frost/Nixon” (Universal)

Achievement in makeup
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
“Milk” (Focus Features)

Achievement in sound editing
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.)

Achievement in sound mixing
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.)

Achievement in visual effects
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)

Adapted screenplay
“Doubt” (Miramax)

Original screenplay
“In Bruges” (Focus Features)

Hopefully I will get to see the nominated short films, both animated and live action, before the awards. I guess we’ll see how this all plays out on February 22nd.

At the beginning of the year, I was uncertain how many movies I would be able to fit into the following 365 days. I did however decide to keep track of which movies I saw, when I saw them, and the format they were in. As the months progressed, I was able to identify a goal of 250 movies. Sadly, I came up half a movie short. I didn’t finish “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead” and therefore ended the year with 249 movies watched. I had seen some of the movies on the following list before, and some, like Juno, appear multiple times. Will I be able to see this many films or more in 2009? I have no idea. I do hope to get to the theater more, but my dvd collection still contains many to be watched for the first time. Happy New Year, and enjoy 2009, “The Year of Even More Movies.”

Highlights of the year: Meeting director at advance Sarah Marshall screening, Seeing Juno numerous times in theaters, Dark Knight on IMAX, and McLovin at sneak preview of Role Models.

Last year I impulsively bought this album from Amazon. Subtitled “A Punk Rock Christmas,” the album has 20 tracks from popular punk rock bands. Notable tracks include:

• Yule Shoot Your Eye Out - Fall Out Boy
• Forget December - Something Corporate
• Christmas Time is Here - Gatsbys American Dream
• I Won’t Be Home For Christmas - Blink 182
• So This Is Christmas - Acceptance

I have never watched an episode of The OC, but I do own every soundtrack mix. Mix 3, “Chrismukkah,” features indie takes on holiday classics as well as some original songs.  Well this album is slower and possibly more relaxing than A Santa Cause, it is just as enjoyable. My favorites include:

• Last Christmas - Jimmy Eat World
• The Christmas Song - The Raveonettes
• Merry Xmas Everybody - Rooney
• Christmas Is Going To The Dogs - Eels
• Just Like Christmas - Low

Finally I’d like to call attention to The Fray’s cover of the John Lennon classic “Happy Xmas (War Is Over).” Possibly my favorite Christmas song, the vocal are perfect (minus the children singing in the background). Happy holidays!

The title of this post may be a reference to alt-rockers Weatherbox, but today I am in fact talking about the raw beats and catchy riffs of the electronica group Ratatat. Summer 2008 saw the release of LP3, the third album from the Brooklyn duo. I was instantly hooked on the idea of chill, instrumental electronica. I’ve fully listened to all 3 albums (Ratatat, Classics, and LP3) and am most impressed with the newest release, particularly the tracks Falcon Jab and Mirando. Check out Falcon Jab below:

I find every track mellow enough that I can work with it in the background, yet entertaining enough to break a boring silence. Even more impressive is the way Ratatat manages to stay away from electronica’s annoying cousins, techno and house. Ratatat has a very broad appeal which I believe most can (and should) enjoy. Check them out, let me know what you think.