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By Michael Lopez

There were definitely a lot of surprises with today’s Oscar announcements. And, for the most part, they were all very positive. Longshots like Demián Bichir, Jonah Hill, and Melissa McCarthy were deservedly recognized for their onscreen work. But on the flipside, there were plenty of snubs this year too, many of which are already creating an uproar within the film fan community.

On the Best Picture front, movies like The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and The Ides Of March were nowhere to be found. Both received positive critical acclaim (we were big fans of Dragon), but got edged out by more questionable titles like The Tree Of Life and Midnight In Paris. Also, blockbusters like Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part II and Bridesmaids were considered frontrunners for the category, but were both noticeably absent.

In the Acting department, 2011 golden boy Ryan Gosling failed to receive any love. He left some big impressions in Ides, Drive, and Crazy Stupid Love, but was M.I.A. in both the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor categories. Leonardo DiCaprio also failed to make the cut for his extremely memorable performance in J. Edgar.

Another actor who many thought would break the mold this year was Andy Serkis. His role as Caesar the chimp in Rise of the Planet of the Apes wasn't just incredible, it was groundbreaking. It was believed that he would score the first ever Best Supporting Actor nod for a CGI motion capture performance, but alas, that wasn't meant to be.

We were definitely disappointed that Pedro Almodovar’s The Skin I Live In didn't score a Best Foreign Film nod. It had previously been nominated for a Golden Globe and had been universally hailed by the critics. And would it have killed the Oscar voters to give Pedro a little love in the Best Director department?

The Best Animated Feature noms left us a little torn too. On the one hand, the Academy did recognize the brilliance of Puss In Boots and Rango. But where was Rio?! Carlos Saldanha's heartwarming tribute to the beauty of Brazil was nowhere to be found, which we think is a real injustice.

And as far as original songs go, how cool would it have been to see Bruno Mars get some love for "It Will Rain" from the Breaking Dawn soundtrack? It was an incredible piece of music and it's certainly just as entertaining as the nominated "Man or Muppet" from The Muppets movie.

Who do you think was missing from this year's Oscar announcements? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Academy Awards, Andy Serkis, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Bridesmaids, Bruno Mars, Carlos Saldanha, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II, It Will Rain, Leonardo DiCaprio, Movies & CineMás, Oscar Nominations, Oscar Snubs, Oscars, Pedro Almodovar, Rio, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Ryan Gosling, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Ides Of March, The Skin I Live in

By Michael Lopez

Clearly Demián Bichir woke up to some very good Tuesday news. The 48-year-old actor scored his first Academy Award nomination this morning for his performance as hard-working gardener Carlos Galindo in A Better Life.

Speaking with Us Weekly, Demián seemed genuinely shocked and excited about his chances of winning Best Actor.

"I'm overwhelmed for having my name among those incredible actors," Bichir said. "This could have never happened if Chris Weitz had not been the head of this film. He is my brother and I thank him deeply."

Though Chris was not nominated in the director category, we're sure he's thrilled with the news too. Particularly because the Oscar nod will open up A Better Life to a whole new audience. And Demián went on to accentuate that point to Us.

"Hopefully more and more people will jump into iTunes and Netflix to see our film," he said. "That will be the biggest reward we could get. I dedicate this nomination to those 11 million human beings who make our lives easier and better in the U.S."

We'll definitely be keeping our fingers crossed when he walks down that red carpet on February 26!

Do you think Demián has a shot at winning Best Actor? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags A better life, Academy Awards, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Chris Weitz, Demian Bichir, Hot Stuff, Movies & CineMás, Oscars

By Ikam Acosta

It's almost time for the Oscars again! Fire up your Netflix queue and watch all those films you missed, because it's time to catch up on all those great movies you didn't get a chance to see this past year.

The word is out on the Oscar nominees for 2012. This is no doubt an exciting time for film buffs, so place your bets on who will go home a winner this year and who will end up empty-handed. Let's see what The Academy announced as the 84th annual Academy Award nominees.

The movie that received the most recognition was Hugo, leading with 11 nominations. The Artist followed closely behind, with 10 nominations. Not bad for a silent film.

Nominated for Best Picture were The Artist, The Descendants, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, The Help, Hugo, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, The Tree of Life, and War Horse.

Best Actor in a Leading Role nominations went to Tr3s fave Demián Bichir for A Better Life, George Clooney for The Descendants, Jean Dujardin for The Artist, Gary Oldman for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and Brad Pitt for Moneyball.

Nominations for Best Actress in a Leading Role went to Glenn Close for Albert Nobbs, Viola Davis for The Help, Rooney Mara for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Meryl Streep for The Help, and Michelle Williams for My Week With Marilyn.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role nominees were Kenneth Branagh for My Week With Marilyn, Jonah Hill for Moneyball, Nick Nolte for Warrior, Christopher Plummer for Beginners, and Max von Sydow for Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role nominations went to Bérénice Bejo for The Artist, Jessica Chastain for The Help, Melissa McCarthy for Bridesmaids, Janet McTeer for Albert Nobbs, and Octavia Spencer for The Help.

Check out the full list of Oscar nominees at the Oscar website, and gather some friends together for that Oscar party on Sunday, February 26th. Don't miss it!

Who do you hope to see win an Oscar this year?

Tags Academy Awards, Award Shows, Bérénice Bejo, Blogger: Ikam Acosta, Brad Pitt, Celebrities, Christopher Plummer, Demian Bichir, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Gary Oldman, George Clooney, Glenn Close, Hugo, Janet McTeer, Jean Dujardin, Jessica Chastain, Jonah Hill, Kenneth Branagh, Max Von Sydow, Melissa McCarthy, Meryl Streep, Michelle Williams, Midnight In Paris, Moneyball, Movies & CineMás, Nick Nolte, Octavia Spencer, Oscars, Rooney Mara, The Artist, The Descendants, The Help, The Tree of Life, Viola Davis, War Horse

By Larry Yepez Jr.

Grammy Award winning rapper and music producer Pharrell Williams will join forces with Academy Award winning film composer Hans Zimmer to oversee the music for the 84th Academy Awards in February.

The producers of the show, Brian Grazer and Don Mischer, announced the musical collaboration after Brett Ratner dropped out as Producer. This will be the first time either composer has worked on the Oscar show.

"I am honored to work with my mentor and teacher, Hans Zimmer and I have wanted to collaborate with Brian Grazer on something for years," Williams said. "I cannot believe I will be joining them and their teams on the most prestigious show of the year, the Academy Awards."

Williams has produced hit songs like Hot in Herre by Nelly, Beautiful and Drop It Like It's Hot with Snoop Dogg, and Milkshake by Kelis.

Zimmer won an Oscar in 1994 for Original Score for The Lion King and has received eight additional nominations for Original Score. Other credits include Rain Man, Gladiator, The Da Vinci Code, The Dark Knight, Sherlock Holmes and Inception.

What do you think of this musical collaboration?

Tags Academy Awards, Blogger: Larry Yepez Jr, Brett Ratner, Brian Grazer, Don Mischer, Drop it like it's Hot, Gladiator, Hans Zimmer, Hot in Herre, Kelis, Milkshake, Pharrell Williams, Rain Man, Snoop Dogg, The Da Vinci Code

By Michael Lopez

In case you haven't noticed, 2011 is almost on its way out. And, like every year, it's in the final weeks of November and December that the big Oscar-worthy movies start hitting theaters. Several of them (like Clint Eastwood's excellent J. Edgar) are already playing now. So we thought, why not share a few of our own suggestions for the gold statuette.

A Better Life: Yes, we know this movie is considered a major Academy Award long shot, but we loved it anyway. Lead Demián Bichir delivered a performance that would bring most grown men to tears. But beyond that, the story was striking, engaging, and one that really needed to be told. It's rare to see a movie about immigration get this much mainstream attention and frankly, we think it deserves more.

Moneyball: A great sports movie even for people who aren't into sports. We are always suckers for true stories and this was one almost anyone can relate to. A classic underdog tale set inside the world of Major League Baseball, it had the screenwriter from The Social Network, the director of Capote, and a powerhouse performance from Brad Pitt.

J. Edgar: Clint Eastwood has already won a ton of Oscars at this point, so we can kind of see him getting overlooked in the 2011 Best Director category. But Leonardo DiCaprio? Not a chance. His complicated performance as FBI honcho J. Edgar Hoover will most certainly earn him a Best Actor nom (and deservedly so). But it's also important to note that his co-star, Armie Hammer, delivers an exceptional performance as well and should have the odds in his favor when the Best Supporting Actor award is handed out.

The Ides Of March: Yes, we know we gave this movie a so/so review, but that was strictly for the plot. Many parts of Ides felt far-fetched and contrived, but the performances were amazing. And Ryan Gosling, in particular, stood out tremendously with his role as a shaky campaign manager. In the blink of an eye, he was able to jump from sympathetic, to angry, to calculated and cold-hearted, making him a shoo in for a Best Supporting Actor nod.

The Way: Definitely another long shot, but a well crafted film and certainly a centerpiece for Emilio Estevez' directorial talents. It's also interesting to note that in his 50 years as a professional actor, Martin Sheen has yet to win an Academy Award. And if there was ever an excuse to hand him a Best Actor statuette, it would be for his impassioned performance in The Way.

Which 2011 movies do you think deserve Oscars? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags A better life, Academy Awards, Armie Hammer, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Brad Pitt, Clint Eastwood, Demian Bichir, Emilio Estevez, Ides of March, J. Edgar, Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Sheen, Moneyball, Movies & CineMás, Oscars, Ryan Gosling, The Way

By Larry Yepez Jr.

Tags 2012 Oscars, Academy Awards, Anne Hathaway, Bill Condon, Billy Crystal, Blogger: Larry Yepez Jr, Brett Ratner, Chicago, Eddie Murphy, Hugh Jackman, J. Edgar, James Franco, Oprah Winfrey, Oscars, Scott Sanders, The Academy, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Tom Sherak, Tony Awards, Tower Heist

By Larry Yepez Jr.

On Friday, movie director Brett Ratner shocked the audience attending a Q&A session of Tower Heist at L.A.'s Arclight Cinemas, when the moderator asked him whether he rehearsed with actors before shooting a scene.

"Rehearsal is for fags", Ratner responded.

"There’s not really a long, nuanced debate to be had about this. If he had used an equivalent racial or religious slur, the discussion would go something like, 'You’re fired.' Apology or not. The same rule applies here. You don’t get a mulligan on homophobia. Not in 2011.”

"Brett made a very inappropriate remark, a remark that goes against our most important beliefs and the beliefs of the creative community we represent," said Sherak. "He very quickly issued an apology because he knew he had made a mistake. We think Brett's apology was sincere and showed that he understood how insensitive he had been.  We believe his apology reflects who he really is at heart."

The next step for The Academy may be to give Ratner the boot, before the voices of disapproval get too loud to ignore. Ratner clearly knows that he messed up big time the eyes of The Academy. In a Howad Stern appearance, he acknowledged that he needs to be careful these days.

"I've got to change my image," he said, "because I'm the producer of the Academy Awards."

Tags Academy Awards, Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, Andrew O'Hehir, Arclight Cinemas, Blogger: Larry Yepez Jr, Brett Ratner, Entertainment Weekly, ESPN's Grantland, Gil Cates, Howad Stern, Mark Harris, Oscars, Salon, Tom Sherak, Tower Heist

By Larry Yepez Jr.

Will Marilyn Monroe finally get that Oscar recognition which never came to her during the actress' short-lived film career? In an odd twist of fate, it turns out that Ms. Monroe might just well get that Oscar after all! Marilyn -well, not exaclty her- is now perhaps the strongest contender to win the 2011 Best Actress Oscar!

Last night was the World Premiere of The Weinstein Company’s My Week With Marilyn as the centerpiece of the New York Film Festival. Michelle Williams radiates in the film with her outstanding layered performance that goes beyond impersonation, playing both the damaged, insecure woman and the sensual superstar celebrity. Williams brilliantly brings to life one of Hollywood's most enduring and tragic icons.

Adrian Hodges' screenplay is based on two memoirs by Colin Clark, “The Prince, The Showgirl and Me” and a subsequent confessional memoir titled like the film, My Week With Marilyn.  The 23-year-old Clark was the third assistant director to Laurence Olivier during production of The Prince and the Showgirl.

My Week With Marilyn was directed by British TV producer/director Simon Curtis. Following its premiere as the Centerpiece gala of the New York Film Festival, the film will be released Nov. 4 by the Weinstein Company, which is likely planning an awards-season push behind Williams.

Charlize Theron, Glenn Close, Meryl Streep and any other Oscar hopeful better watch out because Michelle Williams as Marilyn is so good. She also flawlessly sings a couple of Monroe tunes at the beginning and end of the film...triple threat in action!  Michelle nails the part on every complex level of what Marilyn was, and has certainly put her as a frontrunner for 2011 Oscar Gold.

Although Monroe herself was not familiar to the Oscars, she was a regular at the Golden Globes where she won Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical for 1959's classic Some Like It Hot.

She was also nominated in the same category for 1956's Bus Stop.  Monroe was great in Bus Stop, but the Academy didn't recognize her performance before her tragic death in 1962. She did win some major international recognition for the 1957's The Prince And The Showgirl, winning the David di Donatello award which is the Italian Oscars as well as a a British Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Actress.

What do you think of Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe? Do you think Williams will get an Oscar for the iconic performance?

Tags Academy Awards, Adrian Hodges, Blogger: Larry Yepez Jr, British Academy Award, Bus Stop, Charlize Theron, Colin Clark, David di Donatello, Glenn Close, Golden Globes, Laurence Olivier, Marilyn Monroe, Meryl Streep, Michelle Williams, New York Film Festival, Oscars, simon curtis, Some Like It Hot, The Prince And The Showgirl, The Weinstein Company, Viola Davis

By Michael Lopez

Is it possible that Latin American movie-makers are hating on Puerto Rico? Apparently the Academy Awards have now given in to demands to disqualify the commonwealth from competing in their Best Foreign Language Film category. Rumors are swirling that other competitive countries pressured the Oscars to bump out Puerto Rico because they are "technically" part of the U.S.

Since 1986, Puerto Rico has had 11 Foreign Language movies nominated, including classics like La Gran Fiesta and What Happened to Santiago. The snub is actually quite surprising, considering that in sporting events like the Olympics, Puerto Rico is recognized as its own independent entity.

But that hasn't convinced the Academy, which is holding firm with the new ruling.

"We wanted to clear up an inconsistency that allowed a U.S. territory to compete in a category meant for countries outside the U.S.," Oscar COO Ric Robertson said. "We told them in our letter last year that 2010 would be the last time they could submit an entry."

The news may actually go down hardest with acclaimed director Sonia Fritz. Her 2011 feature America was reportedly a shoe-in for the category. Now, it's got to try its luck in the mainstream Best Picture world.

Do you think Puerto Rico got an unfair snub? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Academy Awards, America, Award Shows, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Chisme, Movies & CineMás, Oscars, Puerto Rico, Sonia Fritz

By Larry Yepez Jr.

Porfirio, a co-production of Colombia, Spain, Argentina, Uruguay and France, was selected for the 36th Annual Toronto Film Festival, one of the main festivals to keep an eye on for films for the upcoming Academy Awards.

The film tells the dramatic story of a handicapped man who hijacked a plane in order to get the attention of the Colombian government. The film is based on a real-life story, which took place on September 12, 2005 in Florencia, capital of the state of Caquetá in Colombia.

Porfirio was directed by Alejandro Landes, who convinced the actual protagonist of the story -Porfirio Ramírez Aldana-to play himself in the cinematic version.

Landes became interested in a movie project when he heard the story of a 56 years-old man who became paraplegic after being shot in the Colombian internal war with the guerrilla and not getting any compensation from the government, which led him to take a plane hostage so his voice could be heard. The man at first didn't trust the filmmaker's intentions, but when no one else came to him showing interest in his story, he accepted to work with the director.

Pre-production for Porfirio took place at The Sundance Labs. The movie then went on to play at Cannes and has been winning some important awards including the Cinédécouvertes Award in Belgium, and the coveted the Grand Jury Prize for Best Film in the Amsterdam World Cinema Festival. 'Porfirio' was also selected to play at this year's San Sebastián Film Festival.  Do I smell the first Foreign Film Academy Award Nomination for Colombia?

The 2011 Toronto Film Festival will take place from September 8th through the 18th, and will show a  total of over 300 films. Lets hope Porfirio gets some recognition and Latin American films get represented the way they should be!

Does Porfirio have a chance to be recognized at the Oscars?

Tags Academy Awards, Alejandro Landes, Blogger: Larry Yepez Jr, Cannes Film Festival, Colombia, Porfirio, San Sebastián Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival