To continue on the Oscars,  Here are some of the top ten films that they missed when handing out the nominations about a month ago.

Here are the rules: If a film is nominated already for something I cannot use it.  Even if it’s that the film wasn’t nominated for the proper award. Therefore I can only nominate films that have completely omitted from the list at this year’s awards ceremony. Read the full story

Duncan Jones‘ Moon was widely overlooked for the greater portion of 2009, but pretty much everyone who saw it (except me) was thoroughly impressed. I thought Jones‘ low-budget visuals were breathtaking, and Rockwell puts forth an admirable lead performance, but I had several issues with the story. Nevertheless, I am still looking forward to the director’s follow-up sci-fi film Source Code, which — according to The Playlist — has just received another noteworthy cast member in Jeffrey Wright (Syriana, Casino Royale, W.). Read the full story

It’s safe to say that Mira Nair’s Amelia – a Fox Searchlight production — was one of 2009’s biggest busts. Most people figured that a Hilary Swank biopic was going to be a shoo-in for awards left and right, but the film completely bombed with both critics and audiences. Well, it looks like Fox Searchlight is out for some redemption, as Variety reports that they have acquired the rights to Tony Goldwyn’s Betty Anne Waters, another true story set to star the Oscar-winning Swank. Read the full story

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has announced its longlist for the 2010 Orange BAFTA awards, with Lone Scherfig’s An Education ahead of the potential nominees with 17 mentions including best film, director, actor Peter Sarsgaard and actress Carey Mulligan. Read the full story

A few weeks ago we asked you what you thought of film this year. We got an crazy number of responses and was very happy to see the results. For each category we have a 2nd runner-up, runner-up and your number one choice. Check them out and discuss below!

What do you think of the results? What are you looking forward to next year?

After developing a list of thirty incredible films from 2009 that I enjoyed more than the rest, I was forced to choose only fifteen of those to call my “favorite films” of 2009. Like choosing fifteen orphans to take home and love and fifteen orphans to march off a cliff, I begrudgingly chose my fifteen favorite films of 2009. Staring at the list for what seemed like hours on end I ultimately decided to stop even trying to make a “final” decision and stick with my gut. Even if my gut immediately disagrees with my brain and vice-versa. As painful as it was to decide on these films and leave out so many other great ones, whether you agree with what is on my list or the order of my list is really not too important. What is important is that you see these films. 2009 was a great year for cinema. To only see the large films that had the budget to saturate your daily dose of advertising mania, no matter how great those films may be, would be a shame. 2009 proved the art of cinema is still alive and well, and we shouldn’t take it for granted. Don’t take my word for it — go see these films. You may not love them as much as I did, but joining in on the discussion, whether for or against, is all that really matters. So without further avoidance of the inevitable, This is my fifteen favorite films of 2009. I really enjoyed them and I hope you do too. Read the full story

Editor’s Note: This is first of five lists highlighting our main staff’s favorite films this year. Check back throughout the week for more countdowns.

Let’s just make something clear here; this is my list. Not your list, not the guy who writes for that other site, this is my list. I’m saying this because there’s some choices here some may go “huh?” to, and that’s fine. I think 2009 was a fairly inconsistent year, with a year that had great films (see below list), but was also oddly disappointing in the time we had to wait between movies. I also found myself connecting to certain films that others did not. As a result, the films I liked may be ones people forgot or which were received to a mixed reaction. Read the full story

That’s Jake Gyllenhaal, the younger of the talented two siblings, to star in Moon helmer Duncan Jones’ next movie – which will not be Mute, unfortunately – but rather Source Code. Here’s the plot of the film: “The project centers on a soldier who wakes up in the body of a commuter and must solve the mystery of a train explosion.” [THR].

The extended plot involves going back in time (about 17 minutes) to prevent said explosion. And while the idea of Jones’ ambitious visual style and Gyllenhaal’s odd star qualities combining for this pseudo-blockbuster sounds undeniably intriguing, did it have to sound so much like Deja Vu? With a little bit of Avatar too though, so, who knows?

One would guess this is what happens when Moon, one of the best sci-fi films in the last few years, cannot make back (or barely make back) it’s $5 million price tag. Let’s all hope this one blows the box office out of the water.

Here’s hoping for something great in Source Code, while mourning the postponement of Mute.

What do you think of Source Code and the people involved?

The calm before the pending Oscar storm is trembling in front of us. Here at TFS we asked each writer to give their Top 20 so far. I then gave 1 point to their #20 pick and 20 points to their #1 pick and everything in between. I added up points for all the films and here is the order leading up to the film with the most points. Let’s take a look at some of the best films of the year so far.

WARNING: This review contains spoilers.

Like this summer’s Moon, District 9 is the brainchild of a first-time director who displays real talent. Neil Blomkamp (assisted as producer by mastermind Peter Jackson) has crafted an astonishing debut. One which places itself among the top science fiction films of the twenty-first century.

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