Exyle

Priest - A Movie Adaptation

Now, I guess, in order to understand my frustration with what I’m about to bring light too, I should provide a little bit of back story.  There is a story that I’ve been working on for the better part of a decade now and I can only hope and pray that I finish it.  It’s what I would call, my masterpiece.  I have no idea if it’ll ever be completed.  The scope and details are just so involved and intertwined that I honestly think it’ll take me years of full time devotion to ever finish it.  But I digress….

Anyways, a while back I came across this manga called “Priest” by Hyung Min-woo and I was blown away.  I was so impressed by the depth of the plot and the characters that Hyung created that I yearned for each book to come out.  There was so much inspiration coming from the pages that it really helped me in developing my story and provided fuel for my imagination.  I was able to accomplish quite a lot with my story while I was reading and living in the world that Hyung had created.   Sadly, there’s only 16 books so far in the series, it is nowhere near the end of the story, and currently it appears that no more books are being produced.  It’s looking like the world will never know the fate of Ivan Isaacs and Temozarela.

Now “they” - being the movie studios - have decided to make this manga into a movie.  At first I can easily say I was excited until I read the plot synopsis for the movie:

The film centers around a world where vampires and humans are at war. A priest, presumably Ivan Isaacs, goes against the church to track down a band of vampires who have kidnapped his niece.

So, you might ask, what’s the big deal, other than the fact that it seems like another “vampire” movie.  Well, allow me to introduce you to the plot of the manga (from Wikipedia):

Priest tells the story of humanity’s battle against 12 fallen angels, led by the archangel Temozarela. Despite having fought for God in the battle against Lucifer, Temozarela and his cohorts shortly thereafter found that God had lost interest in them. Upon finding God has focused his attention on humans they decide to rebel against God in light of God’s favoritism towards the human race. They descend upon Earth to ‘play God’ among the humans who build a temple and statues for them. For their rebellion and acts against humanity, God destroyed their temple and their statues were cast underground, with their souls being trapped within the statues.

Centuries later, there lives a Holy Knight called Vascar De Gullion, a killer of heretics in the name of God. After his wife and children were burned alive, Vascar De Gullion ‘loses faith’ and wanders the earth in a ‘blood rage,’ leaving a wake of slaughter wherever he goes. His journey comes to an end when he discovers a hidden cave with the statues of the 12 fallen angels. Temozarela talks Vascar De Gullion into giving his body to him in the hopes of gaining revenge on God.

It is again centuries later that Vascar De Gullion is found alive and sentenced to be judged as a Heretic by Betheal, a powerful priest. Upon dealing with Vascar De Gullion, Betheal discovers from Vascar De Gullion that he is not who he is meant to be, but rather Temozarela. Temozarela plays with Betheal’s only pride and joy in life, a child he saved from a heretic sacrifice. The fallen angel manipulates the child into brutally slaughtering a young woman, taking her arms and heart, and setting up a blasphemous ritual room with her blood. Once Betheal sees what his child had done, he instead sees Temozarela laughing and ends up killing the child with his own hands. Betheal loses faith in God also and Temozarela takes Betheal under his wing as one of his disciples. Instead of turning in favor of Temozarela, Betheal acts as the Judas in this story, betraying Temozarela. Betheal devotes his life to study a way to trap Temozarela so that people can be free from him. This came in heretic invention of the Domas Porada. Betheal’s body is needed to be the key in keeping the lock on this ‘cage’ locked. With his soul trapped inside the Domas Porada, Betheal enters a new life altogether with the power he gained from turning away from God. He is a now a kind of demon, called Belial.

Ivan Isaacs, the hero, is called upon to solve the puzzle that the Domas Porada presents. Upon solving it Ivan is cast onto a cross after witnessing his only love, Gena, die in his arms. It is then that Belial takes Ivan, who in the madness of losing Gena denounces God. Ivan is reborn as an immortal serving Belial. Because of Gena’s death Ivan devotes himself for vengeance against Temozarela and his men.

The Priest story spans three distinct time periods; modern times, the Crusades and the Wild West, although it is primarily focused on the last period. Whilst featuring a large cast of heroes, anti-heroes and villains, a number of which enjoying in depth and detailed character development within the plot, the lead antagonist of Priest is Temozarela, whilst the main protagonist is Ivan Isaacs, a now immortal, 19th century priest who sold his soul to Belial, a former priest turned devil, in the pursuit of revenge and redemption after unwittingly unleashing Temozarela from the Domas Porada, a prison of sorts constructed by Belial (then Betheal) to imprison Temozarela.

Now, I ask you, where are the vampires or a niece in that synopsis?  This is completely unbelievable.  Why do studios do this?  You already have an incredible story full of action, suspense, love and pain.  There are characters that have depth and a story large enough to easily make three movies.  Why would you take a character’s name and supposed profession, and title and a similar likeness (e.g. a cross on the forehead) and leave out all the rest.  Well, that’s not entirely true.  The sheriff character - Coburn - is also supposed to be in the movie, however, his character is butchered as well.  I just don’t understand.  What’s the point?

Anyways, given that “Priest” was such an inspiration to me and such a great story, I really don’t know if I’ll ever be able to watch the movie.  Honestly, I think the movie will still be decent, but given what it could have been, I will most likely be too disgusted to subject myself to it, or give the studios my money - thereby encouraging their disgraceful acts of butchery.  Unfortunate…most unfortunate.

The Crow - A Remake?

The Crow is my favorite movie and favorite comic of all time.  I’ll just go on the record and say that right-a-way.  I was just drawn into the world that James O’Barr created about a tortured soul brought back to life by a crow to put the wrong things right.  A brutally violent comic that is at it’s heart is a poetic love story.  A story of how love never dies and the pain of loss.  It is truly powerful and moving.

Back in 1994, Alex Proyas made a movie based on the comic and starred Brandon Lee (the legendary Bruce Lee’s only son).  Lee would portray Eric Draven, a rock musician that is murdered along with his fiance, Shelly on the eve of their wedding (now, this is different then in the comic, but the impact is the same).  One year later, Eric returns from the grave to bring vengence to those cut short the love of two that were meant to be together forever.

Of course, the power of the movie is amplified by a simply amazing and memorable performance by Brandon Lee and the unfortunate fact that it would be his last.  Lee would be killed tragically in the final days of filming (the last day in fact with firearms) by a malfuctioning prop.  Sadly, fact imitates fiction.  Brandon was to wed his fiance upon completion of the film.  A life - much like his father - that was cut short on the eve of greatness.

Proyas should be commended on his determination to complete the film and let the world enjoy both Brandon’s amazing performance as well as the story of The Crow.  I know I for one am thankful, because I don’t think I would have come across the work otherwise.

Now, to the point of this post.  I could go on and on about The Crow…doing a frame by frame of the comic or even the movie, and maybe I will one of these days, but for now I’m going to address a newly circulating rumor.  Early this month there was an announcement that “Blade” director Stephen Norrington was planning a to helm a remake.  WTF??  Now, like I said before, the original movie did take some liberties with the source material, and the comic was by far more violent and intense then the movie, but Lee’s performance was so spot on - intense and moving - that I can’t imagine anyone else even attempting to pull the role off.  I mean, this is not a case of the Joker with Nicholson and Ledger.  Those were two totally different takes on the role, and I’m sure that there will be more in the future, but Lee IS Draven, regardless of Draven being portrayed in different events - comparing the comic to the movie.

Luckily, though, a source claims that “[It's] very different from the original.  A whole new story about a whole new character.”  If this is true, I can rest easy.  Now, the sequals of The Crow unfortunately have not been great.  And of course, these are not really direct sequels - though the second one, “City of Angels” could be said to to be a direct sequel, they haven’t been able to live up to the original.  The concept is ripe for interpretation.  It’s powerful and moving.  So, I’m all about someone visiting the idea of The Crow.  Just don’t do a remake.  Eric Draven’s story has been told.  Leave it be.  Let him rest in peace.

San Diego Comic-Con

So, the San Deigo Comic-Con has been going this week…and will continue through the rest of the weekend.  This is an event that is on my “Before I Die” list of things to do.  I went to MegaCon here in Orlando this year, and it was great, but Comic-Con is where it’s at I’m afraid.

So, from all the twitter feeds over the last couple days, it’s been a crazy time with lots of announcements and what not from the panels.  Here are just some noteworthy ones:

1. According to Gary Oldman, Batman 3 should start shooting next year.  Sadly, no more details than that, but I hope Nolan is behind the script and camera again.
2. Disney’s Head of Production, Oren Aviv, says that the next installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean will start filming early next year.  I’m excited to see the direction they go with the franchise now.  Jack Sparrow is a great character.
3. The sequel to Tron is finally coming to a theater near you.  Jeff Bridges is in it, and it’s going to be badass.  So pumped!!
4. I have to say that I’m starting to get really excited to see Where the Wild Things Are.  I recently came across the book again, and though there isn’t much too it, it definitely leaves an impression on you.  The trailer for the movie is incredible, and all the talk around the movie is nothing but great.  Here’s to hoping the Spike Jonze really nailed it.
5. I’m just going to say that I’ve really come to enjoy the remakes that Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes has been doing.  I think they’ve done a great job of updating and reimagining the horror movies I grew up watching.  Obviously, they aren’t perfect, but I enjoy them nonetheless.  I say that because, the Nightmare on Elmstreet series has always been one of my favorites.  Yes, I picked Freddy to open a can on Jason in the Versus movie, but hey, you knew how it was going to end going into it anyways.  Anyways, Platinum Dunes just wrapped filming the new A Nightmare on Elmstreet and none other than Watchman’s Rorschach - played by the memorable Jackie Earle Haley - takes on the glove from series originator Robert Englund as Freddy Kruger.  I’m excited.  This movie has a lot of potential.
6. I’ve always had a small fascination with Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.  And now the one and only Tim Burton is going to be sharing with the world his take on the classic story.  Burton’s Alice in Wonderland is going to be INCREDIBLE!!! I’m so stoked and once you’ve seen the trailer, I’m sure you’ll agree.
7. James Cameron’s Avatar.  Now I don’t even know where to begin on this one.  There have been a lot of speculation and rumors surrounding Cameron’s return to the director’s chair.  Will it be as “revolutionary” as we’ve been told?  Will it redefine cinema and movie-making as we see it today?  Only time will tell.  I for one am excited to see just what all the fuss is about.  And apparently, on August 21st…I’ll get my chance.  You can  see the panel at Comic-Con with Cameron himself here and here and get an idea of the just what the film is all about here.
8. Wanted 2 is going to start filming in 8 weeks.  James McAvoy and apparently Angelina Jolie are going to be back in front of the camera with Timur behind the camera again.  The first movie kicked ass, but was a far a comic book adaptation.  It’ll be interesting to see what direction the script goes.  Either way, it’ll be one hell of ride again.
9. The Resident Evil franchise looks to be returning to theaters with Resident Evil: Afterlife.  Milla Jovovich and even Paul W.S. Anderson - who wrote all the movies, but only directed the first - will be returning behind the camera.  Anderson says that the film will be shot with the cameras used to shoot Avatar.  That definitely sparks my interests.  It’s supposedly an entirely new kickoff to the series, so I guess we’ll see how it goes.  The games have been getting better and better, hopefully the movies can follow suit.
10. Ninja Assassin!!  Honestly, the entire movie is summed up in the title.  Directed by James McTeigue (V for Vendatta) and produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski Brothers (Matrix Triology) and I think you get a very good idea of what’s in store for you when watching the movie.
11. District 9 - all I can say is WOW!!!  It’s an ambitious concept and idea, the trailer is badass, and from all the remarks about the movie so far, it delivers on everything and then some.  Also, apparently all the alien scenes were CGI, and it was shocking how incredibly real they were.  You can hear thoughts on the film here.  The director Neill Blomkamp definitely has made his mark.
12. Iron Man 2.  Not much can be said except for the following because the panel literally just finished, but based on the reaction, it’s going to be badass!!!  Excitement is in the air.

• “Iron man 2 footage was freakin awesome! Incredbile! Everything we want it to be!” - Geek Tyrant
• “Footage again. ScarJo looks kickass in action. Whiplash advancing on injured Stark on race track, whipping his electric tendrils” - CHUD
• “Holy Fuck Iron Man 2 was bananas!!!! WAR MACHINE LOOKS BAD FUCKING ASS.” - Latino Review
• “Its safe to say that IRON MAN 2 was by far the best shit at Comic Con 2009.” - Latino Review

Well, that’s about all I’ve got to write about really.   Exciting times ahead.  But, yes, one of these years, I will be on of the 200,000+ people attending “The Con”, and I’m going to enjoy every minute of it!!!

Michael Jackson

Today, Michael Jackson, is going to be buried.  All day today, at the Staples Center, there was a special public viewing and goodbye (Memorial Service) by family, friends and fans for the undisputed King of Pop.  MJ’s contribution to society and music is virtually unmeasurable and he will truly be missed.  He broke cultural barriers and transformed music videos into an art form.  He lead the way for modern pop in this country with numerous influences in hip hop, pop and R&B.  He was characterized as “an unstoppable juggernaut, possessing all of the tools to dominate the charts seemingly at will:  an instant identifiable voice, eye-popping dance moves, stunning musical versatility and loads of shear star power.” (Michael Jackson - Biography)  I personally remember see the Dangerous Tour on HBO when I was growing up and I remember people passing out before the show even started.  To me, that is incredible.

Michael, you will truly be missed, and I thank you for everything you’ve given to the world.  Thank you.

Now, lately there’s been all this talk of his numerous accomplishments:

1. Numerous Guinness World Records
2. 13 Grammy Awards
3. 13 No. 1 Singles in his solo career
4. Over 750 million records sold worldwide
5. Lifetime earnings and royalties estimated at $500 million
6. Etc.

I just want to bring up the fact that Michael Jackson was Captain EO!!!!  Yes, Captain EO.  Now, I’ve been going to Disney World for as long as I can remember, and at EPCOT Center at the Imagination Pavilion, there has always been a 3-D show.  Right now, it’s “Honey, I Shrunk the Audience”, but before that it was Captain EO.  I have to say, I missed it.  I was able to find it on YouTube and for your viewing please I have put them below, but what’s also pretty cool is that Francis Ford Coppola (director of The Godfather films) and produced and written by George Lucas (Star Wars).  That was an incredible bonus, because it definitely has a Star Wars feel.  Anyways, I hope you enjoy.  Again, Michael, thank you for showing us your gifts and talent.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Taking place two years after the first movie, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, simply put - is a bigger and louder version than its predecessor. The Autobots and humans have joined forces to create a secret military group called NEST whose sole purpose is to destroy any remaining Decepticons on Earth (A task that has been going on since the conclusion of the first movie). By the time we join our heroes in the movie, there are still more questions then answers concerning the Decepticon sightings and tensions are beginning to build between the human leaders and NEST. We also find Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) heading of to his first year in college leaving behind his girlfriend Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox) as they start the beginning stages of a long distance relationship.

To start, I don’t care what any critic out there is saying. This movie ROCKED!!! That’s not to say that they didn’t have a good argument, or even that their accusations are false, but I feel that critics these days have seriously forgotten the point of movies: TO BE ENTERTAINED!!! Heck, why do you think the Academy Awards aren’t being watched anymore? Because no one but the critics care about the movies being nominated. Now, that’s not to say they aren’t good and they don’t have a story to say, but let’s face it…on a scale of 1 to 10, honestly…how entertained are you when you watch them?

I loved every minute of this movie! And I can say that for all three times I’ve seen it so far (2 on IMAX and 1 regular)! Now, I’m obviously a bit bias because I’m a huge Transformers fan, and I’ll be the first to say that this movie was nowhere near perfect, but it was sure as hell fun and entertaining to watch. Were there plot issues? A few. Did some characters come and go with no reason? Yes. Could they have done a better job with The Fallen and Devastator? Absolutely. Did Megan Fox’s character, Mikaela, even need to be in the movie? Sadly, no (though that’s more the writer’s fault than anyone else). Did any of this really take away from the story or the entertainment value of the movie? No. These issues, though they are undeniably there, do not affect this movies like they might others because this movie is about entertaining the audience. It’s not out there to make awards (at least by the Academy’s standards). It’s goal is to transport you into an alternate reality with talking, transforming, alien robots. And if you believe it, then people behind the movie succeeded.

Bottomline, if you enjoyed the first movie, you’ll enjoy Revenge of the Fallen. In addition, the same can be said in reverse; if you hated the first, you’ll hate the sequel. It’s more of the same, just amplified. My issues with the first movie were resolved, however, more were created. Trust me, this movie - from a plot standpoint - had such amazing potential. The mythology of the Transformers is awesome and there’s so much to work with. I’ll be the first to say that it is a shame that the movie didn’t deliver on that front. They were really cheap when discussing the original Primes and the Fallen’s relationship with the Decepticons. It’s an unfortunate missed opportunity to really expand on the Transformers movie universe. They short changed it. Now, I’m sure the writer’s strike had something to do with it, but I still feel that the strike cannot take full blame for the movie’s shortcomings.

On the action side however, props to Bay and ILM for delivering some amazing stuff!! Optimus Prime and Bumblebee really had a chance to shine and it was GLORIOUS!!! I’m sorry, but the scenes they are in alone - for me at least - are worth the price of admission (however many times I see the movie). They are truly awe-inspiring to me.

Take this look at the movie as you will. I think perhaps some new blood from a writing standpoint would do the series some good, but Michael Bay is the director of this franchise. He was made for these movies, and no one else can truly bring the Transformers to life on the proper scale like Bay. If you liked the first film, go and see Revenge of the Fallen. You won’t be disappointed.

Terminator Salvation

Terminator Salvation - the fourth installment of the franchise - was one of the movies this year that I was really looking forward to.  Having been a fan of the previous films, as well as the Fox series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, the anticipation was pretty high.  Add that I’m a big Christian Bale fan, and the previews for the film were fantastic, this film had a lot going for it in my eyes.  Sadly however, it was not able to meet expectations.

The film stars Christian Bale as the legendary John Connor - the eventual leader of mankind’s fight against the machines, and a new character by the name of Marcus Wright, played by the up and coming Sam Worthington.  The setting is 2018 and deals with the battle against the machines in a post Judgment Day world.  McG, who doesn’t exactly have the greatest film history directed.

Now, this movie had so much potential, but it was going to be an uphill battle.  To begin with - and to my understanding this could be a first - the film was going to be part of a Saga, yet have very little resemblence to it’s predecessors.  The previous films before had time travel, thus having a more “present day” feel, Sarah Connor, and Arnold playing a good Terminator, a protector.  It was going to be a different type of Terminator movie.  It wasn’t going to be the same formula of protect John Connor and there in lies the double edge sword.  There is a huge amount of new and exciting territory to cover which has the potential to make a great movie, however, would audiences be open to a new or different formula when it comes to a Terminator movie?

I for one, was ready to see a badass John Connor - or at least the beginnings of one.  I was excited to see the creation of the Terminators and the resistance.  However, this is where the story didn’t work.  It wasn’t the acting - I felt the performances were fantastic and the actors did great with what they were given, and I won’t really put the bulk of the my faults with the movie completely on McG.  The cinematography and presentation of the film was fantastic.  I felt he did a great job with the world and I bought into it.  The issue, in my opinion is all with the plot.  I think that anyone who is any kind of Terminator fan has been waiting to see the John Connor that the previous films make him out to be.  And I know that we were definitely expecting him - especially from the previews - to be the center of the film.  And that my friend is where they messed up.  The writers made John Connor practically a secondary character.  Why in the heck would you do that?  Why would you make him second-billing to a “new” Terminator that has next no backstory or explanation given?  This is even more shocking when you realize that Christian Bale wouldn’t have even signed on for the role until they made the Connor role bigger.  Makes you wonder what the original script was like.  All in all, even aside from all the plot holes and unexplained events throughout the film, I feel that the movie missed the mark because it forgot was it was about.  The Saga is about John Connor…NOT the Terminators.  (This is one of the reasons it’s a shame  that the Sarah Connor Chronicles was canceled.  They were doing it right.)

If you are any kind of Terminator fan, you still have to see it - even if you only ever watch it once.  I wanted so much to like this movie, and though I did find it enjoyable from an entertainment standpoint, being a fan of the Terminator Saga, I just couldn’t get past that fact that the movie just played out in and way that was unexpected.  Last I heard, there was talk that the sequal was going forward - this movie was envisioned as the start of a new trilogy.  I still think they can salvage things and make it right in the coming movies.  All was not lost in this film.  It did a great job creating the world, now they just need to do a great job of writing what happens in it.

Star Trek

Star Trek was a movie I was really looking forward to seeing this year, and let me tell you - it did not disappoint.  Entertaining and exciting from the first minute to the last minute, I - as well as many many others - found the experience of watching the movie very exhilerating!  For those that don’t know anything about this movie, it is a reboot/resurrection of the classic science fiction franchise of the same name that was created by Gene Roddenberry.  J J Abrams, the director, creates a feature that “embraces the rich history of the influential television and film series while also exploring some uncharted territory” (AMG).

The film stars Herores star Zachary Quinto as the Federation Starfleet lieutenant and Vulcan Spock, the character made famous in the original series by Leonard Nimoy.  Anton Yelchin, star of Billy Elliot and the recently released Terminator Salvation movie, assumes the role of Pavel Chekov.  Zoe Saldana filled the shoes of Uhura.  The hilarious and scene-stealing Simon Pegg played Montgomery “Scotty” Scott and John Cho of Harold and Kumar fame played the role of Hikaru Sulu.

Now, aside from Spock, the two most pivotal roles in the film belong to Leonard “Bones” McCoy and the legendary Captain James T. Kirk.  Karl Urban and Chris Pine performed these roles, respectively, and similarly with all the cast, did and absolutely phenomenal job.  Following in the footsteps of the people that originiated the roles is not an easy task.  Everyone was able to embody the character yet still make it their own.

J J Abrams, togther with his screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci of Transformers and the upcoming sequel fame, did a fantastic job or reinventing the series.  They were able to create an exciting adventure.  One that was daring and inventive, yet true in form and function.  The idea was to create a movie that would appease both current Star Trek fans as well as create new ones, and this movie definitely delivered.  The film featured a number of laughs and was action packed.  It was filled with emotion and awe.  At the end of the movie, you just wanted more!  In addition, they were able to create a new canon without defacing the old one.  The world is open to new and exciting possibilities with the franchise.  They can proceed without the worry of continuity and canon issues, and to me, that in it of itself is a fantastic accomplishment.  If you haven’t seen this movie yet, go see it.  Even for the non-sci-fi junkie, the movie is fun for all.

“Flutebox” and Beardyman

I have to thank Lindsey for coming across this little item. These guys are ridiculously talented and extremely entertaining to listen to. Enjoy.

Happy April Fool’s Day

April Fool’s Day is always an interesting day to follow the news.  So much stuff gets “announced” that sometimes you find yourself caught up in some of the excitement…even though, most likely it is for nothing.

The movie studios had a number of HUGE announcements today:

1. Warner Bros announced that a new Matrix movie was in the works entitled:  The Matrix Resurrection (/film)
2. The new Iron Man 2 trailer shows the title begin “Iron Man 2:  Shock to the Heart” (Cinematical)
3. Johnny Depp is apparently in talks to play the Riddler in the new Batman 3 movie entitled “Battle for Gotham”. The is also talk of bring Heath Ledger back as the Joker using CG wizardry. (JoBlo)
4. Zack Snyder is in talks to direct a Star Wars reboot. (MovieWeb)
5. Robert Pattinson has walked off the set of “New Moon”.  As a result, production has shut down. (ScreenRant)
6. George Lucas has decided that he wants to revisit his Star Wars universe again on the big screen with a new Legacy Trilogy. (MovieBlog)

Honestly, though, the one I really wanted to be real was the video and news release done by IGN concerning Super Smash Bros Brawl and DLC.  The release states that Nintendo will be making available through Wii Expand - which is a new download service to be offered by the company - an expansion back, or add-on, for the game Super Smash Bros Brawl.  This content will turn the game into a Mortal Kombat style game with gore and blood galore!!  I was pumped at the idea of using Ike’s sword to sever a certain plumber’s head clean off.  But, alas, it seems it was only an April Fool’s prank. You can check out the news release and video of the so-called game being played here.

Hope everyone had a fun day!!

2009 Oscar Nominations

The 2009 Oscar Nominations were announced this morning for the 81st Academy Awards, and I’d be lying if I said I was happy with the results.  “The Dark Knight” was left out of Picture, Director, Screenplay and Score.  Now, to be somewhat fair, it did receive 8 nominations total, including the much favored Supporting Actor nom for Heath Ledger, but it definitely deserved to receive more of the top tier nominations.

In total number of nominations “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” lead the way with thirteen; followed by “Slumdog Millionaire” with ten; “The Dark Knight” and “Milk” with eight; “Wall-E” with six; “Frost/Nixon”, “Doubt” and “The Reader” with five.

Below are the nominations:

BEST PICTURE
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Richard Jenkins (”The Visitor”)
Frank Langella (”Frost/Nixon”)
Sean Penn (”Milk”)
Brad Pitt (”The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”)
Mickey Rourke (”The Wrestler”)

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Anne Hathaway (”Rachel Getting Married”)
Angelina Jolie (”Changeling”)
Melissa Leo (”Frozen River”)
Meryl Streep (”Doubt”)
Kate Winslet (”The Reader”)

DIRECTING
David Fincher (”The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”)
Ron Howard (”Frost/Nixon”)
Gus Van Sant (”Milk”)
Stephen Daldry (”The Reader”)
Danny Boyle (”Slumdog Millionaire)

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Josh Brolin (”Milk”)
Robert Downey Jr. (”Tropic Thunder”)
Philip Seymour Hoffman (”Doubt”)
Heath Ledger (”The Dark Knight”)
Michael Shannon (”Revolutionary Road”)

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Amy Adams (”Doubt”)
Penelope Cruz (”Vicky Cristina Barcelona”)
Viola Davis (”Doubt”)
Taraji P. Henson (”The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”)
Marisa Tomei (”The Wrestler”)

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
The Baader Meinhoff Complex
Class
Departures
Revanche
Waltz With Bashir

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
“Bolt”
“Kung Fu Panda”
“Wall-E”

SCREENPLAY (Adapted)
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“Doubt”
“Frost/Nixon”
“The Reader”
“Slumdog Millionaire”"

SCREENPLAY (Original)
“Frozen River”
“Happy-Go-Lucky”
“In Bruges”
“Milk”
“Wall-E”

ART DIRECTION
“Changeling”
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“The Duchess”
“Revolutionary Road”

CINEMATOGRAPHY
“Changeling”
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“The Reader”
“Slumdog Millionaire”

COSTUME DESIGN
“Australia”
”The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
”The Duchess”
”Milk”
”Revolutionary Road”

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
“The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)”
”Encounters at the End of the World”
”The Garden”
”Man on Wire”
”Trouble the Water”

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
“The Conscience of Nhem En”
”The Final Inch”
”Smile Pinki
”The Witness — From the Balcony of Room 306″

FILM EDITING
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“Frost/Nixon”
“Milk”
“Slumdog Millionaire”

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
“Beaufort”
“The Counterfeiters”
“Katyn”
“Mongol”
“12″

MAKEUP
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
”The Dark Knight”
”Hellboy II: The Golden Army”

MUSIC (SCORE)
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” Alexandre Desplat
“Defiance” James Newton Howard
“Milk” Danny Elfman
“Slumdog Millionaire” A.R. Rahman
“WALL-E” Thomas Newman”

MUSIC (SONG)
“Down to Earth” from “WALL-E”
“Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire”
“O Saya” from “Slumdog Millionaire”

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
“La Maison en Petits Cubes”
”Lavatory — Lovestory”
”Oktapodi”
”Presto”
”This Way Up”

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
“Auf der Strecke (On the Line)”
”Manon on the Asphalt”
”New Boy”
”The Pig”
”Spielzeugland (Toyland)”

SOUND EDITING
“The Dark Knight”
“Iron Man”
“Slumdog Millionaire”
“WALL-E”
“Wanted”

SOUND MIXING
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“Slumdog Millionaire”
“‘WALL-E”
“Wanted”

VISUAL EFFECTS
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
The Dark Knight”
“Iron Man”