Mid-November is a time where we start hearing the same Christmas songs in every single store, Starbucks features their holiday drinks, peppermint hot chocolate and the gingerbread latte, and the first (or third) snowfall is upon us. Apart from all the holiday season cliches, all Oscar buzzing films are released consecutively. Though the Academy Awards, set for February 27 2011, are three months away, it is time to start the Oscar pools.

The Academy Awards is a pretty predictable awards show. Every year viewers are disappointed with the winners because of an Academy institution conspiracy. The voting process is not really democratic, although members of the board claim that it is. This year there are many Oscar buzzing films. Last year was a poor year (in my opinion) for North American cinema, but this year is looking up.

The nomination ballads are due on Monday December 27, and the official nominations will be announced a month later on January 27. With two months to decide, I say that we can somewhat accurately guess the ten best picture nominations.

As of November 18 2010 my Best Picture nominations are as follows (subject to change):

1. 127 Hours (Danny Boyle)

2. Made in Dagenham (Nigel Cole)

3. True Grit (Cohen Brothers)

4. The Social Network (David Fincher)

5. Conviction (Tony Goldwyn)

6. Winter’s Bone (Debra Granik)

7. Toy Story 3 (Lee Unkrich)

8. Inception (Christopher Nolan)

9. The Rabbit Hole  (John Cameron Mitchell)

10. For Colored Girls (Tyler Perry)

As a warning I am not necessarily in accordance with all of these films, but I am trying to delve into the minds of the conspirators.

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1. Quebec Film In Running For Oscar
2. Auctioned Oscar A Counterfeit
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Mary J. Blige may have sung “No More Drama” in her 2002 hit single, but she’s putting her acting skills to the test again in a new Tyler Perry film.

Billboard reports that the R&B singer has landed a starring role in “I Can Do Bad All By Myself,” based on Perry’s play of the same title.

Blige will play a nightclub manager opposite the already-cast Taraji P. Henson, who will play her good friend. As in the stage version, Perry will appear as his comedic alter ego, the bad-tempered grandmother Madea.

The movie, which Perry is also directing, has already begun filming in Atlanta and is slated for release in September.

“Bad” marks Blige’s first film role since the 2001 drama “Prison Song,” though she appeared on HBO’s “Entourage” in 2007.

The singer-songwriter is working on her ninth studio album, which is scheduled for release later this year. It will be the follow-up to her 2007 album, “Growing Pains,” which won a Grammy for best contemporary R&B album.

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1. Mary J. Blige Set to Appear in Two Upcoming Movies
2. Mary J. Blige Guest Judge on American Idol
3. Mary J. Blige Cleans Up at the Billboard Awards

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