Jan. 24 was supposed to be a joyous time for Hollywood. 2011’s best movies were ready for the Academy Award nominations, the industry’s highest honor. However, when the short list of films was announced in the wee morning hours, fans and critics were left speechless.

Aside from two financially successful films, the Best Picture category was filled with low budget independent movies that barely managed to engage the public. In fact one of the nominees, “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close,” was panned by critics and given only a limited release. The most notable omissions were “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” and “Bridesmaids.” While the latter film got a nomination for Best Original Screenplay, “Hallows” had to settle for recognition in the technical categories.

There was another film, however, that was suspiciously absent from the award show circuit: “Super 8.” The sci-fi film, released back in June, was a critical darling and took in a respectable sum at the box office. It might have gotten lost between “Thor” and “Captain America,” but its impact is far more enduring.

“Super 8” was directed by J.J. Abrams and produced by film legend Steven Spielberg. The movie paid homage to the director’s earlier films, including “E.T the Extra Terrestrial” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” The story follows a group of friends in the early ‘70s who set out to make a monster movie with their Super 8 cameras. During one intense night shoot, the friends witness a strange event that sparks a string of disturbances in town. Joe, the film’s child protagonist, becomes obsessed with solving the mystery.

Unlike “Thor,” “Captain America,” or “Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon,” “Super 8” is a slow burning film, relying on suspense and good old fashioned filmmaking to tell a story rather than loud explosions or gratuitous shots of a Victoria’s Secret model. Therein lies the true magic of “Super 8.” Abrams and Spielberg don’t try and distract the audience with flashing lights and shiny cars. They simply let the story unfold on screen and with every frame, the film glows.

In another year, “Super 8” would have been a phenomenon like “E.T.” was back in 1982. By combining the best of the Spielberg era and infusing it with modern themes, “Super 8” is far more of a film than what meets the eye. The child actors are genuine and the script is beautifully written. The Academy has a tendency to ignore genre pictures, but the inclusion of aliens does not detract from the film’s greatness. In fact, this sci-fi element only enhances it.

Aesthetically, “Super 8” might appear to be a generic monster movie, but it’s actually a story about the beauty of childhood. No matter the decade, childhood is both a wonderful and terrifying experience. Movies like this don’t exist anymore and for that reason alone, “Super 8” should have received a nomination. I have no doubt that within a few years, this film will be considered among the best from Spielberg.

The Screen Actors Guild Awards can possibly be described as the Academy Award’s younger, speedier cousin. This year the SAG Awards celebrated its 18th anniversary on Sunday night in Los Angeles at the Shrine Auditorium.

John Cryer (“Two and a Half Men”), Jim Parsons (“The Big Bang Theory”), and others kicked off the show by telling funny stories about how they first got into acting. Parsons said his first experience was playing a hyena in an abstract adaptation of “Hansel and Gretel.”

The first “Actor” (equivalent of an Academy Award “Oscar”) went to Christopher Plummer, who won outstanding performance by a male actor in a supporting role for his portrayal as Hal in “Beginners.”

The award for female actor in a lead role went to Viola Davis as Aibileen Clark in the acclaimed movie “The Help,” while the male winner for the same category went to Jean Dujardin as George in “The Artist,” beating out crowd favorites George Clooney and Brad Pitt.

“The Help” also racked in another win with Octavia Spencer receiving outstanding performance for a female actor in a supporting role for her depiction as Minny Jackson in the film.

HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” was awarded with outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series. Along with that achievement, Steve Buscemi (as Enoch “Nucky” Thompson) was awarded with outstanding performance by a male actor in a drama series for his work on the show.

Jessica Lange accepted the same award by a female for the show “American Horror Story” for her portrayal of Constance. ABC’s television sitcom, “Modern Family” won best ensemble performance in a comedy series.

Alec Baldwin acted like a giddy school girl when he received outstanding performance by a male actor in a comedy series for his portrayal as Jack Donaghy on NBC’s “30 Rock” for the sixth time in a row. He stood at the podium and gasped over and over while repeating “Oh my God” with a glowing smile on his face.

Another comical acceptance of the night was of Betty White when she received outstanding performance by a female in a comedy series for her role as Elka Ostrovksy in “Hot in Cleveland.” When her name was called, she sat in her seat for a minute, as if she did not believe she had truly won. White was previously awarded by the SAG with a lifetime achievement award.

Paul Giamatti  from “Too Big to Fail” was awarded with outstanding performance by a male actor in a miniseries or television movie. Kate Winslet received the same award for her portrayal as Mildred Pierce in the same miniseries.

The movie “The Help” was the biggest winner of the night, receiving outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture in addition to the awards already received by Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer.

This year, the recipient for the lifetime achievement award was given to Mary Tyler Moore for the great acting career she has accomplished. Her award was presented to her by long-time friend and costar, Dick Van Dyke.

Besides the Oscars being ratings gold, the integrity of the show is slowly dissipating. In the days of “Casablanca” and “Titanic,” the Academy Awards were about honoring the most successful and popular movies of the year.

The awards show has gone through a complete makeover in the last few years. Instead of the most popular movies winning, the underdog seems to be taking home all of the awards. Instead of having five Best Picture nominees, there are now 10. The hosts are getting younger and more famous every year.

In 2008, two years after the popular Martin Scorsese movie, “The Departed,” took home the Oscar for Best Picture, a new trend starting presenting itself. The trend is, giving the Oscar to an underground movie that not many people have seen.

“Slumdog Millionaire” was the first movie to take home the new and “improved” Oscars trend. Then, in 2009, “The Hurt Locker” took home the award beating out the highest-grossing movie of all time, “Avatar.” The most recent movie to take home the Oscar was “The King’s Speech.” I had never even heard of that movie until the nominee list came out and I know I’m not the only one.

The expansion of the Best Picture nominee list to ten films is something that hopefully won’t last very long. When it was just five, it was truly an honor to be nominated because the list was so exclusive. Now, the only movies that seem to be left off of the list are movies that bombed in the theaters and chick flicks. I don’t care how good “Toy Story 3″ was, it should have been left in the Best Animated Picture category and left out of the Best Picture category.

As far as hosts go, Bob Hope has hosted the Oscars more times than anyone else. He was funny and classic and loved by all. For many following years, they were hosted by well-known comedians such as Steve Martin and Billy Crystal.

Things really started changing in 2005. Chris Rock hosted the Oscars that year. From that year on they have been hosted by hot stars at the time. People like Ellen DeGeneres and Hugh Jackman hosted when their careers were at their peak.

When Anne Hathaway and James Franco’s Oscar promos hit the airwaves, people started calling this the “hip Oscars.”  This is the right way to go since the movies that are being nominated are, most times, not viewed by the younger crowd. To keep the ratings up, the show needs hosts that young movie watchers can relate to.

Despite all of these changes, the Oscars are still a huge hit because people love movies and love the stars. Hopefully some day they will get back to what they used to be about, honoring the movies that are loved by everyone, not just the Academy.

One of the film’s biggest strengths is in its authenticity. The story was filmed on location, and most of the stars are locals who had never acted before.

Everything about it is dark, gritty and believable, which in turn makes it all the more depressing. Everyone in the film’s universe has something to hide, and danger is around every corner.

Another of the film’s strengths is its lead, Jennifer Lawrence. Lawrence gives a very strong performance as Ree, and is well deserving of her Best Actress nomination.

Where the film falters a bit is in its pacing. The first act is very repetitive and feels almost like a video game: Ree walks a far distance to ask a drug dealer where her father is, they deny knowledge of it, tell her to stop nosing around and suggest that the person directly above them may know where he is. Repeat.

After this section of the film is over, another long section begins that consists of Ree taking care of her siblings while people come and warn her to mind her own business. The film is constantly building up tension, and although Ree does find herself in some dangerous situations by the film’s end, it is hard not to feel disappointed that something bigger or more climactic was supposed to happen.

This film is very well-made, authentic and features great performances. However, compared to inspirational stories such as “The King’s Speech,” “The Fighter” or “127 Hours,” or the cultural landmark that is “The Social Network,” “Winter’s Bone” is unlikely to make a big enough impact to take home the gold on Oscar night.

After all, this Sunday’s 83rd annual Academy Awards are really just a chance for a group of faceless decision makers, the Academy, to stroke the egos of Hollywood’s best and brightest.

But still, that carpet…

The Academy Awards, first held in 1929 to honor outstanding achievements in filmmaking, are Hollywood’s highest honor.  Last year, over 36 million viewers tuned in to see which films would be taking home the gold.

Photo Courtesy of Creative Commons

While last year, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin hosted, the Academy has gone in a different direction this year, bringing in two first-time hosts: Anne Hathaway and James Franco.

Hathaway and Franco will add a touch of youth to the proceedings, but the hosting change may be representative of a greater shift in the Oscars overall.

In many categories this year, new faces appear next to older, more familiar ones.

The nominations in the Best Picture category vary wildly.  Though they include the obligatory Coen Brothers joint, the inevitable British period piece and the no-budget, shot in the dark underdog, other unorthodox nominations made the cut as well.

“Toy Story 3” perhaps best illustrates the generational shift in the Oscars.  The Academy has already proven that they aren’t afraid to nominate animated films, having nominated “Up” last year, but the inclusion of the third “Toy Story” film may be a product of the Academy’s decision to open up the Best Picture field to ten nominees, rather than a nod to the next generation of moviegoers.

Post-modern subject matter pops up in the Best Picture field too, as “The Social Network” puts the founding of Facebook on film and “The Kids are All Right” follows the story of a family with two mothers.

Hardly classical subject matter.

The Best Actor in a Leading Role category also displays the multigenerational nature of this year’s Oscars, as last year’s winner Jeff Bridges is up against young bucks Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network) and host, James Franco (127 Hours).

Best Supporting Actor features another tight race, as Christian Bale (The Fighter) and  Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech) square off for the top spot.  Dark horse Jeremy Renner (The Town) also has a chance to upset.

Black Swan’s Natalie Portman is the odds-on favorite for Best Actress, competing against former winner Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole) and perennial nominee Annette Benning (The Kids are All Right).

The Best Supporting Actress race is an intriguing one, with Amy Adams and Melissa Leo, both from “The Fighter” in contention, along with Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech) and 14-year old Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit).

Acting awards aren’t the only hot commodities at this year’s Oscars.  Visual marvel “Inception” competes against the best of the best in the Best Cinematography category, which also features “Black Swan,” “True Grit,” “The King’s Speech” and “the Social Network.”

In fact, the Best Cinematography category is probably very close to what the Best Picture category would have looked like in a world without ten nominations.

Age versus beauty is going to be a dominant theme in this year’s Oscars, but whatever the outcome, many nominees will walk down that red carpet, but not everyone will walk away with a golden statue.

Earning seven Oscar nominations, including two for Best Supporting Actress, “The Fighter” did an excellent job of injecting honest emotion into a film that was, on the surface, about boxing.

The film revolves around a pair of half-brothers: boxers Micky Ward and Dicky Eklund, telling the story of Ward’s rise to the light-welterweight title.  While the boxing sequences are gritty and true to life, they work best as a vehicle for telling the story of a family struggling to maintain the ties that bind.

Mark Wahlberg delivers a capable and honest portrayal of Ward, quietly hitting all the right notes and allowing his supporting actors to shine around him.

Wahlberg’s performance, while more than adequate, pales in comparison to Christian Bale’s masterful performance as Dick Eklund, Ward’s trainer, a washed-up fighter and crack cocaine addict.

Bale, infamous for immersing himself in his roles, lost weight to play the skeletal Eklund.  Bale played Eklund with rubber-band physicality and a roguish demeanor.  Throughout the film Bale cons both the characters in the film and the audience into liking him, ignoring his self-destructive behavior and all his flaws as a father, brother and son.

Bale’s performance earned him a Best Supporting Actor nod, and he should be the odds-on favorite to win, even against heavy-hitters Geoffrey Rush and Jeremy Renner.

While the male half of the cast shined, they’d be far dimmer, and shallower, without the ladies of the cast.

Melissa Leo and Amy Adams each earned Best Supporting Actress nominations for their roles.

Leo was both stunning and believable as Micky and Dicky’s big-haired, big-mouthed mother and manager.  Leo played the part exquisitely, showcasing both the character’s bulldog approach to motherhood, and her softer, sadder side.

One scene in particular features Eklund, having been discovered smoking crack by Alice Ward, Leo’s character, getting into his mother’s car.  Leo sizzled with anger and the tense chemistry between the two is dazzling.  Dick begins to sing to Alice, and her shell is cracked; she’s just a mother who wants the best for her sons.

Amy Adams departs from her typical innocent roles playing Charlene Fleming, a savvy, street smart bartender and Micky’s girlfriend.  Adams, like the rest of the cast, sinks seamlessly into her role.  She plays the hard-nosed newcomer to the Ward/ Eklund family, and begins to make waves immediately.

With the strength of the female characters, the title “The Fighter” could just as well refer to Alice or Charlene as it could to Micky or Dicky.

Unfortunately for the two actresses,  only one can win the Oscar and Leo probably has the edge.

Does “The Fighter” have a legitimate shot at landing Best Picture?  Probably not, but come Feb. 27, 10 movies will step into the ring, and one will come out a winner.

Darren Aronofky’s “Black Swan,” at its core, is the story of a struggling ballerina, but don’t be fooled by that description. This is easily one of the darkest and most disturbing portraits of the human psyche to ever be considered for an Oscar.

We follow Nina Sayers, a young ballerina with a burning passion for her physically demanding art (not unlike Randy the Ram in Aronofsky’s last film, “The Wrestler“) who soon falls victim to her own ambition. Natalie Portman was born for this role, having been trained in ballet from ages four to 13, and does much of her own dancing throughout the film. She also dropped 20 pounds to attain the physique of a ballerina, and that is by no means a small feat.

Aside from the physical nature of the role, the range of emotions displayed by Portman are stunning, from virginal and innocent sweetheart to relentless and violent perfectionist. Obsession can be fatal, and you don’t doubt that for a single second after seeing this film. Its mood and tempo continually intensify as one big crescendo, building up to a shattering conclusion that, we learn, Nina was doomed to from the very start.

Cinematographer Matthew Libatique, a frequent collaborator with Aronofsky, uses primarily handheld camerawork to create a look that is as much a ballet as the film’s content. The swirling opening sequence itself is Oscar worthy in terms of cinematography.

Composer Clint Mansell, also an Aronofsky staple, uses elements of Tchaikovsky’s original Swan Lake score to fashion a melodramatic and deeply effecting piece of music that might almost seem overbearing at times, but paired with a story so wrapped up in fantasy and drama, it works.

Of course, none of this would be worth mentioning if not for the film’s true artist and creator, Aronofsky. His creativity and imagination turned a script full of camp and could-have-been cheesiness into an absolute masterpiece, and with a tight budget nonetheless. He is perhaps one of the most under-appreciated artists of the decade, and it may be time the Academy take notice.

Looking back to the early years of the Cage dynasty, many of his films received positive reviews. In 1995 he won an Oscar for his role as a drunkard in “Leaving Las Vegas.” Clearly, Cage was at his best playing dramatic, despondent characters that often worked well with dark moods and depressing scenes.

After winning his Academy Award, Mr. Cage decided it was time for him to play badass characters in badass movies. Films like “Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans,” and “Knowing” are so overacted that they reach the point of being comical.  Cage’s portrayal of the Marvel superhero Johnny Blaze in “Ghost Rider” made most audiences wish their own heads would become engulfed by fire. Cage’s latest action film, “Season of the Witch,” had an opening weekend that boasted a whopping 10.7 million—that’s only four million short of what Cage owes to the IRS.

It’s not fair to say that Cage is always terrible in action movies. Playing Benjamin Gates in “National Treasure” was a good fit for the actor. The character was quirky and awkward, and Cage excelled at rambling on about things that Disney’s PG audience has only seen in their history textbooks.

Hopefully Cage will return to his inelegant, droning ways sometime in cinema future (and not by starring in “National Treasure 3″). Next time you see a Nicolas Cage movie trailer and wonder why it doesn’t look as good as it should, think of this: have you ever met anyone—anyone at all—that, when prompted with the question “who’s your favorite actor?” responded with “Nic Cage!”? Didn’t think so.

The first big aspect of the night: the fashion. Fashion is a part of the night that seems to sometimes overshadow the awards itself, but that is fine by me, and I think most people would agree. The best-dressed woman of the night was Sandra Bullock, winner of the Best Address award. Her simple and elegant dress was the perfect choice for the woman who, after years of acting, was finally awarded for her hard work.

Of course, there could be no best-dressed without the worst, and this year there was a tie between Jennifer Lopez and Sarah Jessica Parker. The two of them seemed to be wearing complete opposite dresses. SJP’s dress seemed to have no shape, looking like someone draped a garbage bag over her, whereas J.Lo’s dress – which I am pretty sure was made out of bubble wrap – had the biggest side to a dress I had ever seen. I don’t know how she really walked down an aisle of chairs.

Neil Patrick Harris, who appeared at the beginning of the show for a fantastic opening number, was sadly not seen again for the rest of the night. The actual hosts of the show, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, were consistent and hilarious. The two of them were perfect together, whether they were on stage cracking jokes about the audience, spending the night together or curled up in a two-person snuggie. If we could either get Steve Martin a regular guest spot on “30 Rock” or his own show, I would be happy.

Other highlights of the night included Ben Stiller presenting the award for Best Makeup in full Avatar garb, including speaking pretty fluent Na’vi. Dance was brought to the Oscar stage thanks to Producer Adam Shankman, which is no surprise considering Shankman was also the choreographer for the “Hairspray” movie, as well as a judge on “So You Think You Can Dance.” The dance troupe “Legion of Extraordinary Dancers” did some fantastically-creative dances to the scores from the films nominated for Best Score.

Unfortunately, even the Oscars couldn’t pass without a “Kanye Moment.” When “Music by Prudence” won for Best Documentary short, the director of the short film, Roger Ross Williams, got up to accept the award. But there seemed to be a lack of communication between him and Kanye wannabe Elinor Burkett about what would happen if they won. Burkett claims that the two are not on speaking terms due to “creative conflicts.”

Finally, the best news of the night didn’t come from the Oscars at all, but Elton John’s viewing party, where Betty White confirmed that she will be appearing on SNL, making many people very happy.

A distressed student went into public safety headquarters and reported that someone had printed out personal e-mails from his account. The student admitted he hadn’t logged off of Rowan’s computer system properly, making it easy for the perp to get in to his account.

While it’s safe to say that the student should have logged off before leaving in a hasty fashion, I’m more interested in the content of the e-mails. Were they juicy accounts of his weekend? Or perhaps copies of an exam he received from a friend? Does the student have insider information of some sort?

Maybe he posed for some questionable photos and is worried that they will get posted all over campus. If that’s the case and we start to see half-naked pictures pop up on fliers with snarky headlines – much like that scene in “A Walk to Remember,” you know the one I’m talking about – the victimized student will realize that it is more important to log off properly and be late to class then to let people into the most secret parts of your life.

If the Sandra Bullock thriller “The Net” taught us anything, it’s to not trust the Internet. I recommend you watch it and learn about the perils of being online. Since Bullock is now an Academy Award winner, I’m sure people won’t judge you when you pick up a copy.

Wednesday March 3, 1:33 p.m. 2nd Floor Campbell Library and Sunday March 7, 1:17 p.m. Student Center

Two separate rogue rocks were found on the floor of both the second floor of the library and the Student Center this past week. In both instances, broken glass from shattered windows was found by housekeeping with the large rocks nearby.

No word on whether it was the same housekeeper that found both rocks, but I think it’s likely that someone around campus has developed a crush and is trying to get this certain housekeeper’s attention.

I mean, how many times have you seen a romantic comedy, television show or Lifetime marathon where a love interest has thrown a rock at a window in order to get the object of their stalking – I mean affection – to come to the window. Obviously, the perp is a romantic!

Too bad the damage to the windows is estimated to cost over $500.

Hey buddy, next time just stand outside the building with a boom box over your head and blast Peter Gabriel. That’s sure to get her attention.

Although these briefs are a sample of actual incidents reported by public safety, please note creative license has been taken. The full report can be obtained at the office of the department of public safety in Bole Annex.

Rowan University Detective Bureau anonymous tip line: 856-256-7428.