I!: Bait an Oscar News

December Best Picture Contenders

2008-12-15T14:44:00.000-08:00

With very limited reviews this month, it seems as if it may be a mystery as to what baits will make the Best Picture lineup...

"Locks" (if we can say that)

The Mystic- Arguably, it's the baitest of the month, and the synopsis is remarkable. However, it may split votes with Family Soupe. But, I'm betting BOTH will make the BP linuep.
Family Soupe- Representing the comedy will be Family Soupe. Not doubt in my mind. The dynamic duo struck gold this month, and there will be even more gold going their way at the awards ceremony.
Wonsaponatime- D.W. recreated the life of a brilliant man in a classy way. Expect this to be the nomination leader and probably the BP winner as well.

Possibilities

A Tale of the Night- The chat is talking about the original musical a lot. The buzz is growing, but it may be lost in the shuffle.
Pursuits- Family Soupe is the only thing standing in the offbeat comedies way. However, don't leave out the possibility of two comedies.
A Life Before- Ryne had a huge comeback with this bait. Voters are splitting a bit more on this one, but in a not so strong month, it could make the cut.

More predictions to come soon!

Nutty November Featuring Aunt Linda

2008-11-11T17:52:00.000-08:00

The following interview took place on November 11, 2008 prior to baits being posted.

Michael: As we all know, this month the Igloo Bait Festival had a record breaking ceremony, when Adrian James' newest bait Shadows of the Sun won every single category. Now that the baits, a record low, have been published many have already predicted the Oscars a sweep. Here to comment on this month and the baits that were just recently released is I's new correspondent and my very own Aunt Linda.

Aunt Linda: Thanks Michael for that WONDERFUL introduction...ghaa...

M: No problem, so Aunt Linda what did you think of Shadows of the Sun? It seems to be getting all the buzz as of now...

AL: BUZZ?! WHAT?!

M: Well, it's definately gotten the best reviews and it swept the festival so what did you think?

AL: Well first of all, why is it called Shadows of the Sun? The sun certainly doesn't have a shadow, let alone multiple shadows. Next, I didn't even know the name of the hero, if we can even say that...I gladly give this film a "What?"

M: Okay, well what did you think of "In the Heights", it seems to be promising...

AL: In the Heights?! I wish I were as high as those moviemakers who decided this was a good idea...it just didn't make any sense! I was wondering the entire time why people were dancing and singing in the streets of New York City, it just doesn't happen. I give this film a "Ghaa" and an "Oh, boy" NOT FOR ME! And finally my last film is IT..

M: Wow, you went to IT? It seemed pretty scary...

AL: I LOVED IT! It was well paced, greatly performed, and finally a movie that wasn't very long...I give this film a "THANK YOU!" and a "Learn from this Disney"

M: Well thank you Aunt Linda for seeing all these films for us, and to read all of Aunt Linda's reviews for this month keep reading I! where they will be posted soon...

I! Top 100 #40-1 Finale!!!

2008-09-26T23:22:00.000-07:00

It's finally here. Your votes for the best of the best. The cream of the crop. The ace in the hole. Here are the 40 highest voted baits of Bait an Oscar:

40.) Dr. Death, written by Tony
39.) Criminal Origins, written by Zgamer
38.) Broken Pieces, written by Chris Perkins
37.) Dear Mr. President, written by James Somerton
36.) The Dead President, written by Pat (O, SAG)
35.) Behind Closed Doors, written by Chris M.
34.) Darwin Discovered, written by Maia (O, GG)
33.) Ironic Nonfiction, written by Daniel Crooke (O, GG)
32.) La Ventana, written by Brett (O)
31.) Pride of Baghdad, written by Alfredo (GG)

30.) The Arabic Cafe, written by Maia
29.) For Pay, written by Alfredo (NBR, GG)
28.) A Faith of One, written by Zgamer
27.) The Vampire Lestat, written by James Somerton
26.) Magic Lantern, written by Harry (O, F)
25.) The Wall, written by James Somerton (O)
24.) Gone Since November, written by Chris Perkins
23.) Cielo Drive, written by Brett and Dpac (SAG)
22.) Midnight Mass, written by James Somerton (GG)
21.) The Winter Sun, written by Tony

20.) The Bang-Bang Club, written by D.W. Dillon
19.) Sandstorm, written by Al (O)
18.) The Banality of Evil, written by Alex S.
17.) Dominion, written by Tony (GG)
16.) Realm of the Bird, written by Douglass Reese (NBR, GG)
15.) The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson, written by Josh P. (O, GG, F)
14.) Bootleg, written by Maia (O, SAG)
13.) The Wishbones, written by Chris M. (O, NBR, GG, SAG)
12.) The Killer Eagles, written by Pat (O, NBR, GG, SAG, F)
11.) Cinematheque, written by Alex S. (O)

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And now, the big 10. Drumroll please!:

10.) Destiny, written by Harry

9.) Mario Puzo’s The Family, written by Alex S. (NBR, SAG)

8.) The Valley of Ashes, written by Zgamer (GG, F)

7.) Silence, written by James Somerton (GG)

6.) Jackrabbit, written by Zgamer (O, GG)

5.) Wackos, written by Zgamer (GG)

4.) Bandito Express, written by Daniel Crooke (GG, F)

3.) A New Agenda, written by Daniel Crooke (O, GG, SAG)

2). The World’s Longest Suicide, written by D.W. Dillon (O)

And your new #1 pick....

The one you voted for...

is....

1.) Live From New York, written by Pat!!!!

Thank you for joining us tonight in the I! Top 100 countdown and have a great weekend!

I! Top 100's Best Actor, Supp. Actor and #80-41

2008-09-25T22:44:00.000-07:00

Alrighty, here is part two of the I! Top 100. Sorry for the delay but we were partying with some ladies (college rocks!)

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Ok, here are your votes for the 25 Best Actors of all time:

1) Julian MacMahon (The World's Longest Suicide)
2) Geoffrey Rush (Faded Red)
3) Ryan Gosling (Jackrabbit)
4) Barry Pepper (The Valley of Ashes)
5) Robin Williams (Midnight Mass)
6) Thomas Haden Church (Carter)
7) Tom Hanks (The Winter Sun)
8) David Straithern (Steamboat Disney)
9) Anthony Hopkins (Darwin Discovered)
10) Michael Imperioli (The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson)
11) Joseph Gordon Levitt (Broken Pieces)
12) John Goodman (Behind Closed Doors)
13) Peter O'Toole (Dr. Death)
14) Topher Grace (Gray Daze)
15) Tom Berenger (Borderman)
16) Micaulay Culkin (For Pay)
17) Jeff Daniels (Wackos)
18) Jeremy Davis (Judas Iscariot)
19) Max Von Sydow (Masterpiece)
20) Robert De Niro (Cherry Blossom)
21) Brendan Frasier (Once a Hero)
22) Joe Anderson (Here We Are Now)
23) Ben Foster (Booth)
24) Benico Del Toro (La Ventana)
25) Keifer Sutherland (The Bang-Bang Club)

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Next up, here are your votes for the Best Supporting Actors of all time:

1.) Armin Mueller-Stahl for The Hussein Room (O, NBR, F\, GG, SAG)
2.) Cillian Murphy for Sandstorm (GG)
3.) Daniel Day Lewis for The Bang-Bang Club (O, SAG)
4.) Al Pacino for A New Agenda (GG, F)
5.) Samuel L. Jackson for Bandito Express
6.) Forest Whitaker for River City Blue (O, GG, SAG)
7.) Daniel Auteuil for Cinematheque (O, GG)
8.) Steve Buscemi for Wackos
9.) Ethan Hawke for Rivalry at 6 P.M. (GG, SAG, F)
10.) Kevin Kline for Silence (GG, SAG)
11.) James Gandolfini for The Winter Sun (GG, SAG)
12.) Daniel Radcliffe for Foggy London Nights (O, SAG)
13.) David Bowie for Ironic Nonfiction (O)
14.) Heath Ledger for Rush
15.) Hugh Laurie for Freak Show
16.) Paul Dano for Masterpiece (O, NBR, GG, SAG, F)
17.) Gary Oldman for The Banality of Evil (O)
18.) Artie Lang for Live From New York
19.) Alec Baldwin for Jackrabbit (SAG)
20.) Mark Whalberg for Cobra (O, NBR, GG)
21.) Samuel L. Jackson for Watts (O)
22.) Vincent D'Onofiro for Break Before Bend (O, F)
23.) Jeremy Piven for The Dead President (GG, SAG)
24.) Peter O'Toole for The Vampire Lestat
25.) John Malkovich for Forlorn (F)

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And finally, we bring you the #80-41 baits of all time!!!:

41.) The Awakening, written by Gabby (GG)
42.) Faded Red, written by Brian Erickson (F)
43.) Dragontown, written by James Somerton
44.) Warner Girls, written by Anwar
45.) The Hussein Room, written by Brian Erickson (GG)
46.) Fosse, written by Alex (O, SAG)
47.) To Dwell in Evil, written by Tony
48.) Deep Secret, written by Matt
49.) Fresh Heir Vol. III, written by Brian Erickson
50.) Ralph's Food and Drug, written by Alex (GG)

51.) Masterpiece, written by Pat
52.) Recoil, written by D.W. Dillon
53.) Glass, written by Marcus Dennis (GG)
54.) Quiet Room, written by Sergio
55.) Rivalry at 6 P.M., written by Patrick D. (O, F)
56.) Six Days in 67, written by Alfredo
57.) Break Before Bend, written by D.W. Dillon (F)
58.) Cherry Blossom, written by D.W. Dillon
59.) Photograph, written by Pat (O, GG)
60.) Dubai, written by Maia (NBR)

61.) The Playground Factory, written by Bryce
62.) Inside You Out, written by James Somerton
63.) Lucky Clover, written by Sergio (O)
64.) Fallout, written by Zgamer
65.) Book, written by Connor Campbell (O, GG)
66.) The Poisonwood Bible, written by Brian Erickson
67.) Bruised Boys, written by Douglass Reese
68.) Judas Iscariot, written by George (O)
69.) Lord of the Flies, written by Zgamer (NBR)
70.) Once a Hero, written by Matthew LaRusso

71.) Imagine, written by Harry (GG)
72.) Flashes, written by Tony
73.) River City Blue, written by Ross (GG)
74.) The Madness of H.P. Lovecraft, written by D.W. Dillon
75.) The Breadwinner, written by Connor Campbell
76.) The Jersey Widows, written by Maia
77.) POZ, written by James Somerton
78.) A Work of Fiction, written by Douglass Reese
79.) E.L., written by Daniel Crooke
80.) The Picture of Dorian Gray, written by Harry

Tune in tomorrow for the big winners!!!

I! Top 100's Best Actress, Supporting Actress and Director Winners

2008-09-24T19:51:00.000-07:00

Hey all, Zgamer here. Look, I want to apologize for how this has been taking. I know I keep blaming college for this, which is technically true, but I should do better than what I have been doing. So, we're going to redeem the credibility of this by concluding it all in a three part event. I know people would like it better if I posted everything at once, but then where is the anticipation. So, every night at 9 for until Friday, we will unveil the remaining winners for each category. So let's start with the female acting and directing ones.

First, your choices for the Best Supporting Actress performances of all time:

1) Maggie Gyllenhaal (Behind Closed Doors)
2) Maribel Verdu (Borderman)
3) Amy Adams (Wackos)
4) Rachel Weisz (Faded Red)
5) Uma Thurman (Bandito Express)
6) Vera Feminga (Livestrong)
7) Lauren Bacall (Masterpiece)
8) Amy Sedris (Live From New York)
9) Meryl Streep (Book)
10) Miranda Richardson (The Assassination of Marget Thatcher)
11) Kristen Chenweth (Wicked (MAr.))
12) Julianne Moore (Dear Andrea)
13)Gretchen Mol (The Jersey Widows)
14) Rito Moreno (Havena Dreams)
15) Lindsay Lohan (The World's Longest Suicide)
16) Naomi Watts (A Child of Shame)
17) Kathy Bates (Rabbit Hole)
18) Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (The Killer Eagles)
19) Maggie Smith (Negatives)
19) Suzuka Ohgo (Owner of a Lonely Heart)
21) Tabu (Break Before Bend)
22) Cher (Seven Days to the Weekend)
23) Maggie Cheung (Imagine)
24) Mary Louise Parker (The Wishbones)
25) Tilda Swinton (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time)

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Next, your vote for the Best Actresses performances of all time:

1.) Jeanne Tripplehorn for Gone Since November (O, GG)
2.) Kelly MacDonald for The Madness of Lady Macbeth (O, NBR, SAG, F)
3.) Toni Collette for The Poisonwood Bible (O, NBR, GG, SAG)
4.) Susan Sarandon for Dear Mr. President (O, GG)
5.) Naomi Watts for Marilyn (GG)
6.) Emily Blunt for Warner Girls (GG)
7.) Anika Noni Rose for Dinah Was...
8.) Marion Cotillard for Once a Queen (O, NBR, GG)
9.) Cate Blanchett for The Killer Eagles (O, NBR, GG, SAG, F)
10.)Betty White for E.L. (GG)
11.) Reese Witherspoon for The Awakening (GG, SAG)
12.) Jennifer Connelly for Quiet Room (O, GG, F)
13.) Kate Winslet for Midnight Mass (GG, SAG)
14.) Maria Bello for Once a Hero
15.) Meryl Streep for No Way To Treat A First Lady (GG)
16.) Sandra Bullock for Dear Andrea (O)
17.) Mary Louise Parker for Cigarette Burns (GG)
18.) Catherine Keener for A Child of Shame (O, GG)
19.) Emma Thompson for Lucky Clover
20.) Naomie Harris for The Night Shift (O, NBR, GG, SAG)
21.) Stockard Channing for Mermania (O, GG)
22.) Kerry Washington for Six Days in â67
23.) Christina Ricci for Wildflower (O)
24.) Ellen DeGeneres for The Realmother (GG)
25.) Natalie Portman for Fresh Heir Vol. III (O)

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Finally, your vote for the Best Director choices of all time:

1. Quentin Tarantino for Bandito Express (O, GG)
2. David Lynch for Sweet Black and Blue (O)
3. Peter Weir for Jackrabbit (O, GG)
4. Roman Polanski for The Valley of Ashes (O, GG, F)
5. Tim Burton for Dali (O, GG)
6. Stephen Frears for Mario Puzo's The Family (NBR)
7. Clint Eastwood for The Killer Eagles (NBR, GG, F)
8. Joe Wright for Cinematheque
9. Mike Nichols for The Arabic Cafe (O, GG)
10. James L. Brooks for A New Agenda
11. Steven Soderberg for Sandstorm (O, GG)
12. M. Night Shyamalan for Dominion (GG)
13. Pedro Almodavar for Destiny
14. Darren Aronofsky for Flashes
15. Stephen Gaghan for River City Blue (O)
16. Ang Lee for The Winter Sun (GG)
17. Bernardo Bertolucci for Magic Latern (O, NBR, GG, F)
18. Paul Thomas Anderson for Live From New York
19. Steven Speilberg for The Wall (GG)
20. Noah Baumbach for Wackos
21. Robert Benton for Broken Pieces
21. Jane Campion for The Awakening
23. Sidney Lumet for The World's Longest Suicide
24. Hayao Miyazaki for Pride of Baghdad (GG)
25. Bernardo Bertolucci for Cherry Blossom

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Ok, that is part one for you. Tune in tomorrow night when we unveil the male actors and bring out more of the Top 100 baits of all time.

August Oscar Watch: A Big 8 Rundown

2008-08-26T16:57:00.000-07:00

The Bait an Oscar community waited axciously for ended up being hours for the Oscar nominatinos, and much to our surprise, there were a ton of HUGE surprises this month. So here at I! we thought we'd give our view on this month's nominations with a few predictions as well.

Best Adapted Screenplay
La Bella y La Bestia
Cry to Heaven
**The Film Club**
Sands of Mars
Sweetest Girl

This month, I think the actual Big 8 nomination count will influence how the Academy voted. In the cast here, The Film Club recieved the highest amount of Big 8 Oscar nominations (5) and I think it is the clear frontrunner here regardless of nominations. However, in this month full of surprises, I wouldn't be extremely shocked if La Bella y La Bestia took home this award. Traditionally, Adapted Screenplay has had a clear frontrunner, yet another bait comes along and wins.

Winner: The Film Club
Spoiler Alert: La Bella y La Bestia

Best Original Screenplay
American Hollow
Blackbirds
**Chateau Marmont**
Cloverleaf
The Drifter

A strong category this month with 2 close competitors duking it out for the win. My guess is the Cloverleaf and Drifter are long shots here, and that Blackbirds remains in the race because this is probably the Big 8 category it has the biggest chance in. American Hollow will probably lose to Chateau Marmont here, in a somewhat surprisings upset. By the way, where is Trick?

Winner: Chateau Marmont
Spoiler Alert: American Hollow

Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett, Cloverleaf
**Marie-Josee Croze, Chateau Marmont**
Anna Faris, No One Knew Her Name
Janeane Garofalo, The Film Club
Natalie Portman, Sands of Mars

First off, WHERE IS EMILY BLUNT? I'd argue one of the biggest snubs of the year considering that she won the Golden Globe and was nominated at the SAG's. However, without her I think Croze will take the gold for her double SAG award winning performance in the masterpiece Chateau Marmont. Don't count out Garofalo though, if The Film Club ends up on a losing streak at the Oscars, look for her to win the category. I also wouldn't completely count out Portman who shines in Sands of Mars, the vote could split between the two titans baits (Croze and Garofalo) and she could sneak in.

Winner: Marie-Josee Croze, Chateau Marmont
Spoiler Alert: Janeane Garofalo, The Film Club

Bset Supporting Actor
Warren Beatty, Cloverleaf
Robert Duvall, American Hollow
Peter Facinelli, Cry to Heaven
**Paul Schneider, American Hollow**
Anton Yelchin, The Film Club

A tough category this month, seeing as American Hollow could easily rule the category, or split their vote allowing Yelchin to sneak in and win. I'm going to bet however that Schneider wins the Oscar this month, and Yelchin comes in a not so distant second. Plus, WHERE THE DEVIL IS TIMOTHY HUTTON?! He slowly moved his way up to frontrunner status and then completely was skipped over for a nomination. Even funnier, a multitude of Oscar voters have said that 1. they put him on their ballot and 2. They had marked him down as the winner of the category. Bait an Oscar conspiracy...

Winner: Paul Scheider, American Hollow
Spoiler Alert: Anton Yelchin, The Film Club

Best Actress
Blythe Danner, No One Knew Her Name
Sarah Michelle Gellar, Chateau Marmont
**Mary Steenburgen, The Drifter**
Julia Stiles, Trick
Tang Wei, Losing Xiang

Danner may be considered the frontrunner here now that Regura was amazingly snubbed, but I'm putting my money on Steenburgen to take the Oscar this month in a truely great performance, and this will probably be the only place that The Drifter wins an Oscar this month.

Winner: Mary Steenburgen, The Drifter
Spoiler Alert: Blythe Danner, No One Knew Her Name

Best Actor
Hank Azaria, The Film Club
Javier Bardem, La Bella y La Bestia
Leonardo DiCaprio, Blackbirds
Tommy Lee Jones, The Drifter
**Nick Stahl, American Hollow**

My personal pick for Best Actor is somehow missing this list, which to me is unbelieveable considering Gaspard was brilliant in Chateau, but we're left with this list and I really believe that this will be as expected and Nick Stahl will pick up a much deserved Oscar for his performance in American Hollow. Azaria will probably remain a distant second for his role in The Film Club.

Winner: Nick Stahl, American Hollow
Spoiler Alert: Hank Azaria, The Film Club

Best Director
Peter Bogdonavich, The Drifter
Francis Ford Coppola, American Hollow
Cameron Crowe, The Film Club
**Guillermo Del Toro, La Bella y La Bestia**
Christopher Nolan, Blackbirds

In one of the bigger Best Director races in Bait an Oscar history, many are predicting a two horse race for the statue, the two horses being Coppola and Crowe. While in that race I'd probably give the edge to Crowe, something tells me that there vote will split and the artistic vision of Guillermo del Toro will lead him to the podium at the ceremony.

Winner: Guillermo del Toro, La Bella y La Bestia
Spoiler Alert: Cameron Crowe, The Film Club

Best Picture
American Hollow
La Bella y La Bestia
Chateau Marmont
The Drifter
**The Film Club**

This is undoubtably one of the hardest Best Picture races to predict within recent memory and will go down as one of the most historic wins in Bait an Oscar history. I almost immeadialy elimiate Bestia and Drifter from the list, because the three titans that will likely rule the Oscar this month, dominate the category. Each have multiple things going for it, American Hollow has the biggest number of nominations, Film Club has the reviews and the awards success (see the Festival and the Golden Globes, and Chateau has the reviews and some awards success. My pick to win ends up being The Film Club, which will be Brian's first BOTM win in a very very long time. However, I'm going to guess that Chateau will probably come in second and the possible spoiler is American Hollow.

Winner: The Film Club
Spoiler Alert: American Hollow

I!'s 2nd Annual Top 100 Baits of All Time (#90-81)

2008-08-22T20:01:00.001-07:00

Announcer: For over two years, Bait an Oscar has awed, enlightened and entertained audience and authors alike. The concept was simple: create your dream Oscar winning movie. What it became, however, is something for the history books. Ranging from the ensemble dramas to witty satires to whimsical fantasies, the stories written by these authors will surely be the audience and critical darlings they are meant to be. These are truly ‘the greatest films never made”. So without further ado, we bring you I’s Second Annual Top 100 Baits of All Time Tribute Ceremony!

(Montage segment)

Announcer: Once again, please welcome the one, the only, the nerdy: Zgamer.

(Zgamer walks through one of the doorways of the Hall of Baiting and faces the camera)

Zgamer: Geez, we really need a map here. Ok, tonight we have the continuation of our ceremony celebrating the Top 100 Baits ever written. We have received the votes, scoured the forums and compiled together the following section.

Before we start, I want to thank you for your continued patience and I especially want to thank my partner Bryce and this section’s comment volunteers (and BOTM winners) Alex S. and Harry. So here are your choices for the 90th to 81st best baits ever.

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#90

Alex S.- Even if Michael's musicals are seen now with a little resentment, “Into the Woods” is one of the best executed adaptations from stage, dealing with a complicated story difficult to translate to movie terms, “Into the Woods” was a humble and uplifting musical that never pretended to be something it wasn't and that was its greatness.

Announcer: Released back in December 2007, this acclaimed Stephen Sondheim musical shines a new light on the lives of such classic fairy tale characters like Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood. Finally getting a big screen adaptation, Michael took the Tony winning musical and added a top-notch cast and crew to the mix.

Harry- I had loads of fun reading “Into the Woods”. It is a musical, but also a nice tribute to fairy tales with references to the little red Riding Hood and Rapunzel among others. My favorite part of the bait is some of the casting, particularly Amy Adams as the princess with very long hair. Her voice and talents would shine in this role. Rob Marshall, while being a little safe, would truly work. In “Chicago”, he proved that he could be an actor’s director with the musical genre. I don’t see why he couldn’t continue showing this with this project. As a whole, “Into the Woods” is a fun bait with a nice plot structure.

Announcer: Though it took a while, “Into the Woods” became one of the month’s hits thanks to its cast and entertaining subject matter. After a good precursor run, the bait became a surprise Oscar darling by nabbing the #8 spot and a win for Adapted Screenplay. Most people still consider this Michael’s best musical adaptation so far.

Zgamer- Musicals are particularly hard to do in Bait an Oscar and Michael took a risk by doing one of the most unbaity musicals ever. Thankfully, it just so happens to be one of the best musicals ever and Michael did his very best to do justice to the material. I love his casting choices and after seeing the musical on stage, I’m sure I’d be very entertained seeing it in the theaters.

(#90-INTO THE WOODS, WRITTEN BY MICHAEL)

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#89

Zgamer: Batman? You’d think that would be a sign for failure. But oh boy, how wrong we were when we all read Tony’s “Scars of Tomorrow”. Not only is it one of the most entertaining baits ever written, but it has an inspired cast, crew and story that give the bait that distinct Tony feel to it. Thank goodness “Batman Begins” came out before this, because it just makes the bait that much better.

Announcer: Released in July 2007, “Batman: Scars of Tomorrow” brings another reinvention to the Batman mythos. However, Tony skips the origin story to go straight to the action, following Batman attempt to combat villains Two-Face and the Black Mask. Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and with such stars as Billy Crudup, Ralph Fiennes and Benicio Del Toro, this had all the potential for a blockbuster hit.

Alex S.- Through his career Tony is known for always pushing the envelope in terms of storytelling and his first attempt with a familiar story was no different. With brilliant casting and kick**s villains, this Batman actually prepared us for this summer, without fears Tony gave us a gripping story.

Announcer- Hot off of good Festival buzz, Batman found great support from the readers. Many pointed out the all-star cast, compelling storyline and distinct style as sources of its success. However, the most praised aspects were the casting of the villains, with Fiennes as the tormented Two-Face and Del Toro as the insidious Black Mask. While it was never considered an Oscar vehicle (and still really isn’t), it found the right support to place #7 in the month and easily nab a Box-Office Success award.

Harry- This bait has two of my favorite supporting performances ever. It’s curious since both Ralph Fiennes and Benicio Del Toro play villains. “Batman: Scars of Tomorrow” is Tony’s masterpiece that chronicles Batman’s adventures and how Black Mask and Two-Face, the two previously mentioned villains, came to be. The bait’s character development is extraordinary and psychological. Jean-Pierre Jeunet is a fascinating director choice considering his film “The City of Lost Children” and Billy Crudup is also great casting. Tony proved that a superhero film could be taken seriously at the contest.

(#89- BATMAN: SCARS OF TOMORROW, WRITTEN BY TONY)

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#88

Harry- Cinema is seen as art by some and as an industry by others. “Buzzed”, Zgamer and Chris P.’s fresh parody, is bashing the industry. This bait’s accomplishment is to achieve its goal by being symbolic rather than manipulative. Patrick Layton, the bait’s principal character, isn’t making a film for himself. All he wants is that his film wins an Oscar. To achieve this goal, the studio’s head decides to hire a film critic to write fake reviews in the Internet and assure the film’s Oscar buzz. While the bait’s story is lots of fun, if you look closer, the bait is defending cinema as an art and attacking cinema as an industry. Jason Reitman is a solid directing choice and the bait’s ensemble is simply perfect. All of this reminds us why “Buzzed” is the only team bait to ever win BOTM.

Announcer: Released in November 2007, “Buzzed” was the combined brainchild of Chris P. and Zgamer. The story centered on a satirization of the Oscar season, where a director and studio construct an elaborate plot to push their movie to an Oscar win. Directed by rising comedy director Jason Reitman and led star Jason Bateman, Andy Griffith and J.K. Simmons, “Buzzed” was poised to sink its fangs into corporate Hollywood.

Zgamer- To this day, I still attribute the success of this bait to Chris. He came up with the idea, he got most of the cast and he was the one who helped promote its success. I feel like I was just along for the ride. The BOTM win was pretty much his. But I’m glad that it all worked out in the end and I’m especially glad I was able to help Chris along his way to becoming the author he is today.

Announcer: Though it got off to a shaky start, “Buzzed” slowly worked its way into the hearts of its readers. Many found the bait to be quite funny thanks to its sharp writing and SAG winning cast, with stars Griffith, Simmons and Cloris Leechman earning the most praise. Come Oscar time, Buzzed surprised everyone by leaping into the BOTM spot while also winning awards for its Online Campaign and Original Screenplay. To this day, “Buzzed” remains the only team bait to win the big prize and one of the best satires in the competition.

Alex S.- Movies spoofing Hollywood are common, movies that do it right are rare. With a fantastic cast and a hilarious and quirky storyline, “Buzzed” is one of the best comedies released in the contest. Aiming for natural laughs instead of artificial humor, this is a great accomplishment.

(#88-BUZZED, WRITTEN BY CHRIS P. AND ZGAMER)

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#87

Zgamer- I remember reading “Steamboat Disney” for the first time back in August and thinking to myself “Why hasn’t this been made already?” Well, Daniel showed how it should be done. With an expert crew, great writing and a stellar casting of David Strathairn, this remains one of my favorite biopics of the competition.

Announcer: Released in August 2006, “Steamboat Disney” took a look into the life of animation pioneer Walt Disney. From his service in the war to his early success in animation to the opening of Disneyland, the legend’s life is fully realized thanks to the dedicated direction of a certain George Clooney.

Harry- Daniel’s storytelling is simple, yet emotionally profound. “Steamboat Disney” is one of the most heartfelt biopics I have ever read in the contest. During the inauguration of the Walt Disney Resort, Disney begins to remember moments of his life. This is one of the most intimate biopics, as it tells the story from its main character’s viewpoint, making it have more depth. Now, I don’t think I need to talk about the perfection of David Strathairn’s casting as Walt. Daniel then picks George Clooney to direct him like in “Good Night, and Good Luck.” Daniel can achieve such greatness with such ease, portraying depth from the simplest things.

Announcer: “Steamboat Disney” met with great praise in a month full of great baits. Serving as a companion piece to his other biopic “I, Bergman”, the bait thrived thanks to the help of Clooney and lead star Strathairn in what is considered one of the best performances of the competition. Then it came with one of the most shocking omissions ever as Strathairn missed the shortlist. Fortunately, the bait still succeeded enough to place #6 in the month and helping Daniel get his first Author win. One of the first biopics to stand out in Bait an Oscar, it remains one of the best too.

Alex S.- One of the best biopics in past years, the amazing story of Walt Disney was perfectly told by its helmer George Clooney and in a second collaboration Disney is flawlessly portrayed by David Strathairn. Dan Futterman's words are able to capture our attention and hearts in the telling of a story that changed the world forever.

(#87- STEAMBOAT DISNEY, WRITTEN BY DANIEL CROOKE)

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#86

Zgamer- Josh P.’s career has been one of ups and downs. While I can’t say I consider this his greatest ever, “Paradise Lost” is definitely one of the most ambitious baits ever attempted. With an epic scope and a competent director choice, this could prove to be an interesting film if made. Sure, some may say its not perfect, but I give him props for being the only one to actually give it a shot. Plus, how often do you see a bait tackle religion in such a unique way?

Announcer- Released in April 2008, “John Milton’s Paradise Lost” details a complex story depicting the literal confrontation between God and Satan for the control of man’s destiny. Helmed by director Ang Lee and with such stars as Eric Bana and Jeremy Irons, “Paradise Lost” hoped to end Josh’s prolific career with a bang.

Harry- It is a shame Josh P. left. His casting, crew choices and storytelling were all impeccable. “Paradise Lost” is no difference; it is a religious epic that, if made as a film, would certainly be a grand spectacle with amazing visuals and solid acting. Ang Lee is the perfect directing choice and the crew is extremely impressive. “John Milton’s Paradise Lost” was the final great bait of a great author.

Announcer- “Paradise Lost” opened to a mixed reception. While many tried to point out flaws in the writing and the overblown cast, there were many who praised the bait for its epic story, Lee’s directing and Irons tour de force performance as the Almighty. Come Oscar time, “Paradise Lost” found good success, tying for #7 of the month and earning a prize for its Box-Office Potential. Though Josh is no longer active, we at least have baits like this to remember how great an author he really was.

(#86-PARADISE LOST, WRITTEN BY JOSH P.)

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#85

Harry- There have been amazing stories in Bait an Oscar. Brian’s “Ashes of Elmwood” can be included among those stories. It is the story of Suzanne Elmwood, a woman who gets kidnapped while being with her boyfriend Sean, and how her mysterious return affects the lives of the people around her. I saw images in my head as I read the synopsis, dark images that portrayed humans and their psychological shocks. The cast is a dream with Björk being one of the most original casting choices Bait an Oscar has ever had. Sidney Lumet is the perfect director. This bait will surprise with its many unexpected twists, and an unrevealed ending.

Announcer- Released in May 2008, Brian’s deep drama on psychological scars centers on a cop’s investigation of a child abduction and how it ties many in his life to the scene. Directed by the legendary Sidney Lumet and led by Don Cheadle, Ellen Burstyn and singer Bjork, this was a story with a point to make.

Alex S.- With it's complex story and excellently defined characters, this story holds your attention from beginning to end and distinguishes itself as one of the best baits of that month with an amazing performance by Bjork.

Announcer- While May was not geneally considered a competitive month, Ashes found a way to stand over the crowd. While it received praise for many things, it is universally acknowledged that Bjork’s Oscar winning performance that garnered its #3 of the month and Original Bait win and sealed its fate as a classic. Easily another great bait Brian can add to his illustrious profile.

Zgamer- Funny that it has been two months since this bait’s release because I still vividly remember Bjork’s performance. She was pretty much the reason why I loved this bait so much, as it was one of the most inspired casting choices I’ve seen. Add to that the fact the bait was really well written and you have pure Brian.

(#85- ASHES OF ELMWOOD, WRITTEN BY BRIAN ERICKSON)

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#84

Alex S.- This remake of “Day of the Jackal” succeeds in taking us back to the amazing 70's when this kind of movies were more than just action movies but also gives us a feel of the renovated genre by movies like “Casino Royale” or “The Bourne Ultimatum”. A very concise storytelling and a brilliantly assembled cast & crew make this filck something more.

Announcer- Released in December 2007, “Day of the Jackal” reinvents the Frederick Forsyth novel and previous film to tell a thrilling story of an attempt to foil a presidential assassination. Directed by Martin Campbell and led by new James Bond Daniel Craig, this thriller hoped to bring old school action back to the Oscar stage.

Zgamer- Ok, I don’t agree with some of the details of this bait, but you have to admit that this was a pretty thrilling story. I mean really, after “Casino Royale”, I’m positive that Campbell and Craig would do a great job keeping the audience at the edge of your seats.

Announcer- “Day of the Jackal” opened to stellar reviews from the get go, with many praising the compelling story and Campbell’s directing the most. After a good precursor run, “Day of the Jackal” proved to be an Oscar darling when it earned the #2 of the month, along with wins for Box-Office Potential and director Campbell. In a world where remakes usually are not good, Adam proved they can work.

(#84- DAY OF THE JACKAL, WRITTEN BY ADAM)

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#83

Zgamer- Whether you love or hate Pat as an author, you have to admit he does write some great baits. I personally feel “Border Man” is one of Pat’s purest hits because it succeeds with what it doesn’t tell us. It sets the stage, gives us the characters and gives us the motives. All it asks of us is to figure it all out. Luckily, he employed a great cast to carry the weight of the bait.

Announcer- Released in July 2007, “Border Man” delves into a story of interracial relationships as a border patrol cop gets involved with the girlfriend of a notorious drug lord. Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu and led by Tom Berenger and Maribel Verdu, “Border Man” brought a needed amount of romantic tension to the Oscar race.

Alex S.- “Border Man” was interesting approach to a familiar theme. Though some aspects of the overall story were less than stellar, the bait achieved to tell a human story with two fantastic characters, Maribel Verdu won her Oscar deservedly and Tom Berenger had a memorable comeback.

Announcer- “Border Man” opened to great praise from the public thanks to its simple but effective storytelling and a great cast of lesser known and former stars. After a great precursor run, “Border Man” became an Oscar hit by ranking #3 of the month and picking up a prize for Verdu’s supporting turn as the drug lord’s girlfriend. Pat’s reputation may be slightly tarnished in the eyes of many authors, but his work still speaks for itself.

(#83- BORDER MAN, WRITTEN BY PAT)

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#82

Alex S.- A story filled with so much symbolism, “Tabula Rasa” is one of the best epics and one of the most original baits I’ve ever read. Taking the theme of the anti-Christ has never been this exciting and more interesting. A visually arresting and breathtaking picture that never ceases to amaze you with every frame.

Announcer- Released back in October 2007, “Tabula Rasa” is Tony’s unique tale detailing a priest’s decent into madness and his new crusade to be the anti-Christ on Earth. With inspired directing and cast choices, “Tabula Rasa” was bound to cock some eyebrows.

Harry- I will first begin with the poster. It left me speechless. It is such an artistic achievement, with such a breathtaking style. Now, I move into the story. “His awakening chose his path. His war will choose his legacy”. This is a dark, gritty story about a priest who, after beginning to feel hate through a surreal hallucinatory sequence, begins to make bad actions including war. Randall Wallace is the screenwriter and Zack Snyder is the director. Both of these chose work incredibly well as a team. Jude Law is perfect casting. The writing is poetry, entering into the reader’s mind, penetrating disturbing yet beautiful images. This is one of the grand achievements of Bait an Oscar and another masterpiece in Tony’s incredible career.

Announcer- Upon release, “Tabula Rasa” was embraced by the public for being an epic and daring bait. Readers loved its superb story, excellent poster and Jude Law’s lead performance. A critical and precursor darling, “Tabula Rasa” went on to pick up the #7 on the month spot and win prizes for Best Poster and Original Screenplay. To this day, this remains among some of Tony’s most acclaimed work, which is saying a lot considering his profile.

Zgamer- Pretty much, I was sold when I saw that poster. In that simple yet detailed square, you saw everything that this bait had to offer. Style, professionalism, mood, maybe even some controversial stuff. It’s exactly the stuff Tony built his acclaim with and it all served the bait well.

(#82- TABULA RASA, WRITTEN BY TONY)

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#81

Harry- Recently, there has been an author with a passionate talent writing baits that go into the reader’s emotions. His breakthrough bait “Revenant Dreams” is easily among the finest baits this contest has ever had. “Owner of a Lonely Heart” is another profound summation to Jeffrey’s fascinating career. It is tells the true story of a Japanese teenage girl who gets kidnapped by Korean spies and then becomes one of them herself. The synopsis takes its time developing itself. It never lets you go until the bait’s strong climatic finale. The press section is a wonder as it perfectly depicts how these real events would be handled on screen. “Owner of a Lonely Heart” is emotional.

Announcer- Released in April 2008, “Owner of a Lonely Heart” was Jeffrey’s successful follow-up to his breakthrough hit Revenant Dreams. This true story, told as a foreign film, follows the life of a young Japanese girl kidnapped by North Koreans and her struggles growing up in that environment. Headed by an all Japanese cast and crew, it’s easy to believe that many may have been warded off by such a foreign bait.

Alex S- A marvelous story, constructed with perfection and brilliantly acted, this is one of the best foreign movies in the past years. With a story that translates in essence to every part of the world, “Owner of a Lonely Heart” excels in creating a true human story we all loved to witness.

Announcer- “Owner of a Lonely Heart” opened to great reviews from the community. Though some criticized certain flaws within the story, most everyone enjoyed the baits emotional storytelling and the fact it was a truly compelling foreign film. As Oscar time approached, its following was convinced it would become the big winner of the month. While that claim did not hold true, the bait did place #6 of the month, along with earning deserved prizes for Best Original Character and Awards Campaign. This was, and still is, one of the best examples of foreign filmmaking the contest has to offer.

Zgamer- I admit, I never heard of a single person in this bait. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised upon reading it, because it was actually really good. I didn’t like the ending so much, but it was still an emotional rollercoaster and really made me connect with Japanese filmmaking. Plus, how often do you see an excellent foreign bait in the competition?

(#81- OWNER OF A LONELY HEART, WRITTEN BY JEFFREY)

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Zgamer: Thus we conclude this section of the ceremony. We are still hard at work keeping the ceremony on its feet and promise to keep bringing you the baits that made it over the next weeks. I also wish to thank my volunteers again for all their help. So until next time, we wish you a good night and the best of luck to this and future baiting.

Recap of tonight’s winners:

::#90. INTO THE WOODS, WRITTEN BY MICHAEL::

::#89 BATMAN: SCARS OF TOMORROW, WRITTEN BY TONY::

::#88 BUZZED, WRITTEN BY CHRIS P. AND ZGAMER::

::#87 STEAMBOAT DISNEY, WRITTEN BY DANIEL CROOKE::

::#86 JOHN MILTON’S PARADISE LOST, WRITTEN BY JOSH P.::

::#85 ASHES OF ELMWOOD, WRITTEN BY BRIAN ERICKSON::

::#84 DAY OF THE JACKAL, WRITTEN BY ADAM::

::#83 BORDER MAN, WRITTEN BY PAT::

::#82 TABULA RASA, WRITTEN BY TONY::

::#81 OWNER OF A LONELY HEART, WRITTEN BY JEFFREY::

I!'s 2nd Annual Top 100 Baits of All Time (#100-91)

2008-08-15T19:56:00.000-07:00

Announcer: For over two years, Bait an Oscar has awed, enlightened and entertained audience and authors alike. The concept was simple: create your dream Oscar winning movie. What it became, however, is something for the history books. Ranging from the ensemble dramas to witty satires to whimsical fantasies, the stories written by these authors will surely be the audience and critical darlings they are meant to be. These are truly ‘the greatest films never made”. So without further ado, we bring you I’s Second Annual Top 100 Baits of All Time Tribute Ceremony!

(A montage segment highlights clips from dozens of classic baits)

Announcer: To start us off tonight, we bring you the man in charge. Author of such classics as Jackrabbit and last year’s #1 bait Wackos, it’s Zgamer.

(Zgamer walks through one of the doorways of the Hall of Baiting and faces the camera)

Zgamer: Hello again fellow readers and authors. You know, it’s been a while since we walked down these halls. The memories we shared, the baits we read and the cheers we gave made last year’s event a time to remember.

(The camera zooms out slowly, to reveal a hall filled with blank spots)

Zgamer: But now another year has passed and a new wing has been built. All we need now is to fill it up with more baits. For over three weeks, the Bait an Oscar community sent in ballots with their picks for the greatest baits, actor and directors to ever grace the contest. For now, we’ll start with the traditional Top 100 Baits.

(Points to another hall)

Zgamer: But the actors and directors will have their time come shortly. Now let’s take a seat and welcome the first ten inductees to the new Hall of Baiting Top 100 Baits. Remember, these were voted by the community, so every ranking is final.

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#100

Chris P: July 2007 still remains the best month ever for the contest and when I think about the great batch of baits that month, “Under Fire” definitely is one that comes to mind. It's still probably the best war bait since "Sandstorm" and Ryne did a terrific job gathering together a great all-star cast with standouts like Michelle Williams and Ludacris.

Announcer: Released July 2007, Ryne's sensational war drama, centered around the lives of soldiers in Afghanistan, witnesses the horrors and trauma each person faces fighting the War on Terror and how it affects them and those they love.

Ryne (the bait’s author): I love “Under Fire” because of its simple story about a "Forgotten War" as I make no secret in the bait about how I view it that way. The casting is my personal favorite part of it. I love Colin Hanks in that role along with Chris Bridges, who I feel is an underrated actor. I am honored to have it be in the Top 100.

Announcer: “Under Fire” received a great amount of praise when it released, making most of the Top 10 lists. In addition to placing #5 of the month, it won a well deserved best crew Oscar, along with a good amount of nominations at the SAG awards, and is also hailed as one of the contest's best war dramas.

Bryce: A lot of war movies in real life tend to try and focus on an anti-war/war is useless theme in their movies, and some of the past war baits in the contest have tried implementing this into their bait, but it comes off distracting and a bit preachy. “Under Fire” does not suffer from this, as it actually delivers this theme, and it's own, in a very effective manner that made the bait very memorable.

(#100- UNDER FIRE, WRITTEN BY RYNE)

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#99

Chris P: December 2007 wasn't really a terrific month for baits but “Reminiscence” was one that stood out that month. I think mainly because the story is baity, Mel Gibson's direction was superb, and the leading performance by Paddy Considine was great.

Announcer: Released in December 2007, Tony surprised everyone with this haunting first person account of a man who is captured by the British and condemned to a Indonesian prison. We then experience the man’s attempt to survive while experiencing horrors like he hasn’t seen before.

Ryne: “Reminiscence” reads just like actually memoir entries of the main character which in Bait an Oscar's case doesn't offer enough to make a film, but Tony does a fantastic job with the press section at offering glimpses into what happens outside the cell walls. The press section paints the real picture of what “Reminiscence” would look like on screen and that is something rarely found in this contest.

Announcer: “Reminiscence” met with great praise from the forum, with people pointing out director Gibson’s handling and the stellar cast in particular. Oscar time was particularly kind to the film, awarding it #3 Bait of the Month and awards for Original Screenplay and Original Bait. Add the film’s great precursor run to the mix and you have one of Tony’s most harrowing and acclaimed baits ever.

Bryce: First person point of view is used a lot these days, and this bait is a great example of how it should be used. By putting us in the shoes of the main character, Tony was able to make the audience relate to the character's problem, motive, and emotions; while delivering a very intriguing and engrossing story.

(#98- REMINISCENCE, WRITTEN BY TONY)

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#98

Chris P: I remember I first learned about the contest in March of 2007 and “Wicked” was one of the most buzzed about baits of that month. Choosing Menzel and Chenoweth as the two lead witches would definitely be approved by major fans of the musical and the rest of the cast were pretty interesting choices as well. Cuaron, though not the conventional director choice, seemed to fit with the epic and adventurous landscape of Oz.

Announcer: Based on the popular theater musical of the same name, “Wicked” (March 07), written by Al, was based in the world we all saw in “The Wizard of Oz”, but showed everyone there much more going on in Oz than we could of guessed. While “Wicked” had been done before in 2006, Al decided to adapt the stage version rather than go through the original book to give a new experience to the bait.

Ryne: I haven't seen the play so Al did a terrific job at painting the picture at what happened before Dorothy dropped in. Alfonso Cuaron is the perfect choice of director for this film

Announcer: Released in March 2007, the bait was met with huge praise from fans and newcomers alike, coming in at # 2 of the month. The bait won four Oscars for its Awards Campaign, Box Office Potential, Adapted Screenplay and Chenoweth’s electric performance. This remains to this day one of the most acclaimed musicals in Bait an Oscar history.

Bryce: Everything that was great about the source material, and the musical was in this bait. Al was successfully able to capture the brilliance of “Wicked”, and make us escape into a world we knew, yet knew nothing about.

(#98- WICKED (March 07), WRITTEN BY AL)

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#97

Chris P: “The Great Fitzgerald” is the definition of baity. By 2006's standards, most casts were filled with big named stars so that's pretty understandable and the story, ensemble, and crew are some things that would guarantee real Academy Awards.

Announcer: Released in July 2006, “The Great Fitzgerald” brought a scrutinizing eye to the life of “The Great Gatsby” writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. The man’s personal problems, rocky love life and various roadblocks were all brought to life through the talents of the late Anthony Minghella and his all star cast.

Ryne: “The Great Fitzgerald” is the original ensemble piece in Bait an Oscar. In terms of the contest now, the cast might seem "bloated" but I love every aspect of it. Tom delves into F. Scott Fitzgerald's life and shows the difficulty in the way he lived. The Press Section is one for the ages, expanding on the synopsis while successfully baiting his actors. In my mind, the title is what really stands out. It is the perfect title if this movie would ever be made. Tom truly deserved to win Bait of the Month for this and I can only imagine what he would do in today's contest.

Announcer: “The Great Fitzgerald” managed to stand out amongst a crowded month, receiving its share of love and support from many of today’s biggest authors. The bait came somewhat as a surprise at Oscar time, winning Bait of the Month and Awards Campaign amongst heavy competition. Though the ensemble drama has lost some of its power nowadays, this remains one of the best.

Bryce: In a time when almost all of today's expert authors were total noobs and wrote baits that had many writing problems, “The Great Fitzgerald” stood out like a sore thumb. The writing can be compared to the writings of today, and became an instant classic

(#97- THE GREAT FITZGERALD, WRITTEN BY TOM HOUSEMAN)

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#96

Ryne: The thing that makes “Little Miss Murder” so good is its ability to make its audience feel a specific way. We feel sad when we are supposed to and we feel confused when we are supposed to. Its like we are characters in the baits itself.

Announcer: Released in September 2006, “Little Miss Murder” followed the lives of the infamous Ramsey family and the trial against John Mark Kerr for the death of one of their own. Many still find this bait a powerful read, thanks to support from “Capote’s” Bennett Miller and his stellar cast.

Chris P. A story like this would really be hard to tell but I think performances from someone like Susan Sarandon and direction by Bennett Miller would elevate something like this to Academy Award level work.

Announcer: Matt's bait soon became a huge forum favorite, winning a best ensemble at the SAG awards and garnering continued love for stars Cillian Murphy and Elle Fanning. However, many were stunned that both were omitted from the Oscar shortlists. Nevertheless, the bait found success with a win for Murphy’s Casting Choice and a spot at #8 of the month.

Bryce: Bait an Oscar has a lot of baits that tackle very controversial topics, and most, depending on how controversial, are met with negative reviews. This, however, did not apply with “Little Miss Murder”, which was handled its topic in a very appropriate manner to make it a great bait.

(#96- LITTLE MISS MURDER, WRITTEN BY MATT)

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#95

Ryne: The cool thing about “iLife” is the message it sends warning about how technology is slowly taking over daily life. It is one of the few baits in the contest to actually send a message to its readers while still being entertaining enough to not roll your eyes. The characters created are superb and it would make a great movie if actually made.

Announcer: Released in October 2006, Brian Erickson’s futuristic ensemble comedy pokes fun at the tale of various individuals and how technology has influenced their lives. Whether it’s the family whose mother tries to encourage time without it or quirky characters who thrive on its potential, the scenarios here are priceless.

Chris P: This was released during the time ensemble casts were the rage but I think that's really not an issue. The story and crew is really what stands out. Just a really fun idea.

Anouncer: “iLife” was met with great success from the get-go, earning unanimous praise for its originality and director choice. After a great precursor run, the bait became an Oscar favorite. Though narrowly beaten out for BOTM, it still ranked #2 of the month and earned awards for Most Original Bait and Original Screenplay. Among the baits from Brian’s first winning streak, this stands as the pinnacle.

Bryce: An ensemble with a great cast and crew, that was oozing with originality and was greatly written. It's one of the contest’s best ensembles that is hard to forget.

(#94- ILIFE, WRITTEN BY BRIAN ERICKSON)

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#94

Bryce For a long while, “Freak Show” was my absolute favorite bait of all time. I just love the uniqueness and originality of the bait. The story was so awkward but brilliantly delivered, and Tony was able to just hammer in how this bait would appear as a movie in your mind with his great writing and great press section. The characters were not only interesting, but just characters you really couldn't find anywhere else on the big screen. The crew was pitch perfect, and the cast was equal amount perfect. Reading this bait back in 2006, you knew Tony was going to be a force to reckon with in the future.

Announcer: Released in November 2006, Tony's classic followed a group of quirky and unusual characters in an effort to find the PERFECT clown. Helmed by mockumentary giant Christopher Guest, he extracts a bevy of laughs from powerful and unique ensemble.

Chris P: A very funny and hilarious ensemble comedy that was creative, fun, and really well written. I loved the fact that Tony used Christopher Guest and didn't use his usual stars (Catherine O' Hara, Eugene Levy, etc.) and used actors who really fit their parts.

Announcer: The bait became a huge hit thanks to its SAG winning ensemble, with such names as Hugh Laurie and Wayne Brady garnering the most acclaim, and is known as innovative author Tony's breakthrough bait. It went on to become the #4 bait of November 2006 and won an Oscar for its quirky Original Screenplay.

Ryne: “Freakshow” is a true Christopher Guest comedy, which is hard to pull off in this contest. Tony has the ability to show us the characters and let ourselves play out the moments in our head, which is difficult to do.

(#94- FREAK SHOW, WRITTEN BY TONY)

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#93

Chris P: “Cigarette Burns” has the same spirit of something like "Bootleg" or "Buzzed". It's a funny bait set in the movie business and its very well cast. Mary Louise Parker delivered one hell of a performance and it's a shame she wasn't nominated at the Oscars. It was just the beginning of the greatest comedy trilogy ever and Ben really set the standards of how Hollywood satires and comedies should be written.

Announcer: The first installment in Ben's famous "Hollywood Sucks" Trilogy, “Cigarette Burns” followed a mis-understood actress trying to get out of the film business by screwing up the films she has to be involved with. Directed by Paul Weitz and featuring a star performance by Mary-Louise Parker, this bait was chucked full of laughs throughout.

Bryce: A Bait with a great concept, and paved the way for one of my favorite trilogies of all time. The bait had an inspiring crew, and likeable cast. It’s really one of the contest’s comedy gems.

Announcer: Released in December 2006, this bait kick-started what became one of the best trilogies of the contest, and ended up becoming a forum hit. After a successful precursor run that nabbed Parker a Golden Globe, the film placed #7 of the month and won Oscars for Original Character and Tagline.

Ryne: Cigarette Burns was the perfect way for Ben Miller to begin his Hollywood Sucks trilogy. Its a quirky comedy with some of the best characters of 2006. Mary-Louise Parker is near perfect casting and truly one of the best performances of the contest. Personally, my favorite part is Ian McShane's role as the director. I love Deadwood and think he would be great in that comedic turn.

(#93-CIGARETTE BURNS, WRITTEN BY BEN MILLER)

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#92

Chris P: I really liked “The Last Page”. The cast is great and the story is very spooky and imaginative, Glenn Close was sensational in her part, and I can see why she won the Oscar that month.

Announcer: When an author's book changes to become the point of view of her dead daughter's, the author embarks on a supernatural journey to find answers about her daughter's life.

Ryne: “The Last Page” is definitely my guilty pleasure bait. Its weird and quirky and great in my eyes. Its one of the only baits that actually left me in a state of suspense for the entire bait. I only wish Maia would tell me the ending cause I'm dying to know

Announcer: Released in June 2007, Maia's bait was one of the month’s sleeper hits, with good praise and word of mouth helping it become #14 of the month. However, it was Close’s Oscar winning performance that gave it the push it needed to be a lasting favorite.

Bryce: Maia took a risk with this bait and it paid off. She was able to give us one of the most successful supernatural dramas of the contest, with a bait that had a great crew, and a compelling story.

(#92- THE LAST PAGE, WRITTEN BY MAIA)

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#91

Ryne: “Rush” truly shows us what a great author Ross could have been had he stayed in the contest. With a great original story line, and an outstanding performance by Heath Ledger, I feel it far surpassed any bait that month. The casting is great and the choice of Michael Mann is one of my favorite directing choices of the contest.

Announcer: Released in May 2007, “Rush” follows a photojournalist who travels to India only to be caught up in a natural disaster, where the nuclear reactor leaks causing a city to go through some tragic times. However, when he goes missing, his editor hires a mercenary to venture in and recover him.

Bryce: One of the best Michael Mann baits ever written, Ross is able to keep the audience guessing to what is in store for the main character, and provide for us a story that is very intriguing and entertaining.

Announcer: Upon release, “Rush” became one of the most talked about bait's of the month. Thrilling audiences with its intelligent plot, fast pace and terrific cast led by Russell Crowe and the late Heath Ledger, the bait easily earned #3 of the month while also winning Oscars for its cast and Michael Mann.

Chris P: Man, when I think about this bait it just makes me know how great Heath Ledger would have been in a role like this. His performance is really what stood out for me and the story was very baity and intriguing as well.

(#91- RUSH, WRITTEN BY ROSS)

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Zgamer: And thus that concludes tonight’s ceremony. Don’t worry, our staff at I! is working double-time to make sure the next installment is up and running ASAP. We will make sure to inform you all about it when the time comes. So until next time, we leave you with a recap of the night’s inductees:

::100. Under Fire, written by Ryne::

::99. Reminiscence, written by Tony::

::98. Wicked (March 07), written by Al::

::97. The Great Fitzgerald, written by Tom Houseman::

::96. Little Miss Murder, written by Matt::

::95. iLife, written by Brian Erickson::

::94. Freakshow, written by Tony::

::93. Cigarette Burns, written by Ben Miller::

::92. The Last Page, written by Maia::

::91. Rush, written by Ross::

August Igloo Award Winner!

2008-08-14T18:46:00.000-07:00

Best Picture
The Film Club

Best Director
Guillermo del Toro, La Bella Y La Bestia

Best Actor
Gaspard Ulliel, Chateau Marmont

Best Actress
Mary Steenburgen, The Drifter

Best Supporting Actor
Paul Schneider, American Hollow

Best Supporting Actress
Emily Blunt, Cry to Heaven

Best Original Screenplay
American Hollow

Best Adapted Screenplay
The Film Club

The Andrews Author Award
Brian

Best Ensemble
Chateau Marmont

Best Performance of the Month

*TIE*
Emily Blunt, Cry to Heaven
Gaspard Ulliel, Chateau Marmont

The Sunshine Bait (Bait With The Best Feel)
The Film Club

The August I! Award Nominations

2008-08-12T11:04:00.000-07:00

Best Picture
American Hollow

Chateau Marmont

Cry to Heaven

The Film Club

Trick

Best Director

Cameron Crowe, The Film Club

Francis Ford Coppola, American Hollow

Milos Forman, Cry to Heaven

Christopher Nolan, Blackbirds

Guillermo del Toro, La Bella Y La Bestia

Best Actor

Hank Azaria, The Film Club
William Dafoe, Sands of Mars

Nick Stahl, American Hollow

Luke Treadway, Cry to Heaven

Gaspard Ulliel, Chateau Marmont

Best Actress

Blythe Danner, No One Knows Her Name

Sarah Michelle Gellar, Chateau Marmont

Tang Wei, Losing Xaing

Mary Steenburgen, The Drifter

Julia Stiles, Trick

Best Supporting Actor

Robert Duvall, American Hollow

Peter Facinelli, Cry to Heaven

Andrew Garfield, Chateau Marmont

Emile Hirsch, Blackbirds

Paul Schneider, American Hollow

Anton Yelchin, The Film Club

Best Supporting Actress

Cate Blanchett, Cloverleaf

Emily Blunt, Cry to Heaven

Marie-Josee Croze, Chateau Marmont

Janeane Garofalo, The Film Club

Natalie Portman, Sands of Mars

Best Original Screenplay

American Hollow

Blackbirds

Chateau Marmont

The Drifter

Trick

Best Adapted Screenplay

La Bella Y La Bestia

Cry to Heaven

The Film Club

Sands of Mars

Sweetest Girl

The Andrews Author Award

Alex S. and Chris M.

Brian

Douglas Reese

James Somerton

Tony

Best Ensemble

American Hollow

Chateau Marmont

Cry to Heaven

The Film Club

Trick

Best Performance of the Month

Emily Blunt, Cry to Heaven

Robert Duvall/Nick Stahl, American Hollow

Peter Fonda.Paul Schinder, American Hollow

Gaspard Ulliel, Chateau Marmont
Anton Yelchin, The Film Club

The Sunshine Bait
American Hollow

La Bella Y La Bestia

Chateau Marmont

The Film Club

Sands of Mars

August Bait Reviews

2008-08-12T09:58:00.000-07:00

American Hollow- While, not quite the masterpiece I was expecting...the ensemble does live up the hype. A fantatstic way to start of the month, but most of the writing seems stale. I do love it, but the writing leaves a bad taste in my mouth and I don't like revealing the ending in this case. B+

La Bella Y La Bestia- Previously Reviewed

Blackbirds- The use of time bothers me, it seems unrealistic, and there are many grammer errors, including i instead of I, which gets on the nerves because it is written in first person. I like the director choice, but DiCaprio seems off to me, though the Hirsch casting makes up for it. Could have been better. C+

Chateau Marmont- Great Garbo? TYPO, sorry had to point it out. Ambitious, yes and a bloated cast, but overall I really enjoyed it. Ulliel, is my favorite Actor performance so far and the press section is wonderful. Parts are confusing, but the main idea wins me over. Great job! A-

Cloverleaf- Ehh, not my favorite, but there are supporting acting performances that I can see myself enjoying. The writing is interesting, but nothing really grabs my attention and makes me want more of the bait. Not your best D.W. B-

Cry to Heaven- I really loved this bait, because I think in all of its unbaityness, it is ultimately baity. Emily Blunt is amazing in her role, and the ensemble seems strong. Forman/Hare are fantastic choices, and it keeps me interested. Great job! B+

The Drifter- A lot better of a bait than I was expecting. Steenburgen is an inspired casting choice in a role that is great for her. The setting kind of throws me, but its alright because by the end I'm rooting for the characters and invested in the story, something I rarely find in baits. Great job! B+

The Film Club- The best bait of the month, a fact I am quite sure of. While, I don't agree with the Azaria casting, the story is to great to ignore, and the characters are ones to love. A real gem, that I could almost argue is the best bait of the year. A triumph in Bait an Oscar, and a brilliant piece of work. A

High Times- While this could potentially be an entertaining movie, Bait an Oscar isn't the right place for it. The cast is extremely bloated, and seems a bit unrealisitc, and the press section not quite up to par. Not the best of the month, I was expecting more... C-

Neverland- My bait.

No One Knew Her Name- I don't understand what the title has to do with the bait, but Blythe Danner has a great role. However, the story is sappy and unoriginal, it could have been brilliant, but unfortunately it fell short. I do applaud you for casting Anna Faris though, I love her a ton. B-

Losing Xiang- Why was this almost thrown out of the contest? One of the great mysteries of Bait an Oscar, but this isn't the greatest bait in the contest either. The story is long and drags in places, but don't be surprised when Wei starts gaining nominations for her role. Nothing spectacular, but not horrid by any stretch of the imagination. C+

Lost Soul- Previously reviewed.

The Rural Juror- I think this is one of the better comedies this month actually, not sure Mirren was the perfect choice, but I like this bait a lot more as a comedy. A gem in my mind that I think is terribly overlooked. B

Sands of Mars- I really like this bait, but I'm not sure I like the del Toro pick, it worked better for Bella. Dafoe and Portman stand out in there roles, and this is something I could see myself actually enjoying on the big screen. Good job! B

Sweetest Girl- I applaud the casting of Akon, because I don't really think of him as an actor, but this isn't the only area where the bait fails. I wasn't very entertained, and it seems like its been done before. Not your personal best, nor the months best...at all. D

Trick- The surprise of the month. This is a brillaint bait that shouldn't be ignored, while it reminds me of Wackos, it is different enough that it doesn't really matter to me and it make me laugh quite a few times. A surprisingly strong ensemble makes this bait one that you can't miss. A-

A Twisted Family History- Previously Reviewed

August Preview: Early Oscar Predictions

2008-08-11T10:02:00.000-07:00

Here are our predictions... in July we went 4/8 once the nominations were announced, and this month we decided to have full Big 8 predictions before the baits were released, hopefully we can keep this going...

Best Picture
American Hollow
Blackbirds
Chateau Marmont
Cry to Heaven
**The Film Club**

Best Director
Francis Ford Coppola, American Hollow
Cameron Crowe, The Film Club
Milos Forman, Cry to Heaven
Christopher Nolan, Blackbirds
**Guillermo Del Toro, La Bella Y La Bestia**

Best Actor
Hank Azaria, The Film Club
Leonardo DiCaprio, Blackbirds
Peter Facinelli, Cry to Heaven
**Nick Stahl, American Hollow**
Gaspard Ulliel, Chateau Marmont

Best Actress
Blythe Danner, No One Knows Her Name
Helen Mirren, The Rural Juror
Ellen Page, High Times
**Mary Steenburgern, The Drifter**
Tang Wei, Losing Xiang

Best Supporting Actor
Robert Duvall, American Hollow
Emile Hirsch, Blackbirds
Timothy Hutton, The Drifter
Paul Schneider, American Hollow
**Anton Yelchin, The Film Club**

Best Supporting Actress
**Emily Blunt, Cry to Heaven**
Marie-Josee Croze, Chateau Marmont
Janeane Garoffalo, The Film Club
Natalie Portman, Sands of Mars
Uma Thurman, Neverland

Best Original Screenplay
**American Hollow**
Blackbirds
Chateau Maramont
The Drifter
Neverland

Best Adapted Screenplay
Cry to Heaven
**The Film Club**
La Bella Y La Bestia
The Rural Juror
Sands of Mars

Is Pat back?

2008-08-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

check out the 4th post of this thread.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/503528/thread/1218342434/last-1218389051/Inglorious+Bastards

is it pat?

August Preview: An Inside Look at the Festival

2008-08-08T13:59:00.000-07:00

"The festival this month was not very good," reports Chris Perkins, head author of The Bait Spot, who also served as a panelist for the Festival this month. "Overall, there just weren't to many that really stood out...I had a tough time making a ballot..." he added. The Film Club, American Hollow, and Cry to Heaven seem to be the early favorites to rule the month said author Joshua, in a recent conversation. "I believe Blackbirds, Neverland, Sands of Mars, and Cloverleaf have a shot as well." he commented in the Chat Room.

Many panelists agreed that there were many contenders for the "Razzie's" this month, but the Oscars may be a bit of stretch for most hopefulls this month. The most widely agreed upon fact however is that the Best Actor race is extremely crowded. "Azaria, Stahl, Ruffalo, and Di Caprio were all my favorites," said Joshua. American Hollow seems to be the frontrunner for Best Ensemble as many have pointed out, everyone in the cast are great. Many authors are starting to predict The Film Club and American Hollow are already locks for Best Picture, with one of the two battling it out for the gold; many have also pointed out that there are many baits that have yet to be read that could be amazing as well, most pointing to the highly anticipated Alex S./Chris M. bait. as well as August: Osage County straight from Broadway thanks to Alex.

Nominations for the Igloo Festival are expected to be posted tomorrow, so stay tuned for the official I! reaction.

August Preview: Evan's A Twisted Family History

2008-08-05T10:23:00.000-07:00

In this twisted story involving a lot of death, deception, and "love", Evan certainly proves that he can come up with an interesting story. With a somewhat good cast (I question the choice of Keri Russell, even though I love her) and a good crew, A Twisted Family History doesn't seem too wierd until you get to the brilliant tagline, which hints that this could be one of his best ever, however the synopsis lacks in areas. Parts are definately hard to understand, yet over the story is compelling, but the ending is revealed, a mistake on Evan's part. The ending itself is weak compared to the rest of the story, and isn't really nessecary considering you basically find out the ending in the first line, however the press section is good, but it's not a typical Evan bait. With a strong campaign, this could easily be one to look out for, but in a strong month, it wouldn't stand out.

Grade: B-

August Preview: Douglas Reese's La Bella y la Bestia

2008-08-03T17:11:00.000-07:00

The classic fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast, has a bit of a new look now thanks to Douglas Reese's August bait. Directed by Guillermo Del Toro, the bait has some great things about it, including a near perfect director choice. The bait seems to tailor to Del Toro, and as of now, he is a lock for a nomination in my opinion, but the bait lacks in a few areas. The story, while captivating, is a bit out there sometimes, even for Del Toro. The descriptions, create a vivid picture in the brain, that didn't really work for me at all times. Many characters are not present in this version that are in the classic Disney film, such as the fun loving objects around the castle, yet Douglas makes up for it with a talented cast, and an interesting adaptation. The press section is definatley weaker than the rough draft synopsis, and doesn't really seem like a review at all IMO, yet it didn't really bother me all that much. The synopsis needs to be shortened (which is likely considering this is a rough draft) and has a few childish writing moments, but hopefully all this will be gone. The crew is extremely large however, and Douglas campaigns in a few wrong areas, plus the Mexican feel to it isn't much my taste. I do miss the comfort of Disney but, you get a suitable story, good cast, and a strong bait, sounds good to me!

Grade: B

August Preview: Pierre's Lost Soul

2008-08-03T16:29:00.000-07:00

Pierre's August bait, Lost Soul, is the story of acclaimed singer/performer Marvin Gaye, played here by Laz Alonzo. The cast is extremely bloated with such stars as Sharon Leal, Alfrie Woodard, and Denzel Washington, but the crew leaves me interested with Spike Lee as director. The writing overall could be a lot better with numorous grammar errors, as well as feeling like I'm reading a Wikipedia page about Marvin. The awards campaign isn't very well written either, and the actors that are campained leave a bad taste in my mouth. This could easily have been a gem, but it feels like the early days of Bait an Oscar, bloated casts, bad grammer, and simply unbelieveable.

Grade: D

July Oscar Watch: I! Reader Results

2008-08-01T10:55:00.000-07:00

After conducting polls to see which baits/actors were the favorites, here are the reader predictions for the month of July...

Best Picture
Winner- The Violinist
2nd Place- In the Land of Eden
3rd Place- Tuskgee
4th Place- After the Fall
5th Place- The Monster of Florence

Best Actor
Winner- Jack Nicholson, After the Fall
Spoiler Alert- Derek Luke, Tuskegee

Best Actress
Winner- Julie Christie, Neighbors
Spoiler Alert- Sigourney Weaver, After the Fall

Best Supporting Actor
Winner- Ian McKellan, Hale's Inferno
Spoiler Alert- Tom Sturridge, The Violinist

Best Supporting Actress
Winner- Sophie Okonedo, After the Fall
Spoiler Alert- Angela Bassett, Tuskegee

The Bait an Oscar Mole?

2008-07-31T15:40:00.000-07:00

Did anybody else see this? The he/she commented on I! and The Bait Spot, posting the address to his blog, where he was planning to be the 100% true view on Bait an Oscar, yet never revealed his/her idenity. Any idea who this poser was? If you go on over to the chat room you can see all the thoughts that have already sprung up, its pretty entertaining, so thanks for the laugh!

July Oscar Watch: Results

2008-07-30T15:05:00.000-07:00

This is the accuracy of our predictions here on I! guys...

Best Picture- 5/5

Best Director- 4/5
Our Wrong Guess: Mike Nichols, Neighbors
The Result- Brian DePalma, In the Land of Eden

Best Actor- 4/5
Our Wrong Guess: Lee Pace, The Violinist
The Result- Christian Bale, The Aftermath

Best Actress- 5/5

Best Supporting Actor- 3/5
Our Wrong Guesses: Christian Clemenson, The Monster of Florence & Joe Odagiri, Sacred
The Result- Sacha Baron Cohen, The Monster of Florence & Joel Grey, Neighbors

Best Supporting Actress- 4/5
Our Wrong Guess: Rosemary Harris, The Violinist
The Result: Sienna Miller, The Violinist

Overall: 25/30= 83%

The wait is agonizing...

2008-07-28T19:17:00.000-07:00

Can't wait for nominations to be posted. I know we're supposed to be patient, but the wait is agonizing lol.

July Oscar Watch: Best Picture

2008-07-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

1. The Violinist- I stand by what I have said, and I think that this will be the winner of the month. A lot of BOTM voters give it solid reviews and it's closest rival doesn't have the love of some BOTM voters. Expect this to be the winner of the month..

2. Tuskegee- Bryce is probably the most overdue author on the site, and voters may want to reward one of his most succesful baits ever. Although, some voters found it overrated and didn't put it in their top 5. With hardly any buzz for the bait itself, it may be a bit forgotten, and not win the month.

3. After the Fall- The most highly acclaimed team bait since The Bluest Eye is sure to break into the Top 5, and have one of the higher nomination tallies as well. Don't expect it to take BOTM, but it's a solid candidate if the nominations aren't what predicted.

4. The Monster of Florence- With solid BOTM winner support, this bait could easily garner Michael's 2nd career BP nomination. However, with so many baits fighting for spots this month, it could easily be left out in the cold.

5. In the Land of Eden- One of the baitier baits of the month is likely to get a spot, but in recent discussions with BOTM authors, they seem to have forgotten about it. Can it withstand a wild and crazy month?

Still in the Running:

6. Neighbors- A solid bait could easily sneak in the Top 5, and if so, expect it to have a huge nomination tally as well.

7. Sacred- Much like In the Land of Eden, voters have sort of forgotten about the highly praised bait, however if the nominations are as up in the air as some authors believe them to be, this could easily sneak in.

July Oscar Watch: Best Director

2008-07-23T14:32:00.000-07:00

1. Tony Kaye, Tuskegee- The clear frontrunner in my opinion, there isn't much strong competition this month, and I feel like the choice is perfect. He's won the majority of precursors, and voters agree he's a good choice. Expect him to take home the gold.

2. Andrew Dominik, The Violinist- A refreshing choice that the Academy could really eat up, he was extremely close behind Kaye with the NBR, but something tells me the frontrunner will actually win this time.

3. Mike Nichols, Neighbors- A good director choice for a solid bait will make this nomination happen. I doubt he'll win, but I could see the old vet coming out of nowhere and be the one walking up to the podium.

4. John Boorman, After the Fall- Much like Dominik, it's a refreshing choice that the Academy could go for, provided that there is a surprising After the Fall sweep. Without that, I doubt he'll hold the gold this month.

5. Isao Yukisada, Sacred- A risky choice that led to lots of praise, and expect an Oscar nomination to be the only praise that this director gets.

Still in the Running:

6. David Cronenberg, The Architects of Fear- The bait was strong and opened to good reviews, but like I said earlier, I think everyone is tired of Cronenberg/Mortenson baits.

July Oscar Watch: Best Actor

2008-07-23T14:19:00.000-07:00

1. Jack Nicholson, After the Fall- Even though he didn't win any major precursors, I believe the veteran will beat out Derek Luke. To my knowledge he has never won an Oscar (in the contest, haha) and this is the perfect role for him. Look for the "surprise" victory here.

2. Derek Luke, Tuskegee- This is a really close one guys, but I think the old pro will take the award. Luke has won the major precursors though, so he is the favorite, but I would expect an upset of sorts here.

3. Liam Nesson, Hale's Inferno- He did well at a few precursors, but there was no NBR love at all. While an award would be deserving, look for all the glory to go to costar Sir Ian McKellan.

4. Viggo Mortenson, The Architects of Fear- Mortenson/Cronenberg projects have become very common these days, I think in response to this, the academy will shut out the talented actor for a bigger name star.

5. Lee Pace, The Violinist- Like I said earlier, a nomination is likely, but only because voters loved the bait. The question remains, is he taken seriously enough as an actor to be nominated?

Still in the Running:

6. Mandy Patinkin, Neighbors- As I have also said earlier, if Neighbors gets a BP nomination look for it to get a lot more nominations than expected, this could be one of those surprises.

July Oscar Watch: Best Actress

2008-07-23T13:56:00.000-07:00

1. Julie Christie, Neighbors- In a moderate upset over "frontrunner" Sigourney Weaver, I pick Christie to take the Oscar this month. Neighbors is the Julie Christie show, and After the Fall (as I have said before) will be successful in some different categories, this is where Neighbors will take the spotlight.

2. Sigourney Weaver, After the Fall- A considered frontrunner will not be taking home the Oscar this month, but rest assured the bait will be rewarded in a different place. She still has a big chance, but I feel like it's just not the right time.

3. Jennifer Connelly, The Architects of Fear- Connelly has a big chance to in my opinion, this is a situation where the "Top 2" battle it out, but the 3rd just sneaks past them and wins. Keep an eye out for her, she may be the one at the podium.

4. Kou Shibasaki, Sacred- If the bait is rewarded in any major category it could be here, but I think it will likely be ignored across the Big 8 board. Still, she gives a fantastic performance that still has a chance at winning the gold.

5. Ayelet Zurer, In the Land of Eden- The more I think about this bait winning awards, the less I think it will happen. Look for her to be unfortunately overlooked in a strong month for Best Actress.

Still in the Running:

6. Meryl Streep, The House of Bernardo Alba- She may not have been buzzed about at all, but don't completely count her out. She got moderate percursor support, but it's likely her other competitors will blow right past her.

July Oscar Watch: Best Supporting Actor

2008-07-23T13:18:00.000-07:00

1. Sir Ian McKellan, Hale's Inferno- A legendary actor gets his well overdue Oscar, and it is much deserved in his most compelling yet. He may not have the most buzz, but he has the acclaim, and the Academy will reward Hale's Inferno with a win here.

2. Tom Sturridge, The Violinist- He may have just as many "precursor" wins as McKellan (each with 2 a piece), but look for The Violinist to be rewarded in other categorise this month. Although, Sturridge did gain the SAG's support, I don't think it will warrant a win for him.

3. Hugh O'Connor, After the Fall- Much like his costar Sophie, they will both fall fate to no Gold come Oscar night. Their costars are just too strong in the film, and the film won't sweep the awards either. I just don't think he'll win, although he has the most precursor nominations out of the bunch.

4. Christian Clemenson, The Monster of Florence- With not as much buzz, and a bit of a controversy regarding if the character even should have been cast, this makes him a risky bet. Yet, if he isn't nominated, Monster has no one in the acting races, which is rare for such high Best Picture contenders.

5. Joe Odagiri, Sacred- Odagiri has managed to make two key short lists this month (SAG/The Bait Spot), but failed to win either, or reach the Top 3 with the NBR. While this does hurt his chances, a strong role helps him to a nomination.

Also in the Running:

6. Joel Grey, Neighbors- Except this to happen if Neighbors picks up a Best Picture nomination and Christie wasn't the only standout performer...

July Oscar Watch: Best Supporting Actress

2008-07-23T12:21:00.000-07:00

1. Rosemary Harris, The Violinist- My predicted winner of the category. Winning the SAG really boosted her to frontrunner status, and even though she didn't make the NBR Top 3, I think she'll pull out the only acting win for the likely Best Picture winner.

2. Angela Bassett, Tuskegee- Harris, barely beats out Angela for the Oscar. Bassett gave a first-rate performance that will likely be ignored for the veteran. A win is more likely on her part if her costar Luke does not win his category. Still, I think she'll have to wait a while to get her Oscar.

3. Sophie Okonedo, After the Fall- If you look at the stats, she's the most likely candidate to win, but something tells me that she will be overlooked come the end of the month. Her problem: Two A-list costars who are both neck and neck with their competitors.

4. Shohreh Aghdashloo, In the Land of Eden- A bit more of a risk to put money on her, but she is the next in line as far as buzz is considered. A powerful role, in an accalimed bait, and a weak month, usually equals a nomination.

5. Joan Cusack, Baked Alaska- The biggest change of not getting nominated lies here with Joan. I pick her to round out the 5 because I think this is what most people will do on their ballots "Oh, I need a fifth nominee, I'll put her in..." The NBR helped her out, but doesn't guarentee a spot for her at all.

Also in the Running:

6. Sienna Miller, The Violinist- She made the SAG cut, and Cusack didn't. The fact that The Violinist is the front-runner helps, but the fact that her co-star is in the same category doesnt.

Stay tuned for more detailed predictions!

Zgamer's Official Statement

2008-07-22T13:22:00.000-07:00

The following is a recording of a press event held by Zgamer, the head of the Golden Globe panel, following the recent publishing of I!'s article:

"Hello and thank you all for coming. At this time, I would like to address the recent article on I! criticizing the GG panel's decision to suspend this month's progression. Before I elaborate, I would like to say I am not mad that the article was posted. We are all respectable authors on this site and we each have our own opinions. The right to express those opinions are part of the basic principles of our country. However, I feel it would be better for one of the panel members to come out and publicly address the issue before it gets blown out of proportion.

"First, this decision was just as hard on the panel as it was to the voters. It took much thought and consideration, but in the end the panel found it may prove beneficial in the long run. I know this is upsetting, as we have not missed a month of broadcast since the precursor was handed over to me by Harry almost two years ago. Still, everything happens for a reason.

"The primary reason for our decision was a combination of details. First, we felt that at the time when the deadline had been reached, we simply didn't have enough baits to accurately justify a group of nominees fitting the public's opinion. Because seriously, do we want four people, with one of them a panel member,to decide what baits garner buzz? While others have attempted to send ballots encouraging to revoke our decision, we just feel it would ruin the integrity of the panel members and this long standing precursor to change it now. Second, the fact that people have only really tried to vote after we made the decision was one of annoyance. We feel that we gave a reasonable amount of time to allow people to send ballots and they never came. It just felt wrong.

"Now, I would like to address the recent complaints surfacing as to why people have either not voted or think the contest does not allow proper voting procedure. The biggest being that the precursor has continued to uphold the policy that voters cannot vote for their own baits. While we are not blind to the fact many precursors have changed their standing here, it just isn't in the interest of this panel as of now to change that policy. For almost two years, there had been no problem withhaving people not vote for their own baits, as we usually received a good number of ballots throughout. Besides, what point is there to healthy competition if we let people vote for themselves? Is it fair to tip the scales towards your bait when maybe there may be another one more deserving? Even I know that I don't always write the hit of the month, but I always make sure to support other people who do write the classics and hits of that month. Sure, it may hurt a bait's chances of garnering praise, but not if enough people vote with support for it. So perhaps the problem is not being able to vote for yourself, but getting enough people to vote for your bait. Our decision will not be swayed though and our policy of not voting for your own bait will still stand.

"The other complaint mentioned addresses frustration towards finding baits to fill categories when there are a shortage, especially in Comedy/Musical categories. I personally think this is a more justifiable excuse and both of the panel members are currently in talks of addressing it. Our current plan being discussed is to put a link to the 'Bait Genre' thread that's started every month so people can find the nominees needed to fill their ballots. This is easy to do and we hope this will be resolved for next month's ceremony.

"As for the complaint about time constraint and extending our timetables, this will be harder to fix but not impossible. See, each timetable is constructed with the hopes the the ceremonies will be finished prior to the announcement of the Oscar nominations with the hopes it will generate buzz for nominees. However, this also conflicts with a common argument that the precursors hold no real power over the outcome of the Oscar nominations. Seriously, so what? The purpose of this contest is to emulate the real Oscar race and in almost every Oscar race, precursors usually generate buzz no matter how big or small and even they aren't always correct when concerning predictions. Now this isn't truly the real reason why there may be problems with the timetables. Since Johnny Alba does not always announce when the nominees will be unveiled before the precursors start, it's hard to tell how long we have to get everything put together.So we try to estimate a reasonable amount of time at which the GG can be completed done before the Oscar nominations. The panel understands this concern though and we will address this in our e-mails so we can make the time for voting suitable for everyone. It won't do much good if people don't vote though.

"Again, I take no true pleasure with these recent events, but perhaps it is for the best it happens now rather than later. We will do our best to fix the concerns with time to vote and accessibility of genres, but in the end we really need to people to participate. This has been a major issue for some time and we share your concern. So perhaps we will truly act on Douglass's video message and become more active in the forum and more supportive of each other. I promise to do this and everyone else should to. Only by doing that can the contest continue to flourish."

End of Recording

Golden Globes: Ever Again?

2008-07-22T11:18:00.000-07:00

Just a few days ago, Zgamer and Bryce (both contributing Authors to I!) said in a statement, "...We will have a hiatus this month. We hope to be back next month, but we only will if we can get more support from voters."

So why has this lack of participation occured in the contest? Author Ryne puts in his word, "I think the problem which has caused the low turn out is people dont want to search for M/C performances to nominate. It just takes forever." Chris Perkins, head author of The Bait Spot agreed with Ryne's statement also adding that "Its (GG) the only precursors that don't allow you to vote for yourself."

Many of the other precursors (SAG and NBR), have allowed voters to consider their own baits in 2 categories this month; both have also seen an increase in voting tallies.

Another point to add to the debate is the Festival, the first precursor of the month, has 4 panelists who derive the nominations, and on occasion the organizer votes as well. 4 + 1= 5, which is as many as the Golden Globes recieved this month. So why was there a need to end it? Neither Bryce or Zgamer were asked for a follow up statement, but Zgamer added on the thread "I'm standing up to my decision...it's not happening this month."

Personally, I don't understand why with only 5 ballots nominations couldn't be choosen. It's happened before, look at the May Golden Globes, 5 ballots were sent, and the nominations were fair and what the people wanted. So this is what I think needs to change with the Golden Globes...

Start allowing people to vote for thier own bait in 2 categories, it will increase voter turnout. I can say that I would try a lot harder if I could vote for myself.
If you have a Musical/Comedy bait, make sure and post on the Bait Genre thread where you would like to be considered in the Golden Globes. Also, if the organizers would post the list of eligible Musical/Comedy baits on the Golden Globe thread it would make it easier for people.
Start posting the thread earlier and give people a few more days in the schedule.

Look, I'm not trying to sound rude, I'm just trying to get people's opinions out there so this won't happen in the future, if you care to comment, please do so and make sure and vote in our poll as well.

Where's Maia?

2008-07-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

Has she gone M.I.A like Pat? Especially right after her win for Darwin Discovered?

July 2008 Big 8

2008-07-15T08:53:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to our winners!!

Best Picture

**Hale's Inferno**

Best Director

**David Cronenberg, The Architects of Fear

Best Actor

**Liam Nesson, Hale's Inferno**

Best Actress

**Julie Christie, Neighbors**

Best Supporting Actor

**Ian McKellan, Hale's Inferno**

Best Supporting Actress

**Bette Midler, Baked Alaska**

Best Original Screenplay

**Hale's Inferno**

Best Adapted Screenplay

**Tuskegee**

I's Top 25 Directors of All Time Nominees

2008-07-06T21:38:00.000-07:00

*Legend*
O= Oscar Winner
NBR= National Board of Review Winner
GG= Golden Globe Winner
SAG= Screen Actors Guild Winner
F= Festival Winner

Best Director
Pedro Almodavar for Destiny
Pedro Almodavar for The Lover’s Empire (O, GG, F)
Pedro Almodavar for Midnight Mass (GG)
Paul Thomas Anderson for Live From New York
Paul Thomas Anderson for Project Sin
Paul Thomas Anderson for Realm of the Bird (NBR)
Wes Anderson for Scarttenow Junction
Jean-Jacques Annaud for Darwin Discovered
Judd Apatow for Sex Advice
Darren Aronofsky for Flashes
Noah Baumbach for Wackos
Jack Bender for Fallout
Robert Benton for Broken Pieces
Bernardo Bertolucci for Cherry Blossom
Bernardo Bertolucci for Magic Latern (O, NBR, GG, F)
Kenneth Branagh for The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher
James L. Brooks for E.L.
James L. Brooks for A New Agenda
Tim Burton for Dali (O, GG)
Jane Campion for The Awakening
George Clooney for Steamboat Disney
Cameron Crowe for Then
Alfonso Cuaron for La Ventana
Jonathan Demme for Bee-Bee’s Funhouse
Jonathan Demme for Bloodshed
Clint Eastwood for The Killer Eagles (NBR, GG, F)
Abel Ferra for The Informer
David Fincher for Criminal Origins (O, NBR)
David Fincher for F.E.A.R.
Milos Forman for Judas Iscariot (O, GG)
Marc Forster for Lord of the Flies
Marc Forster for Masterpiece
Marc Forster for Rivalry at 6 P.M.
Carl Franklin for The Bluest Eye
Stephen Frears for Mario Puzo’s The Family (NBR)
Antoine Fuqua for Six Days in 67
Stephen Gaghan for The Hussein Room
Stephen Gaghan for River City Blue (O)
Terry Gillam for iLife
Paul Greengrass for Foreign Affairs
Paul Greengrass for Fresh Heir Vol. III
Paul Greengrass for Ghost Recon
Paul Haggis for Photograph
Paul Haggis for The Secret Identity of the Heart (F)
Michael Heneke for Behind Closed Doors
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for Border Man
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for 11-M (O, NBR, GG)
Spike Jonze for Book (O)
Philip Kaufman for Break Before Bend
Takeshi Kitano for Owner of a Lonely Heart
Ang Lee for John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Ang Lee for The Winter Sun (GG)
Sidney Lumet for Ashes of Elmwood
Sidney Lumet for The World’s Longest Suicide
Rod Lurie for Ralph’s Food and Drug (O)
David Lynch for Quiet Room (F)
David Lynch for Sweet Black and Blue (O)
James Mangold for The 27th Victim (GG)
James Mangold for Gone Since November
Michael Mann for Rush (O)
Fernando Meirelles for The Poisonwood Bible
Sam Mendes for The Guy Who Owned the Store
Anthony Minghella for Deep Secret (O)
Hayao Miyazaki for Pride of Baghdad (GG)
Mike Nichols for The Arabic Café (O, GG)
Mike Nichols for The Dead President
Christopher Nolan for The Cabin (O, NBR, GG)
Phillip Noyce for Cartel (F)
Alexander Payne for Diary of a Sociopath
Alexander Payne for Ironic Nonfiction
Roman Polanski for The Picture of Dorian Gray
Roman Polanski for The Valley of Ashes (O, GG, F)
Robert Redford for Gray Daze (O)
Robert Redford for Recoil
Jason Reitman for Bootleg
Jason Reitman for Buzzed
Julian Schnabel for Middlesex
Martin Scorsese for The Family
Ridley Scott for To Dwell In Evil
Jim Sheridan for Lucky Clover
M. Night Shyamalan for Dominion (GG)
Bryan Singer for The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson
Bryan Singer for Norjak
John Singleton for Glass
Steven Soderberg for Oil
Steven Soderberg for Sandstorm (O, GG)
Steven Speilberg for Hostage
Steven Speilberg for Public Enemy (O, F)
Steven Speilberg for The Wall (GG)
Oliver Stone for Dear Mr. President
Quentin Tarantino for Bandito Express (O, GG)
Quentin Tarantino for Sixty Days (GG)
Tim Van Patten for POZ
Gus Van Sant for For Pay
Lars Von Trier for Revenant Dreams
Peter Weir for Jackrabbit (O, GG)
Paul Weitz for Negatives
Joe Wright for Cinematheque
Edward Zwick for The Moon and The Rain
Terry Zwigoff for The Wishbones (NBR)

I's Top 25 Supporting Actresses of All Time Nominees

2008-07-06T21:37:00.000-07:00

*Legend*
O= Oscar Winner
NBR= National Board of Review Winner
GG= Golden Globe Winner
SAG= Screen Actors Guild Winner
F= Festival Winner

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams for Into the Woods
Amy Adams for Wackos (O, GG)
Joan Allen for Blood in the Classroom (O)
Julie Andrews for Foils
Julie Andrews for Pygmalion
Lauren Bacall for Masterpiece (O, NBR W, GG, SAG, F)
Alicja Bachleda-Curus for Behind the Show
Kathy Bates for Big Brown Bag
Kathy Bates for Public Enemy (GG)
Kathy Bates for Rabbit Hole (O, F)
Annette Benning for The Family (O)
Halle Berry for Mail-Order Bliss
Bjork for Ashes of Elmwood (O, NBR, GG, SAG, F)
Lorraine Bracco for The Playground Factory
Sandra Bullock for The Cabin
Carol Burnett for Ralph’s Food and Drug (GG)
Helena Bohnam Carter for The Banality of Evil
Kristen Chenoweth for Good Morning, Ladies (F)
Kristen Chenoweth for Wicked (Mar.) (O)
Cher for Seven Days to the Weekend (SAG)
Maggie Cheung for Imagine (GG)
Julie Christie for The Portrait of Dorian Gray
Jill Clayburgh for Grey Gardens
Toni Collette for Diary of a Sociopath
Toni Collette for Sex In The Oval Office
Miranda Cosgrove for Sweet Black and Blue
Penelope Cruz for La Ventana
Judi Dench for Costa Rica Dreams
Catherine Deneuve for Angela’s Path
Julie Delpy for Magic Lantern
Zooey Deschanel for Miles Away
Zooey Deschanel for Suburban Hymns
Eddie Falco for Everyday (GG, SAG)
Vera Farminga for Livestrong (O, GG, SAG, F)
Sally Field for Flowers for Algernon
Emilia Fox for The Madness of Lady Macbeth
Eva Green for Cinematheque
Maggie Gyllenhall for Behind Closed Doors (O, GG, SAG)
Selma Hayek for The Arabic Café
Felicity Huffman for Lost in America
Angelica Huston for Rosie
Glenda Jackson for Dark Side of the Moon
Catherine Keener for Kubrick Unfinished
Quenn Latifah for Don’t Stop Believing (O)
Angela Lansbury for Mame
Diane Lane for Fruit of the Poison Tree (F)
Piper Laurie for The Almost Moon
Cloris Leechman for Buzzed
Juliette Lewis for Clockwork (O, GG, SAG)
Lindsay Lohan for The World’s Longest Suicide
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio for The Killer Eagles (GG, SAG)
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio for The Jersey Widows
Drea de Mateo for Bootleg
Frances McDormand for Their Grace
Idina Menzel for Once More, With Feeling (O)
S. Epatha Merkerson for Dinah Was…
Debra Messing for Fred & Ethel (GG, SAG)
Bette Midler for Good Morning, Ladies
Helen Mirren for Love Now, Laugh Later (O)
Gretchen Mol for The Jersey Widows (O, GG)
Julianne Moore for Dear Andrea (GG)
Rita Moreno for Havana Dreams (O, NBR, SAG)
Samantha Morton for Realm of the Bird
Megan Mullaly for Thoroughly Modern Millie
Suzuka Ohgo for Owner of a Lonely Heart (GG)
Ellen Page for Cloth
Mary-Louise Parker for Photograph
Mary-Louise Parker for The Wishbones (O, NBR)
Michelle Pfeiffer for Hillview (SAG)
Joan Plowright for The Mousetrap
Kathleen Quinlan for Her Journal
Sara Ramirez for No More Smiles
Elizabeth Reaser for Field of Desire
Vanessa Redgrave for Oil
Vanessa Redgrave for The Thirteenth Tale
Miranda Richardson for The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher (O, NBR, GG)
Emma Rossum for Gray Daze
Winona Ryder for The Character of Marcia (NBR, F)
Eva Maria Saint for Kathy’s Desire (NBR)
Amy Sedaris for Live From New York
Elizabeth Shue for The Passion of Pain
Maggie Smith for A Life of Death
Maggie Smith for Negatives
Imelda Stauton for Once a Queen
Meryl Streep for Book (O, SAG)
Tilda Swinton for The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night Time (O, NBR)
Tabu for Break Before Bend (NBR, SAG, F)
Uma Thurman for Bandito Express
Uma Thurman for The Thousand-Year Reich (O)
Marisa Tomei for The Wishbones
Kathleen Turner for Glitz
Maribel Verdu for Border Man (O, GG)
Emily Watson for Marlene
Emma Watson for Native Son
Naomi Watts for A Child of Shame (GG)
Rachel Weisz for Faded Red (O, GG, SAG, F)
Patricia Wettig for The Dead President
Chandra Wilson for POZ
Penelope Wilton for Darwin Discovered
Michelle Yeoh for Extradition

I's Top 25 Actresses of All Time Nominees

2008-07-06T21:36:00.002-07:00

*Legend*
O= Oscar Winner
NBR= National Board of Review Winner
GG= Golden Globe Winner
SAG= Screen Actors Guild Winner
F= Festival Winner

Best Actress
Shohreh Aghdashloo for The Price of Prejudice
Joan Allen for Then
Patricia Arquette for How It Ends
Bea Arthur for Mom Is 80 (GG)
Jacinda Barrett for Exposed (GG)
Ivana Baquero for The House on Mango Street (F)
Kate Beckinsale for An Actress Named Vivian Leigh
Maria Bello for The Almost Moon
Maria Bello for Once a Hero
Annette Benning for Defiant Soul
Juliette Binoche for Audrey’s Girls
Cate Blanchett for The Killer Eagles (O, NBR, GG, SAG, F)
Cate Blanchett for To Live With Hope (O. GG, SAG)
Alexis Bledel for Sixty Days (GG, F)
Emily Blunt for Warner Girls (GG)
Emily Blunt for Pygmalion (GG, SAG)
Sandra Bullock for Dear Andrea (O)
Ellen Burstyn for Ashes of Elmwood
Helena Bohnam Carter for The Red Menace (F)
Helena Bohnam Carter for Revenant Dreams (F)
Stockard Channing for Mermania (O, GG)
Glenn Close for The Last Page (O, GG, SAG)
Toni Collette for The Poisonwood Bible (O, NBR, GG, SAG)
Jennifer Connelly for Quiet Room (O, GG, F)
Marion Cotillard for Once a Queen (O, NBR, GG)
Penelope Cruz for Angela’s Path (F)
Ellen DeGeneres for The Realmother (GG)
Ellen DeGeneres for Gone With a Dream
Cameron Diaz for Dubai
Melinda Dillon for Book
Sutton Foster for Thoroughly Modern Millie
Maggie Gyllenhaal for Ralph’s Food and Drug (GG)
Naomie Harris for The Night Shift (O, NBR, GG, SAG)
Florence Henderson for From Here To Eternity (GG, F)
Kate Hudson for Angels Weep in Pakistan (SAG, F)
Felicity Huffman for The Human Hole
Keisha Castle-Hughes for The Breadwinner (SAG)
Keisha Castle-Hughes for Parvana’s Journey
Holly Hunter for The Jersey Widows
Catherine Keener for A Child of Shame (O, GG)
Lisa Kudrow for Through the Monsoon
Lisa Kudrow for The Ice Princess
Diane Lane for Portrait of a Woman
Alexandra Maria Lara for The Blood Countess
Sanaa Lathan for Running Miles (F)
Queen Latifah for I Love Mammy (GG, F)
Sharon Leah for Aida (GG)
Laura Linney for Between Elephants and Mice
Laura Linney for Supernova (O, SAG)
Patti LuPone for Gypsy (O, GG, SAG)
Kelly MacDonald for Dark Blue
Kelly MacDonald for The Madness of Lady Macbeth (O, NBR, SAG, F)
Virginia Madsen for Everyday
Jena Malone for The Juke (GG)
Rachel McAdams for Hampered By Beauty: The Curse of Vivian Leigh
Francis McDormand for Doubt
Jacqueline McKenzie for Her Journal (O, NBR, GG, SAG)
Idina Menzel for Wicked *Mar. 2006*
Idina Menzel for Wicked *Jul. 2006* (O)
Connie Neilson for Fatally Yours (GG)
Ellen Page for Go Ask Alice
Keke Palmer for The Bluest Eye
Mary Louise Parker for The Abstinence Teacher (GG)
Mary Louise Parker for Cigarette Burns (GG)
Bernadette Peters for Mame (GG, SAG)
Michelle Pfeiffer for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolfe
Natalie Portman for Fresh Heir Vol. I
Natalie Portman for Fresh Heir Vol. II
Natalie Portman for Fresh Heir Vol. III (O)
Parker Posey for I, Bergman
Christina Ricci for Wildflower (O)
AnnaSophia Robb for A Corner of the Universe
Anika Noni Rose for Dinah Was…
Renee Russo for The End of the Alphabet
Lee Salonga for Miss Saigon
Susan Sarandon for Things We Lost In The Time of War
Susan Sarandon for Dear Mr. President (O, GG)
Meryl Streep for No Way To Treat A First Lady (GG)
Charlize Theron for The Great Fitzgerald
Charlize Theron for I Want To Have Your Babies (F)
Emma Thompson for The Lead
Emma Thompson for Lucky Clover
Emma Thompson for Terri
Uma Thurman for The Ballad of Mary King
Jennifer Tilly for A Work of Fiction (O)
Jeanne Tripplehorn for Gone Since November (O, GG)
Kerry Washington for Field of Desire (O, NBR, GG, SAG)
Kerry Washington for Six Days in ‘67
Naomi Watts for Death Inside Her
Naomi Watts for Fetish (O)
Naomi Watts for Marilyn (GG)
Betty White for E.L. (GG)
Michelle Williams for Their Grace (O, NBR, GG)
Michelle Williams for Under Fire
Kate Winslet for Midnight Mass (GG, SAG)
Kate Winslet for The Thirteenth Tale (O, NBR, GG)
Reese Witherspoon for Awakening (GG, SAG)
Renee Zellwegger for Into The Woods
Catherine Zeta Jones for The Great Affair
Catherine Zeta-Jones for The Munsters With Yvonne DeCarlo (GG, SAG)

I's Top 25 Supporting Actors of All Time Nominees

2008-07-06T21:36:00.001-07:00

*Legend*
O= Oscar Winner
NBR= National Board of Review Winner
GG= Golden Globe Winner
SAG= Screen Actors Guild Winner
F= Festival Winner

Best Supporting Actor
Daniel Auteuil for Cinematheque (O, GG)
Alec Baldwin for Jackrabbit (SAG)
Javier Bardem for American Tragedy (O)
Paul Bettany for Reminiscence
Jack Black for The Wishbones (SAG)
David Bowie for Ironic Nonfiction (O)
Jeff Bridges for The Killer Eagles (F)
Steve Buscemi for Veil of Sin
Steve Buscemi for Wackos
Vincent Cassel for The Great Ordeal (O)
Richard Chamberlain for For Pay (NBR)
Thomas Hayden Church for Bruised Boys
George Clooney for Norjak
Daniel Craig for The Bridge
Paul Dano for Masterpiece (O, NBR, GG, SAG, F)
Daniel Day-Lewis for Night
Daniel Day Lewis for The Bang-Bang Club (O, SAG)
Mos Def for Cut, Print (GG)
Benico Del Toro for 11-M (Oscar Winner, GG, SAG, F)
Vincent D’Onofiro for Break Before Bend (O, F)
Clint Eastwood for The Futility of Law (O)
Colin Farrell for Foreign Affairs (GG)
Oded Feur for Dubai (O)
Morgan Freeman for Contemporary Comedy
Edward Furlong for The Thin Rope
James Gandolfini for The Winter Sun (GG, SAG)
Ricky Gervais for Convention (GG)
Jeff Goldblum for The People vs. Robert Wheeler
Cuba Gooding Jr. for The Unseen War
Ryan Gosling for Walden (O)
Andy Griffith for Buzzed (NBR, GG, SAG)
Jake Gyllenhaal for A Faith of One (O)
Jackie Earle Haley for Booth
Jackie Earle Haley for The Hollywood Story
Ed Harris for Death Inside Her
Ethan Hawke for Stanford Prisons (O)
Ethan Hawke for Rivalry at 6 P.M. (GG, SAG, F)
Dennis Haysbert for Criminal Origins
Phillip Seymore Hoffman for All Quiet on the Western Front
Djimon Houson for The Playground Factory (O, NBR, SAG)
William Hurt for Bright Lights, Sinly City (O)
Jeremy Irons for John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Samuel L. Jackson for Bandito Express
Samuel L. Jackson for Watts (O)
Greg Kinear for Rabbit Hole
Ben Kingsley for The Arabic Café (O)
Kevin Kline for Silence (GG, SAG)
John Krasinski for Flare Manor
Frank Langella for Their Grace
Artie Lang for Live From New York
Hugh Laurie for Freak Show
Hugh Laurie for The Wishbones (NBR, GG)
Heath Ledger for Rush
Christopher Lloyd for A New Agenda
Derek Luke for Wildflower
William H. Macy for The Curious Case of Phineas Gage
John Malkovich for Forlorn (F)
John Malkovich for The Secret Identity of the Heart
Ewan McGreggor for Dementia Ascending (NBR)
Alfred Molina for Gone Since November
Armin Mueller-Stahl for The Hussein Room (O, NBR, F, GG, SAG)
Cillian Murphy for Little Miss Murder (GG, SAG)
Cillian Murphy for Sandstorm (GG)
Liam Neeson for The Eylsium Dream
Liam Neeson for Lucky Clover
Paul Newman for Confessions of an Economic Hitman
Bill Nighly for E.L. (O)
Edward Norton for Photograph
Gary Oldman for Finding Death
Gary Oldman for The Banality of Evil (O)
Edward James Olmos for The Informer
Edward James Olmos for Spanish Fields (SAG)
Terry O’Quinn for Death Whispered a Lullaby
Peter O’Toole for The Vampire Lestat
Peter O’Toole for Cannon
Al Pacino for A New Agenda (GG, F)
Mandy Patinkin for Bee-Bee’s Funhouse
Ron Perlman for Fallout
Alex Pettyfer for Mario Puzo’s The Family
Jeremy Piven for The Dead President (GG, SAG)
Jeremy Piven for Around the Horn (F)
Christopher Plummer for Oil (O, GG, SAG)
Dennis Quaid for Bloodshed
Daniel Radcliffe for Foggy London Nights (O, SAG)
Lance Reddick for The Man and the Window
Mark Ruffalo for Extradition
Sam Shepard for The Latent Promise
J.K. Simmons for Buzzed
Gary Sinise for Faded Red
David Strathairn for The Cloud
Kiefer Sutherland for Her Journal
Justin Theroux for Quiet Room
Jonathan Tucker for Relentless
John Turturo for The Guy Who Owned the Store
Mark Whalberg for Cobra (O, NBR, GG)
Mark Whalberg for The Moon and The Rain (GG)
Mark Whalberg for The Home
Forest Whitaker for River City Blue (O, GG, SAG)
Bradley Whitworth for Ralph’s Food and Drug
Bruce Willis for Dominion

I's Top 25 Actors of All Time Nominees

2008-07-06T21:35:00.001-07:00

*Legend*
O= Oscar Winner
NBR= National Board of Review Winner
GG= Golden Globe Winner
SAG= Screen Actors Guild Winner
F= Festival Winner

Best Actor
Joe Anderson for Here We Are Now (F)
Naveen Andrews for The Arabic Café
Alec Baldwin for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolfe (O, SAG, F)
Sean Bean for The Great Ordeal (GG)
Tom Berenger for Border Man
Jeff Bridges for The Dead President
Adrien Brody for Crime and Punishment (O)
Steve Buscemi for Ike (NBR, F)
Nicholas Cage for The Madness of H.P. Lovecraft
Michael Caine for Pygmalion (GG)
Jim Carrey for Buster
Don Cheadle for The Bluest Eye (O)
Thomas Hayden Church for Carter
Christian Clemenson for Flowers for Algernon (O, SAG)
George Clooney for River City Blue
Chris Cooper for Bloodshed
Paddy Considine for Reminiscence (SAG)
Brian Cox for Deep Secret
Daniel Craig for Day of the Jackal (NBR)
Macaulay Culkin for For Pay (O, NBR)
Willem Dafoe for The Guy Who Owned the Store
Jeff Daniels for Wackos (GG)
Jeremy Davies for Judas Iscariot (O, NBR, GG, SAG)
Benico Del Toro for La Ventana
Robert DeNiro for Cherry Blossoms (O, GG, F)
Johnny Depp for Dark Side of the Moon (GG)
Clint Eastwood for The Killer Eagles (F)
Aaron Eckhart for Bootleg
Chris Evans for Confessions of an Economic Hitman (GG)
Ben Foster for Booth (O, GG)
Ben Foster for To Dwell in Evil
Brendan Fraiser for Once a Hero
Michael Gambon for Mario Puzo’s The Family
Paul Giamatti for Diary of a Sociopath (GG)
Paul Giamatti for Relentless (NBR, SAG, GG)
John Goodman for Behind Closed Doors (GG, SAG)
Ryan Gosling for As I Lay Dying (O)
Ryan Gosling for Jackrabbit (GG)
Ryan Gosling for The Juke
Topher Grace for Gray Daze (O, GG, SAG, F)
Kelsey Grammer for The Man Behind the Knight
Jake Gyllenhaal for Break Before Bend (F)
Jake Gyllenhaal for Louisa (O, SAG)
Tom Hanks for The Winter Sun
Woddy Harrelson for Fosse (O, GG)
Ed Harris for The Road
Phillip Seymore Hoffman for Captain Fantastic
Phillip Seymore Hoffman for Photograph (O)
Anthony Hopkins for Darwin Discovered (O, SAG)
Terrence Howard for MLK
Michael Imperioli for The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson (O, GG, SAG)
Jeremy Irons for Grand Wizard
Hugh Jackman for The Boy From Oz (O, NBR, SAG)
Nathan Lane for Abbot and Costello Meet Their Biography (SAG)
Jude Law for Tabula Rasa
Heath Ledger for Beaumont
Joseph Gordon Levitt for Broken Pieces
Julian MacMahon for The World’s Longest Suicide (O, GG)
James Marsden for Brooks and Kane
Jonathan Rhys Meyers for Imagine (GG)
Jonathan Rhys Meyers for The Vampire Lestat
Mad Mikkelson for The Secret Identity of the Heart (F)
Viggo Mortensen for The Dark Tower
Cillian Murphy for The Elysium Dream
Bill Murray for High (GG)
Nick Nolte for Norjak
Edward Norton for Flashes (GG)
Edward Norton for Forlorn (O, SAG, F)
Peter O’Toole for Dr. Death (O)
Clive Owen for The Great Affair
Clive Owen for Midnight
Al Pacino for Inside You Out
Michael Pena for Cartel (O, SAG)
Sean Penn for The Judgment (NBR)
Barry Pepper for The Valley of Ashes (GG, SAG, F)
Vincent Perez for The Sun King
Ryan Phillipe for The Wall
Brad Pitt for Finding Death (GG)
Brad Pitt for The People vs. Robert Wheeler (O)
Christopher Plummer for Ralph’s Food and Drug
Kevin Pollack for Live From New York
Dennis Quaid for End of the Alphabet
Jeremy Renner for Dominion
Alan Rickman for Green River
Tim Robbins for Ironic Nonfiction (GG)
Tim Robbins for Contemporary Comedy
Geoffrey Rush for Faded Red (O, GG, SAG, F)
Stellan Skarsgard for Magic Lantern (SAG, F)
Will Smith for The Courtroom
David Straithairn for Steamboat Disney (GG)
Kiefer Sutherland for The Bang-Bang Club
Max Von Sydow for Masterpiece
Billy Bob Thorton for Recoil
John Turturo for Dali
Christopher Walken for Harvey Black.
Robin Williams for Midnight Mass (O)
Owen Wilson for Scarttenow Junction (GG)
Ray Winstone for Rivalry at 6 P.M. (GG)
Jeffrey Wright for POZ (NBR, GG, F)
John Lloyd Young for Jersey Boys (O)

I's Top 100 Baits of All Time Nominees

2008-07-06T21:34:00.001-07:00

*Legend*
O= Oscar BOTM Winner
NBR= National Board of Review Winner
GG= Golden Globe BP Winner
SAG= Screen Actors Guild Ensemble Winner
F= Festival Grand Prize Winner

11-M, written by T.D. (SAG)
The 27th Victim, written by Patrick D.
The Abstinence Teacher, written by Chris M.
Angela’s Path, written by Harry and Stefano
Animal Farm, written by Alex and Daniel Crooke
The Arabic Café, written by Maia
As I Lay Dying, written by Brett
Ashes of Elmwood, written by Brian Erickson (NBR, F)
The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher, written by Chris M. (GG)
Available Now, written by Zgamer (GG)
The Awakening, written by Gabby (GG)
Balton Productions, written by Brian Erickson (GG)
The Banality of Evil, written by Alex S.
Bandito Express, written by Daniel Crooke (GG, F)
The Bang-Bang Club, written by D.W. Dillon
Batman: Scars of Tomorrow, written by Tony
Beaumont, written by Pat
Bee-Bee’s Funhouse, written by Brian Erickson (SAG)
Beeville, TX, written by Jamie Madden (GG)
Behind Closed Doors, written by Chris M.
Bloodshed, written by Daniel Crooke
The Bluest Eye, written by Chris Perkins and D.W. Dillon (NBR)
Book, written by Connor Campbell (O, GG)
Bootleg, written by Maia (O, SAG)
Border Man, written by Pat
The Breadwinner, written by Connor Campbell
Break Before Bend, written by D.W. Dillon (F)
Bright Lights, Sinly City, written by Josh P.
Broken Pieces, written by Chris Perkins
Brooks and Kane, written by Zgamer (GG)
Bruised Boys, written by Douglass Reese
Buzzed, written by Chris Perkins and Zgamer (O, GG, SAG)
The Cabin, written by Chris M. (GG)
Cartel, written by Adam (F)
Carter, written by Jordan
Cherry Blossom, written by D.W. Dillon
Cielo Drive, written by Brett and Dpac (SAG)
Cigarette Burns, written by Ben Miller
Cinematheque, written by Alex S. (O)
A Child of Shame, written by Maia
The Cloud, written by Sergio
Clockwork, written by Douglass Reese
COBRA, written by James Somerton
Confessions of an Economic Hitman, written by Alex S.
Contemporary Comedy, written by Brian Erickson
The Courtroom, written by Bryce
Criminal Origins, written by Zgamer
The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Nighttime, written by Evan (GG)
Cut, Print, written by Ben Miller (GG)
Darwin Discovered, written by Maia (O, GG)
Day of the Jackal, written by Adam
The Dead President, written by Pat (O, SAG)
Dear Andrea, written by Matt
Dear Mr. President, written by James Somerton
Deep Secret, written by Matt
Destiny, written by Harry
Diary of a Sociopath, written by Sergio
Dinah Was…, written by Brian (Minneapolis)
Dominion, written by Tony (GG)
Dr. Death, written by Tony
Dragontown, written by James Somerton
Doubt, written by Brian (Minneapolis)
Dubai, written by Maia (NBR)
E.L., written by Daniel Crooke
The Elysium Dream, written by Tony (F)
The End of the Alphabet, written by Chris M.
Exposed, written by Tony (GG)
Faded Red, written by Brian Erickson (F)
A Faith of One, written by Zgamer
Fallout, written by Zgamer
Mario Puzo’s The Family, written by Alex S. (NBR, SAG)
Fatally Yours, written by D.W. Dillon
Field of Desire, written by Bryce
Flashes, written by Tony
Flowers for Algernon, written by Connor Campbell
Foggy London Nights, written by Josh P.
Foreign Affairs, written by Josh P.
Forlorn, written by D.W. Dillon
For Pay, written by Alfredo (NBR, GG)
Fosse, written by Alex (O, SAG)
Freakshow, written by Tony (SAG)
Fresh Heir Vol. I, written by Brian Erickson
Fresh Heir Vol. III, written by Brian Erickson
Fruit of the Poison Tree, written by Ryan
Ghost Recon, written by Zgamer
The Giver, written by Bryce
Glass, written by Marcus Dennis (GG)
Gone Since November, written by Chris Perkins
Grand Wizard, written by Dpac
Gray Daze, written by Josh P. (F)
The Great Affair, written by Chris Perkins
The Great Fitzgerald, written by Tom Houseman (O)
The Great Ordeal, written by Chris P.
The Guy Who Owned the Store, written by Bryce
Gypsy (07), written by Alex
Harvey Black., written by Al
Hearts of Age, written by Corey
Her Journal, written by D.W. Dillon
Here We Are Now, written by AJ Bell
Hillview, written by Tony (O)
The Hussein Room, written by Brian Erickson (GG)
Ike, written by Tony
iLife, written by Brian Erickson
Imagine, written by Harry (GG)
The Informer, written by D.W. Dillon
Inside You Out, written by James Somerton
Into the Woods, written by Michael (GG)
Ironic Nonfiction, written by Daniel Crooke (O, GG)
Jackrabbit, written by Zgamer (O, GG)
Jersey Boys, written by Pat
The Jersey Widows, written by Maia
Judas Iscariot, written by George (O)
The Jungle, written by Zgamer
The Justices, written by Alex
The Killer Eagles, written by Pat (O, NBR, GG, SAG, F)
Kosmopolis, written by Sergio
La Ventana, written by Brett (O)
The Last Page, written by Maia
Little Miss Murder, written by Matt (SAG)
Live From New York, written by Pat
Livestrong, written by Ryne
Lord of the Flies, written by Zgamer (NBR)
Lost in America, written by James Somerton
Louisa, written by Brian Erickson
Love Now, Laugh Later, written by Brian Erickson
The Lover’s Empire, written by Adam
Lucky Clover, written by Sergio (O)
The Madness of H.P. Lovecraft, written by D.W. Dillon
Magic Lantern, written by Harry (O, F)
The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson, written by Josh P. (O, GG, F)
Masterpiece, written by Pat
Middlesex, written by Bryce
Midnight Mass, written by James Somerton (GG)
MLK (06), written by Matt Kanter
Mom is 80, written by Alex (GG)
The Moon and the Rain, written by Pat
Negatives, written by Ben Miller
A New Agenda, written by Daniel Crooke (O, GG, SAG)
The Night Shift, written by Alex S.
NINE: The Musical, written by Brian (Minneapolis)
Norjak, written by D.W. Dillon
Oil, written by James Somerton (GG, SAG)
Once a Hero, written by Matthew LaRusso
Owner of a Lonely Heart, written by Jeffrey
John Milton’s Paradise Lost, written by Josh P.
The People vs. Robert Wheeler, written by Ryne
Photograph, written by Pat (O, GG)
The Picture of Dorian Gray, written by Harry
The Playground Factory, written by Bryce
The Poisonwood Bible, written by Brian Erickson
POZ, written by James Somerton
Pride of Baghdad, written by Alfredo (GG)
Project Sin, written by Bryce
Public Enemy, written by James Somerton
Pygmalion, written by Michael
Quiet Room, written by Sergio
Rabbit Hole, written by Alex
The Rainbow Album, written by Jason
Ralph’s Food and Drug, written by Alex (GG)
Realm of the Bird, written by Douglass Reese (NBR, GG)
Recoil, written by D.W. Dillon
Record Man, written by Sergio
Rehab!: A Contemporary Musical, written by Ryan and Zgamer
Relentless, written by Tony (NBR)
Reminiscence, written by Tony
Rivalry at 6 P.M., written by Patrick D. (O, F)
River City Blue, written by Ross (GG)
The Road, written by Brian Erickson
Rosie, written by Matt
Rush, written by Ross
Sandstorm, written by Al (O)
Scarttenow Junction, written by Pat (GG)
Sex Advice, written by Bryce
Sex in the Oval Office, written by Brett
Silence, written by James Somerton (GG)
Six Days in 67, written by Alfredo
Sixty Days, written by D.W. Dillon
Steamboat Disney, written by Daniel Crooke
The Sun King, written by Harry and Stefano
Sweet Black and Blue, written by D.W. Dillon
Tabula Rasa, written by Tony
Tavistock Place, written by Pat
Then, written by Ian (SAG)
Thoroughly Modern Millie, written by Michael (GG)
To Dwell in Evil, written by Tony
Trois Nouvelles, written by Daniel Crooke
Under Fire, written by Ryne
The Valley of Ashes, written by Zgamer (GG, F)
The Vampire Lestat, written by James Somerton
Wackos, written by Zgamer (GG)
Walden, written by Matt
The Wall, written by James Somerton (O)
Warner Girls, written by Anwar
Wicked (06), written by James Somerton
Wicked (07), written by Al (SAG)
Wildflower, written by Douglass Reese
The Winter Sun, written by Tony
The Wishbones, written by Chris M. (O, NBR, GG, SAG)
The World’s Longest Suicide, written by D.W. Dillon (O)
A Work of Fiction, written by Douglass Reese

Oscar June 2008 Prediction

2008-06-22T19:46:00.000-07:00

This is like my first post in a long while lol, but anyways I thought that I'd share my prediction for this month's Best Picture Prediction. I think when it comes down to it, it's going to be Relentless vs. The Wishbones. It seems baiters are starving for a good comedy to crown, and both are worthy contenders. Not to mention both have a tremendous amount of support, even TIE-ing at the NBR awards. Out of the two, I think Wishbones has more going for it, especially since Chris M. is overdue (But then again Tony should of had at least two BOTM titles under his belt). It's going to be interesting seeing what happens. I think the biggest competition that both baits will have to watch for is D.W's Break Before Bend. Also, The Poisonwood Bible is getting some great buzz as well. Then there's Pride of Baghdad. Could this bait that also is gaining a lot of support end up being the first animated bait to get a best picture nod? It's possible, and I'm crazy enough to bet money on it becoming a fact. Anyway, good luck to all in the coming awards.

Best Picture Prediction
The Wishbones***
Relentless
Break Before Bend
The Poisonwood Bible
Pride of Baghdad

I's! 10 Top 10 Lists!

2008-05-28T10:07:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, go on over to the forum in case you haven't heard. I am very excited and this should be a ton of fun!

Michael

May Igloo Winners!

2008-05-11T09:56:00.000-07:00

(Andrews Author Award and I! Excellent Award Have Been Added)

Best Picture
**Red Head**

(A Really Close One Guys): POZ

Best Director
**Stephen Frears, The Great Affair**

Runner Up: Stephen Daldry, Red Head

Best Actor
**Jeffrey Wright, POZ**

Runner Up: Mark Ruffalo, A Final Prayer

Best Actress
**Debra Messing, Red Head**

Runner Up: Catherine Zeta-Jones, The Great Affair

Best Supporting Actor
**Christopher Plummer, The Witch**

Runner Up: William H. Macy, POZ

Best Supporting Actress

**Marcia Gay Harden, A Final Prayer**

Runner Up: Chandra Wilson, POZ

Best Original Screenplay

**A Final Prayer**

Runner Up: Red Head

Best Adapted Screenplay

**Sunday in the Park With George**
Runner Up: Darwin Discovered

The Andrews Author Award

**Connor Campbell**

Best Ensemble

**POZ **

Best Performance of the Month

**The Ladies of Red Head**

(Olivia Thirlby, Debra Messing, and Debbie Reynolds)

The Dreamer Award
**Clive Owen/Catherine Zeta-Jones, The Great Affair**

The I! Excellence Award

**A Final Prayer**

The Sunshine Bait

**The Witch**

The I! Hall of Fame Inductee is..
**Tony**

You are always able to take the readers to a different world with your baits and you are one of the most consistent authors ever. You have so many outstanding baits and your career is one that will be hard to beat. Congratulations!

This May...

2008-05-10T08:41:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, It's been a really long time since there has been an update here on the blog, and I apologize for that, it's been a busy month and a half for me. This brings me to my next point which is I will not be releasing anything this month. I've scowered my brain and I don't think that there is anything I can really bring justice to in less than 14 hours. I was always puzzled as to what to do for the month of May and it finally took it's toll, so I'll stand by as an outsider and give a completely unbiased opinion.

That said, this month you can expect a lot more awards and possibly reviews, although reviews are not guarenteed. I'll be taking time to relax and hopefully release my most succesful bait yet "Spring Awakening" for the month of June. So later on today or tomorrow expect the Igloo Awards...

To Predict or Not to Predict

2008-03-22T17:04:00.000-07:00

This months precursors and Oscars have been all over the map compared to recent months, which makes writing for blogs and predictions quite difficult. With a number of prominent authors gone on vacation, there isn't much buzz circulating about any bait, which leaves a lot of the cateogories this month wide open.

So in just looking at this months SAG nominations, hopefully you'll see why this month has no clear frontrunner in any category.

-OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE-

Cher in Seven Days to the Weekend

Abbie Cornish in Mario Puzo's: The Family

Brenda Fricker in The Beauty Queen Of Leenane

Vanessa Redgrave in The Thirteenth Tale

Dominique Swain in Broken Pieces

Tilda Swinton in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

As far as past contests go, this is probably the most competitive this category has been for quite some time seeing as there are so many fantastical baited actress' in this category. Supporting Actress is actual quite consistent this month (save for Andrews/Fricker who both weren't on both the GG and SAG shortlist), I think there are still a few names you can rule out of winning at the awards shows. Dominique is unfortunately featured in the Joseph Gordon-Levitt show and will probably make the end 5, but will probably not rise to the top. Cornish is featured out of a cast of a ton of talented actors and will probably be overshadowed by bigger names in the category. Fricker will have the toughest time out of the 6 nominated to make it to the Oscars because she was left off the GG's shortlist. Andrews/Redgrave will duke it out for the nomination with Redgrave winning seeing as she has a more buzzed about/praised bait. Swinton and Cher are the only two locks IMO and I think that Swinton will probably come out on top at all the awards ceremonies.

Will Win: Tilda Swinton in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (SAG, GG, and Oscar)

-OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE-

Robert Englund in Springwood

James Franco in Judas Iscariot

John Malkovich in Secret Identity of The Heart

Armin Mueller-Stahl in The Hussein Room

Al Pacino in Mario Puzo's: The Family

Alex Pettyfer in Mario Puzo's: The Family

Much like the previous category, only 2 names differ between the two lists (Malkovich/Davies) and it will difficult for both of them to reach the Oscars this month, but I'm giving the edge to Malkovich. Also like the previous category is that The Family is represented highly once again, but I think just like in the last case, this will hurt the nominees and probably split the vote, unless Pacino rises to the top. ALSO just like the previous category is that it is a two horse race, this time between Mueller-Stahl and Franco. I think in the end the terriorst will win over Jesus though.

Will Win: Armin Mueller-Stahl in The Hussein Room (SAG, Oscar)

James Franco in Judas Iscariot (GG)

-OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE-

Laura Linney in Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Charlize Theron in I Want To Have Your Babies

Naomi Watts in Death Inside Her

Rachel Weisz in Condemnation

Kate Winslet in The Last Night

Best Actress is more of a wide open race then the past few months with no clear frontrunner(s) at all. While, Linney, Theron, and Watts all scored both SAG and GG nominations for their performances, Weisz came out of nowhere and scored one, while Winslet succeds here for The Last Night and not the more acclaimed performance in The Thirteenth Tale whereas she succeded for The Thirteeth Tale at the Golden Globes. I besides Weisz and Winslet, I think Linney is the farthest shot from winning simply because no one has been talking about her bait what so ever. Theron has a baity role, but I think in the end Watts will rise on top because her bait has the most buzz out of all the other nominees. However, I think it will be a shock when Theron ends up walking up to the podium at the Oscars.

Will Win: Naomi Watts in Death Inside Her (SAG and GG)

Charlize Theron in I Want to Have Your Babies (Oscar)

-OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE-

Casey Affleck in Only the Weak Survive

Jeremy Davies in Judas Iscariot

Michael Gambon in Mario Puzo's: The Family

Joseph Gorden Levitt in Broken Pieces

Mads Mikkelsen in The Secret Identity of the Heart

Like many of the other categories, only one name was did not show up on the Globes shortlist and here it was Affleck who was deserving of a nomination in both precursors. I think this will be a situation where the vote will split with the precursors but end up going with the SAG's. I'm predicting a Judas sweep at the Globes and Davies will be included, however, I think the SAG's will go with Gorden Levitt.

Will Win: Joseph Gorden Levitt in Broken Pieces (SAG and Oscar)

Jeremy Davies in Judas Iscariot (GG)

-OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY THE CAST OF A MOTION PICTURE-

Broken Pieces

A Call For Blood

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Mario Puzo's: The Family

The Secret Identity of the Heart

In this case, I'm going to predict Best Picture at the same time I predicting Cast of a Motion Picture which are kind of unrelated, but at the same time, not unrelated at all. I think in this case, what will win Best Picture at the Oscars isn't even nominated here, but I think what will win Cast of a Motion Picture is quite evident.

Will Win: Mario Puzo's: The Family (Screen Actors Guild- Ensemble)

Judas Iscariot (Golden Globe- Best Picture Drama)

The Hussein Room (Academy Awards- Best Picture)

March Igloo Winners!

2008-03-17T16:54:00.000-07:00

Note: I've decided that I will no longer announce nominees, just winners and runners up.

Best Picture

**Judas Iscariot**

Runner Up: The Hussein Room

Best Director

**Milos Forman, Judas Iscariot**

Runner Up: Stephen Frears, The Family

Best Actor

**Jeremey Davies, Judas Iscariot**

Runner Up: Owen Kline, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Best Actress

**Rachel McAdams, Springwood**

Runner Up: Marcia Gay Harden, Medea

Best Supporting Actor

**Armin Mueller-Stahl, The Hussein Room**

Runner Up: James Francos, Judas Iscariot

Best Supporting Actress

**Cher, Seven Days to Weekend**

Runner Up: Tilda Swinton, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Best Original Screenplay

**Springwood**

Runner Up: Death Inside Her

Best Adapted Screenplay

**The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time**

Runner Up: Medea

The Andrews Author Award

**Brian (AZ)**

Runner Up: Evan (NY)

Best Ensemble

**The Hussein Room**

Runner Up: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Best Performance of the Month

**Cher, Seven Days to Weekend**

The Dreamer Award

**Marcia Gay Harden, Medea**

The I! Excellence Award

**The Hussein Room**

The Sunshine Bait

**The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time**

The I! Hall of Fame Inductee is..

James Somerton

who is the most innovative author on the site and makes anything he touches better. He wrote 3 great baits this month that will live forever along with his other classics. Congratulations James!

Spring Break & the March Oscars

2008-03-17T15:21:00.000-07:00

NOTE: With Spring Break being this week, at least for me, there will be a lot of updates on the blog during the next few days so always stay tuned.

This months Oscars may possibly be some of the most competitive yet because of the number of strong baits duking it out to be in this months top 5. Although, I'm going to say right up front, this will be the most unpredictable Oscars yet.

Why? Because with everyone being away on Spring Break (or so I guess) there has been the possible littlest turnout EVER for the nomination ballots at the Golden Globes, National Board of Review, and the Screen Actors Guild awards. Particularly the Golden Globes, where only 3 ballots have been turned in. I for one, believe that the GG's are the best precursor to predict Oscar wins, but rest assured that this month there will be a vast difference.

This is because the nominations will likely be all over the place seeing as there are only 3 ballots which will be extremely different. Also, at least for me, this month it was more about picking the baits that were the lesser of 2 evils. This month was really weak IMO and will probably go down in history as one of the weakest as well. Many baits are just okay which in a weak month leads them to "outstanding" reviews.

Just look at all the big 8's that have been posted on the fourm, there is almost no bait that is on every list. It's because of this that many baits, will likely be forgotten in the Best Picture race this month. The Musical/Comedy category is probably the weakest since September of '07 (no offense to any winners) with no really strong baits coming out in that genre, making me regret not sending another musical or comedy in this month.

Back to the Spring Break issue, there are so many people not active on the forums/blogs, that no one is really predicting anything this month. Chris' normal Big 8/Technical Awards hasn't been announced this month, and Pat's blog has been dead since January (anybody know where he is?). Douglas' blog is blooming however, but I hesitate trusting it too much seeing as he hasn't won BOTM yet (I still love the blog Douglas, keep the great stuff going. I check it daily!).

I don't know if this is just because of Spring Break or what, but I hope this isn't the downfall of the contest or anything. So everybody, come out and make nomination ballots for the precursors because I think it's starting to become a thing we take for granted.

Make sure and leave comments and check back for further predictions and posts!

February Igloo Winners!

2008-02-15T18:54:00.000-08:00

Best Picture
**Cobra**
Forlorn
Hillview
Realm of the Bird
Spanish Fields

Best Director
Woody Allen, Fruit of the Poison Tree
Joel and Ethan Coen, Confessions of an Economic Hitman
Jonathan Davis and Valerie Faris, Hillview
**Paul Thomas Anderson, Realm of the Bird**
Gus Van Sant, Cobra

Best Actor
Wes Bentley, Spanish Fields
Zac Efron, Cobra
**Edward Norton, Forlorn**
Al Pacino, Fruit of the Poison Tree
Sean Penn, The Judgement

Best Actress
Maria Bello, The Almost Moon
Helena Bonham Carter, Revenant Dreams
Rosario Dawson, Cassidy Blake
**Samantha Morton, Realm of the Bird**
Mena Suvari, The Lakecliff Scandal

Best Supporting Actor
George Clooney, Confessions of an Economic Hitman
Daniel Day-Lewis, Rapture
**John Malkovich, Forlorn**
Marc Wahlberg, Cobra
Fred Willard, A Unanimous Verdict

Best Supporting Actress
Adrianna Barazza, Spanish Fields
Beth Grant, Forlorn
Felicity Huffman, Cobra
**Michelle Pfeiffier, Hillview**
Miranda Richardson, The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher

Best Original Screenplay
Cassidy Blake
Cobra
Forlorn
**Hillview**
Realm of the Bird

Best Adapted Screenplay
The Almost Moon
Bag of Bones
**Confessions of an Economic Hitman**
The Mousetrap
Rapture

The Andrews Author Award
Bryce and Zgamer, Rapture
Douglas Reese, Realm of the Bird
D.W., Forlorn
**James Somerton, Cobra**
Tony, Hillview
Ryan, Fruit of the Poison Tree

Best Ensemble
**Cobra**
Forlorn
Hillview
Realm of the Bird
A Unanimous Verdict

Best Performance of the Month

**Michelle Pheiffer, Hillview**

The Dreamer Award
**Sean Penn, The Judgement**

The I! Excellence Award
**Realm of the Bird**

The Sunshine Bait
**Forlorn**

The I! Hall of Fame Inductee is...

D.W.

who is always extremely consistent with his work and have written many of the best baits on the site. Congratulations D.W.!

I!'s February Igloo Nominations

2008-02-12T16:01:00.000-08:00

Best Picture

Cobra

Forlorn

Hillview

Realm of the Bird

Spanish Fields

Best Director

Woody Allen, Fruit of the Poison Tree

Joel and Ethan Coen, Confessions of an Economic Hitman

Jonathan Davis and Valerie Faris, Hillview

Paul Thomas Anderson, Realm of the Bird

Gus Van Sant, Cobra

Best Actor

Wes Bentley, Spanish Fields

Zac Efron, Cobra

Edward Norton, Forlorn

Al Pacino, Fruit of the Poison Tree

Sean Penn, The Judgement

Best Actress

Maria Bello, The Almost Moon

Helena Bonham Carter, Revenant Dreams

Rosario Dawson, Cassidy Blake

Samantha Morton, Realm of the Bird

Mena Suvari, The Lakecliff Scandal

Best Supporting Actor

George Clooney, Confessions of an Economic Hitman

Daniel Day-Lewis, Rapture

John Malkovich, Forlorn

Marc Wahlberg, Cobra

Fred Willard, A Unanimous Verdict

Best Supporting Actress

Adrianna Barazza, Spanish Fields

Beth Grant, Forlorn

Felicity Huffman, Cobra

Michelle Pfeiffier, Hillview

Miranda Richardson, The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher

Best Original Screenplay

Cassidy Blake

Cobra

Forlorn

Hillview

Realm of the Bird

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Almost Moon

Bag of Bones

Confessions of an Economic Hitman

The Mousetrap

Rapture

The Andrews Author Award

Bryce and Zgamer, Rapture

Douglas Reese, Realm of the Bird

D.W., Forlorn

James Somerton, Cobra

Tony, Hillview

Ryan, Fruit of the Poison Tree

Best Ensemble

Cobra

Forlorn

Hillview

Realm of the Bird

A Unanimous Verdict

::All of the Following Awards Will Be Announced With the Winners::

Best Performance of the Month

The Dreamer Award

(For the Performer who deserves to win awards, but probably won't)

The I! Excellence Award

(Most Destined to Become a Classic)

The Sunshine Bait

(Bait with the Best Feel)

The I! Hall of Fame

(Can be awarded to anything or one assosiated with the contest)

Looking at February Contest: Before It Even Starts

2008-02-07T16:02:00.000-08:00

What is this month going to be like? Well, the speculation has already started, once it was announced that the contest selection was a tremedous 25 baits. As Bryce previously stated, the big contenders seem to be coming from baiters that haven't had much of the spotlight lately, and I'm here to say, that don't forget about our veterns, but there'll be a few newbies too...

The Newbies

Jeffrey's "Revenant Dreams"- This little bait has been coming out on a lot of people's list and all we can do is wait for the festival nominations to see if it will pay off. There's one problem, will the quality be able to withstand authors that campaign their baits and are prominent on the forums?

Patrick D's "A Statistic"- This may be a stupid question, but is this the same Patrick from "Rivalry at 6 PM" fame? If so, I have no doubt that this will be absolute quality, but we'll have to wait to see what the hype is about.

George's "The Man and the Window"- Sounds interesting and comes from an up and coming author, I think this has great potential, but only time will tell. I have a feeling this may not need as strong a campaign as others, but will the buzz last?

AJ's "From Ritz to Rubble"- This bait is definately going to be all over the forums, but will it help it or hurt it? There's a balance that needs to be met involving quality, right amount of exposure, and buzz. One of the riskier baits of the month.

The Spoliers

Douglas Reese's "Realm of the Bird"- Much like AJ's bait, it's really risky, but I think this will probably has a better balance of what I talked about with AJ's. If if can be strong and not keep people guessing, expect this one to pick up steam quick.

Zgamer/Bryce's "Rapture"- Could this be the next BOTM? Team baits are definately in, and Z has yet to be rewarded for his usually top-notch Video Game Adaptations. I think it has a lot going for it, but I have a feeling the people who feel that we should all be doing baity subjects may not vote for it.

Evan's "The Cloud Chamber"- Having read the bait in development, this could be as big, if not bigger than his past best "A Corner of the Universe". If the kinks are worked out and the balance that is needed is there, look for it to be a contender.

Ryan's "Fruit of the Poison Tree"- Like a lot of other baits this month, it's risky, and also having read it during it's development, it also had a few kinks to work out. If it can stay on the voters minds, and fufil's the potential it had, it has the poise to be a Best Picture winner.

A-Listers

D.W.'s "Forlorn"- Similar to the past two, I have also read this, except it was the final draft. It has a lot of Edgar Allan Poe overtones (which I LOVED) and is really a bait to lookout for. Having his A-List status usually means that D.W. doesn't really need to campaign to have his bait remebered, but with a little extra push I have not doubt this can crack the top 5.

Tony's "Hillview"- Just looking at the posters and short synopsis for this bait, it has to be my most anticapted bait of the month. Knowing the campaigns the yet to win BOTM author usually brings out, I think this will the bait to beat for the month.
(Extra Bonus: It features my best girl, Michelle Pheiffer)

Pat's "Cassidy Blake"- Pat is probably the biggest author in the contest, and this lastest bait, directed by Quentin (need I mention his last name), sounds like it could be a great, or absolute crap. Based on the buzz right now, it seems to be the latter. Nevertheless, expect this to be a solid bait, despite the buzz level.

James Somerton's "COBRA"- James only had modest success the past few months, but I'm going with the crowd who says this will put him back on top. However, it has to overcome the risky casting of Zac Efron in the lead role.

Here are my current predictions...

Others in Contentions:
Rapture
Fruit of the Poison Tree
A Statistic
The Man and the Window

Contrary to what some are saying, I think this month will be a lot of bigger profile authors recieving much of the acclaim, but I think this month's crop of Newbies, is one of the best we've had in a while. Making this February, one of the most interesting to come...

Note: There are many more baits with buzz, but I didn't feel they fit the subject of the article.

Pssst....Who's the New Guy?

2008-02-06T22:38:00.000-08:00

In the past few months most of the bait of the month winners have been people who were overdue (harry and Chris P.) or past time winners (zGamer and Pat), but when was the last time a new guy came and returned a kick to score a touchdown? (It's a metaphor for bait of the month and woot! Giants!) Well no need to try and remember because this month will probably be the month a new guy wins bait of the month. Why you ask? Well after reading this month's festival baits (25 baits! That was a workout) these new guys are going to rock the hell out of febuary, and there looking for blood. Let me start by saying that I was very impressed with this batch of festival baits and February will be a great month. These new guys however, they have some impressive baits. Among them is Jeffrey's "Revenant Dreams", Patrick D's "A Statistic", George's "The Man and the Window", and AJ's "From Ritz to Rubble". But let's not forget the kings of oscar igloo. James Somerton's "Cobra" is amazing, along with D.W.'s "Forlorn", and Michael is back with "Mame". There are alot more great baits I didn't get the chance to mention but I predict February is going to be one hell of a ride (especially for predicting)

My Future Musical Baits

2008-01-28T16:13:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, I was in the process of looking at musicals to adapt the contest and was looking for input, if you could please comment, that would be great! Also, just to let you guys know, I have decided to release an adapted Broadway musical every other month so these projects will likely fall under that category, unless it says otherwise.

Mame- Based on the musical of the same name, this will be released next month. Cast: Bernadette Peters, Megan Mullally, Angela Lansbury, and Richard Gere. Development Stage: Post-production. Preview copies are about to be mailed.
Gypsy- With a completely different cast and crew than the April 2007 version, I am more excited about this project than any pervious one. Cast: Bernadette Peters, Victor Garber, Brittany Snow, Kristen Bell, and Curtis Holbrook. Development Stage: In the process of finalizing crew, writing synopsis/review.
Spring Awakening- This project has been resurrected after some new ideas in cast/crew. Development Stage: Currently considering cast members, and researching the musical.
Les Miserables- After a long wait in the forums and in Hollywood, the groundbreaking musical will now come to the big screen. Development Stage: Alan Parker has signed on to direct and possibly adapt the story, but no other people have been selected for cast/crew.
Buddy! : The Buddy Holly Story- Based on the short-lived broadway musical of the same name. Cast: John Lloyd Young, Curtis Holbrook, and Tyler Hilton. Development Stage: Looking for more cast members, crew, and synopsis is underway. (This project will not likely count under the 2 month rule)

Other projects just starting production: Company, The Drowsy Chaperone, Curtains, The Pajama Game, Sweet Charity, The Apple Tree, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, The Boy From Oz and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

Please comment!

My Thoughts: Oscar Predictions

2008-01-27T15:54:00.000-08:00

Ok, first off, I am so grateful that I recieved a personal best, 11 Oscar nominations, it means so much to me and even more that I am a part of the Editor's Top 5, and also recieved a Best Picture nomination. However, I will leave my nominations out of the predictions...

Best Online Awards Campaign
The Bluest Eye
A Corner of the Universe
Killer Queen
Magic Lantern
Monsieur Verdoux
WeekEnd

Will Win: A Corner of the Universe
Should Win: Magic Lantern

Best Title
Angels Weep in Pakistan
Blood Harmony
Death Whispered a Lullaby
Kubrick Unfinished
A Life of Death
Primary Concerns

Will Win: Primary Concerns
Should Win: Primary Concerns

Best Box-Office Potential
Brooks and Kane
Finding Death
A Life of Death
Primary Concerns
TENTPOLE!

Will Win: Brooks and Kane
Should Win: Finding Death

Best Cult Bait
Between the Line of Life and Death
Kubrick Unfinished
Monsieur Verdoux
Problem Solver
The Trial of Alice Adams

Will Win: Monsieur Verdoux
Should Win: Between the Line of Life and Death

Most Original Bait
Angels Weep in Pakistan
Brooks and Kane
Between the Line of Life and Death
Masterpiece
Problem Solver

Will Win: Brooks and Kane
Should Win: Masterpiece

Most Original Character
Terrence Washington, played by Brandon Mychal Smith, in Between the Line of Life and Death
Shinigami, played by Gary Oldman, in Finding Death
William Lynx, played by Trevor Morgan, in Problem Solver
Janet Pascal, played by Sigourney Weaver, in TENTPOLE!
Rudolph Adams, played by Matt Damon, in The Trial of Alice Adams

Will Win: Janet Pascal/Sigourney Weaver/TENTPOLE!
Should Win: Shinigami/Gary Oldman/Finding Death

Best Cast
Between the Line of Life and Death
The Bluest Eye
Finding Death
Masterpiece
Their Grace

Will Win: The Bluest Eye
Should Win: Masterpiece

Best Casting Choice
Terry O'Quinn as Roger Starx in Death Whispered a Lullaby
Casey Affleck as Freddie Mercury in Killer Queen
Paul Dano as Mark Bristan in Masterpiece
Cate Blanchett as Annabbela Bonheur in Monsieur Verdoux
Nick Stahl as Bob McCoy in WeekEnd

Will Win: Paul Dano/Mark Bristan/Masterpiece
Should Win: Paul Dano/Mark Bristan/Masterpiece

Best Crew
All Quiet on the Western Front
The Bluest Eye
The Elusive Flame
Magic Lantern
Monsieur Verdoux
Pine Terrace

Will Win: Magic Lantern
Should Win: Magic Lantern

Best Tagline
"Color Meant Everything" - The Bluest Eye
"Keep your eyes wide open"- Kubrick Unfinished
"How can one live when all there is around them is death?"- A Life of Death
"The greatest beauty is the thing that you’ll never find"- Masterpiece
"They want the most important job in the world. He’s here to tell you why they shouldn’t get it"- Primary Concerns

Will Win: Kubrick Unfinished
Should Win: Masterpiece

Best Poster
Death Whispered a Lullaby
Kubrick Unfinished
Magic Lantern
(Where's The Dark Tower?)

Will Win: Death Whispered a Lullaby
Should Win: Death Whispered a Lullaby

Best Author
Oustanding Achievement on Writing and Creativity
Chris Perkins & D.W. Dillon (The Bluest Eye)
Evan D. (A Corner of the Universe)
Harry (Magic Lantern)
Michael (A Life of Death)
Pat (Masterpiece)
Zgamer (Brooks and Kane)

Will Win: Harry
Should Win: Harry

Best Plot/Synopsis
Between the Line of Life and Death
The Bluest Eye
Brooks and Kane
A Life of Death
Magic Lantern
Masterpiece

Will Win: Magic Lantern
Should Win: Magic Lantern/Masterpiece

Best Awards Campaign
The Bluest Eye
Finding Death
A Life of Death
Magic Lantern
Masterpiece
Their Grace

Will Win: Finding Death
Should Win: Masterpiece

::The Big 8 Awards::

Best Director
Bernardo Bertolucci, Magic Lantern
Tim Burton, A Life of Death
Terry George, Death Whispered a Lullaby
Carl Franklin, The Bluest Eye
Stephen Frears, Kubrick Unfinished

Will Win: Carl Franklin, The Bluest Eye
Should Win: Bernardo Bertolucci, Magic Lantern

Best Actor
Don Cheadle, The Bluest Eye
James Marsden, Brooks and Kane
Viggo Mortensen, The Dark Tower
Brad Pitt, Finding Death
Stellan Skarsgård, Magic Lantern
Max Von Sydow, Masterpiece

Will Win: Viggo Mortensen, The Dark Tower
Should Win: Stellan Skarsgard, Magic Lantern

Best Actress
Kate Hudson, Angels Weep in Pakistan
Keke Palmer, The Bluest Eye
Anna Sophia Robb, A Corner of the Universe
Sigourney Weaver, TENTPOLE!
Michelle Williams, Their Grace

Will Win: Michelle Williams, Their Grace
Should Win: Michelle Williams, Their Grace

Best Supporting Actor
Paul Dano, Masterpiece
Frank Langella, Their Grace
Philip Seymour Hoffman, All Quiet on the Western Front
Gary Oldman, Finding Death
Terry O'Quinn, Death Whispered a Lullaby

Will Win: Paul Dano, Masterpiece
Should Win: Terry O'Quinn, Death Whispered a Lullaby

Best Supporting Actress
Lauren Bacall, Masterpiece
Julie Delpy, Magic Lantern
Catherine Keener, Kubrick Unfinished
Frances McDormand, Their Grace
Maggie Smith, A Life of Death

Will Win: Lauren Bacall, Mastepiece
Should Win: Julie Deply, Magic Lantern

Best Original Screenplay
Between the Line of Life and Death
Brooks and Kane
Finding Death
Kubrick Unfinished
A Life of Death
Masterpiece

Will Win: Masterpiece
Should Win: Brooks and Kane

Best Adapted Screenplay
All Quiet on the Western Front
The Bluest Eye
A Corner Of The Universe
The Dark Tower
Magic Lantern
Their Grace

Will Win: The Bluest Eye
Should Win: Magic Lantern

Best Picture
The Bluest Eye
Brooks and Kane
A Life of Death
Magic Lantern
Masterpiece

Will Win: Magic Latern
Should Win: Magic Latern

Win Totals
Magic Lantern- 4
Masterpiece- 4
The Bluest Eye- 3
Brooks and Kane- 2
A Corner of the Universe- 1
The Dark Tower- 1
Death Whispered by Lullaby- 1
Finding Death- 1
Kubrick Unfinished- 1
Monsieur Verdoux- 1
Primary Concerns-1
Tentpole- 1
Their Grace- 1

My Thoughts: The January Oscars

2008-01-24T15:34:00.000-08:00

Well, I have to say, that much like this years realy Oscars, everything has been all over the map and for the most part, unpredictable. I think to many people's surprise this month in the contest, it will be the same exact way....

THE BEST PICTURE RACE

The main race that I feel is all over the map. Magic Latern I feel is probably the onle safe bet to get a nomination, and I actually think it deserves and will win the big prize. However, the other four nominations could go to a lot of other baits, but I think this will be the lineup...

The Bluest Eye
Finding Death
Magic Latern
Masterpiece
Their Grace

I think the two biggest surprises will be Brooks and Kane being ignored and The Bluest Eye sneaking in a nomination.

THE ACTING CATEGORIES

Unlike previous months, I think none of the acting categories this month have frontrunners with many of the awards between as many as 3 actors/actresses. I think these are the frontrunners in the categories though...

Best Actor
Viggo Mortensen, The Dark Tower
Brad Pitt, Finding Death
Stellan Skarsgard, Magic Latern

Best Actress
Kate Hudson, Angels Weep in Pakistan
Sigourney Weaver, Tentpole!
Michelle Williams, Their Grace

Best Supporting Actor
Paul Dano, Masterpiece
Tim Robbins, Angels Weep in Pakistan

Best Supporting Actress
Julie Deply, Magic Latern
Frances McDormand, Their Grace

THE BEST DIRECTOR RACE

I think many of the director nominations this month will come from fantastic choices and from the Best Picture nominees, so no vehicles for Directors will get nominated.

Bernardo Bertollucci, Magic Latern
Carl Franklin, The Bluest Eye
Marc Forster, Masterpiece
David Lynch, The Dark Tower
Mike Nichols, Brooks and Kane

Thoughts?

My Thoughts: Reviewing the January Crop

2008-01-14T17:01:00.000-08:00

All's Quiet on the Western Front- Crew is a bit to safe for me and I don't really see the point in the remake. Frankly it's kind of boring and I think some editing was required. C-

Angels Weep in Pakistan- Wow, this is a really great bait. It's written in an odd, but I forgive you because this is one of your first baits. I don't see Sophia doing this movie, but Hudson and Keaton are perfect choices and I am definately putting them on my ballot. Some of the casting is questionable (Robbins), but still it's incredibly baity. Really great. A-

Between the Line of Life and Death- It's gotten better since I first read it, but it's just not as good as it could be. Clooney in the crew is kind of off for me, but I just am disappointed that it isn't what it could have been. B-

Blood Harmony- Not much of a story, but I think you went right with the casting of Murphy and Paltrow. The bait also needed to have more substance and with that it needed more length. Not a bad concept just needed better execution. C-

The Bluest Eye- Hmm, the writing style is a bit wierd and you go from talking normally to all of the sudden talking in a hick style. It also sounds a bit wierd in general, but some of your casting is nice. The crew isn't bad, but it was lacking something special. B-

Brooks and Kane- I love Sara Ramerez's character and it's great for her (and I can't believe you aren't campaigning her), but it just feels a little to "fit for the stage not film" to me. Nice director choice, but there is just something missing. It's good, but not great like it could be. B

A Corner of the Universe-It's ok, but it seems more like a feel good family film than Oscar bait. I'm glad you cast AnnaSophia Robb and not another big name little actress, but I don't feel that Gosling is right for the part. C

The Dark Tower- I like your story and I like the offbeat cast, but I don't think there is anything to really reward, save for the poster, I think that is my only problem, is that I don't know how to praise it which is a major problem. B

Death Whispered by a Lullaby- Not bad at all. I definately see nominations for Casey and Quinn on my ballot. My only problem is the story starts of really interesting then starts to fade off towards the end. Otherwise, it's a great bait. B+

The Elusive Flame- Ehh, it's not that great, but its not terrible either. Neal is a great choice and has a spot in my Top 5, but no one else. There's just not much to say about the bait which is a problem. C+

Finding Death- Absolutely wonderful. A little weary on the director choice, but I think everything else fits. It's an easy read, great choices in casting and a gripping story. One of the best baits so far this month and my favorite of any bait you've ever written. A-

Killer Queen- I like the idea, but the casting of Affleck worries me because I don't know if he has musical abilities or not. Still, it's a nice idea, but it's been done before. C

Kubrick Unfinished- Ehh, it's a nice idea, but a bloated cast and synopsis IMO. Some of your choices are nice, but I don't really see this film being made. It's a nice idea, just executed the wrong way. C

Magic Latern- Wow, this is at the top of the list now. Harry, congratulations you have created magic like Bergman did. It's great, the writing is unique, but not so unique it distracts from the expierence and the casting is great. The crew is nice and it has full Oscar potential. Excellent work! A

Masterpiece- Really great. It's an easy read, emotional, and perfectly written/casted, but I feel like we've seen it before. None the less, it's really great, Forster seems a bit off at first, but really grew on me. Not to shabby, a great follow up to The Killer Eagles. A-

Monsieur Verdoux- Nighy is great casting, but the cast is bloated and it needed more substance. Still, Nighy is the best thing about the bait and there is room on my ballot for him. B

Pine Terrace- Let me say, this starts off really great, but after the murder I wanted a little thing that said the police got involved or soemthing blah blah blah, but not anything to detailed. That kind of ruined it, but otherwise, it was good. Dafoe would be fantastic. B

Primary Concerns- Wow, I really like the title, but that's about it. It's a good groundbreaker for a genre that will never take off. C+

Problem Solver- Way to long and not very good. A definate step down for you Douglas, and I don't really have anything else to say because I feel with all the length there wasn't much depth. C-

Tentpole- Well, this is definately not the right feel for an Apatow film and it is a bit long, however the concoction of the film is quite funny. Then again, I think in going for an Oscar bait, you end up with what your film was searching for the perfect summer popcorn movie. B-

The Trial of Alice Adams- A lot like Dear, Andrea in the case, but just too long and uninteresting. Some of the casting is nice though, but just not very good. Nice for a first bait though. C

Thier Grace- Not bad, and a nice vehicle for Williams, but just not quite where it should be. Still, I don't doubt that it will be a major success, I just think it's missing something. B-

WeekEnd- Really heavy and the right material for both Winslet and Field. Reilly is an okay choice, but I feel like it should have been someone with more chops. It's good, but not amazing like it definately could be. B

Bryce's The Non-spontaneous 2008 baits

2008-01-06T21:17:00.000-08:00

Well 2008 is here, and I'm joining the bandwagon and posting my planned baits for 2008. I entitled it "Non-spontaneous" because about 90% of my baits were spontaneous baits and never been pre-planned. This year I'm going to have more planned baits because a) They usually result in better success, and b) They are usually more challenging, and as a writer I try to challenge myself. Anyway, Here are my list of planned baits, and also I'd like to wish everyone good luck in the coming 2008 year, the bait of the year competition, and the January competition. Good luck to all!

zGamer/Bryce Video Game Bait
I'm not sure if I'm allowed to annouce what it is yet, but I think it's shaping up to be a great bait. The last video game bait we did together was Knights of the Old Republic, which I felt met success. although I can't reveal too much, I will say the subject matter is much more baity than kotor. I'm sure more will be revealed in the coming months since it will be coming out in February.
Expected Release: February

Middlesex
Based on the popular book this is sure to be a bit controversial when it's released. this will also be one of my most challenging baits. I haven't adapted a book since "Gathering Blue" but adapting this book is proving to be harder than Gathering blue or The Giver. The story centers around an intersexed individual and his experience of growing up in Detroit, and also gives background to his unique family history. It's really to hard to describe the story in a quick sentence, so expect more on the story later in the year. And when I say later, I mean LATER, because I don't expect this bait to be done until hopefully June (Unless I get more time on my hands, and more motivation).
Expected Release: June

Kenpachi
This will be more first foreign-language bait. It's a japenese tale of a Samurai who goes on a journey to kill every Samurai Master in Feudal Japan in an attempt to find the true meaning of his life. It's suppose to be an Akira Kurosawa homage flick, and I'm excited about the project. Right now i'm torn between casting a japenese director, or getting one of Akira's self-proclaimed fans to direct it (like Steven Spielberg or Francis Ford Coppola). If we can submit two baits in February this will probably be released then, otherwise it will be my march bait.
Expected Release: February/March

The Long Halloween
Yea you guessed it, I'm talking about the popular batman graphic novel. However, I'm just gonna do what D.W. did with Mad Love (07) and just adapt it into a detective story. This is one of my favorite graphic novel (right under Watchmen) so I'm excited about adapting it. More on the story when it comes out which should be in April.
Expected Release: April

Untitled Personal Bait
It seems like everyone's doing a personal bait these days, so I decided I'm going to write one as well. Not sure what story I think the hardest part will be trying to translate my conflicts into seeming like valid conflicts. It's not that there petty or anything like that (trust me) It's just that one person's major conflicts in life can be seen as not a big deal by another. I'm not afraid of people criticizing my life (lol) but it will be hard to try and translate my own life into a bait (even though some things will have to exaggerated or toned down a bit). It should be interesting and it should be challenging. I don't know exactly when this will come out, but I think people will know it's a personal bait when it is out. It will just feel different from my other baits.
Expected Release: Undetermined

Also in the coming month I will be releasing "Finding Death" a story about corrupted politics, and a brother chasing after his brother's killer. Also I want to thank all those who participated in the festival. The baits are looking good, and I would also like to thank the panelist for joining.

Anyways good luck to all, and feel free to post some of your planned 2008 baits as well.

Looking for Oscar Gold: After the Precursor Nominations...

2007-12-19T14:32:00.000-08:00

Now that all of the precursors have announced their nominatinons it's time to reevaluate the candidates in the best picture race...

Booth- The ensemble nomination at the SAG's boosts it a lot which is really helpful because it was needing something big and I think that may be big enough to boost it into the Top 5.

Day of the Jackal- No ensemble nomination hurts the bait extremely, but still it's pretty much the Daniel Craig show, so it's not really surprising it didn't get in. However, if Daniel Craig is upset, it can kiss it's chances goodbye.

The Devil in Austria- No nomination for Daniel Craig kind of surprises me, but I think this one is completely out of the race.

The Gift of Life- The ensemble nomination helps it a lot and a win would be fantastic, but I think it will come up empty handed. Still, it has a lot of authors behind it, they just aren't BOTM winners.

Into the Woods- The ensemble nomination helps it a great deal and puts it in a category with 4 other top baits, but something tells me that a Best Picture nomination or any win at the SAG's won't happen.

The Killer Eagles- Getting a nomination in every category is something that hardly any bait has accomplished which only boosts the powerhouse. It is by far the safest bet, and the official frontrunner too.

Norjak- 3 nominations isn't bad including the much needed Ensemble nomination. It's still not in the spotlight, but I think an major upset at the Globes or the SAG's will happen and it will slide into the Top 5.

The Playground Factory- No ensemble nomination kind of surprises me, but it will need to win both it's categories to stay in the race, and I don't think it will happen.

Reminiscence- The ensemble nomination surprises me and the amount of nominations it recieved surprises me too. If it sweeps the SAG's expect it to recieve a Best Picture nomination and a possible upset win over The Killer Eagles.

My Predicted Top 5
Booth
Day of the Jackal
The Killer Eagles
Norjak
Reminiscence
Spoiler Alert: The Gift of Life

My Predictions for the Oscar Big 8 Winners (As of Today)

Best Picture
The Killer Eagles- The only thing hurting it is the hesitation of crowning Pat for the 3rd time.

Best Director
Todd Field, The Gift of Life- I think this is the category where voters will reward the bait

Best Actor
Daniel Craig, Day of the Jackal- The not so secure front-runner in a very strong category.

Best Actress
Cate Blanchett, The Killer Eagles- She is kind of shaky, there are many contenders right behind her.

Best Supporting Actor
Djimon Hounsou, The Playground Factory- This is were the bait will be rewarded.

Best Supporting Actress
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, The Killer Eagles- This could change at any moment.

Best Original Screenplay
Reminiscene- A strong bait will be rewarded in this category.

Best Adapted Screenplay
Aida- Upsets this category with a surprise win.

My December 2007 SAG Predictions

2007-12-19T13:41:00.000-08:00

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Amy Adams for Into the Woods
Lorraine Bracco for The Playground Factory
Taraji P. Henson for Silent Running
Virginie Ledoyen for Reminiscence
***Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio for The Killer Eagles***

Will Win: Mary Elizabeth Mastranio for The Killer Eagles
Should Win: Elizabeth Mastranio for The Killer Eagles
Spoiler Alert: Lorraine Bracco for The Playground Factory

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Paul Bettany for Reminiscence
Jeff Bridges for The Killer Eagles
George Clooney for Norjak
***Djimon Hounsou for The Playground Factory***
Hugh Jackman for Into the Woods

Will Win: Djimon Hounson for The Playground Factory
Should Win: Jeff Bridges for The Killer Eagles
Spoiler Alert: Jeff Bridges for The Killer Eagles

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
***Cate Blanchett for The Killer Eagles***
Sharon Leal for Aida
Susan Sarandon for The Gift of Life
Meryl Streep for Through the Monsoon
Lisa Tucker for The Coldest Winter Ever

Will Win: Cate Blanchett for The Killer Eagles
Should Win: Cate Blanchett for The Killer Eagles
Spoiler Alert: Sharon Leal for Aida or Susan Sarandon for The Gift of Life

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Paddy Considine for Reminiscence
***Daniel Craig for Day of the Jackal***
Clint Eastwood for The Killer Eagles
Ben Foster for Booth
Nick Nolte for Norjak

Will Win: Daniel Craig for Day of the Jackal
Should Win: Daniel Craig for Day of the Jackal
Spoiler Alert: Ben Foster for Booth

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY THE CAST OF A MOTION PICTURE
Booth
Into the Woods
***The Killer Eagles***
Norjak
Reminiscence

Will Win: The Cast of The Killer Eagles
Should Win: The Cast of The Killer Eagles
Spoiler Alert: The Cast of Norjak

Best Picture update coming soon!

My December 2007 Golden Globes Predictions

2007-12-18T14:18:00.001-08:00

The nominations for the Golden Globes this month came with a few surprises, and I think the winners will come with a few surprises too.

(Not including Into the Woods, my bait)

Best Screenplay
Booth
***Day of the Jackal***
The Gift of Life
The Killer Eagles
Norjak
Reminiscence

Will Win: Day of the Jackal
Should Win: The Killer Eagles
Spoiler Alert: The Killer Eagles

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, Into the Woods
Lorraine Bracco, The Playground Factory
Taraji O. Henson, Silent Running
Virginie Ledoyen, Reminiscence
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, The Killer Eagles
***Patricia Neal, Norjak***
Hilary Swank, The Gift of Life

Will Win: Patricia Neal, Norjak
Should Win: Hilary Swank, The Gift of Life
Spoiler Alert: Hilary Swank, The Gift of Life

Best Supporting Actor
Kevin Bacon, The Killer Eagles
Paul Bettany, Reminiscence
***Jeff Bridges, The Killer Eagles***
George Clooney, Norjak
Djimon Hounsou, The Playground Factory
Hugh Jackman, Into the Woods

Will Win: Jeff Bridges, The Killer Eagles
Should Win: Paul Bettany, Reminiscence
Spolier Alert: Djimon Hounsou, The Playground Factory

Best Director
Martin Campbell, Day of the Jackal
***Clint Eastwood, The Killer Eagles***
Todd Field, The Gift of Life
Mel Gibson, Reminiscence
Rob Marshall, Into the Woods
Bryan Singer, Norjak

Will Win: Clint Eastwood, The Killer Eagles
Should Win: Martin Campbell, Day of the Jackal
Spoiler Alert: Todd Field, The Gift of Life

Best Actress (Comedy/Musical)
***Sharon Leal, Aida***
Patti Lupone, Songs for a New World
Michelle Pfeiffer, Follies
Meryl Streep, Follies
Renee Zellweger, Into the Woods

Will Win: Sharon Leal, Aida
Should Win: Sharon Leal, Aida
Spolier Alert: Michelle Pfefiffer, Follies

Best Actor Comedy/Musical
Alec Baldwin, Silent Running
Matthew Broderick, Into the Woods
***Victor Garber, Follies***
Johnathan Rhys Meyers, Aida
Kevin Spacey, Follies

Will Win: Victor Garber, Follies
Should Win: Victor Garber, Follies
Spoiler Alert: Alec Baldwin, Silent Running

Best Actress Drama
Amy Adams, Through the Monsoon
***Cate Blanchett, The Killer Eagles***
Lisa Tucker, The Coldest Winter Ever
Susan Sarandon, The Gift of Life
Meryl Streep, Through the Monsoon

Will Win: Cate Blanchett, The Killer Eagles
Should Win: Cate Blanchett, The Killer Eagles
Spolier Alert: Susan Sarandon, The Gift of Life

Best Actor Drama
***Daniel Craig, Day of the Jackal***
Clint Eastwood, The Killer Eagles
Ben Foster, Booth
Nick Nolte, Norjak
Stellan Skarsgard, The Playground Factory

Will Win: Daniel Craig, Day of the Jackal
Should Win: Daniel Craig, Day of the Jackal
Spolier Alert: Ben Foster, Booth

Best Picture Comedy/Musical
***Aida***
Follies
Into the Woods
Silent Running
Songs of a New World

Will Win: Aida
Should Win: Follies
Spoiler Alert: Silent Running

(Making a Bold Prediction Here)

Best Picture Drama
Day of the Jackal
The Gift of Life
The Killer Eagles
***Norjak***
Reminiscence

Will Win: Norjak
Should Win: The Killer Eagles
Spolier Alert: Day of the Jackal or Reminiscene

Feel Free to Comment

My Thoughts: 2007's Final Oscars

2007-12-17T13:47:00.000-08:00

As of now, it looks like there are about 8 conteders up for the big prize, and most will likely fall out of the race with the upcoming precursor nomination announcements.

Booth- Recieved fantastic reviews with it's debut and I think the precursor that will matter the most to it's sucess will be the Golden Globes. If Ben Foster upsets Craig however, it could gain a heavy amount of buzz. However, I think the lack of a Best Picture nomination hurts it enough to keep it out of the race. Still, it has a good chance of making the top five.

Day of the Jackal- After it's minor success with the Golden Globe nominations, this could easily make the Top 5, but I think voters may be hesitant because it is a remake. Daniel Craig is one of the things that makes this bait great, but will him also being in the hot contender bait The Devil in Austria hurt this baits chances. Personally, I don't think so, still it needs to sweep the Globes to recieve the boost to secure it's spot in the race.

The Devil in Austria- This bait had a lot going for it, but it's poor nomination count at the Globes hurts it's chances a lot. The only way this bait gains back it's lost momentum, scoring a plethera of nominations at the SAG's which I don't think will happen. Although, the name James Somerton does a lot for voters, so don't count it out of the top 5.

The Gift of Life- Ryan's bait has kind of come out of nowhere to really surprise everyone with the amount of support it has. It kicked Booth on it's butt and stool it's Best Picture Drama nomination from it and is a serious threat come Oscar time. Still, it needs a lot of SAG support to boost it into the Top 5.

Into the Woods- Michael's musical adaptation of the month has gotten some great reviews from forum members, but the academy voters have been a little hesitant. Still, it recieved 6 Golden Globe nominations and that helps it a great deal. I think the main thing stopping it, is it's genre which has failed to score big in the Big 8. If it gets the SAG support though, expect it to have a major shot at a Best Picture nomination.

The Killer Eagles- Once again, another fantastic western has been released in the contest and this time Pat has really outdone himself. The nomination count at the Globes only increases that off the charts buzz that it has gotten and winning both big awards at the new Academy voter Chris Perkins' awards doesn't hurt either. Some of the reviews have been less that stellar from Academy members, but it's still a safe bet.

Norjak- Tieing with Into the Woods with the second most nominations at the Golden Globe, this bait has a big shot at Best Picture that I think people are ignoring. It got good reviews, but something else needs to happen to get this bait a little more in the spotlight. While, I don't think it will sweep the Globes, having that happen definately wouldn't hurt, but I think it's success will come with a few surprise SAG wins that will push it up a few more spots in the rankings.

The Playground Factory- Just like Norjak I think this is a bait that people are forgetting about, proven because it's less that amazing success with the Golden Globe nominations, but I think a sweep of the SAG's will get people watching out for this one. I also think Bryce's past record will help people really find the charm the bait has and want to reward him for past work.

Reminiscence- It scored the 4 Golden Globe nominations it needed to really help boost it's buzz, and I think the forum is underestimating the power the bait has to upset The Killer Eagles for Best Picture. Even if it wins one of the categories, it helps this bait a lot more because unfortunately I think it may end up being forgotten. A lot of SAG love is what this bait and a lot of other baits need to keep their hopes alive.

HOW I THINK THE SAG'S WILL GO
Booth- 1 nomination (Actor)
Day of the Jackel- 2 nominations (Ensemble, Actor)
The Devil in Austria- 1 nomination (Actor)
The Gift of Life- 2 nominations (Ensemble, Actress)
Into the Woods- 3 nominations (Ensemble, Actress, Supt. Actor)
The Killer Eagles- 5 nominations (Ensemble, Actor, Actress, Supt. Actor, Supt. Actress)
Norjak- 3 nominations (Ensemble, Actor, Supt. Actor)
The Playground Factory- 4 nominations (Ensemble, Actor, Supt. Actor, Supt. Actress)
Reminiscence- 1 nomination (Supt. Actor)

THE BEST PICTURE NOMINEES
Day of the Jackel
Into the Woods
The Killer Eagles
Norjak
The Plaground Factory

Note: This is just a prediction and there were no biases on how my bait will be recieved. Please do not think that, it would be unprofessional and unethical to create fake buzz.

Baiting and Oscars in the time of Santa...

2007-12-09T19:52:00.000-08:00

December baiting season is about to start, and how does it look?

Well judging by the amount of baits entered in the festival, and how many is listed so far in the "bait genre" topic I would say December will be: "Scarce". The real question, therefore, is, Will This December have the fewest baits ever published for a month? Last December didn't have that many baits either, but from the looks of things this year's decmeber might have less than 20 baits! That might not seem like a big deal for some, but November had near 50 baits, and even in April and May we had at least 30 (those were months we could only submit one bait). Obviously it's because of the season. Not only is Christmas/Hannukah time a busy time for almost all, but Oscar season is officially here with the latest precusor awards, so all us Oscar nuts may be getting pre-occupied with that. It will be interesting to see the outcome of the December awards, (and even more interesting to see the outcome of the Bait of the Year awards)

However, just because December is on it's way to having the fewest bait, I can safely say that it still stacks up as a great follow up month to November (which I think was our best month, ranking up there with July). If you have seen the festival nods, then you already have seen the effect Pat's "The Killer Eagles" had on our panelist. It's one bait to watch for in December, and stacks up as one of the greatest westerns written, alongside "Recoil" and "Bandito Express". There are a lot others that were really good too at the Festival, and I'm certain December will deliver, despite the chance of it having the fewest baits.

Good luck to everyone in December, stay tuned tommorow for the festival winners.

The 7 Best... Best Picture Winners

2007-12-05T13:27:00.000-08:00

Alrighty, first up is Z's #7...

The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson- Along with its baity subject and excellent lead role, the bait's greatest strength was endurance. Even when people began predicting other winners at the time, this bait pushed its way through to become a winner. It also gets recognition for helping August 2007 become a worthy successor to July 2007, which stands as one of the greatest months for baits in the contest's history.

My number 7 is...

The World's Longest Suicide- While it may not be my favorite bait ever, this once again is what the contest is about. It is the best way to do a biopic and came at a time when D.W. really deserved Best Picture and this bait is his crowning achievement. The casting is great and like I said before is a film waiting to be made. This was really one of the first months in the contest that I remember it being the clear frontrunner that went on to win.

Next up on Z's list...

Bootleg- This bait gets recognition for being that little film that could, just like a Reitman movie should be. Adding to that its baity subject and spot-on cast, this was one of the Igloo's most welcome surprise victories. Plus, it really paved the way for more satirical baits that would follow in its footsteps.

And on mine...

A New Agenda- This win was a complete surprise to me because I was sure that an author would not win 2 Best Picture's until the Academy crowned some overdue authors, but none the less Daniel pulled off the win and it was completely deserved. One of the best comedies to ever be submitted in the contest and really a huge achievement for Daniel. Daniel, you should be very proud.

Coming in at number 5 on Zgamer's Top 7...

La Ventana- Never had I ever rooted for a bait to win best picture like this one. Everything about it just screamed BOTM material to me when I read it, from the terrific casting to the fact it was a foreign film, which at the time it was rare to find a good foreign bait. So it places on the list because it was such a change of pace from the usual BOTM winners as of then.

Going over to my list I have..

The Wall- What a way to cap off the best one-two punch ever in the contest. While, I still think Silence was the better bait, I was not surprised at all that The Wall won. It got more nominations than any other bait (that month) and it had tremedous buzz. This to this day remains one of the best baits ever and I still think that it would have won Best Picture had it been released in any other month, which is not true for most winners.

Grabbing the number 4 spot on our lists are...

Zgamer
Sandstorm- What better way could there be to start a new year off than to have such a well written bait win best picture? This bait could have easily just been a bait due to its deep characters, intriguing style and baity material. However, this bait earns its win because it set the bar for what the next year would turn out to be. So far, it has proven to be a great one.

Michael
Rivalry at 6 PM- This is one of my favorite baits of all-time because it is such a great idea that I would really enjoy if it were turned into a film. It's such a classic set-up and executed in such a classy way. The roles are all acting vehicles and perfect for the Oscars in my mind. I couldn't have been more surprised by this bait and I was SO happy that it won, because I was afraid it wasn't going to.

As for the 3rd place, Zgamer gives it to...

The World's Longest Suicide- This was the bait that came out of obscurity to sneak past the frontrunners and win the top prize. That could easily earn it any spot on the list, but the main reason it places so high is because of the innovations in the bait. D.W.'s bold casting, unique plot structure and excellent use of source material really made an impact on the contest and continues to do so to this day. One of the most well deserved wins yet.

I am giving it to...

Jackrabbit- Talk about perfect timing for Zgamer. This came at the perfect time and was well written and baity. It was right at the time when people were starting to say, "Hey he should win Best Picture" and he turned out one of the greatest baits of all-time. This is really that way people should be baiting and it's uniquiness helped it a ton.

Zgamer is giving number 2 to...

The Wall- This bait easily earns its spot on the list because of James Somerton. Not only did he write two of the site's most popular baits, but he was able to push them both to success in the same month. The win for The Wall was the Igloo's way of showing their appreciation for him pulling off such a feat. However you look at it though, it is one of the site's greatest best picture victories of all time.

I think this bait is #2...

Ironic Nonfiction- This was one of the first months that I really began to follow the contest and when I read the baits I absolutely fell in love with Daniel's comedy. I couldn't even put in words how funny it was and the synopsis was so well written that I was engaged the whole time. To this day I think of comedies and see if it would ever compare to this masterpiece and how perfect this really is. One of the best comedies ever written.

Here is Zgamer's Best Best Picture Winner of All-Time...

A New Agenda- Why do I consider this the greatest picture win of all time? Because this was the bait I think people enjoyed seeing win best picture the most. The bait itself was such a great read because of its sentimental value and quality, but what really made it noticeable is how well everything worked out. The cast was spot on, the director choice was perfect and the bait was just great on every level. Perhaps its greatest accomplishment though was how it rejuvenated the contest after a three month dry spell of outstanding baits. This was my personal favorite of its month and it is perhaps one of the best baits (particularly among comedy) the contest has ever had.

My Best Best Picture of All-Time is...

Fosse- This is probably a big surprise to you guys, but this is one of my favorite baits ever. It is a fantastic cast and the reason it comes in at #1 is because it was a complete surprise to me that it won. I was not expecting it to win at all and it comes out of one of my favorites months in the contest's history. This bait has grown on me a ton since it was first released and I think it's just a really class act.

Here comes the Festival!!!

2007-11-27T19:55:00.000-08:00

Hey, just a quick little post for a quick little reminder. The festival deadline to submit your bait is in 6 days! (I'll make it 8 if I don't get enough baits). The festival buzz is pretty good for a bait, just look at Cartel and it's BP nomination! Anyway, make sure to get your bait submitted in time.

Good Luck to all!!!

A Few Announcments...

2007-11-22T17:21:00.000-08:00

Alrighty, well let's get right down to it, this is kind of a random announcements posting, but still it's nice to have some new life on our blog so here it goes...

1. The I! blog will be conducting an official April and May of 2006 Big 8 that Johnny has approved of. We hope that we will have enough votes and verification for this event to be successful. More details will be released in the coming days.

2. Our first topic in the 7 Best Series will be the 7 Best Best Pictures of the contests history. This should also arrive in the next couple of days.

3. There are a few other things roaming around in our minds and if there are any other developments in the previous 2 we will let you know.

4. Oh, and before I forget, I rarely write about anything other than the contest on the blog, but this is a rare occasion where I will. If you haven't already you MUST go see Enchanted. It is one of the best films of the year and is very charming, I personally enjoyed it because there were a lot of little Disney inside jokes that you'll get if you are a huge fan of Disney's classic animation, so I urge everyone to go out and see it, because it and Hairspray are my two favorite movies of the year. (James Marsden has had a good year!)

Wow...

2007-11-05T14:10:00.000-08:00

I really didn't know what to call this post, so I'll just call it WOW because I love that word and there's a lot I have to say. First off, I am so happy with the reaction that our Top 100 list has received and even though most is mixed, that is exactly because if we choose to do this again next year, then people will take the time to make sure we get it right and let's face it the AFI list brought some negative reviews when it first came out and so is ours. I also would like to announce a few things about the blog and my baits, so here are a few bullet points because I personally enjoy them...

On the blog this month I am hoping to start a series called The 7 Best (ripped off lovingly from Brian's Oscar blog Oscar Obsession (oscarobession.blogspot.com)) where I will take 7 best things in the contest and rank them depending on how much I like them. For instance, I would pick the genre Musicals and decide my 7 favorite and rank them. I think it's going to be a lot of fun and I hope everyone has a great time with it.
I also want to start a few other things, but check back on the blog later for a possible addendum , where I will announce these things.
As far as my baits go, I am hoping to release the following baits, Green Grow the Lilacs based off the play by Lynn Riggs which was later turned into the musical "Oklahoma" the cast is still being worked on. I also want to release a bait called Out West which is about a young Cherokee boy who is sent off to an ivy league school to become a laywer and help better his nation, but upon his return from college he is informed that he must move out west with the rest of his tribe. My last bait of the month is based of the short story The Scarlet Ibis, which is about the relationship of a young boy and his younger brother. I hope everyone enjoys them.

So that's all I have for now, check back at the blog for more updates!

I's Top 10 Baits of All Time!!!

2007-11-04T20:13:00.000-08:00

I’s Top 10 Baits of All Time

Zgamer: Well, look where we are now. After many months of naming baits and dealing with delays, it’s finally time for the Top 10 baits of all time. We will recap the other baits at the end when we finish with the Top 10 (which we will have for the official awards page later). However, now it’s time for tonight’s section. Intro please!

Narrator: You voted for them. You’ve anticipated for them. You’ve spent months waiting for them. Now we will unveil the Top 10 Baits of All Time.

(Sweeping score tied in with clips from various baits on the list including “A Faith of One”, “iLife”, “Sandstorm”, “Once a Hero”, “Fresh Heir Vol. III”, “Luck Clover”, “Recoil”, “Fosse”, “Dominion”, “Balton Productions”, “Brain Damage”, “Gray Daze”, “Pygmalion”, “Glass”, “Rehab!: A Contemporary Musical”, “Negatives”, “E.L.”, “Sweet Black and Blue”, “Dragontown”, “Steamboat Disney”, “Freakshow”, “The Vampire Lestat” and “River City Blue”)

Narrator: And here’s your guide for the night, Zgamer.

(Zgamer walks up to the camera, where he is in the Hall of Baiting)

Zgamer: It’s finally here. We’ve gone through many baits this month, from the compellingly realistic to the genuinely surreal. From baits about political intrigue to baits on forms of mental issues. From biopics to comedies, we’ve covered so many baits on our list. Now we are at the final ten baits of all time, as voted by the baiting community. First off though, I would like to introduce the fellow authors who will comment on the baits on the list. More accurately, they will introduce themselves. These commenters range from previous BOTM winners to other acclaimed authors who have made an impact on the site. So, if you guys would be so kind:

Brian: I'm Brian Erickson. I've been on the site since April of 2006, and, like all of you, I am a movie fanatic. In addition to that, I am an aspiring screenwriter, avid tennis player and am interested in theater. But, let's get to the important thing: the baits. A sample of some of the baits I've written are iLife, Contemporary Comedy, The Road, Devil in the White City and Glitz.

Sergio: (His comments will be subtitled for his convenience so he may better express himself in his native language) My name is Sergio and I'm from Spain. I’ve been in this contest since October 2006 and my first bait was Spirit of Guitar. I found this contest by chance and I'm very happy to be a part of it. I'm an architect and cinema is one of my biggest interests too. I enjoy writing stories, viewing art and designing posters for the contest a lot, I won the best picture award in June 2007 and it was a great surprise for me. I never imagined it would ever happen and it made me very happy. This also gave me strength to improve with my English to write better baits in the future.

Bryce: My name is Bryce. I am the author of such baits as The Guy Who Owned The Store, Watts, Project Sin, The Courtroom, and the recent Field of Desire. I am also an assistant on the GG awards and currently heading the Bait Festival for November. I love writing baits, and I like experimenting with ideas, but when I do go the safe route I will write a story that I love. In simple terms, I like to write baits that I would be glad to write as a screenplay. I think if I wrote a bait I wouldn't like to make a screenplay of, then that bait just doesn't have the passion that is needed to be successful.

Maia: My name is Maia, probably the only woman in the contest right now, and I’m honored to have my baits A Child of Shame and Bootleg included on the Top 100 Baits of All Time countdown. I have been a part of the Bait an Oscar contest for more than a year. During that period I have learned many new things about writing and filmmaking (two of my biggest passions) from my fellow baiters, and I can only hope some of them have learned something from my baits.

D.W.: My name is D.W. Dillon, writer of the World's Longest Suicide, The Bang-Bang Club, Recoil, and Sweet Black & Blue. I'm originally from Chicago where I attended Columbia College of Chicago as a film major, until I moved to Las Vegas where I'm studying Political Science, and in my spare time I continue to write treatments and screenplays, most of which are based off of my well known baits.

---

Zgamer: We’ve got a big profile group of commenters tonight and I can hardly contain my joy and gratitude for their participation. Enough stalling though, let’s get on to the main event. I will turn over the time to Michael right now to introduce our first bait.

Michael: Beginning our Top 10 we have one of the most raved about comedies of all-time. Written in July of 2007, Daniel came out of a long streak of writer’s block to release a classic. Ever since it’s debut in the festival, it was easily the favorite to win Best Picture going into the Oscars. However, everyone kept asking themselves, could Daniel win Best Picture twice? That was the big question that night and it proved to be true as A New Agenda came out on top.

Sergio: (Subtitled) This bait got the biggest prize little by little, without being heavily favorited from the beginning, but it was a bait that everybody liked. That is something very difficult to do and it's admirable. Without any doubt this is one of the best comedies in the contest.

Brian: Daniel's simple yet heartwarming dramadey took July of 2007 by storm. It is by far the baitiest comedy the site has ever had, and it very well may be the best. When I first heard the synopsis, I thought that this would be that one bait every month that I love, but no one else does. And now it's being honored as one of the 10 best baits ever written. And oh-so deservedly so.

Narrator: Opening to absolute rave reviews, A New Agenda easily won over the Academy and the Forums. There was always something the baiters found to comment about the bait, from its endearing and emotional synopsis to its witty awards to its well picked director choice. However, most everyone agreed that the bait’s cast was its strongest aspect, filled with great casting choices across the board.

D.W.: This is one of those baits where you could tell the author paid serious attention to, wanting to create a beautiful story. Full of lovable characters, wacky situations and a heartwarming theme. All the elements of a comedic best picture.

Maia: Daniel is the most successful writer in the contest and this James L Brooks comedy proves why. Only a writer with his level of sensibility, heart and technique could bring a trip-movie into this top 10!

Narrator: Starting out its ride with 7 Festival nominations, it would go on to win 4 of the awards, but did not win Best Picture. It received 5 Golden Globe nominations and would win 3, including Best Picture Musical/Comedy. It also earned 3 SAG nominations and a win Best Ensemble. At the end of July it received an enormous 12 Oscar nominations and would win 6 including Best Plot/Synopsis, Best Original Screenplay and BOTM (also including Daniel’s win for Best Author). One of the best dramadeies the contest will ever have.

Bryce: A very touching story, that is equally able to deliver the dramatic plot points and the comedic moments. The cast is beyond brilliant and the crew is just as good. It's the sort of bait that really inspires its readers.

Zgamer: I thought Daniel was going to go under after doing E.L., but all those negative thoughts were dashed once I read A New Agenda. Perhaps without intending to, Daniel has written one of the best and friendliest stories (on both Oscar and audience levels) that the Oscar Igloo has ever seen. It’s the ultimate James L, Brooks film, with the perfect story, cast and characters that would give him plenty more Oscars on his resume. Plus, his style of writing perfectly balanced the mixture of humor and drama that Brooks usually does so well. Now if only Brooks could just stop making stuff like Spanglish and make a movie like this.

Title Card: The #10 bait is…

A NEW AGENDA!

---

Zgamer: Biopics are well known for being very powerful Oscar vehicles. Probably because their stories have more impact since they are real events. And as the next bait proved, sometimes the least known stories can be some of the most powerful. If you would Michael.

Michael: Written back in October 2006, D.W. proved how adept he can be when writing biopics with this thrilling bait. Based on the real life stories of the group its named for, this bait showed how powerful the media can be in affecting other but at the same time showed how their own ambitions can be self-destructing as well. With a powerful cast and crew backing it up, The Bang-Bang Club remains one of the site’s best and most underrated biopics of all time.

D.W.: Never have I written a bait before where I was so assured that I wanted to see it as a film. I'm very proud of the casting because it took tremendous research and thought, because I envisioned it in my head of how I wanted to see it and who I wanted to see in it. I'm honored that a bait of mine that was ranked 3rd of the month made the Top Ten.

Zgamer: Wow. I remember reading this back when it was released and not really thinking about it much at first. Then suddenly, I re-read it and I started imagining what the trailer for the bait would look like. That was the sign I needed to realize this was one of the best baits I ever read.

Narrator: The Bang-Bang Club was able to make a good impression despite being up against baits like iLife, Live From New York and Dali. Many praised its great subject, its quality writing and great crew. However, its cast was the most praised aspect, particularly lead star Keifer Sutherland and supporting star Daniel Day-Lewis as real life journalists Kevin Carter and James Nachtwey respectively.

Brian: If you were to discuss all of the baits with true substance, The Bang-Bang Club would probably be #1 on the list. I fail to see how anyone could read the bait and not think that D.W. had put a liberal amount of effort into making a truly unique, and very baity, story. Also, this is one of the only baits that I wholeheartedly believe was based entirely on fact. And to connect fact to storytelling is a crowning achievement on D.W.'s behalf.

Maia: I think this intriguing story needs to become a real film with top Hollywood talent soon. Its emotional and exciting, the way the best stories should be. D.W. at his finest!

Narrator: The Bang-Bang Club enjoyed a pretty good run with awards. While it wasn’t the awards juggernaut some of its other competitors were, it got continual praise for its cast. It garnered an SAG win for Day-Lewis and two GG nominations at the GG’s for him and Sutherland. At the Oscars, it earned 5 Oscar nominations, with a win for Day-Lewis. It also ranked #3 for the month.

Bryce: A brilliant cast, and inspiring directing choice, along with a touching story that is sure to hit some sort of nerve with readers. The author is able to create a realistic atmosphere to help give the readers a great sense of what the bait is all about.

Sergio: (Subtitled) Without a doubt this is a great bait that that really grew better over time. The topic is mature and coherent like its plot, with many great performances from its amazing cast. One of the baits I have seen in my mind as a real film.

Title Card: The #9 bait is…

THE BANG-BANG CLUB!

---

Zgamer: Religion. It’s a very controversial topic, yet ironically it can make for some of the most compelling stories. And as Michael will explain, some of our authors can really utilize this subject very well.

Michael: James Somerton is by far one of the most acclaimed authors on the site, which justifies why he has two other baits left in the countdown, but this one is definitely deserving of coming in at 8th place. Starring Kate Winslet and Robin Williams, Midnight Mass was one of James’ first widely loved baits.

Sergio: (Subtitled) I never thought that this bait could be so high in the list, beating out other bait of the month winners, but I think that "almost bait of the month winners" have a lot of sympathy with the voters. This was one of the first baits that I read and I loved it, so I'm happy with its recognition.

D.W.: Often the best writers are the most vulnerable. They put all their feelings out on the table to be judged. They don't discriminate towards their emotions, which is why their art is often the most inspiring. James Somerton is one of these authors and Midnight Mass is a perfect example of an author letting go of the mere thought of criticism.

Narrator: Telling the story of the priest/rapist (Williams) and Winslet as a worried mother everyone fell in love with the captivating story.

Brian- When James began advertising the bait, I was expecting a rip-off of "Doubt." Boy, was I wrong. James took an extremely difficult subject and made an original, compelling and ultimately provocative bait. But what I liked most about the bait was the casting of Robin Williams as the twisted Father MacCaurthy. Very few people would resort to casting a usually comedic actor, but when you really think about it, he is the best choice for the role. Simply an excellent bait.

Maia: I think this is the best bait to tackle religion, immigration and abuse as serious, adult conflicts. It feels human and very powerful; it needs to be made a movie soon!

Narrator: Midnight Mass enjoyed a good amount of awards praise during its release. It garnered three GG wins for best picture, best director and for lead actress Kate Winslet. It also won an SAG award for Winslet. At the Oscars, it earned seven nominations and won two for its poster and for lead actor Robin Williams. It is James Somerton’s first most successful attempt at serious baiting and one his best.

Zgamer: It could have been just a lame remake of Doubt, but James Somerton really gave depth to this bait. The cast is first rate, the crew is spot on and everything has so much quality in it. It took me two reads at first, but this was easily one of my favorite baits of September 06.

Bryce: A brilliant cast, and inspiring directing choice, along with a touching story that is sure to hit some sort of nerve with readers.The author is able to create a realistic atmosphere to help give the readers a great sense of what the bait is all about.

Zgamer: It could have been just a lame remake of Doubt, but James Somerton really gave depth to this bait. The cast is first rate, the crew is spot on and everything has so much quality in it. It took me two reads at first, but this was easily one of my favorite baits of September 06.

Title Card: The #8 bait is…

MIDNIGHT MASS!

---

Zgamer: Terrorism. It’s that thing no one likes to talk about, yet we really want to hear about it. However, what really inspires this heinous act? Well, let’s have Michael describe it. Michael!

Michael: In August of 2006 many very acclaimed baits were released that really showcased what amazing work could be done in the contest. So it is a very big accomplishment to have a bait from that month remembered as highly as Maia’s The Arabic Café was. With its incredibly baity story and great cast, it’s a true winner.

Bryce: It is very unique in style and structure, and has a story that could of been taken with much controversy but instead comes off with a great theme and amazing characters. The bait also has a great crew and a great leading role.

Zgamer: This is my absolute favorite bait of all time. Why? Well, when you think about it, it’s the perfect vehicle. The cast is flawless, as they have the balance of star power the bait needs to be considered realistic. The story is compelling and baity, which will give it big points at the Oscars. And simply put, I would pay to watch this if it was made. That’s how good it is and that’s why it is my personal favorite bait of all time.

Narrator: Being released to absolute rave reviews, The Arabic Café was one of the highest acclaimed baits of all-time. Everybody praised its great crew, compelling synopsis (especially given it is only a couple lines long) and all-star cast.

Maia: When I wrote this bait, I was hesitant to share a very personal story I had already written as an original screenplay a long time ago but I had to test it. I needed to see if others were able to understand the bait and relate to the inner conflicts of my main characters. I knew this bait was something special but I never expected the accolades it received. I thank everybody who voted for this bait and hopefully the next Best of All Time segment will feature your bait on the Top 10 as well! Keep on writing!

Brian: Maia truly proves that less is more in this groundbreaking bait. With only two sentences in the synopsis, she creates easily the most powerful story the site has ever had. In addition, the bait featured the spot-on casting of Jamie Bell and Naveen Andrews, as well as a unique and very likable feel that many baiters struggle to achieve.

Narrator: The Arabic Café proved to be a good success in the contest’s first precursor: The GG’s. It earned five nominations there and won an award for director Mike Nichols. As Oscar time came, it earned eight nominations, eventually winning awards for its awards campaign, supporting actor Ben Kingsley and a widely predicted win for director Nichols. This remains one of Maia’s best baits and is one of the most compelling stories on a controversial topic ever baited.

Sergio: (Subtitled) It has become one of the most commented and beloved baits of all time. It has a special touch joined to a concise and short synopsis. This bait has stolen the hearts of every contestant because it's clear and direct, without unnecessary adornments. Simply put, it’s just a great and baity story. This bait shows that, sometimes, to win is not the most important thing in this contest.

D.W.: This bait embodies everything a Press Section should be and should accomplish. Well-written, thorough, and introducing characters not even mentioned in the plot which is now considered a negative thing, but works here and works perfectly.

Title Card: The #7 bait is…

THE ARABIC CAFÉ

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Zgamer: I’ve seen a lot of baits on this list and it has been a joy commenting for them. However, I am really excited to have this bait be the next for commenting on this list. Michael, take it away.

Michael: February 2007 was probably the best month of the first half of the year of 2007 and part of this accomplishment is because of the release of Zgamer’s Jackrabbit. Starring Ryan Gosling as the infamous John Dillinger, it’s unique style of writing and fantastic casting led to this bait’s tremendous success.

D.W.: Zgamer pulls no punches with this epic biopic on the life and times of 20s bankrobber John Dillinger. From the carefully constructed plot to the admired casting choices, was a bait destined to be reckoned with, and like the many that tried to challenge fell short in just about every category.

Sergio: (Subtitled) A well thought out bait. With a very interesting plot and a unique atmosphere, Zgamer has elevated this story to the highest. He has shown everyone that he can do great baits, becoming one of the best writers of this site. This is a solid bait with the special touch from a great baiter.

Narrator: Jackrabbit opened to great reviews from the get-go in February. While some found its plot style a little strange, everyone had great things to say about its uniqueness and quality writing. It also earned a lot of acclaim for director Peter Weir and lead star Ryan Gosling, which is surprising given he was in many baits that month.

Brian: In February, I remember being on the festival panel and reading Jackrabbit. And immediately afterwards, I thought "why not just do this month's awards over the phone?" There is no reasonable way to question that this is, indeed, a baity story. It is also a captivating one. The bait came out amidst the "Ryan Gosling can do anything" phase, and yet he received virtually no criticism for being cast as notorious gangster John Dillinger, simply because he was the best choice. Zgamer knew exactly what buttons to push in order to earn his way to a BOTM win. And, in the process, he made an absolutely sensational bait.

Bryce: One of the perfect baits of 2007, zGamer was able to tell a story in an entirely different way. The story's set up keeps readers interesting and gives the story much more layers, but the story itself is very entertaining and once you start you are sucked into this amazing story, and care for the characters and what happens to them.

Narrator: Jackrabbit was the clear favorite to sweep the Oscars in the month of February and it showed as the precursors came around. Jackrabbit started its rise to power with a sweep of the Bait Festival’s top prizes, including best picture. Then it followed it with three GG wins for best picture, director and actor for Gosling. After an SAG win for supporting actor Alec Baldwin, Jackrabbit emerged from the Oscars with nine nominations and eventually won four for Best Plot/Synopsis, Best Tagline, Best Director and BOTM. One of the most unique biopics to be released on the site.

Zgamer: This was a very tricky bait to write. I went through several drafts to make it work and the version I finally picked went through a couple head arrangements to find the right way to distort the timeline. However, this was probably the bait I feel the most satisfied with. I put a lot of effort into it, I spent a long time debating the casting choices and I put a lot of thought into the director pick. And you know what, I am happy with it all.

Maia: I consider it the most groundbreaking bio-bait in the contest and the most accomplished story told by Zgamer, yet.

Title Card: The #6 bait is…

JACKRABBIT!

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Zgamer: We now move from one widely acclaimed biopic to another. This one, however, covers territory that the Academy may feel move at home with. Michael, if you please.

Michael: We now enter the Top 5 baits of all-time and in a normal month of the competition this would be considered the Best Picture category. So let me introduce our number 5 bait of all-time. December 2006 was the month that was destined to prove if the next year of the contest would be as successful as the first. When the baits finally were released, one stood among the crowd to silence any doubts. With its compelling topic, all star cast and unique plot structure, The World’s Longest Suicide remains a pinnacle for the contest’s biopics and one of D.W.’s best to date.

Maia: I love this bait, Its baity and everything this contest should represent!

Bryce: One of the best lead casting choice to come out of the contest, along with a great cast and an inspiring crew. The story is able to have a heart and soul, which is can be hard to do for biopics, and the press section creates a great visual for the bait's overall tone.

Narrator: Being hailed by some as the best biopic of all-time, no one could have expected the raves that the bait drew. It opened to unanimous praise from the readers. Whether it was for its intriguing plot, great director or inspired casting of relatively unknown actor Julian McMahon as legendary actor Montgomery Clift, there was always something to praise.

Brian: The World's Longest Suicide is to biopics as The Wizard of Oz is to children's movies. There is simply no way to beat it, so instead people just attempt to recreate it. However, without D.W.'s mind behind it, it's almost not worth trying. Casting like Julian McMahon as Montgomery Clift and such a concise, vivid synopsis is almost impossible to conceive. And yet, D.W. caught lightning in a bottle (as he has so many other times) with this superior bait.

Sergio: (Subtitled) D.W. is one of the best synopsis writers in the contest and this is probably the best plot because it's new, original and great. I enjoy reading all his baits because everyone has something unique and special within. This is a very complex bait and a great adaptation and it is worthy of being among the best.

Narrator: The World’s Longest Suicide proved to be D.W.’s most successful bait, though it had a rough start. While it did win a GG for lead McMahon, the bait struggled against stiff competition from rivals Ralph’s Food and Drug and The Golden Boys. However, the Oscars were much friendlier to the bait, as it earned eight nominations and went on to win for Best Plot/Synopsis, Best Casting Choice for McMahon, another win for McMahon for Best Actor and BOTM. It will go down in history as one of the site’s best biopics.

D.W. I felt while writing this bait that it had to be as creative and well-written as possible. Being a biopic with a story already in place, I felt the need to dazzle the readers and this is one bait that went through many drafts, until I was completely satisfied with what was written.

Zgamer: People comment Jackrabbit as being the bait that changed how the contest works, but I think that praise should go to this amazing bait. Heck, it was this bait that inspired me to write Jackrabbit, so that’s how influential it is. Simply put, it’s one of the best-written, best-casted and most compelling biopics ever written. Plus, it introduced the baiting world to Julian McMahon, which should give the bait even more credibility.

Title Card: The #5 bait is…

THE WORLD’S LONGEST SUICIDE!

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Zgamer: Where would the Oscars be without controversy? And where would some baits be without a good fan base? Michael will explain this.

Michael: In November of 2006, one author emerged from the crowd to become one of the most acclaimed authors the site’s ever had with one of the best months ever for a single author. With the release of his two baits for that month, James Somerton followed up the success of Midnight Mass with two of the most acclaimed baits ever written. Described by some as the most emotional bait to ever see daylight in the contest, James Somerton really hit a home run with the release of Silence, a story based off of his life. Released in the same month as Somerton’s other hit, The Wall, Silence was a bit overshadowed by the dramatic love story, but Silence has gone down in history as one of the best stories ever told in the contest.

Brian: Silence opened to lukewarm reviews, and over time it has finally gained the respect it deserves, shadowing "Citizen Kane". When I read the synopsis, I was left speechless. There was no doubt in my mind that this would make a highly acclaimed, Oscar-winning and brilliant film. James has often talked about his hopes to become a filmmaker, and if he makes "Silence", he'll become the next Spielberg.

D.W.: First of all, the poster is pretty much a masterpiece of teaseriffic proportions. The synopsis as well is very well constructed and beautifully written, setting the background that paints a picture in your mind. Not only that but it doesn't give everything away and leaves you wondering. The press section fills the holes that the reader is desperately anxious for.

Narrator: Premiering to absolute raves, Silence was one of the first baits that the entire forum seemed to be behind. Although, some were not prepared for its subject matter and thus brought Silence a little under the radar. However, over time the bait has emerged to receive a lot of critical praise from the readers, including some of its detractors. Most everyone agreed its synopsis helped with the success, while others also praised its stellar casting.

Sergio: (Subtitled) The greatest thing that could happen to a bait is to get such a group of loyal and dedicated fans. This story has got a lot of praises and honors and it's great to see people recognize it this way. It's a good story, difficult to forget. The plot is simple but its approach is complex, with a lot of moral exposition.

Zgamer: Definitely one of the best autobiographical baits of all time. James really pulled the wool over our eyes by writing two of the best baits of all time in one month. However, this bait is still able to succeed on its own terms just for its emotional value and its inclusion of one of the best posters of all time.

Narrator: Silence wasn’t a huge awards winner, as it had stiff competition that month, but it did enjoy good success. It earned three nominations at the GG’s, winning all of them for supporting star Kevin Kline, best screenplay and best picture. It also earned two nods at the SAG’s, earning Kline another win. While it only earned one Oscar nomination, it bested other baits by winning the award for Best Plot/Synopsis and placing #9 for the month. It also helped James Somerton win Best Author of the month. This will remain James Somerton’s best fan hit.

Maia: Jamie Summers' story is quite intense but to me, the real power in this bait comes from its fantastic awards section.

Bryce: You can feel how personal the bait is, and that is what makes the bait so great. It has soul, passion, and life behind it and in it's atmosphere and story, and it is probably the best bait on the site to stir up the emotions of it's readers no matter what sexual orientation they may be.

Title Card: The #4 bait is…

SILENCE!

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Zgamer: Humor has never really been a big favorite at the Oscars, but it always appreciates it when people express the serious lives of those behind the humor. Michael will now explain that.

Michael: When I say Best Cast of All-Time, what bait seems to come to mind. You guessed it! This classic bait is definitely one of Pat’s greatest. Pat had the daunting task of adapting a book on the most beloved TV sketch comedy of all time: Saturday Night Live. However, Pat proved in October of 2006 that he is one of the site’s best, as he gave it all the right ingredients needed to be a winning film. With a great directing choice, great writing and one of the best casts ever assembled for a bait, everyone knew Live From New York would become a classic ever since it first came out.

D.W.: Probably the most ambitious comedy to ever bait an Oscar. Vulnerable to a cast and crew that would be held up to tight scrutiny by any SNL fan, this is a bait that is unapologetic, confident and stands on it's own. A a real life soap opera amidst the laughs of the funniest comedians ever.

Zgamer: I am a huge fan of SNL, so it makes me excited when somebody does them justice in the way Pat did. With an inspired directing choice and one of the best casts ever assembled in a bait, this was really the first bait that made Pat one of my favorites on the site.

Narrator: Live From New York became one of October 2006’s most popular baits among the readers, earning praise everywhere it went. While it did get a lot of acclaim for its inspired directing choice and quality writing, the absolutely flawless cast Pat assembled will remain the reason why Live From New York was a hit.

Maia: Its Pat's masterpiece and one of the forum's darlings, deserves to be on this Top 10!

Sergio: (Subtitled) An interesting bait about a TV program that I didn't know about. A big surprise in the list, in my opinion, because this bait hasn't had the buzz like the other inductees. Maybe it was underrated a long time ago, and maybe it's living a second life now. A great adaptation with an amazing cast.

Narrator: Though loved by the readers, Live From New York unfortunately did not make a huge impression on the precursors. It managed to earn five GG and three SAG nominations, but did not win any. However, it proved more successful at the Oscars. With six nominations, Live From New York eventually earned wins for Best Awards Campaign, Best Cast and Best Adapted Screenplay. It also tied for #7 of the month with Zgamer’s Listening. This is easily one of Pat’s most loved baits and a truly underrated classic.

Bryce: A great and inspiring cast, with a perfect directing choice. This is one of those baits that just gets better with every read.

Brian: Live From New York is easily Pat's best bait. Though it is usually acclaimed just for its cast, it is refreshing to see that baiters have remembered that in between the greatest ensemble ever seen in a bait, there was the potential for a fantastic film. There is virtually no way that this bait could be improved upon. And it doesn't need to be improved on whatsoever.

Title Card: The #3 bait is…

LIVE FROM NEW YORK!

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Zgamer: We are now down to our final two baits. Before we name them, I want to thank everybody who made this list possible. There’s Michael, who thought of this contest; Daniel, for his great comments for each of the contest’s section; Johnny Alba, for his support of the list; and mostly, I want to thank the baiting community for their comments and support of the list. Ok I’m done. Let’s continue. Since I said too much already, I will let Michael introduce this bait.

Michael: Steven Spielberg is one of the hardest directors to bait for in the contest, and many previous baits have proven why. However, one writer changed all of that with this classic bait. In November of 2006, James recreated the contest in November when he pulled off the best 1, 2 punch ever to occur in the contest. While Silence helped a lot with this, it is this next bait that was the main reason why. With a realistic choice of Spielberg as the director, an extremely baity topic and a great cast, James Somerton finally wrote the Spielberg vehicle so many tried to do before. This is The Wall.

Brian: November of 2006 was a huge month for James; having written both Silence and The Wall in the same month. I really don't know what to say about The Wall. It's all there on the page. It is clear as day that it would not only make a great movie, but it would also become the highest grossing film of all time and sweep up at the Oscars. Certainly the best love story the site has ever had.

D.W.: This is a bait that succeeded through a thorough press section and a perfect crew. The story is Oscar at it's baitiest, successfully combining politics and love, not to mention a period piece in an era that offers up much intrigue.

Narrator: The Wall emerged as the most unanimously praised bait of November, with hardly any bad grades to detract it. While some criticized some of the cast, everyone agreed that this was the ideal Spielberg vehicle, with the right topic and the quality writing needed to make it work.

Zgamer: James could have easily just sat on the laurels created by Silence in November, but he one-upped that by writing one of the baitiest baits of all time. It made it so much better that it would totally be a project Spielberg would want to do. And that’s saying a lot given the less successful attempts at Spielberg baits (including my own). Easily James best bait yet.

Maia: The Wall is the best Spielberg bait in the contest and that makes it even greater. Its also one of the very few romantic baits in the contest but still, probably the most memorable of all. It's James Somerton's classic and a deserving Top 10.

Narrator: Though it wasn’t a huge success at the precursors, it still gained a lot of attention from them. While it earned no nods at the SAG’s, it did get five from the GG’s with one win for director Spielberg. The Oscars were much more friendly to it, as it earned an astonishing eleven nominations plus an aided nomination for James Somerton for best author. It went on to win two for BOTM and for James Somerton’s absolutely mesmerizing poster. It also helped win James that Best Author award. It will most likely remain for a long time as one of the best baits on the site and James Somerton’s greatest work.

Bryce: The directing choice is brilliant, the same goes for the cast. The story is touching and daring, and is able to show it's theme in a very effective way. The characters are interesting enough to care for, and the bait is beautifully written.

Sergio: (Subtitled) Without a doubt this bait defined the spirit of this contest. It was a great month for a baiter as great as James Somerton is, and now he gets his official recognition. Conceived from the beginning as a winner, it matches all the necessary elements to be a favorite: love story, political/social plot and a popular director with a well-known career. It makes a great base to raise this bait to the highest place in every poll.

Title Card: The #2 bait is…

THE WALL!

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Zgamer: I don’t think I can properly say what I should about this bait. So I think I should let Michael do so.

Michael: I think everyone has one word they are thinking and it has to be one of my favorite words of all-time, Wackos. Written by fairly new author Zgamer back in August of 2006, this bait surprised everyone with its great director choice, intriguing characters and cast and its very unique plot. This is considered Zgamer’s best baits and understandably so.

Maia: Its not only the funniest smart-comedy in the contest ever but it also has a lovely tagline to go along with: Help is a 4 letter word for therapy. That’s were the fun begins…

Sergio: I read it a while after it was released in August 2006. I wasn't in the contest yet and I read it because everybody talked about this bait in the forum. I have to admit that this bait has something special to it and I loved the characters.

Narrator: Wackos opened to great reviews at the beginning of the month. People had a lot to say about this quirky Noah Baumbach comedy, with praise going to its quality writing and especially to its stellar cast, particularly lead star Jeff Daniels and supporting star Amy Adams.

Brian: Since the second I read it, Wackos has been my favorite bait of all time. I have never in nearly 16 months fallen in love with characters in a bait as much as I did with this one. Truly Zgamer's masterpiece, and a story that withholds the test of time, and will continue to do so forever. Why? Because of its fascinating characters. A masterpiece in every sense of the word.

D.W.: I love this bait because it doesn't try to be funny. It doesn't try to go for laughs. You know the humor is there and where it will come inside this story that centers around a shrink who's life is finally challenged and changed by a string of unique patients. A spot on formula for a Baumbach project.

Narrator: Wackos became the contest’s first big winner at the GG’s. With six nominations, the bait went on to win four for lead actor Jeff Daniels, supporting actress Amy Adams, Best Screenplay and Best Picture. The Oscar proved to be on its side too, as it earned nine Oscar nominations including for best picture. It also holds the recognition of being one of the few baits to have two nominations for Most Original Character. It eventually won four awards for Most Original Character (for Jeff Daniels’s character), Best Tagline, Funniest Bait and Best Supporting Actress for Adams. One of the best comedy baits ever written on the site’s and one of Zgamer’s best.

Bryce: A story that fits it's director and has a great cast. The story itself promises laughs, and is also able to tell a very interesting story. It's one of those baits that a lot of people will flock to the theaters to go see.

Zgamer: I am surprised at how much people loved Wackos. Honestly, I think it was one of the baits I spent the least amount of time actually writing it. Of course, I had the idea brewing in my head for about two weeks before my speed write. While Jackrabbit is definitely the bait I feel most satisfied with for its plot, Wackos is the one where I simply love my characters the most. I’m just glad I was able to draw inspiration for this from one of my parent’s friends who has to deal with people like this at his own job (with a few exceptions).

Title Card: The #1 bait of all time is…

WACKOS!

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Michael: Well, I hope you have enjoyed the list we have put together and now back to regular programming on I! I would like to thank a few people…

-Zgamer- For being a fantastic partner on this project
-Daniel- For commenting on almost every section, it was lovely.
-All of our Panelists- Couldn’t have done it without you.

And last and not least

-Johnny- For creating the contest and letting us have so much fun with it.

Michael: And now, a final thought from the man himself: Johnny Alba.

Johnny Alba: "From #100 to #1, these are all the stories that make Bait an Oscar one of the most entertaining features of The Oscar Igloo; I can only express my greatest admiration for each one of our authors. Do not forget that you make this contest and you are the only ones who can keep the fun going! Congratulations to everyone who made this countdown and congratulations to Wackos for giving us a story that, if you follow your dream, we will eventually see on the big screen"

Zgamer: Well, we look forward to next years list. It will be interesting to see how the list changes. And now, here are the Top 100 Baits of All Time as voted by the baiting community (with descriptions on them so you know what they are):

1 Wackos- Zgamer’s quirky story of a psychologist dealing with very peculiar patients

2 The Wall- James Somerton’s emotional tale of two lovers separated by the Berlin Wall

3 Live From New York- Pat’s brilliant adaptation of the same named book detailing the lives of the early Saturday Night Live cast

4 Silence- James Somerton’s emotional autobiography of a tragic beating of a young boy

5 The World’s Longest Suicide- D.W.’s riveting biopic on the life of actor Montgomery Clift

6 Jackrabbit- Zgamer’s unique biopic on the life of gangster John Dillinger

7 The Arabic Café- Maia’s thrilling tale of two people who try to use terrorism for their advantage

8 Midnight Mass- James Somerton’s emotional story of a mother trying to expose a priest as a child molester

9 The Bang-Bang Club- D.W.’s take on the notorious Bang-Bang Club and the influence of the photos on the wars in Africa

10. A New Agenda- Daniel’s touching story of a group of people trying to fulfill a list compiled by a man and his recently deceased wife

11. Dali- Daniel’s unique biopic on surreal artist Salvador Dali

12. The Banality of Evil- Alex S.’s adaptation of “Eichmann in Jerusalem”, dealing with the trial of a Nazi officer

13. River City Blue- Ross’s intelligent thriller dealing with the crime crisis in Memphis, Tennessee

14. Bootleg- Maia’s compelling tale of the bootleg movie crisis

15. iLife- Brian’s witty satire on the influence of technology in the future

16. La Ventana- Brett’s moving story of a dying man observing the lives of others through his window

17. Cielo Drive- Brett and Dpac’s thrilling story of the Manson Family murders

18. Rivalry at 6 PM- Patrick D’s character driven drama of rival radio hosts

19. Sandstorm- Al’s engrossing story of soldiers in the Iraq War

20. Scartennow Juction- Pat’s unique Wes Anderson film on a family dealing with the sudden death of their father

21. Destiny- Harry’s emotional personal account of a boy dealing with suicidal demons

22. Ralph’s Food and Drug- Alex’s story of a controversy over a store managers decision to not carry a pill for abortions

23. Border Man- Pat’s exciting tale of border regulations and interracial relationships

24. Once a Hero- Matthew LaRusso’s biopic of the late Christopher and Dana Reeves

25. Lucky Clover– Sergio’s winning story of the terrorists attacks committed in Ireland

26. Recoil- D.W.’s dramatic tale of a man hunting down a criminal in the Old West

27. Dear, Mr. President- James Somerton’s poignant view on a woman protesting the policy of the War on Terror

28. Fresh Heir Vol. III- Part 3 of Brian’s wildly original political tale

29. Sex in the Oval Office- Brett’s humorous jab at a White House sexual scandal

30. Fosse- Alex’s compelling biopic on Broadway legend Bob Fosse

31. Little Miss Murder- Matt’s thought provoking tale of John Mark Karr’s trial

32. A Faith of One- Zgamer’s emotional drama on the religious conflicts within a small town

33. Ironic Nonfiction- Daniel’s humorous story of a man dealing with his unfortunately circumstances

34. Dominion- Tony’s riveting tale of a young man tormented by a disturbing voice

35. The Awakening- Gabby’s adaptation of the popular book on a woman’s emotional and sexual reawakening

36. Faded Red- Brian Erickson’s compelling biopic on the life of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin

37. Photograph- Pat’s riveting tale on the twisted business of the paparazzi

38. No Way to Treat a First Lady- Al’s humorous look at a First Lady accused of killing the president

39. The Vampire Lestat- James Somerton’s adaptation of the classic book about the “Brat Prince” vampire Lestat

40. Flashes- Tony’s tale of a troubled artist losing touch with reality

41. Rush- Ross’s tale of a photojournalist trapped in a nuclear power conspiracy

42. Freakshow- Tony’s bizarre tale of quirky characters on a reality TV show

43. I Am a Patsy- D.W.’s unique take on the life of Lee Harvey Oswald

44. Doubt- Brian (of Minneapolis)’s adaptation of the Broadway play on the molestation of a Catholic school boy by a priest

45. The Great Fitzgerald- Tom Houseman’s tale on the life of author F. Scott Fitzgerald

46. The Breadwinner- Connor Campbell’s story of a girl trying to survive in a Taliban controlled environment

47. The Valley of Ashes- Zgamer’s artistic tale of a man’s struggle to survive during the Vietnam War

48. Carter- Jordan’s biopic on the life of president Jimmy Carter

49. Imagine- Harry’s emotional biopic on the life of former Beatle John Lennon

50. I, Bergman- Daniel’s biopic on the life of actress Ingrid Bergman

51. Wildflower- Douglass Reese’s story of two troubled girls from different time periods

52. Wicked (March ‘07)- Al’s adaptation of the Musical on the Wicked Witch of the West

53. Steamboat Disney- Daniel’s classic biopic on the life of entertainment giant Walt Disney

54. The Rainbow Album- Jason’s story of a man aspiring to be an entertainer but struggling with AIDS

55. Bruised Boys- Douglass Reese’s controversial tale of two young homosexual boys

56. Jersey Boys- Pat’s adaptation of the musical highlighting the story of the music group Four Seasons

57. Dragontown- James’s intriguing Anime story on a Tokyo crime boss’s attempt to bring demons into the real world

58. Devil in the White City- Brian Erickson’s adaptation of the book dealing with a mysterious city

59. Record Man- Sergio’s humorous tale of a man trying to make it into the world record book

60. Sweet Black and Blue- D.W.’s surreal tale of a bizarre death in Las Vegas

61. The It Girl- D.W.’s biopic on the life of Clara Bow

62. The Iniquity Beyond- Tony’s eerie tale of a family with a dark secret

63. Between Elephants and Mice- Harry’s Woody Allen story about the troubled live of people in Manhattan

64. Internet Connection- Matt’s character drama on people drawn together through the Internet

65. Parvana’s Journey- Connor Campbell’s sequel to the Breadwinner, continuing the tale of Parvana’s attempts of survival

66. The Guy Who Owned the Store- Bryce’s tale of a town under control of the mob

67. E.L.- Daniel’s wonderful story on a woman author dealing with a sudden aphasia deleting her ability to read or write

68. Fresh Heir Vol. I- Part 1 of Brian’s wildly original political tale

69. I Do Solemnly Swear- Jamie Madden’s hilarious tale on a man’s complicated love life

70. A Child of Shame- Maia’s emotional tale on the lives of people surviving the Lebensborn project

71. Negatives- Ben’s hilarious satire dealing with a producer trying to get movie rights on a dying woman

72. Rehab!: A Contemporary Musical- Zgamer and Ryan’s witty musical satire on the celebrity rehab craze

73. The Road- Brian Erickson’s adaptation of the popular book detailing America after a nuclear war

74. Buster- Todd’s account on the life of comedian Buster Keaton

75. Glass- Marcus Dennis’s moving character drama surrounding the death of a homeless man

76. Dinah Was…- Brian (of Minneapolis)’s adaptation of the musical on singer Dinah Washington

77. Pygmalion- Michael’s adaptation of the classic play about the cultivation of an uncultured woman

78. Cigarette Burns- Ben’s quirky satire on an actress succeeding through her attempts to fail

79. Dear Andrea- Matt’s tale of the disturbed Andrea Yates

80. Flowers for Algernon- Connor Campbell’s adaptation of the classic book on a retarded man whose intelligence is tripled surgically

81. Gray Daze- Josh P.’s character tale of a man’s struggle with methamphetamines

82. The 27th Victim- Patrick D’s unique story on a detective tracking down a bizarre serial killer

83. Fresh Heir Vol. II- Part 2 of Brian’s wildly original political tale

84. The Wilder Side of Life- Corey’s biopic on director Billy Wilder

85. The Justices- Alex’s tale of a conspiracy against the Supreme Court Justices

86. Brian Damage- Tom Houseman’s quirky Charlie Kaufman story on a man with part of a woman’s brain in his

87. Standardized Test- Connor Campbell’s comedy on a school trying to cheat the school board for more funding

88. Fred & Ethel- Connor Campbell’s story of the lives of the actors on “I Love Lucy”

89. Glitz- Brian’s quirky satire on the bizarre lives of celebrities

90. Marilyn- Steven’s biopic on the life of Marilyn Monroe

91. Terri- Pat’s account on the Terri Schiavo story

92. The Curious Case of Phineas Gage- D.W.’s wacky tale about a man with a railroad spike through his head

93. Listening- Zgamer’s unique account of the lives of students at a Idaho high school

94. Balton Productions- Brian’s lovable original musical on rival Broadway Producers

95. Wicked (July ’06)- James Somerton’s adaptation of the compelling book on the
Wicked Witch of the West

96. All Alone- Josh P.’s tale of a young homosexual dealing with bigotry

97. A Work of Fiction- Douglass’s quirky tale on a man who claims to Jesus Christ

98. Green River- Ryne’s tale of the Green River Killer

99. Watts- Bryce’s account on the Watts Riot in Los Angeles

100. Tavistock Place- Pat’s character drama on a bombing of a bus in London

I's 100 Post, 100 Baits #20-11

2007-10-21T22:36:00.000-07:00

Narrator: It’s almost here. We have counted 80 different baits on out list and we are finally on the second to last section of the ceremony. So get ready, because here’s I’s Top 100 #20-11. And here’s your host for tonight, Zgamer!

(Zgamer walks to center of stage)

Zgamer: Hello and welcome to this latest segment for I’s Top 100 Baits of All Time. Before I begin my little intro, I will make a little announcement. Since we are approaching the last spots on our list, we have decided to make the last segment big event. To start it off, we have allowed fellow author Harry to be a guest commentator for this segment. When this is over, we will allow any person who has won Bait of the Month to be a guest commentator on the segment. We’ve had several volunteers and we are excited. Now everyone else who hasn’t volunteered needs to do so. When you do, sign you name and e-mail on the thread “Attention BOTM winners” and we will send you a list of the Top 10 baits of all time (which will not be in their ranking) and have you send back your comments on them. Your comments must be personalized. We don’t want a mini-summary; we want your personal (and positive) opinion on the bait’s success and when you first read it. Ok I’m done.

(Starts walking)

Zgamer: I am honored to be hosting this for the last time before Michael does the final segment. I’m also excited because we now unveil some of the most acclaimed baits of all time onto our list.

(Walks to Hall of Baiting)

Zgamer: I’m very sure this is the last time we will go into the Hall of Baiting for now, since we will probably have a special spot for the top ten. But let’s start this celebration on a high note. Our first bait on this list. Written back in April of 2007, this little bait helped Pat keep his acclaim afloat before the release of Border Man a few months later. With a quirky idea and well picked cast and crew, this was a hidden gem and a surprise hit that month. So let us enter Scarttenow Junction.

Michael: I really enjoyed this bait. It really felt like a movie that would be released and had a Little Miss Sunshine feel to it, which I loved.

Narrator: Scarttenow Junction opened to great reviews, especially considering the fact many thought it was a weak month. Most of the praise went to the film’s quirky feel and top notch cast, as well as it’s welcome familiarity to previous Anderson hits like The Royal Tennebaums.

Harry It was a very touching road movie. I thought it was funny and it’s certainly one of the best baits of April.

Narrator: Scarttenow enjoyed a very good precursor run, with Festival wins for its screenplay and future best picture c/m to complement its three GG wins for picture, actor and screenplay. Scarttenow missed out on winning best picture, but it did make an impact for winning funniest bait and a #4 place in the month. This is one of Pat’s biggest hits.

Daniel: In my top 5 of all time, "Scartennow Junction" is one of the best comedies, and most original, in Bait an Oscar history. This is the ultimate Wes Anderson project and Pat does a brilliant job of illustrating that in his bait. One of the best baits ever.

Title Card: The #20 bait is…

SCARTTENOW JUNCTION

Zgamer: This next bait was the one that helped start off 2007’s successful run. Written by Al in January of 2007, this is considered one of the last great ensemble driven baits of the contest. With a baity subject and an ideal cast and crew, this gave people hope that 2007 could beat 2006’s run. Let us now walk into the Sandstorm.

Harry: Sandstorm manages to omnisciently look at the War of Iraq with unique real stories. This is one of the most unique ensembles dramas in the contest so far. The press section is extremely well-written and describes the tone of the film very well.

Narrator: After a bit of hype, Sandstorm opened to the best reviews of January. While there were other great baits in the month, most readers were drawn into Sandstorm thanks to its subject, well picked cast and quality writing.

Daniel: It's one of the all time great ensemble pieces. All of the characters are original and all worthy of Oscar nominations. This would not only be a large Oscar contender if it were released but also a large Box Office success. It's a fantastic achievement.

Narrator: Sandstorm’s precursor run was a triumph, earning GG wins for best picture, director and a win for supporting actor Cillian Murphy. The Oscars were just as good to the bait, as it not only walked away with the coveted Best Picture and Best Director prize (a rare feat for any bait), but it also helped Al to a best author win. It will go down in history as one of the best ensemble baits of all time and a pinnacle for War in Iraq stories.

Michael: I have to say, when I first read it I was a bit uneasy about it, but after re-reading it, I fell in love with it. Soderburgh and Murphy are perfect choices.

Title Card: The #19 bait is…

SANDSTORM

Zgamer: Take a deep breath and let’s continue on with the next bait on our list. Now, this bait has been considered controversial for its win for BOTM back in May of 2007. In a competitive race against heavy hitters like Dominion and Rush, some felt it shouldn’t have beat Tony for his first win. However, I’m sure most everyone can agree that this was a very well written and baity character piece. Along with its unique idea and quality writing, it also sported one of the most unique and balanced casts I’ve seen. This is Rivalry at 6 P.M.

Harry: “This was Patrick D’s breakthrough bait and an unexpected bait of the month winner. It’s one of the best of May”

Narrator: Rivalry at 6 P.M, opened to mostly favorable reviews back in May. Though it did have strong competition from Dominion supporters, it also had a lot of people backing it up, most notably BOTM winners. Most people praised its strong cast and crew.

Michael: My favorite bait in May. I love everything about it and I think it will go down in history as one of the greatest baits.

Narrator: Rivalry was one of the first baits to ever have a huge boost in buzz thanks to the newly organized Festival, earning many of its top prizes. It also won supporting star Ethan Hawke awards at the SAG and GG and won awards for Winstone in the GG and the ensemble for SAG. In the end, it’s biggest win was at the Oscars, as it won BOTM, best plot and best original screenplay. A great breakthrough for Patrick.

Daniel: The casting in this bait is near flawless. The bait is quite suspenseful. It's a great bait.

Title Card: The #18 bait is…

RIVALRY AT 6 P.M.

Zgamer: Next up is one of the veteran baits by veteran authors. Written back in September of 2006, this was one of the first successful team baits, written by Brett and Dpac. With a compelling story and foreboding atmosphere, this is one of those classic baits that can live past any flaws of age. We now walk down Cielo Drive.

Daniel: This is one of the best ensembles ever in a bait. I remember when this came out I admired it for that same reason. It's a great bait and the casting is pitch perfect.

Narrator: Cielo Drive opened to some of the best reviews of the month. However, the bait had a lot of competition from films like The Breadwinner and Ironic Nonfiction. It rose above them in most fields though, as it was consistently praised for its story and beloved cast.

Harry: “The atmosphere is the best trick of this bait. You never expect what will happen next. This is one of my favorites, if not my favorite team bait of all time. The press section is pure genius and the director choice is simply perfect.”

Narrator: Cielo Drive had a modest precursor run, tying Little Miss Murder for the SAG Ensemble award. Unfortunately, this didn’t improve its Oscar chances. It only walked away with a best crew win, though it did also place #3 for the month. However, the bait lived on through word of mouth and popularity. A great example of both atmospheric writing and team bait success.

Michael: The opening line of the synopsis for me, puts me in the mood for this classic team bait. Simply put, it's really great.

Title Card: The #17 bait is…

CIELO DRIVE

Zgamer: Foreign film. Where would the Oscars be without them? Well, only a bit less popular than it is now, given they don’t award many. However, one foreign film caught the eyes of many when it was released in March of 2007. Written by Brett, this was his comeback bait after many months of hiatus. With a great cast and crew, a great plot and a compelling story, this was an ideal foreign film vehicle. Now repeat after me: the window=”La Ventana”.

Harry: With one of the greatest and most powerful stories of all time, La Ventana excellently explored psychological and philosophical content in a very unique way. The atmosphere introduction in the synopsis is one of the most inspiring factors in the contest today. I’m enraged because this bait should be a lot higher in the list.

Narrator: La Ventana opened to a plethora of raves when it released. In a month where many veterans were flaunting their stuff, Brett was able to garner good word of mouth with his unconventional comeback. People consistently raved over its great lead actors and well written story.

Daniel: I really like "La Ventana" for a number of reasons. I think that a "Rear Window" update in a different country is a very bold idea that has to be nailed perfectly in order for it to work...and it is nailed perfectly. The casting and the crew are right on in this bait making it one of the best baits ever written.

Narrator: Surprisingly, La Ventana had no real precursor support on its way to success, with its nominations beaten by more popular choices like Wicked and Imagine. However, it came out strong at the Oscars, winning BOTM and the coveted best plot/synopsis. One of the greatest foreign films ever made for the site.

Michael: The best foreign bait ever. The story is well crafted and I can see myself enjoying it a ton. Pure Oscar Bait.

Title Card: The #16 bait is…

LA VENTANA

Zgamer: Age usually kills many of the great baits of old. Whether its because of changed views on casting or writing style, some baits just can’t survive by our revised standards. This one is a great exception. Written by Brian of Arizona back in October of 2006, this bait remains one of the most original stories ever done and one of, if not the, best baits Brian has written. This is iLife.

Michael: One of the best ensemble baits ever. The casting is great, the story is great, everything about it is fantastic. One of my favorites of the month.

Narrator: What more can be said. iLife opened to stellar reviews across the board and was the pinnacle of Brian’s biggest run of successes. Most everyone loved its quirky and original story, along with its inspired casting and director choice.

Harry: While the execution needed to be more concise, this is another extremely original idea. Brian wanted to make a parody of technology and he ended up writing one of the most original baits of all time next to “Bootleg”, “Quiet Room” and “Mail Order-Bliss”.

Narrator: iLife started a little weak at the precursors, only snagging a screenplay win at the GG’s. However, it got a lot more love at the Oscars. Along with a #2 rank for the month, iLife won awards for most original bait and best original screenplay, a rare feat for many films. Still one of the most original stories on the site after a year since its release.

Daniel: "iLife" is one of the most original, best casted, best written, and one of the funniest baits ever to be written. With a brilliant director choice of Terry Gilliam, Brian (AZ) creates the perfect atmosphere. The bait is a classic and rightfully so.

Title Card: The #15 bait is…

iLIFE

Zgamer: Many had doubts that the contest could keep itself afloat after so many successful hits in the early months of 2007. However, when April rolled around, a little bait from Maia began a rise in power. With an original and very baity concept, an ideal cast and crew and likable characters, this emerged as 2007’s semi-equivalent to iLife. This is Bootleg.

Harry: “While I’m not a fan of the execution, I simply don’t understand where Maia got that idea. This is one of the most original, unique and creative ideas I have seen in the contest so far. The characters are also well-developed and unique. Drea de Matteo as a journalist is one of the best supporting roles in the contest too”

Narrator: Bootleg opened to good reviews when it released in April. While it was sometimes overshadowed by other baits like River City Blue, The Vampire Lestat and Faded Red, Bootleg garnered a huge fan base thanks to Maia’s promotional posters, good word of mouth and the bait’s great writing and cast.

Daniel: "Bootleg" is my second favorite bait of all time, second only to "The World's Longest Suicide". The bait has fantastic mix of comedy and drama and that mix works unbelievably well. The characters are fantastic and the casting for these characters is just as great. This is Maia's best bait to date and the best of 2007 so far.

Narrator: Bootleg struggled in its precursor run due to genre confusion, incorrectly being placed as a drama in the GG’s and barely winning an ensemble prize at the SAG’s. Then the Oscars came and changed its luck. Along with the BOTM prize, Bootleg also walked away with wins for most original bait, best cast and best original screenplay. One of Maia’s best just for being so true on its subject matter.

Michael: When I first read this bait I was worried that people wouldn't warm up to it, but I still loved it. However, everyone adored it and may I say Aaron Eckhart is perfectly choosen and my favorite Actor candidate of the month.

Title Card: The #14 bait is…

BOOTLEG

Zgamer: Do you love stories so complex and intriguing that you’ll be scratching your head as well as applauding its greatness? Well this next bait is mostly like that. Written back in April of 2007, Ross scored big with this compelling, well casted and well written thriller. We now look into the streets of River City Blue.

Michael: Gaghan is a great choice as well as Clooney. The story is very well crafted and it's complete Oscar bait.

Narrator: River City Blue opened to great reviews upon its release. Most everyone enjoyed its plot and stellar cast highlighted by star George Clooney.

Daniel: One of the best baits ever written. When it was released, I liked it but I've reread it several times since then and it has elevated, to me, as one of the best ever written. The casting is fantastic and the director choice is inspired. It is also written extremely well which is one of the bait's strengths.

Narrator: River City Blue enjoyed a good precursor run, winning best picture at the GG’s and also earning supporting star Forrest Whitaker a GG and SAG win. Oscar time was just as fortunate for the bait. Placing #2 for the month, River City Blue also earned awards for director Stephen Gaghan and another win for Whitaker, which marked probably the only time all four Oscar winning actors pulled a trifecta (Geoffrey Rush, Patti LuPone and Rachael Weitz all won the Oscar, GG and SAG for their baits). Ross’s best bait to date.

Harry: The tension of the story and the atmosphere are its unique factors. I also adored the director choice and the casting and crew choices. This is one of the smartest baits of the contest.

Title Card: The #13 bait is…

RIVER CITY BLUE

Zgamer: Alex S. has been on the site for a while now. However, he wasn’t recognized as much until this bait came out in July of 2007. With its baity story and strong supporting cast, Alex was able to live past the fact he had no press section in the bait. This is The Banality of Evil.

Daniel: Gary Oldman's character in this bait is one of the all time Best Supporting Actors. I admire this bait for the dynamite story and also how it is written.

Narrator: The Banality of Evil opened to good reviews considering it was in one of the most competitive months of all time. Though some bickered over its lack of press section, most praised its unique idea and great supporting cast, particularly Gary Oldman.

Harry: This is one of the most complex human studies that I have ever read. The premise is also extremely baity and the press section is groundbreaking. Alex S. is definitely one of the biggest rises in the contest and this was his breakthrough bait and one of my favorites of all time as well.

Narrator: Banality’s precursor run was not so hot, only winning an SAG for supporting actor Gary Oldman. However, the Oscars were much friendlier to the film. Along with a surprise #2 rank for the month, Banality won for its online campaign, adapted screenplay and another award for Oldman. It will go down as the bait that skyrocketed Alex S.’s career and for just being so darn baity.

Michael: This is definately one of my favorite baits of 2007. Hayden was a risky choice, but it totally worked for me and I fell in LOVE with this bait.

Title Card: The #12 bait is…

THE BANALITY OF EVIL

Zgamer: We are down to the last bait of this section. Be ready, because our next section will reveal the Top 10 baits of all time as voted by the public. So now we unveil our #11 bait of all time. Written by Daniel back in October of 2006, Daniel reached the pinnacle of his biopic stride with one of the most unique and best written biopics of all time. With a compelling topic, spot on director choice and strong lead, Daniel pumped out yet another Oscar hit. You saw it coming two lines ago, because it’s that Salvador Dali biopic we all love: Dali.

Michael: Can I say, best director choice of 2006. Ugg, I'm so jealous. Definatley one of my favorite biopics ever.

Narrator: Dali opened to raves when it released. Everyone praised its inspired director choice along with its great cast and baity subject matter.

Harry: Despite some typos, I really liked the way Daniel mixed the life of one of the best painters of all time with a surrealist style. The descriptions of Tim Burton’s directing are unique and I loved the surrealism of the bait. This is one of the first best biopics in the site.

Narrator: Dali’s precursor run was a little weak due to the fact all the attention was focused on director Tim Burton, who won the GG. Come Oscar time, it was kind of the same story. Along with the expected director win, Dali also placed #5 for the month. However, it will go down in history for having one of the best director picks for a bait ever.

Daniel: "Dali" was a lot of fun for me to make. I had wanted to tackle Salvador Dali for a while so I put a lot of work into this. I think Tim Burton is the only director who could pull this off and I've very proud of this bait for the director, casting, and also the dream sequences that I mentioned.

Title Card: The #11 bait is…

DALI

Zgamer: That’s our show for tonight. Remember, if you want to be a part of the commenting for the next section, post it on the “Attention BOTM Winners” thread. This is also my last time hosting the ceremony, so I wish Michael the best of luck when writing the last section. Congrats to everyone so far and I look forward to seeing everyone at the next section.

Recap Time

#20 Scarttenow Junction
#19 Sandstorm
#18 Rivalry At 6 P.M.
#17 Cielo Drive
#16 La Ventana
#15 iLife
#14 Bootleg
#13 River City Blue
#12 The Banality of Evil
#11 Dali

I!'s 100 Posts, 100 Baits: The List 30-21

2007-10-17T13:53:00.000-07:00

Michael: Good evening and welcome to our 8th installment of I’s 100 Posts, 100 baits. As we near our 100th post on the blog, we get closer to finding out what bait will snag the #1 spot in our countdown. But, before we can get there we have to find out all of the other places in our countdown so lets get right to it! A year ago, Alex released a bait that would go on to win BOTM and earn him the respect to become one of the greatest authors of all-time. Fosse featured an all-star cast and a baity subject quickly making it a big winner in the eyes of the baiting community.

Daniel: "Fosse" is the best cast for a biopic that has ever been assembled. I remember when Alex was running the cast through me before he submitted it and I remember thinking to myself, "This is probably the best cast I've ever heard." Everything about this bait is admirable from its aforementioned cast to its perfect crew and writing style.

Narrator: Featuring such cast members as Toni Collette, Woody Harrelson, and Catherine Zeta-Jones, Fosse was received very well by the critics. It would end up receiving 3 SAG nominations, winning 2of them, it also picked up 2 Golden Globes, out of 4 nominations. Come Oscar time it garnered 6 nominations and won 2 of them, Best Picture and Best Actor for Woody Harrelson’s portrayal of Bob Fosse.

Zgamer: It’s been a while and some things didn’t age so well, but Fosse is still a fun and lively biopic on one of the most unique individuals of all Broadway. The casting of Harrelson and Collette are still great and the bait would probably succeed very well as a film.

Title Card: Coming in at 30th place…

Title Card: Alex’s Fosse

Michael: As we begin in the 20’s we have one of the first comedies to be come a hit in the contest. Released in July of 2006, Sex in the Oval Office quickly became the bait that everyone thought would be a fantastic indie film.

Narrator: Although there were no precursors in the beginnings of the contest, it didn’t stop Sex in the Oval Office from gaining serious buzz. Premiering to great reviews, it was quickly loved by many authors. It received a small 4 Oscar nominations, and only 1 Big 8 nomination, it went on to win the Funniest bait award.

Zgamer: Hilarious, raunchy, quirky and fun. Everything you need for a winning comedy. I remember reading this back when it was released and while it took me a while to warm up to it, I eventually saw what was so funny.

Daniel: This is, without a doubt, one of the best baits ever to be sent into the contest...and also probably the funniest. When I first saw this title back in 2006, I scoffed and thought that it would be a bad Bill Clinton biopic. I read it, reluctantly, and instantly fell in love with it. I still read it frequently and I think that all of the casting is done unbelievably well.

Title Card: And 29th place goes to…

Title Card: Brett’s Sex in the Oval Office

Michael: We come from a successful July 2006 bait to a very successful August 2006. Written by BOTM winner Brian, Fresh Heir Vol. III ended the most successful trilogy that the contest has ever seen.

Zgamer: A great conclusion to the Oscar Igloo’s equivalent to LOTR. I remember eagerly anticipating its release back in August 06 and I still haven’t forgotten it. The bait was just so much fun.

Narrator: Fresh Heir Vol. III was by far the most successful installment of the unforgettable trilogy. Even though it didn’t receive any Golden Globe nominations, it didn’t stop it from gaining 5 Oscar nominations including Best Picture. It would end up stealing the Best Actress award in one of the most competitive races ever featuring Dakota Fanning, Jena Malone, Parker Posey, and Naomi Watts.

Daniel: "Volume III" is surely the best in the "Fresh Heir" series. Natalie Portman won a surprise...but completely well deserved and obvious...Best Actress win. This brought the series to a fantastic and majestic conclusion. This is how a trilogy should be done, guys. Take notes.

Title Card: Winding up in 28th place…

Title Card: Brian (AZ)’s Fresh Heir Volume III

Michael: July 2007 was easily the most anticipated month ever in the contest and one of the most competitive months ever. So it was a surprise when the low anticipated James Somerton bait, Dear Mr. President became one of the biggest contenders for Best Picture.

Daniel: This is one of the best written plots that the contest has seen in a while. The casting of Susan Sarandon is completely golden.

Narrator: Dear, Mr. President was the sleeper hit of July 2007. Starring Susan Sarandon and written in the form of a letter James was able to convey emotion and compassion in very little words. The bait received 4 Golden Globe nominations, 1 SAG nomination and won Best Actress for Susan Sarandon at both. It would go on to receive 4 Oscar nominations including a Shameless Oscar Vehicle.

Zgamer: James kind of surprised me with this one. I didn’t expect much from it at first, but this was actually a great bait. I can totally see Stone and Sarandon working on this film.

Title Card: Nabbing 27th place…

Title Card: James Somerton’s Dear, Mr. President

Michael: Westerns have never been an easily accomplished genre in the Bait an Oscar contest, but some how D.W. was able to create a bait that we all fell in love with. Starring Billy Bob Thornton and Directed by Robert Redford, Recoil was able to shine brightly in February of 2007.

Narrator: Set in 1860 in San Jose, California Recoil told the story of Buck Redding in early California. It received rave reviews and quickly became the bait that all the forums were cheering for. It would go on to win an Oscar for its award campaign, but unfortunately it wouldn’t win any other major precursors.

Zgamer: One of my biggest competitors back in February, it still remains one of my favorite baits of all time. I cannot think of a better person to star in the lead than Billy Bob Thornton and the story was very intriguing on its own.

Daniel: While writing "Bandito Express", I must admit that this bait was not only one of my main inspirations but also what I was trying to better (to challenge myself while writing). While probably the most praised aspect of the bait, "Recoil"'s awards campaign is just as good as the synopsis...which is saying a lot. I admire this bait for so many reasons because it truly delivered the perfect Western.

Title Card: Coming in at 26th place…

Title Card: D.W.’s Recoil

Michael: When June 2007 rolled around and lot of authors were losing faith in the contest some claiming that the stories were getting boring and the excitement that we once had was dying out. However Sergio made a statement with a bait that put the hope back in ours hearts.

Daniel: I love this bait. The story is so fresh and the synopsis is written fantastically. Sergio's masterpiece really hit the right chord with me. It's one of the best baits of all time and very deserving of the place of 25th.

Narrator: Lucky Clover starred Emma Thompson and Jaime Bell and opened to rave reviews, most notably from Pat. In what most considered to be a weak month, this bait gained much praise and was nominated for 5 Golden Globes and would go on to be nominated for 9 Oscars and won 4, but won no Golden Globes.

Zgamer: In a weak month, this bait really shone. With a unique story, a great cast and a wonderful poster, Sergio finally convinced me that he could do more than pretty art.

Title Card: Breaking the Top 25…

Title Card: Sergio’s Lucky Clover

Michael: Back in the beginning of the contest, a biopic of Christopher Reeve was released and even though it was in April and there isn’t much in the forums to base reviews off of, we can be sure that audiences loved the heartwarming story.

Zgamer: Probably my favorite oldie bait of all time. I like this so much not only because the casting is impeccable or the directing choice perfect, but because it hasn't lost as much with age as some of the others. A great tribute to a missed couple.

Narrator: Although there aren’t many reviews to talk about, we can infer that everyone loved it because of it’s success at the Oscars. Receiving 4 nominations it received more than any other bait and went on to win 2nd place, right behind the infamous Carter.

Daniel: I've always thought about how this bait is six sentences long and how it still delivers the powerful punch that it does. I love this bait. The casting is spot on; Brendan Fraser and Maria Bello are Oscar gold.

Title Card: Coming in 24th…

Title Card: Matthew’s Once a Hero

Michael: As we get closer to our Top 20 we have 3 more baits to talk about. This one comes from July of 2007 and Pat finally made his “comeback” as most people called it with the release of Border Man.

Daniel: This bait is a wonder. Written in one strong and concise paragraph, "Border Man" is an extremely powerful bait. From the casting...the crew...the way it is written...it's fantastic.

Zgamer: Pat finally came out of his funk and wrote a great story with this. I remember reading this and thinking Did Pat write this? Well then, it’s definitely one of my favorite bait’s of the month?

Narrator: Telling the story of border patrol officer told to weed out illegals, the bait struck a cord with the forums. It was a huge success from the beginning nominated for 7 Igloo awards, 5 Golden Globes, and 3 SAG’s, it won a combined 2 out of the nominations. The widely acclaimed bait went on to be nominated for 8 Oscars and would win 1 for Best Supporting Actress, it would also claim 3rd place in the highly competitive month.

Title Card: The 23rd best bait is…

Title Card: Pat’s Border Man

Michael: As 2006 came to a close, many baits came out that changed the contest forever. Christopher Plummer starred as Ralph Morgan in groundbreaking bait written by Alex.

Daniel: Now this is a bait. If this were actually made into a film, it would sweep the Academy Awards. Repeat, this WOULD, not might, WOULD sweep the Academy Awards. It is one of the best written and best cast baits of all time (which isn't a surprise considering who the author is). To be honest, I'm disappointed in the place this bait has received...it deserves to be in at least the Top Ten.

Narrator: Ralph’s Food and Drug was immediately embraced by the baiting community. It received an astounding 7 Golden Globe nominations and won 3 including Best Picture Drama. As the buzz grew even more it scored an amazing 11 Oscar nominations. It would go on to win only 1, for Rod Lurie’s directing.

Zgamer: This bait was a little under the radar at first, but I really liked it. While I obviously liked World’s Longest Suicide more, this was my definite second favorite just because it had a unique story and a very good cast.

Title Card: Achieving 22nd place in our countdown…

Title Card: Alex’s Ralph’s Food and Drug

Michael: As we wind down this section we close it with a bait I consider to be one of my favorites, and it really struck a cord with me when I read it and I know it did the same with many other readers.

Zgamer: I didn’t like Harry’s writing very much before he came out with this. Once he did release it though, I began to see the talent he had not been using. Took me a while to warm up to, but once I finally read it a second time I fell in love with it. It’s just so draining that I couldn’t stop re-reading certain lines over and over again.

Narrator: Starring mainly unknowns, Destiny became Harry’s biggest hit. Scoring fantastic reviews and 3 Golden Globe nominations, it would go on to obtain 3 Oscar nominations as well and would win the coveted Best Plot/Synopsis. Even though it didn’t get a ton of attention back in January, it would go on to be loved by the entire community.

Daniel: This remains to be Harry's greatest work. It cannot be denied, even by Harry himself, that there are numerous baits in his catalog that don't deliver at all. This bait more than makes up for it as it is the most emotional bait this contest has ever seen. Harry wrote one of the best baits of all time. I am still furious that this did not win Bait of the Month and like "Ralph's Food and Drug", this deserves a higher place.

Title Card: Coming in 21st place...

Title Card: Harry's Destiny

Michael: Well, that ends this segment of I’s Top 100 and for all of you who skipped the ceremony, here is the list…

21. Destiny
22. Ralph’s Food and Drug
23. Border Man
24. Once a Hero
25. Lucky Clover
26. Recoil
27. Dear, Mr. President
28. Fresh Heir Vol. III
29. Sex in the Oval Office
30. Fosse

I's 100 Posts, 100 Baits #40-31

2007-10-13T14:41:00.000-07:00

Narrator: Foaming at the mouth with anticipation? Ready to stone those in charge of the ceremony? Well, it’s now time for the next section of I’s 100 Posts, 100 Baits Ceremony. Here’s your host for the night, Zgamer!

(Zgamer walks up to the screen in a nice suit as he adjusts his tie)

Zgamer: Hello fellow baiters and readers. Due to massive quantities of homework, Michael is not able to do this section. While he has promised to do the next one due to free time next week, I wish to comfort the readers by informing them I will keep myself on standby in case he cannot pull through. Also, I’m getting ready for my Homecoming date tonight, so that is for my rather fancy apparel. However, I still have time for my fellow cinema fanatics and aspiring Hollywood writers.

(Walks into the Hall of Baiting)

Zgamer: We’ve seen a lot of baits through the course of the ceremony. From political dramas to adaptations of Broadway hits to box-office juggernauts, the list has been diverse and extremely prestigious. However…(indicates a row of blank spaces)… more is needed. So we now bring you the next ten spots on our list. We start with another bait written by the incomparable Tony. Back in March of 2007, Tony released a peculiar but widely acclaimed bait that would continue to cement his gradually increasing praise. With a unique plot, great casting and an inspired director pick, this was one of the first great Arronofsky films. So be prepared to experience the Flashes.

Michael: Almost everything about this bait is perfect, but not something I would ever want to see in theaters.

Narrator: Flashes opened to a mostly positive acclaim. While some criticized its grammar and strangeness, most everyone found something good about the bait. The most frequent praise was for its originality, director and for lead character Edward Norton.

Daniel: This is one of the most original stories that the contest has ever seen. I really don't know what else to say except that this bait is unbelievably imaginative and one of the best in the contest.

Narrator: Flashes enjoyed a good amount of precursor praise, with many nominations and a GG win for Norton. Oscar time proved less favorable. Despite strong nominations, Flashes walked away with only a #8 ranking. However, its influence and popularity is still strong to this day.

Title Card: The #40 bait is…

FLASHES

Zgamer: This next bait is considered one of the most controversial baits of all time. However, it’s not for its subject matter. It’s for its lack of baityness. When James Somerton released this bait back April of 2007, he faced some hellfire from some of the more Oscar-focused authors. However, a small fanbase supporting the bait soon propelled it to acclaim all around. With its great cast, unique plot structure and overall quality, this is considered one of the best un-baity baits of all time and pretty much coined un-baity in our vocabulary. This is The Vampire Lestat.

Michael: This is definitely among the best of James Somerton baits. It proved that you don't have to be baity to be good.

Narrator: The Vampire Lestat opened to great acclaim. While some held a grudge against it for its non-Oscar friendly subject, most praised it as the adapted bait frontrunner of the month. Most comments went to its synopsis and lead star Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

Daniel: "The Vampire Lestat" is the best example, ever, of a bait with almost no baity qualities becoming a hit with awards. Written perfectly and with a very solid cast and crew, "The Vampire Lestat" is the best first person synopsis ever.

Narrator: The debates on baity vs. unbaity hurt Lestat’s precursor run, with no nominations in any of the three precursors. However, the Oscars surprised everyone when Lestat’s name appeared on many nomination categories, including an unexpected best picture nod. Then it really surprised people by winning best plot/synopsis, most likely to become a cult film, best adapted screenplay and placing #5 in the month. A great example that quality can triumph over sucking up.

Title Card: The #39 bait is…

THE VAMPIRE LESTAT

Zgamer: Comedy is usually not a field the Oscars like to reward. However, this bait managed to pull off enough acclaim and praise for its quality, its unique story, crew and great lead casting. Released back in October of 2007 by Al, this remains one of his most popular baits. Just goes to show that bashing this bait is No Way To Treat A First Lady.

Michael: One of my favorite comedic baits of all-time and I think this is one of the few baits that would still do well in the contest today.

Narrator: No Way To Treat A First Lady opened to a decent amount of acclaim. While unfortunately overshadowed by big hits like iLife, The Bang-Bang Club and Live From New York, this bait slowly but steadily built a strong fan base thanks to its unique plot, inspired director choice and superb casting of Kevin Spacey and Meryl Streep.

Daniel: Choosing Alexander Payne to direct this was a fantastic move. Meryl Streep is near perfect casting and Kevin Spacey is great as well. I would like to believe that this film will one day be made and when it is it should be cast and crewed exactly as Al did. This is one of the funniest baits in the contest.

Narrator: No Way To Treat A First Lady enjoyed a great precursor run, with wins at the GG for best picture and best actress in a comedy. At the Oscars, it only won a #11 rank in the month, but it did manage to garner a great fan base that holds the bait high to this day.

Title Card: The #38 bait is…

NO WAY TO TREAT A FIRST LADY

Zgamer: Pat is one of the contest’s most respected baiters. He has been with us since the first month and always surprises us with a new bait that is baity and quality filled. So when it was time to crown him with a best picture win, it was for one that was well deserved. This bait, packed with a great plot, crew and cast, remains one of his best. This is Photograph.

Michael: I really liked some of the things about this bait, but I can't say it's one of my favorites. Still, it was very deserving for Pat to win Best Picture for the bait.

Narrator: Photograph opened to much praise despite being in one of the most competitive months ever seen in the contest’s history. While some were tired of seeing Paul Haggis in yet another bait, they praised Photograph for doing a Haggis story the right way. Most of the other comments went to the unique story and the all star cast.

Daniel: For all of those baiters who strive to write the perfect ensemble bait, "Photograph" is required reading. It is, to this day, the best Paul Haggis bait ever and the most likely story that Haggis would write. I loved all of the casting when it was released and I am even fonder of it now. It's one of the best ensemble baits ever.

Narrator: Photohgraph was the first winner of the newly established GG’s best picture drama. Come Oscar time, it surprised everyone by sweeping many major awards. Along with its BOTM win, Photograph scored awards for best plot/synopsis, best original screenplay and an award for lead actor Phillip S. Hoffman. One of the best ensemble baits on the site.

Title Card: The #37 bait is…

PHOTOGRAPH

Zgamer: This next bait was one of Brian’s biggest baity hits he’s written. Released back in April of 2007, he took biopics to a new level with his look at the life of dictator Joseph Stalin. With an amazing cast and unique take on the topic, this was a truly great bait. So let’s experience Faded Red.

Michael: I absolutely adore this bait, it is fantastic on every level and it's a shame it didn't win Best Picture back in April.

Narrator: Faded Red opened to a good amount of praise in April. In a very competitive month, it managed to make a name for itself for being one of the few actually baity stories. Most praised its quality writing and great casting of major players Geoffrey Rush, Rachel Weitz and Gary Sinise.

Daniel: When I first heard about Geoffrey Rush being cast as Stalin, I was a little upset because I planned on baiting Rush to a Best Supporting Actor award as Jerry Garcia for my Grateful Dead bait. But once I read the bait, I read it before it was released, I didn't care anymore. The casting of this bait is what really impresses me. The Rachel Weisz description in the awards campaign is just excellent. It is the kind of part in a movie that would pull a Judi Dench and win for a very limited time on screen.

Narrator: Faded Red scored precursor wins across the board, with wins in all three precursors for stars Rush and Weitz. The acclaim didn’t stop there, as the Oscars proved favorable for the bait. Along with the expected wins for Rush and Weitz, the bait also picked up a win for its awards campaign and placed #3 in the month. It also helped Brian pick up a best author prize. One of the best biopics of 2007.

Title Card: The #36 bait is…

FADED RED

Zgamer: Adapted stories have a way of being Oscar friendly hits and this next bait is a good example. Written by Gabby back in October of 2007, this bait won acclaim for its Oscar friendly topic, great lead and overall quality. While Gabby is sadly no longer allowed to bait for the contest, The Awakening remains a hit to this day.

Michael: I think this has to be one of the most overrated baits of all-time, but it's very baity.

Narrator: The Awakening opened to great acclaim. While it had many heavy hitters to butt heads with, the bait won praise for its topic and lead star Reese Withersppon.

Daniel: When I first read this bait, I wasn't really all that impressed. I reread it probably four months ago, just because I was curious, and I realized that I must have read the wrong bait the first time because this bait totally deserved all the acclaim it received.

Narrator: The Awakening pulled a double win at the precursors for Witherspoon. It then followed this by surprising folks with a best picture nod and many other nominations. Though it only placed #4 in the month with no other wins, its impact and the eventual ban of Gabby helped increase this bait’s popularity. Worth a read for its uniqueness and for being the last great bait of a talented writer.

Title Card: The #35 bait is…

THE AWAKENING

Zgamer: We have four more baits to award tonight and I am excited to see all of them on the list. Let’s start with the bait most consider Tony’s greatest. Written back in May of 2007, this bait stood out among a generally consider “weak” month for the fact it baited Shyamalan accurately in a good movie. Aided by a unique story and ideal cast, this is one of his best indeed. So let’s enter Tony’s Dominion (the bait, not his blog).

Michael: This may not be one of my favorite baits, but it's pure Tony goodness.

Narrator: Dominion opened to raves across the board. While there was the infrequent naysayer, most praise its originality and just for the fact it did a Shyamalan story right for once.

Daniel: I loved "Dominion" mainly because of how appropriate it was for M. Night Shyamalan. Tony produced something fantastic in this bait. I can honestly say that this is one of the long baits that actually work, and I criticize heavily on baits that are too long and shouldn't be. The whole bait is perfect. This should have won Tony his long overdue Bait of the Month (and he also should have won for The Iniquity Beyond so this should have made him our first double winner).

Narrator: The bait, as with many popular movies, enjoyed much precursor praise, winning best picture and director at the GG’s and many nominations around. Oscar time proved to be very helpful for its cause. Though it lost a very competitive race against Rivalry At 6 P.M. for best picture, it still walked away with wins for most original bait, most original character and a #2 placing for the month. One of the most original stories on the site.

Title Card: The #34 bait is…

DOMINION

Zgamer: When people think about this September 2006 bait, many thoughts arise. Whether its admiration or mixed reactions, this was a bait that eventually proved to be a great vehicle to help Daniel’s career. Though controversial by some opinions for its winning streak, it still was a very well done and unique bait and one of the best Payne stories on the site. Plus, I enjoyed using it as part of my skit for one of the Oscar ceremonies. So enjoy the Ironic Nonfiction.

Michael: I loved this bait ever since it came out. It's a bit out there, but I still love it.

Narrator: Ironic Nonfiction opened to a good amount of acclaim. Though the month wasn’t as competitive as the previous two months, this bait made a name for itself with its quirky story, good director choice and unique but well-chosen cast.

Daniel: This went through many drafts before I actually submitted it. There were many different story lines such as Augustus becoming a contract killer for someone who was holding his parents hostage. I was very happy with the story I chose. Winning Bait of the Year for this bait, while always puzzling to me, was one of the proudest experiences of my life.

Narrator: The precursors were of course favorable to Ironic Nonfiction, as it won best picture and an award for lead Tim Robbins the GG’s. Oscar time, however, took quite a few by surprise. Along with winning the BOTM, it also won awards for its synopsis and a surprise win for supporting star David Bowie. Then Ironic Nonfiction pulled the rug from under our feet by being the first bait to be crowned Bait Of The Year. One of Daniel’s biggest successes yet.

Title Card: The #33 bait is…

IRONIC NONFICTION

Zgamer: A few more to go folks. Up next is a bait I am extremely proud of. When I started my career back in July of 2007, I had no idea what to expect when I submitted my first two baits into the contest. While Metal Gear Solid surprised everyone by proving video games could become good movies, I could not have expected people to enjoy this next bait bait as much as they did. I wrote this bait to express something I felt very deeply about and to help show where I stand on religion, and it was extremely encouraging to discover people admired that. This is A Faith of One.

Narrator: A Faith of One opened to a good amount of praise. While it wasn’t a super critical hit, there were many who praised its quality writing, unique idea and cast.

Daniel: This bait has done what many baits, as much as I have those baits, have not. This bait has stayed with me since the first time I read it. This should have won Bait of the Month in July of 2006. The casting is especially brilliant. I admire Zgamer so very much for this bait.

Michael: It's a great bait that I can see being praised by every critic and winning many Oscars.

Narrator: A Faith of One turned out to be a surprise hit as it unexpectedly garnered a best picture nod in the month. While it lost out on many of its nods, it managed to earn a win for supporting star Jake Gyllenhaal. A unique bait and Zgamer’s first hit.

Title Card: The #32 bait is…

A FAITH OF ONE

Zgamer: We have now reached the last bait of this section. As said, Michael is planned to have the next section up soon, but I will still be here in case he needs help. Anyways, now is he time to announce the #31 bait on our list. Released back September of 2006, this bait proved to be one of Matt’s biggest successes. With an intriguing story and a great cast, Matt scored major points to help him write future successful baits. We now give you Little Miss Murder.

Michael: One of my favorite baits of all-time. Everything about it was perfect in my book. A bit dated and probably wouldn't do well in the contest today, but I still enjoy it as a classic bait.

Narrator: Little Miss Murder opened to a good amount of critical praise. While it had competition from frontrunners Cielo Drive, Ironic Nonfiction and Midnight Mass, this bait made a name for itself with its stellar casting of stars Elle Fanning and especially Cillian Murphy.

Daniel: To be completely honest, this bait never grabbed me all that much but the casting of Cillian Murphy is one that will be forever envious of.

Narrator: Little Miss Murder’s precursor success was mostly dependent on its cast, as it won many awards for star Murphy, Fanning and an eventual ensemble prize at the SAG’s. Then came Oscar time and one of the biggest snubs in the contest’s history. When the names were read off, Murphy and Fanning were nowhere to be found in the supporting field. This hurt the bait’s chances for many wins, but it did manage to earn #8 of the month and win an award for its casting choice of Murphy. One of those underrated baits that can really go places with the right fan base.

Title Card: The #31 bait is…

LITTLE MISS MURDER

Zgamer: And so concludes this portion of the ceremony. From all of us at I’s, we wish you a good day and we hope to have more sections up faster. As I prepare to leave for my Homecoming date soon, here is a recap of this list.

#40- Flashes
#39- The Vampire Lestat
#38- No Way To Treat A First Lady
#37- Photograph
#36- Faded Red
#35- The Awakening
#34- Dominion
#33- Ironic Nonfiction
#32- A Faith of One
#31- Little Miss Murder

I's 100 Posts, 100 Baits: The List #50-41

2007-10-04T22:43:00.000-07:00

Top 100: 50-41

Narrator: We’ve past the halfway point. Before we begin with the next 50 baits, let us recap on the baits from the first part.

100. Tavistock Place
99. Watts
98. Green River
97. A Work of Fiction
96. All Alone
95. Wicked (July 2006)
94. Balton Productions
93. Listening
92. The Curious Case of Phineas Gage
91. Terri
#90 Marilyn
#89 Glitz
#88 Fred & Ethel
#87 Standardized Test
#86 Brain Damage
#85 The Justices
#84 The Wilder Side of Life
#83 Fresh Heir Vol. II
#82 The 27th Victim
#81 Gray Daze
80. Flowers for Algernon
79. Dear Andrea
78. Cigarette Burns
77. Pygmalion
76. Dinah Was…
75. Glass
74. Buster
73. The Road
72. Rehab!: A Contemporary Musical
71. Negatives
70. A Child of Shame
69. I Do Solemnly Swear
68. Fresh Heir Vol. I
67. E.L.
66. The Guy Who Owned the Store
65. Parvana’s Journey
64. Internet Connection
63. Between Elephants and Mice
62. The Iniquity Beyond
61. The It Girl
60. Sweet Black and Blue
59. Record Man
58. The Devil in the White City
57. Dragontown
56. Jersey Boys
55. Bruised Boys
54. The Rainbow Album
53. Steamboat Disney
52. Wicked (March ’07)
51. Wildflower

Now it’s time to continue as we reach our goal to the top voted baits of April 2006 to July 2007. And here’s your host to guide you through this segment, Zgamer.

Zgamer: (Walks up to the center of the stage) Hello again. Yes, we’ve passed the halfway bait and are now ready to unveil the next 50 baits on our list. And thankfully we have a great bait to start off this segment. Written back in August of 2006, this bait helped bring Daniel some of his biggest praise and success. With Steamboat Disney backing it up, it helped Daniel establish one of the site’s best biopics. So here’s his hit bait I, Bergman.

Narrator: I, Bergman opened to great reviews and reception, ranking on many Top 10 lists. Adding the success of this to Daniel’s Steamboat Disney, it helped push Daniel’s status as one of the site’s best authors. Most of the bait’s praise went to its lead Parker Posey and its great writing.

Daniel: Originally conceived as a sole Parker Posey vehicle, I was delighted when this received accolades and a Best Picture nomination. Natalie Portman's character is still one of my favorites that I've baited.

Narrator: I, Bergman got a great reception at the Oscars that month, scoring a good amount of nods and a BP nomination. Though it didn’t win for the month, it placed fourth in the month, won the best crew award and helped Daniel win best author of the month. Even to today, this is considered one of the best biopics one the site.

Title Card: The #50 bait is…

I, BERGMAN

Zgamer: The next bait on our list came from the month of March 2007. It’s an inspiring biopic and one of Harry’s most acclaimed baits. It garnered him many nods and good reviews and now it has a good spot on the list. This is Imagine.

Narrator: Imagine opened to great reviews from almost everyone. From Top 10 lists to Best Picture predictions, Imagine was a bait everyone liked, which surprised many because Harry had only a few great baits to prove himself before.

Daniel: Harry did a great job with this biopic. John Lennon had been tackled before in baits, whether in a supporting role in "Intimate Portraits" or a lead role in "Broken Frames", so I know I was not sure of how this would do. Harry surprised me completely with this bait and it remains one of the best biopics ever to be written.

Narrator: Imagine had a strong precursor showing, winning several GG’s including one for best picture. It gained a lot of Oscar nods too, but unfortunately was beat out by many other baits including La Ventana, Sweet Black and Blue and Wicked. However, Harry did manage to earn an Oscar for his great poster and a #56 spot for the month. A great biopic.

Title Card: The #49 bait is…

IMAGINE

Zgamer: Up next is the oldest winner for BOTM the contest has. Yep, this comes all the way back from April 2006, the birth month of the contest. Written by a one time author, this bait skyrocketed the contest and led the way for many to come. So let’s observe Carter at its finest.

Narrator: Though we have no records of comments for this month, Carter was generally received very well. Many still praise it today, even if its style is archaic.

Daniel: The first Bait of the Month winner. The casting is amazing even though it is a little bloated. Although it would not be considered as great by today's standards, this bait paved the way for many influential biopics and ensemble pieces therefore making it one of the most influential baits in the contest's history.

Narrator: Carter proved very successful at Oscar time. Not only winning BOTM, it also won the now discontinued most Oscar-friendly character award. A true classic and one of Oscar Igloo’s most influential baits.

Title Card: The #48 bait is…

CARTER

Zgamer: Now I am truly honored to have this bait be on the list. Written back in July of 2007, this bait was more of an experiment rather than a true bait. I wanted to try something unique with the synopsis and casting. I wanted to give a more artsy feel to a forgotten and misunderstood time period. And I just wanted to dive back into the realms of baity stories. Ironically, the idea for writing this came from when I watched “We Were Soldiers”. So here is The Valley of Ashes.

Narrator: The Valley of Ashes opened to a wildly mixed reception. While it had some very openly spoken critics, including blog posts dedicated to bashing it, others praised to its unique synopsis, compelling lead and interesting style.

Daniel: The synopsis is beautiful prose. This was a very controversial bait which definitely had a huge love it or hate it effect on the contest. I loved it.

Narrator: The Valley of Ashes had a surprising precursor run, nabbing the Festival and GG top prizes for best picture. When Oscar time came around, it followed a good amount of nods with what some consider one of the biggest acting snubs of the month. However, Valley still did well, earning #5 in the month and winning an award for director Roman Polanski.

Title Card: The #47 bait is…

THE VALLEY OF ASHES

Zgamer: Up next, a bait that headed a very popular trilogy. Written by Connor Campbell back in September of 2007, this bait helped solidify his status as one of the contest’s best under the radar authors. Here’s to The Breadwinner.

Narrator: The Breadwinner opened to a good reception by many. While some of its flaws were pointed out by many, most praised it for just being the top adapted bait of the month. Plus, its cast was liked by many.

Daniel: One of the biggest snubs in Best Actress history. Take notes baiters, this is how to do an adaptation. The first in a great trilogy, "The Breadwinner" is a huge achievement.

Narrator: The bait’s precursor run was mixed, garnering many nods but only a few wins for lead star Hughes. Come Oscar time, it played out mostly the same way. However, it did score wins for director Milos Foreman and its adapted screenplay, as well as push Connor to a best author win and earning #2 of the month. Worth a good look.

Title Card: The #46 bait is…

THE BREADWINNER

Zgamer: We now go back to July of 2006 to take a look at one of the contest’s earliest BOTM. Written by Tom Houseman, this was the second biopic to win the coveted prize. So let’s get started with The Great Fitzgerald.

Narrator: In a highly competitive month, this bait stood out with its fair amount of praise. Most consider it Houseman’s best bait. Though it had its criticisms for grammar and such, it still garnered plenty of attention to make it a hit.

Daniel: Tom Houseman's career was short and full of great baits but this was his best. Charlize Theron's role in this bait is one of the best cast Best Actress roles ever

Narrator: Come Oscar time, The Great Fitzgerald had a great showing. Not only did it snag many nods, but it also walked home with the coveted plot/synopsis, awards campaign and BOTM prizes. One of the contest’s most overlooked (and somewhat debatable) big winners.

Title Card: The #45 bait is…

THE GREAT FITZGERALD

Zgamer: Again, we go back to the early months of the competition to unearth this gem. Written by Brian (from Minneapolis), this adaptation to the acclaimed play knocked one out of the park (and somewhat set a path for similar styled bait Midnight Mass). This is Doubt.

Narrator: Our records don’t contain reviews this early into the competition, but we do know that the bait had a good though somewhat mixed reception when it came to reviews. While it did have many supporters, some didn’t feel that this justified a BOTM win. Still, most everyone praised its well picked cast, particularly star Frances McDormand.

Daniel: Without a doubt, this is is Bait an Oscar's most controversial Bait of the Month winner. I agree with the choice, it would make an excellent film. The casting is fantastic.

Narrator: Come Oscar time, Doubt had a small but powerful line up of nods. Along with its BOTM win, it also snagged an award for the now discontinued “Most Likely to be Nominated for An Oscar” award for star McDormand. Definitely worth a read.

Title Card: The #44 bait is…

DOUBT

Zgamer: It seems like it’s a big night to go back deep into the past for these baits. This next entry is also from the inaugural month of April 06. The first bait from acclaimed author D.W., this bait made splashes with its short but compelling plot and great writing. This is I Am A Patsy.

Narrator: Our records are not accurate for reviews, but most everyone agrees that this was one of the best baits of that month. Though it had to compete with heavyweights Carter and Once a Hero, I Am A Patsy helped solidify D.W. as one of the top authors on the site.

Daniel: It has since been deemed a "classic" and rightfully so since it had its debut. One of my all time favorite biopics.

Narrator: While I Am A Patsy missed out on most awards, it did snag the #3 spot and an award for its synopsis. As Daniel said, this was one of the best early biopics on the sit.

Title Card: The #43 bait is…

I AM A PATSY

Zgamer: Finally, something not in the earliest months. This next bait was written by Tony back in November. Back then, Tony was still a struggling author trying to make a hit. Then he wrote this bait. So please join us as we induct Freakshow to the list.

Narrator: While many agreed it wasn’t a particularly baity story, almost everyone had great things to say about Freakshow. The most praised aspect was its cast. Not only was it considered to be well picked for its characters, but it just stunned many that a bait could include people like Wayne Brady and Hugh Laurie in the same bait.

Daniel: Great characters in this good ensemble bait.

Narrator: Freakshow enjoyed a good precursor run, gaining many nods and a win for its ensemble at the SAG. At the Oscars, it garnered many awards but failed to win best picture, since it had to compete against James Somerton’s phenomenal reign with The Wall and Silence. However, it didn’t leave empty handed, as it picked up a prize for its original screenplay and a #4 spot in the month. One of the best character ensembles on the site.

Title Card: The #42 bait is…

FREAKSHOW

Zgamer: We’ve reached the final bait of the night. Now, before we close, I will say a few things. For one, Michael is said to be back and will be heading the next section of the countdown. And…well, we only had that to say. Ok, now we are going to cover the last bait of this section and its one of my personal favorites. After a great debut with River City Blue, Ross followed his success with this hit. A compelling story, a stellar cast and a great crew all head his last bait of his career (for now?). So here’s to Ross’s May 07 hit Rush.

Narrator: Thanks to the help of his previous success, Rush opened to a great reception. Although it competed with heavyweights Dominion and Rivalry at 6 P.M., Rush earned plenty of praise for its quality writing and really interesting plot. Stars Russell Crowe and Heath Ledger also received plenty of attention.

Daniel: Ross was a baiter whose career was all too brief although he may come back, who knows. "Rush" was a great achievement in every way.

Narrator: Rush enjoyed a fair but positive precursor run with its prestigious nods. At the Oscars, it pulled out two wins for its great cast and director Michael Mann, as well as a #3 spot for the month. A great bait from an author that is sorely missed.

Title Card: The #41 bait is…

RUSH

Zgamer: So concludes this segment. Tune in soon for the next segment. And as this recap comes up, I say good night and I can’t wait to see the big winners.

#50 I, Bergman
#49 Imagine
#48 Carter
#47 The Valley of Ashes
#46 The Breadwinner
#45 The Great Fitzgerald
#44 Doubt
#43 I Am A Patsy
#42 Freakshow
#41 Rush

I!'s 100 Posts, 100 Baits: The List #60-51

2007-09-29T13:38:00.000-07:00

Narrator: After many days of delay, here is the next section of the Top 100. We are ready now, more than ever, to continue crowning the best baits ever written. And now, here’s our host Zgamer.

Zgamer: (Walks to the camera) Sorry the delay has been so long. There’s been some issues and Michael is currently unavailable to assist with the ceremony. So I will be running the next few segments. It will take more work, but I am determined to get as much as I can done. And don’t worry, our reliable commenter Daniel will still be here to give his great views on the baits.

Now, we are moving on to our goal of crowning the Top baits of all time. Right now, we are at #60. I feel this is a great bait to start off this long delayed section of the list. Probably it’s greatest success is actually doing a David Lynch film the right way. Released back in March of 2007, this was a great bait for so many reasons. So let’s take a look into the glorious Sweet Black and Blue.

Narrator: The bait opened to a mostly favorable reviews and praise. While some were put off by the Lynch style (as many people usually are), everyone else praised it for its originality, quality writing and the fact that it really felt like a Lynch movie.

Daniel: I've reread this many, many times. It just gets better with each read. This is the ultimate David Lynch project and D.W. did such a great job by staying in Lynch's vein at all times.

Narrator: Obviously, the bait’s reception at the precursors was ok, scoring some good nominations for its stars and director. It fared much better at the Oscars though. Though it didn’t receive a huge amount of nods, it walked away with the director award for David Lynch and #6 of the month. One of my favorite baits of that month and a great bait on D.W.’s resume.

Title Card: The #60 bait is…

SWEET BLACK AND BLUE

Zgamer: This next bait is one of the early ones from a rising author on the site. Released back in November of 2006, a little known author named Sergio soon made a name for himself with this bait with his great poster design and interesting writing. This is the Record Man.

Narrator: Record Man opened to a mixed reception. Though not praised throughout the site, it had a good cult following of authors pushing it. Most of them praised its uniqueness, poster and lead star Will Ferrell, though many complained on some of the baits grammar flaws.

Daniel: The synopsis for this is great. I loved the casting and the crew, especially Burton, the first time I read it. This was one of Sergio's first great baits and it truly deserves a position in the Top 100.

Narrator: Record Man has a favorable reception at the GG’s, earning best actor awards for Will Ferrell in both. It’s Oscar reception wasn’t great, but it did rank #11 in the month and earn Sergio the reception he needed to write future successes like Lucky Clover.

Title Card: The #59 bait is…

RECORD MAN

Zgamer: This next bait goes back to June of 2006. As the contest began to be able to stand on its own two feet, a rising author named Brian released two baits that would solidify his status as one of the site’s best authors. One was Contemporary Comedy, which would earn him the BOTM award. The other was this foreboding work. With director M. Night Shyamalan handling the adaptation of this successful book. This is The Devil In The White City.

Narrator: The Devil in the White City opened to a mixed but mostly good reception. Though Contemporary Comedy stole most of its thunder, it still rode on the success Brian had that month. Most considered it the best adapted screenplay frontrunner and it garnered many other favorable comments for its cast and story.

Daniel: I am ecsatic to see that this made the list. It is one of my all time favorites. Although I loved "Contemporary Comedy", this should have been the winner of June but I don't think that comment will offend Brian (AZ) seeing as he wrote both of those baits.

Narrator: Overshadowed by Contemporary Comedy, The Devil in the White City only garnered a few nods in technical categories and an honorable mention that month. However, the bait continues to have a strong cult following even after a year since its release.

Title Card: The #58 bait is…

THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY

Zgamer: Our next inductee to the list is kind of an oddball in terms of the types of baits we get. It’s not a drama, it’s not a comedy and it’s not a biopic. Heck, it isn’t even a horror story. It’s an anime. However, it is by far one of the best animated stories we’ve ever had. So here’s to James Somerton’s March 2007 hit Dragontown.

Narrator: After many delays and months of online campaigning, Dragontown opened in March to very favorable reviews. Though not considered a serious Oscar contender, it received a whole lot of praise for its originality, great writing and its accuracy in feeling like a real Japanese Anime movie.

Daniel: This is one of James Somerton's best baits. The concept and execution of the main idea in this bait was done beautifully.

Narrator: It’s precursor run was short, but quite successful, earning a screenplay win at the GG’s. The Oscars proved to be even more successful. It didn’t make the top 20 of the month (only honorable mention), but it did earn well deserved Oscars for James unique Online Campaign and Original Screenplay. This will stand as an achievement in site’s rising popularity in foreign and animated films.

Title Card: The #57 bait is…

DRAGONTOWN

Zgamer: Where would the Oscars be without musicals? Well, we certainly didn’t want to find out, because our next bait helped pioneer that genre in the contest. An adaptation of the 2006 Tony Award winning Musical, Pat topped off one of his strongest months with this enjoyable bait. Here’s our tribute to Jersey Boys.

Narrator: Jersey Boys opened to a strong reception that month. While Pat had three other baits that month in the competition, this was probably his strongest contender. Though not praised everywhere, it made many Top 10 and predictions list for its ideal cast, crew and writing style.

Daniel: This bait holds the title of one of the largest Best Actor upsets in history. This was a very great bait and one of Pat's very best.

Narrator: Come Oscar time, Jersey Boys surprised everyone with its receptions. Like Daniel said, it earned a well deserved though debated win for lead star John Lloyd Young. It also placed #2 in the month and helped Pat win Best Author that month. This will go down as one of the site’s first great musicals.

Title Card: The #56 bait is…

JERSEY BOYS

Zgamer: Now we head to the really sticky stuff. This is by far considered one of the site’s most controversial baits of all time, due to its topic and its rather unflattering descriptions in its press section. However, it strengths must have overshadowed its flaws, as this bait is now on our list. But we all know where I stand on this, so let’s have the narrator describe Bruised Boys for us.

Narrator: As said, Bruised Boys opened to an incredibly mixed reception back in August of 2006. Some praised its supporting cast and interesting style while many were enraged by the bait’s description of its graphic homosexual intercourse scene. Many have said to changed their minds on this though, looking at the baits good qualities.

Daniel: This is still one of the most controversial baits of all time. If you haven't read it, you are missing out. Although it was hated by many when it was first released, it has become a classic since.

Narrator: Due to the controversy, its Oscar reception was hurt a bit. It did garner several key nods though, including best original screenplay, and placed #9 in the month. It goes down in history just because it causes debates to this day.

Title Card: The #55 bait is…

BRUSIED BOYS

Zgamer: This next bait was a bit of a one hit wonder. Written by Jason back in November of 2006, this bait surprised everyone with its unique style and quality writing. So here’s our tribute to The Rainbow Album.

Narrator: The Rainbow Album opened to a good amount of praise. Though most of the month's thunder was being given to James Somerton's baits and Freakshow, it earned a good amount of acclaim for its cast, crew and interesting topic.

Daniel: This is one of the best Best Actor vehicles ever. This would pull a Helen Mirren and win EVERY SINGLE Best Actor award if it were a real movie. This has become one of my favorite baits as I reread it and reread it.

Narrator: The Rainbow Album kind of took some by surprise with its reception. Scoring plenty of nods in precursor events, the bait eventually hit the mark with its Oscar reception. Along with placing #5 in the month, it garnered many nominations and a win for lead star Patrick Wilson. A great Foreman and acting vehicle.

Title Card: The #54 bait is…

THE RAINBOW ALBUM

Zgamer: This next bait is one of Daniel’s best biopics. Written back in August of 2006, this told the grand tale of children entertainment and cartoon pioneer Walt Disney. So let’s all take a ride on the Steamboat Disney.

Narrator: Steamboat Disney helped push one of Daniel’s strongest months, with praise being given everywhere by the authors. Most of them gave their remarks for its ideal crew, great writing, likeable topic and its brilliant casting of David Strathairn as the man himself.

Daniel: My casting of David Strathairn is tied for my favorite casting choice that I've done, tied with Al Pacino in "A New Agenda".

Narrator: After a strong showing at the GG’s, the Oscars shocked everyone by not acknowledging Strathairn with a nod, considered one of the biggest snubs of all time. Not to say it completely lucked out though, as it placed #6 in the month and garnered many other nominations for director Clooney and technical awards. One of the best casting jobs in a biopics in the contest.

Title Card: The #53 bait is…

STEAMBOAT DISNEY

Zgamer: Wait a minute, didn’t we already have this bait on our list? Nope, that was the adaptation of the book. This is Al’s superb adaptation of the Tony Award winning musical. With great writing, a stellar cast and the words “box-office and award juggernaut” written all over it, this was one of March 2007’s biggest hits. Who says it doesn’t pay to be Wicked.

Narrator: Wicked opened to a strong reception from the get-go. Though debates continue on whether this or the previous version is better, many praised this for being the more enjoyable of the two. It also garnered the usual praise for its cast and writing. The only thing people complained about was its director choice.

Daniel: Although I prefer the first edition of "Wicked", this was also a great bait. I loved how it didn't give away the ending but still gave a great synopsis.

Narrator: Wicked turned out to be one of the biggest surprise awards darlings of the month. Earning many nods in the precursors (including a win for Kristen Chenoweth at the SAG’s), it came out strong in the Oscars. With many nominations and a #2 ranking, it turned out to be one of the month’s biggest winners, earning awards for its awards section, box-office potential, adapted screenplay and Chenoweth’s supporting role.

Title Card: The #52 bait is…

WICKED

Zgamer: We’ve now hit the last bait of our section. We’ve seen many types of genres here this day. From animated wonders to musical hits to classy biopics, we’ve experienced quite a few baits. However, we’ve yet to see a real showing from the female vehicles. Well here it is. Written by Douglass Reese back in December 2006, this is one of his greatest baits. So come and smell the Wildflower.

Narrator: Wildflower opened to stellar reviews when it released. Though some complained about minor details, everyone praised its great cast, crew, storylines and its topic. One of Douglass Reese’s biggest critical successes.

Daniel: This idea is very original even though it is somewhat based on an actual event. I can see the film in my mind as going back in forth between the two women and it working very effectively. It is extremely well written and the "date" idea in the synopsis worked, surprisingly enough.

Narrator: Wildflower proved successful at the GG’s, winning a screenplay award and earning many nods. At the Oscars, it proved more successful. Earning a #4 spot in the month, it also won for its poster and Christina Ricci’s lead performance. A classic on many levels.

Title Card: The #51 bait is…

WILDFLOWER

Zgamer: So concludes this portion of our list. We will be back as soon as we can for the next section of the bait. Until then, enjoy your weekend and enjoy this recap.

60. Sweet Black and Blue
59. Record Man
58. The Devil in the White City
57. Dragontown
56. Jersey Boys
55. Bruised Boys
54. The Rainbow Album
53. Steamboat Disney
52. Wicked (March ’07)
51. Wildflower

I!'s 100 Posts, 100 Baits: The List #70-61

2007-09-23T21:02:00.000-07:00

Narrator: Please welcome tonight, for the next segment of the Top 100, Zgamer.

(Zgamer walks to the center of the scene)

Zgamer: Well, looks like it’s time for another ten baits to get the recognition they deserve. You know, as we get closer to the end of the list, it gets harder and harder to decide what movies deserve to make the top spots. Thankfully, we are able to announce these next great baits right now. So let’s kick off the night with a bait that helped Maia on her way to success with Bootleg. No, it’s not Arabic Café we’re talking about right now. It’s A Child of Shame.

Daniel: This is one of Maia's best baits. This shows a real strength in baiting female characters as both Keener and Watts could really do wonders with these roles. This is a crowning achievement in Maia's flawless collection of baits.

Narrator: Released back in February of 2007, A Child of Shame opened to mostly favorable reviews and landed on many predictions and Top 10 lists. While not the most praised, it was one of the favorite adapted baits of the month. Most people praised it for its baity story and likable cast.

Michael: While I think it's a bit overrated, it was full of great acting roles.

Narrator: What the bait lacked in great reviews, it made up for it with awards love. After a good number of nods and two Golden Globe wins, it made it big at the final awards. Landing at #2 at the final list and earning two wins for its title and lead actress Catherine Keener, it ended up a winner.

Title Card: The #70 bait is…

A CHILD OF SHAME

Zgamer: The next bait on our list comes from all the way back August 2006. Jamie Madden hasn’t been incredibly active lately, but this bait remains one of his best. So prepare to experience the flavor of I Do Solemnly Swear.

Michael: I'm really glad that this made the list. I think it's really underrated and was one of my favorites back in August.

Narrator: Though a likable bait, it’s reception was not the greatest. Aside from Pat, many authors didn’t give it a great reception. However, most people gave great comments for lead star Eckhart and the overall attitude of the bait.

Daniel: I must say, this is a surprising, but welcome, addition to the list. This is an extremely sweet and funny bait. Aaron Eckhart could really excel in this role.

Narrator: I Do Solemnly Swear didn’t receive a great reception at the Oscars, but it got a good amount of nominations and placed #17 of the month.

Title Card: The #69 bait is…

I DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR

Zgamer: This next bait is the one that started the series Brian would make a name off of. We’ve already inducted Vol. II on the list, now it’s time to bring Fresh Heir Vol. I into the fold.

Michael: This kicked off the most sucessful trilogy in contest history and is a great political story.

Narrator: Released way back in June of 2006, this volume of the bait was the one that helped Brian earn the popularity of the authors and his success in the month with his bait Contemporary Comedy. With the praise for its originality, great cast and competent crew, Fresh Heir Vol. I was the start of something big.

Daniel: This started one of, if not the, most successful series ever in the contest. It is certainly my favorite series. This was a highly original story and I remember not knowing what to think when I read it for the first time. Then I realized I loved it. Volumes II and III proved to be just as good if not better.

Narrator: Fresh Heir didn’t win anything that month, but it earned plenty of nods and placed #13 in the month. If anything, the most notable thing this bait did, other than be great, was help pave the way for Vol. II and III.

Title Card: The #68 bait is…

FRESH HEIR VOL. I

Zgamer: Our next bait is considered by many to be one of Daniel’s best. Released back in January of 2007, this bait told a compelling story about one person’s battle with the rare disease known as aphasias. This is the story of E.L.

Daniel: Even in the bait's first stages, Betty White was always going to play E.L. Hughes. This idea came to me when I was thinking back on a Biology course that I had taken. My teacher had spoken about aphasias and their effects. That was my main inspiration for this bait and it is one of my favorites of all my work.

Narrator: E.L. opened to very favorable reviews from the get-go, with praises for its well picked cast and crew, along with its nicely developed characters and story progression. Though it had plenty of competition from baits like Sandstorm, it was able to stand on its own and make a name for itself.

Michael: I think that this is one of the most forgotten baits of all-time, but it's one of my favorites. It was a bit of a comeback for Daniel after a few off months and Betty White was a fantastic choice. A great bait overall.

Narrator: E.L. earned plenty of love from reviews and precursors, so it was given that it would gain good reception at the Oscars. Though it didn’t win best picture, the bait won well deserved awards for best casting choice and a win for supporting actor Bill Nighly.

Title Card: The #67 bait is…

E.L.

Zgamer: This next bait was the turning point in Bryce’s career. Released in May of 2007, this interesting story of a town controlled by gangsters won the attention of many in what was considered a weak month. So let us examine the story of The Guy Who Owned the Store.

Michael: I really think this bait kind of missed the mark. It's a great story, but I didn't like it when I first read it as much as I love it now. One of the baits that is better in memory.

Narrator: The Guy Who Owned the Store opened to good reviews. Most people praised its likable cast and compelling story. Most of all, people praised that it was Bryce’s first biggest step into the ways of professional baiting.

Daniel: I remember reading this at the film festival. I liked it but wasn't completely wowed. When I read the bait for a second time during the month's competition, I saw what all the buzz was about. This is a great story. I've come to love this bait and everything about it is spot on.

Narrator: The Guy Who Owned the Store garnered many nods over the month and even though it didn’t win much, it helped push the bait to a best picture nod. While it only won for Bryce’s unique online campaign, its main victory was for solidifying Bryce as a competent and serious contender among the authors.

Title Card: The #66 bait is…

THE GUY WHO OWNED THE STORE

Zgamer: Alright, we’re halfway through tonight’s segment. And the next bait is a good way to continue the momentum. The sequel to Connor’s hit The Breadwinner, Paravana’s Journey made just as much of a splash to make it a hit back in October of 2006.

Daniel: The sequel to the wildly successful "The Breadwinner" was a hit. I loved the whole series. This was a great second part. This was very buzzed when it was announced and was liked then. Apparently it is still liked now.

Narrator: Paravana’s Journey opened to great reviews that month. While it had a lot of competition from such classics as Live From New York, iLife and The Bang-Bang Club, it garnered raves for star Keisha Castle Hughes and just being a quality sequel.

Michael: It may not have been as good as The Breadwinner, but it is still a fantastic bait.

Narrator: Hughes earned lots of recognition for her performance, earning a trifecta of nominations in all the precursors. Though she didn’t win and the bait wasn’t recognized with any wins, it still remains a winner in the hearts of many.

Title Card: The #65 bait is…

PARVANA’S JOURNEY

Zgamer: I think this next bait really speaks to many of the authors just because it’s kind of relatable to our situation. It’s a story of people across the U.S. who bond through a common medium: the internet. Yep, it’s Matt’s August 2006 fan favorite Internet Connection.

Michael: While I'm not to surprised that this bait is so far down on the list, this is still one of my favorite baits of all time. Full of a great cast and great relationships, it made me an instant Matt fan.

Narrator: Internet Connection opened to a mixed reaction. While many praised its highly likable cast and characters, some complained about its possible troubles translating into a real movie. However, that didn’t distract it from being a popular pick.

Daniel: As I've said on many occasions, this is one of my all time favorite baits. I did a special on this bait on the forums not too long ago. The characters in this story are so rich and original. Everything about this it a hit. Unfortunately missing out on the top award, this was the rightful winner of August 2006.

Narrator: True to Daniel’s statement above, Internet Connection did not receive a nod for best picture that month. However, it lives on through being the contest’s first winner for the Golden Globes best picture drama (tied with the big winner Photograph), its placing as #13 of the month and its support from its fans.

The #64 bait is…

INTERNET CONNECTION

Zgamer: When people think of Harry, a lot of thoughts come to mind. He was one of the contest’s most unique and slightly aggravating author’s during its start. Many didn’t take him seriously at first, seeing him as nothing more than a second rate young foreign writer. This bait, however, changed that. So let us explore September 2006’s Between Elephants and Mice.

Daniel: This was Harry's first big hit. Not to offend but his earlier works were not deemed very high quality. This is the bait that showed that Harry really could crank out an amazing bait. I loved this one when it came out. Laura Linney really was great casting.

Narrator: While it wasn’t a complete critical darling, the bait did get many praises for being Harry’s comeback bait after his first few flops. Most praised its appropriate style as a Woody Allen film and nice cast.

Michael: I remember when I first read this bait, I thought "Wow, that would make a great film" and I stand by that today. This was a truly great bait.

Narrator: Between Elephants and Mice received a good following at the Golden Globes, earning a screenplay nod and win (like many Allen films). It’s Oscar reception wasn’t huge, but the film did manage to earn an award for its original lead character and place #7 in the month. Most of all though, this bait won Harry his first bits of respect to help save his reputation and help him write baits like Destiny.

Title Card: The #63 bait is…

BETWEEN ELEPHANTS AND MICE

Zgamer: We’re very close to our last few baits of the night, so let’s keep the train rolling. Back around August of 2006, a new author named Tony arrived to the scene. With one bait to his name after that month, he continued on to the next with no enthusiasm of the authors. Little did we know that this new author would write a bait that would cement his status as both a very dark author and a very skilled author. This is his September 2006 bait The Iniquity Beyond.

Michael: I loved this bait. When I first read it I was extremely confused, but after re-reading about a week later, it quickly became one of my favorite baits.

Narrator: Like Michael above, some were unprepared for Tony’s style when this bait released. However, Iniquity Beyond quickly found an audience among the respected authors of the competition, earning praise for its quality writing and uniqueness.

Daniel: This is one of the most original ideas to ever come through the contest. Unfortunately, this missed out on a Best Picture nomination that it so badly deserved. This bait established Tony as a great writer in the contest and rightfully so. This is a great bait.

Narrator: Like Daniel said, Iniquity Beyond just barely missed a BP nod, placing #6 in the month. This bait still thrived though, earning a GG win for lead Eric Bana, a tagline win at the Oscars and giving Tony praise to continue writing great baits.

Title Card: The #62 bait is…

THE INIQUITY BEYOND

Zgamer: We have reached the last bait of the night. We’ve had quite a variety of baits here so far, from dark dramas to Woody Allen comedies to political thrillers. This next one appropriately shakes the list up a little. An interesting biopic on the life of sex symbol Clara Bow, The It Girl surprised many back in August of 2006 with its blunt but appropriate storytelling and interesting cast. This is its story.

Daniel: This is an amazing character piece. In an extremely competitive month for Best Actresses, this role stood out. If made into an actual film, this would win Best Actress from every critics group in America.

Narrator: The It Girl opened to much praise from the authors. In a month filled with high profile biopics, this one found an audience with its Oscar friendly story, cast and crew.

Michael: While I think it is a bit overrated, it is a great Best Actress vehicle.

Narrator: Though the bait lost out in the final ceremony, it didn’t go completely unnoticed. The bait earned plenty of nods for its lead star Jena Malone and became one of D.W.’s biggest early hits. This bait helped him continue on with stories like The World’s Longest Suicide.

Title Card: The #61 bait is…

THE IT GIRL

Zgamer: So comes the end of an eventful night. There will be a recap at the end of this paragraph for those who may not have a long enough memory to recall all the baits. So until next time, I’m Zgamer and have a good night.

70. A Child of Shame
69. I Do Solemnly Swear
68. Fresh Heir Vol. I
67. E.L.
66. The Guy Who Owned the Store
65. Parvana’s Journey
64. Internet Connection
63. Between Elephants and Mice
62. The Iniquity Beyond
61. The It Girl