Just before the rest of the guilds start chiming in and heating the real awards season back up, it’s time for a bit of a diversion. It’s hard to believe that it’s already been four years since I posted the 1st Annual Ethan’s Makeshift Oscar Awards in a Facebook note during a dull moment over winter break my senior year of high school. It seemed like just a fun thing to do to pass the time, but slowly, the EMOs have grown into the culmination of my year in film-watching. I’d like to thank all my friends who have urged me to keep going, to make the EMOs a tradition, and I hope to continue on for a long while yet, no matter what the next year brings. That said, best not to assign too much significance to what is essentially me making a bunch of occasionally obscene movie jokes. So let’s move on, yeah?
As opposed to just laying out the entire thing in one go this year, I’m going to split up the EMO announcement process – today you get the more straightforward nominations for Part 1 of the EMOs, including most of the usual critics’ categories. Late tomorrow or early on the 3rd, you’ll get the winners of Part 1, all of Part 2 (which includes individual awards for every movie I saw in 2011) and commentary from an old friend on all of the above.
The qualifications for the EMOs are the same as always: in order to be nominated, the film had to a) receive its theatrical release in 2011, and b) I had to see the film in 2011. Simple as that. No limit to the number of nominees per category (although I usually try not to go over 10). Links included for the Best Poster and Best Trailer categories. Enjoy, and tune in next time to find out who wins!
The 5th Annual EMO Award Nominations
Best Action Film:
- The Adventures of Tintin
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- Rango
- Super 8
Funniest Film:
- The Adventures of Tintin
- 50/50
- Midnight in Paris
- The Muppets
- Rango
- The Trip
- Billy Beane, Moneyball
- The Driver, Drive
- Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
- Hugo Cabret, Hugo
- Lisbeth Salander, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
- Rango, Rango
- Tintin, The Adventures of Tintin
- Bernie Rose, Drive
- Patrick, Martha Marcy May Marlene
- Rattlesnake Jake, Rango
- The Red Skull, Captain America: The First Avenger
- Sakharine, The Adventures of Tintin
- Tex Richman, The Muppets
- Voldemort, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
- Arthur, Beginners
- Maximilian, Hugo
- Skeletor, 50/50
- Snowy, The Adventures of Tintin
- Adriana (Marion Cotillard), Midnight in Paris
- Anna (Melanie Laurent), Beginners
- Anna (Felicity Jones), Like Crazy
- Curtis LaForche, Take Shelter
- J. Edgar Hoover, J. Edgar
- Joyce McKinney, Tabloid
- Justine, Melancholia
- Lisbeth Salander, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
- Martha, Martha Marcy May Marlene
- Adrien Brody, Midnight in Paris
- Kelly MacDonald, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
- Ray McKinnon, Take Shelter
- Timothy Olyphant, Rango
- Ben Stiller, The Trip
- chase through Bagghar, The Adventures of Tintin
- community dinner, Take Shelter
- the Elevator Scene, Drive
- the End, Melancholia
- making a trade, Moneyball
- opening credits, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
- silent battlefield, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
- Hamish Linklater, The Future
- Terence Stamp, The Adjustment Bureau
- David Thewlis, London Boulevard
- The Change-Up
- Jack and Jill
- The Smurfs
- The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1
- Zookeeper
Best Breakout Performer:
- Asa Butterfield, Hugo
- Jessica Chastain, Take Shelter/The Tree of Life
- Elle Fanning, Super 8
- Felicity Jones, Like Crazy
- Hunter McCracken, The Tree of Life
- Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene
- Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
- The Artist
- Drive
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
- Hugo
- The Ides of March
- J. Edgar
- Melancholia
- Moneyball
- Super 8 (retro)
- The Tree of Life
Best Trailer:
- The Dark Knight Rises
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
- The Ides of March
- Like Crazy
- Moneyball
- Shame
- Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
- Warrior
- We Need to Talk About Kevin
Prettiest Pictures (cinematography award):
- Manuel Alberto Claro, Melancholia
- Jeff Cronenweth, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
- Emmanuel Lubezki, The Tree of Life
- Wally Pfister, Moneyball
- Robert Richardson, Hugo
- Eduardo Serra, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
- Newton Thomas Sigel, Drive
- “Fuck You,” by Cee Lo Green, covered by Camilla and the chickens, The Muppets
- “Immigrant Song,” by Led Zeppelin, covered by Karen O., Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
- “Marcy’s Song,” by Jackson C. Frank, covered by John Hawkes, Martha Marcy May Marlene
- “Orinoco Flow,” by Enya, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
- “A Real Hero,” by College, Drive
- “The Show,” by Lenka, covered by Kerris Dorsey, Moneyball
- “Wolves,” by Phosphorescent, Margin Call
- “Life’s a Happy Song,” by Bret McKenzie, The Muppets
- “Man or Muppet,” by Bret McKenzie, The Muppets
- “Rango,” by John Thum and David Thum, Rango
- “Star-Spangled Man,” by Alan Menken, Captain America: The First Avenger
- Alexandre Desplat, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
- Alexandre Desplat, The Ides of March
- Michael Giacchino, Super 8
- Cliff Martinez, Drive
- Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
- Howard Shore, Hugo
- John Williams, The Adventures of Tintin
- Hans Zimmer, Rango
- Hossein Amini, Drive
- George Clooney, Grant Heslov, The Ides of March
- John Logan Hugo
- Steve Kloves, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
- Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian, Moneyball
- Steven Zaillian, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
- Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
- Mike Cahill, Brit Marling, Another Earth
- J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
- Sean Durkin, Martha Marcy May Marlene
- Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life
- Mike Mills, Beginners
- Jeff Nichols, Take Shelter
- Will Reiser, 50/50
- Jessica Chastain, The Tree of Life
- Elle Fanning, Super 8
- Mary Page Keller, Beginners
- Anna Kendrick, 50/50
- Chloë Grace Moretz, Hugo
- Carey Mulligan, Drive
- Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
- Albert Brooks, Drive
- John Hawkes, Martha Marcy May Marlene
- Ben Kingsley, Hugo
- Bill Nighy, Rango
- Nick Nolte, Warrior
- Brad Pitt, The Tree of Life
- Christopher Plummer, Beginners
- Alan Rickman, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
- Andy Serkis, The Adventures of Tintin
- Corey Stoll, Midnight in Paris
- Jessica Chastain, Take Shelter
- Kirsten Dunst, Melancholia
- Charlotte Gainsbourg, Melancholia
- Felicity Jones, Like Crazy
- Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
- Brit Marling, Another Earth
- Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene
- George Clooney, The Descendants
- Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
- Tom Hardy, Warrior
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50
- Ryan Gosling, Drive
- Hunter McCracken, The Tree of Life
- Brad Pitt, Moneyball
- Michael Shannon, Take Shelter
- Owen Wilson, Midnight in Paris
- Anton Yelchin, Like Crazy
- Drive
- 50/50
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
- Hugo
- The Ides of March
- Margin Call
- Midnight in Paris
Best Director:
- J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
- David Fincher, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
- Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life
- Errol Morris, Tabloid
- Jeff Nichols, Take Shelter
- Gavin O’Connor, Warrior
- Nicolas Winding Refn, Drive
- Martin Scorsese, Hugo
- Steven Spielberg, The Adventures of Tintin
- Lars von Trier, Melancholia
- The Adventures of Tintin
- Drive
- 50/50
- Hugo
- Margin Call
- Melancholia
- Moneyball
- Rango
- Tabloid
- Take Shelter
- The Tree of Life
- Warrior
The Best Films of Our Lives 
Is there any money to be had in predicting the EMOs?
…I might do it anyway. 😛 You’re killing me here.
Best Action Film:
The Adventures of Tintin**
Captain America: The First Avenger
Rango
Super 8
(You better not pick Rango.)
Funniest Film:
The Adventures of Tintin
50/50
Midnight in Paris
The Muppets
Rango**
The Trip
(Now you can pick Rango!)
Best Hero:
Billy Beane, Moneyball
The Driver, Drive**
Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Hugo Cabret, Hugo
Lisbeth Salander, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Rango, Rango
Tintin, The Adventures of Tintin
(I’m relying on your inner fanboy for this one…)
Best Villain:
Bernie Rose, Drive**
Patrick, Martha Marcy May Marlene
Rattlesnake Jake, Rango
The Red Skull, Captain America: The First Avenger
Sakharine, The Adventures of Tintin
Tex Richman, The Muppets
Voldemort, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
(This one is hard because I haven’t seen any of these movies other than Harry Potter… Just guessing, which will hopefully turn out to be lucky.)
Best Dog:
Arthur, Beginners**
Maximilian, Hugo
Skeletor, 50/50
Snowy, The Adventures of Tintin
(Though dog from The Artist really should win…)
Manic Pixie Dream Girl of the Year:
Adriana (Marion Cotillard), Midnight in Paris
Anna (Melanie Laurent), Beginners
Anna (Felicity Jones), Like Crazy**
(Huh. This is very difficult. I know I want to pick Felicity Jones, but this category confuses me. Is this the best dream girl of the year, or the dreamiest girl of that sort of the year? Best written? Best acted? Confusion! Alright, I’m sticking with my gut!)
Most Fucked-Up Protagonist:
Curtis LaForche, Take Shelter
J. Edgar Hoover, J. Edgar
Joyce McKinney, Tabloid**
Justine, Melancholia
Lisbeth Salander, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Martha, Martha Marcy May Marlene
(Wow. These people are all pretty messed up…)
Scene-Stealer Award (for best one-scene performance):
Adrien Brody, Midnight in Paris**
Kelly MacDonald, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Ray McKinnon, Take Shelter
Timothy Olyphant, Rango
Ben Stiller, The Trip
(I mostly voted because I want you to pick this one. RHINOCEROS!!)
Best Scene:
chase through Bagghar, The Adventures of Tintin
community dinner, Take Shelter
the Elevator Scene, Drive
the End, Melancholia
making a trade, Moneyball**
opening credits, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
silent battlefield, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
(I haven’t seen any of these other than HP either! Boo… Going with the gut instinct once more here.)
Rising Above It (for redeeming an otherwise average/bad film):
Hamish Linklater, The Future
Terence Stamp, The Adjustment Bureau
David Thewlis, London Boulevard**
(You actually saw these movies? Why? Alright, I’m picking David Thewlis just because I like him most.)
Most Deserving to Have Everyone Involved in Production Die a Horrible Painful Death Just for Making Me Watch the Trailer:
The Change-Up
Jack and Jill
The Smurfs
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1**
Zookeeper
(How can you pick anything else?!)
Best Breakout Performer:
Asa Butterfield, Hugo
Jessica Chastain, Take Shelter/The Tree of Life**
Elle Fanning, Super 8
Felicity Jones, Like Crazy
Hunter McCracken, The Tree of Life
Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
(OOO this is difficult… because I don’t think you actually like Jessica Chastain that much, but this is her year… PICK ASA BUTTERFIELD!)
Best Poster:
The Artist
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
The Ides of March**
J. Edgar
Melancholia
Moneyball
Super 8 (retro)
The Tree of Life
(I want you to pick Hugo, but I don’t think you will.)
Best Trailer:
The Dark Knight Rises
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
The Ides of March
Like Crazy**
Moneyball
Shame
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Warrior
We Need to Talk About Kevin
(Okay, I don’t care about your opinion here. LIKE CRAZY WINS. You’ll probably pick Tinker Tailor… or possibly The Dark Knight.)
Prettiest Pictures (cinematography award):
Manuel Alberto Claro, Melancholia
Jeff Cronenweth, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Emmanuel Lubezki, The Tree of Life**
Wally Pfister, Moneyball
Robert Richardson, Hugo
Eduardo Serra, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Newton Thomas Sigel, Drive
Best Use of a Licensed Song:
“Fuck You,” by Cee Lo Green, covered by Camilla and the chickens, The Muppets
“Immigrant Song,” by Led Zeppelin, covered by Karen O., Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
“Marcy’s Song,” by Jackson C. Frank, covered by John Hawkes, Martha Marcy May Marlene
“Orinoco Flow,” by Enya, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
“A Real Hero,” by College, Drive
“The Show,” by Lenka, covered by Kerris Dorsey, Moneyball
“Wolves,” by Phosphorescent, Margin Call**
(The Muppets one just sounds funny, though I do know you liked the Margin Call usage…)
Best Original Song:
“Life’s a Happy Song,” by Bret McKenzie, The Muppets
“Man or Muppet,” by Bret McKenzie, The Muppets**
“Rango,” by John Thum and David Thum, Rango
“Star-Spangled Man,” by Alan Menken, Captain America: The First Avenger
(I would have given the other one to Camilla and the chickens, but I didn’t think you would pick two Muppets songs…
Best Original Score:
Alexandre Desplat, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Alexandre Desplat, The Ides of March
Michael Giacchino, Super 8
Cliff Martinez, Drive
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Howard Shore, Hugo**
John Williams, The Adventures of Tintin
Hans Zimmer, Rango
(Hmm… I really don’t know here… Going to go on guts here. Aka: my personal likes and dislikes. You DID get The Ides of March one for free though…)
Best Adapted Screenplay:
Hossein Amini, Drive
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, The Ides of March
John Logan, Hugo**
Steve Kloves, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian, Moneyball
Steven Zaillian, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Best Original Screenplay:
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Mike Cahill, Brit Marling, Another Earth
J.C. Chandor, Margin Call**
Sean Durkin, Martha Marcy May Marlene
Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life
Mike Mills, Beginners
Jeff Nichols, Take Shelter
Will Reiser, 50/50
(If I don’t get this right I’m calling it quits.)
Best Supporting Actress:
Jessica Chastain, The Tree of Life
Elle Fanning, Super 8
Mary Page Keller, Beginners**
Anna Kendrick, 50/50
Chloë Grace Moretz, Hugo
Carey Mulligan, Drive
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
(Oh wow I have absolutely no idea who to pick.. I know you liked Anna Kendrick, Mary Page Keller, Chloe Moretz, and Carey Mulligan… Oh this is hard. Hard hard hard. It’s Jessica Chastain’s year… OH WHO TO PICK?! Kendrick, Mulligan, and Moretz are all “cute” in their roles, whereas Keller was more interesting after a fashion… Moretz is very young. It is Chastain’s year, but I don’t think you actually like her as much as you like some of the other ones. Okay, I’m going for it.)
Best Supporting Actor:
Albert Brooks, Drive
John Hawkes, Martha Marcy May Marlene
Ben Kingsley, Hugo
Bill Nighy, Rango
Nick Nolte, Warrior**
Brad Pitt, The Tree of Life
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Alan Rickman, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Andy Serkis, The Adventures of Tintin
Corey Stoll, Midnight in Paris
(Glad you got Corey Stoll in there.)
Best Actress:
Jessica Chastain, Take Shelter
Kirsten Dunst, Melancholia**
Charlotte Gainsbourg, Melancholia
Felicity Jones, Like Crazy
Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Brit Marling, Another Earth
Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene
(You never talk about your acting preferences, by the way. I’m just realizing this now. I have no idea which actress you liked the most. I must fix this. Picking based on Cannes… no bloody clue.)
Best Actor:
George Clooney, The Descendants
Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
Tom Hardy, Warrior
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50
Ryan Gosling, Drive**
Hunter McCracken, The Tree of Life
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Michael Shannon, Take Shelter
Owen Wilson, Midnight in Paris
Anton Yelchin, Like Crazy
(ANTON YELCHIN! Just kidding… not really… I picked Gosling, though you might turn around and pick Pitt just to mess with me.)
Best Acting Ensemble:
Drive
50/50
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Hugo
The Ides of March
Margin Call**
Midnight in Paris
(Again, if I get this wrong, then I’m never getting out of this bed again.)
Best Director:
J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
David Fincher, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life
Errol Morris, Tabloid
Jeff Nichols, Take Shelter
Gavin O’Connor, Warrior
Nicolas Winding Refn, Drive
Martin Scorsese, Hugo**
Steven Spielberg, The Adventures of Tintin
Lars von Trier, Melancholia
(OOO now THIS is an intriguing one… I’ve got it down to Scorsese, Chandor, and Refn… oh what to do.. what to do… go with the more courageous pick, or the auteur, or what?)
Best Picture:
The Adventures of Tintin
Drive
50/50
Hugo
Margin Call
Melancholia
Moneyball
Rango
Tabloid**
Take Shelter
The Tree of Life
Warrior
(This question has been killing me for months. I don’t know… you are NOT going to pick Rango. I know it isn’t Margin Call because I convinced you to move it up, but you wouldn’t have moved it up to top if I had to convince you… It better not be bloody Moneyball. Then I’ll really call prejudice. Alright. I took the plunge. It’ll probably turn out to be Tabloid. Hmm… wait, maybe it will be. You DID pick White Material last year… Hugo or Tabloid…)
There. You owe me at least two pennies.