A St. Louis Take On The Oscar Nominees

Academy be danged, doesn't it matter more what real, salt-of-the-Earth people think of this year's Oscar nominees?...ToastedRav thinks so. We graciously accepted an invitation from our friends at AMC Theaters to attend the Best Picture Showcase we mentioned earlier. Knowing a day spent watching five feature-length films is enough to make anyone restless, we spared no expense less than $15 to stay comfy...hence this $14.95 Snuggie nabbed from Walgreens. Rest assured it came in handy between films, but back to the topic. Though a grueling film schedule allowed little time for potty breaks, we managed to grab a few people between showings to get their thoughts on the year's best flicks.

Mark Becker - St. Louis

ToastedRav: Ok Mark Becker from St. Louis, if you're the Academy, which film is the one that takes home the Best Picture statue?

Mark Becker: I absolutely loved Milk. I thought Sean Penn was just awesome, it was really good.

ToastedRav: Five movies makes for a hell of a day, doesn't it?

Mark Becker: Definitely. I've been doing this for three years though, so I love it every time.

ToastedRav: Well thanks for a second of your time.

Mark Becker: (rushes off to finally enjoy the restroom break we've inconsiderately delayed.)

Hannah (left) and Chelsea - Ballwin

ToastedRav: Of all the films on tap for today, which one were you most into seeing?

Chelsea: Probably The Reader, I've been pretty excited about that one because I heard a lot about it.

Hannah: I'm gonna say Milk. It was pretty good and Sean Penn is always amazing.

Aimee Files (a woman who obviously married below her class.) - St. Charles

ToastedRav: Besides a few hours of time in a dark theater with your exceptionally handsome other half, which of these movies did you like most?

Aimee: Definitely Slumdog Millionaire, it's like nothing I've seen before. It's sad, funny, suspenseful...a little bit of everything.

ToastedRav: The Best Actor award is a hotly debated one this year. Who should win?

Aimee: I say Sean Penn. With something like Slumdog Millionaire, no one person stands out, it's just a really good movie as a whole. But Sean Penn made Milk what it is...he defined the movie.

For a look at all the Best Picture nominees, click the Video tab and check out the winners here. For those who have yet to see the films, check out the ToastedRav reviews (The Reader, Slumdog Millionaire, Frost/Nixon, Milk, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and get to the theater asap! This year was undoubtedly Hollywood's best in a long time...go find out why.