Here’s a post from a reader called Marshall which was simply too good not to post. Marshall is an avid movie goer and will often see 5 films on any given weekend. With this in mind, he decided to write this post called ‘The 50 films you MUST see before Oscar Night 2011’ which are based on critics awards, industry buzz and my own personal opinion – not to be confused with preference.

Read on for the full low-down:

————————–

Movies are important. Maybe not as important as family, politics, the environment, etc., but they are still important. And the Academy Awards are the essence of what this industry is all about. It’s a night where the best films and performances are celebrated throughout the world and movies as a whole are given a chance to shine. But unless you’re as devoted of a movie geek as I am, it can be hard to know what films to see to prepare yourself before you turn on the TV February 27 to watch the big night unfold live in Hollywood. So to help those who are film-challenged, I have compiled a list based on a compilation of early critics awards, industry buzz, nominations totals from the BFCA, Golden Globes, SAG, etc. (call it a mathematical film equation if you will) to let you know, in order of importance, the 50 films you need to see before Oscar Night 2011.

  1. The Social Network
  2. The King’s Speech
  3. Inception
  4. Toy Story 3
  5. Black Swan
  6. The Fighter
  7. 127 Hours
  8. The Kids Are All Right
  9. True Grit
  10. Winter’s Bone
  11. The Town
  12. Another Year
  13. Alice in Wonderland
  14. Rabbit Hole
  15. Animal Kingdom
  16. Blue Valentine
  17. Get Low
  18. Conviction
  19. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
  20. Tangled
  21. Bitiful
  22. Burlesque
  23. Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
  24. How to Train Your Dragon
  25. Shutter Island
  26. Waiting For “Superman”
  27. Frankie and Alice
  28. Love and Other Drugs
  29. Hereafter
  30. The Illusionist
  31. Exit Through the Gift Shop
  32. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
  33. Never Let Me Go
  34. The Tempest
  35. The Ghost Writer
  36. The Way Back
  37. Iron Man 2
  38. Red
  39. Barney’s Version
  40. Tron: Legacy
  41. I Am Love
  42. Country Strong
  43. Despicable Me
  44. Greenberg
  45. Secretariat
  46. Inside Job
  47. Somewhere
  48. Easy A
  49. Casino Jack
  50. The Tourist

Awards Show Schedule:

People’s Choice Awards – Wednesday, January 5th (CBS)
Critics Choice (BFCA) Awards – Friday, January 14th (VH1)
Golden Globes – Sunday, January 16th (NBC)
Screen Actors Guild Awards – Sunday, January 30th (TNT / TBS)
BAFTA Awards – Sunday, February 13th (BBC One / BBC America)
The Grammys – Sunday, February 13th (CBS)
Independent Spirit Awards – Saturday, February 26th (IFC)
Academy Awards – Sunday, February 27th (Sky Premiere / ABC)

NAACP Image Awards – Friday, March 4th (Fox)