The head to head duel with Avatar that had intensified in recent weeks was finally put to bet on the weekend as the Academy Awards came and went yet again.

The big winner on the night was The Hurt Locker, but it was not all bad news for Avatar with the film still taking out a few gongs on the night.

Here is a look at the winners on the night:

Performance by an actor in a leading role: Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart
Performance by an actor in a supporting role: Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds
Performance by an actress in a leading role: Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side
Performance by an actress in a supporting role: Mo’Nique in Precious
Best animated feature film of the year: Disney / Pixar’s UP
Achievement in art direction: Avatar
Achievement in cinematography: Avatar
Achievement in costume design: The Young Victoria
Achievement in directing: The Hurt Locker Kathryn Bigelow
Best documentary feature: The Cove
Best documentary short subject: Music by Prudence
Achievement in film editing: The Hurt Locker
Best foreign language film of the year: The Secret in Their Eyes (El
Secreto de Sus Ojos)
Achievement in makeup: Star Trek
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score): Up
Best motion picture of the year: The Hurt Locker
Best animated short film: Logorama
Best live action short film: The New Tenants
Achievement in sound editing: The Hurt Locker
Achievement in sound mixing: The Hurt Locker
Achievement in visual effects: Avatar
Adapted screenplay: Precious
Original screenplay: The Hurt Locker

The film is based on the 2003 novel by Dennis Lehane and so far it has been well received by the movie critics around the world.

Shutter Island is set in the 1950s where two US Marshall’s are sent to a federal institution for the criminally insane to capture a violent female escapee.

Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) takes the role of lead character and is supported by his side kick Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo).

The island has interest many of people for years, which is why when the task was assigned, Daniels was excited by the opportunity.

However, before too long he begins to wonder if he was brought to the island as part of a twisted plot by the hospital doctors.

Upon father research, the marshals discover the radical treatments that are more than unethical, and the possibility of there being an extra patient in the confinements.

The hospital soon catches onto his good investigative skills and refuses him access to records he requires to break the case wide open.

The more time spent on the island, the more insane Daniels becomes and he eventually begins to doubt his memory and even his sanity at times.

Shutter Island has an eventful and interesting plot that will be sure to entertain viewers.

Many movie websites agree, with ratings well above the 8/10 mark.

8/10

The highly rated film has been engulfed by controversy after it was revealed one of the producers had broken strict rules on negative campaigning.

Nicolas Chartier, a producer of the film could soon face censure from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences after he had reportedly sent emails to thousands of Oscar voters urging them to vote for The Hurt Locker instead of a “$500 million film”.

The Hurt Locker is an independent film about a US bomb unit and one of the first films covering the controversies of the Iraq War.

It has been the clear favourite to win the Oscar for best film, despite the success of the most expensive movie ever made in Avatar.

Chartier’s email was seen as a direct attack at James Cameron, the director of Avatar, and clearly breached the academy rules against negative campaigning.

As a result, Chartier was forced to issue an embarrassing apology for his email, where he described it as “inappropriate and stupid”.

A spokeswoman for the academy declined to comment on what action, if any, might be taken against Chartier.

The Oscar for best film will be revealed at next Sunday’s Academy Awards.

As well as taking out the top award, the film also claimed a swag of other gongs including Best Director and best cinematography.

Director Kathryn Bigelow was the first woman to take the award and when collecting her prize from Dustin Hoffman she was overwhelmed with emotion.

“This is so unbelievable, we’re just so deeply honoured and humbled. It is beyond our wildest imagination.”’ she said.

In the actors category Colin Firth and Carey Mulligan took out the top honours.

Firth won the leading actor prize for his role in A Single Man, while newcomer Mulligan was recognized as the leading actress for her part in An Education.

Christoph Waltz won the award for best supporting actor for his role in the Quinton Tarintino movie Inglourious Basterds.

Here is a full list of the BAFTA winners:

Film – The Hurt Locker

British Film – Fish Tank

Director – Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker

Actor – Colin Firth, A Single Man

Actress – Carey Mulligan, An Education

Supporting Actor – Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Supporting Actress – Mo’nique, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Rising Star – Kristen Stewart

British Debut – Director Duncan Jones, Moon

Original Screenplay – The Hurt Locker

Adapted Screenplay – Up in the Air

Music – Michael Giacchino, Up

Cinematography – The Hurt Locker

Editing – The Hurt Locker

Production Design – Avatar

Costume Design – The Young Victoria

Sound – The Hurt Locker

Visual Effects – Avatar

Makeup and Hair – The Young Victoria

Animated Feature – Up

Directed by Pierre Morel, (who is known for his work in the film Taken) From Paris With Love is a story about a low-rank intelligence operator, who accidentally finds himself teamed up with a high-ranked agent who is on a mission to stop a terrorist attack.

James Reece (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) was used to living a luxurious life in Paris with his beautiful French girlfriend and easygoing lifestyle.

His side job as a low-level operative for the CIA, however, is his real passion and therefore does not turn down a senior level assignment when it is offered to him.

However, when he meets his new partner, US special agent Charlie Wax (John Travolta), he begins to regret his decision.

Wax is a trigger-happy, loudmouth, loose cannon who sets a massive contrast to Reece.

He wants out but when he discovers he has become a target of the terrorist group they are trying to stop, there is no turning back.

From Paris With Love takes the viewers on a comical, but super adventurous journey through Paris.

Travolta does a great job of being the bad guy/good cop and his new appearance, a baldhead, is great for the role!

In summary, Form Paris With Love is not a bad movie.

From Paris With Love is screening now at selected cinemas around the country.

7/10

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Land of the Dead and Pshyco are just some of the few olden horror films that have been digitally enhanced, re-written and remade into box office hits, much better than the originals.

For some reason, it is horror films that have a higher success ratio when it comes to redoing them.

The Wolman is another example of this trend.

The 1941 classic is the latest horror remake and is directed by Joe Johnston, with a list of A-class actors including Benicio del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving and Geraldine Chaplin.

The basic plot of the film is revolved around Lawrence Talbot (Hopkins), a haunted nobleman who is lured back to his family estate after his brother vanishes.

Reunited with his estranged father, Talbot sets out to find his brother and discovers a horrifying destiny for himself.

He learns that something, or some creature with brute strength and a love for blood has been killing off the villagers.

In an effort to save the town, Scotland Yard inspector Aberline (Weaving) comes to investigate.

But despite their best efforts, the Werewolf (DelToro) proves to be too much of a task to overcome and the film then enters a series of vicious killings full of violence an gore.

The Wolfman is now screening at selected cinemas around Australia.

7.5/10

Filmmaker Abe Forsythe won this year’s Tropfest with his short film Shock.

The New South Welshmen beat 15 other finalists to take out the major prize and a shot at international success in the industry.

Shock is the short story of a radio announcer who suffers an emotional breakdown while traveling to work one day.

Forsyth said he dedicated the film to the work of controversial radio jock Kyle Snadilands, and hoped the work will expose the hidden side of celebrity around the nation and the world.

“It asks the audience to maybe look at it from a different perspective – which is, maybe think about how difficult it is for a shock jock to do his job,” he said.

“I hope the audience was moved by my lead character and I hope they feel sorry for him and others that have to do their jobs.”

As well as the ego boost that comes with the first prize, Forsyth will also earn a return flight to Los Angeles to meet agents, executives and industry representatives, $5,000 cash as well as film equipment and services worth thousands of dollars.

Cameron Edser and Michael Richards’ My Neighborhood Has Been Overrun By Baboons took out second prize while Last Roll Of The Dice by Matthew Chuang claimed the final spot on the podium.

The film is directed by Steve Reynolds, written and produced by Mike Jefferies, both of whom were involved in the first two Goal films.

However, unlike its two predecessors, this film was not released in the cinemas, and rather only made its debut in the DVD section of your local video store.

After the successes of the first two films, it was no surprise there were plenty of fans desperate to check out the film, and many footballing fans who also would have been excited by the release.

However, Goal 3! takes the movie to  a whole new level, for the worse.

While most fans were expecting to see further developments in the Santiago story, what they got is this footballer who incidentally does not get to play football in the movie where he is the lead, and the game is left to two new characters that nobody even knows.

A real shock, I know!

I’m not sure why they went ahead with the third movie when the lead character they were building up over two movies didn’t even get to play.

Another major let down in the film was the skill and footballing scenes. There is evidentally a lack of class, even with the likes of Rooney, David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Christiano Ronaldo.

In summary, Goal 3: Taking on the World is not a release worth chasing up, and if anything you will be left disappointed by the films end.

6/10

However, every now and then one surfing film is released that really captivates the sport and puts meaning behind why individuals risk their lives for the thrill.

The newest documentary n the surfing lifestyle, Ultimate Wave Tahiti, does exactly this and gives viewers an insight into the addictive nature of the sport, and those involved in it.

With surfing god Kelly Slater as the main man in the film, viewers are given first hand expert knowledge into his life as well as how he came to where he is now.

American born Kelly Slater, who says some of the best waves in the world are in Australia, uses the documentary as a chance to take an energetic look into the world’s most feared wave: Teahupoo.

With the great visual experience the footage offers, it was no surprise the film has turned into an IMAX release.

As part of this, Kelly will be attending the films premiers in both Melbourne and Sydney IMAX theatres.

The films focus is seen through his and big wave companion and Tahiti resident, Raimana Van Bastolaer eyes.

Kelly and Raimana seek out the best waves breaking on the reef at the famed surf site Teahupoo. The two share a passion for the waves, but different ideas about what surfing means: is it a modern competitive sport or an ancient Polynesian wave-riding art?

The two give a great juxtaposition of the sport and the addictive lifestyle that comes with it.

Ultimate Wave Tahiti is showing at IMAX theatres from Thursday 25th February.

9/10