not to mention Running With Scissors which started with 0%...

Flags got hit again with 4 more negative reviews, and 2 of them were COTC.

Overall: 70% and 6.6 rating
COTC: 86% and 7.0 rating

The COTC rating in particular got hit really hard.

And Metacritic is down to 78.

PEACE, Mike.

And Newsday's 2.5 star review is posted but not counted yet. Look like the average will be around 7 out of 10 for both RT and MC, not something to be excited about, but good enough to remain in the race. Now we'll see how it does at the box office. I can't see it winning though.

Gotta agree, at this point its gonna have to rely heavily on BO and Letters from Iwo Jima

NY Times gives it a positive review http://movies2.nytimes.com/2006/10/20/m ... ref=movies

Finally, and from Manohla Dargis too. Mystery solved.

Looks like the early mediocre word on Marie Antoinette was not that false afterall. The film is down to 62% at RT. I doubt it will finish above 70%, likely a bit below 65%.

I think IF Flags manages to stay above 70% at RT, it'll secure a nom for BP, but it definitely isn't winning now. Frankly, I could see the film nominated, but Eastwood snubbed for a nom. Wouldn't surprise me. In any case, sounds like this year's Munich to me.

Borat is still at 100% with 14 reviews in

Finally some more of those COTC raves are coming in, Star Tribune gave it **** http://www.startribune.com/1553/story/753608.html

I would bet my left nut that Eastwood's chances at a nom is more likely then best picture nom, everything you read about the film is either Eastwood this or Eastwood that, it's ALL about Eastwood, the film comes in second all the time.

If both get nominated which has a better shot at winning? Well thats another story.

Sacha Baron Cohen for Best Actor!

Both chances at winning are currently ZERO.

rave from Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dy ... ovies&nm=1

You put too much weight on what something like RT says.

RT says enough. We all knew that the film had a lot of things going against it before the reviews. It needed the raves in order to improve the chances against the odds.

Flags chances of winning have always been zero. This isn't a revelation. Even if it was perfection, it probably wouldn't have won Best Picture or Best Director. It's down to 80% COTC.

Little Children got a few positives, and it got another 100 at MC. The Prestige continues to make a comeback, but it seems to be more of a fanboy film than one the major critics are liking.

All updated.

But if it was perfect, it still would have been a "probably", now it is pretty much "definitely".

There is no way Flags will win BP or BD. Nominations are still likely but a win is lost now.

Best Pic and Best Director will be fought between The Departed, The Queen and possibly Dreamgirls and other late comers.

It's Marty's year. It has been since he signed Jack.

Rave from LA Times
http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/...coll=cl-mreview

I've concluded that BP is realistically between The Departed, Dreamgirls, and United 93. Babel and The Queen have too much going against them at the moment.

I've got a badddddd feeling about U93. Somehow I don't think the "importance!" card can be underestimated, and it's exactly the kind of movie where support would rise quickly in the last quarter of the race, just like Crash. Fuck.

FOOF has a better chance of winning than U93.

U93 has a slim chance at getting nominated to begin with. Buzz has to pick up immensley for that to even be remotely considered back in the race.

Flags is down to 68%.

Something to consider. The academy doesn't cosider David Poland and Comingsoon.net to be influential. This is a film that major critics are much more important to watch.

I wonder all this will do to Letters from Iwo Jima?? Is there really any reason it needs to be released in Febraury? If indeed it is better than Flags - perhaps they can position it for later in 07 and have that go for the awards? hmm...

Funnily Flags is doing well among the traditional print critics but not with the net critics, while Prestige is basically the opposite!!