Though the nominees will not be announced until late next month, five films have emerged that will likely be honored. From a fabulous black and white silent film to a mainstream Brad Pitt production, here are some of 2011′s notable films.

Jean Dujardin in "The Artist"

The Artist: The fact that this film, based on a preexisting cinematic era, can be considered “original” is a testament to the genius of “The Artist.” Not since “Singing in the Rain” or “Sunset Boulevard” has there been a more touching foray into the emergence of talkies. Few films can capture the joy and excitement of old Hollywood the way in which this luminous tale of fame and romance does. Brilliant performances by French actor Jean Dujardin and Argentine star Berenice Bejo help make this film the year’s best.

Alexander Skarsgard and Kirsten Dunst in "Melancholia"

Melancholia: This haunting end of the world melodrama cements Lars Von Trier’s status as a cinematic mastermind. Kirsten Dunst stars as Justine, an unfathomably depressed bride who is desperate to connect with someone. Even her devoted new husband (Alexander Skarsgard) cannot hault her descent into madness. The film’s second act explores the perils of impending global destruction. Eerily beautiful, this rousing metaphor for mental illness is not easily forgotten.

Penn Badgley, Zachary Quinto, and Paul Bettany in "Margin Call"

Margin Call: It’s charisma with a side of riveting plot in this all-star drama. Led by breakout star, Zachary Quinto, the story explores the 2008 financial crisis and its initial effect on the corporate world. Dynamic performances, engaging dialogue, and a gripping portrayal of reality make “Margin Call” a low-budget gem.

Michael Fassbender in "Shame"

Shame: Ranking the film as one of the year’s best doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s watchable. Upon viewing the film you’ll add it to the list of films that stayed with you for days but you’d never view more than once. As haunting as it is informative, “Shame” captures the unsettling realities of sex addiction as the story’s central character, a brilliant Micheal Fassbender, plunges into a pit of self-destruction. Fassbender’s undeniably brave portrayal (he appears completely nude in the opening scene) is a major reason why the film is impossible to forget.

Brad Pitt in "Moneyball"

Moneyball: Wisely avoiding the usual round of sports movie cliches, “Moneyball” is a cleverly constructed portrayal of an amazing true story. The film caters to those who have little to no knowledge of baseball, and captures what the sport means to millions. Told through old footage, radio commentary, and photographs, it is as touching as it is witty.

What are some movies you feel were notable in 2011? Let us know in the comments below!

Your thoughts?

The 2008 Finals was a great event in itself, but the final long awaited match-up between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics was nail biting, to say the least, until the final buzzer. The past rivalry between these two team is legendary. For the 11th time, they battled head to head for the championship title. Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce were known as the ‘Big Three’ all up against a one man stampede, Kobe Byrant. The Los Angeles Lakers showed their teamwork in the 2008 Finals, but the Celtics lead the series victoriously.  Although the Boston Celtics took the 2008 Championship title, it was still very interesting watching every game they played against one another, making it the best moment in sports.

Southside Chicago native point guard, Derrick Rose, was chosen as the top draft pick of the NBA. Rose got recognition for his position by scouts who had watched him play for his college basketball team, University of Memphis Tigers. During his freshman year at the University of Memphis playing with the Tigers, he lead his team to 38 consecutive wins breaking a new NCAA record taking them to the NCAA Division Basketball Tournament.  He was selected first overall by hometown team, Chicago Bulls, in the 2008 NBA Draft. At 6-foot-3, Rose is now averaging 17.2 points per game.

The Women’s National Basketball Association is known for there charisma and strong athletic women, but until recently, they’ve never been known for “cat fights!” One of the most respected womens’ basketball team, the Los Angeles Sparks, was involved in a brawl against the Detroit Shock. Candace Parker and Lisa Leslie were ejected from the game in the final 90 seconds. It was wild seeing all that athleticism get thrown hand to hand between all those strong women…hahaha.

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Beyonce and Jay-Z together, without a doubt, is the definition of “black love.” For our generation at least! They’ve been together for over 5 years, and have close to $170 million in the bank (combined), making them Hollywood’s richest couple! Much of their relationship is kept private, but their lives as celebrities, coupled with their fame and huge success as artists and entrepreneurs, makes it hard not to want to know more about them! We put them at the top of our list this time last year, but the only difference between then and now is that they are married. The two decided to tie the knot in a “private” ceremony in April 2008. And if you were around and living on planet earth, you definitely heard about it! After People.com announced that the two had taken out a marriage license in New York, the events that happened the weekend of April 4th 2008 were inevitable. After several black SUVs with heavily tinted windows were seen entering Jay-Z’s Manhattan apartment, in addition to the dozens of vans bringing in wedding decorations, we all knew what was going on.

Every paparazzo in the world set up shop outside of the apartment and snapped photos of Solange Knowles (Beyonce’s sister), Tina & Mathew Knowles (Beyonce’s parents), Michelle Williams, Kelly Rowland, Irv Gotti, and more entering the apartment building’s ground-level garage. The list went on and on, but after seeing all of these people entering one place, we knew Beyonce and Jay-Z were DEFINITELY getting married. People.com actually confirmed it the next morning, and shortly after, we spotted the two wearing their wedding bands. These two getting married was definitely the talk of the blogosphere for the months to follow. And even though “Jayonce” never really confirmed their wedding, in several interviews that followed (Oprah, The Tyra Banks show, Essence Magazine, etc.) they were referred to as husband and wife, and neither contested it. But these two are the same people who never confirmed their initial relationship, so we’re definitely used to it!

Who else made the cut as GOT‘s hottest couples of 2008? Continue reading to see!

Next to Beyonce and Jay-Z, Chris Brown and Rihanna are definitely a power couple in the black blogosphere! In what may have started out as an innocent case of “puppy love” – or a publicity stunt, whatever you’d like to call it – these two have definitely grown together as a symbol of “teenage love,” as noted in Chris Brown’s song “Young Love.” Whether they’re spotted handling each other’s acne issues, spending time together on the set of a music video, arriving at at an airport, or even jet-skiing in Barbados, these two are guaranteed to garner tons of attention from the paparazzi. And once their photos hit the blogs, tons of pageviews and comments promptly follow.

Pregnancy rumors, break-up rumors and anything else you can think of surround this next couple – Janet Jackson and Jermaine Dupri. Right now, they’re both denying that they’re pregnant and have broken up, but only time will tell what’s really going on. Throughout the year 2008, these two were spotted at fashion shows in Paris, and you could catch them hanging out together on JD’s Youtube channel in his “Living the Life” series while Janet toured North America. Are they expecting a baby? Have they really broken up? We’ll just have to see what 2009 brings for one of our favorite couples of 2008!

CONTINUE READING TO PAGE 2 FOR MORE!

The Summer of 2007 was definitely a time for Rihanna to shine, with the smash hit of “Umbrella” featuring executive producer/mentor Jay-Z, already having released two previous albums, both 2005′s Music of the Sun and 2006′s A Girl Like Me, one would question if Rihanna is moving too quickly in her natural prime. Although I do admit to actually purchasing and owning two of Rihanna’s album releases, I felt she was rushed into finding a specific identity to stick with, not just for her, but also her label. Needless to say, numbers don’t lie, “Umbrella” was indeed a hit and possibly one of my favourite records from her.

Rihanna ft. Jay-Z – Umbrella – PAGE LINK

Well! I would have never, ever, ever, EVER thought “Crank Dat” would blow up like that, yeah the songs is actually old but I guess peeps just caught wind of it and it started to gain mainstream access. I kind of got sucked into the “Soulja Boy” craze too, it was a fun little dance that lasted for a while, I trying not to over analyze things this year as a resolution. I know y’all remember the “Bump,” the “Running Man,” the “Cabbage Patch,” etc.

Soulja Boy – Crank Dat – PAGE LINK

As much as I hated that awfully dreaded “Kiss Kiss,” produced by/featuring T-Pain, I loved it even more, as it began to grow on me, definitely another hot single for the Summer, and clearly a static hit versus “Wall to FLOP Wall”. I almost lost Chris Brown there, but to be completely honest, I’ve been pretty nice and notably fair with him, really. =D

Chris Brown ft. T-Pain – Kiss Kiss – PAGE LINK

“Low,” a song also produced by/featuring T-Pain, was very big down here, there is absolutely no avoiding Flo-rida and T-Pain here in Miami at this point, the song was in heavy rotation on all the local radio stations known to man and immediately peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 music charts.

Flo-rida ft. T-Pain – Low – PAGE LINK

I think 2007 partially belonged to Alicia Keys with the chart-topping single “No One”. Aside from all the solid remixes heavily played on the radio, the song itself charted to number one and remained there for 10 weeks on U.S. Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-hop Songs chart and it has received two nominations for the 2008 Grammy Awards: “Best Female R&B Vocal Performance” and “Best R&B Song”.

Alicia Keys – No One – PAGE LINK

And what would this post be without the man of the hour T-Pain with “Buy U a Drank,” featuring Yung Joc? The single was number 1 on on both Billboard’s Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-hop Songs charts not to mention the consecutive plays it receive on U.S. radio last year in 2007. T-Pain’s contemporary-like sound and stellar production definitely earned him a spot at the top!

T-Pain ft. Yung Joc – Buy U a Drank – PAGE LINK

The human conscience is a powerful thing … if used properly that is. 2007 saw a lot of unfortunate cases of celebrities not thinking about the consequences of their actions. In this particular post, we’re going to attempt to highlight some of the celebrities who didn’t Think 2wice in 2007 in hopes that in the future … they will. It is our only advice, afterall.

BRITNEY SPEARS

You already know the deal when it comes to Britney Spears. If you’ve been living on planet earth, then you know how 2007 went for her. The process of her “losing her mind” started out with the surprise divorce from Kevin Federline, and she basically went downhill from there. But I believe her craziest moment was when she shaved her head in February of this year. And from then on, it was just a rollercoaster ride of possible ups, but mostly downs. A major down for her was when she lost her kids (who are currently living with their dad, Kevin Federline). One of the “possible ups” was her performance at the 2007 VMAs. Everyone thought that Britney would make a big come-back, but unsurprisingly, she couldn’t even do that. Since then, she has released an album that did fairly well on the charts, but nowhere near to what “the old Britney” would have accomplished. Here’s to hopes of her getting her act together in 2008. At this point, she really can’t go anywhere but up. But then again, she’s Britney Spears :-\

DALLAS AUSTIN

Producer, and Chili’s baby daddy, Dallas Austin decided to let the whole world know something that we already knew. There are a few select female celebrities who “fuck for tracks.” As usual, he released a video to youtube that subsequently started to spread across the blogosphere. Of course, after a day or so, the footage was yanked from Youtube and replaced with an “apology” from the producer. Here’s to hopes of people not using Youtube as an outlet for “stress relief” and then taking back what they say the next day.

ALEC BALDWIN

Unfortunately for Alec Baldwin, he’s become known as the guy who called his daughter a “rude, thoughtless, little pig!” I didn’t see the big deal though. Parents fuss at their kids all the time. The only difference is that they aren’t in the public eye and if their voicemail “leaks” to the public, no one would really give a crap. Oh yeah, I put “leak” in quotations because a true leak isn’t deliberate. The girl’s mom (actress Kim Basinger) obviously released this to the media to get back at Ale for whatever reason. Here’s to hopes of folks paying attention to their status as a celebrity and not being so hasty with certain actions.

ASHANTI’S LITTLE SISTER “SHI SHI”

You mean to tell me we have to go back to this broad? Ahh, here goes! [1] She’s not a celebrity, but she’s the sister of one … so she’s not exempt from this post. Anyhow, you would think that being so close in relation to a celebrity would come with certain perks. But judging by the photos above, that wouldn’t be the case with Ashanti’s little sister. She decided to show up at a party with a turtle-neck sweater top, and passed it off as a dress! Why? The world may never know. Here’s to hopes of celebrities lending the expertise of their stylist(s) to their siblings. Or maybe just letting them borrow their mirror!

[1] Keenan & Kel was the shit back in the day!

It’s hard to believe that Youtube is less than 3 years old. But since its birth in early 2005, anyone with a video camera, a computer, and computer literacy can become a “star” via Youtube. What is Youtube? If you have to ask that question, then I have to ask you … where the hell have you been?! Youtube is something that can’t be explained or defined. It’s just … youtube lol. Rather than waste your time trying to explain the phenomenon of video sites, I’ll let this post: “The Top 10 Youtube Moments of 2007″ do all of the talking instead.

KELLY ROWLAND PASSES OUT ON STAGE » Ever since Michelle Williams’ unfortunate fall live on television on BET’s 106 & Park, it seems like the remaining members of Destiny’s Child have taken their own tumbles on stage … from Beyonce’s fall down a flight of stairs in concert (we’ll talk more about that later) to Kelly passing out due to dehydration in Lagos, Nigeria. I couldn’t find the video on youtube, but a quick Google search led me to the video above (Sony BMG never got to them I assume).

T-PAIN ADMIRING RAY J’S MEAT » T-Pain, king of radio hits, has always been known for letting his mind wander during interviews, and the video above is no exception. I’m sure you all have heard of the Ray J / Kim Kardashian sex tape by now (which earns a spot in our top 10 moments of the year … more on that later). In a candid interview with hip-hop site SOHH, T-Pain lists the top 5 girls he wouldn’t want to strip for him and somehow gets on the subject of the size or Ray J’s meat. Talking about another man’s penis for more than 5 seconds is just unacceptable, no matter how many times you slide in “no homo.” What’s really going on Faheem?

LITTLE BOY DANCING TO IRREPLACEABLE » Beyonce has become a household name pretty quickly. Too quickly. And since releasing her #1 hit single “Irreplaceable,” she’s become even that much more popular. The video above features a young man who looks to be about the age of 7 or 8 dancing (and dropping it like it’s hot) to the song in a few very questionable ways. And in an effort to not receive any backlash from anyone who might take what I have to say too seriously, I’m just going to leave it at that. Peep the video above for yourself to draw your own conclusions.

BRITNEY HOUSTON » If you read T2W frequently then you already know who Britney Houston is. So he/she needs no introduction. Mike introduced her to you back in May when she did her own version of Beyonce’s “Flaws and All,” and I posted a video of her a couple of months later doing Lil Mama’s “Lip Gloss.” For a while she disappeared from youtube (as far as music videos go), but fortunately for all of you BH fans, Mike found a video of her remake of Ciara’s “Promise,” which is by far, the funniest of them all! To check out all of Britney’s videos, visit “her” youtube channel.

[ VIDEO REMOVED FROM YOUTUBE! :( ]

DON’T EFF WITH MS PATTI » Unfortunately, if you haven’t seen the video, then you never will. The user who uploaded a video of Patti Labelle going off on a fan has deleted the footage. I’m not sure why they would delete it, but for those that didn’t see it, here’s how it went: Patti Labelle was singing “Lady Marmalade” and brought a fan (male fan) on stage to sing it with her. He proceeded to sing the song and got a little close to Ms Patti, and at the end of their duet, she said something about him getting a little too close. Then he said, “I think you wanted it more than me,” or something to that nature. I don’t really remember ALL of the details, but it was pretty damn funny! She got really heated and dismissed him from the stage and asked him “Do you know who I am?” After a minute or two she brought him back on stage and they both made up and it was all good in the end. If you missed out on our original post, sorry :-(

CLICK BELOW TO CHECK OUT THE TOP 5 YOUTUBE MOMENTS OF THIS YEAR! WHO DO YOU THINK MADE #1?

Not even Sean Garret can salvage her music career! With that being said, I can’t wait for Her Name is Nicole (Interscope), believe it or not. I think everything has to do with timing, her people debuted her too early, people didn’t care about Nicole as a solo artist then (I don’t know why she left the PCD). But best believe she will have her time to shine soon, way too much was going on this year. That’s why I’m glad the label pushed her album back until next year, they ain’t playing that, very smart. Again, like I said, it’s the timing – with the right promotion, singles, and pull – 2008 could very well be her year.

More on Nicole Scherzinger:

Sterling Simms is definitely another artist to look out for in 2008. So far all of the material I’ve heard from his upcoming project, appropriately titled, Worth Your While (Def Jam) is solid gold! I’m real antsy to hear more material following him now. I just feel he could get acknowledged more (ahem … Def Jam) and gain some mainstream stuff with the right promotion.

More on Sterling Simms:

I really loved Solange’s work on Simply Deep (Columbia), her productions were always dark and/or mature, it was always refreshing to listen to so I’m most definitely looking forward to more material from her in 2008. It looks like they’re considering “White Picket Dreams” as a possible single choice from Hadley Street Dreams (Geffen), which is the song I automatically clicked to, that’s the kind of shit I’m into, dark, real deep production. She always delivers with this IMO, her sound is real alternative and explicit, I really like that!

More on Solange Knowles:

I’ve been following this young lady since Spring of 2007 and I’m loving what I heard so far from her! Tiffany Evans’ music is still age appropriate but has that appeal to other audiences as well, I knew she would be big, I’m so excited for her self-debut now! Ms. Tiffany is well on her way and with talent like her’s who knows what the future can bring.

More on Tiffany Evans:

Just to throw in some more laughs, we thought about having “Superlatives!” You know what those are right? They’re in the Senior section of your high school yearbook. They list the cutest couple, biggest flirt, best all around, most athletic, most likely to ___, etc. If I had thought of this sooner we could have had you guys participate by nominating and voting, but we’ll save that for next year. This time around we’re going to pick the winners. Cool? Anyhow … “Cutest Couple” for the year 2007 goes to …

BOW WOW & OMARION »

Bowmarion, as we like to call them, received the 2007 “Cutest Couple” award because they deserve it and you damn well know it. For the past year or two, these two have been inseparable. From parties to award shows, to television appearances and random interviews, you just can’t get these two Butt Pirates [1] apart! Recently, the couple have released a joint-album together – “Face Off” – and are currently on tour with Chris Brown in the “Up Close and Personal” tour. To see a public display of Bow Wow’s love and affection for his other half, peep this youtube video of the little guy taking up for his man. Love is such a beautiful thing.

[1] Sorry y’all, I just got through watching “I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry!”

CIARA // LIKE A BOY »

I remember playing this a lot, although I imagined the video differently, it still kicked ass! You have no idea how hard this goes at the right time, place, and mood.

RYAN LESLIE // I-R-I-N-A »

I chose this video as one of my favourites becos it’s fairly simple – it’s simple! And to my surprise shot in a short amount of time which makes it seem almost effortless. I am so looking forward to more material from Ryan, he’s such a talented guy, it seems as though he has no limitations!

KELLY CLARKSON // NEVER AGAIN »

I just added this becos, at the time, I was upset and this video did it for me! I was going crazy, dancing, screaming, getting emotional – period. Plus it was very hot on the charts, I mean come on, it’s Kelly Clarkson, bitch.

TREY SONGZ // CAN’T HELP BUT WAIT »

This was one of my favourites from Trey Day and the video was realistic, it had a plot, it was relevant and I loved it!

FERGIE // CLUMSY »

This was a creative little video, courtesy with the directions of Marc Webb and Rich Lee, that I liked and the song just happens to be one of my cuts from Fergie’s album The Dutchess.

JAY-Z & BEYONCE

FYI: This list is in no particular order…

2007 is coming to a close, and we here at Think2wice thought it would be the perfect time to highlight some of the greatest moments, people, etc. of the past year! First up, is “Favorite Couples.” And you guessed it, Jay-Z and Beyonce are perched at the top of this list! These two cause a stir in the gossip blogs whenever their names are mentioned. It’s gotten to the point where we’ve given them one name … Jayonce. Despite both of their busy schedules, Jayonce still finds the time to spend time with each other, whether it be a sporting event, a week-long vacation, or just having dinner at one of NYC’s top restaurants. Recently, rumors sparked of the two being married after people spotted matching tattoos on their ring fingers (IV – “FOURever” ??), but those rumors were immediately shot down by one of Jay-Z’s reps. Who knows … they probably are married! Hell, didn’t Janet keep her marriage to that guy from the public for like 10 or more years? Anyhow, hate it or love it, Beyonce and Jay-Z are with each other for the long run, as long as they keep their relationship as private as it has been for the past 4 years.

T.I. & TINY

A “Favorite Couples” post could not exist without the presence of Clifford and Tameka. Oh, excuse me … T.I. and Tiny. These two have been off and on for some time now, and a lot of folks like seeing them together. They have a son together, and are rumored to have another one on the way. Earlier in the year, Tameka lost their would-be second child due to an unfortunate miscarriage. Ironically, a few days before this, the two were reported to have separated, but a week or so later … were back together again. No one knows if or when they will get married, but we all know that they genuinely love each other. Tiny even got arrested with her man! Now if that’s not a “ride or die chick” I don’t know what is. Sadly, we may not see these two together for the next few years. T.I. is currently on house arrest, and it looks like he’ll be getting at least 5 years in a Federal prison on weapons charges. But that’s only speculation. Only time will tell what the future holds for T.I. & Tiny.

NELLY & ASHANTI

I don’t know if they are in denial, don’t want us to know about them, or really are “just friends,” but Nelly and Ashanti sure do spend a lot of time together. Their whereabouts aren’t publicized like the afore mentioned, but never-the-less, these two make a great couple. There are (old) rumors circulating that their relationship is nothing more than a big ol’ publicity stunt, but you know out-of-hand some rumors get. There have been a few occasions where the two have been spotted out and about with each other on vacation, shopping at a jewelry store, hanging out in Beverly Hills, and even a few parties/random events. No one is sure when they’ll announce their relationship, but then again, Jay-Z and Beyonce never did. It’s just something everyone “knew” after a while. And so far, no one “knows 100%” whether Ashanti and Nelly are dating. But they are pretty close =)