On a mission to watch all 10 best picture nominees

Let's talk globally for a moment, shall we? The Oscar nominations were released earlier this week, including the 10 best picture nominees. Not five this year, but 10. It figures that the year I decide to watch all the best picture nominees is the year the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences decides to double the number of films.

Yes, I knew they were selecting 10 this year when I read about it several months ago. I thought to myself, "I should start now." I didn't. I procrastinate. Sue me.

The three movies I saw in the theater in 2009? "Everybody's Fine," "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" and "The Hangover."

Starting with a clean movie palate, here's my plan to see all 10 best picture nominees by March 7, when the winner will be announced. Join me if you dare. I'm borrowing some of these movies and getting in as many matinees as I can, considering the main reason I haven't seen any of these is because I cringe thinking about shelling out the nine bucks it takes to see a movie nowadays.

"Avatar" must be viewed in 3-D, so I'll be at the matinee Saturday -- yes, I'm starting tomorrow. Sunday is the Super Bowl, so that day's shot (Go Colts!). I'm borrowing "Inglourious Basterds" to watch on Feb. 9 and "Up" on Feb. 10. The next six days are blocked out. I'll be on vacation, and I'll be dad-gummed if I'm going to spend my time in Seattle in a movie theater.

We'll be back up and running Feb. 19 in time to rent "The Hurt Locker" and then catch "Precious" in a matinee the next day.

For the record, in a normal year, we probably would be finished with the five best picture films here. However, in this crazy year of 10, we've got five more to go. I'm already not liking this 10-best-pictures thing. Every single other category only has five nominees.

After that rant and those two presumably jarring and sobering movies, let us look to the Coen brothers for some reprieve and rent "A Serious Man" to watch during the last week of February and catch "Up in the Air" as a matinee on Feb. 27 and "The Blind Side" on Feb. 28.

"District 9" can be rented and watched March 2, and we'll end with "An Education" on the big screen the day before the big day.

Ten movies in one month? I didn't see 10 movies in a year, but I'm going to give the old college try.