Each week, Newsday film critic Rafer Guzman and Takeaway producer Kristen Meinzer get in a heated, but friendly debate about the movies. This week, they discuss the Oscar nominees they each consider must-sees, and the ones they think are over-rated.

A little over a week remains until Oscar night. With ten best picture nominees this year, not to mention a full roster of five animated features (on top of all the other categories), there's not a lot of time to see what's on the ballot. Newsday critic and Takeaway film contributor Rafer Guzman fills us in on which movies are must-sees and which are okay to avoid.

Each week, Newsday film critic Rafer Guzman and Takeaway producer Kristen Meinzer get in a heated, but friendly debate about the movies. This week, with so much Olympics coverage: sports movies for people who don't like sports.

Garry Marshall's latest star-packed (one might say "star-stuffed") romantic comedy extravaganza, "Valentines Day," hits theaters this weekend, but is it really all that? Takeaway movie contributor and Newsday writer Rafer Guzman doesn't think so. In fact, he believes that for several of the film's major plot lines, there are other movies that do a much better job of covering the same ground.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the Oscar nominations bright and early Tuesday morning.  "Avatar" and "The Hurt Locker" led with the nine nods each. Takeaway film contributor Rafer Guzman tells us about what other movies made the list, and which won spots on the roster of ten Best Picture nominees.

On Tuesday, the oft-thanked Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce this year's Oscar nominations, and for the first time since 1943 there will be ten nominees for Best Picture, instead of five. How will the increased number of films affect the Best Picture race? And what movies won't be nominated, despite the wider playing field?

Rafer Guzman gives us the skinny what to see this weekend and why we're seeing these releases in early January.

Last night, the TV stars and movie stars mingled and alcohol flowed freely as the Golden Globe Awards were handed out. Our movie contributor Rafer Guzman was watching. What did he think of the big night?

Well, my best prediction for the Golden Globes - that I would mostly guess wrong - has come true. Do I get any points for correctly predicting "The White Ribbon" as best foreign language film? I didn't think so.

The good news is that Sunday night's Globes make the Oscars seem a little more up in the air, so to speak, which is always exciting. Here are some thoughts on how the race is shaping up now.

Sunday is the night of the happiest awards show in Hollywood -- the Golden Globes -- during which champagne glasses overflow and stars hear their names being called while they're in the bathroom. Who will win this year? Who will be drunk? Will the television and movie stars get along with each other? And what will host Ricky Gervais say that will push the envelope? 

There are plenty of teen and tween movies in theaters these days – from this weekend's Michael Cera vehicle Youth in Revolt [see the trailer above] to the hugely popular Twilight series. But many of them leave our movie critic Rafer Guzman scratching his head and wondering: where are the real teens and tweens in teen movies? Has the honest teen film character as we once knew it (RIP John Hughes) died? And do any of the uncomplicated and self-possessed teen characters in movies today resemble real teenagers? Guzman and Nicole Corriveau, a 16-year-old movie buff from Long Island, share their opinions.

• Movies Takeout: With award season quickly approaching, film critic Rafer Guzman tell us what movies to watch out for.
• Sports Takeout: Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, on the eve of his wedding night, previews the last week of the NFL regular season where teams are still vying for the playoffs.
• Responses Takeout: We hear from you, our listeners, as you respond to some of the week's segments, including multiple ideas for how to improve airline security.

As we usher in the New Year, the big screen seems te be traveling backwards in time, bringing back remakes and sequels of classics from the 1980s. We talk with Rafer Guzman, the film critic for Newsday, about what’s in store at the box office in 2010.  On tap: sequels to "Tron," "Wall Street," and "Iron Man" and "Sex and the City."

• First Family Takeout: Politico's Carol Lee is traveling with the Obamas as they go on vacation to President Obama's boyhood home, Oahu.
• Film Takeout: Newsday film critic Rafer Guzman runs down the new holiday films: "Sherlock Holmes," "It's Complicated," and "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus."
• Sports Takeout: Sports contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin previews the upcoming weekend in the NFL. The playoffs are coming!

• Washington Takeout: From Washington, our own Todd Zwillich on why Senators were up at 1 a.m. to vote on extending unemployment insurance and COBRA subsidies.
• Sports Takeout: Ibrahim Abdul-Matin explores what the death of a Cincinnati Bengals player says about young players in the NFL.
  
• Movie Takeout: Rafer Guzman on what to see this weekend (Avatar) and what to avoid at all costs (Nine).

"Avatar," James Cameron's highly anticipated 3-D, computer animated, sci-fi film with a $237 million price tag, goes out to wide release this weekend.

We're joined by Takeaway film contributor Rafer Guzman, film critic for Newsday, and Jeff Yang, trend forecaster for market research firm Iconoculture and columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, who tell us whether the wait was all worth it…

• Sports Takeout: Pablo Torre, reporter with Sports Illustrated, joins us to look at the candidates for this year's Heisman Trophy.
• Movie Takeout: Newsday film critic Rafer Guzman joins us with a look at the films opening on the big screen this weekend. 
• Listener Takeout: We hear from our listeners about Disney's "The Princess and the Frog."

Director Clint Eastwood's latest, "Invictus," opens this weekend. The film shows Nelson Mandela shortly after his release from prison, as a new president working to unite a polarized South Africa by changing the image of the nation's all-white rugby team.  Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon star in the film, but South African actors say they should be playing these major roles set in their country.

Takeaway film contributor Rafer Guzman and South African arts and entertainment journalist Nadia Neophytou discuss the convroversy behind "Invictus."

For this week's movie roundup, contributor Rafer Guzman reviews "Brothers," with Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Tobey McGuire; "Everybody's Fine," with Robert DeNiro and Drew Barrymore; and "Up in the Air," with George Clooney. 

While the tragic shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, has captured the nation's attention today, the military has long been an interest for Hollywood. We look at two upcoming releases that address loss and life for military families. Newsday film critic Rafer Guzman talks us through "Brothers" and "The Messenger" as well as the recently released film "The Hurt Locker."

Here's the trailer for "Brothers," which features Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhall and Tobey Maguire. Click through for the preview of "The Messenger":