New Girl – “TinFinity”

Season Two, Episode Eighteen

Grade: A-

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Whenever there is a group of friends, no matter how small or large the group, there are always two that you just know are closer to each other than the rest of the gang. In New Girl, we have the four roommates and there’s no doubt that Nick and Schmidt are the closest two of the group. They celebrate their 10 year anniversary of living together and share a real bro-moment when Schmidt needs a pick-me-up.

There are some hilarious scenes in TinFinity, most from Nick such as when he asks Jess if there’s icing on his lips or when he brings in his porta potty. Speaking of, the whole Nick and Jess awkwardness isn’t over yet and most of the times I would complain about how a sitcom isn’t burning through a story-line quickly enough, but I feel that this is the most legitimate real-life story that New Girl has out of all of its cartoon-ish situations. You senses their tension during the first season and while that took a back-seat for the beginning of the sophomore season, now it found its way dead center.

And the way their characters are makes it believable that something like a kiss would linger for a long while. Nick doesn’t want to talk about it and Jess wants to know what he’s thinking, but at the same time whenever things get weird for her she just runs away as well (which isn’t as funny as moon-walking away). While Jess took Cece’s advice to hook up with another guy, Jax ended up being the complete opposite of Nick, which was way too emotional. Nick seems to be taking their situation much better, though he definitely started feeling jealous when Jax and Jess hit it off.

In the end, Cece is proposed to and she accepts. To pour salt into that wound, they steal Schmidt’s thunder by taking his spotlight, his moment on stage with the soft music and the dazzling lights, and the infinity cake. But there they were, Nick and Schmidt, alone by themselves from the rest of the party just talking like guys do. Just acknowledging “that sucks” about the whole Cece thing is all guys need sometimes, and then to share a bottle of bourbon for the win. Less is more in this case and New Girl hits it right on the head.

Movie Review: Side Effects

Side Effects (2013)
106 minutes
Rated – R
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Rooney Mara, Jude Law, Channing Tatum, Catherine Zeta-Jones

Grade: B+

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Rooney Mara is an absolute delight in Soderbergh’s Side Effects. It’s going to be hard for her to break free from her Dragon Tattoo role for the next several years, but here she’s able to control a different kind of troubled character. Mara plays Emily, a mentally unstable 28-year-old who suffers from depression and anxiety. Her husband Martin (Tatum) has just been released from prison where he’s been for the past four years on an insider-trading bust. The couple seem happy together, that is when Emily isn’t having one of her episodes.

After Emily rams her car into a wall, she sees psychiatrist Dr. Jonathan Banks (Law). Instead of keeping her overnight at the hospital, he believes Emily when she says she’s not going to hurt herself any further. She is very convincing, but Dr. Banks is taking a risk here on a patient he knows nothing about. The agreement is for her to visit Dr. Banks on a regular basis so he can keep track of her improvement.

Dr. Banks is a good psychiatrist who cares for his patients. He visits Emily’s former therapist, Dr. Victoria Siebert (Jones) to discuss Emily’s past and what medication Dr. Siebert has tried. This is the part of the film where Soderbergh completely takes over. We see plenty of Emily and Dr. Banks at the same time. Their characters are fully drawn out and their back-stories are revealed. Dr. Banks is taking on a few-too-many tasks for his own good just to keep up with his bills and his family.

After a shocking scene where Emily is deemed to be sleepwalking, everyone’s life is flipped upside-down. The rest of the film takes us on quite a ride and all of the dust doesn’t settle until the films final scene. It’s a very twisty, psychological thriller that will demand your attention throughout. There has been much said about this being Soderbergh’s final feature film, and if this is true it would be a fine way to retire (at the age of 50). He has provided the world with many notable films such as Ocean’s Eleven, Erin Brokovich, Traffic, Contagion, Magic Mike, and more.

But back to Side Effects, I just want to point out that the commercials and trailers do not give a sufficient portrayal of what kind of film this is. This is a dark, Hitchcock-ian film with a commentary on medication such as Zoloft and Prozac. While you might find yourself scratching your head during the middle of the film, Soderbergh neatly wraps everything up at the end, to many people’s delight I can imagine. Since this seems to be the only good film in the theaters at the moment, go check it out.

How I Met Your Mother – “Weekend at Barney’s”

Season Eight, Episode Eighteen

Grade: A-

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How I Met Your Mother has not been awful, but it hasn’t been great either, but “Weekend at Barney’s” is a great episode for the show (though maybe it’s because there are a lot more lows than highs). Full of quick cuts, ominous music, and silly shenanigans, this is a classic HIMYM episode from start to finish.

We find out that Barney’s Playbook isn’t actually destroyed, which he staged during “The Robin.” That was just a ceremonial Playbook. He brings the Playbook out to help Ted find a date for his and Robin’s wedding. “New is always better,” he tells Ted, persuading him to break up with Jeanette. So Ted goes to MacLaren’s with Barney in his ear-piece to walk him through plays in the Playbook.

But when Robin walks in on the whole operation and discovers that Barney has lied to her about the Playbook being destroyed, she storms out. Barney runs after her while Ted encounters Jeanette running into him at the bar. The conversation between Robin and Barney on the street was sincere and displays what HIMYM does so well, that is presenting real-life drama in an otherwise light, silly sitcom. Neil Patrick Harris delivers his lines in a way we know that Barney is telling the truth. His life is full of lies because that’s who he is and what he does well. Even the proposal that swept off Robin’s feet were a string of lies. But the only thing that matters is that they love each other, and that’s the truth. This was a very strong moment in the episode.

In the other story-line, Lily brings Marshall to an art exhibit to see what kind of gem she can locate for the Captain. Marshall tries to fit in but seems to be rusty with his ability to befriend anyone, anywhere. This part of the episode brought the biggest laugh when Marshall drops his Skittles during a moment of silence for the artist’s deceased grandmother. Marshall doesn’t move an inch, but the Skittles kept falling onto the floor.

Overall, it’s good news that HIMYM can still provide laughs and drama to an episode in its light and fun way. Jeanette is finally out of Ted’s hair (at least I hope) and we’re only six episodes until the end of the eighth season. Can we expect some huge cliffhanger? Maybe involving a yellow umbrella? Make it happen!

Oscar Talk 2013: What to Watch For

The 85th Annual Academy Awards is now done with, so is it too soon to start looking at the upcoming year and making some predictions? Yeah, it probably is too soon, but here are a few films that I think will receive a lot of attention come awards season:

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August: Osage County

Based on the award-winning play, John Wells will bring the play to the screen with quite a cast: Meryl Streep, Ewan McGregor, Julia Roberts, Chris Cooper, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Abigail Breslin. While John Wells isn’t a name you see around film, he’s an award-winning name in the television world with 6 Primetime Emmy awards with ER and The West Wing. I think this is going to be a serious contender come awards season next year.

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Captain Phillips

Set to be released in October of 2013, Paul Greengrass (United 93, The Bourne Ultimatum) will release a drama based on a true story about the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years. Starring Tom Hanks and Catherine Keener, this is going to be one to keep a close eye on. While Hanks has recently stepped away from the Oscar spotlight, he’s still one of the finest actors of our time.

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Gravity

Have I ever mentioned how much I love Alfonso Cuaron? There has been a lot of talk around this science fiction project using a vision from Cuaron that will really ‘wow’ everyone. As if I needed more reason to be excited for this release. This will be Cuaron’s first feature since Children of Men (2006), so a lot of anticipation is building. Oh, I forgot to mention it also stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney.

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Labor Day

There’s a pattern here. Jason Reitman adapts a novel himself, then allows Diablo Cody to pen a screenplay. Reitman directs them all. Since Young Adult was from a Cody screenplay, it’s Reitman’s turn. Adapting the Joyce Maynard novel, this film is about a mother and a son who offer an escaped convict a ride. Starring Josh Brolin, Kate Winslet, and Tobey Maguire, this seems to be a little outside of Reitman’s comfort zone but nonetheless, he’s become an Oscar regular and this film should be on everyone’s radar this year.

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Foxcatcher

Bennett Miller is relatively new to feature films, but has directed Capote and Moneyball, two films that received plenty of Oscar exposure. His next film is a drama about John du Pont, a man who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and killed Olympic wrestler David Schultz. Starring Channing Tatum, Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo and Sienna Miller, it’s not your typical Oscar cast but it’s definitely one that could be by the end of the year.

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Inside Llewyn Davis

If there is any directing duo that screams Oscars, it’s the Coen brothers. Ethan and Joel’s latest film revolves around a singer-songwriter who navigates New York’s folk music scene during the 1960s. Starring Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman, and Oscar Isaac, never bet against the Coen brothers.

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Nebraska

Alexander Payne has made Sideways and The Descendants, two excellent and small-scaled dramas about family and friends. His latest film is about an alcoholic father traveling with his estranged son from Montana to Nebraska. I am very excited for this film and you should be too.

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The Monuments Men

George Clooney has won two Oscars, one for producing Argo and the other for acting in Syriana. He’s been nominated 8 times for writing, acting, and directing. He’s the real deal and the Academy loves him, so be smart and pay attention to his new film. Here’s the plot synopsis: In a race against time, a crew of art historians and museum curators unite to recover renown works of art stolen by Nazis before Hitler destroys them. Starring George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, and Daniel Craig. I think we have ourselves a front-runner.

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Saving Mr. Banks

John Lee Hancock isn’t a stranger to extracting emotion from the audience. With The Rookie, The Alamo, and The Blind Side on his resume, his next film revolves around P.L. Travers trying to sell her novel, Mary Poppins, to Walt Disney Pictures. Starring Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Colin Farrell, and Paul Giamatti. This sounds like it’s going to be a heart-felt, crowd-pleasing film that will catch the Oscars’ eyes.

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The Wolf of Wall Street

Martin Scorsese is once again teaming up with his partner-in-crime, Leonardo DiCaprio, for his next film. The plot: A New York stock broker refuses to cooperate in a large securities fraud case involving corruption on Wall Street, corporate banking world and mob infiltration. But seriously, Scorsese and DiCaprio. You know what to expect here.

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Diana

I’m torn about this one, but I had to include it for two reasons. First and foremost, Naomi Watts is going to play Princess Diana in this biopic. If there was ever a chance for the wonderful Naomi Watts to win an Oscar, this might be her ultimate chance. Secondly, Oliver Hirschbiegel is behind this project. Downfall is still one of the best films ever about Adolf Hitler, but then again, The Invasion wasn’t very good. So this seems like a hit-or-miss, but I’m really hoping that it will become a hit.

The Walking Dead – “I Ain’t a Judas”

Season Three, Episode Eleven

Grade: C+

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Just for the record, I was pretty disappointed over last week’s sloppy episode of The Walking Dead. Characters were out of character, motivations were without motivation, and once again there was just too much talking going on. The conclusion with the Governor and his lackies dumping walkers into the prison grounds was riveting and action-packed, but what the hell? With Rick, Merle, and Daryl on the outside, the Governor could’ve easily wiped them out if he brought probably five more men. But he just smirks and then drives away. Mission accomplished? What was the mission, to absolutely give away the element of surprise? Well done then.

It was nice to see Tyrese and his small group back on the show, but they enter Woodbury and are very willing to join up with the Governor to kick Rick’s ass. A bit strange for Tyrese and his girl, whom seemed like decent people, willing to fight with the Governor and slay all of those “good people.” I know they’re pissed at Rick for driving them out, but will they be willing to slaughter the entire group? I don’t believe so.

And staying on topic, the Governor and Milton are very eager to learn about the layout of the prison. Plus they’re training everyone in the community that can hold a gun. So they’re obviously getting ready to attack again, but seriously, they could’ve easily taken over the prison last episode. I just don’t get that at all.

Anyway, back to “I Ain’t a Judas,” Andrea goes to the prison to see her old friends and possibly persuade them to a truce. While her stay was very brief, the purpose was for her to see how much everyone has changed since she last saw them being overrun by walkers at the farm. The group is certainly a broken one, with deaths to many of them, and with Rick going crazy. They’re all on edge and compared to the way Woodbury is living, they’re barbarians. She’s frightened by them and also feels guilty because she knows they don’t stand a chance against the Governor and his army. But in the end, she goes back to Woodbury to sleep in a warm, comfortable bed. And there was absolutely no chance that she was going to kill the Governor. That little tease was just a drawn-out, annoying conclusion to a stale episode.

Andrea has become a big problem in The Walking Dead, because I cannot imagine any viewer still invested in her character and her story-line. She’s always preaching for what is right and is never satisfied with anything. But because we have the two locations, she’s one of the major characters on the show. I’m not saying that Laurie Holden is a bad actress, but there’s something horribly wrong with her character. She’s so far away from receiving any sympathy from the audience, I don’t think there’s another character I’d rather see killed. What’s her purpose on the show? To sleep with the Governor, complain to the Governor, and just have the Governor walk all over her? If her purpose was to remind us how ruthless Rick’s group has become, then that’s over with. Now it’s time to be over with Andrea.

So is the show still aiming to have that big showdown between Woodbury and the prison? If so, it really doesn’t seem like it’ll be much of a fight. And we know that they won’t wipe out one group because after all, this is a television show. There aren’t enough characters to just wipe out the majority of the main group. But in the end this was an episode setting up bigger and better things to come. Fans might be frustrated, but The Walking Dead is carefully moving its pieces around the chess board until the big moment comes. I just hope they get there sooner than later.

RECAP: 85th Annual Academy Awards

After everything is said and done, what will be remembered from this Oscar ceremony? Will it be Seth MacFarlane’s polarizing hosting duties (I did enjoy “We Saw Your Boobs”)? Will it be remembered for Daniel Day-Lewis winning his third Best Actor Oscar and giving a hilarious and heart-felt acceptance speech? Or maybe Jennifer Lawrence tripping up the stairs to the podium to accept her Best Actress Oscar (third youngest in history)? Or how about the Bond tribute or the tribute to movie musicals (damn, that Jennifer Hudson can sing, huh?)?

While most of these moments will be remembered by some, the big thing to be remembered from the 85th annual Academy Awards is that Argo won Best Picture. That’s what people will remember about last night’s Oscars and that’s why it’s such a big deal to win Best Picture. 2012 was a great year of films from the summer blockbusters (The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises), to the independent gems (Beasts of the Southern Wild, Amour, Moonrise Kingdom, The Perks of Being a Wallflower), to the patriotic dramas (Argo, Zero Dark Thirty, Lincoln), and to the crowd-pleasers (Silver Linings Playbook, The Hunger Games, Django Unchained). It was a year for anyone and everyone to enjoy, but in ten years which films will people remember? 20 years? 50 years?

As for the actual telecast, the ceremony was only 3 and a half hours long (same run-time as the Grammy’s), so they actually did a good job with that. Plus, after the first few victims towards the beginning I think the rest of the winners were intimidated by the Jaws theme song drowning them out. But I still wish that they would just cut out all the shenanigans that the presenters attempt and give the winners some more time for their speeches. Whatever Paul Rudd and Melissa McCarthy were trying to do, that didn’t work. When Seth did that Von Trapp gag before introducing Christopher Plummer, that didn’t work. When the actors of The Avengers were being weird, especially Samuel L. Jackson skipping an entire bulk on the teleprompter, that didn’t work. And did we really need to see a lip-syncing Catherine Zeta-Jones during the musical tribute?

But I did enjoy the Oscars, like I do every year, because it reminds me of how much I love movies and how all the people involved in making a movie are people just like you and me. Despite most people, I really love when teh technical categories are announced because those winners are the most down-to-earth, surprised winners of the night. Sure, they’re the ones that get the Jaws theme blasted in their face (because God forbid if you cut off one of the actors), but it’s usually the most sincere and happiest moments of the night.

So what didn’t work during the telecast? Well, Seth MacFarlane was an interesting choice for the Oscars and he delivered exactly what people expected, by dividing the room. He’s a comedian that appeals to a younger crowd, and has a lot of guy-humor. So it’s not surprising that he had a bunch of gags like the “We Saw Your Boobs” song, making out with Sally Field and an animated Ted asking about the post-Oscar orgy. I’m not a fan of Seth MacFarlane at all, but I did enjoy his humor throughout the telecast. His monologue was a bit long, but I felt he really kept the show flowing pretty well, even though a few of his jokes were borderline tasteless.

A few highlights:

– The Oscars started off with that packed Supporting Actor category, which Christoph Waltz walked away as the winner. Quite surprising, since he won so recently but hey, the Academy loves him.

– Brave beating out Wreck-It Ralph for Best Animated Feature had me scratching my head. Did the voters just see “Pixar” and checked off the box next to it? Seriously, Brave was arguably Pixar’s weakest film to date.

– While I predicted Life of Pi to win Best Cinematography, I was really pulling for Roger Deakins’ work in Skyfall. Poor guy, he now has 10 nominations and 0 Oscars. He’s paid his due! Just give him the award already!

– Do all Best Costume Oscars go to period films?

– Poor Russell Crowe had to deal with more criticism of his singing at the Oscars during “One Day More.” The guy’s not great, but he can sing better than a lot of us. Let it go!

– There was a tie at the Oscars for Best Sound Editing. Zero Dark Thirty and Skyfall won. When was the last time there was a tie at the Oscars? In 1994 there was a tie for Best Live Action Short. Then in 1986 there was a tie for Best Documentary, but the most memorable tie was in 1969 when Katharine Hepburn and Barbara Streisand tied for Best Actress.

– Ang Lee winning Best Director was a bit surprising. I knew Speilberg wasn’t going to win, but I felt David O. Russell was the front-runner and that Michael Haneke would win. So this makes Ang Lee with 2 Best Director awards, both to where his film didn’t win Best Picture (Brokeback Mountain loses to Crash, Life of Pi loses to Argo).

– As for me, I went 17/24 with my predictions, not too shabby but not great either. I’m always in the 16-18 range and I’ll just have to try harder next year. If there’s something about predictions that I have to remember, it’s to 1. Ignore your personal feelings and go with the front-runners and 2. there won’t be any major upsets, but expect about 3 minor ones.

LIVE BLOGGING: The 85th Annual Academy Awards

Check out the tumblr site for some live-blogging action.

Why Watch the Oscars?

The Academy Awards is the most prestigious awards ceremony to any entertainer. It’s where the best of the best are awarded and recognized for their excellent work from the past year. Millions and millions of people watch it from all over the world. But why? Why do you watch the Oscars?

It’s something that I’ve been thinking about as the 85th annual Academy Awards is only a few days away. You always hear the same complaints year-after-year: it was too long, too boring, I didn’t see any of the movies nominated, the host wasn’t funny, where the hell is Christopher Nolan? It occurred to me that most of the people who watch the Oscars are just watching for the sake of watching. Oh, it’s the Oscars! I have to watch! But then those exact people bitch… and bitch… and bitch throughout the whole 200 minutes (when they could’ve easily just changed the channel to end their torture).

There is something extremely appealing about the Oscars, just like any awards show (or reality show). You’re rooting for someone to win, you’re waiting for something unexpected to happen, or maybe you’re looking for an excuse to throw a house party. The Oscars are live (almost) and there have been some whacky occurrences in the past. Some good: Cuba Gooding Jr. or Roberto Benigni’s acceptance speeches. And some bad: the streaker. But seriously, are these actual reasons why people tune into the Academy Awards?

The Oscars is a celebration of cinema: past, present, and future. There are many fascinating moments throughout the telecast where we’re reminded of how magical the movies can actually be. To me, the year 2012 was a great one for film and I feel the Oscars will really display it by having numerous films win multiple awards. I can truly say that I love movies and everything about them. I’m not the kind of person that gets all snarky if my favorite film doesn’t win Best Picture by going on a rant about how biased the Academy are and how there are a dozen of films that deserved the award instead. I don’t do that because that’s not the purpose of the Oscars.

The reason I watch the Oscars is to be entertained by the year’s top entertainers. It’s a contest among the most talented people in the movie business and even as I’m sitting in my living room with my family, I’m reminded that all the gorgeous and handsome actors are human too. Why wouldn’t we want them to have their moment to shine when they can be themselves and not a character on a script? Just to see them in their natural state, accepting an award and thanking all of their close friends and family… I don’t know about you but that makes some great television.

So go ahead, mock the Oscars on Facebook and Twitter and rant about how you loved Silver Linings Playbook and how you never heard of Amour or Beasts of the Southern Wild and how disappointing you were that The Dark Knight Rises didn’t win any awards. Because the Oscars are not for you. They’re for people who love movies and everything about them, from the beginning of the idea to the post-production stages. From the struggles of casting to the final cuts made during editing. A great movie is an art that combines the best pieces of entertainment and molds it to the finished product. It takes countless hours of work and dedication. There is nothing like a great movie and everyone should be able to relate to that.

Predictions: 85th Academy Awards

Here are my final predictions for the Academy Awards this Sunday:

Best Picture

• “Amour” Nominees to be determined
• “Argo” Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck and George Clooney, Producers
• “Beasts of the Southern Wild” Dan Janvey, Josh Penn and Michael Gottwald, Producers
• “Django Unchained” Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin and Pilar Savone, Producers
• “Les Misérables” Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward and Cameron Mackintosh, Producers
• “Life of Pi” Gil Netter, Ang Lee and David Womark, Producers
• “Lincoln” Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers
• “Silver Linings Playbook” Donna Gigliotti, Bruce Cohen and Jonathan Gordon, Producers
• “Zero Dark Thirty” Mark Boal, Kathryn Bigelow and Megan Ellison, Producers

This is going to be a year to remember in Oscar history.I don’t feel like throwing the stats at you (because I’m tired from all my previous posts), but Argo is making history when it wins Best Picture. It’s a great story, especially for Ben Affleck. For those who don’t understand that there is a lot of campaigning during the awards season, everything fell into the right place to allow for Argo’s huge momentum swing. The hands down critics’ favorite movie of the year was Zero Dark Thirty, but we all know what bad publicity did for that film during awards season. And when the nominees were submitted before the guilds, leaving Affleck off of the Best Director category, well that’s the best thing that could’ve happened for Argo.

Prediction: Argo

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Best Lead Actor

• Bradley Cooper in “Silver Linings Playbook”
• Daniel Day-Lewis in “Lincoln”
• Hugh Jackman in “Les Misérables”
• Joaquin Phoenix in “The Master”
• Denzel Washington in “Flight”

Some are saying Bradley Cooper has a legitimate shot at winning this. If that happens, then my faith will be completely lost because out of these 5 performances, Cooper is the one that doesn’t fit. But I guess that’s just my opinion. This award is going to DD-L and it will be his third Oscar award, making him the only actor in history with three Best Lead Actor awards. Man, this Oscars telecast is going to be historic!

Prediction: Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)

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Best Lead Actress

• Jessica Chastain in “Zero Dark Thirty”
• Jennifer Lawrence in “Silver Linings Playbook”
• Emmanuelle Riva in “Amour”
• Quvenzhané Wallis in “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
• Naomi Watts in “The Impossible”

While Jessica Chastain was great in Zero Dark Thirty (and the only nominee who is actually the sole main character in her movie), this category looks all but locked for the most popular actress in the world right now, Jennifer Lawrence. Though I’m hearing that quite a few voters are going for Emmanuelle Riva, so she’s on the alert for an upset possibility.

But when it comes down to it, Chastain’s performance was great but how many voters can really find an emotional connection to her Maya? And for Riva, it would be a great story for her to win on her birthday, but how many voters actually watched Amour (or even enjoyed it)? The same goes for Naomi Watts. Meanwhile, the gorgeous Jennifer Lawrence was the star in a very crowd-pleasing movie. Oh and btdubbs, Lawrence will become the third youngest winner in Oscar history for this category.

Prediction: Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)

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Best Director

• “Amour” Michael Haneke
• “Beasts of the Southern Wild” Benh Zeitlin
• “Life of Pi” Ang Lee
• “Lincoln” Steven Spielberg
• “Silver Linings Playbook” David O. Russell

Here’s a tricky category. If Ben Affleck was nominated, he’d definitely win. But he’s not nominated. Common sense would point to a win for Steven Spielberg since Lincoln is dealing with great success across the board (12 nominations + highest gross of all Best Picture nominees). But then again, if Lincoln was REALLY being perceived so well in the Academy, then why is it losing everything? Aside from Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln has practically been shut out of the awards season. This makes me believe that Spielberg won’t win Best Director, because if he did then Lincoln should win Best Picture.

The same thing can be said about Ang Lee and Life of Pi. With a whopping 11 nominations, if Ang Lee were to really win Best Director, don’t you think Life of Pi would be a major player for Best Picture. And just like Lincoln, it’s not. I don’t believe they’ll win. Which leaves me to the Haneke vs. Russell debate (because frankly, Benh Zeitlin’s award is being nominated). David O. Russell and Silver Linings Playbook is very well-received in the Academy, enough so that I’ll consider him as the front-runner of this category (even though he’ll be the first director to win this award WITHOUT a DGA nominee. But heck, this is a history-breaking Oscar ceremony so let’s keep the ball rolling!). But I’m going to use my upset pick here and say Haneke will get the award.

Prediction: Michael Haneke (Amour)

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Best Supporting Actor

• Alan Arkin in “Argo”
• Robert De Niro in “Silver Linings Playbook”
• Philip Seymour Hoffman in “The Master”
• Tommy Lee Jones in “Lincoln”
• Christoph Waltz in “Django Unchained”

This is another tricky category. Everyone here has won an Oscar before, so there’s none of that newcomer vs. veteran discussion. I think it’s going to come down to how much the Academy likes certain movies. If they absolutely love Argo that much, then Alan Arkin will win. Then again, there seems to be a lot of support for Silver Linings Playbook and they’re pushing for De Niro since he hasn’t won in 31 years. And then there’s Christoph Waltz, whom EVERYONE likes. Man, this is a tough one but I think they’ll actually reward the actor who gave the best performance.

Prediction: Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln)

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Best Supporting Actress

• Amy Adams in “The Master”
• Sally Field in “Lincoln”
• Anne Hathaway in “Les Misérables”
• Helen Hunt in “The Sessions”
• Jacki Weaver in “Silver Linings Playbook”

Some will make an argument for Sally Field, but I don’t see that happening.

Prediction: Anne Hathaway (Les Misérables)

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Best Original Screenplay

• “Amour” Written by Michael Haneke
• “Django Unchained” Written by Quentin Tarantino
• “Flight” Written by John Gatins
• “Moonrise Kingdom” Written by Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola
• “Zero Dark Thirty” Written by Mark Boal

At first, it looked like Mark Boal was on his way to another Oscar for his screenplay, but Zero Dark Thirty hit a wave of bad publicity practically ruining it. So we have Haneke vs. Tarantino, and Tarantino can’t walk away without an Oscar, right?

Prediction: Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained)

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Best Adapted Screenplay

• “Argo” Screenplay by Chris Terrio
• “Beasts of the Southern Wild” Screenplay by Lucy Alibar & Benh Zeitlin
• “Life of Pi” Screenplay by David Magee
• “Lincoln” Screenplay by Tony Kushner
• “Silver Linings Playbook” Screenplay by David O. Russell

Another toss up here between Chris Terrio and Tony Kushner. Does the Academy love Argo that much, or just Ben Affleck? We’ll find out soon.

Prediction: Chris Terrio (Argo)

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Best Animated Feature

• “Brave” Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman
• “Frankenweenie” Tim Burton
• “ParaNorman” Sam Fell and Chris Butler
• “The Pirates! Band of Misfits” Peter Lord
• “Wreck-It Ralph” Rich Moore

Prediction: Wreck-It Ralph

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Best Cinematography

• “Anna Karenina” Seamus McGarvey
• “Django Unchained” Robert Richardson
• “Life of Pi” Claudio Miranda
• “Lincoln” Janusz Kaminski
• “Skyfall” Roger Deakins

Will this be the year that Roger Deakins finally wins the Oscar? You have to feel for the guy, but nonetheless year after year he does great work. But how do you contend with the cinematography in Life of Pi?

Prediction: Claudio Miranda (Life of Pi)

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Best Film Editing

• “Argo” William Goldenberg
• “Life of Pi” Tim Squyres
• “Lincoln” Michael Kahn
• “Silver Linings Playbook” Jay Cassidy and Crispin Struthers
• “Zero Dark Thirty” Dylan Tichenor and William Goldenberg

This is a packed category. I’d like to imagine that if there were only five Best Picture nominees, these would be the five films. But I feel the Argo train will take this one.

Prediction: William Goldenberg (Argo)

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Best Foreign Language Film

• “Amour” Austria
• “Kon-Tiki” Norway
• “No” Chile
• “A Royal Affair” Denmark
• “War Witch” Canada

Prediction: Amour

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Best Costume Design

• “Anna Karenina” Jacqueline Durran
• “Les Misérables” Paco Delgado
• “Lincoln” Joanna Johnston
• “Mirror Mirror” Eiko Ishioka
• “Snow White and the Huntsman” Colleen Atwood

Prediction: Jacqueline Durran (Anna Karenina)

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Best Documentary

• “5 Broken Cameras”, Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi
• “The Gatekeepers”, Nominees to be determined
• “How to Survive a Plague”, Nominees to be determined
• “The Invisible War”, Nominees to be determined
• “Searching for Sugar Man”, Nominees to be determined

Prediction: Searching for Sugar Man

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Best Documentary, Short Subject

• “Inocente” Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine
• “Kings Point” Sari Gilman and Jedd Wider
• “Mondays at Racine” Cynthia Wade and Robin Honan
• “Open Heart” Kief Davidson and Cori Shepherd Stern
• “Redemption” Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill

Prediction: Inocente

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Best Makeup and Hairstyling

• “Hitchcock” Howard Berger, Peter Montagna and Martin Samuel
• “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” Peter Swords King, Rick Findlater and Tami Lane
• “Les Misérables” Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell

Prediction: Peter Swords King, Rick Findlater and Tami Lane (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey)

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Best Original Score

• “Anna Karenina” Dario Marianelli
• “Argo” Alexandre Desplat
• “Life of Pi” Mychael Danna
• “Lincoln” John Williams
• “Skyfall” Thomas Newman

Prediction: Mychael Danna (Life of Pi)

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Best Original Song

• “Before My Time” from “Chasing Ice” Music and Lyric by J. Ralph
• “Everybody Needs A Best Friend” from “Ted” Music by Walter Murphy; Lyric by Seth MacFarlane
• “Pi’s Lullaby” from “Life of Pi” Music by Mychael Danna; Lyric by Bombay Jayashri
• “Skyfall” from “Skyfall” Music and Lyric by Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth
• “Suddenly” from “Les Misérables” Music by Claude-Michel Schönberg; Lyric by Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boublil

Prediction: Skyfall

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Best Production Design

• “Anna Karenina” Production Design: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
• “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” Production Design: Dan Hennah; Set Decoration: Ra Vincent and Simon Bright
• “Les Misérables” Production Design: Eve Stewart; Set Decoration: Anna Lynch-Robinson
• “Life of Pi” Production Design: David Gropman; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
• “Lincoln” Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Jim Erickson

Prediction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer (Anna Karenina)

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Best Animated, Short

• “Adam and Dog” Minkyu Lee
• “Fresh Guacamole” PES
• “Head over Heels” Timothy Reckart and Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly
• “Maggie Simpson in “The Longest Daycare”” David Silverman
• “Paperman” John Kahrs

Prediction: Paperman

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Best Live Action, Short

• “Asad” Bryan Buckley and Mino Jarjoura
• “Buzkashi Boys” Sam French and Ariel Nasr
• “Curfew” Shawn Christensen
• “Death of a Shadow (Dood van een Schaduw)” Tom Van Avermaet and Ellen De Waele
• “Henry” Yan England

Prediction: Death of a Shadow

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Best Sound Editing

• “Argo” Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn
• “Django Unchained” Wylie Stateman
• “Life of Pi” Eugene Gearty and Philip Stockton
• “Skyfall” Per Hallberg and Karen Baker Landers
• “Zero Dark Thirty” Paul N.J. Ottosson

Prediction: Eugene Gearty and Philip Stockton (Life of Pi)

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Best Sound Mixing

• “Argo” John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff and Jose Antonio Garcia
• “Les Misérables” Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson and Simon Hayes
• “Life of Pi” Ron Bartlett, D.M. Hemphill and Drew Kunin
• “Lincoln” Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom and Ronald Judkins
• “Skyfall” Scott Millan, Greg P. Russell and Stuart Wilson

Prediction: Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson and Simon Hayes (Les Misérables)

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Best Visual Effects

• “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton and R. Christopher White
• “Life of Pi” Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer and Donald R. Elliott
• “Marvel’s The Avengers” Janek Sirrs, Jeff White, Guy Williams and Dan Sudick
• “Prometheus” Richard Stammers, Trevor Wood, Charley Henley and Martin Hill
• “Snow White and the Huntsman” Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, Philip Brennan, Neil Corbould and Michael Dawson

Prediction: Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer and Donald R. Elliott (Life of Pi)

Tweetle Dumb: Valentine’s Day Edition

I remember when I was young and I really though that the perfect way to spend Valentine’s Day was to grab a girl to go to dinner with and then see a movie… or vis versa, depending on what part of my night I didn’t want to hear her nagging. Anyway, as a Valentine’s Day tribute, here are some of the best tweets I found about movies…

First of all… having your name as Dyldo the Great is hilarious. Bonus points! Second of all, this dude really needs a hug or something because he’s obviously suicidal if he’s comparing his miserable day to the catastrophe that was the Valentine’s Day film. Cheer up!

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How to lose a “gut” in 10 days, huh? Strangely, I bet that would’ve sold a lot more (with more critical praise) than How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

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On Valentine’s Day, anything is possible.

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Wait… is this some kind of knock-knock joke? When a movie hits you a bit too close for home,WHO?! Or did she (he?) forget the #ftw hashtag? Or maybe the not-so-well-known hashtag #sdiwtkm (so depressed i want to kill myself). I don’t know, this tweet just confused me.

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I know you’re limited to only 140 characters in Twitter, but “B. Willis”? Really? Because I’ve never heard anyone call the Die Hard actor as anything but Bruce Willis. He’s one of those full name actors like Johnny Depp or Will Smith where you just need to say the whole name… not like Denzel.

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What’s so funny about that? She states the obvious (yes, people want to see new movies) and then laughs uncontrollably at it. I don’t get it, just as much as I don’t get why she has two “x”s in her first name.

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For the last tweet in this Tweetle Dumb post, I must point out Niki’s love for the film, Blue Valentine. Aside from it sharing the word “Valentine,” there is NOTHING romantic about this film at all. Honestly, I’m doubting Niki has actually seen Blue Valentine. Yes, it’s a very good film, but to hashtag #romance just makes everything too unbelievable. Oh, what a great time to plug one of my past posts!

Blue Valentine made my lose my faith in love.