My Super Bowl, the Oscars, are on this Sunday! Who else is so so excited! Unfortunately this will be the first year I don't get to watch the telecast live, but I've got my predictions, ballot, and DVR all fired up and ready to go nonetheless! If you are into this stuff as much as I am, or need suggestions to win your office pool, or just want to read what I think will go down on Sun night, read on (my predicted winners are in bold).
Best Supporting Actor & Best Supporting Actress
These two categories are the most boring of the night, just cause the winners are pretty much locked. From the beginning of the awards season, Christopher Waltz (Inglorious Basterds) and Monique (Precious) have pretty much dominated, and so they are gonna walk away with the coveted awards. There is a slight chance someone other than Waltz will win Supporting Actor (maybe Stanley Tucci or Woody Harrelson), but Monique is a definite. The other ladies should just be thankful to be nominated, cause there is no chance any of them are taking home the Oscar this year.
Best Adapted Screenplay/Best Original Screenplay
For the Adapted Screenplay, I'm gonna go with Up in the Air. The movie had reallly good buzz towards the beginning of the season, but lost its steam in the midst of the whole Avatar/Hurt Locker buzz that started taking over. The Academy will reward the movie in this category. As for Original Screenplay, I'm thinking its a battle between The Hurt Locker and Inglorious Basterds, but I'm gonna go with the latter because The Hurt Locker will win bigger awards. But you never know, the warm crowd pleaser Up might sneak in enough votes to steal the prize.
Best Actor & Best Actress
Jeff Bridges also pretty much has the Best Actor on a lockdown, but I'm secretly hoping Colin Firth (who is just so dreamy) steals it. Even though Colin just won a BAFTA a couple of weeks ago (the British Oscars), I still think Bridges will win. The Best Actress category is my favorite one this year, because there is no clear winner. Sandra Bullock has pretty much won everything leading up to this, and while that may seem like she is going to win, her role in The Blind Side isn't usually what garners a Best Actress win. So while the awards season has been good to her, she might likely lose to seasoned veteran Meryl Streep, or newcomer Carey Mulligan. I really hope Bullock wins and I'm gonna say she will, but I will so not be surprised if she goes home empty handed Sunday night.
Best Director
This comes down to the battle of the exes-- Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker) used to be married to James Cameron (Avatar), and now they are the frontrunners for this coveted award. History will be made if Bigelow wins; she will be the first female winner ever, which is kinda sad, no? Come on Academy! Or, come on, female directors! =P I think she will win. Unless...
Best Picture
Now, I'm pretty sure The Hurt Locker is going to win. Avatar may be the bigger movie, but out of the 10 Best Picture nominees, no other movie had as much critical praise behind it as the Hurt Locker. But like I said, Avatar is the bigger movie, in all senses of the word. Critics may not have been super impressed with its storyline and dialogue, but you can't overlook how well the movie turned out. Now, if Kathryn wins Best Director for The Hurt Locker, the Academy might reward James Cameron with a Best Picture win. And vice versa- Cameron for Director, the Hurt Locker for Best Picture. But. I honestly think, the night is gonna belong to The Hurt Locker, for both Best Picture and Director.
AHHHH I LOVE THE OSCARS.
Friday, March 5, 2010
2010 Academy Award Predictions!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Road to the Oscars 2010!
This morning the lovely Anne Hathaway woke up super early to announce the 2010 Academy Award nominations, and while I cannot say I am surprised at most of the nominations, there were some things that made me go hmmm... I'm gonna do my predictions closer to the Mar.7 ceremony, but for now, here are my quick snap judgments on the nominees:
* Best picture
In an effort to include more mainstream (and popular) movies as well as the usual critically-acclaimed fare, the Academy nominated 10 movies for Best Picture this year. I think most of the movies (9 out of 10) are what was expected, but I am super surprised that The Blind Side was nominated. I love the movie, I love Sandra Bullock, but to me it isn't really a Best Picture nominee worthy movie. But, who am I to say, it has made a ridonkulous amount of money at the box office. I do wish the spot it took up had gone to The Hangover (my favorite movie of last year) or (500) Days of Summer instead.
* Best Actress/Supporting Actress
Given the amount of awards she has won this season, the Oscar is Sandra Bullock's to lose. Unfortunately, that is exactly what will happen. I LOVE HER, but I'm pretty sure her winning the big one (especially over veteran Meryl Streep) is slim to none. But, I don't know, The Blind Side did receive a Best Picture nod, so it is clear that the Academy does support her movie. In the Best Supporting Actress category, Maggie Gyllenhall's nomination for Crazy Heart comes as a big surprise since she's been shut out of nominations for all of the other award shows leading up to the Oscars. It doesn't matter however, Mo'nique will totally win this category hands down.
*Where the Wild Things Are
On a more personal note, I cannot believe Spike Jones's amazing Where the Wild Things Are was completely shut out of every category. Did I expect it to land any of the major nominations (director, picture, acting, screenplay)? No. But honestly even nothing in the technical awards such as costumes? Visual effects? Nothing?? So disappointing. It is a beautiful, beautiful movie, folks!!
Monday, September 14, 2009
An Open Letter to Kanye West
Dear Kanye,
Oh what can be said that hasn't already been said before? You need to learn to shut up. I'm actually a huge fan of your work. Your Late Registration and Graduation albums are one of my favorite albums of all time, I like reading your blog (the use of all-caps aside), and most of the time I am just amused by your 'holier than thou' attitude and antics. But, uh. Stealing the spotlight away from a 19 year old girl on what was supposed to be her shining moment? Not cool, dude. I think it's fine you think that you're the coolest thing since sliced bread and that everything you deem worthy is also the coolest thing since, you. I too have my strong opinions and I too like to express them whenever I see fit. But I think there is a difference between me telling my friends why I think Britney is the greatest entertainer (haters to the left please) or why objectively speaking, Robert Pattinson is hot sex on a stick, and me standing up in front of millions of people to assert that Beyonce made the greatest video EVER, in the middle of Taylor's freakin acceptance speech. How old are you again??
I mean, this really isn't the first time you've done this. You throw a temper tantrum everytime you don't win something you believe you should have: rushing the stage and ranting about how Touch the Sky should've won Best Video at the 2006 MTV Europe Music Awards, walking out after losing Best New Artist at the AMAs in 2004. And yeah, those things were just as terrible and as much talked about, but something about taking the spotlight away from an ecstatic Taylor, who was in the middle of thanking her fans for taking a chance on country music was.. just brutal. THANKS for making the entire audience feel super awkward, and yeah, you deserve the 0 wins and the booing you received the entire night. Oh, and I'm sure Beyonce was beyond thrilled that you pulled the most dickheaded move in defense of her name. So... no, I don't really care that you apologized to Taylor and her mom, or that you blogged about how sorry you are in all caps (BTW, THIS GETS ANNOYING REALLY FAST).
Congrats Kanye, you are the frontrunner for Douchebag of the Year. While the whole thing is unfortunate and could have been completely avoidable, I am glad it happened for 2 reasons. 1: I heart Taylor Swift and am glad more people are now on Team Taylor (and you know what Kanye? Her video is damn good and yeah, I voted for it), and 2: it gave Beyonce to be the classiest lady ever by giving back Taylor her moment to shine during her speech. I am gonna end on that note. Watch and learn, Kanye, watch and learn.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Brian Griffin Loves the Office...
...Stewie does not. The producers of Family Guy, a surprise nominee for the Best Comedy category at the Emmys (airing September 20th) created this short clip on why the Academy should vote for their show and NOT the Office. It cracked me up. My favorite part: "Indians and Hispanics don't live in Scranton." HAHAHA.
Friday, February 20, 2009
2009 Academy Awards Predictions
Whether you've entered in a pool or just predicting the winners for fun, part of what makes the Academy Awards fun is seeing which nominees actually end up with the big prize. This year is shaping up to be a bit predictable, because there seems to be a lot of shoo-ins rather than toss ups. But what makes the Oscars so interesting yet so frustrating is that the winners aren't always necessarily the "best," or most qualified work. I would say that it's 50% talent, 25% studio campaigning, and 25% plain ol' politics that determine who the winners are. So, while many of the categories have very clear frontrunners, there is always a big chance of an "upset."
First a little word on the format this year. Instead of the usual comedian hosting the show, the host of this year's Oscars is... People's Sexiest Man Alive, Hugh Jackman. Yeah, I don't know how that is going to play out. It is no secret that the ratings for the Oscars have been slipping in recent years. It didn't help that many of the movies nominated this year are not ones that did excellent at the box office. So in order to lure in viewers, producers have been working overtime to create a new format for the show. What can you expect? 1) They're not releasing the names of presenters this year, to keep it mysterious (I will tell you, Robert Pattinson/Twilight fans, he has been confirmed as a presenter). 2) The Oscars will take on a 'show-within-a-show' theme, with some of the awards/winners playing roles in this theme. Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, the Mamma Mia cast, Beyonce.. They've all been tapped to play a role. And my favorite, director Baz Luhrmann, has been recruited to choreograph a song-and-dance routine. 3) Judd Apatow and his crew have made a short film for the show. What it is no one will say, but as a fan, I am looking forward to it.
Ok, here are my predictions:
Best Picture
Slumdog Millionaire. It's been awhile since one film has managed to sweep EVERY major award leading up to the ceremony. It will be the biggest upset EVER if it does not follow through and win the biggest prize of the night. In addition to the Best Picture, it will win: Best Director for Danny Boyle, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Song (I personally love O...Saya more, but I think the more people-friendly Jai Ho will win), Best Original Score...
If, for some reason the Academy does not award Best Picture to Slumdog, and it can happen, (see: 2006's frontrunner Brokeback Mountain losing to Crash) the award could go to MILK, or the most nominated film this year, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. But neither of these films have had the traction and buzz Slumdog has enjoyed, so I wouldn't bet on an upset in this category.
Best Actor
This is one of the more unpredictable awards of the night. It's come down to 2 contenders: Sean Penn in MILK, and Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler. Here is what makes this interesting, Penn immerses himself completely in the role of Harvey Milk while Rourke reveals himself completely in his role of the wrestler. What do I mean? Penn transforms himself into a whole different person, the real-life gay activist Harvey Milk. On the other hand, the role of the beaten-but-not-done Wrestler so closely mirrors Rourke's real life and career, it's like watching his life story play out. I think at this point they're neck and neck, but I'm going to go with Rourke as the winner. However, I do think there's a HUGE chance the Academy voters will try to prove that they're not irrelvant, antiquated, and homophobic (as they have been accused of in the past) and go with Penn's performance. This is what I mean when I say the Oscars are about politics.
Best Actress
Like the Best Actor category, this award is between 2 seasoned veterans. Doubt's Meryl Streep and The Reader's Kate Winslet. Um, Time Magazine already declared Winslet the winner on their cover this week. I think Kate will win this one, though the Academy can decide to go with Streep, who is widely known as the best living actress and despite her 14 career nominations, has only won twice (the last one being 26 years ago). However, plenty of campaigning from The Reader's studio, 2 strong performances this year, the perennial loser story (hey, the sixth's time the charm!)...Kate Winslet, this is your year!
Best Supporting Actor
Heath Ledger, FTW. Nothing more to say here. Oh, except I take back what I said earlier, if Heath doesn't win a posthumous Oscar for his Joker, this will be the biggest upset EVER.
Best Supporting Actress
This is usually the first award given out of the night, and this is the hardest to predict. I want to go with Penelope Cruz (how cool would it be to see her real-life boyfriend and last year's Best Supporting Actor winner Javier Bardem hand her the award?? MAKEOUT SESSION!). But, she seems to sort of been losing steam in the last couple of weeks. This leaves the door wide open. Viola Davis for Doubt has a good chance, but may end up splitting the votes with her fellow Doubt co-star Amy Adams. Taraji P. Henson has been quietly building buzz, so she may take the prize from all of the nominees. And don't ever count out Marisa Tomei, who won once for My Cousin Vinny (seriously). I think most people think she actually deserves the award this time, unlike the last time she won. But, I'm going with... Cruz.
Other predictions
Best Documentary: Man on Wire.
Best Animated Fim: Wall-E.
Best Original Screenplay: MILK. Or Wall-E, if the Academy feels bad enough about not nominating this film for the Best Picture category.
The 81st Academy Awards are on Sunday, Feb. 22, ABC @ 8PM.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Grammys Wrap Up!
Nothing much to say about the Grammys except:
* Jason Mraz got ROBBED! I would've been ok with him losing to pretty much everyone else in the Best Male Pop Vocal Performance category but John Mayer. I have nothing against John Mayer. I just think the song he was nominated and won for, Say, is his worst. You will remember I'm Yours years from now, Say, not so much.
* M.I.A. should get a T-shirt printed up... "I performed at the Grammys on my due date and all I got was this lousy shirt." Girlfriend looked uber cute and uber preggers performing with the "Rap Pack" (Jay-Z, T.I.,Kanye West, Lil Wayne). I was afraid she was going to pop on stage - according to the CBS' exec VP of specials and live events, she went into contractions when the show went live at 8pm. The producers asked her to hang on till' 10pm, when she was set to perform, and she did. =P
* Adele for Best New Artist!! Most deserving out of everyone else in that category. I would've cried if the Jonas Brothers won. But, to their credit, they did put on a hot performance of Burnin' Up and Superstition with Stevie Wonder.
* Chris Brown is in deep doodoo for allegedly smacking up his girlfriend Rihanna. They were both scheduled to perform at the Grammys but pulled out of the show because of the arrest/attack. I'm a bit mad at Chris, because yes, beating up your girlfriend is a major nono, but honestly, I was looking forward to seeing Rihanna perform Live Your Life/Disturbia. Poop. Idk what to think of this whole thing. The fallout has already begun, with Wrigley's suspending their Doublemint campaign with Chris Brown until the mess is cleared up.
*And I give you...the best performance of the evening.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Predicting the Oscar Nominations
Tomorrow morning, actor Forest Whitaker will announce the Oscar nominations, to be handed out at the 81st ceremony on Feb. 22. Predicting the nominations is just as fun as predicting the winners, and I'm gonna go out on a limb here and attempt to do that. Check back here tomorrow and see if I should quit my day job and make a living predicting stuff like this, or if I should be hiding under a rock because I was so off. Most of the nominations in each category is a lock, so there shouldn't be much suspense as to who and what might be nominated, but you never know with the Oscars.
Best Picture
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
I am pretty sure Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, Milk, and Slumdog will all be nominated. The elusive 5th spot is the toss up. I think The Dark Knight will take it becayse even though it is a summer blockbuster/superhero movie (which is normally not an Oscar type film), it was such a smash with critics and movie-goers alike. Revolutionary Road, Doubt, and Wall-E can all sneak in here, but I think Wall-E will just have to settle for a Best Animated Film nomination/win.
Best Director
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight
Gus Van Sant, Milk
I also think this category is pretty set, unless Sam Mendes sneaks in here for Revolutionary Road (probably not), or Mike Leigh for Happy-Go-Lucky (more likely, but also probably not). Who might an upset replace? With the exception of Boyle (who is going to win this), anyone can be switched out.
Best Actor
Clint Eastwood, Gran Tarino
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Sorry Leo, but you are not getting a nom this year. There's a slight chance Clint Eastwood will be looked over, but because he will probably not be nominated in the Best Picture or Best Director categories (for either Changeling and Gran Tarino), the Academy will recognize him here. Hey, no one said it was fair.
Best Actress
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road
The only person I'm not sure of here is Angelina Jolie, because Changeling sort of fell off the radar. If she doesn't get a nom, Kristin Scott of I've Loved You So Long will.
Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin, Milk
Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire
Um. They should just have 1 spot for this award this year, cause Heath is going to win. But, since they have to like play by the rules and stuff, this is how it's going to happen. If it wasn't for Heath's Joker, I would've said Robert Downey Jr. would've taken it (OMG he was so great in Tropic Thunder), but alas, everyone else should just be "glad" to have been nominated. Especially Dev Patel, who is a relative newcomer. And yes, I know he is the lead actor of Slumdog, but a) he shares his role in the film with 2 other actors and b) he has a better chance of being nominated as a Supporting Actor, so the studio built his Oscar campaign around that.
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Kate Winslet, The Reader
This is the category I am least confident about. Penelope, Viola, Marisa, and Kate are 90% likely to get nominations. I don't know if Amy Adams will get it. I think she has a slightly better chance than Tariji Henson (Ben Button) or Rosemarie DeWitt who is the Rachel in Rachel Getting Married. But considering it is totally Anne Hathaway's movie, that will probably be the only acting nomination that movie will get.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Golden Globes Recap!
The 2009 Golden Globes were last night, and after last year's press conference style ceremony (due to the Writer's Strike), they were back in full swing with the lavish party, where the free-flowing booze always elicits hilarious unscripted moments from the stars. 3+ hours of anything is bound to have snooze moments, but I like sitting through all of it. And seeing how well I do on my predictions. Kate's double wins kinda threw off my score, but other than that I did well. Here are my thoughts on the night.
TV
* They have got to stop lumping made-for-tv movies in with drama and comedy in the Best Supporting Actor/Actress category. SO NOT THE SAME THING. Guys, how is Neil Patrick Harris going to win one of these things if he's competing with like past Oscar winners for their roles in TV movies??
* Nothing but love for 30 Rock- sweeping Best Comedy, Best Actor, Best Actress. Ok, I get it. I love the show, I think it's amazing, I think they are so deserving. But enough. Next year, bring it back to the Office, ok? It has yet to take home a GG for Best Comedy. It deserves to.
MOVIES
* Slumdog Millionaire wins BIG - 3 of the biggest awards- Best Motion Picture Drama, Best Director, Best Screenplay, plus Best Original Score (I can attest to this, I LOVE the soundtrack). With these 4 wins, Slumdog has officially become the frontrunner for all of these categories at the Oscars. As amazing as the movie is however, I still don't see this movie winning the Oscar for Best Picture. The Academy tends to be traditional and favor things uber dramatic (like Revolutionary Road) or uber epic (like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), but this has now become the film to beat. The little movie that could! EXCITING. Let the race begin.
* Kate Winslet wins 2 GGs in one night, something not achieved since like 1989 or something like that. No one was more surprised than Kate herself, who stumbled through her 2 acceptance speeches with "ums" and "oh my gods". I teared when she made Leo tear with her "I LOVE YOU SO MUCH" speech, and cheered when she forgot Angelina Jolie- "I'm sorry Anne, Meryl, Kristin. Oh God, who is the other one??". I have no doubt she will be a double nominee come Oscar time. Sorry Anne Hathaway, you are no longer the front runner for Best Actress.
* To no one's surprise, Heath Ledger won the Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Dark Knight. Director Christopher Nolan accepted on his behalf, and delivered a short, sweet speech. He is going to be win the posthumous Oscar for this, I know it. And yes, he was amazing in that movie, and I'm sure he would be winning all these nominations if he were alive, but a part of me wonders if he would be winning the awards as well. Probably not.
Red Carpet
I didn't love any one's dress in particular. I liked Eva Longoria's red Reem Acra, a lot, but my favorite is Isla Fischer's Carlos Miele gown. She is so cute.
Worst dressed definitely goes to Renee Zellweger. Wth is that? The hair, the dress, it's all a mess. Ladies, just don't wear sheer things on the red carpet. Pleeeeease. When I wasn't distracted by Ms. Squinty Eyes/Big Unnecessary Pout's face, I was trying to figure out what the heck was going on under her gown. Not good.
Friday, September 19, 2008
2008 Emmy Predictions
The 2008 Emmys are on this Sunday, and it's one of my favorite awards shows of the year cause it celebrates my favorite entertainment medium, television. YAY. The Emmys are fun for a variety of reasons: a) I like TV. b) It's probably the most unpredictable awards of the bunch. c) When the Emmys get it wrong, boy do they get it wrong (Boston Legal for Best Drama, really??), and vice versa. This year, they're shaking things up a bit. First of all, they added Outstanding Reality- Competition Program as a category, which is long overdue since like it or not, reality TV seems to take up much of the programming on your screen these days. So, in honor of that, the Emmys have handed over hosting duties to... the 5 nominated Outstanding Reality Show Hosts. Ryan Seacrest is a veteran at these things. But Heidi Klum as host? We'll see.
So, the fun part of these awards is predicting who will win. Here is a nifty ballot- Emmys Ballot, see how well you do. My personal predictions on some of the categories, after the jump.
I think 30 Rock will sweep in all the major categories it's been nominated for: Best Comedy, Best Actor for Alec Baldwin, and Best Actress for Tina Fey. The only thing that would cause Alec Baldwin to lose is all the recent negative publicity he's gotten for being quite the whiner, but I think he deserves to win for this clip alone. Brilliant.
I would LURVE to see the Office win, cause it's my favorite show ever and nothing makes me laugh out loud like it, but I think 30 Rock will take it. Outstanding Drama is a little harder, and it's a toss up between Lost, which enjoyed a critically acclaimed return this year, and another critics darling, Mad Men. I'll have to give it to the latter, cause it's garnered buzz that just won't go away. The only person I'm really rooting for to win is Neil Patrick Harris for How I Met Your Mother, who I think deserves it the most, and I think has a good shot, unless Jeremy Piven from Entourage takes it (again...). Go Barney!
The Emmys are on Sunday night, 8PM, on ABC.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
I Love RENT
Did you know that the Tony Awards were on Sunday night? Yeah, me either. But I did come across this clip of the cast of RENT, in which both the original and the new cast come together for a performance at the Tonys. Best.Show.Ever. I can't begin to tell you how much I love RENT. I love Jonathan Larson's interpretation of Puccini's La Boheme, I secretly want to live the Bohemian/starving artist lifestyle, I'm obsessed with the soundtrack, I just love everything about the musical. And I am sad it's ending its 12 year run on Broadway come this September. I hope to go see it again before it closes.
The new cast performs La Vie Boheme, and the original cast takes the stage to perform Seasons of Love, which without fail, always gives me goosebumps when I hear it.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
2008 Academy Awards Wrap Up
So I was 5-2 in my Academy Awards predictions, but it's all good because I'm thrilled that Marion Cotillard won Best Actress for her amazing performance in La Vie en Rose.
But of course, the Oscars are so much about the fashion. While I didn't love love love any particular dress this year, there were standouts. The colors of the evening were definitely black and red. I normally don't like black or white gowns (give me color!!), but it is the color of the dress worn by my pick for Best Dressed.
Look how pretty and feminine Jennifer Garner's Oscar de la Renta gown is, despite the dark color. She's perfectly accessorized (re: not overdone) in her elegant Van Cleep & Arpel choker and matching clutch. Well done, Jen Garner, you've come a long way.
More of the highlights, as well as my pick for the Worst Dressed, after the jump.
I'm actually not a huge fan of Cate Blanchett's style most of the time, but I think she looks super cute here in her Dries van Noten gown. She's 7 months pregnant and rocking it. The eggplant/purple color looks good on her, and the detailing of the dress- the beaded halter, the embroidery at the bottom, is what makes the gown pop. It's totally Bohemian chic meets red carpet style.
I hate Katherine Heigl. She can do no right in my eyes. She needs to just shut up and act, and not be so damn opinionated about everything. But I have to admit that she looks really good at most red carpet events. She knows what works on her body- long, flowy gowns. The Oscars were no exception. She's wearing a red gown by Escada and she looks good, with the short curly hairdo and red lips. Just stand there and look pretty, Katherine, k?
Cameron Diaz has a lot of things going for her: toned arms, rock hard abs, long legs. I like when she wears short cocktail dresses because they highlight her mile-long legs, but I also like when she dons full length gowns. Basically, she can pull anything off. Pink is one of my favorite colors, and this soft shade of pink is one of my favorite shades for the red carpet. It looks good on everyone. This Dior gown is strapless (which is my favorite) and intricate with all its ruffles and wrinkles, and I love it.
Ok, so I totally have a girl crush on Marion Cotillard. She's pretty and she's legitimately talented. I didn't love her Jean Paul Gaultier gown at first, as it's a little mermaid-esque. But then she got up to get her award and I saw the back, and I thought, huh. Not bad, not bad at all. Sometimes, the best part of a dress is something not seen right away, and the criss-cross back is what clinched the deal for me.
And the Better Luck Next Year pick goes to...
Oh Tilda. I don't know if you're in this garbage bag of a dress because you didn't expect to win, but someone should've told you that you just never know when it comes to these things. Like I said, I hate black gowns, but that is the least of this Lanvin gown's worries. It's shapeless, it's almost velvety (velvet, velour, and anything along those lines should not be worn, period. We're no longer in the 50s/70s.), and because she's so pale, she just looks like a weird, gigantor of a ghost or something. Please, when you present next year, don't go for the shapeless boring dress.
Monday, February 11, 2008
[Feature] 2008 Academy Award Predictions
I do this every year, but I make my predictions beforehand based on buzz, results of other awards shows leading up to the Oscars, and my opinions on who should win based on the films and performances I have seen. This year I feel pretty good about my picks, but we shall see how embarrassingly off I am on the night of the awards, because upsets are bound to happen. Here are, without further ado, my predictions for the main categories.
Best PictureNominees:
Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood
Atonement had the most buzz very early on in the season, heading into the Golden Globes with the most nominations of any movie this year. Then somewhere along the way, momentum got lost. The film is still nominated for 7 Oscars, but it was snubbed for the main acting categories for its stars Keira Knightley and James McAvoy, as well as for its director Joe Wright. No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood have picked up steam where Atonement has lost it, and they are the two most likely in this category to win. If there is a split between Academy voters for those two films, there is a slight chance Juno could sneak in and take it, but like Little Miss Sunshine of last year, that will probably be unlikely.
Should win: Juno (for its critical and mass appeal and success)
Will win: No Country for Old Men
Best ActorNominees:
George Clooney, Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp, Sweeny Todd
Tommy Lee Jones, In the Valley of Elah
Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises
This is the only category where the 4 other nominees should just feel honored to have been nominated in the first place. Daniel Day-Lewis, the reclusive actor who only chooses to make one film every couple of years, has pretty much won every acting award this season for his performance as a greedy oil tycoon. George Clooney received the best reviews of his career for Michael Clayton, so if by some miracle Day-Lewis doesn’t win, Clooney will. But the chances of that happening are slim to none.
Should win: Daniel Day-Lewis
Will win: Daniel Day-Lewis
Best ActressNominees:
Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: the Golden Age
Julie Christie, Away From Her
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose
Laura Linney, The Savages
Ellen Page, Juno
Julie Christie has swept most of the awards in this category for her performance as an Alzheimer’s patient in Away From Her. But unlike the Best Actor category where Daniel Day-Lewis is a shoo-in, there is a good chance the award can go to 2 other actresses in this category. Christie’s strongest contender is French actress Marion Cotillard, who won international raves for her performance as troubled French singer Edith Piaf. She also was a surprise winner at last night's BAFTAs (the UK equivalent of the Oscars), which is a good indicator of the actual Oscars. Cotillard would have a better chance if a) more people saw the movie, and b) if the movie was better than it actually is (my review here). 20-year old Ellen Page fully embodies the character of Juno in the movie of the same name, and she has a good chance of taking the award. But Academy voters usually don’t award comedies or comedic performances, even though her performance is strong enough.
Should Win: Marion Cotillard
Will Win: Julie Christie
Best Supporting ActorNominees:
Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem, No Country For Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson’s War
Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild
Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton
Again, like the Best Actor category, there’s not much speculation for Best Supporting Actor. Javier Bardem has won pretty much every thing under the sun for his performance in No Country For Old Men. Everyone else should just practice their “It’s an honor just to be nominated…” speech. However, if anyone can take the award from Bardem, Ben’s little bro Casey probably has the best chance. He had two strong performances this year, in The Assassination of.. as well as in Gone Baby Gone. The Academy might decide to reward him for it, but it’s unlikely.
Should Win: Javier Bardem
Will Win: Javier Bardem
Best Supporting ActressNominees:
Cate Blanchett, I’m Not There
Ruby Dee, American Gangster
Saorise Ronan, Atonement
Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton
This is probably the most unpredictable category, where at least 4 of the nominees have a good chance of winning. Cate Blanchett I think has the strongest chance, helped by her recent Golden Globe win, also because she won’t win Best Actress, so the Academy will probably reward her in this category instead. I wouldn’t count out Ruby Dee, who just won the SAG for her performance in American Gangster, and of course, having a legendary status always seems to help. Saorise Ronan is probably too young, though her character/performance is central to everything that happens in Atonement. Tilda Swinton just won the BAFTA for her performance in Michael Clayton, but that's the only major award she's won in this category. That leaves Amy Ryan, who has had buzz building around her for her performance in Gone Baby Gone. But aside from winning a couple of national critic’s choice awards, she lost out on the Golden Globe and the SAG, which doesn't bode well, but who knows.
Should Win: Amy Ryan
Will Win: Cate Blanchett
Best DirectorNominees:
Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
Ethan and Joel Cohen, No Country For Old Men
Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton
Jason Reitman, Juno
Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
The Cohen brothers’ film took top honors at both the DGAs and the SAGs, so they probably have the best chance at winning. The Academy could also go with Anderson, whose film has been critically hailed all around (much to the strength of Daniel Day-Lewis’s performance). The dark horse here is Julian Schnabel, for his critically acclaimed (ok, so all these films are critically acclaimed) vision, and because he was the surprise nominee in this category.
Should Win: The Cohen Brothers
Will Win: The Cohen Brothers
Best Original ScreenplayNominees:
Brad Bird, Ratatouille
Diablo Cody, Juno
Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton
Tamara Jenkins, The Savages
Nancy Oliver, Lars and the Real Girl
This is one of my favorite categories. Like I’ve said before, you can make a bad movie out of a good screenplay, but you simply can’t make a good movie with a bad screenplay to begin with. I know I keep making these Little Miss Sunshine-Juno parallels, but the movies have so much in common- indie darlings turned modest mainstream hits, uncharacteristic Best Picture nominees, and after the night of Feb 25th, both Best Original Screenplay winners. Much of the movie’s praise comes from Cody’s funny and tight script, and she has become one of the most buzzed about stars in Hollywood because of it. Gilroy would have the next best chance for Michael Clayton, but expect Cody to win this.
Should Win: Diablo Cody
Will Win: Diablo Cody
Thursday, February 7, 2008
[Mixtape] Grammy 2008 Edition
It's Media Month here at Life in Boxes, where we will be focusing on and highlighting various media-related things in our features and regular posts. Music is of course a big part of media, and the 50th annual Grammy Awards are this Sunday, Feb 10th (check local listings, in the NYC area it will air on CBS2 at 8PM). They haven't really confirmed who will be performing, but I'm guessing they'll have big names on hand, since it's the 50th year. Most of the nominees are probably songs/artists you're sick and tired of already (only records released from Oct 06 to Sept 07 are eligible). But in preparation and in celebration, I've compiled some of the standout artists/songs worth another listen.
Corinne Bailey Rae - Like a Star
Not as ubiquitous or as radio-friendly as her debut single Put Your Records On, but it's one of the best songs off her album. It's mellow, lovely, and lyrical. This song is nominated for Song of the Year.
Feist - I Feel It All
Leslie Feist is nominated for the Best New Artist award, even though she's been in the music industry for years. She came into the spotlight in 2007 with her album The Reminder (nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album), which spawned 1,2,3,4 (nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance). The entire album is so good, but I Feel It All is my favorite.
Arcade Fire - Keep the Car Running
Montreal band Arcade Fire is sort of hard to place in a category. They're punk-rock, indie folk, string pop- basically, whatever you name, they kind of are. The Grammys chose to recognize them in the Best Alternative Music Album category. I love this song, and apparently a lot of other people do too- it's been covered by the Foo Fighters and Bruce Springsteen, to name a few.
Lily Allen - Alfie
A Brit-pop import who's had her fair share of tabloid exposure, I feel like she's been overshadowed by the other Brit-pop import with her fair share of problems, Amy Winehouse. Lily's album Alright, Still is one of my favorites, full of fun, feisty sounds and her knack for storytelling through her lyrics. Unfortunately, unlike Ms. Winehouse, Lily is only nominated in the Best Alternative Album category. The song Alfie is a gem, and while musically it sounds like it could be a song for little children, it's actually about her pot-smoking brother who can't get his life together.
Glen Hansard & Maketa Irglova - Falling Slowly (Once Soundtrack)
Once is a modern-day musical from Ireland, and this is the Grammy and Oscar nominated song from that film. Singers and newbie actors Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova have great chemistry, both on film and in music. This is a great song off the soundtrack, and the film is definitely worth checking out. The Once soundtrack has consistently been on iTunes top 10 albums for the past couple of months.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Oscar Nominations: Surprises
I HEART the Oscars and love this time of the year. Yesterday, right before the tragedy of one time Oscar-nominee Heath Ledger's death hit the media, the nominations for the 80th Academy Awards were announced, and there were a couple of surprises. A little later on in the month, I will be doing my predictions of who should/will win, but for now here are the complete nominations, and the surprises/snubs:
* Angelina Jolie failed to receive a Best Actress nom for A Mighty Heart, instead the Academy chose to recognize Laura Linney (The Savages)
* Not 1, but TWO acting nods for Cate Blanchett: Best Actress (Elizabeth: The Golden Age) and Best Supporting Actress (I'm Not There)
* No acting nominations for Keira Knightly and James McAvoy for Atonement, nor any for its director Joe Wright
* No love for The Simpsons in the Best Animated Feature category, perhaps it's too low-brow for the Academy's taste?
* Norbit got an Oscar nomination? Even if it's for Best Achievement in Makeup, that's pretty sad. So, to recap this year's nominations, Norbit: 1, Angelina Jolie: 0.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
While you were sleeping....
Mini News Roundup!
New Hampshire Primary today
- Following the heels of the surprising Iowa caucuses, all the candidates have been campaigning round the clock to secure votes. A CNN poll Mon night has Sen. Barack Obama with a 9 point lead over Sen. Hillary Clinton, and Edwards coming in at 3rd. On the Republican side, Sen. John McCain leads Gov. Mitt Romney, 31 to 26 percent.
New Jersey officially apologizes for slavery
- NJ becomes the first state north of the Mason-Dixon line to pass an apologetic legislation. The state had, at one point, 12,000 slaves and was the last to emancipate slaves in 1846. NJ follows Alabama, Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia, which all passed apologetic legislations in 2007.
Golden Globes canceled
- Due to the ongoing WGA strike, NBC and the Hollywood Foreign Press are scrapping the traditional ceremony. In its place will be a press conference announcing the winners, which will be aired as an hourlong NBC News report. Can we say, boring?? I may not be a fan of the Golden Globes, but I do love my ritzy glitzy award shows. Please let the strike be over before the Oscars.
No Country for Old Men wins big
- The 13th annual Critics Choice Awards were last night, and No Country for Old Men took the big prizes: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor. Juno had a good night as well, taking Best Comedy and Best Writer. Stars were present at this ceremony, as it was not picketed by the WGA.
Nicole Kidman is preggers
- Officially confirmed by her rep after days of is-she/isn't-she. This will be her first child with husband Keith Urban; she has 2 adopted children with her ex Tom Cruise.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
65th Golden Globe Nominations
I love awards season. Held in January, the Golden Globes officially kicks off the awards season (minus the various Critics' choices, which happen at the end of December). I like the Golden Globes because it brings the two worlds of film and tv together.
However, I don't like the Golden Globes because it is a misguided and outdated system of lumping categories together. And there are only 80 or so members of the Hollywood Foreign Press (they're like part time journalists who are affiliated with the media outside of the US) who are voting on the winners, and whose tastes aren't the best reflectors of current trends. 
The nominations for the 65th GGs were announced today, and there were some glaring omissions and surprises as usual. I have to admit, at the moment, I don't really care about the film nominations as much. But I think people are pretty surprised Russell Crowe didn't receive a nomination for American Gangster, nor were the summer comedy favorites Knocked Up and Superbad even recognized. But Juno and its star Ellen Page was recognized, and I'm satisfied with that.
TV is where the most surprises happened, most notably in the comedy/musical category. Don't even get me started on why comedy is lumped in with musical. How can the Office, a critically acclaimed, modest ratings hit, not be nominated in the Best Comedy category? Desperate Housewives, which is on a creative upswing, was missing from the awards hooplah. Last year's winner Ugly Betty? Nope. Even Two and a Half Men, which is not my favorite show by any means, but is a giant ratings grabber, was passed over.
I'm happy for 30 Rock, which I think is the funniest show on air, but Entourage again? Californication? Really?? The GG were generous to the new show Pushing Daisies, awarding the show and its two leads with nominations. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan, but it still has a lot to prove.
In the drama category, no love for the final season of the Sopranos or its star James Gandolfini, or Lost, or Heroes or Friday Night Lights. But Grey's Anatomy, which is definitely going through a creative slump, got a Best Drama nod. And can people STOP nominating Katharine Heigl's annoying, uninspired performance on that show already? I don't know why Ellen Pompeo always gets overlooked; she's really come a long way since the beginning of the series. And why they lump together series with miniseries in the same category is beyond me. They're two different things, and it seems a bit unfair to judge a performance in a mini series with that of a performance in a long running series. Whatever.
I'll still be watching anyway. Here is the complete list of nominations.
