Check out the Amazing Chicago/Dreamgirls/Les Mis Medley from the Oscars Again

My favorite moment of Sunday’s Oscar telecast was the musical medley of the fantastic and Oscar-winning musical films Chicago, Dreamgirls and Les Miserables. Oscar winner Catharine Zeta-Jones did a nice job opening the segment with “All that Jazz” but it really kicked into gear with an astounding performance by Oscar and Grammy winner Jennifer Hudson singing her iconic Dreamgirls song “And I Am Telling You I am Not Going”. It was a brilliant moment that netted her a much deserved standing ovation. Following J Hud, was the wonderful ensemble of Les Miserables featuring newly minted Oscar winner Anne Hathaway, Oscar nominee Hugh Jackman, Eddie Redmayne, Amanda Seyfried, Russell Crow, Samantha Barks, Aaron Tveitt, Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter with a medley of “Suddenly/I Dreamed a Dream/One Day More” that also yielded a standing O. I have to say that Barks and Tveitt stole that number which is not too surprising considering they’re the seasoned stage performers of the group. All in all, I absolutely loved the whole musical shebang and I’m thrilled that these amazing movies and performers were singled out again. It’s an incredible moment and I have it for you again below. Enjoy!

Chicago/Dreamgirls/Les Miserables Oscar Medley

They’re Here~ My Big Bold 2013 Oscar WINNER Predictions

It’s been one heck of a topsy-turvy Oscar season. Since September, there seemed to be a different film out in front each week with Lincoln, Les Miserables, Argo, Zero Dark Thirty and Silver Linings Playbook all looking like the film to beat. However, after all of the Guild Awards (SAG, DGA, PGA) and the Golden Globes, it has become clear that Argo is the true front-runner and likely will win Best Picture. If it does, it will be the first film to do so without a Best Director nomination since Driving Miss Daisy in 1989. And it may also be one of the only wins the film takes home. It has a shot in Screenplay, Editing and Score, but we’ll see… There are other sure things but there are 3 big races totally up in the air and we may see the awards spread over several different films… So, just who do I think will win? Take a look at my big, bold and totally unscientific Oscar predictions below and watch the big Academy Award show Sunday the 24th on ABC.

Best Picture:
Amour, Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty
Will win: Argo
Should win: Les Miserables
~ spoiler: Lincoln

Best Actor:
Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook), Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln), Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables), Joaquin Phoenix (The Master), Denzel Washington (Flight)
Will win: Daniel Day-Lewis
Should win: Hugh Jackman (hello, degree of difficulty people)
~ spoiler: Hugh Jackman, but let’s be honest. Daniel Day-Lewis has this in the bag.

Best Actress:
Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty), Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook), Emmanuelle Riva (Amour), Quevanzhane Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild), Naomi Watts (The Impossible)
Will win: Jennifer Lawrence
Should win: Jessica Chastain
~ spoiler: Emmanuelle Riva
* This race is really becoming a toss-up. Lawrence is the smart money, but many feel Chastain deserves it more and Riva has the growing buzz and would be the oldest Best Actress winner ever…

Best Supporting Actor:
Alan Arkin (Argo), Robert DeNiro (Silver Linings Playbook), Tommy Lee Jones (Licoln), Phillip Seymour Hoffman (The Master), Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)
Will win: Robert DeNiro
Should win: Tommy Lee Jones
~ spoiler: Christoph Waltz
* this is the biggest toss-up race of all. Any of the five could win (even Arkin if there’s an Argo sweep). Weinstein company is spending tons of $ to remind voters that DeNiro hasn’t won in 32 years, so I think that may give him the edge.

Best Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams (The Master), Sally Field (Lincoln), Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables), Helen Hunt (The Sessions), Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook)
Will & Should win: Anne Hathaway
~ spoiler: Sally Field, but let’s be honest Hathaway can not lose.

Best Director:
Michael Haeneke (Amour), Ang Lee (Life of Pi), David O’Russell (Silver Linings Playbook), Steven Spielberg (Lincoln), Benh Zeitlan (Beasts of the Southern Wild)
Will win: Steven Speilberg
Should win: Ben Affleck, Kathryn Bigelow or Tom Hooper (oops they’re not nominated!)
~ spoiler: Ang Lee
* this race is also incredibly close with Spielberg, Lee and Russell all having a strong shot…

Best Original Screenplay:
Amour, Django Unchained, Flight, Moonrise Kingdom, Zero Dark Thirty
Will win: Django Unchained
Should win: Zero Dark Thirty
~spoiler: Amour

Adapted Screenplay:
Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook
Will win: Argo
Should win: Lincoln
~ spoiler: Silver Linings Playbook

Editing:
Argo, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty
Will win: Argo
Should win: Zero Dark Thirty
~ spoiler: Zero Dark Thirty

Cinematography:
Anna Karenina, Django Unchained, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Skyfall
Will win: Life of Pi
Should win: Skyfall
~ spoiler: Skyfall

Production Design:
Anna Karenina, The Hobbit, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Lincoln
Will & Should win: Les Miserables
~ Spoiler: Anna Karenina

Costume Design:
Anna Karenina, Les Miserables, Lincoln, Mirror Mirror, Snow White and the Huntsman
Will & Should win: Anna Karenina
~ Spoiler: Les Miserables

Makeup & Hair:
The Hobbit, Les Miserables, Lincoln
Will & Should win: Les Miserables
~ spoiler: The Hobbit

Original Score:
Anna Karenina, Argo, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Skyfall
Will win: Life of Pi
Should win: Skyfall
~ spoiler: Lincoln (it’s John Williams after all)

Song:
“Before My Time” (Chasing Ice), “Everybody Need’s a Friend” (Ted), “Pi’s Lullably” (Life of Pi), “Skyfall” (Skyfall), “Suddenly” (Les Miserables)
Will & Should win: “Skyfall”
~ spoiler: “Suddenly”

Sound Editing:
Argo, Django Unchained, Life of Pi, Skyfall, Zero Dark Thirty
Will & Should win: Zero Dark Thirty
~ spoiler: Skyfall

Sound Mixing:
Argo, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Skyfall
Will & Should win: Les Miserables
~ spoiler: Life o Pi

Visual Effects:
The Avengers, The Hobbit, Life of Pi, Prometheus, Snow White and the Huntsman
Will win: Life of Pi
Should win: The Hobbit
~ spoiler: The Hobbit

Animated Film:
Brave, Frankenweenie, ParaNorman, The Pirates: Band of Misfits!, Wreck it Ralph
Will win: Wreck it Ralph
Should win: ParaNorman (but, hey Wreck It Ralph was pretty damn good)
~ spoiler: Frankenweenie

Foreign Language Film:
Amour, Kontiki, No, A Royal Affair, War Witch
Wil win: Amour
Should win: No
~ spoiler: A Royal Affair

Documentary:
5 Broken Cameras, The Gatekeepers, How to Survive a Plague, The Invisible War, Searching for Sugar Man
Will win: Searching for Sugar Man
Should win: How to Survive a Plague
~ spoiler: The Gatekeepers

It’s Time for my Big Bold 2013 SAG Award Winner Predictions

This weekend, awards season keeps trucking along with PGA Awards and the SAG Awards. I, of course, am incredibly excited for the SAG Awards since I actually get to vote for them as a proud member of the Screen Actors Guild for over 10 years now. It’s always a fun show and one where actors support and applaud one another, and yes, actors love to do that… Anywho, the show airs on Sunday on TBS and could feature some big upsets in the film categories and the TV races are pretty wide open. So, just who do I think will and should win? Take a look at my predictions below. Then, head back here on Sunday night for all the winners from the 2013 SAG Awards. (* And also note four films sent actual dvds to the ENTIRE giant SAG/AFTRA membership guild which certainly improves their chances. Those films were Argo, Les Miserables, Lincoln and Silver Linings Playbook. The latter of those films has been pushing, advertising and knocking the industry over the head like crazy begging for awards too, so it might actually pay off…)

2013 SAG Award Winner Predictions~

Best Film Ensemble:
Argo, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Les Miserables, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook
Will & Should win: Les Miserables
~ spoiler: Silver Linings Playbook

Best Actor:
Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln), Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook), John Hawkes (The Sessions), Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables), Denzel Washington (Flight)
Will win: Daniel Day-Lewis
Should win: Hugh Jackman
~ spoiler: Hugh Jackman (I think this race is way closer than most people think and actors LOVE Hugh. He also had arguably a tougher job than Day-Lewis and he’s done a lot of campaigning.)

Best Actress:
Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty), Marion Cotillard (Rust & Bone), Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook), Helen Mirren (Hithcock), Naomi Watts (The Impossible)
Will win: Jennifer Lawrence
Should win: Jessica Chastain
~spoiler: Naomi Watts (seriously Chastain and Lawrence could spilt the vote in this very tight race leaving room for a win for the very deserving Watts)

Best Supporting Actor:
Alan Arkin (Argo), Javier Bardem (Skyfall), Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln), Phillip Seymour Hoffman (The Master), Robert DeNiro (Silver Linings Playbook)
Will & Should win: Tommy Lee Jones
~ spoiler: Robert DeNiro

Best Supporting Actress:
Sally Field (Lincoln), Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables), Helen Hunt (The Sessions), Nicole Kidman (The Paperboy), Maggie Smith (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel)
Will & Should win: Anne Hathaway
~ spoiler: no one. She has it in the bag

TV categories~

Best Drama Ensemble:
Breaking Bad, Boardwalk Empire, Downton Abbey, Homeland, Mad Men
Will win: Homeland
Should win: Breaking Bad
~ spoiler: Downton Abbey

Drama Actor:
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire), Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom), Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Damian Lewis (Homeland)
Will win: Damian Lewis
Should win: Bryan Cranston
~ spoiler: Bryan Cranston

Drama Actress:
Clare Danes (Homeland), Michelle Dockrey (Downton Abbey), Jessica Lange (American Horror Story: Asylum), Juliana Marguiles (The Good Wife), Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey)
Will & Should win: Clare Danes
~ spoiler: Maggie Smith

Comedy Ensemble:
30 Rock, The Big Bang Theory, Glee, Modern Family, Nurse Jackie, The Office
Will & Should win: Modern Family
~ spoiler: The Big Bang Theory

Comedy Actor:
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), Ty Burrell (Modern Family), Louis C.K. (Louie), Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory), Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)
Will win: Alec Baldwin
Should win: Ty Burrell
~ spoiler: Jim Parsons

Comedy Actress:
Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), Tina Fey (30 Rock), Amy Poehler (Parks & Recreation), Sofia Vergara (Modern Family), Betty White (Hot in Cleveland)
Will & Should win: Amy Poehler
~ spoiler: Betty White

TV Movie/Miniseries Actor:
Kevin Costner (Hatfields & McCoys), Woody Harrelson (Game Change), Ed Harris (Game Change), Clive Owen (Hemingway & Gelhorn), Bill Paxton (Hatfields & McCoys)
Will win: Kevin Costner
Should win: Woody Harrelson
~ spoiler: Ed Harris

TV Movie/Miniseries Actress:
Nicole Kidman (Heminway & Gelhorn), Julianne Moore (Game Change), Charlotte Rampling (Restless), Sigourney Weaver (Political Animals), Alfre Woodard (Steel Magnolias)
Will & Should win: Julianne Moore
~ spoiler: Nicole Kidman

“Les Mis” Wins Big at the Golden Globes

Did you hear the people sing? Or at least the members of the Hollywood Foreign Press? You did if you watched tonight’s highly entertaining Golden Globe show where they awarded Les Miserables with a leading 3 awards including Best Picture (Musical/Comedy), Best Actor Musical/Comedy (Hugh Jackman) and Best Supporting Actress (Anne Hathaway). I was thrilled with these incredibly deserving wins for what I consider the Best film of last year…. Other big wins included Daniel Day-Lewis and Jessica Chastain for Drama Actor and Actress, Jennifer Lawrence for Musical/Comedy Actress and Christoph Waltz for Supporting Actor… Ben Affleck continued to stick it to the Academy as he won his second Director trophy this week for Argo which also usurped Lincoln to take home the Best Picture Prize….
On the TV front, Homeland and Game Change won big with three awards while Girls  picked up two…. Check back here tomorrow for my take on the telecast and see all the winners below… For more on all the winners and the show which was hosted by the incredibly hysterical and brilliant Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, head here.

2013 Golden Globe Award Winners:

FILM~

Best Picture (Drama): Argo
Best Actor (Drama): Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)
Best Actress (Drama): Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)
Best Picture (Musical or Comedy): Les Miserables
Best Actor (Musical/Comedy): Hugh Jackman
Best Actress (Musical/Comedy): Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)
Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)
Best Director: Ben Affleck (Argo)
Best Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained)
Best Score: Life of P9
Best Original Song: “Skyfall” by Adele (Skyfall)
Best Animated Film: Brave
Best Foreign Film: Amour

TV~

Drama Series: Homeland
Actress Drama: Clare Danes (Homeland)
Actor Drama: Damian Lewis (Homeland)
Musical or Comedy Series: Girls
Actress Musical/Comedy: Lena Dunham (Girls)
Actor Musical/Comedy: Don Cheadle (House of Lies)
Supporting Actor TV Movie/Drama Series or Musical/Comedy Series: Ed Harris (Game Change)
Supporting Actress TV Movie/Drama Series or Musical/Comedy Series: Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey)
TV Movie or Miniseries: Game Change
Actress TV Movie/Miniseries: Julianne Moore (Game Change)
Actor TV Movie/Miniseries: Kevin Costner (Hatfields & McCoys)

Cecil B. DeMille Award: Jodie Foster

They’re Here~ My Big Bold 2013 Golden Globe WINNER Predictions!

Sunday night brings what NBC claims is the biggest party of the year in Hollywood, The Golden Globe Awards and no doubt, it’s always a good time. This year the hosts are the brilliant and hysterical Tina Fey and Amy Poehler who are also nominees. I can’t wait to see what they bring to the show that often favors big stars as its winners…. So, just who do I think will take home the golden hardware and who actually deserves to? Take a look at my predictions below and watch the Golden Globes Sunday night on NBC.

My BIG BOLD Golden Globe WINNER Predictions~

FILM

Best Picture (Drama)
Argo, Django Unchained, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Zero Dark Thirty
Will win: Argo
Should win: Zero Dark Thirty
~ spoiler: Lincoln

Best Actor (Drama)
Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln), Richard Gere (Arbitrage), John Hawkes (The Sessions), Joaquin Phoenix (The Master), Denzel Washington (Flight)
Will & Should win: Daniel Day-Lewis
~ spoiler: Denzel Washington

Best Actress (Drama)
Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty), Marion Cotillard (Rust & Bone), Helen Mirren (Hitchcock), Naomi Watts (The Impossible), Rachel Weisz (Deep Blue Sea)
Will & Should win: Jessica Chastain
~spoiler: Naomi Watts

Best Picture (Musical or Comedy)
The Best Marigold Hotel, Les Miseralbes, Moonrise Kingdom, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, SIlver Linings Playbook
Will & Should win: Les Miserables
~ spoiler: Silver Linings Playbook

Best Actor (Musical or Comedy):
Jack Black (Bernie), Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook), Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables), Ewan McGregor (Salmon Fishing in the Yemen), Bill Murray (Hyde Park on Hudson)
Will & Should win: Hugh Jackman
~ spoiler: Bradley Cooper

Best Actress (Musical or Comedy):
Emily Blunt (Salmon Fishing in the Yemen), Judi Dench (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook), Maggie Smith (Quartet), Meryl Streep (Hope Springs)
Will win: Jennifer Lawrence
Should win: Meryl Streep or Maggie Smith
~ spoiler: Maggie Smith

Best Supporting Actor:
Alan Arkin (Argo), Leonardo DiCaprio (Django Unchained), Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln), Phillip Seymour Hoffman (The Master), Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)
Will win: Leonardo DiCaprio
Should win: Tommy Lee Jones
~ spoiler: Christoph Watlz

Best Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams (The Master), Sally Field (Lincoln), Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables), Helen Hunt (The Sessions), Maggie Smith (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel)
Will & Should win: Anne Hathaway
~ Spoiler: no one. She deservedly has it in the bag.

Best Director:
Ben Affleck (Argo), Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty), Ang Lee (Life of Pi), Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained), Steven Spielberg (Lincoln)
Will win: Ben Affleck
Should win: Kathryn Bigelow
~ Spoiler: Steven Spielberg

Best Screenplay:
Argo, Django Unchained, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty
Will & Should win: Lincoln
~ spoiler: Django Unchained

Best Score:
Anna Karenina, Argo, Cloud Atlas, Life of Pi, Lincoln
Will & Should win: Lincoln
~ Spoiler: Anna Karenina

Best Original Song:
“For You” (Act of Valor), “Not Running Anymore” (Stand Up Guys), “Safe & Sound” (The Hunger Games), “Suddenly” (Les Miserables), “Skyfall” (Skyfall)
Will & Should win: “Skfyall” (yay, Adele)
~ spoiler: “Suddenly”

Best Animated Film:
Brave, Frankenweenie, Hotel Transylvania, Rise of the Guardians, Wreck It Raph
Will win: Rise of the Guardians
Should win: Wreck It Ralph
~ spoiler: Frankenweenie

Best Foreign Language Film:
Amour, A Royal Affair, The Intouchables, Kon-Tiki, Rust & Bone
Will win: Amour
Should win: The Intouchables
~ spoiler: The Intouchables

TV:

Drama Series:
Breaking Bad, Boardwalk Empire, Downton Abbey, Homeland, The Newsroom
Will & Should win: Homeland
~ spoiler: Downton Abbey (remember this is the FOREIGN press and Downton is all about the Brits!)

Best Actor Drama:
Steven Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom), Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Damian Lewis (Homeland)
Will win: Damian Lewis
Should win: Bryan Cranston
~ Spoiler: Jeff Daniels

Best Actress Drama:
Connie Britton (Nashville), Glenn Close (Damages), Clare Danes (Homeland), Michelle Dockrey (Downton Abbey), Juliana Marguiles (The Good Wife)
Will & Should win: Clare Danes
~ spoiler: Michelle Dockrey (this category rarely has repeat winners and since Danes won last year, Dockrey could prevail)

Best Musical or Comedy Series:
The Big Bang Theory, Episodes, Girls, Modern Family, Smash
Will & Should win: Modern Family
~ spoiler: Smash

Best Actor Musical or Comedy:
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), Don Cheadle (House of Lies), Louis CK (Louie), Matt LeBlanc (Episodes), Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)
Will win: Louis CK
Should win: Matt LeBlanc
~ Spoiler: Jim Parsons

Best Actress Musical or Comedy:
Zooey Deschanel (New Girl), Julia Louis-Dreyfuss (Veep), Lena Dunham (Girls), Tina Fey (30 Rock), Amy Poehler (Parks & Recreation)
Will win: Julia Louis Dreyfuss
Should win: Amy Poehler
~ spoiler: Lena Dunham

TV Movie or Miniseries:
Game Change, The Girl, Hatfields & McCoys, The Hour, Political Animals
Will & Should win: Game Change
~ spoiler: Political Animals (and wouldn’t that be fun?!)

Best Actor TV Movie/Miniseries:
Kevin Costner (Hatfields & McCoys), Benedict Cumberpatch (Sherlock), Woody Harrelson (Game Change), Toby Jones (The Girl), Clive Owen (Hemingway & Gelhorn)
Will win: Kevin Costner
Should win: Woody Harrleson
~ spoiler: Benedict Cumberpatch

Best Actress TV Movie/Miniseries:
Nicole Kidman (Hemingway & Gelhorn), Jessica Lange (American Horror Story: Asylum), Sienna Miller (The Girl), Julianne Moore (Game Change), Sigourney Weaver (Political Animals)
Will & Should win: Julianne Moore
~ spoiler: Jessica Lange

Best Supporting Actor TV Movie/Miniseries/Drama Series or Musical/Comedy Series:
Max Greenfield (New Girl), Ed Harris (Game Change), Danny Huston (Magic City), Mandy Patinkin (Homeland), Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)
Will win: Mandy Patinkin
Should win: Max Greenfield
~ spoiler: Ed Harris

Best Supporting Actress TV Movie/Miniseries/Drama Series or Musical/Comedy Series:

Hayden Panitierre (Nashville), Archie Penjabi (The Good Wife), Sarah Paulson (Game Change), Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey), Sofia Vergara (Modern Family)

Will & Should win: Maggie Smith

~ spoiler: Sofia Vergara

 

“Les Miserables” Hits the Top of the Billboard Charts

They dreamed a dream and you had to have it. Yes, the Les Miserables soundtrack outsold all the competition this week to become the first soundtrack album based on a musical to hit # 1 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart since Mamma Mia in 2008. The soundtrack featuring surefire Oscar nominees Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman held off a charge from Mumford & Sons who flew back up to # 2 on a wave of special price sales at iTunes that also benefitted Philip Phillips, P!nk and Alicia Keys. Take a look at the new top ten below and head to Billboard here for more on the Les Mis soundtrack and its accomplishments this week.

Top Ten Albums on the Billboard 200:
1. Les Miserables soundtrack (last week~ 2)
2. Babel- Mumford & Sons (lw~8)
3. Red- Taylor Swift (lw~ 1)
4. The World from the Side of the Moon- Phillip Phillips (lw~ 11)
5. Take Me Home- One Direction (lw~ 3)
6. Unorthodox Jukebox- Bruno Mars (lw~ 4)
7. Pitch Perfect soundtrack (lw~ 10)
8. The Lumineers- The Lumineers (lw~ 9)
9. Girl on Fire- Alicia Keys (lw~ 18)
10. The Truth About Love- P!nk (lw~ 14)

Over on the Hot 100 Singles Chart, Bruno Mars makes it 5 weeks in a row at # 1 with “Locked Out of Heaven”. Mars could see some new competition for the top spot from Macklemore & Lewis as their rap hit “Thrift Shop” rockets into the top five. Also making news in the top ten is “Scream & Shout”, the new collaboration from Will.I.Am and Britney Spears which hits the top tier for the first time this week giving Spears her 13th top ten hit… Take a look at the new top ten below and head to Billboard for all the charts here.

Top Ten Singles on the Hot 100:
1. “Locked Out of Heaven”- Bruno Mars (lw~ 1)
2. “Diamonds”- Rihanna (lw~ 3)
3. “I Knew You Were Trouble”- Taylor Swift (lw~ 2)
4. “Ho Hey”- The Lumineers (lw~ 4)
5. “Thrift Shop”- Macklemore & Lewis (lw~ 10)
6. “Home”- Phillip Phillips (lw~ 9)
7. “Beauty and a Beat”- Justin Bieber w/ Nicki Minaj (lw~ 5)
8. “Scream & Shout”- Will I Am w/ Britney Spears (lw~ 12)
9. “One More Night”- Maroon 5 (lw~8)
10. “I Cry”- Flo Rida (lw~ 11)

And here’s that brand new top ten hit for Britney Spears and Will I Am, “Scream & Shout”

My Take on the Best of the Movies in 2012 and my Top 30 Films!

2012 was a pretty good year for films. Despite a wonky start with dreadful fare like The Grey and what seemed like 400 Channing Tatum movies, we got a bunch of box office hits that were actually good movies too like The Hunger Games, The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers. As the year wore on, we were also treated to the return of the great studio drama with Lincoln, Flight and Argo plus one tremendous and transcendent musical, the exquisite emotional and brilliant Les Miserables... Independent films also offered us some great cinema with the likes of the fantastic teen dramedy The Perks of Being a Wallflower and the inventive Beasts of the Southern Wild.... So, just what movies did I love the best? Well, after seeing over 100 plus movies this year, I’ve got my top 30 for you below. I’ve also listed my favorite performances and the five worst films I saw this year. Check it out below and then let me know your favorites in the comments section…. Then enjoy your holiday and get ready for one crazy unpredictable Oscar season.

Top 30 Movies of the Year:
1. Les Miserables
2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
3. Zero Dark Thirty
4. The Impossible
5. Any Day Now
6. Argo
7. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
8. Flight
9. Lincoln
10. Skyfall
11. The Dark Knight Rises
12. The Intouchables
13. Hitchcock
14. Beasts of the Southern Wild
15. The Avengers
16. The Hobbit
17. Arbitrage
18. Pitch Perfect
19. Gayby
20. Hope Springs
21. The Amazing Spiderman
22. The Hunger Games
23. Smashed
24. End of Watch                                            
25. The Silver Linings Playbook
26. Django Unchained
27. The Bourne Legacy
28. Life of Pi
29. Quartet
30. The Sessions

Best Male Lead Performance: Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables)
Runner up: Tie: Denzel Washington (Flight) & Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)

Best Female Lead Performance: Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)
Runner up: Naomi Watts (The Impossible)

Best Male Supporting Performance: Eddie Redmayne (Les Miserables)
Runner Up: Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln)

Best Female Supporting Performance: Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)
Runner Up: Samantha Barks (Les Miserables)

Best Debut Performance: Tom Holland (The Impossible)
Runner Up: Samantha Barks (Les Miserables)
3rd place: Quvanzhane Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild)

Best Ensemble: Les Miserables
Runner Up: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Best Comedy: Pitch Perfect
Runner Up: Gayby

Best Action Film: Skyfall
Runner Up: The Dark Knight Rises

Biggest Tearjerker: Les Miserables
Runner Up: The Impossible

Best Foreign Film: The Intouchables
Runner Up: Rust & Bone

Best Comedic Performance: Rebel Wison (Pitch Perfect)         

Most Award-Worthy Performance No One is Talking About: Tommy Lee Jones (Hope Springs)
Runner Up: Alan Cumming (Any Day Now)

Best Documentary: How to Survive a Plague
Runner Up: Vito

Movie that Got a Bad Rap but was Really Entertaining: Rock of Ages

Best Villain: Javier Bardem (Skyfall)

~And now for the bad news….

Worst Movies of the Year:
1. Killer Joe
2. The Grey
3. The Master
4. This is 40
5. John Carter

The SAG Award Noms Highlight “Les Miserables”, “Lincoln” and Maggie Smith!

The Oscar front-runners heard their names a lot at this morning’s SAG Award Nominations with Lincoln, Les Miserables and Silver Linings Playbook all nabbing four nominations, but one actor grabbed four nominations as well. That actor is Oscar/Emmy/Golden Globe winner and acting icon Maggie Smith who is in the running in 4 races: Actress Drama Series (Downton Abbey), Drama Series Ensemble (Downton Abbey), Supporting Actress Film (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), Film Ensemble (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel). The next most nominated actor was Emmy winner Bryan Cranston who is up for 3 awards: Actor Drama Series (Breaking Bad), Drama Series Ensemble (Breaking Bad), and Film Ensemble (Argo)… There was only one real big surprise in the film race as Nicole Kidman broke through in the Supporting Actress category for the polarizing film The Paperboy. She’s also nominated for Actress in a TV Movie/Miniseries for Hemingway & Gelhorn…. Due to such a crowded year, there were some big omissions including Joaquin Phoenix and Amy Adams (The Master~ hello, I tell ya they are in trouble come Oscar time, especially Joaquin), Ewan MacGregor (The Impossible), Richard Gere (Arbitrage), Anthony Hopkins (Hitchcock), Eddie Redmayne & Samantha Barks (Les Miserables) and Keira Knightley (Anna Karenina). Also absent was the entire cast of Django Unchained, but that’s what you get for not sending voters screeners and having your screening like the day before ballots were due and many of them not even being let into the screening in favor of execs and reporters. Bad move Weinstein… And an FYI~ the great little star of Beasts of the Southern Wild, Quevanzhane Wallis was ineligible because that film was a non-union (i.e.: non-SAG) production.
On the TV side, Homeland, Downton Abbey grabbed 3 nominations apiece while Modern Family led the race with 4 nominations. Interestingly, the only actor nominated on the Drama side from a network series is Juliana Marguiles from The Good Wife. Uh oh, the networks better work a littler harder on their development side before the drama category completely goes to cable… At least they still did well on the Comedy side…. For more on all the nominations and the ceremony which airs on TBS/TNT in January, head to the SAG website here and check out all the nominations below.

TV:
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Steve Buscemi (“Enoch ‘Nucky’ Thompson”) – Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
Bryan Cranston (“Walter White”) – Breaking Bad (AMC)
Jeff Daniels (“Will McAvoy”) – The Newsroom (HBO)
Jon Hamm (“Don Draper”) – Mad Men (AMC)
Damian Lewis (“Nicholas Brody”) – Homeland (Showtime)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Claire Danes (“Carrie Mathison”) – Homeland (Showtime)
Michelle Dockery (“Lady Mary Crawley”) – Downton Abbey (PBS)
Jessica Lange (“Sister Jude”) – American Horror Story: Asylum (FX)
Julianna Margulies (“Alicia Florrick”) – The Good Wife (CBS)
Maggie Smith (“Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham”) – Downton Abbey (PBS)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin (“Jack Donaghy”) – 30 Rock (NBC)
Ty Burrell (“Phil Dunphy”) – Modern Family (ABC)
Louis C.K. (“Louie”) – Louie (FX)
Jim Parsons (“Sheldon Cooper”) – The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Eric Stonestreet (“Cameron Tucker”) – Modern Family (ABC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Edie Falco (“Jackie Peyton”) – Nurse Jackie (Showtime)
Tina Fey (“Liz Lemon”) – 30 Rock (NBC)
Amy Poehler (“Leslie Knope”) – Parks and Recreations (NBC)
Sofia Vergara (“Gloria Delgado-Pritchett”) – Modern Family (ABC)
Betty White (“Elka Ostrovsky”) – Hot in Cleveland (TV Land)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
Breaking Bad (AMC)
Downtown Abbey (PBS)
Homeland (Showtime)
Mad Men (AMC)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
30 Rock (NBC)
The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Glee (FOX)
Modern Family (ABC)
Nurse Jackie (Showtime)
The Office (NBC)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Kevin Costner (“‘Devil Anse’ Hatfield”) – Hatfields & McCoys (History)
Woody Harrelson (“Steve Schmidt”) – Game Change (HBO)
Ed Harris (“John McCain”) – Game Change (HBO)
Clive Owen (“Ernest Hemingway”) – Hemingway & Gellhorn (HBO)
Bill Paxton (“Randall McCoy”) – Hatfields & McCoys (History)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Nicole Kidman “Martha Gellhorn”) – Hemingway & Gellhorn (HBO)
Julianne Moore (“Sarah Palin”) – Game Change (HBO)
Charlotte Rampling (“Eva Delectorskaya”) – Restless (Sundance Channel)
Sigourney Weaver (“Elaine Barrish Hammond”) – Political Animals(USA)
Alfre Woodward (“Ouiser”) – Steel Magnolias (Lifetime)

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
Breaking Bad (AMC)
Game of Thrones (HBO)
Sons of Anarchy (FX)
The Walking Dead AMC)

FILM:
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Bradley Cooper (“Pat”) – Silver Linings Playbook (The Weinstein Company)
Daniel Day-Lewis (“Abraham Lincoln”) – Lincoln (Touchstone Pictures)
John Hawkes (“Mark”) – The Sessions (Fox Searchlight)
Hugh Jackman (“Jean Valjean”) – Les Misérables (Universal Pictures)
Denzel Washington (“Whip Whitaker”) – Flight (Paramount Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Jessica Chastain (“Maya”) – Zero Dark Thirty (Columbia Pictures)
Marion Cotillard (“Stephanie”) – Rust and Bone (Sony Pictures Classics)
Jennifer Lawrence (“Tiffany”) – Silver Linings Playbook (The Weinstein Company)
Helen Mirren (“Alma Reville”) – Hitchcock (Fox Searchlight)
Naomi Watts (“Maria”) – The Impossible (Summit Entertainment)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Alan Arkin (“Lester Siegel”) – Argo (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Javier Bardem (“Silva”) – “SKYFALL” (Columbia Pictures)
Robert De Niro (“Pat, Sr.”) – Silver Linings Playbook (The Weinstein Company)
Philip Seymour Hoffman (“Lancaster Dodd”) – The Master (The Weinstein Company)
Tommy Lee Jones (“Thaddeus Stevens”) – Lincoln (Touchstone Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Sally Field (“Mary Todd Lincoln”) – Lincoln (Touchstone Pictures)
Anne Hathaway (“Fantine”) – Les Misérables (Universal Pictures)
Helen Hunt (“Cheryl”) – The Sessions (Fox Searchlight)
Nicole Kidman (“Charlotte Bless”) – The Paperboy (Millennium Entertainment)
Maggie Smith (“Muriel Donnelly”) – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (Fox Searchlight)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Argo
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Les Misérables
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Bourne Legacy
The Dark Knight Rises
Les Misérables
Skyfall

Take an Extended Look at Oscar Bait Film Les Miserables

The movie I can’t wait to see more than anything in the world opens on Christmas day and wouldn’t you know it, it’s a musical! Of course it is and I am so excited for the big screen adaptation of the Tony winning masterpiece Les Miserables. The film is directed by recent Oscar winner Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) and stars Golden Globe nominee Hugh Jackman, Oscar winner Russell Crowe, Oscar nominee Helena Bonham Carter, Tony winner Eddie Redmayne, Golden Globe winner Sacha Baron Cohen, Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia), Aaron Tveitt (Broadway’s Next to Normal), newcomer Samantha Barks (who has done Les Miz on the West End in London) and Oscar nominee Anne Hathaway. It will be the first filmed musical to feature the actors singing live as opposed to lip synching to a track and if you’ve watched the trailer, the results are stunning. Hathaway who sings the iconic “I Dreamed a Dream” is already being hailed as the front-runner for the Supporting Actress Oscar, and I think the film is gonna clean up at awards season. For an in-depth look at the making of this incredible musical, watch the clip below and head here for more on Les Miserables.

Les Miserables extended preview

And while I’m talking about Awards season, here’s how I see Les Miserables Oscar chances…

Good Bet Nominations~
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actor (Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean)
Best Supporting Actress (Anne Hathaway as Fantine)
Best Supporting Actor (Russell Crowe as Javert)
Best Editing
Best Cinematography
Best Production Design (formerly know as Art Direction)
Best Costume Design
Best Sound Mixing
Best Original Song (“Suddenly”… yes the original musical composers wrote a brand new song for the film)

Likely Nominees~
Best Supporting Actress (Samantha Barks as Eponine)
Best Sound
Best Makeup
Possible Nominees~
Best Supporting Actor (Eddie Redmayne as Marius)
Best Supporting Actress (Amanda Seyfried as Cossette)
Best Supporting Actor (Aaron Tveit as Enjolras)
Best Adapted Screenplay

“Pitch Perfect” could be the Perfect Movie!

I’ve been waiting for the next hilarious girl comedy following last year’s brilliant Oscar nominated Bridesmaids. Lots of pundits and bloggers and studio execs have been looking for the next one too. However, all they had to do was check out the trailer for this fall’s musical comedy Pitch Perfect and the search would’ve been over. Check out the trailer for the film below. It looks like a riot and it stars Bridesmaids own scene stealer Rebel Wilson plus Oscar nominee Anna Kendrick (who also sang up a storm in the wonderful indie Camp), Hairspray‘s Brittany Snow, Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad), Anna Camp (The Good Wife), and the amazing duo of Elizabeth Banks (who’s also a producer on the film) and John Michael Higgins (who I had the pleasure of working with on Kath & Kim). The comedy revolves around the rivalry between a capella singing groups in college and follows a wave a music films hitting theaters this year including this weekend’s Rock of Ages, August’s Sparkle with Jordin Sparks and the late great Whitney Houston and the sure-fire Oscar contender Les Miserables with Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman out at Christmas… So, get out your pitch-pipe and get ready to giggle when Pitch Perfect hits theaters on October 5th.

Pitch Perfect trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2UFx3UIEgA&feature=related