It’s all about Hollywood as The Artist, Hugo and Meryl dominate the Oscars

It was a clear message heard round the Kodak (what will they change the name to?) theatre in Hollywood tonight as Hollywood honored the movies at the Oscars:  if it was about movie-making or starred our very own movie queen, it won. The Artist and Hugo, both films that are essentially love letters to movie-making, each won 5 awards while Meryl Streep, the most lauded and iconic actress of our time finally won her 3rd Oscar for her amazing work in The Iron Lady. Yes, she only has three! Despite 17 nominations, she hadn’t won since Sophie’s Choice 29 years ago, and she was arguably the most deserving winner of the night. (No disrespect to the tremendously lovely Viola Davis by the way. I swear you will get your Oscar one day!)… Speaking of deserving winners, Christopher Plummer and Ocatvia Spencer finished their dominated awards season runs picking up the Supporting Actor honors for Beginners and The Help. WIth his win, Plummer became the oldest acting winner in history at the tender age of 82!… Best Actor went to Jean Dujardin (over heavily favored George Clooney) whose film The Artist also picked up Best Picture, Director, Costume Design and Score. Hugo’s 5 wins were in the technical categories while one big surprise was the Best Editing win for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. For more on all the winners and the delightful if a bit subdued broadcast hosted by Billy Crystal, head here. (Big props to the ladies of Bridesmaids and Tina Fey for bringing us the funniest moments by the way). And check out all the winners below… And let me just say I am so incredibly happy for Streep! She gave the best, classiest speech of the night and I’m just thrilled she finally won. Congrats Meryl!!!!

2012 Academy Award Winners:

Best Picture: The Artist
Best Director: Michael Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Best Actress: Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
Best Actor: Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer (The Help)
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer (Beginners)
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Descendants
Best Original Screenplay: Midnight in Paris
Best Cinematography: Hugo
Best Editing: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Best Art Direction: Hugo
Best Costume Design: The Artist
Best Makeup: The Iron Lady
Best Original Score: The Artist     
Best Original Song: “Man or a Muppet” (The Muppets)
Best Sound Editing: Hugo
Best Sound Mixing: Hugo
Best Visual Effects: Hugo

Best Documentary: Undefeated
Best Foreign Language Film: A Separation
Best Animated Film: Rango
Best Animated Short Film: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
Best Live Action Short Film: The Shore
Best Documentary Short Subject: Saving Face

Most Wins~
The Artist: 5
Hugo: 5
The Iron Lady: 2

The Artist and Michelle Williams have the Independent Spirit

Oscar front-runner The Artist continued to dominate this awards season as it picked up four awards at today’s Independent Spirit Awards honoring the best in independent cinema. The films all had to be made and financed in the U.S. with a budget under $20 million to be eligible (hence, Hugo, War Horse and The Help, etc were not in contention… nor was British funded The Iron Lady). Along with Best Feature, The Artist took home Best Director, Cinematography and Best Actor for Jean Dujardin (who I think will nab tomorrow’s Oscar). In the other acting fields, Michelle Williams followed up her Golden Globe win for My Week with Marilyn in the Lead Actress category while Christopher Plummer won Supporting Actor for Beginners as he has done pretty much everywhere this season. Oscar snubbed Shailene Woodley won Supporting Actress for The Descendants which also took home the screenplay prize. For more on all the winners, head to the Indie Spirit site here and check out all the winners below.

2012 Independent Spirit Award Winners:

Best Feature Film: The Artist
Best Director: Michael Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Best Actor: Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Best Actress: Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn)
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer (Beginners)
Best Supporting Actress: Shailene Woodley (The Descendants)
Best Screenplay: The Descendants
Best Cinematography: The Artist
Best International Film: A Separation
Best Documentary: The Interrupters
Best First Feature: Margin Call
Best First Screenplay: 50/50
John Cassavetes Award for Best Feature (under $500,000 budget): Pariah
Robert Altman Award (given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast): Margin Call

My Big Bold 2012 Oscar Winner Predictions

Ok, enough with the Grammys, Globes and SAG Awards, the grand daddy of them all is here: the Academy Awards. This Sunday is the big day with the supreme Oscar host Billy Crystal returning to preside over the big day. With Crystal in command, we know the show will be hilarious, but will there be any surprises? Well, the top two acting races are just that, races between two deserving candidates. So, we could have upsets and some serious excitement. With that said, can anyone stop The Artist from sweeping? Well, take a look at my big bold Oscar winner predictions below and see.

My Big Bold 2012 Oscar Winner Predictions:

Best Picture:
The Artist, The Descendants, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, The Help, Hugo, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, The Tree of Life, War Horse
Will & Should win: The Artist
spoiler: Hugo
~ my sentimental fave: The Help

Best Director:
Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris), Michael Hazanvicius (The Artist), Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life), Alexander Payne (The Descendants), Martin Scorsese (Hugo)
Will & Should win: Michael Hazanavicius
~spoiler: Martin Scorsese

Best Actor:
Demian Bichir (A Better Life), George Clooney (The Descendants), Jean Dujardin (The Artist), Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Brad Pitt (Moneyball)
Will & Should win: Jean Dujardin
~spoiler: George Clooney
* This is a super tight race and it will be close between Clooney and Dujardin. How neat would it be if the wonderful and truly deserving Bichir pulled a surprise upset here? It’s not gonna happen, but it would be lovely to see.

Best Actress:
Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs), Viola Davis (The Help), Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady), Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn)
Will & Should win: Meryl Streep
~spoiler: Viola Davis
* ok, I’m going out on a big limb here. Conventional wisdom and smart money is on Davis (who was wonderful and would be a deserving winner). However, if you’ve seen The Iron Lady, you can’t deny Streep should win. She also hasn’t won in 30 years. Hello people!

Best Supporting Actor:
Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn), Jonah Hill (Moneyball), Nick Nolte (Warrior), Christopher Plummer (Beginners), Max Von Sydow (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close)
Will & Should win: Christopher Plummer
~spoiler: Max Von Sydow

Best Supporting Actress:
Berenice Bejo (The Artist), Jessica Chastain (The Help), Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids), Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs), Octavia Spencer (The Help)
Will & Should win: Octavia Spencer
~spoiler: Melissa McCarthy

Best Original Screenplay:
The Artist, Bridesmaids, Margin Call, Midnight in Paris, A Separation
Will win: Midnight in Paris
Should win: Bridesmaids
~spoiler: The Artist

Best Adapted Screenplay:
The Descendants, Hugo, The Ides of March, Moneyball, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Will Win: Moneyball
~spoiler: The Descendants
* This one will be close. I feel like they may throw a bone to The Descendants here, but I’m keeping my money on the better screenplay for Moneyball. Plus it has more overall nominations indicating wider support within the academy.

Best Cinematography:
The Artist, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, The Tree of Life, War Horse
Will win: The Tree of Life
Should win: War Horse (yes, I loved the movie, what of it?)
~spoiler: The Artist (they love some black and white)

Best Editing:
The Artist, The Descendants, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, Moneyball
Will win: The Artist
Should win: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
~Spoiler: Hugo

Best Animated Film:
A Cat in Paris, Chico and Rita, Kung Fu Panda 2, Puss in Boots, Rango
Will & Should win: Rango

Best Foreign Film:
Bullhead, Footnote, In Darkness, Monsieur Lahzar, A Separation
Will & Should win: A Separation
~spoiler: In Darkness

Best Original Score:
The Adventures of Tin Tin, The Artist, Hugo, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, War Horse
Will & Should win: The Artist

Best Original Song:
“Man or a Muppet” (The Muppets), “Real in Rio” (Rio)
Will & Should win: “Man or a Muppet” (this would be the first ever win for a Muppet movie!)
* PS- this category is a disaster. Due to their strict rules, a ton of great and deserving songs by Mary J. Blige (The Help), Elton John (Gnomeo & Juliet), Madonna (W.E.), Pink (Happy Feet 2) and more didn’t make the cut. Blargh!

Best Art Direction:
The Artist, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, Hugo, Midnight in Paris, War Horse
Will win: Hugo
Should win: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2
~spoiler: The Artist

Best Costume Design:
Anonymous, The Artist, Hugo, Jane Eyre, W.E.
Will win: The Artist
Should win: W.E.
~spoiler: W.E.

Best Makeup:
Albert Nobbs, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, The Iron Lady
Will & Should win: The Iron Lady
~spoiler: Harry Potter

Best Sound Editing:
Drive, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, War Horse
Will win: Hugo
Should win: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Best Sound Mixing:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, Moneyball, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, War Horse
Will win: Hugo
Should win: War Horse
~spoiler: Transformers

Visual Effects:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, Hugo, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Real Steel, Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Will win: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Should win: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 (hello the Harry Potter franchise has never won an Oscar!)
~spoiler: Harry Potter

Best Documentary:
Hell and Back Again, If a Tree Falls, Paradise Lost 3, Pina, Undefeated
Will win: Undefeated
Should win: Pina
~spoiler: Paradise Lost 3
* this one is a super tight race… My first instinct is for Pina to win (and it’s the most interesting, but also the most experimental). Then, I was thinking Undefeated plays into the emotions of the academy and has a bigger profile, so it may win. It’s a real tossup with the well-known Paradise Lost series in the mix as well.

* for the shorts, shoot me an email.

Midnight in Paris, Breaking Bad, Modern Family and Homeland have the Write Stuff at the WGA Awards

Ok, yes, that pun in the title for this article was pretty bad, but I couldn’t help myself. You see writing can be fun! That’s a fact I’m sure the winners of last night’s Writers Guild Awards would agree on as the wordsmiths honored their own. Woody Allen picked up another kudo for Original Screenplay for Midnight in Paris while The Descendants won Adapted Screenplay. On the TV front Modern Family, Breaking Bad and Homeland all picked up multiple awards. Check out all the big winners below, and for more on these awards, head to the WGA site here.

2012 WGA Award Winners~
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Midnight in Paris, written by Woody Allen
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY The Descendants, screenplay by by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash; Based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY Better This World, written by Katie Galloway & Kelly Duane de la Vega
DRAMA SERIES Breaking Bad, written by Sam Catlin, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Gennifer Hutchison, George Mastras, Thomas Schnauz, Moira Walley-Beckett
COMEDY SERIES Modern Family, written by Cindy Chupack, Paul Corrigan, Abraham Higginbotham, Ben Karlin, Elaine Ko, Carol Leifer, Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Dan O’Shannon, Jeffrey Richman, Brad Walsh, Ilana Wernick, Bill Wrubel, Danny Zuker
NEW SERIES Homeland, written by Henry Bromell, Alexander Cary, Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon, Chip Johannessen, Gideon Raff, Meredith Stiehm
EPISODIC DRAMA “Box Cutter” (Breaking Bad), written by Vince Gilligan; “The Good Soldier” (Homeland), written by Henry Bromell
EPISODIC COMEDY “Caught in the Act” (Modern Family), Written by Steven Levitan & Jeffrey Richman
LONG FORM – “Cinema Verite,” written by David Seltzer
LONG FORM ADAPTED – “Too Big to Fail,” written by Peter Gould, Based on the book written by Andrew Ross Sorkin
ANIMATION “Homer the Father” (The Simpsons), written by Joel H. Cohen; Fox
COMEDY / VARIETY – The Colbert Report, writers: Michael Brumm, Stephen Colbert, Rich Dahm, Paul Dinello, Eric Drysdale, Rob Dubbin, Glenn Eichler, Dan Guterman, Peter Gwinn, Jay Katsir, Barry Julien, Frank Lesser, Opus Moreschi, Tom Purcell, Meredith Scardino, Scott Sherman, Max Werner; Comedy Central
COMEDY / VARIETY – MUSIC, AWARDS, TRIBUTES – SPECIALS After the Academy Awards, Head Writers: Gary Greenberg, Molly McNearney; Writers: Tony Barbieri, Jonathan Bines, John N. Huss, Sal Iacono, Eric Immerman, Jimmy Kimmel, Jonathan Kimmel, Jacob Lentz, Danny Ricker, Richard G. Rosner
DAYTIME DRAMA General Hospital, written by Meg Bennett, Nathan Fissell, David Goldschmid, Robert Guza, Jr., Karen Harris, Elizabeth Korte, Mary Sue Price, Michele Val Jean, Susan Wald, Tracey Thomson.

The Grey surprises at the Box Office

In another decent weekend at the box office, two films did better than expected while the Oscar nominations only gave a little boost to the big competitors. However, grosses were up overall versus last year as the new action drama The Grey, starring Liam Neeson, opened with a surprising $ 20 million. It was the first of three new entries in the top ten. Opening in third with $ 11.7 million was Katherine Heigl’s poorly reviewed action comedy One for the Money which many assumed was dead in the water before it even hit theaters. That was more the case for the third opener, the crime thriller Man on a Ledge with Sam Worthington, as it only totaled $8.3 million…. Looking at the films with multiple Oscar noms, The Descendants and The Artist improved the most as they added extra theaters. For more on their grosses and all the numbers, head to Box Office Mojo here.

TW LW Title (click to view) Studio Weekend Gross % Change Theater Count / Change Average Total Gross Budget* Week #
1 N The Grey ORF $20,000,000 – 3,185 – $6,279 $20,000,000 – 1
2 1 Underworld Awakening SGem $12,500,000 -50.6% 3,078 – $4,061 $45,126,000 $70 2
3 N One For the Money LGF $11,750,000 – 2,737 – $4,293 $11,750,000 – 1
4 2 Red Tails Fox $10,400,000 -44.6% 2,573 +61 $4,042 $33,780,000 $58 2
5 N Man on a Ledge Sum. $8,300,000 – 2,998 – $2,769 $8,300,000 – 1
6 4 Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close WB $7,145,000 -28.9% 2,630 – $2,717 $21,106,000 – 6
7 16 The Descendants FoxS $6,550,000 +176.1% 2,001 +1,441 $3,273 $58,848,000 – 11
8 3 Contraband Uni. $6,500,000 -46.0% 2,650 -220 $2,453 $56,400,000 $25 3
9 5 Beauty and the Beast (3D) BV $5,345,000 -39.1% 2,145 -480 $2,492 $41,147,000 – 3
10 6 Haywire Rela. $4,000,000 -52.5% 2,441 +2 $1,639 $15,279,000 $23 2

A Few Thoughts on today’s Oscar Nominations…

This morning Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone) announced this year’s contenders and as always we saw the front runners like The Artist and Hugo grab headlines. However, we also saw some shocking snubs and some interesting inclusions. I already posted the full nominee list, so let’s take a look at a few thoughts I have on those who will be contending for this year’s Oscar.

Favorite Nomination: Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids)… I was so happy to see her included in this hilarious film. She gave a wonderfully hysterical performance that had way more layers than you might expect. Comedy needs more representation at the Oscars, so this is a nice start. (Also kudos to Kristin Wiig and her Oscar nominated script for the film).

Best Surprise: Rooney Mara and all the love for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. This fantastic film nabbed 5 nods in total. I just wish it was up for Best Pic and Director (David Fincher).
Biggest Snub: Michael Fassbender (Shame)… apparently his great performance may have been overlooked by his hot nekkid body? Or he cancelled himself out with other great turns in A Dangerous Method and Jane Eyre.

Other Big Snubs:
Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar)… looks like academy members really didn’t like this film, which is a shame because Leo was great
Armie Hammer (J. Edgar)
Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin)… another film that may have been too dark and unlikable to get it’s great star a nod.
Albert Brooks (Drive)
Drive in all other categories (except sound)
Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt and Young Adult… apparently this acerbic dark comedy just didn’t resonate with Oscar voters. I’m sad, cuz it was a good flick.
Steven Spielberg (War Horse) for Director
Andy Serkis (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) and Alan Rickman (Harry Potter) both proved its hard to get nominated for big popcorn action films… oh and motion capture performances may never get nominated.
Elizabeth Olsen and Martha Marcy May Marlene… this great indie introduced us to a major acting star in Olsen and still got bupkiss
50/50 and Joseph Gordon Levitt… another great indie that should’ve gotten some love
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 in all big categories…. why oh why couldn’t this amazing franchise ever pull out a Best Pic nom? Especially when the final installment was clearly one of the best films of the year.

More Snubs: Shailene Woodley (The Descendants), Vanessa Redgrave (Coriolanus), Ryan Gosling (Drive, The Ides of March), The Adventures of Tin Tin (in Animated film), Carey Mulligan (Shame), the casts of The Ides of March and Midnight in Paris, Beginners for Screenplay and Director (Mike Mills)

~ And a Big Boo to the voters for dissing The Help for Screenplay, Score, Song, Costume Design and Director… That wonderful film should’ve had 9 noms, not just 4.

~While I’m complaining, I just have to say yuck to all the nods for The Tree of Life. Oy vey!

Other nice inclusions:
~Demian Bichir (A Better Life)… this wonderful performance in this small indie broke through with a SAG nod and he made the list today. I’m thrilled.
~Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)… can you believe this is his first nomination? I just wish it was for a better film.
~Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close and Max Von Sydow... I’m so happy one of my fave films of the year finally got some love. And I was kinda shocked to see it among the 9 nominees for Best Picture.
~Moneyball grabbed more noms that The Descendants, hehe….
~W.E. got into costume design. Yes, a film by Madonna got an Oscar nod. (I just wish her Golden Globe winning song “Masterpiece” had been eligible)

Speaking of Best Song….
What the heck is wrong with that category? By having a ridiculously difficult rule of the songs needing to rate 8.5 or higher by the music branch (out of 10), only 2 songs made the cut… And the one from The Muppets wasn’t even the best song from that film…
Look at all the snubbed songs that should’ve gotten mentioned:
“Life’s a Happy Song” (The Muppets)
“Pictures in My Head” (The Muppets)
“Bridge of Light” (Happy Feet 2) by P!nk
“Hello Hello” (Gnomeo & Juliet) by Elton John
“The Living Proof” (The Help) by Mary J. Blige
“Lay Down Your Head” (Albert Nobbs) by Glenn Close, etc

So, there are just a few thoughts for you… Now, let’s see who is gonna win… I’d say The Artist is still out in front despite Hugo landing the most noms…. I still have hope for The Help too.. and Meryl better win… With that said, what are your favorite noms? And who is the worst snub? Sound off below and watch for more on the Oscars in the weeks ahead.

They’re Here~ My Big Bold Oscar Nomination Predictions

They’re finally here~ the predictions you really care about, my big bold Academy Award nomination predictions. On Tuesday morning Jan. 24th, Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone) will help announce this year’s contenders and as you all might guess, we should be hearing a lot from The Artist. We will also hear Hugo, The Descendants and The Help landing multiple nods, plus watch for Meryl Streep to grab that record-breaking (of her own record mind you) 17th nomination for The Iron Lady. However, there could be some surprises… I’m expecting The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to show some big muscle (much like last year’s last-minute contender True Grit) and grab notice in the big categories like Picture, Director (David Fincher) and Actress (Rooney Mara)… So, just who and what will be in the race? Take a look at my predictions below and head back here on Tuesday for the official nominees.

My Big Bold 2012 Oscar Nomination Predictions~

Picture:
The Artist
The Descendants
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
War Horse
~spoilers: Drive, The Tree of Life, Moneyball, Bridesmaids
* Due to new balloting rules where any picture to land a Best Picture nod, they must get at least 250 first place votes and some crazy math, we don’t actually know how many films will land in the big race. It’s anywhere from a minimum of 5 to a max of 10.

Director:
David Fincher (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
Michael Hazanvicius (The Artist)
Alexander Payne (The Descendants)
Martin Scorcesse (Hugo)
Steven Spielberg (War Horse)
~spoilers: Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris), Tate Taylor (The Help), Nicholas Winding-Refn (Drive)

Actor:
George Clooney (The Descendants)
Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar)
Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Michael Fassbender (Shame)
Brad Pitt (Moneyball)
~spoilers: Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Damian Bichir (A Better Life), Woody Harrelson (Rampart), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (50/50) …. I feel like Ryan Gosling is totally gonna cancel himself out with Drive and The Ides of March unfortunately.

Actress:
Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs)
Viola Davis (The Help)
Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn)
~spoilers: Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin), Charlize Theron (Young Adult), Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene)

Supporting Actor:
Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn)
Albert Brooks (Drive)
Jonah Hill (Moneyball)
Nick Nolte (Warrior)
Christopher Plummer (Beginners)
~spoilers: Patton Oswalt (Young Adult), Andy Serkis (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), Alan Rickman (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2), Max Von Sydow (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close)

Supporting Actress:

Berenice Bejo (The Artist)

Jessica Chastain (The Help)

Mellissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids)
Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs)
Octavia Spencer (The Help)
~spoilers: Shailene Woodley (The Descendants), Judi Dench (My Week with Marilyn), Carey Mulligan (Shame)

Adapted Screenplay
The Descendants, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Help, The Ides of March, Moneyball
~spoilers: Hugo, My Week with Marilyn, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, War Horse

Original Screenplay:
50/50, The Artist, Bridesmaids, Midnight in Paris, Young Adult
~spoilers: Beginners, A Separation, Win Win

Cinematography:
The Artist, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, The Tree of Life, War Horse
~spoilers: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, Drive

Editing::
The Artist, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, Hugo, War Horse
~spoilers: Drive, The Help, The Tree of Life, Super 8

Score:
The Artist, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Help, Hugo, War Horse
~spoilers: Hanna, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, My Week with Marilyn, W.E.
*Drive was declared ineligible (because of previously used music unfortunately)

Song:
“Bridge of Light” (Happy Feet 2)
“Hello Hello” (Gnomeo & Juliet)
“Life’s a Happy Song” (The Muppets)
“The Living Proof” (The Help)
“Man or a Muppet” (The Muppets)
~spoilers: “Pictures in My Head” (The Muppets), “Lay Your Head Down” (Albert Nobbs), “Star Spangled Man” (Captain America~ The First Avenger)
*Madonna’s Golden Globe winning song “Masterpiece” from W.E. was declared ineligible because it airs too late in the closing credits of the film which falls outside the rules of the category

Costume Design:
The Artist, The Help, Hugo, Jane Eyre, W.E.
~spoilers: War Horse, Albert Nobbs, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Anonymous

Art Direction:
The Artist, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, Hugo, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, War Horse
~spoilers: The Help, W.E., Jane Eyre

Animated Film:
The Adventures of Tin Tin, Cars 2, Happy Feet 2, Kung Fu Panda 2, Rango
~spoiler: Rio

Makeup:
Albert Nobbs, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, The Iron Lady
~spoilers: Hugo, The Artist

Sound:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, Hugo, Super 8, War Horse
~spoilers: Drive, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Visual Effects:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, Hugo, Rise of the Planet of the Apes
~spoilers: Super 8, Thor

The Artist, The Descendants, Meryl and Madonna win Big at the Golden Globes

Well, Madonna sure did piss off Elton John at tonight’s Golden Globe Awards… No, not because of anything she said, but because she won the award for Best Original song for her gorgeous track from W.E.,”Masterpiece”. It beat Elton’s track from Gnomeo and Juliet and boy, did he have a disgruntled face if I’ve ever seen one. That was just one fun highlight from a night that saw few surprises, but was rather entertaining as a whole. Ricky Gervais returned as host and was quite funny but not as controversial as last year and was only bleeped once I think. Heck, Meryl Streep was bleeped too! Speaking of Streep, she won her 8th Globe for Lead Actress in a Drama for The Iron Lady while Michelle Williams won for Lead Actress in a Musical or Comedy. These wins, along with Viola Davis’s win at the Critics Choice Awards on Thursday, are making it a real horse race for the Best Actress race… Best Actor could be tight between tonight’s two winners as well, George Clooney for Drama and Jean Dujardin for Musical or Comedy. Both of their films won as well with The Descendants taking Drama and The Artist nabbing the trophy for Musical or Comedy. The latter film won the most awards with a third for Best Score…. Christopher Plummer and Octavia Spencer continued their winning runs in the supporting category while Martin Scorsese pulled out a surprise win for Director for Hugo.

On the TV front, Modern Family and Homeland won the series awards while Downton Abbey won TV Movie/Miniseries. There were several acting surprises though, both good (Matt LeBlanc) and bad (Kelsey Grammar~ no offense to his work, but how on Earth did he beat Bryan Cranston and Damian Lewis, argh!!!) Also, Laura Dern pulled out a little bit of a shocker for Lead actress in a Comedy over front runners Zooey Deschanel, Amy Poehler and last year’s winner Laura Linney. For more on the show, head to the Globes site here and take a look at all the winners below.

 

2012 Golden Globe Winners:
Best Picture (Drama): The Descendants
Best Actor in a Movie (Drama): George Clooney, The Descendants
Best Picture (Comedy or Musical): The Artist
Best Actress in a Movie (Drama): Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Best Actor in a Movie (Comedy or Musical): Jean Dujardin, The Artist
 Best TV Series (Comedy or Musical): Modern Family
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Best Supporting Actress in a Movie: Octavia Spencer, The Help
Best Actor in a TV Series (Comedy or Musical): Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
Best Actress in a TV Series (Drama): Claire Danes, Homeland
Best Foreign Language Movie: A Separation (Iran)
Best Supporting Actress in a TV Series, Miniseries, or TV Movie: Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Best Screenplay: Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen
Best Animated Movie: The Adventures of Tintin
Best Supporting Actor in a TV Series, Miniseries, or TV Movie: Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Best Actress in a Movie (Comedy or Musical): Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie: Idris Elba, Luther
Best Original Song: “Masterpiece,” W.E.
Best Original Score: Ludovic Bource, The Artist
Best TV Series (Drama): Homeland
Best Actor in a TV Series (Drama): Kelsey Grammer, Boss
Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie: Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce
Best Miniseries or TV Movie: Downton Abbey
Best Actress in a TV Series (Comedy or Musical): Laura Dern, Enlightened
Best Supporting Actor in a Movie: Christopher Plummer, Beginners

And here’s the song that made Elton so mad. (Mary J. Blige didn’t look too happy either when she lost the category as well by the way)… Madonna’s “Masterpiece” from W.E.

My Big Bold 2012 Golden Globe Winner Predictions

Last night, the awards season really got underway with the Critics Choice Awards where The Artist ruled supreme. That film should grab a few more trophies this Sunday with arguably the most fun of all the awards shows, The Golden Globe Awards. Featuring stars from both film and television and always a big supporter of new shows (New Girl, Enlightened, Revenge, Boss) and big stars (Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling, Jodie Foster, Madonna), the Globes will have some serious eye candy. They will also have an awesome, irreverent and sometimes controversial host in Ricky Gervais who is back again this year after ruffling some feathers in 2011. So, I know you will tune in and so will I! Of course, before that happens, I have to give you my latest big bold predictions of the winners. Check it out below and watch the show Sunday night on NBC.

My Big Bold 2012 Golden Globe Award Winner Predictions:

Best Picture Drama:
The Descendants, The Help ,Hugo,The Ides of March, Moneyball, War Horse
Will win: The Descendants
Should win: The Help

Best Picture Musical/Comedy:
50/50, The Artist, Bridesmaids, Midnight in Paris, My Week with Marilyn
Will & Should win: The Artist
spoiler: Midnight in Paris

Best Actor Drama:
George Clooney (The Descendants), Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar), Michael Fassbender (Shame), Ryan Gosling (The Ides of March), Brad Pitt (Moneyball)
Will win: George Clooney
Should win: Brad Pitt
spoiler: Brad Pitt

Best Actress Drama:
Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs), Viola Davis (The Help), Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady), Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk about Kevin)
Will & Should win: Meryl Streep
spoiler: Viola Davis

Best Actor Musical or Comedy:
Jean Dujardin (The Artist), Brendan Gleeson (The Guard), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (50/50), Ryan Gosling (Crazy Stupid Love), Owen Wilson (Midnight in Paris)
Will win: Jean Dujardin
Should win: Joseph Gordon-Levitt
spoiler: Ryan Gosling

Best Actress Musical or Comedy:
Jodie Foster (Carnage), Charlize Theron (Young Adult), Michelle Williams (My Week With Marilyn), Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids), Kate Winslet (Carnage)
Will & Should win: Michelle Williams
spoiler: Charlize Theron

Best Supporting Actor:
Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn), Albert Brooks (Drive), Jonah Hill (Moneyball), Viggo Mortenson (A Dangerous Method), Christopher Plummer (Beginners)
Will & Should win: Christopher Plummer
spoiler: Kenneth Branagh

Best Supporting Actress:
Berenice Bejo (The Artist), Jessica Chastain (The Help), Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs), Octavia Spencer (The Help), Shailene Woodley (The Descendants)
Will & Should win: Octavia Spencer
spoiler: Berenice Bejo

Best Director:
Woody Allen (Midnight inParis), George Clooney (The Ides of March), Mcihael Hazanavicius (The Artist), Alexander Payne (The Descendants), Martin Scorcesse (Hugo)
Will & Should win: Michael Hazanvicius
spoiler: Woody Allen

Screenplay:
The Artist, The Descendants, The Ides of March, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball
Will win: Midnight in Paris
Should win: Moneyball
spoiler: The Descendants

Animated Film:
The Adventures of Tin Tin, Arthur Christmas, Cars 2, Kung Fu Panda 2, Rango
Will win: The Adventures of Tin Tin
should win: Rango
spoiler: Rango

Score
The Artist, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, W.E., War Horse
Will win: The Artist
Should win: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Song:
“Hello Hello”- EltonJohn (Gnomeo & Juiliet), “The Keeper”- Chris Cornell (Machine Gun Preacher), “Lay Your Head Down”- Sinead o’Conner performer (Albert Nobbs), “The Living Proof”- Mary J. Blige (The Help), “Masterpiece”- Madonna (W.E.)
Will & Should win: “The Living Proof”
spoiler: “Masterpiece”

TV CATEGORIES:

Drama Series:
American Horror Story, Boardwalk Empire, Boss, Game of Thrones, Homeland
Will & Should win: Homeland
spoiler: Game of Thrones

Musical/Comedy Series:
Enlightened, Episodes, Glee, Modern Family, New Girl
Will & Should win: Modern Family
spoiler: Glee

Actress Drama Series:
Clare Danes (Homeland), Mirielles Enos (The Killing), Juliana Marguiles (The Good Wife), Madeline Stowe (Revenge), Callie Thorne (Necessary Roughness)
Will & Should win: Clare Danes
spoiler: Juliana Marguiles

Actor Drama Series:
Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Kelsey Grammer (Boss), Jeremy Irons (The Borgias), Damian Lewis (Homeland)
Will win: Damian Lewis
Should win: Bryan Cranston
spoiler: Jeremy Irons

Actress Musical/Comedy Series:
Laura Dern (Enlightened), Zooey Deschanel (New Girl), Tina Fey (30 Rock), Laura Linney (The Big C), Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation)
Will win: Zooey Deschanel
Should win: Amy Poehler
spoiler: Laura Dern

Actor Musical/Comedy Series:
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), David Duchovny (Californication), Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory), Thomas Jane (Hung), Matt LeBlanc (Episodes)
Will & Should win: Alec Baldwin
spoiler: Matt LeBlanc

TV Movie/Miniseries:
Cinema Verite, Downton Abbey, The Hour, Mildred Pierce, Too Big To Fail
Will & Should win: Downton Abbey
spoiler: Mildred Pierce

Lead Actress TV Movie/Miniseries:
Romala Garai (The Hour), Elizabeth McGovern (Downton Abbey), Diane Lane (Cinema Verite), Kate Winslet (Mildred Pierce), Emily Watson (Appropriate Adult)
Will win: Kate Winslet
Should win: Diane Lane

Lead Actor TV Movie/Miniseries:
Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey), Idris Elba (Luther), William Hurt (Too Big to Fail), Bill Nighy (Page Eight), Dominic West (The Hour)
Will win: Hugh Bonneville
should win: Too Big To Fail
spoiler: Idris Elba

Supporting Actress TV Series, Movie, Miniseries:
Jessica Lange (American Horror Story), Kelly MacDonald (Boardwalk Empire), Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey), Sofia Vergara (Modern Family), Evan Rachel Wood (Mildred Pierce)
Will win: Maggie Smith
Should win: Sofia Vergara
spoiler: Jessica Lange

Supporting Actor TV Series, Movie, Miniseries:
Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), Paul Giamatti (Too Big To Fail), Guy Pearce (Mildred Pierce), Tim Robbins (Cinema Verite), Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)
Will & Should win: Peter Dinklage
spoiler: Guy Pearce

My Big Bold Critics Choice Movie Award Winner Predictions

The first big awards show of the year is here. No, I’m not talking about the People’s Choice Awards. Seriously, those are pretty ridiculous… I’m speaking of the 17th Annual Critics Choice Awards. The kudosfest honors the best in film as voted on by the Broadcast Film Critics Association and is a great forecaster of the Oscars. It doesn’t have the flash of the Golden Globes (which air Sunday), but it does help us figure out just who is in front for the big Academy Award. So, who will win? I, as usual, have done my predictions and I have them for you below. Remember, these are critics, so sometimes their tastes are a little different from the Guild groups (i.e.: SAG, DGA). Watch the show Thursday night on VH1 at 8pm hosted by comedians Paul Shceer and Rob Huebel and see if I am right.

Best Picture:
The Artist
The Descendants
Drive
Extremely Loud & incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse
Will win: The Artist
Should win: The Help
spoiler: The Descendants

Best Actor:
George Clooney (The Descendants), Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar), Jean Dujardin (The Artist), Michael Fassbender (Shame), Ryan Gosling (Drive), Brad Pitt (Moneyball)
Will win: George Clooney
Should win: Jean Dujardin
Spoiler: Brad Pitt

Best Actress:
Viola Davis (The Help), Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene), Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady), Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk about Kevin), Charlize Theron (Young Adult), Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn)
Will & Should win: Meryl Streep
spoiler: Michelle Williams

Best Supporting Actor:
Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn), Albert Brooks (Drive), Nick Nolte (Warrior), Patton Oswalt (Young Adult), Christopher Plummer (Beginners), Andy Serkis (Rise of the Planet of the Apes)
Will & Should win: Christopher Plummer
spoiler: Albert Brooks

Best Supporting Actress:
Bernice Bejo (The Artist), Jessica Chastain (The Help), Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids), Carey Mulligan (Shame), Octavia Spencer (The Help), Shailene Woodley (The Descendants)
Will & Should win: Octavia Spencer
spoiler: Jessica Chastain

Best Younger Actor/Actress:
Asa Butterfield (Hugo), Elle Fanning (Super 8), Thomas Horn (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close), Ezra Miller (We Need to Talk About Kevin), Saorsie Ronan (Hanna), Shailene Woodley (The Descendants)
Will win: Shailene Woodley
Should win: Thomas Horn
spoiler: Elle Fanning

Best Ensemble:
The Artist, Bridesmaids, The Descendants, The Help, The Ides of March
Will & Should win: The Help
spoiler: The Artist

Best Director:
Stephen Daldry (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close), Michael Hazanavicius (The Artist), Alexander Payne (The Descendants), Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive), Martin Scorsese (Hugo), Steven Speilberg (War Horse)
Will win: Alexander Payne
Should win: Michael Hazanavicius
spoiler: Martin Scorsese

Best Adapted Screenplay:
The Descendants, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, The Help, Hugo, Moneyball
Will win: The Descendants
Should win: Moneyball
spoiler: Moneyball

Best Original Screenplay:
50/50, The Artist, Midnight in Paris, Win Win, Young Adult
Will win: Midnight in Paris
Should win: 50/50
spoiler: The Artist

Best Cinematography:
The Artist, Drive, Hugo, The Tree of Life, War Horse
Will win: The Tree of Life
Should win: The Artist
spoiler: War Horse

Best Art Direction:
The Artist, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, Hugo, The Tree of Life, War Horse
Will & Should win: Hugo
spoiler: The Artist

Best Editing:
The Artist, Drive, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, War Horse
Will win: The Artist
Should win: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
spoiler: Hugo

Best Costume Design:
The Artist, The Help, Hugo, Jane Eyre, My Week with Marilyn
Will win: The Artist
Should win: The Help
spoiler: My Week with Marilyn

Makeup:
Albert Nobbs, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, The Iron Lady, J. Edgar, My Week with Marilyn
Will & Should win: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2
spoiler: The Iron Lady

Visual Effects:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, Hugo, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Super 8, The Tree of Life
Will win: Hugo
Should win: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2
spoiler: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Sound:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, Hugo, Super 8, The Tree of Life, War Horse
Will & Should win: War Horse
spoiler: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2

Animated Feature:
The Adventures of Tin Tin, Arthur Christmas, Kung Fu Panda 2, Puss in Boots, Rango
Will & Should win: Rango
spoiler: The Adventures of Tin Tin

Action Film:
Drive, Fast Five, Hanna, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Super 8
Will & Should win: Drive
spoiler: Super 8

Comedy Film:
Bridesmaids, Crazy Stupid Love, Horrible Bosses, Midnight in Paris, The Muppets
Will win: Midnight in Paris
Should win: Bridesmaids
spoiler: Bridesmaids

Foreign Language Film:
In Darkness, Le Havre, A Separation, The Skin I Live In, Where Do We Go Now
Will & Should win: A Separation

Best Song:
“Hello Hello” (Gnomeo & Juliet), “Life’s a Happy Song” (The Muppets), “The Living Proof” (The Help), “Man or a Muppet” (The Muppets), “Pictures in my Head” (The Muppets)
Will win: “Life’s a Happy Song”
Should win: “The Living Proof”
spoiler: “Hello Hello”

Best Score:
The Artist, Drive, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, War Horse
Will win: The Aritst
Should win: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Spoiler: War Horse