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

Breaking Down the 2013 Best Actress Race

This Oscar season has been one of the most exciting and unpredictable races in recent history. While it seems that Argo, Daniel Day-Lewis and Anne Hathaway now look like sure things in their respective categories, there are a few races that remain a serious horse race. The two biggest question marks are the Best Supporting Actor race where a different contender has won in each of the precursors (Tommy Lee Jones, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Christoph Waltz) and the Best Actress Race which has been a serious catfight between Jessica Chastain and Jennifer Lawrence. Today, I will take a look at the latter race which could end up with a truly surprising winner.
When the race began in earnest last fall, the word was that Jennifer Lawrence would win hands down for her wonderful, emotionally naked work in Silver Linings Playbook. However, that was before the very secretive Zero Dark Thirty finally began screening and Jessica Chastain’s fierce, intelligent and controlled performance wowed critics and audiences. Both women have won a number of pre-cursors that have put them squarely in a duel for the Oscar win. Among the biggest wins, Lawrence took home the Golden Globe (Musical/Comedy), Critic’s Choice (Actress in a Comedy Film) and the all-important SAG Award while Chastain grabbed a Golden Globe (Drama) and the overall Critic’s Choice Award for Best Actress.
They are both up for the BAFTA Award this evening as well. I’d say Chastain has the edge there as her film received more nominations from the British Academy and they tend to honor more “important” films and performances. For example, last year Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) took home the Best Actress BAFTA over Viola Davis (The Help) after Davis had just won the SAG Award… I could see the same turnover happen here for Chastain. If that happens, then Chastain could follow Streep’s path to an Oscar victory.
Both Chastain and Lawrence have several factors working in their favor. Both women are attractive young actresses with a “babe factor” that the Academy loves, reaching a peak in their careers which has helped actresses like Halle Berry, Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow and Nicole Kidman to take home the big prize in the past. Both are also previous nominees. Chastain was nominated last year for Supporting Actress for The Help while Lawrence was nominated for Best Actress two years ago for Winter’s Bone. Plus, both have worked the awards circuit like a pro this season.
Where they differ is in their “industry status”. While Lawrence is now a bona-fide box office star with The Hunger Games franchise, Chastain is seen as the more serious actress with a bigger body of lauded work. She could’ve received Oscar noms for practically all of her seven films released in 2011 and Chastain is also building box office clout with hits ZD30, The Help and Mama. It just seems like it may be too “early” in Lawrence’s career to give her Hollywood’s highest honor while Chastain seems to have “earned” it more. So, with all of that said, I’m going out on a limb and giving the edge to Chastain for the win.
However there remains one big obstacle in their way. They both will have to fend off another critical favorite, French icon Emmanuelle Riva for her harrowing and physically demanding work as a woman suffering from Dementia at the end of her life in Amour. This performance could be the real key to this Oscar race. Riva could easily usurp both of them at the BAFTAs and set the stage for a crazy three-way fight on Oscar night.
As for the final two nominees, Quevanzhane Wallis should be thrilled she got a nomination in the first place for her debut performance in Beasts of the Southern Wild over more deserving heavy weights like Marion Cotillard (Rust & Bone) and Helen Mirren (Hitchcock), and while she was amazing in The Impossible, and I’d love to see her win, Naomi Watts will probably be an also ran. (No worries though Naomi, you should be back in the race next year for playing Princess Diana!)
To sum up, it’s a serious race this year. Lawrence and Chastain are in the best position to win with Riva as a potential spoiler. And if there is crazy vote splitting, maybe Watts can sneak in. Yet, I’m still betting on Chastain. See if I’m right Sunday night February 24th when the Oscars air on ABC.

“Argo” Surprises at the SAG Awards

There were actually a few surprises at tonight’s Screen Actors Guild Awards and the biggest one was in the top category of Best Film Ensemble where Argo upset the supposed front-runners Les Miserables and Silver Linings Playbook. With this win, Argo continues to dominate the awards circuit and I’m declaring it unstoppable to win Best Picture at the Oscars next month… The other surprises came with Downton Abbey’s win in the Drama Ensemble category over Homeland, Bryan Cranston defeating Homeland‘s Damian Lewis, and a shocker win for Tina Fey…. Going back to the film categories Daniel Day-Lewis and Anne Hathaway continued their reign while Jennifer Lawrence beat out her chief rival Jessica Chastain in what continues to be a very tight Best Actress race. The Supporting Actor race also remains very exciting as Tommy Lee Jones won his first big award of the season giving us 3 different winners in this category this season following Philip Seymour Hoffman at the Critics Choice Awards and Christoph Waltz at the Golden Globes. Does this mean we’ll have another new winner at the Oscars? Stay tuned… in the meantime, take a look at all the SAG Award Winners below.

2013 SAG Award Winners

Film~
Ensemble: Argo
Lead Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
Lead Actress: Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Supporting Actor: Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
Stunt Ensemble: Skyfall

TV~
Drama Ensemble: Downton Abbey
Drama Actor: Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad (his first win)
Drama Actress: Clare Danes, Homeland
Comedy Ensemble: Modern Family (3 wins in 3 years!)
Comedy Actor: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock (he has now won this award 7 years in a row~ every year of the show’s run)
Comedy Actress: Tina Fey, 30 Rock (her 4th win in this category)
TV Movie/Miniseries Actor: Kevin Costner, Hatfields & McCoys
TV Movie/Miniseries Actress: Julianne Moore, Game Change (this was her first win after 10 nominations!)
TV Stunt Ensemble: Game of Thrones

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

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

 

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

Bourne is Reborn at the Box Office

Many considered it a huge gamble to try to continue the Bourne movie franchise without star Matt Damon. However, Universal has done pretty well with the opening of its rebooted franchise, The Bourne Legacy, starring Oscar nominee Jeremy Renner and Oscar winner Rachel Weisz. The slick action thriller (which I totally enjoyed and give an “A-” grade to by the way) took in a good $40.2 million over the weekend. It led three new releases including the Will Ferrell/Zach Galifinakis comedy The Campaign which did well coming in second with a better than expected $27 million and Hope Springs which opened to a good $15.6 million. Springs, starring Oscar winners Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones who are both absolutely brilliant in the film which I gave a “A-/B+” grade to, has taken in a total of $20 million since opening on Wednesday and should have strong legs in the month ahead as most Streep and female-centered August films do. (For examples, see the femme-centric August hits Julie & Julia, Eat Pray Love and The Help.) … Holding up well in its second weekend was the latest Wimpy Kid film and The Dark Knight Rises while Total Recall tanked in its sophomore week. For more on all the numbers, head to Box Office Mojo here and take a look at the new top ten below.

TW LW Title (click to view) Studio Weekend Gross % Change Theater Count / Change Average Total Gross Budget* Week #
1 N The Bourne Legacy Uni. $40,265,000 – 3,745 – $10,752 $40,265,000 $125 1
2 N The Campaign WB $27,440,000 – 3,205 – $8,562 $27,440,000 – 1
3 1 The Dark Knight Rises WB $19,540,000 -45.3% 3,690 -552 $5,295 $390,149,000 $250 4
4 N Hope Springs Sony $15,600,000 – 2,361 – $6,607 $20,053,000 – 1
5 3 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days Fox $8,200,000 -43.9% 3,398 +7 $2,413 $30,554,000 $22 2
6 2 Total Recall (2012) Sony $8,100,000 -68.3% 3,601 – $2,249 $44,188,000 $125 2
7 4 Ice Age: Continental Drift Fox $6,750,000 -21.6% 3,102 -440 $2,176 $144,064,000 – 5
8 7 Ted Uni. $3,290,000 -41.7% 2,208 -559 $1,490 $209,915,000 $50 7
9 6 Step Up Revolution Sum. $2,850,000 -51.9% 1,898 -708 $1,502 $30,165,000 $33 3
1o 5 The Watch Fox $2,200,000 -66.3% 2,461 -707 $894 $31,374,000 $68 3

Pitbull v. Huey Lewis~ “Back in Time”

Are movie soundtracks about to have a rebirth? Over the past few years, hit soundtracks have been few and far between unless it was a from a film musical (like Mamma Mia) or the tween crap Twilight saga. However, the current # 1 album in the country is The Hunger Games soundtrack and this spring and summer, there are a lot of big movie music collections coming at you like Think Like a Man,  Sparkle, Rock of Ages, and MIB 3. The latter film is the third action packed movie in the Men In Black trilogy starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. This new film has them going back in time to the sixties and, fittingly, the theme song for MIB 3 is entitled “Back in Time” by Pitbull. This Latin infused dance track also features a sample from another hit movie song, the 60′s hit “Love is Strange” by Micky & Sylvia which gained legions of new fans when it appeared in Dirty Dancing…. Now, the title “Back in Time” may be familiar to a lot of 80′s movie fans as it was the title of the Huey Lewis & the News hit song from 1985′s Back to the Future…. So now I pose this question to you~ which song really makes you want to go “Back in Time”? For me, Huey Lewis wins by a mile. What about you? Take a listen to both below and let me know in the comments section and watch for MIB3 to hit cinemas on May 25th.

“Back in Time”- Pitbull

“Back in Time”- Huey Lewis & the News

Holy Hotness ~ Captain America!

All I have to say is thank you Entertainment Weekly! … In their new issue, they give you a first look at the new Captain America film starring Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Stanley Tucci, Hugo Weaving and Tommy Lee Jones. The comic book film is the latest in The Avengers series (which also includes Iron Man and Thor characters among others) and will be released on July 22, 2011. In the issue, EW gives you all the intel on the new film and a series of photos from the movie including the ridiculously hot pic of Chris Evans below. It’s reason enough to see the film, don’t you think? Head to EW.com for more here.