Lawless Trailer

Shia Lebouf, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Jessica Chastain, and Gary Oldman, directed by John Hillcoat? I'm definitely intrigued, and wonder about its Oscar possibilities, with its late summer release date.

Tony Nominations Tomorrow Morning and Facebook

I forgot to mention to those who don't know that tomorrow at about 8:30 Emmy Winner Jim Parsons and Emmy/Tony Winner Kristin Chenoweth will be announcing the Tony nominations live on their website, and I'm sure on other mediums across the web. Check in at The Awards Psychic for the full list.

Also don't forget to go to Facebook and like The Awards Psychic's page. If I get more likes, then I will update it more often, and in a week or so, I will be adding a Twitter page! Just let me get through my last undergraduate exams!

Second Trailer for Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom

This one is a little shorter, but it gives us more of what we are going to deal with throughout this first season. The more I see of it, the more excited I get about it. Hopefully being on HBO, it can be as smart as it wants and not go over the heads of its audience like Studio 60 did.

Tony Nomination Predictions: Final Predictions

Here is my final list of predictions with a few updates:

Best Musical
Leap of Faith
Newsies
Nice Work If You Can Get It
Once

Best Play
Clybourne Park
One Man Two Guvnors
Other Desert Cities
Peter and the Starcatcher

Best Revival of a Musical
Evita
Follies
The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess
Jesus Christ Superstar

Best Revival of a Play
Death of  A Salesman
Gore Vidal's The Best Man
A Streetcar Named Desire
Wit

Best Actor in a Musical
Matthew Broderick "Nice Work If You Can Get It"
Danny Burstein "Follies"
Raul Esparza "Leap of Faith"
Jeremy Jordan "Newsies"
Steve Kazee "Once"

Best Actress in a Musical
Jan Maxwell "Follies"
Audra McDonald "Porgy and Bess"
Cristin Milioti "Once"
Kelli O'Hara "Nice Work If You Can Get It"
Bernadette Peters "Follies"

Best Actor in a Play
James Corden "One Man Two Guvnors"
Philip Seymour Hoffman "Death of a Salesman"
Stacy Keach "Other Desert Cities"
John Lithgow "The Columnist"
Alan Rickman "Seminar"

Best Actress in a Play
Nina Arianda "Venus in Fur"
Tracie Bennett "End of the Rainbow"
Stockard Channing "Other Desert Cities"
Linda Lavin "The Lyons"
Cyntha Nixon "Wit"

Best of the Academy Awards Winners: Best Actor

Winner - Marlon Brando "The Godfather"
Runner Up - Jack Nicholson "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", Gregory Peck "To Kill a Mockingbird", Clark Gable "It Happened One Night"

Commentary - Say what you will, but in my opinion, Marlon Brando is the greatest American male actor of all time. His roles are iconic, his movies the best of all time, his personal decisions controversial, and his legend revered. And Brando was no better than in Coppola's 1972 classic The Godfather. As Vito Corleone, Brando created one of the greatest screen characters of all time, and both astonished us with his acting abilities and scared the hell out of us. A truly winning performance.

Tony Nomination Predictions: Best Musical

Predicted Nominees
Leap of Faith
Newsies
Nice Work If You Can Get It
Once

Other Contenders - Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark, Ghost The Musical, Bonnie and Clyde, Lysistrata Jones

Commentary - I know I am probably dumb not to pick Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark, but then again maybe it is a smart move. It never got great reviews, and it was so controversial, I honestly, just don't see Tony voters going for it, despite a majority of the major pundits feeling they will. Instead, in spot number four, I am going with Leap of Faith, maybe its not a newsmaker like Spiderman, but from what I here it is a better show. The other three at this moment, Newsies, Once, and Nice Work if You Can Get It are pretty much locks, with Newsies seemingly in the lead for the win.

2012 Drama Desk Nominations

Outstanding Play
David Henry Hwang, Chinglish
Dan LeFranc, The Big Meal
Members of the Plastic Theatre, Unnatural Acts
Itamar Moses, Completeness
Lynn Nottage, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark
Nina Raine, Tribes
Nicky Silver, The Lyons

Outstanding Musical
Bonnie & Clyde
Death Takes a Holiday
Leap of Faith
Newsies The Musical
Nice Work If You Can Get It
Once
Queen of the Mist

Outstanding Revival of a Play
A Little Journey
Death of a Salesman
Edward Albee's The Lady from Dubuque
Gore Vidal's The Best Man
Lost in Yonkers
Richard III

Outstanding Revival of a Musical
Carrie
Evita
Follies
Jesus Christ Superstar
The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess
The Threepenny Opera

Outstanding Actor in a Play
James Corden, One Man, Two Guvnors
Hugh Dancy, Venus in Fur
Claybourne Elder, One Arm
Santino Fontana, Sons of the Prophet
Joseph Franchini, The Navigator
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Death of a Salesman
Kevin Spacey, Richard III

Outstanding Actress in a Play
Tracie Bennett, End of the Rainbow
Sanaa Lathan, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark
Linda Lavin, The Lyons
Jennifer Lim, Chinglish
Kim Martin-Cotten, A Moon for the Misbegotten
Carey Mulligan, Through a Glass Darkly
Joely Richardson, Side Effects

Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Danny Burstein, Follies
Kevin Earley, Death Takes a Holiday
Raul Esparza, Leap of Faith
Jeremy Jordan, Newsies The Musical
Norm Lewis, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess
Ricky Martin, Evita

Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Miche Braden, The Devil's Music: The Life & Blues of Bessie Smith
Jan Maxwell, Follies
Audra McDonald, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess
Kelli O'Hara, Nice Work If You Can Get It
Bernadette Peters, Follies
Molly Ranson, Carrie

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Bill Camp, Death of a Salesman
Jim Dale, The Road to Mecca
Tom Edden, One Man, Two Guvnors
Bill Irwin, King Lear
Jefferson Mays, Blood and Gifts
Will Rogers, Unnatural Acts
Morgan Spector, Russian Transport

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Stephanie J. Block, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark
Anna Camp, All New People
Kimberly Hebert Gregory, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark
Lisa Joyce, The Ugly One
Joaquina Kalukango, Hurt Village
Angela Lansbury, Gore Vidal's The Best Man
Judith Light, Other Desert Cities

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Phillip Boykin, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess
Matt Cavenaugh, Death Takes a Holiday
Michael Cerveris, Evita
Michael McGrath, Nice Work If You Can Get It
Patrick Page, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark
Andrew Samonsky, Queen of the Mist

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Judy Kaye, Nice Work If You Can Get It
Marin Mazzie, Carrie
Jessie Mueller, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
Elaine Paige, Follies
Sarah Sokolovic, The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World
Melissa van der Schyff, Bonnie & Clyde

Outstanding Director of a Play
Jo Bonney, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark
David Cromer, Tribes
Ed Sylvanus Iskandar, These Seven Sicknesses
Sam Mendes, Richard III
Mike Nichols, Death of a Salesman
Tony Speciale, Unnatural Acts

Outstanding Director of a Musical
Christopher Ashley, Leap of Faith
Jack Cummings III, Queen of the Mist
Doug Hughes, Death Takes a Holiday
Kathleen Marshall, Nice Work If You Can Get It
Eric Schaeffer, Follies
John Tiffany, Once

Outstanding Choreography
Rob Ashford, Evita
Warren Carlyle, Follies
Breandan de Gallal, Noctu
Christopher Gattelli, Newsies The Musical
Kathleen Marshall, Nice Work If You Can Get It
Sergio Trujillo, Leap of Faith

Outstanding Music
Glen Hansard and Marketa lrglova, Once
Michael John LaChiusa, Queen of the Mist
Alan Menken, Leap of Faith
Alan Menken, Newsies The Musical
Frank Wildhorn, Bonnie & Clyde
Maury Yeston, Death Takes a Holiday

Outstanding Lyrics
Don Black, Bonnie & Clyde
Jack Feldman, Newsies The Musical
Joy Gregory and Gunnar Madsen, The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World
Glen Hansard and Marketa lrglova, Once
Michael John LaChiusa, Queen of the Mist
Maury Yeston, Death Takes a Holiday

Outstanding Book of a Musical
Douglas Carter Beane, Lysistrata Jones
Janus Cercone and Warren Leight, Leap of Faith
Joe DiPietro, Nice Work If You Can Get It
Joy Gregory, The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World
Michael John LaChiusa, Queen of the Mist
Thomas Meehan and Peter Stone, Death Takes a Holiday

Outstanding Music in a Play
Mark Bennett, An Iliad
Mark Bennett, Richard III
Tom Kitt, All's Well That Ends Well
Gina Leishman, Septimus and Clarissa
Grant Olding, One Man, Two Guvnors
Suzanne Vega and Duncan Sheik, Carson McCullers Talks About Love

Outstanding Revue
Newsical the Musical: End of the World Edition
The Best Is Yet to Come: The Music of Cy Coleman
Outstanding Set Design
Jon Driscoll, Rob Howell and Paul Kieve, Ghost The Musical
David Gallo, The Mountaintop
Roger Hanna, A Little Journey
David Korins, Assistance
David Korins, Chinglish
Derek McLane, Follies

Outstanding Costume Design
Gregg Barnes, Follies
ESosa, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark
William Ivey Long, Lucky Guy
Jessica Pabst, She Kills Monsters
Martin Pakledinaz, Nice Work If You Can Get It
Catherine Zuber, Death Takes a Holiday

Outstanding Lighting Design
Kevin Adams, Carrie
Neil Austin, Evita
David Lander, One Arm
Brian MacDevitt, Death of a Salesman
Kenneth Posner, Death Takes a Holiday
Paul Pyant, Richard III

Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical
Acme Sound Partners, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess
Jonathan Deans, Carrie
Clive Goodwin, Once
Kai Harada, Follies
Steve Canyon Kennedy, Jesus Christ Superstar
Jon Weston, Death Takes a Holiday

Outstanding Sound Design in a Play
Quentin Chiappetta/mediaNoise, The Navigator
Gregory Clarke, Misterman
Gareth Fry, Richard III
John Gromada, Gore Vidal's The Best Man
Stowe Nelson, Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War
Shane Rettig, She Kills Monsters

Outstanding Solo Performance Baba Brinkman, The Rap Guide to Evolution
Suli Holum, Chimera
Jeff Key, The Eyes of Babylon
Cillian Murphy, Misterman
Denis O'Hare, An Iliad
Stephen Spinella, An Iliad

Unique Theatrical Experience
Give Me Your Hand
Gob Squad's Kitchen (You've Never Had It So Good)
Noctu
The Complete & Condensed Stage Directions of Eugene O'Neill, Vol. 1: Early Plays/Lost Plays
The Ryan Case 1873
White

PRODUCTIONS WITH MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS Death Takes a Holiday: 10
Follies: 10
Nice Work If You Can Get It: 8
By the Way, Meet Vera Stark: 6
Leap of Faith: 6
Queen of the Mist: 6
Richard III: 6
Carrie: 5
Death of a Salesman: 5
Evita: 5
Newsies The Musical: 5
Once: 5
The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess: 5
Bonnie & Clyde: 4
An Iliad: 3
Chinglish: 3
Gore Vidal's The Best Man: 3
One Man, Two Guvnors: 3
The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World: 3
Unnatural Acts: 3
A Little Journey: 2
Jesus Christ Superstar: 2
Misterman: 2
Noctu: 2
One Arm: 2
The Lyons: 2
The Navigator: 2
Tribes: 2

Tony Nomination Predictions: Best Play

Predicted Nominees
Clybourne Park
One Man Two Guvnors
Other Desert Cities
Peter and the Starcatcher

Other Contenders - The Mountaintop, The Lyons, Seminar, End of the Rainbow, Chinglish, The Columnist, Venus in Fur, Magic Bird, Don't Dress for Dinner

Commentary - I can honestly see seven shows for four spots. The Lyons is probably in fifth place, on the verge of getting a nomination, Seminar in sixth or seventh. The performances of The Mountaintop seem to have more buzz than the show as a whole, although it has an outside chance. One Man and Two Guvnors and Peter and the Starcatcher are the last two in, so if any get replaced it will be one of them. The two at the moment that are in the lead for the win, and sure nominees are Clybourne Park and Other Desert Cities, with the latter seemingly in the lead.

Tony Nomination Predictions: Best Revival of a Musical

Predicted Nominees
Evita
Follies
The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess
Jesus Christ Superstar

Other Contenders - Godspell, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever

Commentary - I'm not entirely sure if there will be four full nominees, and if last year repeats and there are only two contenders, I am putting my money on a Follies vs. Porgy & Bess showdown. If there are more, I think the likes of Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar will beat out Godspell, although it is hot on their heels.

Hope Springs Trailer

Teaming up again with David Frankel, who helmed The Devil Wears Prada, Meryl follows up her Oscar winning performance with Hope Springs. It has some incredible talent beyond Meryl including Tommy Lee Jones, Steve Carell, and Jean Smart, and it looks more interesting than most romantic comedies. I personally think that this will be an enjoyable film, if not exactly groundbreaking, and Meryl could easily get yet another Oscar nod.. Check out the trailer below:

Tony Nomination Predictions: Best Revival of a Play

Predicted Nominees
Death of a Salesman
Gore Vidal's The Best Man
A Streetcar Named Desire
Wit

Other Contenders  - Private Lives, Master Class, Man and Boy, The Road to Mecca

Commentary - While Private Lives and Master Class both have an outside shot of getting nominated, I feel pretty confident about the four that I chose. Death of a Salesman and Wit have outstanding lead performances, and got great reviews. But they will face stiff competition from Gore Vidal's The Best Man. In the fourth slot, I am going with A Streetcar Named Desire, which is getting good buzz about its adaptation, and the performances involved.

This is 40 Trailer

The Fun song kind of throws off the vibe of this one, but if it has the smarts like Knocked Up, along with the talented cast, this could be this year's Bridesmaids.

First Look at Django Unchained

Normally I don't post set photos, because it would literally take up most of my time. But I am so excited for Quentin Tarantino's next film that I am breaking my own rule. Here are two new photos from the set featuring Leonardo Dicaprio, and Oscar winners Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz. Enjoy!

Photos from awardsdaily.com:

Best of the Academy Awards Winners: Best Actress

Winner - (TIE) Katharine Hepburn "The Lion in Winter" and Meryl Streep "Sophie's Choice"
Runner Up - Vivien Leigh "Gone With the Wind", Geraldine Page "A Trip to Bountiful"

Commentary - I think that in the multitude of actresses that have grace the silver screen, there are two that stand out as the greatest of all time. For almost fifty years, the reigning queen was Katharine Hepburn, who was in fine form in The Lion in the Winter, her best performance of her four Oscar wins. In the aftermath of Hepburn's death, the actress who took the throne was of course the marvelous Meryl Streep. Her raw and stunning performance in Sophie's Choice showed the world exactly how great Meryl Streep was.

Tony Nomination Predictions: Best Actor in a Musical

Predicted Nominees
Danny Burstein "Follies"
Raul Esparza "Leap of Faith"
Jeremy Jordan "Newsies"
Matthew Broderick "Nice Work If You Can Get It"
Steve Kazee "Once"

Other Contenders - Norm Lewis "The Gershwin's Porgy & Bess", Ricky Martin "Evita", Paul Nolan "Jesus Christ Superstar", Reeve Carney "Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark", Ron Raines "Follies", Harry Connick Jr. "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever"

Commentary - Breakout star Jeremy Jordan hit the stage twice in this eligibility period, but I think his performance in Newsies is the one to bet on. Raul Esparza has yet to win a Tony, and while I don't think Leap of Faith is going to fianlly get him the gold, it should still be enough for a nomination. Danny Burstein is also Tony-less, and while he will have to battle his Follies co-star, I think that he will easily overcome split votes and make the cut. Steve Kazee should also make the cut for Once. In the final slot, I am going with Tony winner Matthew Broderick. While it is a close battle between him and Norm Lewis, I think the star power of Broderick will win the day.

Best of the Academy Awards Winners: Best Supporting Actor

Winner - Robert DeNiro "The Godfather Part II"Runners Up - Kevin Kline "A Fish Called Wanda" and Karl Malden "A Streetcar Named Desire"

Commentary - It is hard to fill the shoes of any actor when assuming a character that has already been performed impeccably. But to fill the shoes of Marlon Brando seems like a task that should never be undertaken. Well Robert De Niro bravely took on the task. Not only did he nail it, but it would launch what has been one of the most storied careers in Hollywood. A stunning achievement indeed.

Tony Nomination Predictions: Best Actress in a Musical

Predicted Nominees
Jan Maxwell "Follies"
Audra McDonald "The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess"
Cristin Milioti "Once"
Kelli O'Hara "Nice Work if You Can Get It"
Bernadette Peters "Follies"

Other Contenders - Elena Roger "Evita",

Commentary - Audra McDonald has already won four Tony Awards, and from the looks of it, she may make it five with the revival of Porgy and Bess. Hot on her tails are some big veterans like Jan Maxwell, who has still yet to win a Tony, and the legendary Bernadette Peters. Also joining the race is newcomer Cristin Milioti in her first lead role on Broadway. The last slot is a little tricky. I think it is between Milioti, Peters, newcomer Elena Roger for Evita, which has gotten mixed reviews, and finally Kelli O'Hara. Nice Work if You Can Get It is a big hit, and three time nominee O'Hara has yet to win a Tony, and is a well-liked Broadway star.

Critics' Choice Television Awards Calender and New Categories

Some interesting news for the Second Annual Critics' Choice TV Awards:

"The Broadcast Television Journalists Association announces new categories for the 2nd Annual Critics' Choice TV Awards. From the press release: "New categories for the 2011/12 season include Best Movie or Mini-Series, Best Actor in a Movie or Mini-Series, Best Actress in a Movie or Mini-Series, Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series, Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series and Best Animated Series. 'BTJA was launched to enhance access for broadcast journalists covering the television industry as well as honor the best work of the previous season while highlighting the potential standouts for the upcoming season,' said Joey Berlin, acting president of BTJA. 'We were gratified by the industry support for our organization and our inaugural Critics’ Choice Television Awards last year and pleased with how well our members’ choices reflected the vote of the Television Academy."

All of these categories are definitely worthy additions, and I am interested to see how, in its second year, the show goes.

Here is this season's calender for the awards:

May 1, 2012– Nominating Committees begin consideration
June 1, 2012 – Nominating Committees render recommendations
June 5, 2012 – Critics’ Choice Television Awards nominees announced
June 11, 2012 – CCTA Best New Series winners announced
June 14, 2012 – Final ballots go out to the BTJA members
June 16, 2012 – Deadline for returning final ballots

The second annual Critics’ Choice Television Awards ceremony will be held on Monday, June 18, 2012, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Tony Nomination Predictions: Best Actor in a Play

Predicted Nominees
James Corden "One Man Two Guvnors"
Philip Seymour Hoffman "Death of Salesmen"
Stacy Keach "Other Desert Cities"
John Lithgow "The Columnist"
Alan Rickman "Seminar"

Other Contenders - Samuel L. Jackson "The Mountaintop", Blair Underwood "A Streetcar Named Desire", Christian Borle "Peter and the Starcatcher, Hugh Dancy "Venus in Fur"

Commentary - At the moment, the only lock in this very packed race I can be sure of is Philip Seymour Hoffman's incredible performance in Death of a Salesmen. Beyond that, there are at least eight men fighting for four spots. Those at this point not making the cut include Blair Underwood, Samuel L. Jackson, Christian Borle, and Hugh Dancy. Considering the raves for The Mountaintop, at least about the two lead performances, I was surprised when so few pundits thought they would get nominated. I know I should form my own opinion, but sometimes betting against the odds is just not smart. I hope Jackson and Bassett get in, but at this point the odds seemed to be against them. Alan Rickman though should get in for Seminar, as should James Corden. The last two slots are the shakiest. I am going with the more obvious choices of Stacy Keach and John Lithgow, but they are vulnerable to say the least.

Best of the Academy Awards Winners: Best Supporting Actress

Winner - (TIE) Ruth Gordon "Rosemary's Baby" and Ingrid Bergman "Murder on the Orient Express"
Runner Up - Dianne Wiest "Hannah and Her Sisters", Jessica Lange "Tootsie", and Hattie McDaniel "Gone With the Wind

Commentary - I went two different ways on this one, for two very distinct reasons. First, Ruth Gordon's performance in Rosemary's Baby is simply electrifying. So on the merit of the performance, she wins (although her career as a whole is fantastic as well). However, in terms of the career, Ingrid Bergman is one of the greatest actresses of all time, it is more about the career than this particular performance (Although once again, she is great in the film). So two trajectories equals two winners. And once again, I am sorry for not being able to pick just one (Only one other category will have a tie, the rest are straighforward).

Tony Nomination Predictions: Best Actress in a Play

Predictions
Nina Arianda "Venus in Fur"
Tracie Bennett "End of the Rainbow"
Stockard Channing "Other Desert Cities"
Linda Lavin "The Lyons"
Cynthia Nixon "Wit"

Other Contenders - Angela Bassett "The Mountaintop", Linda Edmond "Death of a Salesman", Tyne Daly "Master Class", Rachel Griffiths "Other Desert Cities", Annie Parisse "Clybourne Park", Jennifer Lin "Chinglish", Crystal A. Dickinson "Clybourne Park", Rosemary Harris "The Road to Mecca", Nicole Ari Parker "A Streetcar Named Desire"

Commentary - I thought for weeks that Angela Bassett was a lock, but with some stiff  competition, I am actually predictions she is the sixth slot. So while it is still possible, I think that she may not make the cut. Instead, I think her spot will go to Linda Lavin for The Lyons. The other four I am more certain of. Stockard Channing, Cynthia Nixon, Tracie Bennett, and Nina Arianda all seem like locks.

Best of the Academy Awards Winners: Best Original and Adapted Screenplay

Best Adapted Screenplay
Winner - Philip G. Epstein, Julius J. Epstein, Howard Koch "Casablanca"
Runner Up - Ring Lardner Jr. "M*A*S*H" and Horton Foote "To Kill a Mockingbird"
Commentary - This one was a pretty easy choice from the first time I went through the list. In the AFI's Top 100 Quotes, one film simply dominates. That film of course is Casablanca. It is a brilliantly written piece of screenwriting, deftly combining war and romance, and giving us some of the best quotes of all time.

Best Original Screenplay
Winner - (TIE) Charles Brackett, D.M. Marshman Jr., Billy Wilder "Sunset Boulevard" & Quentin Tarantino "Pulp Fiction" & Woody Allen "Annie Hall"
Runner Up -
Commentary - A lot tougher than the previous category, which is why I have copped out and selected not just two, but three. But when I think of great original scripts, I think of three different eras. The first is the Billy Wilder era, with his witty and original scripts that created some of the greatest films of all time, particularly that of Sunset Blvd. It didn't hurt having Gloria Swanson, but Wilder & Co's script is one that has been copied by many others to this very day. The second era is that of Woody Allen, his scripts, when they are on top of their game, are consistently funny, signaturely Woody, and highly original concepts. Finally, the third era is that of Quentin Tarantino. Ultra-vibrant and violent, his films happily take from the b-rated movies of the 70's, and cleverly twist them into incredible stories that excited and entertain. So yes, I copped out, but I don't feel bad about it.

Ruby Sparks Trailer

From the directing team that brought us Little Miss Sunshine comes this new quirky dramedy about a young writer and a potentially imaginary (or not?) love that has inspired his new work. The cast, including Paul Dano, Annette Bening, Zoe Kazan, and Elliot Gould, and if it has the charm and warmth of Little Miss Sunshine, this is sure to be a great movie.

Best of the Academy Awards Winners: Best Animated Feature

Winner - Toy Story 3
Runner Up - Wall-E and Finding Nemo
Commentary - Such a hard choice, with so many incredible Pixar films, and Spirited Away of course, in the running. But in the end I settled on honoring not only the singular film, but the series as a whole. It is hard to make sequels as good as the original, and even harder with part 3. But the Toy Story series has quickly risen to the top of all time trilogies, by making each individual effort special, while also encouraging a sense of a cohesive effort. Toy Story 3 may not be the last of Buzz, Woody, and our friends, but for now, it wins this award as a small wink and nod to the greatest animated film series of time.

Best of the Academy Awards Winners: Best Original Song and Score

Best Original Score
Winner - John Williams "Star Wars"
Runner Up - Lawrence of Arabia and Sunset Blvd.
Commentary - Iconic doesn't even begin to describe John William's greatest masterpiece. By that of course I am referring to his score for Star Wars. It still excites people when if first blazes onto the screen in the opening credits, and is quite possibly the greatest film score of all time.

Best Original Song
Winner - Over the Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz
Runner Up - Beauty and the Beast and Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffany's
Commentary - Another iconic piece of music, that, while it may seem like a too obvious choice, is also definitely the greatest song every written directory for a film.

Best of the Academy Awards Winners: Best Art Direction, Cinematography, and Film Editing

Best Film Editing
Winner - Thelma Schoonmaker "Raging Bull"
Runner Up - Schindler's List and Jaws
Commentary - Raging Bull is probably considered one of the singular masterpieces of the last half of the 20th c. It climbed to number 4 on the AFI's list in 2007. It is because of the dynamic duo of Marty Scorsese and Thelma Schoonmaker that Raging Bull, as well as their other collaborations are so damn good. Her work in this film is stunning.

Best Art Direction
Winner - Gone With the Wind
Runner Up- Titanic and Sunset Blvd.
Commentary -  Gone With the Wind remains one of the greatest epic masterpieces of all time. It's scale is huge even for today's standards, and one of the most fantastic elements is the stunning art direction. Done before computers and special effects, the sets are spot on, and only add to the grand nature of this visual masterpiece.

Best Cinematography
Winner - (TIE) The Third Man and Apocalypse Now
Runner Up - The Bridge on the River Kwai
Commentary - I decided that a tie was necessary to include both black and white, and color films. The Third Man's stunning cinematography can be seen even without any color with incredible shots and perfect focusing. In the modern era, the benchmark for future endeavors seems to be Coppola's classic Apocalypse Now, a feat in cinematic photography.

2012 Cannes Film Festival Lineup

A lot of great competitors including Wes Anderson, Lee Daniels, David Cronenberg, John Hillcoat, Jacques Audiard, Walter Salles, Abbas Kiarostami, and others, so I am looking forward to see which ones will be  Oscar contenders/

COMPETITION
"Moonrise Kingdom" (dir. Wes Anderson) (OPENING NIGHT)
"Amour" (dir. Michael Haneke)
"The Angel's Share" (dir. Ken Loach)
"Baad EL Mawkeaa (Apres La Bataille") (dir. Yousry Nasrallah)
"Beyond The Hills" (dir. Cristian Mungiu)
"Cosmopolis" (dir. David Cronenberg)
"Holy Motors" (dir. Leos Carax)
"The Hunt" (dir. Thomas Vinterberg)
"In Another Country" (dir. Hong Sang-Soo)
"Im Nebels (Dans La Brume)" (dir. Sergei Loznitsa)
"Killing Them Softly" (dir. Andrew Dominik)
"Lawless" (dir. John Hillcoat)
"Like Someone In Love" (dir. Abbas Kiarostami)
"Moonrise Kingdom" (dir. Wes Anderson)
"Mud" (dir. Jeff Nichols)
"On The Road" (dir. Walter Salles)
"Paradies: Liebe" (dir. Ulrich Seidl)
"The Paperboy" (dir. Lee Daniels)
"Post Tenebras Lux" (dir. Carlos Reygadas)
"Reality" (dir. Matteo Garrone)
"Rust & Bone" (dir. Jacques Audiard)
"Taste Of Money" (dir. Im Sang-Soo)
"Vous N'Avez Encoure Rien Vu" (dir. Alain Resnais)
"Therese D." (dir. Claude Miller) (CLOSING NIGHT)

Un Certain Regard:
"Miss Lovely" (dir. Ashim Ahluwalia)
"La Playa" (dir. Juan Andres Arango)
"Les Chevaus De Dieu" (dir. Nabil Ayouch)
"Trois Mondes" (dir. Catheron Corsini)
"Antiviral" (dir. Brandon Cronenberg)
"7 Days In Havana" (dir. Benicio Del Toro, Laurent Cantet, Gaspar Noe etc)
"Le Grand Soir" (dir. Benoit Delepine & Gustave Kervern)
"Laurence Anyways" (dir. Xavier Dolan)
"Despues De Lucia" (dir. Michel Franco)
"Aimer A Perdre La Raison" (dir. Joachim Lafosse)
"Mystery" (dir. Lou Ye)
"Student" (dir. Darezhan Omirbayev)
"La Pirogue" (dir. Moussa Toure)
"Elefante Blanco" (dir. Pablo Trapero)
"Confession Of A Child Of The Century" (dir. Sylvie Verheyde)
"11.25: The Day He Chose His Own Fate" (dir. Koji Wakamatsu)
"Beasts Of The Southern Wild" (dir. Benh Zeitlin)

Out of Competition:
"Une Journee Particuliere" (dir. Gilles Jacob and Samuel Faure)
"Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" (dir. Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath)
"Dario Argento's Dracula" (dir. Dario Argento)
"Io E Te" (dir. Bernardo Berolucci)
"Hemingway & Gellhorn" (Dir. Philip Kaufman)
"Ai To Makoto" (dir. Takashi Miike)

Special Screening:
"Der Mull Im Garten Eden" (dir. Faith Akin)
"Mekong Hotel" (dir. Apichatpong Weerasethakul)
"Villegas" (dir. Gonzalo Tobal)
"A Musica Segundo Tom Jobim" (dir. Nelson Pereira Do Santos)
"Journal De France" (dir. Claudine Nougaret & Raymond Depardon)
"Les Invisbles" (dir. Sebastien Lifshitz)
"The Central Park Five" (dir. Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, David McMahon)
"Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir" (dir. Laurent Bouzereau)

Time's 100 Most Influential People - Entertainers

I won't list all of them, but will try to list those in entertainment who made the list. Some great choices here including Viola Davis, Kristen Wiig, Raphael Saadiq and Jessica Chastain. There are so questions marks like Rihanna (really?) and Chelsea Handler (Love her, but not sure if she belongs here). And then there are the more obvious choices like Adele and Harvey Weinstein
.
Kristen Wiig
Viola Davis
Rihanna
Chelsea Handler
Claire Danes
Louis C.K.
Matt Lauer
Asghar Farhadi
E.L. James
Harvey Weinstein
Jessica Chastain
Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy
Stephen Colbert
Tilda Swinton
Adele
Christian Marclay
Raphael Saadiq

The Magic of Belle Isle Trailer

Rob Reiner hasn't made a really great film since The American President, although I would argue that The Bucket List, while not exactly the greatest film in the world, was at least entertaining. Like many of his films, this one seems to have a little too much sap, although a grumpy Morgan Freeman could add a little flavor. I don't know what it is, but I am kind of excited for this one. There seems to be some chemistry between Virginia Madsen, who seems to have recaptured some of her Sideways glow, and the always great Morgan Freeman, and both could be contenders this season.

RIP Dick Clark

Some very sad news. The TV legend Dick Clark, who had suffered a stroke a couple of years ago, died of a heartattack this morning in Los Angeles. He has been a television icon for decades, still managing to celebrate New Years with Dick Clark New Year's Rockin Eve even after his stroke. He had grace and class, and will be sorely missed. My thoughts and prayers are with Dick's family. Thanks for everything Dick, television will never quite be the same in your absence.

New Oscar Categories?

A piece from The Hollywood Reporter discussed at ActionFest, how the stuntmen of the industry are meeting with Academy officials to push for a separate award for stunt performers, similar to those given out by the Screen Actors Guild. This brings up a question that I would like to pose to you. Do you want new Oscar categories? I have always thought of this, and stuntmen do do dangerous work that makes the movie world go around, but do we really need new awards? I have thought of a few in my mind that could be potentials. One is Ensemble. The argument against it has always been that people will not discern enough from Best Picture, and there would most likely be too much overlapping, and not enough distinction. I mean if the actors can sometimes do it (hello Slumdog Millionaire anyone?), then don't expect sound editors, art directors, and executives to try to discern.

Another category I have considered is a Voice Acting Oscar. Over the years, some of the most prolific performances have come from voice acting in animated features. Think Robin Williams in Aladdin, Eddie Murphy in Shrek, Ellen Degeneres in Finding Nemo, Ed Asner in Up, the many voices of Toy Story, etc. Some will mock this, and it took them decades just to get an Animated Feature category (now there is talk of eliminating it, which I think is a huge mistake), and I have a feeling that it will never come to fruition.

Finally, I had a thought regarding consolidation. I know that Sound Mixing and Sound Editing are two distinct things, and those in that branch of the Academy fought to make sure that the disctinction has remained. But let's be honest. Most of these Academy members don't know the damn difference between the two, and unless that specific branch votes on it, be almost always have the same film win. I think it is time to consolidate the two categories into one, and simply call it sound, which honors both the mixers and the editors.

So what are your thoughts? Do we need a stunt category? New categories in general? or Consolidation?

Best of the Academy Awards Winners: Best Makeup and Costume Design

Best Costume Design
Winner - Some Like It Hot
Runner Up - West Side Story and Star Wars
Commentary - I know what you are thinking, of all the great movie costumes, Some Like It Hot doesn't necessarily pop into your mind, compared to say Gone With the Wind. But of the winners of Costume Design, that movie title popped out to me. Dressing Marilyn up in all those outfits, and cross dressing the guys was a central part of one of the greatest, if not the greatest comedies ever put on the screen. For that it deserves this honor.

Best Makeup
Winner - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Runner Up - Planet of the Apes
Commentary - The Lord of the Rings had to create digitally literally thousands of characters. But its makeup designers also had to have intricate work done without all the help of computers. Just looking at the orcs, you can tell that the makeup designers of the Lord of Rings helped to create a vibrant and realistic Middle Earth.

Best of the Academy Awards Winners: Best Visual Effects, Sound Mixing, and Sound Editing

Best Visual Effects
Winner - (TIE) Avatar and Star Wars
Runners Up - The Empire Strikes Back, 2001: A Space Odyssey
Commentary - So you might as well prepare yourself that in some categories I may cop out, because it is sometimes just so hard to choose just one. In this category, I went with two different generations.  By today's visual effects standards, no film has surpassed the stunning visuals of Avatar. But Avatar can almost entirely trace its roots back to 1977, when Star Wars hit the screen. For its time, it was a visual feat, the film that utilized new technology, and continued to explore the possibilities of film.

Best Sound Mixing
Winner - Lawrence of Arabia
Runners Up - The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark
Commentary - Lawrence is one of the most incredible film masterpieces of all time, and deserves some sort of recogntion. In the 1960's, the bold scale of the film was a technical feat. Being able to intrically coordinate the dialogue with the sounds of the desert made Lawrence of Arabia a treat for the ears.

Best Sound Editing
Winner  - Raiders of the Lost Ark
Runners Up  -E.T., Star Wars, and The Dark Knight
Commentary - Raiders of the Lost Ark is the beginning of one of the greatest film series of all times. It is a fast paced action adventure, and is stunning for both the eyes and the ears. I guarantee you that if you pop this into your surround sound you will see the intricacies of the sound, and appreciate the work of its effects editors.

Best of the Academy Awards Nomination Totals

Before I start annoucing the winners of each category here are the totals in terms of nominations per film. I can say that, unlike the Oscars, an incredible amount of nominations doesn't necessarily mean a frontrunner. So stay tuned for the winnersas they role in, and also stay tuned for Tony Nomination Predictions, which will start later this week.

On the Waterfront – 7
Star Wars – 7
Gone With the Wind – 6
Lawrence of Arabia – 6
It Happened One Night -5
Raiders of the Lost Ark – 5
Schindler’s List – 5
All About Eve – 4
The Godfather Part II – 4
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – 4
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – 4
Saving Private Ryan – 4
A Streetcar Named Desire – 4
The Apartment – 3
The Godfather – 3
Sunset Blvd – 3
Terminator 2: Judgment Day – 3
Titanic – 3
Aliens – 2
Annie Hall – 2
Apocalypse Now – 2
Beauty and the Beast – 2
Breakfast at Tiffany’s – 2
The Bridge on the River Kwai – 2  
Casablanca – 2
The Dark Knight – 2
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial – 2
The Empire Strikes Back – 2
Fanny and Alexander – 2
Hannah and Her Sisters - 2
High Noon – 2
Jaws – 2
The Lion King – 2
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – 2
Network  - 2
Raging Bull – 2
The Social Network - 2
To Kill a Mockingbird – 2
The Wizard of Oz - 2
2001: A Space Odyssey – 1
8 ½ - 1
8 Mile – 1
The African Queen – 1
Almost Famous – 1
An American Werewolf in Paris – 1
Avatar – 1
Back to the Future – 1
Beetlejuice – 1
Bram Stoker’s Dracula – 1
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid – 1
California Suite – 1
Chinatown – 1
Citizen Kane – 1
Close Encounters of the Third Kind – 1
The Deer Hunter – 1
The Departed – 1
The Diary of Anne Frank – 1  
Dirty Dancing – 1
Ed Wood – 1
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – 1
The Exorcist – 1
Fargo – 1
Finding Nemo – 1
A Fish Called Wanda – 1
The Fly – 1
The Graduate – 1
The Grapes of Wrath – 1
How the Grinch Stole Christmas – 1
How the West Was Won – 1
It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World – 1
Inception – 1
The Incredibles – 1
Jezebel – 1
Julia – 1
Kentucky – 1
Lilies of the Field – 1
The Little Mermaid - 1
The Lion in Winter – 1
M*A*S*H – 1
The Miracle Worker -1
Mister Rogers – 1
Moulin Rouge! – 1
Murder on the Orient Express – 1
No Country For Old Men – 1
An Office and a Gentleman – 1
Planet of the Apes – 1
Pan’s Labyrinth – 1
Philadelphia – 1
The Philadelphia Story – 1
Pinocchio – 1
Platoon – 1
Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire – 1
The Producers – 1
Pulp Fiction – 1
Ratatouille – 1
Reds – 1
Roman Holiday – 1
Rosemary’s Baby – 1
Some Like it Hot – 1
Sophie’s Choice – 1
The Sound of Music – 1
Spartacus – 1
Spirited Away – 1
Swing Time – 1
The Third Man – 1
Tootsie – 1
Toy Story 3 – 1
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre -1
A Trip to Bountiful – 1
Up – 1
Wall-E – 1
West Side Story – 1

2012 NAMIC Vision Awards

Honors multi-ethnicity in communications:

BEST PERFORMANCE – COMEDY
Luis Guzman – How to Make It in America – HBO
Maya Rudolph – Up All Night – Universal Television
Michael-Jamal Warner – Reed Between the Lines – BET Networks
Tasha Smith – Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse – TBS
Tracee Ellis Ross – Reed Between the Lines – BET Networks

BEST PERFORMANCE – DRAMA
Andre Braugher – Men of a Certain Age – TNT
Jada Pinkett Smith – Hawthorne – TNT
Jenifer Lewis – Five – Lifetime
Lisa Gay Hamilton – Men of a Certain Age – TNT
Regina King – Southland – TNT
Rosario Dawson – Five – Lifetime

CHILDREN’S
Dora the Explorer – Nickelodeon
El Perro y El Gato – HBO
Nick News with Linda Ellerbee: Beyond I Have a Dream – Nickelodeon
The Good Night Show – Sprout

COMEDY
30 Rock – Universal Television
Are We There Yet? – TBS
Glee – Fox Broadcasting Company
Let’s Stay Together – BET Networks
Reed Between the Lines – Bet Networks
The Game – BET Networks

DIGITAL MEDIA – LONG FORM
Oprah’s Lifeclass: Live – OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network

DIGITAL MEDIA – SHORT FORM
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month – Nickelodeon
Cooking Channel’s Lee Anne Wong: Appetizer Advisor – Scripps Networks Interactive
Mexican Pointy Boots – mun2
Latina Transgender Divas Compete for Orange County Pageant Crown – mun2

DOCUMENTARY
Alpha Man: The Brotherhood of MLK – BET Networks
Brick City – Sundance Channel
Common Dreams – CNN
Pictures Don’t Lie – CNN
Fab Five – ESPN
Sing Your Song – HBO

DRAMA
Army Wives – ABC Studios
Law & Order: SVU – Universal Television
Parenthood – Universal Television
Southland – TNT
Treme – HBO

FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Alcanza La Fama – Abel Ullon Webisodes – Time Warner Cable
Christina Cruz – ESPN
Henry Cejudo – ESPN
La Ley Del Miedo – Discovery En Español
Operación Sodoma – Discovery En Español

LIFESTYLE
Cooking Channel’s Easy Chinese: San Francisco – Scripps Networks Interactive
Cooking Channel’s Heat Seekers – Scripps Networks Interactive
Cooking Channel’s Spice Goddess – Scripps Networks Interactive
Vive la Salud con la Dra. Azaret: Autismo – CNN En Español
The mun2 Look – mun2

NEWS / INFORMATIONAL
2011 BTN LiveBIG Features – Big Ten Network
Education Makeover with CNN Education Contributor Steve Perry – CNN
Freedom Foot Soldiers: A Conversation with TJ Holmes – CNN
Inside Africa – Phoenix: Sundanese Boys Reunited – CNNi
Oprah’s Master Class – OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network
Visionaries: Inside the Creative Mind – OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network

ORIGINAL MOVIE OR SPECIAL
Pastport: Venezuela – nuvoTV
Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story – Lifetime
The Space Between – USA Network
Thurgood – HBO

REALITY
All-American Muslim – TLC
Beyond Scared Straight – A&E Network
Born to Dance: Laurieann Gibson – BET Networks
Flying Wild Alaska – Discovery Communications
Top Chef – Bravo Media
Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s – OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network

SPORTS
2011 BTN LiveBIG Features – Big Ten Network
E:60 Deportes Paco Rodriguez – ESPN Deportes
Prayer for a Perfect Season – HBO
The Curious Case of Curt Flood – HBO
The Color Orange: The Condredge Holloway Story – ESPN
The Promise – ESPN

VARIETY / TALK SHOW
Homecoming: The Killing of DJ Henry – BET Networks
MLK: Image of the Black Athlete – ESPN
Oprah’s Lifeclass – OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network
Welcome to America: D’Banj – BET International

Best of the Academy Awards Nominees: Best Picture

It Happened One Night
Gone With the Wind
Casablanca
All About Eve
On the Waterfront
The Apartment
Lawrence of Arabia
The Godfather
The Godfather Part II
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Schindler's List
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Best of the Academy Awards Nominees: Best Director

Frank Capra "It Happened One Night"
John Ford "The Grapes of Wrath"
John Huston "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre"

Joseph L. Mankiewicz "All About Eve"
Elia Kazan "On the Waterfront"
Billy Wilder "The Apartment"
David Lean "Lawrence of Arabia"
Mike Nichols "The Graduate"
Francis Ford Coppola "The Godfather Part II"
Milos Forman "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"
Steven Spielberg "Schindler's List"

Peter Jackson "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"
Martin Scorsese "The Departed"

Best of the Academy Awards Nominees: Best Actor

Clark Gable "It Happened One Night"
James Stewart "The Philadelphia Story"
Humphrey Bogart "The African Queen"
Gary Cooper "High Noon"
Alec Guinness "The Bridge on the River Kwai"
Gregory Peck "To Kill a Mockingbird"
Sidney Poitier "Lilies of the Field"
Marlon Brando "The Godfather"
Jack Nicholson "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest"
Robert De Niro "Raging Bull"
Tom Hanks "Philadelphia"

Best of the Academy Awards Nominees: Best Actress

Katharine Hepburn "The Lion in Winter”
Claudette Colbert "It Happened One Night"
Bette Davis "Jezebel"
Vivien Leigh "A Streetcar Named Desire"/”Gone With the Wind”
Anne Bancroft "The Miracle Worker"
Elizabeth Taylor "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"
Faye Dunaway "Network"
Diane Keaton "Annie Hall"
Meryl Streep "Sophie's Choice"
Geraldine Page "A Trip to Bountiful"
Frances McDormand "Fargo"

Best of the Academy Awards Nominees: Best Supporting Actor

Walter Brennan "Kentucky"
Karl Malden "A Streetcar Named Desire"
Jack Lemmon "Mister Rogers"
Robert DeNiro "The Godfather Part II"
Christopher Walken "The Deer Hunter"
Michael Caine "Hannah and Her Sisters"
Kevin Kline "A Fish Called Wanda"
Denzel Washington "Glory"
Javier Bardem "No Country For Old Men"
Heath Ledger "The Dark Knight"

Marion Cotillard in Rust & Bone Trailer

The only one we have right now is in French, but even without subtitles you can see the emotion this film will offer. Since its from the creater of A Prophet, I think this one could really be a big hit, most likely will hit Cannes in May, and then come to the US in the fall. Marion Cotillard in particular could be a huge contender. She did win an Oscar for a French film, and since then has made a great name for herself in American cinema. Plus she will have The Dark Knight Rises as well.

Best of the Academy Awards Nominees: Best Supporting Actress

Hattie McDaniel "Gone With the Wind"
Eva Marie Saint "On the Waterfront"
Shelley Winters "The Diary of Anne Frank"
Ruth Gordon "Rosemary's Baby"
Kim Hunter “A Streetcar Named Desire”

Ingrid Bergman "Murder on the Orient Express"
Vanessa Redgrave "Julia"
Maggie Smith "California Suite"
Maureen Stapleton "Reds"
Jessica Lange "Tootsie"
Dianne Wiest "Hannah and Her Sisters"
Mo'Nique "Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire"

Best of the Academy Awards Nominees: Best Adapted Screenplay

Robert Riskin "It Happened One Night"
Sidney Howard "Gone With the Wind" Philip G. Epstein, Julius J. Epstein, Howard Koch "Casablanca"
Joseph L. Mankiewicz "All About Eve"
Horton Foote "To Kill a Mockingbird"
Ring Lardner Jr. "M*A*S*H"
Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola "The Godfather"
Bo Goldman and Laurence Hauben "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"
Steve Zaillian "Schindler's List"
Aaron Sorkin "The Social Network"

Best of the Academy Awards Nominees: Best Original Screenplay

Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles "Citizen Kane"
Charles Brackett, D.M. Marshman Jr., Billy Wilder "Sunset Boulevard"
Budd Schulberg "On the Waterfront"
Mel Brooks "The Producers"
Robert Towne "Chinatown"
Paddy Chayefsky "Network"
Woody Allen "Annie Hall"
Quentin Tarantino "Pulp Fiction"

Cameron Crowe "Almost Famous"
Peter Bismuth, Michel Gondry, Charlie Kaufman "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"

Best of the Academy Awards Nominees: Best Animated Feature

Spirited Away
Finding Nemo
The Incredibles
Ratatouille
Wall-E
Up
Toy Story 3

RIP Mike Wallace

At the age of 93, the great news reporter and anchor of 60 Minutes Mike Wallace has passed away. He was an amazing journalist, and for years provided some of the best interviews seen on television. This is a great lost to the news and television community, and my personal thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends on this Easter Sunday. Rest in peace old friend and thank you for years of dedication to your art.

Best of the Academy Awards Nominees: Best Original Score

Herbert Stothart "The Wizard of Oz"
Franz Waxman "Sunset Boulevard"
Dimitri Tiomkin "High Noon"
Henry Mancini "Breakfast at Tiffany's"
Maurice Jarre "Lawrence of Arabia"
Irwan Kostal "The Sound of Music"
Burt Bacharach "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"
John Williams "Star Wars"
Alan Menken "Beauty and the Beast"
Hans Zimmer "The Lion King"
James Horner "Titanic"

TV Review: GCB

My friend has a theory about any television show. If you are not sure about a show, give it five episodes, and then if it doesn't get you into it then move on. So, I have waited five episodes of ABC's new comedy GCB, standing for Good Christian Bitches, and now I can say yea or nay. It is a difficult show to write about. Like its soapy predecessor Desperate Housewives, GCB is, at its core, is a trashy soap opera, and from the first minutes you realize that it is simply unashamed of that label. So while many critics will immediately trash it for it, you have to realize that maybe that could actually be a compliment.

That isn't to say that there couldn't be substantial improvements. I am happy to see that we are seeing different levels with the core characters, although some (like Carlene), could use some more depth from its writers to match the energy brought by the actresses. Speaking of, these women really bring their stuff, and I am particularly thrilled to see the great Annie Potts showing her stuff once again.

But that being said, I have to admit that GCB is my newest guily pleasure. Yes it is loud and trashy, and its characters are stock Texas stereotypes, but the cast does a great job, and it is highly entertaining, and at moments it can be laugh out loud hilarious. I think as bloggers, critics, and high-minded entertainment viewers, we get so bogged down in the medium that we sometimes forget that the most important part of television, film, music, theater, etc. is to be entertained. And while you may want to close your blinds and not tell your friends that you do, take some time every Sunday night and stop being stuck in the mud and enjoy yourself with ABC's newest guily pleasure.

Grade - B+

Best of the Academy Awards Nominees: Best Original Song

Swing Time - The Way You Look Tonight
The Wizard of Oz - Over the Rainbow
Pinocchio - When You Wish Upon a Star  
Breakfast at Tiffany's - Moon River
An Officer and a Gentleman - Up Where We Belong
Dirty Dancing - (I've Had) The Time of My Life
The Little Mermaid - Under the Sea
Beauty and the Beast - Beauty and the Beast
The Lion King - Can You Feel the Love Tonight
Titanic - My Heart Will Go On
8 Mile - Lose Yourself

Best of the Academy Awards Nominees: Best Film Editing

On the Waterfront
Lawrence of Arabia
Jaws
Star Wars
Raging Bull
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Platoon
Schindler's List
Saving Private Ryan
The Social Network

To Rome With Love Trailer

It seems awfully close to Midnight in Paris, but if the formula works, I say don't mess with success. As with all of Allen's films it could go either way. Here's to hoping it goes well.

Daytime Emmy Pre-Nomination Lists

General Hospital leads with Young and the Restless not far behind. Not surprising considering these are probably the two soaps that have a chance at long term survival. Here are the lists:

Best Actress 
Crystal Chappell (Carly Manning, "Days of our Lives")
Jeanne Cooper (Katherine Chancellor, "The Young and the Restless")
Kassie DePaiva (Blair Cramer, "One Life to Live")
Susan Flannery (Stephanie Forrester, "The Bold and the Beautiful")
Debbi Morgan (Angie Hubbard, "All My Children")
Erika Slezak (Viki Lord, "One Life to Live")
Michelle Stafford (Phyllis Summers Newman, "The Young and the Restless)"
Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki Newman, "The Young and the Restless")
Heather Tom (Katie Logan Spencer, "The Bold and the Beautiful)"
Laura Wright (Carly Corinthos Jax, "General Hospital")

Best Actor
Maurice Benard (Michael "Sonny" Corinthos, Jr., "General Hospital")
Steve Burton (Jason Morgan, General Hospital)
Don Diamont (Bill Spencer, Jr., "The Bold and the Beautiful)
Anthony Geary (Luke Spencer, "General Hospital")
Vincent Irizarry (David Hayward, "All My Children")
John McCook (Eric Forrester, "The Bold and the Beautiful")
Michael Muhney (Adam Newman, "The Young and the Restless")
Stephen Nichols (Tucker McCall, "The Young and the Restless")
Jerry verDorn (Clint Buchanan, "One Life to Live")
Darnell Williams (Jesse Hubbard, "All My Children")
Robert S. Woods (Bo Buchanan, "One Life to Live")

Best Supporting Actress
Julie Marie Berman (Lulu Spencer, "General Hospital")
Nadia Bjorlin (Chloe Lane, "Days of our Lives")
Melissa Claire Egan (Annie Chandler, "All My Children")
Genie Francis (Genevieve Atkinson, "The Young and the Restless")
Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis, "General Hospital")
Elizabeth Hendrickson (Chloe Mitchell, "The Young and the Restless")
Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth Webber, "General Hospital")
Debbi Morgan (Harmony Hamilton, "The Young and the Restless")
Gina Tognoni (Kelly Cramer, "One Life to Live")
Arianne Zucker (Nicole Walker, "Days of our Lives")

Best Supporting Actor
Bradford Anderson (Damien Spinelli, "General Hospital")
Matthew Ashford (Jack Deveraux, "Days of our Lives")
Sean Blakemore (Shawn Butler, "General Hospital")
Scott Clifton (Liam Cooper, "The Bold and the Beautiful")
Jonathan Jackson (Lucky Spencer, "General Hospital")
Michael E. Knight (Tad Martin, "All My Children")
Billy Miller (Billy Abbott, "The Young and the Restless")
Greg Rikaart (Kevin Fisher, "The Young and the Restless")
Jason Thompson (Patrick Drake, "General Hospital")
John Wesley Shipp (Eddie Ford, "One Life To Live")

Best Younger Actress
Lexi Ainsworth (Kristina Corinthos Davis, "General Hospital")
Camila Banus (Gabi Hernandez, "Days of our Lives")
Molly Burnett (Melanie Layton, "Days of our Lives")
Natalie Hall (Colby Chandler, "All My Children")
Shelley Hennig (Stephanie Johnson, "Days of our Lives")
Christel Khalil (Lily Winters, "The Young and the Restless")
Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy Forrester, "The Bold and the Beautiful")
Kate Mansi (Abigail Deveraux, "Days of our Lives")
Kimn Matula (Hope Logan, "The Bold and the Beautiful")
Haley Pullos (Molly Lansing Davis, "General Hospital")

Best Younger Actor
 Eddie Alderson (Matthew Buchanan, "One Life To Live")
Casey Deidrick (Chad DiMera, "Days of our Lives")
Chad Duell (Michael Corinthos, "General Hospital")
Adam Gregory (Thomas Forrester, "The Bold and the Beautiful")
David A. Gregory (Robert Ford, "One Life To Live")
Bryton James (Devon Hamilton Winters, "The Young and the Restless")
Chandler Massey (Will Horton, "Days of our Lives")
Nathan Parsons (Ethan Lovett, "General Hospital")
Kevin Schmidt (Noah Newman, "The Young and the Restless")
Austin Williams (Shane Morasco, "One Life To Live")

Neil Patrick Harris Returns as Tony Host

Probably the best news I have heard in a long time. Neil Patrick Harris will return as the Tony Awards host. He was completely awesome last year, and the time before, and I have no doubt that he will bring energy, talent, and charisma as host once again.

Best of the Academy Awards Nominees: Best Cinematography

Gone With the Wind
The Third Man
On the Waterfront
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Lawrence of Arabia
Apocalypse Now
Fanny and Alexander
Schindler's List
Saving Private Ryan
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Best of the Academy Awards Nominees: Best Art Direction

Gone with the Wind
Sunset Boulevard
A Streetcar Named Desire
On the Waterfront
The Apartment
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
The Godfather Part II
Star Wars
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Titanic

2012 Golden Raspberry (Razzies) "Winners"

An unprecedented sweep, all awards went to Jack and Jill.

Worst Picture
"Jack and Jill"

Worst Actor
Adam Sandler, "Jack and Jill" and "Just Go With It"

Worst Actress
Adam Sandler (as "Jill"), "Jack and Jill"

Worst Supporting Actor
Al Pacino (as "Al Pacino"), "Jack and Jill"

Worst Supporting Actress
David Spade (as "Monica"), "Jack and Jill"

Worst Screen Ensemble
The entire cast of "Jack and Jill"

Worst Director
Dennis Dugan, "Jack and Jill" and "Just Go With It"

Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off Or Sequel
"Jack and Jill" (remake/rip-off of Ed Woods' "Glen or Glenda")

Worst Screen Couple
Adam Sandler and either Katie Holmes, Al Pacino or Adam Sandler, "Jack and Jill"

Worst Screenplay
"Jack and Jill"

Trailer for Aaron Sorkins' The Newsroom

I am so freaking excited about this, you just have no idea. Sorkin has created three incredible shows (One of which was a smash ,the other two completely underrated), and with a cast like Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer, Jane Fonda, Sam Waterston, and others, this is surely to be an entertaining and incredible series. Check out the trailer below:

2012 ACM Winners

 Entertainer of the year: Taylor Swift

Top male vocalist: Blake Shelton

Top female vocalist: Miranda Lambert

Top vocal group: Lady Antebellum

Top vocal duo: Thompson Square

Top new artist: Scotty McCreery

Album of the year: “Four the Record,” Miranda Lambert

Single record of the year: “Don’t You Wanna Stay,” Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson

Song of the year: “Crazy Girl,” Eli Young Band

Video of the year: “Red Solo Cup,” Toby Keith

Vocal event of the year: “Don’t You Wanna Stay,” Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson

Best of the Academy Awards Nominees: Best Costume Design

All About Eve
Roman Holiday
Some Like it Hot
Spartacus
West Side Story
8 1/2
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Star Wars
Fanny and Alexander
Moulin Rouge!

Best of the Academy Awards Nominees: Best Makeup

An American Werewolf in Paris
Beetlejuice
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Ed Wood
The Fly
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Pan’s Labyrinth
Planet of the Apes