2013 Golden Globe Predictions

On Sunday, don't forget to drop everything and watch the Golden Globe awards, because Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are hosting! Here are my totally 100% accurate predictions about who will win this weekend.

MOVIES

Best Motion Picture — Drama
Argo
Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Zero Dark Thirty

I’ve seen 3 of these 5 (Argo, Django, and Lincoln), and of those 3, I’d say Lincoln is the clear winner. Before today’s Oscar nominations, I would have said that Zero Dark Thirty was building momentum, but now it looks more like Lincoln’s year.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama
Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
Richard Gere, Arbitrage
John Hawkes, The Sessions
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
Denzel Washington, Flight

Daniel Day-Lewis is the only one I’ve seen, and he’s the only one I feel the need to see. The man is an acting savant.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Marion Cotillard, Rust & Bone
Helen Mirren, Hitchcock
Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Rachel Weisz, The Deep Blue Sea

Jessica Chastain. But I’m totally rooting for Jennifer Lawrence at the Oscars.

Best Motion Picture — Comedy Or Musical
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Les Miserables
Moonrise Kingdom
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Silver Linings Playbook

After a very mixed/negative critical reaction to Les Miserables, Silver Linings Playbook should win this easily. Since it’s my favorite film of the year, I have no problems with this outcome :] It’ll be interesting to see the comedy and drama films in the same category at the Oscars though.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Comedy Or Musical
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

Easiest category by far: J-Law all the way.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Comedy Or Musical
Jack Black, Bernie
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
Bill Murray, Hyde Park on Hudson
Ewan McGregor, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Personally, I’d pick Bradley Cooper, but Hugh Jackman is also very good and had a flashier role. I think Jackman will probably take it, but I’d rather see Cooper win for a more subtle and poignant performance.

Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Amy Adams, The Master
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Nicole Kidman, The Paperboy

Mia Thermopolis Anne Hathaway!

Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Alan Arkin, Argo
Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained

Huh. This is a tough category; I’ve seen 4 out of 5 nominees, and they were all pretty great. Considering the Globes tend to prefer movie stars, I want to go with Leonardo DiCaprio, but he was snubbed by the Oscars this morning. (Keep in mind, though, that the Globes were voted on before Oscar nominations came out.) Part of me still wants to say DiCaprio, but another part of me wants to pick probable Oscar winner Tommy Lee Jones, whose plays a much more likable character. I’ll go out on a limb and stick with DiCaprio though.

Best Director — Motion Picture
Ben Affleck, Argo
Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained

Oooh, this is interesting. I think they might want to give it to Kathryn Bigelow, since she didn’t win here for The Hurt Locker… but I could also see Ben Affleck or Steven Spielberg winning for more mainstream movies. Right now, I’m going to predict Spielberg.

Best Screenplay — Motion Picture
Argo, Chris Terrio
Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino
Lincoln, Tony Kushner
Silver Linings Playbook, David O. Russell
Zero Dark Thirty, Mark Boal

Once again, what a tough category. All 4 of the nominees I’ve seen have boasted incredible screenplays, and I’m willing to bet Zero Dark Thirty’s is pretty great as well. I guess I’ll go with Lincoln here, since its script is probably the most showy.

Best Original Score — Motion Picture
Anna Karenina, Dario Marianelli
Argo, Alexandre Desplat
Cloud Atlas, Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimet & Reinhold Heil
Life of Pi, Michael Danna
Lincoln, John Williams

Beasts of the Southern Wild, but it’s not nominated. That oversight makes me think that the HFPA don’t actually listen to these scores before voting, but I guess I’ll pick Dario Marianelli/Anna Karenina.

Best Original Song — Motion Picture
“For You” from Act of Valor
“Not Running Anymore” from Stand Up Guys
“Safe and Sound” from The Hunger Games
“Suddenly” from Les Miserables
“Skyfall” from Skyfall

The safe pick would be “Suddenly” from Les Miz, since it’s a musical that actually uses the song in the context of the movie. Taylor Swift is super famous, so maybe “Safe and Sound” has a shot. But I think Adele will win for “Skyfall” because she’s universally respected, and her song is actually pretty good.

Best Animated Film
Brave
Frankenweenie
Hotel Transylvania
Rise of the Guardians
Wreck-It Ralph

Ugh, probably Brave. That’s the only one I’ve seen, but I’ve heard Wreck-It Ralph is quite good, but then…

Yeah, I honestly don’t care about this category.

Best Foreign Language Film
Amour
The Intouchables
Kon-Tiki
A Royal Affair
Rust & Bone

Amour is supposedly brilliant, and the HPFA will want to make sure it appeals to highbrow standards.

TELEVISION

Best Television Series — Comedy Or Musical
The Big Bang Theory
Episodes
Girls
Modern Family
Smash

Smash! I kid, I kid… Seriously, though, why did Smash get nominated instead of Parks and Rec or New Girl? Shameful. Anyway, Modern Family always wins here anyway, so I guess it doesn’t really matter that much.

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series — Comedy Or Musical
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Lena Dunham, Girls
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Amy Poehler, Parks And Recreation

I always pick Amy Poehler in this category at the Globes and Emmys, even though she never wins. Team Poehler 4ever!

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series — Comedy Or Musical
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Don Cheadle, House of Lies
Louis C.K., Louis
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Weirdly, Matt LeBlanc actually won last year, so this could really go to anyone. Don Cheadle this year?

Best Television Series — Drama
Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad
Downton Abbey
Homeland
The Newsroom

Maybe Downton Abbey, but I think the Globes will want to be consistent with the Emmys and go with Homeland.

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series – Drama
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Damian Lewis, Homeland

Damian Lewis anchored season 2 of Homeland, and after being denied last year, I think he’ll win this year.

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series – Drama
Connie Britton, Nashville
Glenn Close, Damages
Claire Danes, Homeland
Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Claire Danes

Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made for Television
Game Change
The Girl
Hatfield & McCoys
The Hour
Political Animals

Game Change, I guess. But where’s Sherlock?? :(

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Kevin Costner, Hatfields and McCoys
Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock
Woody Harrelson, Game Change
Toby Jones, The Girl
Clive Owen, Hemingway and Gellhorn

I’m always Team Benny, but I think Kevin Costner or Woody Harrelson would be more likely to win. I’ll predict Costner... But if Benny shows up and starts talking in his velvet jaguar voice, all bets are off.

Best Performance by an Actress In A Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Nicole Kidman, Hemingway and Gellhorn
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Asylum
Sienna Miller, The Girl
Julianne Moore, Game Change
Sigourney Weaver, Political Animals

Julianne Moore

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Max Greenfield, New Girl
Ed Harris, Game Change
Danny Huston, Magic City
Mandy Patinkin, Homeland
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

First of all, how bizarre is it that this category compares Schmidt from New Girl to John McCain in Game Change? Anyway, I’m going to go out on a limb and pick Mandy Patinkin.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Hayden Panettiere, Nashville
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife
Sarah Paulson, Game Change
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey 
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family

It would be unwise to bet against Maggie Smith.

Dactyl's 2012 Movie Roundup

Okay, I know we agreed to just do a Top 10 list, but I couldn’t resist a more thorough write-up. Here are my takes on all of the films I’ve seen this year, with a countdown of the Top 10 at the end. If you’re feeling brave, read on :]

Disclaimer: I’m kind of a movie nut, so I have lots of opinions. However, I’m also kind of an idiot, so keep in mind that these are just personal preferences.

Potentially great movies that I haven’t gotten the chance to see yet:

Magic Mike, Skyfall, Life of Pi, Zero Dark Thirty, This Is 40

Disappointments:

• The Hobbit (I really wanted to love this movie as much as I love the Lord of the Rings, but it just wasn’t even close. Okay, the last hour was pretty enjoyable, but not enough to make up for all the tedium leading up to it.)
• Les Miserables (Yikes. I’m not sure how Tom Hooper managed to de-beautify this music, but it happened, and the movie really suffered. Acting-wise, the performances were quite good, but live singing by non-professionals just doesn’t work.)
• The Avengers (Meh)
• The Amazing Spider-Man (Amazingly meh)
• Prometheus (Has easily the most disgusting birth scene ever; also kind of boring)
• Snow White and the Huntsman (Terrible)
• Brave (Omg, that little girl was such a bitch)
• The Vow (Liking A Walk to Remember is shameful enough, thank you very much)
• This Means War (Okay, I admit I cracked up a few times when I watched this on the plane. But I blame that on the altitude, because this movie was pretty bad.)
• The Five-Year Engagement (STAY AWAY)

Pleasant surprises:

• 21 Jump Street (Hilarious. Plus, a Johnny Depp cameo never hurts :])
• The Lorax (I would advise everyone to watch this movie with a bunch of rowdy college kids at Dr. Seuss’s alma mater)
• Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (Really sweet and surprisingly deep)
• The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (Like a coming-of-age movie for old people!)

Honorable mentions:
Beasts of the Southern Wild

I’ve seen a lot of movies, but this one is something completely unique. It’s not the easiest to watch though – I would describe it as the film equivalent of a free verse poem. Also features some of the coolest original music I’ve ever heard in a movie.
Django Unchained

Believe it or not, this is the first time I’ve watched a Tarantino movie all the way through, and it was actually pretty good. Sure, there was some distasteful gore, and the movie could have been about half an hour shorter. But there were also some really funny moments, and I thought the overall story was pretty cool.

Top 10 Favorites

10. Safety Not Guaranteed

I’m going to be totally honest: When I first saw the poster for this movie, I thought it was about Driver’s Ed. But then Saurus assured me that it’s actually really good, and, of course, she was right. Even though the reporters-stalk-time-traveller premise seems strange at the beginning, all of the plot points cleverly tie together by the end. More importantly, though, the movie is populated by interesting characters who quietly evoke a sense of empathy, and it’s through these people that the story manages to stay grounded in all its quirkiness.

9. Pitch Perfect

Funny and fun and The Breakfast Club and SINGING! It’s so easy to go wrong with a premise that’s basically “Glee: The College Years”, but Pitch Perfect manages to exceed expectations with its endlessly quippy lines and confident attitude. Sure, it’s not quite as sharp as the classics in this genre (i.e. Clueless, Mean Girls), but it definitely hits the spot like a warm cookie from Foco.

8. Looper

At first, this movie seems like it’s just going to mess with your mind like Inception; however, the basic theme – violence and urban poverty create an endlessly vicious cycle – is actually quite simple. Looper weaves its time travel element into an intelligent, well-written action film, cleverly touching upon reality-based social issues along the way.

7. Argo

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what makes Argo so good; it’s just a solid, solid movie. Thrilling and smart and even funny at times, the movie is incredibly enjoyable to watch. Ben Affleck, who knew? And if you didn’t like it, well, then, “Argo f**k yourself”.

6. Moonrise Kingdom

Moonrise Kingdom is an indie gem that really stands out, even in a year filled with great studio films. The movie has a light touch, but it doesn’t feel insubstantial, and its deadpan humor is absolutely hilarious. The two 12 year-old leads are incredible; you’re rooting for them the entire time. Plus, even though the movie was clearly made on an indie budget, it looks really good, like some kind of HD video Instagram.

5. Lincoln

Like watching a brilliantly executed play, with the added bonus of film’s detail and immersion. Everything is really classy and excellent, with Daniel Day-Lewis once again demonstrating his skills as an acting savant. Right now, this would be my prediction for Best Picture at the Oscars in February.

4. The Dark Knight Rises

Epic, dude, epic. TDKR is a great ending to a great trilogy, closing the book on Christian Bale’s Batman and cementing his legend in Gotham and in cinematic history. Somehow, despite my sky-high expectations, I was impressed yet again.

3. The Hunger Games

I’m still in awe of this novel’s creative, compelling plot. But even moving beyond Suzanne Collins’ original story, The Hunger Games film adaptation nails it, producing a thrilling blockbuster that’s also wonderfully subtle and nuanced. Jennifer Lawrence grounds the film with depth and emotional honesty (sidebar: she is a goddess and I might be in love with her), and it’s telling that I’ve seen this movie 3 times and cried twice each time (reaping scene and Rue’s death, natch).

2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Subtly funny, heartbreakingly sad, and tremendously poignant, this is the kind of story that feels like it’s changing your life as you watch it unfold. In particular, Logan Lerman’s performance as Charlie really makes this film. (He reminded me of Joseph Gordon-Levitt in 50/50, actually, and I mean that as the highest compliment.) I’m not sure how different the experience would have been if I had read the book first; regardless, this movie is absolutely extraordinary.

1. Silver Linings Playbook

There are few things I love more than a fresh, meaningful, sweet, genuinely funny romantic comedy, and this is a great one. The story is so compelling and the dialogue feels so natural that it’s not until the end credits that you realize “oh yeah, this boils down to a classic boy-meets-girl plot”. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence make a true power couple – we all know that J-Law is the best actress of her generation, but Cooper really delivers as main character Pat. The movie centers on his mental illness and how it affects various relationships, tracing his heartwarming journey to find the silver linings in life. Go see it!

Saurus's Top 10 Films of 2012

Hello, imaginary readers! I know it's been over a year since my last post, but Dactyl and I thought we'd do a Top 10 round-up in movies of 2012 for the blog. The problem with my list is that I've only actually watched 11 movies from this past year, so there's not many from which I can choose.

The numbers listed after the movie title reflect its scores on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, which just go to show how arbitrary personal taste can be. Without further ado, here's my top 10:

the perks of being #1

1. The Perks of Being A Wallflower - 85%//93%
2. The Hunger Games - 85%//85%
3. The Dark Knight Rises - 87%//92%
4. The Hobbit - 65%//81%
5. Pitch Perfect - 80%//85%
6. Safety Not Guaranteed - 92%//83%
7. 21 Jump Street - 85%//86%
8. Les Miserables - 71%//63%
9. The Amazing Spider-Man - 73%//81%
10. Brave - 78%//79%

And a not-so-honorable mention to the 11th movie I watched, The Lorax - 55%//66%. I had a hard time placing The Hobbit and Les Miserables, both of which have had a lot of hype but were slightly disappointing to me; otherwise, the list fell into place fairly easily.

There's also a long list of movies from 2012 that I wish I had gotten to watch, including Ruby Sparks, Your Sister's Sister, Rust and Bone, Moonrise Kingdom, Looper, Lincoln, Life of Pi, and Silver Linings Playbook, which almost make up a list of their own, but I haven't had nearly enough time or money to attend the movie theater that many times. =/

Looking forward to seeing what's on your Top 10 list, Dactyl!

Emmy Predictions 2012

I know it's been almost a year since we've posted here, but I'm resurrecting this blog in honor of the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards this Sunday! As always, I make my predictions with absolutely no modicum of expertise or even common sense...

COMEDY

Outstanding Comedy Series
The Big Bang Theory
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Girls
Modern Family
30 Rock
Veep

Winner: Modern Family. Next.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series
Lena Dunham, Girls
Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep

Winner: If Amy Poehler doesn't win her first Emmy award this year for yet another incredible season of Park and Rec, then... award shows will be just as unfair as they always have been. But if she does win, the moment will be very, very well-deserved. Other possibilities include Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Lena Dunham -- I haven't seen Veep or Girls, but they've certainly made an impact in pop culture this past year. Still, I'm Team Poehler all the way.

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Don Cheadle, House of Lies
Louis C.K., Louie
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men

Winner: This is tricky -- I thought Steve Carell was a shoo-in last year for his final season of The Office, but Jim Parsons ended up winning for the second consecutive year. It could very well be Parsons again this year, but I think the always hilarious Louis C.K. -- who alone got 3 or 4 nominations this year -- has a good chance as well.

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series
Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory
Kathryn Joosten, Desperate Housewives
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Merritt Wever, Nurse Jackie
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live

Winner: Umm... my head tells me to always pick someone from Modern Family, but my gut says to go with Kristen Wiig for her final season of SNL. I'm going to say Wiig, with Sofia Vergara as a second choice.

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series
Ed O'Neill, Modern Family
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
Max Greenfield, New Girl
Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live

Winner: Probably not Max Greenfield and definitely not Bill Hader. Between the Modern Family guys, I say Ed O'Neill will win it just because he's never won before, and he seems more likely than Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Although Ty Burrell is definitely my favorite :]

DRAMA

Outstanding Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad
Downton Abbey
Game Of Thrones
Homeland
Mad Men

Winner: Funny enough, I mentioned that I didn't watch a single nominated drama when I did these predictions last year. I have since become a major Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey fangirl, so this year is much more interesting. Personally, I believe that Game of Thrones is the best show on television; however, this will probably go to Mad Men, Breaking Bad, or Downton. For sh*ts and giggles, let's say Breaking Bad.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series
Glenn Close, Damages
Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Kathy Bates, Harry's Law
Claire Danes, Homeland
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men

Winner: Claire Danes. Not much to say here.

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey
Damian Lewis, Homeland
Jon Hamm, Mad Men

Winner: Looks like Bryan Cranston again.

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series
Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Joanne Froggatt, Downton Abbey
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men

Winner: Seriously, I have no idea. I'd say Maggie Smith and Christina Hendricks probably have the best chance, and because I can't remember the Dowager Countess having any real storylines in Series 2 of Downton, I'll go with Christina Hendricks.

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
Giancarlo Esposito, Breaking Bad
Brendan Coyle, Downton Abbey
Jim Carter, Downton Abbey
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Jared Harris, Mad Men

Winner: The experts say Giancarlo Esposito or Jared Harris, and they're probably right, but I say Peter Dinklage for being the standout in GoT's massive outstanding cast.

MINISERIES OR MOVIE

Hopefully Sherlock just wins everything.