My favorite nominees for the 2018 Oscars

The biggest award show in movies is just hours away now; so last minute with my picks this year! Anyway, minus a few categories I still haven’t seen or decided among nominees, here are my favorites to win.

• Best Picture: “Darkest Hour,” “Dunkirk,” “Lady Bird” or “The Post”
• Actor in a Leading Role: Gary Oldman – “Darkest Hour”
• Actress in a Leading Role: Saoirse Ronan – “Lady Bird,” Meryl Streep – “The Post” or Margot Robbie – “I, Tonya”
• Actor in a Supporting Role: Christopher Plummer – “All the Money in the World”
• Actress in a Supporting Role: Allison Janney – “I, Tonya”
• Director – Christopher Plummer – “All the Money in the World”
• Animated Feature – “Coco”
• Animated Short: ?
• Adapted Screenplay: “Molly’s Game”
• Original Screenplay: “Lady Bird”
• Cinematography: “Dunkirk”
• Documentary Feature: ?
• Documentary Short Subject: ?
• Live Action Short: ?
• Foreign Language Film: ?
• Film Editing: “Dunkirk”
• Sound Editing: “Dunkirk”
• Sound Mixing: “Dunkirk”
• Production Design: “Beauty and the Beast”
• Original Score: “Dunkirk”
• Original Song: ?
• Makeup and Hair: “Darkest Hour”
• Costume Design: “Beauty and the Beast” or “Victoria and Abdul”
• Visual Effects: “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”

Any thoughts on this year’s nominees? Which are your favorites?

Favorite 2018 SAG Award Nominees

Now that the SAG awards are coming up next, it seems as though the year’s top honors will be here before we know it. I still have some catching up to do in choosing Oscar favorites until then. Except for a few categories I’m unsure of, here are the nominees I hope will win this weekend.

Movies

• Male Actor in a Leading Role: Gary Oldman – “Darkest Hour”
• Female Actor in a Leading Role: Saoirse Ronan – “Lady Bird”
• Male Actor in a Supporting Role: ?
• Female Actor in a Supporting Role: Allison Janney – “I, Tonya”
• Cast in a Motion Picture: “Lady Bird”

TV

• Male Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries: Geoffrey Rush – “Genius”
• Female Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries: Jessica Lange or Susan Sarandon – “Feud: Bette & Joan”
• Male Actor in a Drama Series: Peter Dinklage – “Game of Thrones”
• Female Actor in a Drama Series: Claire Foy – “The Crown”
• Male Actor in a Comedy Series: ?
• Female Actor in a Comedy Series: ?
• Ensemble in a Drama Series: “The Crown”
• Ensemble in a Comedy Series: ?
• Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series: “Game of Thrones”
• Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture: “Dunkirk” or “Wonder Woman”

Any thoughts on this year’s SAG nominees?

My favorite Oscar nominees 2017

Now that this year’s top awards for the big screen are just around the corner, my favorites in most categories have been decided. A few of these seem difficult to pick every year, not always
hearing about nominees until last minute. Documentary, foreign language and the short films
don’t often play in theaters near where I live. So, it’s just a matter of which one tends to be
leading the pack. Technical category favorites aren’t usually the easiest to choose, either. Anyway, here are the nominees I’ve picked out so far to win.

• Best Picture: “La La Land”
• Actor in a Leading Role: Casey Affleck – “Manchester by the Sea” or Ryan Gosling – “La La Land”
• Actress in a Leading Role: Emma Stone – “La La Land”
• Actor in a Supporting Role: Mahershala Ali – “Moonlight”
• Actress in a Supporting Role: Michelle Williams – “Manchester by the Sea”
• Directing: Damien Chazelle – “La La Land”
• Adapted Screenplay: “Fences” or “Hidden Figures”
• Original Screenplay: “La La Land”
• Animated Feature: “Zootopia”
• Documentary Feature: ?
• Foreign Language Film: ?
• Cinematography: “La La Land”
• Costume Design: “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” “Jackie” or “Florence Foster Jenkins”
• Documentary Short: ?
• Film Editing: “La La Land”
• Makeup and Hair: “Suicide Squad”
• Music for a Motion Picture (Original Score): “La La Land” or “Passengers”
• Music for Motion Picture (Original Song): “Can’t Stop the Feeling” – “Trolls” or “City of Stars” – “La La Land”
• Production Design: “Arrival,” “La La Land” or “Passengers”
• Animated Short: ?
• Live Action Short: “Sing”
• Sound Editing: “Sully”
• Sound Mixing: ?
• Visual Effects: “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”

Which nominees do you hope will take home the big award?

Favorite Oscar Nominees 2016

Award season wraps up this weekend with the top honors in movies. In several categories, it has been sounding more and more like sure wins for particular nominees. Others, however, are a guessing game of which I’m curious to see the results. Either way, I’m looking forward to how this year’s great choice of movies fare and who among my favorites in acting will take home the Oscar. With that, here are my favorites to win:

• Best Picture: “The Revenant” or “Spotlight”
• Actor in a Leading Role: Leonardo DiCaprio – “The Revenant”
• Actress in a Leading Role: Brie Larson – “Room”
• Actor in a Supporting Role: Tom Hardy – “The Revenant”
• Actress in a Supporting Role: Kate Winslet – “Steve Jobs”
• Directing: Alejandro G. Inarritu – “The Revenant”
• Adapted Screenplay: “The Martian”
• Original Screenplay: “Spotlight”
• Animated Feature: “Inside Out”
• Documentary Feature: ?
• Foreign Language Film: ?
• Cinematography: “The Revenant”
• Costume Design: “Cinderella” or “Mad Max: Fury Road”
• Documentary Short: ?
• Film Editing: “The Revenant”
• Makeup and Hair: “The Revenant”
• Music for a Motion Picture: “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”
• Music for Motion Picture (Original Song): “Manta Ray” – “Racing Extinction”
• Production Design: “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “The Martian” or “The Revenant”
• Animated Short: “Bear Story”
• Live Action Short: ?
• Sound Editing: “The Martian”
• Sound Mixing: “The Martian”
• Visual Effects: “The Martian”

I was surprised that the following were not among the nominees:

Actor: Will Smith – “Concussion”
Visual Effects: “Jurassic World”
Music: “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth – “Furious 7”

Which movie do you think will be the big winner this year? Who are your picks to win in the acting categories?

Our pursuit of flight told on the big screen

In any given year, documentary films often slip past my attention until award season nominations are revealed. That genre is one of which I don’t usually find playing at local theaters. However, I found out about “Living in the Age of Airplanes” via a National Geographic e-newsletter. The trailers hint at a stunning film and is one which I hope to see on a nearby IMAX screen. It’s not only the visual aspect, but the element of aviation history to today’s accomplishments in flying as well.  The Wright Brothers’ Monument says it all: “In Commemoration of the Conquest of the Air.”

The closest city in which this film has showtimes is Harrisburg; much too far away for a movie outing. However, based on the official website, it looks to be in early stages of release. There is also information provided on how to build interest in having the film, narrated by Harrison Ford, show in more theaters around the country. I want to take part in getting it onto big screens in the Philadelphia region. Also, I wouldn’t be surprised if this documentary is named as an Oscar-nominated film for its genre category. Or short, depending on the length; maybe technical ones as well.

I can relate to the sense of fascination for airplanes and flight expressed in the film’s trailers. When I was much younger, it occurred more often that commercial jets appeared to fly rather lower over my neighborhood compared to present day. They were approaching PHL and I would always look up at them, watching in awe.

Imagining my dream home entertainment room

In talking with a friend recently, movies and even a little bit about award seasons were among shared topics of interest. At one point, I said how I’ve always wanted to have an Oscars-themed party. Maybe one for next year. Of course, it’d be fun to have small get-togethers for movie nights throughout the year; whoever could make it on any such occasion. That’s why I’d love to have a designated entertainment room for movie gatherings and I’ve got a lot of ideas for how I want it to look.

A popcorn machine with a vintage design is a must; I love them! Depending on space, I imagine having a mini kitchen area with a few small appliances. One section of a counter and 50s-diner-style stools can serve as extra spots to eat and watch movies. My DVDs / Blu-Rays would all be kept in storage that’s built into the wall, saving floor space. The same goes for cinema-themed books, of which I have a lot from film classes and those I’ve bought out of my own interest. A large, comfortable sectional couch and a few individual chairs will be ready for my movie fan guests to relax in and enjoy the show. Or guess at award winners when it’s that time of year.

Various items such as the “King Kong climbing the Empire State Building” statue will decorate shelves.

Also, I don’t have one yet, but I’ve seen a little model of the cool Mustang that Steve McQueen drives in “Bullitt.”

Then there are posters to liven up the walls with Hollywood flair, some depicting favorite stars as well as movies. Of course, it’d be difficult to narrow down the choices. However, I recently saw a poster sale on the TCM store website and found over a dozen that I’d buy right now if I had the wall space. Or, at least, one or two at a time whenever poster prices are marked down again:

• “Creature from the Black Lagoon”
• “East of Eden”
• “Giant”
• “King Kong”
• “Rebel Without a Cause”
• “Singin’ in the Rain”
• “The Artist”
• “The Blob”
• “The Day the Earth Stood Still”
• “The War of the Worlds”
• “The Wizard of Oz”
• “Them”
• “Titanic”
• “West Side Story”

Altogether, they’d be great decorations, with the movies featuring talented stars and spanning multiple genres and decades. I’d have to add one of those artist-rendition posters showing a group of classic stars (James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, Humphrey Bogart, etc.) together in a particular setting. It’s difficult to decide on a favorite among those scenes featuring such iconic faces.

Favorite Oscar Nominees 2015

Now that we’re just hours away from this year’s top honors in movies, it seems as though the award season zipped by. Like previous years, certain categories are so tight between potential winners. I’m particularly curious to see which nominee wins Best Picture and Best Actor this time. However, I have many favorites again and I’m looking forward to the show.

• Picture – “American Sniper,” “Boyhood” or “The Theory of Everything”
• Director – Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
• Actress – Julianne Moore, “Still Alice” or Reese Witherspoon, “Wild”
• Actor – Bradley Cooper, “American Sniper” or Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything”
• Supporting Actress – Meryl Streep, “Into the Woods”
• Supporting Actor – Robert Duvall, “The Judge”
• Adapted Screenplay – “American Sniper”
• Original Screenplay – “Nightcrawler” or “Boyhood”
• Foreign Language Film – “Leviathon” or “Ida”
• Documentary Feature – ?
• Animated Feature – “Big Hero 6” or “How to Train Your Dragon 2”
• Film Editing – “Boyhood”
• Original Song – “Glory” (“Selma”) or “Lost Stars” (“Begin Again”)
• Original Score – Hans Zimmer, “Interstellar”
• Cinematography – “Unbroken,” “Birdman” or “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
• Costume Design – “The Grand Budapest Hotel” or “Into the Woods”
• Makeup and Hairstyling – “Foxcatcher”
• Production Design – “Interstellar” or “Into the Woods”
• Sound Editing – “American Sniper” or “Interstellar”
• Sound Mixing – “American Sniper” or “Interstellar”
• Visual Effects – “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” or “Interstellar”
• Short Film, Live Action – ?
• Short Film, Animated – ?
• Documentary Short – “Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1”

Which nominees are you rooting for? If you had to pick one movie to be the big winner, which one would you guess?

Favorite Critics’ Choice Nominees 2015

Just a few more hours until the show airs where I’m at, in Eastern Time. There are a number of categories in which I’ve got multiple favorites. It’s difficult to narrow down to one, what with so many great nominees. Here they are:

• Picture – “Boyhood,” “The Theory of Everything” or “Unbroken”
• Actor – Jake Gyllenhaal, “Nightcrawler” or Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything”
• Actress – Reese Witherspoon, “Wild”
• Supporting Actor – Robert Duvall, “The Judge”
• Supporting Actress – Meryl Streep, “Into the Woods”
• Young Actor / Actress – Ellar Coltrane, “Boyhood” or Mackenzie Foy, “Interstellar”
• Acting Ensemble – “Into the Woods”
• Director – Angelina Jolie, “Unbroken” or Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
• Original Screenplay – “Birdman” or “Nightcrawler”
• Adapted Screenplay – “Unbroken” or “Wild”
• Cinematography – “Interstellar”
• Art Direction – “Interstellar” or “Into the Woods”
• Editing – “Birdman” or “Boyhood”
• Costume Design – “Into the Woods”
• Hair & Makeup – “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies”
• Visual Effects – “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” or “Interstellar”
• Animated Feature – “Big Hero 6”
• Action Movie – “American Sniper”
• Actor in an Action Movie – Bradley Cooper, “American Sniper”
• Actress in an Action Movie – Jennifer Lawrence, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1”
• Comedy – “Birdman”
• Actor in a Comedy – Michael Keaton, “Birdman”
• Actress in a Comedy – Rose Byrne, “Neighbors”
• Sci-Fi / Horror Movie – “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” or “Interstellar”
• Foreign Language Film – “Ida”
• Documentary Feature – ?
• Song – “Big Eyes” by Lana Del Ray or “Lost Stars” by Keira Knightley or “Yellow Flicker Beat” by Lorde
• Score – Hans Zimmer, “Interstellar”

Which of these nominees do you think will win tonight?

Now that the Oscar nominations are out, I’m looking through the categories to pick my favorites to win. But I’m hoping to see some of the Best Picture nominees and movies in other categories before the show. Congrats to all of the Oscar nominees of 2015!

Oscars 2014 Favorites

The top honors in movies is just days away and it’s interesting how award season has turned out, with many surprises along the way.  As with the previous awards, I’m sure there will be more to come as envelopes are opened to reveal the Oscar winners.

Back when I first saw trailers for “Captain Phillips,” I thought Tom Hanks would be in the mix of Oscar nominees.  Recently, I saw an episode of “Inside the Actor’s Studio,” featuring Matthew McConaughey as the guest.  From seeing more of “Dallas Buyers Club” on the show and elsewhere, McConaughey became another one of my favorites to win among those in the Best Actor category.  I’d love to see Leonardo DiCaprio win, of course.  I think it’s possible for him to win because of his success so far this year for his role as Jordan Belfort.

Another category I’m anxious for this year is Best Actress.  Cate Blanchett is one of my overall favorite actresses, but I’ve been rooting for Sandra Bullock ever since seeing “Gravity.”  With its dramatic life-and-death situation, it reminded me of James Franco’s Best Actor nomination for “127 Hours.”  Franco was my favorite to win in that category.  In both that case and Bullock as an astronaut knocked loose from the space shuttle, it was the drama of such extreme ordeals and how amazing each star was in bringing it to life.

No matter who wins this year, there sure is a lot of great talent from familiar faces to newcomers.  I hadn’t heard much at all about in the short film and documentary short categories.  But other than those, here are my favorites:

• Best Picture: “12 Years a Slave” or “Gravity”
• Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron (“Gravity”)
• Best Actor: Matthew McConaughey (“Dallas Buyers Club”) or Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Wolf of Wall Street”)
• Best Actress: Sandra Bullock (“Gravity”)
• Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto (“Dallas Buyers Club”)
• Best Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong’o (“12 Years a Slave”)
• Best Original Screenplay: “American Hustle” – David O. Russell, Eric Warren Singer
• Best Adapted Screenplay: “The Wolf of Wall Street” – Terence Winter
• Best Animated Feature: “Frozen”
• Best Foreign Feature: “The Great Beauty”
• Best Music (Original Song): “Let it Go” (“Frozen”)
• Best Music (Original Score): “Gravity” – Steven Price
• Best Cinematography: “Gravity”
• Best Costume Design: “The Great Gatsby”
• Best Documentary Feature: “20 Feet From Stardom”
• Best Film Editing: “Gravity” – Alfonso Cuaron, Mark Sanger
• Best Makeup & Hairstyling: “Dallas Buyers Club” – Adruitha Lee, Robin Mathews
• Best Production Design: “The Great Gatsby” or “Gravity”
• Best Visual Effects: “Gravity”
• Best Sound Mixing: “Gravity”
• Best Sound Editing: “Gravity”
• Best Short Film (Live Action): ?
• Best Short Film (Animated): ?
• Best Documentary Short: ?

Any thoughts on which nominees will take home Oscars this year?

Critics’ Choice 2014 Favorites

Congrats to this year’s Oscar nominees!  I’ll post my favorites for those awards shortly.  Here are my top picks to win at the Critics’ Choice Awards tonight.

• Best Picture: “Gravity”
• Actor: Tom Hanks (“Captain Phillips”)
• Actress: Sandra Bullock (“Gravity”)
• Supporting Actor: Daniel Bruhl (“Rush”)
• Supporting Actress: Jennifer Lawrence (“American Hustle”)
• Young Actor / Actress: Asa Butterfield (“Ender’s Game”) or Sophie Nelisse (“The Book Thief”)
• Acting Ensemble: “American Hustle”
• Director: Alfonso Cuaron (“Gravity”)
• Original Screenplay: Eric Singer & David O. Russell (“American Hustle”)
• Adapted Screenplay: Bill Ray (“Captain Phillips”)
• Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki (“Gravity”)
• Art Direction: “The Great Gatsby” or “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”
• Editing: “Gravity” or “Rush”
• Costume Design: “The Great Gatsby” or “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”
• Makeup: “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”
• Visual Effects: “Gravity” or “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”
• Animated Feature: “Frozen” or “The Croods”
• Action Movie: “Rush”
• Actor in an Action Movie: Henry Cavill (“Man of Steel”) or Robert Downey, Jr. (“Iron Man 3”)
• Actress in an Action Movie: Sandra Bullock (“Gravity”)
• Comedy: “This Is The End”
• Actor in a Comedy: Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Wolf of Wall Street”)
• Actress in a Comedy: Amy Adams (“American Hustle”)
• Sci-Fi / Horror Movie: “The Conjuring” or “Gravity”
• Foreign Language Film: “The Past”
• Documentary: “Blackfish”
• Song: “Young and Beautiful” by Lana Del Ray (“The Great Gatsby”)
• Score: Steven Price (“Gravity”)

Which nominees are your favorites?  Any thoughts on the Oscar nominations announced this morning?