NFL 2014 Championship Pick 'Em

Well...we'll see how this goes...

PACKERS @ Seahawks
COLTS @ Patriots

LAST WEEK:  3-1, 75%
PLAYOFFS TOTAL:  6-2, 75%
REGULAR SEASON TOTAL:  162-93-1, 63.28%
OVERALL TOTAL:  168-95-1, 63.64%

Razzie Nominations Reactions

Well time to take a look at what's been considered the worst of 2014 with the Razzie award nominations.


WORST PICTURE
Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas
Left Behind
The Legend of Hercules
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Transformers:  Age of Extinction

COMMENTS:  I've only seen 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' and 'Transformers 4'.  Sure the former wasn't all that good and the latter was just too long, but I wouldn't say either of those were amongst the worst movies I've seen in 2014.  I've avoided watching the other three...although I've heard all kinds of things about 'Saving Christmas'.




WORST ACTOR
Kirk Cameron, Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas
Nicolas Cage, Left Behind
Kellan Lutz, The Legend of Hercules
Seth MacFarlane, A Million Ways To Die In The West
Adam Sandler, Blended

COMMENTS:  Of course Adam Sandler and Nicolas Cage got nominated.  Seems to always happen nowadays.




WORST ACTRESS
Drew Barrymore, Blended
Cameron Diaz, The Other Woman & Sex Tape
Melissa McCarthy, Tammy
Charlize Theron, A Million Ways To Die In The West
Gaia Weiss, The Legend of Hercules

COMMENTS:  I actually liked 'Tammy'.  Sure as a comedy it was hit and miss, but overall I liked it.




WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Mel Gibson, The Expendables 3
Kelsey Grammar, The Expendables 3 and Legends of Oz and Think Like A Man Too and Transformers:  Age of Extinction
Shaquille O'Neal, Blended
Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Expendables 3
Kiefer Sutherland, Pompeii
COMMENTS:  Kelsey Grammar's performance was actually one of the better things in both 'Expendables 3' and 'Transformers 4'.




WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Cameron Diaz, Annie
Megan Fox, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Nicola Peltz, Transformers:  Age of Extinction
Susan Sarandon, Tammy
Bridgette Ridenour, Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas

COMMENTS:  I didn't think Megan Fox or Susan Sarandon were THAT bad in 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' and 'Tammy', respectively.




WORST SCREEN COMBO
Any Two Robots, Actors (or Robotic Actors), Transformers:  Age of Extinction
Kirk Cameron and His Ego, Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas
Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel, Sex Tape
Kellan Lutz and Either His Abs, Pecs or Glutes, The Legend of Hercules
Seth MacFarlane and Charlize Theron, A Million Ways To Die In The West

COMMENTS:  Okay, this list is kinda funny.




WORST REMAKE, RIP-OFF OR SEQUEL
Annie
Atlas Shrugged Part III:  Who Is John Galt?
The Legend of Hercules
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Transformers:  Age of Extinction

COMMENTS:  I got nothing that I haven't already said.




WORST SCREENPLAY
Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas
Left Behind
Sex Tape
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Transformers:  Age of Extinction

COMMENTS:  Here's a few other movies that I thought also had a bad script:  'Maze Runner', 'X-Men:  Days of Future Past', 'A Million Ways To Die In The West', 'God's Not Dead', and 'Maleficent'.



WORST DIRECTOR
Michael Bay, Transformers:  Age of Extinction
Darren Doane, Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas
Renny Harlin, The Legend of Hercules
Jonathan Liebesman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Seth MacFarlane, A Million Ways To Die In The West

COMMENTS:  Of course Michael Bay got a nomination.  At this point I'm expecting a Razzie sweep for 'Saving Christmas'




REDEEMER AWARD
Ben Affleck (from Razzie winner of 'Gigli' to Oscar darling for 'Argo' and 'Gone Girl')
Jennifer Aniston (from 4-time Razzie "winner" to SAG Award nominee for 'Cake')
Mike Myers (from Razzie winner of 'The Love Guru' to director of the documentary 'Supermensch')
Keanu Reeves (from 6-time Razzie nominee to star of the acclaimed action movie 'John Wick')
Kristen Stewart (from Razzie winner of 'Twilight' to star of the indie art house hit 'Camp X-Ray')

COMMENTS:  Well, this is new.  Kinda cool.



The Razzies will be announced February 21, the night before the Oscars.

Oscar Nomination Reactions

Oscar nominations were announced this morning, so without further adieu here are the nominees along with some comments for each category.

BEST PICTURE
American Sniper
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

COMMENTS:  The only nominees I haven't seen yet are 'American Sniper', 'The Imitation Game', and 'Selma'.  A bit surprising that they went with eight nominees this year as opposed to nine like the past few years.  The new rules allow for between five and ten nominees, so why there aren't ten I'll never know.  Good to see 'Grand Budapest Hotel' and 'Whiplash' in this list.  It angers me that 'Theory of Everything' was nominated but I'm not surprised that it was.




BEST ACTOR
Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper, American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

COMMENTS:  Brick Tamland from 'Anchorman' is now an Academy Award nominee.  Let that sink in.  Also surprised to see Bradley Cooper in there for 'American Sniper', this being his third nomination (Best Actor for 'Silver Linings Playbook' and Best Supporting Actor for 'American Hustle').  For now I've only seen two of these performances:  Michael Keaton's and Eddie Redmayne's.  Even though I didn't like 'Birdman' I'd still far prefer that movie getting an Oscar for a performance over 'The Theory of Everything'.   




BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Robert Duvall, The Judge
Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
Edward Norton, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

COMMENTS:  This has more or less been the Best Supporting Actor list all year for various different awards, so this isn't all that surprising.  For now I've seen three of the performances:  Ethan Hawke, Edward Norton, and J.K. Simmons.  Simmons better win.




BEST ACTRESS
Marion Cotillard, Two Days One Night
Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon, Wild

COMMENTS:  Surprising that Marion Cotillard got a nomination since I haven't heard much about the movie she's nominated for.  Oh well.  Only seen two of these performances, those being Felicity Jones in 'Theory of Everything' and Rosamund Pike in 'Gone Girl'.  Nice to see Rosamund Pike get a nomination for 'Gone Girl'.  Well deserved.




BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Laura Dern, Wild
Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
Emma Stone, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Meryl Streep, Into The Woods

COMMENTS:  Academy Award nominee Emma Stone.  Let that sink in.  Meryl Streep now breaks her own record with her 19th nomination.




BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Big Hero 6
The BoxTrolls
How To Train Your Dragon 2
Song of the Sea
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

COMMENTS:......wait a minute.....no 'LEGO Movie'??!?!?!?!??!?!?!?! WHAT?!?!?!?!?!? THE BEST REVIEWED ANIMATED FILM OF THE YEAR ISN'T A NOMINEE?!?!?!?!?!?!?! 1,2,3...BOOO!!!!!!  BOOO!!!!!!!!!!  BOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Tangerines
Ida
Leviathan
Timbuktu
Wild Tales

COMMENTS:  I've heard of all of these, but since I haven't seen any I suppose I'll just move on....




BEST DOCUMENTARY - FEATURE
CitizenFour
Finding Vivian Maier
Last Days In Vietnam
The Salt of the Earth
Virunga

COMMENTS:  'CitizenFour' is the only one I've heard the most part.  A bit surprising that 'Life Itself' didn't get nominated, but oh well.




BEST DOCUMENTARY - SHORT SUBJECT
Crisis Veterans Hotline:  Press 1
Joanna
Our Curse
The Reaper (La Parka)
White Earth

COMMENTS:  Never heard of any of these, so let's keep moving on....




BEST SHORT FILM - LIVE ACTION
Aya
Boogaloo and Graham
Butterfly Lamp (La Lampe au Beurre de Yak)
Parvaneh
The Phone Call

COMMENTS:  ....moving on...




BEST SHORT FILM - ANIMATED
The Bigger Picture
The Dam Keper
Feast
Me and My Moulton
A Single Life

COMMENTS:   ...moving...wait!  I've seen 'Feast'.  It was Disney's short in front of 'Big Hero 6'.  It was really good and arguably better than the movie that followed.  Yep, that's all I got for this category.




BEST SOUND EDITING
American Sniper
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
The Hobbit:  The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar
Unbroken

COMMENTS:  'Hobbit' actually got a nomination?  Oh.  That's surprising.  




BEST SOUND MIXING
American Sniper
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Interstellar
Unbroken
Whiplash

COMMENTS:  If you know the difference between Sound Mixing and Sound Editing then you're a better person than I'll ever be.




BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Into The Woods
Mr. Turner

COMMENTS:  This is a nice list of nominees.   




BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Ida
Mr. Turner
Unbroken

COMMENTS:  I know people are praising 'Birdman''s cinematography but I just didn't see anything special about it.  




BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING
Foxcatcher
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Guardians of the Galaxy

COMMENTS:  Interesting list of nominees with aliens, a period piece set in a fictitious European country, and a biopic that features Steve Carell wearing a false nose to look more like John du Pont.  




BEST COSTUME DESIGN
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Inherent Vice
Into The Woods
Maleficent
Mr. Turner

COMMENTS:  Admittedly the costumes were probably the best thing in 'Maleficent'.  Kinda surprised to see 'Inherent Vice' among the nominees.




BEST FILM EDITING
American Sniper
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Whiplash

COMMENTS:  The winner of Best Picture usually also has a Best Film Editing nomination.  So among these five should be your Best Picture winner. 




BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Captain America:  The Winter Soldier
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
X-Men:  Days of Future Past

COMMENTS:  Great list of nominees...except for 'X-Men:  Days of Future Past'.  




BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
The Theory of Everything
Mr. Turner

COMMENTS:  Composer Alexandre Desplat gets double nominated here, for 'Grand Budapest Hotel' and 'Imitation Game'.  Also nice to see Hans Zimmer get a nomination for his 'Interstellar' score. 




BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"Lost Stars" - Begin Again
"I'm Not Gonna Miss You" - Glen Campbell:  I'll Be Me
"Everything Is Awesome" - The LEGO Movie
"Glory" - Selma
"Grateful" - Beyond The Lights

COMMENTS:  Well at least 'The LEGO Movie' got a nomination here for "Everything Is Awesome".




BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Paul Thomas Anderson, Inherent Vice
Damien Chazelle, Whiplash
Jason Dean Hall, American Sniper
Anthony McCarten, The Theory of Everything
Graham Moore, The Imitation Game

COMMENTS:  I don't have much to say for this seemingly solid list...except I wish 'Theory of Everything' wasn't among the nominees.  




BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness, The Grand Budapest Hotel
E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman, Foxcatcher
Dan Gilroy, Nightcrawler
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and Nicolas Giacobone and Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Richard Linklater, Boyhood

COMMENTS:  Not a whole lot to say about this list either. 




BEST DIRECTOR
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher
Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game

COMMENTS:  'Foxcatcher' receiving a Best Director nod but not a Best Picture nod?  That's a bit strange.  

2015 Movie Preview - Top 10

I do still have a few more things to post before I completely wrap up 2014, but with I gotta get things going for 2015.  Razzie nominations came out yesterday and Oscar nominations came out today so I'll be having reaction posts to those at some point.  I will also have reviews and NFL picks coming up this weekend so I'm keeping myself busy.

Well, here are 10 movies that I'm looking forward to in 2015 in alphabetical order.  Release dates are tentative and subject to change.


AMERICAN SNIPER (JANUARY 16)
Since Clint Eastwood is behind the camera for this movie I was already gonna see it anyway.  If the trailer is any indication then this is going to be great.

AVENGERS:  AGE OF ULTRON (MAY 1)
After seeing the trailers for this, I only have one thought:  SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!!!!!!

THE HATEFUL EIGHT (NOVEMBER 13)
Quentin Tarantino doing another Western?  Sold.

THE HUNGER GAMES:  MOCKINGJAY - PART 2 (NOVEMBER 23)
Admittedly 'Mockingjay - Part 1' only felt like half of a movie that didn't need to be split.  Only 10 more months to wait for the other half...

JURASSIC WORLD (JUNE 12)
This fourth installment in the 'Jurassic Park' franchise has been in development hell for over a decade.  But with the director from one of my favorite movies of 2012 (the indie sci-fi dramedy 'Safety Not Guaranteed') and a cast that includes Chris Pratt, this could be a lot of fun.

MINIONS (JULY 10)
Arguably the best things in the 'Despicable Me' movies get their own movie.  Once again, TAKE MY MONEY!!!

SPECTRE (NOVEMBER 6)
Of course I'm looking forward to the 24th James Bond movie.  With most of the cast and crew returning from 'Skyfall', new cast members Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux, Dave Bautista, and the return of the SPECTRE organization to the Bond franchise, expectations can't be any higher.  Than again the last time I was heavily looking forward to a Bond movie after immensely enjoying the previous movie we ended up with 'Quantum of Solace'...

SPY (MAY 22)
The director of 'Bridesmaids' and 'The Heat' making a spy comedy with Melissa McCarthy and Jason Statham?  Sold.

STAR WARS EPISODE VII:  THE FORCE AWAKENS (DECEMBER 18)
It's going to be a long eleven months until we can finally see the latest 'Star Wars' movie.  With J.J. Abrams already having had success with both the 'Star Trek' and 'Mission:  Impossible' franchises, I expect that success to continue.

TED 2 (JUNE 26)
I thought the first 'Ted' movie was hilarious.  And while I didn't like 'A Million Ways To Die In The West' I usually do like Seth MacFarlane's particular brand of humor.  Hopefully this falls more in line with it's predecessor than that western "comedy".

Golden Globes Wrap-Up

Well...I went 8-6 with my Golden Globes picks.  Wasn't able to watch the show but I'm sure Tina Fey and Amy Poehler had their fair share of zingers, controversies and whatnot.  Let's take a look at the winners and see what ones I got wrong.

BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA:  'Boyhood'
COMMENT:  Correctly picked.  This movie has been seen as the heavy favorite before the ceremony and with this win I believe that solidified it as the front runner for Best Picture at the Oscars.
 
BEST MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL:  'The Grand Budapest Hotel'
COMMENT:  I got this category wrong, having picked 'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)'.  Not gonna lie, even though I picked it I'm kinda glad that Birdman lost.  'Grand Budapest Hotel' is the better movie between the two anyway.
 
BEST ACTOR - DRAMA:  Eddie Redmayne, 'The Theory of Everything' 
COMMENT:  Also got this incorrect, having picked Benedict Cumberbatch for 'The Imitation Game'.  Redmayne winning this just ticks me off...mainly because of how much I disliked 'Theory of Everything'.  Oh well.  He probably won't win the Oscar if he's nominated.

BEST ACTOR - COMEDY OR MUSICAL:  Michael Keaton, 'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)'
COMMENT:  Well I got this one right.  Now since Eddie Redmayne also won Best Actor I'm hoping Michael Keaton wins the Oscar.
 
BEST ACTRESS - DRAMA:  Julianne Moore, 'Still Alice'
COMMENT:  I haven't even seen this movie.  I only picked her because of all the Oscar front runner talk surrounding her role.  And thankfully I got it right. 

BEST ACTRESS - COMEDY OR MUSICAL:  Amy Adams, 'Big Eyes'
COMMENT:  A shot in the dark pick that ended up being correct.  Mainly picked Amy Adams because she won this category last year and I know she's an awards season favorite.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:  J.K. Simmons, 'Whiplash'
COMMENT:  He's been the front runner for almost every Best Supporting Actor award and for good reason.  If he doesn't win on Oscar night...that would be a shame.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:  Patricia Arquette, 'Boyhood'
COMMENT:  Well, back to incorrect picks.  I picked Meryl Streep for 'Into The Woods', for most of the same reasons why I picked Amy Adams for Best Actress.  It was a shot in the dark but Streep is also an awards season favorite.  Now I liked 'Boyhood' a lot, but I didn't care for Patricia Arquette's performance.
 
BEST DIRECTOR:  Richard Linklater, 'Boyhood'
COMMENT:  Once again, I picked who has been long thought to be the front runner for this award and it ended up paying off.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE:  'How To Train Your Dragon 2' 
COMMENT:  WHAT!?!?!?!??!?!?!?  HOW DID 'The LEGO Movie' LOSE TO THIS BORING SEQUEL?!?!?!?!?!?!?  BOO!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
BEST SCREENPLAY:  'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)'
COMMENT:  This really was a shot in the dark pick that surprisingly ended up being correct.  Seriously, any of the nominees in this category had a fair shot at winning.  

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:  'Leviathan'
COMMENT:  Well...I haven't seen it but it was the one movie in this category that I heard the most about.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:  'The Theory of Everything' 
COMMENT:  Not gonna lie...I thought 'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)' had this in the bag.  But the fact that 'Theory of Everything' is winning awards is making me angry.
 
BEST ORIGINAL SONG:  "Glory" from Selma, performed by Common and John Legend 
COMMENT:  My shot in the dark pick was "Big Eyes" from 'Big Eyes' performed by Lana Del Ray and I was incorrect.  Having just listened to "Glory"...I wish it hadn't won.  Nothing against Common or John Legend as artists, I just don't think it's all that good of a song.  
  

2014 Surprises and Disappointments

There were plenty of movies in 2014 that caught me off guard one way or another.  Some movies just came out of nowhere and I ended up liking them a lot.  Other movies I was looking forward to but ended up being disappointed.  Others I either had mixed feelings or wasn't looking forward to them at all but ended up liking them

So today I bring to you the movies that surprised me in 2014, and the movies that disappointed me in 2014.  Both are listed in alphabetical order. 


SURPRISES
'The Fault In Our Stars' - This young adult adaptation caught me completely by surprise.  Ended up reading the book to see what the hype was about, and I ended up seeing the movie.  First fifteen minutes aside, I thought this was very good.  I may be a cynical single person but I'm not heartless.

'Gone Girl' - I wasn't all that impressed by the trailers for this but the great reviews for it got me to go see it.  And it ended up being No. 3 on my Top 10 for 2014.  Would not have guessed that this insane movie would have been on that list six months ago.

'Her' - I mainly saw this because it was nominated for Best Picture.  The previews for it looked strange, and indeed this is a strange movie.  But I ended up enjoying it immensely and actually felt a bit of a personal connection to this movie.

'The Interview' - I wasn't too excited about this movie when the previews first started coming out.  But with all the controversy surrounding this movie of course I decided to go see it, and ended up enjoying it immensely.

'The LEGO Movie' - When the first preview came out for this in front of 'Monsters University', I thought to myself 'This could either be fun...or it could be really dumb'.  Thankfully, not only was it really good but it was AWESOME.  Because everything is AWESOME.



DISAPPOINTMENTS
'The Babadook' - this critically acclaimed Australian horror movie had a few creepy moments, but not much else.

'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)' - I wanted to like this movie.  I really did.  But ultimately nothing in this movie really worked for me.

'Godzilla' - okay, I actually did like this movie overall but it still was a bit disappointing.  Could've used more of the titular monster.

'The Hobbit:  The Battle of the Five Armies' - didn't care for the first 'Hobbit' movie but I thought the second one was very good.  This third chapter just kinda lumbers on and is littered with what quite possibly is the worst CGI in this series.

'How To Train Your Dragon 2' - I loved the first movie and was really looking forward to this.  But for the most part...I was bored.  The sheep and Toothless were funny, but that was about it.  I was nodding off during this movie, and I barely do that during movies.

'The Hunger Games:  Mockingjay - Part 1' - okay, here's another one that I did like overall but it was still disappointing.  But that is mostly with the decision to split this into two movies, resulting in this feeling padded out despite Jennifer Lawrence's strongest performance as Katniss Everdeen to date.

'Locke' - this critically acclaimed movie features Tom Hardy talking on the phone in his car for 90 minutes, and it's about as exciting as that sounds.

'Maleficent' - No doubt about it:  This has perfect casting.  And the previews made it look interesting.  But the story they go with ruins the potential.

'A Million Ways To Die In The West' - I usually like Seth MacFarlane's brand of humor and I actually was heavily looking forward to this.  Despite a few chuckles here and there, this western comedy mostly succeeded in having me stare blankly at the screen for long periods of time.  It's also way way too long and it tries way way too hard to be funny.

'The Monuments Men' - I was also looking forward to this movie.  George Clooney directing a WWII movie with a cast that includes himself, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, and Jean Dujardin?  That sounded like it would be fun, but instead it was mostly a bore.

'The Theory of Everything' - this biopic is mostly garnering praise for it's two lead performances than for the movie itself.  But this is a movie that eventually I just became so bored with that I just stopped caring.

'A Walk Among The Tombstones' - I was very much looking forward to this dark hard R thriller starring Liam Neeson.  Sometimes it was thrilling, sometimes it was a bore, and ultimately it's very forgettable.

'22 Jump Street' - Once again here we have a movie that I was looking forward to but once again was disappointed with.  Overall I just didn't think it was all that funny.



Any movie you were surprised by or disappointed with in 2014?

Golden Globe Predictions

The Golden Globes are finally here, and as usual I will not be watching them.  Why, you may ask?  Well quite frankly I'll be busy either watching football, sleeping, or working.  Or a combination of the three.  I'm sure there will be a handful of funny quips from Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, at least a few awkward jokes from other celebrities, surprise winners, and that it'll drag on and on and on and on.  You know, how awards shows usually go.

Anyway, here are my picks for tonight's Golden Globes.  I'll post a Golden Globes wrap-up with winners and how well my picks did at some point tomorrow.
  
BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA:  Boyhood
BEST MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL:  Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
BEST ACTOR - DRAMA:  Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
BEST ACTOR - COMEDY OR MUSICAL:  Michael Keaton, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
BEST ACTRESS - DRAMA:  Julianne Moore, Still Alice
BEST ACTRESS - COMEDY OR MUSICAL:  Amy Adams, Big Eyes
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:  J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:  Meryl Streep, Into The Woods
BEST DIRECTOR:  Richard Linklater, Boyhood
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE:  The LEGO Movie
BEST SCREENPLAY:  Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:  Leviathan
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:  Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
BEST ORIGINAL SONG:  "Big Eyes" from Big Eyes, performed by Lana Del Ray

NFL 2014 DIVISIONAL ROUND Pick 'Em

Hoping I don't regret my last pick...

RAVENS @ Patriots
Panthers @ SEAHAWKS
Cowboys @ PACKERS
COLTS @ Broncos

LAST WEEK:  3-1, 75%
PLAYOFFS TOTAL:  3-1, 75%
REGULAR SEASON:  162-93-1, 63.28%
OVERALL:  165-94-1, 63.46%

Best of 2014 and Honorable Mention

Well, my laptop is finally fixed so I'll be blogging on a more regular basis.  There's more NFL games to pick, 2015 releases starting to come to theaters, some awards contenders finally making their way to my area, etc.  But first let's start wrapping up 2014 with my Top 10 list.  I've already revealed my Top 10 on Facebook last week but this goes into a little bit more detail.  So, without further adieu, my Top 10 for 2014.

Honorable Mention
'300:  Rise of an Empire' (review here) - I'll admit that narratively, this prequel/concurrent/sequel to the 2007 '300' is a mess.  BUT it was a lot of bloody, violent fun in IMAX 3D.


My Top 10 of 2014

10.  'Boyhood' (review)
          Probably the most realistic depiction of childhood and of growing up in general without being a documentary.  While I couldn't relate to every single thing that the characters experience, there were still multiple times in the theater where I thought to myself "Yep...I remember doing that", "Yep...I know people who did that", "Holy crap I remember when that song came out", "Yep...I remember what I was doing that particular year".  Definitely a film to be admired in terms of it's scope, but on it's own it is a really good movie bolstered by great performances from Ethan Hawke and newcomer Ellar Coltrane, who pretty much grows up right in front of our eyes.  It is a bit lengthy (clocking in at 2 hours, 45 minutes) and I have a few other minor nitpicks about the movie but this was still one of my favorites from 2014.  There has been a lot of talk about this movie being the front runner for Best Picture and Best Director at the Academy Awards, and for good reason.

 

 9.  'Fury' (review)
          Out of all the war movies to come out in 2014, this was my favorite by a long shot.  War is hell, and this bleak ultra-violent movie never shies away from that for it's 2 hour, 14 minute running time.  A rough sit at times with how intense this movie can be but it's well worth a look with it's great score, excellent cinematography, and strong performances from the cast. 

 8.  'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' (review)
          Darker and more tense than it's predecessor, this worthy follow-up boasts a great story with many interesting characters, great special effects that even improve upon it's predecessor, and another great performance by Andy Serkis as Caeser.  Not too many movies can make you care about the plight of CGI monkeys simply wanting to survive but this one succeeds.

 7.  'Interstellar' (review)
          Christopher Nolan's follow-up to 'The Dark Knight Rises' is a three hour sci-fi spectacle and because I was so invested in the story and characters the time certainly flew by.  Often quite tense with great special effects and anchored by two great performances in Matthew McConaughey's Cooper, Jessica Chastain, and Mackenzie Foy.  Definitely one to think about after you've watched it.

 6.  'The Interview' (review)
          Did I mention that my Top 10 wasn't approved by North Korea?  Oops.  Oh well.  Still don't remember 'Team America' causing any international controversy with it's depiction of Kim Jong-il, but oh well.  International controversy aside, I still thought this was hilarious and anchored by an absolutely bonkers performance by James Franco.

 5.  'Neighbors'  (review)
         Another Seth Rogen movie makes my Top 10 for 2014.  And in all honesty this was the funniest movie I've seen all year, and the most I've laughed consistently during a movie since 'Despicable Me 2'.
 

 4.  'Nebraska' (review)
          Yes, I'm aware of the fact that this is technically a 2013 release and that it received a lot of nominations on the awards circuit last year.  BUT it didn't come to a theater near me until 2014, so I count it amongst movies in 2014.  While more of a drama, it still often is very funny, very well acted with realistic characters and dialogue, and is beautifully shot in black and white.

 3.  'Gone Girl' (review)
          Did I mention that my Top 10 list wasn't approved by my grandmother?  Oops.  Oh well.  I never read the book on which this was based, but this is one of those movies where the less you know about it the better off you'll be while watching it.  Definitely one of the more insane movies I've seen in awhile.  Suspenseful and shocking, darkly funny at times, and just an overall extremely well made movie that kept my attention for it's nearly 2 and a half hour running time.

 2.  'Her' (review)
          Another movie that also hit some theaters in 2013 and hit the awards circuit last year but didn't come to a theater near me until 2014.  No doubt about it this movie is indeed very strange, but at the same time I thought it was great.  'Her' is very well acted, shot well, features great music, and is always weaving back and forth between serious drama and laugh out loud comedy without overdoing it either way.  When it gets into more serious topics like the end of relationships it can become quite relatable.  Strange, but worth it.  And for a long time it looked like this was going to be my Top movie from 2014.  Until the next movie came along ten months later...

1.  'Whiplash' (review)
          Not gonna lie...it's hard to write something about 'Whiplash' without feeling like I'm underselling it and not giving it enough praise.  Virtually every aspect of this movie is top notch, from the rousing drum-heavy jazz score to the acting (particularly J.K. Simmons' monster of a jazz instructor) to the way it's shot and edited  to just...everything.  And it's constantly bringing up the age old question "How far is too far?" in terms of pushing somebody to their fullest potential.  No other movie has stuck with me the way that 'Whiplash' has.  Go see it.  You don't even have to like jazz to like this movie.


Well that's my Top 10 of 2014.  What have been some of your favorite movies from 2014?

NFL 2014 - WILD CARD Pick 'Em

Another year over and a new one just begun, but with that comes the return of the NFL playoffs.  Should be an interesting post season to say the least.


Cardinals @ PANTHERS
Ravens @ STEELERS
Bengals @ COLTS
Lions @ COWBOYS

Last week:  12-4
PLAYOFFS TOTAL:  0-0
REGULAR SEASON TOTAL:  162-93-1
OVERALL TOTAL:  162-93-1