And so it begins....

One of my lovely Telluride Student Symposium-ites brought it to my attention that the SAG (Screen Actors Guild of AMURICAH) Award nominations came out yesterday. The ceremony which takes place on January 29th is one of the main indicators of what the Oscars will have in terms of the acting category. There are some surprises and some not so much. Megan McCarthy recognized in the supporting actresses category and the whole cast of Bridesmaid being recognized for Outstanding Cast. There is a Best Actor nod given to Carlos Galindo for A Better Life which  I have heard little to nothing about but based on the trailer it seems as though it could get some Oscar sympathies later on in the season. I'm going to assume that The Artist will clean up these awards though but we shall see.

Out this morning as well are the Golden Globes' nominations and this year they have further proved how much I think that it's not even worth my time. Somehow in the crazy universe that is the Globes, Megan McCarthy does not get a supporting actress nod and Jessica Chastain gets one for The Help? Can someone please explain this logic to me? I mean Jessica was good but it further proves how much award shows really don't appreciate comedy. No surprises with the Best Picture nominations in either category with the exception of switching out My Week with Marilyn for Crazy, Stupid, Love in the Best Comedy/Musical category. I'm also loving the double nominations for Ryan Gosling for Ides of March and Crazy, Stupid, Love (watch out Clooney!) and for Kate Winslet for both the TV mini series Mildred Pierce (quite possibly the most depressing thing I have ever seen) and Carnage.

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No Fincher nomination for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo which I have no problem with since Fincher seems like a complete jerk but I guess I shouldn't judge a director by his over inflamed ego.

I am also confused as to why Cars 2 got a nomination at all. Everyone knows that Pixar dropped the ball with this one, maybe to give others a chance at winning animation awards. I think it was a pity nomination on the part of the Globes and will definitely not be winning with other wonderfully made films such as Arthur Christmas and The Adventures of Tin Tin (Spielberg directed = surefire win).

Little to nothing for A Dangerous Method, thank god. Keira Knightly thoroughly crushed my love for her with that ridiculous Russian accent. My old apartment use to do Russian accents for kicks and giggles (an incredibly long and silly story) so seeing as our silly, non-trained accents sound similar if not better than Keira's means there is a problem. Cronenberg, where were you to rein her in?!

Recently saw War Horse another potential nominee and I am hoping to also catch Beginners and Midnight in Paris within the coming weeks.

I'm so STARSTRUCK

Within the last six months, I have met more "famous people" including actors, actresses, directors and writers than I could have ever even imagined possible. I was always the person that had their back turned as Michelle Obama walked through the American University campus until now. Luck has dealt me some pretty good hands.

My famous people streak started about six months back when I was helping out with a screening at Allied where the writers of a really fantastic film called Insidious was being touted as the next really great horror film. Much to my surprise Leigh Whannell, also known as the guy that created the original Saw, was to attend the screening and participate in a Q&A session after the film. The same happened whenever documentarian Morgan Spurlock came to DC to promote POM Wonderful's The Greatest Movie Ever Sold. He introduced himself to me after I was awkwardly smiling at him by saying "Hi, I'm Morgan". As if I didn't know, good sir!

Telluride obviously takes the cake on celebrity sitings. I got to personally talk to Wim Wenders, Werner Herzog, Lynne Ramsey, Ken Burns, George Clooney, Ty Burrell and last but most certainly not least, the GORGEOUS, smart, personable and most modest Tilda Swinton. When the leaders of my Student Symposium first began asking her questions, they started with "Ms Swinton..." to which she quickly replied "Oh please, call me Tilda". OH OKAY, Tilda.

The past week will go down in my personal history as the week that I not only met Patton Oswalt, comedian, TV side character and surprisingly wonderful dramatic actor, but also the wonderful MERYL STREEP. Yes, you read this correctly. I had the honor and privilege of meeting one of the most well respected and talented actresses in the business. Meryl was in town to promote her new Academy buzzed about film The Iron Lady, which somehow I keep inadvertently combining with War Horse making a completely new movie called The Iron Horse (unknown to me until .02 seconds ago that there was a movie in 1924 called The Iron Horse). Though she was in a frenzy after coming directly from a reception with senators and other DC elite, she took the time to say hello to myself and a few co-workers. I tried really hard not to let me jaw drop or freak out like a 13 year old girl seeing a boy band in concert.

You now may be wondering, where are the pictures? This is what happens when you see all these people in a professional atmosphere. No pictures. Only wonderful memories.

Adding to my list though of potential Academy nominees, I've now seen The Iron Lady, Young Adult and Tree of Life (what a disappointment! Thank you to the lovely Laura Castelli for sitting through dinosaurs with me)

It's beginning to feel a lot like AWARDS SEASON

During my break from my *gulp* last few weeks at American University, I am currently sitting on my lovely living room couch, finishing my third day's turkey dinner feast while watching the Indiana Jones marathon on USA (thankfully excluding the most recent and most disturbing of the Indy series). Simultaneously I begin flipping through my back issues of EW (I know you're thinking, how does she do it all? I don't because I didn't even notice that one Indy movie changed into a different one during this time. But honestly, there isn't much of a difference between the 2nd and 3rd with the exception of Sean Connery, of course. Ramble, ramble. Back to my point). As I read about their current Academy Award guesses for the ceremonies in February, it made me think about this funnily failed project of mine and decided that I am going to attempt this again and here is why:

1. I am graduating college and will actually have time to do it, or so I think.
2. I was lucky enough to be invited to attend the Telluride Film Festival as part of the Student Symposium. I feel that this has given me a bit of a leg up on last year.
3. My internship at Allied Integrated Marketing has also given me access to see some of the most buzzed about films.
4. I might be going slightly crazy.
5. Most importantly, my pride is hurt.

Here is a short list of films that I have already seen that will make it to some category within the awards, in my opinion: The Artist, Pina, The Adventures of Tin Tin, Hugo, The Help, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, Shame, We Need to Talk About Kevin, The Forgiveness of Blood, The Kid with the Bike, Le Havre, The Help, A Dangerous Method and last but certainly not least, Bridesmaids.

Seriously, can the Academy give a comedic actress the chance? Melissa  McCarthy, you are my hero.

January 24th gives way to the nominations for the February 26th ceremony. Can't wait to see this year's snubs!

Failure. I'm finally facing it.

Hello faithful followers,

I apologize for not having written earlier than this but the combination of Spring Break and school just being coo coo bananas as my dear friend Filley would say have prolonged this inevitable post.

I have failed my blog challenge. It is weird to say out loud, or should I say type out, but the people in my life that I know have already figured this out. The unfortunate inability to find some movies at all, lack of money and overall lack of time has caused my downfall. I feel truly terrible about it because I had made such a big deal about it to everyone and because I really wanted to do this.

For now, I will have to face the music and wait a whole year for the next set of nominations and awards. Since I will already have graduated, hopefully with a job, by the next annual Academy Awards, I anticipate a better effort on my part. Until then, this blog will be a weekly posting on industry updates and shockers. I won't overload this blog post and will write again tomorrow for all you interested in the lastest and greatest in entertainment.

Russians, Superheros, Princesses and Feisty Teenagers! Oh my!

I really should have checked my class work schedule before beginning this challenge seeing as I have a really big paper due two days after the ceremony but I promise that I will be trying my hardest to finish what I have started.

On another note, I realized while doing this project that I come in with lots of snobby film student-y assumptions about the films that I watch, sorry to subject you to them. It's just how I have been taught to think. Here are the most recent films that I have finished watching:

• Salt (Best Sound Mixing)

My same issue that I had with Nicole Kidman applies here. Angelina Jolie tends to play the same people over and over. The bad but totally self-righteous female lead who can also kick some serious butt. At least she plays the character well. The plot on the other hand was too convoluted and ridiculous for me. I'm not really that adept at the sound categories because though I sort of understand the difference between mixing and editing, I will more than likely not understand to the point of picking a correct answer. That being said, I don't think this really has that good of a shot since it generally goes to films in contention of the Best Picture prize. The exception of course being Pirates of the Caribbean 2 in which the film won both sound awards in 2007.

• Tangled (Best Original Song)

I genuinely thought that this was going to be another cheesy princess movie produced by Disney but honestly, I loved this. My roommate Laura was raving about it prior to me watching it and I can thoroughly see now why. It's really wholesome and amusing. Generally my issue with songs from animated films is that they really don't have anything to do with major plot points but "I See the Light" fits pretty well with the film. I also have an affinity for Mandy Moore ever since I fell in love with A Walk to Remember when I was about 9. Unfortunately though, the Academy recently has been moving away from giving the awards to animated features. Enchanted was nominated for three different songs and lost to a song from Once.

• Iron Man 2 (Best Visual Effects)

Any excuse to watch RDJ is a good one for me. Playboy superhero Tony Starks returns with a new enemy on his hands, Mickey Rourke's Whiplash. The visual effects in this film, like the first as well, are impressive but I do have to say a little overdone. I like my action movies to have some real looking content and the last half hour of the film is all CGI special effects business. Good for the kiddies and men that like to see stuff blown up but not particularly my cup of tea.

• Winter's Bone (Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor- John Hawkes, Best Actress- Jennifer Lawrence, Best Adapted Screenplay)

I will never ever in my life go to the Ozarks region. I'm not sure exactly where this was shot but for once, this shows that the people that live there are not just dumb poor hicks. The societal order of the poor community is astounding and truly terrifying. A very unique film with outstanding performances by both Lawrence and Hawkes, it really is no wonder why they both were nominated. Strong yet really vulnerable at the same time, Lawrence is relentless and moving in pursuit of her father and in keeping her family's land. I was really surprised how much I liked this film whenever I guiltily went in thinking that it was going to be Sundance Oscar bait film. With such heavy competition in all the categories, the only category it really seems to have a chance with is going to be Adapted Screenplay which isn't even fair seeing as it is in the same category as The Social Network.

25 down, 33 to go. 

Have You Missed Me?

Sorry for the delay on this post. For those of you who know me, I am in a sorority. Whenever you take a "little" or someone you mentor, you decorate their room for four days before you find out who they are. This takes up a crazy amount of time with crafting and what not. There was also the little thing called the Superbowl in which my PACKERS WON!! Wahoo!! Had to throw that in their and I hope that I am not alienating any of my readers that are Steelers fans.

That being said, there are no excuses for not making my deadline. I have watch four new movies and here are my thoughts on them:

•  Rabbit Hole- Best Actress Nicole Kidman

It is interesting to see the evolution of Nicole Kidman from a box office star to a indie star with the except of this week's release of Just Go With It. Though her acting is phenomenal as a woman who has lost her children in an accident, I feel as though I may have seen her in this part in a different movie. Kidman has gotten down how to play emotionally wrecked underneath the surface and the Academy seems to love just nominated her for it. This isn't to discredit those actors who play the parts they fit well like Katherine Hepburn whose whole career was built on her "character". Very emotionally charged movie with even better acting I would say from Aaron Eckhart but not the winner so far for this category in my opinion.

•  The Illusionist- Best Animated Feature Film

Sylvain Chomet and his animation team has master the art of three dimension in two dimensional films. It's films like this that make me truly love film. Though a French product with a few French phrases, the film for the most part does not have any dialogue. I haven't really read anything about the film prior to watching it and I was pleasantly surprised how much of a story we can infer by actions and facial expressions alone. This film proves the point that national cinema and language does not actually have to be a barrier. The animation was beautiful, giving real depth to an otherwise two dimensional film, as previously stated. Though Toy Story 3 seems to be the clear cut winner with a Best Picture nod as well, the Academy could hand the award to Chomet since he lost in 2003 to another Disney picture, Finding Nemo.

•   How To Train Your Dragon- Best Animated Feature

Poor DreamWorks. Every year they come out with a really delightful film that has to lose to a Disney film. Dragon is a film about a young Viking who befriends a dragon and convinces his village that dragons on the whole are not evil. Toothless is the most adorable creature and I would love to have him as a pet. The disappointed father to whom the main character must prove his worth to is a little overplayed but Jay Baruchel's delightful comedic turn on the character of Hiccup made the film very enjoyable. A great film for kids that will more than likely not walk away with the trophy at the end of the night.

• Tron: Legacy- Best Sound Editing

While I am a huge fan of the first movie, I was surprised that this got nominated at all seeing as it is a futuristic action movie. Not exactly Academy material. The first film was also nominated in this category as well as costume design though it did not win either award. I was even more surprised that it was nominated for something like Sound Editing and not Visual Effects. I thought the visuals were great especially seeing that they made Jeff Bridges look twenty-something again. Garrett Hedlund is extremely attractive and does a decent job for an action film. The same could be said for rising star Olivia Wilde. An enjoyable action film to watch but it more than likely will not win based on the favorites that are also nominated in this category.


Feeling the pressure a little bit now seeing as there are only 15 days until the ceremony but I will pull all-nighters if it means completely this....well not actually because I've never pulled one before and I tend to fall asleep watching movies. Ask my roommates or my parents or my boyfriend or basically anyone that knows me well.

21 down, 37 to go.

"Every crazy a-lister owns an island...

Nicolas Cage, Celine Dion, Charles Widmore. This is a whole new world in front of me, LL." 


Well said, 30 Rock.


Sorry to bring my TV obsession into this space again but if there is anything you should know about me it is my love of that show. Now back to the real deal.

• The King's Speech (nominated for Best Picture, Colin Firth for Best Actor, Helena Bonham Carter for Best Supporting Actress, Jeffrey Rush for Supporting Actor, Art Direction, Cinematography, Costume Design, Tom Hooper for Best Director, Film Editing, Original Score, Sound Mixing, Original Screenplay).

WOOF. That's such a long list that I gave it it's own paragraph. It definitely deserves it. Going into seeing The King's Speech I was honestly expecting this super uptight, normal British period piece but I am glad to say that I am highly mistaken. Though told in a classical narrative, the continued use of the wide-angled lens, off-centered shots for the majority of the film and fantastic wallpaper made this film extremely enjoyable. Colin Firth is amazing and all the buzz is very much needed. He is poised and well constructed. Jeffrey Rush is welcomed comic relief as well as Helena Bonham Carter as well though in frightfully smaller role than usual.

• True Grit (Best Picture, Best Actor- Jeff Bridges, Best Supporting Actress- Hailee Steinfeld, Art Direction, Cinematography, Costume Design, Coen Brothers for Best Director, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Adapted Screenplay), second most nominated film after The King's Speech.

I should fess up before I write this and say that I took a class on the Coens' last semester so obviously I am already enamored with their work. On the other hand, I don't believe that this is their best work (I am severely partial to O Brother). Ever a staple, their witty dialogue is well matched with both of the nominated figures this time around. Steinfeld's youth holds no barrier for her part. I do have to ask though I will not receive a response from them, what's it always with the hats?! Symbolism riddled throughout definitely make this an interesting film for their repertoire. I haven't had such a rough time understanding a male lead since Enis Del Mar in Brokeback Mountain. Matt Damon is also a treat providing some of the comedic relief in a mostly serious film (can't wait for his return as Carol in 30 Rock!) Overall well executed but not their best.

• The Gruffalo (Best Animated Short Film)

BBC short film that was based off a children's book by Julia Donaldson. Very cute and entertaining for the younger set. Though it was told in the same fashion as a fable, I expected the end result of the story to have a moral but in the end, he is just a witty little mouse. The animation is very well done but definitely not my favorite in the category so far.

I would like to take this time to thank all of you for reading along. Special shout outs this week go to Zoe, Sarah and Laurie for seeing Blue Valentine with me, Ben for bringing me on a date to see The King's Speech, Sofija for passing along Mel's website for watching movies online and for all ye abroad who are reading, especially my sister Kelsey. I love you all!!

Keep checking back in! 17 down, 41 to go!

YouTube Woes

When I began this lofty quest, I had high hopes of the internet being my greatest resource in finding all the nominated shorts , documentaries and foreign films that I would not be able to see otherwise. Unfortunately since Google has made a lot of copyrighted material disappear, I am having a really rough time finding some of these items. If you are reading out and want to help out *in fake southern drawl* a poor, helpless gal like myself, please post me links on Facebook if you are my friend, Twitter or here. Your help would be most welcomed.

Since my last posting, I have watched the Live Action Short nominee The Confession. The Irish are funnier than I expected. Watch it below.

I also went and saw Blue Valentine, Michelle William's nomination for Best Actress, with a few friends. I cried hysterically for about the last ten minutes of the film but now I can also see why some people were up in arms about Ryan Gosling not getting nominated. He made my heartache. What a great turn for him. Wish he would have received some recognition.

I also watched Exit Through the Gift Shop, nominated for Best Feature Length Documentary. Where I started with the film was certainly not where I ever thought I would end in the film. If you have Netflix, which I do not understand why anyone would not, it is on instant. Scathing and unexpected, it is one of the best documentaries that I have seen in a while.

That's all for now. 14 down, 44 to go!

Hereeeeee are the Nominations!

FINALLY! The day that you have all been waiting for: the official start to my blogging.

Also known as the day that the Academy announces who the nominees are for the 2011 Academy Awards but we all know that you are more excited to read my ramblings though...right?

So here is the official Academy Award site. It should automatically pop up on the nominations section but if not, just use one more click. I'm sure you all are smart enough to figure it out :)

A few snubs that are worth talking about here, most importantly Christopher Nolan.

It came as a shock to many that the Inception director did not garner a nomination though it is important to note that he has been snubbed in the past as well. Nolan has yet to achieve a personal nomination for direction but has been recognized for his screenwriting skills.

Other note-worthy snubs at least in my opinion include Miss Julianne Moore in The Kids Are Alright (though this was a little bit of a long shot, I still really like her and wanted her to get some recognition), the much buzzed about documentary Waiting for Superman, critically land uber-adorable Despicable Me. 

On the other hand, we get to see Mark Ruffalo's face due to a surprise Best Supporting Actor nod

and youngster Hailee Steinfeld as well.

There are 58 nominated films and I'm starting at 11 previously viewed films. The ones that I have seen not as recently, I MIGHT re-watch heavily dependent on homework and an actual social life.

This will be the craziest month of my life. I'm glad that you all are here to join me!

Red Carpet Breakdown

While some may have deemed the Golden Globes a surprise earlier on this week, I beg to differ.

First of all, there are only 90 members in the Hollywood Foreign Press Society. This would mean that in order to get a majority vote, only 46 members would have to vote for your film. Some might think that this is a great deal but in comparison to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has 6,000 members and therefore a majority would mean convincing 3,001 people. The legitimacy of the Golden Globes has greatly decreased in my option as previously stated which is another reason why Ricky Gervais' opening monologue about The Tourist being nominated. As many of you probably already know, The Social Network cleaned up many of the top awards. Annette Benning and Natalie Portman (!!) walked away with the Best Actress tophies while Colin Firth and Paul Giamatti were the Best Actors. The Fighter walked away with both supporting prizes which will probably be similiar to the Oscars as well.

TV is not the point of this blog but I'm still a little upset that Tina Fey didn't win because she is my idol.

That said, there are awesome fashion wins and disasters to talk about as I promised!

The winner in my book is Anne Hathaway.

I can't wait to watch her host the Oscars just because she is gorgeous and adorable and I have a HUGE lady crush on her. Next on my list is....

I wish this was MY So-Called Life. Very minimalist but very chic. Love it. I am not a fashion guru though so for more coverage and citing where I got my photos from visit Fashion Editor at Large

Anticipation

I know that I grabbed you all's attention a little preemptively but I promise that you will not be disappointed.

Since I have written last, I actually have not seen too many of the films that are garnering some buzz. I can cross The Town, Black Swan and Despicable Me off the list that I think will be happening at the end of the month. Three feet of snow severely inhibited some of the time that I had to watch the films but in the future, I promise that this will NOT be an excuse.

The Golden Globes are this Sunday. This year I am a little disappointed with the selections in the Musical/Comedy category but I'm not sure there was too much to choose from. I do have an all day event that I will be at on Sunday but I will be on the watch for the winners both in the ceremony and in the fashion category because lets be serious, I judge everyone's outfits. So check back with me later on next week for a break down. It will be more than entertaining.