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2012: A Year at the Movies

January 1, 2013

jmunney A Year at the Movies, Cinema Leave a comment

2012 was the first year since I’ve been keeping track of my moviegoing that I did not set a new record, as I fell a few short of last year’s 75. 70 seems to be the new benchmark that I have got to be hitting each year, so I at least managed that. As usual, included with the list of titles are grades, dates, showtimes, theatre locations, and folks I saw the movies with.

1. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows – B- (1/14, 7:40 PM, AMC Hamilton, Hamilton, NJ; Laura Janousek)
2. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol in IMAX – A- (1/19, 1:35 PM, AMC Neshaminy, Bensalem, PA; myself)
3. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – B+ (1/24, 1:15 PM, Regal United Artists Oxford Valley, Langhorne, PA; myself)
4. The Artist – B+ (1/25, 1:30 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
5. Haywire – A- (1/28, 7:45 PM, Oxford Valley; Jeff Smith)
6. Pina in 3D – B (1/30, 1:05 PM, Neshaminy; myself)
7. A Dangerous Method – B+ (1/31, 12:10 PM, Neshaminy; myself)
8. One for the Money – C+ (2/3, 2:00 PM, Oxford Valley; Bob and Sue Malone)
9. The Woman in Black – B- (2/27, 2:20 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
10. Chronicle – A- (2/28, 1:35 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
11. John Carter in 3D – B- (3/11, 1:30 PM, Oxford Valley; Bob Malone)
12. Wanderlust – B+ (3/14, 1:15 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
13. Jeff, Who Lives at Home – B+ (3/20, 1:15 PM, Hamilton; myself)
14. Seeking Justice – B- (3/21, 1:20 PM, Neshaminy; myself)
15. The Hunger Games – A- (3/23, 1:20 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
16. 21 Jump St. – B+ (3/23, 10:20 PM, Oxford Valley; Dave Coyle, Jason Tkach, Walter Wojcik)
17. Friends with Kids – C+ (3/28, 1:05 PM, Neshaminy; myself)
18. Wrath of the Titans – D+ (3/30, 10:20 PM, Oxford Valley; Jason Tkach)
19. Casa de mi Padre – B (4/3, 12:00 PM, Neshaminy; myself)
20. The Cabin in the Woods – A (4/13, 8:00 PM, Regal Plymouth Meeting, Conshohocken, PA; Jason Tkach; also 4/21, 8:10 PM, Oxford Valley; Jeff Smith and Walter Wojcik)
21. Lockout – B- (5/1, 2:25 PM, Neshaminy; myself)
22. Marvel’s The Avengers in 3D – B+ (5/4, 9;20 PM, Oxford Valley; Jason Tkach and Walter Wojcik)
23. The Five-Year Engagement – B (5/6, 7:25 PM, Oxford Valley; Kaity Malone)
24. The Dictator – B (5/29, 1:10 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
25. Men in Black 3 in 3D – B (6/1, 10:00 PM, Oxford Valley; Jason Tkach)
26. That’s My Boy – B- (6/15, 10:10 PM, Oxford Valley; Walter Wojcik)
27. Prometheus in 3D – B (6/20, 12:20 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
28. Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap – B (6/21, 1:30 PM, Neshaminy; myself)
29. Safety Not Guaranteed – A- (6/24, 7:40 PM, Neshaminy; Kaity Malone)
30. Moonrise Kingdom – A- (6/29, 7:20 PM, Oxford Valley; Kaity Malone)
31. Rock of Ages – C+ (7/2, 12:10 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
32. Ted – B- (7/2, 7:50 PM, Oxford Valley; Jeff Smith and Walter Wojcik)
33. The Amazing Spider-Man – B (7/6, 3:45 PM, Oxford Valley; Bob Malone, Sue Malone, Kaity Malone, and Anne Cree)
34. To Rome with Love – B- (7/13, 7:15 PM, Neshaminy; Kaity Malone)
35. Katy Perry: Part of Me in 3D – B+ (7/16, 1:15 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
36. Magic Mike – B+ (7/18, 1:20 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
37. The Dark Knight Rises – A- (7/23, 7:00 PM, Oxford Valley; Bob Malone, Kaity Malone, Anne Cree, and Becca Mutek; also in IMAX, 9/6, 12:30 PM, Regal United Artists King of Prussia, King of Prussia, PA; myself)
38. Savages – C+ (7/25, 1:50 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
39. Total Recall – C- (8/9, 7:40 PM, Regal Manahawkin; Martin Malone, Jane Malone, Beth Woods, Rory Woods, Wesley Woods, and Riley Woods)
40. Ruby Sparks – A- (8/13, 7:50 PM, Hamilton; Kaity Malone and Becca Mutek)
41. Hope Springs – B+ (8/14, 1:40 PM, Oxford Valley; Claire Dansbury and Grace Stanford)
42. Rifftrax Live: Manos: The Hands of Fate (8/16, 8:00 PM, Neshaminy; myself)
43. Brave – B (8/21, 11:50 AM, Oxford Valley; myself)
44. The Expendables 2 – B- (8/31, 7:55 PM, Oxford Valley; Jeff Smith)
45. Beasts of the Southern Wild – B+ (9/4, 11:45 AM, Hamilton; myself)
46. The Campaign – B- (9/7, 2:40 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
47. Celeste & Jesse Forever – B (9/11, 1:45 PM, Neshaminy; myself)
48. The Possession – C+ (9/17, 2:50 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
49. Robot & Frank – B+ (9/18, 11:35 AM, Neshaminy; myself)
50. House at the End of the Street – C (9/25, 2:20 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
51. End of Watch – B+ (9/26, 1:40 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
52. Looper – A (9/28, 1:40 PM, Oxford Valley; Rob Malone)
53. The Master – B+ (9/29, 7:15 PM, Oxford Valley; Bob and Sue Malone)
54. Trouble with the Curve – C+ (10/2, 1:05 PM, Oxford Valley; Claire Dansbury and Grace Stanford)
55. Pitch Perfect – B (10/8, 2:20 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
56. Argo – A- (10/13, 7:10 PM, Oxford Valley; Bob and Sue Malone)
57. Seven Psychopaths – B+ (10/15, 1:40 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
58. Sinister – B+ (10/17, 2:20 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
59. Rifftrax Live: Birdemic (10/25, 8:00 PM, Neshaminy; myself)
60. Paranormal Activity 4 – C (10/31, 2:00 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
61. Flight – A (11/4, 1:00 PM, Oxford Valley; Bob Malone, Sue Malone, Claire Dansbury, and Grace Stanford)
62. Cloud Atlas – B+ (11/13, 12:40 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
63. The Perks of Being a Wallflower – A- (11/15, 12:15 PM, Hamilton; myself)
64. Wreck-It Ralph – A- (11/26, 12:50 PM, Oxford Valley; Jeff Smith)
65. Skyfall – B+ (11/27, 11:35 AM, Oxford Valley; myself)
66. Killing Them Softly – B+ (12/3, 11:50 AM, Oxford Valley; myself)
67. Lincoln – A- (12/4, 11:40 AM, Oxford Valley; myself)
68. Life of Pi in 3D – B+ (12/10, 1:10 PM, Oxford Valley; myself)
69. Hitchcock – B- (12/11, 1:30 PM, Neshaminy; Kaity Malone)
70. The Guilt Trip – B- (12/19, 7:10 PM, Oxford Valley; Kaity Malone and Hannah Plumridge)
71. Les Miserables – B (12/26, 12:00 PM, Oxford Valley; Bob Malone, Sue Malone, Kaity Malone, Claire Dansbury, Pat Dansbury, Anne Cree, and Becca Mutek)

Jmunney’s Very Early 2012 Oscar Predictions

September 21, 2012

jmunney Awards Shows, Cinema, Oscars, Television Leave a comment

The film festival season is in full swing, the buzz is buzzing, and the Oscar contenders are making themselves known. Here’s what I’m seeing:

Best Picture: The Silver Linings Playbook – This seems to have just the right mix of well-respected director, strong performances, and heart-tugging subject matter.

Director: David O. Russell, The Silver Linings Playbook – I can maybe see a Best Picture/Best Director split this year if voters want to recognize P.T. Anderson for the scope of The Master, but the director of the Best Picture winner usually wins Best Director.

Lead Actor: Joaquin Phoenix, The Master – I think everyone is now realizing – if they hadn’t already – how Joaquin’s dedication to his craft pays off as well as it does.

Lead Actress: Jennifer Lawrence, The Silver Linings Playbook – The only way I don’t see Jen being nominated here is if someone decides to give her a push for The Hunger Games as well and tries to present her Silver Linings role as Supporting (since actors can’t be nominated for multiple roles in the same category in the same year).

No clear favorite has emerged for either of the supporting acting categories yet.

Original Screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master

Adapted Screenplay: David O. Russell, The Silver Linings Playbook

Bradley Cooper is also a strong contender, which in turn means that The Silver Linings Playbook has a decent shot at being the first “Big 5” winner (Picture, Director, Lead Actor, Lead Actress, Screenplay) since The Silence of the Lambs (and only the fourth overall). It is looking more than likely at this point that it will be the first since Million Dollar Baby to at least be nominated in each of the Big 5 categories.

Reflections on Selections from the Filmography of Tony Scott(1944-2012)

August 20, 2012

jmunney Cinema Leave a comment

Top Gun (1986)
The progression of Tony Scott’s career reminds me a bit of the progression of Community. At the beginning, he was mostly accessible, yet with a very noticeable bit of weirdness (all that homoeroticism), but there was hardly any indication just how weird he would end up.

The Last Boy Scout (1991)
Oh man, I gotta see this one. Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans?! Come on!

True Romance (1993)
With a Tarantino script, direction from Tony, and that cast, this is one of the best illustrations ever of the cinematic success borne from collabortation.

Man on Fire (2004)
I have got to see this one soon. Apparently, this was when Tony’s crazy-editing style really started to kick into high gear.

Domino (2005)
For just about everybody, Tony went too far in Domino with his unapologetic editing choices. (A 90-degree camera rotation to start off a scene? Just for the hell of it?) It’s an absolute mess, but endlessly fascinating.

Deja Vu (2006)
Finally, subject matter that’s a perfect fit for Tony’s editing style. An underrated gem, with a very focused take on the mechanics of time travel.

The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009)
A straightforward thrill ride.

Unstoppable (2010)
Could there have been another movie more perfectly designed for the Tony-Denzel collaboration? A great conclusion to one of the great director-actor combos in film history.

Jmunney’s 2012 MTV Movie Awards Prediction Scorecard

June 4, 2012

jmunney Awards Shows, Cinema, MTV Movie Awards, Television Leave a comment

I correctly predicted 8 out of the 13 winners. My successful categories were Male Performance, Female Performance, Comedic Performance, Music, On-Screen Transformation, Gut-Wrenching Performance, Fight, and Hero. I was off with Movie (I picked Hunger Games over Twilight), Breakthrough Performance (Melissa McCarthy when it was Shailene Woodley), Kiss (Tatum-McAdams ,but alas, KStew-RPatz), Dirtbag (Bryce Dallas Howard, but then Jennifer Aniston), and Cast (Hunger Games did not beat out Harry Potter). I guess I let Twilight‘s lack of nominations overall lead me astray. I’m not sure why I didn’t pick Jennifer Aniston. Harry Potter over Hunger Games? Well, I guess the Potterphiles found a way to have at least one win. I’m a bit confused at Shailene beating Melissa, but since that category wasn’t picked by viewers, I’m not sure what way exactly I should be confused.

2012 MTV Movie Awards Live Tweeting

June 1, 2012

jmunney Awards Shows, Cinema, MTV Movie Awards, Television Leave a comment

I will be live tweeting the MTV Movie Awards this Sunday, June 3, at 9/8 central. If you want to follow, go @jmunneymalone.

You know you love me.
xoxo,
Jmunney

The 2012 MTV Movie Awards Preview

May 30, 2012

jmunney Awards Shows, Cinema, MTV Movie Awards, Television Leave a comment

The 2012 MTV Movie Awards are airing on Sunday, June 3, at 9 PM (8 Central!), and guess what? Twilight ain’t gonna dominate this year. It’s simple math: even if it wins every category it’s nominated in, that will result in a grand total of two wins. So, we’ve got a one-year reprieve from the Twilight awards, as this year the moonmen look to be dominated by the new based-on-a-YA-novel-series in town. Katniss has taken her aim on the MTV generation, so here is a will win/should win breakdown of the 2012 Hunger Games awards.

Best Movie
Bridesmaids
The Hunger Games
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
The Help
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1
Will Win: Don’t let Twilight‘s general lack of nominations fool you – Twihards are still insane, so it may yet still pull out four in a row. But most signs point to the newer and more unanimously beloved Hunger Games.
Should Win: Bridesmaids was seriously funny, and seriously meaningful.

Best Male Performance
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50
Ryan Gosling, Drive
Josh Hutcherson, The Hunger Games
Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Channing Tatum, The Vow
Will Win: Josh Hutcherson – he was in The Hunger Games.
Should Win: An actor like Ryan Gosling only comes around once – if at all – a generation.

Best Female Performance
Jennifer Lawrence, The Hunger Games
Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Emma Stone, Crazy, Stupid, Love
Emma Watson, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
Will Win: Jennifer Lawrence is more beloved than Kristen Stewart ever was.
Should Win: Kristen Wiig wasn’t afraid to go to unflattering places.

Breakthrough Performance
Elle Fanning, Super 8
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Liam Hemsworth, The Hunger Games
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
Will and Should Win: This category is not determined by viewer voting, so the award may just go to the most deserving nom – Melissa McCarthy, the name we couldn’t stop talking about in 2011, after not talking about her very much in 2010 or before.

Best Comedic Performance
Oliver Cooper, Project X
Zach Galifiankis, The Hangover Part II
Jonah Hill, 21 Jump Street
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
Will and Should Win: MTV voters may or may not recognize Melissa McCarthy as the breakout act that she was, but I’m pretty sure they will recognize how funny she was.

Best Music
“Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO, 21 Jump St
“A Real Hero” by College with Electric Youth, Drive
“The Devil is in the Details” by The Chemical Brothers, Hanna
“IMpossible” by Figurine, Like Crazy
“Pursuit of Happiness” by Kid Cudi (Steve Aoki remix), Project X
Will Win: “Party Rock Anthem” wins by default, as the most popular of these songs, in the most popular of the movies in this category, despite not being featured very prominently.
Should Win: “A Real Hero” – the synth-heavy, atmospheric soundtrack was the best part of Drive.

Best On-Screen Transformation
Elizabeth Banks, The Hunger Games
Johnny Depp, 21 Jump Street
Colin Farrell, Horrible Bosses
Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
Will and Should Win: Elizabeth Banks was hardly recognizable – and she was in The Hunger Games.

Best Gut-Wrenching Performance
Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey, and Ellie Kemper, Bridesmaids
Ryan Gosling, Drive
Tom Cruise, Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol
Bryce Dallas Howard, The Help
Jonah Hill and Rob Riggle, 21 Jump Street
Will and Should Win: If voters saw Bridesmaids, that moment was etched upon their memories forever.

Best Kiss
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, Crazy, Stupid, Love
Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, The Hunger Games
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1
Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams, The Vow
Will Win: In any other year, Gosling-Stone would be the easy favorite. The long-awaited Watson-Grint kiss can’t be counted out either. Lawrence-Hutcherson must be considered because it’s The Hunger Games and all. But, of course, RPatz-KStew have won the last three years running. But I’m going to go a bit out on a limb and say that Tatum-McAdams may pull this one off, having kissed in the love story to end all love stories.
Should Win: Gosling and Stone were very cute together.

Best Fight
Daniel Radcliffe vs. Ralph Fiennes, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson vs. Alexander Ludwig, The Hunger Games
Tom Cruise vs. Michael Nyqvist, Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol
Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill vs. the Kid Gang, 21 Jump Street
Joel Edgerton vs. Tom Hardy, Warrior
Will Win: The ultimate Harry Potter-Voldemort showdown may have a chance, as I’m not sure The Hunger Games will dominate completely, but let’s stick with the final tributes.
Should Win: You usually don’t feel for both combatants in fighting movies the way you did for Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy.

Best Cast
Bridesmaids
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
The Help
The Hunger Games
21 Jump Street
Will Win: No way this doesn’t go to The Hunger Games.
Should Win: 2011 was the year of the woman, and Bridesmaids was no small contributor.

Best On-Screen Dirt Bag
Jennifer Aniston, Horrible Bosses
Oliver Cooper, Project X
Colin Farrell, Horrible Bosses
Jon Hamm, Bridesmaids
Bryce Dallas Howard, The Help
Will Win: Anna Kendrick won Breakthrough Performance a couple years back for Up in the Air, but it was really essentially for Twilight. Bryce Dallas Howard might benefit from Twihards, but she may have been good enough on her own anyway.
Should Win: Considering the context, Colin Farrell was unbelievably psychotic, and also entertaining.

Best Hero
Chris Evans, Captain America: The First Avenger
Chris Hemsworth, Thor
Jonah Hill, 21 Jump St.
Jennifer Lawrence, The Hunger Games
Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Will Win: Voting in this category is done by tweeting. I can’t tell you how that will affect the results, but I can tell you that Harry Potter currently has nearly twice as many votes as Katniss.
Should Win: Captain America, Thor, Katniss Everdeen, and Harry Potter are all iconic; Jenko – not so much. Chris Hemsworth as Thor gets my vote for being perfect for that role, while the others weren’t quite perfect.

Jmunney’s 2011 Alternative Oscar Contest Results

February 27, 2012

jmunney Cinema, Oscar Contest, Oscars 2 Comments

Here are the correct answers to the alternative questions:

1. What movie will win the most awards? The Artist and Hugo – 5 each

2. What will be the first category presented? Cinematography

3. What will the first commercial be for? JC Penney’s

4. How many of the acting winners will cry during their acceptance speeches? 2 – Octavia Spencer and Meryl Streep

5. How long will the show be? B. 3 hours-just under 3 ½ hours

6. Who will present the award for Best Picture? Tom Cruise

7. How many acceptance speeches will include foreign words and phrases? 6 – Art Direction, Foreign Film, Supporting Actor, Score, Adapted Screenplay, Lead Actor

8. How many of the Best Picture nominees will be included in Billy Crystal’s opening montage? All 9, of course!

9. How many times will the orchestra start playing while a winner is still giving the acceptance speech? 1 – Documentary Feature

10. How many winners will not be present to accept their awards? 1 – Woody Allen for Original Screenplay

The inaugural edition of my alternative contest proved to be a tricky one, probably due to the number of questions that asked for a specific number. Congratulations to the entrant who did not provide a name, going by the handle of “thats_ent,” with 5 correct answers! (EDIT: See first comment below: our winner’s identity has been revealed.) It was a big year for thats_ent, having also tied for first in the traditional contest. Here are the detailed results:

1. thats_ent – 5

T2. Sue Malone – 4

T2. Trish Mistric – 4

T2. Jason Tkach – 4

5. Brenton Andreasik – 3

T6. Agi B – 2

T6. Anita Hoffman Ehrenfried – 2

T6. Bob Malone – 2

T.9 Rob Malone – 1 (Rob answered only one question, and he was the only one to get that question correct – Tom Cruise as the Best Picture presenter.)

T10. Jeff Smith – 1

Jmunney’s 2011 Oscar Prediction Contest Results

February 27, 2012

jmunney Cinema, Oscar Contest, Oscars Leave a comment

With a handful of surprises at the Oscars this year – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo tallying its only win in Editing, Meryl Streep pulling through, Undefeated appropriately enough pulling off a minor upset in Documentary Feature, Hugo dominating the technical categories a bit too much (with its win in Visual Effects tripping up everyone in my contest) – the results of my 2nd annual contest were also a little wild, with nearly half the entrants tying for first. Congratulations to Brenton (who only missed Actress, Documentary, Editing, Live Action Short, and Visual Effects), Mike (missed Actress, Editing, Cinematography, Documentary, and Visual Effects), Trish (missed Actress, Cinematography, Editing, Visual Effects, and Documentary), Jeff (missed Actress, Editing, Animated Short, Live Action Short, and Visual Effects), “thats_ent” (missed Actress, Cinematography, Editing, Sound Editing, and Visual Effects), and Bobby (missed Actress, Editing, Cinematography, Documentary, and Visual Effects)!

T1. Brenton Andreasik – 19

T1. Mike Greenwaldt – 19

T1. Trish Mistric – 19

T1. Jeff Smith – 19

T1. thats_ent – 19

T1. Bobby Umar – 19

7. Michael Johnson – 18

8. Joesph Hiegel – 17

T9. Neil Lapinsky – 14

T9. Jason Tkach – 14

11. Rob Malone – 13

12. Anita Hoffman Ehrenfried – 10

13. Sue Malone – 9

The Winners:

Best Picture
The Artist

Lead Actor
Jean Dujardin, The Artist

Lead Actress
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady

Supporting Actor
Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Supporting Actress
Octavia Spencer, The Help

Director
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

Adapted Screenplay
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash, The Descendants

Original Screenplay
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris

Documentary Feature
Undefeated

Documentary Short
Saving Face

Animated Feature
Rango

Foreign Language Film
A Separation (Iran)

Film Editing
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Cinematography
Hugo

Art Direction
Hugo

Animated Short
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Live Action Short
The Shore

Visual Effects
Hugo

Sound Mixing
Hugo

Sound Editing
Hugo

Costume Design
The Artist

Makeup
The Iron Lady

Original Score
Ludovic Bource, The Artist

Original Song
“Man or Muppet” by Bret McKenzie, The Muppets

2 DAYS LEFT TO ENTER JMUNNEY’S 2012 OSCAR CONTESTS!!!

February 24, 2012

jmunney Cinema, Oscar Contest, Oscars Leave a comment

There’s still time to enter the Oscar prediction contests. Here’s a reprint of the details:

It’s time for another Oscar contest presented by Jmunney. The ceremony will air at 8:00 PM Eastern Standard Time on Sunday, February 26, on ABC. This particular contest is of the simple pick the winners variety. The winner will receive bragging rights – plenty of bragging rights. Keep in mind, if you make predictions but do not enter this contest, whatever bragging rights you earn will not be official. Winning this contest will make those rights official.

The list of nominees appears below. To enter the contest, predict the winner in each category and e-mail your predictions to me at jeffmalonesemailaccount@gmail.com. All entries must be received by 7:59 on Sunday, February 26, 2012. (Also, don’t forget to enter the Alternative Oscar Contest as well.)

Best Picture
The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse

Lead Actor
Demián Bichir, A Better Life
George Clooney, The Descendants
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Gary Oldman, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Lead Actress
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn

Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh, My Week with Marilyn
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Supporting Actress
Bérénice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help

Director
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorcese, Hugo

Adapted Screenplay
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash, The Descendants
John Logan, Hugo
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Beau Willimon, The Ides of March
Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, and Stan Chervin, Moneyball
Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Original Screenplay
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Asghar Farhadi, A Separation

Documentary Feature
Hell and Back Again
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated

Documentary Short
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
God is the Bigger Elvis
Incident in New Baghdad
Saving Face
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom

Animated Feature
A Cat in Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango

Foreign Language Film
Bullhead (Belgium)
Footnote (Israel)
In Darkness (Poland)
Monsieur Lazhar (Canada)
A Separation (Iran)

Film Editing
The Artist
The Descendants
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball

Cinematography
The Artist
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
The Tree of Life
War Horse

Art Direction
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
War Horse

Animated Short
Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life

Live Action Short
Pentecost
Raju
The Shore
Time Freak
Tuba Atlantic

Visual Effects
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Real Steel
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Sound Mixing
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse

Sound Editing
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse

Costume Design
Anonymous
The Artist
Hugo
Jane Eyre
W.E.

Makeup
Albert Nobbs
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
The Iron Lady

Original Score
John Williams, The Adventures of Tintin
Ludovic Bource, The Artist
Howard Shore, Hugo
Alberto Iglesias, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
John Williams, War Horse

Original Song
“Man or Muppet” by Bret McKenzie, The Muppets
“Real in Rio” by Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown, and Siedah Garrett, Rio

…And in addition to the normal Oscar Contest, here’s the first inaguaral Alternative Oscar Contest. Answer each of the ten questions; some are multiple choice, some – not so much. The winner(s) will receive Jmunney-approved bragging rights. The Oscar ceremony will air at 8:00 PM Eastern Standard Time on Sunday, February 26, on ABC. To enter the contest, e-mail your predictions to me at jeffmalonesemailaccount@gmail.com. All entries must be received by 7:59 on Sunday, February 26, 2012.

1. What movie will win the most awards? (If more than one movie ties for the most wins, then each or all of those movies will be considered a correct answer.)

2. What will be the first category presented?

3. What will the first commercial be for?

4. How many of the acting winners will cry during their acceptance speeches?

5. How long will the show be?
A. Under 3 hours
B. 3 hours-just under 3 ½ hours
C. 3 ½ hours-just under 4 hours
D. Over 4 hours

6. Who will present the award for Best Picture?

7. How many acceptance speeches will include foreign words and phrases?

8. How many of the Best Picture nominees will be included in Billy Crystal’s opening montage?

9. How many times will the orchestra start playing while a winner is still giving the acceptance speech?

10. How many winners will not be present to accept their awards? (Multiple winners honored for the same win count as one.)

Best of Film 2011: Best Scenes and Other Bric-a-Brac of the Year

February 21, 2012

jmunney Best in Film 2011, Best of 2011, Cinema 2 Comments

Midnight in Paris – Meeting the Surrealists
To paraphrase Chevy Chase, “I’m Salvador Dalí, and you just may be, too.”

Bridesmaids – Dress Fitting
“I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.”

Best Death Scenes
1. Final Destination 5 – Worst Dismount Ever
The most creative and surpising of the FD series’ deaths had tension to match the bomb in Touch of Evil.

2. X-Men: First Class – Show Me the Money
My friend Walt asked if the makers of X-Men: First Class were guilty of stereotyping by having Magneto, a Jewish man, kill someone with a coin. I responded that it would have been truly offensive if they showed him picking up the coin.

Best Action Scenes
1. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol – Scaling the Burj Khalifa
I have literally been rendered speechless.

2. Final Destination 5 – Highway Bridge Collapse
As Rajeesh Koothrappali would say, “Oh, snap.”

3. Fast Five – Cars vs. Trains
“I believe I can fly.”

Best Scene in an Otherwise Bad Movie:
Another Earth – Space Strawberries
A member of NASA makes contact with her counterpart on the other Earth, and in a WTF?! moment to match any of the revelations on Lost, they simultaneously reveal that they both bought space strawberries during a childhood vacation to Cape Canaveral.