-Sad to see no “See You Again” in Best Song, but at least the correct song from 50 Shades of Grey was picked.
-This is the most spread out I can ever remember the field being, as expected. Carol, Star Wars, and Straight Outta Compton had to be pretty close to Best Picture noms. Also Sicario, amazingly. And Ex Machina, too.
–Room got more overall support than I was expecting. Lenny Abrahamson is your iconoclastic Director pick this year.
-Most of what I’m happy to see was expected or close to it, i.e., plenty of love for The Big Short, Stallone for Supporting, Mad Max for Costume.
-Denmark’s been doing well in Foreign Language Film this decade.
-Glad to see The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out Of The Window And Disappeared for Makeup and Hair. I haven’t seen it, but it’s probably the best title of the year.
Oscar Nominations Reactions
January 14, 2016
Awards Shows, Cinema, Oscars Oscar Nominations, Oscars Leave a comment
2015 Screen Actors Guild Nominations Reactions
December 9, 2015
Awards Shows, Cinema SAG, SAG Awards, Screen Actors Guild Leave a comment
This has thus far been one of the most unpredictable awards seasons I can remember. The SAG nominees can help clarify the Oscar race, as the significant overlap between Academy and guild membership means that there is also significant overlap between who both groups nominate. This year, however, the SAG nominees are so surprising that that trend might not hold. Or maybe the Oscar nominees will be just as surprising.
Lead Actor
Bryan Cranston, Trumbo
Johnny Depp, Black Mass
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl
Leo, Eddie Redmayne, and Fassbender are still the favorites. Depp is still comfortably in the race. Cranston is a surprise, but not a shock; it’s hard to say where his Oscar chances stand now.
Emmy Nominations Reactions
July 16, 2015
Awards Shows, Emmys, Television 2015 Emmys, Emmy Nominations, Emmys Leave a comment
-Lead Actor, Comedy is a mix of good and bad: Will Forte and Anthony Anderson made it in, but Don Cheadle and Matt LeBlanc are still hanging around. Bizarrely, no Jim Parsons. Cool that he won’t win yet again, but he was more or less still deserving of a nomination (at least more so than Don and Matt, presumably).
–Community received a nomination for Stunt Coordination (deservedly), but nothing else. Season 6 wasn’t its best, but it would have been nice to see it make a showing, considering that Yahoo! actually made an Emmy promotional push.
-Strong showing for Bloodline despite its considerable lack of buzz. The Academy’s love of Kyle Chandler is not to be underestimated, I guess.
-Mostly good choices in Variety Sketch Series’ first year as a category – would have been nice if there could have been 6 nominees, though.
-Joanne Froggatt has got to be the most bizarre multiple Emmy nominee ever. I know several people who watch Downton Abbey, and I’ve not heard any of them ever once mention her. This year, she even made it in over Maggie Smith!
-Hurray to Billy On The Street With First Lady Michelle Obama, Big Bird And Elena!!! and Katy Perry’s Super Bowl Halftime Show in Outstanding Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Program! But boo to no Too Many Cooks 😦
-OUR LONG NATIONAL NIGHTMARE OF TATIANA MASLANY NOT BEING NOMINATED FOR AN EMMY IS OVER!
Early Predictions:
COMEDY:
Series – Modern Family (I’d love to say Transparent – or anything else, really – but Modern Family is still Modern Family.)
Lead Actor – Will Forte
Lead Actress – Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Supporting Actor – Ty Burrell or Titus Burgess
Supporting Actress – Allison Janney
DRAMA:
Series – Mad Men
Lead Actor – Jon Hamm
Lead Actress – Her name will star with “Ta.”
Supporting Actor – Jonathan Banks
Supporting Actress – Lena Headey
Miley Cyrus: A Flashpoint of the Social Discourse
June 1, 2015
Academic Papers, Awards Shows, Music, Television Discourse Analysis, Miley Cyrus, VMAs, We Can't Stop Leave a comment
This essay was originally written as my final paper for my Discourse Analysis class, taught by Theresa Cowan, in Fall 2014 at The New School.
Despite the dichotomy typical of the Western worldview, there is more than one stereotypical positive feminine role allowed within a patriarchal system. Alas, there is not necessarily a whole lot of variation among these roles. I have already discussed the Cool Girl and the constrictions enforced by that stereotype, and how damaging it can be even when those limitations are followed. Now I will be considering a relative of the Cool Girl – the Good Girl – and what tenor the discourse takes on when that role is transgressed. Specifically, I will consider this topic in light of pop star Miley Cyrus’ performance of “We Can’t Stop” and “Blurred Lines” at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards.
The Best of the 2014 Emmys
September 1, 2014
Awards Shows, Emmys, Television Leave a comment
Here are the best moments of this year’s Emmys:
1. That part when a woman tells Billy Eichner she can’t feel “it” regarding television’s biggest night:
2. That part where that guy in the orange shirt said that Jimmy Fallon is his favorite talk show host in front of Seth Meyers:
3. That part when Billy Eichner says that Hotmail has picked up Judging Amy in light of Yahoo! picking up Community:
4. That part when that guy with a beard confused Seth Meyers with Seth MacFarlane:
5. That part when Billy Eichner and Seth Meyers took donations for the cast of The Big Bang Theory:
6. That part when a woman had some … interesting guesses about what the Emmy trophy was:
7. That part when that old guy said “Who cares?” about something A LOT of people care about very much:
8. That part when Billy Eichner scared a woman shitless by shouting, “Elisabeth Moss was snubbed!”:
9. “DINKLAGE VERUS PATINKIN!”
10. That part when Billy Eichner thought a straight woman was a lesbian:
2014 Emmy Predictions and Preferences
August 25, 2014
Awards Shows, Emmys, Television Leave a comment
The 2014 Emmys are airing earlier than usual this year – tonight, August 25. (The nominees can be found here.) Here’s my rundown of who will most likely win, who should win, and who should have been nominated in most of the major categories:
Comedy Series
PREDICTION: Orange is the New Black
SHOULD WIN: Louie
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: Review
Lead Actor, Comedy Series
PREDICTION: Ricky Gervais, Derek
SHOULD WIN: Louis C.K., Louie
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: Andy Daly, Review
Lead Actress, Comedy Series
PREDICTION: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
SHOULD WIN: Julia Louis-Drefyus, Veep
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: Ilana Glazer, Broad City
Supporting Actor, Comedy Series
PREDICTION: Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
SHOULD WIN: Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: Danny Pudi, Community/Christopher Evan Welch, Silicon Valley
Supporting Actress, Comedy Series
PREDICTION: Kate Mulgrew, Orange is the New Black
SHOULD WIN: Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: Alison Brie, Community/Toks Olagundoye, The Neighbors
Drama Series
PREDICTION: True Detective
SHOULD WIN: Mad Men
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: Hannibal
Lead Actor, Drama Series
PREDICTION: Matthew McConaughey, True Detective
SHOULD WIN: Matthew McConaughey, True Detective
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen, Hannibal
Lead Actress, Drama Series
PREDICTION: Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
SHOULD WIN: Lizzy Caplan, Masters of Sex (Caveat: I don’t watch most of these shows.)
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black
Supporting Actor, Drama Series
PREDICTION: Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
SHOULD WIN: I don’t watch any of these shows.
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: Jordan Gavaris, Orphan Black
Supporting Actress, Drama Series
PREDICTION: Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad
SHOULD WIN: The only show I watch here is Mad Men, and Joan didn’t have that much to do this season.
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: Emily Bett Rickards, Arrow
Miniseries
PREDICTION: Fargo
SHOULD WIN: Fargo
TV Movie
PREDICTION: The Normal Heart
Lead Actor, Miniseries or Movie
PREDICTION: Billy Bob Thornton, Fargo
SHOULD WIN: Martin Freeman, Fargo
Lead Actress, Miniseries or Movie
PREDICTION: Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Coven
SHOULD WIN: Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Coven
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: Allison Tolman, Fargo (She submitted as Supporting even though she was the Lead.)
Supporting Actor, Miniseries or Movie
PREDICTION: Matt Bomer, The Normal Heart
SHOULD WIN: The only one I watched here was Fargo. Colin Hanks was pretty good.
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: Bob Odenkirk, Fargo
Supporting Actress, Miniseries or Movie
PREDICTION: Allison Tolman, Fargo
SHOULD WIN: Allison Tolman, Fargo
For more Emmy info, check out this piece I wrote about a couple of the weirdest wins in Emmy history: http://www.starpulse.com/news/Jeffrey_Malone/2014/08/25/the_weirdest_wins_in_emmy_history
VMA’s 2014: Who Should Win?
August 24, 2014
Awards Shows, Music, Music Videos, Television, Video Music Awards Leave a comment
The 2014 VMA’s are airing tonight Sunday, August 24. (The nominees can be found here.) Predicting the winners is a crapshoot. Here’s who should win:
Video of the Year: Sia – “Chandelier”
Best Male Video: Pharrell Williams – “Happy”
Best Female Video: Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX – “Fancy”
Artist to Watch: Sam Smith – “Stay With Me”
Best Pop Video: Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX – “Fancy”
Best Rock Video: The Black Keys – “Fever”
Best Hip-Hop Video: Kanye West – “Black Skinhead”
MTV Clubland Award: DJ Snake and Lil’ Jon – “Turn Down For What”
Best Collaboration: Katy Perry ft. Juicy J – “Dark Horse”
Best Direction: OK Go – “The Writing’s on the Wall” (Directors: Damian Kulash, Aaron Duffy, and Bob Partington)
Best Choreography: Sia – “Chandelier” (Choreographer: Ryan Heffington)
Best Visual Effects: OK Go – “The Writing’s on the Wall” (Visual Effects: 1stAveMachine)
Best Art Direction: Arcade Fire – “Reflektor” (Art Director: Anastasia Masaro)
Best Editing: No opinion
Best Cinematography: Lana Del Rey – “West Coast” (Director of Photography: Evan Prosofsky)
Best Video with a Social Message: This category is very silly.
Best Lyric Video: I don’t watch lyric videos that often.
And check out this list I wrote for Starpulse of 10 classic music videos that did not win Video of the Year: http://www.starpulse.com/news/Jeffrey_Malone/2014/08/24/10_classic_music_videos_that_did_not_w
2014 Emmy Preview: The Drama Winners According to TV Addicts
August 15, 2014
Awards Shows, Emmys, Television Leave a comment
Who is going home with Emmy gold on Monday, August 24? We’ll have to wait until then to know how the Television Academy members have voted, but right now we already know how an online community of TV addicts would vote. The folks over at TVShow Time, a site dedicated to tracking and commenting on shows, has put together an infographic (below) about what their users have to say about the acting races in the drama categories.
For the Leads, the chatter is in favor of newcomers Lizzy Caplan (Masters of Sex) and Matthew McConaughey (True Detective), while Supporting turns toward past winners Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey) and Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad).
It seems that Dame Maggie may be in a league of her own regardless of the show she’s on, as the TV addicts look much less kindly on her costars Michelle Dockery, Joanne Froggatt, and Jim Carter.
Jmunney’s 2014 Emmy Nomination Prediction Scorecard
July 12, 2014
Awards Shows, Emmys, Television Leave a comment
The full list of nominees can be found here: http://www.emmys.com/sites/default/files/Downloads/66th-nominations-list-v2.pdf
Comedy Series: 5/6. The surprise inclusion of Silicon Valley teaches us to never underestimate the power of HBO (except for the fact that it replaced Girls.)
Drama Series: 5/6. Despite speculation to the contrary, the Academy still loves Downton Abbey.
Lead Actor, Comedy Series: 5/6. The Academy loves Ricky Gervais like nobody else.
Lead Actress, Comedy Series: 5/6. No surprises here. I didn’t predict Melissa McCarthy, but I considered it.
Lead Actor, Drama Series: 6/6.
Lead Actress, Drama Series: 4/6. Lizzy Caplan was a pleasant surprise, but not pleasant enough to make up for the fact that Tatiana Maslany will probably never receive any Emmy love for Orphan Black.
Supporting Actor, Comedy Series: 4/6. I wasn’t pulling for Fred Armisen (mostly because it’s the wrong category), but I won’t complain.
Supporting Actress, Comedy Series: 4/6 (plus partial credit for Kate Mulgrew, who was my 7th choice). Cool to see an SNL cast member get a nomination as early into her run on the show as Kate McKinnon is.
Supporting Actor, Drama Series: 4/6. Jon Voight, huh?
Supporting Actress, Drama Series: 3/6. Looks like I picked the wrong former nominee who didn’t really didn’t do much this season (Emilia Clarke instead of Christina Hendricks).
