Come On, Academy, Let Me Have a Vote!

January 9, 2013

jmunney Cinema, Oscars Leave a comment

Yesterday, I posted my Oscar predictions.  Today, I’d like to highlight some choices that I’d like to see make the cut, but probably won’t.  I’ve allowed myself up to two choices per category: one that might actually have an outside chance of making it, and one that probably has no chance.

Picture
Outside Chance: Looper
No Chance: Cabin in the Woods

Director
Outside Chance: Rian Johnson, Looper
No Chance: Drew Goddard, Cabin in the Woods

Lead Actor
Outside Chance (but really, No Chance): Jack Black, Bernie

Lead Actress
No Chance (since actors can’t be nominated twice in the same category, otherwise maybe this would be an Outside Chance): Jennifer Lawrence, The Hunger Games

Supporting Actor
Outside Chance: Samuel L. Jackson, Django Unchained (before I saw Django, I would have liked to have said Matthew McConaughey for Magic Mike)
No Chance: Richard Jenkins, Cabin in the Woods

Supporting Actress
Outside Chance: Kelly Reilly, Flight
No Chance: Rebel Wilson, Pitch Perfect

Adapted Screenplay
Outside Chance: Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan, The Dark Knight Rises
No Chance: Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins, and Billy Ray, The Hunger Games

Original Screenplay
I’ll allow myself two No Chance’s here, since what would have been my Outside Chance choice (Looper) actually probably will be nominated.  But maybe one of these two actually does have a shot?
Outside Chance? (probably not): Zoe Kazan, Ruby Sparks
No Chance: Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon, Cabin in the Woods

Original Song
I Don’t Know What It’s Chances Are, Probably Not Good, But It’s Awesome, So I Have to Mention It: “The Antidote,” by St. Vincent, from The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2

Oscar Predictions 2012

January 8, 2013

jmunney Cinema, Oscars Leave a comment

The Oscar nominations are COMING! this Thursday morning.  And I think I just might have some idea of who will make the cut.  Thanks to all the guilds for having already announced their noms and (possibly) clearing things.  My guesses are listed from most likely to be nominated to least likely.  I have included a few spots beyond the available number, i.e., those that I don’t think will quite make it but that I wouldn’t be surprised if they did.  It’s been a particularly strong year, so I think Best Picture will go all the way and post 10 nominations.

Best Picture
1. Zero Dark Thirty
2. Lincoln
3. Argo
4. Les Miserables
5. Silver Linings Playbook
6. Life of Pi
7. Moonrise Kingdom
8. Beasts of the Southern Wild
9. Django Unchained
10. The Master

11. Amour
12. Skyfall
13. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
14. The Dark Knight Rises
15. Flight
16. The Impossible
17. Looper
18. Holy Motors

Director
1. Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
2. Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
3. Ben Affleck, Argo
4. Ang Lee, Life of Pi
5. Tom Hooper, Les Miserables

6. David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
7. Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained
8. Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master

 

Lead Actor
1. Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
2. Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
3. Denzel Washington, Flight
4. Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
5. John Hawkes, The Sessions

6. Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
7. Richard Gere, Arbitrage

Lead Actress
1. Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
2. Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
3. Naomi Watts, The Impossible
4. Marion Cotillard, Rust and Bone
5. Quevenzhané Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild

6. Emanuelle Riva, Amour
7. Rachel Weisz, Deep Blue Sea
8. Helen Mirren, Hitchcock

Supporting Actor
1. Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
2. Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
3. Alan Arkin, Argo
4. Phillip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
5. Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained

6. Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
7. Javier Bardem, Skyfall
8. Matthew McConaughey, Magic Mike

Supporting Actress
1. Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
2. Helen Hunt, The Sessions
3. Sally Field, Lincoln
4. Amy Adams, The Master
5. Maggie Smith, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

6. Nicole Kidman, The Paperboy
7. Ann Dowd, Compliance
8. Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook

Fuse Top 20 Countdown – 1/8/13

January 8, 2013

jmunney Fuse Top 20 Countdown, Music, Television Leave a comment

I don’t think “Little Talks” had a bump in popularity commensurate with a return to the countdown, but I’m happy to have it back.

Original Version
1. Bruno Mars – “Locked Out of Heaven”
2. Taylor Swift – “I knew Your Were Trouble”
3. The Lumineers – “Ho Hey”
4. will.i.am ft. Britney Spears – “Scream & Shout”
5. Rihanna – “Diamonds”
6. Justin Bieber ft. Nicki Minaj – “Beauty and a Beat”
7. Phillip Phillips – “Home”
8. Ke$ha – “Die Young”
9. Psy – “Gangnam Style”
10. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ft. Wanz – “Thrift Shop”
11. P!nk – “Try”
12. Flo Rida – “I Cry”
13. Swedish House Mafia – “Don’t Your Worry Child”
14. A$AP Rocky ft. Drake, 2 Chainz, and Kendrick Lamar – “F**kin’ Problems”
15. fun. – “Some Nights”
16. Pitbull ft. TJR – “Don’t Stop the Party”
17. Of Monsters and Men – “Little Talks”
18. Ellie Goulding – “Anything Could Happen”
19. Maroon 5 – “One More Night”
20. Imagine Dragons – “It’s Time”

Jmunney’s Revisions
1. Little Talks
2. Anything Could Happen
3. Die Young
4. Locked Out of Heaven
5. Diamonds
6. Try
7. Gangnam Style
8. Home
9. I Cry
10. Ho Hey
11. It’s Time
12. I Knew You Were Trouble
13. Some Nights
14. Thrift Shop
15. F**king’ Problems
16. Scream & Shout
17. Don’t You Worry Child
18. Don’t Stop the Party
19. Beauty and a Beat
20. One More Night

VH1 Top 20 Countdown – 1/5/13

January 5, 2013

jmunney Music, Television, VH1 Top 20 Countdown Leave a comment

What happened to Ke$ha? (And Alex Clare? And Ellie Goulding?)

Original Version
1. The Lumineers – “Ho Hey”
2. Kelly Clarkson – “Catch My Breath”
3. Bruno Mars – “Locked Out of Heaven”
4. P!nk – “Try”
5. OneRepublic – “Feel Again”
6. Phillip Phillips – “Home”
7. Rihanna – “Diamonds”
8. Flo Rida – “I Cry”
9. The Script ft. will.i.am – “Hall of Fame”
10. Hunter Hayes – “Wanted”
11. Taylor Swift – “I Knew You Were Trouble”
12. Mumford & Sons – “I Will Wait”
13. Alicia Keys – “Girl on Fire”
14. will.i.am ft. Britney Spears – “Scream & Shout”
15. Calvin Harris ft. Florence Welch – “Sweet Nothing”
16. Imagine Dragons – “It’s Time”
17. Grace Potter & the Nocturnals – “Stars”
18. Lifehouse ft. Natasha Bedingfield – “Between the Raindrops”
19. Pitbull ft. TJR – “Don’t Stop the Party”
20. Matchbox Twenty – “Overjoyed”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. Locked Out of Heaven
2. Girl on Fire
3. Diamonds
4. Try
5. It’s Time
6. Sweet Nothing
7. Home
8. I Cry
9. Ho Hey
10. I Knew You Were Trouble
11. I Will Wait
12. Wanted
13. Scream & Shout
14. Stars
15. Feel Again
16. Don’t Stop the Party
17. Catch My Breath
18. Overjoyed
19. Between the Raindrops
20. Hall of Fame

The Best Episodes of Television of 2012

January 2, 2013

jmunney Best of 2012, Television Leave a comment

I posted my top 30 television series of 2012 yesterday, and now here are the 46 best episodes of the year.  (Why 47?  Because that was roughly the number of episodes that happened to be worthy of at least an A-.)  They are basically in order, with the best episode at the top:

Community – “Virtual Systems Analysis”
Community – “Pillows and Blankets”
Girls – “Vagina Panic”
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – “The Gang Gets Analyzed”
Suburgatory – “The Wishbone”
Bob’s Burgers – “An Indecent Thanksgiving Proposal”
Archer – “The Limited”
30 Rock – “Leap Day”
Community – “Digital Estate Planning”
Happy Endings – “Big White Lies”
Bob’s Burgers – “Bad Tina”
Awake – “Pilot”
Awake – “That’s Not My Penguin”
Saturday Night Live – “Zooey Deschanel/Karmin”
Louie – “Miami”
Key & Peele – “Season 1, Episode 1”
Raising Hope – “Jimmy’s Fake Girlfriend”
Louie – “Late Show Part 2”
Fringe – “Welcome to Westfield”
Parks and Recreation – “The Debate”
Community – “Origins of Vampire Mythology”
Suburgatory – “Down Time”
Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 – “Love and Monsters…”
Saturday Night Live – “Seth MacFarlane/Frank Ocean”
Happy Endings – “More Like Stanksgiving”
Girls – “Welcome to Bushwick a.k.a. the Crackcident”
Happy Endings – “Boys II Menorah”
Comedy Bang! Bang! – “Elizabeth Banks Wears a Red Dress”
Community – “Digital Exploration of Interior Design”
Community – “Curriculum Unavailable”
Community – “Urban Matrimony and the Sandwich Arts”
NTSF:SD:SUV – “16 Hop Street”
Portlandia – “Brunch Village”
Portlandia – “Cat Nap”
Parks and Recreation – “Win, Lose, or Draw”
Bob’s Burgers – “Moody Foodie”
30 Rock – “Stride of Pride”
Bob’s Burgers – “Tina-rannosaurus Wrecks”
Childrens Hospital – “The Boy with the Pancakes Tattoo”
New Girl – “Menzies”
Archer – “Lo Scandalo”
Community – “Basic Lupine Urology”
Family Guy – “Yug Ylimaf”
Parenthood – “There’s Something I Need to Tell You”
Suburgatory – “Krampus”
Childrens Hospital – “Chief’s Origin”
Childrens Hospital – “Eulogy”

Preliminary Best Films of 2012 List

January 1, 2013

jmunney Best in Film 2012, Best of 2012, Cinema Leave a comment

Unlike in past years, I have started planning my best movies of the year list early.  However, like past years, I still haven’t seen every movie that I think may have a chance to crack my top ten by January 1st.  So, my complete list is not ready today, but since I am prepared, I thought I would share with you how my top 10 is shaping up thus far:

1. Cabin the Woods
2. Looper
3. Flight
4. Ruby Sparks
5. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
6. The Hunger Games
7. Safety Not Guaranteed
8. The Dark Knight Rises
9. Chronicle
10. Haywire

The 30 Best Television Series of 2012

January 1, 2013

jmunney Best of 2012, Television Leave a comment

There is a vast amount of great television on the airwaves today.  I watch a lot (though not all) of it.  Here is the best of what I watched regularly in 2012:

1. Community
2. Bob’s Burgers
3. Girls
4. Happy Endings
5. Archer
6. Louie
7. Billy on the Street
8. 30 Rock
9. Parks & Recreation
10. Suburgatory
11. Key & Peele
12. The Daily Show
13. Fringe
14. Parenthood
15. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
16. Portlandia
17. Comedy Bang! Bang!
18. Saturday Night Live
19. Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23
20. NTSF:SD:SUV
21. Childrens Hospital
22. Awake
23. Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell
24. The Middle
25. New Girl
26. American Dad!
27. Conan
28. Ben and Kate
29. Jeopardy!
30. American Horror Story

Honorable Mentions (Shows That I Hear Are Good, But Didn’t Watch in 2012, But Just Might Watch in 2013): Adventure Time, Boardwalk Empire, Breaking Bad, Doctor Who, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, The Good Wife, Gravity Falls, Homeland, Justified, Mad Men, Regular Show, Sons of Anarchy, The Vampire Diaries, Veep

The Funniest Thing I Saw in 2012

January 1, 2013

jmunney Best of 2012, Key & Peele, Television Leave a comment

Here’s the funniest thing I saw in 2012 (also the funniest thing I’ve seen in a while):

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)

Song Review – Bridgit Mendler’s “Ready or Not”

December 29, 2012

jmunney Music, Song Reviews Leave a comment

I like fluffy pop music about love, despite the bad rap it may get in some corners of music connoisseurship.  I must say, though, I may actually be overestimating the degree to which pop music is looked down upon.  There are plenty of critics out there who give pop a fair shake, whether or not they prefer other genres.  But the reason I am even mentioning this information in the first place is because people who know me somewhat but not completely may be surprised at how much I like lovey-dovey pop music, considering that I usually prefer to rock it out, or to roll with the wild experimental EDM beats.  To be honest, I wouldn’t say as a rule that I like this lovey-dovey genre; you won’t be likely to find me doodling hearts and flowers on my notebook.  But I definitely have a romantic side.  So I’m happy to have declarations of love enter my ears, but I prefer when there’s something unique to those declarations.  And I caught on to something unique the first time I heard Bridgit Mendler’s “Ready or Not.”  Genre organizers have lumped Bridgit in with the Demi Lovato’s and the Selena Gomez’s of the pop world- which makes sense considering that like those two, she first became famous on the Disney Channel – but she really has a sensibility that is different from any other tween-targeted artist.  In “Ready or Not,” her reggae- and jazz-inflected vocal style is subtle, but  noticeable, with a satisfying scat breakdown at the end.  Her strange approach (strange by 21st century pop standards, anyway) may not be full-fledged yet, but this debut single portends great things to come.  And in the meantime, this fluffy, lovey-dovey tune is perfectly enjoyable on its own. B+

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