tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58424593775360855792024-03-20T19:34:36.332-07:00DVR OverloadFEED YOUR ADDICTIONDVR Overloadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03696849094404596549noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5842459377536085579.post-10829269123466068822014-03-01T07:09:00.000-08:002014-03-01T07:09:18.358-08:00My 86th Academy Awards Predictions<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU9g9fmmXOVRGoYkoMM_fs9wvg_ORqbNaJxEu9QEKF4JTg47rlIJlb0SEpo-3t-bbR0U8sxpHTpgnFuFWxsRqy75bjQ27oEo6Ef8BIf039oM_X6x0GzSlI1dTB0Dgdcf7fP0iB7-RoeA/s1600/the-academy-oscars-new-logo-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU9g9fmmXOVRGoYkoMM_fs9wvg_ORqbNaJxEu9QEKF4JTg47rlIJlb0SEpo-3t-bbR0U8sxpHTpgnFuFWxsRqy75bjQ27oEo6Ef8BIf039oM_X6x0GzSlI1dTB0Dgdcf7fP0iB7-RoeA/s1600/the-academy-oscars-new-logo-2.jpg" height="320" width="229" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Well these awards definitely snuck up on me this year, because of the extended voting season it felt like the show wouldn’t be here anytime soon, but here we are the day before we find out who the Academy felt had the best performances this year. Last year, I had my best Academy predictions year ever getting all but 2 and a half categories correct. Let’s hope I can do the same the same, if not better this year. Well, let’s get to it!</span><br />
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<span style="color: white;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-3944c25d-7e2b-4d0f-450b-a5cd4a58f18e" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Nominees Are:</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Original Screenplay</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">American Hustle</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Blue Jasmine</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dallas Buyers Club</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Her</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Nebraska</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Will WIn</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Her</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Should Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Her</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Could Upset</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: American Hustle</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Thoughts</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: I haven’t yet seen Her but I feel the love for Spike Jonze is great. He is admired by a great number in the Academy and I think they will want to recognize his ambition with this script he pulled off. The love for the film American Hustle is even greater, however, and with the entire Academy populace voting the love of American Hustle could outweigh the support for Spike Jonze. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Adapted Screenplay</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Before Midnight</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Captain Phillips</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">12 Years a Slave</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Wolf of Wall Street</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Philomena</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Will Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:12 Years a Slave</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Should Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Before Midnight</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Could Upset</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Philomena</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Thoughts</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Before Midnight, not only in my biased opinion, is the best script here, however, the victory for the film is probably just with the nomination. Expect 12 Years a Slave, the strongest Best Picture nominee in the bunch to pull off the win, but I hear the support for Philomena is quite strong in the Academy so if any script can pull off the upset it’s Philomena.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Visual Effects</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Gravity</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Iron Man 3</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Lone Ranger</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Star Trek into Darkness</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Will Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Gravity</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Should Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Gravity</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Could Upset</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: You’re kidding right?!</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Thoughts</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Nothing is stopping the ‘below the line’ juggernaut from taking this category.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Cinematography</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Grandmaster</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Gravity</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Inside Llewyn Davis</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Prisoners</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Nebraska</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Will Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Gravity</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Should Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Gravity</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Could Upset</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Ummm…Nothing</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Thoughts</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:There is a lot of great work in this category, but, come on, let’s be real, none of them come close to the brilliant cinematography of Gravity.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Sound Mixing</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Inside Llewyn Davis</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Lone Survivor</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Gravity</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Captain Phillips</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Will Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Gravity</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Should Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Gravity</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Could Upset</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Captain Phillips?...doubt it</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Thoughts</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Nothing is stopping the Gravity freight train!</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Sound Editing</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Lone Survivor</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">All is Lost</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Gravity</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Captain Phillips</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Will Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Gravity</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Should WIn</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Gravity</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Could Upset</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:...I’ve got nothing</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">My Thoughts: Ditto with Sound Mixing</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Live Action Short Film</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn’t Me)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just Before Losing Everything)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Helium</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Pitaako Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Voorman Problem</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Will Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just Before Losing Everything)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Should Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:--</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Could Upset</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: any of them</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Thoughts</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Short Films are the toughest categories to call because they are so rarely seen among the Academy and now with the entire Academy voting in this category it’s hard to say which way they will lean. Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten the chance to see these short films so my decision is to go with the film that I feel has the most gravitas, and ‘Just Before Losing Everything’ has plenty of that.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Animated Short Film</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Feral</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Get a Horse!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Mr. Hublot</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Possessions</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Room on the Broom</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Will Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Get a Horse!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Should Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:--</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Could Upset</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: --</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Thoughts</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:When in doubt pick the Disney film. ‘Get a Horse!’ has the biggest studio in it’s corner and is definitely the most widely seen film in the category.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Costume Design</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Grandmaster</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Great Gatsby</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Invisible Woman</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">12 Years a Slave</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">American Hustle</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Will Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:12 Years a Slave</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Should Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:The Great Gatsby</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Could Upset</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: American Hustle</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Thoughts</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:The Academy is gonna want to reward American Hustle somewhere and it could very well happen here. However, I feel that 12 Years a Slave and The Great Gatsby are above it at this point.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Production Design</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">American Hustle</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Her</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Great Gatsby</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Gravity</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">12 Years a Slave</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Will WIn</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:The Great Gatsby</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Should Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:The Great Gatsby</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Could Upset</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Any of the Best Picture nominees</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Thoughts</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: The Great Gatsby is surrounded by Best Picture nominees in this category and it is quite possible that those films could take votes from each other and leave a clear path for the deserving Gatsby to the podium.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Best Original Song:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Let it Go (Frozen)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Happy (Despicable Me 2)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Ordinary Love (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Moon Song (Her)</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Will Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Let it Go</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Should Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Let it Go</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Could Upset</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Happy</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Thoughts</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:This is actually one of the toughest categories to call this year and Pharrel William’s Happy had a lot of momentum at the end. But Let it Go is a showstopper and has been in the fast lane for quite some time...wouldn’t be surprised if U2’s Ordinary Love pulls off the win either.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Original Score</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Saving Mr. Banks (Thomas Newman)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Book Thief (John Williams)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Gravity (Steven Price)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Philomena (Alexandre Desplat)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Her (William Butler, Owen Pallett)</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Will Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Gravity- Steven Price</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Should Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Gravity - Steven Price</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Could Upset</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Not sure</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Thoughts</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: All of these scores have something to be admired about them, but I think Gravity had the biggest impact .</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Makeup and Hairstyling</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Dallas Buyers Club</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Lone Ranger</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Will Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Dallas Buyers Club</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Should Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Dallas Buyers Club</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Thoughts</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:The only Best Picture nominee in bunch will easily take this, and deservedly so; Only had a $250 budget for Hair and Makeup.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Foreign Language Film</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Broken Circle Breakdown</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Great Beauty</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Hunt</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Missing Picture</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Omar</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Will WIn</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:The Great Beauty</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Should Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:--</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Could Upset</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: The Hunt</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Thoughts</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:When in doubt go with the film that has been winning everything.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Film Editing</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">American Hustle</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Captain Phillips</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Gravity</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">12 Years a Slave</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Dallas Buyers Club</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Will Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Captain Phillips</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Should Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Gravity</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Thoughts</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:I don’t know what is gonna happen here, but my gut says Captain Phillps.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Documentary Short</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Cavedigger</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Facing Fear</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Karama Has No Walls</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Will Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Should Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Thoughts</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:The most inspiring story is going to affect those who actually saw these shorts.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Documentary Feature</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Act of Killing</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Cutie and the Boxer</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Dirty Wars</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Square</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">20 Feet From Stardom</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Will Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:20 Feet from Stardom</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Should Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:--</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Could Upset</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: The Act of Killing</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Thoughts</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Unfortunately, I haven’t seen any of these films as well, so I’m going with the most crowd-pleasing of the bunch.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Animated Feature</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Croods</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Wind Rises</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Frozen</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Despicable Me 2</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Ernest & Celestine</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Will Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Frozen</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Should Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Frozen</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Could Upset</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: The Wind Rises</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Thoughts</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Frozen will take this one.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Directing</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">David O. Russell (American Hustle)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Martin Scorsese (The Wolf of Wall Street)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Alexander Payne (Nebraska)</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Will Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Alfonso Cuaron</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Should Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Alfonso Cuaron</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Could Upset</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Steve McQueen?...won’t happen</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Thoughts</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Alfonso Cuaron accomplished a cinematic masterpiece that none saw succeeding. Give the man his due!</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Actress in a Supporting Role</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">June Squibb (Nebraska)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Julia Roberts (August: Osage County)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle)</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Will Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Lupita Nyong’o</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Should Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Lupita Nyong’o</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Could Upset</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Jennifer Lawrence</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Thoughts</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:This is the category I am most invested in amongst all of them. I am torn between my own biased love for Lupita and the back and forth momentum for Jennifer Lawrence. I don’t think the Academy will want to make Lawrence a back to back Oscar winner - a feat that only a few actors have ever pulled off - especially at the age of 24. Anything can happen though.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Actor in a Supporting Role</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Bradley Cooper (American Hustle)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Jonah Hill (The Wolf of Wall Street)</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Will Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Jared Leto</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Should Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Michael Fassbender</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Could Upset</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: --</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Thoughts</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:I don’t see anything or anyone in the way of Jared Leto and his Oscar.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Actress</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Judi Dench (Philomena)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Amy Adams (American Hustle)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Meryl Streep (August: Osage County)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Sandra Bullock (Gravity)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Will WIn</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Cate Blanchett</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Should Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Amy Adams</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Could Upset</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Amy Adams</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Thoughts</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:It is a longshot but Amy Adams could pull off the win, but it is a huge longshot because Cate Blanchett is as close as a sure bet as you can get in this category.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Actor in a Leading Role</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave)</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Bruce Dern (Nebraska)</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street)</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Christian Bale (American Hustle)</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Will Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Matthew McConaughey</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Should Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Chiwetel Ejiofor/Leonardo DiCaprio</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Could Upset</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Chiwetel Ejiofor/Leonardo DiCaprio</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Thoughts</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:I believe Chiwetel and Leo gave the best performances this year in this category. McConaughey gave a great performance but he has the career renaissance that everyone admires, including myself, in his corner. That will take Matt to the podium to say his classic “alright, alright, alright” </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Picture</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Nebraska</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">American Hustle</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Gravity</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Her</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">12 Years a Slave</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Philomena</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The Wolf of Wall Street</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Captain Phillips</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Dallas Buyers Club</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Will Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: 12 Years a Slave</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Should Win</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:Gravity</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Could Upset</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: American Hustle</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Thoughts</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:This has been the toughest Academy Awards to call the winners on in sometime. At any point, it appeared that 12 Years a Slave, Gravity, or American Hustle had the frontrunner status. But none of those films have been able to take the lead for long. Even the Producer’s Guild who everyone thought would give us a clear frontrunner ended up in a shocking, yet thrilling tie between 12 Years a Slave and Gravity. My bet is on 12 Years a Slave, but Gravity is right on it’s heels.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Those are my picks! The Academy Awards are this Sunday night on ABC.</span></span>DVR Overloadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03696849094404596549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5842459377536085579.post-19896688437188488262014-01-14T11:46:00.000-08:002014-01-14T11:53:42.124-08:002014 Oscar Nominee Predictions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-LdaKQs8uLHgOk7r55UcjH4xAOUC_zvR3ir91I09-8rQg4urNXy10aLdktbmINzmB5P96Poym12LWRRCABYnaA-oxGNsKHBEbVoIWyxsSC8ec9oe560rSEQ68T58V0ONRsOdcTPER_Q/s1600/oscars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-LdaKQs8uLHgOk7r55UcjH4xAOUC_zvR3ir91I09-8rQg4urNXy10aLdktbmINzmB5P96Poym12LWRRCABYnaA-oxGNsKHBEbVoIWyxsSC8ec9oe560rSEQ68T58V0ONRsOdcTPER_Q/s1600/oscars.jpg" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am in dangerous new territory here. Last year was my first time putting together a list of who will win the Oscars to pretty great success predicting all but 2 and a half categories (who could possibly foresee a tie in sound editing?) correctly. I want to follow up that success by doing something I have never done before; predict who will be nominated for the Academy Awards in the major categories.</span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="color: white;">I do not have much insight in what will happen in the technical and short subject categories so I think I will just leave those categories alone for now. I have also yet to see any of the foreign language and documentary features this year as well so I feel as if I am unable to make a decision on those categories as well.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Like it has been said many times before last year was an excellent year at the movies and it is frustrating that some brilliant films will be left out of being recognized when it comes to awards (hence the reason I have yet to make a top 10 list for last year...it’s coming) but that is the game that we play. So, now I am going to attempt the daunting task of predicting the Academy’s taste for the 2013 year at the movies. Here we go:</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-4c5baa3c-9246-64a2-e65a-21c5226dad04" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Picture</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gravity</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">12 Years a Slave</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">American Hustle</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Captain Phillips</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Saving Mr. Banks</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Inside Llewyn Davis</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Wolf of Wall Street</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Possibles</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nebraska</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dallas Buyers Club</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Her</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lowdown: Any of the possibles can sneak in to the Best Picture race but I think that this is a 7 picture race this year.</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Director</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Paul Greengrass (Captain Phillips)</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity)</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">David O. Russell (American Hustle)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Joel and Ethan Coen (Inside Llewyn Davis)</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Possibles</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Alexander Payne (Nebraska)</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Martin Scorsese (The Wolf of Wall Street)</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lowdown: The most vulnerable in this category are the Coen Brothers. Does the Academy dig Inside Llewyn Davis or do they want to reward the work of one the other brilliant directors this year?</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Actor</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave)</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tom Hanks (Captain Phillips)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bruce Dern (Nebraska)</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Possibles</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Robert Redford (All is Lost)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Forest Whitaker (Lee Daniel’s The Butler)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Christian Bale (American Hustle)</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lowdown: Depending on how much love the Academy has for American Hustle I think Bale has the best chance of crashing the party.</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Actress</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sandra Bullock (Gravity)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meryl Streep (August: Osage County)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Amy Adams (American Hustle)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Emma Thompson (Saving Mr. Banks)</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Possibles</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Judi Dench (Philomena)</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lowdown: Once again it depends on how much love the Academy has for American Hustle.</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Supporting Actor</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Daniel Bruhl (Rush)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bradley Cooper ( American Hustle)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave)</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Possibles</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jonah Hill (The Wolf of Wall Street)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tom Hanks ( Saving Mr. Banks)</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lowdown: I think this category is pretty much set on these five nominees.</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Supporting Actress</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Julia Roberts (August: Osage County)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">June Squibb (Nebraska)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oprah Winfrey (Lee Daniels The Butler)</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Possibles</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Octavia Spencer (Fruitvale Station)</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sarah Paulson (12 Years a Slave)</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lowdown: The best chance for the brilliant Fruitvale Station to be recognized...probably won’t though.</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Adapted Screenplay</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Before Midnight</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">12 Years a Slave</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Captain Phillips</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Wolf of Wall Street</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Philomena</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Possibles</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">August:Osage County</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lone Survivor</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Original Screenplay</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Blue Jasmine</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Her</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">American Hustle</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Inside Llewyn Davis</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nebraska</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Possibles</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dallas Buyers Club</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best Animated Feature</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Frozen</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Monsters University</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Croods</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Despicable Me 2</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Wind Rises</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lowdown: Wasn’t the best year for Animation but I think Frozen and Monsters University will be in and The Croods is the most vulnerable to be out of the race.</span></div>
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</span>
<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oscar Nominations will be announced bright and early on Thursday morning.</span></div>
DVR Overloadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03696849094404596549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5842459377536085579.post-73947607644545235572013-11-05T07:41:00.000-08:002013-11-05T10:15:58.022-08:00Review: ' 12 Years a Slave' Has Made Me A Fan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-uv6m7cpsiogstiFPyJwaMu64UfqRt3gEPuepD32jqyEDbuLJuZEZnMFBWULh3NpBcdp-S3vh1e62kbqpt4rEvkf_T0PiY31g50KUddSX9X-77IjHKgsabg68PsUZmpkU4lQz89nWA/s1600/12_Years_a_Slave_film_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-uv6m7cpsiogstiFPyJwaMu64UfqRt3gEPuepD32jqyEDbuLJuZEZnMFBWULh3NpBcdp-S3vh1e62kbqpt4rEvkf_T0PiY31g50KUddSX9X-77IjHKgsabg68PsUZmpkU4lQz89nWA/s320/12_Years_a_Slave_film_poster.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: mail.yahoo.com; font-variant: mail.yahoo.com; font-weight: mail.yahoo.com; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I really wanted to hate this film. To my core I truly wanted to be angry that another film remembering how black people have suffered and bringing back those emotions of anger, suppression, inferiority, and whatever else depressing emotion that comes with this era in American history.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: mail.yahoo.com; font-variant: mail.yahoo.com; font-weight: mail.yahoo.com; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: mail.yahoo.com; font-weight: mail.yahoo.com; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Butler</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: mail.yahoo.com; font-variant: mail.yahoo.com; font-weight: mail.yahoo.com; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> was the same way for me. I hated </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: mail.yahoo.com; font-weight: mail.yahoo.com; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Butler</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: mail.yahoo.com; font-variant: mail.yahoo.com; font-weight: mail.yahoo.com; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> not because it was a bad film, but because of what the film illustrates: that black people had no control over what happened to them in this country. No matter what tactic black people tried, violence or peace, neither truly made a difference which is my take-away from </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: mail.yahoo.com; font-weight: mail.yahoo.com; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Butler</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: mail.yahoo.com; font-variant: mail.yahoo.com; font-weight: mail.yahoo.com; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and it is a shame because I still feel that it is still this way - albeit not to the extent as it once was. We have made a lot of progress in this country in terms of racial discrimination however there is still so much more we can do to make it better. But I digress (sorry for my rant) I took all these feelings into the theater with me and sort of closed my mind to listening to what the film had to say. However, this film is so powerful that within fifteen minutes it had me emotionally connecting to the narrative of a man who lost everything he had and suffered horrors that no man should have to. Don’t get me wrong, I was still angry for all the reasons that I explained before, however it wasn’t the film I was angry about this time it was history. I felt angry for the Solomon Northup’s and the Patsey’s who had to suffer this American Horror. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: mail.yahoo.com; font-weight: mail.yahoo.com; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Twelve Years a Slave</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: mail.yahoo.com; font-variant: mail.yahoo.com; font-weight: mail.yahoo.com; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> affected me in a way that </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: mail.yahoo.com; font-weight: mail.yahoo.com; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Butler</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: mail.yahoo.com; font-variant: mail.yahoo.com; font-weight: mail.yahoo.com; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> could not. I’m not exactly sure where </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: mail.yahoo.com; font-weight: mail.yahoo.com; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Butler</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: mail.yahoo.com; font-variant: mail.yahoo.com; font-weight: mail.yahoo.com; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> went wrong, perhaps a second viewing will bring me the answers. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: mail.yahoo.com; font-weight: mail.yahoo.com; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Twelve Years a Slave </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: mail.yahoo.com; font-variant: mail.yahoo.com; font-weight: mail.yahoo.com; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">oozed with passion and heart which ultimately helped pull me out of my own way and listen to this exquisite film. </span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-2564c2bb-28e7-6d3d-3d09-250f75c7cb03" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: mail.yahoo.com; font-variant: mail.yahoo.com; font-weight: mail.yahoo.com; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: mail.yahoo.com; font-variant: mail.yahoo.com; font-weight: mail.yahoo.com; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Technically, the film was excellent. Director Steve McQueen picked his emotional moments well and pacing was spot on to take the audience on the narrative rollercoaster ride that he built. This is McQueen’s vision and I hope he is happy with the final product because it is an amazing one and quite possibly a classic not only as a film but a film about Black history. It is strange that McQueen is British portraying a very American tale, but perhaps it worked to his advantage. Possibly only an outsider could tell such an unflinching literal adaptation not shying away from the truly gruesome moments but embracing them and forcing the audience to do so as well. Another thing that I must applaud Steve McQueen and cinematographer Sean Bobbitt on is their use of the Tom Hooper close up that was well overused in </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: mail.yahoo.com; font-weight: mail.yahoo.com; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Les Miserables.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: mail.yahoo.com; font-variant: mail.yahoo.com; font-weight: mail.yahoo.com; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> McQueen uses this frame multiple times in the film and they were also my favorite and most powerful moments in the film. My favorite having to be when Solomon Northup begins singing ‘Roll Jordan Roll’ with the other slaves as they funeralize a fallen friend. It is such a powerful image that explains so much without saying anything at all. </span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: mail.yahoo.com; font-variant: mail.yahoo.com; font-weight: mail.yahoo.com; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: mail.yahoo.com; font-variant: mail.yahoo.com; font-weight: mail.yahoo.com; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Steve McQueen chose a great team to help him tell this story and it was headlined by a brilliant cast of actors. However, there are four standouts that I believe we will be seeing a lot of come awards time. Chiwetel Ejiofor has been around for a while now. He has had great performances in the past that he received a bit of attention for but no one can ignore the performance he gives in </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: mail.yahoo.com; font-weight: mail.yahoo.com; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Twelve Years a Slave </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: mail.yahoo.com; font-variant: mail.yahoo.com; font-weight: mail.yahoo.com; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">as Solomon Northup. It is not a flashy role where he has to be over the top like others in the cast but he does exactly what the film calls for. He grounds the film and allows the audience to go through this terror with him and empathize. Michael Fassbender and Sarah Paulson are also standouts for me. They are perfectly cast as the villainous plantation owners Edwin and Mary Epps. Michael Fassbender has already shown what he is capable of as an actor, especially with McQueen at the helm (Shame), but this is still a surprising performance because he shows how much range he has; a true talent. However, Sarah Paulson hasn’t quite been able to show her chops on the big screen, but she has been proving herself as an actress to watch in her tv work (American Horror Story: Asylum, HBO’s Game Change). Her jealous woman scorned wife performance was mesmerizing and she makes the most of every moment she can in the film. I will not be surprised to hear her name called on Oscar nomination day. Lupita Nyong’o is the true revelation for me as Patsey. She broke my heart multiple times during the film, but there is one key scene that had me near tears and heartbreaking for her that will surely bring her Oscar gold. She has the ‘came out of nowhere’ effect that will give her the edge over her competition.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: mail.yahoo.com; font-variant: mail.yahoo.com; font-weight: mail.yahoo.com; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: mail.yahoo.com; font-variant: mail.yahoo.com; font-weight: mail.yahoo.com; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is so much more I could say about how much I admire </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: mail.yahoo.com; font-weight: mail.yahoo.com; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Twelve Years a Slave </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: mail.yahoo.com; font-variant: mail.yahoo.com; font-weight: mail.yahoo.com; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">but I don’t want to ruin anything for anybody. Just go and see it; if it can make a believer out of me surely it can do the same for you.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: mail.yahoo.com; font-variant: mail.yahoo.com; font-weight: mail.yahoo.com; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Twelve Years a Slave is in limited release but will be opening nationwide soon. Here is the trailer below: </span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/wda7fU86Mo0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
DVR Overloadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03696849094404596549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5842459377536085579.post-47832180467321194002013-10-11T09:03:00.002-07:002013-10-11T09:16:02.395-07:00My Top 10 Films of the Year List…so far<div class="MsoNormal">
Taking a page from my favorite director, Quentin Tarantino, I have decided to
give my favorite 10-ish films from the first 9 and a half months of 2013. It
has been a pretty good year so far and it was a bit tough finding a top 10 but
I was able to do so. However, I couldn’t leave my list at just 10 (who can) so I
decided to put in a few honorable mentions that nearly cracked my top 10 as
well. With Oscar bait season upon us let’s see how my list holds up by the end
of the year.</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
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<i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL2ASJVY3QcenFB-RJpQGT39ZDXis0nxirlsyjm_Fv_klch4hT8_Mi6H48eQv4tpwrBqEb_ieGsPbF6odquscWMejNK4kWKgFBn46VjA0cSlgqRs3YbffWJYeRW7xB-VvZc5LgV2p2oA/s1600/gravity-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL2ASJVY3QcenFB-RJpQGT39ZDXis0nxirlsyjm_Fv_klch4hT8_Mi6H48eQv4tpwrBqEb_ieGsPbF6odquscWMejNK4kWKgFBn46VjA0cSlgqRs3YbffWJYeRW7xB-VvZc5LgV2p2oA/s320/gravity-movie-poster.jpg" width="216" /></a></b></i></div>
<!--[endif]--><i><b>Gravity</b></i>: Director Alfonso Cuaron (‘nough said) +
Sandra Bullock (‘nough said) + an ORIGINAL space thriller (hooked yet?) + the
best use of 3D in sometime (at least since last year’s Life of Pi) = INSTANT
CLASSIC … There is so much more to say about this brilliant film that had me
hooked from the beginning with the captivating camera movement, eye-popping
visuals, and use of the screen, not even getting to the story itself which is
amazing as well, that I would need write it’s on blog post on it (which I might
do). I am extremely excited about this film which also has my favorite image
from 2013 (and probably ever) in it as well. I have read the phrase “this
generation’s 2001: A Space Odyssey” being thrown around in certain circles and
I have to say that I believe them.<br />
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<b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEue4mHZME6WRTlCgj6t_3_AfWxOGlsft9wxceQZgmjxSGMvb8Tvnnuzvx7rrp7VvgGNYpEnATSRFWBmV1k-5MWTk4Wx0KwGOkC4ZXPoV6Jflto7TxSeXzKzbJGs2PzMaQxUgOFb-PA/s1600/fruitvale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEue4mHZME6WRTlCgj6t_3_AfWxOGlsft9wxceQZgmjxSGMvb8Tvnnuzvx7rrp7VvgGNYpEnATSRFWBmV1k-5MWTk4Wx0KwGOkC4ZXPoV6Jflto7TxSeXzKzbJGs2PzMaQxUgOFb-PA/s1600/fruitvale.jpg" /></a></i></b></div>
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</i></b><!--[endif]--><b><i>Fruitvale Station</i></b>: You can see my review of the
film <a href="http://dvr-overload.blogspot.com/2013/07/fruitvale-station-review-emotional.html">here</a> so you can know my thoughts and how much I thoroughly enjoyed this
story about injustice. It is such an emotional experience that pricks the heart
of all those who have felt the use of injustice in this country. It could not
have been released at a better time either with the ruling and acquittal of
George Zimmerman in the case of another child/young man murdered because of
profiling.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt-Hw9ufic4w770I22IvJzbvtHlFJ2H5IDUzPmY7xqFLIParfsbuEdxHBdcZFeUPQhdZaukGgU-o5bFK4itfpjOSk0OpGFmENYlPaWImts9ZTlRUeLBCstNYA_Ex4R2zCUzQPdrKRYig/s1600/before-midnight-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt-Hw9ufic4w770I22IvJzbvtHlFJ2H5IDUzPmY7xqFLIParfsbuEdxHBdcZFeUPQhdZaukGgU-o5bFK4itfpjOSk0OpGFmENYlPaWImts9ZTlRUeLBCstNYA_Ex4R2zCUzQPdrKRYig/s320/before-midnight-poster.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<!--[endif]--><b><i>Before Midnight</i></b>: This series is truly one of the
best love stories I have ever experienced in my young life on film. The first
film, Before Sunrise, tells the story of how love actually comes about. It felt
like a real people who meet and on the spur of the moment decide to spend the
day together falling for each other in the process. Before Sunset, the second
film and my favorite of the three, and Before Midnight have to deal with the
same themes but in different ways. The themes are does true love ever fade, and
if you have found your soul mate hold on to them and never let them go. This is
a great series about love in three different stages of life and I believe that
anyone can relate to these brilliantly written and acted films.<br />
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<b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwDzSTkHSeueRWnA5rlY8T88K9uHg4NfYc_LX9qW8hRaqxyfcKIi3dHZT6_NaJYuw20zJVvo4cU-rSHeXHGv8tKEaLiToh4nMLj5jMJj0sK-6qtPNUnQIF_ycQWLw1l3lvo75_UJ-x5g/s1600/blackfish+movie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwDzSTkHSeueRWnA5rlY8T88K9uHg4NfYc_LX9qW8hRaqxyfcKIi3dHZT6_NaJYuw20zJVvo4cU-rSHeXHGv8tKEaLiToh4nMLj5jMJj0sK-6qtPNUnQIF_ycQWLw1l3lvo75_UJ-x5g/s320/blackfish+movie.JPG" width="238" /></a></i></b></div>
<!--[endif]--><b><i>Blackfish</i></b>: This film along with 2010’s Best
Documentary Oscar Winner, The Cove, truly opened my eyes to the inhumane
conditions that these whales and dolphins are in. I fell for the ruse that
aquariums told me. These two films really made me think about how big
corporations can spin a tragic story so that it doesn’t affect them in a
negative light. Blackfish is one of the best documentaries I have seen and I
would be shocked not to see it among the nominees for best documentary at the
Academy Awards. <br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->5)<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpMfTrURghcon-PFQsShmzt2X9nMq6uNx82CJwtcNDSsqNhQ2L3PMa4e94ebqdMzFhV74HiP3N-1G5me0seH07vXuLXyHSzNDMqA0PCrSE9DIwJVIT79vxtcdXFuYLgKJDAlw_8CCxGw/s1600/the-way-way-back-poster1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpMfTrURghcon-PFQsShmzt2X9nMq6uNx82CJwtcNDSsqNhQ2L3PMa4e94ebqdMzFhV74HiP3N-1G5me0seH07vXuLXyHSzNDMqA0PCrSE9DIwJVIT79vxtcdXFuYLgKJDAlw_8CCxGw/s320/the-way-way-back-poster1.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
<!--[endif]--><b><i>The Way Way Back</i></b>: This year’s Perks of Being a
Wallflower, about a boy who is trying to find out who he is and where he fits
in his and a bit depressing world. Perks is a better film to me but The Way Way
Back is a gem nonetheless. With great talent (the best role I have seen Sam
Rockwell in) and a great story this coming of age story does stand out from the
rest.<br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->6)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> <b><i>
</i></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcFhomWQWyiYif-ZRitGYYEMkZB4qUQo1NjprHvXvqt2wGFAEomyBmMqzRRWvWcTqU5dMnjk2Fze_65Kpo6wkrKYf38VjDDWnOv-jxETp0Om_7gzDFzf41viPj_DFGuKAiR7Z1ohv5qA/s1600/mud_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcFhomWQWyiYif-ZRitGYYEMkZB4qUQo1NjprHvXvqt2wGFAEomyBmMqzRRWvWcTqU5dMnjk2Fze_65Kpo6wkrKYf38VjDDWnOv-jxETp0Om_7gzDFzf41viPj_DFGuKAiR7Z1ohv5qA/s320/mud_poster.jpg" width="215" /></a></i></b></div>
<!--[endif]--><b><i>Mud</i></b>: Tye Sheridan and <span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 200%;">Matthew McConaughey</span> were awesome in this coming
of age/thriller thing.<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->7)<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4RxWzSkpWd71aergBBq-idZE_UoYQytTkMnGlA5pcz2FlN-GcIPW4ouvE6pBypjEKsLWPx_LuzOqHqQdMhNjDW9gLlkD_6wgnmisn119zSDkXrzGNftq2jqZek3fqfLnZ82NBvYhWSA/s1600/man-of-steel-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4RxWzSkpWd71aergBBq-idZE_UoYQytTkMnGlA5pcz2FlN-GcIPW4ouvE6pBypjEKsLWPx_LuzOqHqQdMhNjDW9gLlkD_6wgnmisn119zSDkXrzGNftq2jqZek3fqfLnZ82NBvYhWSA/s320/man-of-steel-poster.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
<!--[endif]--><b><i>Man of Steel</i></b>: My favorite Superman movie and my
favorite superhero movie of the year.<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->8)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> <b><i>
</i></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXIIKInxLAuruPBqYCSLN1K4kKdIe3ODaoOnYk-wijkRgtiDn7AZlpJyBpEjpQEGhmj-ZBG9R0G6QbFsFmvhltcI2_mYzwyF8G2uWy-VTm4XtEjAUmqswnl9YV0tFZ1iEgt4ETILqMw/s1600/fast_and_furious_six_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXIIKInxLAuruPBqYCSLN1K4kKdIe3ODaoOnYk-wijkRgtiDn7AZlpJyBpEjpQEGhmj-ZBG9R0G6QbFsFmvhltcI2_mYzwyF8G2uWy-VTm4XtEjAUmqswnl9YV0tFZ1iEgt4ETILqMw/s320/fast_and_furious_six_poster.jpg" width="215" /></a></i></b></div>
<!--[endif]--><b><i>Fast & Furious 6</i></b>: This franchise just keeps
getting more crazy, ridiculous, and awesome with each entry and I can’t wait
for the next one.<br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->9)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> <b><i> </i></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjmkge0R2uKDXW-ad4d3KxZpOjmH06gWa4jxKojGemtE4fiRkuNpSOgWGy1L4lyuUQ2vYMmH3uMg0dSIs-9i-LLfBzGGgploFcMwqworMhoj0wxX_87fBbt2VT1RXnyAs4AU_q0r3sLA/s1600/The_Butler_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjmkge0R2uKDXW-ad4d3KxZpOjmH06gWa4jxKojGemtE4fiRkuNpSOgWGy1L4lyuUQ2vYMmH3uMg0dSIs-9i-LLfBzGGgploFcMwqworMhoj0wxX_87fBbt2VT1RXnyAs4AU_q0r3sLA/s320/The_Butler_poster.jpg" width="215" /></a></i></b></div>
<b><i>
</i></b><!--[endif]--><b><i>Lee Daniel’s The Butler</i></b>: The Butler as a film is
great; the script is great, directing is great, and Oprah and Forest Whitaker
are great (as usual). However, what the film says to me is that Black people
had no say in their equal rights campaign. With everything that they tried
whether it peaceful or volatile it was up to white Presidents and white
officials to give it to us and the film suggests that even this was a ploy to
get what they want. That may very well have been the case but it is just
disheartening to have it be that way and to relive it on screen doesn’t help.<br />
<br />
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</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-qfZuNg0PcUD0IVlBkRGjgdQd4Nt_NDHdj9niqZJQ_6HLePclw6F7_PvTnVFW_4AlUE6QZfV8fUYHOFgMMnaPxdMMTIO5UCL_mS1cDIYZFByWaW-TC1txg4QlnR8U-JQWAUl8y91PPg/s1600/Monsters+University+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-qfZuNg0PcUD0IVlBkRGjgdQd4Nt_NDHdj9niqZJQ_6HLePclw6F7_PvTnVFW_4AlUE6QZfV8fUYHOFgMMnaPxdMMTIO5UCL_mS1cDIYZFByWaW-TC1txg4QlnR8U-JQWAUl8y91PPg/s320/Monsters+University+poster.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
<!--[endif]--><b><i>Monsters University</i></b>: This film could have gone
one of two ways: the brilliance of Toy Story or the disaster of Cars. I am
truly happy that this was a great follow-up (sort of) to the now classic
Monsters Inc. albeit it was no Toy Story 2 or 3 but a win nonetheless. It gives
me hope that Finding Dory will be a success as well.<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
Honorable Mentions: <b><i>This is the End, The Conjuring, The Place Beyond the Pines, The Purge, Prisoners, Star Trek into Darkness</i></b></div>
DVR Overloadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03696849094404596549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5842459377536085579.post-84030619160879240952013-07-27T08:16:00.001-07:002013-07-27T08:16:22.540-07:00'Fruitvale Station' Review: An Emotional Triumph of a Film<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bWa-FWw9OJIDAeTIJHbPPFlixpmrXZQtRj8b1gMnNtcSxYsKdvb9SLKIgvI6WkNm22EVpwXWXo0jYfGRqbltM_FfkN2zkyICwkL-XQsv_FUN-CYJZvxBrCuTSPzC-8q5G19PMvMswg/s1600/fruitvale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bWa-FWw9OJIDAeTIJHbPPFlixpmrXZQtRj8b1gMnNtcSxYsKdvb9SLKIgvI6WkNm22EVpwXWXo0jYfGRqbltM_FfkN2zkyICwkL-XQsv_FUN-CYJZvxBrCuTSPzC-8q5G19PMvMswg/s1600/fruitvale.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Fruitvale
Station, this past Sundance Film Festival, became the fourth film and only the
second African-American film to win both the coveted Grand Jury Prize and
Audience Award for a Dramatic Film in Sundance's 29 year history (The other
films to do so are Three Seasons in 1999, Quinceanera in 2006, and Precious
back in 2009). So it takes a truly special film to pull off a feat such as
this.</span></div>
<a name='more'></a> <o:p></o:p><br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Fruitvale
Station tells the gripping and heartbreaking story about 22 years old Oscar
Grant's final day alive on New Year’s Day. What makes this story that much more
emotional is that the audience already knows Oscar's impending doom as he goes
throughout his day, so that makes each moment that much more precious because
we know that this will be the last time he is with the people he cares about
the most. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">What I
truly love about Fruitvale Station as a film is that it does not become an
activist film or overtly preachy on the injustice that was done to this young
black man, and it would be easy for everyone involved to want to do so
(especially with history repeating itself in the case of Trayvon Martin).
Instead, the director, Ryan Coogler decides to just tell a story about a man,
with all of his flaws, trying to be a better man for his mother, his
girlfriend, and most importantly his daughter. The only slight problem I have
with the film is its constant reminder or foreshadowing of Oscar's fate of
which will become very obvious to you once you see the film. However, it will
not bother most audiences and may in fact do the opposite. These moments of
foreshadowing allow the audience to sympathize with all the characters that
will be affected by this tragedy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Ryan
Coogler, in his debut as a director, used a simple yet detailed brush in
painting the story he wanted to tell to great effect. Each scene feels so
intimate and sharply directed that the audience has no choice but to feel for
the characters in the film. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The entire
crew for the film also aided in making this film as moving as it is. The
cinematography by Rachel Morris and editing by Claudia Castello and Michael P.
Shawver give a sort of one- two punch. The pacing for film up until the climax
is very relaxed allowing for the emotional connections between the characters
and the audience to the characters to take root. Then in the climax the film
changes. It becomes grittier and pacing picks up dramatically bringing the
audience to its emotional apex and then shattering them. It is brilliant
filmmaking and a great for everyone involved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Now to the
actors. Michael B. Jordan who plays Oscar, Melonie Diaz who plays his
girlfriend, Sophina, and Octavia Spencer who plays Oscars mother, Wanda all
deserved to be nominated for award after award for their work in this film.
With these actors in these roles, it didn't seem like I was watching a film but
real life happening before my eyes. The true revelation for me is Melonie Diaz,
whom I have seen in previous films but not with this kind of material where she
can really show the type of talent she has. I already know that Michael B.
Jordan is great because of his work my favorite TV series, Friday Night Lights,
and Octavia Spencer proved how talented she was to the world when she took home
an Academy Award for The Help, but it is Melonie who affected me the most with
her performance in the final and most emotionally heart wrenching final minutes
of the film. I truly hope I get to see more of her in the future. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">As a whole
Fruitvale Station will and should be a major contender for awards season this
winter, but even more than that Fruitvale Station is a classic in the same way
films like Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing and John Singleton's Boyz in the Hood
are. Fruitvale Station provides a look at the complicated and conflicted
problems that African Americans face in this country. <b>A</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ceVVVils8z4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Fruitvale
Station opened nationwide yesterday, July 26. Check out the trailer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
DVR Overloadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03696849094404596549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5842459377536085579.post-85759402001881405102013-04-30T07:29:00.003-07:002013-04-30T07:29:48.682-07:00Summer Movie Hit List: 'Iron Man 3'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvr63siQNpnoGCEZQh4v0oxRqOFr9FlWoB9mSj1XL1WXAELXcE_WmgF_toDENcyuYAjNk-Afyy1-xbgwr8Kg-NZGYQ7KonaxoXI8VWc06TXneGM2zUO1qZF19VjUsYAKM4IbXz51otVA/s1600/IM3+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvr63siQNpnoGCEZQh4v0oxRqOFr9FlWoB9mSj1XL1WXAELXcE_WmgF_toDENcyuYAjNk-Afyy1-xbgwr8Kg-NZGYQ7KonaxoXI8VWc06TXneGM2zUO1qZF19VjUsYAKM4IbXz51otVA/s1600/IM3+poster.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
It is finally summer at
the movies this weekend and the box office is going to be heating up very
quickly this weekend with the release of Iron Man 3. Over the next few weeks,
or so, I will be discussing the films that I am truly excited about (Star Trek
into Darkness, Man of Steel), films that have my attention (Now You See Me, The
Bling Ring), and head scratching ‘why-did-they-make-this-into-a-franchise-films’
(Hangover Part III; SPOILER: Money!).I will give you my two cents on what I
think the story is about and if I think it is worth spending hard earned cash
on or just wait till it is on HBO. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
It is a little bit weird
to be excited for Iron Man 3 because its predecessor is such a train wreck of a
film compared to the first Iron Man. One of the biggest problems I had with the
sequel is the change of actor in the same role of Rhodey from Terrence Howard
to Don Cheadle. This is a pet peeve of mine and it bugs me so much that I wrote
an entire post about it <a href="http://dvr-overload.blogspot.com/2012/11/what-does-dark-knight-mummy-and-harry.html">here</a>.
The movie loses some of its magic for me when an actor previously in the role
is changed. I invested in the way Terrence Howard played the role and to be
uprooted and taken out of the narrative because of a side-kick character is
disheartening, but I digress. On its own, Iron Man 2 is probably a good movie
but compared to Iron Man the movie is inferior work, and many viewers agree.
However, The Avengers became a blockbuster and the ultimate superhero movie, in
terms of box office, and breathed new life into each of the Avengers. Now, Iron
Man 3 is clearly the most anticipated movie of the summer, and arguably of the
year. And based on the trailer, critics, and that massive overseas box office
haul ($198 million) it appears that Iron Man 3 brings the goods as well. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Iron Man 3 has the genius,
billionaire, playboy, philanthropist taking on an extremely dangerous foe that
goes by the name The Mandarin. The Mandarin seems like the villain who is going
to take the arrogant superhero to his knees. There are many shots in the
trailer of Iron Man falling out of the sky and laying in the street down and
out. It seems like this foe is going to be the ultimate test both physically
and mentally for Iron Man and it is going to be exciting.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkiQWGU0b5-y7ypkSZdzVWFV5MAPysrs99wQBVEN_mQgU2UEUYV6ErUpyA4qRoGy8eoIU5s1S4ooDoDnFdIyC852e3EHLMJVRlh3zxRCKhaaiEs2foNAPUgxiqOuRwGorS9twofsmosA/s1600/IM3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkiQWGU0b5-y7ypkSZdzVWFV5MAPysrs99wQBVEN_mQgU2UEUYV6ErUpyA4qRoGy8eoIU5s1S4ooDoDnFdIyC852e3EHLMJVRlh3zxRCKhaaiEs2foNAPUgxiqOuRwGorS9twofsmosA/s1600/IM3.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Iron Man 3 can finally
be seen in the States this Friday, May 3. If you have been living under a rock
and have missed the trailer here it is below: </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/YLorLVa95Xo?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
DVR Overloadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03696849094404596549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5842459377536085579.post-34493731094059453562013-04-24T08:38:00.001-07:002014-03-06T14:03:32.582-08:00Top 20 List of Shows: Where did 'Game of Thrones' and 'The Walking Dead land?<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
So, I have done the
nearly impossible! It took me a while but I have accumulated all of the TV shows
that I am currently invested in watching or watch when new seasons begin and
also narrowed down my top 20. <br />
<a name='more'></a>Many of my friends and family ask me what are my
top 10 shows and what are all the shows I watch and I could not tell them, but
now I can. It was a bit painful to decide at times where to place certain shows
because I like them equally but I weighed the pros and cons of each and maybe a
little eeny, meeny, miny, moe to finally get things in order. Other times it
was super easy to place shows. My top 5 ironically were the easiest shows to
place because I love them the most and gush about them often to my friends. I’m
sure some of them find it sickening but that is just the way I am. When I truly
love something I need to let people know. Everything after the 20<sup>th</sup>
show is in no particular show. They are ordered in the way that I remember that
I watch them. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
All of the shows that I
watch I love for particular reasons. I don’t just watch them because they are
on. I am invested in the show and I care about the characters and what happens
next on the show. Some shows that are not in my top 20 used to be. They are not
anymore either because I felt like other shows are superior (in my opinion) or
they have lost some of the magic that I used to love about the show. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Also for the first time
a Reality Competition Show has made my top 10. I never thought it would happen
but there it is. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Finally if you are not
watching any of these shows then you are missing out. All of these shows get my
stamp of approval and that means a lot. If you didn’t know now you know</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
So here they are; my
ultimate list of shows:</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpLast">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Game of Thrones (HBO) - obviously</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZDZ_q7Nr9upSbgj4fym8MsT7rOGKnu8rr0dN_79k8Y6aWC3b9U_hPiquN-7jL9zMaCZGtXCiawXVL9LvSdpk050A8DeSfZIKz0KukKB8HMJfDW0x_RN1NF1laQLzTXiMxJa9OfodqA/s1600/Game_of_Thrones_War_is_Coming.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZDZ_q7Nr9upSbgj4fym8MsT7rOGKnu8rr0dN_79k8Y6aWC3b9U_hPiquN-7jL9zMaCZGtXCiawXVL9LvSdpk050A8DeSfZIKz0KukKB8HMJfDW0x_RN1NF1laQLzTXiMxJa9OfodqA/s320/Game_of_Thrones_War_is_Coming.jpg" height="320" width="216" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Breaking Bad (AMC)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Shameless (SHOWTIME)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Scandal (ABC)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Parks and Recreation (NBC)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->6.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->The Walking Dead (AMC)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->7.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->The Voice (NBC)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->8.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Community (NBC)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->9.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Boardwalk Empire (HBO)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->10.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->House
of Cards (NETFLIX)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->11.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Modern
Family (ABC)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->12.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->So
You Think You Can Dance (FOX)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->13.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Bates
Motel (A&E)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->14.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Hannibal
(NBC)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->15.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Elementary
(CBS)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->16.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
Mindy Project (FOX)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->17.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
Borgias (SHOWTIME)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->18.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->New
Girl (FOX)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->19.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Mad
Men (AMC)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->20.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Revolution
(NBC)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->21.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Homeland
(SHOWTIME)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->22.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->How
I Met Your Mother (CBS)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->23.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
Big Bang Theory (CBS)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->24.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Psych
(USA)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->25.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->True
Blood (HBO)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->26.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Dexter
(SHOWTIME)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->27.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Supernatural
(CW)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->28.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Bones
(FOX)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->29.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Glee
(FOX)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->30.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Hell’s
Kitchen (FOX)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->31.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Vampire
Diaries (CW)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->32.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
Middle (ABC)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->33.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Sons
of Anarchy (FX)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->34.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Vikings
(HISTORY)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->35.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Da
Vinci’s Demons (STARZ)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->36.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Veep
(HBO)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->37.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Suburgatory
(ABC)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->38.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Nashville
(ABC)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->39.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Revenge
(ABC)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->40.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Once
Upon a Time (ABC)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->41.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Arrow
(CW)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->42.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Defiance
(SYFY)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->43.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Hemlock
Grove (NETFLIX)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->44.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
Good Wife (CBS)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->45.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Doctor
Who (BBC AMERICA)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->46.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Misfits
(HULU, BBC AMERICA)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->47.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
Following (FOX)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->48.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
New Normal (NBC)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->49.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
Newsroom (HBO)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->50.)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Smash
(NBC)</div>
DVR Overloadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03696849094404596549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5842459377536085579.post-76814109535444367692013-03-20T20:04:00.001-07:002013-04-24T08:39:08.294-07:00Shameless: Frank the Plumber Review<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV21RCbMfZVtK8c17iKWIrUjmE_B8FqzOT3NzW9eWe0-JwjYJBrFLf7WBqGLCba0LppZkpnKpguLo66Bd3NyRfh-siEhRGwiG7wWl2HvOLkUF922oy2oNg8l65VzPp89DE3qb-eTj1Pw/s1600/shameless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV21RCbMfZVtK8c17iKWIrUjmE_B8FqzOT3NzW9eWe0-JwjYJBrFLf7WBqGLCba0LppZkpnKpguLo66Bd3NyRfh-siEhRGwiG7wWl2HvOLkUF922oy2oNg8l65VzPp89DE3qb-eTj1Pw/s320/shameless.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have always been a fan of this show. It is a top notch
show that should be a ratings and awards juggernaut since the first season and
although it does good numbers for Showtime awards shows seem to not understand
how brilliant this show really is. <br />
<a name='more'></a>There are many examples of the exemplary work
from just this season alone but this episode in particular stood out in
particular as a showcase for everyone involved starting with the writing. The writer’s
gave enough material for everyone, including themselves, to really shine. Emmy
Rossum as Fiona and William H. Macy as Frank are always brilliant and have
multiple episodes where they really shine including this one. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fiona takes a job in an office as a temp calling clients and
sees if they are interested in purchasing more products. It is the first time
Fiona found her job rewarding and actually enjoyed herself and you can see it
in Emmy Rossum’s face. It was also nice to see Jake McDorman from Greek on the
show. I have a feeling, though, that he is going to complicate things with Fi’s
new job and her relationship with Steve/Jimmy; should be interesting.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The writers also constantly find more material for Frank to
win worst father of the year by a wide margin episode after episode. However,
in this episode, instead of ruining his children’s lives again, he decides to
ruin his “caretakers” life by forcing him to apply for a domestic partnership
to take advantage of his benefits, but when that doesn’t work Frank goes on a
rant, in true Frank fashion, at a press conference for a candidate for mayor.
As a result, Frank becomes a hero in the gay community. Yeah…no comment…moving
on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lip got to showcase his passion for robotics with a MIT alum
in this episode as well. It was nice to see Lip finally share his passion
instead of hiding it under a nonchalant attitude and anger. Lip’s relationship
with Mandy, on the other hand, has been on the rocks mostly because Lip didn’t
want to commit and Karen coming back didn’t help things either. The writers
gave Mandy some dramatic scenes including the final scene with her cleaning
evidence off of a car, but more on that later.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mandy bore her heart to Lip and that along with the college
applications Mandy sent out for him gave Lip the final push he needed to break
things off with Karen and be with Mandy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Joan Cusack is the lone actor to get some love from the
Emmys…in fact she is the only part of the show to get love from the Emmys. She
proves her worth constantly but this is a new highlight for her. Sheila deals
with a little depression after Karen makes the Wongs take her baby away. Debbie
lifts Sheila’s spirits enough to make peace with Karen and also apologize for
all of her craziness. It was a nice emotional scene which obviously is a foreshadowing
for the tragedy that follows.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Karen who has been vying for Lip’s affection since coming
back to town gets a text from Lip asking her to meet him; however, she never
makes it to the park because she is hit by a car – very violently shown – on the
way. It is in fact the same car Mandy was cleaning evidence off of.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now with Karen out of the way Lip and Mandy can ride off
into the sunset, right? Mandy had been pushed to her breaking point and she was
not very stable to begin with either so we shall see next week if she does get
away with it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Also, Ian had another heartbreaking episode when the person
he wants to be with the most continues to reject him because he can’t come to
terms with himself.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Steve/Jimmy after this episode has had enough with living
poor and he is going to do something drastic next week. We shall see what it is
next week as well. </div>
DVR Overloadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03696849094404596549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5842459377536085579.post-21133340972819753602013-03-19T08:47:00.001-07:002013-11-05T05:46:48.208-08:00Classic Film Review: Casablanca<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-R8Lf0JfjnRahcMBRMOuPwIhHXY_qbjY1le1icUP23kSQfNvKta7ZTwVg03D5BrUWKjTVXWS1JkbIVbKzrOHEzcQ90zzLTA9zLv3seMz-J1FeKBqwZ5ipFTsS-_fljyrcheSz7o1Aw/s1600/casablanca+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-R8Lf0JfjnRahcMBRMOuPwIhHXY_qbjY1le1icUP23kSQfNvKta7ZTwVg03D5BrUWKjTVXWS1JkbIVbKzrOHEzcQ90zzLTA9zLv3seMz-J1FeKBqwZ5ipFTsS-_fljyrcheSz7o1Aw/s320/casablanca+poster.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Quotes from
this film are still used today. One of the most influential films ever made.
Casablanca, released in 1942, is a true American classic. </span></div>
<a name='more'></a>Casablanca follows Rick an American who
just wants to run his business and steer clear of the war that is plaguing the
world around him until a long lost love, Ilsa, he thought he would never see
again walked into his establishment with her new husband who is a rebel and is
being hunted and he must decide to help them or not. The famous line, "Of
all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into
mine." The film has great pacing to it. It knows how to play the tense
moments with suspense and when to let the romantic emotional moments lingerr to
make the moment that much more special. It is no wonder this film won the Best
Picture Oscar that year because when everyone is worrying about communism and
Nazis it is nice to know that maybe there is still hope and love in the world.
The sets were fairly elaborate and were used very well. The Director,
Cinematographer and crew made sure to set the location of where the action is
taking place in different places of the set. What makes this film great is the
relationship between Humphrey Bogart's Rick, and Ingrid Bergman's, Ilsa. These
two actors had so much compatibility on screen that I felt like I was watching
a real relationship on the screen. The pain behind their eyes when they finally
really talked in Rick's office was just brilliantly acted and brilliantly
directed and editted. The scene was perfect because I did not know what I
wanted Rick to do. I wanted Rick and Ilsa to be together but I also wanted her
husband to get away and continue to rebel against the Nazis. It was an
interesting dilemma and it played out very well. Casablanca is one of my
favorite films and the reason is because it is a story that stands the test of
time. The themes in the film are just as relevant today as they were 7 decades
ago.<o:p></o:p><br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Check out the trailer to Casablanca below:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://img.youtube.com/vi/EJvlGh_FgcI/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/EJvlGh_FgcI&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/EJvlGh_FgcI&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
DVR Overloadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03696849094404596549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5842459377536085579.post-77661385631701980962013-02-23T19:05:00.002-08:002013-02-23T19:07:17.734-08:002013 Oscar Predictions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ91CcvPrQH_uquiI3WS5r3mrDNlQQ6SxpkP56tGE3d5wd8k-jYb9fBRGvLKwVfIbQSJZBzi-VOIVR59stb6nXxqdJf2ac3EGMaPjon-3Hk97dCuHCNegjkXLqZUPyXwQYmWcssJGdGQ/s1600/Oscars-2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ91CcvPrQH_uquiI3WS5r3mrDNlQQ6SxpkP56tGE3d5wd8k-jYb9fBRGvLKwVfIbQSJZBzi-VOIVR59stb6nXxqdJf2ac3EGMaPjon-3Hk97dCuHCNegjkXLqZUPyXwQYmWcssJGdGQ/s320/Oscars-2013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
This is the first year that I am actually posting my picks on who is going to win the Academy Awards more than 2 hours before the show. <br />
<a name='more'></a>It is also the first year that I have seen all of the Best Picture nominees before the Oscar ceremony which makes things a lot simpler (sort of) to make my picks. When making my picks on who will be taking home statuettes it is part research/stats and part gut feeling. I believe my gut has been getting a bit better with each passing Oscar season, so hopefully I will make a lot of right choices. I will be happy with getting anywhere from 85 - 100% correct which I think is doable. So without further delay here are my picks starting with:<br />
<b>Best Original Screenplay</b>:<br />
Nominees:<br />
1)Amour<br />
2)Django Unchained<br />
3) Flight<br />
4)Moonrise Kingdom<br />
5)Zero Dark Thirty<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Will, Should Win and Personal Favorite:</b> <b>Django Unchained</b><br />
<br />
Explanation: The only other film I believe has a chance of taking this award from Quentin Tarantino is Michael Hanake for Amour. <br />
<br />
<b>Best Adapted Screenplay:</b>
Nominees:<br />
1)Argo<br />
2)Beasts of the Southern Wild<br />
3)Life of Pi<br />
4)Lincoln<br />
5)Silver Linings Playbook<br />
<br />
<b>Will Win: Argo</b><br />
Should win: Lincoln<br />
Personal Favorite: Beasts of the Southern Wild<br />
<br />
Explanation: This is a bit more difficult to predict. Argo has been the most rewarded film this entire awards season and this the screenplay was also rewarded at the WGA awards as well. Tony Kushner's work on Lincoln's screenplay is also well regarded and Silver Linings Playbook has it's fans as well but I think Argo has all the momentum going into Oscar Sunday.<br />
<br />
<b>Best Visual Effects:</b>
Nominees:<br />
1)The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey<br />
2)Life of Pi<br />
3)The Avengers<br />
4)Prometheus<br />
5)Snow White and the Huntsman<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Will Win and Should Win: Life of Pi</b><br />
Personal Favorite: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey<br />
<br />
Explanation: Life of Pi is just brilliant when it comes to its visual effects and everyone knows it. The only film that I think can disappoint is The Hobbit. The series constantly has the most stunning visual effects and The Hobbit is no exception.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Best Sound Mixing:</b><br />
Nominees:<br />
1)Argo<br />
2)Les Miserables<br />
3) Life of Pi<br />
4)Lincoln<br />
5)Skyfall<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Will, Should Win and Personal Favorite: Les Miserables</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Explanation: Musicals usually win this award and the Academy will reward the extra challenge of live singing.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Best Sound Editing:</b><br />
Nominees:<br />
1)Argo<br />
2)Django Unchained<br />
3)Life of Pi<br />
4)Skyfall<br />
5)Zero Dark Thirty<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Will and Should Win: </b><b>Skyfall</b><br />
Personal Favorite: Django Unchained<br />
<br />
Explanation: The Academy will want to reward the excellent work Skyfall did this year. Argo or Life of Pi could disappoint.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Best Short Film (Live Action)</b><br />
Nominees:<br />
1)Asad<br />
2)Buzkashi Boys<br />
3)Curfew<br />
4)Death of a Shadow<br />
5)Henry<br />
<br />
<b>Will Win: Curfew</b><br />
<br />
Explanation: This is a shot in the dark. Haven't seen or heard much about these films.<br />
<br />
<b>Best Short Film (Animated)</b><br />
Nominees:<br />
1)Adam and Dog<br />
2)Fresh Guacamole<br />
3)Head over Heels<br />
4)Maggie Simpson in "The Longest Daycare"<br />
5) Paperman<br />
<br />
<b>Will Win: Paperman</b><br />
<br />
Explanation: Have only seen Paperman since it is the most accessible. It is also a brilliant piece of work and the Academy knows it. Plus it is Disney. I have also read love for Adam and Dog so perhaps that may pull of an upset? Probably not<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Best Production Design:</b><br />
Nominees:<br />
1)Anna Karenina<br />
2)The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey<br />
3)Les Miserables<br />
4)Life of Pi<br />
5)Lincoln<br />
<br />
<b>Will Win and Should Win: Lincoln</b><br />
Personal Favorite: The Hobbit<br />
<br />
Explanation: Honestly four of the five nominees (The Hobbit excluded) have a good chance of winning. I think Lincoln is extremely well done and with 12 Academy Award nominations I believe they see it too.<br />
<br />
<b>Best Music (Original Song):</b><br />
Nominees:<br />
1) "Before My Time" from "Chasing Ice"<br />
2)"Everybody Needs a Best Friend" from "Ted"<br />
3)"Pi's Lullaby" from "Life of Pi"<br />
4)"Skyfall" from "Skyfall"<br />
5) "Suddenly" from "Les Miserables"<br />
<br />
<b>Will/Should Win and Personal Favorite: Skyfall</b><br />
<br />
Explanation: When Adele is nominated she is going to win. (see the Grammys)<br />
<b>Best Music (Original Score):</b><br />
Nominees:<br />
1)Anna Karenina<br />
2)Argo<br />
3)Life of Pi<br />
4)Lincoln<br />
5)Skyfall<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Will Win: Life of Pi</b><br />
Should Win and Personal Favorite: Skyfall<br />
<br />
Explanation: Life of Pi is well liked and the score is good. I think Lincoln and Skyfall are the only ones that can pull off the upset.<br />
<br />
<b>Best Makeup and Hairstyling:</b><br />
Nominees:<br />
1)Hitchcock<br />
2)The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey<br />
3)Les Miserables<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Will Win: Les Miserables</b><br />
Should WIn and Personal Favorite: The Hobbit<br />
<br />
Explanation: Les Miserables is the only Best Picture nominee in the group which gives it a bit more pedigree and a better edge. <br />
<br />
<b>Best Foreign Language Film:</b><br />
Nominees: <br />
1)Amour - Austria<br />
2)Kon-Tiki - Norway<br />
3)No - Chile<br />
4)A Royal Affair - Denmark<br />
5)War Witch - Canada<br />
<br />
<b>Will Win and Should Win: Amour</b><br />
<br />
Explanation: The only Best Picture nominee in the category should easily take this award<br />
<br />
<b>Best Film Editing:</b><br />
Nominees:<br />
1)Argo<br />
2)Life of Pi<br />
3)Lincoln<br />
4)Silver Linings Playbook<br />
5)Zero Dark Thirty<br />
<br />
<b>Will Win and Should Win: Argo</b><br />
<br />
Explanation: Just another award that Argo will collect tonight.<br />
<br />
<b>Best Documentary Short Subject:</b>
Nominees:<br />
1)Inocente<br />
2)Kings Point<br />
3)Mondays at Racine<br />
4)Open Heart<br />
5)Redemption<br />
<br />
<b>Will Win: Open Heart</b><br />
<br />
Explanation: Another shot in the dark...<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Best Documentary Feature:</b><br />
Nominees:<br />
1)5 Broken Cameras<br />
2)The Gatekeepers<br />
3)How to Survive a Plague<br />
4)The Invisible War<br />
5)Searching for Sugar Man<br />
<br />
<b>Will Win: Searching for Sugar Man</b><br />
<br />
Explanation: Has dominated the awards season so far shouldn't bet against it now.<br />
<br />
<b>Costume Design:</b><br />
Nominees:<br />
1)Anna Karenina<br />
2)Les Miserables<br />
3)Lincoln<br />
4)Mirror Mirror<br />
5)Snow White and the Huntsman<br />
<br />
<b>Will Win: Anna Karenina</b><br />
<br />
Explanation: Don't bet against an Elizabethan-esque film<br />
<br />
<b>Best Cinematography:</b><br />
Nominees:<br />
1)Anna Karenina<br />
2)Django Unchained<br />
3)Life of Pi<br />
4)Lincoln<br />
5)Skyfall<br />
<br />
<b>Will Win and Should Win: Life of Pi</b><br />
Personal Favorite: Skyfall<br />
<br />
Explanation: just another sure bet for Life of Pi. Spoilers...Skyfall? Lincoln? won't happen, though<br />
<br />
<b>Best Animated Feature Film:</b><br />
Nominees:<br />
1)Brave<br />
2)Frankenweenie<br />
3) Paranorman<br />
4)The Pirates! Band of Misfits<br />
5) Wreck-It Ralph<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Will Win: Brave</b><br />
Should Win and Personal Favorite: Frankenweenie<br />
<br />
Explanation: This is a battle between Brave and Wreck-It Ralph. It could either way. Crossing my fingers for a Frankenweenie upset, though.<br />
<br />
<b>Best Actress in a Supporting Role:</b><br />
Nominees:<br />
1)Amy Adams - Amy Adams<br />
2)Sally Field - Lincoln<br />
3)Anne Hathaway - Les Miserables<br />
4)Helen Hunt - The Sessions<br />
5)Jacki Weaver - Silver Linings Playbook<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Will Win, Should Win, and Personal Favorite: Anne Hathaway</b><br />
<br />
Explanation: One of my favorite actresses giving one of the best performances of the year. Anne Hathaway has dominated the season so far she isn't going to stop now. Only person who could possibly upset? Sally Field...after all she is 2 for 2 at the Academy Awards<br />
<br />
<b>Best Actor in a Supporting Role:</b><br />
Nominees:<br />
1)Alan Arkin - Argo<br />
2)Robert De Niro - Silver Linings Playbook<br />
3)Philip Seymour Hoffman - The Master<br />
4)Tommy Lee Jones - Lincoln<br />
5)Christoph Waltz - Django Unchained<br />
<br />
<b>Will Win: Robert De Niro</b><br />
Should Win: Tommy Lee Jones<br />
<br />
Explanation: I am a fan of all of these performances and I still believe that this category can go to any one of these actors. Robert De Niro I believe has the slight edge.<br />
<br />
<b>Best Actress in a Leading Role:</b><br />
Nominees:<br />
1)Jessica Chastain - Zero Dark Thirty<br />
2)Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook<br />
3)Emmanuelle Riva - Amour<br />
4)Quvenzhane Wallis - Beasts of the Southern Wild<br />
5)Naomi Watts - The Impossible<br />
<br />
<b>Will Win and Should Win: Emmanuelle Riva</b><br />
Personal Favorite: Naomi Watts<br />
<br />
Explanation: Jennifer Lawrence has dominated the awards season so far. In the beginning of the season I would have said it was between Lawrence and Chastain, however, Chastain went down with the Zero Dark Thirty ship which is disappointing. Now Riva is giving Lawrence a run for her money and I think she has actually overtaken Lawrence in the race. We shall see tomorrow.<br />
<br />
<b>Best Actor in a Leading Role:</b><br />
Nominees:<br />
1)Bradley Cooper - Silver Linings Playbook<br />
2)Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln<br />
3)Hugh Jackman - Les Miserables<br />
4)Joaquin Phoenix - The Master<br />
5) Denzel Washington - Flight<br />
<br />
<b>Will Win, Should Win, and Person Favorite: Daniel Day-Lewis</b><br />
<br />
Explanation: No Contest<br />
<br />
<b>Best Director:</b><br />
Nominees:<br />
1)Michael Haneke - Amour<br />
2)Benh Zeitlin - Beasts of the Southern Wild<br />
3)Ang Lee - Life of Pi<br />
4)Steven Spielberg - Lincoln<br />
5)David O. Russell - Silver Linings Paybook<br />
<br />
<b>Will Win: Ang Lee</b><br />
Should Win: Steven Spielberg<br />
<br />
Personal Favorite: Benh Zeitlin<br />
Explanation: Ang Lee did absolutely stunning work. Steven Spielberg made a masterpiece which is why he could spoil.<br />
<br />
<b>Best Picture: </b><br />
Nominees:<br />
1) Amour<br />
2)Argo<br />
3)Beasts of the Southern Wild<br />
4)Django Unchained<br />
5)Les Miserables<br />
6)Life of Pi<br />
7)Lincoln<br />
8)Silver Linings Playbook<br />
9)Zero Dark Thirty<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Will Win: Argo</b><br />
Should Win: Lincoln<br />
Personal Favorite: Django Unchained<br />
<br />
Explanation: Argo has dominated the season so far. Winning awards that many thought it had no chance at winning. There is no stopping this movie.DVR Overloadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03696849094404596549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5842459377536085579.post-47566527047947026482013-02-14T12:19:00.002-08:002013-02-28T07:53:18.617-08:00Review: 21 and Over<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV59hAumCWSzuoz70Qw-j_EtLmqavqFClmIenXu5baBZ1C2pI5nQWeVBSBlFE_Dt_LKYLojBidUDRimylpq0Xh6x3xCuwC-RG8cWvmwA1jiGGWmYRiN5pOMteuFjWohLagguy0xyZFVw/s640/blogger-image-1862495708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV59hAumCWSzuoz70Qw-j_EtLmqavqFClmIenXu5baBZ1C2pI5nQWeVBSBlFE_Dt_LKYLojBidUDRimylpq0Xh6x3xCuwC-RG8cWvmwA1jiGGWmYRiN5pOMteuFjWohLagguy0xyZFVw/s640/blogger-image-1862495708.jpg" /></a><br />
A good, yet ironic, tag line for this flick would be "Drink Responsibly."<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>From the writers of The Hangover we get a night of raunchy debauchery built for the college kid in all of us. Unlike The Hangover the audience experiences ever ridiculously disgusting event as it happens. This movie covers all of the basis of what everyone thinks college or turning 21 is like. To an extent Jon Lucas and Scott Moore (writers and first time directors) get it right. Of course a lot of it is exaggerated but it is a movie after all and as a viewer we want to be entertained. So, to please everyone there is a little bit for everyone to relate to especially coming down to the characters.<br />
The story revolves around three best friends who went to different colleges come together to celebrate the last one to turn 21's birthday one night and everything starts to go awry<br />
<br />
The film stars Miles Teller, from Project X and the 2013 Sundance hit The Spectacular Now, as a party animal who has all the potential to be successful but no motivation, Skylar Astin, from Pitch Perfect, as a driven Stanford student who is so ready to start his life has kind of forgot how to live, and Justin Chon, from The Twilight Saga, as a Birthday Boy who is cracking under the pressure of his over-bearing father. <br />
At its core 21 & Over is a film about friendship: its ups and downs and its clinging onto past memories when truly you have just grown a part which I think everyone can relate to. And if that doesn't appeal to you well there is definitely a lot of raunchy debauchery that you would definitely expect from the writers of The Hangover.<br />
21 & Over opens nationwide this Friday, March 1st. Check out the trailer below:<br />
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DVR Overloadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03696849094404596549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5842459377536085579.post-9583309376060756062012-12-02T15:53:00.004-08:002012-12-02T15:53:37.739-08:00'Nashville': A Different Type of Role Model?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Nashville brings a character to network tv with morals forgotten on television of late. The character, Sean Butler, has been on the show for a few episodes now and has been used as a love interest for the misunderstood bad girl, Juliette Barnes. <br />
<a name='more'></a>Sean Butler, played by Tilky Jones, is a star rookie quarterback in the NFL, and is set up on a date with Juliette by their publicist to help Juliette become better liked in the media after her scandal a la Winona Ryder style. What made Sean such a great choice is his pristine lifestyle and his popularity. He doesn't drink, do drugs, or party all night. Not to say he is prude; he just has priorities which is to keep his starting position on the football team. Neither Juliette or Sean really liked each other from the beginning. Especially Juliette who considered Sean to be boring. But once they gave each other a chance sparks began to fly.<br />
What makes Sean a role model that we do not see much on tv is because of his stance on sex outside of marriage. We learned in last Wednesday's episode that Sean is not into casual sex. He wants to be married to the woman he loves in the confines of marriage before he becomes that intimate with someone, which is something to be admired. Juliette sees this as a rejection and that is something she did not want to be in that moment so she threw him out. Later in the episode Sean explains himself further to Juliette and let her understand that she is worth waiting for which is not something Juliette is use to hearing. I like the way this relationship is going and I think America needs to see a little change in what we watch.<br />
The media and television is telling young people that it is okay to have sex outside of marriage. Some media outlets even go as far as to say that if your not having sex then you are not cool. That may be fine for you if that is what you believe but shouldn't we be seeing the alternative as well. When young people are bombarded with just one thing, and at such an impressionable age, then that is what they are going to do - I call this media peer pressure. There is more than just one thing out there that people are doing. There should be characters on television that have this way of thinking so that young people can see it and understand that there is other ways of life. Help them make the choice that is right for them. <br />
Some people may say that their parents should talk to them and teach them of this but let's be honest what kid is going to listen to their parents 100% when they have celebrities and television that they look up to and learn from telling them that this is the way? I admire the team behind Nashville and ABC for finally bringing audiences a different kind of role model.<br />
Nashville airs on ABC Wednesday nights at 10.<br />
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<br />DVR Overloadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03696849094404596549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5842459377536085579.post-37512778644403516822012-11-15T10:58:00.001-08:002012-11-15T10:58:27.399-08:00'The Sessions': An Intimate Love Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 200%;">The
Sessions is a touching tale of a disabled man’s journey to lose his virginity.</span></div>
<a name='more'></a><o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 200%;">Mark
O’Brien at a young age contracted polio which left him with only the power to
move his head. He spends most of his life now in a contraption called the iron
lung which allows him to breathe. He has a couple of caretakers who take care
of him and transport him where he wants to go. Mark is a poet/writer by trade.
He discovers a way to lose his virginity when he is contacted to write an
article about the sex lives of disabled people. He gets in contact with a sex
surrogate named Cheryl and over a series of seesions he begins sthe quest of
finally losing his virginity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 200%;">The
film, although very comedic on the surface, is extremely moving and heartfelt
at its core. The script, written by the director, Ben Lewin, and adapted from
the article by Mark O’Brien, is exceptionally well written. This film could
have easily been a one note comedic crowd pleaser that could have been
forgotten a week after viewing. However, the film found its spark first in the
script and second with the acting. John Hawkes gives an awards worthy performance
as Mark. He made me care about his character’s journey; more than I actually
wanted to. Hawkes drew me in to the narrative and made me invest my attention
to the story of Mark O’Brien. Helen Hunt also reminds everyone how great she is
giving a stunning performance as the sex surrogate, Cheryl. John Hawkes and
Helen Hunt has such great chemistry which elevates the film to another level.
Another standout performance came from William H. Macy as a priest who
befriends Mark and talks to him about his sessions; sometimes in front of the
altar which makes his scenes that much more funny. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 200%;">The
Sessions finds humor in the parts of sexuality that many would find very uncomfortable
to talk about to anyone let alone in public places, and yet, Mark has no qualms
talking about it anywhere. The Sessions overall is a very funny and deeply
moving film and I enjoyed watching it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 200%;">The
Sessions is now playing in select cities. Check out the trailer below.</span></div>
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DVR Overloadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03696849094404596549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5842459377536085579.post-31792673425861339092012-11-15T10:55:00.000-08:002012-11-15T10:55:08.508-08:00What does 'The Dark Knight', 'The Mummy', and 'Harry Potter' Have in Common?<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 200%;">They
have each replaced an actor for another actor in the same role.</span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br /><o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 200%;">Hollywood
has prided itself on being able to capture reality. The Hollywood method is to
use all of these specific elements such as editing, lighting, sound, music,
costumes and much more to make a film look natural. However, Hollywood does not
want the viewer to know or care about all of the elements that went in to making
the production a success. Hollywood wants to take audiences on a journey, even
if it is to another planet or a small town in Middle America. No matter how
wacky, magical, or unrealistic the film is there is always something the
audience can relate to. Whether it is within themselves or an idea the viewer
needs to find a way to make it believable to them. If the film can’t find that
idea or something that the audience can relate to then the film is just a wacky
unrealistic film that no one will believe and as a result the film will not
make money.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 200%;"> One thing that can keep me from completely
giving in to a film and ultimately making it unbelievable is any break from
reality that will take me out of the narrative and have me wonder why that is
happening. Sometimes this break in reality is on purpose. Filmmakers like to
play with the art form, hone their craft, and push the envelope; however, there
is a purpose behind the change that the filmmaker wants to get across to the
viewer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 200%;">One
break from reality that I find the most disconcerting is the replacement of an
actor with another actor in the same role with no cause behind it. Now when I
say cause I mean within the narrative itself the character changes form and
therefore a new actor is needed. When I see a new actor or actress in a role
that a previous actor or actress has made their own I am confused and my mind
begins to wonder about what happened to the other actor, this actor is nothing
like the character, where did this actor come from, what else has this actor
been in, and so on. I am thinking about everything except the narrative. I
watch films for the story primarily and when I am taken out of the story I don’t
get much out of the film. However, there are circumstances that warrant the
changing of an actor. For example, Richard Harris, who played Professor
Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter films, passed away in 2002. The Harry
Potter series is a beloved and highly profitable property so of course Warner
Bros. studios are going to replace the actor to continue the series. Warner
Bros. went with Michael Gambon to carry on the role. I am a huge fan of Michael
Gambon and I think he is a great Dumbledore, but the character changed in a lot
of ways, not drastically, but enough that even 12 year old me recognized that
he wasn’t the same. Dumbledore became more playful in a sense with Michael
Gambon compared to Richard Harris’ more wise and older looking Dumbledore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 200%;">The
Dark Knight and The Mummy series each replaced their respective female leads in
their films as well. The Dark Knight replaced Katie Holmes in the role of
Rachel Dawes with Maggie Gyllenhaal. The excuse for the replacement was that
Katie Holmes did not have the acting ability to do what the character was going
to go through emotionally. The Mummy series replaced Rachel Weisz in the role
of Evelyn with Mario Bello in the third installment, Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,
because of scheduling conflicts. For The Dark Knight the change didn’t affect
them because there was so much hype for the film and Maggie Gylenhaal in fact
does have better range than Katie Holmes as an actress. However, for The Mummy
it was a train wreck.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 200%;">When
Katie Holmes was replaced in The Dark Knight after appearing in the first
installment of the new Batman trilogy, Batman Begins, not many people cared. OF
course, there were headlines and maybe a hint of controversy but everyone was
basically in agreement that as an n actress Katie Holmes has a limited range.
Besides, by the time The Dark Knight was released it was as if the switch had
never happened because by that time Heath Ledger had passed and the media was
raving about his brilliant performance as the Joker. The hype and buzz for the
film was deafening. Everyone wanted to see Heath Ledger’s final performance for
which he won an Oscar for. When I saw the film it barely registered to me that
there was a new Rachel because I was drawn in by everything else. Everything
was working for this film and Rachel was a big part in the film but Maggie
Gyllenhaal was great so I didn’t really lose focus on the narrative.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 200%;">The
Mummy was a different story entirely. The first two movies worked because of
the chemistry between Brendan Frasier and Rachel Weisz, and an engaging storyline.
Frasier and Weisz together elevated the film and made it an exciting and great
film. So several years later when Universal decided to make another installment
in the franchise, I was excited. Those films were still appreciated and highly liked
by audiences so it seemed appropriate to make another film. So, I am not sure if
there was a tight schedule or not but Rachel Weisz decided to pass on the
project due to scheduling conflicts. Now when your star is not free to work on
a new film in a franchise that some circles may call classic, you would think
that the studio would push back the film dates. But the power of money is
stronger apparently, so Universal decided to move forward with the film with
another actress, Maria Bello. I was not pleased with the changed but I decided
to give the third film a chance to prove itself. When I saw the trailer,
however, I was not impressed. I felt like the magic had been sucked out of the
franchise. The storyline had nothing to do with the original two films and
Maria Bello, who is a fine actress by the way, was no Evelyn. I decided to stay
away from the film when it was released and apparently so did everyone else.
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor grossed $102 million domestically and is
the lowest grossing film in the franchise even before ticket price inflation. And
what makes it even worse is that when you do factor in ticket price inflation
it made less than the spin-off to The Mummy series, The Scorpion King. I did
finally see The Mummy 3 and my initial reaction was correct. The story was weak
and Maria Bello fell short to Rachel Weisz performance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 200%;">Replacing
actors in franchises is a tough decision. It ruins the magic for me most of the
time, but sometimes it is necessary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
DVR Overloadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03696849094404596549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5842459377536085579.post-55173942202321930112012-11-05T15:19:00.000-08:002012-11-06T11:57:36.506-08:00'The Hobbit', 'SkyFall': The 5 Most Anticipated Films This HolidaySeasonOther than Blockbuster Summer, the studios release their best films during this time to take advantage of everyone having more time on their hands and more willing to spend their money on entertainment since they are already in the spending mood. Their are a lot of great films that are coming out this season especially with all the Oscar bait films that are thrown in with the family fare and blockbusters as well. I have made a list of the 5 films I am anticipating the most - and no Breaking Dawn Part II is not on the list. So let's get started shall we.<br />
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5) 'Silver Linings Playbook'<br />
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There is a lot of hype surrounding this movie. It has won the Audience award at one of the most prestigious film festivals - The Toronto Film Festival - and has garnered a lot of praise for everyone involved, in particular Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Robert De Niro. Not to mention there is Oscar buzz about this film as well. The trailer doesn't redeem all of the attention that this film is getting, but I am a fan of all of the actors in the film and especially the director, David O. Russell, who directed The Fighter which was one of my favorite films of 2010. Here's hoping lighting strikes twice. Silver Linings Playbook opens November 21st.<br />
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4) 'Skyfall'<br />
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Casino Royale is my favorite Bond film. Quantum of Solace is my least favorite Bond Film. So, Daniel Craig and the team behind the new James Bond universe is 1 for 2 in my book. With Skyfall, though, things seem to have improved greatly from Quantum and may even surpass Casino Royale as my favorite Bond film. With the addition of Javier Bardem as the adversary the conflict is sure to be explosive, and with Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Jarhead) in the directors chair things are shaping up real nicely for the 23rd installment and 50th anniversary of the Bond franchise. Also, with nearly $300 million in the box office already overseas this may also be the highest grossing in the series as well. Skyfall opens this Friday, November 9.<br />
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3) 'Django Unchained'<br />
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Bottom line this comes down to Quentin Tarantino being one of my favorite directors of all time. He consistently pushes the envelope on his work and his joy and passion for film oozes out of every single project he does. His last film 'Inglorious Basterds' is one of my favorite films of 2009 and I believe probably should have won that years Oscar for Best Picture. In 'Django', Tarantino has an extremely capable and very talented cast with Jamie Foxx as the title character and the brilliant Christoph Waltz as his partner in crime. Oh, and a guy named Leo Dicaprio is in it as well, I heard he is really good as well.<br />
I don't know exactly what to expect from this film but I know I will not be disappointed. Django Unchained opens Christmas Day.<br />
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2) 'Les Miserables'<br />
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I am a sucker for brilliant musicals, and whenever they are adapted into films that remain as brilliant as they were on the stage (i.e. Rent, Hairspray, and Chicago) it is like getting the best of both worlds. Of course the jury is still out for Les Miserables but if the trailers are any indication the film is going to be amazing.<br />
Anne Hathaway is quickly becoming my favorite movie actress. She rarely disappoints me, she is always committed to her character and her craft and if this role in Les Mis is as heartbreaking as it seems in the trailer constantly challenging herself as well.<br />
Another thing I find exciting about the production of Les Mis is that the singing is actually performed live during filming. This is unheard of since productions prefer the purity of a studio recording to dub over the performance instead. Les Miserables opens on Christmas Day.<br />
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1) 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'<br />
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This film above all else has me excited the most. It is because of the pedestal that I hold the Lord of the Rings trilogy on that this comes as a no brainer. I have not read The Hobbit neither did I read the Lord of the Rings books, so I am a pure cinematic fan of the series. After the Lord of the Rings i became a huge fan of not only the series but the cast and crew as well, especially the director, Peter Jackson. He built such an amazing world out of the words the the legendary J.R.R. Tolkien wrote that it seemed only fitting that he would bring The Hobbit to the screen as well.<br />
One thing does concern me though. The fact that a single children's book can be turned into three epic films seems a bit far fetched to me. It makes me believe that the audience may be getting a watered down version of the book to make more money off of the films. Something I admire the Lord of the Rings series for doing is caring about the quality of the film along with making money. Let's hope the same is the case with The Hobbit. The Hobbit opens on December 14.<br />
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Honorable mentions of films that I am also anticipating are: Life of Pi, This is 40, and Zero Dark ThirtyDVR Overloadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03696849094404596549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5842459377536085579.post-12043917486299126022012-11-05T06:15:00.000-08:002012-11-06T11:57:57.554-08:00'Once Upon a Time' : Tallahassee (Review)[SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN LAST NIGHT'S EPISODE]<br />
Last night's episode of Once Upon a Time gave us a lot of back story on how Emma became so rigid and can't trust people, or as I am deciding to call it "Pinocchio ruins Emma's life." The main culprit in shaping Emma into the pessimistic, tough as nails chick we see today is none other than Pinocchio, also known as August. At first I was a defender of Pinocchio.<br />
<a name='more'></a> When he left Emma as a baby in the home for children I thought too much pressure was put on him to be responsible. He was only a child himself and now you ask him to be a guardian? It was understandable that he would fall into temptation and want to be a real boy ( I had to do it). However, it is because of his decision that Emma became the kind of girl that would steal cars and fall for men who would bring her even deeper down a criminal lifestyle as a consequence.<br />
However, Pinocchio/August now grown decides now that it is time for him to step up and take responsibility for his mistake. He searches for Emma for 2 years and when he finally finds her he doesn't like what he sees; a woman helping her criminal boyfriend escape to Canada by getting the watches he had stolen from a jewelry store he worked for in Phoenix a while ago. When Emma's boyfriend - played by Michael Raymond James (True Blood, Terriers) - goes to take care of an errand with the watches and leaves Emma to wait for him, August decides to confront him and tell him why he should leave Emma be. He show's the boyfriend (I keep calling him the boyfriend because we never learn his name. Weird?) something in his briefcase that he had his typewriter in when we first met him - doubtful that the typewriter is what August showed him though - and tells him the tale of how Emma is the savior of his world. He convinces the boyfriend to leave for Canada without Emma, but not before leaving a tip with the local Tallahassee police department that Emma got the watches that the boyfriend stashed in a locker. Emma has to do 11 months and, oh, she is also pregnant with Henry.<br />
Now here is where I cannot get behind August's decision. He decides to fix his mistake by ruining Emma's life even more In the process of getting Emma back on track he took whatever was left that was good in her life away: Her ability to love, let someone in her life, and Henry. Emma can't bear to look at the child they created let alone care for him - being a felon and all. It is no wonder that it took her so long to see the truth about Storybrooke. Pinocchio crushed Emma and didn't bother to help pick up the pieces. She had to do that all on her own and what was left to put herself back together with but pain and loneliness. August said he was her guardian angel but he is one angel Emma could have done without.<br />
In other news back in the present: Emma climbed up the beanstalk with Hook and found the compass, but not before sparring with a giant (Jorge Garcia - Lost, Alcatraz). Emma connects with the giant because they both know what it is like to be alone and the giant lets her leave with the compass. She decides to leave Hook behind because she can't trust him (another product of Pinocchio's brilliant plot), but it is probably for the best.<br />
Also, Aurora and Henry are having the same nightmares about being stuck in a room with no windows or doors, the curtains are on fire, and there is someone in the room looking at them as well. We don't know what this means but I'm sure we will find out soon and it doesn't sound good at all.<br />
<br />DVR Overloadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03696849094404596549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5842459377536085579.post-31702570738993304062012-10-31T09:57:00.002-07:002012-10-31T10:12:26.992-07:00'Mockingbird Lane' is so Good it makes me Angry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I heard NBC was developing a pilot to revamp the 60's supernatural comedy "The Munsters" I was excited. I remember watching reruns of the show with my mother when I was younger and loving it, so to see an updated version with better technology sounded like a good idea - and let's face it NBC needs some fresh good ideas. <br />
<a name='more'></a>When Bryan Fuller signed on as the helmer of the show my feelings about 'Lane' being awesome grew exponentially. Bryan Fuller is the creator of one of my personal favorite series of all time, 'Pushing Daisies', and is responsible for the best parts of 'Heroes' as well. This 'Munsters' update seemed like it could do no wrong and was destined to be picked up to series by NBC (Why do I continue to trust that NBC will make the right decisions?).<br />
So, you can imagine my surprise when I realized that Mockingbird Lane, in fact, did not get picked up. I was confused and wondered if the show could be so bad? Well, I would get my chance to see if my suspicions were correct because NBC decided to air the pilot last Friday perhaps to make back some of the money they spent on the pilot. And as I was watching the show I realized within the first ten minutes that this show was special and I was in with it already.<br />
Mockingbird Lane was hitting all the right notes for me. It was so whimsically dark and funny. Bryan Fuller packed in all of his charm that I saw in Pushing Daisies into the script and Bryan Singer, director of the first two X-Men, directed an incredible pilot that had me hooked. The actors were perfectly cast. Each character seemed so fleshed out that I knew their personalities by the end of the hour which is difficult to do in a pilot. Eddie Izzard as Grandpa had some great punchlines and is the MVD(Most Valuable Dracula) to me. Even more than just being a great comedy; their is a strong underlying heart to the pilot that gives it its uniqueness that never feels forced.<br />
It is an extremely well done pilot and I have come to the actualization that I have basically given up hope on NBC to stick with shows that may set them a part from the rest of the big three networks and perhaps give them a chance to compete in the ratings with them with something other than The Voice. I feel a rant coming on so I must digress.<br />
With the right marketing push Mockingbird Lane could be a success for NBC. The pilot delivered a 1.5 in the key demo(Adults 18-49) coming in second place for the hour. That is a good number for a Friday night "death" slot with no lead in and little promotion. I think with the right promotion, so that everyone is aware of the show, and a time-slot with a great lead-in, to give the show the best possible chance, Mockingbird Lane could be great.<br />
But then again I don't know all of the facts and they also don't pay me the big bucks to make these type of decisions so this is just my opinion.DVR Overloadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03696849094404596549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5842459377536085579.post-16728416405668237222012-10-29T18:27:00.000-07:002012-11-05T06:16:35.073-08:00Spielberg's 'Lincoln' is in a word a 'Masterpiece'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Steven Spielberg has done it again. I had the pleasure of seeing Lincoln before it's release in a few weeks and I was really excited because I am a huge fan of Daniel Day Lewis and Steven Spielberg, so I knew putting them together would be Legend (wait for it) Dary! With the two of them together and with this type of material to work with it just oozed Oscar gold. And, yet, even with these high expectations I was still blown away on every level by the sheer grace and talent this film put together.<br />
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For those who do not know Lincoln tells the story of the issues Abraham Lincoln faced in passing the thirteenth amendment, which among other things freed the slaves, while the Civil War raged on.<br />
Spielberg took me on a journey back in history to one of our nation's most iconic Presidents. And what makes this film such a masterpiece is that every element to the film is magnificent. The art direction and production design is brilliant. The sets are gorgeous and they were shot beautifully by cinematographer Janusz Kaminski to show off the scenery but not be a hindrance to the film itself and take the viewer out of the narrative. Everything seemed place just right so that the narrative can run smoothly. The costumes are also extremely well done. They are extravagant when they need to be and dirtied up a bit when the time calls for it as well. The costumes were tailored to help the actors give their best performance and not distract them or the viewer.<br />
Speaking of the acting; every single performance is terrific. And I may just be saying this because Daniel Day-Lewis gives yet another spectacular performance elevating everyone else's work to another level. Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln is mesmerizing. He embodies the sixteenth President so well, in fact, that he makes it look like he is not even acting. He walks, talks, stands, and sits as if he was the President incarnate. Day-Lewis deserves every accolade he will receive this coming awards season.<br />
Tommy Lee Jones and Sally Fields also give top notch performances as Thaddeus Stevens and Mary Todd Lincoln respectively. Jones' character's story line is particularly interesting because his motives are linked so closely to the narrative and you don't realize how much it means to him until the final minutes of the film which makes the ending that much more satisfying. I also would like to give notices to Lee Pace(Pushing Daisies) and Walton Goggins( Justified) cause I didn't know they were in the film and it is a nice surprise to see them.<br />
The only problem that I had with the film is how long the film goes after its climax. It seems to just drag along, compared to the rest of the film. The film could have been cut in so many different places that would have given a more punctuated ending. But because there was so much of Lincoln's story that wanted to be told it just kind of lingers and fades out which is not a bad thing just seems like it could be more focused.<br />
All in all, Spielberg put together the dream team, in a sense, to collaborate and pull off another brilliant and - dare I say- classic film.<br />
Lincoln opens nationwide on November 16th. The trailer is below:<br />
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<br />DVR Overloadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03696849094404596549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5842459377536085579.post-15245924304428989282012-10-09T21:43:00.001-07:002012-10-09T21:48:04.615-07:00Is 'Perks of Being a Wallflower' being underrated commercially?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A group of friends and I were on our way home from the movies last Sunday when one of them said that Perks had only placed eleventh on the box office chart for the weekend, surprised. I stated that it is understandable since it is still only in limited release. She looked at me baffled. I told her that the studio may want to keep the buzz about the film at a steady pace throughout the Oscar season so that it won't peak to early and have voters forget about it. She understood what I was saying but couldn't grasp why the studio wouldn't want to make money from the film. <br />
<a name='more'></a>Her reasons were that Perks of Being a Wallflower is a wildly popular book that has a strong fan base and great buzz online. Plus the addition of Emma Watson in the film just made my friend, and others online that share her fascination with the great Hermione Granger, that much more excited. I took the side of the studio and said that the buzz online doesn't exactly translate into a strong box office performance, especially with films like Dredd, Looper, and Frankenweenie not exactly setting the box office on fire. All of those films had a great deal of buzz going into their opening weekends. So, I can understand Summit's hesitation in wanting to open Perks nationwide just yet. <br />
After our discussion, I started to think objectively about why not open the film nationwide. I think Summit and myself are thinking more cynically about Perks' potential. The book has a very large fan base, and those who have seen the film have nothing but the highest praise for it. Word of Mouth would not be a problem because Perks' target demographic also happen to be the Pre-teens, teens, and young adults that spend hours online telling their friends what they are doing and how much they love/hate it. <br />
Another aspect I may have been underestimating is the star power of Emma Watson. I'm still not convinced that she is the main draw for any film because she has yet to really prove herself outside of the Harry Potter series, but she is still wildly popular. And she does make this film a lot more appealing to the young demo this film is trying to reach as well. And a strong box office will pay dividends when it comes to both economics and Oscar buzz. If the movie is successful both commercially and critically it betters its chances of being nominated.<br />
In the end Summit may very well open the movie nationwide, and when it does let's hope the fans come out in droves to support this film so studios will take more chances with films like these.DVR Overloadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03696849094404596549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5842459377536085579.post-26985218704419918302012-08-12T14:10:00.001-07:002012-08-12T14:10:26.957-07:00Breaking Bad: Summer TV's Saving Grace?Before this summer started I found myself having high hopes for it when it came to entertainment. The films, headlined by The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises, were brilliant. However, summer television is where I have a problem. Summer is nearing it's end and I am feeling underwhelmed by the shows that I watch.<br />
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My expectations for this summer were not overtly high by any means. I understand that it is summer and many people are out doing things, but I could always depend on their being a few shows to help me get through the few (a little more than a few) summer days where I feel lazy and want to stay in.<br />
True Blood is really hit or miss and although this season is much better than the previous season it seems that this season has reached a stand still where nothing really happens and the characters are in the same predicament they were in three episodes prior. Newsroom, a show I had high expectations for with the pedigree of HBO and Aaron Sorkin behind it, started great and continues to be good but not as good as I expected/wanted it to be. Then there are the guilty pleasure/reliable shows that are not exceptionally good but continue to draw me in, such as the USA shows (White Collar, Covert Affairs, and Suits) and TNT's Falling Skies. They are fine shows but not the type of shows that both draw me in and keep me talking a bout it till the next episode. There is only one show that keeps me glued to my TV for an hour and ignore all of my bodily functions until it is over and that is Breaking Bad.<br />
Breaking Bad is a creepily engaging drama that makes me feel evil for rooting for the main character. The show has changed from the time when Walt was doing whatever he could to keep his family safe to Walt becoming the danger. The acting is phenomenal. Bryan Cranston has erased all shades of the dad he was in Malcolm in the Middle and he does it exceptionally. I have no idea how season 5 is going to end and I am happy that it doesn't happen for a while because the journey to that point is going to be amazing<br />
Clearly I am hooked on this show and have been since it first aired. I am amazed at how well the show has kept my attention and continues to be in my top 5 shows.<br />
Thank you Breaking Bad for making Summer TV worthwhile.DVR Overloadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03696849094404596549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5842459377536085579.post-60002020306000462142012-07-13T14:56:00.000-07:002012-07-13T15:03:36.087-07:00What This Blog is All AboutA quite hilarious yet kind of true quote was stated in the 2011 film <i>Contagion</i> about blogging. It states, "Blogging is not writing it's graffiti with punctuation." I find the film to be quite forgettable for having so many heavy hitting talent involved in it, but this quote stuck with me. I had never thought of a blog in that way but when I heard the quote it made perfect sense to me. <br />
<a name='more'></a>Some people find graffiti to be a plague to society and that it is linked to gang infested communities or impoverished cities. Others may see it as art and culture where the artist is able to express the way they feel. The way I see it is graffiti is expression whether it is a satire on harsh truths about society or a sign letting people know that this is their turf. I see blogging as the same way which is why I have decided to give it a try. I have a lot of thoughts in my head and instead of making my friends listen to my ramblings about things that they don't even care about (even though I'm going to do it anyway) I decided to put on the Internet so that everyone can see my thoughts...if they happen to come across this page. So, what shall I ramble on about?<br />
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Well, as a college student studying Film and my out of control addiction to Television and Movies I feel like it is only right for me to talk about the plight that is our political system and our debt deficit that is out of control. Just kidding I will obviously be talking about my thoughts on what is happening in the Entertainment world of television and film. I will make observations and give my thoughts about things that interest me or bother me to the point that it boils inside of me and festers and festers until I have no choice but to unleash a tirade on here. It doesn't happen often but when it does it can get a little unhinged.<br />
So, if this interest you come back and let me know what you think about my thoughts.DVR Overloadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03696849094404596549noreply@blogger.com0