Karl Delossantos

2015 Emmy Predictions: Comedy Series

Unlike the race for Drama Series, Comedy Series is looking to be more of the same. To put it simply, all six nominees from last year should return. With the new Emmy rules, we’ll most likely be adding Golden Globe winner Transparent to the mix.

However, there is room for some upsets.

Let me start off with the top contender. Five-time winner Modern Family (I just threw up a little) should have no problem returning.

After them we have critically darling Veep, Globe winner Transparent, and dark comedy Louie with strong chances in the category.

The last two nominees are ironically two shows about geeks that are completely different from each other. The Big Bang Theory has been slowly waning in support, despite Parsons winning (yet again) last year. However, the first nominee that could possibly drop out is Silicon Valley. Although, it didn’t underperform last year, it certainly didn’t blow us away with its nominations. Plus, it’s poised to miss out on acting nominations yet again.

Looking to replace it is Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. I think a lot of pundits are underestimating the Netflix series. It garnered extremely positive reviews and is looking to be another hit for the streaming service. Plus, having Tina Fey at the helm certainly can’t hurt.

Other possibilities include the final season of Parks and Recreation or the yet to be seen Grace and Frankie, which Netflix will push hard for.

Check out all our 2015 Emmy Predictions here!

The Lock and Frontrunner
1. Modern Family

Safe Bets
3. Veep
4. Transparent
5. Louie

Teetering on the Edge
6. The Big Bang Theory
7. Silicon Valley
8. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Other Possibilities
9. Parks and Recreation
10. Grace and Frankie

March 10, 2015
What the new Emmy rules mean for this year’s race

With the Oscars now over, it’s time to shift our attention to the small screen and look ahead to the 2015 Emmy Awards. This year is like no other, with multiple changes to the Emmy rulebook, which will throw a wrench into several shows.

The first new rule is probably the most shocking. The Academy will now define comedies as shows with a runtime of less than 30 minutes, while a drama is more than 30 minutes. This mostly affects shows like Shameless, and Glee, which have competed in comedy up until now. As for new shows, Golden Globe nominee Jane the Virgin will have to compete in drama, which will definitely hurt Golden Globe winner Gina Rodriguez’s chances at the Emmys.

However, producers will be able to petition their show to bend the genre rule. It might be advantageous for the three above shows.

The second new rule expands the program categories to 7 nominees. Similarly to the Oscars, this will let less likely contenders into the competition. This year can see perennially snubbed shows like Parks and Recreation or highly acclaimed shows like The Good Wife sneak in.

A much needed rule change has also come in the miniseries category, which will be renamed “Limited Series.” This change defines a limited series as one with more than two episodes of at least 150 minutes that tells a complete non-recurrent storyline that doesn’t have any recurring themes or characters. This will keep shows like True Detective from competing in the Drama category.

Another much needed change also came in the Guest categories. In this case, the Academy reverted to their original rules. A guest performer is an actor who appears in less than 50% of the program’s episodes. Under this new rule last year’s winners like Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black), Allison Janney (Masters of Sex), and Joe Morton (Scandal), would not be eligible for that category.

At this point, we have to see where the derby goes before seeing how some of these rules turn out. All and all, I’m mixed about them. The expansion of the categories and definition of guest actor and limited series are really great. However, while I agree there has to be a clarification of a comedy and drama, I don’t think this one is it. That being said, this should be an interesting year at the Emmys.

March 9, 2015
2015 Emmy Predictions: Drama Series

UPDATED 6/15/15

For Best Drama Series, we’re definitely going to see the perennial nominees like Game of Thrones, Mad Men, Downton Abbey, and House of Cards. However, the rest of the category is going to look pretty different from the past.

One of the major effects of the new rule changes is going to be the introduction of Orange is the New Black to the category. At this point, they are a virtual lock and are taking up the newly added seventh slot.

With Breaking Bad out of the way and True Detective being moved to Limited, we have room for at least two different nominees. Empire was the biggest hit of the season and garnered strong critical acclaim as well as commercial. It also has the fact that it’s a broadcast series (the majority of the Academy work in broadcast) and it’s likely to nab additional major nominations. Better Call Saul has garnered extremely positive reviews and strong ratings and looks to make a strong showing like its parent series.

The last spot is really going to be a mystery in the series races, since we’ve never had a year with this many nominees.The winner of the Globe often makes an appearance here, so The Affair has a chance to make an. Another new show may be the direct successor to Bad at the Emmys. Based on nominations last year, I’d say The Good Wife has a chance. However, many pundits predicted the series to make a return last year and it failed to do so.

Depending how the Emmys react to Bloodline and Homeland, we could see one of these shows make an appearance.

AS FOR THE WINNER, I think it’s going to be between three returning nominees since Breaking Bad is gone and there’s really no new show that feels like a first season winner. Game of Thrones has been a strong performer so far at the Emmys and the a strong second half of the season coupled with strong buzz can propel it to a win. If you asked me in March which show would win best drama series I’d say House of Cards with no hesitation. However, there’s really no buzz for it anymore and the season was the worst received so far. The last possibility is 4-time winner Mad Men. I know it hasn’t won a single award in the past two years, but there’s no denying the huge buzz around the show in Hollywood following the finale. It could follow The Sopranos, Everybody Loves Raymond, Sex and the City, and Breaking Bad as some of the shows in past years that have won for their final season.

Check out our complete list of 2015 Emmy Predictions HERE!

1. Game of Thrones
2. Mad Men
3. House of Cards
4. Orange is the New Black
5. Downton Abbey
6. Empire
7. The Affair

March 9, 2015
2015 Oscar Predictions: Best Cinematography

We have an interesting situation in the category for Best Cinematography. The last five winners were Life of Pi, Hugo, Gravity, Avatar, and Inception. So, the easy prediction is for the visual effects driven film. However, we don’t have one this year. Instead there’s the single-take Birdman, black and white Ida, symmetrical The Grand Budapest Hotel, period drama Mr. Turner, and Roger Deakins’ Unbroken.

The easy choice is last year’s winner Emmanuel Lubezki’s brilliant camera work and lighting work for Birdman. It’s the closest thing we have to a visual effects nominee and is a frontrunner for Best Picture. It is also the most impressive cinematography of the group. Lubezki had to deal with multiple factors due to the single-take setup of the film. So, on degree of difficulty alone, he deserves to win.

However, Robert Yeoman, who is a long time collaborator of Wes Anderson, could sneak a win for The Grand Budapest Hotel. The film is in a solid position to take at least 3 craft categories, if not more. So cinematography could just be taken along in a sweep.

The only other contender that has to be spoken for is perennial nominee Roger Deakins for Unbroken. Angelina Jolie’s film was mostly snubbed across the board, but Deakins always has a chance to win in this category, even if he never does.

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Will Win: Birdman
Could Win: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Should Win: Birdman
Should’ve Been Nominated: Mommy. It may not be the most impressive, but it’s the most expressive

February 16, 2015
2015 Oscar Predictions: Best Picture

I don’t like changing my predictions too close to Oscar night. It tends to lead to unnecessary second guessing and almost always leads to no good. However, this year it looks like I’m going to be changing back and forth all the way up to Oscar night. This year is like no other for the Oscars. Never have we seen the precursors and nominations create such a stir among predictions. To properly analyze this category, we have to break it down by the top contenders:

Birdman: Inarritu’s film was the perennial runner up, until it won the SAG award, PGA award, and DGA award in a surprising sweep. No film has ever won all three and not taken Best Picture at the Oscars. It also led in the nominations, which is not a requirement, but never hurts. However, it not only lost the BAFTA award, it only won a single award at the ceremony. BAFTA voters and the Academy have one of the biggest overlaps of all award voting groups, so the lack of support from the Brits is telling.

Boyhood: Linklater’s film was the frontrunner from the beginning of the season. It pretty much romped through the critics awards and took Globes and Critics Choice. However, it took a huge hit when the guild awards came around. It also underperformed, if ever so slightly, in the nomination totals.

At this point, it’s a coin toss. The smart thing to do is put your money on the early frontrunner rather than the late surge of another nominee. However, so many trends will be broken if either film wins. In addition to the reasons above, Birdman would be the first film since Ordinary People won in 1981 to win Best Picture without at least an editing nomination. I also can’t see Birdman winning solely Picture, cinematography, and maybe director. However, if the precursors are any indication, then Boyhood is on rocky footing as well.

I’m landing on Birdman at this point, but expect that to change a few times. Maybe The Grand Budapest Hotel swoops in and shocks everyone.

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Will Win: Birdman
Could Win: Boyhood
Should Win: Whiplash
Should’ve Been Nominated: A Most Violent Year or Nightcrawler, there are tons of other deserving films though

February 15, 2015
2015 Oscar Predictions: Best Supporting Actor

What’s better than the same 5 guys being nominated for SAG, Golden Globes, and Oscars?

Maybe the same guy winning.

J.K. Simmons has swept his way through the awards season on the coattails of his now infamous character of Fletcher, the abusive jazz director that demands excellence and a commitment to honoring the greats. There’s almost no chance of him losing now that the nominees have been finalized, and his race is one to take to the bank.

That being said, the flashy Simmons performance has a couple downsides if you’re willing to pick a monstrous upset. He’s not a big-name actor, and Whiplash was not the sort of film to galvanize the Oscar campaign troops, despite its solid critical response. An actor like Ethan Hawke, let’s say, could try to shake and smile his way to a win behind the powerful performance in most-likely Best Picture winner Boyhood. Ed Norton is a small threat as well.

Yet, don’t be too smart for your own good. Lock in Simmons.

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Will Win: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
Could Win: Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
Should Win: Simmons…He was bad-ass.
Should’ve Been Nominated: Chris Pine- Into the Woods. Pine’s scene of singing “Agony” was one of my favorites of the year. Replace Duvall with him…Also, Andy Serkis…Apes….? Anyone?

February 13, 2015
2015 Oscar Predictions: Best Film Editing

The last time the winner of Best Picture wasn’t at least nominated for Best Film Editing was 1980 when Ordinary People won the top prize. That’s a long time. To make the trend even stronger, in 2005 Best Picture frontrunner Brokeback Mountain lost out to Crash. Guess what film wasn’t nominated for Best Film Editing. Boyhood had a fight on it’s hand when Birdman was in the race. However, with the film out of the running, it looks like Boyhood should win this pretty easily.

The first of two films that are going to give Boyhood some chase is The Grand Budapest Hotel. Wes Anderson’s caper surprised in this category. However, with its lead in the nominations and win on the comedy side at the ACE Eddie Awards (Boyhood took the drama award), it’s going to be the closest to upsetting Boyhood.

The other scenario I can see playing out is Whiplash surprising. This category usually goes with a Best Picture frontrunner, if not the winner. However, Whiplash wins here in the event that the best edited film wins. Many pundits predicted Captain Phillips last year because it was the most clearly edited film. However, Whiplash is not only the most clearly edited, it also is the most beautifully stitched together.

Boyhood is still solidly out front to win. I mean, they had to edit 12 years worth of material. However, it’s not the absolute lock we thought it was.

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Will Win: Boyhood
Could Win: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Should Win: Whiplash
Should have been nominated: For me, the best editing is the one that you can’t see, so A Most Violent Year would have been a worthy addition.

February 12, 2015
2015 Grammy Predictions: Complete List

The 2015 Grammy awards are tonight, and although the winner are yet to be announced, we’re here to give you the lowdown on who’s ahead and who’s getting ready to upset. Use our easy navigator to check out our 2015 Grammy predictions!

Album of the Year
Oddly enough, AOTY is a pretty thin category this year in retrospect. There are two strong contenders for the top prize, then 3 other nominees that are just kind of there. Beyonce (Beyonce) has been the strong frontrunner since its surprise release in 2013. Although she took a hit after missing out easy nominations in Record and Song, she’s still looking like the frontrunner in this weak field. The only nominee that has a chance to dethrone the queen is In the Lonely Hour (Sam Smith). He led the nominations (tying with Beyonce and Pharrell) and was the only artist to receive nominations in all four general field categories. If there’s a spoiler in this race, it’s him.

Will Win: Beyonce, Beyonce
Could Win: In the Lonely Hour, Sam Smith
Should Win: Morning Phase, Beck

Record of the Year
With Beyonce absent in this category and the lack of a run away hit in this category, it looks like “Stay With Me (Darkchild Remix)” (Sam Smith feat. Mary J. Blige) is going to be the one to beat. Although “Fancy” (Iggy Azalea feat. Charlie XCX) is going to pose a pretty heft threat, it’s “Chandelier” (Sia) that could spoil Smith simply because it’s the most “clearly produced” song in the category.

Will Win: “Stay With Me (Darkchild Remix)”, Sam Smith feat. Mary J. Blige
Could Win: “Chandelier”, Sia
Should Win: “Stay With Me (Darkchild Remix)”, Sam Smith feat. Mary J. Blige

Song of the Year
Song and Record rarely match up, so if ROTY doesn’t goes as planned there is a chance that “Stay With Me” (Sam Smith) takes this instead. Either way, “Stay with Me” is taking home an award. Think of it as “Royals” from last year. However, I think the surprise frontrunner here is “Take Me to Church” (Hozier). It’s the classic singer-songwriter’s song and an enormous sleeper hit.

Will Win: “Take Me to Church” (Hozier)
Could Win: “Stay With Me” (Sam Smith)
Should Win: “Take Me to Church” (Hozier)

Best New Artist
Similarly to Macklemore last year, I’m just going to go with the New Artist nominee that also has the most nominations. Sam Smith is the solid frontrunner. The only nominee giving him chase is Iggy Azalea. However, this should be a pretty easy win for Smith.

Will Win: Sam Smith
Could Win: Iggy Azalea
Should Win: Haim

Pop Vocal Album
It’s going to be pretty easy to predict this category. The two nominees that overlap with AOTY are the two frontrunners. That’s In the Lonely Hour (Sam Smith) and X (Ed Sheeran). Then, then winner is going to be one of the frontrunners for AOTY: Smith. See? Easy.

Will Win: In the Lonely Hour, Sam Smith
Could Win: X, Ed Sheeran
Should Win: X, Ed Sheeran

Pop Solo Performance
I’m going to sound like a broken record, but Sam Smith (“Stay With Me”) is again the frontrunner here. However, I think that unlike most pundits, who are pretty unanimously saying Sia (“Chandelier”) is the spoiler, I think it’s going to be multi-Grammy winner John Legend (“All of Me”) to contest Smith.

Will Win: Sam Smith, “Stay With Me”
Could Win: John Legend, “All of Me”
Should Win: Either of the above men would be worthy

Pop Group/Duo Performance
I think it’s unlikely that Iggy Azalea leaves the night empty handed, and with the rap categories stacked with good music, it’s looking like it’s going to be on the pop side. Iggy Azalea and Charlie XCX (“Fancy”) are the strong frontrunners here. Mostly since there aren’t any other nominees that overlap in the general field, it’s unlikely anyone else wins. However, Coldplay (“A Sky Full of Stars”) is probably the only other nominee with a semblance of a chance.

Will Win: Iggy Azalea and Charli XCX (“Fancy”)
Could Win: Coldplay, (“A Sky Full of Stars”)
Should Win: Jessie J, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj (“Bang Bang”) solely because Nicki absolutely slays her verse

Rap Album
Last year was a disappointingly thin year for rap. Had Kendrick been nominated in this pool, he would’ve won in a walk. However, instead he was unceremoniously bumped for Macklemore and we get a weak crop of nominees. The smart money would be put on the only nominee with nominations in the general field, which would be The New Classic (Iggy Azalea). However, I can’t see the rap Gods (pun intended) ignoring the chance to award The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (Eminem), even if it pales in comparison to its predecessor.

Will Win: The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (Eminem)
Could Win: The New Classic (Iggy Azalea)
Should Win: Oxymoron (Schoolboy Q)

Rap Song
It’s rare that a song that is heavily sampled wins this award. However, with three nominees using samples, it’s looking like this year is going to buck the trend. I’m not well versed in this category, so I’m going to take a shot in the dark and say “i” (Kendrick Lamar) is going to bring the rapper is much deserved first Grammy. However, I’d also look out for the mega hit “Anaconda” (Nicki Minaj) to take the award.

Will Win: “i”, Kendrick Lamar
Could Win: “Anaconda”, Nicki Minaj
Should Win: “Anaconda”, Nicki Minaj

Rap Performance
What is incredible about this category is that without a general field contender, the winner should be the deserving nominee! Wow. What a foreign concept. That brings this category down to two contenders. I think that the clear frontrunner here is the very deserving Eminem (“Rap God”), however I wouldn’t count out Kendrick Lamar (“i”) especially after last year’s egregious shut out.

Will Win: Eminem, “Rap God”
Could Win: Kendrick Lamar, “i”
Should Win: Eminem, “Rap God”

Rap/Sung Collaboration
Kanye West has won this category four times in the past, so there’s a strong chance that “Bound 2” (Kanye West feat. Charlie Wilson) wins here. However, “The Monster” (Eminem feat. Rhianna) was a… well, monster hit. So you can’t count them out.

Rock Album
This is a pretty easy category. As with most categories, the nominee that overlaps with the general field is going to win here. Morning Phase (Beck) is the strong frontrunner. However, you can of course never count out Songs of Innocence (U2) in the race. The only other nominee that could upset here is Turn Blue (The Black Keys) who won the award in 2013.

Will Win: Morning Phase, Beck
Could Win: Songs of Innocence, U2
Should Win: Morning Phase, Beck

Rock Song
I’m going to switch up everything I stood for in this post and say that the general field contender isn’t going to win here. Although the album as a whole was lauded, “Blue Moon” (Beck) didn’t standout enough for it to win individually. Instead, I think the Grammys are going to go with one of their favorites. “Fever” (The Black Keys) is ahead here purely because Jack White hasn’t won in this category since 2003 for The White Stripes. That being said, “Lazaretto” (Jack White) is the spoiler.

Will Win: “Fever”, The Black Keys
Could Win: “Lazaretto”, Jack White
Should Win: “Fever”, The Black Keys

Rock Performance
This category hasn’t been around long enough to have any rhyme nor reason, so I’m just going to go with my same predictions as rock song. “Fever” (The Black Keys) is poised to win, while “Lazaretto” (Jack White) is in the spoiler position. However, “Gimme Something Good” (Ryan Adams) really deserves to win here.

Will Win: “Fever”, The Black Keys
Could Win: “Lazaretto”, Jack White
Should Win: “Gimme Something Good”, Ryan Adams

Urban Contemporary Album
Every single of her albums has won in this category, so it’s safe to say Beyonce (Beyonce) is pretty safe to win here. The only potential spoiler is her fellow AOTY contender GIRL (Pharrell).

Will Win: Beyonce, Beyonce
Could Win: GIRL, Pharrell
Should Win: Beyonce, Beyonce

Alternative Music Album
What are the requirements for this category? Anyway, this is where Jack White wins his Grammy this year. Lazaretto (Jack White) is the strong frontrunner, however the 2011 AOTY winners could take it with Reflektor (Arcade Fire) or the highly acclaimed St. Vincent (St. Vincent) can sneak in as well.

Will Win: Lazaretto, Jack White
Could Win: Reflektor, Arcade Fire
Should Win: St. Vincent, St. Vincent

R&B Performance
Beyonce. Beyonce. Beyonce. “Drunk in Love” (Beyonce) is so far ahead in this race that it’s not even going to be close. However, since this is a performance category, my should win has to go to “It’s Your World” (Jennifer Hudson feat. R. Kelly).

Will Win: “Drunk in Love” (Beyonce)
Could Win: N/A
Should Win: “It’s Your World” (Jennifer Hudson feat. R. Kelly)

February 7, 2015
2015 Oscar Predictions: Best Original Screenplay

This is going to be a hard category to get right. There are three extremely strong contenders that are all Best Picture nominees and all have their own strengths. The first possibility is Birdman. The film won the screenplay award at both the Golden Globes and Critics Choice. However, the film was ineligible at the Writers Guild Awards. It’s also one of the two frontrunners for Best Picture after surprise wins at the PGA and SAG awards. Then there’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, which is the most “original” of the nominees, which sometimes is enough to win the award. It also surprisingly (for some) led the nominations along with Birdman with 9. Wes Anderson is also arguably overdue for an Oscar win, particularly for this category. Finally, Boyhood rounds out the category as the other Best Picture frontrunner. The screenplay is probably one of the least impressive feats in the film. However, if there is a Boyhood sweep, then this is definitely one of the categories that will be taken along with it. The other two nominees, Foxcatcher and Nightcrawler, are really taking the backseat here. However, if I had to pick a “fourth place” film is would be Nightcrawler.

Right now, I’m going to say that Birdman takes this award. Despite its ineligibility at WGA, it was solidly running through the precursor awards beforehand, and last year’s winner for Best Adapted Screenplay, 12 Years a Slave, was also ineligible at WGA. If voters feel inclined to award Wes Anderson, then he may sneak a win here.

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Will Win: Birdman
Could Win: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Should Win: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Should have been nominated: Enemy

January 29, 2015
LIVE BLOG: 2015 Screen Actors Guild Awards Reactions

The 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The kudos honor the best performances by actors and casts in motion pictures and television from the last year. Check out our live blog below with our reactions to the winners, ceremony, and what it all means for the Oscars.

[liveblog]

January 25, 2015
A Most Violent Year Movie Review — Smart and gripping, one of the best films of the year

A great homage to the 70s crime films, A Most Violent Year doesn’t need flash to be an intense thriller

There’s a scene about a third of the way through A Most Violent Year that outlines exactly what the movie is about. After striking a deer on their way home from a dinner, Abel (Oscar Isaac) gets out of the car to put the animal out of its misery. He stares at the helpless creature for a couple seconds before gun shots are heard. His wife Anna (Jessica Chastain) shot the deer, possibly to excess, while Abel just stood aside. It’s a simple scene, but you don’t really know its purpose until after it’s over. That is the beauty of the film and J.C. Chandor as a screenwriter and director. He gives enough exposition to his audience to ensure that they can follow the story at hand, but he maintains an ambiguity that keeps us hooked. He keeps us at arms length to let us decide for ourselves what his films are really about.

A Most Violent Year will be best enjoyed if you know little about the plot of the film. I say this about a lot of movies, but I highly urge you to maybe skip reading the synopsis on this one. Why? It so adroitly sets up its story, characters, and plot that if you know anything ahead of time part of the charm is taken away. All you need to know is that 1981 was one of the most violent years in the history of New York City and Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac), his wife Anna (Jessica Chastain), and their heating business are being dragged into it.

The film takes place at a very specific time in both period and style. It may be set in 1981, a time when New York was a lot more gritty (I know, it’s hard to imagine) and unforgiving than now, but the film is stylistically very similar to films of the 70s, one of the greatest decades for cinema. The decade produced some of the best films of all time, however films like The Godfather and Taxi Driver are some of the most memorable. It was a time when the subject matter was as dark as the films’ dimly lit sets and their muted color palettes relied on tones only the earth could provide. The mafia ruled the screens and honor and tradition were the main points of conflict. This is why A Most Violent Year succeeds. It is able to so adroitly replicate the slow, but emotional taxing, burn of those films.

Yes, the film may be slow, but you’ll never be jaded. J.C Chandor controls the screen with his gripping atmosphere that keeps you guessing. You can never truly rest because the stakes are never lessened, the threats never dissipated, and the enemies never eliminated. What I’ve continually noticed from Chandor is that he doesn’t need a lot to speak thousands in his films. He thrives on the simplicity of dialogue and the simplicity of direction. However, he never shies away from the occasional moments of high intensity action.

If Chandor is responsible for the body of the film, then the head and heart belong to the Oscar-worthy performances by Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain. There aren’t many dramatics in the film. The characters are very calculating in all their actions, as are the actors. Isaac has the makings of a young Robert DeNiro or Al Pacino, but so many lines come very close to a “you come into my house on the day my daughter is to be married” type delivery on some lines of dialogue that you could even say some Marlon Brando comes through.

I’m hesitant to call the movie a “gangster film” since Abel spends so much of the movie trying to dodge the title, so instead I’m going to consider a social commentary on violence. Between Isaac’s Abel and Chastain’s Ana we get two very specific opinions on its use, however the film goes so much further than that. Like I said, it’s what you make of it.

What I thought the film was trying to say is going to be different from what you think. In my opinion, when you throw in David Oyelowo’s Lawrence and Elyes Gabel’s Julian, the film becomes a look at success and what will be done to obtain it. It looks at the cruelty of the “American dream.” There’s an immigrant Abel who worked an honest living to obtain his father-in-law’s company. Julian, also an immigrant, who thinks that he’s entitled to the American dream. Then Lawrence, who’s true motivations I’m going to hold off on.

A Most Violent Year is going to go over some people’s heads. What they will see on screen is a boring crime film that doesn’t even have real gangsters in it. They’ll be looking for The Sopranos, but they’ll get something completely different. It’s when you realize that under the dimly lit sets and the bleak color palettes that you realize the movie is as manipulative as its characters.

January 16, 2015
Smash Cut Awards Clash (Ep. 1): Oscar Nominations Reactions

This year, as usual, the Oscar nominations brought us some of the biggest snubs, surprises, and shockers of any award show.

Although we saw Birdman and The Grand Budapest Hotel lead as expected, films like Gone Girl and Selma were nearly shut out. In the first episode of the Smash Cut Awards Clash podcast. Editor-in-Chief Karl Delossantos breaks down the top 6 categories and talks about the snubs and surprises in each of them.

Check back next week when we talk about the technical races.

Smash Cut Awards Clash (Episode 1): Oscar Nomination Reactions! by Karl Delossantos on Mixcloud

January 15, 2015
2015 Oscar Nominations: Complete List

The Oscar nominations were announced in their entirety in Hollywood this morning. Birdman and The Grand Budapest Hotel led with 9 nominations each. Check out the nominee below:

BEST PICTURE
“American Sniper”
“Birdman”
“Boyhood”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“The Imitation Game”
“Selma”
“The Theory of Everything”
“Whiplash”

BEST DIRECTOR
Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, “Birdman”
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
Bennett Miller, “Foxcatcher”
Morten Tyldum, “The Imitation Game”

BEST ACTOR
Steve Carell, “Foxcatcher”
Bradley Cooper, “American Sniper”
Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Imitation Game”
Michael Keaton, “Birdman”
Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything”

BEST ACTRESS
Marion Cotillard, “Two Days One Night”
Felicity Jones, “The Theory of Everything”
Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”
Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”
Reese Witherspoon, “Wild”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Robert Duvall, “The Judge”
Ethan Hawke, “Boyhood”
Edward Norton, “Birdman”
Mark Ruffalo, “Foxcatcher”
J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
Laura Dern, “Wild”
Keira Knightley, “The Imitation Game”
Emma Stone, “Birdman”
Meryl Streep, “Into the Woods”

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
“Birdman”
“Boyhood”
“Foxcatcher”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Nightcrawler”

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
“American Sniper”
“The Imitation Game”
“Inherent Vice”
“The Theory of Everything”
“Whiplash”

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
“Birdman”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Ida”
“Mr. Turner”
“Unbroken”

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Inherent Vice”
“Into the Woods”
“Maleficent”
“Mr. Turner”

BEST EDITING
“American Sniper”
“Boyhood”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“The Imitation Game”
“Whiplash”

BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING
“Foxcatcher”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Guardians of the Galaxy”

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“The Imitation Game”
“Interstellar”
“Into the Woods”
“Mr. Turner”

BEST SCORE
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“The Imitation Game”
“Interstellar”
“Mr. Turner”
“The Theory of Everything”

BEST SONG
“Everything Is Awesome from “The Lego Movie”
“Glory” from “Selma”
“Grateful” from “Beyond the Lights”
“I’m Not Going to Miss You” from “Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me”
“Lost Stars” from “Begin Again”

BEST SOUND EDITING
“American Sniper”
“Birdman”
“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies”
“Interstellar”
“Unbroken”

BEST SOUND MIXING
“American Sniper”
“Birdman”
“Interstellar”
“Unbroken”
“Whiplash”

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier”
“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”
“Guardians of the Galaxy”
“Interstellar”
“X-Men: Days of Future Past”

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
“Big Hero 6”
“The Boxtrolls”
“How to Train Your Dragon 2”
“Song of the Sea”
“The Tale of the Princess Kaguya”

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
“Citizenfour”
“Finding Vivian Maier”
“Last Days in Vietnam”
“The Salt of the Earth”
“Virunga”

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
“Ida”
“Leviathan”
“Tangerines”
“Timbuktu”
“Wild Tales”

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
“The Bigger Picture”
“The Dam Keeper”
“Feast”
“Me and My Moulton”
“A Single Life”

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
“Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1”
“Joanna”
“Our Curse”
“The Reaper”
“White Earth”

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT
“Aya”
“Boogaloo and Graham”
“Butter Lamp”
“Parvaneh”
“The Phone Call”

January 15, 2015
2015 Oscar Predictions: Best Supporting Actress

Every year since 2009 when Monique won for Precious, the winner of the race for Best Supporting Actress has pretty much swept every single award along the way and struck a hatred for her into our hearts. Don’t believe me? Look at Anne (with an E) Hathaway and Melissa “Take out my own FYC ad” Leo. This year looks like no exception with Patricia Arquette (Boyhood) looking like a lock for the prize. She has taken every award she needed SAG, Globes, Critics Choice. However, the one person we can see as a potential threat here is Emma Stone (Birdman). With Birdman on a surprising late resurgence in the season, it looks like it’s going to challenge Boyhood for Best Picture. If the Birdman love is strong enough, we could see her taken along for a sweep. It’s an unlikely scenario, but the only other one at that.

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Will Win: Patricia Arquette (Boyhood)
Could Win: Emma Stone (Birdman)
Should Win: Jessica Chastain (A Most Violent Year)
Should Have Been Nominated: Since Chastain already took my “Should Win” I’m going to give this to Rene Russo (Nightcrawler)

January 13, 2015
2015 Oscar Predictions: Best Original Score

A few things happened this year to make Best Original Score, my usual favorite category, the thorn in my side. First, the academy disqualified the scores of Birdman and Whiplash because the former wasn’t prewritten for the film and the latter because there wasn’t “enough” score. That already angered me enough, but when they egregiously snubbed Gone Girl, I was furious.

Now what we’re left with is a subpar category and a surefire subpar winner. Golden Globe winner The Theory of Everything is the strong frontrunner for this category simply because (a) it’s a best picture nominee and (b) it won the Globe, which is often a pretty accurate precursor.

However, there are two films that could upset it. The first is The Grand Budapest Hotel, which is one of two nominations for Alexandre Desplat in this category. An argument could be made that the vote is split for him, however I think the clear choice for him would be TGBH rather than The Imitation Game. The other possible spoiler here is Interstellar. I know, it was snubbed in the major categories and received a pretty mixed reception. However, if voters who are looking for an alternative to Theory‘s and TGBH‘s more traditional scores, then this is it.

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Will Win: The Theory of Everything
Could Win: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Should Win: Interstellar
Should’ve Been Nominated: Gone Girl

January 13, 2015