As it should be

Emmy Nominations as they should be, according to me.

OUTSTANDING DRAMA
Boardwalk Empire
Dexter
Friday Night Lights
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife
Mad Men

The Walking Dead

I have nothing against Dexter really, I just never got into it personally. However, one of my absolute favorite shows of the year was AMC"s The Walking Dead. They make a zombie apocalypse seem less fantastical and more probable.

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife)
Kathy Bates (Harry’s Law)Mariska Hargitay (Law and Order: SVU)
Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights)
Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men)
Mireille Enos (The Killing)

Anna Torv (Fringe)

Anna Torv, arguably the weakest of the trio of leads on Fringe, still had an incredibly strong year playing two sides of a parallel universe.  And although Kathy Bates is an accomplished and respected actress, Harry's Law is just silly.

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Jon Hamm (Mad Men)
Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights)
Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire)
Michael C. Hall (Dexter)
Hugh Laurie (House)Timothy Olyphant (Justified)
John Noble (Fringe)

It is CRIMINAL that John Noble has not been acknowledged by the Emmy's for his work on Fringe. His portrayal of Walter's bumbling brilliance and, alternately, Walternate's steely reserve and vengeance make him an obvious choice. Well, to those that know good tv. 

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
John Slattery (Mad Men)
Josh Charles (The Good Wife)
Andre Braugher (Men of a Certain Age)
Walton Goggins (Justified)
Alan Cumming (The Good Wife)
Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones)

I have no beef with any of these men and think this category is a strong one. I will say, however, that Peter Dinklage was absolutely hysterical, brilliant, and endearing in Game of Thrones, and as a long time fan (The Station Agent anyone?) I will be rooting for him.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Christina Hendricks (Mad Men)
Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife)
Christine Baranski (The Good Wife)
Margo Martindale (Justified)
Kelly Macdonald (Boardwalk Empire)
Michelle Forbes (The Killing)

Again, I have no strong feelings in this category except for the fact that Archie Panjabi MUST WIN again, if only for this scene (do yourself a favor and turn up the volume. To 11.):

OUTSTANDING COMEDY
The Big Bang Theory
The OfficeParks and Recreation
Modern Family
Glee30 Rock

Community

Archer

How I Met Your Mother

Oooookay. Here is where the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and I part ways, become adversaries, get into a food fights, etc. etc. etc. I have a lovely place in my heart for The Office, and although it is still a quality show, there are others that are now doing it better. I know that it is shocking to see Glee crossed out my list, of all people, but it was a weak year for a show that started off strongly. They still do many things well, but building a seasonal arc is not one of them, something I consider somewhat essential to the type of show Glee has set itself up to be.

Community is simply one of the funniest shows on tv. Period. If you actually watch it there is no way you will argue with me. 

I recently discovered Archer and have only watched the first season, which was so outrageously inappropriate and hysterical. It's streaming instantly on Netflix so watch it while you can for free! (Don't get me started - that's a whole other blog post)

And I'll admit that How I Met Your Mother is a sentimental pick for me because I just love it. They've had stronger seasons than this last one, but I admire the steps they're taking to grow the characters and add a little depth to an entertaining show.

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly)
Tina Fey (30 Rock)
Martha Plimpton (Raising Hope)
Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation)
Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie)
Laura Linney (The C Word)

LOVE Melissa McCarthy. Loved her as Sookie in Gilmore Girls, loved her playing so against type in Bridesmaids that it blew my mind, but do not love this show. Beyond finding it somewhat insulting to larger people, it's just not funny.

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)
Louis C.K. (Louie)
Steve Carell (The Office)
Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory)Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)
Matt LeBlanc (Episodes)

Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation)

Garrett Dillahunt (Raising Hope)

Joel McHale (Community)

I know, trust me, I know. Steve Carrell created one of the most noxious, yet lovable characters in The Office's Michael Scott, but I think this nomination is for the run of the series, not the past year. Sentimental fools!

I have nothing against Johnny Galecki or Matt LeBlanc, I just don't think they're as good as my other picks. 

Joel McHale anchors the  cast of Community with a wry smile and effortless style. And Garrett Dillahunt is a pleasant surprise as the slightly dim, yet gentle Burt.

And then there's Nick Offerman aka RON FUCKING SWANSON. He can do no wrong. There aren't words to describe him, just this:

Oh, and this:

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Chris Colfer (Glee)
Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men)Eric Stronestreet (Modern Family)
Ty Burrell (Modern Family)
Ed O’Neil (Modern Family)
Aziz Ansari (Parks and Recreation)

Danny Pudi (Community)

I promise no more Parks and Rec videos after this one. 

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Jane Lynch (Glee)
Betty White (Hot in Cleveland)
Jane Krakowski (30 Rock)Julie Bowen (Modern Family)
Sofia Vergara (Modern Family)
Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live)
Judy Greer (Archer)

Busy Phillips (Cougar Town)

 I realize that Betty White is a national treasure and all, but really? Hot in Cleveland?

I know many of you are wondering who the hell is Judy Greer? You know her. You just don't know that you know her. Blogworld, meet Judy Greer:

Right? I know, she's been in everything, including voicing one of the characters on Archer. Her delivery is HYSTERICAL. The entire show is hysterical, but she's my favorite.

 

And Busy Phillips on the seriously underrated show Cougar Town is just a vision of air-headed bubblegum. Her clothes alone deserve an award.

OUTSTANDING REALITY SHOW COMPETITION
Project Runway
American Idol
The Amazing Race
So You Think You Can Dance
Dancing with the Stars

Yay So You Think You Can Dance! Booo Dancing with the Stars. And can we please just put American Idol out of it's misery?

OUTSTANDING VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SERIES
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Conan
Real Time with Bill Maher
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

No Letterman, No Leno and instead Conan and Jimmy Fallon?! Yes Emmy's, YES! You got something right. Thank God.

A roller coaster ride of emotions

Emmy Nominations are out! It's no secret that I love TV. I know, I know. I should read more, be more active, play a sport. To that I retort: I read more than the average bear, I AM active, and I don't play team sports to the benefit of potential teammates. I just also make time to watch a disturbing amount of tv. 

Now, I watch my fair share of shit programming (i.e., most all of ABC Family's original programming - don't judge, Make It or Break It is horrendously amazing), but I also champion some truly excellent television shows as well (i.e. Parks and Recreation, Community, The Walking Dead, Friday Night Lights, the list goes on). Therefore, I'm always naively optimistic that these incredible shows will get recognized by the Emmy's, often considered THE awards show for television (although I would argue it's headed the Academy Awards route of being considered stodgy, predictable, and antiquated). The nominations are out for this year's broadcast, and, per usual, I am sent on a roller coaster ride of yays! and seriously?!'s and OMGWTF's. I still need to process my feelings about the following nominations and will provide my commentary and my own fantasy nominee list later today. Stay tuned readers.

OUTSTANDING DRAMA
Boardwalk Empire
Dexter
Friday Night Lights
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife
Mad Men

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife)
Kathy Bates (Harry’s Law)
Mariska Hargitay (Law and Order: SVU)
Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights)
Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men)
Mireille Enos (The Killing)

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Jon Hamm (Mad Men)
Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights)
Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire)
Michael C. Hall (Dexter)
Hugh Laurie (House)
Timothy Olyphant (Justified)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
John Slattery (Mad Men)
Josh Charles (The Good Wife)
Andre Braugher (Men of a Certain Age)
Walton Goggins (Justified)
Alan Cumming (The Good Wife)
Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Christina Hendricks (Mad Men)
Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife)
Christine Baranski (The Good Wife)
Margo Martindale (Justified)
Kelly Macdonald (Boardwalk Empire)
Michelle Forbes (The Killing)

OUTSTANDING COMEDY
The Big Bang Theory
The Office
Parks and Recreation
Modern Family
Glee
30 Rock

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly)
Tina Fey (30 Rock)
Martha Plimpton (Raising Hope)
Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation)
Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie)
Laura Linney (The C Word)

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)
Louis C.K. (Louie)
Steve Carell (The Office)
Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory)
Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)
Matt LeBlanc (Episodes)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Chris Colfer (Glee)
Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men)
Eric Stronestreet (Modern Family)
Ty Burrell (Modern Family)
Ed O’Neil (Modern Family)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Jane Lynch (Glee)
Betty White (Hot in Cleveland)
Jane Krakowski (30 Rock)
Julie Bowen (Modern Family)
Sofia Vergara (Modern Family)
Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live)

OUTSTANDING REALITY SHOW COMPETITION
Project Runway
American Idol
The Amazing Race
So You Think You Can Dance
Dancing with the Stars

OUTSTANDING VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SERIES
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Conan
Real Time with Bill Maher
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

See the full list of Emmy nominations here. 

Oscar Coverage 2011: I'd throw a double thumbs-up too if I were at the Oscars

This week has turned out to be busier than expected, but I wanted to give you my rundown of the Oscar ceremony itself. Here are my somewhat random, disjointed, yet always definitive thoughts on the ceremony:

• Anne Hathaway swung wildly between annoying the shit out of me and charming the pants off of me. Try not to combine those two images mentally, not a pretty picture.
• Much has been said of James Franco's "Performance". Namely, that it was a performance, that he used the opportunity to create performance art. In my opinion, it was neither art not a performance. He just came off like a stoned douche. That's right. I said it. Some lauded him for at least inciting people to care about the Oscars and actually talk about it and debate his intentions. I can see that, but have to wonder if Anne knew about it or was panic-stricken when she realized he was checked out from the start. 
• Overall I thought the entire ceremony lacked a focus and any kind of thematic thread. Pieces seemed random and out of left field. As you've clearly seen, I love the Oscars, but found them quite laborous this year.
• However, in an attempt to give the producers the benefit of the doubt and just a little bit of credit, here are some things I did enjoy. I thought the recorded opening with Hathaway and Franco was hilarious and wouldn't mind if Morgan Freeman narrated my dreams as well. I also loved the banter between Jude Law and Robert Downey, Jr. Who doesn't love a good story about a hooker dressed as a superhero? And lastly, these kids were too cute, so excited to be there, and damn good singers to boot. 

Check me out! I'm on a stage! On TV! In front of hundreds of celebrities!

Thoughts about the winners:

• Melissa Leo. Where to begin. She has irked me since the beginning of awards season. Her acceptance speeches (and she's given many for awards that she has earned and deserved) come off as so humble, so surprised, and so overly appreciative that it seems disingenuous. Her acceptance at the Oscars was no difference. She was SO surprised and SO overwhelmed and I just don't buy it. She's won almost every award this season for Best Supporting Actress so why was this such a shock? Either she has very low self-esteem (highly unlikely due to her self-promoting Oscar campaign) or her insincerity has reached levels of self-flagellation. Oh, and dropping the F-bomb during the speech? I believe it was planned. She is a talented actor, but personally, not a fan.

• Enough bitching. Onto the exciting stuff! This guy was incredibly adorable, thanked his mom, gave a shoutout to the love of his life, not only acknowledged his other nominees, but encouraged us all to check out their films on iTunes, and was just self-deprecating enough to make us root for someone we only just met.

• This guy has won my heart forever and not just for his sparkly buttons. His was my favorite acceptance speech of the night. In every way that Melissa Leo went wrong, he went right.

• I'm happy to live in world where Trent Reznor has an Oscar. Plus, the score for the Social Network was pretty phenomenal.

Oscar Coverage 2011: All In the Name of a Good Cause

The time has to come to chastise those celebrities who thought they were bringing it, yet are sorely mistaken. Before we embark on this journey of fashion missteps I have to acknowledge the dramatic differences in people's opinions on this year's Oscar fashion - not only amongst the fashion bloggers and "experts", but amongst friends as well. My friend Grace writes an amazing blog (you should seriously check it out) and recently posted her best and worst dressed. We agree completely on some of the stars' looks and not so much on others. My friend Liz and I have the same 50/50 thing going on with our faves as well. It just goes to show that fashion is subjective and individual. I think that's what makes it fun. So as much as I will criticize and snark and almost combust about the following, just know that I recognize individual style is just that - individual.

On to the shit show!

 

I absolutely love Florence + the Machine. My friend Greg introduced me to them over a year ago and I felt very smug for knowing about them long before they broke through in 2010 with the song Dog Days Are Over. Florence Welch has an incredible voice, but the same cannot be said for her dishwater-hued dress. If only it had puff sleeves, Anne Shirley would be all over this biotch. And I'm just not sure you want to be basing your Oscar debut on the fashion sense of a fictional Canadian teenager from the early 1900's.

 

As promised, my take on the necklace of doom. UNNECESSARY, DISTRACTING, AND BUTT UGLY AND I DON'T CARE HOW BIG OF AN EMERALD IT IS. That's all.

I actually quite enjoyed Anne Hathaway's many wardrobe changes throughout the evening and shared my favorite yesterday. These, not so much. The red carpet look was a fab color on her, but no girl, I don't care how thin you are, wants to add volume to the butt/thigh area. It just doesn't do anything for her and I would argue that without the extraneous material this might actually be a winner (and I pretty much put my money where my mouth is by including Sandra Bullock's dress on the best list, which is essentially this dress without the poof). 

The black layered taffeta monstrosity was just that - a black layered taffeta monstrosity. I'm fairly certain a little gnome named Frederick could live under there.

Oh the blue dress. A lovely color on her, to be sure, but when you look like you wrapped a Slip N' Slide around your tiny self and secured it with industrial strength straight pins, no one is happy. Except maybe those lucky bastards who live in a climate warm enough to use a Slip N' Slide right now.

 

As discussed at length at my Oscar party, Halle Berry is unbelievably gorgeous, never ages, and may very likely have magical powers related to her youthful beauty. From the waist up - I love. From the waist down I am reminded of my bedside table that was recently covered in used tissues whilst I was recovering from a nasty head cold.

 

Oh Marisa, such a pretty girl in such a poofy, stomach-pooch creating, overly dramatic sweetheart necklining, wrinkly, wide-strapped, asymmetrical dress.  Also, as my mom would say, get your hair out of your face.

 

Another piece of commentary from the Oscar Party - Nicole looks like she spilled something on her dress at dinner and grabbed the table runner and wrapped it around herself to cover the stain. Excellent description Kara, couldn't have said it better myself. 

This is gold lame covered in a doily like fabric. Let me repeat. Gold. Lame. It is 2011. Gold lame has it's place these days - namely a 1970's Roller Disco party in which the gold lame is worn with a certain sense of nostalgic irony. I don't believe Melissa Leo here was trying to be nostalgic or ironic. 

 

ScarJo here can't act her way out of a paper bag these days, but I will admit that she is one of the most beautiful actresses in Hollywood in my opinion and I like her even more now that she's retracted her claws from Ryan Reynolds so he can be my boyfriend. (Although if he is dating Sandra Bullock like the rags insist, I'm totally ok with that because I love her and love them together and love the Proposal and want that to be real life - sorry, tangent). However, I do not like the purple lace dress that does nothing for the cleave and the matchy-matchy eye shadow that manages to wash out her entire face. On the other hand, I do love her hair, SCANDALOUS, I KNOW. But I think it's fun and kind of flippy, casual. It just doesn't go with the look she's trying to pull off here, which really, she shouldn't be trying to pull off in the first place, you follow?

 

At least the Black Swan bit it for a good cause.

Oscars 2011 Coverage - Wackadoo Magoo Makes a Surprise Appearance!

Get ready my few, yet loyal readers! Oscar Coverage 2011 is about to begin! I fully expect this to take all week, so bear with me. I'll be covering the winners, the losers, the fashion, my own fun-filled Oscar party, and I will try to decipher exactly what mix of pharmaceuticals Franco was smoking, snorting, or ingesting. Again, it may take me all week.

As discussed earlier, I truly love Oscar fashion and get excited to see exactly what the stars (or their stylists) have chosen for the red carpet. I focus mainly on women's fashion, because honestly, it's just more fun. To me, a tux is a tux, unless of course you're this handsome devil:

As you can clearly see in the closeup, Colin is sporting SPARKLY buttons. Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I am a sucker for the bling. Mr. Darcy made my night with his acceptance speech (more on that later this week), but truly won my heart with his event-appropriate, yet still manly, sparkle.

But onto the ladies! These are my best-dressed of the evening. Some of my choices are unconventional and I will explain my reasoning, so reserve judgment until you hear me out. Disagree violently? Let me hear it in the comments!

 

Might as well start with one of the most controversial! Cate Blanchett continually rides the cutting edge of fashion, and last night was no exception. I enjoyed this dress and loved that it was interesting, especially on a red carpet that overall played it safe. I think the details were interesting and the shape was lovely on her. One marine-minded participant at my own Oscar party compared her to a barnacle, which I can see to a certain extent, but I still contend that she was one of the best, and, at the very least, most interestingly dressed of the night.

Hailee Steinfeld looks like a wee princess in this dress. She told Seacrest that she had a hand in designing it and that comment completely took me back to my 14 year old self and is pretty much exactly what I would have wanted to wear at the Oscars at that age. It's age-appropriate, a lovely color for her skin tone, and I will bet you $37 that she twirled in that dress before leaving the house. That is totally a twirling dress, right?

Speaking of Seacrest, he did his darndest to get anything out of Michelle Williams on the red carpet. Maybe she wasn't in the mood to talk or maybe she just didn't want to talk to Ryan (who I'm convinced was standing on a box), but she came across as quite affected and uninterested. It's too bad, because if we were just given a shot of her in the dress I think it comes off quite well. The slim-fitting beaded column dress works well with the close-cropped bleach blond pixie cut that I only wish I could get away with. The photograph really doesn't do it justice, but it fit her frame and sense of style well.

I love this navy blue dress on Amy Adams. Again, noting my love of all things sparkle, this should not come as a surprise. A full sequined dress is right up my alley and this fits her perfectly.The high neck, cap sleeves, and slight flare add to the understated drama. I am purposely leaving out commentary on "the necklace of doom" until tomorrow. Just wait.

There was a lot of red on the red carpet this year and I thought Sandra Bullock pulled it off beautifully. Red is a good color for us brunettes and the simple, yet structured construction of the dress added to the sleekness of her look.

 

This Best Actress winner has been a fixture on the awards circuit this year for her dramatic, somewhat sociopathic turn in Black Swan. She's had some fashion ups and downs, but she clearly saved the best for the big show. That mommy-to-be glow also doesn't hurt either!

Much has been said already of Anne Hathaway's turn as Oscar host and I will definitely weigh in on it later in the week, but today I want to focus on my favorite of her many dresses. This strapless red number has interesting detail, is fit to perfection, and is accessorized beautifully.

I was very undecided about this dress for quite a while. After sleeping on it and paging through the online photo books of the red carpet, I've decided I like it. I did fear for Mila that she would be the first wardrobe malfunction of the evening, but apparently they make double sided tape stronger than they used to, so good for her! I think it's an interesting color on her and I like that it incorporates lace without verging into the Victorian era. No Anne of Green Gables jokes from me this time!

I know, I know! You're thinking to yourself, Sarah has finally lost it. All of the award shows this year have warped her mind and desensitized her to Wackadoo Magoo up there. Yes, Helena Bonham Carter (HBC to her confidantes) has her own style, which the polite will call unconventional and the snarky will call outright crazytown. Here's what I love about her - she does her own thing and is unapologetic about it. She clearly has fun with fashion and dresses for herself. She's not manufactured by a stylist and puts her own spin on the red carpet, which quite frankly was kind of a snoozeville last night.

Which leads me to the other end of the spectrum. Jennifer Lawrence was the first to arrive on the red carpet last night, and for me, no one could top her. I was blown away by the simplicity of the dress, the perfect hair and makeup, the minimal jewelry and the overall glow she exuded as a first-time nominee for her breakout role. Many have already criticized her for not blinging it up more, and I realize this is a shocker coming from me, but she doesn't need it. She has a rockin body in a perfectly fit dress that hits the red carpet at just the perfect length to be formal. She is my best-dressed.

Thoughts? Opinions? I want to hear them! This is the best part of the Oscars - everyone disagrees! That's what makes it fun.

I give this post 4 out of 5 Junior Mints

I don't even know where my love of movies came from. I think it gradually grew and really flourished in college, when I met Amanda, my movie soulmate. Amanda lived next door to me freshman year and continues to be one of my best friends. We bonded over botany, ebonics, and our shared love of movies and award shows. Maybe one day I'll tell you the story of botany and ebonics, but for today let's stick with movies. Amanda and I were constantly watching the lastest movies and also digging into the depths of film history to catch up on the classics. We eventually turned this love of film into a short writing career as film reviewers for the Rhodes newspaper where our rating scale consisted of Junior Mints (the ultimate movie candy, clearly) - if a movie got 5 Junior Mints it met all of our criteria.  It was a very short writing career.

It was during college that we started having Oscar parties and that tradition continues today. On the eve of Oscar weekend I thought I'd cover some of my favorite nominees from 2010. I don't always agree with the nominees or winners, but there are always some excellent performances and stories that get the recognition they so clearly deserve. These are the nominees that I'm just purely excited about this year, for different reasons. They may win, they may not, but I'll always remember them as some of my favorites of 2010. 

 

Christian Bale has been a favorite of mine for a long, long time. I loved him in Newsies and Little Women and have been impressed with the variety of roles he's tackled and the passion and skill he infuses into each character.  I think this nomination, his first, is long overdue and it's stories like his that frustrate me about the Academy. After being overlooked in films like Rescue Dawn and American Psycho, he's finally being recognized for the dedication he gives to each and every role. I mean, when you go from Picture A to Picture B up there, do you doubt the man's whole-hearted dedication to his craft?

Colin Firth has been another favorite of mine for years. As most girls with a slight fetish for Austen, I fell in love with him as Mr. Darcy in BBC's Pride and Prejudice. Although I actually prefer his performance in last year's "A Single Man", for which he was also nominated, I thought his portrayal of King George VI was nothing less than outstanding. He is the favorite in this category and mine as well.

I read about this documentary on my favorite movie blog, Pajiba. It's weird and surprising and questions what and who determines what is and isn't "art". It's completely fascinating and available on Netflix Instant - get on it. 

 

Hailee Steinfeld broke out this year as the 13 year old Mattie Ross in True Grit. She's impressed the film world with her gravitas, professionalism, and ability to hold her own against two major players, Matt Damon and Jeff Bridges. She's impressed me with her ability to not dress like a skank a la Miley Cyrus on the red carpet. 

I liked so many things about Inception - Joseph Gordon-Levitt, dreams within dreams within dreams, Marion Cotillard's wardrobe, Cillian Murphy deviating from his usual role as a psychopath, but most of all, the effects. If you haven't already, I highly recommend getting your hands on a dvd of Inception and watching the feature on how Christopher Nolan and his team pulled off the rotating hallway and other impressive effects in the film without the use of CGI. Truly fascinating.

 James Franco's had a busy year - he published a collection of short stories titled "Palo Alto"; is working on his Ph.D. at Yale and simultaneously taking classes at RISD; modeling for Gucci men's fragrance; is currently reprising his role on General Hospital as "Franco", a psychopathic artist; oh, and is hosting this year's Academy Awards alongside Anne Hathaway while also being recognized as a Best Actor nominee. I don't feel like a slacker at all. You?

John Hawkes, where have you been all my life!? This long-time character actor has evaded my notice for years until his incredible turn in this year's "Winter's Bone". As the main character's harsh, yet loyal uncle he completely blew me away. I think I was more excited about his nomination than any other, because it was unexpected, deserved, and I felt like the Academy got it right this time.

Which leads me to "Winter's Bone", my favorite film of the year. It's bleak, unrelenting, and authentic. Not so much a feel-good movie, but one of the best acted and directed films I saw in 2010. It introduced us to Jennifer Lawrence and, as mentioned previously, opened my eyes to the talents of John Hawkes. I love that it shows how far family will go for each other and the strength and character it takes to deal with difficult situations rather than run away from them, when that would be so much easier. It won't win on Sunday, but hopefully the exposure of the nomination will encourage others to see this small, but impactful independent film.

Who are your favorite nominees this year? Will you be watching on Sunday night?

She wore WHAT?

Awards season is by far my favorite season. I love the recognition of excellent work in film, the inevitable Cinderella stories, celebrities celebrating themselves, the drunken acceptance speeches, the awkward jokes made by a celebrity who thinks he can host a major event, but mostly I love the fashion. It's true, I'm really into film and consider myself a pretty major movie geek, but these awards shows aren't really about who gave the best performance or which film deserves the most accolades. I feel like it's gotten so political that the results don't matter so much. But that soapbox is for another post. 


No, this post is about my true love of awards season - the fashion! I love the red carpet and all the crazy that comes with it. Joan Rivers is my all-time favorite red carpet host and she is sorely missed these days. She wouldn't hesitate for one second to completely blast a celeb. Priceless. But, on to the dresses! These are some of the Oscar dresses that I love and others that I love to hate. Regardless of whether you sigh in envy or outright gasp in horror when they walk down that red carpet, you've got to love a statement.

Julia Roberts in a vintage Valentino the year she won for Erin Brockovich. Classic.

This Francisco Costa dress failed to impress at first. And then Hilary turned around.

My favorite actress in my favorite color. Kate Winslet can do no wrong.

The Versace gown that inspired a barrage of imitators, who never pulled it off as well as Penelope Cruz.

Reese Witherspoon glowing in plum during what I like to call the "Nina Ricci phase"

Michelle Williams in my all-time favorite Oscar gown. I love the color, the cut and the unexpected lip color. It's a little different, a little off, but just enough to be completely stunning. The downside is that it makes me want to attempt to pull off this color. Not a good look for me, although I just keep trying. Onto the crazy/amazing!

Bjork in the infamous swan dress. Lady Gaga might have paraded down the red carpet at this year's Grammy's in an egg, but has she ever LAID ONE? Amateur.

Celine Dion, mayor of Crazytown in a backwards white suit. Just because you're wearing sunglasses doesn't mean we can't see you.

Demi Moore coming straight from a charity triathlon - at least that's what I choose to believe to excuse this monstrosity.

Everything about this is completely wrong from the too tight curls, the too long fringe - actually, the fringe at all - the lunchbox purse and the high neck. Kate Hudson usually looks great on the red carpet, but this one just fell completely flat.

Oh Gwynnie, I love you on Glee and even saw your crappy movie about drunk country singers who SPOILER ALERT! off themselves in one of the most cliched movie scenes ever, but this is truly inexcusable. The chicken cutlet goth look is not good on anyone. I'm glad we've moved past this.

Who knew Uma had endorsed Swiss Miss?

From one pale brunette to another, oh honey no. Jewel tones are your friend. So is a good strapless bra.