I'm back with EMMY predictions!

After a long hiatus, I'm back with my predictions for this year's Primetime Emmy Awards, being handed out on Sunday night. Here's my best guess for who will take home the golden statues. (this is not who I think SHOULD win)

DRAMA SERIES: "Mad Men"
COMEDY SERIES: "Modern Family"
VARIETY SERIES: "The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien"
REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM: "American Idol"
TV MOVIE: "You Don't Know Jack"
MINI-SERIES: "The Pacific"

DRAMA LEAD ACTOR: Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"
DRAMA LEAD ACTRESS: Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife"
DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR: Aaron Paul, "Breaking Bad"
DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Christina Hendricks, "Mad Men"
DRAMA WRITING: "Mad Men" ("Shut the Door. Have a Seat")
DRAMA DIRECTING: "Dexter" ("The Getaway")

COMEDY LEAD ACTOR: Jim Parsons, "The Big Bang Theory"
COMEDY LEAD ACTRESS: Edie Falco, "Nurse Jackie"
COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR: Ty Burrell, "Modern Family"
COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Jane Lynch, "Glee"
COMEDY WRITING: "Modern Family" ("Pilot")
COMEDY DIRECTING: "Glee" ("Pilot")

MINISERIES/MOVIE LEAD ACTOR: Al Pacino, "You Don't Know Jack"
MINISERIES/MOVIE LEAD ACTRESS: Claire Daines, "Temple Grandin"
MINISERIES/MOVIE SUPPORTING ACTOR: David Strathairn, "Temple Grandin"
MINISERIES/MOVIE SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Susan Sarandon, "You Don't Know Jack"
MINISERIES/MOVIE WRITING: Peter Morgan, "The Special Relationship"
MINISERIES/MOVIE DIRECTING: Barry Levinson, "You Don't Know Jack"

RPatz can act!? And the ending everyone's talking about

Who'da thunk it? Robert Pattinson can act! Witness his stunning performance in the new drama Remember Me, where he stars opposite Lost's Emilie de Ravin as a college kid living with tragedy and a disapproving father. It turns out when actually working with a good script and a strong character, this teen heartthrob can actually turn in a good performance. It's not going to win him any Oscars, but perhaps people can put aside their anti-Twilight bias (if I can do it, they can!) and see this guy for the talent he has. Now I'm going to hit some major spoilers about the ending below, so if you haven't seen the movie and plan to, DO NOT keep reading.



So what do we make of that ending? I was ever so slightly spoiled on it because so many reviewers are feeling the need to talk about how offended they are. Knowing that there was going to be a "twist" of sorts and that it involved a tragedy, I began to notice hints from the very beginning when we learn the film takes place in 2001, to the scene where Tyler's professor discusses terrorism. So by the time the camera zoomed out to reveal his location in one of the Twin Towers, I had seen it coming. At that point, I feared what would be so affronting would be how it was portrayed. I imagined an effects shot of Tyler looking up as a plane crashed through the windows in front of him. But to the contrary, there was no such graphic depiction. The final scenes were done very tastefully, recalling the disaster that happened that day without forcing us to watch anything horrific. The final scene brings the film thematically full circle--that life is fragile and we must live "in the moments" as Remember Me's tagline states. It's far from a great film, but it is better for that ending.

So the question I pose is: Why is this so offensive? Too soon?? We've already had two major theatrical films dealing directly with 9/11 events--United 93 and World Trade Center--that came out several years ago. To that you might say that people knew what they were getting into with those movies. True. But what about the Adam Sandler vehicle, Reign Over Me? That was a simple drama where it turned out Sandler's character was torn apart from losing his family on September 11th. Why no outrage with that film? Because the event had happened in the past in that case? I don't buy it. Yes, for some viewers, Remember Me's final moments will come as quite a surprise but I disagree that they are exploitative or make the film "the most offensive of the year".

I wasn't in New York on that fateful day, but I was in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995 and I know how such a catastrophe can shake our world to the core. But it has been almost nine years. Are we so fragile STILL that we can't see the events of September 11 gracefully depicted on screen without feeling insulted by the filmmakers? Remember Me shows how just one person came to that fateful day and what it meant to his friends and his family. I think it's time that we can look back on those events and remember them but also learn from what we lost.

What do you think dear readers? Should I be offended? And am I crazy to think Pattinson has acting chops? Let me know in the comments.

My Best of 2009: Television

And now I present my awards for the best TV of 2009. Enjoy!

BEST DRAMA SERIES
Lost (ABC)
ER (NBC)
Battlestar Galactica (Sci-Fi)
Supernatural (The CW)
Friday Night Lights (NBC)

BEST COMEDY SERIES
The Office (NBC)
30 Rock (NBC)
Glee (FOX)
How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
Modern Family (ABC)

BEST NEW SERIES
Modern Family
Glee
Kings
FlashForward
Party Down

BEST ACTOR - DRAMA
Noah Wyle, ER
Matthew Fox, LOST
Edward James Olmos, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
Kyle Chandler, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Christopher Egan, KINGS

BEST ACTRESS - DRAMA
Sally Field, BROTHERS & SISTERS
Anna Paquin, TRUE BLOOD
Mary McDonnell, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
Glenn Close, DAMAGES
Maura Tierney, ER

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - DRAMA
Michael Emerson, LOST
Jeremy Davies, LOST
Ian McShane, KINGS
Zach Gilford, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
John Noble, FRINGE

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - DRAMA
Elizabeth Mitchell, LOST
Katee Sackhoff, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
Connie Britton, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Tricia Helfer, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
Marcia Gay Harden, DAMAGES

BEST ACTOR - COMEDY
Alec Baldwin, 30 ROCK
Steve Carell, THE OFFICE
Zachary Levi, CHUCK
Lee Pace, PUSHING DAISIES
Matthew Morrison, GLEE

BEST ACTRESS - COMEDY
Christina Applegate, SAMANTHA WHO?
Tina Fey, 30 ROCK
Amy Poehler, PARKS AND RECREATION
Anna Friel, PUSHING DAISIES
Lea Michelle, GLEE

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - COMEDY
Ty Burrell, MODERN FAMILY
John Krasinski, THE OFFICE
Neil Patrick Harris, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
Cory Montieth, GLEE
Tracy Morgan, 30 ROCK

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - COMEDY
Kristen Chenowith, PUSHING DAISIES
Portia DeRossi, BETTER OFF TED
Jenna Fischer, THE OFFICE
Jane Lynch, GLEE
Kristin Wiig, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

BEST SHOW PEOPLE AREN'T WATCHING: Friday Night Lights
WORST SHOW PEOPLE ARE WATCHING: Grey's Anatomy
BEST HORROR SERIES: Supernatural
BEST SCI-FI SERIES: Battlestar Galactica
BEST REALITY SERIES: The Amazing Race
MOST IMPROVED SERIES: ER
MOST DISAPPOINTING SERIES: Heroes
BEST TEEN SOAP: Gossip Girl
WORST TEEN SOAP: One Tree Hill
BEST SHOW SET IN OKLAHOMA: Saving Grace
BEST BROMANCE: Sam and Dean (Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles) in SUPERNATURAL
BEST COUPLE: Jim and Pam (John Krasinski and Jenna Fisher) in THE OFFICE
MOST SURPRISING COUPLE: Sawyer and Juliet (Josh Holloway and Elizabeth Mitchell) in LOST
BEST GUEST STAR - DRAMA: George Clooney on ER
BEST GUEST STAR - COMEDY: Kristin Chenowith on GLEE
BEST SEASON FINALE: Lost
BEST SERIES FINALE: Battlestar Galactica
SADDEST CANCELLATION: Kings
MOST OVERDUE FOR CANCELLATION: Smallville
WORST NEW SHOW: NCIS: Los Angeles
BEST HERO: Lee Adama (Jamie Bamber) in BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
BEST VILLAIN: Ben Linus (Michael Emerson) in LOST
BEST ANTI-HERO: Gaius Baltar (James Callis) in BATTLESTAR GALACTICA

More Best of 2009: My Movie Awards

Continuing my best of 2009 series, here is my list of awards in various categories--the traditional Oscar categories as well as some fun ones.


BEST MOVIE
Avatar
Star Trek
Up in the Air
(500) Days of Summer
District 9

BEST DIRECTOR
J.J. Abrams, Star Trek
James Cameron, Avatar
Marc Webb, (500) Days of Summer
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Tom Ford, A Single Man

BEST ACTOR
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Sharlto Copley, District 9
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
Sam Rockwell, Moon
Colin Firth, A Single Man

BEST ACTRESS
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
Zooey Deschanel, (500) Days of Summer
Maya Rudolph, Away We Go
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Jude Law, Sherlock Holmes
James Gandolfini, Where the Wild Things Are
Alec Baldwin, It's Complicated
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Anthony Mackie, The Hurt Locker

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Julianne Moore, A Single Man
Natalie Portman, Brothers
Melanie Laurent, Inglourious Basterds
Mo'Nique, Precious
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Away We Go
(500) Days of Summer
Moon
Avatar
District 9

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Up in the Air
Where the Wild Things Are
A Single Man
Star Trek
Brothers

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Inglourious Basterds
Where the Wild Things Are
A Single Man
Avatar
The Hurt Locker

BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS
Star Trek
Avatar
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
District 9
Where the Wild Things Are

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
A Single Man
Star Trek, Michael Giacchino
Avatar, James Horner
Sherlock Holmes, Hans Zimmer
Brothers, Thomas Newman

BEST EDITING
A Single Man
Inglourious Basterds
Avatar
(500) Days of Summer
Sherlock Holmes

BEST ART DIRECTION
Where the Wild Things Are
Star Trek
The Road
Avatar
A Single Man

BEST COSTUMES
Away We Go
Sherlock Holmes
Star Trek
Inglourious Basterds
A Single Man

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Sharlto Copley, District 9
Maya Rudolph, Away We Go
Chris Pine, Star Trek
Max Records, Where the Wild Things Are
Sam Worthington, Avatar

BEST YOUNG PERFORMER
Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Road
Jae Head, The Blind Side
Max Records, Where the Wild Things Are
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
Bailee Madison, Brothers

BEST TRAILER
A Single Man
District 9 (Teaser)
Star Trek
Where the Wild Things Are
(500) Days of Summer

MOST SURPRISING
Inglourious Basterds
Avatar
The Hangover
Up
It's Complicated

MOST DISAPPOINTING
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Terminator Salvation
The Road
Surrogates
Public Enemies

WORST MOVIE
Inkheart
Year One
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Couples Retreat
Surrogates

I'm back with my Best of 2009!

I'm back! To all three of my followers, I must apologize for how long it's been since I posted. I hope to be posting more consistently from now on. So without further ado, here is my long-awaited Best of 2009, just in time for Oscar season. I'll start with my top movies of the year, and I'll be back very soon with the best of TV and more.

My Top Movies 10 of 2009

1. Avatar (10/10 or A+)
Avatar had possibly more hype than any movie in years, but I refused to buy into it. Before Avatar, 3-D was nothing more than a gimmick and I had a hard time believing that even the great James Cameron could bring it to a higher level. But despite my low expectations, I left this midnight showing completely blown away by the spectacle and the innovation. No, Avatar doesn't have the freshest story of the year or the most masterful acting, but as an overall package, there was no greater achievement in 2009.

2. (500) Days of Summer (10/10 or A+)
Another big surprise for me, (500) Days is not only the perfect blend of drama, humor, and romance, but for me captures life for my generation better than any film that's come before. Bittersweet and true to life, one of most memorable sequences illustrates the clash between our expectations and the way things actually play out. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zoey Deschanel have marvelous chemistry and Marc Webb directs his first feature with incredible creativity.

3. Star Trek (9/10 or A)
Who else but J.J. Abrams could revive Star Trek, make it "cool" again, and please the Trekkies? The new, young cast wisely makes the characters their own while still channeling the charisma and personality of the original stars. On top of being the best new entry to Gene Roddenberry's franchise in some time, Star Trek is just an all around great summer flick with stellar action, stunning special effects, and a smart story.

4. District 9 (9/10 or A)
The year of sci-fi continues with this low budget, genius social-commentary-meets-futuristic-adventure from Peter Jackson protege Neill Blomkamp. The film's faux-documentary style sets up this allegorical tale before throwing us into a thrilling quest that finds us rooting for the "wrong" side. Sharlto Copley is fantastic in his breakout starring role.

5. Up in the Air (9/10 or A)
Take a classic Hollywood tale and a star with the throwback charisma of Grant and Stewart and you've got a recipe for a true modern classic. Up in the Air manages to be relevant to the age we live in while appealing to timeless themes of family and companionship. George Clooney gives his finest performance yet as a corporate downsizer who feels more at home on the road than in his own apartment.

6. Inglourious Basterds (9/10 or A)
This bit of hyper-violent revisionist history from Quentin Tarantino just so happens to have the best direction of the year. From the very first moment, there is no better use of mis en scène. The big climax, in all it's fictional glory is quite cathartic, but the absurdity of it all brings the film down a bit.

7. Where the Wild Things Are (9/10 or A)
My initial viewing of Spike Jonze's inventive adaptation of this classic children's book left me a little befuddled. Chock it up to unexpected complexity. After further thought and review, I came to really appreciate what the film had (or didn't have) to say. Jonze isn't going for profound, but rather wonder. Not since The Neverending Story has a film so vividly captured the power of the imagination in all of us. Little Max Records seems poised for a great career.

8. Sherlock Holmes (9/10 or A)
When it comes to pure entertainment, Sherlock Holmes fires on all cylinders. Director Guy Ritchie and star Robert Downey, Jr. have successfully remolded the dusty Holmes franchise in the vein of Indiana Jones, to great effect. The plot is quick, the action stylish, and the characters complex. Jude Law gives one of the best supporting performances of the year as a dashing Dr. Watson.

9. A Single Man (8/10 or A-)
Who would have thought that a fashion designer could just decide he's a filmmaker and it not end in tragedy? Instead, the tragedy is how few have seen this quiet gem of a film. Colin Firth stars as a man mourning the loss of his true love and gives the lead male performance of the year. Tom Ford lends the production a visual flair and a lush beauty.

10. Moon (8/10 or A-)
Yet another spectacular science fiction specimen from 2009, Moon pays homage to a few classics of the genre while treading some new ground of it's own. Sam Rockwell plays a lone mine worker on the moon who faces a true crisis of identity in the solitude of space.


Runners-up:

11. The Hurt Locker (8/10 or A-)
12. Watchmen (8/10 or A-)
13. Away We Go (8/10 or A-)
14. State of Play (8/10 or A-)
15. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (8/10 or A-)
16. Brothers (8/10 or A-)
17. Adventureland (8/10 or A-)
18. Up (8/10 or A-)
19. I Love You, Man (8/10 or A-)
20. Precious (8/10 or B+)

Earthquake hits Hollywood!!

No it's not what it sounds like, but two major stories dropped today that are just the latest in a series of major entertainment industry shake-ups.

We already had the announcement this week that NBC's disastrous decision to move Jay Leno to primetime had come to a head and that Peacock execs are trying to clean up their mess by moving the Jay Leno Show to 11:35pm EST and pushing The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon back half an hour. All this is contingent on O'Brien and Fallon agreeing to the change. Fallon doesn't have much sway, but O'Brien could easily jump ship and go to FOX where they have publicly stated they'd love to have him. But that could be as risky as the Leno primetime experiment. Chances are good Conan will stay put, but it remains to be seen whether this new schedule will repair the damage caused by a domino effect of bad decisions that have weakened the Tonight Show property, both Leno and Conan, and perhaps most importantly, the local affiliates who have been devastatingly impacted by Leno's weak lead-in to their evening news. The bright side is this means the end of the snoozefest Last Call with Carson Daly, however things are overall not looking good for Sheinhart-Universal.

As if that wasn't enough pop culture drama for you, Simon Cowell dropped the bomb today that he is leaving FOX juggernaut American Idol after this season. Cowell will be working with FOX on an American version of his Brit-hit X-Factor, which unlike Idol has no age limit and also includes groups. The news isn't a shocker as it has been rumored for months, but it could mean the end of American Idol in the long run. Without original judges Paula Abdul and Cowell, it's clear the show loses some of it's ongoing appeal. And with Simon hinting that he's recruiting Paula as a judge on X-Factor, things don't look good for AI's longterm prognosis. Personally, with the combo of Cowell and Abdul on X-Factor, consider me an American Idol defector. NBC should have courted Cowell's stateside X-Factor, but these days we can't really expect them to make smart moves anymore.

And speaking of poor decisions, Sony announced today that after disagreements with director Sam Raimi over Spider-Man 4, the studio has given he and actor Tobey Maguire pinkslips and will instead reboot the franchise with Peter Parker in high school. Now we can all agree that Spider-Man 3 was a serious misstep, but Sony should be glad that Raimi and Maguire were sticking around. That's the proven formula, both critically and commercially. But instead of working with Raimi, they ditch him for what will probably be schlock like Fantastic Four and Elektra (sorry Jen--I still love you!). Even if the rebooted Spider-Man turns out well, it's just too soon. All in all, I think Maguire and Raimi are better off. They can go on to other projects rather than be forced to cave to studio expectations which is exactly what hurt Spider-Man 3.

It sure is looking like Hollywood's 2010 new years resolution was to shock us all. What's next? George Lucas announces a new technology that will erase Star Wars I-III from existence? Bring it!

How far will Avatar go?

If the latest box office figures are any indication, chances are you have already seen James Cameron's sci-fi extravaganza Avatar. In less than three weeks, the film has grossed over $1 billion worldwide. It's currently sitting at #4 on the all-time worldwide list. Numero uno is a little movie called Titanic, the 1997 box-office juggernaut directed by none other than James Cameron. Is it possible for Cameron's long-awaited follow up to surpass Titanic in grosses? Avatar has reached the $300 million milestone in North America roughly three times faster than Titanic. The word of mouth is probably the best since Lord of the Rings. But my guess is Avatar won't make it quite that far. Titanic made $1.8 billion worldwide because movie goers--teen girls mostly--went to see the film over and over again. I don't think Avatar will have those kind of legs. But expect it to top Return of the King in worldwide grosses and nestle in right under Titanic for second place.

O Pioneers!

I'm surprised I haven't heard anyone else talking about his really. In the last several months, Levi's has been airing a phenomenal TV ad campaign using Walt Whitman's famous poem "Pioneers! O Pioneers!", which praises the spirit of westward expansion and the frontier dream. It's one of those rare ads that I stop and watch when it comes on. Having worked in advertising, it's the kind of perfectly crafted spot I wish I could have been a part of producing. I'm sure you've seen it but check it out below. It's a great reading by whoever voiced it over.

Welcome!

Any of my friends will tell you that I am constantly talking about the latest entertainment news and pop culture trend, so I'm laying in bed one night and I get this idea maybe I could do a blog on movies, tv, and pop culture. So here it goes. Expect everything from my Lost obsession, to Oscar buzz, to top 10 lists and rants about the latest crap reality show. Enjoy!