My Oscar Reactions

This is my category by category reaction of the 84th Academy Awards

Best Picture: 
Winner: The Artist
I really like The Artist (it's my 7th favorite film of the year), but I think that Hugo and The Descendants were more deserving of the Best Picture nominees.

Best Director:
Winner: Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist
This seems like a case of a director winning just because the film won Best Picture. MArtin Scorsese should have won and based on Hugo's wins in the technical categories, he could have.

Best Actor:
Winner: Jean Dujardin - The Artist
Jean did a great job in The Artist, but George Clooney easily should have won. I would have been really happy is Gary Oldman won, but I knew that wasn't going to happen.

Best Actress:
Winner: Meryl streep - The Iron Lady
Anybody who has seen The Iron Lady will know that this is not a great movie. I love Meryl Streep, but she really shouldn't have won. Even though I knew this would never happen, I really wanted Rooney MAra to win for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I would have also preferred Viola Davis.

Best Supporting Actor:
Winner: Christopher Plummer - Beginners
This was definitely more of a "Lifetime Achievement Award," but this is one of the few wins that I am happy about. He is a great actor who was way overdue for a win. I definitely would not have minded if Nick Nolte were to win...

Best Supporting Actress:
Winner: Octavia Spencer - The Help
Everybody is great in The Help, but I really wanted Jessica Chastain to win solely based on her whole year. She became one of my favorite actresses this year and did some really great work.

Best Original Screenplay:
Winner: Midnight in Paris
Another win that I am very happy with. I love this movie. Any of the movies winning I would have been happy with.

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Winner: The Descendants
This definitely seemed like a safe bet, and it deserved it's win. As much as I love Hugo, The Descendants had a better screenplay.

Best Animated Feature:
Winner: Rango
Was there really a question about this? After The Adventures of Tintin being snubbed, this was the only serious contender. For a fleeting second, I though that Chico & Rita had a chance, but that didn't happen.

Best Foreign Film:
Winner: A Separation
This is an amazing and powerful movie and was one of the only lock at the awards. There could have been an upset here because of how unpredictable this category tends to be.

Best Art Direction:
Winner: Hugo
I really wanted HArry Potter to win here, but I am happy with Hugo's win.

Best Costume Design:
Winner: The Artist
Jane Eyre should have won. End of story.

Best Original Song:
Winner: "Man or Muppet" from The Muppets
This is a really sad category with only two nominees. The song from Rio is really good, but The Muppets had a strong backing. Each song had a 50/50 shot.

Best Original Score:
Winner: The Artist
This is the only category that I predicted The Artist would win. In my opinion, Hugo has a better score, but The Artist uses the score to tell what the characters are saying. It played an important role in the film.

Best Cinematography:
Winner: Hugo
The first shocker of the night. The Tree of Life seemed like a sure bet because of how beautiful it is. Hugo somehow won this award.

Best FIlm Editing:
Winner: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
I predicted this long shot and I got it right! I love this movie so much, and I am very happy to see it get some recognition even if it was in a smaller category.

Best Makeup:
Winner: The Iron LAdy
I was really hoping for a Harry Potter win here. The Iron LAdy really didn't deserve to win two awards. Harry Potter had to make the audience believe that this fantasy world is world, and they do that perfectly.

BEst Visual Effects:
Winner: Hugo
Harry Potter had three chances to win an award tonight and the Academy failed to do so; I am very disappointed because now HArry Potter will never win an OScar... ever. Hugo had great visuals, but HArry Potter is iconic. Even in the clips they showed, the effects are jaw-dropping and really deserved some award.

Best Sound Editing and Sound Mixing:
Winner: Hugo
All of the nominees have good sound, but I have to agree with the Acadmey; Hugo's sound is amazing. I was hoping for a surprise from The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, but this is fine too.

Best Documentary, Best Documentary Short, BEst Live Action Short Film, BEst Animated Short Film:
I really have no opinion about these films because I haven't seen any of them. Animated Short winner The Fantastic Flying Book of Mr. Morris LEssmore is on my phone ready to watch.

OVerall: I am disappointed with this year's winners, but there were a bunch of awards that I agree with.

Oscar Drinking Game!!

I am soooo excited for the OScars tomorrow night. Is there a better way to celebrate than to paly a drinking game during the broadcast? I think not.

I took a whole bunch of different drinking games I found online and mashed them together. So, here is my official drinking game for the 84th Academy Awards:
(I am under the age of 21 so I am substituting actual alcohol with something else - it's still fun!)

Take a sip when:

• Somebody gets cut off by the orchestra
• THe camera cuts to George Clooney
• The camera cuts to Brad Pitt and/or Angelina Jolie
• The camera cuts to jack Nicholson
• There is a montage
• Somebody trips on the way to accept their award
• A winner tells their kids to go to sleep
• Anybody references Uggie the dog from The Artist
• There is a weed joke
• Somebody starts their speech with "Wow" or thanks the Academy
• A muppet appears onstage

Take a shot when:

• The Artist wins an award
• Somebody thanks God in their acceptance speech
• When somebody cries during their acceptance speech
• When Martin Scoresese's name is said
• Whitney Houston is mentioned
• When a winner curses and it has to be edited out (Melissa Leo...)
• Eddie Murphy is mentioned
• Somebody wins and says that they did not expect to win but still have a speech prepared
• A foreign person wins and apologizes for not speaking English
• The phrase "Hollywood magic" is said (or any form of it)
• Harry Potter wins an Oscar
• The camera cuts to Snubbed people (Michael Fassbender, Tilda Swinton, or Ryan Gosling)
• The Help wins an award

Take two shots if:

• Extremely Loud and INcredibly Close wins either of it's two nominations
• The Artist loses best picture
• Bridesmaids wins an Oscar
• A loser gives a dirty look to the winner in their category
• Rango doesn't win BEst Animated Feature

*BONUS*

For every category, choose one nominee you want to win and one you Expect will win:

If the winner is the one you WAnt: Take one shot

If the winner is the one you Expect: Take two shots

If the winner is the one you want and Expect: take three shots

If the winner is neither: Take four shots

Have fun and be safe!!

My Bests of 2011

I know it's a month into 2012, but this is my first chance to post my favorites of 2011

BEst Pictures:
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
3. Hugo
4. Drive
5. Warrior
6. The Descendants
7. The Artist
8. Contagion
9. Melancholia
10. Midnight in Paris
11. Margaret
12. Jane Eyre
13. The Ides of March
14. A Separation
15. The Muppets
16. War Horse
17. Carnage
18. We Need to Talk About Kevin
19. Martha Marcy May Marlene
20. Margin Call

Honorable Mentions:
Coriolanus, The Debt, Source Code, Trust, J. Edgar, X-Men: First Class, Super 8, Another Earth

Best Ensemble:
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows PArt 2
2. Midnight in paris
3. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
4. Margaret
5. The Help

Honorable Mentions:
The Descendants, Bridesmaids, Contagion, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Ides of March, The Artist, Margin Call, The Muppets

Best Director:
1. Martin Scorsese - Hugo
2. David Fincher - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
3. Nicolas Winding Refn - Drive
4. Steven Spielberg - War Horse
5. Ralph Fiennes - Coriolanus

Honorable Mention:
Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist, George Clooney - The Ides of March, Kenneth Lonergan - Margaret, Lars von Trier - Melancholia, Alexander Payne - The Descendants

Best Actor:
1. Ryan Gosling - Drive/The Ides of March
2. Michael Fassbender - Shame/A Dangerous Method/Jane Eyre/X-Men:First Class
3. George Clooney - The Descendants
4. Leonardo DiCaprio - J. Edgar
5. Jean Dujardin - The Artist

Honorable Mentions:
Gary Oldman - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Joseph Gordon LEvitt - 50/50, Ralph Fiennes - Coriolanus

Best Actress:
1. Rooney Mara - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
2. Kirsten Dunst - Melancholia
3. Mia Wasikowska - Jane Eyre
4. Michelle Williams - My Week with Marilyn
5. Tilda Swinton - We Need to Talk About Kevin

Honorable Mention:
Viola Davis - The Help, Anna Paquin - Margaret, Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene

Best Supporting Actor:
1. Albert Brooks - Drive
2. Alan Rickman - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
5. Christopher Plummer - Beginners/The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
4. Nick Nolte - Warrior
4. Max von Sydow - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Honorable Mention:
George Clooney - The IDes of March, Brad Pitt - The Tree of Life, Ezra Miller - Wee Need to Talk About Kevin

Best Supporting Actress:
1. Carey Mulligan - Shame/Drive
2. Jessica Chastain - The Help/The Tree of Life/Coriolanus/The Debt
3. Shailene Woodley - The Descendants
4. Rachel McAdams - Midnight in paris
5. Vanessa Redgrave - Coriolanus

Honorable Mention:
Berenice Bejo - The Artist, Octavia Spencer - The Help, MArion Coltiard - Midnight in paris

Best Original Screenplay:
1. Midnight in Paris
2. Melancholia
3. Contagion
4. A Separation
5. Margaret

Honorable Mention:
50/50, The Artist, Win Win, Young Adult, Bridesmaids, Margin Call

Best Adapted Screenplay:
1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
3. Hugo
4. The Descendants
5. Jane Eyre

Honorable Mention:
Coriolanus, Carnage, Drive, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Moneyball

Best Art Direction:
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
2. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
3. Hugo
4. Anonymous
5. The Artist

Honorable Mention:
Contagion, Jane Eyre, Melancholia, War Horse

Best Cinematography:
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
2. Hugo
3. War Horse
4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
5. The Tree of Life

Honorable Mention:
Anonymous, Coriolanus, Drive, Melancholia, Jane Eyre

Best Editing:
1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
2. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
3. Hugo
4. Drive
5. Contagion

Honorable Mention:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Coriolanus, Moneyball

Best Costume Design:
1. Jane Eyre
2. Anonymous
3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
4. Hugo
5. The Help

Honorable Mention:
War Horse, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, The Muppets

Best Score:
1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
2.Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows PArt 2
3. War Horse
4. Hugo
5. The Artist

Honorable Mention:
Shame, Drive

Best Visual Effects:
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows PArt 2
2. Rise of the Planet of the Apes
3. Hugo
4. The tree of Life
5. Super 8

Honorable Mention:
Anonymous, Captain America: The First Avenger, Melancholia, Source Code

Best Makeup/Hair:
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows PArt 2
2. The Iron Lady
3. Hugo
4. Anonymous
5. My Week with MArilyn

Honorable Mention:
J. Edgar, The Help

BEst Sound:
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows PArt 2
2. Hugo
3. Drive
4. Super 8
5. Coriolanus

Honorable Mention:
Cars 2, Rango, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Source Code

BEst Animated Picture:
1. Rango
2. Puss in Boots
3. Kung Fu Panda
4. The Adventures of Tintin
5. Rio