Whedon and Star Wars!?!

Unfortunately, it's just the wish of every hardcore nerd on planet Earth (including Joss himself). He's currently too busy with the Avengers sequel (SQUEE!!!!) and a new TV show for ABC (DOUBLE FREAKIN SQUEE!!!!) based on S.H.I.E.L.D. (TRIPLEklsjadlkkd... Ok, I'm better now.).

Maybe Disney execs will see the wisdom in delaying any kind of production so that the Almighty Whedon can be involved. One can only dream.

Golden Globes!

Apparently the Globes happened last night. Is it bad that I had no idea? I was having a Doctor Who marathon so I probably wouldn't have watched it anyway.

Anywho, here's who won (in various and sundry broken down categories):

Best Picture(s):

 Drama

 Comedy/Musical

 Animated

Foreign

Best TV:

 Comedy

Drama

Best Director: Ben Afleck

Best Actor(s): Daniel Day-Lewis, Hugh Jackman, Damien Lewis, Don Cheadle, Kevin Costner

Best Actress(es): Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence, Claire Danes, Lena Dunham, Julianne Moore

Best Supporting Actor(s): Christoph Waltz, Ed Harris

Best Supporting Actress(es): Anne Hathaway, Maggie Smith

Safe to say that everything I thought was going to win, did win. No real surprises here. No wait. I take that back. There were some surprises. On the red carpet! What a fashion flop! No real "WOW" moments, and lots "meh," moments. 

 Anne Hathaway looks quite nice! I think she was the best dressed of the night. Given how so-so this look is, you can tell the red carpet was fairly boring.

 Jennifer Lawernce looks good too, but I feel like we've seen this somewhere before.

I had to include this because of the face. You look at the whole dress and posture and then you get to the face and you're like "Dafuq!?!?!" Looks like someone let Taylor Momsen do poor Kaley Cuoco's makeup. Either that or Bride of Chucky.

Series: Arrow

Title: Arrow

Network: CW

Starring: Stephen Amell (pictured above), Katie Cassidy, Willa Holland, and more

Brief Description: Oliver Queen (Amell), rich and bratty playboy, gets stranded on an island and must "become someone, something, else," in order to survive. Once he returns to the mainland he uses his new found Kung-fu to wreak havoc among the cities criminal class.

My Rating: 2/5

I think the above poster perfectly describes this show. It's a bunch a man-candy and not much else. I'll be honest and admit that the main reason I've been watching every week is to catch that one scene where Amell is shirtless and working out. No, really. Every week there is at least one scene where he's shirtless and working out. And not just running on the treadmill or lifting weights. It's using a dumbbell bar and brackets to climb to a ceiling, or hanging by his feet and doing crazy swinging crunches. Dude's an animal.

And boy is it appreciated!

Other than the impeccable bod, there's just not much going for this show. I pretty much hate all the female characters. The main "love interest", Katie Cassidy is a mega-bitch so, naturally, all the male characters are in love with her. Thea, the younger sister of Oliver, bounces between royal-pain-in-the-ass addict/partier/bitch and sweet/wise/loving/fun lil' sis. The mother is also a nightmare. Sometimes you think she's a victim, sometimes a villain. Sometimes you want to feel sorry for her. Maybe she got embroiled in this mess, maybe she started it all, maybe she just wants out. It's hard to tell and because of that you can't really hate her or feel sympathy for her. She just exists in this nebula of question marks.

The guys, on the other hand, are much more interesting and likable. Amell, besides being deliciously hot, flips between his personas (playboy and tortured-do-gooder) with surprising ease and authenticity. You feel sorry him in his home life and root for him in his pursuit of justice. I actually kind of love it when he has to put on his public persona. He does it with a touch of irony and humor, almost winking at the camera saying, "Can you believe they buy this!? I know I shouldn't, but I enjoy playing with them."

Then there's Colin Salmon, who is so suave and sophisticated.

He's kind of a dream boat. As an interesting side note, he was considered for the role of James Bond in the 2004 reboot. I can totally see him as a Bond, just not the current, gritty, Bond. Anywho. Salmon lends sophistication and seriousness to the show, balancing out the craziness contained by all the ladies. I think he and David Ramsey (the family  bodyguard and Oliver's/Arrow's living/breathing conscience) are the heart of this, somewhat lacking, series.

Finally, we have Colin Donnell.

I'm pretty sure he was meant to be the jester of the series. I really like this character. He has so much heart, and wants to change so badly and make himself a better man. How many characters do you see these days that start a series actually wanting to grow!? I'm always interested to see where his character goes with each new episode. Yes, he's funny and adds a nice comedic break (otherwise the show would truly be unwatchable), but he's really the only character that keeps me coming back. Maybe he's the heart of the show?

Am I being overly critical of the female leads? Am I just biased towards the hotness? I dunno. But, that's my take on the show. Thoughts?

Razzie Noms for 2013!

I totally forgot about these! Here's the list:

• Worst Picture
• Battleship
• Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure
• That's My Boy!
• A Thousand Words
• Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2

• Worst Actress
• Katherine Heigl, One For the Money
• Milla Jovovich, Resident Evil #5: Retribution
• Tyler Perry (in drag), Madea's Witless Protection
• Kristen Stewart, Snow White and the Huntsman, Twilight #5
• Barbra Streisand, Guilt Trip

• Worst Actor
• Nicolas Cage, Ghost Rider 2, Seeking Justice
• Eddie Murphy,  A Thousand Words
• Robert Pattinson, Twilight #5
• Tyler Perry (not in drag), Alex Cross, Tyler Perry's Good Deeds
• Adam Sandler, That's My Boy!

• Worst Supporting Actress
• Jessica Biel, Playing for Keeps, Total Recall
• Brooklyn Decker, Battleship, What to Expect When You're Expecting
• Ashley Green, Twilight #5
• Jennifer Lopez, What to Expect When You're Expecting
• Rihanna, Battleship

• Worst Supporting Actor
• David Hasselhoff (as himself), Pirannha 3D
• Taylor Lautner, Twilight #5
• Liam Neeson, Battleship, Wrath of the Titans
• Nick Swardson, That's My Boy!
• Vanilla Ice (as himself), That's My Boy!

• Worst Ensemble
• The entire cast of Battleship
• The entire cast of Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure
• The entire cast of That's My Boy!
• The entire cast of Twilight #5
• The entire cast of Madea's Witless Protection

That about sums it up. Naturally I'm hoping Twilight "wins."

Oscar Noms for 2013!!

Wow, that really snuck up on me! So, here are the nominations (I'll just post the most important):

• Best Picture
• Amour
• Argo
• Beasts of the Southern Wild
• Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
• Django Unchained
• Les Miserables
• Life of Pi
• Lincoln
• Silver Linings Playbook
• Zero Dark Thirty

• Best Actor
• Bradley Cooper, “Silver Linings Playbook”
• Daniel Day-Lewis, “Lincoln”
• Denzel Washington, “Flight”
• Hugh Jackman, “Les Miserables”
• Joaquin Phoenix, "The Master"

• Best Actress
• Emmanuelle Riva, “Amour”
• Jennifer Lawrence, “Silver Linings Playbook”
• Jessica Chastain, “Zero Dark Thirty”
• Naomi Watts, “The Impossible”
• Quvenzhane Wallis, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”

• Best Supporting Actress
• Amy Adams, “The Master”
• Anne Hathaway, “Les Miserables”
• Sally Field, “Lincoln”
• Helen Hunt, “The Sessions”
• Jacki Weaver, “Silver Linings Playbook”

• Best Supporting Actor
• Alan Arkin, “Argo”
• Christoph Waltz, “Django Unchained”
• Philip Seymour Hoffman, “The Master”
• Robert De Niro, “Silver Linings Playbook”
• Tommy Lee Jones, “Lincoln”

• Best Director
• David O. Russell, “Silver Linings Playbook”
• Behn Zeitlin, "Beast of the Southern Wild"
• Michael Haneke, “Amour”
• Paul Thomas Anderson, “The Master”
• Steven Spielberg, “Lincoln”

• Best Animated Feature
• “Brave”
• “Frankenweenie”
• “ParaNorman”
• “The Pirates! Band of Misfits"
• “Wreck-It Ralph”

• Best Costume Design
• “Anna Karenina”
• “Les Miserables”
• “Lincoln”
• “Mirror Mirror”
• "Snow White and the Huntsman"

I'll admit that out of all of these, Les Mis is the only one I've seen. Still, I'm surprised by some of these noms. "Best Exotic Marigold Hotel?" "Silver Linings Playbook?" "Amour?" I've not even heard of the latter! The other two looked meh at best. Silver Linings seemed like a place holder for Cooper and Lawrence while waiting for the next action flick and Hunger Games. I suppose I'll have to watch all those noms now...

But lets talk about what surprises me the most: Snow White and the Huntsman. How!? Why!? Ugh. I know it's only Costume Design, but still! Everything about that movie was awful. Ok, there was one scene that was fairly awesome (Theron crawling out of a pool of black goo. Wicked.), but everything else was just... eww. I even had issues with the costumes. It always bothered me that little ole Snow White was in a dress one minute, rips her skirt and she's suddenly in leather pants. There was little to no logic in that film, even when it came to costumes. I feel it's safe to say that this category belongs to Anna Karenina.

As for who I think these awards should go to, I don't really have a preference in most of the categories, however, I'm so rooting for Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman! Hathaway was absolutely stirring and Jackman was a singing ball of emotional Wolverine-ness. His Awesomeness should just win all the awards and be done with it.

Just for fun:

Upcoming Releases! January 2013

Texas Chainsaw 3D

Directed by: Jon Luessenhop

Starring: Alexandra Daddario, Tania Raymonde, Scott Eastwood
Description: A young woman inherits an estate in Texas. She and some friends go to check it out. Hijinks and chainsaws ensue. Mostly chainsaws.
My Prediction: Your typical slasher flick. Hotties running around, barely clothed, screaming, crying and dying. Probably a good addition to the Halloween-scary-movie-marathon. 2.5/5

Gangster Squad

Directed by: Ruben Fleischer

Starring:Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Sean Penn

Description: The LAPD work to keep the mafia out of LA using officers outside the law. 

My Prediction: I'm not sure about this one. I kind of liked the trailer, but I wasn't in love with it. There were awesome explosions and a vintage car chase, gun battles, Ryan Gosling shirtless. It could be a pretty awesome movie. I just worry that they made a modern movie and put it in period costume, which is one of my pet peeves. If your going to make a period piece, then you have to do the period full justice. For this movies sake, I hope they did just that. 3/5

Broken City

Directed by: Allen Hughes

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe, Catherine Zeta-Jones

Description: An ex-cop turned PI is hired to follow the mayors wife. He comes across a bigger scandal and conspiracy.

My Prediction: I couldn't get a whole lot in terms of spoilers from the trailer so I'm actually quite curious about this one. It looks gritty, action packed, dramatic and a bit thriller-esque. Russell Crowe seems to be coming back to the land of the living and this will probably be a good addition to his resume. If this is your typical gritty dramatic thriller, I'd say we're looking at a solid 3.5/5

The Last Stand

Directed by: Jee-woon Kim

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Johnny Knoxville

Description: A defeated LA cop settles in a small town. As an escaped baddy and his minions head for them the retired cop and the Feds gear up for the last stand.

My Prediction: Laughable. 2.5/5

Mama

Directed by: Andres Muschietti

Starring: Jessica Chastain

Description: Two young girls are found in the woods five years after their abrupt disappearance. As their aunt tries to reintroduce them to normal life she wonders, not only how they survived, but also if they brought something evil into the house.

My Prediction: A seriously good contender for Horror Movie Marathon nights. And possibly my nightmares. 4/5

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

Directed by: Tommy Wirkola

Starring: Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton

Description: Fifteen years after their own witch-incident, brother and sister team Hansel & Gretel are professional witch hunters.

My Prediction: Hilarious, whether it's intentional or not, just for the sheer absurdity of it. 2/5

Parker

Directed by: Taylor Hackford

Starring: Jason Statham, Jennifer Lopez

Description: A thief with an honor code is double crossed and left for dead. He works with an insider to get revenge (and his loot).

My Prediction: Typical. But hey, Jason Statham. If he gets shirtless, I'm so there. 3/5

The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway
Brief Description: Supposedly the final tale in the Dark Knight/Batman series. A villain comes to "relieve" the people of Gotham of their freedom with a nuclear bomb. Batman must overcome his insecurities and injuries to save his city.
My Rating: 4/5

I can't find any fault with Christopher Nolan. He is a cinematic genius. And what a way to end the series! Superb character depth and development. Awesome gadgets and jaw-dropping action. And yet, despite all of the praise-worthy attributes and my pure, uninhibited love of all things super hero, I'm still kind of meh about it.

Don't get me wrong, it's a great movie and worth a viewing. Maybe even a few viewings. But I just can't seem to get excited about it.

I've been sitting on this review for a while now. I didn't go see it in theaters, mostly because of all the shootings associated with it, so I've just watched it recently. But even so, I just haven't been able to easily define how I feel about it. I certainly enjoyed it when I was watching it. I wasn't bored by it and I felt and reacted in just the ways the director was (probably) going for. So, why am I so ambivalent about it after the fact?

Perhaps it was too predictable. Bane never felt like a character that would act on his own, as insane as he might have been, so I was kind of expecting a Sudden-Yet-Inevtiable-Betrayal from some character. And who better than the newly introduced, seemingly unimportant character? You also know that, no matter how bad things seem to get, they can't get Truly Bad, because that goes against Hollywood's rules. I suppose what I'm saying is that it isn't really that memorable. The only truly memorable part of the movie was the final scene, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, which made me squeal like a little girl that just found out unicorns DO exist. And just to further the squeal-fest:

Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease make this a movie!! PleaseyweasyPLEASE with a great big cherry on top!?