The Idol Runway

Two of my favorite reality shows are not doing great this season, folks, and it's breaking my heart.

Project Runway is actually having a very good season over on Lifetime, but I've had to miss three episodes in a row now, and honestly, I'm not missing them. The talent level is certainly high, and some of the contestants are even appealing characters. Even the challenges are raising the bar (though the last two were a little too vague for my tastes, one even directly stealing from a season five challenge). So why am I not interested?

Simply put, I feel as though last season poisoned the brand for me. Do I enjoy watching? Sure. But this isn't the highly entertaining, fun-to-follow show it once was. It's merely a shadow of it's former self. As a result, only one season after starting it, the Project Runway aspect of this blog is shut down. I'll still talk about the show, and I might even do some more extensive coverage for the finale, but the week-to-week stuff is dead and buried.

As far as this season is concerned, I think Jay, Seth Aaron, and Emilio are probably the safest bets for the finale. Sure, they've all had low points, but so have all the others (except Maya, who didn't even show at Fashion Week), and some of them, particularly Anthony and Jonathan, just don't seem like viable winners. And Mila... well, I'm never sure what to think of Mila.

Meanwhile, over on American Idol, the show has cleaned up its act from last year, but the talent level is way down. Crystal Bowersox and Siobhan Magnus are lighting the stage on fire every week, and if things progress similarly, they'll all be fine, but woe to the show if neither of the ladies win this season...

That's Good.

As a general rule, I hate CBS' typical crime procedurals (think CSI: and Cold Case). While I like a good detective case as much as the next person, procedurals today are all very predictable and not too entertaining. (Save, of course, The Closer, but I almost don't classify that character-based show as a procedural.)

Imagine my pleasant surprise, then, when CBS introduced The Good Wife last fall. I watched the pilot episode, assured that I would be entertained at the least, if not enthralled or enraptured.

Turns out, I was all of the above. Julianna Marguiles of ER fame leads a phenomenal cast in this truly oustanding drama series that defies the parameters of "procedural" and "serial," preferring instead to be a "procereal," an amalgamation of the two.

For those who don't know, Good is about Alicia Florrick, a State's Attorney's wife scorned after her husband, Peter, played by Sex and the City's Mr. Big, Chris Noth, is caught with a prostitute, and also thrown into prison for corruption. Since he was the primary breadwinner while she was raising their two kids, 15-year old Zach and 14-year old Grace, Alicia must go back to work as a lawyer, starting as a junior associate. At her law firm, Stern, Lockhart, and Gardner, there's only one position for a junior associate, so she must compete with Matt Czuchry's Cary Agos, an ambitious first-year lawyer, for the spot. Populating the firm are legal assistant Kalinda Sharma and partners Will Gardner and Diane Lockhart.

Beyond the superb writing that blends elements of the Florrick's home lives with the case of the week effortlessly, the cast of Good is incredibly dynamic, and each brings something truly special to the table. Christine Baranski, who could have played Diane as cold and unfeeling, instead chose to inject a little warmth, as evidenced by her soon-to-be Emmy-winning work in a recent episode courting a ballistics expert as much to the right as she is to the left. Josh Charles, perhaps best known for his role in Dead Poets' Society, uses that same boyish charm combined with a quick wit to play Will as a character both mischevious and good-hearted. Archie Panjabi imbues Kalinda with such inner strength and mystery that it is impossible not to fall in love with her. Czuchry, of both I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell and Gilmore Girls, is pure genius in his role, gamely competing and growing to like Alicia while still being the slightest bit underhanded. And his scene on shrooms was, to put it succinctly, sublime.

But it is Marguiles as a wounded woman hellbent on making things right for her family that truly shines. I was never a fan of ER, and so I was unfamiliar with Marguiles before this, but if she was half as good in that role as she is in this one, her Emmy is wholeheartedly deserved. Alicia isn't sure what she wants out of life, necessitating a sense of both bewilderment and purpose in what is in front of her, a skill which most actresses wouldn't be able to pull off. Marguiles does it with aplomb.

Entertainment Weekly recently declared The Good Wife the best show currently on television. At first, I was hesitant to agree, what with Damages and Glee in the middle of phenomenal seasons right now--and that's not even thinking about the indescribably good Mad Men!--but now I'm warming up to their line of thinking. Punch for punch, Good is just that: it's just plain good.

The Awkwards! Honoring the Best in Film from 2008 (Retroactively)

Boys and girls, I have so much blogging to catch up on!

If I get everything done that I want to by the end of tomorrow, I should have four posts up for this weekend. And only one has to do with awards. Back to sanity, kids!

I had so much fun handing out the Awkwards! a few weeks ago, I decided that since I had covered the 81st Academy Awards as well, I should do a set of awards for those films. So I am. I can award them. I have the technology.

A reminder: Unlike the Oscars, I only have 10 categories (this is an abbreviated version for one-time use only), and I only use six of the Academy's categories. Some are more fun than others, but overall, I want to capture all aspects of a film in these categories that may have not as much to do with the technical work, but what, as an audience member, we appreciate.

I also award 5th through 1st. The only other rule I have is that one performer can't be nominated twice in one category. So without further ado, let's get started!

Best Ensemble
1st: Burn After Reading
2nd: The Class
3rd: Doubt
4th: Vicky Cristina Barcelona
5th: Rachel Getting Married

Best Individual Scene
1st: The Interrogation, The Dark Knight
2nd: Conversing with Mrs. Miller, Doubt
3rd: Chad's Shooting, Burn After Reading
4th: The Late Night Phone Call, Frost/Nixon
5th: The Taj Mahal, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Supporting Actor
1st: Brad Pitt, Burn After Reading
2nd: Aaron Eckhart, The Dark Knight
3rd: Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road
4th: Kevin Bacon, Frost/Nixon
5th: John Malkovitch, Burn After Reading

(Looking for Heath Ledger? He's a lead in my book, so look in that category.)

Best Individual Line
1st: "I thought you might be worried... about the security... of your shit." Burn After Reading
2nd: "You...complete me!" The Dark Knight
3rd: "I'm not talking about talent. I said 'genius.' Gee-nius." Vicky Cristina Barcelona
4th: "I hate you. You were just some boy who made me laugh at a party once, and now I loathe the sight of you." Revolutionary Road
5th: "I have doubts! I have such doubts!" Doubt

Best Supporting Actress
1st: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
2nd: Viola Davis, Doubt
3rd: Rosemarie Dewitt, Rachel Getting Married
4th: Tilda Swinton, Burn After Reading
5th: Debra Winger, Rachel Getting Married

Best Title
1st: Slumdog Millionaire
2nd: Rachel Getting Married
3rd: Vicky Cristina Barcelona
4th: Burn After Reading
5th: The Wrestler

Best Actor
1st: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
2nd: Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
3rd: Sean Penn, Milk
4th: Michael Sheen, Frost/Nixon
5th: Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt

Best Actress
1st: Meryl Streep, Doubt
2nd: Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road
3rd: Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
4th: Frances McDormand, Burn After Reading
5th: Rebecca Hall, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Director
1st: Jonathan Demme, Rachel Getting Married
2nd: Laurent Cantet, The Class
3rd: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
4th: Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight
5th: Woody Allen, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Picture
1st: Doubt
2nd: Vicky Cristina Barcelona
3rd: Rachel Getting Married
4th: Burn After Reading
5th: Slumdog Millionaire

And here's the nomination count:

8 nominations
Burn After Reading (3 wins)

7 nominations
Doubt (2 wins)
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (1 win)

5 nominations
Rachel Getting Married (1 win)
The Dark Knight (2 wins)

4 nominations
Slumdog Millionaire (1 win)
Frost/Nixon

2 nominations
The Class
Revolutionary Road

1 nomination
The Wrestler
Milk

This was a year when the supposed clear winner (Burn After Reading with 8 nominations and 2 wins) lost out to another favorite of mine (Doubt is in my Top Five films of all time, after all). Revolutionary Road had a really strong showing despite my hatred for the film. And though I like to retcon my opinions of Slumdog Millionaire and The Dark Knight, this list proves what is painfully obvious: both films were accomplished, interesting, appealing, and instant classics.

What about you guys? What did you think of 2008? What did I miss? Take it to the comments!

YIKES!

What the hell happened? After doing so well all season long, things took a very dark, very unfortunate turn last night, with my predictions landing at 13/24 instead of last year's much-better 18/24. (Remember: I don't count alternates seriously, but just to note how close I really was: 21/24 if you include real "Could Win" picks. 8 more!) This might have been a case of desperate self-doubt.

Pre-Show
I had totally forgotten how awesome of a person Tom Ford was. (See his cameo in Zoolander for further evidence.) But his voice is a booming basso profundo that accentuates the end of his words. Just like Oprah!

Who did Vera Farmiga vote for Best Director? Eventual winner Kathryn Bigelow! Of course, when she said who she was voting for, I'm sure she simply forgot that her director, Jason Reitman, was even nominated. It's not that she just thinks he's a jerk (which is the totally true version of events). Side note: Farmiga easily wins my Best Dressed of the night. Her Marchesa gown was intricate, fascinating, and truly radiant.

I seem to be the only one who disliked Sandra Bullock's dress. I'll give you that her makeup and hair were immaculate, and I loved some of the gold dresses on the red carpet, but her Marchesa was gold, stretchy, and gaudy. I just didn't think it was all that great. In fact, I really hated it. Not my least favorite, but I didn't think it was anything to write home about.

Now Charlize Theron's dress: that was the worst. Cotton candy boobs, much?

The Show
I didn't like the show on the whole. There were moments I really enjoyed, like some of hosts Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin's quips about Meryl Streep ("What's with all the Hitler memorabilia?"), but on the whole, it was unremarkable at best and boring at worst.

...and that's all I'm gonna say about that. You can look elsewhere for commentary on the show--I'm not a reviewer. I'm an Oscarologist.

The Awards
You can figure out for yourself which awards I missed, but suffice it to say that I really screwed up in the Shorts categories, going 0/3, and then missing a couple of key wins that, in retrospect, seemed obvious: Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay, and the Sound categories. But I was thrilled to miss Best Adapted Screenplay--Geoffrey Fletcher wholeheartedly deserved that award (especially over überbitch Jason Reitman) for Precious, and we can't forget that Kathryn Bigelow's win wasn't the only history made: Fletcher is the first black screenwriter to win an Oscar. Cool, huh?

I was thrilled with The Hurt Locker's dominance, especially with regard to Best Director, which, let's be real, was a freaking awesome moment. I don't understand how anyone could hate Bigelow. She's so deserving. (And for the apathetic males, also incredibly hot.)

The acting wins were all expected, but that doesn't make the Oscars for Mo'Nique and Christoph Waltz any less deserving and absolutely perfect. With Jeff Bridges, I was happy that the man finally has an Oscar, but his was only the third-best performance in this category I had seen this year, so I'm not sure how to feel about it. (Sorry, Colin Firth...)

Avatar got pretty owned, with the likes of Precious winning only one less Oscar (and its two Oscars were in top-tier categories, unlike Blue Pocahontas'). In a word: awesome.

After the Oscar season has cooled, I don't like looking back much, so that's why this is so short. I'm already looking at next year (Never Let Me Go is currently on my radar), as things always go in the Oscar world: after the ceremony is over, next year has already begun.

Remember to Watch the OSCARS Tonight on ABC at 7:30!

Obviously, the Oscars are tonight. What has seemed like both a volatile and calm awards season comes to an end when the final envelope is read and a film legend (probably) tells us that "The Oscar goes to..."

Ah, the "..." Who will be our big winner tonight? Could it really be Avatar, which I seem to have absolutely no faith in? Or could it be The Hurt Locker the would-be frontrunner if it weren't such an odd year? Inglourious Basterds could pull a Crash-sized upset (it has the crucial SAG Ensemble award, after all), or even Precious could appeal to the emotional Academy members. And what to make of Up in the Air? Its buzz totally vanished, but it doesn't have many haters. Could it squeak by on the preferential voting system?

All I know is that this is one of the strangest Oscar seasons in history, and my predictions could go 24/24 tonight, or they could go 16/24. It's that kind of year. So many different scenarios could play out, and this isn't just the Best Picture category. I'm still unconvinced that we're looking at a sure thing win for Sandra Bullock in Best Actress, despite so many pundits' insistence to the contrary. In fact, in a year when the acting categories seem like such locks (who truly believes we won't see Mo'Nique, Christoph Waltz, and Jeff Bridges all walk away happy tonight?), Best Actress just seems like a potential minefield that has everybody worried. Yes, most pundits are predicting Bullock, but there's plenty of love out there in the Academy for Carey Mulligan, Gabourey Sidibe, and of course the legend who has gone 27 years and 11 nominations without winning, Meryl Streep. (Oh, and Helen Mirren is in the race, too. I think.)

In honor of the volatility of the race, I'm reposting my nominations (unchanged), plus "Could Win" picks: in other words, possible upsets. They won't be counted in my overall record, but they're there to represent the possible twists and turns this race could take. Do I have faith in my picks? Absolutely. I have followed this race since April, and I think I have a secure grasp on what will happen. My nomination predictions were strong, beating out some of the better Oscarologists on the web, and some risks that I took (keeping Matt Damon and Penelope Cruz; believing in District 9's ardent fans to get it a Best Picture nomination) really paid off. The only major risks I'm taking in the big categories are in Original Screenplay and Actress, choosing Streep and Tarantino instead of Bullock and Boal, though even those picks aren't unheard of. Things get dicier in some of the tech categories, especially Makeup, Cinematography, and the Short categories. Like I said, things could go two very different ways, or even somewhere in the middle. It's all a house of cards.

For those I usually text with during the Oscar ceremony, I'm really sorry to say I don't have my phone with me at the moment. However, I will try to check the comments sections on both the Awkward is What We Aim For blog and Facebook, though I actually can't respond on Facebook (my technological capabilities are severely diminished when I don't have my phone). Any comments or questions you have can go either place, and I will do my best to get back to you.

I hope (for everyone's sake) that things turn out well tonight. Not everyone's favorite can win, but perhaps we can get a result that will placate as many as possible.

...as long as Sandra doesn't win. Because a single drunk dance at the Chinese Chopstick Buffet/rave doesn't forgive her Southern drawl. (Thanks, newly bespectacled Miguel Ramirez!)

Best Documentary Feature
Will Win: The Cove
Could Win: Food, Inc.

Best Documentary Short
Will Win: The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
Could Win: ANYTHING. My guesses in the Short categories are purely conjecture.

Best Animated Short
Will Win: A Matter of Loaf and Death
Could Win: Logorama

Best Foreign Film
Will Win: A Prophet (Un Prophéte)
Could Win: El Secreto de Sus Ojos

Best Makeup
Will Win: The Young Victoria
Could Win: Star Trek

Best Live Action Short
Will Win: The Door
Could Win: Kavi

Best Cinematography
Will Win: The White Ribbon
Could Win: Avatar

Side note: I feel a little crazy legitimately picking The White Ribbon, but to me, the whole thing just screams cinematography.

Best Film Editing
Will Win: The Hurt Locker
Could Win: Avatar

Best Sound Editing
Will Win: Avatar
Could Win: The Hurt Locker

Best Sound Mixing
Will Win: Avatar
Could Win: The Hurt Locker

Best Visual Effects
Will Win: Avatar
Could Win: Yeah, like Blue Pocahontas is gonna lose here.

Best Costume Design
Will Win: The Young Victoria
Could Win: Coco Before Chanel (Coco Avant Chanel)

Best Art Direction
Will Win: Avatar
Could Win: The Young Victoria (but it won't happen)

Best Original Score
Will Win: UP
Could Win: Avatar

Best Original Song
Will Win: "The Weary Kind," Crazy Heart
Could Win: Have you heard the other songs? This one is undefeatable.

Best Animated Feature
Will Win: UP
Could Win: Fantastic Mr. Fox

Best Original Screenplay
Will Win: Inglourious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino
Could Win: The Hurt Locker, Mark Boal

Best Adapted Screenplay
Will Win: Up in the Air, Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner
Could Win: Precious, Geoffrey Fletcher

Best Director
Will Win: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Could Win: James Cameron, Avatar

Best Supporting Actress
Will Win: Mo'Nique, Precious
Could Win: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart

Best Supporting Actor
Will Win: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Could Win: Christopher Plummer, The Last Station

Best Actress
Will Win: Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Could Win: Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side

Best Actor
Will Win: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
Could Win: Colin Firth, A Single Man

Best Picture
Will Win: The Hurt Locker
Could Win: Inglourious Basterds

"Why is no one read-yyy?"

I have to admit, boys and girls, I was a little dismayed that no one picked up on the awesome Oscar Predictions contest I threw down last weekend. After all, I am offering a gift package filled with candy and an Oscar movie that would surely be awesome.

I am reposting the contest as a 12-category contest, along with a slight tweaking in predictions (calm down, it's one pick). The contest is open until noon on Sunday, and as long as your predictions are posted somewhere in plain sight on Facebook (either my Wall, the comments section on this post or Pick Yer Horses 2009, etc.) The categories you should pick in are marked with an asterisk.

Good luck to all competitors!

Best Documentary Feature
Will Win: The Cove

Best Documentary Short
Will Win: The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant

Best Animated Short
Will Win: A Matter of Loaf and Death

*Best Foreign Film
Will Win: A Prophet (Un Prophéte)

Best Makeup
Will Win: The Young Victoria

Best Live Action Short
Will Win: The Door

Best Cinematography
Will Win: The White Ribbon

Best Film Editing
Will Win: The Hurt Locker

Best Sound Editing
Will Win: Avatar

Best Sound Mixing
Will Win: Avatar

Best Visual Effects
Will Win: Avatar

Best Costume Design
Will Win: The Young Victoria

Best Art Direction
Will Win: Avatar

*Best Original Score
Will Win: UP

*Best Original Song
Will Win: "The Weary Kind," Crazy Heart

*Best Animated Feature
Will Win: UP

*Best Original Screenplay
Will Win: Inglourious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino

*Best Adapted Screenplay
Will Win: Up in the Air, Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner

*Best Director
Will Win: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker

*Best Supporting Actress
Will Win: Mo'Nique, Precious

*Best Supporting Actor
Will Win: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

*Best Actress
Will Win: Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

*Best Actor
Will Win: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

*Best Picture
Will Win: The Hurt Locker

Lay it Out

What do you think of the new layout? Leave some feedback in the comments, if you care. (It's totally okay if you don't. We can still be friends. But you probably won't be invited to my birthday party.)