Fall brings so many delights with it—Pumpkin Spice Lattes, cooler weather, leaves changing colors. And to people like me, new series premiers! I love this time of year. There are always a few shows you say goodbye to in the spring, but fall brings new and renew. It’s a way to fill those little holes in your life, or at least in your TV schedule. 😉
Here’s what I’m really looking forward to:
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Hostages
Intelligence
The Blacklist
The Michael J. Fox Show
Sleepy Hollow (dug the pilot)
Almost Human
Enlisted
The Tomorrow People
Here’s what I’m unsure about:
The Goldbergs—Didn’t think I’d like it, but the pilot was kinda funny. I’ll check out a few more episodes.
Trophy Wife—Was pleasantly pleased by the pilot.
Lucky 7—We’ll see. Saw the UK version.
Back in the Game—Disappointed in pilot. I’ll try another episode before making up my mind.
Betrayal—Don’t know enough yet.
Once Upon A Time in Wonderland—Not sure about the direction it’s predecessor is taking, but will give it a whirl.
Mom—Clips look terrible, but with these two, I’ll try it out.
The Millers—Same comment as above. Just not sure Will Arnett can find the AD gold again.
The Crazy Ones—Hmmmm, just not sure yet.
We Are Men—It’s going to get one episode to prove itself to me. Honestly, I don’t have a lot of hope.
Sean Saves the World—Same comment as above.
Ironside—Saw the pilot, but not hooked yet.
Dracula—Haven’t gotten into a vamp show yet, so we’ll see if this is the game-changer.
Dads—Would’ve listed it above until I saw the pilot. WAS NOT IMPRESSED. Very disappointed. And sad, considering how much I love Seth Green. Will give it one more episode, not counting on it.
And, of course, what I’m most excited to see return:
Castle
Modern Family
Scandal
Person of Interest
Elementary
Hawaii Five-0
The Good Wife
Grimm
Bones
Doctor Who
White Collar
Downton Abbey
Psych
Justified
What about you? What’s going to fill up your queue or DVR in the coming months?
If you read my Oscar thoughts and predictions, or take a look at the photo above, you’ll see I was clearly hoping Lincoln would take home the Best Picture trophy. Argo, however, was a fantastic flick. It was a great year for movies, and there were a lot of well-deserved golden statues handed out tonight.
Here’s my quick recap because I’m tired, and have to get up early.
WINNERS
Overall, great show.
Seth McFarland, awesome. Very talented. I look forward to him coming back.
Loved the theme of music in the movies. Great performances.
Loved that the set dressing changed to reflect the award being given.
Loved seeing Charlize dance with Channing! Let’s see her in a movie dancing! (Loved all the dancing.)
Daniel Day-Lewis. Period.
Beautiful ending to Anne Hathaway’s speech, “Here’s hoping someday in the not-too-distant future the misfortunes of Fantine will be only found in fiction and not in real life.”
LOSERS
The camera people who couldn’t do a cutaway shot to save their lives. How did the actors react to the jokes? No idea.
The Bond tribute, if that’s what you want to call it.
The presentation of Best Picture and Best Original Song. Hated the way they lumped them all together, and not throughout the evening. And stinks that we didn’t get to see all the songs performed.
The only award I really felt was lacking was Best Actress, which will probably come as a shock to many. I though Emmanuelle Riva should’ve won. I thought Jennifer Lawrence was very good in the role, but realistically, she probably would’ve had her last in her list of nominees. I kinda felt it was more about the hype surrounding her right now.
MENU
For this party, I paid tribute to Lincoln the best way I knew how. The American way. The culinary way. With food.
I’m a filmie. It’s true. It says so right on my customized Starbucks card. (See photo. Thanks, Daron.)
Today I just finished watching all of the Best Picture Nominees for tomorrow night’s Oscars. The big glitzy night with the little golden man is pretty much my Super Bowl. I prep for this event all year long, watching movies and making predictions. And I often get asked what movies I’ve seen, or what I’d like to see win an Academy Award. I worked hard this year seeing these movies, just so I could report my thoughts to you here.
So, here you go. Here are the Oscars, from me to you.
BEST PICTURE:
Amour: It’s the story of an elderly man taking care of his wife who just had a stroke. And be warned, there’s a twist you don’t see coming. The acting is brilliant, and the scenes are long and slow so that you feel the stress and pain of the couple. I don’t think it’ll win any top awards, but it’s sure to have Foreign Language Film in the bag.
Argo: Victor Garber back in politics and semi-spying under the direction of Mr. Jennifer Garner—yes, please! It was a terrific movie, and even knowing the outcome, I was holding my breath at the end. If a movie says based on a true story, go see it. Even if you don’t want to, go. It’s an amazing cast, from the small to the big to the quirky parts.
The word on the street has this one picked as the winner, and it would be well-deserved.
Beasts of the Southern Wild: Interesting. Well done for the budget. I can’t say I really liked it, but I get the praise, and QW packs a lot of talent into that little body. So does the father, especially considering he’s not an actor but the owner of a local bakery who got talked into auditioning. I do think it’s a long shot for any awards, but an absolute honor being nominated. Cool that it ended up on the radar. Hopefully we’ll see more from these actors, writers and producers.
Django Unchained: It’s definitely Tarantino. Actually, the first two-thirds was pretty tame for him, and I really enjoyed that part. The latter third is Quintin to the max, lots of blood and violence. But kuddos that he took on such a serious subject in such a clever way.
Les Miserables: It really was beautiful, and fun to see on the big screen. The singing wasn’t Broadway-worthy, except Hugh who is no stranger there, but the performances nonetheless were all wonderful. Nothing beats the stage show, but this may be the closest it could ever come. Genius production, and so glad that Cameron Mackintosh was part of the team to keep it close to the Great White Way. And I gotta say, I’m excited to see what Tom Hooper will tackle next. After this and The King’s Speech, he’s on a roll with me.
Life of Pi: There almost aren’t words for how gorgeous this movie is. No one could’ve tackled it but Ang Lee. I never read the book, but it must have seem to readers that it would never translate to screen. I’m not sure what I expected from this flick, but it was so much more. Loved the story, and a little disappointed the main character wasn’t nominated for Actor in a Leading Role. He was outstanding. One of the characters notes that two things would come as a result of hearing Pi’s story. The first is that it would be a story worth writing and sharing, and the second is that anyone who hears it would believe in God. Agree with the character’s decision: check, check.
Lincoln: This is more than a movie. It is a work of art. I’ve seen A LOT of movies, but Lincoln goes into that special category that only a few ever do. Inspiring seems like too small a word. I will add this one to my all time fav’s, and ask everyone I know to see it. The cast is awesome, as you’d expect from Spielberg, but DDL yet again claims his place in film history. I think my jaw actually dropped from the first frame of him as Lincoln. (Someone give that makeup team an award!) Of course, the subject matter is near and dear to me, so that helped. But it really is nothing short of extraordinary. Lincoln is revered as one of the most loved and admired presidents of all time, so it was a lot to live up to. But DDL is, in my opinion, the Lincoln we’ve all dreamed of. After recently finishing a biography about The Great Emancipator, I have even more respect for him. But knowing the growth in his opinions and values over his lifetime that led to the final four months depicted in this film, I am more deeply saddened than ever before about his assassination. I, like so many others I imagine, found myself dreading the final moments of the film and wishing that it could end another way. I wonder what would’ve happened had he lived. Still, it made me more grateful for what he accomplished in his four years as President. Compassion at any level is never a small thing.
Keeping my fingers, toes, legs and eyes crossed that this one racks up the goods, including the top prize.
Silver Linings Playbook: A terrific ensemble cast, and I love the fact that it tackled mental illness which should be given more attention everywhere. Thanks, Hollywood, for stepping up. Bradley Cooper did a remarkable job with this role. Jennifer Lawrence seems to be getting more of the attention, but I personally think he did the heavy lifting. He’s just so darn pretty and talented. (Hearts for Will Tippin!) The use of humor in the movie is also incredible. Not only needed, but deserved, particularly the dining room dinner date. Everyone plays off each other so effortlessly, and it’s it clearly deserves attention.
Zero Dark Thirty: I probably wouldn’t have seen this if it wasn’t in the Best Picture lineup. It’s just not my thing. I even took my friend, Raechel, who knows a lot about current events and politics in case I had questions. 😉 But it was more intriguing than I would’ve thought. Of course, you never know what is based in reality and what isn’t, but still a good portrayal overall. And it always helps for me to see the events rather than just hear them reported. Somehow makes it more real—as wrong as that probably sounds. (PS—I just heard the term “zero dark thirty” on Homeland so perhaps it’s a real phrase. I didn’t hear it in the movie. However, I still think it sounds more like a Michael Bay summer blockbuster.)
And the winner is…
Well, personally, I hope the winner is Lincoln, but I think it will be Argo.
BONUS FEATURES:
Actor in a Leading Role: Bradley Cooper, Daniel Day-Lewis, Hugh Jackman, Joaquin Phoenix* and Denzel Washington
I want DDL to win, and I think he will.
Actress in a Leading Role: Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence, Emmanuelle Riva, Quvenzhane Wallis and Naomi Watts**
I’d give it to Emmanuelle or Quvenzhane, but the buzz is all about Jessica Chastain.
Actor in a Supporting Role: Alan Arkin, Robert De Niro, Philip Seymore Hoffman*, Tommy Lee Jones and Christoph Waltz
Tough call, but I think I’d chose Christoph Waltz. This may be the tightest race of the night. All performances were quite note-worthy.
Actress in a Supporting Role: Amy Adams*, Sally Field, Anne Hathaway, Helen Hunt* and Jacki Weaver
Anne Hathaway’s “small” part was incredibly moving. I think she’s got it in the bag. And I hope she has a sandwich in there, too, because she still needs to put on a few pounds.
Director: Michael Haneke, Benh Zeitlin, Ang Lee, Steven Spielberg and David O. Russell
I feel confident the stars and I are aligned on Spielberg.
*I haven’t seen The Sessions or The Master.
**The Impossible is a terrific movie. I highly recommend. Lots of tears will be shed if you’re anything like me, but it is a phenomenal true story and puts a face to the tragedy. It would’ve also been fitting to see the oldest son get a nomination. He was tremendous.
I’m sure I’ve mentioned more than once that I do not enjoy to read. However, I feel like it’s important and I do like to keep learning, so here we are. If only they’d make more movies about books! 😉
Here are the books I read and listened to over this past year. I mostly listen now since I have a long commute, and can get through books easier (faster) that way. It’s hard for me to sit and read at home; there are just too many good movies and TV shows, which I’d always prefer. But here you have it—my list for 2012. I was hoping it’d be a little longer, but I was home sick a lot this year and therefore didn’t listen to all the books I wanted to. So I’ll have some catching up to do next year.
As I write this post, we are on the eve of the Closing Ceremony. So sad. I get so excited to hear that Olympic theme play on NBC, and it’s anthem will only be heard a couple more times hailing from London. I’ll miss the Today Show reporting from the IBC. I’ll miss seeing interviews with people who can confidently call themselves the world’s best trampoliner. I’ll miss Bob Costas tucking me in each night.
To say that I think the Olympics are cool is a major understatement. I’m a full on fanatic! I’ve always been that way. I commit to the Olympics. I’ll watch whatever NBC is showing–from badminton to table tennis to judo to cycling to volleyball to swimming to track and field. It doesn’t matter. I have my favorites, of course, but I’m tuned in for a solid two weeks to whatever they feel like broadcasting.
I’ve grown up loving the Olympics. The only thing weird about that statement is that I’m not what you’d call a sports fan. In fact, anyone who knows me would never put sports on my top five loves list. Correct that–they wouldn’t put it on my top 100 list. I never watch sports. I don’t attend sports events. I just don’t care for them all that much. Never really have. Maybe the amount of energy I put into them for two years every two weeks just doesn’t leave me any in-between. I’m fine with that. And really, when do I ever do what’s expected anyway.
One of the things I love about the Olympics are that, much like the conferences I love so much, they are an opportunity to learn. Strange, obscure facts as well as ones I probably should’ve already known. But here we are, coming to the end of London 2012, and I’ve yet again learned a few things that I’d like to share with you.
What I’ve learned about the world:
I watched an amazing runner from Eritrea, a country I’d never heard of. So I looked it up.
2012 was the first year all participating countries sent both male and female athletes. The women from the three countries that had previously held out, Qatar, Brunei and Saudi Arabia, served as an inspiring example and reminder to the rest of the world. Their performance at the games wasn’t nearly as important as their presence.
Despite our sometimes vast differences, sports provides a common language that can break down barriers. I loved seeing the camaraderie and sportsmanship between athletes. It wasn’t necessarily a revolution, but a good reminder as someone who usually pays no attention to sports.
The world is obsessed with the US. Best Friend Heather confirmed for me that, yes, no matter which country is playing you can count on American music being played in the background. I shudder to think about some of those artists being our ambassadors to the world.
The Games unite us as one globe. For two weeks, many of us from every nation around the world are huddled in front of our televisions to witness the next great act. Of course, we cheer on our home team, but we cheer for every athlete who has overcome great obstacles to be seen on our little screens. We celebrate with them. We cry with them. (Come on, you know you do too). We revel in the human spirit, no matter where it comes from.
What I’ve learned about the US:
2012 was the first time that there were more women on Team USA than men. And they proved their worth by bringing home a majority of the medals.
We are competitive, and privileged, but hopefully not yet to a fault. I see some of these Asian and Eastern European countries competing, and hear what their athletes must give up in order to compete, and am thankful that those restrictions are not placed on our athletes (at least that I know of). One Asian gymnast had been home something like 17 days in the last five years or so. Another was “spared” news of the death of family members so that she could compete. Others are chosen as small children to live out the destiny that was made for them. Wow–so unfair. I can’t begin to imagine what our athletes give up to live their dreams, but at least they have the choice.
We rule the pool and women’s beach volleyball! I feel especially invested in athletes that compete in multiple games because it means their story is told numerous times, and I’ve probably seen all of them that take place during each Olympics. I was so excited and so proud to see Michael Phelps and Kerri/Misty go out with a bang. I’ve seen their major Games moments along the way, and was happy to have witnessed their journey. What amazing pieces of Olympic history to have seen, even from afar!
Team USA likes to have fun! They are very series and competitive athletes, but I love to see them enjoying life and the games as well. Thank you Today Show for many of those moments!
As technology increases, the uniforms decrease. I won’t lie; I’m a little afraid for what’s to come in Rio, especially since it’s the birthplace of the thong.
What I’ve learned about myself:
The reason I’ve always loved the Olympics are because I love the stories of the athletes. As a non-sports-watcher, I get sucked into the Games because every few minutes, interspersed between the swimming and the running and the jumping and the throwing, there is a triumphant tale off the field, which was many times, even more astounding than what the competition provides. It proves my theory than any person at any time in any place, has an incredible story.
I want to be better. Sure, watching the Olympics makes me feel old and out of shape and like I’ve done nothing with twice the life of most of the athletes on screen, but they also make me want to be better. Not necessarily physically, though that’s part of it, but just overall. You see the dedication that these people put into their craft. Their time. Their effort. Their heart. And it’s just plain inspiring. I want to be better. Better today. Better tomorrow.
My loyalty, like most everything else, is conditional. I usually start out cheering for Team USA, but then Bob Costas shows me the story of a man who is the first chance his country has at a medal, or a woman who is the first woman in her country to participate, or a man who could be his country’s first medal in gymnastics, or a small girl who’s got the weight of her country on her shoulders–and I crumble. I think, well, maybe this athlete could get a medal this time. USA already has so many. Or maybe, just maybe, there will be a tie for gold. It was fantastic to see Grenada, Botswana, Montenegro, Cyprus and Guatemala win their first-ever medals. I’m so happy for them!
I’m completely under the influence of the Olympics. I’ve been craving fish and chips for two weeks.
My tear ducts are Olympics-worthy. It’s amazing how many tears I continually shed for these people in two weeks. If Hallmark produced the Olympics, I would be an absolute puddle.
It’s been an amazing two weeks. I’m excited to see what London has in store for the Closing Ceremony. I loved the Opening Ceremony. Very British. Quite cheeky. It will be a lovely bookend to an unforgettable two weeks, I’m sure.
It’s on my bucket list to attend both a summer and winter Olympics. Luckily, there’s always one to save up for. My fingers are especially crossed for Madrid to win the 2012 bid.
Fall brings so many delights with it—Pumpkin Spice Lattes, cooler weather, leaves changing colors. And to people like me, new series premiers! I love this time of year. There are always a few shows you say goodbye to in the spring, but fall brings new and renew. It’s a way to fill those little holes in your life, or at least in your TV schedule. 😉
Mental Post-Its 