Zero Dark 8:30

You like me, you REALLY like me.

Yesterday, I practiced my annual tradition of waking up at the crack of dawn to go and watch the live announcement of the Academy Award nominations. This year, I was in Connecticut with a friend for her birthday celebration. Happy Birthday Brianna! I considered, briefly, that this behavior might have to be altered while I was at someone else’s house. But, with everyone who lived there out at work or appointments I was able to watch the press conference and freak out like any other year.

“Silver Linings Playbook” racked up eight nominations including one in every acting category including a Best Actor nod for Bradley Cooper.

 

A few days before the announcement I was telling someone that if the Academy only allowed five films to be nominated for Best Picture I had seen four of the five I felt were locks for nominations. “Les Miserables”, “Zero Dark Thirty”, “Lincoln” and “Silver Linings Playbook” were all checked off of my list before Award Season even started. I think this year we had a really good crop of films and unlike years past a lot of the films have commercial and not just critical appeal. Alongside those four films the Academy also nominated “Argo” which was the lock I hadn’t seen, “Amour”, Life of Pi”, “Django: Unchained” and “Beasts of the Southern Wild” are on my yet to be seen list. I try to make it my business to see a lot of the nominees but I think that “Lincoln” is the safe bet with “Pi” on it’s heels. “Zero Dark Thirty” is my dark horse, no one saw “Hurt Locker” coming in 2009 and ZD30 is a powerhouse. Tense and gritty I spent three hours on the edge of my seat.

Jessica Chastain racked up her second annual Oscar nod. This time for Best Actress.

In the acting categories Daniel Day Lewis leads the Actor race, far ahead of Bradley Cooper, Hugh Jackman, Joaquin Phoenix and Denzel Washington. I really am rooting for Cooper, because he was so amazing in “Silver Linings Playbook” and just between us friends with his proclivity to sign up for “Hangover” sequels that amazing performance came as a surprise to me. Best Actress isn’t as obvious a race. Quvenzhane Wallis and Emmanuelle Riva break records as the youngest and oldest nominees in history. While Jessica Chastain and Jennifer Lawrence battle it out for front runner. I am rooting for Jessica, no offense Katniss. The fifth nominee I almost forgot is Naomi Watts. Sorry girl, at least it’s an honor to be nominated. In supporting Anne Hathaway and Tommy Lee Jones lead their races. Best supporting actor is the win/win category this year since EVERY nominee has won previously.

I know nominations were just announced yesterday morning but Oscar Sunday will be here before you know it. I am planning on holding my annual Oscar party, and rooting for my favorites. If yesterday’s announcement alongside Emma Stone was any indication we have a great show to look forward to with host Seth McFarland. And, as I previously said I think we got a good crop of nominees and a very attractive set of films to watch in the mean time. My one gripe is the overcrowded director category. No love for Affleck who has experienced not a career comeback, but a resurrection of sorts with “Argo”. A similar fate for Katheryn Bigelow. But, at least they can cry their eyes out about their snubs clutching their previous Oscars.

The Year Without an Oprah

All of us raising a tequila toast to Oprah.

Today is the birthday of two of my favorite people, my sister Brittany and my dear friend Kate. I wish both of them a year of happiness, good times and good health. Today is also the one year anniversary of “the Oprah Winfrey Show” ending its 25 year run. One year ago, I was gathered around my television set with some of my best friends, drinking Moscow Mules and eating Garrets Popcorn as Oprah signed off. Her amazing last show was essentially a final sermon from the church of Oprah. Encompassing all the wisdom she had imparted on us during the run of the show. Since then Oprah has moved on to OWN and openly discussed and faced the struggles surrounding her freshman network. I was enraptured by “Behind the Scenes: Season 25″, so much so that a write in question I submitted landed me a guest spot on the show. However, OWN’s new Oprah shows “Oprah’s Life Class” and “Oprah’s Next Chapter”, have failed to draw me as a dedicated viewer. In the past year, there have been a few times I was sad that I didn’t have the daily “Oprah” show to tune in to. While I was a dedicated and almost obsessive viewer for the last season, I was a casual viewer for years prior to that. So I watched as Oprah covered things like Britney Spears mania, the Twilight explosion and the OJ Simpson case. So over the course of this year there have been a few times I wished Oprah was there to cover some of the biggest pop culture moments. Here are my top five moments where I missed Oprah.

Would Oprah & her book club love the lit-porn best seller?

5. With the exception of Dr. Phil, Suze Orman and Dr. Oz, Oprah’s famous creation was the Oprah Book Club. She covered classics like Dickens and modern best sellers like “Freedom”, but would the Oprah Book Club have covered “50 Shades of Grey”? The smutty best seller has been a talking point on every talk show and around every water cooler in the US. I would love to know see Oprah ask E.L. James about her knowledge of S&M. I would also love to hear Oprah’s take on Christian Grey.

I love this product… But, does Oprah?

4. Oprah’s Favorite Things was one of the annual traditions I looked forward to. There were some seasons during the 25 year run where I would only watch that one episode. While Oprah ended it on a high note giving everyone in the audience 2012 VW Beetles, I would love to have seen what Oprah would have served up this year. As I made my list this past Christmas and asked for face lotions, an iPad 2 and colored denim I couldn’t help but wonder, would Oprah approve? Maybe she could consider a Favorite Things Special for OWN?

1D did SNL and the Today Show… but little else.

3. Several things came back into style this year, but none bigger than boy bands. With One Direction on a path to global domination and the Wanted scoring a number one hit it is safe to say a new boy band age has begun. While the Wanted has scored an on air home with Ellen Degeneres, who gave them their first American television appearance, the boys in 1D have not done much TV. They did a “Today Show” concert and not much else. Oprah would have been a wonderful launch pad for One Direction, just as she was for the Spice Girls back in the day.

Oprah is the one person could handle the situation that was the Trayvon Martin press fiasco.

2. Oprah may be most well known for her splashy celebrity interviews and her affinity for giving people cars, but she also covered a lot of serious news items. The homophobia in Williamson and her live show the day of the OJ verdict are just a few that come to mind. But, this year when the news was rocked by Trayvon Martin’s shooting at the hands of a white security guard, I missed Oprah and her ability to shed light on these tough situations and unite her audience regardless of their skin color. While the news and press coverage at first was heavy, it thinned out overtime and no one seemed brave enough to ask the tough questions and speak up about this tragedy. Making the situation perfect for someone with Oprah’s tough but insightful on air persona.

Josh was charming on every show on television, but I would have loved to see him seated next to Oprah.

1. “The Hunger Games” was released this spring and the stars of the film Jennifer Lawerence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth hit the ground running crisscrossing the globe in promotional duties. But, one place they couldn’t hit was Oprah’s couch. When the movie became the third biggest opening weekend of all time, and the stars became overnight A-listers, it would have been a natural fit that Oprah be their first megastar interviews. Just like she covered “Twilight”, “Harry Potter” and every other pop culture phenomenon Oprah would have been the perfect place to discuss Jennifer, Josh and Liam’s life after the games. Although, Josh and Oprah on one stage might be too much for my little flaming heart.

Josh Hutcherson Makes It Even Easier to Love Him…

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I rarely revisit topics on BEST Blog, but after last week Josh Hutcherson has earned another post.

I rarely revisit topics on this blog, I think once I’ve given my views on things it’s better to move on. Unless they change, there’s no point in rehashing old things. That’s how dead horses end up getting beaten. And, as an animal lover I am unable to stand for the abuse of horses. Even if they’re previously deceased. But, I feel so passionately about this particular topic I need to revisit it. Last month when the Hunger Games premiered I posted about how charisma, talent and charm helped me go from being ambivalent towards Josh Hutcherson to really liking him. With “the Hunger Games” grossing 350 million dollars the entire cast has been in the media constantly. This has allowed me to know what Jennifer Lawerence wears to the airport, what Liam Hemsworth buys at Whole Foods and that Josh Hutcherson is the most awesome mother fucker to walk this earth other than myself.

First, I saw his indie slasher comedy and SXSW feature “Detention”. Initially after seeing the movie I was not a fan as it felt too all over the place. There was a thin explanation given about how the students were able to time travel, and a bit about a student being half-insect goes all but unexplained. However, with each passing day I came to think of the film more and more positively. I realized how many references Director Joesph Khan threw in from his years of music video directing. Then while telling a friend about the film I recalled how struck I was by the whip smart dialogue and fun on screen pop up graphics. But, the final nail in the coffin was that for days after seeing it I couldn’t stop thinking about the final scene where Josh Hutcherson and his on-screen love Shanley Caswell recreate the final dance from the 1987 classic “Dirty Dancing”, to a modern remix of “Mmm Bop” by Hanson. The film is currently in extremely limited release in ten US cities, but I think once the film is released on DVD and made available on Netflix it will find its audience. I feel with it’s sci-fi, slasher and comedic elements plus a witty commentary on the cyber generation that it will undoubtedly gain a cult following. If you are lucky enough to live in one of the ten cities showing “Detention” be sure to check it out.

Wearing a three piece suit, fighting for equality, making homos swoon. All in a days work...

The other, and more serious reason to love Josh Hutcherson this week came when he was honored at the GLAAD Awards. When researching Josh for my initial post on him, I came to learn about his work with “Straight but Not Narrow”. A group dedicated to dispelling misconceptions about gay people to high school aged students. During the media’s inescapable coverage of “the Hunger Games” cast it was revealed Josh had lost two gay relatives to AIDS and was inspired by them to be active in the movement for LGTB equality. It was due to his work towards that goal and his involvement in SBNN that earned him the GLAAD Vanguard award. At first, I was nervous that the Vangaurd award might be a little premature. But, those feelings were dispelled after seeing Josh’s emotional, intelligent and heart string tugging acceptance speech. Calling for equality not just in marriage but in all aspects and even going as far as to discuss his hopes for his own children should they be gay, Josh pretty much made it impossible to not love him.

 

In addition to the GLAAD Vangaurd Award, Josh recently picked up LOGO’s “New, Now, Next Award” for Next Mega Star. So it seems that the LGTB community has just as much love and support for Josh as he does for us. I think at this point it would take a Michael Richards type racial tirade or personal attack from Josh himself to get me to not love him. Although, his rumored flirting with Emma Roberts is not winning him any points on the BEST Blog scoreboard. However, the buzz stemming from his indie films “Carmel” and “7 Dias en La Habana” will keep him in my good graces. Until their release, I will look forward to the good work I can expect from Josh onscreen and off.

The Hunger Games Sequel’s Casting Rumors Catch Fire

A fan made poster that I enjoyed from Tumblr.

“The Hunger Games” pulled a rare trifecta this week, with a number one selling book, a number one selling soundtrack and the weekend’s number one movie at the box office. It is safe to say that it is a phenomenon. And, while Lionsgate counts their money and sends an Edible Arrangements to Suzanne Collins my friends and I along with every other HG fan seem to already be thinking about “Catching Fire”. As a big fan of the book, I don’t feel comfortable discussing it too much. I feel like the book’s plot is so crazy, that reading it and experiencing it for yourself is part of the fun. But, in the course of the book’s events we meet a few new characters. And, just like the internet was ablaze with chatter over who was going to play Katniss, Peeta and the others, this new crop of characters is in the center of a firestorm of speculation. I figured I should throw my opinions out there to stir the pot and so that when official announcements are made, my picks were in writing ahead of time.

Kellan Lutz was my original pick, but the material and a reported ban on Twilight stars in THG made me look elsewhere.

One of the new characters is Finnick Odair. When we meet Finnick he is wearing sea weed and a tuna net, eating sugar cubes and cheekily hitting on our dear Katniss. Upon our first introduction to Finnick we are led to believe he is a sexy, shallow and one note Lothario. He is from District 4, which is where Panem’s fish originate so he is a skilled swimmer and deadly with a trident. When I first read Fire I imagined Kellan Lutz to be Finnick. Collins paints a portrait of a man who is incredibly sexy, very muscular and super cocky. But, as the rest of the story was told both in this book and later in Mockingjay we see the rest of Finnick unfold.

Colton Haynes would be ideal Finnick. Look at how good and how natural he looks in that water.

These later developments take the character into deeper territory, and while I love Kellan, I am not sure he has the dramatic abilities to portray the heavier elements. In the discussions I’ve had I have heard Grant Gustin, Armie Hammer and countless others mentioned. The two people who I would throw my weight behind are Taylor Kisch of “Friday Night Lights” and “John Carter” fame. From those I know who watched FNL, I’ve heard Taylor has the chops for the role and with his history of modeling we know he has the torso for Finnick. The other pick is a bit of a dark horse and was suggested by my friend June, “Teen Wolf’s” Colton Haynes. From what I have seen of “Teen Wolf” he could handle the role. Plus his Abercrombie and Fitch ads will show you he not only has the body for Finnick but also seems like he would be totally comfortable talking to Katniss in a net and leaves. While I feel Kisch is a safer pick, Haynes is closer to the Finnick I imagined. Plus, I like Colton and think this project would boost his profile.

Kristen Bell discussed her passion for the series a few weeks ago on Jimmy Kimmel.

Our other character in need of casting is Joanna Mason. We meet Joanna in this book, but she is mentioned in the Hunger Games novel. Katniss tells us about watching Joanna, a girl from District 7 in an earlier games. She cried and appeared cowardly in the weeks leading up to the games, but as the tributes lessened Joanna revealed her true nature as a cold blooded killer who wields an ax and takes no prisoners. As with Finnick, this character has a dual nature so the actor cast has to be able to nail the weakling side and the tough killer side. Some of Collins writing may be clunky, but her ability to tell stories and develop characters is magical.

With her chic style and sweet face, Mia Wasikowska could nail the seemingly weak but lethal Joanna Mason.

Kristen Bell has been campaigning for the role of Joanna since I can remember. While I love that she is a big fan of the books, even admitting to throwing a HG themed birthday party. I am not sold on her as Joanna. Other names I have heard are Naya Rivera and Anna Kendrick but, my pick would be Mia Wasikowska. She has proven herself a wonderful actress in “Albert Nobbs” and “the Kids Are All Right”, plus we know she can do a blockbuster after her work in the $1 Billion grossing “Alice in Wonderland”. I think she is someone who could absolutely pull off the weak coward side of Joanna and also be a total bad ass who is a thorn in Katniss’ side.

Sadly, my pull at Lionsgate is minimal and as of yet they haven’t asked me for my take on whoever they’re thinking about. But, I wanted to share my opinions and hopefully get a good debate going on who will eventually step into the roles alongside Josh Hutcherson and Jennifer Lawrence. “Catching Fire” is scheduled for a November 2013 release and according to my dream BFF, JHutch, is expected to start shooting this summer. So hopefully we will have a casting scoop soon. I feel like these two characters are such a huge part of the story from here on out and think the pressure is on. The world will be watching Lionsgate, so may the odds be ever in your favor.

Hungry For More…

I am not sure when exactly I decided to get into the Hunger Games. A film adaptation had been announced and the argument raging on the internet over who should step into the roles of Katniss, Peeta and Gale intrigued me. Then one day, while I was buying some books off Amazon I added it to my cart. Within hours of its arrival, I was deeply immersed in the world author Suzanne Collins designs. A few hours after that, I was ready to make myself a Nightlock and Yogurt parfait over my idiotic decision not to buy books 2 and 3 when I ordered the first. I then suffered for days as my order processed and shipped from Amazon. Do you know how hard it is to try and read Anderson Cooper’s memoir when all you want to do is find out what is going to happen to Peeta Mellark? My obsessive and constant tweeting about the books sparked a wave of new readers in my friendship circle. My friend Anne went first, then my friend Lauren, then my friend Kathleen, and then… you get the picture. As I was about 100 pages shy of finishing the first book the casting officially went public. I had envisioned someone darker for Gale, I wanted Hunter Parrish for Peeta but Katniss was just right.After I finished Mockingjay last summer, it felt like the wait for the movie version of the Hunger Games was forever away. And, after months of waiting, its finally here.

Liam and I at Good Morning America. Team Gale has never looked so appealing.

Leading up to the film’s midnight release there was a press blitz of crazy proportions, so avoiding spoilers, clips and sneak peaks was nearly impossible. But, I wanted to leave it all a secret until midnight. Thanks to the press blitz, the opportunity to meet our favorite tributes was ours for the taking. Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth were all set to appear on Good Morning America leading up to the film’s release. I went to meet Liam and Josh and have to say the both of them were ready and excited to greet the crowd of fans. Jennifer seems like she’s going to need some time to adjust to her new super star status. The most amazing part of going to Good Morning America on Thursday was seeing the crowd and how it multiplied since Josh’s last appearance last Fall when he debuted the trailer. Back then, there were under two dozen of us, and Josh spent 10 minutes outside. On Thursday morning there was closer to 75 people, Josh was still as nice but had to manage his time a tad wiser.

Sara and I all done up as Katniss and Peeta. Luckily, it was not my first time dressed as a total flamer.

To further amp ourselves up for the release,my friend Sara and I decided to go all out and dress as Peeta and Katniss. I had figured the hype and craze was big enough to warrant such a decision. While the reaction was overwhelmingly positive, there were very few people dressed as citizens of Panem at the theater. The odds were in our favor though, as Sara and I were interviewed by Good Morning America and got the vote of GMA anchor Cameron Mathison as best dressed. After interviews, several photos opps and an eternity spent waiting for refreshments the movie was about to start.

My hesitation over Josh's casting was stupid. His Peeta was funny, sweet, charismatic and absolutely flawless.

Without giving too much away, I have to say the film was amazing. A gold standard for book to screen adaptations. Nailing the excitement, emotion and action of the book. Even a movie adaptation like the Help which was one of my favorites last year and was nominated for Oscars could learn from the Hunger Games adaptation. The screen writers take the story out of Katniss’ point of view and allow you to see the Games from every angle. Bringing you into the game makers control room, the living rooms in district twelve and everywhere in between. This change really fleshes out the universe that Collins built. There are also some new additions that really make the best of the characters you know and love. Game maker Seneca Crane becomes a major character, the brutish Cato is humanized and special attention is paid to make sure Catching Fire’s sparks are laid out for us. What’s so amazing to me, is that usually after an event film of this nature the afterward feeling is sad. But, in this case the feeling is elation and excitement at least for the fans I’ve spoken to. Even if you haven’t read the book series, I think the movie is worth checking out. If not for how excellent a story it is, you should see it because it is a pop culture moment right now and you don’t want to be left behind.

All in all, I feel lucky that the book series I obsessively talked several friends into reading is off to such a great start in the film world. While Catching Fire is set to be released on November 22nd, 2013. I am already ready to go see it now. Until then I will just have to monitor the progress of the film’s jump from page to screen. Speaking of… have they cast Finnick yet?