2013 Golden Globes Nominees

On Thursday the nominees for the 70th annual Golden Globe awards were announced. The award ceremony will be held Sunday, Jan. 13, 2013 at 8 p.m. EST. The hosts, yes you read that right, there are two, are Amy Poehler and Tina Fey.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to make my own personal predictions at this time, although I hope to come back and do so later, since some of the films have not been released yet. Seeing as these unreleased films (Django Unchained and Zero Dark Thirty) are early favorites among critics, I’ll wait until early January.

As a side note, I only listed the nominees for awards given to motion pictures, no television or mini-series are included.

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
ARGO
DJANGO UNCHAINED
LIFE OF PI
LINCOLN
ZERO DARK THIRTY

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
Jessica Chastain  –   ZERO DARK THIRTY
Marion Cotillard – RUST AND BONE
Helen Mirren – HITCHCOCK
Naomi Watts  – THE IMPOSSIBLE
Rachel Weisz – THE DEEP BLUE SEA

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA|
Daniel Day-Lewis  – LINCOLN
Richard Gere – ARBITRAGE
John Hawkes  – THE SESSIONS
Joaquin Phoenix – THE MASTER
Denzel Washington – FLIGHT

BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL 

LES MISERABLES
MOONRISE KINGDOM
SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Emily Blunt – SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN
Judi Dench – THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL
Jennifer Lawrence  – SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Maggie Smith – QUARTET
Meryl Streep  – HOPE SPRINGS

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Jack Black  – BERNIE
Bradley Cooper  – SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Hugh Jackman  – LES MISERABLES
Ewan McGregor – SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN
Bill Murray  – HYDE PARK ON HUDSON

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
BRAVE
FRANKENWEENIE
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA
RISE OF THE GUARDIANS
WRECK-IT RALPH

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

AMOUR (AUSTRIA)
A ROYAL AFFAIR (DENMARK)
THE INTOUCHABLES (FRANCE)
KON-TIKI (NORWAY/UK/DENMARK)
RUST AND BONE (FRANCE)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

Amy Adams – THE MASTER
Sally Field – LINCOLN
Anne Hathaway – LES MISERABLES
Helen Hunt – THE SESSIONS
Nicole Kidman – THE PAPERBOY

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Alan Arkin – ARGO
Leonardo DiCaprio – DJANGO UNCHAINED
Philip Seymour Hoffman – THE MASTER
Tommy Lee Jones – LINCOLN
Christoph Waltz  – DJANGO UNCHAINED

BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE
Ben Affleck – ARGO
Kathryn Bigelow – ZERO DARK THIRTY
Ang Lee – LIFE OF PI
Steven Spielberg – LINCOLN
Quentin Tarantino – DJANGO UNCHAINED

BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE
Mark Boal – ZERO DARK THIRTY
Tony Kushner – LINCOLN
David O. Russell – SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Quentin Tarantino – DJANGO UNCHAINED
Chris Terrio – ARGO

13. BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE
Mychael Danna – LIFE OF PI
Alexandre Desplat – ARGO
Dario Marianelli  – ANNA KARENINA
Tom Tykwer,  – CLOUD ATLAS
Johnny Klimek,
Reinhold Heil 
John Williams – LINCOLN

BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE
“FOR YOU” — ACT OF VALOR
Music by: Monty Powell, Keith Urban
Lyrics by: Monty Powell, Keith Urban
“NOT RUNNING ANYMORE”—STAND UP GUYS
Music by: Jon Bon Jovi
Lyrics by: Jon Bon Jovi
“SAFE & SOUND” — THE HUNGER GAMES
Music by: Taylor Swift, John Paul White, Joy Williams, T Bone Burnett
Lyrics by: Taylor Swift, John Paul White, Joy Williams, T Bone Burnett
“SKYFALL”—SKYFALL
Music by: Adele, Paul Epworth
Lyrics by: Adele, Paul Epworth
“SUDDENLY” — LES MISERABLES
Music by: Claude-Michel Schonberg
Lyrics by: Herbert Kretzmer, Alain Boublil

Top 10: Tough Guys

I made this list based solely on my own opinion.  If I left out your favorite let me know in the comments. I did follow these few rules:

1. They cannot be a “villain”.
2. They must be extremely cool.
3. Only people are allowed on the list (sorry Jaws).
4. Don’t talk about fight club.

10. Mr. Blonde

From Reservoir Dogs

A sly man, Mr. Blonde is one of six codenamed members in Reservoir Dogs. He stands out for his toughness,  performing one of the best interrogation scenes ever done in film history. This is done very coolly by him,  as he dances and listens to ’70s music  during the entire scene.

9. King Leonidis

From 300

This fearless leader knows “This is Sparata!”  Against all odds, he leads his army against his foes. Just make sure to not get on his bad side, or you’ll find yourself falling down his black pit.

8. Indiana Jones

From the Indiana Jones franchise

Jones isn’t your ordinary archaeologist. Whether escaping from Nazis or a humongous boulder, Indy always seems to save the day…unless if there are snakes. “Why’d it have to be snakes?”

7. “Dirty” Harry Callahan

From the Dirty Harry franchise

Blurring the line between professional and ethical, Dirty Harry does his job for the greater good. Although his methods aren’t usually endorsed by his superiors, he wields a Magnum that can “blow your head clean off”. Hard to believe, but Frank Sinatra nearly landed this iconic role.

6. T-800

From the Terminator franchise

The cyborg is a unique character, in that he has been both a hero and villain in subsequent films. Whether wielding a shotgun or driving a car, he is always a force to be reckoned with. He will leave you with an “hasta la vista baby”, but be assured that he will be back.

5. James Bond

From the Bond franchise

The most casually cool hero, he has survived 23 films over 50 years. Whether it’s killing villains, wooing Bond-girls, or drinking a martini “shaken, not stirred”, Bond is always enviable in his famous classy style of toughness.

4. John Rambo

From the Rambo franchise

The ultimate one-man killing machine, Rambo is the epitome of manliness. He can survive for months in the forest alone and kill you in more ways that you can count. Don’t push him, or he’ll make a mess out of you.

3. John McClane

From the Die Hard franchise

Probably the unluckiest person on the list, Det. McClane can never seem to catch a break. From going to a Christmas party that terrorists ruin to going to the airport, where he yet again encounters terrorists, McClane always saves the day with a “Yippee-ki-yay, mother…”

2. Jules Winnfield

From Pulp Fiction

This “righteous shepherd”  is so bad, even his wallet says “Bad Mother…” He is so tough, that he intimidates people just by quoting the Bible and eating a cheeseburger.

1. Lucas “Cool Hand Luke” Jackson

From Cool Hand Luke

Luke  refuses to follow the rules of society, and even prison.  He’s so tough, he can eat 50 hard-boiled eggs, the international test of toughness. He escapes from prison on three seperate occasions, getting locked up in a box as punishment. At one point he even refuses to stop fighting, despite the inevitability of a loss. Of course, he suffers from a “failure to communicate”, but earns the respect of nearly everyone, both guards and fellow inmates alike, but earns his nickname as he is always cool-headed and independent.

2012 Holiday Films Part 5

I’ve already listed all of the biggest films, in my opinion at least, that will be released within the next few weeks. However, a few films still deserve to be mentioned, even if just briefly. This Part 5 will be the last of the 2012 Holiday Film series.

Jack Reacher

Based upon the popular novel series written by Lee Child, Jack Reacher is this holiday season’s big action blockbuster. Coming to theaters December 21, it stars Tom Cruise in the title role with Christopher McQuarrie directing.

The film follows the murder of a few men at the hands of a sniper. Police capture a man who claims Jack Reacher is the actual culprit. From there the film follows the generic path of a character fighting to clear his name.

If you are a fan of action, and enjoy Cruise’s work in Mission Impossible this is worth a watch. Just don’t expect too much from this film, as its unlikely to receive awards, or even any nominations.

Zero Dark Thirty

Zero Dark Thirty is probably the most highly anticipated film coming to theaters this month that you’ve never heard of. Tackling the mature topic of the war on terrorism, it follows the famous Navy S.E.A.L. Team 6 on their exploits on, and leading up to May 2011.

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, and starring Chris Pratt and Jessica Chastain, the film will come to theaters in limited release on December 19th.

Given Bigelow’s pedigree, having won Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director in her last picture, The Hurt Locker, the mature content will surely be handled appropriately. This picture could very well earn Bigelow a few more Oscar nominations, and is likely to be outstanding.

Parental Guidance

Rounding out the list is Parental Guidance, coming on December 25th. This comedy stars Billy Crystal in his first lead live-action, mainstream role since 2002. Sharing the spotlight is Bette Midler, as the pair portray grandparents (Artie and Diane Decker).

This comedy follows an overused, unoriginal plot.  The grandparents are called in to watch their grandchildren for a while. Unfortunately, the grandparents’ “old style” collides with the “modern” grandchildren, and comedy ensues…or does it?

A run-of-the mill film, following a generic blueprint, this film is likely to be cast aside. It made be saved by Crystal’s performance, but it is likely destined for the discount bin in its imminent future.

2012 Holiday Films Part 4

Les Misérables

On December 25th Les Misérables will hit theaters. The film is based off of the hit Broadway musical, which, in turn, is based upon the 1862 novel of the same name written by Victor Hugo.

Tom Hooper directs the film, at the height of his career, having won the Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director for his last film, The King’s Speech. The star-studded cast features Hugh Jackman as Jean Valijean, Russell Crowe as Javert, and Anne Hathaway as Fantine. Also in the cast, Sacha Baron Cohen seems perfectly casted, portraying the comedic Thénardier.

Taking place in 1830s France, following the life of prisoner Jean Valjeun, Les Mis is traditionally performed with every word sung, including the dialogue. Inspector Javert follows Valjeun after he escapes while on parole. Meanwhile, Valjeun takes in a young child, Cosette, and raises her as his own. Meanwhile, Cosette is involved in a love triangle, while Javert still searches for Valjeun. On top of all of this, a rebellion is quickly brewing, leading to a dramatic battle.

The film has a difficult challenge ahead, as the musical is well-known and beloved. If done poorly, people will trash the film, comparing it to live reenactments on Broadway. However, if done well, the legions of fans worldwide will ensure that the movie makes an extraordinary profit, as well as a plethora of award nominations for the film and cast.