The Amazing Spider-Man Review



            From 2002 to 2007, Sam Raimi delivered us one of the more famous superhero trilogies with his take on Spider-Man.  Raimi’s trilogy was pretty lightweight, but the director was able to utilize camp very effectively.  However, the trilogy was far from perfect and the third film (Spider-Man 3) left a stain on what was undeniably a good series before then.  So there is definitely room for another take on the Marvel superhero.  In comes Marc Webb (director of breakout indie hit 500 Days of Summer) with The Amazing Spider-Man.

            The Amazing Spider-Man is another “interpretation” of the origin story of Spider-Man.  Interpretation is in quotations because there are a lot of (and possibly too many) similarities to the Sam Raimi version portrayed in 2002’s Spider-Man.  It is quite clear that screenwriters James Vanderbilt, Alvin Sargent and Steve Kloves (and of course the studio heads) wanted to imitate the success of Raimi’s blockbusters.  So they went about doing so by trying to write the film with the same exact atmosphere of the previous trilogy.  The odd thing is that they then hired Marc Webb to direct the film.  Webb would seem to be an odd fit for trying to capture the camp of the previous trilogy and the final product kind of proves that he was the wrong choice.  Many of the campy elements of the film come off in a really negative manner to the film.  They just don’t fit.  This is probably the weakest component of the film.

            However, what Marc Webb does bring to the film is probably its strongest component.  Webb brings a very visually pleasing but realistic atmosphere that is definitely something we haven’t seen in a Spider-Man film yet.  We are quickly introduced to a Peter Parker that comes face-to-face with school bullies that actually have personalities.  We are introduced to a Peter Parker-Gwen Stacy relationship that actually feels real, and Webb still has enough visual power to give us some crazy first-person action sequences.

            While the directing of the film is a mixed bad and the screenwriting a mess, the cast that appears this film really sets a solid foundation for the inevitable sequels.  It’s too early to tell if Andrew Garfield will be the definitive Spider-Man, but he delivers a solid lead performance (albeit one that never reaches far).  However, in a genre that rarely sees strong performances from the love interest character, Emma Stone is great.  It helps that the writing makes her character strong willed and independent, but you can equally chalk it up to Stone’s strong work.  Denis Leary, Martin Sheen and Sally Field do great work in support, and even Rhys Ifans (who has by far the worst written character in the film) shines enough to make you wish he had a stronger role.

            Ultimately, The Amazing Spider-Man is a mess.  It has some incredible highs: the portrayal of high school life, the portrayal of the main romance, the first-person action scenes.  Yet it also has some major lows: the large disconnect between script and director, the writing for the main villain, that ridiculous mid-credits scene.

7/10

2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony Review



            The following review is a review of the NBC telecast as that is the version that will be Emmy-eligible.  If this were simply a review of Danny Boyle’s work, it would have received a higher score.

            The 2012 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony in London had a lot to live up to.  Four years beforehand we witnessed one of the most jaw dropping displays ever courtesy of China and ceremony director Yimou Zhang.  The London Games decided to bring in Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle to handle the festivities and NBC once again provided the telecast to American audiences.  While the ceremony ultimately didn’t reach the heights of the Beijing games, it was certainly solid and at points extremely ambitious.

            The ceremony began with an interesting portrayal of the history of London.  This first section of the ceremony was actually divided even further into three segments: “The Green and Pleasant Land”, “Pandemonium”, and “Frankie and June Say Thanks to Tim”.  “The Green and Pleasant Land” was probably the weakest of the bunch and never really allowed the ceremony to find any creative momentum.  It started with a cool cameo from Kenneth Branagh where he quoted The Tempest.  Oddly, however, the camera kept coming back to Branagh who did nothing else but walk around during the whole segment.  The segment also had a huge change of sets from the idyllic green pastures of old to the age of factories and construction.  The problem was that this portion was too large for its own good and the process of changing the sets took way too long.  Another thing that was good in theory, but a failure in execution was a video featuring James Bond (played by Daniel Craig) and the Queen before “they” jumped from a helicopter into the stadium.  The problem with it was it was too cheesy for its own good, and the humor of it was betrayed by the Queen’s icy cold demeanor through the rest of the ceremony. 

            The second portion of the opening section was an improvement.  It featured a bunch of great visuals highlighting Britain’s health care history and children’s literature history.  I am nitpicking, but as a huge Tolkien fan I was quite disappointed that his work was snubbed during this segment.  As the segment went on the visuals got crazier and crazier (hello large baby head), and Boyle made it work.  However, it was the segment’s conclusion where it finally stepped up to the next level.  Rowan Atkinson showed up doing his normal shtick, and before we knew it we were suddenly shown a Chariots of Fire starring the Mr. Bean actor.  It served the same purpose as the Bond/Queen video but was way more effective.

            However, that was not the highlight of the ceremony.  The “Frankie and June Say Thanks to Tim” segment might be Danny Boyle’s most ambitious and best work to date.  It used a shtick that was similar to Jimmy Fallon’s A History of Rap but set it to a love story and the rise of technology in Britain’s culture.  Somehow Boyle made a cohesive and brilliant segment out of all of that.

            The ceremony then commenced with the Parade of Nations, which was over in a record time.  This would be a perfect time to bring up NBC’s terrible crew of commentators for the telecast.  While Bob Costas was bearable during the actual Parade of Nations, everything that preceded it was brought down by Meredith Vieira and Matt Lauer.  It would be a crime against broadcasting if they are allowed to do that again during the 2014 Winter Olympics opener.  And don’t even get me started on the Ryan Seacrest interviews that began the telecast.

            The ceremony concluded with the lighting of the Olympic flame and the biggest sing-along ever attempted led by Paul McCartney.  It was weird to see the ceremony throw in so many celebrities into the opening ceremony and then decide to have a bunch of kids light the flame, but it was original (please don’t let this become a trend in the future though).  Meanwhile, McCartney was not at his best during his performance but it was good to see so many people into it.

            As a whole, London’s opening ceremony was a cameo-filled and visually appealing show that was at least ambitious when it wasn’t good.  The same cannot be said for the additions NBC brought to it.

7/10

64th Primetime Emmy Predictions


Here is my first stab at predicting the winner's of this year's Emmys.  All of the predictions for the technical categories will stay the same from update to update for the most part.  In the top categories, though, things will change.  We barely know any of the tapes the top contenders are submitting so predicting them will be tough.  That being said the Best Drama Series category seems to be between 4-time defending champ Mad Men, last year's miniseries/movie champ Downton Abbey, and the critics' favorite Breaking Bad.  In comedy series, the race is between Modern Family and any show that can submit perfectly.  In miniseries/movie, it's between Game Change and Hatfields and McCoys.


OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES=Breaking Bad
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES=Modern Family
OUTSTANDING MINISERIES OR MOVIE=Hatfields & McCoys
OUTSTANDING REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM=The Amazing Race
OUTSTANDING VARIETY SERIES=The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
OUTSTANDING VARIETY SPECIAL=Betty White’s 90thBirthday: A Tribute to America’s Golden Girl
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES=Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES=Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE=Kevin Costner, Hatfields & McCoys
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES=Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES=Claire Danes, Homeland
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE=Julianne Moore, Game Change
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES=Ed O’Neill, Modern Family
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES=Jared Harris, Mad Men
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE=Martin Freeman, Sherlock
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES=Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES=Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE=Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES=Girls
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES=Homeland
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE OR A DRAMATIC SPECIAL=Game Change
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY SERIES=Saturday Night Live
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL=84thAnnual Academy Awards
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES=Louie
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES=Mad Men
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE OR A DRAMATIC SPECIAL=Game Change
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A VARIETY SERIES=The Daily Show
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL=Louis C.K. Live at the Beacon Theatre


OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES=Jimmy Fallon, Saturday Night Live
OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES=Michael J. Fox, The Good Wife
OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES=Melissa McCarthy, Saturday Night Live
OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES=Martha Plimpton, The Good Wife
OUTSTANDING HOST FOR A REALITY OR REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM=Ryan Seacrest, American Idol
OUTSTANDING ANIMATED PROGRAM=The Simpsons
OUTSTANDING ART DIRECTION FOR A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE=Hemingway & Gellhorn
OUTSTANDING ART DIRECTION FOR A MULTI-CAMERA SERIES=30 Rock
OUTSTANDING ART DIRECTION FOR A SINGLE-CAMERA SERIES=Downton Abbey
OUTSTANDING ART DIRECTION FOR VARIETY OR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING=Saturday Night Live
OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES=New Girl
OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES=Game of Thrones
OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE OR A SPECIAL=Game Change
OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY=So You Think You Can Dance
OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A MINISERIES OR MOVIE=Hemingway & Gellhorn
OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A MULTI-CAMERA SERIES=How I Met Your Mother
OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING=Frozen Planet
OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR REALITY PROGRAMMING=Deadliest Catch
OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A SINGLE-CAMERA SERIES=Breaking Bad
OUTSTANDING COMMERCIAL=Chrysler Brand
OUTSTANDING COSTUMES FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE OR A SPECIAL=Great Expectations
OUTSTANDING COSTUMES FOR A SERIES=The Borgias
OUTSTANDING CREATIVE ACHIEVEMENT IN INTERACTIVE MEDIA-ENHANCEMENT TO A TELEVISION PROGRAM OR SERIES=Game of Thrones Season Two: Enhanced Digital Experience
OUTSTANDING CREATIVE ACHIEVEMENT MEDIA-ORIGINAL INTERACTIVE TELEVISION PROGRAMMING=Psych HashTag Killer
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING=George Harrison: Living in the Material World
OUTSTANDING HAIRSTYLING FOR A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE=Hemingway & Gellhorn
OUTSTANDING HAIRSTYLING FOR A MULTI-CAMERA SERIES OR SPECIAL=Saturday Night Live
OUTSTANDING HAIRSTYLING FOR A SINGLE-CAMERA SERIES=Mad Men
OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN/LIGHTING DIRECTION FOR A VARIETY SERIES=So You Think You Can Dance
OUTSTADNING LIGHTING DESIGN/LIGHTING DIRECTION FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL=The 54th Annual Grammy Awards
OUTSTANDING MAIN TITLE DESIGN=American Horror Story
OUTSTANDING MAKEUP FOR A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE (NON-PROSTHETIC)=American Horror Story
OUTSTANDING MAKEUP FOR A MULTI-CAMERA SEIRES OR SPECIAL (NON-PROSTHETIC)=Saturday Night Live
OUTSTANDING MAKEUP FOR A SINGLE-CAMERA SERIES (NON-PROSTHETIC)=Game of Thrones
OUTSTADNING MULTI-CAMERA PICTURE EDITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES=2 Broke Girls
OUTSTANDING MUSIC COMPOSITION FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE OR A SPECIAL (ORIGINAL DRAMATIC SPECIAL)=Sherlock
OUTSTANDING MUSIC COMPOSITION FOR A SERIES (ORIGINAL DRAMATIC SCORE)=Smash
OUTSTANDING MUSIC DIRECTION=The Kennedy Center Honors
OUTSTANDING NONFICTION SERIES=American Masters
OUTSTANDING NONFICTION SPECIAL=George Harrison: Living in the Material World
OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL MAIN TITLE THEME MUSIC=Homeland
OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL MUSIC AND LYRICS=Saturday Night Live
OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING=Beyond Scared Straight
OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR REALITY PROGRAMMING=The Amazing Race
OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR SHORT-FORM SEGMENTS AND VARIETY SPECIALS=Louis C.K. Live at the Beacon Theatre
OUTSTANDING PROSTHETIC MAKEUP FOR A SERIES, MINISERIES, MOVIE OR A SPECIAL=American Horror Story
OUTSTANDING REALITY PROGRAM=Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution
OUTSTANDING SHORT-FORMAT ANIMATED PROGRAM=Disney Phineas and Ferb
OUTSTANDING SINGLE-CAMERA PICTURE EDITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES=Curb Your Enthusiasm
OUTSTANDING SINGLE-CAMERA PICTURE EDITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES=Breaking Bad
OUTSTANDING SINGLE-CAMERA PICTURE EDITING FOR A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE=Game Change
OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE OR A SPECIAL=Sherlock
OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING=Prohibition
OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR A SERIES=Game of Thrones
OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE (HALF-HOUR) AND ANIMATION=Nurse Jackie
OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (ONE HOUR)=Game of Thrones
OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE=Hemingway & Gellhorn
OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING=George Harrison: Living in the Material World
OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A VARIETY SERIES OR SPECIAL=The 54th Annual Grammy Awards
OUTSTANDING SPECIAL CLASS PROGRAMS=Louis C.K. Live at the Beacon Theatre
OUTSTANDING SPECIAL CLASS-SHORT-FORMAT LIVE-ACTION ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMS=Web Therapy
OUTSTANDING SPECIAL CLASS-SHORT-FORMAT NONFICTION PROGRAMS=30 Rock: Ask Tina
OUTSTANDING SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS=Game of Thrones
OUTSTANDING SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE=Boardwalk Empire
OUTSTANDING STUNT COORDINATION=Southland
OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL DIRECTION FOR A SERIES=Saturday Night Live
OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL DIRECTION FOR A SPECIAL=Memphis
OUTSTANDING VOICE-OVER PERFORMANCE=Disney Phineas and Ferb
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING=American Masters

The Dark Knight Rises Review


The Dark Knight Rises Poster - Lord of the Films

            The amount of filmmakers who have pulled off a cinematic trilogy that is great from beginning to end is very few.  In fact, I would argue that the only filmmaker to do so is Peter Jackson (George Lucas doesn’t count as he didn’t direct the Star Wars original trilogy sequels).  It seemed like Christopher Nolan would be destined to be added to that list with the conclusion to his Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises.  However, that is not to be the case as The Dark Knight Rises is easily the weak link of Nolan’s Batman trilogy.  While epic throughout, The Dark Knight Rises just has too much unnecessary exposition, poor characterization and some bad pacing in spots to be considered great.

            The Dark Knight Rises takes place 8 years after Batman took the fall for Harvey Dent’s murders.  Since then Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has dropped the cowl and has lived as a recluse in the rebuilt Wayne Manor.  With no intention of returning to his former life as a vigilante, it will take a cat burglar (Anne Hathaway) and a physical powerhouse (Tom Hardy) to get him back to protecting the streets of Gotham.  Christopher Nolan directed and wrote the script (with help from his brother Jonathan and David S. Goyer) for this film.  Nolan’s direction is, as always, top notch.  The action scenes are well crafted (for the most part) and there are his usual creative choices that make his films so unique (I think my favorite of these is his choice to mute the score during the first Batman-Bane fight as it appears all the more brutal for it).  He even crafts a final act that is worthy of the entire series.  However, one thing that is missing here that Nolan is normally extremely good at is pacing.  The first few sequences zip by but everything from the latter half of the first act to the last scene of the second act suffer from some poor pacing. 

            The film’s biggest problem is its script.  First of all, the villains’ big plan in this film is so implausible that I’m somewhat let down that aliens didn’t show up at any point.  That’s a major problem when the film is striving for the realism that all of Nolan’s films do.  The script also suffers from trying to fit way too much into just one film.  There are so many interesting characters in this film but the script throws them in and out of the plot.  No character gets the amount of screen-time they deserve.

            That being said the cast of this film is outstanding.  While I don’t think it is as complete of a performance as his work on Batman Begins, Christian Bale is solid as Batman/Bruce Wayne.  The film ends up becoming a Rocky-like story for the character and Bale is great going through the motions of the story.  The best turn from the supporting cast belongs to Tom Hardy.  The voice is not incomprehensible like it was during the prequel IMAX footage and actually becomes an interesting characteristic of the character.  Hardy is also able to show some great range with only his eyes appearing onscreen. 

            Despite being the most poorly written characters in the film, the women of the cast do really well.  Anne Hathaway steals the early portions of the film, and she could have given us the best Catwoman performance yet had the writing for the character not let her down in the second half.  Meanwhile, Marion Cotillard has what might be one of the worst written characters to appear in a ”legitimate” film in a long time, and yet it is jaw dropping what she is able to do with the role (especially with one important scene late in the film).  Let’s just say we will be in for a magnificent show if she is ever given a more meatier role of a similar nature to the one she played here.

            Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman continue to give solid support, while Joseph Gordon-Levitt was also solid in what will likely be the most talked about role in the film.  The film also benefits from a bunch of cameos that will leave audiences smiling throughout.

            Technically amazing and beautifully performed, The Dark Knight Rises was one good screenplay away from belonging on the same level as its predecessors.

8/10

64th Primetime Emmy Nominations

Well for the most part, these were some pleasantly surprising nominees.  Sure Parks and Recreation, Nick Offerman, and "Blackwater" got snubbed and the overrated Downton Abbey received way too many major nominations, but there were many things (good things) that I could have never predicted.  Community finally got a major nomination with a writing nomination for "Remedial Chaos Theory".  Bill Hader finally got rewarded for his immense work on Saturday Night Live.  Sherlock finally broke through with 5 major nominations (including Best Miniseries/Movie) and 13 nominations total.  Mark Margolis got a shocking nomination, and, even though it was predicted, Breaking Bad's entire Killer Triumvirate (Cranston, Paul and Esposito) made it in.

Anyway, if you want to download the full list of nominees, go here.

Predictions-wise I went 107 for 156 (68.6%) in the main categories and 285 for 513 (55.6%) in total.  I correctly predicted 4 categories including Best Children's Program, Best Hairstyling for a Miniseries or Movie, Best Picture Editing for Reality Programming and Best Technical Direction for a Miniseries/Movie/Special.

List of Demands: 64th Primetime Emmy Nominations


If you follow my Awards coverage, one of the features I do before a nominations announcement or ceremony is give out a list of 3 demands to the voting body.  This time it’s for the Emmy nominations, and while there is nothing that the Academy could do to get me ranting for days (like say if the Academy didn’t nominate Margo Martindale last year), there are a few things they could do to get me in a happy mode (but let’s face it I’m already going to be in a happy mood knowing I’m only hours away from seeing The Dark Knight Rises).  So here are 3 things I demand of Emmy voters:

1. Breaking Bad must get a writing nomination


As one of the best written shows on television (currently and of all-time), it is shocking to me that Breaking Bad has never been nominated for Best Writing for a Drama Series.  Breaking Bad can be viewed as a statement on American culture or could be viewed as just a damn good thriller.  The reason it is able to work on so many levels is because of the writing.  This year the team behind Breaking Bad didn’t do so well in submitting episodes for Best Writing in a Drama Series (they sent in way too many episodes).  Even so an episode like “Box Cutter” (which I just re-watched on Bluray and holds up extremely well) should be able to rise above the other episodes and make it into the final 5.

2. Romola Garai must be nominated for Best Actress in a Miniseries/Movie


I just finished watching this fantastic British series and the best part about it was Romola Garai’s performance.  While I am currently predicting her I am worried she will fall to the wayside in favor of some more veteran and more famous actors (in a similar fashion to Hayley Atwell last year).  This is unfair as Garai gives a dynamite performance that people would be drooling over if someone like Emma Watson gave it instead.

3. Community must get a nomination


Community was my favorite show of last year.  It is television’s most ambitious show and it has absolutely no chance of getting any major nominations.  However, it would be pretty great if it was able to pick up a technical nomination somewhere.  Last year it was able to get an Individual Achievement in Animation for its animated Christmas episode.  Hopefully it can do it again for its video game episode from this past season.  Unfortunately, Individual Achievement awards are announced at a later date than tomorrow’s announcement.  So at the end of the day this demand may still be up in the air.

Final 64th Primetime Emmy Nomination Predictions



Well here they are.  The only category that is really going to make me sleep at night is the big one, Best Drama Series.  It seems there are 7 shows that can be nominated but only 6 slots to fill.  While most indications suggest Downton Abbey is in, I just can't force myself to take out Game of Thrones (immense pop culture buzz) or Boardwalk Empire (SAG darling).  Anyway I have Modern Family as the nominations leader with 17.  If these predictions turn out to be correct, drama would be led by Boardwalk Empire with 14 nominations and miniseries/tv movie would be led by Hatfields and McCoys with 14 nominations.

Outstanding Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife
Homeland
Mad Men

Outstanding Comedy Series
30 Rock
The Big Bang Theory
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Modern Family
Parks and Recreation
Veep

Outstanding Miniseries or TV Movie
American Horror Story
Game Change
Great Expectations
The Hatfields and McCoys
Hemingway & Gellhorn
The Hour

Outstanding Variety Series
The Colbert Report
Conan
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Late Night With Jimmy Fallon
Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Variety Special
The 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Kathy Griffin: Tired Hooker
The Kennedy Center Honors
Mel Brooks and Dick Cavett Together Again
Tony Bennett: Duets II

Outstanding Reality Competition Programming
The Amazing Race
American Idol
Dancing With the Stars
Project Runway
So You Think You Can Dance
Top Chef

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Kelsey Grammer, Boss
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House
Damian Lewis, Homeland

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Louis C.K., Louie
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie
Kevin Costner, The Hatfields and McCoys
Woody Harrelson, Game Change
Bill Nighy, Page Eight
Clive Owen, Hemingway & Gellhorn
Dominic West, The Hour

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Glenn Close, Damages
Claire Danes, Homeland
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Elizabeth McGovern, Downton Abbey
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Laura Dern, Enlightened
Lena Dunham, Girls
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Amy Poehler, Parks and Rcreation

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie
Patricia Clarkson, Five
Romola Garai, The Hour
Nicole Kidman, Hemigway & Gellhorn
Julianne Moore, Game Change
Emily Watson, Appropriate Adult

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Alan Cumming, The Good Wife
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Giancarlo Esposito, Breaking Bad
Mandy Patinkin, Homeland
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
John Slattery, Mad Men

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live
Ed O’Neill, Modern Family
Nick Offerman, Parks and Recreation
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie
Tom Berenger, Hatfields and McCoys
Michael Gambon, Page Eight
Ed Harris, Game Change
Tony Shalhoub, Hemingway & Gellhorn
David Strathairn, Hemigway & Gellhorn

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
Anjelica Huston, Smash
Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Cloris Leachman, Raising Hope
Jane Lynch, Glee
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Betty White, Hot in Cleveland
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie

Gillian Anderson, Great Expectations
Judy Davis, Page Eight
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Sarah Paulson, Game Change
Mare Winningham, Hatfields and McCoys

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones
Homeland
House

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
Life's Too Short
Louie
Modern Family
Modern Family
Modern Family 

Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special
Game Change
Great Expectations
Hatfields & McCoys
Hemingway & Gellhorn
Page Eight

Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series
American Idol
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Late Show With David Letterman
Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special
The 65th Annual Tony Awards
The 54th Annual Grammy Awards
84th Annual Academy Awards
2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Louis C.K. Live at the Beacon Theatre

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
Girls
Louie
Modern Family
Modern Family
Parks and Recreation

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
Downton Abbey
Homeland
The Good Wife
Mad Men
Mad Men

Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special
Game Change
Great Expectations
The Hour
Page Eight
Sherlock

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Late Night With Jimmy Fallon
Real Time With Bill Maher
Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special
65th Annual Tony Awards
The 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards
84th Annual Academy Awards
The Kennedy Center Honors
Louis C.K. Live at the Beacon Theatre


Outstanding Animated Program
Archer
Community: Digital Estate Planning
Futurama
The Simpsons
South Park

Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries or Movie
Great Expectations
The Hatfields and McCoys
Hemingway & Gellhorn
The Hour
Titanic

Outstanding Art Direction for a Multi-Camera Series
2 Broke Girls
30 Rock
Hot in Cleveland
How I Met Your Mother
Mike & Molly
Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Series

Boardwalk Empire
The Borgias
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones
Mad Men

Outstanding Art Direction for Variety, Music or Nonfiction Programming
2011 MTV Video Music Awards
65th Annual Tony Awards
84th Annual Academy Awards
American Idol
Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series
The Big Bang Theory
Glee
Modern Family
Parks and Recreation
Veep
Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones
Homeland
Mad Men
Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special
Five
Game Change
Hemingway & Gellhorn
Hatfields & McCoys
Page Eight
Outstanding Children's Nonfiction, Reality or Reality-Competition Program
Masterclass
Nick News With Linda Ellerbee
Outstanding Children's Program
Degrassi
Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas!
iCarly
Victorious
Wizards of Waverly Place

Outstanding Choreography
Dancing With the Stars
Dancing With the Stars
So You Think You Can Dance
So You Think You Can Dance
So You Think You Can Dance

Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie
American Horror Story
Great Expectations
The Hatfields and McCoys
Page Eight
Sherlock

Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-Camera Series
30 Rock
The Big Bang Theory
Hot in Cleveland
How I Met Your Mother
Two and a Half Men

Outstanding Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming
American Masters
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
Frozen Planet
Prohibition
Whale Wars

Outstanding Cinematography for Reality Programming
The Amazing Race
Intervention
The Pitch
Survivor
Top Chef
Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series
Boardwalk Empire
Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad
Hell on Wheels
Pan Am

Outstanding Commercial
American Express
Chrysler
Coke Zero
DirecTV
Old Spice Body Wash
Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special
Game Change
Great Expectations
Hatfields & McCoys
Hemingway & Gellhorn
Titanic

Outstanding Costumes for a Series
Boardwalk Empire
The Borgias
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones
Mad Men

Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media
30 Rock
Conan
Fringe
The Office
Terra Nova
Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming
George Harrison: Living in the Material World
God Is the Bigger Elvis
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Prohibition
Rebirth

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Alan Alda, The Big C
Will Arnett, 30 Rock
Johnny Depp, Life's Too Short
Jimmy Fallon, Saturday Night Live
Michael J. Fox, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Carl Reiner, Parks and Recreation

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series

Andre Braugher, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Michael J. Fox, The Good Wife
Michael Gambon, Luck
Robert Morse, Mad Men
Matthew Perry, The Good Wife
Mykelti Williamson, Justified

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

Ellen Barkin, Modern Family
Patricia Clarkson, Parks and Recreation
Melissa McCarthy, Saturday Night Live
Chloe Grace Moretz, 30 Rock
Doris Roberts, Hot in Cleveland
Susan Sarandon, 30 Rock

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Joan Allen, Luck
Loretta Devine, Grey's Anatomy
Carrie Preston, The Good Wife
Chloe Sevigny, Law & Order: SVU
Jean Smart, Harrry’s Law
Uma Thurman, Smash

Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries or a Movie
American Horror Story
Game Change
The Hatfields & McCoys
Hemingway & Gellhorn

Outstanding Hairstyling for a Multi-Camera Series or Special
30 Rock
The Big Bang Theory
Dancing With the Stars
Hot in Cleveland
Saturday Night Live
Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series
Boardwalk Empire
Game of Thrones
Glee
Mad Men
Smash
Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program
Tom Bergeron, Dancing With the Stars
Phil Keoghan, The Amazing Race
Heidi Klum, Project Runway
Jeff Probst, Survivor
Ryan Seacrest, American Idol
Outstanding Lighting Design or Lighting Direction for a Variety, Music or Comedy Special
The 54th Annual Grammy Awards
65th Annual Tony Awards
84th Annual Academy Awards

Outstanding Lighting Design or Lighting Direction for a Variety, Music or Comedy Series
American Idol
Dancing With the Stars
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Saturday Night Live
So You think You Can Dance
Outstanding Main Title Design
Alphas
American Horror Story
Boss
Luck
Touch

Outstanding Makeup for a Miniseries or a Movie (Non-Prosthetic)
American Horror Story
Game Change
Hatfields and McCoys
Treasure Island

Outstanding Makeup for a Multi-Camera Series or a Special (Non-Prosthetic)
30 Rock
The 84th Annual Academy Awards
Dancing With the Stars
Saturday Night Live
So You Think You Can Dance
Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic)
Boardwalk Empire
Game of Thrones
Smash
True Blood
The Walking Dead

Outstanding Multi-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series
2 Broke Girls
The Big Bang Theory
How I Met Your Mother
Mike & Molly
Pair of Kings


Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Original Dramatic Score)
The Hatfields and McCoys
Hemingway & Gellhorn
Page Eight
Parade’s End
Sherlock
Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)
American Masters
Family Guy
Homeland
Penguins of Madagascar 
Robot Chicken

Outstanding Music Direction
The 5th Annual Grammy Awards
The 84th Annual Academy Awards
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert
Great Performances: Concert for New York
The Kennedy Center Honors
Outstanding Nonfiction Series
America in Primetime
American Masters
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
Frozen Planet
Prohibition

Outstanding Nonfiction Special
Bobby Fischer Against the World
George Harrison: Living in the Material World
God is the Bigger Elvis
The Love We Make
Rebirth

Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music
American Horror Story
Happily Divorced
Hell on Wheels
Luck
New Girl

Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics
Family Guy
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
The Simpsons
Smash

Outstanding Picture Editing for Nonfiction Programming
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
Frozen Planet
Rebirth
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Prohibition

Outstanding Picture Editing for Reality Programming
The Amazing Race
Deadliest Catch
Project Runway
Survivor
Top Chef

Outstanding Picture Editing for Short-Form Segments And Variety Specials
The 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Kathy Griffin: Tired Hooker
The Kennedy Center Honors
Louis C.K. Live at the Beacon Theatre

Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie or a Special
American Horror Story
Game of Thrones
Grey’s Anatomy
True Blood
The Walking Dead

Outstanding Reality Program
The Deadliest Catch
Hoarders
Intervention 
MythBusters
Undercover Boss

Outstanding Short-Format Animated Program
Adventure Time
Disney Prep & Landing
Fish Hooks
Phineas and Ferb
Robot Chicken

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series
Californication
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Modern Family
Modern Family
Parks and Recreation

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad
Homeland
House
Mad Men

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or a Movie
Game Change
The Hatfields and McCoys
Hemingway & Gellhorn
Page Eight
Sherlock

Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special
American Horror Story
Hatfields and McCoys
The River
Sherlock

Outstanding Sound Editing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera)
The Amazing Race
American Masters
Prohibition
Survivor
Vietnam in HD

Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series
Breaking Bad
CSI: New York
Homeland
Terra Nova
The Walking Dead
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation
Entourage
Family Guy
Modern Family
The Office
Parks and Recreation
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour)
Game of Thrones
Glee
House
Smash
Terra Nova
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Movie
Game Change
Great Expectations
Hemingway & Gellhorn
Sherlock

Outstanding Sound Mixing for Nonfiction Programming
The Amazing Race
American Idol
Deadliest Catch
The X Factor
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety or Music Series or Special
The 54th Annual Grammy Awards
84th Annual Academy Awards
The X Factor
Outstanding Special Class Program: Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Programs
30 Rock
The Walking Dead
Web Therapy

Outstanding Special Class Program: Short-Format Nonfiction Program
Jay Leno
Writer's Draft
Outstanding Special Class Programs
The 54th Annual Grammy Awards
65th Annual Tony Awards
The 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards
84th Annual Academy Awards
Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special
Curiosity
Neverland
Sherlock
Titanic
Outstanding Special Visual Effects
Falling Skies
Game of Thrones
Once Upon a Time
Terra Nova
The Walking Dead

Outstanding Special Visual Effects In A Supporting Role
Boardwalk Empire
Boardwalk Empire
Homeland
Sherlock
TitanicOutstanding Stunt Coordination
Game of Thrones
Hawaii Five-0
Person of Interest
Southland

Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control for a Series
The Big Bang Theory
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Dancing With the Stars
Late Night With Jimmy Fallon
Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special
The 54th Annual Grammy Awards
84th Annual Academy Awards
Anna Bolena
The Kennedy Center Honors
Memphis

Outstanding Voice-Over Performance
Archer
Archer
Futurama
Robot Chicken
The Simpsons
Outstanding Writing for Nonfiction Programming

American Experience
American Experience
American Masters
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
Prohibition

AllTrail's Connecticut Top 10

If you ever want to get into hiking there is no greater app that I could recommend than AllTrails. Due to a large user base, AllTrails has o...

Popular Posts