Dredd Review



After a summer season that brought us three of the biggest comic book adaptations ever you would think we would be done with these films for the time being.  However, September brings yet another comic book film.  This time it is the dystopian future thriller Dredd.  While Dredd is a clearly well made film, it continues this year’s run of mediocre successes in the comic adaptation department.

            Dredd is based off the Judge Dredd comic book series and takes place in a future world ravaged by nuclear warfare.  In one of the last remaining cities, law enforcement is left in the hands of a group of judges who act as the judge, jury and executioner of any crimes.  One of those judges, Judge Dredd (played by Karl Urban), is tasked with investigating a homicide at a 200-story apartment complex with a rookie judge who also happens to have psychic powers (played by Olivia Thirlby).  Dredd and his partner run into trouble when the drug lord who rules the complex (played by Lena Headey) locks down the complex and orders the deaths of the two judges.  Now Dredd and his partner must fight their way to the top to get out.

            The film is directed by Pete Travis, who was behind the underrated Vantage Point and the great television film Endgame.  With Dredd, Travis continues his streak of successes.  He has clear control of the actions scenes and creates the perfect atmosphere for a film like this (dark yet campy).  While this film never aims to do anything new, under Travis’ direction it is at least interesting and visually stunning.  The only thing that Travis screws up with is using an over-abundance of slow-motion scenes, and even then there is an actual reason for these scenes.

            The script by Alex Garland (a frequent partner for Danny Boyle), however, is not as strong.  It allows Travis’ visual style to be at the forefront but does nothing else.  Many of the characters are written terribly (especially Agent Anderson and Ma-Ma, who should have been an easy home run considering she’s the villain), and the script itself almost seems as if Garland got his hands on a script of The Raid: Redemption. 

            The cast is nothing special but Karl Urban is a force to be reckoned with in the lead role.  We never actually see Urban’s face (other than his mouth) during the entire course of the film.  Yet Urban seems like just the perfect fit for Judge Dredd.  He is extremely stoic and is able to deliver his one-liners with a lot more conviction than you would expect.  The two major female roles aren’t so lucky.  Olivia Thirlby is ultimately solid as the newbie at the job, but she really struggles to grasp the role early on.  Sure some of that has to do with the way the character is written, but Thirlby is so out of her depth at the beginning that it becomes distracting.  Meanwhile, Lena Headey beings nothing to the villain role.  This is a far reach away from her stellar villainous work on Game of Thrones. 

            Dredd ultimately succeeds from some sturdy direction from Pete Travis and a star-turning performance by Karl Urban.

8/10

Looper Review



            Time travel is one of the toughest sci-fi concepts to pull off in film.  Too often do writers get lost in the mechanics of time travel to actually present us with an interesting story or realistic characters.  Very rarely does a film about time travel actually leap out among the many films that come out in any typical year (Terminatoris a film that comes instantly to mind).  Yet for a genre with so many failures, it is interesting whenever anyone does try a film in the time travel genre.  That is why Looper is one of the most anticipated films of the year (at least among the online film community).  So is Looper the next Terminator?  While it shares many key aspects with the film that made James Cameron famous, Looper ultimately fails to make itself stand out as a top-tier film of the genre.  It is a good film with the fatal flaw of thinking that it is smarter than it actually is.

            Looper takes place in the year 2044, a point in which time travel has not been invented yet.  In 2044, a group of assassins known as loopers kill targets that are sent back from the future (at which point time travel has been invented) by gangs because murders can be tracked more easily in the future.  The film picks up with a looper named Joe (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) going out to make a hit.  The problem is his hit turns out to be himself (a much older version played by Bruce Willis). 

            The film is directed and written by Rian Johnson (who came to prominence with his indie hit, Brick).  Johnson is clearly a talented individual.  He has crafted a film that easily could have imploded in lesser hands.  The actions scenes are slick, the characters are given depth through the writing and even the time travel mechanisms make sense.  Yet there is something in Johnson’s efforts that prevent this from being a classic.  The film he has created acts like it’s smarter than it actually is.  At one point in this film one character starts talking about how there isn’t any originality in the business anymore (a clear fourth wall moment about the current state of cinema).  Yet at it’s core this film is something that Terminator, Star Wars and others have done already.

            Johnson also scored big time with the cast he was able to come up with.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt continues a big year with a solid performance that isn’t just an impersonation of Bruce Willis (speaking of which, the makeup to transform Levitt into a Willis-look-alike is phenomenal).  Speaking of Bruce Willis, he delivers his best performance in years in a role that is perfectly suited for him.  However, the standout performance in this film comes from Emily Blunt.  Her character has been shrouded in mystery in the advertising for this film.  However, what can be said is that Blunt plays a character that is completely against type and she feels natural in the role.  She’s actually in complete command of her role and with a perfect American accent this might be her best role in her career.

            Looper is an engaging film and a fun time at the theater.  It just doesn’t reach the next level to become a classic.

8/10

65th Primetime Emmy Predictions: Year In Advance

Despite the 2012 ceremony having aired only mere hours ago, I thought I would do a quick rundown of my predictions for the major categories for next year's Emmys.


BEST DRAMA SERIES
-Boardwalk Empire
-Breaking Bad
-Downton Abbey
-Game of Thrones
-Homeland
-Mad Men
(In Case of a Tie)-The Good Wife

BEST COMEDY SERIES
-30 Rock
-The Big Bang Theory
-Girls
-Louie
-The Mindy Project
-Modern Family
(In Case of a Tie)-The New Girl

BEST MINISERIES/MOVIE
-American Horror Story
-Behind the Candelabra
-Luther
-Political Animals
-True Detectives
-Untitled Phil Spector Project
(In Case of a Tie)-Parade’s End

BEST VARIETY SERIES
-The Colbert Report
-The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
-Jimmy Kimmel Live
-Late Night With Jimmy Fallon
-Real Time With Bill Maher
-Saturday Night Live
(In Case of a Tie)-Conan

BEST REALITY COMPETITION SERIES
-The Amazing Race
-American Idol
-Dancing With the Stars
-So You Think You Can Dance
-Top Chef
-The Voice
(In Case of a Tie)-The X Factor

BEST LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
-Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
-Louis C.K., Louie
-Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
-Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
-Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
-Matthew Perry, Go On
(In Case of a Tie)-Don Cheadle, House of Lies

BEST LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
-Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
-Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
-Michael C. Hall, Dexter
-Jon Hamm, Mad Men
-Damian Lewis, Homeland
-Kevin Spacey, House of Cards
(In Case of a Tie)-Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey

BEST ACTOR IN A MINISERIES/MOVIE
-Matt Damon, Behind the Candelabra
-Michael Douglas, Behind the Candelabra
-Idris Elba, Luther
-Woody Harrelson, True Detectives
-Matthew McConaughey, True Detectives
-Al Pacino, Untitled Phil Spector Project
(In Case of a Tie)-Patrick Stewart, Richard II

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
-Lena Dunham, Girls
-Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
-Tina Fey, 30 Rock
-Mindy Kaling, The Mindy Project
-Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
-Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly
(In Case of a Tie)-Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

BEST LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
-Connie Britton, Nashville
-Glenn Close, Damages
-Claire Danes, Homeland
-Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
-Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
-Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
(In Case of a Tie)-Mary McDonnell, Major Crimes

BEST ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES/MOVIE
-Ellen Burstyn, Political Animals
-Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Asylum
-Laura Linney, The Big C
-Helen Mirren, Untitled Phil Spector Project
-Chloe Sevigny, American Horror Story: Asylum
-Sigourney Weaver, Political Animals
(In Case of a Tie)-Jean Marsh, Upstairs Downstairs

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
-Will Arnett, Arrested Development
-Ty Burrell, Modern Family
-Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
-Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live
-Ed O’Neill, Modern Family
-Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
(In Case of a Tie)-Chris Messina, The Mindy Project

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
-Jonathan Banks, Breaking Bad
-Brendan Coyle, Downton Abbey
-Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
-Mandy Patinkin, Homeland
-Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
-John Slattery, Mad Men
(In Case of a Tie)-Jon Voight, Ray Donovan

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
-Julie Bowen, Modern Family
-Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock
-Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory
-Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
-Jessica Walter, Arrested Development
-Betty White, Hot in Cleveland
(In Case of a Tie)-Cloris Leachman, Raising Hope

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
-Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
-Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad
-Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
-Shirley MacLaine, Downton Abbey
-Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
-Robin Wright, House of Cards
(In Case of a Tie)-Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife

BEST DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
-30 Rock
-Louie
-Modern Family
-Modern Family
-The Office
(In Case of a Tie)-Episodes

BEST DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
-Boardwalk Empire
-Breaking Bad
-Game of Thrones
-Homeland
-House of Cards
(In Case of a Tie)-Mad Men

BEST DIRECTING FOR A MINISERIES/MOVIE
-Behind the Candelabra
-Luther
-Political Animals
-True Detectives
-Untitled Phil Spector Project
(In Case of a Tie)-The Big C

BEST DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY SERIES
-The Colbert Report
-The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
-Late Show With David Letterman
-Portlandia
-Saturday Night Live
(In Case of a Tie)-American Idol

BEST WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
-30 Rock
-Girls
-Louie
-The Mindy Project
-Modern Family
(In Case of a Tie)-The Office

BEST WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
-Breaking Bad
-Downton Abbey
-Homeland
-Mad Men
-The Newsroom
(In Case of a Tie)-Mad Men

BEST WRITING FOR A MINISERIES/MOVIE
-Behind the Candelabra
-The Hour
-Luther
-True Detectives
-Untitled Phil Spector Project
(In Case of a Tie)-Upstairs Downstairs

BEST 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
(In Case of a Tie)-Late Show With David Letterman

BEST HOST FOR A REALITY PROGRAM
-Tom Bergeron, Dancing With the Stars
-Carson Daly, The Voice
-Cat Deeley, So You Think You Can Dance
-Phil Keoghan, The Amazing Race
-Jeff Probst, Survivor
-Ryan Seacrest, American Idol
(In Case of a Tie)-Heidi Klum, Project Runway

64th Primetime Emmys Review


So I went 13 for 26 in my predictions.  I'm actually surprised I didn't do worse.  This was predicted to be an awards ceremony that had many close races and many surprises.  In that aspect the ceremony delivered.  Homeland ended up pulling off upsets in Lead Actor in a Drama Series and (in the big one) Outstanding Drama Series.  As good as Homeland is (and it is a well acted and at times extremely intense series) it is disappointing to see Breaking Bad (a superior series of the same genre) lose those categories.  In total, Homeland won 4 Emmys tonight (including Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series and Best Writing for a Drama Series), and it was nice to see Mad Men's long streak of Emmy victories come to an end.

The only other shocker in the drama categories was Boardwalk Empire winning Best Directing for a Drama Series.  After winning this category and Best Cinematography yet again, it is becoming clear that Emmy voters are in love with the visual style of the show.

Despite being yet another Modern Family sweep on the comedy side, there was still room for one upset.  Jon Cryer won yet again for Two and a Half Men, but this time it was for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.  It is becoming clear that Emmy voters just love performances in shows by Chuck Lorre.

While there weren't many surprises in the miniseries/movie categories it was nice to see Tom Berenger pull off the win in Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Mini and see Game Change get some major love (and how awesome was it to see Julianne Moore finally win a major acting award!?).  Too bad Sherlock was left out of the winning party.

As for the show itself, it was pretty lackluster.  The set design was interesting and there were some funny spoof clips (such as The Breaking Bad Show and the one making fun of the Lily actress on Modern Family).  However, Jimmy Kimmel was a major letdown as host, and he really killed the pacing of the show with that idiotic in memorium tribute to himself (and what the hell was with Tracy Morgan?).  It also didn't help that they showed clip packages in categories where there shouldn't have been clip packages while they just brushed through categories where there really should have been clip packages.

List of Demands: 64th Primetime Emmys

I have been really late in getting up my list of demands for tonight's Emmys.  So here is a quick take on 3 things that I hope happen:

3. Amy Poehler wins


Amy Poehler has proven herself to be one of our greatest comedic actors.  However, she has nothing to show for it (at least from the Emmys).  She has two chances tonight for a win.  She is nominated for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and Best Writing for a Comedy Series.  A win for her any of these two categories would be a great moment.

2. Breaking Bad wins at least two categories


Breaking Bad delivered an all-time great season with season four.  It can win in 5 categories tonight (Best Drama Series, Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series, Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and Best Directing for a Drama Series), and it will only be fair to this fantastic season that it wins in two of these.

1. Mad Men loses Best Drama Series


Mad Men has won 4 straight Emmys for Best Drama Series.  Enough is enough already.  You can love Mad Men all you want, but there is no reasoning that can justify it winning 5 Emmys during television's Golden Age.  It simply hasn't been the best show on television for 5 straight seasons in years in which Breaking Bad, Lost, Friday Night Lights and others have aired.

The Master Review



            At its surface, The Master is a tale of a war veteran and a religious leader who fights to save his soul.  In that aspect The Master is a well acted and interestingly shot film.  Yet it ultimately feels like the journey that the film takes to conclude that story is overwrought.  Luckily, in the hands of Paul Thomas Anderson (his first film since 2007’s There Will Be Blood), there is something hiding underneath the surface of this film. 

            There is no doubt that Paul Thomas Anderson (who both wrote and directed this film) could have included everything that he did here in a much shorter time span (and the film does suffer from pacing issues in the second half), but you have to admire the lengths that Anderson goes to in order to tell his story.  Every single scene seems so meticulous in every manner (from the script to the exact placement of the camera).  While many of the characters Anderson creates leave much to be desired in terms of characterization, he makes up for it by bringing in his usual flair to distract you from the film’s problems.  This is easily the most gorgeously shot film of the year.  The way the waves move.  The smallness of a human way off in the distance.  A dark and claustrophobic cabin giving way to an intense confrontation.  Even without explosions or people dressed in silly costumes, this is the most visually appealing film of the year.

            However, the heart and soul of this film is Joaquin Phoenix’s performance as Freddie Quell (the film’s lead).  Many still question what actually happened with Phoenix’s last appearance on the big screen (I’m Still Here), but after this film it is undeniable that this a man of considerable talent.  As Freddie, Joaquin Phoenix delivers a performance for the ages.  Everything about Freddie (from the way he talks to all of his creepy mannerisms) is interesting, and that is all due to Phoenix.  Just imagine if Marlon Brando was combined with Jack Nicholson’s performance in The Shining, and that is what you get from Phoenix in this film.

            Not completely overshadowed by Phoenix are two strong performances from Philip Seymour Hoffman as the master (but maybe not the eponymous master) and Amy Adams as his wife.  Hoffman’s performance suffers a bit in the beginning of the film as his character is an enigma and all of his screen time is opposite Joaquin Phoenix.  However, as we get into the character, another hallmark Hoffman performance emerges.  Meanwhile, Amy Adams has a terribly written character.  It is really difficult trying to figure out what her character’s purpose is in the film.  However, that does not discredit Adams strong performance.  Despite being so infuriating to think about once the film is finished, it is impossible to take your eyes off of Adams’ character when she actually is onscreen.  Adams presents herself as an equal to Phoenix and Hoffman, and that is a true accomplishment.

It might take multiple viewings of The Master to even come close to finding out what that something is that is hiding beneath the film’s surface.  For some, they may never find it.  For all we know, this film is supposed to be a literal Rorschach test that demands that you make your own answer or else adopt the ideas of others and become enslaved to your own “master”. 

9/10

Final 64th Primetime Emmy Predictions


The following predictions will (barring a last minute change of heart) be my final predictions for this year's major Emmy categories.  In terms of Best Miniseries/Movie, it's going to come down to Hatfields & McCoys and Game Change.  On the comedy side, no one will stop Modern Family from winning its third straight Best Comedy Series.  However, things are not so certain on the drama side.  I would not be surprised if Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey or Mad Men win Best Drama Series.

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES=Mad Men
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 LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES=Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES=Jon Hamm, Mad Men
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=Curb Your Enthusiasm
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES=Homeland
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE OR A DRAMATIC SPECIAL=Game Change
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL=Tony 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 SPECIAL=Louis C.K. Live at the Beacon Theatre
OUTSTANDING HOST FOR A REALITY OR REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM=Ryan Seacrest, American Idol

Damages: Season 5 Review



            Being able to go out on your own terms is the greatest gift a television showrunner could receive.  It is also one of the most difficult gifts to take advantage of.  So coming off what might have been its best season yet, Glenn Kessler, Todd Kessler and Daniel Zelman (the showrunners behind Damages) had a lot to live up to if they were going to stick the landing on the final season of Damages.  Despite almost crashing the show multiple times during the course of the final season (something it seems many shows do nowadays), the powers that be successfully stuck the landing with a finale that was perfect for the series.

            Season 5 of Damages picked up right where the last season left off: with Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne) getting ready to be the lone witness against Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) in her custody case.  Unfortunately, Ellen must soon switch paths as Patty manipulates her into taking up a case involving a Julian Assange-like figure (played by Ryan Phillippe) and one of his whistleblowers (played by Jenna Elfman). 

            The Kessler brothers and Daniel Zelman found a highly suitable “case of the season” for season 4, so it was disappointing that the “case of the season” for season 5 was quit lackluster.  A case surrounding the management staff of a whistleblower website should have been very intriguing, but instead the plot behind the “case of the season” was filled with cliché plot advancements and a group of actors (with one exception) that couldn’t handle the material they were given.  It also didn’t help that the real Patty-Ellen showdown that the show was beating around the bush with this plotline was much more interesting.

            That being said when the “case of the season” was all cleared up by the series finale, things really started to move.  The Patty-Ellen showdown lived up to the immense hype the show put on it.  The show also found the perfect ending.  It gave Patty an iconic ending, while it gave Ellen a much-needed happy ending.  The show also found the right amount of things to leave up to interpretation.

            After getting a trio of phenomenal performances out of John Goodman, Dylan Baker and Chris Messina last season, the show really struggled to find a single good performance out of its supporting cast this time around.  Ryan Phillippe was terribly miscast, and quickly became annoying as the main person under investigation.  Jenna Elfman never really got her fair share of character development, while Janet McTeer ultimately was not used enough in what should have been a killer storyline.  Even Chris Messina felt off this season in a storyline that felt way too forced.  The one saving grace of the newcomers was John Hannah who makes the most of his increased screen-time in the later half of the season.

            However, being the last season and all, this season was really going to come down to whether Glenn Close and Rose Byrne could pull off the material.  Unsurprisingly, the answer was a resounding yes.  Rose Byrne was given a workload that matched her work in the early seasons of the series.  She made the most of her emotional scenes and played well off of everybody in the cast, especially Glenn Close.  However, this show has always really belonged to Glenn Close and she proved that once and for all in the series finale.  Close’s work in the finale is a performance for the ages (if she gets nominated next year at the Emmy’s, there is no way she loses with the finale as her tape).  Ambiguous yet mesmerizing, Close’s performance as Patty Hewes will be a difficult one to forget.

            While it hit many bumps on the way, season 5 of Damages concludes the legal thriller in an ultimately satisfying way.

7/10

2012 Creative Arts Emmys Recap



So it was not Saturday Night Live that was the big winner last night, but Game of Thrones.  Game of Thrones won 6 Emmys including awards for Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing and Visual Effects.  The big acting winners were Jimmy Fallon (well deserved), Kathy Bates (a veteran actress finally winning an Emmy), Jeremy Davies (one of the coolest wins of the night) and Martha Plimpton (I wish it was for Raising Hope instead of The Good Wife).  For a complete recap of the event, go here.

Anyway I went an abysmal 30 for 73 (41.1%), but then again the Creative Arts Emmys are notroiously difficult to predict.

2012 Creative Art Emmys Final Predictions


This upcoming Saturday is the first part of the annual Primetime Emmys ceremony.  Most of what you see during the actual Emmy telecast, are the acting and series awards.  The awards you don't see (such as cinematography and sound mixing) are handed out the weekend before the actual ceremony during the Creative Arts Emmys.  Normally the Emmy voters like to spread out the awards among a large array of shows.  Last year was the exception when Boardwalk Empire won 7 awards during the Creative Arts Ceremony.  This year you can expect a show to have a similar haul.  With a lack of competition in the crafts categories for variety programs, you can expect Saturday Night Live to get a handful of awards (probably 6) and lead the field.  Other programs that should do well include American Horror Story, Game of Thrones, George Harrison: Living in the Material World, Hemingway & Gellhorn, Homeland and Louis C.K. Live at the Beacon Theatre.  Here are my complete predictions for the ceremony:


OUTSTANDING VARIETY SPECIAL=The Kennedy Center Honors
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 DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY SERIES=Saturday Night Live
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A VARIETY SERIES=The Daily Show
OUTSTANDING ANIMATED PROGRAM=The Simpsons
OUTSTANDING ART DIRECTION FOR A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE=Hemingway & Gellhorn
OUTSTANDING ART DIRECTION FOR A MULTI-CAMERA SERIES=2 Broke Girls
OUTSTANDING ART DIRECTION FOR A SINGLE-CAMERA SERIES=Boardwalk Empire
OUTSTANDING ART DIRECTION FOR VARIETY OR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING=The 84th Annual Academy Awards
OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES=New Girl
OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES=Homeland
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=Great Expectations
OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A MULTI-CAMERA SERIES=Two and a Half Men
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=Hatfields & McCoys
OUTSTANDING HAIRSTYLING FOR A MULTI-CAMERA SERIES OR SPECIAL=Dancing With the Stars
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=The Big Bang Theory
OUTSTANDING MUSIC COMPOSITION FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE OR A SPECIAL (ORIGINAL DRAMATIC SPECIAL)=Hemingway & Gellhorn
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=George Harrison: Living in the Material World
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's Phineas and Ferb
OUTSTANDING SINGLE-CAMERA PICTURE EDITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES=Curb Your Enthusiasm
OUTSTANDING SINGLE-CAMERA PICTURE EDITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES=Homeland
OUTSTANDING SINGLE-CAMERA PICTURE EDITING FOR A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE=Game Change
OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE OR A SPECIAL=Hemingway & Gellhorn
OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING=Prohibition
OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR A SERIES=Breaking Bad
OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE (HALF-HOUR) AND ANIMATION=Entourage
OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (ONE HOUR)=Downton Abbey
OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE=Hatfields & McCoys
OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING=Deadliest Catch
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

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...

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