Road to the Oscars #3: Best Actor

The Academy Award category for Best Actor in a Leading Role is competitive as always this year due to the four five shining nominees that were chosen by the Academy: Bradley Cooper for Silver Linings Playbook, Daniel Day-Lewis for Lincoln, Hugh Jackman for Les Misérables, Joaquin Phoenix for The Master, and Denzel Washington for Flight. All of these men are extremely talented and are worthy of receiving this award.

Although I have already written about Lincoln, this post is meant to describe who I believe will win the Academy Award in the category, and it would be wrong of me to disregard my hunch that Daniel Day-Lewis will receive the award just because I had already written about Tommy Lee Jones. Day-Lewis's enrapturing performance as the charismatic, strong-willed, kind, and incredible man Abraham Lincoln, who many consider the best President of the United States in history, simply cannot be ignored. Day-Lewis flawlessly displayed all the qualities of one of the most respected men in history, from his clear sense of grief due to his deceased son to his laugh as he told a joke about a picture of George Washington in a British man's bathroom to a room full of young men. Day-Lewis's performance was absolutely the reason the movie will forever be remembered for Americans everywhere.

My favorite aspect of Day-Lewis's performance was the way he spoke as Abraham Lincoln. Many of his previous movies had him using deeper voices (for example, There Will Be Blood), and this shift in voice for the beloved president is not only befitting for the character, but actually believed to be historically accurate. Lincoln was supposedly a soft-spoken man, and Day-Lewis captures this in his portrayal effortlessly, making the man only seen by the world in pictures truly come to life. The little things in Day-Lewis's acting, such as this, make him worthy of this Academy Award.

The one performance in this category I did not really enjoy was Hugh Jackman's in Les Miz. I found myself instantly bored by his performance, not nearly as connected as I felt to Day-Lewis or Washington or Cooper. My favorite scenes were the ones he was not in, though I must say he was easier to watch than Russell Crowe. I pray that Jackman does not receive this award.

Basically, I feel that Daniel Day-Lewis deserves to be recognized for his work as Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln, Spielberg's historical fiction masterpiece about the most beloved president in American history. Without Day-Lewis portraying the man, the film would have fallen flat, especially due to its length. This incredible performance paralleled with Les Miz and Hugh Jackman's dull portrayal of Jean Valjean truly illustrates Day-Lewis's acting genius. I hope that Day-Lewis wins this award for his outstanding performance in Lincoln!

Road to the Oscars #2: Best Supporting Actress

The Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role is filled with extremely talented women, namely Amy Adams for The Master, Sally Field in Lincoln, Anne Hathaway for Les Misérables, Helen Hunt for The Sessions, and Jacki Weaver for Silver Linings Playbook. However, unlike the race for Best Supporting Actor, this category seems like much less of a competition.

I am nearly certain that Anne Hathaway will take the Oscar in this category for her role as Fantine in Les Misérables. The sheer emotion that Hathaway displays in the musical-turned-screenplay is worthy of this prestigious award. Live singing "I Dreamed a Dream" in merely one shot as beautifully as Hathaway did in the film is impossible for about 99% of the human population, and the fact that she accomplished this so perfectly proves how amazing and versatile an actress she truly is. She also demonstrates her dedication to the project in the way she allowed her hair to be cut disproportionately during the film in order to stay true to her character. Her performance drew me to tears and was one of the redeeming qualities of this rather long and tiresome movie. Also, it doesn't hurt her chances that she successfully grabbed the Golden Globe in this category for the same role. I have a strong feeling that the Academy will give this award to Hathaway.

The only other actress in the running who could potentially beat Hathaway in my opinion is Sally Field for her role as Mary Todd Lincoln in Lincoln. However, the Academy will probably not want to continue Sally's winning streak of 2 awards for 2 nominations, giving Hathaway the advantage once again.

Once again, I have noticed buzz about how Amy Adams should win this award, even though she probably will not. Since I have still not seen The Master, I cannot form my own opinion, though I am a big fan of Adams and am sure she could do no acting wrong (except for Night at the Museum 2).

Examining the actresses in this category carefully, it is evident to me that Hathaway already has the award for Best Supporting Actress in her back pocket. Her incredible, emotion-driven, dedicated performance will have the Academy shedding tears just like the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. It is almost a sure win for Anne Hathaway, and it is very much deserved for this accomplished, stunning actress.

Road to the Oscars #1: Best Supporting Actor

In what may be the closest race of the 2013 awards season, the nominees for Best Actor in a Supporting Role this year are all Academy Awards veterans: Alan Arkin for Argo, Robert De Niro for Silver Linings Playbook, Philip Seymour Hoffman for The Master, Tommy Lee Jones for Lincoln, and Christoph Waltz for Django Unchained. Each man has proven himself worthy of the nomination, and regardless who wins, this category can't go wrong.

My prediction is that Tommy Lee Jones will take the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a confident and self-assured radical Congressman in Lincoln. Jones' stellar performance in this Spielberg blockbuster captivated and charmed me. His portrayal of Thaddeus Stevens was definitely one of the highlights of the movie and will remain in my memory for time to come. I also feel that Jones deserves this award because of his believability. Not once did I think to myself during the film, "Tommy Lee Jones is incredible," for I didn't see him as Tommy Lee Jones; I saw him as Thaddeus Stevens. I laughed with Stevens; I was near tears when all seemed to be hopeless for the Thirteenth Amendment and, along with the pivotal document, Stevens. I sympathized with Stevens as he fought for what he believed (and what we know) is right, despite the myriad obstacles. Had Jones not delivered an incredible performance, I would not have felt the range of emotions I found myself dealing with during Lincoln. Because of these reasons, I believe that Tommy Lee Jones will take the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Although I have not seen The Master, I have heard it is an incredible film, and many critics are saying Philip Seymour Hoffman deserves to win this award. Thus, I would like to mention his performance here and say that I would love to see this movie in order to better make my prediction. However, I still feel that the Academy will pick Jones even though critics enjoyed Hoffman's performance since the Academy tends to have a soft spot for Steven Spielberg. I am sure The Master is an incredible movie, but until I have seen it, I can't judge for myself.

In conclusion, it seems to me that Tommy Lee Jones of Lincoln will take home the Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Although the other contenders, namely Alan Arkin, Robert De Niro, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Christoph Waltz, are all worthy of the esteemed award, I feel that Jones should be the one to hold the golden trophy in his hand and make his acceptance speech on February 24th. Hopefully, my prediction comes true, and Jones will get the glory he deserves!

Netflix: The New HBO?

Netflix buys exclusive rights to Disney movies

In a "bold leap forward for Internet television," Netflix has acquired the sole rights to stream Disney movies off of their website, netflix.com. The agreement will begin in 2016 and last for 3 years. In the meantime, Netflix has immediate access to older Disney classics, such as Pocahontas, Dumbo, and Alice in Wonderland. On the losers side of this agreement is Starz, a premium cable network whose exclusive rights to Disney movies will end in 2016, the year Netflix will take the helm. As a result of this news, Netflix's stock rose 14% while Starz's parent company's stock fell 5%. Netflix also has nonexclusive rights to movies from Paramount Pictures, Lionsgate, and MGM. Subscription to Netflix streaming is a mere $8 a month as opposed to $13-$18 a month from premium cable giants such as HBO and Showtime.

This instantly caught my attention because it highlights the major shift from premium cable to "Internet" cable. Netflix acts as its own network, not only streaming movies but countless TV shows such as Mad Men, which accounts for 2/3 of the content that is watched by paying viewers. It also is ridiculously cheaper than premium cable, for which you have to pay the monthly fee plus the fee for cable/satellite/fiber optic network/etc. Also, Netflix can be streamed through numerous devices that can be hooked up to TVs and played, such as Blu Ray players, game consoles, and Apple TV. This makes it extremely advantageous compared to premium cable, and more Americans willingly buy it. The fact that Netflix wants to invest in the other large producing companies also proves that it is not going to back down, and that it is ready to take over the movie-streaming business. It's taking decisive actions to become a bigger, more profitable corporation, and it's working.

As a consumer, this increases my want for a Netflix subscription (and for Netflix stock (a week ago)!). I want to join something that will grow bigger and that will benefit me in the long run, and I think Netflix will be doing that very soon. As a future filmmaker, I find it fascinating how these companies negotiate and how the deals affect the industry as a whole.

There are some major questions that must be asked after reading this. Is this truly as big of an event as people are claiming? Will Netflix run premium cable companies to the ground? If so, how soon can they do it?

Will Netflix be the new HBO?

Seven Egyptians Sentenced to Death Due to Participation in Anti-Islam Film

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/29/egyptian-court-orders-death-sentences-over-anti-islam-film/

Seven Egyptians living abroad have been given the death sentence by a Cairo court. They have been charged for their alleged connection to the anti-Islamic film from America that led to riots in the extremely Islamic Middle East. However, the sentence cannot be enforced unless the seven return home to Egypt.

This instantly piqued my interest because I was surprised the anti-Islam film is still making headlines. It's fascinating to see how much of a lasting impact a film so controversial can have on the world. The fact that aggressive action is still being taken against the film is mind-boggling to me.

As a student, this teaches me the lasting effects of a historical event. This outbreak of terrorism due to the film will most likely end up in future history books. As a consumer, it is crazy to know that something I can watch has such an impact on the world. As a filmmaker, it teaches me to stay away from creating a film that is so controversial it causes violence.

Some questions I have about this article are: Will the men ever be able to return home? How much longer will the hysteria continue? Will there be more sentencings? Is the verdict correct or false? These will hopefully be answered in the future.

Three Scenes, One Movie

Sorkin's Steve Jobs Bio Pic to Consist of Only Three Scenes

Director the untitled Steve Jobs Bio Pic movie has revealed a shocking piece of information about the movie: there will only be three scenes. Each scene will last about a half hour of "real-time". They will all depict the launch of 3 different major Apple products in Jobs' career: the original Macintosh computer, the NeXT Cube, and the first iPod.

This caught my attention due to the headline advertising an extremely creative use of only 3 scenes for an hour and a half movie. I am intrigued by the idea of a film that is limited to that parameter. I did not know that anyone of this generation would attempt something so bold on a film that will be so mainstream.

As a student, this makes me want to look back into the history of Apple and find out how the movie will still captivate audiences' attention in only 3 scenes. Maybe looking back at the release day of these 3 products will give me some insight. As a future filmmaker, the idea of a movie with 3 scenes inspires me to continue to be as creative as I can be once I get into the industry. As a consumer, I am now excited to see this movie, whereas before I was planning on blowing it off. I cannot wait to see how this movie plays out.

This leaves me with a few questions for Sorkin. Is this method of storytelling actually effective? How will it continue to captivate audiences that are used to action-heavy, fast-paced Hollywood films? How long would this take to film? These questions will hopefully be answered in the future by the ingenious director.

Disney: At It Again

http://www.examiner.com/article/disney-to-buy-hasbro-magic-the-gathering-movie-and-theme-park-on-its-way

There are now rumors that Disney plans to buy Hasbro, the company in charge of many toy staples, such as G.I. Joe, Transformers, and, of course, Star Wars. This adds to the numerous acquisitions Disney has been eating up lately.

This caught my attention since Disney has been so active in acquiring various companies. It may lead to the government filing a monopoly lawsuit against the giant corporation which would be huge economically. This is just another fascinating display of Disney's power and strength.

As a student, this teaches me something important about economics: monopoly. Disney is using a form of vertical integration that I have studied in my history classes. As a future filmmaker, this tells me that there are going to be huge job opportunities in the Disney corporation soon. As a consumer, this may affect the way these toys are made or released to me and the quality of the toys.

Some questions this article raises are if this rumor is true or if it is false and if it does occur, what the consequences for Disney will be. Will the government retaliate? Will other companies suffer? These are all things to consider when looking at a future in the entertainment business.