The 84th Annual Academy Awards: My Reaction

And that’s a wrap! After a lengthy awards season and weeks of predictions, the 84^th Academy Awards came and went at a fairly quick pace and with plenty of moments to smile about. I have to say, Billy Crystal is one hell of an entertainer and it was a complete joy to have him back as host; in fact, everything about the night was so classical, from the beautiful set design to Crystal’s Bob Hope inspired suit, and just as I hoped, the producers did an excellent job at honoring this year’s nominees while also paying tribute to the history of movies. In particular, watching the many actors and actresses (from Clooney, to Pitt, to Mirren, to Streisand, and more!) talk about their memorable movie experiences was a perfect supporting bit and put a huge smile to my face. As expected, Hugo dominated the technical categories and The Artist swept most of the major ones – both films took home 5 statues each – but the Academy even surprised us by giving Streep the Best Actress award; while I wished Mara or Davis won, Streep’s heartwarming speech won me over. Here’s more of my Oscar Recap:

OSCAR SUNDAY: A Viewer’s Preview

Well, after months of critic and guild awards and a week full of category breakdowns, the 84^th Academy Awards finally airs tonight, beginning at 8:30pm on ABC. Without a major blockbuster competing for any of the biggest prizes (the highest grossing nominated film is The Help with just under $170 million), it’ll be interesting to see what the Academy does to lure a big audience and to hold their attention throughout the always-lengthy awards ceremony. Obviously, having Billy Crystal host for the first time since the 2004 ceremony is a big draw, but after last year’s train-wreck combination of Anne Hathaway and James Franco, it’s going to take more than a great host to salvage the old school greatness of the Oscars. Here’s what I’m hoping and expecting from tonight’s show:

OSCARS 2012 POLL: CAST YOUR VOTE!

After a week of breaking down the Major Categories – and with the 84^th Academy Awards just a day away – I’m interested in seeing whether or not you all agree or disagree with my picks. So, it’s time to cast your own vote in the 6 Major Categories and voice who you think will walk away with the Oscar tomorrow night:

OSCAR 2012 BREAKDOWN: Best Picture

After months of preliminary awards and tons of predictions, it’s finally Oscar Weekend and the 84^th Annual Academy Awards will air tomorrow at 8pm on ABC! Now that I’ve broken down all of the major categories, I can turn my attention to the most prestigious award of the night – Best Picture. Thanks to a new voting system, this year there are 9 nominees (yup, I don’t understand it either but ok!) so let’s get right to it:

OSCARS 2012 BREAKDOWN: Best Director

Well folks, it’s officially Oscar Weekend, and in just 2 days time, the 84^th Annual Academy Awards will arrive! In honor of this year’s Oscars I’ve be breaking down all of the major categories. This year, a host of talented directors have been nominated for the coveted prize of Best Director, so let’s breakdown the category:

OSCARS 2012 BREAKDOWN: Best Actress

In just 3 days time, the glitz and glamour of the 84^th Annual Academy Awards will arrive, and in honor of Oscar Week I’ve be breaking down all of the major categories. While I’ve already begun to delve a little bit into this year’s Best Actress race, in particular the two ladies at the top of the potential winner’s list, Viola Davis and Meryl Streep, let’s take a closer look and examine all 5 of this year’s nominees for Best Actress:

OSCAR 2012 BREAKDOWN: Best Actor

In just 3 days time, Billy Crystal and the 84^th Annual Academy Awards will arrive, and in honor of Oscar Week I’ve be breaking down all of the major categories. While I’ve already begun to delve into this year’s Best Actor race, in particular the rivalry between George Clooney and Jean Dujardin, let’s take a closer look and examine all 5 of this year’s nominees for Best Actor:

OSCARS 2012 BREAKDOWN: Best Adapted Screenplay

In just 4 days time, the 84^th Annual Academy Awards will arrive, and in honor of Oscar Week I’ll be breaking down all of the major categories. Much like the brimming inventiveness of the nominees for Best Original Screenplay, the Adapted Screenplay nominees are equally engaging, bringing a new level of originality to the texts from which they are primarily based. So, let’s not waist any time and get right into breaking down the Best Adapted Screenplay race:

OSCARS 2012 BREAKDOWN: Best Original Screenplay

In just 4 days time, the 84^th Annual Academy Awards will arrive, and in honor of Oscar Week I’ll be breaking down all of the major categories. Of the many different fields, the Screenplay category happens to be a favorite of mine, for a great film is nothing without a great screenplay that’s emotional, personal, and engaging. This year, originality was everywhere, so let’s break down the Best Original Screenplay race:

OSCARS 2012 BREAKDOWN: Best Supporting Actor

As the Academy Awards draws closer, it’s time to take a closer look at this year’s Best Supporting Actor nominees. Much like the Best Supporting Actress category, the race for Supporting Actor seems to be a forgone conclusion at this point, but let’s not overlook the other perfromances that, while bound to lose, are still pretty great: