Golden Globes Nominations 2014

The 2014 Golden Globes will be held this Sunday, January 12 on NBC. I’m mostly looking forward to the hosts, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. They’re great together, a perfect balance of comedy and charm.



My Picks for…

Movies: Her, Saving Mr. Banks, The Wolf of Wall Street.

TV: Girls, Parks and Recreations, House of Cards, Veep.

Here are the nominees:

MOTION PICTURES
Best Drama
12 Years a Slave
Captain Phillips
Gravity
Philomena
Rush

Best Musical/Comedy
American Hustle
Her
Inside Lleweyn Davis
Nebraska
The Wolf of Wall Street

Best Director
Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity
Paul Greengrass, Captain Phillips
Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
Alexander Payne, Nebraska
David O. Russell, American Hustle

Best Actress in a Drama
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock, Gravity
Judi Dench, Philomena
Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks
Kate Winslet, Labor Day

Best Actor in a Drama
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
Idris Elba, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyer’s Club
Robert Redford, All Is Lost

Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy
Christian Bale, American Hustle
Bruce Dern, Nebraska
Leonardo Di Caprio, The Wolf of Wall Street
Oscar Isaac, Inside Llewyn Davis
Joaquin Phoenix, Her

Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy
Amy Adams, American Hustle
Julie Delpy, Before Midnight
Greta Gerwig, Frances Ha
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Enough Said
Meryl Streep, August: Osage County

Best Supporting Actress
Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
June Squibb, Nebraska

Best Supporting Actor
Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
Daniel Bruhl, Rush
Bradley Cooper, American Hustle
Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyer’s Club

Best Screenplay
Spike Jonze, Her
Bob Nelson, Nebraska
Jeff Pope/Steve Coogan, Philomena
John Ridley, 12 Years a Slave
Eric Warren Singer, David O. Russell, American Hustle

Best Foreign Language Film
Blue is the Warmest Color
The Great Beauty
The Hunt
The Past
The Wind Rises

Best Animated Feature
The Croods
Despicable Me 2
Frozen

Best Original Song
“Atlas,” The Hunger Games, Catching Fire
“Let It Go,” Frozen
“Ordinary Love,” Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
“Please Mr. Kennedy,” Inside Llewyn Davis
“Sweeter Than Fiction,” One Chance

Best Score
Alex Ebert, All Is Lost
Alex Heffes, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Steven Price, Gravity
John Williams, The Book Thief
Hans Zimmer, 12 Years a Slave

TELEVISION

Best TV Comedy or Musical
Girls
Modern Family
Parks and Recreation
The Big Bang Theory
Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Best TV Drama
Breaking Bad
Downton Abbey
The Good Wife
House of Cards
Masters of Sex

Best Actress in a TV Drama
Julianna Marguiles, The Good Wife
Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black
Taylor Schilling, Orange Is the New Black
Kerry Washington, Scandal
Robin Wright, House of Cards

Best Actress in a TV Comedy
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Lena Dunham, Girls
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

Best Actor in a TV Drama
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan
Michael Sheen, Masters of Sex
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards
James Spader, The Blacklist

Best Actor in a TV Comedy
Jason Bateman, Arrested Development
Don Cheadle, House of Lies
Michael J. Fox, The Michael J. Fox Show
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Andy Samberg, Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Best Miniseries or TV Movie
American Horror Story: Coven
Behind the Candelabra
Dancing on the Edge
Top of the Lake
White Queen

Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie
Helena Bonham Carter, Burton and Taylor
Rebecca Ferguson, White Queen
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Helen Mirren, Phil Spector
Elisabeth Moss, Top of the Lake

Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie
Matt Damon, Behind the Candelabra
Michael Douglas, Behind the Candelabra
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Dancing on the Edge
Idris Elba, Luther
Al Pacino, Phil Spector

Best Supporting Actress in a TV Show, Miniseries or TV Movie
Jacqueline Bisset, Dancing on the Edge
Janet McTeer, White Queen
Hayden Panettiere, Nashville
Monica Potter, Parenthood
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family

Best Supporting Actor in a TV Show, Miniseries or TV Movie
Josh Charles, The Good Wife
Rob Lowe, Behind the Candelabra
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
Corey Stoll, House of Cards
Jon Voight, Ray Donovan

House of Cards and Orange is the New Black

I have been out of commission for awhile. I took some time off to travel. I lived abroad for a bit. While that was a great experience I definitely missed American film and television. 

I have recently signed up with Netflix. So I thought I would highlight a couple TV series that are worth watching if you’ve got the time.

I just discovered the amazingness that is “House of Cards.” Kevin Spacey has proved once again he is an invigorating actor who has a strong presence in every role he plays. He brings the character of Frank Underwood, a Congressman, to life embodying the epitome of what politics is today; cheating, lying, and clawing your way to the top. The entire cast is riveting and the plot twists keep you wanting more. The series is not a lot of action but mainly dialogue driven. I would say “House of Cards” is a modern day “West Wing.”







Season 2 will be released February 14, 2014. 


I was hesitant about “Orange is the New Black” at first but after just a couple episodes I became hooked. The series is about a “good girl” whose past catches up with her when she has to serve time in a women’s correctional facility, for international drug pedaling in her former years. Piper Chapman, played by Taylor Schilling, is forced into a crazy new world that will make you laugh, cry, and gasp at what really goes on behind bars. The cast, of mainly women, is one big dysfunctional family played very cohesively given the in-your-face racist and sexist sentiments. Although mainly a dark comedy the series touches on serious social and political issues we face with incarcerated people.





Season 1 is entirely available on Netflix right now. No news on when season 2 will be released. Speculation hints a new season may be released early-to-mid 2014.

Happy Endings vs. Friends

I know this a movie review blog but I had to share this. My new favorite TV show is “Happy Endings.” It’s basically the new version of “Friends”. I’ve even done a side-by-side character comparison…


You can definitely notice the social changes since “Friends” was released in 1994, and “Happy Endings,” which premiered in 2011. Taboo subjects, that were once controversial, are now being shown more; for instance, Brad and Jane are an interracial married couple and Max is the not-so-typical gay guy.

The cast includes some familiar faces. Elisha Cuthbert, who starred in “The Girl Next Door” is great as the ditzy hot girl. And Damon Wayans Jr., nephew to the famous Wayans brothers, is comedy genius. The only character that annoys me is Jane, played by Eliza Coupe. She talks too fast and seems a little too bossy, which can get really irritating quickly. The funniest character is a tie between Max (Adam Pally) and Penny (Casey Wilson). They have the best one liners and get into the most compromising predicaments. 

"Happy Endings" airs on ABC Wednesday nights at 9:30pm (pacific time).

SEE IT!