Oz The Great and Powerful

Starring: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz and Zach Braff
Directed by: Sam Raimi
Written by: Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire
Rating:4.5/5 Unicorns

Now that the Oscar Season has passed it is time to return back to basics. I am still catching up on films that came out last year but I still found time to watch the first blockbuster of the year. Oz the Great and Powerful tells the tale of  Oscar Diggs( James Franco) a small time circus magician who gets transported to the magical Land of Oz. He meets up with Theodora(Mila Kunis) who is convinced he is the great wizard destined to save Oz. In order to fulfill the prophecy he must kill the wicked witch.

In no means is Oz the Great and Powerful a great movie. It is not a film that inspired me or blew my mind; however, I absolutely loved it. I thoroughly enjoyed the cinematography, visual effects and art direction in this film. It was just an absolutely beautiful treat for the eyes. I loved how the film began in black and white and only became in color once Oscar entered Oz. Once again Danny Elfman did a fantastic job on the film's score. I also have to mention that Mariah Carey sings the theme song for the film entitled Almost Home. It really embodies the feel of the film. Unfortunately, you do not hear the song until the very end of the end credits. In terms of pacing, I thought the film had a great pace. There were no sections I felt dragged on or were too short. It was fun to see the origins of the characters we loved in The Wizard of Oz.

I thought the casting was on point. I thought James Franco did a great job at portraying Oscar and his transformation to the Wizard of Oz. On a superficial note he really is a good looking guy. Rachel Weisz was incredible as Evanora and Michelle Williams was breathtaking as Glinda the Good. I thought Mila Kunis did a good job as well. I felt her character arc was actually quite sad. The movie was really funny mostly because of Finley( voiced by Zach Braff) the flying monkey. Overall, Oz the Great and Powerful was a fun and sweet treat. It gets my seal of approval. 

King's Guide: Final Predictions for the Oscars 2013

Well the Oscars are this Sunday. I am actually excited to see all the shenanigans Seth MacFarlane gets up to.    I am excited to see what everyone will be wearing and whether or not we are going to have memorable acceptance speeches. I have composed a list of  my final predictions. There will be no clear winner for this year, several films will pick up multiple awards. I have tallied that Les Miserables should pick up the most wins for the night. Let me know what you predictions are. Make sure to check back on Monday for a full rundown of the big night.

Best Picture
Will Win: Argo
Could Win: Lincoln

Best  Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Will Win: Daniel Day- Lewis for Lincoln
Could Win: Joaquin Phoenix for The Master

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Will Win: Emmanuelle Riva for Amour
Could Win: Jennifer Lawrence for Silver Linings Playbook

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Will Win: Tommy Lee Jones for Lincoln
Could Win: Christoph Waltz for Django Unchained or Robert De Niro for Silver Linings Playbook

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Will Win: Anne Hathaway for Les Miserables
Could Win: Sally Field for Lincoln or Jacki Weaver for Silver Linings Playbook

Best Achievement in Directing
Will Win: Steven Spielberg for Lincoln
Could Win: David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook

Best Original Screenplay
Will Win: Quentin Tarantino for Django Unchained
Could Win: Mark Boal for Zero Dark Thirty

Best Adapted Screenplay
Will Win: Chris Terrio for Argo
Could Win: David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook

Best Animated Film
Will Win: Brave
Could Win: Wreck-It Ralph

Best Foreign Language Film
Will Win: Amour
Could Win: A Royal Affair

Best Cinematography
Will Win: Life of Pi
Could Win: Skyfall

Best Achievement in Editing
Will Win: Argo
Could Win: Zero Dark Thirty

Best Production Design
Will Win: Les Miserables
Could Win: Life of Pi

Best Achievement in Costume Design
Will Win: Anna Karenina
Could Win: Les Miserables

Best Achievement in Makeup
Will Win: Les Miserables
Could Win: The Hobbit

Best Original Score
Will Win: Life of Pi
Could Win: Skyfall

Best Original Song
Will Win: "Skyfall" for Skyfall 
Could Win: "Everybody Needs a Best Friend" for Ted

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing
Will Win: Les Miserables
Could Win: Skyfall

Best Achievement in Sound Editing
Will Win: Skyfall
Could Win: Zero Dark Thirty

Best Achievement in Visual Effects
Will Win: Life of Pi
Could Win: The Hobbit

Best Documentary
Will Win: Searching for Sugar Man
Could Win: The Gatekeepers

Best Documentary, Short Subject
Will Win: Open Heart
Could Win: Inocente

Best Short Film, Animated
Will Win: Paperman
Could Win: The Simpsons- The Longest Daycare

Best Short Film, Live Action
Will Win: Curfew
Could Win: Death of a Shadow

King Guide's Best Ten Films of 2012

Usually at the end of the calendar year film critics release their top ten list of the year's  best films. I would have posted my list but there were some films on to watch list that I had not gotten to. I have to admit 2012 was a great year for films. There were so many gems that came out. Now that the Oscars are about a week away here is my top ten.  

1.     Django Unchained

The highly anticipated Tarantino's revenge flick did not disappoint. It was filled with fantastic performances that were accompanied by a remarkable score. It was hilarious and horrific all at the same time. 

2.     Flight

Robert Zemeckis returns to live-action cinema with the thrilling Flight. Denzel Washington gives his finest performance to date. It is a damn shame that he remarkable performance is a bit of a whisper this award season. This compelling film will haunt you long after you finished watching it.

3.     Beasts of the Southern Wild

This tiny film that premiered at Sundance last year was a diamond in the rough. It was devastatingly beautiful.

4.     The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The second film to stomp all over my heart. Just an incredible coming of age story filled with funny and heartbreaking performances.

5.     The Avengers

Blockbusters usually skip on substance and overload on gimmicks.  The Avengers was one fun and smart hell of a ride. It put all other blockbusters to shame.

6.     21 Jump Street

The funniest film of the year was the biggest surprise for me.

7.     Silver Linings Playbook

It is not often that you find a smart romantic comedy that is well written with riveting performances.

8.     Life of Pi

The most visually striking film of the year is powered by the brilliant performance of Suraj Sharma and the wonderful direction of Ang Lee.

9.     Men in Black 3

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that the final saga in the Men in Black series would make my top ten list. This wonderful surprise was hilarious and heartwarming.

10.  The Cabin in the Woods

The most original film that came out last year was a true love song to horror fans worldwide.

Honorable Mention: The Dark Knight Rises, Bernie, and Looper

Movies I have yet to watch but sure I would love: Argo, Lincoln, End of  Watch, Zero Dark Thirty, The Intouchables

State of the Race

Everyone in the US is getting ready for the big game tomorrow. They are getting treats for their parties and placing final bets. It is sort of like the World Cup but it happens every year. Lets face it, I have never been a football gal. The month of February for us Movie Buffs has always been about Oscar. All the premieres, all the press junkets, all the critical praise boils down to this magical moment. With three weeks before the big night, things are shaping up quite nicely this award season.

It appears that Argo may be the film to beat for Best Picture thanks to its recent wins at Golden Globes, Producers Guild Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards. With Ben Affleck out of the mix, Steven Spielberg is on lock to win Best Director. Daniel Day- Lewis and Anne Hathaway are pretty much guaranteed to win in their respective categories. If they do not win it will be an upset. Actually, I can see Daniel Day- Lewis losing in two instances, one if Silver Linings Playbook does a sweep or the possibility of Joaquin Phoenix getting the most votes from the Academy. Those are the two possibilities that I could envision Mr. Day-Lewis not winning. The same goes for Anne Hathaway, if Silver Linings Playbook does a sweep then there is a possibility that Jacki Weaver may win this category.  Once again Best Supporting Actor is anyone's category. I think the academy is leaning towards Tommy Lee Jones for this prestigious award. Honestly it really is anyone's game in this category. Once again if Silver Linings Playbook is going to sweep then Robert De Niro will win this category.

The Best Actress category is still a toss up between Jennifer Lawrence and Jessica Chastain. Whomever wins the BAFTA will most likely win come February 24th. As of right now, I do not think anyone of them is in the lead for this category. This is the toughest category for me because I am torn between who I want to win. Honestly, I thought Quvenzhane had the best female performance of the year. I absolutely adore both Jennifer and Jessica. It really is a three women war going on in my head, trying to figure who I want to win the golden statue.

This has been my update for the big six categories. As the awards approach I will make my final predictions. So far it has been one hell of an award season. 

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Starring: Quvenzhane Wallis, Dwight Henry and Levy Easterly
Directed by: Benh Zeitlin
Written by: Benh Zeitlin and Lucy Alibar
Rating: 5/5 Unicorns

Six- year-old Hushpuppy( Quvenzhane Wallis) lives in the Bathtub (southern Louisiana bayou community) with her hot-tempered ailing father (Dwight Henry), who is preparing her for life without him. When a storm approaches threatening to destroy all that she loves, Hushpuppy must begin to apply all of his lessons. With the approaching storm, the melting of the ice caps unleash the prehistoric creatures called aurochs.

Beasts of the Southern Wild has been on my radar for a couple of months now. I was completely ecstatic to see the film pick up four Academy Award nominations last week and after finally watching it they were completely deserved.  Quvenzhane is a revelation as Hushpuppy. I remember when I was her age, I could barely read yet alone be able to have that emotional integrity. Dwight Henry as Wink was riveting. You loathed and felt for him at the same time. I can't believe this was his first acting credit, talk about acting from your soul. The last scene in this movie had me crying like a two year old. It was incredibly powerful. Just remember to bring your tissues when you watch this magnificent film.

There was level of fantasy in this film and it was just beautiful to witness. You are not sure what is real and it liked that the viewer was never made aware of it. I really like the directing style of Benh Zeitlin . He has a great career ahead of him. The cinematography in this film was breathtaking and the score was beautiful especially in the final scene. I can understand way these elements were recognized by critics. Do yourself a favor and immediately check out Beasts of the Southern Wild. You will not be disappointed.

When it all goes quiet behind my eyes, I see everything that made me flying around in invisible pieces. When I look too hard it goes away. And when it all goes quiet I see they are right here, I see that I'm a little piece of a big, big universe and that makes things right. When I die, the scientists of the future; their gonna find it all, their gonna know, once there was a hushpuppy and she lived with her daddy in the bathtub.  Hushpuppy, Beasts of the Southern Wild 

Nominations are in

Earlier this morning the 85th Academy Awards nominations were announced by host Seth MacFarlane and the lovely Emma Stone. Being a great amateur film critic I got up literally at the crack of dawn  to catch the nominees. There were quite a few surprises this morning.

• Best Director

One of the biggest snubs was in the Best Director category  As you are aware I predicted that both Ben Affleck and Kathryn Bigelow were shoo-ins for this category. These two directors have been the frontrunners along with Steven Spielberg. I was completely floored that they did not pick up a nomination. The two directors that were nominated instead were Michael Haneke for Amour and Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild. I am pleasantly pleased that Mr. Zeitlin was nominated. I always knew that Quentin Tarantino was a bit of a wild card but I was hopeful he would get a nod. David O.Russel got a well deserved nomination in this category for the darling Silver Linings Playbook.

• Best Supporting Actress

One of the biggest surprises in this category was Jacki Weaver picking up nomination for her part in Silver Linings Playbook. I did not even predict her for a wild card but I am extremely pleased that she picked up this nomination. I believe that this award really is between Sally Field and Anne Hathaway. The only reason that none of them would pick up this award is if Silver Linings Playbook does a sweep. It could happen.

• Best Supporting Actor

Leonardo Dicaprio was once again overlooked by the Academy. Which I find to be a complete shame because he was absolutely brilliant in Django Unchained. I am happy that Christoph Waltz got a nomination because he was my wild card.

• Best Actress

I did a great job at predicting the nominees in this category. My wild card pick Quvenzhane Wallis is the youngest nominee in this category. As of right now Jessica Chastain and Jennifer Lawrence are the frontrunners in this category. I would not count out Emmanuelle Riva either.

• Best Actor

The only category I had 100% accuracy.  Daniel Day-Lewis is the favorite in this category but I would not count out Denzel Washington and Bradley Cooper.

• Best Picture

I was happy to see the majority of my picks getting nominated this morning. The only one that failed to pick up a nomination was Moonrise Kingdom. The Best Foreign Film favorite Amour picked up the final nomination in this category. Sources are suggesting that it will be hard for Argo and Zero Dark Thirty to win in this category because they failed to pick up Best Director nods. If that is the case Lincoln is looking as the shoo-in but I wouldn't be surprised if Silver Linings Playbook wins instead.

• Overall

Besides the snubs in Best Director and Best Supporting Actor category I am pleased with the nominees this year. Lincoln leads the list of with 12 nominations followed by the beautiful Life of Pi with 11 nominations. 

Final Predictions

Unlike previous years the 85th Academy Award nominations will be announced prior to the airing of both the Golden Globes and SAG Awards. Those awards are always great indicators for which films will be nominated for the Oscars. Now most analysts have to look at what films were awarded by critics and what was nominated for the other big awards. Here are my predictions for big eight.

Best Picture
Lincoln
Zero Dark Thirty
Argo
Life of Pi
Silver Linings Playbook
Les Miserables
Django Unchained
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Moonrise Kingdom
Wild Cards: The Master, Skyfall and Flight

Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow- Zero Dark Thirty
Steven Spielberg- Lincoln
Ben Affleck- Argo
Ang Lee- Life of Pi
Quentin Tarantino- Django Unchained
Wild Cards: David O. Russel- Silver Linings Playbook, Tom Hooper- Les Miserables, Paul Thomas Anderson-The Master and Benh Zeitlin-Beasts of the Southern Wild

Best Actor
Daniel Day Lewis- Lincoln
Denzel Washington- Flight
Bradley Cooper- Silver Linings Playbook
Hugh Jackman- Les Miserables
Joaquin Phoenix- The Master
Wild Cards: John Hawkes- The Sessions

Best Actress
Jennifer Lawrence- Silver Linings Playbook
Jessica Chastain- Zero Dark Thirty
Marion Cotillard: Rust & Bone
Emannuelle Riva- Amour
Naomi Watts- The Impossible
Wild Cards: Quvenzhane Wallis- Beasts of the Southern Wild, Rachel Weisz- Deep Blue Sea

Best Supporting Actor
Tommy Lee Jones- Lincoln
Leonardo DiCaprio- Django Unchained
Phillip Seymour Hoffman- The Master
Alan Arkin-Argo
Robert De Niro- Silver Linings Playbook
Wild Cards: Christopher Waltz- Django Unchained, Javier Bardem- Skyfall, Matthew McConoughey- Magic Mike

Best Supporting Actress
Anne Hathaway- Les Miserables
Sally Field- Lincoln
Amy Adams- The Master
Helen Hunt- The Sessions
Nicole Kidman- The Paperboy
Wild Cards: Maggie Smith- The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Ann Dowd- Compliance

Best Original Screenplay
Mark Boal- Zero Dark Thirty
Rian Johnson- Looper
Wes Anderson, Roman Coopola-Moonrise Kingdom
Quentin Tarantino- Django Unchained
 John Gatins-Flight,
Wild Cards:Michael Haneke- Amour

Best Adapted Screenplay
Tony Kushner- Lincoln
Chris Terrio- Argo
David O. Russel- Silver Linings Playbook
David Magee- Life of Pi
Stephen Chbosky- The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Wild Cards: Benh Zeitlin & Lucy Alibar- Beasts of the Southern Wild, Christopher Nolan & Jonathan Nolan- The Dark Knight Rises