Winning: Oscar show an improvement from previous years

Ellen Degeneres, host of the 86th Annual Academy Awards.

After consulting my crystal ball and correctly predicting all the top categories for the 86th Annual Academy Awards celebration, this much is obvious: 2013 was a year to remember for film. And while Gravity may have swept up most of the awards, 12 Years A Slave rightfully garnered the evening’s top prize for Best Picture.

Here are the top moments from last night’s Oscars:

BEST HOST
Host Ellen Degeneres took the stage for a second time in 7 years as emcee of Hollywood’s most glamorous evening, a vast improvement over Seth MacFarlane’s goofy, offensive stint at last year’s show. Ellen is funny in an effortless and unassuming way, and you can’t help but love her every second she’s onscreen. She’s the perfect host for this kind of an event, and her presence alone undoubtedly helped boost ABC’s Oscars ratings.

Sandra Bullock stole the show in a gorgeous Steve McQueen gown, while Amy Adams (inset) was stunning in Gucci.

BEST DRESSED
After the disastrous dress she wore to the Golden Globes earlier this year, Sandra Bullock glammed it up in a stunning strapless Steve McQueen number, accented with flawless hair and makeup. Kudos, Sandy! And, while many fashion critics found Amy Adams’ stunning and slim-fitting Gucci dress somewhat underwhelming, I’m not one of them. Amy’s style is always elegant, always brilliant. (Blue was the obvious color of choice for many of the ladies who walked the red carpet.)

BEST ACCEPTANCE SPEECH
Jared Leto left me breathless and teary-eyed right out of the gate with his acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actor in Dallas Buyers Club. “To those who have ever felt injustice for who you are or who you love, this is for you,” Leto said during his speech…right before he plugged his band Thirty Seconds to Mars. Otherwise, this was one of the best speeches of the night, while Lupita Nyong’o gave the most humble speech.

Who will the winners be on Oscar night?

Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong’o and Chiwetel Ejiofor in ’12 Years A Slave.’

The year 2013 was not only a great year for movies, but it’s made for an unpredictable race come Oscar night. In recent years, the Academy has favored everything from the underdogs (Slumdog Millionaire, 2008) to box-office favorites (2012’s Argo). So where does that leave us for 2013? It’s definitely going to be a night to tune in. For now, though–here are my predictions for the year’s top categories.

BEST PICTURE
Could it be the first year that two movies will tie for the Best Picture category? Not likely, although that would certainly make for an entertaining evening. The mind-blowing Gravity and the heartbreaking 12 Years A Slave are at the top of the list for sure, but my money’s on 12 Years to nab the Best Picture award Sunday night.
Other nominees: American Hustle, Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyers Club, Her, Philomena, Nebraska and The Wolf of Wall Street.

BEST ACTOR
While I think Chiwetel Ejiofor should win for 12 Years A Slave, Matthew McConaughey’s fearless performance in Dallas Buyers Club has garnered the most buzz. Consider McConaughey an obvious shoo-in.
Other nominees: Christian Bale for American Hustle; Leonardo DiCaprio for The Wolf of Wall Street; Bruce Dern for Nebraska.

BEST ACTRESS
This is a tough category. There are so many favorites in this year’s category, but despite the controversy surrounding Woody Allen, Cate Blanchett will likely take home her second win for her role in Blue Jasmine. Amy Adams for American Hustle comes in a close second.
Other nominees: Sandra Bullock for Gravity; Judi Dench for Philomena; Meryl Streep for August: Osage County.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
This is one of the few races where there is little doubt who will win the Oscar. Jared Leto, who hasn’t appeared in a film in 6 years, gave a heartbreaking performance as McConaughey’s transgender business partner Rayon in Dallas Buyer’s Club. As a result, he’s sure to win.
Other nominees: Barkhad Abdi for Captain Phillips; Bradley Cooper for American Hustle; Michael Fassbender for 12 Years A Slave; Jonah Hill for The Wolf of Wall Street.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
If Lupita Nyong’o doesn’t win for her role as a field slave in 12 Years A Slave, I’d be surprised. Then again, Jennifer Lawrence is considered a favorite for her high-flying performance in American Hustle. Still, Nyong’o should be the most obvious choice for Best Supporting Actress this year.
Other nominees: Sally Hawkins for Blue Jasmine; Julia Roberts for August: Osage County; June Squibb for Nebraska.

BEST DIRECTOR
Alfonso Cuaron is always remarkable, but even more so for his magic act in Gravity. Even amid the spectacular special effects, everything about Cuaron’s film felt stunningly authentic–which is hard to do when most of your movie takes place in CGI outer space. Consider Cuaron a safe bet for Best Director.
Other nominees: Steve McQueen for 12 Years A Slave; Alexander Payne for Nebraska; David O. Russell for American Hustle; Martin Scorsese for The Wolf of Wall Street.

Mia Wasikowska and Matthew Goode in ‘Stoker.’

AND THE MOST UNDERRATED PICTURE OF 2013 GOES TO…
I’d be remiss not to mention my favorite film of 2013, director Park Chan-Wook’s haunting and beautiful thriller Stoker. With vivid performances from all its stars and a perfect script by Wentworth Miller, everything about Stoker impacted me on a visceral level. Largely panned by critics, this is a film I haven’t stopped talking about since its release last year. It’s a shame the Academy has overlooked it. Click here to read my review for Stoker.

The 86th Annual Academy Awards will air on ABC Sunday, March 2 at 7:00 pm EST.

Follow me: Jumping onto ‘The Following’ bandwagon

Kevin Bacon at the scene of the crime in Fox’s hit show ‘The Following.’

The other day I found myself on Hulu, which is a rare occasion since I typically prefer to buy my TV shows in bulk whenever they’re available on Blu-ray. However, I came across episodes of Fox’s The Following — a show I admit had intrigued me when I first saw trailers for it — and decided to give it a go. After all, the show has a lot going for it already, namely lead actor Kevin Bacon and writer Kevin Williamson, who penned the late-90s favorites Scream and Dawson’s Creek. It looks like Mr. Williamson has resurfaced in the 21st century, and for what it’s worth I’m certainly glad he did. I couldn’t stop watching The Following, feverishly flipping from one episode to the next.

It turns out I’m not the only one who got hooked by The Following. As Entertainment Weekly recently reported, The Following is actually the biggest new show of 2013. Not only are fans anxiously awaiting the April 29 season finale with bated breath and jangled nerves, but Fox has also decided to renew the hit show for a second season.

So what’s all the fuss about?

Let me be the first to make the disclaimer that The Following isn’t exactly a great show. Sometimes its episodes are so over-the-top that it’s almost preposterous, asking the viewer to suspend his or her belief until Kevin Bacon can make it to the next scene unscathed. But really, it isn’t so much about whether or not The Following is believable. The show, like so many other successes, hinges on its addictive quality and the breakneck pacing of its action. There is always something going on, always another mystery to be solved, and always another mystery left unsolved to be addressed in another episode. And that’s part of the fun. The question is whether or not Williamson will be able to sustain the suspense of The Following for enough seasons to make it worthwhile. Or will audiences simply lose interest, choosing instead to return to their already syndicated cop dramas? I recall how successful Prison Break was when it first aired in 2005 (also from Fox), and that particular show only made it four seasons.

And it isn’t exactly that The Following tells a wholly original story, either. It appears Williamson channelled other major motion serial killer classics like Seven and Kiss the Girls when he wrote the pilot for The Following and its subsequent episodes.

The Following tells the story of former FBI Agent Ryan Hardy, who is pulled back into the field as an unofficial liaison when psychopathic killer Joe Carroll escapes from prison. Hardy put Carroll away many years ago, and the two of them predictably hold a grudge against one another. It doesn’t take long for Hardy to put Carroll back in jail, but none of that really matters. Carroll’s smarter than that, and he’s fashioned himself an army of serial killers to do his bidding in his stead — young, impressionable wannabes who go after Hardy and his family, among other related characters on an episode-by-episode basis. They are a cult, if you will, a crux of the story being that you’re never quite sure which characters pledge allegiance to Carroll and which do not, causing a few unexpected surprises along the way.

Bacon plays Hardy with an edge, but also make the former FBI agent vulnerable enough to be relatable. And while Bacon doesn’t break out into any moves from Footloose (yet), this material suits him for his first foray into mainstream television. James Purefoy (from HBO’s Rome) plays Joe Carroll with spirited zest, stealing each scene he’s in as all good serial killers do. Other supporting cast members include Shawn Ashmore of X-Men fame as a rookie agent trying to get Hardy to warm up to him, and Law & Order‘s Annie Parisse as an agent who specializes in cults and religion.

The end result is nothing more than pure entertainment and escapism at its best. And what better way to start off a haggard work week? The show has just the right balance of drama and thrills to keep its target audience interested — just maybe not for the long haul. Hopefully Williamson can keep The Following alive long enough for us to see how it all ends.

Next episode: Monday, March 18, 9/8c

Watch The Following on Hulu.

Watch the trailer:

And the award goes to…

Seth MacFarlane, host of the 85th Annual Academy Awards.

The 85th annual Academy Awards brought Hollywood’s best to the red carpet again this year to celebrate some really great films. So what did you think of the 2013 Oscars? Here’s my brief review:

Host Seth MacFarlane’s humor seemed to wan the moment he got onstage, with most of his jokes falling flat. At least he can sing and dance, but what was with his number at the end with Kristin Chenoweth?

Channing Tatum and Charlize Theron dancing the night away made for the classiest moment of the evening. Yet all I could think about during this bit was, When is Magic Mike going to rip his clothes off? Alas, it never happened.

Christoph Waltz won Best Supporting Actor for Django Unchained and started off the night with a great, weepy acceptance speech.

Jennifer Lawrence of Silver Linings Playbook was the most humble of the winners last night, even as she took a nosedive on the steps while receiving a standing ovation. No, Jennifer, people weren’t standing and clapping just because you fell. We really do think you’re something special.

Quentin Tarantino, writer of Django Unchained, was the least humble of the winners, but what do you expect? It’s Quentin Tarantino. The man’s a genius.

Best musical performance definitely belonged to Jennifer Hudson, who still managed to out-sing the entire cast of Les Misérables. It was a tough act to follow, Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway, but we give you props for trying.

Ms. Hathaway was absolutely glowing as the Best Supporting Actress for Les Misérables, the most unsurprising win of all.

Daniel Day-Lewis, Best Actor for Lincoln and an inspiration to actors everywhere. Enough said.

Ang Lee predictably won Best Director for Life of Pi. Back in the old days of the Academy, the Best Director award usually gave away the Best Picture award, but the Academy has done better in recent years of spreading the Oscar wealth.

But just where was the African American representation this year for the Oscars? It wasn’t enough to nominate Beasts of the Southern Wild or to have First Lady Michelle Obama make a cameo. Nearly everyone who took the stage last night was white. Not cool, Oscar.

Which leads us to the biggest surprise of the Oscars: Michelle Obama presenting Best Picture for Argo “alongside” Jack Nicholson. It’s not every day you have the First Lady of the United States recognizing your work. Ben Affleck must be feeling pretty good right now, especially since the Academy has officially forgiven him for Gigli.

Most awkward moment of the Oscars: when everybody on Facebook started realizing that Argo producer Grant Heslov was also the guy from True Lies, Congo, Dante’s Peak and numerous other awesomely bad movies.

And finally, kudos to Argo for the Best Picture award. We all knew it was coming, but it was well-deserved nonetheless and such a joy to see Mr. Affleck take that stage again 15 years after Good Will Hunting. Looks like it all paid off, huh?