"...Screwing with the Wrong People." Walking Dead Season 4 Finale

SPOILER WARNING! Mild to Medium Rare spoilers discussed below. Recommend you NOT continue if you don't have the  season finale under your belt - in other words, "DON'T OPEN - DEAD INSIDE..."







We've got over six months to think about it. I'm going on record as being very happy with season 4 of The Walking Dead. People are bound to find things to complain about - "Nobody got killed!" "They didn't explain what happened to (Fill in Blank)." But if you've been paying attention, you should know by now that new showrunner Scott Gimple has been working out of a high altitude, big picture plan - he's got a firm grasp on what makes this show work, and he's got no problem with impulse control. He knows how to dole out just enough plot in one sitting to intrigue and keep you coming back for more.

These last eight episodes have been fascinating. So much of this season has been about what this world does to children and we've seen them in all manner of disturbing situations this year. Frankly, I think Gimple, Robert Kirkman and company made disturbing television history with The Grove this season. Putting it mildly, that was rough sledding - and I'd argue that on some level, Gimple knew that nothing could trump that episode for leaving an emotional gut-punch. We've never seen anything quite like that before, and in many ways, that's going to go down as the emotional finale of the season. It would have been a synthetic and predictable move to try and out-devastate what happened then - what Carol did. From where I'm sitting, that was absolutely the right call.

With Carl, we've been following a boy both on the verge of turning into a man and at risk of turning away from his father. After last night's episode, Carl will never wonder about the ferocity of his father's devotion to him again. We've been watching Rick struggle with his identity and his fear of the price that the behaviors of survival extract, really since Lori died. On the road, beset by Joe and his "Claim-Jumpers," with Carl in the worst kind of peril, Rick struggled no more. To save their lives, Rick essentially became a Walker, in a sequence of such avenging brutality, it made Bronson and Eastwood gasp.

I think The Walking Dead deserves some props for not killing anyone off last night, but also for not making it easy and giving us the mechanical structure of too many answers. Many characters' fates are still in the wind, and I'm just dying to see Melissa McBride again. We may not have the answers yet that many of us expected, but I know that I care deeply about all of those whose whereabouts remain uncertain. This was a tremendous year of storytelling and I love that these guys have the confidence and patience to take risks with the show and keep us guessing, keep things fresh...to keep us caring. I can't wait for October, and after this year's run, I trust Gimple and Kirkman to serve up equal portions of both rich character and wrenching suspense.

And speaking of serving, season 4 saw all the rabbits finally arrive at Terminus - so if you're still perplexed at what's going on there, well, let me fix you a plate...

Muppets Mostly Wanted

You gotta love The Muppets – a phenomenon of multiple generations, many of whom are now voiced by different performers, these characters hold onto an innocence and likability that makes them easy to spend time with. Muppets Most Wanted is James Bobin’s (Flight of the Conchords) follow-up to his 2011 reboot, this time without the energizing presence of Jason Segal, whose absence as screenwriter is particularly noticeable, with the opening number “We’re Making a Sequel” being more revealing than satiric. The Muppets embark on a world tour, with Kermit replaced by an evil look-alike, in the service of an elaborate jewel heist. European cities have their own featured human performers, Christoph Waltz in Berlin, Salma Hayek in Madrid, Hugh Bonneville in Dublin – with a veritable avalanche of celebrity cameos, including Sean Combs, Céline Dion, Tom Hiddleston, Ray Liotta, Frank Langella, Danny Trejo and Usher. Tina Fey does time as a guard at the real Kermit’s Siberian Gulag (take that, Putin!), but it’s Ty Burrell and Ricky Gervais who seem to get how to relate to their felt and furry costars the most successfully, both of whom seem to be really enjoying what they’re doing.

Muppets Most Wanted falls short of some of the charm of the first movie, so you’re going to enjoy it a lot more if you go with someone of the intended demographic – still, when your five-year-old is sighing that it’s time to go just as the third act is ramping up, it’s evidence that things are a little draggy. But I can’t help myself – I love The Muppets and you’ll love an imagined moment revealing what Kermit and Miss Piggy’s offspring could look like. James, complete your trilogy by bringing back Jason Segal and showing us what that new family household is like!

Her: She has a Great Personality!

Did I ever love Her, the fascinating science fiction romance from writer-director Spike Jonze. Sometimes the best films are the ones that feel like great short stories and that’s definitely the atmosphere Jonze conjures up here. Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoneix) is a professional letter-writer in the last gasps of a divorce who falls in love with his computer operating system – Samantha – evoked by a disembodied Scarlett Johansson. Her is the kind of science fiction we don’t get nearly enough of, set in a very near future just over the horizon that’s really all about the here and now, and what we’ll look like when we get there.

Her is about being connected – figuratively and literally. This future is the Now we all inhabit – the plugged-in iPhone reality of being more intertwined with each other than ever on one level, while feeling potentially more detached than ever in ways we've yet to even grasp. How would a lonely person respond if their operating system related to their questions? If it asked as many questions about you as you asked it? In Her, we glimpse artificial intelligence that not only learns, but yearns – and dreams of evolving to become something beyond its installation. That not only adapts to better respond to you but wants to create a relationship with you that satisfies and reciprocates on every level.

Jonze imagines the future with beautiful simplicity and convincing grace notes. He and cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema (who just wrapped Interstellar) collaborate with the film’s designers to give us one of the simplest and most arrestingly visual right-next-door futures depicted on film. Much of Her was shot in Shanghai, whose 80-story skyscrapers and sweeping walkways give us a very believable future Los Angeles, albeit with more bullet trains than cars. The music (by Arcade Fire) is splendid – release this soundtrack, already! If Her has cinematic spiritual cousins, both Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Lost in Translation come to mind. Though I was just as reminded of Charly (Flowers for Algernon) and Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Jonze has crafted a real original.

The cast is phenomenal on all fronts, particularly Phoenix, doing some of his best work here, who feels palpably joined with Samantha in a relationship that’s more than a little hypnotic. Given the cautionary premise, Her is incredibly charming, innocent, smart, sweet and uplifting. The film does a great job of capturing relationship moments – initial giddy attractions, new-found freedoms and shared discoveries, anxieties and inner turmoil. The film is full of wonderful little scenes. A moment involving the hesitation of a pen, poised to sign, is achingly intimate and vulnerable. Amy Adams and Rooney Mara both do wonderful work here.

Her is a story about personality and identity – what happens to them within the filters of relationships and technology? How does a kindred “other” change us, or become part of us? Does Self blossom or become more defined when shared? Her should absolutely not be missed. Like Samantha, it will engage and amuse you…and leave you with some fascinating questions. Its easily one of the best films of the last year. 

The Winds of Winter Excerpt

No, book six of George R.R. Martin's epic Song of Ice and Fire series has not been announced yet. But George is taking pity on us with a new sample chapter from the next book (TBD), The Winds of Winter. Martin explains that it's actually an older chapter, predating any excerpts previously released. The chapter titles are always character names (and perspectives), with this one being called "Mercy."

Here's the link, to start reading!

Help me decide!

There's so much good stuff happening in the next week or so I can't decide which to be the most excited about - so help me decide!

The Walking Dead Season Finale...

Captain America: The Winter Soldier...

Game of Thrones Premiere...

You may have to jump on over to our Full Web Version to vote (just scroll on down), but we need your help! We'll release the results in a few days and hopefully spend plenty of ink talking about all of these exciting events! Ain't democracy swell?

Far From Any Road: The Dark Byways of True Detective

A bit late to the party, not being part of the initial rabid throng that crashed HBO GO the night of the season finale, but I was finally able to wrap-up True Detective.

Wow. This is pretty spectacular viewing. As tremendous as the pilot was, there was some similar antler imagery to NBC’s Hannibal that caused me to wait a bit before diving back in – and I’m glad I did, because the similarities ended there. The opening credits are probably the most hypnotic since Dexter along with a theme song from The Handsome Family (from their 2003 album Singing Bones) and music producer T Bone Burnette that is simply astonishing.

Created by writer Nic Pizzolatto and directed by Cary Fukunaga (all 8 episodes), True Detective follows police detectives Rust Cohle (Matthew McConaughey) and Marty Hart (Woody Harrelson) during a 17-year hunt for a Louisiana serial killer. Episodes jump from their discovery of a killing in 1995 to bookend interviews of them in 2012 - two very different men, time has clearly not been kind to. 

The cast is one of the strongest parts of this show, without a doubt, with McConaughey dominating on all fronts. His performance is nothing short of spectacular. With this and Dallas Buyers Club heel-to-heel, he’s pretty firmly established himself as one of the strongest actors working today. Cohle (and sometimes the series itself) takes his nihilism to such an extreme degree that his detached profundity could easily come off as pretentious. Any other actor would have likely stepped on the line (given the script) and made Cohle unbearable. He and Harrelson take turns being hard to get behind and identify with – you want to like Harrelson, but his lapses in judgment quickly send you back over to McConaughey’s side of the fence. But the riddle that torments them is far thornier than their respective failings and you keep rooting for them to fix their frayed ropes and get back on the road that leads to…well, that I am not about to say. Thanks to this unforgettable case and the phenomenal work of director Cary Fukunaga, the show absolutely fascinates and makes you step ever deeper into the shadows as the story progresses. By the 4^th episode in, there’s no turning back.

This is a pretty amazing time to be a noir crime fan, across many mediums. Thomas Harris, Steig Larsson, Wallander, Luther, The Killing, The Bridge – not since Dashiell Hammett has the trend of dark doings and those who seek to unravel them been so on fire.

True Detective makes use of a lot of genre tropes, often to very successful ends. If the show has a failing, it’s the layering of such a complex and baroque narrative, with some plot threads that never really manifest, despite some heaving positioning. There are moments that evoke Silence of the Lambs and Kiss the Girls more than I might have wished at times, but True Detective stands tall as one of the most compelling and unmissable crime dramas in years. Its strengths far outweigh its shortcomings. I suspect you’ll want to go right back to the first episode and watch it all again for clues and shadings that might have been missed on that first pass. I know I’m going to be trying to.

True Detective (like American Horror Story) aims to be a bit of an anthology series – so we’ll likely have a clean slate of characters in season 2, which Pizzolatto teases will be about the secret occult history of the United States transportation system. Something tells me any map to that story is going to leave a lot of ink on our fingers. If you haven’t seen True Detective yet, turn out the lights and take a deep breath - it's unforgettable - and while the darkness may leave you with an extreme reaction, you absolutely should not miss it.

King for a Day at Hero Complex!

I could never begin to hide it - I'm a massive Stephen King fan. He's been a hero of mine as both a writer and a person for a long, long time. So I must tip my hat to Los Angeles art gallery Hero Complex, where a new exhibit devoted to the myriad realms of all things King opened today. If you're in L.A., the exhibit runs through April 6th (2020 South Robertson Blvd., Studio D, LA, CA 90034).

Enjoy a taste of this truly inspired tribute to the mythmaking legend...and remember, like the man said: "Life isn't a support system for art. It's the other way around."

Hulkbuster Glimpsed For Ultron!

It's still quite a while before we get to sit down for The Avengers: Age of Ultron - May 2015, in fact. So the good folks at Marvel Studios have been kind enough to give us a little taste. The other night ABC aired a special titled Marvel Studios: Assembling A Universe, where we got a glimpse of one of the great comic geek-out moments of all-time that will be coming our way - concept art for Tony Stark's Hulkbuster suit - armor
so strong, the wearer can battle Hulk! 

Fans first met the Hulkbuster back in Iron Man # 304 (May 1994). Ever since then it's been one of those ideas that the faithful can't shake, endlessly speculating about how cool that fight would be. If this is a sense of how much nerdgasm factor Joss Whedon is bringing to Age of Ultron, we're in for a very wild time indeed!

Click this, Bitches!

Those crazy cats at Mezco are doing it! Starting in July you'll be able to give Walter White some company in the lab, as pre-orders are up for Breaking Bad's Jesse Pinkman!

6-inch Jesse in his yellow hazmat suit comes complete with gas mask, chili powder and a tray of blue crystal.

YEAH! Science!

How The Westros Was Won

There's a terrific new feature article highlighting Game of Thrones in the latest issue of Vanity Fair. Among the many fascinating reveals is the fact that in 2009, the show's producers shot an earlier version of the pilot...that never aired! 

"We had a few of our writer friends come over to watch the pilot," explains producer and writer David Benioff. "And watching them and knowing that they did not like it at all was just a horrible feeling," summed up by a friend's exclamation that "You guys have a massive problem."

Despite that rough start, they got the go-ahead for a full season from HBO, including a new pilot. If at first you don't succeed...

Definitely pick up the issue, it's a great read. It turns out VF has a great archival recap of Thrones episodes. See? All across the realm, the smallfolk are chomping at the bit for April 6th!

The Hunger Games: Snatching Ire

Finally got around to seeing The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and I'm sorry to say I was about as bored as I've been watching a mainstream feature in quite a while. I'd read the first book in the series, and thought the first film was earnest, but forgettable. In a world of George R. R. Martin and Stieg Larsson, I felt my curiosity had been satisfied and didn't read any of the subsequent books. I think that may have been a good call.

Catching Fire certainly has better production values - that's what they call a left-handed compliment - but there is precious little plot. Katniss is going on her victory tour - which seems to take forever, given she's on a bullet train - and like the heroine of that other Young Adult multi-film franchise, she seems to spend a lot of time agonizing over which boy she has the strongest feelings for - and that's about the sum total of her entire character. We're halfway into the sequel before more running and bow-drawing occurs. The cinematography is remarkably unremarkable and never establishes a very convincing or textured world. Everything is lit with a sunny genericism. For the life of me, I can't figure out what Stanley Tucci is doing in this thing. Donald Sutherland does everything but twirl his mustache - and knowing that this is one of Philip Seymour Hoffman's last films is just...depressing. I'm pretty sure I heard my wife exlcaim, "It's like Logan's Run meets Flashdance." Good one, honey.

It really seems to be Battle Royale expanded into dystopia light. Now don't get me wrong - I love a good post-apocalyptic totalitarian state as much as the next guy - and I have nothing against watching young actors fight to the death. But with all the truly smart franchises out there these days, I was really kind of surprised at how unengaging Catching Fire was. I'm obviously not the target demo they're aiming for here - but given the boatloads of profit the film's pulled in, I expected something a lot better. Like maybe The Handmaid's Tale meets Twilight better.

"Call me Snake..." New blu-ray this June!

There are precious few details yet, but MGM has announced there will be a new blu-ray edition of John Carpenter's 1981 classic, Escape From New York, to be released on June 3rd.

We have to assume this will be some kind of tricked-out 4K Special Edition, so watch this space for more details in the weeks to come.

Snake Plissken. What a great character!

Up close and personal with Mezco's Sons!

Slightly better images of the Mezco Sons of Anarchy figures we glimpsed last month.

They're up for pre-order over at Entertainment Earth, with a release date poised to coincide with next fall's premiere of the final season.

How long you gonna make us wait for Gemma, fellas?

Deadwood fans: A Lie Agreed Upon

Howdy, all you assorted Hoople Heads, Celestials and Dirt-Worshippers!

In honor of the show's 10th Anniversary, RogerEbert.com has released a 26-minute video reminiscence of HBO's glorious Deadwood, narrated by actor Jim Beaver. A Lie Agreed Upon is pretty fantastic, though I suspect Al Swearengen would endorse it a bit more colorfully. Definitely check it out!

Al says, CLICK HERE!

Diamond Select Bad Mother !#$*&

Whew! I can stop thinking about those ham-fisted Funko ReAction figures  - the real McCoy is on its way. Diamond Select Toys seems to be sniffing the wind and getting back in the game. Prototypes for new Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill figures have emerged, and they look pretty damn good. We've had Pulp mini-mates before, but nothing this awesome looking. Jules, Butch and Marsellus round out the first look, and if they do this nice of a job, there's every hope more characters will join the line-up.

Now NECA did an awesome job with their Kill Bill figures a few years ago, but evidently DST has got Tarantino on the brain, because they're taking a crack at them, too. Just like DST's new Sin City figures, they're offering up a wave of figures that NECA's already taken a run at before. With Kill Bill, The Bride, Go-Go and Bill have already been done previously, so here's hoping they finally are able to get an O-Ren figure. Likeness issues doomed O-Ren to never get beyond the prototype pictured below, so I for one, would love to finally fill that gap in my collection!

Finally, Diamond is adding to their Star Trek "Select" line, with Worf - though all we've got so far is concept art.

Very intriguing! This seems to be DST's declaration of intent to keep up with Funko, NECA and the like. I would love to see them succeed. But Diamond Select, take heed - don't serve us up too many recycled characters, okay? Plenty of us still haven't quite forgiven you for abandoning the Battlestar Galactica line, leaving half of the key characters unfinished. It drove some of us to desperate measures! If you really want to impress us, resurrect Galactica (see what I did there?) and maybe do for Firefly what you're doing for Pulp. 

Star Trek In Comics: Return to Forever

Without a doubt one of the greatest all-time episodes of Star Trek, Harlan Ellison's Season 1 The City on the Edge of Forever, wasn't filmed exactly as Ellison had ordained - eh, imagined. Teleplays get modified, even brilliant ones.

Now, 47 years later, Star Trek fans can get a taste of Ellison's original visions as IDW Publishing adapts Ellison's original teleplay, in a 5-issue miniseries debuting in June.

IDW has been on a real Star Trek tear these last few years, so things should be in good hands. Ellison is working with writers Scott and David Tipton and J.K. Woodward on interior art. Juan Ortiz delivering the covers. The script was previously available in teleplay form showing events put into motion not by an accidental overdose, but by a wildly addictive narcotic. The fluidity of comics makes this as close to seeing an entirely new version depicted as we'll ever get. Should be a must-read. Sample art below:

Thunderbirds are GO!

Any Gerry Anderson fans out there? Then take heart! International Rescue is finally coming to blu-ray! The good folks at Twilight Time will be releasing special edition blu-rays of Thunderbirds Are Go and Thunderbird 6 this May in glorious SUPERMARIONATION!

The release is planned as a double feature on May 13th and will be available directly from http://www.screenarchives.com.

Twilight Time does an amazing job of delivering top quality special edition blu-ray releases of fan favorites, often in limited quantities. Somewhere in Time, Equus, Thief, The Blue Max, Darkman, Saturn 3 and Zulu are just a sampling of the films in their catalog. Check 'em out and F.A.B.!

How To Market Your New TV Show

Get a load of the advance ads for the new Fargo TV series over on FX. Normally the idea of serializing a feature film is cause for alarm - but word on Fargo is extremely strong - and starring Martin Freeman, no less. If the 30 seconds we see here is any indication, Fargo is poised to get our attention.

Avengers Alert! The Other Ones!

Not Iron Man and Thor, but Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg! Like Amazon needs my help, but fans of The Avengers should take note that the recently reissued "Emma Peel Megaset" is on sale for the ridiculously low price of $24.99.

Only a year ago, this set was commanding $200 bucks or more on eBay, now you can get all three Emma Peel seasons - 51 episodes on 16 discs - at a very affordable price.

If you enjoy sixties sci-fi and spy yarns and have yet to discover The Avengers, you can't imagine how much fun these are! Steed and Mrs. Peel fought everything from androids to world-conquering megalomaniacs in this classic British spy fantasy series. Very highly recommended and it'll never be cheaper.

UPDATED WITH TRAILER: Sin City - Where the Streets Have No Shame

A couple of great new stills for the Sin City sequel, from Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller, coming this August.

Such a rush to see Mickey Rourke back as Marv, plus a look at Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who seems like he's backed into some kind of dicey corner.

Can't wait for this one.

Here's the first trailer:

Not Too Shabby, Oscar!

It's not every Oscarcast that boasts an iconic feel-good moment of playfulness that captures a true slice of an entire era, but you've got to hand it to Ellen Degeneres. Her group-selfie Tweet managed to deflate the tension and sheer ego right out of the festivities, creating a moment of actual fun and camaraderie that made Hollywood stars suddenly more relatable than the whizbangery of a thousand press agents. How nice a guy does Brad Pitt seem? Handing out pizza plates? Kindness seems to just radiate off the man.

For me, this was one of the most enjoyable broadcasts in years. They let Ellen get right to it and do the monologue - no half-baked composite parodies or protracted skits. A little stand-up, then let's give out an Oscar. The musical numbers were tasteful and there were some terrific songs this year. Happy got the audience going, The Moon Song from Her created a real moment, and U2 brought the house down with Ordinary Love.

There was plenty of real emotion, too. The In Memorium segment was a little harder to watch this year, and the Over the Rainbow tribute to The Wizard of Oz didn't leave a dry eye in the house.

We had some eyebrow-raising moments, too. What the hell happened to Kim Novak? She looked like Jennifer Coolidge in Best in Show. 

You think the Ice Queen in Frozen is cold? She's got nothing on the chill going on between John Ridley and Steve McQueen. Yikes!

We had some terrific acceptance speeches this year. Alfonso Cuaron, Jared Leto, Matthew McConaughey, Cate Blanchett and the incredibly moving Lupita Nyong'o. I didn't do too shabby with my predictions this year, only missing on Best Picture - but then again, it's never been a closer race, so I'm feeling good.

The Oscars actually left us loving the movies and wanting to see more of them. To revisit the classics of old and dash out to view the winners we've missed. I can't wait to see 12 Years a Slave, Nebraska and Her. So thanks, Ellen - and thanks, Oscar. You left us feeling a lot this year and you've got some producers on board who've finally cracked the code on how to do it. You gave us a lot more clips, didn't play-off the speakers, avoided embarrassing production numbers, humanized the stars and served up actual fun. You actually left us looking forward to next year!

The Hypnotic Desperation of Dallas Buyers Club

 

There's just no getting around it - this is Matthew McConaughey's time. He's been a magnet for great roles lately, and he's disappearing into them with a fierceness that goes beyond convincing. Anyone who's seen his work on HBO's True Detective quickly sees that McConaughey's firing on all cylinders.

In Dallas Buyers Club, McConaughey finds a role that lets him showcase his abilities and strip them down to the raw, human core. Ron Woodroof is a rodeo cowboy who lives to get high and get laid - he's living in the moment and travels through life one shortcut at a time.

When he receives an 11th hour diagnosis of HIV, the wind leaves his sails with deafening abruptness. Staring both mortality and reality in the face for the first time, Woodroof determines to outwit the reaper the only way he knows how - by scheming.

Directed by Canadian Jean-Marc Vallée, Dallas Buyers Club does a remarkable job of putting us smack in the middle of the bleak landscape of 1985 Texas.  It nails the details and mood of the era and characters in a matter-of-fact way that's utterly convincing. American Hustle felt like it was hitting me over the head with "authenticity" in a way that never intrudes on you here. Vallée keeps things raw and unforced and it works incredibly well. The editing is remarkable and the supporting cast is amazing here. Jennifer Garner is compelling as a doctor with more empathy than her environment is ready for. Griffin Dunne is awesome - and unrecognizable, as one of Ron's educators in the school of post-diagnosis survival. Steve Zahn and the always excellent Kevin Rankin also turn in great performances.

But it truly is Jared Leto who astonishes here. He and McConaughey inhabit their roles with a mix of desperation and survival bravado that compliment each other unbelievably well. Their work together is heartbreaking and compelling. McConaughey takes Ron Woodruff from reflexive bigot to a man who actually begins to find enough compassion in his soul he wants to fight for the survival of others beyond himself. It's an amazing character journey. Parts of Dallas Buyers Club call up the DNA of Midnight Cowboy, which is meant as the highest compliment. But make no mistake - Dallas Buyers Club is an original. It captures the terrifying sense of apocalyptic terror in a small population the rest of the world barely notices. Woodroof's frantic research to extend his life runs afoul of the entrenched bureaucracy of the FDA - which Vallée paints as the kind of entity that will insist on waiting years for pharmaceutically marketable results, while those with a diagnosis have mere months. Dallas Buyers Club is hard to watch at times, but you won't want to miss a second. These are some of the performances of the year.

Crystal Ball Persuasion: Oscar Predictions!

Hear that? It's the sound of celebrities not eating food! Today is the day of denial in Hollywood - of denying both probability and sustenance, all in the hope of being struck by lightning. My crystal ball didn't do too badly last year, so it's time once again to play weatherman and do a little forecasting.

Picture - The tightest race in years. In 17 of the last 24 years (and the last 6 straight running) the movie that's won the Producers Guild Award has gone on to win the Best Picture Oscar. Well this year, for the first time in the PGA's 25-year history, there was a tie, between Gravity and 12 Years a Slave. So this year, the outcome has never been more uncertain. As we saw last year, more traditional epic historical pictures like Lincoln are losing out to more vigorous pictures embraced by younger audiences, which proved true with Argo. 12 Years a Slave didn't do much box office and has a bit of a "eat your vegetables" perception problem. So I think that Gravity has the edge (see director, below) - but given how weird the voting is, and how divided the supporting factions are, the vote could easily be split between these two bigger favorites, cancelling each other out, and letting a smaller film like Dallas Buyers Club or American Hustle walk away with the big cheese. But I'm still going with Gravity here.

Director - Hands down, Alfonso Cuaron, for Gravity. He's universally beloved, won the DGA, and showed chops for inventiveness that moved him up into James Cameron territory. He's got it in the bag.

Actor - Matthew McConaughey, hands down. He's extraordinary in Dallas Buyers Club and he's blowing people away on True Detective. 2014 is his career ascension year, capping off with Interstellar in November. A well-deserved win.

Actress - Loved Bullock in Gravity, but she's a recent winner. Momentum (and the amazing performance) should give it to Cate Blanchett. The big variable here could be reaction to Woody Allen's reemerging unpleasantness, plus the fact that everyone in this category has won before...except Amy Adams. So there could very well be an upset here. But put your money on Blanchett

Supporting Actress - Another super tight race, between Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle) and Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave). Lawrence just won last year, but here she shows more versatility and is mostly adored in Hollywood, succeeding in both top tier dramas and broad box office (Hunger Games). Still, the Academy is going to feel they have to acknowledge 12 Years with something for acting, so I think Lupita Nyong'o has the edge this time. Without a doubt, one of the closest categories.

Supporting Actor - Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club. As great as Barkhad Abdi was in Captain Phillips, it would be a stunning upset if Leto doesn't win.

Screenplay - Original Screenplay will go to Her, which really cultivated some amazing late in the game love this year. 12 Years a Slave will very likely take Adapted Screenplay.

There you have it! A crazy year, to be sure - but then, aren't they all? So purge if you need to, and squeeze into those gowns, ladies. Gents, try and act like this isn't your first rodeo. It should be a memorable evening!
We'll meet back here after the dust settles to see how it all sorted out. Have a great weekend, everybody.