Tag / Lizzy Caplan

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2015: The Year In Movies

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2015 was a bit of a letdown after last year’s improvement in movie watching for me, with the vacation over the past 3 weeks of December helping to greatly boost my total.  I managed to watch 69 movies last year, 9 less than last year and my fourth consecutive year under 100.  Again, many things contributed to this, chiefly the insane amount of TV I’ve been watching, the greater effort made towards going out for walks, and the awful amount of time I spend either at work or getting to and from work.

Here’s a look back at the first 50 movies I did manage to watch last year and what recollection, if any, I have of them. The films are listed in the order I saw them.

Labor Day (2014)
A bit of a dud of a film and a poor way to start the year.

Bachelorette (2012)
This received nowhere near as much publicity as the similar themed Bridesmaids, but I enjoyed it much more.

The Last Exorcism Part II (2013)
Turns out I never saw the first one, which could explain why this made little sense to me.

The Factory (2012)
John Cusack and Jennifer Carpenter team up to do cop stuff.

Godzilla (2014)
A much better remake attempt than the Matthew Broderick endeavor in 1998.

Drinking Buddies (2013)
An interesting indie film about a Chicago brewery and the people that work there.

Life After Beth (2014)
The latest zombie rom-com.

Butter (2011)
Who knew butter carving could be so entertaining?

Devil’s Due (2014)
A newlywed becomes impregnated with a hellspawn.

Tusk (2014)
Kevin Smith’s latest makes me think it may be time for me to stop watching Kevin Smith films. Continue reading →

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2014 Emmy Awards – Drama

Emmy_statueWith the Emmy Awards scheduled for Monday night, it’s time for day three of my predictions for the awards.  Today, we’re focusing on the awards for Dramas.  I most likely have seen most of these shows, so, unlike my annual Oscar predictions, I will not mostly be going on gut feel and word of mouth, but will have a somewhat informed decision.

Outstanding Drama

Breaking Bad

Downton Abbey

Game of Thrones

House of Cards

Mad Men

True Detective

Well, so much for having seen most of these.  True Detective was the only one of these nominees that I’ve seen.  This is a tough call, but I imagine that the final season of Breaking Bad takes home the prize.

Outstanding Actress In A Drama

Lizzy Caplan, Masters of Sex

Claire Danes, Homeland

Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey

Julianne Margulies, The Good Wife

Kerry Washington, Scandal

Robin Wright, House of Cards

This past season of The Good Wife was spectacular, and a lot of that was due to Julianne Margulies.  She should definitely take home the trophy, especially since Tatiana Maslany was overlooked again for her work in Orphan Black.

Outstanding Actor In A Drama

Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad

Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom

Jon Hamm, Mad Men

Woody Harrelson, True Detective

Matthew McConaughey, True Detective

Kevin Spacey, House of Cards

My guess is that this is a person race, between Oscar-winner Matthew McConaughey and Bryan Cranston.  I think this will be Breaking Bad‘s night once again, which means that Bryan Cranston will have another trophy to lord over the Adam Carollas of the world.

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2013 New Fall Season – Sundays

old-tv-set1It is time once again to dive in to the new fall lineups for the television season that kicks into gear tonight.  We start, once again, with the Sunday night offerings, which features some returning favorites, but nothing new to watch, except on cable.

7:00

Once Upon A Time – Season 2 of the show about fairy tale characters in the real world started to go off the rails a little as new characters showed up and the plot expanded.  This season promises a more focused plot, which will hopefully result in the show becoming more enjoyable again.

8:00

The Good Wife – Last season, the show moved from solid to really good.  With Alicia and Cary planning on leaving the firm, the season ended on a cliffhanger that will hopefully continue to carry it to new heights this year.  The big problem once again will be catching the entire episode when football runs long, as it always does.

Revenge – Another ABC show that became much more convoluted in its second season.  This went from one of the better shows of the previous season to one that, more often than not, was a chore to get through.  Hopefully a new show runner will get things back on track this year.  Otherwise, it might be time to say goodbye to the Hamptons.

The Walking Dead – Now here’s a show that keeps building and building.  Following last season’s story with the Governor, things get shaken up at the prison this year.  I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

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