If Scrat Ran the Oscars: 2013 Edition

Normally, I would have posted this right after the actual ceremony, but work sent me around a blizzard to Los Angeles, where I didn’t have a break to post this monstrosity over the last two weeks.  But here goes, anyway. 

As is a yearly tradition; here’s the way that I thought the Academy Awards should have gone.  That is, if I were in charge of nominating/choosing.  One day, when I’m ruler of the world, I will be.

As usual, I’ve left out a few categories like documentary and short film, but who really cares about those anyways?  Again, this year, I’ve included a “My reasoning” section for each category – and don’t worry, not all of them are fawning over the films I felt were standouts.  Again, this year is my “Prediction/Actual Winner/Should Have Won” section.  “Should Have Won” only applies to films that were nominated and should have won but were not in my list.  Oh, and I worked on the formatting and revised the “→←” to indicate which film I would have chosen.  Enjoy!  (After the break, of course…)

BEST PICTURE

→The Avengers←

The Dark Knight Rises

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

John Carter

Skyfall

Zero Dark Thirty

Silver Linings Playbook

Prediction: Argo

Actual Winner: Argo

Should Have Won: Zero Dark Thirty

My reasoning:  Look, I loved The Dark Knight Rises, and quite frankly, it along with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was the only real competition for the winner.  John Carter was criminally undervalued, and the latest Bond outing will probably go down as one of the best ever.  Critical darlings like Zero Dark Thirty and Silver Linings Playbook usually don’t do much for me, but this year, they were the exception.  But when it comes to just a fantastic movie-going experience, you can’t beat The Avengers.  This was a huge gamble, and it paid off.  I can’t think of one singular thing I could nit-pick on the film (besides the liberalism of the actors and director) – which I could find a few things on TDKR and TH:AUJ – so it gets the coveted title of Scrat’s Favorite Movie of 2012.  As for the actual winner, Argo, it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that this movie would win once ZDT and Lincoln came under fire from the usual suspects.  So, in turn, Hollywood honors the movie that honors Hollywood.  Big surprise. 

BEST DIRECTOR

Kathryn Bigelow – Zero Dark Thirty
→Christopher Nolan – The Dark Knight Rises←

Peter Jackson – The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Andrew Stanton – John Carter

Joss Whedon – The Avengers

Prediction: Steven Spielberg - Lincoln

Actual Winner: Ang Lee – Life of Pi

Should Have Won: David O. Russell – Silver Linings Playbook

My reasoning:  Frankly, I didn’t get Hollywood’s fascination with Bigelow when she made The Hurt Locker, but I give her props for Zero Dark Thirty.  I also think that Andrew Stanton deserves mad props for having the [gumption] to even try bringing John Carter to the screen, much less doing it so well, despite its lack in financial dividends.  Peter Jackson took us back to Middle-earth with nostalgic flair, and Joss Whedon’s brilliant take on Marvel’s properties did each character justice.  However, when it comes to sheer directing prowess, it’s pretty hard to top Christopher Nolan.  The man is a genius behind the camera and was able to transcend genres with his Batman trilogy.  With the actual award, I really thought Spielberg would pull this one out.  He’s kind of got clout.  Clearly he was punished for something.  I haven’t seen Life of Pi yet, so I can’t really judge it – but, then again, I haven’t seen Lincoln either, so I really don’t have a horse in this race.  All I know is that the Academy was right not to nominate Ben Affleck, but wrong to snub Bigelow.  Oh, and Behn Zeitlin didn’t deserve a nomination either.  Can’t speak for Michael Haneke.

BEST ACTOR

→Bradley Cooper – Silver Linings Playbook←

Daniel Craig – Skyfall

Clint Eastwood – Trouble with the Curve

Martin Freeman – The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Denzel Washington - Flight

Prediction: Daniel Day Lewis - Lincoln

Actual Winner: Daniel Day Lewis - Lincoln

My reasoning: This was probably the hardest category to throw together, due to the lack of standout performances this year.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Clint Eastwood, as he’s one of the few alpha males left in the acting pool, but his performance in Trouble with the Curve has got nothing on his turn in Gran Torino.  Once again, Daniel Craig shines as Bond, and I thought Martin Freeman was the perfect choice to play Bilbo Baggins.  I had serious reservations about including Denzel Washington on the list, as I generally loathed his character in Flight.  He’s a good actor, though, so I’ll give him credit for that.  However, it was Cooper who really shined this year.  He wasn’t required to completely shelve his dead-on comedic side, but his dramatic turn in Silver Linings Playbook was probably the most memorable performance of the year.  The Academy really has a [love] for Daniel Day-Lewis, so this one wasn’t a surprise.  I haven’t seen The Master yet, but it’s got to be better than Joaquin Phoenix’s last feature.  The one actual nominee that I just couldn’t put on my list was Hugh Jackman.  His effort in Les Miserables was noble, but he seemed to overact a bit.  Close to my list, but no cigar. 

BEST ACTRESS

→Jessica Chastain – Zero Dark Thirty←

Viola Davis – Won’t Back Down

Anna Kendrick – Pitch Perfect

Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games

Jennifer Lawrence – Silver Linings Playbook

Prediction: Jennifer Lawrence – Silver Linings Playbook

Actual Winner: Jennifer Lawrence – Silver Linings Playbook

My reasoning: This category was also quite difficult to put together, despite a real lack of leading quality this year, on the part of the ladies.  If it had been any movie about education that didn’t have a centrist/pro-school charter message, the Academy would probably have fawned over Viola Davis in Won’t Back Down.  Instead, they shunned her, and pretended that movie never happened.  Anna Kendrick has proved time and time again that she is better than the pathetic movie(s) that made her a household name.  She shines in Pitch Perfect, with a supporting cast that really makes that film this year’s Bridesmaids.  This was Jennifer Lawrence’s year.  She’s a very talented actress, and gave credence to The Hunger Games, elevating it above the awfulness that everyone thought it might be in the wake of the faux vampire films.  She also gave a powerhouse performance in Silver Linings Playbook, allowing people to see that she’s got some serious range.  However, after a banner year last year and her first Oscar nomination, Jessica Chastain mesmerized me in Zero Dark Thirty.  Her character was well-written, and she brought out the beast within, while still being beautiful.  She probably won’t  didn’t win, because the Academy is likely offended by the notion that the movie promotes torture, but her performance is not to be missed.  It’s no real surprise that Lawrence won – after a late surge by Emmanuelle Riva, from Amour, which I haven’t seen.  What I do know is that, despite how cute she was, Quvenzhane Wallis didn’t deserve a nomination.  Like Amour, I haven’t seen The Impossible, so I can’t judge whether Naomi Watts’ nomination was deserved.         

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Jason Clarke – Zero Dark Thirty

Robert Downey Jr. – The Avengers

Michael Fassbender – Prometheus

→Tom Hardy – The Dark Knight Rises←

Tom Hiddleston – The Avengers

Prediction: Tommy Lee Jones - Lincoln

Actual Winner: Christoph Waltz – Django Unchained

My reasoning:  This was one of the toughest categories to narrow down.  There were so many great supporting turns by actors this year.  Naturally, I had to give major props to both Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Hiddleston for their work in The Avengers.  Downey almost got a lead actor nod from me.  Michael Fassbender has been pretty fantastic in almost everything he touches (Shame aside), so it was nice to see his android character chew up the screen in Prometheus.  Jason Clarke was a surprise.  Much like Chastain in Zero Dark Thirty, he kind of un-acted his way through that movie, making his character so very real in the process.  However, I have to give this one to Tom Hardy.  His Bane was able to hold off Tony and Loki to claim the coveted accolade on my list.  He was able to convey so much emotion through just his eyes to help bring his hulking (pun intended) character to bear in Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece.  Plus, the man is such a domineering presence every time he’s on screen, that you can’t really help but marvel (again, pun) at his manifestation.  Christoph Waltz’s win was kind of a surprise.  I thought the Academy would be split over Robert De Niro (SLP), Phillip Seymour Hoffman (The Master), and Alan Arkin (Argo), allowing Jones to ride Day-Lewis’ coattails.  Apparently the Academy’s distain for Lincoln ran deeper than I thought.  Now I want to see it.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Judi Dench – Skyfall

Anne Hathaway – The Dark Knight Rises

→Anne Hathaway – Les Miserables←

Olivia Wilde – Butter

Rebel Wilson – Pitch Perfect

Prediction: Anne Hathaway – Les Miserables

Actual Winner: Anne Hathaway – Les Miserables

My reasoning:  Like the leading ladies category, this one was also hard to choose – it also has a double nominee in Anne Hathaway.  Dench was brilliant, once again, as her role as the MI6 boss in Skyfall.  Rebel Wilson was sheer comedic genius in Pitch Perfect, and Olivia Wilde was psychotically hilarious in Butter.  Hathaway, however, kind of mesmerized me this year.  While I was dead-set against her being cast as the anti-heroine in Christopher Nolan’s final Batman outing, she convinced me otherwise.  But this is one category where I actually agree with the Academy.  She was the standout part in Les Miserables.  Her rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” was truly heart-breaking.  And though the movie as a whole didn’t succeed, she shined while she was on screen.  No real surprise she won.  Jacki Weaver was the only other actress whose movie I saw (though, she didn’t deserve a nomination), so I’ll have to Netflix The Master, Lincoln, and The Sessions to judge the work of Amy Adams, Sally Field, and Helen Hunt respectively.  

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

The Cabin in the Woods

→Skyfall←

Ted

Wreck-It Ralph

Zero Dark Thirty

Prediction: Django Unchained

Actual Winner: Django Unchained

Should Have Won: Zero Dark Thirty

My reasoning:  I only agreed with the Academy on nominating ZDT.  Mark Boal did a lot better job with this venture than his tedious, tepid writing on his last project.  I haven’t seen Django Unchained, so I don’t want to short-change Quentin Tarantino here, but I wasn’t drawn to his latest project the way I have been to his last two.  I didn’t think Flight was that original, and the fact that Moonrise Kingdom got a nomination shows just how much of a joke the Academy has become.  The nominees on my list, however, all had merits.  Cabin in the Woods transcended the horror genre, while Ted was just another example of Seth Macfarlane’s genius.  Wreck-It Ralph was a nice distraction, and integrating so many video game characters into the film was worth noting.  However, I have to give it to the writers of the latest Bond flick.  Skyfall may have covered some slightly familiar territory, but it stayed true to Ian Fleming’s character and did so with style.  Clearly the Academy loves Quentin Tarantino’s writing (but not direction), which is why he won again.  

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

The Avengers

The Dark Knight Rises

→The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey←

Les Miserables

Silver Linings Playbook

Prediction: Argo

Actual Winner: Argo

Should Have Won: Silver Linings Playbook

My reasoning:  Of the actual nominees that I’ve seen, only SLP deserved to be nominated (and I haven’t read it).  Argo was aggravating and Beasts was too artsy and aloof to really like.  I guess I’ll have to judge Lincoln and Life of Pi when I get them on Netflix.  I did have to give some credit to the people who translated Les Miz to the screen.  They kept the themes of the stage play (and I assume the novel?), without succumbing to typical movie musical tropes.  The movie didn’t work due to direction, not due to writing.  The two biggest comic book movies were two of the biggest payoffs of the year, both with their writing and with being just a thrill to see in theaters.  However, when it comes to literally transferring elements to a screen from a book, none shine more than The Hobbit.  If for nothing else, having just read the book, the “Riddles in the Dark” scene is almost word-for-word the way I imagined it when I read it.  Seeing that unfold on screen was a joy.  This one was pretty much foregone again, with Argo’s political trajectory, and the Academy’s aversion to ZDT.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

→Brave←

Hotel Transylvania

Ice Age: Continental Drift

Wreck-It Ralph

Prediction: Brave

Actual Winner: Brave

My reasoning: Okay, so I was trying to remember all the animated films I had seen this year, and I actually saw more than I remembered.  However, only these four were memorable/good.  I’m really surprised that the Academy didn’t nominate that anti-capitalist, eco-pandering Lorax.  It’s right up their alley.  Instead, they chose two mediocre stop-motion films (and another that I haven’t seen yet).  Brave was a nice return to form for Pixar, hence the accolades.  The other three on my list all have their merits, but they also have their detractions.  

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

The Avengers

The Dark Knight Rises

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

→Prometheus←

Zero Dark Thirty

Prediction: Les Miserables

Actual Winner: Lincoln

My reasoning:  I really wanted to include Skyfall on my list, but I went with just five nominees for this one, as a formatting scheme.  The Avengers was impeccably crafted, as was to be expected.  The Dark Knight Rises was massive in scope, and was perfectly suited to take the Caped Crusader out with gusto.  The Hobbit recreated the world of JRR Tolkein and took us back to Peter Jackson’s vision of Middle-earth from a decade ago.  I have to give some serious accolades to ZDT, as it was steeped in reality and was effective in its presentation.  However, when it comes to sheer originality, Prometheus takes this one.  I know “originality” isn’t a key factor in deciding, but it was so nice to see a sci-fi movie that thought outside the box.  Even with tinges of Ridley Scott’s Alien franchise in there, it was so refreshing that it took the prize for this category.  Given the Academy’s apparent contempt for Lincoln, I’m surprised it won.  I figured Les Miserables had this in the bag.  Regardless, I haven’t seen Life of Pi (though, that would have been my choice for runner up, based on the love shown for it) or Anna Karenina, so I’ll judge them upon doing so. 

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Act of Valor

The Avengers

→The Dark Knight Rises←

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Skyfall

Prediction: Skyfall

Actual Winner: Life of Pi

My reasoning:  This was easy to pick the nominees, but very difficult to pick a winner.  Before I even saw four of the five films, I figured they’d end up on this list.  Act of Valor was the only surprise.  It was a bold movie, with some very clever cinematography.  A few of the scenes in particular were astounding.  The other four films were works of art, as expected.  The Avengers was a joy to see in three dimensions, as was The Hobbit, but it really came down to Skyfall vs. The Dark Knight.  Each had their merits, and each deserved to win.  Having each film in theaters on multiple occasions, it was difficult to choose.  Skyfall had some brilliant set pieces that showcased the cinematography, but it lacked the epic scope that was The Dark Knight Rises.  Christopher Nolan’s Batman swan-song provided some massive camera work, and the IMAX format helped showcase his vision.  The work was incredibly effective, and thus, it gets the accolade.  I kind of figured Skyfall had this one, but Life of Pi’s win wasn’t terribly surprising.  There’s kind of a theme with the Academy every year.  This year was the Argo-Life of Pi show.  Like so many categories, I haven’t yet caught Life of Pi, Anna Karenina, Django Unchained, or Lincoln yet, so this was kind of a category I can’t show a whole lot of spite toward when it comes to the actual ceremony.  

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

→The Dark Knight Rises←

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

John Carter

Les Miserables

Prometheus

Prediction: Les Miserables

Actual Winner: Anna Karenina

My reasoning: This one was an unlikely toss-up.  With Les Miserables holding the period piece spot for the year, the nominees left were of the sci-fi/fantasy realm.  With The Hobbit, it was lovely to see the amount of detail from the wardrobe department, but it was almost a been-there-done-that kind of feeling.  With John Carter, it was much the same.  What it came down to was a toss-up between The Dark Knight Rises and Prometheus.  Unlikely, as I said.  With Prometheus, the level of detail that went into the space suits was impeccable, as was the other designs that gave each character personality – particularly that of Charlize Theron’s.  However, I have to give this one to The Dark Knight Rises.  From regal to tactical, the costumes in this film ran the gauntlet of range.  Batman’s suit alone is a marvel, but add Bane and Catwoman in there, and you’ve really got a department who knows what they’re doing.  Even though I haven’t seen Anna Karenina, it’s a period piece, so it’s not a huge shocker that it won.  Same would have been said for Lincoln, but the Academy didn’t like it.  I just figured that Les Miserables would be the Oscar darling of the night, next to Argo and Life of Pi. As for the other two actual nominees, I’d like to say I hadn’t seen them, but unfortunately I have.  I guess the costumes were probably one of the better aspects of each movie. 

BEST EDITING

→The Avengers←

The Dark Knight Rises

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

John Carter

Skyfall

Prediction: Argo

Actual Winner: Argo

Should Have Won: Zero Dark Thirty

My reasoning:   This was a tough category to choose the winner. The nominees were fairly easy to pick, but the winner was tough.  It really came down to a three-way tie between The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, and Skyfall.  Don’t misunderstand me.  The Hobbit and John Carter were well edited, but there were a few parts that probably could have been trimmed or reworked.  However, I’m going to have to give this one to The Avengers.  While The Dark Knight Rises and Skyfall were impeccable, the monumental task of allowing each of the heroes represented in Marvel’s assembly film a chance to shine was the determining factor here.  And the love affair with Argo continues.  I don’t get it.  Edit this thing down to a 30 minute documentary about Ben Affleck’s Bieber hair and it still would have been too long.  Can’t judge Life of Pi or Lincoln, but SLP or ZDT would have been better choices.  

BEST MAKEUP

The Avengers

→The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey←

John Carter

Les Miserables

Prometheus

Prediction: Les Miserables

Actual Winner: Les Miserables

My reasoning: I actually agreed with the Academy on the films that I had seen.  However, I couldn’t whittle this category down to three.  The Avengers and Prometheus proved that makeup helps make sci-fi.  John Carter showed us make-up from Mars, circa 1865., and Les Miserables was the period piece of the year when it came to the category.  However, when you think about the hours the cast from The Hobbit spent in the make-up chairs, as well as the detail the department went to to achieve the look for the new high-frame rate; that movie walks away with this prize.  I’m kind of surprised that Argo wasn’t nominated due to the Bieber hair on display.  Otherwise – other than Hitchcock, which I haven’t seen but understand why it got nominated – not a terribly surprising category.  

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Brave – Patrick Doyle

→The Dark Knight Rises – Hans Zimmer←

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – Howard Shore

John Carter – Michael Giacchino

Skyfall – Thomas Newman

Prediction: Life of Pi – Mychael Danna

Actual Winner: Life of Pi – Mychael Danna

My reasoning:  While I have only seen two of the five actual nominees, only one ends up on the list.  The music for Skyfall, like the other two revamped Bond films, is quite suiting.  Paired with Adele’s song, they make for a winning combination.  However, you can’t discount the music from both John Carter nor Brave.  Both scores were quite suiting to their respective films, and helped elevate the material, rather than bury it.  Still, these three movies didn’t give you the nostalgic factor that Howard Shore brought along with him for The Hobbit.  What a great way to re-visit the music of the majestic trilogy, while create something wholly new in the process.  Add all these films together, however, and you might be able to match the grandeur of maestro Hans Zimmer’s bombastic score from The Dark Knight Rises.  The man is sheer genius, and his latest score speaks for itself.  This was an interesting category for the actual award…or not.  It was either going to be Danna for Life of Pi or Alexandre Desplat for Argo.  No surprise.  I’ll judge John Williams and Dario Marianelli when I see Lincoln and Anna Karenina, but I pretty much guarantee they’re better than the aforementioned duo.  

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

“For You” by Keith Urban – from Act of Valor

“Live to Rise” by Soundgarden – from The Avengers

“Made of Stone (Renholder Remix)” by Evanescence – from Underworld Awakening

 “Safe and Sound” by Taylor Swift and The Civil Wars – from The Hunger Games

→“Skyfall” by Adele – from Skyfall←

Prediction: “Skyfall”

Actual Winner: “Skyfall”

My reasoning:  This year was a little easier to find songs to pick from films than last year, and this year’s winner was so clear.  Adele is just brilliant.  Her work for the latest Bond film is just icing on the cake of what has become of her career.  She’s not going away any time soon – and that’s just fine with me.  I was very glad to see country artists embrace Act of Valor, and Keith Urban’s song was a great fit for the film.  Initially, I didn’t care much for Soundgarden’s return for The Avengers soundtrack, but the song grew on me.  I love Evanescence, so hearing their song at the end of the latest Underworld film was great.  The only real threat to Adele this year was from someone I generally loathe.  I pretty much detest everything Taylor Swift does, but her collaboration with The Civil Wars (and T. Bone Burnett) for The Hunger Games soundtrack was noteworthy, and shocking when you realize who you’re listening to.  It’s no surprise that Adele won, but apparently I need to see Ted again, so I can listen to “Everyone Needs a Best Friend”.  “Suddenly” from Les Miserables didn’t do much for me (much the way the second half of the film didn’t), and I won’t be seeing Chasing Ice, but the fact that Scarlett Johansson sang an Oscar-nominated song is interesting.  Oh, and I’ll judge the song from Life of Pi in time.  

BEST SOUND EDITING

Act of Valor

→The Avengers←

The Dark Knight Rises

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

John Carter

Prediction: Skyfall

Actual Winner: (tie) Skyfall and Zero Dark Thirty

My reasoning:  I did a little research, and it appears that this category is designed to recognize sound effects.  I don’t think there was a bigger movie this year than The Avengers, and the sound effects for it were top-notch.  Whether it was Thor’s thunderbolts or the Hulk’s roar, they were right on.  The other nominees had riveting sound effects to boot, but none had the massive scale of an alien race invading Manhattan and superheroes fighting back.  Apparently a category can tie for a winner?  Skyfall shares with Zero Dark Thirty?  And Argo didn’t win?  This was a weird category for the actual award.  I’ll judge Life of Pi and Django Unchained in due time.  

BEST SOUND MIXING

The Avengers

→The Dark Knight Rises←

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

John Carter

Skyfall

Prediction: Skyfall

Actual Winner: Les Miserables

My reasoning: From what I understand, this category is how well each of the elements of sound mesh together.  Dialogue, music, sound effects, etc.   The reason I gave it to The Dark Knight Rises over the other films is due to how well Hans Zimmer’s bombastic score was integrated into the film.  The other sound effects were right on, but the music meshed perfectly with them.  The other nominees were just as admirable as far as the sounds went, but lacked that invigorating umph that Zimmer provided.  It’s not a complete shocker that Les Miserables won.  A musical usually takes this award.  I just figured Skyfall had a better chance.  As for Lincoln and Life of Pi, you know the drill.  It’s just surprising that the Academy didn’t just give Argo this one too.  

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

The Avengers

→The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey←

John Carter

Prometheus

Prediction: Life of Pi

Actual Winner: Life of Pi

My reasoning: I have one word for you: Gollum.  The impeccable work from Weta that goes into rendering him as a character beneath the computer is as breathtaking today as it was nearly a decade ago.  Not only that, but the wizards in New Zealand took us back to Middle-earth with aplomb.  That’s not to excuse the work in the other films.  Bringing the Hulk and the Chitauri to life in The Avengers was great, as was the massive amounts of effects on display in the criminally undervalued John Carter.  I marveled at how beautifully the space adventure was brought to life in Prometheus, despite its tonal shifts.  Big shocker: Life of PI won this in the actual ceremony.  Why was Snow White and the Huntsman nominated?  Seriously.      

Wrap up: 

Looking back, I’m actually kind of glad I missed the ceremony.  Sure, I would have liked to have seen Seth Macfarlane at work.  The man is a comic genius – despite his leftist views.  Unfortunately, like so many other Oscar shows, this one must have been dripping with Hollywood’s self-congratulatory smugness.  Of the nominees for Best Picture that I had actually seen, Argo was my least favorite.  Big shocker that it won.  So many other films were far more deserving of recognition.  And make no mistake, the complete shut-out of The Dark Knight Rises will not be forgotten.  I’m done.  On to something else. 

Last year, I was looking forward to a slew of movies.  Some turned out great (Skyfall, Ted, Act of Valor, The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey), some good (John Carter, Dredd, Total Recall, Brave, Prometheus), some mediocre (The Amazing Spiderman, Battleship, Les Miserables, Sparkle, The Bourne Legacy, Ice Age: Continental Drift, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Men in Black III), some poor (Rock of Ages, Resident Evil: Retribution, Wrath of the Titans, Mirror Mirror, Lockout, Dark Shadows), and some were just plain flops (Snow White and the Huntsman).  Some I didn’t get around to seeing (Django Unchained, Red Dawn), and some didn’t even come out (G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Gravity, World War Z, The Great Gatsby).  Plus, I didn’t even try to see some of the Oscar movies in theaters that I might have (Lincoln, Life of Pi, The Master, The Impossible, The Sessions, Anna Karenina, Amour, Hitchcock) after last year’s disappointing research.

This year, I’ve got another slew of movies to look forward to.  Hopefully I’ll actually get to see GIJ:R, Gravity, WWZ, and Gatsby this year, as well as other interesting prospects like Oz: The Great and Powerful, Olympus Has Fallen, The Croods, Evil Dead, 42, Oblivion, After Earth, The Internship, The Lone Ranger, R.I.P.D., Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, Carrie, Ender’s Game, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and Jack Ryan  As well as possibilities like Pain and Gain, To the Wonder, Scary Movie 5, The Hangover: Part III, This is the End, The Heat, White House Down, Elysium, Riddick, I, Frankenstein, Machete Kills, Rush, The World’s End, and (begrudged, as I know it will be terrible) Fast & Furious 6.  And of course, the obvious ones like Jurassic Park 3D, Iron Man 3, Star Trek Into Darkness, Man of Steel, Kick-Ass 2, Despicable Me 2, Pacific Rim, The Wolverine, 300: Rise of an Empire, Red 2, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, Thor: The Dark World, and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.  Yeah, I’m going to go broke. 
(And yes, I realize that some of this is a formatting fail, but I don't care.)