Vote/Pick for Your Own Oscars

So the Academy Awards aka The Oscars air tomorrow night. And all the predictions are in, more or less.
I was reminded today that they are voted on by a select few, lifetime members of an elite club - where membership is based on a member of the board nominating you to join. In short not everyone votes on the films, just the people lucky enough to be selected as members of the Academy of Film and Motion Picture Sciences. Which, if you think about it, puts a bit of a damper on things, but also explains a lot. Such as why a lot of people in the industry don't take it seriously.

So...I thought I'd do a poll, where you get to vote on which nominated film, actor, actress, supporting actor, and supporting actress, and director should win in your not so humble opinion. I haven't seen all the films? Has anyone?

Here's the poll. If you have an opinion or a write-in candidate provide it in the comments. I have provided a box for not listed or none of the above.

[Poll #2038227]

I'll put my predictions in a separate post.

Oscar predictions...

Tomorrow night is the Oscars, I'll probably skip it or tape it and just watch fast-forwarding throughout.

Below, for what it's worth are my predictions for the major categories. The field is a bit harder to predict this year.
( Read more... )

The 100...Bitter Harvest

Okay, just finished watching "Bitter Harvest" and alas, I am still struggling with this plot line. Apparently, I am not alone. I found THIS post validating my own feelings regarding how Bellamy's actions don't quite work...and how his subplot is coming perilously close to ruining the show and sending it careening out of control. It doesn't feel morally ambiguous enough to me, somehow.

Because this is a show that, until now, has differentiated itself from the smorgasbord of other post-apocalyptic worlds in science fiction by portraying a future where people are driven by more than reckless tribalism. Where enemies and allies can come from anywhere.

If Bellamy can no longer see that, I guess I’m relieved that Clarke, Lexa, and others still can. As it is, his botched storyline is a huge warning sign that The 100 might be starting to careen out of control.

Yup, that's my problem with this storyline -- it's following the cliche route of one too many post-apocalyptic worlds prior to it. And I'm wary of the Allia storyline...which reminds me a little too much of BSG. Up until now it had managed to veer around that. But the last couple of episodes have veered straight down that path. And this episode was particularly guilty of it.

And later...in another review, this time, AV Club, says the same thing HERE. Actually, I agree a great deal with AV Club's review.

But, I went and found THIS interesting and in-depth interview with the show's head-runner, Jason Rothenberg on IGN. It gave me pause.

( spoiler for Bitter Harvest )