Lovely ladies: A look at Supporting Actress (May Predictions)

Five times a charm?

It’s about time to take another look at this category.  Cannes is abuzz with ink for a few, and there just seem to be so many contenders in this category right now.  It’s so much fun to speculate on these so far out, but now is when it gets to be a lot of fun because there is actual ink on the films and the performances, not just pure synopsis speculation.  Sure, some films are still enigmas, but for the most part we can start piecing together who deserves to be considered, let alone predicted.

Let’s have at it.

Let's Review Something: Star Trek Into Darkness

I’ve never considered myself a Trekkie.  In fact, I make fun of those people.  That doesn’t erase the fact that I wore Vulcan ears to school for Kindergarten show-and-tell, referred to myself as Spock for at least a year or two and told everyone to “live long and prosper”.  You see, I’m one of those old school ‘Star Trek’ fans.  I haven’t seen any of the spin off shows outside of ‘The Next Generation’ and I don’t know any of the names of the countless characters that float in and out of the ‘Star Trek’ universe.  I know the original characters, the ones that started it all, and I have seen all of their movies (not all of their shows).  I may not have seen them since my childhood, but the memories are all there.  So, while I don’t consider myself a Trekkie and while I shamelessly laugh at those who can speak Klingon and who can name all of the alien races and actually hold full conversations of which alien race they’d like to part of (yes, I know some people like this), I hold a very special place in my heart for Captain Kirk and Spock and the rest of the crew of the Starship Enterprise because they were such a special part of my childhood.

Back in 2009, J.J. Abrams unleashed a whole new look at these characters with his Blockbuster rebirth of the popular franchise.  I was wholly excited to see these characters brought back to life on the big screen for a new generation.  In a way, it felt like coming home.  Finally I could feel alright about letting this particular universe back into my life. 

It felt acceptable. 

For me, ‘Star Trek’ was one of the highlights of 2009.  With a rich cast (that ensemble is phenomenal) and a beautifully fleshed out storyline that took the important facets of an ‘origin story’ and allowed to be embellished with a backstory and history that felt fresh, exciting and new, ‘Star Trek’ exceeded my expectations.  Yes, it betrays in a way the very fundamental core of what the ‘Star Trek’ universe was based on, tonally at least, but it made it more human and thus more accessible to today’s culture and society. 

It made ‘Star Trek’ cool again.

Poster Break: Man of Steel

I need this in my life!

Trailer Break: Don Jon

I'm getting so pumped right now!!!

Something just shot to the top of my most anticipated list!

Fucking yes please!

This looks HILARIOUS!  Scarlett Johansson looks wonderful.  The accents are spot on hilarity, the pacing looks dynamic, the word out of Sundance is sensational, the cast looks delightful.  Jesus, everything about this screams "LOVE ME" and I already do.  Please be as amazing as I think you're going to be.  

Just me against the elements: My May Lead Actor Predictions...

Daniel Day-Lewis doesn't have a film out this year, right?

With new ink surfacing straight out of Cannes regarding a certain Lead Actor contender we didn’t see coming, I’ve decided to rework my lineup.  Personally, Lead Actor seems to be the category that feels ‘solid’ every year at this time.  That can mean one of two things; either we’re in for a really boring year or we’re in for some real shocks come Awards Season.  I remember 2011 being confident in Craig/DiCaprio/Fassbender/Gosling/Oldman and nearly every prognosticator on the internet had DiCaprio/Fassbender/Gosling/Oldman in their predictions all year long and yet we only got a ‘surprise’ nomination for Oldman in the end.  Last year early predictions were all about Day-Lewis/Hawkes/Jackman/Murray/Phoenix and, in retrospect, this was really smart.  In fact, Murray fell away mid-year to be replaced by Washington and it all made sense.  Cooper came out of nowhere and Hawkes was snubbed, but he was close.

So, this year it almost seems like the same names keep being mentioned.  The four names that keep getting predicted are Carell/DiCaprio/Jordon/McConaughey with Dern and Bale filtered in and out of the lineup.  Could this be another 2011, where only one of these contenders actually gets nominated, or are we looking at another 2012 where pretty much this entire lineup gets recognized?

So, here are my current thoughts.

Calling Lindsay Lohan...

Visual Effects Oscar nomination please...

LOL, gotta love technology.  This news (that visual effects will be used to put the film's stars heads on porn stars bodies) has me so excited, and not entirely in a good way.  This film is either going to be a hot mess or the greatest thing in the whole world.  I don't know if there is a middle ground.  Go Lars, but seriously, this better be fucking amazing!

Damn those tweets (May Supporting Actor Predictions)

Who'll lose the Oscar this year?

My mind is ever changing on these Oscar categories, and yet enough talk is circulating at the moment for me to shake up my initial predictions, at least here (we’re always changing our minds in this prognosticating game).  Last month I predicted Damon, Farrell, Fassbender, Renner and Tatum.  I actually think all five have strong chances at a nomination, and will at least pop up in precursors and critics’ awards, at least as far as I can foresee now.  Still, with Cannes underway and tweets regarding performances from Roth, Brolin, Leto and Harrelson gaining momentum, it seemed ripe for a shaking up of sorts.

Besides, this kind of stuff is always fun.