Friday OT: Award Season and Oscar Noms

I re-watched Breaking Bad for the 3rd or 4th time the past couple weeks and it's remarkable how easily great that show was. I think there are very few shows in history that have such fluid and unforced conflicts, plots, and developments. There was no forceful killing off a character or introduction late in the series of a random main character other than Lydia who served her part in the scheme.

We're a few months off until the Emmy's, but last Sunday was the Golden Globes and in roughly a month we'll have the Oscars (February 22nd).  Just yesterday the official nominations for the 87th Academy Awards were announced. Some controversy was made as all the nominees in the lead and supporting categories were all white actors/actresses.

Some "key" categories:

Best Picture 
American Sniper 
Birdman 
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game 
Selma 
The Theory of Everything 
Whiplash

Best Director
Wes Anderson - The Grand Budapest Hotel
Alejandro González Iñárritu - Birdman
Richard Linklater - Boyhood
Bennett Miller - Foxcatcher
Morten Tyldum - The Imitation Game

Best Actor 
Steve Carell - Foxcatcher 
Bradley Cooper - American Sniper 
Benedict Cumberbatch - The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton - Birdman  
Eddie Redmayne - The Theory of Everything

Best Actress
Marion Cotillard - Two Days, One Night 
Felicity Jones - The Theory of Everything 
Julianne Moore - Still Alice 
Rosamund Pike - Gone Girl 
Reese Witherspoon - Wild

1. Predict the winners from each category above

2. Who/which film do you think should win?

3. Create your own list for each category excluding any of the above nominees

4. Who got "snubbed"?

5. If you were given an all-expenses paid trip to the Oscars, would you go?

Bonus:

Bradley Cooper or Winnie Cooper

Steve Carrell or Steve Carlton

Benedict Cumberbatch or Benedict Arnold

Michael Keaton or Buster Keaton

Eddie Redmayne or Eddie Bauer

While you ponder, enjoy Wes Anderson's awesome acceptance speech from the Golden Globes.

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