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babygenius · 3 years

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Some JATP asks- who is your fave character? who is your fave creative (actor/actress/writer/director)? what is your fave song? what is your least fave song? fave episode? fave ship? least fave ship? underrated JATP thing? what's the most difficult thing about writing fics? also can you write a fic about Julie being transported with the guys to the 90s? I feel like that would be cool. idk if it's been done before. Obvs don't answer any question you don't want to! x

My fave character has got to be Luke, and it’s not just coz he’s my type. I made a post a while back about how I think he’s autistic and/or adhd, like I am, and I identify with that a lot. Also, the pan ace hc for him is something I agree with and also identify with, so he’s special to me for a lot of reasons. I live all of the characters for different reasons (which goes to show how good the writers are), but Luke holds a special place in my heart and probably always will.

I think the question here is which cast member I like? All of them, really, it’s exceedingly difficult to pick one. We stan Madi as our Gen Z Queen, and Owen coz of his comedic timing and how in-character it is, and Charlie and Jeremy and just everyone so picking one is impossible whoops.

Fave song is also really difficult because it depends on my mood, but Bright was my first favorite so we’ll go with that.

I have to be in the right mood for Wow. I can listen to it during the scene (the choreo is killer too), but sometimes it messes with my sensory issues and seems like it goes on forever so I’ve gotta skip.

Fave episode is also difficult, but it’s gotta be Stand Tall. It’s an amazing blend of family, humor, hurt/comfort, and just showing Julie’s inner strength as a human being and friend. I’ve watched it the most out of all the episodes, I think.

Jukebox or Willex are my favorite ship because I’m a basic child with basic needs and the way the writing obviously shows how they’re meant to be together is something I love. I’m not opposed to an OT3, tho, between Reggie, Julie, and Luke 👀

I don’t really have a least favorite ship? Actually no that’s a lie. Caleb with any of the boys, and Caleb as Nick with any of the boys. I know there’s...nasty fanfic about those pairings and it’s just unsettling since Caleb is in his mid forties and the boys still have the emotional and psychological maturity of seventeen year olds.

Underrated JatP thing....this is hard. I know that Nick hasn’t had much character development to most people since he’s a background person, but I disagree. As a writer, as a person who studies the way dialogue moves a scene or character and what the surroundings mean...Nick isn’t underdeveloped at all. Sure, he’s not as developed with a backstory as the main people, but he’s also not some basic white boy with no personality. His personality is shown in little scenes and comments and how he interacts with others, and I love that for him.

Also, continuing the question further: Reggie. Anyone who thinks he’s dumb can fight me I swear I will throw hands. Like, he probably just has sensory processing disorder and/or adhd or something. I do the exact same thing he does and I would be lying if I said I were dumb. I’m smart, I’m just a little slow on the uptake sometimes, just like he is. We all think and process differently and just because he doesn’t meet your ideal image of “smart” doesn’t mean he isn’t smart in his own way. I have feelings about this.

The most difficult thing about writing fics, aside from the whole writing thing in general, is something I think is specific to writing fanfic: characterization. You are taking another person’s characters and working them into a story of your own, and it can be difficult to move a scene the way you want to when working with certain characters. Especially through dialogue. It’s a constant inner monologue of “would they use this word? This phrase? Would they say anything at all? How would they react? I think they would use this instead, actually...” It also depends on whether it’s a one-shot or a multichap, because for me, with one-shots, I only need a vague idea of where I’m going and the rest will fill in on its own. With multichaps tho it’s similar but I need to put down actual plot notes so I know what clues to drop for future developments and how I want everything to tie together. It’s difficult but a lot of fun and very rewarding based on the responses I get, I think.

That fic idea is amazing and I would love to write it, but I’m going to put it in my notes so I can write it when I’m done with my current projects, because I already have four and I try not to go above that. Also because that kind of a fic, for me, would be multichap so I want to get mostly done with LLtD first since that’s a really involved one and this idea would be almost as involved. I’ll put it down for later tho, and hopefully I can get around to it!

Thank you for sending these, I really enjoyed them! Never be afraid to send asks, I genuinely enjoy them and spending time on them. Requests for blurbs are still open, and you don’t even have to be sending one in to talk or send an ask because I am a lonely soul who likes talkin to people and about my experiences 😂

@musicallad

#ray gets an ask #I’m ray #questions #musicallad #jatp #ask julie and the phat ones #julie and the phantoms

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scoutception · 5 years

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Ranking the 5 animes I’ve recently watched

Long story short, I’ve been taking a break and watching anime, something that I’ve only really experienced in small doses before, though in general I don’t really watch a lot of stuff nowadays (to my memory, the only anime I’ve watched in full is Danganronpa 3, so I’ll go ahead and say it gave me an aversion to it all). As the title says, I’ve gone through 5 so far, so I’ve decided to just type up my personal rankings and thoughts. If I had to say anything important before starting, it’s that 1. everything I list here is a very enjoyable and worthwhile watch, and I would definitely recommend giving any of them a try, and 2. this is just a personal ranking, and so it’s very biased. I might, for example, think whatever is number 5 is technically better than whatever is number 4, but still prefer number 4 for any number of reasons. I’m at least going to try to point out when that’s the case, but it’s still something to keep in mind. I’ll also be including information like number of episodes, what streaming platforms they’re on, which I’ll admit mostly comes down to Netflix, Hulu, and Crunchyroll, and whether or not English dubs are available, or only subtitles. Other than that, let the rankings begin. 5. Little Witch Academia

Number of episodes: 25. Language options: dub and subs available. Streaming availability: Netflix. Little Witch Academia originated as a short film released in 2013 as part of a training program for animators. It was only about half an hour long, but the fun cast and beautiful animation gave it a lot of charm, and enough popularity to spawn a second short film in 2015, the Enchanted Parade, which lasted for closer to an hour. Then, in 2017, it got a full series on Netflix, produced by Studio Trigger, which did away with any continuity from the short films, but kept the general concept. Little Witch Academia follows Atsuko “Akko” Kagari, who, after witnessing a magical show hosted by the witch known as Shiny Chariot, dedicated her life to becoming a witch, despite not coming from a family with magic in its bloodline. Despite managing to enroll in the academy of Luna Nova, dedicated to training witches, Akko finds the reality of it isn’t anywhere near what she expected; Chariot is ostracized by most of the magical community for portraying magic in a flashy, illusionist manner considered embarrassing, Luna Nova’s education is much more focused on tedious, small scale magic than what Akko had come to expect, the world at large considers Luna Nova and its magic to be weak relics of the past, something even its staff can’t argue well against, and worst of all, Akko is incompetent at magic to a downright abnormal degree, even for her normal origins, incapable of so much as riding a broom. Despite the constant demoralization, Akko receives help from one of the academy’s professors, Ursula, who puts Akko on the path to unlock the secrets of the Shiny Rod, Chariot’s personal wand, found by Akko on her way to Luna Nova. This isn’t exactly the most original series out there, and if you’ve watched pretty much anything involving non evil witches and magic schools, you’re not going to be too surprised. The main strength, writing wise, is the fun cast. Akko herself is a pretty entertaining main character, being very excitable and passionate, enough to keep likeable even with her many, many missteps throughout the series, but the rest of the cast is pretty good too. Characters like Sucy, Akko’s roommate obsessed with poison, mushrooms, and picking on Akko, the delinquent Amanda O’Neil, the mute technological genius Constanze, and Akko’s alleged rival, Diana Cavendish, who, though very haughty, has a lot more depth to her than you might expect, help hold the series together very well. Most of the series is pretty goofy and lighthearted, which helps keep it from feeling too cliche. Starting with the second half of the series, though, it gets much more story based, which might be a bit jarring for some people, but still manages some surprisingly sad moments. This is all helped by the great animation, as Trigger can always be counted on to provide, and the dub is good overall, with Erica Mendez especially perfectly capturing Akko. Overall, this is a fun watch, but it’s really not much special, so I can’t really put it anywhere other than dead last. If you want a fun, lighthearted romp that isn’t stuck to only 13 episodes, this is a good one to try. 4. The Pet Girl of Sakurasou/Sakura Hall

Number of episodes: 24. Language options: subs only. Streaming availability: Crunchyroll, Hidive. Firstly, don’t let the very questionable title give too many bad impressions. Sakura Hall, as I’ll be calling it, was originally a series of light novels by Hajime Kamoshida, with 10 main novels being released. The anime, produced by JC Staff, actually only adapts the first 6, though it ends rather conclusively regardless. This is also probably the most obscure anime on this list. Sorata Kanda is a rather unremarkable high school student attending the Suimei University of the Arts High School, forced to live in the very abnormal mixed gender dorm of Sakura Hall. Sakura Hall’s other residents consist of Misaki Kamiigusa, an extremely talented, and extremely weird and energetic, animator capable of creating anime almost entirely on her own, Jin Mitaka, the scriptwriter and childhood friend of Misaki, who is cool, mature, and has an almost chronic playboy streak, Ryunosuke Akasaka, the extremely reclusive, but talented computer programmer who mostly communicates through texts, and Chihiro Sengouka, Sakura Hall’s extremely irresponsible supervisor who prefers to leave the students to fend for themselves, outside of the occasional words of advice. Sorata is only stuck in Sakura Hall due to his refusal to abandon a stray cat he rescued, and intends on escaping Sakura Hall however he can to escape his roommates and return to normalcy, a plan that’s certainly not impacted by him picking up 6 more stray cats along the way. One day, a new resident moves into Sakura Hall: Mashiro Shiina, a relative of Chihiro and extremely talented artist, on a level only Misaki and Ryunosuke can match, who is also very unemotive and almost completely incapable of caring for herself, not helped by some rather odd thought processes (she’s almost certainly autistic, but they never actually clarify that). Sorata and some of the other Sakura Hall residents thusly become Mashiro’s caretakers, and are soon additionally joined by Sorata’s friend, the workaholic aspiring voice actress Nanami Aoyama. Sorata’s previously tedious life becomes defined by his struggles to find a direction to his life, his attempts at caring for and understanding Mashiro, and the various problems of the rest of the Sakura Hall residents. The main writing strength, is, again, the cast of characters. The characters are all very enjoyable, even the designated average guy, Sorata, and they all have their share of struggles, hidden depths, and development. The first half of the series is, for the most part, plain wacky, and while it does delve into serious moments more than a few times, it’s also prone to plain breaking the mood, either by starting them suddenly, or just as suddenly interrupting them with a gag. It’s enjoyable on its own, but it can be a bit hard to get into. The second half of the series is a big change of pace, becoming much, much more focused and serious, and for the better. Bitter topics like resentment against those who can outperform others simply through natural talent, and the risks of overworking, and the slippery slope mentality against accepting help that it can generate, are frequently brought up, and it does not shy away from how brutal reality can be. It’s never dark to the point of creating apathy, though, and it overall captures a very bittersweet portrayal of nearing the end of one’s teenage years, and preparing to become an adult. The animation is pretty good, and the voice actors all give memorable performances. Overall, this was probably the hardest series for me to get into at first, but sticking with it is very worthwhile. I can’t really say much about it, if only because I don’t want to risk getting into spoilers, but it genuinely is great. I was even considering placing it higher than number 4, but the next three things were stiff competition. 3. Gurren Lagann/Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

Number of episodes: 27. Language options: dub and subs available. Streaming availability: Netflix, Crunchyroll, Hulu, Funimation. Here’s what I would bet is the second most popular anime on this list, and was more or less one of the grand finales to the golden age of Studio Gainax, directed by one of the co-founders of Studio Trigger, and is perhaps most memorably one of the series where Gainax didn’t completely mess up the budget by the end. Simon (pronunced see-moan) and his self appointed big brother Kamina live in an underground village, with Simon living a monotonous life digging tunnels so the village can expand, in hopes of finding artifacts and being awarded better dinners, while Kamina constantly causes trouble in his attempts to breach the underground and reach the surface. Simon is insecure and self deprecating, thinking he’s only capable of the job he already has while Kamina is extremely boisterous, charismatic, and capable of seeing the potential within Simon. The way to the surface is finally opened for the pair by the appearance of a giant mecha called a Gunmen, which are piloted by the beastmen, who control the surface and are out to exterminate any humans they come across. Simon and Kamina are saved by the appearance of Yoko, a human who lives on the surface, and a miniature Gunmen discovered by Simon, which Kamina dubs Lagann. Making their way to the surface and capturing an enemy Gunmen Kamina names Gurren, Kamina decides to take the fight to the beastmen themselves, and drags Simon and Yoko with him, starting what can only really be described as a rollcoaster ride of giant mechas, drills, and general insanity. The series honestly starts only about average, but starting about episode 7, the scale just starts going up and up, and doesn’t tend to slow down. It goes for bigger and bigger heights, making for some amazing action scenes, and doesn’t get desensitizing like some things would. The cast of characters is great, between characters like Kamina, being lovably boisterous and encouraging, Simon, who gets some fantastic character development, Yoko, the sniper who despite seeming just like designated fanservice has some great development herself, Viral, the recurring beastman commander who just can’t keep up, and Lordgenome, the absurdly manly leader of the beastmen, and that’s just listing a few. The animation is great, the soundtrack is very memorable, the dub is one of the best out there, especially with Kyle Herbert as Kamina, and the writing, despite just seeming like big fun robot show, makes a surprisingly great story. I unfortunately can’t go much more indepth without definitely wading into spoilers, but it doesn’t take too long to start paying off. Overall, if I had to try to rank without bias, this would actually be number 2 on this list. It’s a great ride, and one I can recommend pretty much without question. 2. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Number of episodes: 64. Language options: dub and subs available: Streaming availability: Netflix, Crunchyroll, Hulu, Funimation. Here’s what’s certainly the most popular anime on this list, and what would be my number 1 without bias. There’s actually two Fullmetal Alchemist animes, with the original 2003 one going very off track from the manga and becoming its own thing, while Brotherhood, made in 2009, stays faithful to the manga. Fullmetal Alchemist follows the Elric brothers, Edward and Alphonse, in a world where the art of alchemy allows its users to transmute materials for purposes such as reshaping them into new forms, and operates on a principle of equivalent exchange, with every transmutation made relying on something being taken away. After being abandoned by their father, Van Hohenheim, and losing their mother to a plague, Ed and Al attempted the forbidden practice of human transmutation in an attempt to bring her back to life, only to fail, with Ed losing his left leg and right arm, and Al losing his entire body, forcing Ed to affix Al’s soul to a suit of armor. His missing limbs replaced with automail, a type of prosthetic, Ed becomes a government employed alchemist for the nation of Amestris, ruled over by Fuhrer Bradley, in hopes that he and Al can find a Philosopher’s Stone, an artifact said to be capable of eliminating the equivalent exchange requirement of alchemy, in hopes they can reacquire their natural bodies. Since things can’t ever go so smoothly, they end up involved in a massive conspiracy led by one known as Father, who commands Homunculi, artificial humans, who are themed after the seven deadly sins. By far the longest anime on this list, it’s also easily one of the richest. Almost every episode does something to move the plot along, and introduces a lot of important plot points fairly quickly, which helps keep the story interesting. There are many storylines going on, but all of them are both interesting and relevant, helped by the downright amazing cast Fullmetal Alchemist has to offer. From colonel Roy Mustang, out to become Furher to help atone for Amestris’ crimes, to Ling Yao and May Chang from the country of Xing searching for the secret of immortality, to the Ishvalan named Scar, out to avenge his people, who were the victims of a war of extermination waged by Amestris. As for characters closer to the main plot, Ed and Al are both great protagonists, with plenty of development between the two, and their interactions with Winry Rockbell, their childhood friend and mechanic, make for some great scenes. The antagonists are also great, with quite a few defying how one note themed villain groups like them can be, like the shadowy abomination Pride, the sadistic rat that is Envy, the independent Greed, and especially the extremely intimidating Wrath. The animation by Studio Bones is great, as is the soundtrack, and the dub is fantastic, helped by almost all of the cast from the 2003 anime reprising their roles. Voices like Travis Willingham as Roy Mustang, Christopher Sabat as Alex Louis Armstrong, Chris Patton as Greed, and Ed Blaylock as Fuhrer Bradley especially are fantastic. Overall, this is one of the best shows I’ve watched, period. I recommend it very highly, and almost wish I could confidently declare it number 1. 1. Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai

Number of episodes: 13. Language options: subs only. Streaming availability: Crunchyroll, Hulu, Funimation. Firstly, again, this is not something to judge based on the name. Secondly, yes, this is where all the bias on this list comes from. This is anime is actually only about a year old, so it’s surprisingly recent, and is also by far the shortest of all the series I’ve listed here. Rascal is based off a series of light novels by the same author as Sakura Hall, Hajime Kamoshida, and was produced by CloverWorks. Like Sakura Hall, the anime doesn’t completely adapt, only going through 5 of the 9 novels currently released, with a movie, of all things, adapting the 6th. You may or may not have heard of this anime while it was airing, but regardless, I’m here to spread the word of it, cause it’s a special place for me. One day, while browsing a library, high school student Sakuta Azusagawa notices a girl wearing a bunny suit walking around, not being acknowledged by anyone other than himself. The girl turns out to be Mai Sakurajima, an actress on hiatus that attends his high school, who has found she’s recently become invisible to an unknown number of people outside of their school. Sakuta identifies it as “Adolescence Syndrome”, a mysterious phenomenon that occurs due to the unstable psyches of adolescences, which causes physical effects on the world based on their biggest causes of stress. Sakuta has seen the effects of Adolescence Syndrome himself, with it causing physical harm to his sister, Kaede, and causing her to become a recluse, and somehow causing Sakuta to be scarred as well. Hoping to learn more about the phenomenon, as well as just hoping to spare Mai from a similar fate, Sakuta decides to solve the mystery of her syndrome, as well as those of other girls in each story arc after. The premise is pretty unique by itself, and it uses its potential very well, thanks to the grounded writing and great cast of characters. Sakuta is not your typical protagonist: he’s blunt, blatantly perverted, and more than willing to verbally pick on people with little to no provocation. He’s not even close to a bad person, though; he treats the friends he already has at the start of the series, and everyone else he proceeds to grow closer to, much more respectfully, and when the chips come down, he’ll do crazy things for other people with no hesitation. He’s one of the most refreshing protagonists I’ve seen in a long time, and has most of the best lines in the series. The rest of the cast is also great, especially Mai, the other main lead. In fact, the main focus of the series besides the Adolescence Syndrome cases is Sakuta and Mai’s relationship, which is very well written, to the point of being my favorite part of the series. It avoids so many stumbles a lot of other series can run into: the relationship is started up early, nobody manages to threaten their feelings, and any misunderstandings, current or even just potential, they take steps to work though. Even when she’s willing to jab at and mess with Sakuta, Mai is always affectionate and transparent with her feelings, and becomes progressively even more so as it goes on. It’s also just, a refreshing change of pace compared to most relationships in anime. The other main focus, the Adolescence Syndrome cases, are just as well written. Despite exaggerated situations like becoming invisible to people, or even causing a time loop, there are few times they’re played for laughs. The series takes it all very seriously, mostly because of the kind of factors that lead to the syndrome appearing. Things like an oppressive school atmosphere, where standing out causes scrutiny, and most decide to just follow the leader to avoid consequences, or the fear of your only friendships being damaged over minor reasons. While more positive than Sakura Hall, it takes the same care to show just how damaging issues like this can be. Even Sakuta isn’t above it: he’s rumored to have send some of his classmates to the hospital once, and despite being completely false, it’s ostracized him to the point that he considers himself lucky to have 2 whole friends, and he’s just accepted the mindset that fighting against such an atmosphere is pointless. There a lot of emotional moments throughout the series, especially the last three episodes, and it earns them all. It even shies away from fanservice most of the time, even despite the very title of the show (the bunny girl part was actually only the title of the first light novel, but the series just kept it for the whole thing) The animation isn’t too wacky due to the tone and grounded writing, but it has an appealing artstyle, and the voice actors do a great job as well. Overall, this is an anime that’s genuinely very good by itself. Even so, what is it that makes me so biased towards it? For one thing, it just hits some emotional soft spots a lot of other stuff doesn’t personally manage, through stuff like, once again, Sakuta and Mai’s relationship. The very interesting premise and general grounded nature also wins it a lot of points. But, ultimately, it’s not something I can really put into words. Might be because I watched it on a very weird day. Regardless, this is one I would definitely want everyone to give a chance, and here’s hoping the movie gets a DVD release soon. And with that, there’s to end to my rambling. Again, I would recommend everything I’ve put here to most people, but especially the top 2. I’m planning on watching some more anime, so I may make another ranking like this soon. Otherwise, till next time. -Scout

#anime #bunny girl senpai #the pet girl of sakurasou #fullmetal alchimist brotherhood #gurren lagann #little witch academia

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mymoviesnob · 7 years

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A Movie Snob Predicts the Oscars - 2017 Edition

Hello again! Welcome to the 2017 edition of A Movie Snob Predicts the Oscars.

As I have been preparing to write this, I’ve been going back over the list of nominees and I noticed a few themes in the films across categories… from overcoming adversity in Hidden Figures and Hacksaw Ridge. to complicated families in Fences. Moonlight and Manchester by the Sea. But the theme I found the most compelling is that of refugees fleeing war torn countries to find a better life for their children in several documentaries, 4.1 Miles, The White Helmets, Fire at Sea and to some extent, Ennemis Interieurs. The Academy was certainly trying to shine a bright light on this global issue and I hope the nominations brought more viewers to hear these stories.

While many of the films were heavy in subject matter, there were a few bright spots as well with small movies like Captain Fantastic, A Man Called Ove, La Femme et la TGV and the not so small and much beloved La La Land.

I typically wrestle with the films I personally enjoyed the most vs those which I believe will actually win. … because, let’s face it, I like being right. This year, I feel like the Academy and I will be pretty well lined up in that regard.

And as the whitest white girl ever, I can’t claim that the diversity issue from past years has been resolved, but this year feels like a step in the right direction.

So, without further ado, here are my picks for the 89th Annual Academy Awards.

Best Picture

Arrival – A film about aliens who land on earth and the linguists who attempt to communicate with them. I found the concept to be interesting, but I could have done without the whole “special powers” thing that Amy Adams’ character experienced. Not a favorite.

Fences – Adapted from August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize winning play, it was one of this year’s best. Solid performances all around and full of flawed characters and quick dialog.

Hacksaw Ridge – A lot of people who saw this one before I did raved about it. Maybe my expectations going in were too high but I personally did not love it. I agree that this man’s story is miraculous and he’s a true hero. I’m glad his story has been told, but this is not my choice for Best Picture. And who casts Vince Vaughn as a drill sergeant?? Seriously?

Hell or High Water – The Dude, Chris Pine, Ben Foster… some bank robberies and lots of dirt. Good flick, but not the best in this bunch. See it though. I liked it.

Hidden Figures – this is another story I’m glad was told. I had no idea that these women had a hand in getting our space program off the ground. I thoroughly enjoyed it but I don’t think it’s the best.

La La Land – Hands down my favorite movie I’ve seen in years. I’m not typically one for glossy romances, let alone musicals, but this movie is pure magic. It was shot in Cinemascope and from the opening sequence, it had me. This is a throwback to the old Hollywood that made me fall in love with movies. And yes, I actually loved the singing and dancing and even the mushy stuff. This year I will not agonize about my favorite vs. the critical darling because they are one in the same! With all the darkness out there, it was refreshing to have a little light. Anyway.. much more gushing over this one later.

Lion – The amazing true story of a little boy who gets separated from his family in India and adopted by an Australian family. I found this to be more interesting than I expected but it was probably my least favorite of this bunch.

Manchester by the Sea – This is a heartbreaking story of a man who is forced to confront a dark past to care for his nephew after his brother passes away unexpectedly. This is slow and sad and looks at how people deal with loss and grief. This is one I had to reflect upon a bit. Initially, I was not a fan, but it’s not meant to be the “feel good movie of the year” and it accomplishes what it sets out to do.

Moonlight – this is one I saw almost as soon as it came out, not knowing anything at all about it. I went in with no expectations and left pleasantly surprised. Again, not a “feel good” movie, but one that tells the story of a boy, growing up in a drug infested community with a mother who is an addict and a drug dealer as his role model. and father figure. It follows him through three stages in his life and the internal conflict he experiences as he learns who he is. See it.

Actress:

Isabelle Huppert – Elle – I wasn’t able to see this movie… it’s not available anywhere yet in the States, but she did win the Golden Globe so I think she has a shot.

Ruth Negga – Loving – Good movie… I’m surprised it didn’t get more nominations.

Natalie Portman – Jackie – I think she was good in this, but I found the character to be super annoying. I realize she was playing a real person… so maybe that means I would have found Jackie Kennedy to be super annoying? Anyway, not my favorite.

Emma Stone – La La Land – She’s my pick. Singing and dancing and being vulnerable in that way made me love her.

Meryl Streep – Florence Foster Jenkins – She can do no wrong… we all know this.

Supporting Actress:

Viola Davis – Fences – Hands down, no brainer, this is her night. She was AMAZING. She put Denzel in his place like her life depended on it. She will win and if she doesn’t it will be a travesty!

Naomi Harris – Moonlight – She was great as the crack addicted mother in this film. I also saw an interview with her later and realized she’s not American… accent was spot on. I would never had guessed!

Nicole Kidman – Lion – I’m not sure why she’s in this bunch. I like her, but I don’t get it this year.

Octavia Spenser – Hidden Figures – Another great performance from her, but Viola kicked her butt this go round.

Michelle Williams – Manchester by the Sea – I don’t think she got enough screen time to warrant a nomination. Sure, she was good when we saw her, but she didn’t make a huge impression for me.

Actor:

Casey Affleck – Manchester by the Sea – He gave a heart wrenching performance of an incredibly complicated character. It was more nuanced, less in your face than the other front runner and that is my reason for going with him. He gets my vote but I’ve read that there have been some recent harassment suits brought against him that may cause him to lose votes.

Andrew Garfield – Hacksaw Ridge – nope.

Ryan Gosling – La La Land – I don’t think he will win, but I need to say that he proved to be more than a pretty face (and perfect abs, etc, etc). He sang. He danced. And as I was leaving the theater, I immediately looked up whether or not he played his own piano to find that HE DID! I find that to be incredibly impressive. And can we talk about his speech at the Golden Globes where he thanked his lady for being home raising their daughters while he was making this movie? Love him.

Viggo Mortensen – Captain Fantastic – I had no idea what this movie was until it was nominated and I really, really liked it. He plays a single father, living off the grid with his six children. I know that sounds riveting, but it was surprisingly sweet and funny and entertaining. I recommend it.

Denzel Washington – Fences – If Affleck doesn’t take it, it’s got to go to Denzel. He’s Denzel. And delivering those lines had to have been one hell of a challenge. Someone i feel it must be “easier” to be bold and boastful as he was in this performance vs quiet and subdued as Affleck was.

Supporting Actor:

Mahershala Ali – Moonlight – He’s my favorite to win. He’s that character you’re not supposed to like by the nature of what he does, but you find out that he’s a compassionate guy doing what he had to in order to survive.

Jeff Bridges – Hell of High Water – He’s THE DUDE! No other explanation necessary … you know that means he is, and always will be, awesome.

Lucas Hedges – Manchester by the Sea – He’s the teenager dealing with the loss of his father and an uncertain future.

Dev Patel – Lion – He’s the lost Indian boy, all grown up and trying to find his family. I’m not sure who he was “supporting” though... he was the main guy in this movie...

Michael Shannon – Nocturnal Animals – He’s a cop with nothing to lose… (you know you want to read that in the “movie announcer voice”). Anyway, he is a great actor. Does great with creepy and/or crazy characters. This is not his year though. I wish this nomination had gone to his counterpart in this film, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, instead. He played a really good psychopath.

Animated Feature:

Kubo and the Two Strings

Moana – I loved this, and I think it would win if not for Zootopia

My Life as a Zucchini

The Red Turtle

Zootopia – this is our winner

Cinematography:

Arrival

La La Land

Lion

Moonlight

Silence

Costume Design:

Allied

Fantastic Beasts and where to Find Them

Florence Foster Jenkins

Jackie

La La Land

Director:

Damien Chazelle – La La Land – yes, yes, yes a thousand times, yes, he should win. He also directed Whiplash (which was amazing… you should see it) and is likely becoming my new favorite director! He’s brave and only 32 years old. I’m looking forward to his long, beautiful, brilliant career!

Mel Gibson – Hacksaw Ridge – I’m just glad he wasn’t IN this movie. And I hold him responsible for the whole “Vince Vaughn as a drill sergeant” thing.

Barry Jenkins – Moonlight

Kenneth Lonergan – Manchester by the Sea

Denis Villeneuve – Arrival

Documentary Feature:

Fire at Sea – about refugees fleeing the African coast for a small Italian island, and the people who rescue them

I am not your Negro

Life, Animated – this is about an autistic boy who grew up relating life to what he learned watching Disney movies. I liked it.

O.J:. Made in America – I think this will win due to its pure scope and scale. It literally goes on for days… (ok… 7 hours and 47 min but that felt like days..) and I did walk away having learned things I didn’t know about him and the murder trial.

The 13th – This is the one I secretly hope will win.

Documentary Short Film:

Extremis – about doctor’s helping terminally ill patients and their families make difficult end of life decisions

4.1 Miles – about Syrian refugee’s fleeing for a small Greek island

Joe’s Violin – about a 92 year old holocaust survivor’s violin which has been passed on to a young music student at a school for immigrant girls in the Bronx. As the one not about the refugee crisis, it stands out, which is why I think it will win.

Watani: My Homeland

The White Helmets - about a group of men, former builders, tailors, blacksmiths, etc, who risk their lives volunteering to save civilians (from either side of the fight) in Aleppo as bombs fall around them. Everyone who believes that we should not allow refugees in to our country should see this movie. I realize that things are more complicated than that, but there is nothing complicated about parents not wanting to have to teach their toddlers the difference between the sound of a regular plane and the sound of one carrying bombs or not wanting to have to dig them out of a pile of concrete that used to be their home or school. I’ve heard the “if it’s so bad, they should leave” argument… but they need a place to go.

Film Editing:

Arrival

Hacksaw Ridge

Hell or High Water

La La Land – let’s keep this lovefest going…

Moonlight

Foreign Language Film:

Land of Mine

A Man Called Ove - really, really enjoyed this one.

The Salesman – for political reasons, I think this will win

Tanna

Toni Erdmann

Makeup and Hairstyling:

A Man Called Ove

Star Trek Beyond – because of the Spock ears and stuff. (BTW… I hate these movies)

Suicide Squad – I can’t believe I sat through this garbage.

Original Score:

Jackie

La La Land – YES! The music is as much a part of this movie as Stone and Gosling.

Lion

Moonlight

Passengers

Original Song:

Audition (The Fools Who Dream) – La La Land – I love this! And I had a really hard time between this and City of Stars…

Can’t Stop the Feeling! – Trolls – as much as I would like to see JT win an Oscar, I don’t think this will win, even if it is the only song in this bunch that most of you know.

City of Stars – La La Land – this is the one I’ve had stuck in my head since I saw the movie. I love it!

The Empty Chair – Jim: The James Foley Story

How Far I’ll Go – Moana – I want Lin-Manuel Miranda to win, but not this year

Production Design:

Arrival

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Hail, Caesar!

La La Land - the sets are amazing!

Passengers

Animated Short Film:

Blind Vaysha

Borrowed Time

Pear Cider and Cigarettes

Pearl – this one is made to be viewed in virtual reality so its ground breaking and cool… I think it could win. But Piper is Pixar so...

Piper – will win… and it’s cute.

Live Action Short Film:

Ennemis Interieurs – this is about the interrogation of an Algerian man who has lived in France for years but is trying to gain official citizenship. I hope this doesn’t happen in real life but something tells me it is likely not far off from reality…

La Femme et la TGV-about a woman who lives alongside the tracks of a high speed train and strikes up a friendship with the train operator she’s never met.

Silent Nights – didn’t love it.

Sing – about a girl who wants to join her school choir and a teacher who is hell bent on them winning a competition. I really liked this one too.

Timecode - silly and weirdly sweet

Sound Editing:

Arrival

Deepwater Horizon – I sat through this garbage too. Marky Mark needs to go away

Hacksaw Ridge – this is where I throw this one a bone…

La La Land – if Hacksaw doesn’t take it

Sully

Sound Mixing:

Arrival

Hacksaw Ridge

La La Land – because it’s a musical

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

Visual Effects:

Deepwater Horizon

Doctor Strange

The Jungle Book

Kubo and the Two Strings

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Adapted Screenplay:

Arrival

Fences – I’m torn…

Hidden Figures

Lion

Moonlight – I’m going with this, but Fences may take it.

Original Screenplay:

Hell or High Water

La La Land – again, torn, but…

The Lobster – quite possibly the weirdest movie I’ve ever enjoyed. Very, very strange.

Manchester by the Sea- I’m going with my gut and saying this is the winner

20th Century Women

Well, there you have it!

This year I’ve been fortunate enough to have brought a few more friends into the “watch all the movies” challenge and it’s been so much fun! Can’t wait to see what next year brings!

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