The Tom-Spot: Where do you go for all the latest Tom News?

Celebrity Oscar Ballots

2012-02-02T10:26:00.002-05:00

The New York Times is collecting Oscar ballots too--from celebrities of varying degree. So if you've been wondering what famous (and semi-famous) people are guessing for this year's awards, you are in luck. I'm going to keep a running list here, so check back occasionally. And don't forget to enter our contest as well!

Jeffrey Eugenides (author of Middlesex) - The Tree of Life
Randy Jackson (American Idol judge) - The Help
Pat Kiernan (NY1 morning news anchor) - The Artist

Amy's Exit Interview

2012-01-31T08:30:00.000-05:00

January may have unseasonably warm, but there is nothing like the chill of your time as Tomketeer of the Month coming to an end. We sat down with Amy to find out how her January was, and to find out more about her feet washing regimen.

T: So Amy, what did you think when you were named ToM?

A: I was very excited. I laughed, but really it was more of a gleeful giggle that just bubbled up inside me.

T: What has your life been like this past month?

A: There's a new bounce in my step. It's like my whole social existence has been validated.

T: There have been a number of ToMs that were named while still in their 20s, but do you think it means something different to be honored as a woman in your 30s?

A: I think it bodes well for the new decade.

T: How clean would you say your feet are right now?

A: Sparkling. I took a shower after running, then promptly put on my fuzzy slippers.

T: They definitely deserve a good scrubbing, since it was partly your fancy footwork that awarded you this honor. Can we expect any new dance moves from you in 2012?

A: It's possible that the next time there's a threat of a human pyramid, I won't run to the bathroom. Also, I've been working to perfect my sprinkler dance move daily at work.

T: Now that it's over, what's next for you? What can we expect from Amy?

A: The next logical step is to persuade other friends to give their own awards, and then lobby to win those. It is an election year, after all.

T: What advice can you give the next honoree?

A: Enjoy it while it lasts. The month will drag in every other aspect of your life, but not in the Tomketeer world!

T: Well, thank you, Amy. Good luck to you!

A: How long until a winner is eligible for re-selection?

T: Uh, we will be asking the questions around here.

SAG loves The Help

2012-01-30T09:35:00.000-05:00

As expected (by me anyway) The Help, was the most nominated movie going into the SAG Awards, and was the most honored leaving, with three awards. I think this cements Viola Davis' position for Best Actress at the Oscars, but did it throw George Clooney's frontrunner status for a loop? I don't think so? The Artist had to win something, right? In 18 years though, SAG has gotten Best Actor wrong only three times. They've gotten Best Actress wrong 5 times, and it's worse with supporting, but for the past two years, all four acting winners have won Oscars. What all this means, is that it means nothing.

Ensemble: The Help
Actor: Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Actress: Viola Davis, The Help
Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, The Help

My Predictions

2012-01-29T08:27:00.003-05:00

I did good, not great, on predicting the Oscars nominees, and I expect some surprises at the telecast this year. I always expect surprises, and never get them. At any rate, here are my initial winner predictions.

Picture: The Artist
Director: Hugo, Martin Scorsese
Actor: George Clooney, The Descendants
Actress: Viola Davis, The Help
Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, The Help
Original Screenplay: Midnight in Paris
Adapted Screenplay: Moneyball
Animated Feature: Rango
Documentary Feature: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Foreign Language Film: A Separation
Art Direction: The Artist
Cinematography: The Tree of Life
Costume Design: The Artist
Film Editing: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Makeup: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2
Score: The Artist
Song: The Muppets
Sound Editing: Hugo
Sound Mixing: Hugo
Visual Effects: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

9th Annual Oscar Contest!

2012-01-28T22:42:00.002-05:00

What do Kate, Jess, Julie, and Lee all have in common?

They are all past winners of the Oscar contest, and they have also all been named Tomketeer of the Month! Who will be next? It could be you!

To enter, fill out the form below with which films you think will be taking home Oscars this year. You have until February 26th at 6pm to enter. Enter as many times as you like and, but remember that only your most recent entry will be the one that counts. You will receive one point for every correct Oscar winner you select. (The three shorts are not required and are extra credit. If you get them incorrect they will not be counted against you, but if you pick correctly, you will get points added to your score.)

But wait! What do you get if you win? We're glad you asked. Not only does the winner get bragging rights for a whole year (Just ask Julie! She's won four times--that's a lot of time for bragging!), but he or she also wins a prize pack worth literally tens of dollars, and (And!) will be named Tomketeer of the Month for March 2012. It doesn't get much better than that, so get to it.

Good luck, and remember, you don't have to have seen any of the movies to enter. Make a good guess, and you could be a big winner! (My predictions are here, but just because they're mine, doesn't mean they are any good, so be warned.)

Name:
Email Address:
Best Motion Picture of the Year	The Artist The Descendants Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close The Help Hugo Midnight in Paris Moneyball The Tree of Life War Horse
Achievement in Direction	The Artist, Michael Hazanavicius The Descendants, Alexander Payne Hugo, Martin Scorsese Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role	Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs Viola Davis, The Help Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role	Demian Bichir, A Better Life George Clooney, The Descendants Jean Dujardin, The Artist Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role	Bernice Bejo, The Artist Jessica Chastain, The Help Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs Octavia Spencer, The Help
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role	Kenneth Branagh, My Week with Marilyn Jonah Hill, Moneyball Nick Nolte, Warrior Christopher Plummer, Beginners Max Von Sydow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Original Screenplay	The Artist Bridesmaids Margin Call Midnight in Paris A Separation
Adapted Screenplay	The Descendants Hugo The Ides of March Moneyball Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Best Animated Feature of the Year	A Cat in Paris Chico & Rita Kung Fu Panda 2 Puss in Boots Rango
Best Documentary Feature	Hell and Back Again If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory Pina Undefeated
Best Foreign Language Film of the Year	Bullhead (Belgium) Monsieur Lazhar (Canada) A Separation (Iran) Footnote (Israel) In Darkness (Poland)
Achievement in Art Direction	The Artist Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 Hugo Midnight in Paris War Horse
Achievement in Cinematography	The Artist The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Hugo The Tree of Life War Horse
Achievement in Costume Design	Anonymous The Artist Hugo Jane Eyre W.E.
Achievement in Film Editing	The Artist The Descendants The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Hugo Moneyball
Achievement in Makeup	Albert Nobbs Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 The Iron Lady
Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)	The Adventures of TinTin The Artist Hugo Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy War Horse
Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song)	"Man or Muppet" from The Muppets "Real in Rio" from Rio
Achievement in Sound Editing	Drive The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Hugo Transformers: Dark of the Moon War Horse
Achievement in Sound Mixing	The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Hugo Monyeball Transformers: Dark of the Moon War Horse
Achievement in Visual Effects	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Hugo Real Steel Rise of the Planet of the Apes Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Best Documentary, Short Subject (Extra Credit)	The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement God Is the Bigger Elvis Incident in New Baghdad Saving Face The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom
Best Animated Short Film (Extra Credit)	Dimanche/Sunday The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore La Luna A Morning Stroll Wild Life
Best Live Action Short Film (Extra Credit)	Pentecost Raju The Shore Time Freak Tuba Atlantic
Tie-breaker Question: How many awards will The Artist win?	10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
What was your favorite film of the year?

This HTML form was created by Freedback.

Oscars!

2012-01-24T16:51:00.001-05:00

I didn't do great but I didn't do horribly with my predictions. It was a rough morning for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Fassbender, Tilda Swinton, Albert Brooks, Shailene Woodley, 50/50, and Young Adult, but here they are. I never know quite how to feel the morning the nominations are announced, after having spent so much time thinking about what it would be. If the Oscars weren't both disappointing and exciting, they wouldn't be the Oscars.

Best Picture (I got 7/9 correct.)
The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse

Best Director (4/5)
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life

Best Actor (4/5 - including Gary Oldman!)
Demián Bichir, A Better Life
George Clooney, The Descendants
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Best Actress (4/5)
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Best Supporting Actor (3/5)
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Best Supporting Actress (4/5)
Bérénice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help

Best Original Screenplay (3/5)
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Asghar Farhadi, A Separation

Best Adapted Screenplay (4/5)
Alexander Payne, Jim Rash, and Nat Faxon, The Descendants
John Logan, Hugo
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Beau Willimon, The Ides of March
Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian, Moneyball
Peter Straughan and Bridget O’Connor, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Best Animated Film
A Cat in Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango

Best Foreign Language Film
Bullhead (Belgium)
Monsieur Lazhar (Canada)
A Separation (Iran)
Footnote (Israel)
In Darkness (Poland)

Best Cinematography
The Artist
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
The Tree of Life
War Horse

Art Direction
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
War Horse

Costume Design
Anonymous
The Artist
Hugo
Jane Eyre
W.E.

Documentary Feature
Hell and Back Again
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated

Documentary Short
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
God Is the Bigger Elvis
Incident in New Baghdad
Saving Face
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom

Film Editing
The Artist, Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
The Descendants, Kevin Tent
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
Hugo, Thelma Schoonmaker
Moneyball, Christopher Tellefsen

Makeup
Albert Nobbs, Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston, and Matthew W. Mungle
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk, and Yolanda Toussieng
The Iron Lady, Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

Music (Original Score)
The Adventures of Tintin, John Williams
The Artist, Ludovic Bource
Hugo, Howard Shore
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Alberto Iglesias
War Horse, John Williams

Music (Original Song)
“Man or Muppet” from The Muppets, Bret McKenzie
“Real in Rio” from Rio, Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown, and Siedah Garrett

Short Film (Animated)
Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life

Short Film (Live Action)
Pentecost
Raju
The Shore
Time Freak
Tuba Atlantic

Sound Editing
Drive
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse

Sound Mixing
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Monyeball
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse

Visual Effects
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Real Steel
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Final Oscar Nomination Predictions

2012-01-23T22:08:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow morning Jennifer Lawrence will get up early to announce the Oscar nominations. Here's how I think they will shake down. I think this is basically the same as what I said the last time, but now I really mean it. You can read Julie's thoughts, as always, here.

Best Picture:
1) The Artist (Golden Globe win, SAG nomination, BFCA win, PGA win, DGA nomination)
2) The Descendants (Golden Globe win, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination, PGA nomination, DGA nomination, WGA nomination)
3) Midnight in Paris (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination, PGA nomination, DGA nomination, WGA nomination)
4) Hugo (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination, PGA nomination, DGA nomination, WGA nomination)
5) The Help (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination, PGA nomination, WGA nomination)
6) Moneyball (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination, PGA nomination, WGA nomination)
7) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (PGA nomination, DGA nomination, WGA nomination)
8) War Horse (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination, PGA nomination)

(There will be between five and ten nominations, I'm guessing it will be eight this year.)

Best Director:
1) The Artist, Michael Hazanavicius (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA win, DGA nomination)
2) Hugo, Martin Scorsese (Golden Globe win, BFCA nomination, DGA nomination)
3) The Descendants, Alexander Payne (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination, DGA nomination)
4) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, David Fincher (DGA nomination)
5) Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen (Golden Globe nomination)

Best Actor:
1) George Clooney, The Descendants (Golden Globe win, SAG nomination, BFCA win)
2) Jean Dujardin, The Artist (Golden Globe win, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
3) Brad Pitt, Moneyball (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
4) Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
5) Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Best Actress:
1) Viola Davis, The Help (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA win)
2) Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady (Golden Globe win, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
3) Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn (Golden Globe win, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
4) Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination)
5) Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)

Best Supporting Actor:
1) Christopher Plummer, Beginners (Golden Globe win, SAG nomination, BFCA win)
2) Kenneth Branagh, My Week with Marilyn (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
3) Albert Brooks, Drive (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination)
4) Nick Nolte, Warrior (SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
5) Ben Kingsley, Hugo

Best Supporting Actress:
1) Octavia Spencer, The Help (Golden Globe win, SAG nomination, BFCA win)
2) Bernice Bejo, The Artist (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
3) Jessica Chastain, The Help (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
4) Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination)
5) Shailene Woodley, The Descendants (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination)

Best Original Screenplay:
1) Midnight in Paris (Golden Globe win, BFCA win, WGA nomination)
2) The Artist (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination)
3) 50/50 (BFCA nomination, WGA nomination)
4) Bridesmaids (WGA nomination)
5) Young Adult (BFCA nomination, WGA nomination)

Best Adapted Screenplay:
1) Moneyball (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA win, WGA nomination)
2) The Descendants (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination, WGA nomination)
3) The Help (BFCA nomination, WGA nomination)
4) Hugo (BFCA nomination, WGA nomination)
5) The Ides of March (Golden Globe nomination)

Previous Predictions - 1/11/12, 12/27/11, 11/24/11

Year in Review: December

2012-01-23T14:27:00.003-05:00

2011 ended with bang, as we rung in the new year at a party thrown by Zynga (Tracy was lucky enough to win us tickets!), in the Nasdaq office overlooking Times Square. Not too shabby!

This may have been the longest, most drawn out 2011 recap ever, but there you have it. Onward to 2012.

Year in Review: November

2012-01-23T14:21:00.000-05:00

Everyone has a smize-off when they get together with friends, right?

We took a trip to NYC to visit Ben and Laura, and even got them to head to Brooklyn for the afternoon at the Brewery. Who do you think does the best Smize? Leave your answer in the comments.

1) Ben:

2) Leah:

3) Tom:

4) Justin:

5) Seth

6) Laura:

7) Meredith:

The Golden Globes

2012-01-16T22:56:00.000-05:00

More later...

Golden Globe Predictions

2012-01-15T11:05:00.000-05:00

I don't think I'm going to do so hot with the predictions this, but it's worth a go anyway.

Best Picture - Drama: The Descendants
Best Picture - Comedy: The Artist
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Best Actor - Drama: George Clooney, The Descendants
Best Actress - Drama: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Best Actor - Comedy: Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Best Actress - Comedy: Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, The Help
Best Screenplay: Midnight in Paris
Best Score: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Best Animated Feature: The Adventures of Tin Tin
Best Foreign Language Film: A Separation
Best Song: "The Living Proof," The Help

Year in Review: October

2012-01-14T10:38:00.002-05:00

In October, I visited Buffalo for school/work, and amongst other things, I went to the super-creepy Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site. (Let's just say that the tour used a lot of multimedia and creative license with President Roosevelt's political views.) Close readers, of course, know that this my second Teddy Roosevelt site visit. I also got my picture taken with a colonial woman (who did not later appear on the wing of my airplane), and went to Niagara Falls. Buffalo is a neat little city with super-cool architecture. I highly recommend it! I didn't get a chance to go see the Millard Fillmore House, so I know I'll be back.

Year in Review: September

2012-01-13T14:19:00.000-05:00

Justin and I took a boat cruise to Mount Vernon. It was very glamorous. George Washington might not be my favorite founding father, but it's still a fun place to visit. The boat left a little sooner than I would have liked, but we still got to see everythin, including the house, gardens, chickens, sheep, and poor interpretation of slavery.

The Ladies of The Help

2012-01-13T10:15:00.000-05:00

The ladies of The Help certainly do clean up well. Here they are on the red carpet at the Critics Choice Awards.

Year in Review: August

2012-01-13T08:24:00.001-05:00

In August, Liz was in town for Liz K.'s wedding, and Kathleen and Steve also paid us a visit. Here we are--just clowning around.

The Artist Leads the Pack

2012-01-13T07:53:00.000-05:00

For the past two years, all four acting winners at the Critics Choice Awards have gone on to win Oscars. Does that mean the streak will continue? It seems like the unpredictable awards season just got a little more predictable. Maybe the Golden Globes will shake things up on Sunday. I'm pretty sure that Plummer and Spencer are locks. Davis is looking good too. Is it wrong that I want Brad Pitt to win over George Clooney?

Best Picture The Artist
Best Director Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Best Actor George Clooney, The Descendants
Best Actress Viola Davis, The Help
Best Supporting Actor Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Best Supporting Actress Octavia Spencer, The Help
Best Original Screenplay Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Best Adapted Screenplay Aaron Sorkin & Steven Zaillain, Moneyball
Best Acting Ensemble The Help
Best Animated Film Rango
Best Foreign Language Film A Separation
Best Documentary George Harrison: Living in the Material World
Best Comedy Bridesmaids
Best Action Movie Drive
Best Young Actor/Actress Thomas Horn, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Best Makeup Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows Part 2
Best Song “Life’s A Happy Song,” The Muppets
Best Costume Design The Artist
Best Score The Artist
Best Editing The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Best Sound Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Best Visual Effects Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Best Art Direction Hugo
Best Cinematography (tie) War Horse and The Tree of Life

Oscar Predictions - 1/11/12

2012-01-11T22:03:00.000-05:00

Basically all of the nominations have come out. Tomorrow, are the Critics Choice Awards, and Sunday the Golden Globes. The ballots are due back to the Academy for the Oscars on Friday, and then the nominations will be announced on the 24th. I think these are my final predictions, but maybe I'll change my mind again.

Best Picture:
1) The Artist (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination, PGA nomination, DGA nomination)
2) The Descendants (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination, PGA nomination, DGA nomination, WGA nomination)
3) Midnight in Paris (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination, PGA nomination, DGA nomination, WGA nomination)
4) Hugo (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination, PGA nomination, DGA nomination, WGA nomination)
5) The Help (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination, PGA nomination, WGA nomination)
6) Moneyball (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination, PGA nomination, WGA nomination)
7) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (PGA nomination, DGA nomination, WGA nomination)8) War Horse (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination, PGA nomination)
-----(There will be between five and ten nominations, I'm guessing it will be eight this time around.)9) Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (BFCA nomination)
10) The Tree of Life (BFCA nomination)

Best Director:
1) The Artist, Michael Hazanavicius (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination, DGA nomination)
2) The Descendants, Alexander Payne (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination, DGA nomination)
3) Hugo, Martin Scorsese (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination, DGA nomination)
4) Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen (Golden Globe nomination)
5) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, David Fincher
(DGA nomination)
-----
4) War Horse, Steven Spielberg (BFCA nomination, DGA nomination)
5) The Help, Tate Taylor
6) Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Steven Daldry (BFCA nomination)
7) The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick

Best Actor:
1) Brad Pitt, Moneyball (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
2) George Clooney, The Descendants (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
3) Jean Dujardin, The Artist (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
4) Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
5) Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
-----
6) Michael Fassbender, Shame (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination)
7) Ryan Gosling, Drive (BFCA nomination)

Best Actress:
1) Viola Davis, The Help (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
2) Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
3) Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
4) Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination)
5) Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
-----
6) Charlize Theron, Young Adult (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination)
7) Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Golden Globe nomination)

Best Supporting Actor:
1) Christopher Plummer, Beginners (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
2) Kenneth Branagh, My Week with Marilyn (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
3) Albert Brooks, Drive (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination)
4) Nick Nolte, Warrior (SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
5) Ben Kingsley, Hugo
-----
6) Jonah Hill, Moneyball (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination)
7) Armie Hammer, J. Edgar (SAG nomination)
8) Patton Oswalt, Young Adult (BFCA nomination)

Best Supporting Actress:
1) Octavia Spencer, The Help (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
2) Bernice Bejo, The Artist (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
3) Jessica Chastain, The Help (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
4) Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination)
5) Shailene Woodley, The Descendants (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination)
-----
6) Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids (SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)\
7) Carrie Mulligan, Shame

Best Original Screenplay:
1) Midnight in Paris (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination, WGA nomination)
2) The Artist (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination)
3) 50/50 (BFCA nomination, WGA nomination)
4) Bridesmaids (WGA nomination)
5) Win Win (BFCA nomination, WGA nomination)
-----
6) Young Adult (BFCA nomination, WGA nomination)

Best Adapted Screenplay:
1) Moneyball (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination, WGA nomination)
2) The Descendants (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination, WGA nomination)
3) The Help (BFCA nomination, WGA nomination)
4) Hugo (BFCA nomination, WGA nomination)
5) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (WGA nomination)
-----
6) Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (BFCA nomination)
7) The Ides of March (Golden Globe nomination)

Previous Predictions - 12/27/11, 11/24/11

Year in Review: The Brides

2012-01-11T21:45:00.000-05:00

I went to a lot of weddings last year. The first was in July, which is where I am up to in this never ending look back at 2011. So here are the Brides of 2011.

And of course, the most important of all:

Mary Grace's Acceptance Speech

2012-01-11T21:34:00.001-05:00

What a thrill this is indeed!

I couldn't have achieved this honor without the help and support of those who voted for me. Of course, I intend to bring my running mate Amanda on a nationwide victory tour just as soon as our Barbara Walters interview sessions have concluded and our bejeweled tiaras are fitted.

For today, however, know that I share this moment with all of you, the lovers of the Tomketeers. Together, we have made such strides! Scaled such heights! Lived our very dreams! I say with 100 percent certainty that 2012 will be filled with Tomketeer-worthy words and deeds from all of you. And I look forward to crowning my successor. But not sharing the tiara.

Introducing the Tomketeer of the Year: Mary Grace!

2012-01-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

America has spoken. No--the world has spoken. Votes came in from all over the globe, and Mary Grace has been named your new Tomketeer of the Year. Please join us in congratulating Mary Grace in this greta honor!

DGA Nominations

2012-01-09T15:19:00.000-05:00

David Fincher, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

National Society of Film Critics Feeling Melancholia

2012-01-07T21:46:00.001-05:00

Picture: Melancholia
Director: Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life
Actor: Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Actress: Kirsten Dunst, Melancholia
Supporting Actor: Albert Brooks, Drive
Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain, The Tree of Life, Take Shelter, The Help
Screenplay: A Separation

Year in Review: June

2012-01-07T11:14:00.000-05:00

As a part of 30 Days of DC, I requested a tour of the Naval Observatory, which is on the same property as the Vice President's residence, and has a fancy telescope. I didn't actually get selected for the tour until June, so I grabbed Genevieve and Andy to come with me. We saw Saturn and the craters of the moon. You'll have to take my word on this one because I realize, in retrospect, this isn't a particularly interesting set of pictures. There are no photos (obviously) of Saturn, and there aren't even any of the three of us. But clocks! Oh, did we see clocks!

Year in Review: May

2012-01-06T20:04:00.000-05:00

The main social event of the month and of the year in May 2011 was, of course, our yearly Garden Party. Justin gave a speech to collect his Tomketeer of the Month award, Mary Grace sang us some tunes, and we donated some cash via a silent auction for the Kupona Foundation, which raises money for maternity health in Tanzania. All in all, a good day.

Best Friends!

2012-01-06T18:41:00.001-05:00

I love the fact that George Clooney and Viola Davis are friends. Are these the two actors winning the top prizes this year? Maybe. Though, I'd like to see Brad Pitt win instead. The Critics Choice Awards are on Thursday and the Golden Globes on Sunday, so we'll see soon enough.

Off the grid...

2012-01-06T18:38:00.000-05:00

Tomketeer of the Month: Amy

2012-01-06T18:00:00.000-05:00

Hey, Amy! Wake up! AMY! HEY! WAKE UP!

Okay, that's better, but do you need to wash your feet now? I'm trying to tell you something.

You've been named the Tomketeer of the Month for January 2012! (Close your mouth, Kim, it's not that shocking!)

Amy has been selected because of her hot moves on the dance floor, and for being an overall great gal! I hope everyone will join me in congratulating Amy for this honor.

Writers Guild Nominations!

2012-01-05T13:58:00.002-05:00

These are usually meaningless because of how many movies are ineligible (like The Artist this year), but I think think this is pretty close to what we'll be seeing at the Oscars too. (And to be fair, The Artist has no words!)

Original Screenplay
50/50
Bridesmaids
Midnight in Paris
Win Win
Young Adult

Adapted Screenplay
The Descendants
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Help
Hugo
Moneyball

A Message from the Tomketeer of the Year

2012-01-04T10:21:00.002-05:00

(See also.)

PGA Nods...

2012-01-03T20:59:00.002-05:00

Best Motion Picture:
The Artist
Bridesmaids
The Descendants
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Help
Hugo
The Ides of March
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
War Horse

Best Animated Motion Picture:
The Adventures of TinTin
Cars 2
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango

Endorsements

2012-01-03T12:50:00.002-05:00

Endorsements have been rolling in for our candidates for Tomketeer of the Year. If you haven't voted yet, do it here.

-Jenny (December 2010) says: "Justin period."

-Meredith (July 2011) picks Kristin.

-Kathleen (June 2009): "I would like to endorse Justin."

-Genevieve (June 2010): "I endorse Mary Grace because she is so lovely and can do an amazing mash up like its nobody's business."

-Lauren (June 2010): "Justin all the way!!"

-Sandy (July 2010, 2010 ToY): "I feel qualified to toss my vote and endorsement to Jess!"

-Seth (May 2011): "Haven't the people of North Korea already been through enough? Vote for Justin."

Tomketeer of the Year: Vote Now!

2012-01-02T10:06:00.001-05:00

For Your Consideration: Mary Grace (June)

2012-01-02T10:05:00.001-05:00

Mary Grace in her own words:

"I excitedly forwarded Tom’s press release to my mother, who, acting with what I can only assume to be the utmost pride and exaltation, replied, "What is all of this?"

"It’s likely no surprise that the first music to truly ignite my passion for covers are classics of the 90’s like 'Under the Sea' and 'Be our Guest.'"

"I think the main thing is that they should never pet a burning dog.

VOTE NOW!

For Your Consideration: Justin (May)

2012-01-02T10:04:00.002-05:00

VOTE NOW!

For Your Consideration: Kristin (April)

2012-01-02T10:03:00.002-05:00

Kristin in her own words:

"I was shocked, stunned. And then I jumped out of my chair. It was one of the best birthday wishes I have ever been granted."

"The requests for interviews like these have been overwhelming and I’ve had my picture taken more times than I can count."

"I’m off for an extravagant European adventure...I’ll then be working on my clothing line and possibly a style guide or autobiography."

VOTE NOW!

For Your Consideration: Lee (March)

2012-01-02T10:02:00.002-05:00

Lee in her own words:

"I don't know whether to be proud of my accomplishment, or disappointed that I couldn't claw my way to the top based on sheer charisma!"

"Keep your eyes peeled for my new documentary, "MEEEE!!!!"

"Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. Also, Plastics."

"I am available!"

VOTE NOW!

For Your Consideration: Jess (February)

2012-01-02T10:01:00.004-05:00

Jess in her own words:

"I've gotten calls to advise President Obama on happy hour fundraising initiatives, and Mark Whalberg keeps pestering me about playing the 17th sister in The Fighter, Part 2: Beat Up that MTV Girl."

"Once you go Tomketeer, you can never go back."

"Do not marry Charlie Sheen! If anything marry Emilo Estevez. Also, don't screw up the National Anthem. Do show a little cleavage. Do write your memoir/self help book (take a hint from D.J. Tanner). Do send out mass emails of YouTube videos entitled "Crazy Kittens." Do wear your Tomketeer crown proud."

VOTE NOW!

Tomketeer of the Year: Vote Now!

2012-01-02T10:00:00.002-05:00

Jen has been our Tomketeer of the Year faithfully for all of 2011. But now 2011 is over. Her reign has been just and righteous. But now, as with all good things, it comes to an end. But now (NOW!) is your chance to vote for a new Tomketeer of the Year. The field is smaller this year, but no candidate is less deserving. The five 2011 Tomketeers of the Month who are on this year's ballot are:

Jess
Lee
Kristin
Justin
Mary Grace

Voting begins now and ends at midnight on January 8th. The winner will be announced live on the morning of January 9th. Each of these five individuals is smart, is kind, is important. But only one will be Tomketeer of the Year for 2012! Godspeed from the Tom-Team.

Year in Review: April

2012-01-02T08:51:00.004-05:00

30 Days of DC: Year 2, wasn't exactly a bust in real life. I did go see a bunch of neat things in the greater DC area (which I may have extended to include places like Annapolis and Charlottesville--so what?). But I didn't do a whole lot of posting about it. So you all missed out on joining me for the adventure. Sad face.

Here is one of the events I attended at the Jefferson Memorial. Every April 13th there is a ceremony celebrating Thomas Jefferson's birthday. He turned 268 in 2011. Happy bday, TJ!

Year in Review: March

2011-12-30T19:34:00.003-05:00

In March, Justin turned 30 (Wordy Wordy!), and I threw him a little birthday bash, that included a wine tasting. I am contractually obligated to not show any pictures of the wine connoisseur who coached through it, but it was a success. While drinking wine, you should always have kiwi, salmon, lemon, goat cheese, walnuts, toasted bread, and grapes on hand. Just trust us on this one.

Oh, and there was also a monkey cake.

Year in Review: February

2011-12-29T22:19:00.005-05:00

What has a nacho bar, celebrity guests, a contest, and a baby in a tuxedo? It is Tomketeer of the Year, Jen's annual Oscar party. (Maybe Jason helps too!) And it's a nice bonus that I took home the prize at the end of the night!

Life. Camera. Action.

2011-12-28T16:17:00.002-05:00

They picked a "representative" movie from each decade for the background of this year's Oscars poster. I'm not sure how I feel about their choices, but otherwise, it's a sharp poster.

Year in Review: January

2011-12-27T21:59:00.004-05:00

I didn't do a very good job of keeping this site updated this year for a variety of reasons. And there is plenty to show off. (I have load of pictures.) So over the next few days, I'll pick something from each month and give a recap. So what happened in January? As it happens, not too much. I got an amazing donut maker last year for Christmas, and took a bunch of pictures of my inaugural batch. That's as good as anything else to start off the year. The donuts I am making here are banana-flavored, and are more delicious than they look.

Oscar Ballots are in the mail...

2011-12-27T21:49:00.002-05:00

I posted some new Oscar predictions this morning, so let's see if any Academy members read this blog. The ballots were officially mailed this morning, and they are due back on January 13th. This is a good breakdown of what happens next. As you can see, it requires very little to score an Oscar nomination. In most cases, fewer than 100 people need to think you're deserving to get in there. (Best Picture requires a bit more support, of course.)

This is why there is always some surprise that pops up. Last year, Javier Bardem was probably the only one who got in there as a surprise (even though some people were predicting him). This year it seems is all surprises. Will Melissa McCarthy make it in there? Will Ryan Gosling be redeemed for his snub last year? What about Armie Hammer? Be patient people. Soon. SOON!

Oscar Predictions - 12/27/11

2011-12-27T08:23:00.003-05:00

I have been busy trying to see all of the Oscar contenders this year still, but I wanted to give a post-SAG, post-Critics Choice, post-Golden Globe nomination prediction list. This year's Oscar race is fairly unpredictable at this point (though, I'm sure that will change soon enough). There isn't a real frontrunner in most of the races. I have some guesses, of course. Last year I knew that Colin Firth and Natalie Portman were going to win in the early fall. I guess it's more exciting this time around. I guess. Okay, so here are my ranked lists:

Best Picture:
1) The Artist (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
2) The Descendants (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
3) The Help (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
4) Midnight in Paris (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
5) Hugo (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination)
6) Moneyball (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination)
7) War Horse (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination)
8) Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (BFCA nomination)
9) The Tree of Life (BFCA nomination)
10) The Ides of March (Golden Globe nomination)

Best Director:
1) The Artist, Michael Hazanavicius (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination)
2) The Descendants, Alexander Payne (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination)
3) Hugo, Martin Scorsese (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination)
4) War Horse, Steven Spielberg (BFCA nomination)
5) Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Steven Daldry (BFCA nomination)
---
6) Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen (Golden Globe nomination)
7) The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick
8) The Ides of March, George Clooney (Golden Globe nomination)
9) Drive, Nicolas Winding Refn (BFCA nomination)
10) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, David Fincher

Best Actor:
1) Brad Pitt, Moneyball (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
2) George Clooney, The Descendants (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
3) Jean Dujardin, The Artist (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
4) Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
5) Ryan Gosling, Drive (BFCA nomination)
---
6) Michael Fassbender, Shame (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination)
7) Ryan Gosling, The Ides of March (Golden Globe nomination)
8) Demian Birchir, A Better Life (SAG nomination)
9) Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
10) Woody Harrelson, Rampart

Best Actress:
1) Viola Davis, The Help (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
2) Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
3) Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
4) Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination)
5) Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
---
6) Charlize Theron, Young Adult (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination)
7) Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Golden Globe nomination)
8)Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene (BFCA nomination)
9) Kirsten Dunst, Melancholia
10) Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids (Golden Globe nomination)

Best Supporting Actor:
1) Christopher Plummer, Beginners (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
2) Kenneth Branagh, My Week with Marilyn (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
3) Albert Brooks, Drive (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination)
4) Nick Nolte, Warrior (SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
5) Jonah Hill, Moneyball (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination)
---
6) Armie Hammer, J. Edgar (SAG nomination)
7) Patton Oswalt, Young Adult (BFCA nomination)
8) Ben Kingsley, Hugo
9) Max Von Sydow, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
10) Andy Serkis, Rise of the Planet of the Apes (BFCA nomination)

Best Supporting Actress:
1) Octavia Spencer, The Help (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
2) Bernice Bejo, The Artist (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
3) Jessica Chastain, The Help (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)
4) Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs (Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination)
5) Shailene Woodley, The Descendants (Golden Globe nomination, BFCA nomination)
---
6) Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids (SAG nomination, BFCA nomination)\
7) Carrie Mulligan, Drive (BFCA nomination)
8) Vanessa Redgrave, Coriolanus
9) Sandra Bullock, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
10) Judy Greer, The Descendants

Previous Predictions - 11/24/11

Golden Globe Nominations!

2011-12-15T08:29:00.005-05:00

Best Picture - Drama:
The Descendants
The Help
Hugo
The Ides of March
Moneyball
War Horse

Best Picture - Comedy:
50/50
The Artist
Bridesmaids
Midnight in Paris
My Week with Marilyn

Best Director:
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
George Clooney, The Ides of March
Michael Hazanacius, TheArtist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo

Best Actor - Drama:
George Clooney, The Descendants
Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
Michael Fassbender, Shame
Ryan Gosling - The Ides of March
Brad Pitt, Moneball

Best Actress - Drama:
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin

Best Actor - Comedy;
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Brendan Gleeson, The Guard
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50
Ryan Gosling, Crazy Stupid Love
Owen Wilson, Midnight in Paris

Best Actress - Comedy:
Jodie Foster, Carnage
Charlize Theron, Young Adult
Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
Kate Winslet, Carnage

Best Supporting Actor:
Kenneth Branagh, My Week with Marilyn
Albert Brooks, Drive
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Viggo Mortensen, A Dangerous Method
Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Best Supporting Actress:
Bernice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

Best Screenplay:
The Artists
The Descendants
Ides of March
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball

Best Score:
The Artist
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
War Horse
W.E.

Best Animated Feature:
The Adventures of Tin Tin
Arthur Christmas
Cars 2
Puss in Boots
Rango

National Board of Review Picks Hugo

2011-12-01T15:21:00.004-05:00

Best Picture: Hugo
est Director: Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Best Actor: George Clooney, The Descendants
Best Actress: Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Best Supporting Actress: Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
Best Original Screenplay: 50/50
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Descendants
Best Animated Feature: Rango
Best Ensemble: The Help
Best Foreign Language Film: A Separation
Best Documentary: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory

Top 10 Movies of the Year:
The Artist
The Descendants
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
The Ides of March
J. Edgar
Tree of Life
War Horse

Top 10 Independent Films:
50/50
Another Earth
Beginners
A Better Life
Cedar Rapids
Margin Call
Shame
Take Shelter
We Need To Talk About Kevin
Win Win

NYFCC Awards!!

2011-11-29T11:48:00.005-05:00

The 2011 Oscar race is up in running, folks!

Best Picture: The Artist
Best Director: Michael Harzanavicius, The Artist
Best Actress: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Best Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain, Tree of Life, The Help, and Take Shelter
Best Supporting Actor: Albert Brooks, Drive
Best Actor: Brad Pitt, Moneyball and Tree of Life
Best Screenplay: Moneyball
Best Foreign Language Film: A Separation, (Iran)
Best Nonfiction Film: Cave of Forgotten Dreams
Best First Feature: Margin Call
Best Cinematography: Tree of Life

Baby, It's Cold Outside

2011-11-24T10:31:00.004-05:00

If they got rid of Casey, this would be the greatest video ever. Hailey makes the most amazing faces when she sings.

Oscars 2011

2011-11-24T09:57:00.002-05:00

Now that I'm getting this site updated again, and since the Oscar season starts...next week, it seems like I should post my initial predictions. I know that the literal fives of people who read this are clamoring to know my thoughts. CLAMORING! I couldn't possibly disappoint. More commentary will come next week, but here's what I'm thinking so far:

Best Picture
(This is my list if there are ten choices. This year there could, and probably will be fewer.)
The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Help
The Ides of March
J. Edgar
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
War Horse

Best Director
The Artist, Michel Harzanavicius
The Descendants, Alexander Payne
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Stephen Daldry
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, David Fincher
War Horse, Steven Spielberg

Best Actress
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Meryl Streep, Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn

Best Actor
George Clooney, The Descendants
Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
Jean Dujarin, The Artist
Woody Harrelson, Rampart
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Best Supporting Actress
Jessica Chastain, Tree of Life
Vanessa Redgrave, Coriolanus
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

Best Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh, My Week with Marilyn
Jim Broadbent, Iron Lady
Albert Brooks, Drive
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T09:52:00.001-05:00

Mary Grace's Exit Interview

2011-11-24T09:35:00.002-05:00

Mary Grace's much awaited exit interview is finally here, Tomketeers. She was Tomketeer of the Month so many months ago, and we have had such a gap in the honories (look, the Tom-Team met and could not come to any consensus). But look for an announcement very soon. In the meantime, enjoy Mary Grace's reflections on her time as a ToM.

T: How did you react when you were named "Tomketeer of the Month"?

MG: After scouring the photos to make sure I didn’t look anything like a recent Newsweek cover, I excitedly forwarded Tom’s press release to my mother, who, acting with what I can only assume to be the utmost pride and exaltation, replied, “What is all of this?”

T: In what ways has your life changed over the past month?

MG: The most obvious and defining change is that I wear my pale green dress more often than I did before this award. More subtly, I often find myself wondering which Miley Cirus songs might mash most aptly with whatever song may be playing.

T: Obviously this year's Garden Party was life changing for you. When can we expect more music from you? When will your next single drop?

MG: In my dreamy vision of this fall, I picture myself recording a couple songs. But I usually chicken out. In fact, I’m getting nervous just thinking about it. Maybe I should wait until Spring? Spring 2013?

T: Who are you musical inspirations? Who do you hope to work with now that you've been given this national platform?

MG: It’s likely no surprise that the first music to truly ignite my passion for covers are classics of the 90’s like “Under the Sea” and “Be our Guest.” These are compositions that spoke to me when I was seven and are a considerable factor in my growing to become a hair-teasing, dress-wearing, overly-dramatic ninnypants. So naturally, I’d love to collaborate with any Disney princess or animated secondary character. Also I’d love to work with any of the edgier Muppets, Animal and the Swedish Chef come to mind.

T: Now that it's over, what's next for you? What can we expect from Mary Grace?

MG: I’m traveling to Toronto, Canada soon and I fully intend to bring back Canadian Oreos.

T: Do you have any advice for the next honoree?

MG: Gosh, hard to sum up all of the insightful lessons I’ve learned as a Tomketeer of the Month. I think the main thing is that they should never pet a burning dog.

T: Is there anything else you wanted to add that I haven't asked you?

MG: Yes, I’d like you to know that I just re-read all of my answers and it made me nervous.

Hello? Is It Me You're Looking For?

2011-11-03T10:41:00.002-04:00

Whoa! What happened to the Tom-Spot? What about Tomketeers of the Month? Where has the Tom Team been this whole time? Why haven't we seen poorly lit photos of your friends doing mundane things?

Hold on to your butts, because all questions will be answered and...UPDATES. ARE. COMING. SOON.

This is sort of awesome

2011-08-07T11:12:00.001-04:00

Tomketeer of the Month: Mary Grace

2011-06-01T12:53:00.001-04:00

Sometimes the choice for Tomketeer of the Month is so obvious that it's as if it doesn't even have to be announced. With one simple, yet unexpected mash-up of "Proud to be an American" and "Party in the USA" at this year's Garden Party, Mary Grace sang her way right into this year's award for TOM. Please join me in congratulating her. (And be sure to book her early for all of your engagements! You won't regret it.)

Justin's Exit Interview

2011-05-31T12:38:00.000-04:00

Justin was honored at this year's Garden Party and he gave a moving speech. Luckily we were able to catch him at the tail end of his tenure as Tomketeer of the Month to chat about the month.

T: How did you react when you were named TOM?

J: I was very surprised and delighted to find a Garden Party invitation with my very own name printed on it in a fancy font for the world to see. Duchess of Cambridge, eat your heart out!

T: In what ways has your life changed over the past month?

J: The insignificant things, like getting a PhD and getting a good job, were definitely eclipsed by the stunning change I saw before me in the mirror each morning. I had the glow...nay...the joie de vivre of a Tomketeer.

T: You gave a very interesting speech at this year's garden party. Do you think you can maybe elaborate on your inspirations? Your hopes? Your dreams?

J: I wish I could take credit for the stirring words, but they came from Serene Branson. As far as my dreams? I just want to keep riding my melt. It's been a crazy year and I'm hunkering down for the level of fame and recognition that comes once you've had the honor to be named TOM. I also dream of one day trying a DC public pool. Big honor. Big dreams.

T: As the third doctor to become TOM (including the current TOY), do you think in a recession economy, in your opinion, do it's necessary to have a higher degree to be named TOM?

J: A lot of people make a face when I tell them I've spent 6 years on a humanities PhD. There's been a staggering lack of tenure track jobs, not many people value PhDs outside the academy, no one even knows what American Studies is, etc. But I've known since day one that all this hard work would pay off. And look! Is Sir Edmund Hilary a TOM? Albert Schweitzer? I thought not.

T: Now that it's over, what's next for you? What can we expect from Justin?

J: You can expect a lot of things from me. You can except me to make an exercise plan I can't stick to. You can expect me to read half a book and talk about it like I've read the whole thing. You can expect me to use too much grated cheese. Finally, you can expect me to keep convincing you that I have devised a grand plan to stop any of the aforementioned things.

T: Do you have any advice for next month's honoree?

J: Stay off uppers. You think it's going to give you that little extra push for jetting to various TOM events, but it's really not worth it. If you do start doing meth, please call it "tina" because that's my favorite weirdo slang for a drug.

T: Is there anything else you wanted to add before we go?

J: 2.5 and 6.7. It's 9.2.

Idol Worship 10: Postscript

2011-05-28T17:22:00.002-04:00

A few days behind, but still worth noting that this was the best part of the Idol finale.

My Favorite Picture

2011-05-28T17:19:00.000-04:00

My 2nd Favorite Picture

2011-05-28T17:18:00.002-04:00

Idol Worship 10: Week 11

2011-05-12T15:05:00.000-04:00

I think Haley is going home tonight, but I will say that I'm not happy about it. She's definitely not the best of the bunch, and everyone is surprised she has made it so far. But she doesn't deserve all of the criticism, when James basically comes out and sings predictable songs, sometimes not very well, with fire on the stage every week, and they basically ^%$&^*&%$#@@(&^% him every week in the %$%^$&%$#(*@. That's right. I said it.

Idol Worship 10: Week 10

2011-05-04T21:30:00.001-04:00

Okay, I'm back this week.

James (Song 1): They're going to praise him, but he sounds so bad. Okay, yup, they're telling him how great he is. And he should never wear sleeveless shirts. What are the judges hearing that I'm not?

Jacob (Song 1): Really? "No Air"? He just shouted that whole song. But I'm sure the judges will say it was amazing. They're actually being critical? Crazy, but reasonable.

Lauren (Song 1): It feels like this is the kind of music she should have been doing all season. She was the most enthusiastic she's been all season, but there's still somethin about her that gets lost on stage. She should have been the one to beat this season. I've been sort of disappointed. (But I still think she has it in her.)

Scotty (Song 1): I know the microphone is a big joke, but it's weird. Quit it Scotty. But he was truly amazing tonight. He's Country Strong. He needs to win this thing. Best of the season maybe.

Haley (Song 1): I don't know why Haley was put on this earth, but I have this feeling that it was to entertain me. I want to hear her sing on a continuous 24-hour loop. And she didn't feel comfortable singing a Lady Gaga song without talking to her on the phone first? And she got to??? WHAT? Sheryl Crow might be right. I think Haley did have a moment tonight. She sounds pretty darn good. Maybe the best she's ever been. And naturally, the judges are going to say bad things about her. Naturally.

James (Song 2): Ugh. Why is James crying in front of Sheryl? And then sitting out by the dumpster? That's all I have to say about him. Actually, it's not. He legit sounds bad tonight. He's pitchy in all kinds of ways. Where's Simon when we need him?

Jacob (Song 2): This performance is ridiculous, but at least he sounds good. He made it his own, so I guess I'll give it a thumbs up, even though he is shouting the whole ending.

Lauren (Song 2): Lauren looks amazing. Is it that they're not lighting her right? Her voice is great, but she just doesn't stand out on the stage. It's sad.

Scotty (Song 2): There will never be an argument about anyone singing Elvis on Idol. Scotty and I have that in common.

Haley (Song 2): I like how Jimmy said if Haley was a teenager in the 60s. That's basically what she is. The a cappella beginning was a very good choice. She moves so weird on strange. So weird. But she really sounds great. This was a good night for Haley.

So who goes home? I think it will be Jacob or Lauren. Though I really think that James was the worst tonight.

Tomketeer of the Month: Justin

2011-05-04T20:33:00.004-04:00

Make no mistake: Tomketeers of the Month are a learned bunch. We've had two lawyers, nine Master's degrees, and two doctors. Wait, let's make that three doctors!

Just with Justin's group of famous friends (see below) should have been enough to be named TOM, but with this crowd it's the terminal degree that really put him over the edge. (If he can only find a way to give birth in the next month, then he'll certainly be a shoe-in for Tomketeer of the Year!)

Please join us in congratulating Justin on this great honor. He deserves it!

Kristin's Exit Interview

2011-04-30T20:43:00.004-04:00

If you thought you couldn't be fabulous and 30, then you never met Kristin. Just look at the way she's smizing in this picture! But all good things must come to an end, and it's time to say goodbye to her stint as Tomketeer of the Month. But of course, we managed to have a sit-down with her before her time was up.

T: Hi, Kristin. Thanks for talking to us. So, do tell. How did it feel when you were named TOM?

K: I was shocked, stunned. And then I jumped out of my chair. It was one of the best birthday wishes I have ever been granted.

T: What has the last month of your life looked like?

K: The requests for interviews like these have been overwhelming and I’ve had my picture taken more times than I can count.

T: There are a lot of people out there who are saying since you've received this honor that you've become like a modern day Kate Middleton? How do you respond to that?

K: I love it. Obviously our similarities are hard to ignore.

T: [Ed. This interview took place before the Royal Wedding, and indeed she did look fabulous sitting in Westminster Abbey.] I won't even ask if you will be attending the royal wedding because I already know the answer, but who are you planning on bringing as your escort?

K: I’m afraid I am keeping that a secret. That and the designer I’ll be wearing. But I can tell you that he starred in an amazing ABC Family drama that recently ended.

T: And, sad as it is thatit's over, what's next for you? What else can we expect from Kristin?

K: I’m off for an extravagant European adventure with Meredith [TOM July 2010] after the wedding. I’ll then be working on my clothing line and possibly a style guide or autobiography.

T: Do you have any advice for next month's honoree?

K: To enjoy every moment of it. It has been spectacular.

T: Well, we don't want to take up any more of your time. We know you have an trans-Atlantic plane to catch, but thank you so much. This month has truly been majestic.

Idol Worship 10: Week 9

2011-04-29T09:05:00.002-04:00

Once again, I didn't really do an update on this week's Idol mostly out of boredom, about a little bit out of laziness, and a lot bit because I've been busy. But I was thinking about Casey this morning and his weird Idol trajectory and I thought it was worth discussing for a second.

I've made no bones about the fact that Casey was one of my least favorite contestants of all time, but in my rankings he never fell below 5th place (and for one week he was in the top spot). Did he deserve to stay longer than, say, Ashton and Karen? Absolutely. Should he have come in 10th place, the first time he was eliminated? Of course not. Should he have been saved? I don't know. Since I'm not a fan, my answer is no, and it's a lot easier to say no in retrospect, since Pia is gone. But he was talented and for some reason people liked him. That's what the save was made for. The judges just didn't count on the fact that they might want to use it again...on someone far more talented.

This sort of gets back to my opening statement: why I'm not paying such close attention to the show anymore. America has gotten it a little wrong in every season, from Tamyra Gray, to Jennifer Hudson, to Chris Daughtry. But this season seems different. It's exhausting to watch the same people get voted through three seasons in a row. David, Kris, and Lee are all basically doing the same thing, and what should be noted is that none has really broken out. The most successful winners of the show have all been the women: Kelly, Carrie, Fantasia, and Jordin. So what do you think of that America?

Anyway, back to Casey. He made me uncomfortable when he was on stage. It always felt like he wasn't taking it totally seriously. It was always like he was trying to play a joke on everyone. I just don't know what the punchline was. But I think he deserved to stay longer than Jacob, for sure, and maybe even James, who is looking more and more likely the winner. (Sorry, Scotty fans, and also fans of their ears and eyes.) Saying goodbye is always weirder the second time around.

Idol Worship 10: Week 8

2011-04-22T08:08:00.001-04:00

So once again I wasn't able to watch Idol in real time and so I started it last night. I watched the eliminated girls kill (and by kill, I mean murder slowly and painfully) Pink's "So What." I watched Scotty give his worst performance yet and still get tongue-kissed by the judges. I saw James give his worst performance ever. I mean, he truly sounded terrible. And the judges basically said it would be the best of the night. And then I was too tired to keep going. I'll watch it this weekend to see what it's all about, but Stefano is who I would have said was going home even without watching it. Obviously Jacob and Haley are the next after that. And then...well, who even cares? I was so excited at the beginning of this season and now it's just so eh. How can the most talented group of contestants produce the most boring episodes of the show. I miss Simon.

The Year 2000

2011-04-22T08:05:00.003-04:00

You probably have to click on this to be able to read it, but this is what Ladies' Home Journal thought of the future in 1900. It's almost all true. Especially the 51st state, Nicaragua. Or should I say, Ni-aragua?

Idol Worship 10: Week 7

2011-04-15T14:22:00.002-04:00

There was no update this week. Sorry about that. I really thought Casey was gone for his weirdo performance this week. (Why they stood up for that, I'll never know.) But Paul went first and didn't sound good, so that's how it goes. In my weekly rankings he's gone between 8th and 6th place, so it's pretty expected.

That's not to say I won't miss the guy. He was one of the most original Idols to take the stage. Fingers crossed that there will be good things for him in the future.

Idol Worship 10: Top 8

2011-04-13T14:03:00.005-04:00

I'm still waiting to hear that last week was a joke. But here are the new rankings based upon who's left in the competition. My faith is shaken, team.

For the record, this is (still) how it's actually done...

2011-04-08T10:43:00.001-04:00

Pia, I hardly knew ya'

2011-04-08T08:52:00.003-04:00

It's all too easy to evoke Jennifer Hudson's name this morning. Of course, last night's elimination of Pia on American Idolwas shocking. But what people tend to forget, after all that's happened in her post-Idol world--an Oscar, a Grammy, two albums, fourteen number ones, and her first leading role in a movie coming up this year--that she wasn't really the frontrunner in Season 3. She wasn't even the second best singer. Pia was the best singer on Idol. Maybe one of the best singers of all time. Her elimination is the worst thing that I have seen on the show in ten years. But let's look back at J. Hud for a second to compare.

Jennifer Hudson is clearly a great singer and she has only gotten better and more comfortable in the seven years that have passed. But when she first graced the Idol stage, she was one of the "quirky" contestants. She had a big voice, but she also wore that weird pink dress that her friend made for her. She didn't even make it through the first round. She was bested by Fantasia (rightfully so) and Diana DeGarmo (not as much), who made it through to the Top 12, and Matthew Metzger, who did not. She sang "Imagine," and I don't even really remember it. (The pink dress was in the Wild Card round.) Who I do remember is Metzger, who was great singing "Walking in Memphis," and Katie Webber who was admittedly too jazzie to ever make it, but still fantastic. All three would make it to the Wild Card in Week 5. Of course, only Hudson made it through.

On Wild Card night, they did something funny and unexpected. They told half the people who had prepared songs that they would not be singing. So Lisa Leuschner, a still much-discussed contestant, had to watch while eight others got the chance. Metzger and Webber sang, but we've never heard from them since. (Sorry--correction, Matthew Metzger was on One Life to Live for two years.) Jon Peter Lewis was selected based on the public vote, which made sense. He sang "A Little Less Conversation" and did some strange dance moves. It was never an option that the pen salesman wouldn't make it. Paula, oddly, chose Leah LaBelle as her choice. She came in 12th place. Simon chose George Huff because he said that the public would like to hear him. Randy picked J. Hud.

But despite being a part of the "Three Divas," as Simon (racistly) coined for her, Fantasia, and LaToya London, she was never a popular contestant. The first week she was in the Bottom 2. Two weeks later she was there again. Elton John night she sang "Circle of Life," and from things Ryan Seacrest said during her eventual elimination show, it is believed that she had the highest number of votes that night. It was one of the best performances in the show's history, but she wasn't connecting with the audience the way that maybe Fantasia and LaToya were, and to a lesser extent Diana DeGarmo and Jasmine Trias were. "Circle of Life" won her a fan in guest judge Quentin Tarantino the following week. (In her package that week, she said her favorite movie is "Sister Act 2," which I've always thought was funny.)

The next week, Barry Manilow week, J. Hud, and her two other divas were in the Bottom 3. It was really the first time in three seasons that America got it really, really wrong. In Season 1, Tamyra shockingly came in 4th Place, but no one ever doubted that Kelly Clarkson would win. In Season 2, it was always a two horse race between Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken. But suddenly all of the frontrunners were at the bottom. Elton John accused the show of being racist, which didn't really make much sense then, and still doesn't. The show is manipulative in a lot of ways, but they simply got the lowest number of votes (as told to us by the show). Jennifer went home, coming in 7th Place, and it seemed like that would be her end, but then Dreamgirls came along, where she allegedly beat Fantasia out for the role of Effie. It was upsetting, but I can't say that I was shocked by it. Surprised, and disappointed, but Fantasia was the main attraction in Season 3. I never thought Jennifer would win.

But back to Pia. She was supposed to win. This week she took a huge step forward. She looked like a star (despite her weird jumpsuit), and she always sang flawlessly. I think this actually will be the last we see of her, unfortunately. Of Jim Verraros, Corey Clark, Camille Velasco, Nikko Smith, Mandisa, Gina Glocksen, Ramiele Maluby, Megan Joy, and Andrew Garcia, who do you even remember? (To be fair Mandisa is a multiple Grammy-nominated gospel singer now, but she's the only one.) 9th Place is not really associated with greatness.

In the past three seasons, essentially the same person has won--a white alternative-ish guy. The girls have been picked off early and often. (Only four girls have even made it to the Top 5 in three seasons.) So the question is: why even watch anymore? It's hard to have faith in America to make the right decision anymore, when the people voting are so out of touch.

Idol Worship 10: Week 6

2011-04-07T12:32:00.003-04:00

So now that we've gotten rid of the riff-raff (sorry, Naima), how do we start to eliminate the contestants. No one stands out. They're all just good. But why are the judges not offering any negative criticism? Randy twice said that he wasn't jumping up and down for performances (Lauren's and Stefano's), but then went on to say that they were good. What is the point of the judges this year?

At any rate, my guess is that the Bottom 3 will be Paul, Jacob, and Stefano. Paul went last, so the odds are that he is sticking around. Jacob went first, which can be the kiss of death. Add that to the fact that he made that weird comment before his song, and I think he'll be out, which makes me happy since he's never been one of my favorites.

Pia, by the way, keeps getting better and better. She is the only one who is starting to look more and more like a star, while people like Scotty, James, and Lauren keep looking less and less.

For what is supposedly the most talented season yet, it's still not totally clicking for me. Come on, kids. Step it up.

Idol Worship 10: The Top 9

2011-04-06T09:08:00.001-04:00

Only 9 remain now, but who will win? It's anybody's guess, but I'm definitely hoping for a girl. A Pia vs. Lauren finale showdown would be ideal for me, but I think Haley has growing support to stick around for a few more weeks. But way to go America for once again voting off the people of color, one-by-one. It seems like this week Stefano and Paul are the most vulnerable, but you never know.

Tomketeer of the Month: Kristin

2011-04-04T14:38:00.001-04:00

Hey! Grab your Blackberries and text all your friends, because guess who's Tomketeer of the Month for April?

No need to be surprised: it's Kristin! She's fabulous in fur. Wonderful in a wig. And just celebrated a birthday (we won't say which one), with a grace and class. And she can smize like her life's about to come to end.

So please join us in congratulating Kristin on this well-deserved honor.

Lee's Exit Interview

2011-04-02T17:49:00.004-04:00

Just as Lee was getting up on that bull, the month is over. She became Tomketeer of the Month for reigning supreme on this year's Oscar Contest, but now it's time to say goodbye. We were lucky enough to grab Lee via satellite over in Singapore--our first truly international TOM!

T: Thank you for joining us today, Lee. Tell us, how did you react when you were named TOM?

L: Just like Reese Witherspoon in that scene in Legally Blonde where she gets the internship... except I have brown hair.

T: How have things changed for you this past month?

L: Let's see...I moved apartments, changed my career plans about 10 times, and discovered I might be allergic to the sand flies of Thailand (greatly lessening the appeal of a future as an itinerant beachcomber). I wish I could say I used my new forum as a power for good in the world, but I'll save that for my future campaign for Tomketeer of the Year!

T: This is only the second time someone has won from achievement (winning the Oscar contest) rather than being simply selected. What does that honor mean to you, to know that you worked hard to get where you are today?

L: I don't know whether to be proud of my accomplishment, or disappointed that I couldn't claw my way to the top based on sheer charisma!

T: And so what's next for Lee now that the month is over?

L: Keep your eyes peeled for my new documentary, "MEEEE!!!!"

T: Is there anything you would like to say to next month's honoree?

L: Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. Also, Plastics.

T: Before we say goodbye, is there anything else you wanted to add that I haven't asked you?

L: Why yes! I am available!

T: There you have it, gentlemen. Hit Lee up!

30 Days of DC: Crabby Patties

2011-04-02T11:30:00.004-04:00

So my first day of 30 Days of DC 2.0 isn't actually in DC. So sue me. But Annapolis is close enough, and what's more of a DC-MD thing than going to get crabs? I'm a vegetarian, so I didn't partake in the crab-eating, but everyone had a lovely time mallot-ing away, and celebrating Tomketeer of the Year Jen's birthday at Cantler's Riverside Inn.

30 Days of DC is Back!

2011-04-01T11:22:00.001-04:00

30 Days of DC, my April adventure through the many attractions of our nation's capital has returned. You can see all of the places I went last year here, or check out this Google Map I figured out how to create, which I will be updating with the new places too. (And like last year, I'm looking for people to share in the adventure, so feel free to let me know how and where you want to join me.) This time I'll be venturing a little outside of DC proper, but it's my adventure, so I'm allowed to make the rules.

View 30 Days of DC in a larger map

Happy Birthday to our Tomketeer of the Year

2011-04-01T08:40:00.000-04:00

Idol Worship 10: Week 5

2011-03-31T18:26:00.000-04:00

I think Thia and Stefano are heading home tonight. (Naima and Paul are my alternates.)

Idol Worship 10: Top 11.2

2011-03-30T13:18:00.003-04:00

Liz & Monty

2011-03-26T06:15:00.000-04:00

I'm a little behind here from being away, but I thought this old picture, unearthed by Life from the archives, is worth sharing. That's what movie stars look like.

Idol Worship 10: Week 4

2011-03-26T05:01:00.002-04:00

I have been out of the country and away from Idol for more than a week now, so my thoughts are coming a bit late, but I promise that I am watching now fresh and without knowledge of who was voted off. Here are my thoughts (jet lagged as they may be, judging by the hour they're being issued):

Casey: Why do people like Casey? He is this year's Taylor Hicks, who I also never got. He sounds terrible this week. It doesn't help either that he's singing a song that Fantasia basically took ownership of on that stage seven years ago. "Crazy out of control ego" is exactly right, Steven.

Thia: The judges were right about one thing--she needed to do a fast song. She looks so much more comfortable and that she's having fun. I've been sort of perplexed by her all season because I think she has one of the best voices, but she's been so close to the bottom. This is definitely her best of the four weeks, but I don't think she has a chance to win.

Jacob: He should be the best this week, or am I just being racist? He doesn't sounds great tonight though. The backup singers are really picking up the slack. Really, Steven? That's worth a hug?

Lauren: Lauren sounds great and she has so much personality, but you can totally tell that she has NEVER heard this song in her life. She still reminds me of Kelly Clarkson, but I don't know if that's a good thing or not yet.

Stefano: Really, Stefano? You've never heard "Hello"? What about when David Cook sang it three years ago? Where do they find these people? He sang it really well, but he didn't bring anything new to it. J. Lo is right. These kids aren't connecting with the songs totally.

Haley: I like that she's been listening to Motown since she was a "youngin." She always sounds great, but she's taking a page from the Kristy Lee Cook book and wearing short shorts to get votes. Power to her, I guess. I think maybe she shouldn't be in the Bottom 3 this week. There. I said it. That doesn't mean she won't be though.

Scotty: Wow. He can throw a basketball far. Vote for him, America. He always sounds good, but if Simon were here, he would say that it sounds very theme park-y. Can't you just picture him in some sort of country review at a cheesy Texas amusement park? It's too sleepy or something.

(Geez, how many people are left? I'm bored with this.)

Pia: Okay, Pia. You can sing. Now show us what else you can do. Talk about someone who needs to do an uptempo number. She started a little shaky here tonight, but she hit all the big notes that mattered.

Paul: Okay, so this is what we've needed in this whole episode. This is what they've been saying all night, and what Scotty didn't totally do. Paul may not sound the best, but he made this song totally him. Also, I think he needs that guitar every week. When he's not doing those stupid dance moves, I believe he's for real. That was good.

Naima: Oh, please be good, Naima. Oh, and thank you so much for talking about it as a civil rights anthem. Maybe Naima is smarter than I thought. She sounds okay, but she's not one of the best, sadly. Maybe singing late in the show will save her though. I sort of like the dancing, but this isn't America's Got Talent, (or even Paula's dance show), it's a singing competition.

James: I'd like to make a new rule for the Idol stage. No one is allowed to say "come on" in the middle of a song. He does sound great tonight, but even though he's running all over the stage, it's like it's missing some energy or something. I don't what it is. James will never be my favorite and I don't think he can win.

Okay, so who's Bottom 3 this week? I'm going to say Thia, Haley, and Naima, I guess. I don't know. I have this hunch that Casey's going to be in the Bottom 3, but it seems foolish to predict that. I would say that Haley's going home, but I think it will be a surprise. I think I'm way off this week.

Idol Worship 10: Top 11

2011-03-26T05:00:00.005-04:00

(See my next post: this is pre-this-week rankings.)

Idol Worship 10: Week 3

2011-03-17T08:03:00.003-04:00

Last night was lackluster. I would say that everyone was a disappointment except for Pia, Scotty, and Stefano? Lauren was better than last week, but that's not saying much.

My guess for the bottom three is Karen, Haley, and Naima. (I would say Thia is a possibility too, but I don't see that happening quite yet.) I bet Karen is out.

Idol Worship 10: The Top 12

2011-03-16T12:03:00.004-04:00

Last week we said goodbye to Ashton, pretty rightfully so, and so we're down to the Top 12. Here are my rankings based on one week on the big stage. I hate Casey, but I can't deny that he some sort of momentum right now. Let's hope it dies down. Lauren wasn't so hot last week, but she will rise again. Agree? disagree?

(Note: I will be away next week, so my regular rankings will be interrupted for one week.)

Idol Worship 10: Week 2

2011-03-10T22:45:00.002-05:00

Okay, so it's Thursday at 10:45. The first finalist has already gone home. BUT! I haven't watched yet. (Stupid school!) I swear I do not know who has gone home when I make my choices. Here's how I feel about everyone's performances this week:

Lauren: She sounded great, but she got a little lost on stage. If she really wants to be that country diva, then she does, thank you J. Lo, have to kick it into high gear. It's weird that the producers put her first. She better not go home off of that one.

Casey: I don't like him before he's even about to sing. He definitely has one of the best voices in the competition. But he's a little shaky tonight and I still feel like he's putting us on. He seems so disingenuous. He might be the '011 Gokey as far as I'm concerned. Oh, he just screamed and proved it.

Ashton: It feels like she's doing a bad impression of Beyonce playing Diana Ross in Dreamgirls, all the way down to the costume. I like the idea of Ashton (and clearly so does Ashton), but she's just not singing well enough in real life. ('011 Lil Rounds?) She might be in some trouble.

Paul: Big Ups to Paul for singing a Ryan Adams song. That's the kind of thing we need on this show. But he's such an oddball when he gets on stage. And he sounded bad this week. J. Lo doesn't know Ryan Adams???? Or one of his best songs? What's her story? He's married to Mandy Moore, for goodness sake.

Pia: Uh, oh. Pia doesn't sound rehearsed and fake at all when she's chatting with Ryan? But boy, can that girl sing. She might be the first person on the Idol stage (besides the one and only herself) to really do Celine justice. She just didn't bring anything new to it. That's my only problem with her.

James: Maybe he's growing on me a little. He seems nicer than I thought. The "FREAK" t-shirt needs to go though. He still sounds too much like Adam Lambert for me. If I closed my eyes, I really wouldn't know the difference. And they both wear stupid scarves.

Haley: So Haley's going country, huh? She's not bad. She's just not a star. There's no chance she will win this competition.

Jacob: R. Kelly is anyone's idol? Seriously? Anyway, he's big, but is he good? That I don't know. Bringing out a "gospel choir" is always a nice trick. But he's just so shrieky. I don't like him.

Thia: Ooh. She's a little all over the place with this one, but I still like her and hope she does well. ('011 Jasmine Trias?)

Stefano: Kind of a rough start. To be fair, it's a rough middle too. I want to say that he deserves to be here, after getting in on the wild card, but the arrangement of this song is weird. It's manic. He finished off better vocally, I guess. He could be in some trouble too this week. Are the judges hearing the same things I'm hearing? This is the first time I've really missed Simon. We need to get real.

Karen: I like her personality. I really do. Selena is her idol. I believe that in a way that I don't from the others. But an awkward choice with Jenny from the Block sitting there, huh? I think she can do better than this, but I hope she'll be here next week.

Scotty: When Scotty says he wants to stay "true to me," I actually believe him. He seems smart actually. He let them give him a makeover though huh? He got himself a fancy haircut. He's getting swallowed a little by the stage tonight, but he does have a great voice. If he wins, I'll kill myself, but he should be fine this week.

Naima: Good for her, for thinking about making her own. Reggae interlude? Who saw that coming? I like her. She feels like she has it. The song is just not really a singing song, which is why she had to add the dancing and the theatrics. But it actually worked for me.

Man, this season is hard. They are all really good. It will be heartbreaking every week. I think the bottom 3 will be Paul, Ashton, and Karen....and...Ashton's going home.

Who wants to go to prom with me?

2011-03-08T12:41:00.002-05:00

You can't ever say I don't look good in blue.

Top 40, Sweet Cheeks

2011-03-07T21:17:00.001-05:00

(Watch until the end. You won't be disappointed.)

Idol Worship 10: Top 13

2011-03-07T21:02:00.007-05:00

The Top 13 is a talented bunch, but you made some weird choices America. (Karen and Haley over Lauren T.?) Each week I will rank them. Here's how I think the Top 13 fares right now without seeing them themed up this week.

Tomketeer of the Month: Lee

2011-03-05T18:07:00.005-05:00

This month our Tomketeer of the Month is no surprise as Lee was our big Oscar Contest winner, but she still deserves her due. Lee is actually the first TOM to win while living on foreign soil. (Two others currently live abroad, but they were US residents when they won.)

So here, please enjoy a retrospective of Lee through the years.

Uh..

2011-03-03T09:01:00.001-05:00

Apparently the censors thought we couldn't handle seeing this at the Oscars, but thankfully someone caught a picture of it.

Idol Worship 10: Week 1.2

2011-03-02T23:09:00.003-05:00

It's the girls' turn. Let's hope they do better than the boys did last week. I need a girl to win. Too many white boys in a row have won.

Ta-Tynisa - I like her, but boy did she not hit very many of the right notes. She has the personality to be the next American Idol, so I hope she makes it through.

Naima - I want to watch her lounge act in the 1930s every night. I was worried she was going to do a copycat of Fantasia's version, so I was glad that she didn't. She sounded great, but is this relevant?

Kendra - She mostly sounds fine, but I'm bored. And also grossed out by Steven Tyler oogling her.

Rachel - Anyone who says that she's going to "shake things up" probably isn't. And Rachel did not at all. The arrangement of "Criminal" was weird and she sounded really bad. Really bad. If we could all have her confidence though.

Karen - Really, Karen? Did you think singing Mariah was a good idea? Okay, I like the Spanish part. It's a little sleepy, but the competition really does need some Latin flare (and Jovany is not bringing it).

Lauren T. - She sounds good, but I don't think there's a chance she'll make it through. Wild Card, anyone? She sort of reminds me of Kelly Clarkson, if I can say that.

Ashton - I like her, but I don't know about this tonight. Her voice is great, but she didn't move me.

Julie - Is she getting swallowed up by the stage and the song a little. I think she would make a great pageant queen though. She mostly sounded pretty bad. I hope she doesn't make it just being towards the end of the show.

Haley - There's something about her face that I don't like. Is that terrible to say? She sound great, but it feels like she's on an episode of Glee or something.

Thia - Thia Megia. Thia Megia. I just love to say her name. She has a big voice. I really hope she makes it through.

Lauren A - She's a country singer? I don't think I saw that coming. I think she's the one to beat in the whole competition. Before she became a country star she was who I was rooting for.

Pia - Maybe it's just cold in my apartment, but she gave me goosebumps. She's really good, huh? I wish she sang a more interesting song, but what a voice she has. Lauren has some competition.

I think Lauren A., Pia, Thia, Ta-Tynisha, and Haley make it through. Ashton and Lauren T. for wild card? Idol is back friends. As soon as Steven Tyler said: "After Monday and Tuesday, even the week says WTF," I was re-hooked. Best season ever? I think it might be!

Idol Worship 10: Week 1.1

2011-03-01T22:12:00.007-05:00

American Idol is back and so is Idol Worship for Season 10 with two new judges. We're live and so here are my thoughts on the people.

Clint - I hated him through the auditions and I hated him tonight. The judges are crazy.

Jovany - I want to like him. I really do. But there's something too earnest about him. He has a good voice, but he sounds sort of generic to me. I don't see a star when I hear him. And then the "home boy" bit with Randy at the end made me want to kill myself.

Jordan - He was by far my least favorite person in all of Hollywood week. He loves himself a lot. Too bad he got lost on the big stage, and also too bad this is a singing competition and not a dancing one. Buddy, you say that wasn't you, but guess what: you get one shot to impress us. So do it.

Tim - Again, he's so earnest, but he doesn't sound super-great.

Brett - Is much better than I want him to be. He's ridiculous, but I think the competition sort of needs him. He has personality. I think he's the best of the bunch so far.

James - I'm going to go ahead and judge him before he sings. The bandanas are terrible. And I hated him so much while they were just standing at the front of the show. He's the worst. And the part of Adam Lambert has already been cast. Next.

Robby - He's good. But I'm literally asleezzzzzzz.

Scotty - Whoa. He's really good. But he's no Garrett Hedlund though. Maybe a little bit.

Stefano - I like him. I think he will make it far.

Paul - He literally doesn't know that he's not Mick Jagger. But not in a bad way. He's a weird dude, but I like him.

Jacob - He's like a better version of George Huff, who I loved in Season 3. I'm excited to see what else he's going to do.

Casey - He's good, but it feels like he doesn't totally take it seriously. He sings well, but he seems like a novelty act to me. He's a better version of Chris Sligh, but what does that say exactly?

My prediction is that Jacob, Paul, Stefano, Scotty, and James will make it through to Top 10. My guess is that Clint and Casey are invited back on Thursday for the Wild Card round.

Jess' Exit Interview

2011-03-01T13:39:00.003-05:00

We hope that you've already read our Tomketeer of the Month, Jess' plea for Americorps. As always, we use this space to advocate for any cause the TOM sees fit. But sadly, it's also time to say goodbye to Jess and welcome Lee. But before we do, as always we sat down with her to discuss her month.

T: How did you react when you were named "Tomketeer of the Month"?

J: Much like how a friend called James Franco to tell him that he was an Academy Award nominee when he was up at Yale working on his MFA, I was lying in my bed eating string cheese while watching episodes of Intervention On Demand when my good friend Amy, emailed me to congratulate me for being TOM. I was honored and also thought, "What took so long?"

T: Tell us how your life has changed in the past month?

J: I can't leave my apartment without the paparazzi or my super taking pictures of me. I've been getting free coffee from my local deli and free soup from Hale & Hearty (it might be my buy ten get one free card) because of my fame. I've gotten calls to advise President Obama on happy hour fundraising initiatives, and Mark Whalberg keeps pestering me about playing the 17th sister in The Fighter, Part 2:Beat Up that MTV Girl. I've used my celebrity to remind everyone how I once ran a marathon and how that allows me to be lazy for at least three more years. Mostly though, I've enjoyed my time as TOM as it has kept me smiling.

T: You managed to recruit many people to the Oscar contest this year? Do you think you have recruited lifetime Tomketeers?

J: Like I always say, "Once you go Tomketeer, you can never go back."

T: Now that it's over, what's next for you? What can we expect from Jess?

J: Back to the grind of being a regular New Yorker. My month of fame is over, but it will never be forgotten. But for reals yo, I'm planning on getting back into running, taking a Spanish class and jet setting off to Florida in April. Also, I'll be in DC for the Cherry Blossom 10-miler.

T: What would you want to say to next month's honoree?

J: Do not marry Charlie Sheen! If anything marry Emilo Estevez. Also, don't screw up the National Anthem. Do show a little cleavage. Do write your memoir/self help book (take a hint from D.J. Tanner). Do send out mass emails of YouTube videos entitled "Crazy Kittens." Do wear your Tomketeer crown proud.

T: Thank you, Jess. February might be a short month, but you are long on class.

An Important Message from the Tomketeer of the Month

2011-02-28T23:33:00.000-05:00

A passionate pleas for the AmeriCorps from our Tomketeer of the Month:

Hi friends,

In 2004 I participated in a 10 month long program through AmeriCorps *NCCC, where I served several communities throughout the country. As most of you know, this experience was very meaningful to me and played a huge part in the person I am today.

Funding for *NCCC and other AmeriCorps programs is now in danger of being cut by the government, which would wipe out AmeriCorps completely. I'd love your support in making sure this does not happen. I'm asking you to sign this letter.

A little bit about my experience

I like to say that for my first project I "cut down trees all day long", but really I helped the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation to restore the prairies and savannas of Iowa by removing invasive species while living a simple life with my team members in the Chichaqua Bottoms Longhouse. (Yep, we slept on the floor).

Next I served as a camp counselor (my favorite job) at the Sherman Lake YMCA Outdoor Center, outside of Kalamazoo, teaching honesty, caring, respect and responsibility to 6th graders who came for over night trips.

Over the summer I worked with the Colorado Department of Education to help homeless families by running a school supplies drive, signing families up for government assisted health benefits, serving as a camp counselor (again), and revamping a community center.

For my last project I lived in the land of live music and BBQ--Austin, TX and worked with Habitat For Humanity, to "tear down houses with my bare hands", which is also known as deconstruction. By deconstructing homes/buildings, we were able to save good pieces of wood, windows and doors that were later sold to raise money to build new houses.

Through this program I helped communities, saw parts of the country I never thought I'd see, and made life long friends from all over the country (even Alaska).

So please sign this letter to help support AmeriCorps and for more information click here.

Thanks,
Jess

Oscar Contest Winner!!!

2011-02-28T21:28:00.002-05:00

This year's Oscars may not have provided any real suspense last night, but the our Contest here came right down to the wire. There were three people who scored a total of 18 points, but thanks to our tie-breaker question, we have only one winner. And that winner is.....

LEE!

Lee correctly predicted that The Social Network would win three awards, and thus secured her status as our 8th winner of this contest and as the Tomketeer of the Month for March 2011. Also, she'll get a nifty prize pack if she ever comes back to America!! So join me in congratulating her.

How did everyone else do?

Not too far behind, also with 18 points, we had NawNaw and Kate. Close, but no cigar!

Here's everyone else's scores (out of 21 points):

17 Points:
Julie
Liz R.
Paul J.

16 Points:
Adam
Jarred
Jess
Timberly

15 Points:
Brian B.
Colin
Katie F.

14 Points:
Amelia
Justin
Keri
Seth
Tracy

13 Points:
Meg

12 Points:
Brian C.
Dana
Ladybird

11 Points:
Ben M.
Kirsten
Melanie
Tammy

10 Points:
Becky
Ben K.
Ingrid
Lindsay
Lisa M.
Paul S.
Rebecca

9 Points:
Ann
Cindy
Genevieve
Jenny
Lisa H.
Sandra

8 Points:
Claire
Martina

6 Points:
Josh
Sandy

4 Points:
Beth
Krissy
Liz K.

Last year's winner

2011-02-28T21:19:00.005-05:00

Before we get to this year's Oscar Contest winner, let's look back on last year's winner, Julie. You can see her enjoying her status as Tomketeer of the Month, and her Oscars prize pack. (Ruby the Cat seemed to enjoy them too.)

The theme was "Why Didn't That Movie Win an Oscar" and included pieces inspired by Fantastic Mr. Fox, Up in the Air, and Where the Wild Things Are. What will this year's winner get? And who is this year's winner? The wait is almost over.

The King's Speech Dominates (sort of)

2011-02-28T21:14:00.004-05:00

Well, it's all over, huh? I don't know why everyone is saying the show was so bad last night. I actually thought it was pretty entertaining. James Franco was weird and seemed really nervous, but Anne Hathaway was great. There were no real shocks in any category. This Oscar season was sort of exhausted, so I'm glad it's over. On to next year.

BEST PICTURE
127 Hours
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King’s Speech
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech
Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christian Bale, The Fighter
John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone
Jeremy Renner, The Town
Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech

BEST ACTRESS
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine

BEST ACTOR
Javier Bardem, Biutiful
Jeff Bridges, True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
James Franco, 127 Hours

BEST DIRECTOR
Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
Joel & Ethan Coen, True Grit
David Fincher, The Social Network
Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech
David O. Russell, The Fighter

BEST ANIMATED FILM
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Hors la Loi (Outside the Law) (Algeria)
Incendies (Canada)
In a Better World (Denmark)
Dogtooth (Greece)
Biutiful (Mexico)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg, The Kids Are All Right
Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson, The Fighter
Mike Leigh, Another Year
Christopher Nolan, Inception
David Seidler, The King’s Speech

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Michael Arndt, Toy Story 3
Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy, 127 Hours
Joel & Ethan Coen, True Grit
Debra Granik and Anne Roselini, Winter’s Bone
Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network

BEST ART DIRECTION
Alice in Wonderland
Happy Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1
Inception
The King’s Speech
True Grit

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Black Swan
Inception
The King’s Speech
The Social Network
True Grit

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Alice in Wonderland
I Am Love
The King’s Speech
The Tempest
True Grit

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Gasland
Inside Job
Restrepo
Waste Land

BEST EDITING
127 Hours
Black Swan
The Fighter
The King’s Speech
The Social Network

BEST MAKEUP
Barney’s Version
The Way Back
The Wolfman

BEST SCORE
127 Hours
How to Train Your Dragon
Inception
The King’s Speech
The Social Network

BEST SONG
“Coming Home,” Country Strong
“I See the Light,” Tangled
“If I Rise,” 127 Hours
“We Belong Together,” Toy Story 3

BEST SOUND EDITING
Inception
Toy Story 3
TRON: Legacy
True Grit
Unstoppable

BEST SOUND MIXING
Inception
The King’s Speech
Salt
The Social Network
True Grit

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1
Hereafter
Inception
Iron Man 2

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Killing in the Name
Poster Girl
Strangers No More
Sun Come Up
The Warriors of Qiugang

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
Day & Night
The Gruffalo
Let’s Pollute
The Lost Thing
Madagascar, Carnet de Voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary)

BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT
The Confession
The Crush
God of Love
Na Wewe
Wish 143

Tonight, Tonight!

2011-02-27T08:00:00.003-05:00

Remember, you have 10 more hours to enter the Oscar Contest. Honor. Fabulous prizes!!

Predictions are coming in from around the globe too. You can read last year's Oscar Contest winner, Julie's predictions here.

Dave Karger from EW is the most reliable predictor and he has his up here.

A whole list of expert predictions are here.

And so here are my final-final predictions:

Picture: The King's Speech
Director: David Fincher
Actor: Colin Firth
Actress: Natalie Portman
Supporting Actor: Christian Bale
Supporting Actress: Hailee Steinfeld
Original Screenplay: The King's Speech
Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network
Animated Feature: Toy Story 3
Documentary: Inside Job
Foreign Language Film: Denmark
Art Direction: The King's Speech
Cinematography: True Grit
Costume Design: The King's Speech
Film Editing: The Social Network
Makeup: Wolfman
Song: Toy Story 3
Score: The King's Speech
Sound Mixing: Inception
Sound Editing: Inception
Visual Effects: Inception

But I'm expecting some surprises still, or maybe the only surprise will be no surprises. Either way, I'm excited.

Hey! Remember the 80s?

2011-02-25T20:21:00.004-05:00

To show that nerdiness is not restricted to Julie and her blog, I made a list of my own. I kept seeing lists of the youngest nominees of all time that are making mention of Hailee Steinfeld and her nomination this year for True Grit. It got me thinking about how there probably aren't that many Oscar nominees who were born in the 1980s and 90s. (I'm only counting acting. There might be some in other categories.) Turns out I was correct. There are only 16 actors born in the 80s, and only two of them have managed more than one nomination. There are 5 born in the 90s. Of the 21 listed here only 2 have managed to win: Anna Paquin and Jennifer Hudson.

1980s
Anna Paquin (b. 1982): The Piano*, 1993
Haley Joel Osment (b. 1988): The Sixth Sense, 1999
Catalina Sandino Moreno (b. 1981): Maria Full of Grace, 2004
Natalie Portman (b. 1981): Closer, 2004; Black Swan, 2010
Keira Knightley (b. 1985): Pride and Prejudice, 2005
Jake Gyllenhaal (b. 1980): Brokeback Mountain, 2005
Michelle Williams (b. 1980): Brokeback Mountain, 2005; Blue Valentine, 2010
Ryan Gosling (b. 1980): Half Nelson, 2006
Jennifer Hudson (b. 1981): Dreamgirls*, 2006
Rinko Kikuchi (b. 1981): Babel, 2006
Ellen Page (b. 1987): Juno, 2007
Anne Hathaway (b. 1982): Rachel Getting Married, 2008
Carey Mulligan (b. 1985): An Education, 2009
Gabourey Sidibe (b. 1983): Precious, 2009
Anna Kendrick (b. 1985): Up in the Air, 2009
Jesse Eisenberg (b. 1983): The Social Network, 2010

1990s
Keisha Castle-Hughes (b. 1990): Whale Rider, 2003
Abigail Breslin (b. 1996): Little Miss Sunshine, 2006
Saoirse Ronan (b. 1994): Atonement, 2007
Jennifer Lawrence (b. 1990): Winter's Bone, 2010
Hailee Steinfeld (b. 1996): True Grit, 2010

Grease is the word

2011-02-23T21:57:00.003-05:00

I don't totally know what this is, but I like it. Am I the only one who wants to see a legit Grease remake starring these two?