Oscar Pix

For a long time now, the Oscars haven't been about the glamour, the stars, the host or even the films for me. The Oscars are all about the picks...and getting more of them right than anyone else. Maybe that's just my gambling side talking.

I don't care who's wearing what. I don't care about the dance numbers or Hollywood jokes. I care about the winners and losers.

So, without further adieu, here are my 2013 Oscar picks.

BEST PICTURE

There are WAY too many nominees this year. Let's have the Academy do some work and narrow it down to five, please.

The only two films I didn't see were Amour and Beasts of the Southern Wild. They aren't going to win anyway.

Silver Linings Playbook is the most overrated movie of the year. Good performances, but a horrible final 30 minutes of a movie. I sat through all of Les Miserables where Anne Hathaway shines but the English accented singing in France bored me. Django was a lot of fun, but it's twenty minutes too long and not a Best Pic. Life of Pi was gorgeous to look at and a poignant tale, but not the best movie I saw this year.

That leaves Argo, Lincoln and Zero Dark Thirty. I liked Lincoln. A lot. But it's bloated and feels way to Spielbergy at times. It WANTS to be Best Picture, but it's not.

Argo is a very good movie. Affleck got screwed by not being nominated, and any film that hails Hollywood as a hero should be a Best Picture lock. And this one would be, if Zero Dark Thirty didn't come out in the same year.

Zero Dark Thirty was the best movie I saw in 2012. Great acting and directing, fantastic drama, and it never slows down. The performances across the board were excellent. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Killing Osama gets my vote.

My Pick: Zero Dark Thirty

BEST DIRECTOR

Oscar should be ashamed not nominating Ben Affleck or Kathryn Bigelow. I didn't see Amour or Beasts of the Southern Wild. Silver Linings should not be nominated here either. If Spielberg hadn't already won one, he'd be a lock. But he did, and Life of Pi shows what a visionary director can really do these days. Richard Parker would have gotten a Best Supporting Actor nomination if those previous Oscar winners performances weren't so good.

My Pick: Ang Lee, Life of Pi

BEST ACTOR

He won it when the poster came out. And he deserves it.  He's a "Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher" lock. The rest of the field doesn't matter.

My Pick:  Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln

BEST ACTRESS

Toughest call of the bunch. I've heard that Emmanuelle Riva is fantastic in Amour, but those roles win Supporting Actress statues, not this one. Same goes for Quvenzhane Wallis who is a nice story, but she's not winning. Naomi Watts is incredible in The Impossible, but nobody saw it other than me and my wife.  

That leaves Jennifer Lawrence and Jessica Chastain. Both were excellent in their roles. Jessica will get her Oscar someday. This year, my vote goes to Katniss.

My Pick: Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook 

BEST SUPPPORTING ACTOR

There's only one choice for me here, and it's Christoph Waltz. He owns Django (literally and figuratively). Of all of these accomplished actors who were nominated, his performance was simply the best. 

And I might be in the minority here, but I felt Deniro was average in Silver Linings Playbook. As a dad, he's fine. But as a bookie, come on. Didn't ring true at all. I love Deniro, but not in this movie. 

My Pick: Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Helen Hunt is very good in The Sessions (John Hawkes should have been nominated for Best Actor). Jackie Weaver is barely in Silver Linings overrated. Amy Adams is always good, but never breaks through for some reason. Sally Field's performance in Lincoln reminds me of Deniro's in you-know-what, it's okay but nowhere near where an Oscar winner should be. 

If you never see Les Miserables, you should watch the scene where Anne Hathaway sings "I Dreamed a Dream" in a tight close up. I didn't like the movie, but Princess Mia belting that one out is Oscar worthy. Added bonus - her speech will be fun to watch.

My Pick: Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables

My pick six: Zero Dark Thirty, Ang Lee, Daniel Day-Lewis, Jennifer Lawrence, Christoph Waltz and Anne Hathaway. 

Care to wager?

For What Its Worth

The Hollywood Reporter says it, so it must be true.

Gary Dell'Abate and I are heading to VH1 Classic to host our new show "For What It's Worth".

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/vh1-classic-orders-pop-culture-415225

Our first ep will air on Thursday, February 21 at 10pm. 

More details to follow...

Heading To The Food Factory

I am returning to Destination America (well, at least my voice is).

Food Factory

The Best TV of 2012

2012 is coming to an end, which means it's time for the annual Best TV of the Year lists.

I will begin my list explaining what shows you will find on most other critic's lists, but not mine.

Girls (HBO)

I watched the first three. I don't get the hype. And don't tell me it's because I'm too old and can't appreciate what's going on here. I don't buy that. If you say it's because I have two teenage daughters, that I might buy.

Louie (FX)

I'm starting to come around a bit on Louie. I blew through Season One on Netflix, and liked Travel Day/South, Heckler/Cop Movie, Bully and God a lot. Didn't love the other nine. I will give Season Two a go now.

American Horror Story (FX)

I just haven't watched it. Seems weird for the sake of being weird. I'll get there.

HONORABLE MENTION

The Newsroom (HBO)

Almost cracked my top ten. I love Sorkin, and can ignore his sexism for the most part. Olivia Munn was  a find, and Jeff Daniels performance is Emmy worthy. Don't know what happened to Sam Waterston...hope he's okay.

Life's Too Short (HBO)

Inconsistent, but Warwick Davis makes me laugh, and the scene with Liam Neeson was the funniest thing on television this year.

Veep (HBO)

Julia and crew are close, but not there yet. Can't wait for Season Two.

Modern Family (ABC)

Still makes me laugh, and I always find it touching. It's good, and can be great at times, but needs to get back to its Season One brilliance. I don't like the new Lilly. 

The Good Wife (CBS)

That Kalinda storyline is awful and this show has slipped, but it's still solid television (especially for a network program).

THE TOP ELEVEN

11. Sons of Anarchy (FX)

One day, I will sit down with Kurt Sutter and break down this show. Great plot twists, lots of deaths and action, and plenty of struggle in Charming. Kurt makes you care about a motorcycle club - a lot.  He turned my top ten list into a top eleven.

10.  Dexter (SHOWTIME)

Honestly, I'd never thought this show would ever be in my Top Ten again.  The Lithgow season will never be topped, but they pulled off the Deb/Dex story and made me care about murder in Miami once again. The supporting players were used well this season, and Yvonne Strahovski looks fantastic (in some scenes).

9.  Justified (FX)

Not sure why this show stays under everyone's radar. Olyphant leads the excellent acting ensemble. Goggins is a pleasure to watch. And this edgy drama continues to produce every season.

8.  Homeland (SHOWTIME)

Big drop for last season's Emmy winner. The plots are becoming more 24-like, but the acting of Danes, Lewis and Patinkin keep it in the top ten...for now.

7.  Downton Abbey (PBS)

British drama at its best. I put this on for my wife to watch. She fell asleep, and I got caught up in it. Can't wait for Season Three.

6.  Parks & Recreation (NBC)

The only comedy in my top ten, and the only network show to make it as well. NBC doesn't realize what a gem they have here. Consistently funny. It will get cancelled.

5.  Mad Men (AMC)

Solid season for Don Draper and crew. A little too much Zou Bisou Bisou and not enough Roger Sterling for me. 

4.  The Walking Dead (AMC)

Easily its best season - great character development and zombie kills. Carl gets most improved character of the year award. Andrea gets the reverse.

3.  Boardwalk Empire (HBO)

Really hit its stride at the end of the season. Thank you, Bobby Cannavale. Less and less Margaret means a better and better show. Buscemi is fantastic. And thank you, Terence Winter, for providing ANSWERS. 

2.  Game of Thrones (HBO)

I'm all in on this epic. Season Two took us deeper into King's Landing and beyond the wall. I've read the books so I know what's coming in Season Three. You ain't seen NOTHIN' yet.

1.  Breaking Bad (AMC)

A clinic on TV drama. I know it was only 8 episodes, but every character (especially Mike) was on top of his or her game. I've never watched a show so tensely. Can't wait for Hank to get out of that bathroom.

P.S. If you're looking for Sherlock here, I thought it aired in 2011. Otherwise, it would be in my top three, easily.

Priority Viewing

"How do you watch all that TV?"

I've been asked that question for most of my life, and my answer has always been the same - "Priorities."

SCHOOL DAYS

When I was a little kid, I would transcribe the TV Guide that came to my house each week and align network programming grids. My dad introduced me to the genius of The Honeymooners and SCTV, while my mom preferred The Twilight Zone and Mary Tyler Moore. TV was in my blood. I dreamed about getting one of those giant satellite dishes, but the line needed to be drawn somewhere.

As I grew older, syndication and cable programming created more opportunities to watch, but the major innovation was the VCR.  I could record programs, and made stacks of tapes of my favorite series. This made a huge difference in my viewing habits (and probably the size of my rear end) from all the couch time. 

COLLEGE & MARRIAGE

In college, I joked with my housemates about when our favorite shows started to go downhill, and "jump the shark" was born. There was plenty of time to watch in college, and when I met my soon to be wife, she knew what she was getting into if she stuck with me long term.

As the years passed, technology aided my viewing habits with TiVo and the East and West coast feeds of DirecTV. Now I was able to record twice the programming, or catch an early prime time show at 11 or midnight on the West coast feed.  Working on the Jump The Shark every night alerted me to TV trends and what was worth watching that particular evening.

I didn't miss any family moments or events as my kids grew up. I was there for the birthday parties, saw all the recitals, traveled to Disney, coached teams, you name it...and I was happy to be there for those special times. Watching TV also became part of our family routine, and being able to record stuff allowed for lots of flexibility. 

CURRENT SETUP

These days I have Cablevision and DirecTV on the TV's in my house, all with recordable boxes. My main TV has an external hard drive for additional storage, a must with HD programming.

Sports is really the only thing I watch live anymore. On Sunday nights I record six to eight programs, and then I'll watch them throughout the week.  On Monday to Wednesday, I usually watch and record TV from around 730pm to 10pm. Thursdays and Fridays I can stay up a little later and get some extra viewing in. I catch up on the weekends, and then it all starts over again.

I'm also aided by the networks sending me pilots and other episodes. Plus with On Demand, instant viewing on Netflix, and DVD box sets galore, it's much easier to catch up on practically any show these days. Let's face it, you don't even need a TV to watch with the advances iViewing has made.

HOW IT'S DONE

I've been married for 21 years and my daughters are now in their teens, but I still get my TV in.  I learned to appreciate clever children's programming like Arthur and Yo Gabba Gabba and tolerated torture like Barney when my kids were little.  Now we watch Modern Family together. I watched thirtysomething to appease my girlfriend in college, and now I'm watching Mad Men or The Good Wife with my good wife. 

Another question I used to get asked was "How are you going to make a living sitting around watching all that TV?" Thankfully, I was able to figure that out too.

It's all about priorities.

Spoiler Rules To Live By

On today's GeekTime, we all had a long (and geeky) conversation about spoilers and the rules that should apply. Many listeners thought we were joking around.

I wasn't.

I take my spoilers very seriously. There are two types - spoiling with excitement (SPE) and spoiling with intent (SPI)

When it's SPE, you just can't help yourself. This is forgivable since it's a byproduct of television viewing exuberance.  SPI, however, is just plain obnoxious. The classic "I know something you don't know" maneuver.

I've been guilty of doing both in the past, so I wanted to lay down my spoiler rules to make sure we're all on the same page.

REGULAR EPISODE

Rule - 5 days

Whether it's The Walking Dead or Modern Family, Homeland or Sons of Anarchy, when an episode is over I am ready to talk about it.

However, I respect that most people don't watch TV as often and as frequently as I do. A five-day grace period provides plenty of time for viewers to catch up.

SEASON FINALE

Rule - 48 hours

A poisonous plant. A flash forward. A bullet in the head. Season finales are potential game changers. EVERYONE wants to talk about a season finale as soon as it's over regardless of how good or bad it was.

Two days is enough time for your pals to catch up on the program. This is important TV. Prioritize, people.

SERIES FINALE

Rule - 24 hours

A snow globe. A cut to black. A jail cell.  However a show comes to an end, it's too tempting to hold back any conversation about it. You just can't help yourself. One day gives enough time for anyone to catch up without the episode being spoiled. You're avoiding newspapers and the internet all day anyway. After that...all bets are off.

COMPLETED SERIES

Rule - None

If a series has completed its live episode run, there's no such thing as a spoiler. C'mon, you've had ample time to watch The Wire or Battlestar Galactica. Shame on you for not catching it the first time around.

I'm not saying you should SPI here, but if you do, it's guilt free. It's all in the game.

---------------------

On Jon Hein's TV Show, we really do try hard not to spoil stuff.  In "The Week That Was", we consciously pull clips that don't ruin the end of a given episode. And it's awfully tempting to do so.

But let's face it, JHTV is a weekly show that discusses...TV! If you're listening to the show, and I'm thankful that you do, you might occasionally hear some spoilers from the past week's programming.  But it's all SPE...trust me.

If we all follow these spoiler rules, the world of television will be a better place. 

Now let me tell you how Breaking Bad is going to end.  This Heisenberg guy...

My Emmy Picks

Tonight the world of television celebrates its excellence with a typically average TV program. I have faith in Jimmy Kimmel since he's a TV geek, but I'm always amazed how an awards show that celebrates TV can be so boring.

I will probably be switching over to Ravens/Patriots, so I will log my predictions of what will win, and what should win, tonight's Emmys.

BEST DRAMA
"Boardwalk Empire" (HBO)
"Breaking Bad" (AMC)
"Downton Abbey" (PBS)
"Game of Thrones" (HBO)
"Homeland" (Showtime)
"Mad Men" (AMC)

SHOULD WIN: Breaking Bad 

WILL WIN: Downton Abbey 

All worthy nominees. I honestly wouldn't be upset if there was a six-way tie. My ballot, BASED ON THIS PAST SEASON, would be: 1. Breaking Bad 2. Homeland 3. Game of Thrones 4. Mad Men 5. Downton Abbey 6. Boardwalk Empire

BEST DRAMA ACTOR
Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson in "Boardwalk Empire"
Bryan Cranston as Walter White in "Breaking Bad" 
Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan in "Dexter"
Hugh Bonneville as Robert, Earl of Grantham in "Downton Abbey"
Damian Lewis as Nicholas Brody in "Homeland"
Jon Hamm as Don Draper in "Mad Men"

SHOULD WIN: Bryan Cranston

WILL WIN: Bryan Cranston

Just like the dramas, they're all deserving. But Cranston is simply the best as Walter White. My ballot: 1. Cranston 2. Lewis 3. Hamm 4. Buscemi 5. Hall 6 Bonneville

BEST DRAMA ACTRESS

Glenn Close as Patty Hewes in "Damages" 
Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary Crawley in "Downton Abbey"
Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick in "The Good Wife"
Kathy Bates as Harriet Korn in "Harry's Law"
Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison in "Homeland"
Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson in "Mad Men"

SHOULD WIN: Claire Danes

WILL WIN: Claire Danes

Claire is a lock. My ballot would be: 1. Danes 2. Moss 3. Dockery 4. Close 5. Margulies 6. Bates

BEST DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR

Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman in "Breaking Bad" 
Giancarlo Esposito as Gustavo 'Gus' Fring in "Breaking Bad" 
Brendan Coyle as John Bates in "Downton Abbey"
Jim Carter as Mr. Carson in "Downton Abbey"
Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister in "Game of Thrones"
Jared Harris as Lane Pryce "Mad Men"

SHOULD WIN: Peter Dinklage

WILL WIN: Peter Dinklage

Easily the best category of the night. All fantastic performances, but no one defeats The Imp. My ballot: 1. Dinklage 2. Esposito 3. Paul 4. Harris 5. Coyle 6. Carter

BEST DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Anna Gunn as Skyler White in "Breaking Bad"
Maggie Smith as Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham in "Downton Abbey"
Joanne Froggatt as Anna in "Downton Abbey"
Archie Panjabi as Kalinda Sharma in "The Good Wife"
Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart in "The Good Wife"
Christina Hendricks as Joan Holloway Harris in "Mad Men"

SHOULD WIN: Archie Panjabi

WILL WIN: Maggie Smith

If my vote was based on the current season of Breaking Bad, I'd give it to Anna Gunn. Maggie Smith is the heartfelt, and somewhat deserving choice. Panjabi is masterful as Kalinda. My ballot: 1. Panjabi 2. Smith 3. Gunn 4. Baranski 5. Hendricks 6. Froggatt

BEST COMEDY SERIES

"The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO)
"Girls" (HBO)
"Modern Family" (ABC)
"30 Rock" (NBC)
"Veep" (HBO)

SHOULD WIN: Parks & Recreation

WILL WIN: Modern Family

I don't think anyone on the Emmy voting academy watched a comedy last season. No Parks & Rec? No Louie? 30 ROCK?!!! Terrible job. My ballot: 1. Big Bang 2. Curb 3. Modern Family 4. Veep 5. 30 Rock 6. Girls

BEST COMEDY ACTOR

Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper in "The Big Bang Theory" 
Larry David as Himself in "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
Don Cheadle as Marty Kaan in "House of Lies"
Louis C.K. as Louie in "Louie"
Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy in "30 Rock" 
Jon Cryer as Alan Harper in "Two and a Half Men"

SHOULD WIN: Jim Parsons

WILL WIN: Jim Parsons

I can't choose Larry David or Louis CK for the same reason I'd never vote for Jerry Seinfeld playing Seinfeld. I know they're acting, but it's not as impressive as the others. My ballot: 1. Parsons 2. Baldwin 3. David 4. CK 5. Cheadle 6. Cryer

BEST COMEDY ACTRESS

Lena Dunham as Hannah Horvath in "Girls"
Melissa McCarthy as Molly Flynn in "Mike & Molly"
Zooey Deschanel as Jess Day in "New Girl"
Edie Falco as Jackie Peyton in "Nurse Jackie"
Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope in "Parks and Recreation"
Tina Fey as Liz Lemon in "30 Rock"
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer in "Veep"

SHOULD WIN: Amy Poehler

WILL WIN: Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Did we really need seven nominees? Did someone feel bad leaving Tina Fey off the list? Poehler had the best season of any of these ladies...including Lena Dunham. My ballot: 1. Poehler 2. Louis-Dreyfus 3. Falco 4. Deschanel 5. Dunham 6. McCarthy 7. Fey

BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR

Ed O'Neill as Jay Pritchett in "Modern Family"
Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell Pritchett in "Modern Family"
Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy in "Modern Family"
Eric Stonestreet as Cameron Tucker in "Modern Family" 
Max Greenfield as Schmidt in "New Girl"
Bill Hader as various characters in "Saturday Night Live"

SHOULD WIN: Ed O'Neill

WILL WIN: Eric Stonestreet

Congrats to Bill Hader and Max Greenfield for cracking the code. I thought this was Modern Family's weakest season and now I'm taking Ty Burrell for granted, but Ed O'Neill had the best performance of the bunch. My ballot: 1. O'Neill 2. Burrell 3. Stonestreet 4. Ferguson 5. Hader 6. Greenfield

BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Mayim Bialik as Amy Farrah Fowler in "The Big Bang Theory"
Kathryn Joosten as Karen McCluskey in "Desperate Housewives"
Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy in "Modern Family"
Sofia Vergara as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett in "Modern Family"
Merritt Wever as Zoey Barkow in "Nurse Jackie"
Kristen Wiig as various characters in "Saturday Night Live"

SHOULD WIN: Mayim Bialik

WILL WIN: Sofia Vergara

This is a bizarre category. Half the actresses aren't really supporting, and Kristen Wiig is in a league of her own. I think Mayim shines on a show where it's very easy to get lost. My ballot: 1. Bialik 2. Bowen 3. Wiig 4. Joosten 5. Vergara 6. Wever

BEST MINISERIES OR TV MOVIE

"American Horror Story" (FX)
"Game Change" (HBO)
"Hatfields & McCoys" (History)
"Hemingway & Gellhorn" (HBO)
"Luther" (BBC America)
"Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia" (PBS)

SHOULD WIN: Sherlock

WILL WIN: Hatfields & McCoys

SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: American Horror Story

This category is ridiculous. American Horror Story isn't a drama?!!! I love Luther and Sherlock, but those are series of their own. My ballot: 1. Sherlock 2. Luther 3. Hatfields 4. Game Change 5. Hemingway 6. Horror

I hit most of the major categories here. Good luck to all the nominees, and most of all to Jimmy Kimmel, for trying to make the upcoming three hours breeze by.