Oscar pick-a-palooza year three: What is the Best Picture?

This is the sixth and final entry in a series of of annual Oscar predictions posts featuring myself and my friend Brian Wezowicz of Too Fat 4 Skinny Jeans. 

BRIAN: Leonardo wasn't nominated for Django??? Tragic. I totally agree with your statement about Johnny Depp's work in Black Mass. The Academy has a really bad short term memory, and unfortunately, September is light years away.

It's now time for the big award (unless I forgot another category)... Best Picture. You and I are both on record as not liking the "up to 10" movie rule of this award.

I don't know what the cut off is, but there are a number of movies that could have fit into those final three spots. Creed revitalized the Rocky franchise, while Star Wars was nothing short of breathtaking.

Personally, I would have enjoyed seeing Inside Out crack the top ten. I think it's Pixar's best movie in years, and a stunning piece of film making. I know it's a lock to win the best animated movie, but if there was ever a year in which an animated movie could stand a chance to win Best Picture, I think it's this one. I enjoyed it that much.

Of the seven nominated, I think there's a frontrunner (The Revenant), a close second (Mad Max: Fury Road), and a bunch of others that have a decent chance. Of the three years we've been doing this, I'm the least sure in my pick.

Here are the nominees:

BEST PICTURE
The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Spotlight

Who Will Win: The Revenant. I could see a split director/best picture, where The Revenant wins best picture, and George Miller wins director and vice versa. I think The Revenant has the most momentum going in to the big night. I think it squeaks out a win.

Who Should Win: Mad Max: Fury Road. It's my #3 and your #1 movie of the year, and I could have easily placed it at #1. It took a 30+ year old franchise and made it fresh and exciting. There isn't an uninteresting frame in the entire film. Plus, Hollywood loves big epic spectacles, and this certainly fits the bill.

Dark Horse: The Big Short. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I have a feeling about this movie. It's funny, did well at the box office, and has a ton of stars in it. I can't see it getting shut out. I could also have gone with The Martian, but with Ridley Scott getting shut out in the directing category, I don't like its chances.

So that's it for me. Who takes home your big prize?

In a side note... thanks for doing this again. I really enjoy talking movies, and I love your blog. You have a great way of making your readers feel like they're in the theater with you. I would like to try to do this more often. I loved talking Ghostbusters with you (even though I'm still on the outs with it... Ha!)

ADAM: Dude, this is hard. #That'sWhatSheSaid. This has got to be the most difficult to predict Oscar race I've seen in years. Now that I've caught up and seen all the films nominated, I do think there are a few you can scratch off right off the bat.

I liked Bridge of Spies a lot but it didn't resonate quite enough to topple contenders that feel fresher. I was somewhat underwhelmed by Brooklyn -- it's not a bad movie, but also not a great one. I think Room is too small a film to topple some of these others. That leaves The Revenant, The Martian, Mad Max Fury Road, Spotlight and The Big Short.

I think you can eliminate The Martian next because its director, Ridley Scott, wasn't even nominated. Although in the past that benefitted Argo, I think that was a unique circumstance where Hollywood was devastated for poor multi-millionaire Ben Affleck, and wanted to a do mea culpa.

Even though Scott is a living legend, and The Martian may be his biggest crossover success, I don't sense the same aggrieved feeling for him. Director and Best Picture may still split this year, but I doubt a film will win whose director isn't even in the mix.

Sidebar -- I hate to sound like broken record, but in such a wide field Creed, Straight Outta Compton and The Force Awakens should of and could have taken the spots occupied by Bridge of Spies, Brooklyn and maybe even Room, although that film made my top 10.

So I think this usually competitive Oscar race is actually down to four movies. There's Spotlight, which everyone loves but very few people are going to see, Mad Max which also enjoys universal acclaim but is, at the end of the day, an action film, The Revenant, which is really hot right now but also, technically, the nominee with the weakest reviews and The Big Short, which is sort of in the middle of the pack in terms of being an audience pleaser and a more traditional Oscar-baity movie.

Will win: Spotlight

Actors are the biggest branch of Oscar voters and I don't see them going for Mad Max, which despite its epic performances is viewed more as a technical achievement. And despite how hot The Revenant is, I see rewarding that film with Best Actor instead. Between The Big Short and Spotlight I think it's really close, and the PGA win gives Adam McKay's film more momentum, but I am kind of convinced that the more polished film will win here. Although I could be totally off base.

Should win: Mad Max Fury Road

I've said it before and I'll say it again. My favorite film of the year by a pretty wide margin. I could watch it almost anytime. I am still in awe that they pulled it off and I'm thrilled that it's here. Should it win Best Picture it would go down as the COOLEST winner since perhaps No Country for Old Men or perhaps The Godfather Part II prior to that. But the coolest movies never win. Apocalypse Now lost. Pulp Fiction lost. Star Wars lost. I could on and on.

Dark Horse: The Big Short

I think I opted for Spotlight over this one because I simply thought it was the better film. The Big Short was a little too pleased with its own cleverness at times and I think its overall premise was inherently problematic, whereas Spotlight, in the least showy way possible, presented heroes you could root for without reservations and told a sensitive story with refreshing restraint. But it's not been winning many of the big awards and seems to have already peaked at the box office. If the voters want to go more populist, this seems to be the best choice.

'The Big Short' is the feel-bad feel-good movie of the year

The Big Short reminds me of a great character actor playing against type, and I mean that as a compliment.

Director Adam McKay, whose film this unabashedly is, has made a name for himself by making smart comedies about dumb people.

Now, for the first time, he's making a film where the characters are as clever as he is and it's an entertaining change of pace.

The movie does have one big, glaring flaw however, it's basically asking you to root for a bunch of already wealthy white guys who got richer by predicting the pain of far more disadvantaged people -- but I'll get to that in a minute.

McKay takes great pains to make an accessible movie about the financial meltdown of 2007-2008, and for the most part he succeeds. He's aided by a terrific cast with the best turns coming from a moving Steve Carrell, as an honest and righteous hedge fund manager, and a surprisingly funny Ryan Gosling who shows great comic timing as a Wall Street shark with some scruples. Christian Bale's performance was a little too mannered for me at first, but he grew on me as the movie progressed.

They all play men who saw the housing bubble early and bet against the big banks. It's a remarkable story, told with lots of energy and justified rage by McKay. In the film's most ingenious gimmick, he periodically breaks the fourth wall, either with the Gosling character, or a prominent celebrity making a cameo to break down and explain what exactly all these financial wizards are talking about.

As clever as these bits are, I must admit I still had trouble wrapping my puny brain around some of the ins and outs of the financial schemes at play in this movie. But I was never bored, nor was I so overwhelmed by the narrative that I couldn't enjoy myself.

The problem with The Big Short though is that for all its valiant effort to find heroes worth cheering for, it's an undeniably bleak picture -- as its closing titles confirm, another collapse could very well be coming, and most of the people seeing this film won't be reaping any windfalls.

Steve Carrell in The Big Short

The movie does point out the moral incongruity of betting on people's inability to pay their mortgages, most effectively in a well-played scene featuring Brad Pitt as a former Wall Street big shot who voluntarily backed out of the game.

But the film does feel a little lacking in this regard. It's not as immoral as the predatory lenders it portrays but I do think it's guiltier than a movie that is sometimes vilified -- The Wolf of Wall Street -- of showing the allure of playing the markets, rather than showing its collateral damage.

Still, this is an important film, if not my favorite film I've seen this year. I appreciated the presence of Adepero Oduye, but this is a such a white male-dominated film (Marisa Tomei is largely wasted as Carrell's wife) that it left something of a bad taste in my mouth.

And yet I admire the hell out of a relatively mainstream crowd-pleasing comedy-drama that takes dead aim at our country's most powerful financial institutions and has the audacity to name names. I think McKay wants us to leave the theater a little angry, a little indignant and, by that measure, his film is a rousing, likely hit.

Oscar pick-a-palooza year three: Who is the Best Director?

George Miller on the set of Mad Max: Fury Road

This is the fourth in a series of of annual Oscar predictions posts featuring myself and my friend Brian Wezowicz of Too Fat 4 Skinny Jeans. 

Check out his blog and give it some love and in the meantime, read our take on this year's Academy Award nominees.

BRIAN: Uggghhhhhhh! Ah, yes... the age old problem of racism against whites. See you at the next Donald Trump rally Charlotte. Yikes! I wonder how she'll feel about today's emergency measures taken by the Academy to ensure diversity within the nominees. I don't quite know how to segue from that to our next category, so I'll just go ahead and cut straight to the chase.

I feel like this is a strong group of directors. From the big and bold world of the apocalypse (Miller) to perhaps the most innovative director working today (Iñárritu), to a great director working out of his comfort zone (McKay), I feel like we have a dynamite group of directors. I'm really torn here. I love the fact that George Miller was nominated. Besides Stallone, there isn't a more rewarding "comeback" story in this year's race than George Miller.

I wasn't the biggest Mad Max fan growing up, and so it took me awhile to see Fury Road in the theaters. But my hesitation was completely without merit. Without exaggeration, it may be one of the most beautiful films ever made, certainly one of the most exciting. Throw in the fact that it may be one of the most feminist action movies ever made and you have the perfect recipe for an Oscar winner (plus, it was just so damn fun!). However, I feel like the tide is swelling for The Revenant and it could be in for a big night.

Here are the nominees:

DIRECTING 
Adam McKay - The Big Short
George Miller - Mad Max: Fury Road
Alejandro G. Iñárritu - The Revenant
Lenny Abrahamson - Room
Tom McCarthy - Spotlight

Who Will Win: Iñárritu

I don't think anything is slowing this one down. The only thing that could keep him back is I don't believe there has ever been a back to back directing winner. Hell, you can probably count the number of major category back to back winners on one hand. Was Tom Hanks the last to do it? I know that Christoph Waltz won two Oscars, but his movies weren't released in two straight years.

Who Should Win: George Miller

I honestly can't remember seeing a movie quite like Mad Max: Fury Road. It's the best Max movie by a long shot. The Academy loves big time event movies (Gladiator, Return Of The King, Braveheart, etc.), so I could see them going with Miller here. I may have to go home and watch this movie tonight!

Adam McKay

Dark Horse: I really think that it's either one or the other, but If I had to pick one I would go with Adam McKay. His first dip into drama was a surprising success.

Who you got?

ADAM: Are we going to come back to Best Actor? I think the so-called emergency measures are long overdue. I've always thought it was absurd that you had these ancient Oscar voters who reportedly don't even watch most of the films and who are so disconnected from what's happening in the movies that they aren't familiar with any actor under the age of 40 who isn't named Jennifer Lawrence.

It's sad that it took the embarrassment of #OscarsSoWhite to do something dramatic, but hey it took a massacre in a church to bring down the Confederate flag in South Carolina, so what can you do.

This is a really hard category to predict. I think at least four of the five nominees have a legit chance to win. I agree that George Miller has the best "comeback" narrative. After doing some kids movies, he got back to what he does best -- mind blowing action that is both gorgeous to look at and staged (mostly) for real. Iñárritu is on a real hot streak with The Revenant coming right after his triumph with Birdman. McCarthy made one of the best journalism films of all time with Spotlight and Adam McKay showed he has real range, with his first serious film The Big Short. Room is terrific, but I think Lenny Abrahamson's nomination is his reward here.

I'm still smarting over the the snub of Ryan Coogler for his work on Creed, and quite frankly J.J. Abrams, who did a miraculous job rejuvenating Star Wars, deserved some consideration too, but I digress.

Who will win: This is so hard but I am going to take a risk here and say George Miller.

I think he will benefit from the entirety of the academy voting for this one, and arguably of all the nominees his film is the most distinctly a director's movie. At 70, I think voters understand that he's due and as well-received as The Revenant is I don't see Iñárritu winning Best Director two years in a row. I also feel like McCarthy's film is just too small to win, but I could be wrong.

Who should win: George Miller

This is a no brainer for me because Mad Max: Fury Road was my favorite movie of the year. I thought the film was visionary and original and a win for him would be an acknowledgment of what an ambitious feat he pulled off.

Dark horse: Adam McKay

His film just won the PGA, which I think makes it a dark horse to win Best Picture, and while these two awards sometimes split, they usually don't. The Big Short is enough of a crowd pleaser and not particularly divisive with critics, so it might pull off an upset here.

Oscar pick-a-palooza year three: Who's the Best Supporting Actor?

This is the second in a series of of annual Oscar predictions posts featuring myself and my friend Brian Wezowicz of Too Fat 4 Skinny Jeans. Check out his blog and give it some love and in the meantime, read our take on this years Academy Award nominees.

Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan in Creed

BRIAN: That's insane that Monique hasn't made a movie since Precious! I remember having a brief conversation about that last year and recall her saying that she's basically been blacklisted in Hollywood because she didn't play the game during the lead up to her Oscar victory.

I know that change takes a long time, but this year seems particularly disappointing. With that being said, it's on to our second category.

Last year, you and I were basically in agreement on every category. This year, we're off on the first category. Let's see how we do with Supporting Actor. In a year marred by controversy, there's perhaps no better feel good story than the nomination of Sylvester Stallone. In a year with not a lot of front runners, he seems to be the one gaining the most amount of momentum going into the big show.

 Here are the nominees:

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Christian Bale, The Big Short
Tom Hardy, The Revenant
Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight
Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Sylvester Stallone, Creed

Who will win: Sylvester Stallone.

Nominated for bringing new life into a role he created 40 years ago. Stallone has long been regarded as a muscle action movie actor, but he's shown the acting chops when given the chance. From Cop Land to Rocky Balboa, he's always felt like a wannabe good actor trapped in a chemically enhanced body. I'm going with the sentimental favorite here.

Who should win: Sylvester Stallone.

This year feels like the year of lifetime achievement winners for the men. With Leo hopefully winning his long overdue award and Stallone's win, it feels like a career recognition kind of night.

Dark Horse: Mark Rylance.

Bridge of Spies came and went at the box office with almost no fanfare. I'm not 100% sold on the notoriously snooty Academy giving an award to an action star. It reminds me of Eddie Murphy being denied for Dreamgirls because of his perceived status as a comedy actor. Rylance got some early buzz for his performance as the captured Cold War spy. Plus, Spielberg movies usually take home something.

Who you got?

ADAM: This was definitely the hardest category to predict this year, with a number of terrific performances left on the outside -- chief among them Michael Keaton in Spotlight, Idris Elba in Beasts of No Nation, Bencio Del Toro in Sicario and a personal favorite of mine, Harrison Ford in The Force Awakens. I honestly think it's a travesty he's not here -- I get it, Star Wars is not typical Oscar fare, but the 1977 film was nominated for Best Picture and Alec Guiness was in the Supporting race that year for his iconic first turn as Obi Wan Kenobi. I think Ford may go down as one of the most underrated and under-appreciated actors of his era and that's a real shame.

That said, I am happy with pretty much all of these nominees, save for Christian Bale -- who gave my least favorite performance in The Big Short. His character was more smug than charming and he didn't really land with me until the film's last act. But I feel like he's rapidly filling that Leo DiCaprio bracket -- the respected actor who will be in the running every year and will eventually win because he's "due." On the other hand I was pleasantly surprised to see Tom Hardy here because despite all the raves and attention DiCaprio is getting for The Revenant (and it is well deserved) I think Hardy is the one who makes the movie work. He is a terrific antagonist, and the performance was a wonderful bookend to his brilliant brooding in my favorite movie of the year -- Mad Max: Fury Road.

Michael Keaton and Mark Ruffalo in Spotlight.

And yet, this is all about Sylvester Stallone. Despite his occasional buffoonery and penchant for making inflated vanity projects I have always been a huge fan of his. With all due respect to Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis, he is my favorite of the 80s-early-90s era action stars because I always felt he was the best actor. The Rocky movies will endure as his best work because they were always pretty straight-forward character studies with the ominous 'big fight" tying them together. People maybe thought they were going to an action movie, but it was really a compelling narrative about an uncommonly kind lead character whose defining characteristic was his big heart.

The essence of what made Stallone and those movies great was on complete display in Creed, a tremendous example of how to make a great audience-pleaser. And for me, Stallone gave a really breathtaking performance that I hope he builds on in the future. It's downright shocking to see not just Rocky, but Stallone the actor, look so vulnerable. He moved me to tears in Creed, and it would be incredibly disappointing to see the culmination of his career be overlooked. It's interesting that you mentioned Eddie Murphy -- who of course has plenty of time to resuscitate his career, but after losing for Dreamgirls (which he shouldn't have) he retreated back to the safe mediocre comedies he was making before. Mickey Rourke, one of my favorite actors, has never taken on another awards caliber role after losing in 2009 for his fantastic comeback vehicle The Wrestler.

I would hate to see Stallone -- at 70 -- go back to churning out B-movies after this. I think he can finally start to show some more range and have a fascinating late career trajectory, Either way, no matter what happens, Stallone must be respected now as the great actor he always was, and won't be reduced to being a punchline.

Who will win: Sylvester Stallone

Although there is a long history of soul-crushing surprises in this category (few people predicted Eddie Murphy would lose in 2007, for instance), the stars really seem to have aligned for Stallone. He has the most emotional support behind his performance and since the movie was inexplicably snubbed in so many other categories, this could also be a way of paying tribute to a great hit film.

Who should win: Sylvester Stallone

Again, I really admired all the performances here. Particularly Hardy's. I think Mark Ruffalo is really overdue and he did some terrific work in Spotlight (although my favorite performance in the film was Keaton's), and Bridge of Spies' Mark Rylance gave a very memorable turn albeit in a role that seems tailor-made to win the Oscar. But the performance that I'll never forget is Stallone's in Creed. Again, the word "culmination" keeps coming to mind because we've all grown up with the Rocky Balboa character in its various iterations and it was as if his acting has finally grown up to with this film. Hopefully, he doesn't forget to give Ryan Coogler the credit he deserves this time. 

Dark Horse: Mark Ruffalo

Although Mark Rylance won several precursors, I'm not convinced that his film has stayed as fresh in voters' minds. I think Hardy could benefit if The Revenant just dominates the night. But I think Ruffalo has the strongest "he's due" narrative of the bunch, and although he has dipped a toe into commercial acting with the Avengers films, he's the kind of actor's actor that is made for awards like this. I think if anyone can eek out a victory over Stallone, it's him.

Live from New York! It's my top 10 favorite SNL actors

Phil Hartman

Unless you've been living under a rock, you have heard by now that the iconic comedy series Saturday Night Live is celebrating its 40th anniversary tonight on NBC.

This show has been such a big part of my life since childhood and most of my favorite comedic stars have either written for the show, starred on it or made frequent appearances as hosts. Sure, this is a movie blog -- but SNL's impact on films has been enormous.

Ever since the 1970s, most of the biggest American comedy stars got their start on Saturday Night Live, and the show continues to be relevant to Hollywood.

SNL has essentially become something like training for potential superstardom. Sadly, many comics who are stars on the show don't exactly see their talents transfer effectively onto the big screen.

Others like Eddie Murphy, saw tremendous early success squandered. In fact, arguably only a handful of ex-SNL stars, like say Bill Murray or Tina Fey, have had a relatively seamless post-"Not Ready for Prime-Time" career. Still, this post isn't about who made the most money or the best movies later in their careers. In some cases it's impossible to compare performers, and in other cases (the premature deaths of John Belushi, Chris Farley and Phil Hartman, for instance) tragedy prevented us from seeing the full blossom of some stars' careers.

I am just looking back on a show that had tremendous influence on who I am -- so much of my sense of humor and overall comic attitude has SNL's fingerprints all over it. I am a child of the Dana Carvey-Mike Myers years, but then I later discovered the genius of Eddie Murphy's run and the truly groundbreaking work of the original 1975 to 1980 cast.

It's really incredible what Lorne Michaels made possible 40 years ago, and although, like so many fans of the show, I get frustrated with occasional lulls in terms of quality (which I think with a few exceptions its currently experiencing), I still love it and hope it never goes away.

Chevy Chase and John Belushi

Let's look chronologically at my favorite performers on the show.

Chevy Chase (1975-1976) - The original "Weekend Update" anchor gets a bad rap these days for his off-screen persona and a lackluster last 20 years or so, but he was genuinely great on the show. He was the off-kilter comedy leading man of our dreams and it's easy to see why he was the breakout star of SNL's first season. His film work in the 1980s rivals Eddie Murphy and Bill Murray's in terms of its perfection, and even if he fell off big time, he showed with Community that he still has a little comic spark left. Favorite sketch: The edgy "Word Association" face-off with Richard Pryor.

John Belushi (1975-1979) - One of the greatest physical comedians of his or any era, Belushi was so much more than just the loud maniac he was sometimes typecast as. Recruited by Chase and initially outshined by him, Belushi became one of the most versatile performers in the show's history, equally adept at subtle impressions of William Shatner and Marlon Brando, and wilder routines, like his absurd samurai warrior. Drug abuse claimed his life before he got the chance to make many movies, but at least two of the ones he made: Animal House and The Blues Brothers, are bonafide classics. Favorite sketch: The beautiful Tom Schiller reel, "Don't Look Back in Anger."

Dan Aykroyd (1975-1979) - Eric Idle once said that Aykroyd was the one SNL cast-member who could have been a member of Monty Python, because unlike his alpha male counterparts Chase and Belushi, he could truly disappear into any role he was playing. Aykroyd has a photographic memory, so he was able to deliver elaborate dialogue with ease, which often lent his live performances a kind of madcap intensity. His genius sporadically popped up in the movies, where he almost always played second banana to Chase, Belushi, Eddie Murphy or Bill Murray. Still, he was an invaluable comic weapon opposite those big cheeses, and while he has long ago stopped making major comedies, he is fondly remembered as one of the best SNLers ever. Favorite sketch: Fred Garvin, Male Prostitute.

Bill Murray (1976-1980) - At first Murray struggled on SNL, to emerge from under Chase's shadow and to find his own comic voice, but once he did an unpredictable superstar emerged, and he has never looked back. Murray has enjoyed arguably the most enviable career of any Saturday Night Live star. He played a lovable gallery of goofy hipsters on SNL and quickly became a legit movie star in the years that followed his run on the show, mixing blockbusters with indie roles that showed his range as an actor. Murray was also one of the best cast-members who ever came back to host, showing an easier rapports with later casts than any of his peers. Favorite sketch: His "apology" for not being very good on SNL.

Eddie Murphy (1981-1984) - No actor has probably exploded more out of the gate on SNL than Murphy, who was literally a teenager when he first started appearing on the show. He created an amazing coterie of unforgettable characters that made him the comedian all of America tuned into see. From Buckwheat to Gumby to Velvet Jones (a pimp who sold prostitution as a self help exercise), Murphy's endlessly creative spirit and unique comic voice was a groundbreaking counterpoint to the more cuddly black comics white America was at that point accustomed to. Murphy made many uproarious comedies after he left SNL, but his best performances and most vibrant comedy may have been on this show. Favorite sketch (tie): "Celebrity Hot Tub" and "White Like Me."

Martin Short

Martin Short (1984-1985) - This pint-size comedic dynamo was only on SNL for one season, but what a season it was. Short had boundless energy and creativity, which he brought to all of his characterizations of livewire on stage characters like Ed Grimley and Jackie Rogers, Jr. and indelible taped bits like his incredibly evasive Nathan Thurm and the legendary "Male Synchronized Swimming" sketch opposite Harry Shearer. Besides Three Amigos, and this past year's Inherent Vice, Short has never had many home runs on the big screen, but I will always adore his for his wonderfully strange appearances on SNL. Favorite sketch: Nathan Thurm in a 60 Minutes parody.

Phil Hartman (1986-1994) - One of the most underrated sketch performers of all time, Hartman was the rock of SNL during one of its strongest (and most politically influential) periods. Hartman's impressions were legendary, as were his immersive "straight man" roles. He was also an incredible vocal talent (he was a standout on The Simpsons for years). It's hard to even single out a specific Hartman role or performance because he was such a consummate team player. His life was tragically cut short by a shocking murder, so all we have left are the memories and the laughs. Favorite sketch: Bill Clinton visits a McDonalds.

Will Ferrell (1995-2002) - After one of the weakest periods in the show's history, Will Ferrell arrived like a breath of fresh air. He combined elements of Aykroyd, Belushi and Chase to form the perfect cast member. He could be a brilliant straight man in the "Celebrity Jeopardy" sketches, a top notch imitator as George W. Bush and an off-the-wall physical presence in scenes like the legendary "I gotta have more cowbell" skit. It's easy to see why there was such a gaping hole in the cast when he left, Ferrell just owned the show when he was on it. His movie career so far has been just as great, the first SNL star since Murray to consistently do great work without losing his comedy chops. Favorite sketch: Robert Goulet's "Coconut Bangers' Ball".

Amy Poehler (2001-2008) - During the late '90s, something happened on SNL that hadn't really happened before, the biggest stars on the show (save for Will Ferrell) were its top-notch women performers. And as much I love Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph Cheri Oteri, et. al. -- my favorite female cast-member at that time, or any time, was Amy Poehler. I had already been a fan of hers from her Upright Citizens Brigade show before she joined SNL and when she was on the show she brought a smart and serious commitment to her brand of off-the-wall comedy. She continues to kill it, hosting the Globes, starring on Parks and Recreation. And I just love her to pieces. Favorite sketch: Her "Sarah Palin rap" delivered while very pregnant.

Fred Armisen (2002-2013) - This was a close one as there are many performers from the more recent casts like, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Bobby Moynihan and Taran Killam, who I have a lot of affection for. But I think my favorite modern SNL star may be Fred Armisen. I didn't always appreciate his more low key, hipster style when he was on the show, but now that I've discovered his rhythm on Portlandia, I've come to understand just how great his body of work on SNL was. Armisen always brought a different kind of sensibility to his sketch work and I think he helped the show become more attuned to the ironic style of comedy which is all the rage today. Favorite sketch: Ian Rubbish and the Bizarros, a note perfect parody of the Sex Pistols and Margaret Thatcher.

I don't know about you, but I can't wait to tune into the show tonight at 8, to see my favorites unite!

'The Revenant' and my tentative top 10 2015 movies

Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant

The Revenant is an intense, spare and unflinching vision.

Shot in natural light with several of director Alejandro Inarritu's now signature single takes, the movie has a brutal power and a bravura, physical performance from Leonardo DiCaprio, which may finally earn him a well-deserved Best Actor Oscar.

I'm curious what it's commercial prospects will be. It is grisly and had minimal dialogue, but as of right now, I'd rank it among the best films I've seen this year.

Before I get into my top 10 of the year, I will have to dispense with some pretty obvious caveats. I still have not seen a number of films that very well could or should make my top ten -- including The Big Short, Bridge of Spies and Sicario. So, this is very much a first draft or a first impression as of this moment, as the year comes to a close.

I would say all-in-all this has been a strong year for movies, better than last year, so I have a lot of honorable mentions that I want to give some love to.

This was a banner year from mainstream blockbuster fare. Sure, there was the giant disappointment of Jurassic World, but for the most part, the big budget extravaganzas delivered this year. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation proved there's still plenty of life left in Tom Cruise's spy series. Ant-Man was a welcome return to the more light-hearted tone of the original Iron Man film. And Spy was the rare big action comedy that was satisfying from start to finish.

Horror made a bit of comeback to -- Goodnight, Mommy for example. There was a terrific reboot of the biopic with Steve Jobs. And yes, while Spectre was no Skyfall, it was still a worthy Bond film that ranks among the series better entries.

A few movies just barely missed the cut of my top 10. Grandma, which had one of my favorite performances of the year from Lily Tomlin, Black Mass, which provided Johnny Depp with a great comeback role, and Inside Out, which was yet another conceptually brilliant Pixar movie.

The Hateful Eight is still a film I'm torn about. I just don't know if I'm on board with it, so for right now it's not in my top 10. Here is what is:

10) Listen to Me Marlon - An incredible documentary that will be appreciated by anyone who is a fan of Marlon Brando's but also anyone intrigued by the craft of acting. The film uses never-before-heard private recordings made by the On the Waterfront star to create a compelling portrait of a flawed but unbelievably charismatic man. It didn't get the audience it deserved, but hopefully will be discovered by younger generations, who will learn to appreciate the best actor of his time.

9) Where to Invade Next - Director Michael Moore makes a major comeback with this surprisingly optimistic take on the positive gifts the rest of the world has to offer the U.S. This film is both a stirring indictment of how America has lost its way and a call to arms to its citizenry to correct their course. Moore has made many of the points he's made here before, but this film has a lot more poignancy and laughs than some of his more recent work.

8) The Revenant - It's relentlessly bleak and grimy -- but this revenge thriller is still a gorgeous epic, which ideally should be see on the big screen. Besides being one of the most incredible-looking films of the year, it's also emotionally satisfying because of DiCaprio, who sheds all vanity to portray a literally broken man. Tom Hardy provides great support as the antagonist but the real show stopper here is the -- I presume -- CGI bear which you've likely seen in the trailers. Riveting stuff.

7) The Gift - One of the biggest surprises of the year. This film was advertised as a creepy guy in the house thriller, but it was actually much more complex. Director-star Joel Edgerton made an old fashioned psychological drama, and brought out new, darker shades in Jason Bateman's persona. A truly unpredictable and sophisticated film that will only grow in stature when people discover it on streaming. I'm glad it found an audience through word of mouth.

6) Spotlight - A classy prestige picture with a flawless cast, and a unforgettable story. The film dramatizes the efforts of a Boston Globe investigative reporting unit which uncovered the widespread child abuse cover-ups of the Catholic Church. Sober and realistic, this film is a refreshing departure from the usual over-the-top Oscar fare. Mark Ruffalo and Michael Keaton are the standouts in a movie driven by performances and a script that is literate and sensitive.

5) Room - One of the most emotionally effective movies of the year, featuring my pick for Best Actress, Brie Larson, in the lead role. She performs opposite the young Jacob Tremblay, who is just as extraordinary, as a mother and son held captive.

The film, which is based on a best-selling novel of the same name, does a moving job of creating a whole world in which these two people are forced to inhabit and then fleshing out the consequences of that world as the story progresses. A very original and illuminating movie experience.

4) It Follows - This evocative, cool horror film really haunted me and I keep returning to it whenever I think about my favorite movies of the year. It's premise was so simple I was surprising no one had ever thought of it before -- and unlike so many films in the genre, this one sustained its tension throughout and never caved in to cliches. It Follows is both scary and exciting. Like many of the films on this list, it creates its own world that you get absorbed in and it has real characters and acting. What a novel idea!

3) Creed - As a lifelong Rocky fan, I was rooting for this movie to be good, but I never in a million years expected it to be a masterpiece. Michael B. Jordan gets the star role he's long deserved and knocks it out of the park. And Sylvester Stallone does the best work of his career in an Oscar-worthy performance as his best character -- Rocky Balboa. The real champ here though is Ryan Coogler, who staked his reputation of rebooting this series with an edgy story and new concepts (single take fight scenes, yes!), and yet didn't disregard what we loved about the originals. A rousing success.

2) The Force Awakens - There's little daylight between #1 and #2 for me. This is the first legitimate Star Wars film in over thirty years. It's relentlessly entertaining, funny and heartwarming. J.J. Abrams did something almost impossible here by making the most hyped movie ever be satisfying to nearly everyone. Harrison Ford turns on the charm and brings back all our fond memories of the original trilogy, while John Boyega, Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver get us psyched for the Star Wars to come. A nearly perfect mainstream sci-fi adventure, that deserves all the success it's getting.

1) Mad Max: Fury Road - Although this film came out several months ago and is essentially just a chase movie at the end of the day, it was an original, beautiful and wildly inventive tour de force, one of the greatest action films I have ever seen and a tribute to cinema at its finest. This is, after all, a visual medium and director George Miller leaves nothing on the field here. From the very first frame our attention is captured and what follows -- unbelievable stunts and gritty, minimalistic acting -- hasn't been topped for me, yet.

Oscars pick-a-palooza year three: Who's the Best Supporting Actress?

This is the first in a series of of annual Oscar predictions posts featuring myself and my friend Brian Wezowicz of Too Fat 4 Skinny Jeans. Check out his blog and give it some love and in the meantime, read our take on this years Academy Award nominees.

BRIAN: Welcome back! I can't believe we're here again. It seems like just yesterday that we were giving our picks for last year's Academy Awards. It's time once again for the greatest column in blog history... our 3rd Annual Oscar Pick-A-Palooza!

Kate Winslet in Steve Jobs

I really enjoy your incredible blog. With my movie going activity limited with two kids, your reviews make me feel like I'm actually there. Please keep it coming.

2015 was a great year for movies, but unfortunately, #OscarsSoWhite 2.0, is in full effect. I won't go into great lengths here about the absolute white washing that happened in the acting categories, but with celebs like Spike Lee, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Michael Moore already boycotting the Oscars, the Academy has a big problem on its hands that is not going away.

Sadly, we won't get to discuss the Oscars that should be. We'll focus on the Oscar nominations that we have. That's not to diminish any of the accomplishments of the people nominated, but there does seem to be a giant elephant (not) in the room this year.

Again, we'll go through major acting categories, plus director and best picture. We'll give our picks for who will win, who should win, and possible dark horses.

2015 seemed like the return of the high-quality blockbuster. From the beauty of Mad Max: Fury Road, to the epic return of the Star Wars franchise, 2015 was a great year for blockbusters. Creed showed that there's still a lot of life left in the Rocky franchise, and the box office tally of the (wildly disappointing) Jurassic World proved that audiences still enjoy a dino-sized scare.

2015 was also a great year for so-called "award" movies. Leonardo DiCaprio might finally win his long overdue Oscar for his gritty, bear wrestling role in The Revenant. And All The President's Men style procedural movies like The Big Short and Spotlight had a big impact on audiences and award voters.
With that being said, let's get to our first category: Best Supporting actress:

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara, Carol
Rachel McAdams, Spotlight
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

Who Will Win: Kate Winslet. She's won a few pre-Oscar awards and seems to be the only one with the momentum going into the big show.

Who Should Win: Kate Winslet. By all accounts, she does a phenomenal job in a shockingly overlooked Steve Jobs. I'm still shocked that this movie didn't do better at the box office.

Dark Horse: Jennifer Jason Leigh. I don't see a Tarantino movie getting shut out. Could an actor win an award from three straight Tarantino films?

Who is your Best Supporting Actress?

ADAM: Thanks for the compliments -- I know you don't post as much as me -- but I, of course, enjoy your blog too. And I agree with you that this was a strong year for films both big and small. In fact, I was disappointed when looking at next year's slate that there were fewer films that were sort of events for me on the level of a new James Bond or the return of Star Wars.

Like you said, the blockbusters this year, by-and-large were excellent. Unlike you I despised Terminator: Genisys, and like you, I thought Jurassic World was a colossal disappointment. But so many films delivered that could have been disasters from Creed to Mad Max: Fury Road to even The Force Awakens. I was really pleasantly surprised by the creativity that infused a lot of big budget movies. I have also been impressed with the more conventional awards-caliber films, although there has been no one film that has been so dominant or universally acclaimed that it towers over the contenders.

But to your earlier point, all of that feels kind of small now in the wake of #OscarsSoWhite take two. To me that's a bigger issue than one year, it's about the industry in general which is downright cowardly when it comes to colorblind casting (except for J.J. Abrams, apparently) and who only seem willing to recognize the excellence of minority performances when they are in a narrow kind of movie ("magical negroes" or "oppressed" fill in the blank) and usually only in supporting categories. Even when an African-American wins they often don't see the requisite career bump white actors do. Of the recent black winners, only Jamie Foxx appears to have maintained an A-List level of fame. Monique hasn't even made a movie since she won for Precious back in 2010.

And yet, as you said, this is the slate of nominees we have, and despite the lack of diversity, they are all mostly worthy. When I look at this year's Supporting Actress picks, I am neither bowled over or disappointed. I can't think of a performance I wanted to see there that didn't make the cut but none of these performances that I saw (I still haven't seen The Danish Girl) was very emotionally compelling to me. Although I did enjoy Kate Winslet in Steve Jobs. And I am sort of mystified by the critical adulation Jennifer Jason Leigh is getting for The Hateful Eight. It's definitely an impressive physical performance and she's a terrific actress, but she was far from the standout from that movie for me.

Michael Keaton and Rachel McAdams in Spotlight

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara, Carol
Rachel McAdams, Spotlight
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

Will win: Alicia Vikander

Even though I haven't see The Danish Girl, and have heard mixed things about it, there is near universal acclaim for Vikander's performance. Vikander is having a breakout year for her role here and in Ex Machina. And her performance in The Danish Girl supposedly really belongs in lead (not unlike Rooney Mara's in Carol. That may push her to victory as well.

Should win: Kate Winslet

Having not seem The Danish Girl, I can't speak to Vikander's performance. I thought McAdams did fine, understated work in Spotlight, and I've said my piece on Jennifer Jason Leigh. I like Rooney Mara a lot but I feel like she was out-acted by Cate Blanchett in Carol, her performance felt very mannered, like she was playing dress up as a shy person. So by default I am going with Winslet who was likable and believable as Steve Jobs' long suffering assistant.

Dark horse: Kate Winslet

I think if Carol has been better represented in the nominations I would have said Rooney Mara, but now it seems like she -- and that film -- are fading. If there is some unexpected Spotlight sweep that could help McAdams get in there. But I think Winslet has been stealthily staying relevant in the precursor awards and this category has a long history of upsets. I think Vikander will probably win but I wouldn't be shocked at all if Winslet does.

Sad for Stallone, happy for 'Spotlight' and other Oscar observations

This was an interesting Academy Awards. Far too long -- but they always are. The speeches were stronger than usual this year, I think the whole crawl at the bottom of the screen helped, and while the #OscarsSoWhite controversy rages on -- it didn't detract from the proceedings.

I thought Chris Rock did a decent job in what has always been a thankless role. His opening monologue was a bit scattershot, at times he seemed to be taking his fellow African-American actors to task more than the white elites of Hollywood. But many of his jokes, albeit a few too many at Will and Jada Pinkett's expense, landed. And I'm not sure anyone else could have done a better job of pointing out the absurdity of liberal Hollywood's persistent prejudice.

Here are the other big takeaways (for me) from the night.

Mad Max made an impact: I, of course, wanted my favorite film of the year to win Best Picture and Best Director, but for a blockbuster action movie reboot, that was perhaps asking too much -- at least this year. But I think it's a positive sign that the film cleaned up in the technical categories, dominating the first portion of the night. That a film like this, which took real artistic chances AND was a hit, got recognized like this gives me hope for the future.

Star Wars snubbed: That said, much of Mad Max's success seemed to be at the expense of The Force Awakens. It's pretty odd to me that the most successful film of all time in the U.S. (without taking inflation into account) and a critical hit, walked away with zero recognition for the Oscars.

Footage of Harrison Ford in a 2015 montage only reminded me of how much I think he belonged in the Supporting Actor category, and I thought the film was seriously snubbed for Best Visual Effects. Just another case of the Oscars being out of touch.

Ennio Morricone finally wins one: It wasn't a surprise thatwhen Ennio Morricone finally won his first Oscar for The Hateful Eight. The 87-year-old was not just a sentimental favorite, he deserved to win. This man is my favorite film composer of all time and it was very moving to see him embraced by his peers Quincy Jones and John Williams, although it boggles the mind that they seated this frail man up in a balcony.

"Til It Happens to You": I was stunned when Lady Gaga's powerful tribute to campus rape victims lost in the Best Song category to Sam Smith's perfectly nice theme from Spectre. Still, Gaga's characteristically great performance at the Oscars will likely bring a lot more attention to an important documentary The Hunting Ground, which needs to be seen and discussed. The finale of her song, with alleged victims holding their hands high in solidarity was easily the most moving moment of the night.

Stallone loss stings: The other moving moment I was hoping and rooting for didn't come. Sylvester Stallone was upset for Best Supporting Actor by Mark Rylance. I thought Rylance gave a very good performance in Bridge of Spies but I have a great deal of affection for Stallone as an actor, and he did the best work of his career in Creed. After this disappointing result I fear his fate will be the same as Mickey Rourke and Eddie Murphy's, two actors who returned to doing subpar work after Oscar rebuked them for deserving performances. I hope I'm wrong, but this loss hurt.

Spotlight shocker: I genuinely did not see that coming. I figured if any movie was going to knock The Revenant off its front-runner perch it would be The Big Short. And when Mad Max: Fury Road started racking up wins early, I held out hope that it had a chance. But Spotlight, the best reviewed of the eight nominees, won and I was pleasantly surprised. First off, bully for Michael Keaton, who's starred in two Best Picture winners in a row -- although he lost last year for Best Actor and was snubbed this year. Also I'm impressed that the academy got behind a smallish movie that hasn't been a big commercial hit and has been lagging in the awards race all year. Perhaps the Best Picture will win help this powerful movie find a wider audience, it's terrific and really deserving of one.

'The Laundromat' is a fascinating failure from Steven Soderbergh

Steven Soderbergh is very adept at breezy, attractive capers. From Out of Sight and the Ocean's movies to his comeback film Logan Lucky, he can make process oriented movies move. This is part of why the oddly paced and preachy financial dramedy The Laundromat is such a disappointment.

Many elements are there that would make for a great film but instead of being the ambitious and righteous movie it should be, it abruptly ends with a moment so shockingly earnest that is pretty embarrassing.

It's a fascinating failure though, since the movie has many terrific elements and a subject matter worth stewing over -- the Panana Papers -- which nearly a decade ago exposed the widespread manipulation off international offshore accounts to the benefit of the 1% and the detriment of all the rest of us.

The movie wants to leave you outraged -- at the grifting and injustice -- but Soderbergh's aloof approach feels like an awkward fit for this material. He introduces semi-tantalizing plot lines and stories (Jeffrey Wright turns up as a West Indian front man, and then is promptly dropped from the narrative, for example) only to abandon them for new ones. I know the goal is to portray the interconnected web of what essentially amounts to a pyramid scheme, but the movie is too short (1 hr 36 minutes) and too slight for us to muster much emotion for many of the people on screen.

Meryl Streep gets the showiest, most developed character of the bunch and she has a few affecting moments -- I mean she's Meryl Streep after all -- but she also disappears for much of the film ceding arguably too much screen time to the movie's narrators -- two corrupt, dandy financiers played by Antonio Banderas and Gary Oldman (doing an exaggerated and not very great German accent).

I literally forgot that Sharon Stone pops up for a single scene as a heartless real estate agent until I wrote this sentence -- what a waste!

When the film starts to breakdown how shell companies work -- the movie can and does come to life (it was also shot by Soderbergh and it has a great sunkissed look about it), but it really needed to be more of a Robert Altman mosaic than an even more dumbed down The Big Short. Had Soderbergh gave his various time to breathe and intersect the movie might have had more power and justified the note it ends on but he opts for self-satisfied smugness instead.

The most illustrative example of this is the stunt casting of Streep in a second role (SPOILER ALERT) as a Panamanian woman who is moved of the ladder at a shell corporation in cover up malfeasance. She plays the role in a thick accent, under even thicker makeup. It's a testament to Streep's talent that I didn't immediately realize it was her under there (kind of like Tilda Swinton's unnecessary performance as an old man in the recent remake Suspiria.) but once I did I was confounded that a film in 2019 would do anything this tone deaf and deem it appropriate.

Had Soderbergh cast an actual middle aged Panamanian woman, perhaps a newcomer with a presence, the role could have been just as, if not more, effective -- but instead we get the fairly racist conceit of Streep dressing up as a Latina woman.. for fun?

It's a bizarre and distracting stunt, and it detracts from the movie which is already doing too much stating of the obvious. We know that rich people are often greedy -- we don't always know how they maintain their dominance that isn't always crystal clear.

When the movie interrogates that world it can work and it should have worked better, but for now, this film may be remembered as a rare total misfire for a director whose usually defined by the luscious precision of his style.

'99 Homes' is the best movie you didn't see last year

Last night I finally got around to seeing 99 Homes, an acclaimed drama about the cutthroat housing market that was a late dark horse Oscar contender, but never gained the kind of traction that other recent films about our post-recession age.

I'm not entirely sure why that is. I suppose every year there are strong films like this that slip through the cracks during the late year rush of quality films, which come out in a smaller window of time every year.

It's unfortunate that 99 Homes was largely overlooked, because it features one of America's greatest actors -- Michael Shannon -- in one of his best roles. This is a guy who is really on a roll right now.

It's a powerful and emotional character study and it's unflinching in its portrayal of the real world consequences of the housing crisis.

In fact, I think in many ways it's superior to The Big Short, which was a solid hit and an Oscar darling, but a little hollow and smug in my opinion. I enjoyed that movie -- don't get me wrong -- but it left me with something of a bitter aftertaste.

I think one of my major quibbles with that film was that, like so many films about the financial crisis, the villains are largely faceless, nameless suits, which represent the nefarious "banks" and in its effort to create heroes to root for, the movie romanticized a bunch of wealthy white men who got wealthier because they were smart enough to predict the impending collapse.

Andrew Garfield and Michael Shannon in 99 Homes 

99 Homes forces us -- at least to some extent -- to identify with a real monster, Rick Carver, a self-made real estate maven played by Shannon. He gets to do some real scenery chewing here, in a role that deserved to break into last year's already crowded Best Supporting Actor race. I would have gladly swapped him in for Christian Bale, but I digress.

The Carver character is not some mustache-twirling villain though. Not unlike Denzel Washington in Training Day, he has a certain seductive appeal. Although his films don't always measure up to his talent,

Shannon is a remarkably charismatic and dynamic screen presence. He has this great, taciturn delivery which demands your attention and respect. You can't discount him, and at times, you kind of find yourself agreeing with him.

Shannon's character has been a victim too, and like so many people he decides to turn his pain into a quest for profit. Andrew Garfield, on the other hand, arguably has the trickier role, as a naive, recently evicted handyman who goes into business with Shannon's character to save his family home and gets corrupted in the process.

I've always liked Garfield, he has a sort of old fashioned earnest appeal that is charming to me. I thought he deserved an Oscar nod for his work in The Social Network, and I also felt his turns as Spider-Man got a bad wrap. He is sturdy and sincere here, but this is Shannon's film through and through.

It's not a feel-good film. This is a movie that doesn't shy away from showing the faces and anguish of people directly effected by predatory real estate brokers, which The Big Short largely sidestepped. It may not be fun to watch, but it feels real.

'Vice' can't live up to it's trailer, but it's an interesting mess

Vice had one of the great trailers of the year. It was minimalist, funny and intriguing. It had Christian Bale's remarkable transformation into Vice President Dick Cheney front and center and seemed to promise a raucous, rabble-rousing and unconventional biopic.

The actual film itself doesn't quite deliver on that trailer's promise. The movie is actually a bit of an overlong, disjointed mess -- veering wildly from broad comedy to conventional biopic with mixed results which explains the polarizing critical reception for the film as well.

The writer-director Adam McKay made his reputation on savagely funny comedies with Will Ferrell. They were films that played dumb but had darker, smarter jokes underneath. The Big Short, McKay's glib take on the financial crisis became his first bid for the awards circuit crowd. I had reservations about that movie too, and with Vice, it's clear McKay wants to stretch even more -- and the final result is a very interesting movie, with brilliant scenes with great insight and other moments that are startlingly heavy-handed and simplistic.

I learned things about Dick Cheney's background that I didn't already know watching the film but I am not sure I learned anything more about him that I didn't already know. There are moments where the film feels like a dressed up greatest hits (or really misses) of the first Bush administration: torture, WMD, Mission: Accomplished -- they are all here.

McKay does get that early-2000s era right -- the movie will bring back a lot of bad memories -- and the cast is game: Steve Carrell is funny and obnoxious as Rumsfeld, Amy Adams does a lot with little as Lynne Cheney and Sam Rockwell does the best Bush impression since Ferrell, although he's not in the movie much.

There are some really great comic set pieces -- like a preemptive end to the movie when McKay suggests Cheney's political career should have ended -- or a funny intimate scene between Cheney and his wife that is delivered in theatrical Shakespearean language. I almost wish the whole movie had gone for broke in that way.

At the very least the film wouldn't feel like a straightforward biopic, which despite a lot of bells and whistles this movie is.

Sure, it's got a Michael Moore-esque sense of liberal outrage that I am totally in sync with. When McKay, through title cards, lists the toll of the Iraq campaign -- your blood will boil all over again. And even though the film takes pains to humanize Cheney at points, it's thesis literally and figuratively is that he has no heart.

But why this film and why now? I did think the opening of the film -- which calls out the complacency of the American public and its willingness to indulge (vice, get it) to 'leaders' we don't really know much about, but who make us feel secure.

That was Cheney's great strength -- his gravelly, confident gravitas. A lot of people see Sarah Palin as a precursor to Trump -- but in some ways Cheney was. He was also compromised by business ties and kept his health records hidden, he too showed a frightening willingness to bend the law to meet his goals, and he too had a cold view on putting human lives at risk.

Still, I can't help but shake the feeling that Vice feels like a very good first draft of a movie. The Bale performance is interesting -- in that it reveals little more than Cheney's addiction to wielding power -- one of the revelations (for me) watching the movie was that the former VP once wanted to pursue the presidency himself but when polls showed he had no chance he settled for what he turned into the next best thing.

The talking point I always heard on Cheney was that he shunned the limelight and wanted to be the behind the scenes guy, but this film had me thinking he had no other choice. There is no doubt that he changed the way vice presidency and the presidency have been viewed ever since, and we'll grappling with is legacy for years to come. I'm fine with McKay's movie as the first pass, but it won't be the final word.

What are the best sequels of all-time? Here's my top 10 list

Harrison Ford in Blade Runner 2049

The near universal rapturous critical response (which I think is well-deserved) received by the new, hit Mission: Impossible movie Fallout has some people calling it the best film of the now 22-year-old franchise and potentially one of the greatest action movies ever made.

I don't know if I'd go that far, and six films in, this series has been hard to top in terms of quality (only the first sequel falls short for me), bur if I were to make a top 10 sequels of all time list the other iterations would just miss the cut.

I would also not count the Bond films, since with the exception of Quantum of Solace (and in a way Spectre) none of those movies are really proper sequels. Similarly,  the Marvel extended universe has just been too massive to take stock of -- you could argue that those films have been nothing but sequels since the original Iron Man ten years ago -- so I'm skipping over those two.

There's so many greats to choose from -- I am actually pretty pro sequel, as long as they justify their existence and add something new to the series' staying power. Some that nearly missed the cut or me: Evil Dead 2, Ocean's 13, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Road Warrior, Toy Story 3, The Color of Money, Superman II, Die Hard with a Vengeance and Batman Returns.

Here are my top 10 favorite sequels of all time, in reverse order.

10) Back to the Future Part II - This darker, more complex sequel looks at what happens when time travel is used for nefarious reasons with shocking results. Not only does this one expand on what's great about the original but it has several iconic sequences of its own -- like the hoverboard chase and the meta finale which revisits the events of the first film in unexpected ways. I've always loved how gloomy this sequel is and it set up such a high note cliffhanger that the underrated Part III could only disappoint.

9) National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - The sillier European Vacation proved the 1983 original couldn't be topped as far as road comedies go, so the 1989 holiday follow-up wisely stays close to home and winds up crafting one of the best Christmas-themed comedies of all time. Chevy Chase is at his best here, as a more tender version of Clark Griswold, and this may also be Randy Quaid's finest moment as the uncouth Cousin Eddie. It's the rare comedy sequel that deserves the same classic status as one of its predecessors.

8) Mad Max: Fury Road - While this fourth installment of the Mad Max universe does little to weave in elements from the past three, it shares their DNA -- although this one is bigger, bolder and more epic than any of the movies that came before. The rare Oscar nominee that is not just a sequel, but an action sequel, it's truly that good. This is a movie I am down to watch anytime/anyplace -- it's sublime visual filmmaking at its best -- with something to say about the world we could leave behind if we don't start getting our shit together.

7) Creed - This emotionally fulfilling boxing film breathed new life into one of my favorite movie sagas -- the Rocky franchise -- by shifting the focus from Rocky (a stellar Sylvester Stallone) to the up-and-coming Adonis Creed (a charismatic Michael B. Jordan). Director Ryan Coogler, with his one-take fight scenes and heartwarming handling of all the major characters made simply the best Rocky film since the original and has started something really special which will continue this fall with Creed II.

6) Star Trek II - The gold standard by which all big-screen Star Trek pictures are compared. It's a character study first and foremost -- about Captain Kirk's mid-life crisis and his deep friendship with the half-human, half-vulcan Spock. And yet it also has some of the most riveting action of any space opera and one of the best villains of the decade in Ricardo Montalban's Khan. This is one of those great examples of everyone operating at the peak of their powers to perfection.There have been other good, even great Star Trek movies, but this one is a cut above everything that has come before or since.

5) Aliens - I've really struggled with which is the better film -- Ridley Scott's chilling Alien or James Cameron's more relentless Aliens, both films are pure genre perfection as far as I'm concerned. In this film Sigourney Weaver's heroic Ripley takes center stage and her tormented psyche powers the narrative of this high-tech horror film. It doesn't detract from the first film in the series at all, instead it simply seeks to top it at every turn -- from shocks to gore to special effects -- and pretty much achieves everything it sets out to do.

4) Blade Runner 2049 - This recent reboot was dismissed to easily as a box office disappointment, but upon further review its stature continues to grow and grow. It's a note perfect follow-up to the mercurial 1982 original, answering many of its mysteries while deepening others -- it's one of the more gorgeous films I've ever seen and the story really holds together if you pay enough attention and give yourself over to its slow-paced rhythms. One of my favorite genre films of the last several years, and one that should attain classic status as time goes on.

3) The Dark Knight - I liked Batman Begins a lot, but for me The Dark Knight was just an enormous leap above it in terms of scope and ambition. This was the film where Christopher Nolan's concept of a more reality based Gotham and Batman truly took hold and changed the way superhero movies looked and sounded forever. This was the moment the genre grew up and asserted its dominance over the movie-going public for what has now been a decade. Oh, and Heath Ledger delivered one of the all-time best performances ever as the Joker.

2) The Empire Strikes Back - The best Star Wars film of all time is the first sequel in the ever-expanding series of movies. It is the most romantic Star Wars film, the most exciting one, the one with the best sense of humor and sense of mystery. I feel like every Star Wars film since this one has been trying to recapture its magic and coming up just a wee bit short, although I always appreciate the effort. The secret to this film's success isn't it 'darkness' it's the character development -- this is the movie where we all fell in love with Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, Yoda, Lando and the rest -- they were funny, daring, smart, charming and larger than life.

1) The Godfather Part II - The best sequel ever made? It's no contest. In fact I feel like it's almost an insult to call this masterpiece a sequel, it's more like a continuation, a deepening of the saga. Much of what is in this film is in the novel The Godfather, but Coppola brings so much soul and intrigue to the story. This is, in my opinion, the great American epic film. This is the drama that best captures the dark soul of this nation. The original is a powerful, pop hit -- but this second film is like an opera.