NHL ramps up for the Playoffs!

Lord Stanley's Cup awaits this years Hockey Champion. (Courtesy NHL.com)

It's that time of year again! March Madness is over, Baseball has started its season but Hockey is just kicking into gear. All eyes will be on the NHL for the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs! Here are the updated playoff predictions.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Washington Capitals Vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens

With the Capitals clinching not only their division and the Eastern Conference but the President's Trophy for Best Record in the Regular Season (and also home-ice in the playoffs), they really look like the team to beat. After tripping up in Game 1 and righting the ship in Game 2, the Caps look to be in control of this series. I see them winning and moving on to play Boston, Pittsburgh or the Flyers.

Prediction: Caps in 5.

(2) New Jersey Devils Vs. (7) Philadelphia Flyers

The Devils were manhandled during the season by the Flyers, only managing one win. This series will be determined if the Devils can tie it. If not, I see the Flyers on their way to a matchup with the Caps.

Prediction: Devils in 7.

(3) Buffalo Sabres Vs. (6) Boston Bruins

Buffalo, we have a problem. Down two games to one, the Sabres are without Vanek, their leading scorer. The Bruins are bigger and playing better hockey than the Sabres. Unless Vanek returns and Miller can stand on his head for three games, they're toast.

Prediction: Bruins in 6.

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins Vs. (5) Ottawa Senators

The Pens tripped up in game one but have turned on the jets beating the Senators 4-2 in their last two games. I don't see Ottawa returning in this series.

Prediction: Pens in 5.

Lookout for: The Washington Capitals. A team on a mission and thirsts for the Stanley Cup.

Team on the decline: Buffalo Sabres. True they won their division but now are down 2-1 in their series with a pesky Boston team. Hit the Panic Button now Buffalo!

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) San Jose Sharks Vs. (8) Colorado Avalanche

The Sharks missed out on their second straight President's Trophy but still won the top seed in the West. But now down two games to one thanks in large part to team error, the Sharks are in trouble of getting ousted yet again in round one. If this happens, the Sharks need to fire the GM. Someone needs to be held accountable and they've already fired coaches more than 4 times.

Prediction: Avalanche in 6.

(2) Chicago Blackhawks Vs. (7) Nashville Predators

The Blackhawks look to take control of this series as the 1-1 tie gets broken tonight. I think Chicago has suspect goaltending but won't lose to the Predators.

Prediction: Blackhawks in 6.

(3) Vancouver Canucks Vs. (6) Los Angeles Kings

The Canucks wrapped up their division over Colorado and now are down two games to one with Roberto Luongo getting chased out of net in game 3. Very troubling and with Luongo in doubt, I see the Kings victorious.

Prediction: Kings in 6.

(4) Phoenix Coyotes Vs. (5) Detroit Red Wings

The Coyotes, owned by the NHL, have surprised everyone with their play this season. At one point, they gave away free tickets to everyone in the crowd to their next game if they won. What helped them win over and build a fanbase, the Coyotes take it to the playoffs in hopes of keeping their dream season alive. The Red Wings have once again caught fire at the right time. However, Howard is showing his rust and now is not a good time for that. If Phoenix wins game 4, the series is over.

Prediction: Phoenix in 6.

Lookout for: Phoenix Coyotes and L.A. Kings. Both young, these teams are catching fire at the right time and are playing out of their minds.

Team on the decline: Detroit Red Wings. Suspect goaltending and aging players are putting them in an early hole. A loss in Game 4 and they are good as gone.

NHL Semi-Final Predictions:

EAST

(1) Washington Capitals Vs. (6) Boston Bruins

(2) New Jersey Devils Vs. (4) Pittsburgh Penguins

WEST

(2) Chicago Blackhawks Vs. (8) Colorado Avalanche

(4) Phoenix Coyotes Vs. (6) L.A. Kings

Why Duke was more lucky than good

Devil in a Blue Dress?

One of the weaker of the 4 Duke teams to claim the National Title, the Blue Devils relied on help from the NCAA Committee and a little luck (Courtesy CoachK.com)

Finally. The NCAA Mens Basketball season is over. After a crazy NCAA Tournament, the Duke Blue Devils came out of the rubble victorious and National Champs. But did Duke really deserve to win? Did they play the best out of every single team in the tournament? The answer to those are yes they deserved to win but no they did not play the best out of everyone. Before all the Duke fans chastise me let's look at the facts.

1. Duke won the ACC regular season and tournament title so the #1 seed was deserving. BUT putting them in the easiest bracket? I think someone on the committee wanted Duke to have the easy path so they could potentially play Kentucky, one of the best rivalries in the history of college basketball. Too bad that blew up in their faces when Kentucky lost to West Virginia.
   
2. Duke's road went through Arkansas Pine-Bluff, California, Purdue, Baylor, West Virginia and Butler. Not the most difficult road with the only bumps being Baylor and Butler. Meanwhile, Butler went through UTEP, Murray State, Syracuse, Kansas State, Michigan State and then Duke. That's the toughest road to the Final Four since George Mason had to go through Michigan State, North Carolina, Wichita State, UConn and Florida.
   
3. Duke was not the strongest team in the tournament. As far as ranking the #1 seeds, they were the fourth #1 seed out of the four.
   
4. Let's face it, without Kansas, Kentucky, Kansas State and Syracuse, Duke had it pretty easy getting to the Final Four.
   

Now I am not diminishing the 4th National Title in any way. The winner of that game deserved the title for the way they played. But all this "Coach K is the greatest of all time" talk is a bunch of bologna. Sure, he has 4 National Titles, but is he really the BEST all time? Wooden has 10 National Titles. Adolph Rupp has four National Titles. Roy Williams has two National Titles. All those coaches are great coaches but to say Coach K is the G.O.A.T. is ridiculous. I'd say Top 5 coach of all time but not the best that's for sure since he teaches the "School of Flop."

So who will be the top dog next season? It certaintly will not be Duke.

'Four'-gone Conclusion

He looks pretty ridiculous now that Kentucky is out of the NCAA Tournament doesn't he? (Courtesy Photo)

Well folks, March Madness is subsiding. After the Elite 8 saw Ohio State then Kentucky get the boot, Michigan State outlasted Tennessee and Duke became the odds on favorite beating Baylor 78-71 to reach the Final Four for the first time in 8 years.

Coach K got the easiest draw of the tournament and took advantage of it as Duke rolled over their competition. Duke only has to win two more and they'll win Coach K his 4th Championship, tying him with Adolph Rupp of Kentucky. They have to play a pesky West Virginia team who could win it all.

Kentucky looked unbeatable in the first three rounds but "played to lose" instead of "played to win," something they have not done the entire tournament. Say goodbye to Demarcus Cousins, John Wall, Patrick Patterson and possibly Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton. Calipari will be starting from scratch yet again and if this formula does not work next season, he will definitely have to retool it.

So what are my predictions for the Final Four? I really don't care since my team is out (Kentucky) but I'll pick for the fun of it: West Virginia OVER Duke; Butler OVER Michigan State. Champion: Butler OVER West Virginia.

Let's root for the mid-major to win it all. Hope everyone had a great March Madness!

March Madness: Part 2

The overall #1 Kansas Jayhawks were shocked by #9 Northern Iowa in the second round of the 2010 NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament. (Courtesy Photo)

John Wall and the Kentucky Wildcats dominated the first two rounds winning by an average of 30 points. (Courtesy Photo)

Welcome to the greatest time of the sports year: March Madness. What a first week of the tournament! Shocking upsets, double digit seeds raiding the party and the overall top seed falling in the round of 32. Let's dive in to what happened:

• The overall #1 Kansas Jayhawks ended their season in a loss to #9 Northern Iowa in the round of 32. The last overall #1 to lose in the second round was Kentucky in 2004 to UAB.
• In the round of 64, EIGHT double-digit seeds made it to the round of 32, the most since 1985. Three are still dancing in the Sweet 16: #10 St. Mary's (Calif.) - Defeated #7 Richmond and #2 Villanova; #11 Washington - Defeated #6 Marquette and #3 New Mexico; and #12 Cornell - Defeated #5 Temple and #4 Wisconsin.
• Syracuse and Purdue are surprising me with their play so far in the tourney. Syracuse was without their star center due to injury. If he plays in the tourney remains to be seen. Purdue lost one of their top scorers for the season but have somehow found a way to make it work.
  

Analysis:

East

The Kentucky Wildcats have been the most dominite team on the floor. Beating #16 East Tennessee State 100-71 and then #9 Wake Forest 90-60, the Cats are looking solid and ready to make their run for their first National Title since 1998. John Wall has been the leader with players like Eric Bledsoe (8-9 in 3 pointers in game 1) and Darius Miller (Career-high 21 in the Wake Forest game) stepping up. That's the reality with this team: you shut one of them down, there are plenty more that can fill in. Their road goes through Cornell then possibly West Virginia or Washington. But with how physical they are, I see them in the Final Four by the end of this weekend.

West

The Syracuse Orange have rolled in their first two round wins over Vermont and Gonzaga. They have a tough road to get to the Final Four with Kansas State possibly being their Elite 8 matchup. It's a toss up between them and K-State for the Final Four.

South

Duke has had a quiet road so far with wins over Arkansas-Pine Bluff and California. They have the easiest road of all the top seeds remaining with a game against a pesky Purdue team and then Baylor or St. Mary's (Calif.) Look for them in the Final Four unless #4 Purdue or #3 Baylor trips them up.

Midwest

With #1 Kansas now out of the tournament, this opens up the door for #2 Ohio State. In the top of their bracket, #9 Northern Iowa takes on #5 Michigan State while #2 Ohio State takes on #6 Tennessee. With Player of the Year Evan Turner, I just don't see Ohio State NOT making the Final Four. The only team I'd be concerned with is "Cinderella" Northern Iowa. They are the only one out of the three cinderellas left that have a chance to crash the Final Four.

Predictions

MidWest: Northern Iowa OVER Michigan State; Ohio State OVER Tennessee
Ohio State OVER Northern Iowa
Region Champ: Ohio State

West: Syracuse OVER Butler; Kansas State OVER Xavier
Kansas State OVER Syracuse
Region Champ: Kansas State

East: Kentucky OVER Cornell; West Virginia OVER Washington
Kentucky OVER West Virginia
Region Champ: Kentucky

South: Duke OVER Purdue; Baylor OVER St. Mary's (Calif.)
Duke OVER Baylor
Region Champ: Duke

So the Final Four in Indy should be: Ohio State Vs. Kansas State and Kentucky Vs. Duke.

March Madness commences Thursday night! GO BIG BLUE!

"Lost Boy" Corey Haim dead at 38

Corey Haim, 1980's heartthrob and friend to Corey Feldman, died Wednesday, March 10 of an accidental drug overdose. Here he is in happier times on "The Lost Boys." (Courtesy Photo)

On Wednesday, March 10 around 2:15 a.m. west coast time, Corey Haim was pronounced dead. The 1980's teen heartthrob of such films as "Lucas," "License to Drive," "The Lost Boys," "Dream a Little Dream 1 & 2" and most recently "Crank 2: High Voltage" died of a reported accidental overdose of prescription drugs. He was just 38 years old.

Haim tried so hard to recapture the magic from the 80's that made him an A-list star. But drugs and alcohol addiction took their toll on him and he was forced to doing mostly direct-to-video(DVD) releases. It wasn't until 2007 when Haim tried to reconcile with Feldman on A&E's "The Two Coreys" that his career started to turn for the better. He took out the full page ad in Variety stating that he was back and ready to work. He went to therapy with Feldman and Susie. But none of this could quiet the demons of his drug addiction thus leading to his untimely demise.

The person I feel most sorry for right now is Corey Feldman. This man has lost his best friend in Haim and another close friend in Michael Jackson within a year. Both accidental drug overdoses. His now ex-wife Susie Sprague filed for divorce on Oct. 22 after seven years of marriage. Not a banner year for anyone. In a statement to the media, Corey Feldman said:

"I was awakened at 8:30 this morning by my brother and sister knocking on my bedroom door. They informed me of the loss of my brother Corey Haim. My eyes weren't even open all the way when the tears started streaming down my face. I am so sorry for Corey, his mother Judy, his family, my family, all of our fans, and of course my son who I will have to find a way to explain this to when he gets home from school. This is a tragic loss of a wonderful, beautiful, tormented soul, who will always be my brother, family, and best friend. We must all take this as a lesson in how we treat the people we share this world with while they are still here to make a difference. Please respect our families as we struggle and grieve through this difficult time. I hope the art Corey has left behind will be remembered as the passion of that for which he truly lived.

- Corey Feldman"The Two Coreys"

I am hoping Feldman is surrounded by family and friends to get through this difficult hurdle in his life. He is a talented person as well as an actor. Here's hoping we see him act again sometime in the future.

Unfortunately this story has been told many times before. How Hollywood welcomes you, makes you a star then spits you out forgotten. I remember one of the episodes of "The Two Coreys" where Haim goes to a young acting class to warn these kids about the price of fame and how they should handle it to avoid his path. Here's hoping he got through to them. R.I.P. Corey Haim. The world is less brighter without you in it.

Post Oscar Hangover

The 82nd Academy Awards were as predictable as usual with Kathryn Bigalow winning the two big Oscars for Best Director and Picture for "The Hurt Locker" (Photo Courtesy of Reuters)

For the fourth time in five years, an independent film has won the Best Picture Oscar. Is Big Hollywood over? As far as the summer movies no, but for Oscar-calibar films the sun is setting. You gotta give Kathryn Bigalow a lot of credit. "The Hurt Locker" was lauded as one of the best films of 2009 and with all the campaigning for it, the little $13 million dollar film slayed James Cameron's billion dollar grossing monumental movie "Avatar."

Don't get me wrong, Bigalow is a fantastic director. Her movie about the gritty Iraq war bomb squads was chilling. I just never saw it as the best movie of 2010. This reminds me of the year "Brokeback Mountain" was the odds on favorite to win only to have "Crash" upset the Ang Lee film. Again, a good movie won but not the best of that year. The Oscars need to look long and hard at who they give this award to. The best movies are not getting the award they deserve.

"Avatar" was a phenominal film. The story was lacking and had been done but the visual effects and 3-D has changed the way movies will be made forever. Cameron deserves the award solely for that merit.

All the actor awards were decided way in advance of the Oscars. Wins by Jeff Bridges, Sandra Bullock, Mo'Nique and Christoph Waltz were well deserved. Tarantino came up empty but has an Oscar already for "Pulp Fiction." One of these days he's going to blow the lid off the Oscars and win Director and Picture. He's such a fantastic filmmaker and writer.

So what will 2010 bring? Who knows but there are 10 open slots for Best Picture. Let's hope this years list is more competitive.

2010 Academy Award Predictions

Ten Movies vie for the one Oscar© for Best Picture Sunday, March 7 at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards (Oscar.com)

This Sunday marks a historic night for the Oscars. For the first time in nearly half a century, 10 movies will vie for Best Picture at the 82nd annual Academy Awards. Now as I said in a earlier blog, there are two groups of nominees for Best Picture: Top 5 and Bottom 5. The Top 5 Films are Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Inglorious Basterds, Up in the Air and Up. The Bottom 5 Films are District 9, The Blind Side, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Saphire, An Education and A Serious Man. Who will win Oscar Gold? The Actor races are set but Director and Picture are anyones guess. Here's a look at my predictions:

Best Picture
* Avatar
* The Blind Side
* District 9
* An Education
* The Hurt Locker
* Inglorious Basterds
* Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
* A Serious Man
* Up
* Up in the Air

Prediction:
This category is interesting. I totally agree with the Oscars expanding the category to 10. If that was done 2 years ago, "The Dark Knight" would have easily won Best Picture. But the first year of this expansion shows that after 6 or 7 films, it was tough to fill in the rest. "A Serious Man" is the longest shot but got the nod because the Academy loves the Cohen Brothers. The two films that have a legitimate shot are "Avatar" and "The Hurt Locker." With all the controversy and negative press for "Locker," I'm going to have to give the edge to "Avatar." A film of historic preportions (both fiscally and visually) and the biggest movie of all time deserves to be recognized. Bigalow will get the Oscar for Director while Cameron will win his 2nd Best Picture Oscar and cement his name in Hollywood lore.

Best Director
* James Cameron "Avatar"
* Kathryn Bigalow "The Hurt Locker"
* Quentin Tarantino "Inglorious Basterds"
* Lee Daniels "Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
* Jason Reitman "Up in the Air"

Thoughts: What a powerful group of Directors. All worthy of this award, Bigalow has the edge in this category. She would be the first female director to ever win and her film would be recognized. I think this will be their recognition as Best Picture will go to the well-deserved "Avatar."

Best Actor in a Leading Role
* Jeff Bridges "Crazy Heart"
* George Clooney "Up in the Air"
* Colin Firth "A Single Man"
* Morgan Freeman "Invictus"
* Jeremy Renner "The Hurt Locker"

Thoughts:
This race has been done for a while. Jeff Bridges role of a lifetime (with a story almost like "The Wrestler" only with a County Music legend in the lead role) will win the Oscar for Best Actor. Sure, Colin Firth won the BAFTA (he is British afterall) but Bridges picked up the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild trophy. The only actor that could come close is George Clooney but that would take a Roberto Benigini type upset.

Best Actress in a Leading Role
* Sandra Bullock "The Blind Side"
* Helen Miren "The Last Station"
* Carey Mulligan "An Education"
* Gabourey Sidibe "Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
* Meryl Streep "Julie and Julia"

Thoughts:
Like Best Actor, this category has been locked up for a while. Bullock won the Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and a slew of critic awards for her role in "The Blind Side." Get your speech ready Sandra!

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
* Matt Damon "Invictus"
* Woody Harrelson "The Messenger"
* Christopher Plummer "The Last Station"
* Stanley Tucci "The Lovely Bones"
* Christoph Waltz "Inglorious Basterds"

Thoughts:
Am I sounding like a broken record? Yet another category locked up with Waltz's stellar performance as a Nazi in "Inglorious Basterds." Tucci is the only other competition but the nomination is all he can hope for on Oscar night.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
* Penelope Cruz "Nine"
* Vera Farmiga "Up in the Air"
* Maggie Gyllenhaal "Crazy Heart"
* Anna Kendrick "Up in the Air"
* Mo'Nique "Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire"

Thoughts: Another category that is already decided. Mo'Nique has dominated winning the BAFTA, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Gulld and many critic awards for her protrayal of a gritty, abusive mother. All the other ladies are definitely worthy of this award but Cruz won for Woody Allen's film "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," Farmiga and Kendrick will cancel each other out and Gyllenhaal should just enjoy the nomination. Her time will come but this year it's Mo'Nique!

Here's hoping the Oscars are not a ratings disaster (1989 is deemed the worst Oscar telecast in history.) With Baldwin and Martin, we'll see. As long as one doesn't try to upstage the other it should be a funny show.

So who will walk away victorious? Watch ABC Sunday night at 8pm!

Snowiest Winter Ever

The Super Storm 0f 2010 hit the D.C. Area Feb. 9-10 with over 31 inches of snow

The Winter of 2009-10 has been nothing short of historic. With a Blizzard hitting the area in mid-December 2009, everyone thought that would be our big storm of the season. Then the Super Storm in February came. The December storm dumped 26 inches of snow on the ground, no miniscule amount. The February 2010 storm: 31 inches of snow with an additional 12 inches piling on top of it Feb. 9-10. Over 3 1/2 feet of snow. The result: shoveling for 7 straight days, schools closed for the week, the Federal Government shutting down early Friday, Feb. 5 and not reopening until Friday, Feb. 12 on a 2 hour delay.

Now I love winter and snow (I was born in December) but this was historic and scary. Most people lost their power with this winter storm. I was lucky to have my power on the entire time. The other costly results with this storm was snow budgets ballooning to shattering levels, not having enough equipment to remove the snow, the heavy snow causing damage to roofs that eventually caved in or caused leaking and trees collapsing due to the weight of the snow. My parents even had a tree that was over 30 years old in between their house and the neighbors that came down.

Are we done with this extreme winter weather? Experts at Accuweather.com say unfortunately no as a storm is set to form that will hit us sometime this week or next. With the arctic cold air coming back this week from the north, be prepared and stay warm D.C. area.

"Avatar", "The Hurt Locker" lead 2010 Oscar Nominees

With 33 days until Oscar Night, the nominees for the 82nd annual Academy Awards were announced this morning (Photo Courtesy of Oscar.com)

Every year, the Academy Awards shine a light on Hollywood and reward actors, writers, producers and directors with accolades of greatness. To be etched into the historic nature that is the Academy Awards is nothing short of extraordinary. This year, the Oscars decided to go back to the way things were and nominate 10 films for Best Picture. Clearly this is because of what happened in 2008-2009 when Christopher Nolan's masterpiece "The Dark Knight," one of the best films of the decade, was left out of the Best Picture category. This and hoping to boost ratings is why the category was expanded. Now the drawback in doing this is that there won't be 10 worthy films that can be nominated every year. Also, the 10 movies will be split into a top tier for the films that have a chance to win and the bottom tier where a nomination will help boost DVD sales. Nevertheless, here are the nominees in the top categories for the 82nd Academy Awards:

Best Picture

* Avatar
* The Blind Side
* District 9
* An Education
* The Hurt Locker
* Inglorious Basterds
* Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
* A Serious Man
* Up
* Up in the Air

Thoughts: It's fairly easy to see the top tier of these 10 films: "Avatar," "The Hurt Locker," "Up in the Air," "Up" and "Inglorious Basterds." "Precious" would have been a top tier film but not winning any major awards except for Mo'nique really hurts its chances to be rewarded with a Best Picture Oscar. "District 9" is a pleasant surprise to the list and well deserved. I don't agree with putting "Up" or "A Serious Man" in this category as they stole nominations away from "500 Days of Summer" and "Star Trek." The Cohen Brothers are a favorite of the Academy but "A Serious Man" got no recognition whatsoever from the Golden Globes or BAFTA's. Also, what is the point in having a seperate animation feature category if "Up" is nominated here? Another shocker is "The Blind Side" getting a Best Picture nod when it hasn't had any accolades except for Bullock. Look for a two movie race between "Avatar" and "The Hurt Locker."

Best Director
* James Cameron "Avatar"
* Kathryn Bigalow "The Hurt Locker"
* Quentin Tarantino "Inglorious Basterds"
* Lee Daniels "Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
* Jason Reitman "Up in the Air"

Thoughts: What a powerful group of Directors. All worthy of this award, it will be a close race with Reitman garnering his second nod in three years after "Juno." Tarantino earned his second nomination along with James Cameron. Newbies are Bigalow and Daniels for their impressive films. Bigalow is the interesting story because she is trying to become the first ever female director to win the award. This one is anyones game.

Best Actor in a Leading Role
* Jeff Bridges "Crazy Heart"
* George Clooney "Up in the Air"
* Colin Firth "A Single Man"
* Morgan Freeman "Invictus"
* Jeremy Renner "The Hurt Locker"

Thoughts: Great group of actors nominated in this category. Same nominees the Golden Globes had except replace Tobey Maguire with Jeremy Renner. Two actor race but I see Bridges locking up the category unless Clooney pulls a Sean Penn and upsets him.

Best Actress in a Leading Role
* Sandra Bullock "The Blind Side"
* Helen Miren "The Last Station"
* Carey Mulligan "An Education"
* Gabourey Sidibe "Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
* Meryl Streep "Julie and Julia"

Thoughts: Great group of actresses nominated. Same nominees as the Golden Globes except replace Emily Blunt with the surprising Meryl Streep who captured her record 15th Academy Award nomination as Julia Child in "Julie and Julia." This category is all but locked up with Sandra Bullock winning every major award. Better prepare a speech Sandra.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
* Matt Damon "Invictus"
* Woody Harrelson "The Messenger"
* Christopher Plummer "The Last Station"
* Stanley Tucci "The Lovely Bones"
* Christoph Waltz "Inglorious Basterds"

Thoughts: Carbon copy of the Golden Globe nominees. Tucci is nominated for an uncredited role. Waltz has this one wrapped up and should get his speech ready.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
* Penelope Cruz "Nine"
* Vera Farmiga "Up in the Air"
* Maggie Gyllenhaal "Crazy Heart"
* Anna Kendrick "Up in the Air"
* Mo'Nique "Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire"

Thoughts: This category is already decided. Mo'Nique has dominated winning the Golden Globe, Screen Actors Gulld and many critic awards for her protrayal of a gritty, abusive mother. All the other ladies are definitely worthy of this award but Cruz won for Woody Allen's film "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," Farmiga and Kendrick will cancel each other out and Gyllenhaal should just enjoy the nomination. Her time will come but this year it's Mo'Nique!

Shockers: "Star Trek" not earning a Best Picture nomination, "500 Days of Summer" getting no nominations at all.

So who will win Oscar Night? My predictions will be posted towards the end of February.
What are YOUR thoughts on the nominees? The expansion of the Best Picture Category? Post comments below!

Top 10 Films of 2009 (UPDATED!)

The Star Trek and the (500) Days of Summer casts have reason to celebrate as both movies make the Top 5 of Chris's Best Movies of 2009 (Courtesy Photo)

It's hard to believe the year has passed us by in a blur and we're already into a new decade. Yes, 2009 had a lot to offer, although the Summer season seemed a bit lacking compared to 2008 and the year of "The Dark Knight." Without further or do, here are my top 10 movies of 2009: (Keep in mind, I have not seen a few movies on every critics Top 10 list so bear with me.)

#10 - Paranormal Activity (R) Starring Kate Featherson and Micah Sloat

This indie movie horror hit made people think "Blair who?" After a young, middle class couple moves into a suburban 'starter' tract house, they become increasingly disturbed by a presence that may or may not be somehow demonic but is certainly most active in the middle of the night. Especially when they sleep. Or try to. With a budget of only $15,000 and a total box office gross of $108 million (not including rentals and sales), this film proves to Hollywood that a great concept and story are worth more than any visual effects you can splash on the screen. The only thing really to fear is a sequel is coming in 2012 that Hollywood is sure to screw up in some way.

#9 - Funny People (R) Starring Seth Rogan, Adam Sandler

Judd Apatow's third film after huge hits "The 40-Year Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up" was a disappointment in the box office but I thought it was a very well made film. George (Sandler) is a very successful stand up comedian who learns that he has an untreatable blood disorder and is given less than a year to live. Ira (Rogen) is a struggling up-and-coming stand up comedian who works at a deli and has yet to figure out his onstage persona. One night, these two perform at the same club and George takes notice of Ira. George hires Ira to be his semi-personal assistant as well as his friend with both learning what life really is about. Great performances by Sandler who has a fantastic version of The Beatles "Real Love" in the movie.

#8 - The Hurt Locker (R) Starring Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty

Three members of the Army's elite Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) squad battle insurgents and one another as they search for and disarm a wave of roadside bombs on the streets of Baghdad—in order to try and make the city a safer place for Iraqis and Americans alike. Their mission is clear—protect and save—but it's anything but easy, as the margin of error when defusing a war-zone bomb is zero. Most people are saying this is the best movie of 2009. I have to disagree. It's top 10 and will get nomnated for sure. "The Hurt Locker" is a fantastic eye-opener about what bomb defusers go through in Iraq and how insane one must be to do it. But this movie really left me feeling that it doesn't deserve a Best Picture win. Kind of like "Crash" in 2004, it was a good movie but not great but went on to win. You never know with Hollywood.

#7 - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (PG-13) Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Michael Gambon

The sixth movie in the Harry Potter franchise finds Harry (Radcliffe) inching ever so closer to Voldemort. In the sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and in both wizard and muggle worlds Lord Voldemort and his henchmen are increasingly active. With vacancies to fill at Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore (Gambon) persuades Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent), back from retirement to become the potions teacher, while Professor Snape (Alan Rickman) receives long awaited news. Harry Potter, together with Dumbledore, must face treacherous tasks to defeat his evil nemesis. As the kids get older, the movies get better and darker. Here's hoping they keep most of the elements of the last book, seeing it's being split into two movies.

#6 - Watchmen (R) Starring Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley

"The world will shout SAVE US! And I'll whisper...NO!" The greatest graphic novel of our time finally comes to the big screen in this very well done adaptation. "Watchmen" is set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and the "Doomsday Clock" - which charts the USA's tension with the Soviet Union - is permanently set at five minutes to midnight. When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the washed up but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach (Haley) sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his former crime-fighting legion - a ragtag group of retired superheroes, only one of whom has true powers - Rorschach glimpses a wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy with links to their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the future. Their mission is to watch over humanity... but who is watching the Watchmen? Brilliant suspense thriller where even if you didn't read the novel, you can still follow it.

#5 - District 9 (R) Starring Sharlto Copley

This is where my list gets tough. All these movies in the Top 5 could easily be number one. In 1982, a massive star ship bearing a bedraggled alien population, nicknamed "The Prawns," appeared over Johannesburg, South Africa. Twenty-eight years later, the initial welcome by the human population has faded. The refugee camp where the aliens were located has deteriorated into a militarized ghetto called District 9, where they are confined and exploited in squalor. In 2010, the munitions corporation, Multi-National United, is contracted to forcibly evict the population with operative Wikus van der Merwe (Copley) in charge. In this operation, Wikus is exposed to a strange alien chemical and must rely on the help of his only two new 'Prawn' friends Chris Johnson and his son. The most original movie of 2009. The story behind this is nothing I have seen and flows really well. The unknown actor, Sharlto Copley, shines as Wikus, trying to save himself from transformation and get back home to his wife. Highly recommend this film that was produced by Peter Jackson.

#4 - Sherlock Holmes (PG-13) Starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law

Guy Ritchie's best to date brings Sherlock Holmes back to the big screen for the first time in the U.S. since 1985's "The Young Sherlock Holmes." After finally catching serial killer and occult "sorcerer" Lord Blackwood, legendary sleuth Sherlock Holmes (Downey, Jr.) and his assistant Dr. Watson (Law) can close yet another successful case. But when Blackwood mysteriously returns from the grave and resumes his killing spree, Holmes must take up the hunt once again. Contending with his partner's new fiancée and the dimwitted head of Scotland Yard, the dauntless detective must unravel the clues that will lead him into a twisted web of murder, deceit, and black magic - and the deadly embrace of temptress Irene Adler. Very well done and just an enjoyable film. Holmes is back and a sequel is in the works with Brad Pitt set to star as Holmes nemisis Professor Morriarty.

#3 - (500) Days of Summer (PG-13) Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel

"This is not a love story," the narrator says before plunging you into this 1 1/2 hour masterpiece. He's Tom, from New Jersey, working in L.A. writing greeting cards even through he's an architect by training. She's Summer, in from Michigan. Day one is her first day as an AA in Tom's office. We jump back and forth in time: by day 67, they've become an item when she decides to put aside the lovemaking and just be friends. Tom, a romantic who's sure Summer is the one for him, wallows in self pity. We go back to the early days and see the relationship begin. Summer tells him right away that she doesn't believe in love. He mopes well past day 100. Then, as day 500 approaches, they find themselves at a wedding together. Does the old flame rekindle? Is Tom right that destiny controls love?

What a fresh, original comedy. Guys, we've all been in this situation at one time or another. Boy meets girl. Girl says she doesn't believe in love or wants a relationship. It turns into one. Someone gets hurt along the line. After watching this film, it took me a while to ponder what I thought. I think it brought back some painful memories at first. But the movie shines and Gordon-Levitt should get an Oscar© nod for his well placed performance.

#2 - Avatar (PG-13) Starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver

James Cameron does it again. When his brother is killed in battle, paraplegic Marine Jake Sully (Worthington) decides to take his place in a mission on the distant world of Pandora. There he learns of greedy corporate figurehead Parker Selfridge's intentions of driving off the native humanoid "Na'vi" in order to mine for the precious material scattered throughout their rich woodland. In exchange for the spinal surgery that will fix his legs, Jake gathers intel for the cooperating military unit spearheaded by gung-ho Colonel Quaritch, while simultaneously attempting to infiltrate the Na'vi people with the use of an "avatar" identity. While Jake begins to bond with the native tribe and quickly falls in love with the beautiful alien Neytiri (Saldana), the restless Colonel moves forward with his ruthless extermination tactics, forcing the soldier to take a stand - and fight back in an epic battle for the fate of Pandora.

Visually stunning with a wonderful cast and pretty decent storyline. The front runner (according to all industry experts) for the Best Picture Oscar with nothing coming close, Cameron is on pace to break his unbreakable record of nearly $2 billion dollars gross for a film. Currently, "Titanic" is at the top with $1.8 billion.

and the #1 Movie of 2009 is: Star Trek (PG-13) Starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto

Yes folks, my number one film is Star Trek. Why? Because J.J. Abrams has rebooted the nearly dead franchise and brought it back to the land of living. Critics universally adored this film and it will surely get a Best Picture Oscar nod now that the field has been expanded to 10. On the day of James Kirk's birth, his father dies on his ship in a last stand against a mysterious alien vessel. He was looking for Ambassador Spock, who is a child on Vulcan at that time, disdained by his neighbors for his half-human nature. Twenty years later, Kirk (Pine) has grown into a young troublemaker inspired by Capt. Christopher Pike to fulfill his potential in Starfleet even as he annoys his instructors like young Lt. Spock (Quinto). Suddenly, there is an emergency at Vulcan and the newly commissioned USS Enterprise is crewed with promising cadets like Nyota Uhura, Hikaru Sulu, Pavel Chekov and even Kirk himself thanks to Leonard McCoy's medical trickery. Together, this crew will have an adventure in the final frontier where the old legend is altered forever even as the new version of it is just beginning. The cast was pitch perfect. The characters we knew and loved in the original show had the same mannerisms and zing that has made Star Trek stand tall for 40 years. I for one thought this was the best movie of the summer season as well.

Now before people berate my list, I have not seen the following: "Inglorious Basterds," "Up in the Air" and "Up." When I do, I might update my list if they deem to change the list in anyway. What is your top 10? Thoughts on mine? Comment below!

At the Movies: Avatar (PG-13)

James Cameron's first film in 12 years is as grand as "Titanic" was
(Photo Courtesy 20th Century Fox)

In 1997, James Cameron made his imprint in Hollywood History as "Titanic" soared to a record box office run no movie will ever repeat. Besides winning 11 Oscars© including Best Picture and Director and having a streak of 15 weeks at #1 in the box office, the film grossed over $1 billion dollars (world and domestic gross total) to become the most successful film of all time. Looks like Cameron is up for a sequel.

His latest opus is "Avatar," a movie that took him well over 20 years to realize and create into a 3D epic adventure. When his brother is killed in battle, paraplegic Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) decides to take his place in a mission on the distant world of Pandora. There he learns of greedy corporate figurehead Parker Selfridge's (Giovanni Ribisi) intentions of driving off the native humanoid "Na'vi" in order to mine for the precious material scattered throughout their rich woodland.

In exchange for the spinal surgery that will fix his legs, Jake gathers intel for the cooperating military unit spearheaded by gung-ho Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang), while simultaneously attempting to infiltrate the Na'vi people with the use of an "avatar" identity. While Jake begins to bond with the native tribe and quickly falls in love with the beautiful alien Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), the restless Colonel moves forward with his ruthless extermination tactics, forcing the soldier to take a stand - and fight back in an epic battle for the fate of Pandora.

If you go see this movie, see it in 3D. Sure it costs more but it is so worth it to see the visual colors and 3D imagery of the planet. The visuals alone make this a must see. The story is "OK" as it mixes a lot of movies like "Dances With Wolves" and "Fern Gully" together with a central story that the humans are wrong to want to strip this place of its resources and the Na'vi people need to fight to save their world. A bit environmental true, but a well pieced story that flowed really well.

Great performances by Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang who stole the show as the Colonel. This movie is sure to be up for Best Picture when the Oscar© nominations roll around.

Chris's Rating: 3 1/2 out of 4 Stars -- Would have given it 4 but the story seemed a little lacking. Other than that, Cameron cements his status as the "Gamble that always pays off."

At the Movies: "Sherlock Holmes" (PG-13)

The newest incarnation of "Sherlock Holmes" is one of the best films of 2009
(Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros.)

Ah the Holiday season. Hollywood saves the best for last as the bulk of the great and high-budgeted movies are released around this time. "Avatar," "Alvin and the Chipmunks," and now "Sherlock Holmes."

One of the most cherished detectives of our time, "Holmes" has appeared in over 122 films with the last being "The Young Sherlock Holmes" in 1985 (grossing around $20 million after opening in 5th place.) After the demise of the last Sherlock movie, would Guy Ritchie and his all-star cast reboot this franchise much like J.J. Abrams rebooted "Star Trek"?

After finally catching serial killer and occult "sorcerer" Lord Blackwood, legendary sleuth Sherlock Holmes (Downey Jr.) and his assistant Dr. Watson (Law) can close yet another successful case. But when Blackwood mysteriously returns from the grave and resumes his killing spree, Holmes must take up the hunt once again. Contending with his partner's new fiancée and the dimwitted head of Scotland Yard, the dauntless detective must unravel the clues that will lead him into a twisted web of murder, deceit, and black magic - and the deadly embrace of temptress Irene Adler (McAdams).

What I really liked about this film was how it jumped right into the action. No need to bore the audience with a background on Holmes and Watson. Everyone should know by now the story of how they came to be and how they are best friends and colleagues. Downey Jr. was fantastic as Holmes and brought a rugged quality not seen in previous films. Holmes has always been seen as clean cut and in fancy clothing. Law was spot on as Watson.

Chris's Rating: 4 out of 4 stars - One of the best films of 2009. As close to perfection as you can get with Sherlock Holmes. Sure to be Guy Ritchie's greatest film and was set up perfectly for a sequel.

DVD Movie Review: "The Hangover" (R)

Most overrated movie of 2009: "The Hangover"

When you see the trailer to "The Hangover," you see four guys (2 best friends, a groom and his future brother-in-law) living it up in Vegas. A typical storyline that has been done since the dawn of time, the hype that built around this movie was so huge, it cast itself in the light of all-time best comedies. This $35 million dollar comedy grossed $277 million dollars in the U.S. alone, so I thought to myself "This must be a great comedy to have grossed this much!" How wrong I was.

Angelenos Doug Billings (Justin Bartha) and Tracy Garner (Sasha Barrece) are about to get married. Two days before the wedding, the four men in the wedding party - Doug, Doug's two best buddies Phil Wenneck (Bradley Cooper) and Stu Price (Ed Helms), and Tracy's brother Alan Garner (Zach Galifianakis) - hop into Tracy's father's beloved Mercedes convertible for a 24-hour stag party to Las Vegas. After a night of partying with no memory of the previous nights events, they try and piece together what happened hoping they can find their friend Doug. As they find clues to his disappearance, things seem to get weirder and weirder leading them all over Vegas trying to get back in time for Doug's wedding day.

The first 20 minutes of this film are grueling. You have all the characters getting setup as to who they are, what their homelives are about, etc. Once they get to Vegas, the tempo picks up only to come back to a hault as they try to piece together the events of the previous night and find the groom Doug. Throughout the film, the jokes are flying but I really only laughed at a few of them. The gross-out humor just isn't funny in an adult comedy. It might work in "American Pie" but not on this level.

I think the breakout acting in this movie has to go to Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms. Galifianakis made the role of the strange, isolated person named Alan shine and had more laughs than anyone else. Helms was good as "whipped" Stu who refused to dump his controlling girlfriend who cheated on him with a cruise ship worker. Bradley Cooper's performance was ok but the typical "mid-life crisis" guy trying to hang on to his youth.

Chris's Rating: 2 Stars out of 4 - Overrated comedy that had a very lame ending. Has a sequel on the way next May. Hope it's not as overhyped as this one was.

University of Florida: Land of the Wimps

Florida Men's Basketball Coach Billy Donovan (Top) and Football Coach Urban Meyer (Bottom) have a lot in common after crawling back to Florida less than 24 hours after vacating those jobs [Courtesy Photos]

What a crazy weekend in the world of college sports. News Saturday night that Florida Football Coach Urban Meyer was resigning due to health concerns and wanting to be with his family. Then the next day Meyer recants his press release to the media and says he is taking an "indefinite leave of absence" but hopes to be back before the 2010 season. WHA???

Let's give a little background as to what happened. After the Southeastern Conference championship game three weeks ago, Meyer spent several hours in a Gainesville, Fla., hospital because of chest pains. Meyer said Sunday he had experienced similar problems at times this season but had not had a heart attack. Meyer also told Sports Illustrated last month that he suffered from persistent headaches caused by an arachnoid cyst that becomes inflamed by stress, rage and excitement.

Pat Forde describes the situation..."After handing in his resignation Saturday night, Meyer's mind was made up. Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley said when he went to sleep Saturday night he did not think there was any chance Meyer would change his mind.

Meyer then apparently went out to practice and decided that burnout is for losers, and his family may or may not come before his players. They had a spirited practice in unseasonably cold weather and, shazam, Urban's not resigning after all!

Meyer also said family and health come first but clearly, he has put neither first during his intensely successful run as a coach. On Saturday night, Meyer told The New York Times that oldest daughter Nicki rejoiced at the news of his impending resignation, saying, "I've got my daddy back." Now it appears daddy is only back on temporary loan."

Forde sums it up best by stating that Meyer's judgement is a bit cloudy. When he made a sincere resignation from the heart on Saturday, that was the right thing to do. But to go behind your families back and change your mind is a pretty harsh and selfish thing to do.

I hope he takes time to heal from his medical issues and takes time to heal his family where he seems to be non-existant. Whatever the case may be, Meyer must air on the side of caution and not risk his life for a game.

Top 10 Christmas Movies

"It's a Wonderful Life" tops my list of Best Christmas Movies

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Merry Christmas to one and all. After hearing all these entertainment reporters compile their list of Best Christmas Movies, I decided to put in my two cents. Here are my Top 10 Christmas Movies:

#1 - "It's a Wonderful Life" (G) starring James Stewart, Donna Reed

Frank Capra’s "It’s a Wonderful Life" was a box-office flop in 1946 even though it went on to garner 5 Academy Award Nods including Best Picture. James "Jimmy" Stewart was returning from war when he did this movie and you can tell how changed a man he was. The raw emotion of George Bailey, the yearning for a better life and the suicide attempt because he thought of himself as unimportant. All the elements that make a movie a classic and make us all realize we are all put on this earth for a reason.

#2 - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (PG-13) - starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo

A holiday classic from the 1980's, a decade with a slew of holiday classics. Clark Griswold just wants his family to have the perfect old fashioned family christmas. Add him putting up hundreds of thousands of lights on his house, him awaiting a bonus check he really needed and you got the best movie of the "Vacation" series. Classic lines, classic comedy, this is a great holiday movie.

#3 - A Christmas Story (PG) - starring Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin and Peter Billingsley

"Sons of Bitches...Bumpus's!" An all-time classic from 1983, "A Christmas Story" presents the story of a little boy named Ralphie and what he goes through to get a Red Rider BB Gun for Christmas in the circa 1940's fictional northern Indiana town of Hohman. Funny and just plain genius, it was also considered a flop in Nov. 1983, only making $19 million. FUN FACT: There are two sequels to this film: "Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss" (1988) and "It Runs in the Family" (1994).

#4 - Scrooged (PG) - starring Bill Murray

Another classic 80's christmas movie, Bill Murray plays IBC TV Executive Frank Cross whose only goal in life is to make himself and everyone around him miserable. Only caring about money and the bottom line, Cross is visited by three ghosts to try and get him to change his ways and also rekindle a lost love. Murray is brilliant in this contemporary retelling of Charles Dickens classic "A Christmas Carol."

#5 - The Santa Clause (PG) - starring Tim Allen

What started peoples mispelling of "Claus,"Disney and Tim Allen bring Santa to the big screen in a whole new light. When Scott Kalvin finds Santa fallen off his roof, he dawns Santa's clothing (to the urging of his son Charlie) and helps finish delivering the presents to all the children around the world. Not realizing that he was now the new Santa Claus under a binding law known as the "Santa Clause," Kalvin must come to the realization that he is now Santa and accept his new job at the North Pole. Funny, original and very clever, this is definitely one of my favorite holiday classics that the entire family will enjoy.

#6 - Santa Claus: The Movie (G) - starring Dudley Moore, John Lithgow

The most expensive Christmas movie ever made, "Santa Claus: The Movie" came out in 1985. The story is about an evil toy company executive of BZ Toys using a special candy cane, created by one of Santa's Elves (Moore fresh off his "Arthur" fame) that made people fly, to create record profits and start a new holiday called "Christmas II." An orphan and little girl help Santa save the day in this fun, endearing tale. A dud at the box office (only made $23 million of its $50 million back), this holiday classic is endearing to me. I remember going to the ol' Fair Oaks Movie Theater when this came out. I was 5 years old at the time and remember how magical the movie was. It's a fun movie that is sure to bring out the kid in us all.

#7 - Home Alone 1 & 2 (PG) - starring Macaulay Culkin

I decided to group both movies together because they both merit a spot on this list. "Home Alone" starred a virtual unknown Macaulay Culkin as Kevin, a 10-year old boy who gets left at home while his family goes on Christmas Vacation. Unbeknownst to Kevin and his family, thieves (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) are casing the neighborhood looking for an easy score while people are out of town. It's up to Kevin to protect his families house from them while his mother tries to get home as quick as she can. In "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York," Kevin gets on the plane this time but it's the wrong one! Instead of getting on a plane to Florida, he's on the plane to New York City. Once there, Kevin checks into The Plaza and gets settled. Lerking in the city are the two thieves from the first movie wanting to strike revenge on unsuspecting Kevin. Once he realizes they are there, it's onto an abandoned building where Kevin must defeat them again and get back to his family. Very funny and great holiday classics.

#8 - Holiday Inn (G) - starring Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire

A classic holiday film, this movie introduces the world to a little song called "White Christmas" which also won the Academy Award in 1942. Crosby and Astaire star as a popular nightclub song-and-dance team. When his heart is broken by his girlfriend, Crosby decides to retire from the hustle-bustle of big city showbiz. He purchases a rustic New England farm and converts it to an inn, which he opens to the public (floor show and all) only on holidays. Great songs by Irving Berlin make this a true classic amongst christmas films.

#9 - Silent Night, Deadly Night (R) - starring Robert Brian Wilson, Gilmer McCormick

I know this isn't your typical holiday film, but I had to include it in this list. A Christmas Tradition my friends and I started last year was to watch "Silent Night, Deadly Night" every Christmas season. This 1984 horror movie classic is about a young boy who watches his parents killed by a thief in a Santa suit. He spends his youth in an orphanage, staying quietly to his self, but his mind is further bent by an ironhanded Mother Superior. When he turns 18, he finally gets a job at a local store, where he finally snaps when he is required to wear a Santa suit, and goes on a killing spree that leads him slowly back to the orphanage. Some classic scenes and is definitely NOT FOR CHILDREN!

#10 - Bad Santa (R) - starring Billy Bob Thornton

Another crude holiday classic, this is Thornton at his comedic best. Two conmen, disguised as Santa (Billy Bob Thornton) and an Elf (Tony Cox), have been traveling across the country for the last seven years during the Christmas season getting jobs at shopping malls, and then robbing them on Christmas Eve. They use the trusting nature of people during this happy time just to rob them blind. Just when all is going according to plan, Willie meets an 8-year old boy, (Brett Kelly) who has this trusting nature, and who shows him the meaning of friendship and Christmas. To complicate matters further, he meets Sue, a sexy bartender who starts to really care for him. Rude, Crass and plain raunchy, this movie is a holiday classic for the adults.

Did I leave any out? Post comments below! Merry Christmas to all!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

(UPDATED WEATHER MAP AS OF 1:30 PM 12/18)

Courtesy of Weather.com, here are the projections for snowfall.
Chantilly/Fairfax, VA can expect 12-24 inches Friday evening through Sunday

I should have known something was afoot when, while shopping at Giant to avoid the crazy people today, I heard "Let It Snow" on the stores loudspeaker. Not since the likes of the Blizzards of 1993, 1996 or 2006 have we seen snow totals of 1-2 feet predicted. As the bullseye keeps growing, let's take a walk down memory lane and see what those snowstorms impact had on our area:

• 1993: The "Storm of the Century," also known as the ’93 Superstorm, No-Name Hurricane, the White Hurricane, or the "Great Blizzard of 1993," was a large cyclonic storm that occurred on March 12–March 13, 1993, on the East Coast of North America. It is unique for its intensity, massive size and wide-reaching effect. The D.C. area saw 2-3 feet of snow from this classic storm that crippled the area for 2-3 weeks as plows and residents tried to dig out. (I remember missing over a week of school because of this storm!)
  
  


• 1996: The "Blizzard of 1996" was a nor'easter (much like the one that will hit this weekend) that paralyzed the U.S. East Coast with up to 4 feet of wind-driven snow over a three-day period from January 6 to January 8, 1996.
  
  
  Also known as the MLK Storm, Snow began falling in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore during the late evening of January 6 and continued at a consistent rate until mid-afternoon the next day. At that time, the metro area received 13 to 17 inches, and after a few hours of sleet and then a complete stop for several hours, it seemed the worst was over. But overnight, as the storm slowly crawled northward, extremely heavy bands of snow came in from the east. These bands created whiteout conditions as winds gusted past 40 miles per hour, along with thunder and lightning.
  
  
  By the morning of January 8, the bands tapered off, and the metro area was left with a blanket of 15 to 25 inches of snow. Baltimore received 22.5 inches and Washington Dulles International Airport received 24.6 inches. Many areas north and west in Maryland and West Virginia received well over 2 feet with a few locations in the mountains of West Virginia and Virginia receiving up to 4 feet.
  
  
• 2006: The "Blizzard of 2006" was a nor'easter that began on the evening of February 11, 2006. It dumped heavy snow across the Northeast United States from Virginia to Maine through the early evening of February 12 and ended in Atlantic Canada on February 13. The major northeast cities from Baltimore to Boston received at least a foot of snow, with an all-time largest amount of 26.9 inches in New York City, the most since at least 1869, the start of record keeping.
  
  
  According to Dominion Power, over 64,000 people in Northern Virginia lost power in the storm, primarily in the suburban areas adjacent to Washington, D.C. Many locations in the extreme Northeastern portion of the state recorded 10-15 inches of snow, with Falls Church and Fairfax coming in at 13.5 inches and 14.0 inches respectively. Fairfax County and eastern Loudoun County were generally the start of the 12+ inches accumulations, which spread north towards Massachusetts.

Will we be adding 2009 to the list? I am sure with the predictions of 12-24 inches of snow. Be prepared if you live from North Carolina up to Pennsylvania.

Here are a few tips to keep you safe during this storm:

1) Listen to your radio, television, or NOAA Weather Radio for weather reports and emergency information.

2) Eat regularly and drink ample fluids, but avoid caffeine and alcohol.

3) Avoid overexertion when shoveling snow. Overexertion can bring on a heart attack—a major cause of death in the winter. If you must shovel snow, stretch before going outside.

4) Cover your mouth. Protect your lungs from extremely cold air by covering your mouth when outdoors. Try not to speak unless absolutely necessary.

5) Keep dry. Change wet clothing frequently to prevent a loss of body heat. Wet clothing loses all of its insulating value and transmits heat rapidly.

6) Watch for signs of frostbite. These include loss of feeling and white or pale appearance in extremities such as fingers, toes, ear lobes, and the tip of the nose. If symptoms are detected, get medical help immediately.

7) Watch for signs of hypothermia. These include uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness, and apparent exhaustion.

8) Drive only if it is absolutely necessary. If you must drive, consider the following:
Travel in the day, don’t travel alone and keep others informed of your schedule.
Stay on main roads; avoid back road shortcuts.

SNOW UPDATE AS OF SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20: 26 inches fell in Chantilly, Va.!!!! Roads are terrible with schools closing for the rest of the week and most of DC offices closed Monday.

Brilliant, Shocking End to Dexter Season 4

Arthur Mitchell, aka Trinity (John Lithgow) and Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) showed why Dexter is the best show of the past decade. (Photo Courtesy of EW.com)

If you have not seen the season 4 finale or any of the season for that matter, DO NOT READ AFTER THIS SENTENCE!

Season four of "Dexter" was the absolute best season since the first. When the season begins, Dexter Morgan finds himself married with a wife (Rita), a new baby (Harrison) and two step-children (Cody and Aster). Moving into a new posh Miami suburb, life seems perfect for the serial-killer hero we have all grown to care about in the first three seasons. But as always, Miami shows its ugly side and some peculiar murders pop up.

A woman found dead in a bath tub, a woman who apparently committed suicide jumping off a building and a man found bludgeoned to death. The cycle of the vicious murderer known as the "Trinity Murders." Special Agent Lundy (from Season 2 fame) is back in Miami to track the man he dubbed Trinity. Dexter is very interested in learning about Trinity and helps Lundy and his sister Deb try and track him down.

After Lundy is killed and Deb shot, Dexter makes it his mission to find Trinity. He finds him and instead of immediately putting him on his table, Dexter decides to learn from him. After all, he has a family and so does Trinity. Befriending Arthur Mitchell as Kyle Butler, Dexter sets out to see what makes this man tick and how he balances family life with his dark passenger.

After many episodes peeling back the insanity and viciousness layer by layer with a Thanksgiving from hell as the climax, Dexter has to put an end to the cycle. But to his astonishment, he soon finds out that Trinity not only killed 3 people but a 4th as 10-year old children were encased in cement in every city the killings happened. With time running out, Dexter finds Trinity as he is putting his latest child victim in cement. Knocking him out with a shovel, the kid is saved by Dexter only to have Trinity escape. Now it's personal.

With Trinity looking for Kyle, Dexter knows it's time to end this madness. As he tries to find Arthur, he doesn't know that Arthur has already found him and knows of his true identity. In the final episode of the season, it's a race against time as Dexter tries to end the days of this evil serial killer once and for all.

The episode starts where it left off last week as Dexter is staring right into the eyes of Arthur Mitchell in Miami-Homicide's office. With an exchange of words, Arthur leaves with Dexter hot on his trail. While speeding down the road, Dexter knocks a rearview mirror off the car of some guy. Not stopping for fear of losing Arthur for good, Dexter finds that he has gone to the bank and withdrawn all his money to leave town. Hiding in the shadows of the parking garage, Dexter uses his syringe and knocks Arthur out.

With Arthur now unconscious in the back of his van, Dexter finds out the man whose mirror he knocked off followed him with the Sheriff's department. Leaving Arthur in the van, Dexter doesn't want to waste time with this matter but loses his cool and gets arrested.

Thinking he might still have a shot at Arthur after being released from jail, Dexter goes back to the bank and finds that he is now gone. But luckily Dexter hid Arthur's money somewhere in the parking garage, forcing him to go home and find anything of value to get money including his wife's wedding ring.

On a side story, Deb was told to go home after witnessing Christine commit suicide in front of her four hours earlier. Not wanting to just sit at home, she finds the name of Kimberly Mosher, an ex C.I. of her father. As she's taken to the house, Deb realizes it was the same house the Ice Truck Killer had taken her to. Connecting the dots, she finds out that Dexter was the Ice Truck Killer's brother. Telling Dexter all this, he seems releaved to find that that is all she knows and that the killings Dexter has been a part of have not surfaced.

Dexter wonders where Arthur could be after disappearing from his family. Finding a car repair receipt in the van, Dexter proceeds to find Arthur with his newly fixed and painted mustang and finally got him on his table. Arthur knows his time is up but won't let Dexter have all the fun. “I was following my path. God led you to me.” With this line from Arthur, Dexter finished the deal and Arthur "Trinity Killer" Mitchell was finally dead.

As he stared into the moonlight, Dexter thought to himself that he wanted to embrace his family life. He cared so deeply for all of them and wanted to try and rid himself of the needs of the dark passenger.

Getting home to pack his bag for the Florida Keys, Dexter's phone starts beeping. A voicemail from Rita was left saying that she had forgotten her I.D. to board the plane but that she was going home and catch the next flight out with Harrison. Dexter hits call back on his phone only to hear the phone in her purse in the dining room. A cry from Harrison shrills through the calm night and Dexter runs to where he hears it. In the bathroom, Harrison is on the floor surrounded in Rita's blood...like Dexter when he was little and his mother had been killed. Rita had been murdered in the tub. Trinity's final opus to Dexter Morgan as his greatest adversary. Dexter picked up Harrison and said "I'm what's wrong...this is fate."

I don't know about any of you but my jaw hit the floor with that ending!! When you go back, the subtle hints from Trinity chill you to the core. "It's over. It's already done" he said to Dexter as he laid on the table. This is the best season of this show by far. If this show does not win Emmys, Golden Globes, Actors Guild Awards, you name it, I will never listen to any advise or watch any awards show they put on ever again.

Michael C. Hall was phenominal as always. Since his break on "Six Feet Under," he has stretched his acting skills to new heights. I mean he takes a Serial Killer (only of the bad people) and turns him into a protagonist that everyone cares about! He deserves all the accolades and awards.

John Lithgow has been the greatest villain on this show. He's a brilliant actor who can show he can be funny (3rd Rock from the Sun) and that he can be chilling (Dexter).

Jennifer Carpenter made Deb totally her own this season. With having to deal with Lundy's death and Christine shooting herself in front of her, she showed a wide range of emotions..not the same ones over and over.

Julie Benz was just right as Rita. I know everyone hated her but she was another great character that showed frustration and conflict as she tried to get Dexter to open up to her and also ultimately paid the price for Dexter's mistakes in the end.

So what will happen next season? To me it seems that Dexter will be a single dad trying to balance this new found hole in their lives. Others are saying Dexter will wake up and it will all be a dream at the start of the season. It's up to the fantastic writers who get better with every season. Thoughts? Post comments on what you think is going to happen!

Bowl Predictions

Don't worry Urban, you're still the odds on favorite to win it all and then you can go to Notre Dame!

It's coming down to the final week of College Football as Florida, Alabama and Texas remain unbeaten. The Florida-Alabama thing will take care of itself Saturday, Dec. 5. As for Texas, all they need to do is beat Nebraska and they're in the BCS Championship. Here are my BCS bowl predictions with a few other bowl games as of Monday, Nov. 23:

BCS National Championship (Pasadena, Calif.) : Florida Gators Vs. Texas Longhorns

Florida looks for it's 3rd National Title in 4 years. Texas is looking for it's first since 2005. If Tebow wins, he will have more national titles than any QB in SEC history.

Orange Bowl (Miami, Fla.) : Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Vs. TCU Horned Frogs

The Horned Frogs are undefeated but will get the shaft thanks to the BCS computer. Tech is in this bowl game if they beat Clemson in the ACC Title Game.

Fiesta Bowl (Tempe, Ariz.) : Boise State Stallions Vs. Iowa Hawkeyes

Two-loss Iowa makes a BCS bowl thanks to the Big 12 not having another viable candidate. Boise State looks to stay undefeated but like TCU get shut out of the big dance. Remember what they did to Oklahoma a few years back?

Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, La.) : Alabama Crimson Tide Vs. Cincinnati Bearcats

Also undefeated are the Cincinnati Bearcats. Another BCA loser unfortunately, the Bearcats will take on the Alabama Crimson Tide after they lose to Florida. Interesting matchup that should be entertaining.

Rose Bowl (Pasadena, Calif.) : Oregon Ducks Vs. Ohio State Buckeyes

One of two conferences not to have a Championship game, the Ducks punched their ticket in after a stunning OT win at Arizona. The Buckeyes also punched their ticket after rolling over Michigan. The Rose Bowl tradition continues with the PAC-10 Vs. Big Ten battle.

Music City Bowl (Nashville, Tn.) : Georgia Bulldogs Vs. Florida State Seminoles

Well, UGA and FSU look to meet for the second time in 10 years only this time in a lower tier bowl game. Both teams have suffered this season as Georgia lost to Oklahoma State, LSU, Tennessee, Florida, and Kentucky. They have Georgia Tech but look for Georgia to be 6-6. FSU is 6-5 with losses to Miami, South Florida, Boston College, Georgia Tech and Clemson. They should finish 7-5 with a win over the terrible Maryland Terrapins. All in all an interesting matchup on Dec. 27 at 8:15 p.m.

Papa Johns.com Bowl (Birmingham, Ala.) : Kentucky Wildcats Vs. South Florida Bulls

After pulling off a huge upset of Georgia, Kentucky is in great shape to get another bowl game. They've gone 3-0 in the last three seasons with two trips to the Music City Bowl and one to the Liberty Bowl last season. This season looks to take them to Birmingham for the Papa Johns.com Bowl. South Florida was a team on the rise but fell flat as the season went on. Should be a great matchup. We'll know for sure after the UK Vs. Tennessee game. If they win for the first time since 1984, Kentucky will be 8-4 and go to a higher tiered bowl.


Look for more matchups as the conference championships get closer!

Will Georgia seriously fire Mark Richt after one lousy season?

UGA VII knows how good Mark Richt has been but will Georgia fire him for Charlie Strong of Florida?

Who knew this Saturday's Georgia-Florida game could mean a job for one of the coaches? Rumors are flying on ESPN and other sports sites that if Georgia gets shallacked by the Gators, Richt will be sent packing for Charlie Strong of Florida. Is this a panic move? Absolutely.

Mark Richt has been phenominal as Georgia's head coach. The last 8 seasons, he has rebuilt the Dawgs into a national powerhouse that is really close to achieving the National Championship. With a career record of 85-23, the Dawgs have won 4 SEC East Titles, 2 SEC Titles, 2 Sugar Bowls and were ranked #2 at the end of the 2007-08 season. He has won 10 games every season since 2002. This season however, has been one of his most challenging.

The Dawgs have just plain out struggled. At 4-3 with losses to Oklahoma State, LSU and Tennessee, Georgia is a team with tremendous talent...they just don't know how to use it. This is the worst season Mark Richt has faced since his first year 7-5 start with a loss in the Music City Bowl. But does this merit him getting fired?

I think Georgia fans need to chill out. Sure we're having a bad year, but we had two of the most prolific athletes to wear Georgia uniforms, Knowshon Moreno and Matthew Stafford, leave early for the NFL. Losing two players of tht stature is enough to give any team a challenge. Unfortunately for the Dawgs it has been a lot tougher than anticipated.

What Mark Richt needs to do is fire defensive coordinator Willie Martinez and give offensive coordinator Mike Bobo a stern warning that he is on the hot seat. Martinez has been a long time coming and the Dawgs need to move on. I know it's tough for Richt to fire his buddy but it needs to happen for the better of the team.

Can Georgia beat the Gators? For their Coach, it's looking like the game needs to be kept close or Georgia needs a win. If this can't happen, the trigger will be pulled.

All Time Low in D.C.

Not even Jim Zorn can yell "ALL IS WELL" at Redskin Park

(Courtesy Photo)

If you're a Redskins fan, my condolences. For me, I am a born and raised Virginian who always cheered for the burgundy and gold. With Coach Joe Gibbs, I saw the Redskins win Super Bowl XXII and XXVI. Yes life was good and being a Redskins fan showed a rich, winning tradition. Then Gibbs stepped down as head coach March 5, 1993. The Redskins have never been the same.

From there, Richie Pettibon (1993), Norv Turner (1994-2000), Terry Robiske (Final 3 games of 2000), Marty Schottenheimer (2001), Steve Spurrier (2002-2003), Joe Gibbs (2004-2008) and now Jim Zorn (2008-????), the Redskins have been so so. The bright spot for Norv Turner was in 1999 when the Redskins won the NFC East and got into the playoffs. The only other time they made the playoffs was with Gibbs 2.0 in 2007. This season, the Redskins are on the brink of disaster. 2-4 with 12 games remaining (7 against NFC East opponents.)

What do the Redskins need to do to succeed?

• Fire Vinnie Cerrato and Jim Zorn.
• Cut ties with Jason Campbell. He's had 4 seasons. The experiment is over and we need to move on.
• Implement and hire a General Manager that can run the team. Mr. Snyder, you need to let go so the team can be run like a REAL team, not some Fantasy Football team.
• Hire a hall of fame coach like Mike Shannahan, Bill Cowher or Mike Holmgren who can coach the QB as well as the team.
• DRAFT WELL! Charlie Casserly was the last great drafter the Redskins had. You need to draft well so you can build your team and not break the bank doing it.
• Instead of blowing $100 million dollars on one player, spend it on multiple players! That way, you can get more bang for your buck.

If the Redskins followed these, they could be back on track to winning. It's not going to be overnight but I am prepared to suffer as long as I see progress. The day Daniel Snyder realizes his control is hurting the team, the better the team will get. They also need to get rid of Zorn and quit this charade of making him think he even has a chance to coach next season. After losing to 3 winless teams, he has got to go.

I have never been so embarrased to be a Redskins fan. I've been through many tough years but none as bad as this. A team that can not score on offense, a team that has no desire to win. The coming weeks will tell us what is on Snyder's to do list. The question remains how bad could it really get? I will say this: at least we have one team we can be proud of -- the Washington Capitals.