10 Best Films of 2015

Just Missed the Cut:
Ex Machina
Sicario 
Spotlight
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Steve Jobs

10.Kingsman: The Secret Service: In 2010, director Matthew Vaughn delivered an over-the-top, tongue-in-cheek take on the superhero genre with Kick-Ass. Five years later, he gives the same treatment to the spy genre with Kingsman: The Secret Service. Vaughn's flare for inventive and relentlessly brutal action sequences combined with a cast that embraces every ounce of insanity the film offers up makes Kingsman a slice of badass B-action movie perfection.

9.Concussion: There was no shortage of films in 2015 that tackled timely issues, but none did so more effectively than Peter Landesman's Concussion. Driven by a career-best performance from Will Smith as Dr. Bennet Omalu, the Nigerian-born pathologist who discovered CTE after handling the autopsy's of multiple retired professional football players and an intelligent script that doesn't portray the NFL and their handling of the concussion issue in anywhere close to a favorable light, Concussion is a thought-provoking film that should get people to consider the humanity of the seemingly indestructible warriors that take the field every Sunday.  

8.The Night Before: Seth Rogen and his merry band of bong-ripping cohorts struck comedic yet again with The Night Before. The blend of consistent laughs and surprising emotional depth makes The Night Before the first true holiday classic of the new millennium.

7.Trainwreck: Amy Schumer's transformation from stand-up juggernaut to movie star is finally complete. Schumer shines as both an actress and a writer in this clever, honest and frequently hilarious deconstruction of the schmaltzy romantic comedies Hollywood has offered up for generations. With its heavily flawed characters and themes of fear of commitment and becoming emotionally-attached to another person , Trainwreck is the rare romantic comedy that fully understands how people in their 20's and 30's view relationships in the present day.

6.Creed: What could've easily been a cheap attempt to cash-in on the Rocky name turned out to be the best film in the franchise since the 1976 original. Writer/director Ryan Coogler proved that his masterful debut Fruitvale Station wasn't a fluke by crafting an engrossing, poignant film that honors the legacy of Sylvester Stallone's original franchise while also forging its own unique path with a new set of well-developed and deeply likable characters that you want to see come out on top.

5.Furious 7: The late Paul Walker's swan song couldn't have possibly come in a better or more fitting film. The seventh installment of the long-running franchise that Walker helped build is further proof as to why this series has been the gold standard for action movies since its inception in 2001. The tone is appropriately light, the stunts are consistently exhilarating and the entire cast oozes charisma. In an age where blockbusters are becoming gritter by the day, we need more unabashedly silly, endlessly fun films like Furious 7.  

4.Dope: After numerous unsuccessful jaunts into the romantic comedy genre, writer/director Rick Famuyiwa (The Wood) has returned to his roots with the brilliant Dope. Famuiywa's coming-of-age story about three geeky high school seniors (Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, who all give starmaking performances) in Inglewood, California whose lives are turned upside down after they inadvertently inherit a large shipment of molly is the kind of unpredictable and colorful comedy you just don't see come out of Hollywood anymore. The nature of its premise and its oddball sense of humor will turn off certain audiences, but for those who aren't against offbeat comedies with unconventional storylines, Dope is a highly rewarding and tremendously entertaining ride.

3.The Hateful Eight: Quentin Tarantino's third consecutive foray into the western genre is yet another twisted, flawlessly-acted masterpiece from the celebrated director. While it's much more deliberately-paced and claustrophobic than his previous films, The Hateful Eight is still a vintage Tarantino flick loaded with the type of clever dialogue, over-the-top violence and eccentric, fascinating characters that only he can offer up.

2.Room: Out of all of the 2015 Best Picture nominees that I've seen, Room is far and away the best. The story is remarkably powerful and the the acting from Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay is simply outstanding. Hopefully the slew of Academy Award nominations it received last week will allow this criminally underseen film to find the mass audience it deserves.

1.Straight Outta Compton: Most Hollywood-produced biopics are more concerned with exploring the "greatest hits" of their subjects than actually providing any insight on who the people behind the impressive and/or notorious accomplishments truly are. The N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton is not one of those films. Straight Outta Compton is a raw, spellbinding glance into the psyches and hearts of the three leading members (Eazy-E, Dr. Dre and Ice Cube) of the legendary hip-hop group that took over the music world in the late 1980's. The film covers a ton of ground in its 150-minute runtime without ever feeling rushed or sacrificing meaningful character development and the acting from newcomers Jason Mitchell, Corey Hawkins and O'Shea Jackson Jr. in the leading roles is nothing short of staggering. Straight Outta Compton epitomizes a full-scale cinematic triumph and sets the bar incredibly high for all future biopics.

2015 in a Film: A Year in Review

Now that we're a few weeks into the new year, it's time to reflect on the year in film that was 2015. While it was far from a bad year on the whole, I can't recall another year that has featured more overhyped movies than 2015. Every single genre and niche from action (Mad Max: Fury Road) to horror (It Follows) to animation (Inside Out) to award-contending dramas (The Revenant) had at least one film that just could not live up to the monumental waves of hype surrounding them. On the positive side, I'll always remember 2015 as the year of the comeback. A number of struggling talents including Ridley Scott, Will Smith and Johnny Depp all got their respective grooves back with their latest projects after years of turning in performances and/or releasing films that were far below their artistic capabilities. Below is the complete list of films I saw in 2015, ranked from worst to best with star ratings; as well as my selections for the year's best performances, biggest surprises/letdowns, etc. It should be noted that this list is tentative and has the potential to change dramatically once I see all the films I have an interest in seeing from 2015 (those films are also listed below). Hope you enjoy and feel free to leave your picks for the best/worst films of 2015 and/or any feedback on this list in the comment section below! 

95.Jupiter Ascending (0/5)
94.Tomorrowland (1/5)

93.Cop Car (1/5)

92.Aloha (1/5)

91.The Voices (1.5/5)

90.The Cobbler (1.5/5)

89.It Follows (1.5/5)

88.Big Game (1.5/5)

87.The Final Girls (1.5/5)

86.Knock Knock (1.5/5)
85.The Revenant (1.5/5)

84.San Andreas (2/5)

83.Slow West (2/5)

82.The Boy Next Door (2/5)

81.Maps to the Stars (2/5)
80.Fifty Shades of Grey (2/5)

79.The Gunman (2/5)

78.Mad Max: Fury Road (2/5)

77.Mortdecai (2.5/5)

76.Love & Mercy (2.5/5)

75.Inside Out (2.5/5)

74.Self/Less (2.5/5)

73.The Overnight (2.5/5)

72.Welcome to Me (2.5/5)

71.Chappie (2.5/5)

70.Shaun the Sheep Movie (3/5)

69.Spectre (3/5)

68.Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (3/5)

67.Wild Card (3/5)

66.Avengers: Age of Ultron (3/5)
65.Infinitely Polar Bear (3/5)

64.The Walk (3/5)

63.No Escape (3/5)
62.The Visit (3/5)

61.Adult Beginners (3/5)

60.Maggie (3/5)

59.Unfinished Business (3/5)
58.The Forger (3/5)

57.Southpaw (3/5)

56.Terminator Genisys (3/5)

55.What We Do in the Shadows (3/5)

54.Get Hard (3/5)

53.Pixels (3/5)

52.Mission: Impossible-Rogue Nation (3.5/5)

51.Paper Towns (3.5/5)

50.Run All Night (3.5/5)

49.Project Almanac (3.5/5)
48.Black Mass (3.5/5)

47.Jurassic World (3.5/5)

46.The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (3.5/5)

45.The Big Short (3.5/5)

44.Ant-Man (3.5/5)

43.Red Army (3.5/5)

42.The Green Inferno (3.5/5)

41.Daddy's Home (3.5/5)

40.The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (3.5/5)

39.Sisters (3.5/5)

38.The Gift (3.5/5)

37.The Stanford Prison Experiment (3.5/5)

36.Vacation (3.5/5)

35.Crimson Peak (3.5/5)

34.The DUFF (3.5/5)

33.True Story (3.5/5)

32.Spy (3.5/5)

31.Insurgent (3.5/5)

30.Danny Collins (3.5/5)

29.Ted 2 (4/5)

28.The End of the Tour (4/5)

27.Entourage (4/5)

26.Joy (4/5)

25.American Ultra (4/5)

24.The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part II (4/5)

23.McFarland, USA (4/5)

22.Pitch Perfect 2 (4/5)
21.The Martian (4/5)

20.Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (4/5)

19.Beasts of No Nation (4/5)

18.Sleeping with Other People (4/5)

17.Focus (4/5)

16.The Wedding Ringer (4/5)

15.Spotlight (4/5)

14.Star Wars: The Force Awakens (4/5)

13.Steve Jobs (4/5)

12.Sicario (4/5)

11.Ex Machina (4/5)

10.Kingsman: The Secret Service (4/5)

9.Concussion (4/5)

8.The Night Before (4.5/5)

7.Trainwreck (4.5/5)
6.Creed (4.5/5)

5.Furious 7 (4.5/5)

4.Dope (4.5/5)

3.The Hateful Eight (4.5/5)

2.Room (4.5/5)

1.Straight Outta Compton (4.5/5)

Still Need to See:
Blackhat
Black Sea
Black or White
'71
The Salvation
Cut Bank
Child 44
Misery Loves Comedy
The Water Diviner
Skin Trade
Good Kill
Poltergeist
The Wolfpack
Amy
Cartel Land
Irrational Man
Nowitzki: The Perfect Shot
Mr. Holmes
The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Fantastic Four
Dark Places
Grandma
Hitman: Agent 47
Sinister 2 
The Transporter: Refueled
A Walk in the Woods
Everest
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
Pawn Sacrifice
99 Homes
The Intern
Mississippi Grind
Bone Tomahawk
Bridge of Spies
Goosebumps
The Last Witch Hunter
I Smile Back
Rock the Kasbah
Burnt
Freaks of Nature
Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse
Our Brand is Crisis
Truth
Brooklyn
Trumbo 
Miss You Already
By the Sea
The 33
Secret in their Eyes
Carol 
Legend
Victor Frankenstein
The Danish Girl
Chi-Raq
Krampus
In the Heart of the Sea
Point Break

Year-End Award Picks:
Best Picture: Straight Outta Compton
Best Actor: Jason Mitchell, Straight Outta Compton
Best Actress: Brie Larson, Room
Best Supporting Actor: Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation
Best Supporting Actress: Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina
Best Director: Danny Boyle, Steve Jobs
Best Original Screenplay: Andrea Berloff and Jonathan Herman, Straight Outta Compton
Best Adapted Screenplay: Emma Donoghue, Room
Best Cinematography: Roger Deakins, Sicario
Best Score: Ennio Moricone, The Hateful Eight
Best Visual Effects: Star Wars: The Force Awakens


Biggest Surprises:
1.The Wedding Ringer
2.Sleeping with Other People
3.Pitch Perfect 2
4.McFarland, USA
5.Danny Collins

Biggest Disappointments
1.Black Mass
2.Avengers: Age of Ultron
3.Chappie
4.Hot Tub Time Machine 2
5.Southpaw

Most Underrated
1.Dope
2.Concussion
3.Focus
4.Sleeping with Other People
5.American Ultra

Most Overrated
1.The Revenant
2.Mad Max: Fury Road
3.Inside Out 
4.Love & Mercy
5.Mission: Impossible-Rogue Nation

Top 10 Performances of the Year
1.Brie Larson, Room
2.Jason Mitchell, Straight Outta Compton
3.Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
4.Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation
5.Walton Goggins, The Hateful Eight
6.Sylvester Stallone, Creed
7.Will Smith, Concussion
8.Jennifer Lawrence, Joy
9.Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina
10.Johnny Depp, Black Mass

Top 10 Breakthrough Performances
1.Jason Mitchell, Straight Outta Compton
2.Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina
3.Jacob Tremblay, Room
4.RJ Cyler, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
5.Corey Hawkins, Straight Outta Compton
6.Shameik Moore, Dope
7.Kiersey Clemons, Dope
8.O' Shea Jackson Jr., Straight Outta Compton
9.Taron Edgerton, Kingsman: The Secret Service
10.Daisy Ridley, Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Top 10 Casts
1.Straight Outta Compton
2.Trainwreck
3.Dope
4.The Hateful Eight
5.Sleeping with Other People
6.Room
7.The Night Before
8.Steve Jobs
9.Furious 7
10.Kingsman: The Secret Service 

10 Most Anticipated Albums of Winter/Spring 2016

10.Toothgrinder-Nocturnal Masquerade (Release Date: January 29th)
9.Rob Zombie-The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispensary (Release Date: April 29th) 
8.Amon Amarth-Jomsviking (Release Date: March 25th) 
7.Textures-Phenotype (Release Date: February 5th)
6.After the Burial-Dig Deep (Release Date: February 19th)
5.Hatebreed-The Concrete Confessional (Release Date: TBD March/April)
4.Deftones-Gore (Release Date: April 8th)
3.Kanye West-Swish (Release Date: February 12th)
2.Obscura-Akroasis (Released Date: February 5th)
1.Killswitch Engage-Incarnate (Release Date: March 11th)

Also excited for:
Fleshgod Apocalypse-King (Release Date: February 5th)
Anthrax-For All Kings (Release Date: February 26th)
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis-The Unruly Mess I've Made (Release Date: February 26th)
Flatbush Zombies-3001: A Laced Odyssey (Release Date: March 11th)  
The Zenith Passage-Solipsist (Release date: April 15th) 
A$AP Ferg-Always Strive and Prosper (Release Date: TBD)
Rae Sremmurd-SremmLife2 (Release Date: TBD)
Riff Raff-Peach Panther (Release Date: TBD Spring)
Waka Flocka Flame-Flockaveli 2 (Release Date: TBD Spring)

NFL Divisional Round Picks

Last week's record: 3-1 (Correct: Chiefs, Steelers, Seahawks Incorrect: Redskins)
Overall playoff record: 3-1 

Kansas City Chiefs over New England Patriots: I'm well aware that this is a very controversial pick and to be honest, it's easily the pick I'm least confident in for the entire divisional round given the Patriots' absurd playoff success over the past 15 years and my terrible record of picking against them since their last playoff loss in the 2013 AFC Championship game against the Broncos. That being said, I'm just not sold on the Patriots as a viable contender right now. They've played some of their worst football in the Bill Belichick-era over the last month and a half and even with a pair of high-impact players in Julian Edelman and Don'ta Hightower set to return from injury this week, I'm not convinced the week of rest will do much to fix their recent woes. They are still far from 100% health wise with the condition of Rob Gronkowski seemingly to only deteriorate further in the past week, their offensive line is still incredibly shaky and the whole Chandler Jones situation is cause for a concern for a team that pretty much never has to deal with internal crisis. The unusual sense of instability and question marks facing this Patriots squad makes the Chiefs the worst possible opponent for them to be facing right now. The Chiefs have been playing with their backs against the wall since mid-October (they've won 11 straight games after starting the season 1-5) and that sense of urgency makes them a really tough team to beat right now. The game-time decisions designations given to star wideout Jeremy Maclin and outside linebacker Justin Houston is certainly a big blow, but the Chiefs' strong running game and sheer amount of defensive firepower should be enough to keep them in the game regardless of whether or not Maclin and Houston are able to play. If this game somehow turns into a offensive shootout, the Patriots will be end up being victorious, but if the Chiefs talented defense buckles down and keeps Tom Brady's big play total to a minimum, they should be able to pull off a shocking road victory against the defending Super Bowl Champs.

Arizona Cardinals over Green Bay Packers: The Packers showed their first signs of life in over a month with their 35-18 victory over the Redskins last weekend. While the Packers certainly appear to be back on track after a rough finish to the season, I still don't think they'll be able to take out a Cardinals squad that is far more talented than they are on both sides of the ball. The Cardinals decimated the Packers 38-8 just three weeks ago plus they should be hungry to prove they're still serious Super Bowl contenders after getting embarrassed by the Seahawks at home in the regular season finale. Barring an epic meltdown from the Cardinals, I just don't see a way that the Packers can come with a victory here.

Seattle Seahawks over Carolina Panthers: Don't get it twisted, I don't think the Carolina Panthers 15-1 season is a fluke. They've been phenomenal on both sides of the ball and proved their critics wrong at just about every possible juncture all season long. The problem is that they have the misfortune of playing the one team still alive in the NFC that matches up very well against them. The Seahawks defense has the speed,  physicality and front-seven talent to stop the Panthers rush-first attack, take their star tight end (and one consistent option in the passing) Greg Olsen out of the game and force Cam Newton to make contested, difficult throws from the pocket. If you stop the Panthers from running the ball effectively and prevent Olsen from being a factor, their odds of winning rapidly diminish. It also doesn't help that this is a much different Seahawks team than the one Panthers pulled off a spectacular late-game comeback against in Week 6. The Seahawks have overcame their early-season struggles (they are 9-2 since that loss to the Panthers with both of their losses coming against divisional opponents) by re-gaining their edge on defense and becoming a seriously formidable offense behind career-best play from quarterback Russell Wilson and wide receiver Doug Baldwin. The Seahawks suddenly potent offense hit a bit of a snag last week against the Vikings in subarctic conditions, but the lack of extreme weather in this game paired with the return of running back Marshawn Lynch to the lineup after missing the past two months with an abdominal injury leads me to believe they'll get back on track this week, especially against a Panthers defense that has struggled of late (excluding their Week 14 shutout of the Falcons, they've allowed an average of 25.8 points in their last five games.) I fully expect this game to be a highly competitive battle, I just don't think the Panthers are quite capable of defeating the Seahawks at this point in time.

Denver Broncos over Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers paid a big price in their miraculous last-second victory over the Bengals last week. Wide receiver Antonio Brown sustained a concussion on the game-winning drive after taking a vicious helmet-to-helmet hit from Bengals outside linebacker Vontaze Burfict and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger sprained the AC joint in his throwing shoulder after landing awkwardly on a clean hit by Burfict in the 3rd quarter. With Brown and running back DeAngelo Williams-who also missed last week's contest with a high ankle sprain- already ruled out and Roethlisberger playing with an injury that limits his ability to throw the ball downfield, The Steelers are pretty much doomed for their divisional round contest against the Broncos. The Broncos top-ranked pass defense is hard enough for most healthy teams to throw on and with a game-breaking, elite receiver in Brown sidelined and a banged-up Roethlisberger under center, it's going to take a series of major miracles for the Steelers to pick up significant yards through the air. The absence of Williams also prevents the Steelers from being able to make for their sudden shortcomings in the passing game with a consistent rushing attack. Fitzgerald Toussaint and Jordan Todman exceeded expectations a week ago against the Bengals a week ago, but the Broncos have a much more stout rushing defense than the Bengals and are bound to be prepared for the heavy dose of running The Steelers are going to be forced to do with Roethlisberger's limitations in the passing game. Unless Peyton Manning turns the ball over like crazy or the Steelers offense miraculously overachieves, the Broncos should be able to ride the strength of their defense to a victory.

Top 25 Hip-Hop Beats of 2015

After weeks of over-analysis and tweaks, the moment has finally come for me to reveal my picks for the top 25 hip-hop beats of 2015. A list of all the hip-hop releases I heard this year plus links to the beats can be found below. Enjoy!  

2015 hip-hop albums/mixtapes/EP's I heard:
A$AP Rocky-At.Long.Last.A$AP
Action Bronson-Mr. Wonderful
Big K.R.I.T.-It's Better This Way 
Big Sean-Dark Sky Paradise
CZARFACE-Every Hero Needs a Villain 
Drake-If You're Reading, It's Not Too Late
Drake & Future-What a Time to Be Alive
Earl Sweatshirt-I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside
Fetty Wap-Fetty Wap
Freddie Gibbs-Pronto
Freddie Gibbs-Shadow of a Doubt
Future-56 Nights
Future-DS2 
Gucci Mane-King Gucci 
Jay Rock-90059
Joey Bada$$-B4.Da.$$
Juicy J-100% Juice
Juicy J-Blue Dream & Lean 2
Juicy J-O's to Oscars 
Kendrick Lamar-To Pimp a Butterfly
Lil B x Chance the Rapper-Based Freestyle Mixtape
Logic-The Incredible True Story
Mac Miller-GO:OD AM 
Meek Mill-Dreams Worth More Than Money 
Migos-Back to the Bando
Migos-Yung Rich Nation
Pusha T-King Push-Prelude: Darkest Before Dawn
Rae Sremmurd-SremmLife
Riff Raff-Trench Coat Towers
Travi$ Scott-Rodeo
Tyler, the Creator-Cherry Bomb
Vince Staples-Summertime '06
Waka Flocka Flame-Flockaveli 1.5

25.Waka Flocka Flame-Hit a Lick (Producer: YK) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDwc8sq3fak 

24.Migos-Pipe It Up (Producer: Murda Beatz) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5FrnE75m9I

23.Drake-6 God (Producers: Boi-1da and Syk Sense) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZcNacuLSGQ

22.Vince Staples-Norf Norf (Producer: Clams Casino) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HigAB8WeS1Q 

21.Action Bronson-The Rising (Producer: Statik Skeletah) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACHDrNdF9x0

20.Kendrick Lamar-Alright (Producers: Pharrell Williams and Sounwave) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z938ya2fbPo

19.CZARFACE-Lumberjack Match (Producers: 7L and Spada4) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKwJuzbzKuM 

18.A$AP Rocky-Better Things (Producer: Frans Mernick) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__s9ZfV_NaI

17.Mac Miller-When in Rome (Producers: ID Labs and Sledgren) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8JyQmrBMl0

16.Action Bronson-Actin' Crazy (Producers: Noah “40” Shebib and Sidney “Omen” Brown) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFF1s4jcMbc

15.Drake & Future-Digital Dash (Producers: Metro Boomin and Southside) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6KWAN6pQmk

14.Mac Miller-Rush Hour (Producer: ID Labs) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpqowTNgUp8

13.A$AP Rocky-LPFJ2 (Producer: Nez & Rio) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxEacYE3hVg

12.Pusha T-Retribution (Producers: Timbaland and Deafh Beats) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpyPYLDfjW4

11.Waka Flocka Flame-Short Handed (Producers: Southside and TM88) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7nCzrQqSyI

10.Drake & Future-Big Rings (Producer: Metro Boomin) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsl5D03rfzk

9.Juicy J-I'm Sicka (Producer: Mike Will Made It) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr91-4CDYv4

8.Vince Staples-Loca (Producer: No I.D.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH3BuEhHwLE 

7.Big Sean-All Your Fault (Producer: Kanye West) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyVM995PDvw

6.Future-Colossal (Producer: Zaytoven) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlL9IpGdvz4

5.A$AP Rocky-Electric Body (Producers: Hector Delgado, Danger Mouse, THC and Teddy Walton) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-oaEe8tcDs

4.Travi$ Scott-Nightcrawler (Producers: Metro Boomin, Southside, TM88, Mike Dean and Allen Ritter) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNr6X0_vmWM

3.Rae Sremmurd-Up Like Trump (Producer: Sonny Digital) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLa9YxV1Xps

2.Big Sean-Paradise (Extended Version) (Producer: Mike Will Made It) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE-6bb54vDs

1.Future-No Compadre (Producer: Southside) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNwvehhSmuo

Academy Award Nomination Predictions

The nominations for the 88th Academy Awards will be announced Thursday at approximately 8:40 A.M. EST. Here are the names I believe you'll hear called tomorrow morning at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, California.

Best Picture:
Bridge of Spies
The Big Short
Carol
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Spotlight

Locks: Carol, The Martian, The Revenant, Spotlight
Toss-Ups: Bridge of Spies, The Big Short, Mad Max: Fury Road, Room
Most likely to pick up a surprise nomination: Brooklyn, Creed, The Danish Girl, The Hateful Eight, Joy, Steve Jobs, Straight Outta Compton

Best Actor:
Matt Damon, The Martian
Johnny Depp, Black Mass
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl
 
Locks: Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Eddie Redmayne
Toss-Ups: Johnny Depp, Michael Fassbender
Most likely to pick up a surprise nomination: Steve Carell (The Big Short), Bryan Cranston (Trumbo), Michael B. Jordan (Creed), Will Smith (Concussion)

Best Actress:
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Brie Larson, Room
Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl

Locks: Cate Blanchett, Brie Larson, Alicia Vikander
Toss-Ups: Charlotte Rampling, Saoirse Ronan
Most likely to pick up a surprise nomination: Jennifer Lawrence (Joy), Maggie Smith (The Lady in the Van), Sarah Silverman (I Smile Back)

Best Supporting Actor:
Christian Bale, The Big Short
Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight
Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies 
Sylvester Stallone, Creed
Jacob Tremblay, Room

Locks: Christian Bale, Mark Rylance, Sylvester Stallone
Toss-Ups: Mark Ruffalo, Jacob Tremblay
Most likely to pick up a surprise nomination: Idris Elba (Beasts of No Nation), Ryan Gosling (The Big Short), Michael Keaton (Spotlight), Liev Schreiber (Spotlight), Michael Shannon (99 Homes), Benicio Del Toro (Sicario)

Best Supporting Actress:
Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara, Carol
Rachel McAdams, Spotlight
Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs
Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina

Locks: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Rooney Mara, Kate Winslet
Toss-Ups: Rachel McAdams, Alicia Vikander
Most likely to pick up a surprise nomination: Joan Allen (Room), Jane Fonda (Youth), Helen Mirren (Trumbo), Julie Walters (Brooklyn)

Best Director:
Todd Haynes, Carol
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, The Revenant
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road 
Ridley Scott, The Martian

Locks: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Tom McCarthy, George Miller, Ridley Scott
Toss-Ups: Todd Haynes
Most likely to pick up a surprise nomination: Lenny Abrahamson (Room), Danny Boyle (Steve Jobs), Adam McKay (The Big Short), Steven Spielberg (Bridge of Spies), Quentin Tarantino (The Hateful Eight)

Best Original Screenplay:
Bridge of Spies
Ex Machina 
The Hateful Eight
Inside Out
Spotlight

Best Adapted Screenplay:
The Big Short
Carol
The Martian
Room
Steve Jobs

Best Animated Feature:
Anomalisa
The Good Dinosaur
Inside Out
The Peanuts Movie
Shaun the Sheep Movie

Best Cinematography:
Bridge of Spies
Carol
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Sicario

Best Foreign Language Film:
The Brand New Testament
Labyrinth of Lies
Mustang
Son of Saul
A War


Best Documentary Feature:
Amy
Cartel Land
He Named Me Malala
Meru
The Look of Silence


Best Costume Design:
Brooklyn
Carol
Cinderella
The Danish Girl 
Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Score:
Bridge of Spies
Carol
The Danish Girl 
The Hateful Eight
Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Makeup and Hairstyling:
Black Mass
The Danish Girl
The Revenant  

Best Visual Effects:
Ant-Man
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

2015 NFL All-Pro Teams

Last Friday, The Associated Press released their annual All-Pro teams, honoring the best players in the NFL for the 2015 season. Today, I throw my hat into the ring with a list that is far superior in every conceivable way (wink wink). It should be noted that these teams only honor the top two to four players at each respective position, so don't be surprised or offended when you don't see players who had excellent seasons (i.e. Tom Brady, Brandon Marshall, Muhammad Wilkerson) omitted from them. Without further ado, here are my 2015 All-Pro teams. 

Quarterback
1st team: Cam Newton (Panthers)
2nd team: Carson Palmer (Cardinals)

Running Back
1st team: Adrian Peterson (Vikings), Doug Martin (Buccaneers)
2nd team: Devonta Freeman (Falcons), Todd Gurley (Rams)

Fullback
1st team: Patrick DiMarco (Falcons)
2nd team: Mike Tolbert (Panthers)

Wide Receiver 
1st team: Julio Jones (Falcons), Antonio Brown (Steelers)
2nd team: DeAndre Hopkins (Texans), Odell Beckham Jr. (Giants)

Tight End
1st team: Rob Gronkowski (Patriots)
2nd team: Delanie Walker (Titans)

Tackle
1st team: Joe Thomas (Browns), Tyron Smith (Cowboys)
2nd team: Trent Williams (Redskins), Terron Armstead (Saints)

Guard
1st team: Marshal Yanda (Ravens), Richie Incognito (Bills)
2nd team: Zach Martin (Cowboys), David DeCastro (Steelers)

Center
1st team: Ryan Kalil (Panthers)
2nd team: Weston Richburg (Giants)

Defensive End
1st team: J.J. Watt (Texans), Cameron Jordan (Saints)
2nd team: Michael Bennett (Seahawks), Fletcher Cox (Eagles)

Defensive Tackle
1st team: Aaron Donald (Rams), Kawann Short (Panthers)
2nd team: Linval Joseph (Vikings), Geno Atkins (Bengals)

Inside Linebacker
1st team: Luke Kuechly (Panthers), Derrick Johnson (Chiefs)
2nd team: Brandon Marshall (Broncos), NaVorro Bowman (49ers)

Outside Linebacker
1st team: Khalil Mack (Raiders), Justin Houston (Chiefs)
2nd team: Von Miller (Broncos), K.J. Wright (Seahawks)

Cornerback
1st team: Josh Norman (Panthers), Patrick Peterson (Cardinals)
2nd team: Darius Slay (Lions), Chris Harris Jr. (Broncos)

Safety
1st team: Eric Berry (Chiefs), Tyrann Mathieu (Cardinals) 
2nd team: Harrison Smith (Vikings), Malcolm Jenkins (Eagles)

Kicker
1st team: Stephen Gostkowski (Patriots)
2nd team: Dan Bailey (Cowboys)

Punter
1st team: Pat McAfee (Colts)
2nd team: Sam Koch (Ravens)

Return Specialists:
1st team: Cordarrelle Patterson (Vikings)
2nd team: Tyler Lockett (Seahawks)