Art!

So, in UTC, I make cool 2D art, so I'll continue to post it here as I make it.

The first of my creations. For those wondering why who is who, let me break it down. I'm Nightwing because I rule, Patrick is Tim because he's the smart one (at tech, at least), Dylan is Damian because he's a grumpy child at heart, Levi is Jason because he's angsty and an on-and-off member of the team, Nate is Azrael because he's an aloof ally at best. and Nicole is Steph because she's not badass enough for Barbara or Cass. 

Astronautilus requires no explanation. 

This is based off of an in-joke between me and Levi from Old Man Logan, about Red Skull being petty enough to steal Hulk's pants for his collection despite Hulk being A) alive and B) on the other side of the country.

Another in-joke pic, this is based off of me and Levi wondering if Gorilla Grodd has to take the subway to get around Central City. eventually (somehow) escalating to him getting a job. 

C'mon. you know Batman and Nightwing had this conversation. 

Toast-Bot is the way of the future.

Ask a man to make a cover for a random game, and this is what happens. 

More like Toom and Jurry. 

This speaks for itself, frankly. 

Maybe the classes are why nobody can hit anything, since Boba is the worst bounty hunter of all time. 

This is my legit favorite thing that I've made, it's a teaser poster for the upcoming Defenders Netflix series. I might make a hypothetical season 2 poster with Punisher, Moon Knight, Ghost Rider, and Blade. Maybe. 

I did make it! Although I swapped Blade for Kaine.

Guest Review: The Man from UNCLE (or the Batman v. Superman we almost got)

Mission Impossible. Bourne. Bond (Craig-verse, anyway.) Why is it that when spy movies come out, they’re dark and brooding? Where are all the fun romps? That’s a question that The Man from UNCLE seeks to answer with, “Right here you dummy!” But does it succeed? Read my review and find out?

Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) is a former thief turned CIA agent, more or less blackmailed into working off what would have been his prison sentence. During a mission in East Berlin to extract Gaby Teller (Alicia Vikander), the daughter of missing nuclear scientist Udo Teller, Solo is ambushed by Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer), a no-nonsense and blunt KGB agent, but narrowly escapes. Unfortunately, Solo and Kuryakin, alongside Gaby, are forced to team up when it becomes clear that Gaby’s father has been kidnapped by Nazi sympathizers who intend to use him to build an atomic bomb. What ensues is a spy adventure through fabulous locales set in the swinging 60’s, with betrayals and twists galore.

It’s also a lot of fun, with everyone involved clearly enjoying themselves. Cavill as Solo is excellent as a smooth and experienced spy, with nothing ever truly phasing him, and he bounces off of the (hilariously) stoic Hammer, who plays his character with just enough depth and hidden rage to prevent Kuryakin from becoming a one-note Russian stereotype. Vikander, meanwhile, nails the sex appeal of a Bond girl, but injects it with a goofy and lovable feel. Also, she isn’t stuck in a dumb love triangle with Solo and Kuryakin, which is an interesting twist since that’s usually how a movie like this would go. The cast also has an awesome chemistry together, which sells the reluctant (turned not-so-reluctant) team-up.

Of course, a great cast can’t save a movie where the action and plot don’t work, so it’s a good thing they do, for the most part. Guy Ritchie captures the retro feel and visual style of old-school Bond, with scenes that definitely wouldn’t feel out of place in a Moore-era Bond flick. The editing and cinematography is cut in such a way that the action is fun without being overwhelming, and it snaps along well because of it. The story is also fun, with solid wisecracks and humor, alongside unexpected bait-and-switches of spy tropes. (Kuryakin regularly avoids killing despite being a brute of a man, while Solo curses with modern-day slang.) Unfortunately, the movie isn’t perfetc writing-wise. Near the end of the film, the pacing and tone varies wildly, and at times feels as though it should be in a different film. One scene in particular wouldn’t have been out-of-place in Casino Royale (Trust me, you’ll know it when you see it.) while a knifefight in the rain between Kuryakin and the big bad’s deadliest mook is deadly serious.

I suppose I should also mention that while the main trio is well-written and fleshed out, the supporting cast is less so. Elizabeth Debicki and Luca Cavini are excellent as the main villians, but the characters never feel like anything other smarmy villians. (To be fair, neither did Dr. No.) Hugh Grant is difficult to discuss without spoiling his character’s role in the plot, but he’s solid, if underused. What I’m saying is that the cast is solid, if underdevloped.

Ulitmately, The Man from UNCLE isn’t perfect, but it overcomes a style-over-substance design by having a hell lot of style. It’s quick, funny, and most importantly, fun. Go see it if you want to have fun. You do like fun, don’t you?

Overall Score: 8 out of 10

Notes:

>That’s right, I’m grading on a 1 to 10 scale now. Deal with it.

>”You should’ve seen it run. It tore the hood off my car.” A bewildered Solo describing his run-in with Kuryakin.

>Solo nonchalantly eating a sandwich as Kuryakin is chased by guards is one of the film’s funniest scenes, and absolutely could’ve gone on longer.

>I really would like to see a sequel to this, seeing as how it broke even at the box office and already has something of a cult following.

The Mark

(So, this is a story I'm working on. I'll post pieces of it as I convert the written version to text. The notes Kira writes are contained in textboxes, so I'll have to re-insert those.)

The Mark

Written by Ryan Mains

Lara Washington floated down the river. The darkness of the water contrasted her hair, a flaming red. With a slashed throat, she was almost certainly dead. Of course, her friends and family didn’t know this yet, so she was also, to them at least, alive. A Schrodinger’s Girl, if you will. Of course, they would find her eventually, and that’s when things will really go downhill.

 

                                *           *            *

 

Kira groaned as she walked to the broken-down trailer in front of her. This was Chuck’s house. She really didn’t like Chuck. She stopped at the door, and briefly considered walking away. In spite of herself, she knocked. There was an uncomfortable long pause, and then the door opened. Kira was greeted face-first with a horrid, almost certainly drug-related stench. She frowned once she set eyes on Chuck. Everything about Chuck just oozed sleaze. The yellow teeth. The bloodshot eyes. The greasy wifebeater and jeans. He grinned. “Kira, what brings you to my humble abode?” She ignored his false charm. “Where’s Lara, Chuck?” Chuck looked confused. “Why would I know where she is?” Kira scoffed. “Because she’s your girlfriend? Don’t try this crap with me, Chuck.” Chuck shrugged, “I haven’t seen her since the party at Dan’s house.”

 

She raised an eyebrow, disgust visible in her tone. “You took her to a party?” Chuck was insulted. “Before you ride away on the goddamned high horse, I’ll let you know nothing happened. Some other guy drove her home.” “Who?” Now he was angry. “I don’t know. I was high, could barely tell where I was. All I knew was that the guy gave me the creeps. Now we gonna play 20 questions or are you gonna get off my porch?” She pulled out her notebook and scribbled down some notes. “Goodbye, Chuck.” She stepped off of the porch, not bothering to turn at the sound of the door slamming. She wasn’t surprised that Chuck was less than helpful.

 

Suddenly, her cellphone buzzed. She answered. “Hello?” “Where are you, K?” Kira cursed silently. “Hey, Dad. I’m, uh, I’m staying after at school.” There was silence, then a sigh, on the other end. “Where are you really?” Figures her dad would see her through lie. “I’m at the trailer park. I was talking to Chuck about Lara.” Her dad sighed again. “Alright, I’m coming to pick you up.” “No, you don’t have to-““Yes, I do. Stay there, K.” She hung up. “Damn it.”

                                   *               *              *

It took 20 minutes for Officer Frank Andrews to pull up to the trailer park. “Hey, Dad.” “Hey, K. Get in.” They drove in relative silence for a few minutes. Kira broke the silence. “Look, Dad, I only went over because-““You don’t think the cops can handle this? We already shook own this Russo scumbag. I doubt he told you anything different. You-“ He pointed at her with his gloved hand. His hand had been badly burned by the accident that had killed her mother. “-need to stay out of this. You don’t know what kind of stuff Lara was wrapped up in. I lost your mom, but I ain’t losing you.” If this hadn’t been the hundredth time she’d heard this speech, it would’ve had actual weight. “Look, Dad, I’m sorry.” Frank hesitated. “Alright, honey.” They pulled into the driveway of the house. “So I’m still working for a bit. I’ll be home around 9 or 10, alright?” Kira nodded, then stepped out of the car. “Hey, K?” She turned. “We’re gonna find her. Ok?” She smiled, thin and largely forced, but it seemed to please her father. She stepped into the house, left her keys on the table, went to her room. Taking out her notebook, she tore out the page of her notes on the meeting with Chuck and stuck it to her wall. The information was lacking. “Where are you, Lara?” One part of her said, “Alive and well.” But everything else said, “Dead and gone.”

                     *                       *                     *

Kira awoke in the middle of the night to the sound of something the wall of her room. Her window was open, as always. On the floor lay a rock with a note tied to it. She bent over and picked up the note. “Meet me at the tree afterschool-T.” Kira frowned. She didn’t recognize the writing. “T?” She closed the window, then left the rock on the windowsill and went back to bed.

                       *                    *                      *

Kira felt a sense of loss as she walked up to the tree. Located at a nearby lake, she and Lara had played here as kids. Whoever wanted to meet here obviously knew the two of them well. She checked her watch. “It was 2:30, and there wasn’t any sign of “T’. There was rustling in the bushes, and she turned to see a teenage boy in a green jacket, a Doctor Who t-shirt, and jeans stepped out of them. If she hadn’t figured it out by then, the partially broken glasses and messy dark hair helped Kira figure out the identity of “T”. “Theo?”

 

Theo Marcellin was something of a loner. He rarely spoke up during classes, ate lunch alone, and didn’t seem to care much about other people. Lara had taken it upon herself to bring him out of his shell. The efforts, for the most part, weren’t successful. He looked around nervously, and then said,”Hey, Kira.” She looked at him with interest. “Why did you throw the rock through my window?” He chuckled, then replied, “Because you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.” She looked confused, and then replied, “And you do?” He nodded. “Alright then, where’s Lara?” He shook his head. “Can’t tell you that.” She got angry. “Why not? How do I know everything you say to me isn’t a lie?” He got even more nervous. “Because I can’t tell you anything beyond clues, or bad things happen. I can give you pieces, but not the whole puzzle.”

 

 Kira rolled her eyes, but got out her notebook anyway. “Alright, give me a “hint” then.” He nodded, and replied, “Your friend was wrapped up with very bad people. Kira frowned, “You don’t think I already knew that? Are you saying Chuck-“Theo shook his head. “Not him. Bigger.” She started to ask who, but realized he wasn’t going to ask that. “That’s all I have. I’ll contact you if I have anything else.” He turned to leave, but Kira stopped him. “Why are you helping me?” He seemed to form a response, but stopped himself. “Maybe I’ll tell you later.” He walked back into the bushes. “Alright, then.” Kira scribbled down some notes, then left.  

Guest Review: Ant-Man

After the good but not particularly great Avengers 2, Marvel knew they needed something special. Outside of the box. They needed another Guardians. So they fired the brilliant and unique Edgar Wright and replaced him with Peyton Reed, director of Yes Man. (Okay, maybe more on that later.) But is Ant-Man a good movie, despite its troubled production, or is it just another bug on the windshield that is the rapidly growing superhero movies industry? Read my review and find out.

Ant-Man tells the story of Scott Lang, an ex-con, who after breaking into the home of former Ant-Man Hank Pym, finds himself in the possession of the Ant-Man suit. Drawn into a battle between Pym, his daughter Hope, and Pym's former protege Darren Cross, who intends to weaponize Pym's creation of Pym particles (particles that allow the wearer to grow and shrink) and sell them, unsurprisingly, to HYDRA (I'll talk about them in my notes section.), Lang must prove his potential as a hero in time to prevent a catastrophe.

The plot of Ant-Man is a solid heist flick, with some genuinely funny lines. It's fairly standard, all things considered, and can more or less be considered an inversion of the 1st Iron Man. (Young Tony Stark tries to prevent his old protege Obidiah Stane from weaponizing the Arc Reactor.) Of course, the replacement of Edgar Wright probably prevented a more impressive and out-there of the film we eventually got, but Reed's script is still solid, with one of the best gags actually being written by him. Although, the final battle does drag a bit, and the finale 

As for performances, they're also solid. Rudd's funny, with just enough seriousness to make him a likable character worth rooting for. As Hope, Evangline Lily sells a sense of bitterness and resentment that makes her an interesting foil to Lang. Fulfilling the Marvel tradition of casting a veteran actor in a crucial role, Micheal Douglas absolutely kills it, selling a world-weary former hero with a subtle sense of sadness that a lesser actor might have totally botched. And while his character may have unclear motives in the endgame, Corey Stoll is unsurprisingly terrific as Cross, a man driven mad by a seething resentment and hatred against the people he once considered friends. 

                                                Sounds familiar, now that I think about it. 

Of course, the best performance is quite obviously Micheal Peña as Luis, Scott's best friend and leader of his own crew of thieves. Peña steals every scene he's in, and his raming Drunk History-esque stories are easily the film's best scenes. (And they were written by Peyton Reed, so suck it, Edgar Wright. ...Just kidding I love you bud.) Every Marvel film needs comic relief as side-splittingly funny as Luis. 

All in all, Ant-Man, despite Edgar Wright's unfortunate departure, is a solid superhero flick with humor and heart. Go see it, or better yet, pirate it, so you don't have to give Marvel money and encourage them to fire interesting directors in favor of generic ones.

Overall Score: 4 out of 5

Notes: 

>Why is the HYDRA rep in Ant-Man some new guy and not Grant Ward? I know most people don't watch Agents of Shield, but this is somewhat ridiculous seeing as how he's HYDRA's new de facto leader.

>Also, one of the buyers had a Ten Rings tattoo, even though we're never going to deal with the Mandarin again. The Mandarin is the City College of the MCU. 

>"Baskin-Robbins always finds out." Ant-Man might be the funniest Marvel movie thus far. 

>Yes, I have seen Fantastic Four, and no, it's neither good enough or bad enough to write an 4-paragraph review over.

>I know that burn at the end might be meanspirited, but Marvel has 1. replaced Edgar Wright with Peyton Reed because he's cheaper and handles executive meddling better. 2. chosen the Russo bros. over James Gunn to direct Avengers 3, with the reason inevitably being that they're cheaper. 

2015 Saturn Awards Predictions

So the nominations for this years Saturn Awards (the Oscars for nerds, essentially) have been announced, and as the local awards show buff, I'm going to run through the major categories and make some predictions. In the style of Indiewire, I'm going to say who will win, who could win, who should win, and who got snubbed. (I won't do the snubbed part for every category, only the ones that had particularly bad snubs.)

(NOTE: Blogger was being an ass and wouldn't let me add some of the other pictures. I'll try to get them in later.)
Film

Best Science Fiction Film
        

There's really no doubt of who the winner is here. Interstellar is the buzziest film of the bunch, and its also from Saturn-favorite Christopher Nolan. As long as it doesn't pull an Avatar and sweep every category, I'd be fine with it winning here, even if Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was the more critically favored film.

The Nominees:
*Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
*Edge of Tomorrow
*Godzilla
*The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 1
*Interstellar
*The Zero Theorem

The Predictions:
*Will Win: Interstellar
*Could Win: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
*Should Win: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Best Fantasy Film

A solid set of nominees here, even with the confusing addition of the Grand Budapest Hotel. Ultimately, I think the Saturn Awards will either go the way of the Academy and give it to the daring and original Birdman or give the Hobbit a final send-off.

The Nominees:
*Birdman
*The Grand Budapest Hotel
*The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
*Into the Woods
*Maleficent
*Paddington

The Predictions:
*Will Win: Birdman.
*Could Win: The Hobbit.
*Should Win: Birdman.

Best Horror Film

Yeah, there's no way the Babadook isn't winning this one. Moving on.

The Nominees:
*Annabelle
*The Babadook
*Dracula Untold
*Horns
*Only Lovers Left Alive
*The Purge: Anarchy

The Predictions:
*Will Win: The Babadook.
*Could Win: Only Lovers Left Alive.
*Should Win: The Babadook.
*Should've Been Here: Tusk

Best Thriller Movie

Wouldn't American Sniper go under Action or Adventure instead of here? Hm. This is a really awesome set of nominees, with any of these films (except The Equalizer) standing a chance of winning. However, I feel as though the Saturns will give this to American Sniper, despite the lack of other nominations. While that would seem like a guaranteed loss, it didn't stop Saving Private Ryan from winning here back in '98. However, this is far from a sure thing, as I could see either the equally fantastic Nightcrawler or Gone Girl pulling a steal.

The Nominees: 

*American Sniper
*The Equalizer
*Gone Girl
*The Guest
*The Imitation Game
*Nightcrawler

The Predictions:
*Will Win: American Sniper.
*Could Win: Pretty much anyone's game, but if I had to pick, I'd say either Nightcrawler or Gone Girl.
*Should Win: Gone Girl.
*Should've Been Here: Foxcatcher.

Best Action or Adventure Film
         

Without John Wick or American Sniper, this is a rather meh category. Exodus, Lucy, Noah, and Unbroken received mixed reception and feel more like placeholders rather than actual competitors. Snowpiercer, the instant and beloved cult classic, more or less has this in the bag, though perhaps its a little bit of bias convincing me that the wonderfully bizarre Inherent Vice could pull an upset.

The Nominees:
*Exodus: Gods and Kings
*Inherent Vice
*Lucy
*Noah
*Snowpiercer
*Unbroken

The Predictions:
*Will Win: Snowpiercer.
*Could Win: Inherent Vice.
*Should Win: Inherent Vice. (Though anyone except Lucy would be great.)
*Should've Been Here: John Wick.

Best Animated Film

  

How the hell is The Wind Rises considered a 2014 film? Anyway, I think the Lego Movie, the most talked about and acclaimed of all these films, can take this. It's taken most of the other major "Best Animated" awards, and I don't see that changing here, though I wouldn't cut out the beloved How to Train Your Dragon 2 or Oscar-winning Big Hero 6. 

The Nominees:
*Big Hero 6
*The Boxtrolls
*How to Train Your Dragon 2
*The Lego Movie
*The Wind Rises

The Predictions:
*Will Win: The Lego Movie
*Could Win: Either Big Hero 6 or How To Train Your Dragon 2
*Should Win: How To Train Your Dragon 2
*Should've Been Here: The Book of Life.

Best Comic Book Film

It's kind of great that no matter what happens here, Marvel wins. But the question is which Marvel film will cease the trophy? Will the Saturns stick with the MCU, or will they venture to other non-Marvel produced films? Ultimately, I think this comes down between Guardians of the Galaxy and Cap 2, both great films, and I'm thinking the award will go to the more unconventional Guardians, though I wouldn't be surprised if Cap triumphs. 

The Nominees: 

*The Amazing Spider-Man 2
*Captain America: The Winter Soldier
*Guardians of the Galaxy
*X-Men: Days of Future Past

The Predictions:

*Will Win: Guardians of the Galaxy
*Could Win: Captain America: The Winter Soldier
*Should Win: Guardians of the Galaxy

Best Independent Film

Oh, come on! There's no rational excuse for why Grand Piano, a (admittedly good) movie that came out in 2013, is nominated as one of the best independent films of 2014. Did they just forget to nominate it last year, and are throwing it in now as an apology? I wouldn't make such an issue of it, but there were plenty of indie films that came out this year deserving as a nod. Anyway, I think Whiplash will win this. It, notably, has the most nominations out of these films, alongside being the actual best of the nominees. Seems like a shoo-in to me. 

The Nominees: 

*Grand Piano

*I Origins

*A Most Violent Year

*The One I Love

*The Two Faces of January

*Whiplash

The Predictions:
*Will Win: Whiplash
*Could Win: A Most Violent Year
*Should Win: Whiplash
*Should've Been Here: Boyhood

Best Director

This is one particular category that I've had difficulty deciding upon. Will the award (rightfully) go to Oscar-winner Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu, or will the Saturns give it to 3-time nominee Christopher Nolan? I'm predicting that the underdog pulls ahead, but I could see just about anyone winning it. 

The Nominees:

*Alejandro González Iñárritu, Birdman
*James Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy
*Doug Liman, Edge of Tomorrow
*Christopher Nolan, Interstellar
*Matt Reeves, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
*Joe and Anthony Russo, Captain America: The Winter Soldier
*Bryan Singer, X-Men: Days of Future Past

The Predictions:
*Will Win: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Birdman
*Could Win: Christopher Nolan, Interstellar
*Should Win: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Birdman
*Should've Been Here: Damian Chazelle, Whiplash

Best Writing

After a shocking loss for Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars, it appears that The Grand Budapest Hotel will regain it's footing here. Though it won't be an easy win, as it has to compete with fellow-frontrunner turned Oscar loser Whiplash and dark horse Guardians, which stands its best chance of winning here then it does in most of it's other categories.

The Nominees:
*Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, Captain America: The Winter Soldier
*Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth, and John-Henry Butterworth, Edge of Tomorrow
*Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
*James Gunn and Nicole Perlman, Guardians of the Galaxy
*Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson, Phillipa Boyens, and Guillermo Del Toro, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
*Damien Chazelle, Whiplash

The Predictions:
*Will Win: Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
*Could Win: Either Damien Chazelle, Whiplash or James Gunn and Nicole Perlman, Guardians of the Galaxy.
*Should Win: Damien Chazelle, Whiplash.
*Should've Been Here: Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl/Dan Gilroy, Nightcrawler.

Best Music

Hans Zimmer's Interstellar score is the best known of the bunch, so I'll put money there, though I'll admit this a boring category with no really unorthodox competitors. 

The Nominees:
*Henry Jackman, Captain America: The Winter Soldier
*Michael Giacchino, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
*Alexander Desplat, Godzilla
*Howard Shore, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
*John Powell, How to Train Your Dragon 2
*Hans Zimmer, Interstellar

The Predictions:
*Will Win: Hans Zimmer, Interstellar
*Could Win: Pretty much anyone.
*Should Win: Hans Zimmer, Interstellar.
*Should've Been Here: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Gone Girl/Johnny Greenwood, Inherent Vice/Antonio Sanchez, Birdman/Mica Levi, Under The Skin.

Best Actor

        

Is this Michael Keaton's award to lose? All signs seem to point to it, as not only is he a past nominee, his performance is widely seen as the best out of any of these seven. However, should they decide to (wrongly) snub Keaton, I could see either Jake Gyllenhal's chilling turn as sociopathic ambulance chaser Lou Bloom or Chris Pratt's hilarious breakthrough as Star-Lord pulling a upset. Though, just like most categories, anyone of these awesome performances could win. 

The Nominees: 

*Tom Cruise, Edge of Tomorrow

*Chris Evans, Captain America: The Winter Soldier 

*Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler 

*Micheal Keaton, Birdman

*Matthew McConaughey, Interstellar

*Chris Pratt, Guardians of the Galaxy

*Dan Stevens, The Guest

The Predictions:
*Will Win: Michael Keaton, Birdman.
*Could Win: Either Jake Gyllenhaal or Chris Pratt.
*Should Win: Micheal Keaton, Birdman.
*Should've Been Here: Bradley Cooper, American Sniper

Best Actress

Another solid, if predictable, batch of nominees. I think this comes down to a match between the quiet subtlety of Essie Davis or the star power of Angelina Jolie, though anyone who knows me and my love of Gone Girl knows who I think the winner should be. 

The Nominees: 
*Emily Blunt, Edge of Tomorrow
*Essie Davis, The Babadook
*Anne Hathaway, Interstellar
*Angelina Jolie, Maleficent
*Jennifer Lawrence, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 1
*Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl

The Predictions:
*Will Win: Essie Davis, The Babadook
*Could Win: Angelina Jolie, Maleficent
*Should Win: Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl

*Should've Been Here: Scarlett Johansson, Under the Skin

Best Supporting Actor

This might be my favorite category of the whole show, with each of these actors capable of winning in a different year (especially Josh Brolin). However, it's a two-man race this year, with the race coming down between Saturn-darling Andy Serkis and Oscar/BAFTA/SAG/Golden Globe/Literally everything winner J.K Simmons. In this case, I don't think the awards love will enable J.K Simmons to win, as awards love doesn't always guarantee victory at the Saturns. (See: Bryan Cranston's 1 win out of 6 goddamn nominations.) My money's on Andy Serkis pulling ahead for his increasingly strong work on the Apes franchise, but I'd be happy if Simmons pulled an upset. (Or Brolin, for that matter.)

The Nominees:
*Richard Armitage, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
*Josh Brolin, Inherent Vice
*Samuel L. Jackson, Captain America: The Winter Soldier
*Anthony Mackie, Captain America: The Winter Soldier
*Andy Serkis, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
*J.K Simmons, Whiplash

The Predictions:
*Will Win: Andy Serkis, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
*Could Win: J.K Simmons, Whiplash
*Should Win: J.K Simmons, Whiplash
*Should've Been Here: Ethan Hawke, Boyhood/Edward Norton, Birdman

Best Supporting Actress

Of all of the acting categories Interstellar is aiming to win, this seems like the safest bet. Jessica Chastain earned a fair amount of praise for her role, and while she's up against tough competition, I feel as though she'll win here to make up for the film not winning in the major acting categories.The Nominees:
*Jessica Chastain, Interstellar
*Scarlett Johansson, Captain America: The Winter Soldier
*Evangline Lily, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
*Rene Russo, Nightcrawler
*Emma Stone, Birdman
*Meryl Streep, Into The Woods

The Predictions:
*Will Win: Jessica Chastain, Interstellar
*Could Win: Scarlett Johansson, Captain America: The Winter Soldier
*Should Win: Rene Russo, Nightcrawler/Emma Stone, Birdman
*Should've Been Here: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood/Katherine Waterson, Inherent Vice.

Best Performance by a Younger Actor

Another two-person race between two breakout performances in two frontrunners in their respective categories. This will be close, but I'm going with Mackenzie Foy's beloved performance in Interstellar, as several (*cough* YMS *cough*) have pointed out the flaws of Wiseman's acting in Babadook. 

The Nominees:
*Elle Fanning, Maleficent
*Mackenzie Foy, Interstellar
*Chloë Grace Moretz, The Equalizer
*Tony Revolori, The Grand Budapest Hotel
*Kodi Smit-McPhee, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
*Noah Wiseman, The Babadook

The Predictions:
*Will Win: Mackenize Foy, Interstellar
*Could Win: Noah Wiseman, The Babadook
*Should Win: Mackenzie Foy, Interstellar
*Should've Been Here: Ellar Coltrane, Boyhood

Television

Best Network Television Series

No doubt about it. Hannibal will easily triumph over it's competition, and probably sweep a few of these other awards. Moving on. 

The Nominees:
*The Blacklist
*The Following
*Grimm
*Hannibal
*Person of Interest
*Sleepy Hollow

The Predictions:
*Will Win: Hannibal.
*Could Win: The Blacklist (but not really).
*Should Win: Person of Interest.

Best Syndicated/Cable Series

All signs point to the Walking Dead, after an excellent 4th and 5th season, managing to pull a win here, though I wouldn't be surprised if American Horror Story finally managed to win after 4 years of snubs. 

The Nominees:
*12 Monkeys
*American Horror Story: Freak Show
*Continuum
*Falling Skies
*Salem
*The Strain
*The Walking Dead

The Predictions:
*Will Win: The Walking Dead.
*Could Win: American Horror Story: Freak Show.
*Should Win: The Strain.
*Should've Been Here: The Americans.

Best Limited Run Television Series

I'm very confused by the naming of this category. The name implies that this is for miniseries like Fargo or American Horror Story, but none of these shows are miniseries. Anyway, Game of Thrones has got this tied up in a neat little bow, with only new series Outlander standing a chance of stopping the juggernaut.

The Nominees: 

*Bates Motel

*From Dusk Til Dawn: The Series

*Game of Thrones

*The Last Ship

*The Librarians
*Outlander

The Predictions:
*Will Win: Game of Thrones.
*Could Win: Outlander.
*Should Win: Game of Thrones.
*Should've Been Here: Fargo.

Best Superhero Adaption Television Series

While these are all solid nominees (yes, even Gotham), the obvious winner is The Flash, the strongest out of any of the new shows, and the flashiest (pun intended) nominee overall, pushing it to victory over the grittier Arrow and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

The Nominees:

*Agent Carter

*Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D

*Arrow

*Constantine

*The Flash

*Gotham

The Predictions:
*Will Win: The Flash.
*Could Win: Agent's of S.H.I.E.L.D
*Should Win: Arrow. (Though The Flash is fine in my book.)

Best Actor on Television

With frontrunner Matthew McCounaughey snubbed, there doesn't appear to be a whole lot holding back last year's winner Mass Mikklesen, whose fantastic performance as Hannibal Lecter actually pulled an upset over Bryan Cranston last year. Of course, maybe the Saturns will mix it up and give it to Mikklesen's co-star Hugh Dancy, or even throw Andrew Lincoln a bone.

The Nominees:
*Hugh Dancy, Hannibal
*Grant Gustin, The Flash
*Andrew Lincoln, The Walking Dead
*Tobias Menzies, Outlander
*Mads Mikklesen, Hannibal
*Noah Wyle, Falling Skies

The Predictions:
*Will Win: Mads Mikklesen, Hannibal
*Could Win: Hugh Dancy, Hannibal/Andrew Lincoln, The Walking Dead
*Should Win: Grant Gustin, The Flash
*Should've Been Here: Matthew McConaughey, True Detective

Best Television Actress

The Nominees:
*Hayley Atwell, Agent Carter
*Catriona Balfe, Outlander
*Vera Farmiga, Bates Motel
*Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Coven
*Rachel Nichols, Continuum
*Rebecca Romijn, The Librarians

The Predictions:
*Will Win: Catriona Balfe, Outlander
*Could Win: Hayley Atwell, Agent Carter
*Should Win: Hayley Atwell, Agent Carter
*Should've Been Here: Keri Russell, The Americans

Best Supporting Television Actor

This is pretty much the only category where I actually don't have the foggiest idea who will win. These are 6 great, varied performances where just about anyone could pull a surprise. 

The Nominees:
*David Bradley, The Strain
*Laurence Fishburne, Hannibal
*Sam Heughan, Outlander
*Erik Knudsen, Contiuum
*Norman Reedus, The Walking Dead
*Richard Sammel, The Strain

The Predictions:
*Will Win: Norman Reedus, The Walking Dead
*Could Win: Laurence Fishburne, Hannibal
*Should Win: Richard Sammel, The Strain
*Should've Been Here: Manu Bennett, Arrow/Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones

Best Supporting Television Actress

Will last year's winner Mellisa McBride pull a double win? All signs point to it, as the show's 4th season has proven to be McBride's best work. However, Emilia Clarke continues to excel on Game of Thrones, meaning an upset could be in the works.

The Nominees:
*Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones
*Jenna Coleman, Doctor Who
*Caroline Dhavernas, Hannibal
*Lexa Doig, Contiuum
*Emily Kinney, The Walking Dead
*Mellisa McBride, The Walking Dead

The Predictions:
*Will Win: Melissa McBride, The Walking Dead
*Could Win: Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones
*Should Win: Melissa McBride, The Walking Dead
*Should've Been Here: Allison Tolman, Fargo

Best Guest Star on Television

In a category packed to the gills with great performances, I'm thinking that Hannibal's domination will continue here with Michael Pitt. Of course, the Walking Dead could be setting up a sweep of it's own, and this seems like the tipping point between the two.

The Nominees:
*Dominic Cooper, Agent Carter
*Neil Patrick Harris, American Horror Story: Freak Show
*John Larroquette, The Librarians
*Wentworth Miller, The Flash
*Michael Pitt, Hannibal
*Andrew J. West, The Walking Dead

The Predictions:
*Will Win: Micheal Pitt, Hannibal
*Could Win: Andrew J. West, The Walking Dead
*Should Win: Neil Patrick Harris, American Horror Story. (Though all of these nominees are fairly fantastic.)

*Should've Been Here: Jon Hamm, The Black Mirror: White Christmas

Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Television Series

With a set of phenomenal performances, I think I'd be pretty satisfied with whoever won. The winner in my book is Maisie Williams, who has proven herself as a fantastic member of the Game of Thrones ensemble (She held her own against freaking Charles Dance!), with only Chandler Riggs standing between her and an easy win. 

The Nominees: 

*Carmen Bicondova, Gotham

*Maxim Knight, Falling Skies

*Tyler Posey, Teen Wolf

*Chandler Riggs, The Walking Dead

*Holly Taylor, The Americans

*Maisie Williams, Game of Thrones

The Predictions:

*Will Win: Maisie Williams, Game of Thrones

*Could Win: Chandler Riggs, The Walking Dead

*Should Win: Either Maisie Williams or Holly Taylor, The Americans