All-Fictional Baseball All-Stars

I have had baseball on the mind for the past few months -- I have been enjoying the surprising success of my Orioles who at the time of this writing are succeeding in the brutal AL East -- and I began to wonder who are the greatest fictional baseball players of all time?  I know this isn't an original concept, but I thought I would weigh in on who my all-fictional all-star roster would be.  A few rules: I am using only characters from movies and they must be fictional - no Lou Gehrig from Pride of the Yankees.  Also, only one character per movie...

Hey, it's...Richard Masur!

Hands down, the best comedy on TV right now is HBO's Girls.  While it has received some (possibly deserved) flack for a lack of diversity given its urban milieu, it is nonetheless hilarious, poignant, and anchored by some wonderful natural performances.  Perhaps most impressive is the fact that 26-year-old creator-star Lena Dunham has written every episode.  I love that the show, like Louis CK's Louie, has a single unique point of view that does not attempt to cater to the lowest common denominator.  Dunham tells the stories she wants to tell and if that takes her to some strange places, like the scene in the latest episode where her character finds some inner strength while talking to her pseudo-boyfriend (breakout star Adam Driver) while he's furiously masturbating, then so be it.  Given her success, I hope other networks take chances on young comedians with ideas that can be shot for very little money.

Best Supporting Actor/Actress Nomination Predictions (Courtesy of Someone Who Has Seen 4 Movies from 2011)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

KENNETH BRANAGH, MY WEEK WITH MARILYN - As I have noted before, playing a famous person well is always a good way to get yourself nominated (Branagh plays acting legend Sir Laurence Olivier).  See also Michelle Williams, Meryl Streep, Brad Pitt, and Leonardo DiCaprio.  Branagh has been under the radar as an actor for years although he did surprisingly direct one of 2011's biggest box office hits: Thor, an odd choice for a man known more for Shakespeare than comic books.

Best Actor Nomination Predictions (Courtesy of Someone Who Has Seen 4 Movies from 2011)

GEORGE CLOONEY, THE DESCENDANTS - He is quickly gaining a Streep-like level of admiration in Hollywood.  He's handsome, he directs, he acts, he aids Darfur.  There is no way they will pass up any opportunity to nominate Clooney for anything.  Definitely the front-runner.

Best Actress Nomination Predictions (Courtesy of Someone Who Has Seen 4 Movies from 2011)

MERYL STEEP, THE IRON LADY - If she can get a nomination for Music of the Heart, I think she can get one for playing a famous person in a role that requires her to don extensive makeup, hair, and an accent.  The movie is not supposed to be anything special, but Streep is always amazing.

Best Picture Nomination Predictions (Courtesy of Someone Who Has Seen 4 Movies from 2011)

Yes, I am a terrible film blogger whose life has become so busy that I don't have time to watch more than 4 goddamn new movies in a year, but that doesn't mean that we can't have fun talking about movies, does it?  I'll take the next few posts to predict the 2012 Oscar nominations starting with best picture.  [For the record, the only 2011 movies that I have seen are Terri, Moneyball, The Artist, and Cedar Rapids]

Horror Films 101

Thought you might enjoy this semantic map I created for a class assignment.  Click to enlarge.