SAG Nominations

Awards season is finally here. As expected, many actors who were nominated for Golden Globes on Monday were also recognized by the Screen Actors Guild today. To no one's surprise, 'Machester by the Sea' got a few nods. Several HBO programs were nominated this morning, like 'Game of Thrones' and 'Westworld.' Let's take a look at some of the snubs.

Norbert Leo Butz: 'Bloodline'

Unlike the Golden Globes, there is no best supporting actor category for television in the SAG awards. As a result, the "Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series' is a crowded race. That being said, I thought Norbert Leo Butz's performance as the troubled Kevin in season two of 'Bloodline' was worthy of a nomination. If it were up to me, he would have gotten a spot on the list over Peter Dinklage. Don't get me wrong, I love 'Game of Thrones.' I just don't think his character was that interesting this past season.

Lori Petty: 'Orange is the New Black'

Netflix really kicked ass in this year's nominations. 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt' and 'House of Cards' each got two nods. The freshman series 'The Crown' got three nominations. Unfortunately there was no room for actress Lori Petty in this year's list. I think she deserves more recognition for her portrayal of the mentally ill prisoner Lolly on Netflix's 'Orange is the New Black.' 

Wagner Moura: 'Narcos'

This is now the second year in a row that Wagner Moura has been snubbed by the Screen Actors Guild for his work on 'Narcos.' His portrayal of Pablo Escobar is a great one to watch and I'm surprised that he also got overlooked by the Golden Globes for his performance on the second season of the drama series. 

Golden Globe Nominations

Golden Globe nominations came out this morning and I got some opinions about them. 

'Transparent'

As usual, this Amazon series received several nominations today. But I think it's time that the show gets moved to the drama category. The first episode of season three shows the main character helping a suicidal woman over the phone. The episodes that follow are also pretty dark. The program has strong acting in it and is well made, but it does not belong in the comedy category. That spot should have been open for HBO's 'Silicon Valley,' which got completely snubbed this year.

'Deadpool'

I always complain about action movies getting snubbed during awards season. They tend not to get love from older voters. So I was pretty excited when 'Deadpool' got two nominations, one for Best Actor (Ryan Reynolds) and another for Best Picture. The movie was released back in February, so there was a possibility that it wasn't fresh enough in the minds of the members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. 'Deadpool' was funny as hell and deserves its spot in this year's comedy category.

Kyle Chandler

Kyle Chandler has a long history of getting snubbed by the Golden Globes, despite amazing performances on different television programs throughout the years. For the second year in a row, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association didn't recognize his work on the Netflix series 'Bloodline.' Season three will be the show's last, so maybe next year he'll finally get some love from the Golden Globes.

Lena Headey

I was so happy to see first time nominee Lena Headey ('Game of Thrones') on today's list. The actress has received several Emmy nominations for her portrayal of Cersei Lannister throughout the last few years, but has always been snubbed by the Golden Globes. It was about time they recognized her work as the evil queen on 'Game of Thrones.' 

'Idiocracy' is happening

The 2006 movie 'Idiocracy' has been in the limelight throughout Trump's campaign. If you're not familiar with the comedy, it's basically a movie about how Americans get really dumb. Ever since Trump got elected, 'Idiocracy' now feels like it was a documentary and not a satire. Yesterday it was announced that Linda McMahon, the former CEO of the WWE, was given the position of Small Business Administrator. When I read that online I laughed because pro wrestling plays a part in the movie. But today when it was revealed that Andrew Puzder, CEO of Carl's Jr., was tapped to be Labor secretary, I died. I'm pretty sure Trump is trolling us so hard. He has to be in on the joke. There's no other explanation.

Wes Anderson Made a Short Film for H&M

Wes Anderson's next feature film won't be released until 2018. In the meantime, you can check out this commercial he made for H&M that is now streaming on YouTube:

 One Month Until the Premiere of Season 2 of 

'The Man in the High Castle'

Since it feels like we're living in an alternate reality these days, check out the trailer for the sophomore season of 'The Man in the High Castle.'

It's Official, Biff Tannen is President

Seriously, America. What the hell. I can't believe you fools elected the host of 'The Apprentice' as the leader of our nation.

Janet Reno's Dance Party

It was announced today that Janet Reno, the US Attorney General during Bill Clinton's presidency, passed away at the age of 78. I used to love Will Ferrell's impression of her on 'Saturday Night Live.' She appeared as herself on the show when Mena Suvari hosted the program in 2001. Unfortunately I cannot find the clip online. But here is one of the 'Janet Reno Dance Party' sketches that is currently streaming at nbc.com.

Last Night's Cubs Win Does Fit into the 'Back to the Future 2' World After All...

2016 Halloween Costume

I thought I'd share my Halloween costume since it is TV related. I dressed up as PBS legend Bob Ross tonight.

Simultaneous Film Projects

It was announced this week that two Zelda Fitzgerald films are currently in the works. One will star Scarlett Johansson, and the other will have Jennifer Lawrence playing the novelist. It's pretty common in Hollywood for simultaneous film projects to take place. Let's take a look at a few prominent ones:

2013

2012

2011 

2006

2000

1998

1997

This 'Sully' Poster is a Mess

Who designed the poster for Clint Eastwood's latest movie? The Freedom Tower was not yet at that height in 2009. Also, the plane landed south in the Hudson, so it's facing the wrong direction in the poster. Anything else I'm missing?

Colin Kaepernick's Hairdo Looks Familiar

I live in the bay area, so I can't avoid hearing about the so called 'controversy' surrounding football player Colin Kaepernick's decision to not stand for the national anthem. All I see is his resemblance to former public television star Bob Ross.

Score a $12 Fandango Code

If you're a candy lover, then you're in luck. If you buy three qualifying bags of M&Ms, you can get a $12 code from Fandango. You can read more about the promotion here.

There are a few things to note about this deal. One, certain types of M&M bags do not qualify for the promotion. For example, you cannot apply a bag of mini M&Ms to this deal. Another strange thing about this deal is that although the code comes from Fandango, you cannot use it online. After submitting a photo of your purchases and a receipt, you will receive a code from Fandango that can be used at the box office at movie theaters participating in this promotion.

The good news is that you will receive your code by email very quickly. I got mine within a few hours of submitting all my stuff. Although it is inconvenient that I cannot apply the code online to reserve a seat in advance, I will not have to pay the $1.50 convenience fee that Fandango charges.

Remember This 'Daily Show' Segment from 2012?

The first day of the Republican National Convention started today. It's already been quite a shit show. Representative Steve King said some pretty racist remarks, Rudy Giuliani looked crazy in his speech, and Melania Trump is accused of plagiarism.

It feels like the 2012 RNC took place in a much simpler time for this country. This 'Daily Show' segment from that election year is hysterical. Check out the clip below:

2016 Emmy Snubs

This year's Emmy nominations were announced this morning. I think there were some well-deserved picks throughout the categories. It took a few seasons, but Thomas Middleditch finally got recognized for his acting on 'Silicon Valley.' I was also glad to see Kyle Chandler nominated for the second year in a row for his work on 'Bloodline.' But it's always fun to discuss some of the snubs. Below are some of my picks:

'Orange is the New Black'

I was surprised that 'Orange is the New Black' got snubbed in major categories. The first two seasons were both nominated for lots of Emmys. I think one reason the program got snubbed this year is because voters had to consider the show for season three, which premiered on Netflix over a year ago. That season was probably not very fresh in their memories as opposed to other more recent series that were submitted for consideration. I bet many of the voters have already binged season four of 'Orange is the New Black,' which was posted on Netflix last month.

Oscar Isaac

Oscar Isaac's performance in 'Show Me a Hero' was excellent. The Hollywood Foreign Press thought so too and awarded him a Golden Globe in January. However, Emmy voters chose not to nominate his work on the HBO miniseries. 'Show Me a Hero' premiered last August. Emmy voters probably forgot about the program and instead went on to nominate more recent performances, such as Tom Hiddleston's work in 'The Night Manager.'

Iwan Rheon

'Game of Thrones' scored 23 Emmy nominations this morning. Fan favorites Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister) and Kit Harington (Jon Snow) each received nominations in the Supporting Actor category. If it were up to me, I would have recognized Iwan Rheon instead of Peter Dinklage. Nothing against Dinklage, I just think his character was not that interesting this past season. He didn't have much to work with, unlike say in season four when his character was on trial and delivered memorable monologues. Ramsay Bolton was a despicable character, but Iwan Rheon's acting in season six was quite good and I would have liked to have seen him recognized by the Emmys this year.

Other Noticeable Snubs

Michelle Monaghan ('The Path')

Fabian Wagner (Cinematographer for Battle of the Bastards) 

Check Out the Poster for 'La La Land'

The internet has been buzzing today over the release of the first trailer for 'La La Land,' Damien Chazelle's latest film. A friend of mine who works at Lionsgate shared the poster for the musical on his Facebook page this morning. Check out the artwork below:

Season 6 Finale of 'Game of Thrones'

Last night's episode of 'Game of Thrones' was a stunning conclusion of season six. I thought I'd share with you a few photos of my hosting party.

How many more months until season 7??

Decorate Your Front Door For 

Episode 9 of 'Game of Thrones'

I like to make themed food for my 'Game of Thrones' viewing parties. I thought it would also be fun to decorate my place for Sunday's newest episode. I searched Instagram with #gotpary and got inspired by user bowchickamalmal, who posted the above photo last year. I plan on hanging a "Welcome to Westeros" sign on my front door this weekend. If you want to do the same, you can use this link and print your sign on a regular printer, or do what I did and take advantage of CVS's free 8x10 photo print deal and get it printed at the store for free.

Dessert Idea For Your Next 

'Game of Thrones' Viewing Party

If you're hosting an episode 7 viewing party on Sunday, consider serving white chocolate mousse tarts to your guests. I made these for episode 6, and they were a hit. Here is the link to the recipe that I used.

Order a 'Game of Thrones' Cake for Episode Five

A friend of mine ordered a 'Game of Thrones' themed cake last weekend for episode four. If you're hosting a viewing party for episode five of the show, call your local bakery to see if they do photo cakes like this one.

If you live in the Los Angeles area, this cake was from Porto's in Burbank. The image came out great and the cake tasted delicious!

Start Planning Your 'Game of Thrones' Party for Episode Four

A friend of mine had a funeral-themed 'Game of Thrones' party for the season six premiere last month. In honor of Jon Snow quitting the Night's Watch in episode three, she will be doing a "last day of work"-themed viewing party for the fourth episode. If you're looking to do something similar, here are some ideas:

It's not a proper send-off unless there is a sheet- cake. Go to your local supermarket and ask them to write "Good luck, Jon Snow" on a white cake.

Decorate your living room with a "Goodbye, Jon" banner.

It isn't a party unless there's alcohol for guests. Go to your local liquor store and check to see if they have some 'Game of Thrones' beer for sale.

May the Fourth be With You!!!

The recipe I used to make Princess Leia sugar cookies can be found here.

I used a biscuit cutter for the head. I used the cap of a small bottle for the buns. For the hair, I used a brown decorating gel that I bought at a party store.

Dire Wolf Cookies!

Every week I will be making a 'Game of Thrones' themed food/drink item for each episode of season six of the hit HBO drama series. For the premiere, I made frozen strawberry 'margaeryitas.' The recipe for that drink is in my previous blog post. For the second episode, I made dire wolf cookies. Below are instructions on how to make this dessert. 

The first thing you will need to do is purchase a dire wolf cookie cutter. For this particular recipe, I used the small wolf cutter.

The chocolate sugar cookie recipe that I used can be found here. You will need to use a round cutter that has at least a 3 inch diameter. After baking the cookies, let them cool completely on a wire rack before decorating them. This could take about 20-25 minutes.

I made the dire wolf out of white fondant. Fondant is pretty easy to find in stores. You can purchase it at Jo-Ann Fabrics or at Walmart. With the help from this website, I made mine from scratch. Please note that these cookies do not require much fondant. I cut this particular fondant recipe by a fourth.

Before rolling out your fondant, sprinkle some corn starch on your work surface. This will prevent the fondant from sticking to your table. Roll out your fondant to about 1/4 of an inch thickness. I used a fondant roller, but a regular rolling pin should work fine. Dip the wolf cutter in a little bit of corn starch (this helps prevent it from sticking to the fondant), then proceed to make cut-outs in the fondant.

I used a tool set to carve out the teeth. If you don't own one, you can just use a paring knife.

To place the fondant on the cookie, all you have to do is put a little bit of water on the back of it and gently rub it onto the cookie. I dipped my pastry brush in a shallow bowl of water to do this, but you can also just use your finger.

Enjoy!! 

'Game of Thrones' themed drink for episode 2

If you're looking to serve a 'Game of Thrones'-inspired drink for your viewing party tonight, consider making a frozen strawberry margarita in honor of Margaery Tyrell.

yield: makes 2

Ingredients

1/2 cup frozen whole strawberries

3 tablespoons of tequila

2 tablespoons of lime juice

1 tablespoon of triple sec

1 cup of crushed ice

Directions

1) use a lime to rim the glass

2) fill a shallow plate with coarse salt, then dip the glass in the salt 

3) blend the strawberries, tequila, lime juice and triple sec in a blender until combined

4) add ice and blend until smooth

5) pour immediately into the margarita glasses

optional: garnish the glass with a lime wedge

'Mother's Day' trailer looks familiar

The first time I saw the 'Mother's Day' trailer I thought it was a parody video. The movie just seemed so ridiculously bad that I thought it was a 'Saturday Night Live' clip or something. It reminded me so much of 'Martin Luther King Day,' a fake movie from '30 Rock.'

You can watch the entire fake trailer of 'Martin Luther King Day' on Netflix. It is Season 6, episode 4 of '30 Rock.'

 no more partying like it's 1999

RIP to a music legend :(