What's the best way to see the new Star Wars picture in Middle Tennessee?

In another of my expedition pieces (see also the last Paranormal Activity film), I decided to see The Force Awakens in the formats it is available to be seen in locally and compare them. The resulting sixteen hundred word blurt is available for you to investigate.

At the movies: Heaven's Gate.

Yes, it's more than three and a half hours long. Yes, it's the movie that ended the era of studios giving directors leeway, power, and the benefit of the doubt. And yes, you should see it if at all possible.

The Year in Film: 2012 Nominees!

So, here we are. Coming up on the end of another year. In keeping with my college traditions, I've decided to try and add a tad more showmanship to my year-end film proceedings, and as such, I'd like to offer the nominees for the film awards I am giving via my annual summation of film and such. Were these an actual event with proper catering and exquisite decor, I've no doubt it would be a smash hit with cineastes, gorehounds, freaks, eggheads, scientists, libertines, and anybody who enjoys getting a diverse group of people together and celebrating art. Feel free to comment as you see fit.

I'll be posting the winners on Tuesday, January 1st.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:

Roger Deakins (Skyfall)

Andrew Dunn (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

Norm Li (Beyond The Black Rainbow)

Mihai Malamaire, Jr (The Master)

Rui Pocas (Tabu)

Dariusz Wolski (Prometheus)

BEST 3D:

Frankenweenie

Life of Pi

Monsters, Inc.

Prometheus

Step Up: Revolution

BEST EDITING:

Cloud Atlas

Haywire

Zero Dark Thirty

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN:

Anna Karenina

Beyond the Black Rainbow

Generation P

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Prometheus

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:

Broadcast (Berberian Sound Studio)

Reinhold Heil/Johnny Klimek/Tom Tykwer (Cloud Atlas)

Howard Shore/Metric (Cosmopolis)

Sinoia Caves (Beyond The Black Rainbow)

BEST DIRECTOR:

Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty)

Leos Carax (Holy Motors)

Panos Cosmatos (Beyond The Black Rainbow)

David Cronenberg (Cosmopolis)

Lee Daniels (The Paperboy)

BEST DOCUMENTARY:

Bad 25

Deceptive Practice

How to Survive a Plague

Leviathan

Pina 3D

Pink Ribbons, Inc.

Room 237

West of Memphis

SPECIAL AWARD for UNDERRATED GEM:

The Awakening

The Bay

Beyond The Black Rainbow

For a Good Time, Call...

Gone

Not Fade Away

The Paperboy

The Possession

The Tall Man

BEST FIRST FILM:

Beyond The Black Rainbow

Chronicle

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:

Steven Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

David Cronenberg (Cosmopolis)

Lee Daniels/Pete Dexter (The Paperboy)

Tony Kushner (Lincoln)

Tom Tykwer/Andy Wachowski/Lana Wachowski (Cloud Atlas)

BEST ORIGINAL SCRIPT:

Paul Thomas Anderson (The Master)

Leos Carax (Holy Motors)

Joseph Cedar (Footnote)

Josh Fell (ParaNorman)

Drew Goddard/Joss Whedon (The Cabin in The Woods)

Max Landis (Chronicle)

Seth MacFarlane/Alec Sulkin/Wellesley Wild (Ted)

Athina Rachel Tsangari (Attenberg)

BEST FX:

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

John Carter of Mars

Life of Pi

Prometheus

BEST ACTOR:

Lior Ashkenazi (Footnote)

Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)

Dane DeHaan (Chronicle)

Michael Fassbender (Prometheus)

Denis Lavant (Holy Motors)

Joaquin Phoenix (The Master)

Jason Segel (Jeff Who Lives at Home)

Suraj Sharma (Life of Pi)

BEST ACTRESS:

Jessica Biel (The Tall Man)

Gina Carano (Haywire)

Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)

Lola Creton (Goodbye First Love)

Greta Gerwig (Damsels in Distress)

Nina Hoss (Barbara)

Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)

Quvenzhane Wallis (Beasts of The Southern Wild)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

Tyler Abrizzi (ParaNorman)

Russell Crowe (The Man with the Iron Fists)

Phillip Seymour Hoffman (The Master)

Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln)

Scoot McNairy (Argo/Killing Them Softly)

Ezra Miller (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

Bruce Willis (Moonrise Kingdom)

Ronald Zehrfeld (Barbara)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

Maude Apatow (This is 40)

Jennifer Ehle (Zero Dark Thirty)

Sally Field (Lincoln)

Cecile de France (Kid with a Bike)

Gina Gershon (Killer Joe)

Macy Gray (The Paperboy)

Salma Hayek (Savages)

Nicole Kidman (The Paperboy)

Samantha Morton (Cosmopolis)