2013 Oscar Reflections and Official Picks

This is a very unique Oscar season for me; it’s the first in several years that I’ve actually seen almost half of the movies that were nominated for Best Picture. Being in a new town and not knowing a lot of folks, I’ve turned to seeing movies probably more often as I should. (Seeing movies in this market is muy expensivo!) But it’s been nice to get caught up, because between going to the theater  and Redbox I’ve seen a lot of flicks that I’d missed in the last year or so. With the Oscar broadcast later this evening, I thought I’d reflect on the movies that I’ve seen. Because I haven’t seen all of the nominees, my picks will be biased, but you’ll just have to bear with me. First, a reflection/ mini-review of each film, since I haven’t been able to do a full review of them all.

A tale of two Lincolns

... or really, two tales of one Lincoln: the one and only Abraham Lincoln.

As a history major, I have spent a couple of years of my college career studying the Civil War, but I have a lifetime of interest in it. I find Abraham Lincoln to be a fascinating person. Most have heard the basics of his story in school. He was born in near Hodgenville, Kentucky and his family moved to Indiana when he was a young boy. His mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, died when he was only nine years old. He went on to practice law, serve as a state representative for Illinois, and led the Union through a Civil War before being assassinated on April 14, 1865. Lincoln has been portrayed many times in cinema history, but in 2012 there will be two very different depictions of him, one having a very supernatural twist Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Lincoln.