7 Reasons Why: The 87th Academy Awards

I made my Oscar predictions too soon. One week before the big show. At that point, eight days gone now, I was still under the impression that Richard Linklater's "Boyhood" was gonna take the big Best Picture prize and lose everywhere else but Supporting Actress, which was a lock.

I ended up doing just okay with my predictions and still won the ballot at my particular Oscar party. I landed only 16 out of 24 categories. Of course, my biggest miss being that Best Picture win for Alejandro G. Iñárritu's "Birdman." I don't care. I'm glad it won.

On Elf: 7 Reasons Why It's My Favorite Christmas Movie

I've never been much of a sucker for holiday themed movies. I never absolutely just had to watch a certain movie at Christmastime, for example. Of course, growing up, there was no shortage of viewings of A Christmas Story, and, like many, I have become accustomed to watching National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation at least three times per Christmas season, yet never in order.

Then, I met my wife...

Since then, I have come back to two "Christmas movies" every year. On Black Friday, my wife and I avoid the shopping savagery to stay home, put up our tree and Christmas decorations, and watch the same movie: Richard Curtis' Love Actually. It's a great movie. Funny and charming and British. But it still doesn't give me that punch of Christmas spirit I desire. No, that belongs to Jon Favreau's Christmas 2003 mega-hit starring Will Ferrell, Elf.