"Critics Choice" Flies With Keaton, Checks Into the Grand Budapest & Stands with Jolie, Unbroken

(We interrupt your Missi experience this morning to bring you more awards news. Missi returns this afternoon for two final posts.) 

If you missed my predictions and would like to mock them, they were here. The Critics Choice which will be broadcast live on A&E this year from the Iconic Hollywood Palladium (a new home and venue) on January 15th at 9 PM EST / 6 PM PST. I shall try and attend again. If I can get a better table. What? Travel expenses must be justified!

BEST PICTURE
Birdman - leading with 13 nominations
Boyhood - 8 nominations
Gone Girl - 6 nominations
Grand Budapest Hotel - second place with 11 nominations. wow
The Imitation Game - 6 nominations
Nightcrawler - 3 nominations
Selma - 5 nominations
Theory of Everything - 5 nominations
Unbroken - 4 nominations
Whiplash - 4 nominations

I suspected (aka predicted) that we'd see Unbroken and Gone Girl resurface in the conversation here. In fact the only prediction I got wrong was I didn't foresee Nightcrawler happening, fearing that the AFI love for American Sniper was significant. I think Boyhood will probably win in the end (especially given the weird halfhearted "comedy" section of the awards pulling votes away from Birdman) but good on Birdman for that astounding level of support.

I was really hoping for one non-Oscary thing though. I thought Under the Skin might have an outside chance for a shocker (and yes I voted for it).

JAKE GETS THE JOB and more after the jump...

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Critical Kudos Continue: Kansas, San Francisco, Dallas, OFCS

(We interrupt your Missi experience this morning to bring you more awards news. Missi returns this afternoon for two final posts.)

The Film Critic (a monolith) floats in his room this month contemplatively, aging rapidly before our eyes. A difficult choice faces him/her: Birdman or Boyhood? After the jump see which cities chose what and which categories they're allowing themselves to have a little fun with...

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"As You Wisssssssh" - Missi's Favorites

Favorite Movie

-by Missi Pyle

I have seen The Princess Bride about 200 times. I remember I saw it in the theater as a Double Feature with my friend Christy Brown in the 8th grade. It was playing with Dirty Dancing randomly. And when both movies were over. My friend Christy was totally floored by Dirty Dancing and I thought she was an idiot. I was like - wait the Princess Bride is the Best Movie ever Made. And she was like - no- Dirty Dancing.

The friendship didn't last.

But I just kept watching that movie over and over. I think it's where I developed most of my sense of humor. I have gotten to meet several people from that movie: Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Wallace Shawn. I never know what to say. I just can't even handle it.

I know its a lot of people's favorite movie. I don't care. If there is a heaven that movie will be playing on a loop in the background.  

Favorite actors?
There are zillions but a random top 5...

Christoph Waltz -Fuck me. He is so good. I kind of think I should just quit. He blows me away

Robin Williams -Pure magic. Good Morning Vietnam? What? Who can do that? Again. I should just quit. I got to work with him on The Crazy Ones. It was one of the greatest moments of my life. 

Judy Davis -Her performances in Barton Fink and Husbands and Wives just slaughtered me. 

Ryan Gosling - I did a table read with him once. A table read. That is all. He looked at me across the table and... no he looked INTO me. Yes. he's hot. But that wasn't it. All the sudden there was this moment happening. It was some of the best acting I have ever done. What is it they say about acting? It's all about the other person? Anyway. That was what he did. He made it all about me. And all the sudden it was real.

(sigh)

Madeline Kahn- Genius. I bow down to and sometimes talk to now that she is in the spirit world. I often get into a character and think WWMKD? And that is how I go about the character.

Editor's Note: We hope you're enjoying today's celebrity guest blogger Missi Pyle. She'll be back tomorrow afternoon for two final and truly awesome posts (after a brief interruption for awards business and Critics Choice Award Nominations). Are her favorites also dear to you?

Missi - Bzzzzzzzzz!

-by Missi Pyle

PUSHING DAISIES "Bzzzzzzzzz! (2008)"

Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisies, Hannibal) is sooooo good. His writing is insanely magical. I keep begging him to make me a regular in one of his shows. We keep trying but I never quite get the job. So he once in awhile lets me play someone fabulous. "Betty Bee"? Come OOOON!!!!

I actually cut the tip of my finger off on camera while snipping roses in a scene on this job. 

I held the tip of my finger to stop the blood from coming out until the end of the scene. They were very impressed I didn't stop the scene right after I cut it. But I'm from the theatre -- the show must go on!

previously on 'The Missi Experience': gone girl, working actor, upcoming projects

Missi's Obligatory Self-Promotion

Editor's Note: We're thrilled to have Missi Pyle guest-blogging for a day. I made her do this topic!

Kim Dickens & Missi Pyle (GONE GIRL) at the Hollywood Film Awards last month

What I am working on now

-by Missi Pyle

So yes. I sing. 'You sing?' People often ask? Yes. I do. I write (mostly) silly songs and I sing them. For awhile I had a band with Shawnee Smith. We did a pilot together and we got to talking one day and she asked me what I really wanted. And I said. To be in a band. That would be heaven. and she said. "OK. I'll do it with you. But just know. Its not all its cracked up to be. You'll be disappointed."

And we did. We made an album with Chris Goss, another genius human I have been lucky enough to work with. Shawnee and I's band was "Smith and Pyle". The album is It's OK to be Happy and you can get it on Itunes. Since then, I have been writing songs with a few other people and I have been working on an album for 4 years again with Chris Goss and I have about 20 songs. Ranging from titles like "I wanna fuck you up" to "Armageddon Excited" and there are a few simple (hopefully) sweet ones in there, too. I am terrible at self promotion but I WILL get this album out in 2015. I am making a video for "I wanna fuck you up" in January and hopefully someone will watch it.

If you wanna check out some of my stuff, check out my youtube channel. I sometimes get drunk and record myself singing. Hmmm maybe you shouldnt check it out. but if you wanna...

I had a crazy busy year. I have done more movies this year than in the last five combined. It has been wonderful. My agents keep telling me to say no. but I'm scared of another dry spell I guess.

Viggo with this screen kids in CAPTAIN FANTASTIC

• Highly Functional ...is a sweet roadtrip movie about a kid with Autism and I have a couple scenes with Bruce Campbell. He is a trip. And the movie will be great. 
• Captain Fantastic ...is written and directed by another modern day genius Matt Ross. The script is so fucking good and I get to (almost) make out with Viggo Mortensen.
• Another Period ...is a new show coming out on Comedy Central starring Natasha Leggero and Riki Lindhome. It spoofs period dramas. I play the local society queen bee Celery. It is soooo funny and I get to wear super great costumes and be a total bitch. I worked with Tom Lennon who is the greatest master of improv of all time.
• Bordertown ...is a new animated series on Fox. I think we got pushed so we are airing in the fall now? But it is the story of a fictional town called Mexifornia on the border of California and you know, Mexico. It is HILARIOus. I play a 200 pound 5 year old named Gert who is like honey boo boo on steroids. It stars Hank Azaria and Alex Borstein. It has been super dreamy!

previous Missi - advice for actors, gone girl & nancy grace