The pinnacle of awards season is on Sunday night! It's the time of the year when we all rush to Redbox or the theater to watch the movies deemed best by the industry insiders (of which there has been much controversy this year.) While everyone else is paying attention to the winner give their acceptance speech thanking God, their mother, the studio, blah blah blah, I like to watch the faces of the runner-ups as outwardly they look thrilled for their colleague, but inwardly they are counting down the hours until they can drown their sorrows at the after-party. Unfortunately, some can't manage the positive expression as well as others.

I had every intention of having an Oscars best picture marathon, but that didn't happen. Since I don't have enough time to see them all, which ones do you recommend as must-sees? 

Perhaps watching actors win awards for movies you have never heard of is not your thing and the red carpet is more your scene. At the height of my Rachel Zoe obsession, I couldn't get enough of awards season. Sadly, we will no longer have Joan Rivers' witty and sometimes mostly bitting commentary on Fashion Police. 

It's time to make your predictions in anticipation of Sunday night. If you are watching with friends or roommates, make a game of it and see who can guess the most winners correctly. I've included the main categories, plus a few of my favorites, below.

I've always loved awards shows. And the Oscars is like the Olympics of awards shows, except it happens every year. They are the best of the best and there are usually the same number of movies I've never heard of as Olympic sports (and countries) I have never heard of.

I'm so glad that Academy Awards nominations are released over a month before the show, because that gives me time to watch all of the movies I have yet to see. 

Leave it to the Oscars to make me realize that I must make poor choices when I go to the movie theater. Thankfully, this year there is only one best picture nominee that I have not heard of (Nebraska). And before March 2, I need to try to watch Dallas Buyers Club, Philomena, 12 Years a Slave, Nebraska, and The Wolf of Wall Street. How can I make an educated prediction before I've seen all the choices? Are there any of the nominees that you don't recommend watching? P.S. do not waste your time or money on "Her."

Is it just me or do I have polar opposite taste in film than the industry insiders? It seems like my vote is the kiss of death for movies because the ones I pick to win in categories rarely do. Which got me thinking...who would be the winners if "real people" were allowed to choose? 

As you are preparing for Oscars night, rolling out your red carpet and practicing your acceptance speech, here is a basic Oscars ballot for you to print and fill out. For space reasons, I included the main categories plus my favorites of the secondary categories. I just don't feel like I can really judge documentaries, cinematography, or film editing. For a complete list of nominees, visit the official Oscar website. 

The Academy Awards will air live March 2 at 7 p.m. EST on ABC. E! will have red carpet coverage starting that afternoon.

Download your ballot here

I hope you all enjoyed spending time 

with your loved ones at Christmas, 

and that your bellies are full of home-cooked goodness.

One of my family's traditions is that we always go and see a 

movie on Christmas day. 

After you've been cooped up in the house

opening gifts, eating three plates of food {and then dessert, too}

and watching basketball, you're ready to get out. 

This year we went to see Les Miserables (of course). 

I was so excited I didn't think I could wait any longer to go see it.

I haven't read the book, nor seen the play, which is very unlike me. 

To be quite honest, until the trailers came out I thought 

Susan Boyle made the song "I Dreamed a Dream" famous

when she was on Britain's Got Talent. 

Shameful, I know. 

I'm sure Emily is glad the movie is finally out 

because whenever the Les Mis trailer would come on tv

Samantha and I would sing the song in our best opera voice. 

I thought we were pretty good, but apparently others thought differently. 

Anyways, I hope you are able to see it too soon. 

And if movies aren't your thing, I'm sure there are plenty of after-Christmas sales

at the mall. (as if you didn't get your year's worth of shopping in the last three days.)

Enjoy the rest of your holiday!

-Jess