Cirque du Soliel-- worlds away: comically impressive

Having never seen a Cirque du Soliel show and having not set foot inside a circus in over 15 years, I was amazed.  The talent involved in the shows are athletes worthy of "Ninja Warrior" (which has had Olympians not make the physical cut) with supreme grace.  It was seriously some of the best stunts ever: great feats of strength and illusions to create beautiful 3-D scenes.  However, there was a bit too much artistic liberty with the themes and motifs (I missed a lot of what was happening).  It was this fantastic experience that nearly nullified the need to see any of the actual Vegas shows that it featured.
Verdict: rent it for a family night (discount)

Silver Linings Playbook: worth it

I feel like this film was this year's "Little Miss Sunshine."  Not to "overhype" it (like with "Little Miss Sunshine"), it was surprisingly quite funny: original and quirky with a great cast.  Though it focuses on Bradley Cooper's recuperation from a mental breakdown, it is full of crazy people.  Pretty much everyone.  As everyone finds a way to "cope" with their idiosyncrasies, or in some cases completely ignore, you truly feel for these characters.  The way in which you become invested and root for wins on the little things, like get through the day, is worth noting.  Many a times I watch films like this completely disinterested and when I get into one, especially when the main character also hates Ernest Hemingway as must as I do, it is time to celebrate.
Verdict: must see (buzzworthy)

Oscars 2013

So, this year, I had yet to see 3 of 9 of the Best Picture nominations.  Which is a terrible year for me. Though I am in the process of updating the reviews for those that I have seen and have yet to review, I figure most of these are obscure enough where you haven't seen them anyways. However, in spite of my lack of any foundation whatsoever to base my predictions on, I am going to give it a shot:

Academy Award Category	My Vote	My Prediction
Best Picture	Argo	Argo
Best Actor	Daniel Day-Lewis	Daniel Day-Lewis
Best Actress	Jessica Chastain	Jennifer Lawrence
Best Supporting Actor	Tommy Lee Jones	Phillip Seymour Hoffman
Best Supporting Actress	Sally Field	Ann Hathaway
Best Director	Ang Lee	Ang Lee
Cinematography	Life Of Pi	Life of Pi
Adapted Screenplay	Silver Linings Playbook	Lincoln
Original Screenplay	Moonrise Kingdom	Django Unchained