If you had told me a month ago that my Oscar predictions would look anything like this, I probably would have advised you to go do a little more research. “Argo” poised for the Best Picture win sans a Best Director nod? Unthinkable. Emmanuelle Riva and Naomi Watts as viable Best Actress contenders against youthful powerhouses like Jennifer Lawrence and Jessica Chastain? You’re pulling my leg.

Created by Arizona native Timothy Reckart, “Head Over Heels” puts an imaginative, whimsical twist on the tale of a married couple grown apart – he lives on the floor while she lives on the ceiling.

The AZ Pirates, a 13U AAA/Majors team, is hosting tryouts from noon until 2 p.m. on Saturday at Sun Ray Park, 4059 E. Ray Road.

The AZ Pirates, a 13U AAA/Majors team, is holding tryouts on Saturday, Dec. 8 at Sun Ray Park, which is located at 4059 E Ray Rd.

Samantha Anderson won the Talent and Most Photogenic Jr. Teen division of National American Miss state pageant last July in Scottsdale. She received $600, a $500 Barbizon Modeling Scholarship, and the opportunity to compete in NAM All-American pageant in Anaheim, Calif. The final pageant will be Nov. 25.

After numerous incarnations in film, theater, television, opera, and radio, Leo Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina” has become one of the most heavily adapted novels of all time. Unless somebody can do something really original with the material, there isn’t much need to revisit “Anna Karenina” again. The latest version from director Joe Wright makes a few attempts to reinvent the exhausted story, such as setting a majority of the narrative in a theater house. While this direction is ambitious, it still doesn’t make the material particularly fresh. If anything, Wright’s distracting staging customarily makes the whole film feel overblown and pretentious. Much like Lars von Trier’s stagy “Dogville” from almost 10 years ago, Wright’s “Anna Karenina” is too self-righteous and in love with itself for the audience to love it back.

“That movie would have been infinitely better if it had been shown in 3-D.” I cannot speak for the rest of the movie going population, but this is one sentence I will never utter walking out of a cineplex. That is not to say 3-D technology is completely expendable. With the right movie, 3-D can be effectively exploited and have an enriching impact on a cinematic experience. In a majority of cases though, 3-D merely acts as a shameful method for the studio to increase the ticket price. Some people buy into the assumption that 3-D makes a movie appear more realistic and integrates the audience into the action. When not properly executed, however, 3-D can have dark, dreary and distracting consequences on a film originally shot in 2-D. In that sense, 3-D not only robs the audience of an extra $3, but also takes them out of the motion picture.

Ahwatukee Foothills couple Michael and Jenifer Corey don’t mess around when it comes to their annual haunted house.

Jack Skellington and many old favorites from “Halloween Town” have taken over “Ahwatukee Town” once again at the Powers home.

It’s just the beginning of October, but for some it’s not too soon to think about what the kiddies will want for the holidays.

The Ahwatukee Pirates 11U AAA Baseball Program will be hosting tryouts Aug. 4-5 at Sunray Park from 9:45 a.m. to noon for the upcoming club baseball season, which is September through February.

The Ahwatukee Pirates 11 U AAA Baseball Program will be hosting tryouts Aug. 4-5 at Sunray Park from 9:45 a.m. to noon for the upcoming club baseball season, which is September through February.

When Dorothy the Dinosaur, Wags the Dog, Henry the Octopus and Captain Feathersword the Friendly Pirate are as near and dear in your household as flesh-and-blood relatives, you’ve definitely got a case of The Wiggles — as in, the Australian music group popular among families with young kids.

The selection of a jersey number can come from a variety of avenues such as simply being assigned to the athlete or choosing the same numeral as their favorite player.

For the second time since the end of 2010 World Series, Diamondbacks general manager Kevin Towers has talked openly about listening to trade offers for Justin Upton.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Channel blackouts such as the one that resulted from the recent spat between Viacom and DirecTV have become far more common over the past three years. Consumers can thank the changing dynamics of the entertainment industry.

It feels as if I already critiqued “Ice Age: Continental Drift” a few weeks ago in my review of “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted.” Like that animated sequel, this film is burdened with the excessively recognizable voices of celebrities, overdone morals, and a dire amount of repetition. Granted, “Ice Age” has persisted to be a much funnier, more charming franchise than “Madagascar.” After four films and countless millions though, it may be time for this 10-year-old series to go extinct.

It feels as if I already critiqued “Ice Age: Continental Drift” a few weeks ago in my review of “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted.” Like that animated sequel, this film is burdened with the excessively recognizable voices of celebrities, overdone morals, and a dire amount of repetition. Granted, “Ice Age” has persisted to be a much funnier, more charming franchise than “Madagascar.” After four films and countless millions though, it may be time for this 10-year-old series to go extinct.

Ahwatukee Foothills resident Mark A. Clark works with Radio Phoenix (a public, listener-supported community radio station) as the host for the radio’s British Jukebox segment. He became involved three years ago, and has been a volunteer for the station ever since.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Disneyland is not just for sugar-soaked kids. Consider, all you grown-up women out there, going for a gals’ day out.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Disneyland is not just for sugar-soaked kids. Consider, all you grown-up women out there, going for a gals’ day out.

Peter Lord missed the boat -- pirate, cruise or sail -- when he researched buccaneers by watching movies such as "Treasure Island," "The Crimson Pirate" and Errol Flynn swashbucklers.

Peter Lord missed the boat -- pirate, cruise or sail -- when he researched buccaneers by watching movies such as "Treasure Island," "The Crimson Pirate" and Errol Flynn swashbucklers.

Remember when you were a kid and being a pirate seemed like such a glamorous profession? The idea of plundering gold, dueling with swords, and sailing the open sea appeals to the kid in us all. Now that we’re older and familiar with the outbreak of piracy in Somalia though, our perspective of the pirate lifestyle has been diminished. Nevertheless, it’s still nice to hang onto the fairytale notion that being a pirate will lead to adventure and thrills. “The Pirates! Band of Misfits,” captures that childhood joy, which was missing from a film like “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.”

NEW YORK — Aardman Animations' distinctively charming brand of Claymation returns to the big screen at last in "The Pirates! Band of Misfits," a delightful romp whose varied pleasures should please kids all along the age spectrum. An easy sell at the box office, it is sequel-ready thanks to a series of books by Gideon Defoe.