Super Movie Sunday: Oscar Nominees

No Super Bowl pregame show for us. My wife and I hit the theater Sunday afternoon to watch another of the Oscar Best Pictures nominees. We have now seen six of the eight movies.

We have made the effort in recent years to see as many of the movies as possible before the Academy Awards presentation. Considering all the sports I am dashing around to cover, I'm surprised we get it done. My wife is the expert in picking the winners, but here is a comment or two about the six we have seen so far. Scroll down a little for the trailers for these shows.

• "Boyhood" - the movie that took 12 years to make that follows a brother and sister as they grow up. I really liked it, but most people I talk to didn't like it so much, so I am beginning to doubt myself. They grow up and run into the usual challenges that kids have. No one becomes a superhero or saves the world.
• "Birdman" - a very quirky pseudo-superhero movie with great acting by Michael Keaton and Emma Stone. Far too much time with Keaton in his underwear.
• "The Imitation Game" - an amazing story of the men (and woman) who helped break the code that helped defeat the Germans in World War II. It's an incredible part of history.
• "Selma" - a powerful retelling of the controversy and lead-up to the march from Selma, Ala., led by Martin Luther King Jr.
• "The Theory of Everything" - tells the story of Stephen Hawking and how he deals with the devastating disease that strikes him.
• "American Sniper" - yet another reality-based movie. The movie shows how Chris Kyle (played by Bradley Cooper) deals with surviving in battle and transitioning back to life state-side. A heartbreaking tale.