Oscar Night 2017: Predictions & Winners (updated throughout the night)

I’ve been gone from the blog for a while but tonight is Oscar night and now time like the present to get back into the mix. I have a lot of individual movies to get reviews completed, but, for now, I will just start with the celebration of the best in movies over the past year.

This time around, the Oscars have a bit more diversity than usual. There are 4 films up for best picture that highlight stories about people of color. Similar numbers can be seen in the acting and directing categories. In particular, Moonlight highlights themes of race, sexuality, socio-economic challenges, and family makeup. Hidden Figures takes a lighter approach to focus on accomplishments previously undiscussed.

My one major cirticism, which will also be highlighted below, is that La La Land will likely walk away with at least a few awards, including some of the major categories. While it was an enjoyable film, there were some major flaws in the storytelling and acting that will get overlooked. Gosling and Stone watch their feet when they dance and their singing is good but not great.

On the snub side, there were not any major misses, with the exception of potentially Sully. Tom Hanks usually does not get overlooked, but the actor grouping was a bit crowded. Denzel Washington should have also gotten recognized for his direction of Fences. While I would have liked to see Deadpool at least grab a nomination, it was no surprise to see that the merc with the mouth got silenced.

Let’s get to the predictions (post any agreements or challenges in the comments section):

Best Picture

• My Prediction: La La Land – As much as I want to recognize the excellence of other films, this feels like The Artist all over again, even though the quality is actually a little lacking. Still, this is Hollywood loving to praise itself.
• My Spoiler: Moonlight – While I could also toss Fences into the mix for its classic, play-like presentation, Moonlight touches on so many different elements that its complexity is its true strength.
• Winner: Moonlight

Actor in a Leading Role

• My Prediction: Denzel Washington – While he would potentially have been able to sneak in with a directing win if nominated, his performance was compelling.
• My Spoiler: Casey Affleck – I don’t believe in a win for Affleck, but he could try to steal one for his deeply internal, emotional portrayal of a man struggling with his past failures and current depression.
• Winner: Casey Affleck for Manchester by the Sea

Actor in a Supporting Role

• My Prediction: Mahershala Ali – He was truly mesmerizing as the drug-dealer with a heart. The way he approached his role, he has proven himself to be a rising star.
• My Spoiler: n/a
• Winner: Mahershala Ali for Moonlight

Actress in a Leading Role

• My Prediction: Emma Stone – While there are other nominees that could easily prove themselves worthy, Stone’s role in La La Land is almost formulaic in its setup for grabbing the win. It has emotion and switches between lightheartedness and dreaming.
• My Spoilers: All but Meryl Streep – While Streep is always a phenomenal actress, Negga is gripping, Portman is measured, and Huppert is balanced.
• Winner: Emma Stone for La La Land

Actress in a Supporting Role

• My Prediction: Viola Davis – This category is truly challenging because of how strong all of the actresses were. Davis partners well with Washington to round out the emotions of Fences.
• My Spoiler: n/a – As strong as everyone was, Davis’s performance was a cut above.
• Winner: Viola Davis for Fences

Animated Feature Film

• My Prediction: Zootopia
• My Spoiler: Kubo and the Two Strings
• Winner: Zootopia

Cinematography

• My Prediction: La La Land
• My Spoiler: Lion
• Winner: La La Land

Costume Design

• My Prediction: La La Land 
• My Spoiler: Jackie
• Winner: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Directing

• My Prediction: Barry Jenkins – Moonlight may not win best picture, but this would be a chance to show support for the thought-provoking and creative film. This would also be the first win for a black director in Oscar history.
• My Spoiler: Damien Chazelle – This would only happen if the committee believes in the La La Land sweep.
• Winner: Damien Chazelle for La La Land

Documentary (Feature)

• My Prediction: OJ: Made in America
• My Spoiler: Life, Animated
• Winner: OJ: Made in America

Documentary (Short Subject)

• My Prediction: Joe’s Violin
• My Spoiler: Extremis
• Winner: The White Helmets

Film Editing

• My Prediction: La La Land
• My Spoiler: Moonlight
• Winner: Hacksaw Ridge

Foreign Language

• My Prediction: The Salesman (Iran)
• My Spoiler: Land of Mine (Denmark)
• Winner: The Salesman (Iran)

Makeup

• My Prediction: Star Trek Beyond
• My Spoiler: Suicide Squad
• Winner: Suicide Squad

Music (Original Score)

• My Prediction: Justin Hurwitz for La La Land
• My Spoiler: Nicholas Britell for Moonlight
• Winner: Justin Hurwitz for La La Land

Music (Original Song)

• My Prediction: “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana
• My Spoiler: “City of Stars” from La La Land
• Winner: “City of Stars” from La La Land

Production Design

• My Prediction: La La Land
• My Spoiler: Arrival
• Winner: La La Land

Short Film (Animated)

• My Prediction: Piper
• My Spoiler: Borrowed Time
• Winner: Piper

Short Film (Live Action)

• My Prediction: Ennemis Interieurs
• My Spoiler: Sing
• Winner: Sing

Sound Editing

• My Prediction: Hacksaw Ridge
• My Spoiler: La La Land
• Winner: Arrival

Sound Mixing

• My Prediction: Hacksaw Ridge
• My Spoiler: La La Land
• Winner: Hacksaw Ridge

Visual Effects

• My Prediction: The Jungle Book
• My Spoiler: Doctor Strange
• Winner: The Jungle Book

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

• My Prediction: Moonlight
• My Spoiler: Fences
• Winner: Moonlight

Writing (Original Screenplay)

• My Prediction: Manchester by the Sea
• My Spoiler: La La Land
• Winner: Manchester by the Sea

Percentage Correct: 14/24 = 58.3%

Percentage from 2016: 15/24 = 62.5%

Biggest Winner: La La Land (5) / Moonlight (3)

Other Winners…

Manchester by the Sea (2)

Hacksaw Ridge (2)

Arrival

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Fences

OJ: Made in America

Piper

Sing (Live Action)

Suicide Squad

The Jungle Book

The Salesman

The White Helmets

Zootopia

Oscar Night Recap 2015

Oscar night has come and gone. There was a lot of glitz and glamour, but there was actually a lot of political/social messages with a sprinkling of controversy.

First up was the red carpet. I could toss out some random pictures of celebrities on the runway…

…but there was something that started prior to the event that changed the tone of the evening and I am compelled to focus more on that than the glamour. #AskHerMore was a campaign that started to challenge the media to possibly ask actresses than more about their dresses and designers. The desired effect was achieved, as there were more questions about actual experiences with their films with the occasional reference to their clothing. While the red carpet is much about the fashion, it was nice to get a little actual substance with the interviews. I would say though that the production of the red carpet still feels too scattered and jumpy that actual substance is still diminished by the self-indulgence of talking about how amazing it is to be there and to see all of the stars appearing.

I will say, though, that I do not know what people saw in Lady Gaga’s outfit. Why the lobster claw gloves? I know you are Gaga, but seriously?

As far as the actual show, there were some good hits and so serious misses. Let’s take a look…

Hit: Neil Patrick Harris – The opening number with Anna Kendrick and Jack Black was a success! For film lovers, it was the perfect way to open the show (ignoring the odd message by Jack to diss the industry ironically). NPH was graceful, energetic, and clearly into the entire experience.

Miss: Oscar Writing – While NPH’s opening was strong, his comedy throughout the rest missed the mark for the most part. He had good delivery, but the random variations of award categories and attempts to poke fun at some of the celebrities were just not that funny.

Hit: NPH’s Birdman Bit – Taking the risk to show off in your tight-whiteys on such a large stage is a bold move. While it was funny in Birdman, it did not miss a beat with this Oscar version. To add a little extra to the hilarity, Miles Teller appeared just offstage to allow NPH to also pull in a little Whiplash.

Miss: NPH’s Bits with Octavia Spencer and David Oyelowo – There are some thoughts about NPH’s and the Oscar writer’s attempt to take a jab at some of the disparity of representation of blacks in Hollywood, but both skits really missed the mark. With Octavia, the whole thing just felt awkward. She played along, but the regular check-ins with her felt forced and unnecessary. It felt like it was killing time and testing people’s patience with a poor attempt at the joke. For David, it started out fine until NPH had him read a punchline that took a jab at remaking Annie (possibly with a black actress in the lead role). It was supposed to be sarcastic but came out disrespectful.

Hit: The Music Performances – Starting with “Everything is Awesome” and ending with Lady Gaga’s rendition of hits from The Sound of Music, every note sung into the mic was powerful. Tim McGraw’s performance of “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” was a hauntingly beautiful tribute. Jennifer Hudson’s “I Can’t Let Go” made me want to go back and watch “You’re Gonna Love Me” to hear another beautiful performance. Adam Levine and Rita Orr also had strong performances. Then you had Common and John Legend. Eventually winning the Oscar for “Glory,” their performance was strong and moving. It clearly made an impact on the audience.

http://oscar.go.com/embed/VDKA0_6mhrbx3g

Miss: MIA in the In Memoriam – While the In Memoriam was moving as it happens to be every year, there was a noticeable absence that brewed a storm in the social media universe immediately following the tribute. Where was Joan Rivers? While her connection to the Oscars was more about her Fashion Police coverage, she was an institution to the red carpet and also had a career in acting.

Hit: Political Messages – You have to expect that actors and film industry representatives will use the stage to talk about some important social and political issues. Whether it was Common’s speech about social equality, Patricia Arquette’s impassioned talk of wage equality, or Graham Moore’s “stay weird” message, there were a lot of moving moments. While some of the messages were criticized on social media for their shortsightedness or poor word choice, the messages were still put out there. Also, listen to J.K. Simmons and call your parents!

Miss: #OscarsSoWhite – As much as the Academy wants to represent American culture and the diversity of film, they seem to come up really short. This infographic shows the stats. David Oyelowo and Ava DuVernay were left out of the nominations for Selma just because of the promotion circuit shortcomings, and not because of they did not deserve it. At least NPH said it right from the start, “Tonight we honor Hollywood’s best and whitest, sorry, brightest.”

So what about the actual awards…

Biggest Winners: The GrandBudapest Hotel and Birdman – The battle for the Best Picture win was a two-way race between the 12-year epic focusing on the concept of representing real life (Boyhood) versus the self-indulgent Hollywood movie for people who love their industry (Birdman). While Birdman was a great film, it was a surprise that it stole the directing award and clearly labeled that Hollywood loves to embrace stories about itself. As for The Grand Budapest Hotel, Wes Anderson will have to figure something else out to finally get his Best Picture win, but he did tied for the most Oscar wins for the year.

Biggest Losers: Dreamworks, Boyhood, and Selma – While the win for best song was a nice and deserving win, it felt like a consolation prize for the crew from Selma. As mentioned previously, where were the nominations for direction and best actor? Even a nomination without the win would have honored the film better for its achievements. Boyhood was an epic film to produce, but the wins were just not there. Patricia Arquette represented the only win, with the film losing for direction and film editing. As for Dreamworks, ABC and the Academy proved that they prefer Disney/Pixar over all else. The few times that Disney/Pixar has not won Best Animated Feature were nearly all when the studio failed to put out a movie to be nominated. In the past 14 years, Disney/Pixar has won 10 of them. How to Train Your Dragon 2 deserved to win over Big Hero 6…or The Lego Movie should have been nominated.

Final Reaction: Creepy McCreeperson – John Travolta needs to be banned from interacting with people. Whether it was with Scarlett Johansson or Idina Menzel, his hands were in all the wrong places.

What was your favorite moment of the Oscars?

Oscar Night 2015: Predictions and Winners

Another year, another set of predictions. For anyone reading this blog at the moment, you may have noticed the high volume of reviews within the past week (particularly the night before the big show). I enjoy using the Oscars as an excuse to watch some of the best that cinema has to offer each year. Without it, I may have missed out on the excellent performance of Julianne Moore in Still Alice or the palpable tension from Whipash. Before getting to the nominees, let’s take a look at the upcoming show.

Ellen did a great job last year, but Neil Patrick Harris is back. No doubt about whether he will take a couple of jabs at one of his projects of the past year, Gone Girl. He may have a thing or two to say about his role in the film or about Ben Affleck’s performance. Otherwise, I see him knocking it out of the park, considering it is not the first award show he has hosted.

There were some serious snubs this year. The first thought that I had was that everything was not awesome because The Lego Movie failed to receive a nomination for animated feature. While How to Train Your Dragon 2 was a phenomenal story, there was something about The Lego Movie that stood out. The immediate second issue was with Selma. While it was nominated for 3 awards, including Best Picture, there was a clear absence in the categories for direction and actor. David Oyelowo gave a phenomenal performance as MLK and Ava DuVernay’s absence from the directing category can only be explained by a combination of a tough field and her presence as the newcomer in the area of direction. Snowpiercer may have had a tough time against the more traditional theater releases, but the Netflix film was a strange but enthralling ride through a dystopian future unlike others before it. Only Lovers Left Alive was a truly creative and trippy concept, but the costumes were rather impressive. While Under the Skin may have been a weird film, there was probably a place for a nomination for either Best Picture or Best Actress.

So let’s get to the predictions (post any agreements or challenges in the comments section):

Best Picture

• My Prediction: Birdman – While this is probably the tightest race of the entire show, the comedy seemed to have an odd momentum that has raged since around the holiday season.
• My Spoilers: Boyhood – There is a very strong chance that this one can steal it. The film is unlike nearly any other and would be deserving. Whiplash – Although unlikely, the incredible acting and gripping story make this a hard film to ignore.
• Winner: Birdman

Actor in a Leading Role

• My Prediction: Eddie Redmayne – It would be hard for the Academy to ignore this one. His performance as Stephen Hawking was both charming and tragically beautiful.
• My Spoiler: Michael Keaton – His performance was just so meta, considering that he was basically playing himself.
• Winner: Eddie Redmayne

Actor in a Supporting Role

• My Prediction: J.K. Simmons – Who else can take it?
• My Spoiler: n/a
• Winner: J.K. Simmons

Actress in a Leading Role

• My Prediction: Julianne Moore – As Alice, she made you feel like you were one of the family going through the tragedy with her.
• My Spoiler: Rosamund Pike – She is the only other actress to truly steal the show for her film.
• Winner: Julianne Moore

Actress in a Supporting Role

• My Prediction: Patricia Arquette – While overall performances were solid, hers was above the rest.
• My Spoiler: n/a
• Winner: Patricia Arquette

Animated Feature Film

• My Prediction: How to Train Your Dragon 2
• My Spoiler: The Lego Movie…oh, wait…
• Winner: Big Hero 6

Cinematography

• My Prediction: Birdman
• My Spoiler: Mr. Turner
• Winner: Birdman

Costume Design

• My Prediction: The Grand Budapest Hotel 
• My Spoiler: Into the Woods
• Winner: The Grand Budapest Hotel

Directing

• My Prediction: Richard Linklater – Boyhood was just an amazing achievement in filmmaking over the span of 12 years.
• My Spoiler: Alejandro González Iñárritu – Birdman will be able to fight for more than just Best Picture.
• Winner: Alejandro González Iñárritu

Documentary (Feature)

• My Prediction: CitizenFour
• My Spoiler: Virunga
• Winner: CitizenFour

Documentary (Short Subject)

• My Prediction: Joanna
• My Spoiler: The Reaper (La Parka)
• Winner: Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1

Film Editing

• My Prediction: Boyhood
• My Spoiler: Whiplash
• Winner: Whiplash

Foreign Language

• My Prediction: Ida (Poland)
• My Spoiler: Leviathan (Russia)
• Winner: Ida

Makeup

• My Prediction: Guardians of the Galaxy
• My Spoiler: Foxcatcher
• Winner: The Grand Budapest Hotel

Music (Original Score)

• My Prediction: Alexandre Desplat for The Grand Budapest Hotel
• My Spoiler: Jóhann Jóhannsson for The Theory of Everything
• Winner: Alexandre Desplat for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Music (Original Song)

• My Prediction: “Glory” from Selma
• My Spoiler: “Everything is Awesome” from The Lego Movie
• Winner: “Glory” from Selma

Production Design

• My Prediction: The Grand Budapest Hotel
• My Spoiler: Mr. Turner
• Winner: The Grand Budapest Hotel

Short Film (Animated)

• My Prediction: Feast
• My Spoiler: The Dam Keeper
• Winner: Feast

Short Film (Live Action)

• My Prediction: Parvaneh
• My Spoiler: Aya
• Winner: The Phone Call

Sound Editing

• My Prediction: American Sniper
• My Spoiler: Birdman
• Winner: American Sniper

Sound Mixing

• My Prediction: Whiplash
• My Spoiler: American Sniper
• Winner: Whiplash

Visual Effects

• My Prediction: Interstellar
• My Spoiler: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
• Winner: Interstellar

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

• My Prediction: The Imitation Game – Though it is going to be a close one.
• My Spoiler: Whiplash
• Winner: The Imitation Game

Writing (Original Screenplay)

• My Prediction: Birdman
• My Spoiler: The Grand Budapest Hotel
• Winner: Birdman

Percentage Correct: 18/24 – 75%

Percentage from 2014: 21/24 – 87.5%

Biggest Winner: Birdman (4) & The Grand Budapest Hotel (4)

Other Winners:

Whiplash (3)

American Sniper

Big Hero 6

Boyhood

CitizenFour

Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1

Feast

Ida

Interstellar

Selma

Still Alice

The Imitation Game

The Phone Call

The Theory of Everything

Oscar Night 2014: Predictions and Winners

In the tradition of the Academy Awards, I have my thoughts regarding the upcoming award show which airs tonight. I admit that these are a little later than usual, but I got sidetracked and was unable to see all of the major films until closer to the awards show. I hope that I have been able to get a good enough sense of the awards this year to make some good predictions.

First of all, I am glad that Ellen Degeneres is hosting again this year. While Billy Crystal gives more of the classic feel for the award show hosts, Ellen projects a bit of that classic element with her own flair and twist. She is light, fun, and hilarious. There is also a great chance that she will dance for this upcoming evening.

Before honoring the nominees and the winners, it is good to pay tribute to the snubs who deserved recognition. The most obvious of the missing films was The Butler. Forest Whitaker provided one of his better performances but was left off of the list, as was the film for Best Picture. Fruitvale Station star Michael B. Johnson also has reason to be a bit upset for being left out of the nominees. Though his contemporary performance seemed out of the pattern of films based on historic true events, he was able to project a hard-hitting, thought-provoking image of a misunderstood man based on his race and class. Idris Elba’s and Naomie Harris’s performances in Mandela were also quite captivating. Since the award committee seems to be against comedic or happy story lines, Saving Mr. Banks and its lead actor Tom Hanks (also for both this film and Captain Philips) were unable to be included. Emma Thompson could easily have been nominated for her role as the guarded creator of Mary Poppins. The indie hit Inside Llewyn Davis and its lead Oscar Isaacs seemed to all short as well, though indie hits are typically consider for Oscar recognition. Though Frozen has a strong chance of winning Best Animated Feature, it is odd that Pixar’s hit Monsters University was left off of the list.

So here are the predictions (post any agreements or challenges in the comments section):

Best Picture

• My Prediction: 12 Years a Slave – This film has all of the elements that the committee loves: a political/social justice message, excellent acting, dynamic directing, and all the drama anyone could need.
• My Spoilers: Dallas Buyers Club (Some of the best acting of the year and a gripping story); American Hustle (All-star cast, great acting, and a new favorite director)
• Winner: 12 Years a Slave

Actor in a Leading Role

• My Prediction: Matthew McConaughey – While I was skeptical at first, he gave up a lot to play his role and did so with such tenacity and grit. His character’s transformation was phenomenal.
• My Spoiler: Chiwetel Ejiofor (Would not be surprised for him to take it); Leonardo DiCaprio (While the fan favorite and a great actor, he was outplayed this year)
• Winner: Matthew McConaughey

Actor in a Supporting Role

• My Prediction: Jared Leto – Just as compelling as McConaughey, he owned the role at a level that puts him way above his competition.
• My Spoiler: Barkhad Abdi (Compelling and scary performance of a desperate man); Michael Fassbender (Somewhat scary as well, also held a strong level of intensity)
• Winner: Jared Leto

Actress in a Leading Role

• My Prediction: Cate Blanchett – While I do not agree with her likelihood to walk home with the award, she is somewhat compelling with her breaks from reality and inner monologue.
• My Spoiler: Judi Dench (Should win for giving an amazingly adorable performance)
• Winner: Cate Blanchett

Actress in a Supporting Role

• My Prediction: Lupita Nyong’o – While Chiwetel may not get the win, Lupita deserves just as much credit for her on-screen, gritty performance.
• My Spoiler: Jennifer Lawrence (Everyone seems to enjoy an unstable time bomb)
• Winner: Lupita Nyong’o

Animated Feature Film

• My Prediction: Frozen – The song alone may give it a win, but it is a warm-hearted story of a set of princesses trying to manage their own individual challenges.
• My Spoiler: The Wind Rises (Beautiful story that will hardly get its due)
• Winner: Frozen

Cinematography

• My Prediction: Gravity
• My Spoiler: Nebraska
• Winner: Gravity

Costume Design

• My Prediction: The Great Gatsby
• My Spoiler: American Hustle
• Winner: The Great Gatsby

Directing

• My Prediction: Alfonso Cuaron – Directed an artistically beautiful film which captivated with only one significant on-screen performance.
• My Spoiler: Steve McQueen (The film speaks for itself)
• Winner: Alfonso Cuaron

Documentary (Feature)

• My Prediction: 20 Feet from Stardom
• My Spoiler: The Act of Killing
• Winner: 20 Feet from Stardom

Documentary (Short Subject)

• My Prediction: The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life
• My Spoiler: Facing Fear
• Winner: The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life

Film Editing

• My Prediction: Gravity
• My Spoiler: Captain Phillips
• Winner: Gravity

Foreign Language

• My Prediction: The Great Beauty (Italy)
• My Spoiler: The Broken Circle Breakdown (Belgium)
• Winner: The Great Beauty

Makeup

• My Prediction: Dallas Buyers Club
• My Spoiler: Jackass Presents Bad Grandpa (Few options available…)
• Winner: Dallas Buyers Club

Music (Original Score)

• My Prediction: Gravity
• My Spoiler: Her
• Winner: Gravity

Music (Original Song)

• My Prediction: Let It Go – Frozen
• My Spoiler: Ordinary Love – Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom; The Moon Song – Her
• Winner: Let It Go – Frozen

Production Design

• My Prediction: 12 Years a Slave
• My Spoiler: The Great Gatsby
• Winner: The Great Gatsby

Short Film (Animated)

• My Prediction: Get a Horse!
• My Spoiler: Room on the Broom
• Winner: Mr. Hublot

Short Film (Live Action)

• My Prediction: The Voorman Problem
• My Spoiler: Pitääkö Mun Kaikki Hoitaa?
• Winner: Helium

Sound Editing

• My Prediction: Gravity
• My Spoiler: Lone Survivor
• Winner: Gravity

Sound Mixing

• My Prediction: Gravity
• My Spoiler: Lone Survivor
• Winner: Gravity

Visual Effects

• My Prediction: Gravity
• My Spoiler: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
• Winner: Gravity

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

• My Prediction: John Ridley for 12 Years a Slave – Likely challenging for the most overall wins this season, the story was gripping and terrifying all at the same time.
• My Spoiler: Billy Ray for Captain Phillips
• Winner: John Ridley for 12 Years a Slave

Writing (Original Screenplay)

• My Prediction: Spike Jonze for Her – This was a wildly inventive story which surprised its viewers. While not a hit with everyone, originality certainly gives is credibility.
• My Spoiler: Eric Warren Singer & David O. Russel for American Hustle
• Winner: Spike Jonze for Her

Percentage Correct: 21/24 – 87.5%

Percentage from 2013: 18/24 – 75%

Biggest Winners: Gravity (7)

Other Winners:

• 12 Years a Slave (3)
• Dallas Buyers Club (3)
• Frozen (2)
• The Great Gatsby (2)
• 20 Feet from Stardom (1)
• Blue Jasmine (1)
• Helium (1)
• Her (1)
• Mr. Hublot (1)
• The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life (1)
• The Great Beauty (1)

Golden Globes to Oscars

Looks like I am a bit behind on preparing for the Oscars this year. While I have already gotten out to see 12 Years a Slave, Mandela, and American Hustle, there are a few that I need to get on quickly before I miss my chance.

Predictions will have to wait until I get a chance to sit down and process the potential nominees a little further.

Oscar Night in Review: Winners and Losers

Another year, another Oscars. The Academy made the decision to make a number of changes this year that may or may not have been noticeable. The first, which was a major change, was that the “Academy Awards” label has been dropped from the name. Part of the rebranding of the awards to grab onto a younger audience meant drop the classic/double title. To go with the name change, there was also an attempt to make more youth-relevant choices in the host, presenters and production. While Seth MacFarlane was the host and the more youth-focused talent was on display, so were certain classic elements that kept the award show a little more relevant for an older audience. It would be easy to say that it was a balance, but the long show time and classic elements detracted away from the more youthful attempt.

But I digress…

Oscar night was still a huge success. There were surprises, upsets and memorable moments abound. The red carpet did serve a bit as the prelude to come of the events of the night (and not based off of who was wearing what). The big stars were out and there were some fun interactions that set the stage for the coming entertainment. Quvenzhane Wallis did not have to win anything to still get the attention and respect from the crowd. Jennifer Lawrence was in line to win the category, but she also found an opportunity to playfully take it to Emma Stone to let her know to watch her back. Jamie Foxx brought his daughter and presented himself well as an invested parent. Kristen Stewart showed up with crutches and attempted to balance herself for a few moments to pose for photographers. Numerous actors also hinted at their involvement in the night’s festivities.

Now to the actual award night. Here are my impressions of the wins and losses for the night at the movies…

Host: Seth MacFarlane

• Win: During the times when Seth was ad-libbing, he was actually quite funny. He showed a bit more humility when he recognized that a joke may have missed its mark, but the script was also not a complete loss. While the crowd seemed a bit lost, his Sound of Music bit with the Von Trapp family was rather amusing. He also could have easily focused more on his song and dance routines. Another win for Seth was in his presentation with Mark Wahlberg as Ted (less so for the content and more for the avenue of presenting himself as an animated bear). He had a truly gem with the opportunity to do what he does best…animated voices.
• Loss: It may not be his fault completely, but the writing suffered from being borderline or even totally offensive. It was not a surprise that he would push the line, but the “boobs” song, joke about Chris Brown and Rihanna and mention of Clooney chasing young women were failures in the script. The line about Clooney also destroyed the innocence of Quvenzhane, who was the target of a sexually-charged disaster. His opening also failed to seem cohesive or relevant. Besides the song, he had William Shatner playing his Star Trek role bouncing back and forth from inappropriate jokes to unrelated song and dance.

• Final Thoughts: If Seth were to be given another opportunity to host, he could easily take more of a Billy Crystal-like approach with a musical number with puns or quips about the nominees to start the show (though he apparently received some coaching from Crystal prior to the show). He could have even done something more with his vocal work besides Ted and made a better impact. As controversial and negative as some critics were about his performance, there was also a lot of support for his willingness to be controversial and perceived attractiveness (not exactly redeeming qualities for a possible repeat host).

Presenters

• Win: The Avengers may not have been nominated for anything, but the cast made an appearance to present a pair of awards with a little banter and self-defamation. Jean Dujardin was his fun, simple self and still posted a quick comment and tribute to the grace and majesty of the best actress nominees. As mentioned previously, Mark Wahlberg and Ted presented to a rather receptive crowd, sparking conversation that Ted (rather than Seth MacFarlane himself) should host the next Oscars. To reduce the time needed to present the best picture nominees, Reese Witherspoon, Liam Neeson and Nicole Kidman each highlighted three nominees apiece with brief bios and a quick video montage. The biggest surprise of the night included Jack Nicholson and Michelle Obama. While they may have different political ideologies, they supported the arts with their joint message and Michelle got the chance to make the official announcement.
  
• Loss: First up…Melissa McCarthy and Paul Rudd. Attempting to awkwardly exhibit how to do voice acting, they looked confused and completely out of it. As bad as they were, there was worse. Renee Zellweger and Richard Gere appeared to forget how to read and seemed like they did not want to be there. Worst of all was Kristen Stewart. In her appearance with Daniel Radcliffe, she appeared either drugged, drunk or in some way disheveled.

• Final Thoughts: There was an opportunity for Meryl Streep to present the Best Actress award to Jennifer Lawrence, but opportunity missed. Regardless, many of the choices were good, but some were clearly not that interested or impressed with the opportunity to be up on stage honoring other actors and moviemakers. The Academy needs to be more aware of who is going to appreciate the opportunity.

Musical Performances

• Win: The quick and easy answer here was Jennifer Hudson. Although she is amazing in nearly every performance, I’m Telling You is honestly one of her best songs. She brought the house down. Adele also wowed people with Skyfall, although she was also victim of some unbalanced audio during the chorus. The cast from Les Miserables came out for their performance of Suddenly, even with Russell Crowe. Also notable was Nora Jones, out there to sing Everybody Needs a Best Friend.
• Loss: While the performances themselves were not bad, they missed the mark in terms of capturing a younger audience. Dame Shirley Bassey came onto the stage to sing Goldfinger, which seemed to drag on and could have been replaced by a more modern vocalist and Bond song. Barbara Streisand did a fitting tribute along with the In Memoriam but just seemed to drag out the segment and again disconnect from the younger viewers. Catherine Zeta Jones did an okay performance with All That Jazz but she seemed a little lackluster energy for the first half of the performance.

• Final Thoughts: I like the idea of doing a tribute to music in film but shouldn’t that be every year? Music is such an important part of movies and should be celebrated.

Nominees & Winners

• Win: There were some winners that were expected. Daniel Day-Lewis was the clear frontrunner for Best Actor, but he also caught people off guard with his comedy during his acceptance speech. Jennifer Lawrence tripped going up the stairs to receive her Best Actress award but showed some humility and surprise after walking off stage. Quentin Tarantino was his usual wild and crazy self, which also makes for good television. Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine both were able to show their gratitude and promote the support for the arts through the opportunity they were able to provide for the focus of their film. Christoph Waltz snuck one away from Tommy Lee Jones with another gripping performance in a Tarantino film. Ben Affleck may have been snubbed for Best Director but his film still took the biggest prize of the night. And out of the category for best upset, Ang Lee surprised many with both the success of Life of Pi and his win over Spielberg.
• Loss: On the flip side of the Lee, Spielberg put out the movie everyone hoped and expected him to direct to only fall to disappointment and shock. Life of Pi had a late surge that took out the momentum Lincoln had originally produced (also losing some of that steam to Argo and the Best Picture category). Lincoln did get a bit of revenge when it won for Best Production Design, even though it had been tracking in 4th place behind Life of Pi, Les Miserables and The Hobbit. Not even nominated for any category, Cloud Atlas should have at least been up for Best Makeup, Best Original Song and Best Original Score. Wreck-It Ralph fell victim to Disney’s stranglehold on the animated category, which also took the animated short category. There were a few acceptance speeches that ran long, but that also served as an enjoyable experience with Jaws playing in the background.

  

• Final Thoughts: While the awards may have been spread out, there were too many surprises. Ang Lee did walk away the big winner, even without the Best Picture win. Seth’s song and dance at the end to honor the losers was really a bit of a fail, as it did nothing to consul or entertain people. Zero Dark Thirty and Silver Linings Playbook could have won more categories but there was stiff competition with Lincoln and Life of Pi. There are actually a few challenges with the award’s setup though. There is no suspense for certain categories when you have a film like Amour nominated for Best Picture and Best Foreign Film. There is no way it can be nominated for the biggest category of the night but then lose in its smaller category.

The Oscars were entertaining but I have a few final suggestions for future award shows. Get presenters that care about recognizing other people’s talent. Consider bumping the show up to 6:30pm EST so the show does not run so late (midnight). Avoid the crazy gimmicks to start the show and keep it shorter and simpler. If Seth is going to come back, reconsider how much leeway he gets or reduce the vulgarity. If you are going to keep the 9-10 nominee increase for Best Picture, the same allowance should be made for Best Director (only).

I will be back in the theaters soon, so stay up with the blog and I’ll see you at the movies.

Oscar Night 2013: Predictions and Winners

Tonight is Oscar night and things will be a bit different this time around. Seth MacFarlane (who also has a nomination for Best Original Song) will be taking the hosting duties this year. It will be interesting to see how far he goes with some of the jokes and whether he can live up to the previous performances of some of the other Oscar greats. Meanwhile, there will also be a few other questions buzzing around this evening. Will there be any commentary surrounding the significant Oscar snubs of Ben Affleck for Argo or Kathryn Bigelow for Zero Dark Thirty? Will history be made with the young nominee ever? Will Jennifer Lawrence make another comment about beating Meryl?

I will be on the blog tonight updating this posting to keep up with the awards, so look back later to see if my predictions came true.

Best Picture

• My Prediction: Argo
• My Spoilers: Lincoln
• Winner: Argo

Actor in a Leading Role

• My Prediction: Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln
• My Spoiler: Denzel Washington in Flight
• Winner: Daniel Day-Lewis

Actor in a Supporting Role

• My Prediction: Christoph Waltz in Django Unchained
• My Spoiler: Tommy Lee Jones in Lincoln
• Winner: Christoph Waltz

Actress in a Leading Role

• My Prediction: Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook
• My Spoiler: Jessica Chastain in Zero Dark Thirty
• Winner: Jennifer Lawrence

Actress in a Supporting Role

• My Prediction: Anne Hathaway in Les Miserables
• My Spoiler: Helen Hunt for The Sessions
• Winner: Anne Hathaway

Animated Feature Film

• My Prediction: Brave
• My Spoiler: Wreck-It Ralph
• Winner: Brave

Cinematography

• My Prediction: Life of Pi
• My Spoiler: Skyfall
• Winner: Life of Pi

Costume Design

• My Prediction: Les Miserables
• My Spoiler: Anna Karenina
• Winner: Anna Karenina

Directing

• My Prediction: Steven Spielberg for Lincoln
• My Spoiler: Ang Lee for Life of Pi
• Winner: Ang Lee

Documentary (Feature)

• My Prediction: Searching for Sugar Man
• My Spoiler: 5 Broken Cameras
• Winner: Searching for Sugar Man

Documentary (Short Subject)

• My Prediction: Open Heart
• My Spoiler: Inocente
• Winner: Inocente

Film Editing

• My Prediction: Argo
• My Spoiler: Zero Dark Thirty
• Winner: Argo

Foreign Language

• My Prediction: Amour (Austria)
• My Spoiler: A Royal Affair (Denmark)
• Winner: Amour

Makeup

• My Prediction: The Hobbit
• My Spoiler: Les Miserables
• Winner: Les Miserables

Music (Original Score)

• My Prediction: Life of Pi
• My Spoiler: Lincoln
• Winner: Life of Pi

Music (Original Song)

• My Prediction: Skyfall (Adele) in Skyfall
• My Spoiler: Everybody Needs a Best Friend in Ted
• Winner: Skyfall

Production Design

• My Prediction: Les Miserables
• My Spoiler: Life of Pi
• Winner: Lincoln

Short Film (Animated)

• My Prediction: Paperman
• My Spoiler: Heads Over Heels
• Winner: Paperman

Short Film (Live Action)

• My Prediction: Curfew
• My Spoiler: Asad
• Winner: Curfew

Sound Editing

• My Prediction: Zero Dark Thirty
• My Spoiler: Life of Pi
• Winner: Zero Dark Thirty & Skyfall

Sound Mixing

• My Prediction: Les Miserables
• My Spoiler: Skyfall
• Winner: Les Miserables

Visual Effects

• My Prediction: Life of Pi
• My Spoiler: The Hobbit
• Winner: Life of Pi

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

• My Prediction: Chris Terrio for Argo
• My Spoiler: David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook
• Winner: Chris Terrio for Argo

Writing (Original Screenplay)

• My Prediction: Mark Boal for Zero Dark Thirty
• My Spoiler: Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola for Moonrise Kingdom
• Winner: Quentin Tarantino for Django Unchained

Percentage Correct: 18/24 – 75%

Percentage from 2012: 15/24 – 62.5%

Biggest Winners: Life of Pi (4)

Other Winners:

Amour

Anna Karenina

Argo (3)

Brave

Curfew

Django Unchained (2)

Inocente

Les Miserables (3)

Lincoln (2)

Paperman

Searching for Sugar Man

Silver Linings Playbook

Skyfall (2)

Zero Dark Thirty

The Nominees Are In: Early Oscar Predictions for the 85th Academy Awards

Compared to last year, I am actually in better shaped with my Oscar preparations. I have viewed the majority of the films that comprise the top categories and feel a little more prepared to comments on the possible winners earlier than in the past. Get ready for a possibly turbulent awards season as there are strong films but no truly clear frontrunners.

The nominees are laced with a selection of expected winners, mostly due to a combination of film topics, directors and cast, but there are some strong films that may not get the attention they deserve. Lincoln and Les Miserables will walk away with a set of awards, but they will not convincingly steal up every major category. Silver Linings Playbook has a chance to be a surprise winner in several categories, similar to Shakespeare in Love did when it got the upset for Best Picture. The Impossible was a emotional roller coaster, but it was a surprise hit with its phenomenal acting for Naomi Watts and eye-catching visuals (though not recognized in the nominations). Life of Pi has a good chance of getting recognition in several categories for its stunningly beautiful art direction, whereas Cloud Atlas was overlooked in most of its relevant categories. I have yet to see Zero Dark Thirty but the nods before its release indicate that it may be a late challenger, even without the direction nod for Kathryn Bigelow. And for all of the buzz that Argo generated, there was no direction nod for Ben Affleck either.

Where 2012 was not a stunning year for animated features or music in film, this year boast a selection to return to recognition for some talented production companies and composers. Disney/Pixar will be expected to win for their captivating feature, Brave, but all of the features offer a combination of good stories and entertaining graphical presentations. On the music end, Cloud Atlas is yet again a surprising snub considering the film’s success at developing an amazing original classical score and its success at tying the music into the storyline. Still, the scores are strong with contenders that include John Williams and Mychael Danna.

As I said before, this should be a year that will not produce clear frontrunners but a lot of surprises on Oscar night. Here are my early thoughts on the major categories:

Actor in a Leading Role

• Frontrunner: Partially for the name recognition and the role itself, Daniel Day-Lewis has got to be the clear favorite of the group. Taking on the role of Lincoln, he was able to project a sense of humility and strength during one of the most dramatic moments of his presidential career.
• Competitor: Denzel Washington will definitely be recognized for his presence as a flawed hero and a troubled human being. While it may not be too far off the general trend of his other films, Flight was definitely one of his better performances.
• Dark Horse: Joaquin Phoenix may not even show up at the ceremony unless he appears to be the frontrunner going into the night, but his performance was recognized right before the nominations were released.

Actor in a Supporting Role

• Frontrunner: Lincoln may appear to be the frontrunner now, but the acting is definitely a good reason to keep them in contention. Tommy Lee Jones is rather intriguing, as those unfamiliar with his representation of an historic figure will appreciate both his contention and compassion presented in the film.
• Competitor: Philip Seymour Hoffman is a great actor and has a good chance to be recognized for his performance in The Master. Like Daniel Day-Lewis, it seems like a victory is long overdue.
• Dark Horse: While his performance from Inglorious Basterds appeared to be a clear favorite a few years ago, Christoph Waltz’s excellent performance in Django Unchained could be under-appreciated or it could steal the category.

Actress in a Leading Role

• Frontrunner: Though most people will not have seen the film, Emmanuelle’s performance in Amour is certainly award-worthy. This is not a clear category for a clear winner, but her performance cannot be ignored.
• Competitor: Jennifer Lawrence is a mood disorder explosion of brilliance in Silver Linings Playbook. She could very easily run away with the front spot as we get closer to the award night, but for now, she is still behind Emmanuelle.
• Dark Horse: The rest of the field…I have not yet seen Jessica Chastain’s performance, but Naomi Watts represents the best in the human spirit while Quvenzhane is absolutely captivating and has a chance of being one of the youngest winners in the history of the awards.

Actress in a Supporting Role

• Frontrunner: This has to be the one category with a clearest frontrunner. Anne Hathaway’s passion and grittiness in Les Miserables should earn her the Oscar.
• Competitor: Sally Field can easily get recognition for the scope of the role and her strongly variable emotional performance.
• Dark Horse: Amy Adams will get her press and recognition for The Master, but Hathaway already has a strong lock on this award.

Animated Feature Film

• Frontrunner: Returning to the scene with a strong story and beautiful animation, Pixar’s Brave should be a favorite going into award night.
• Competitor: Due to Tim Burton’s combination of strong yet quirky presentation, Frankenweenie could get some great attention.
• Dark Horse: ParaNorman is a fun and creative animated film that could steal one away from Pixar.

Directing

• Frontrunner: Without Affleck and Bigelow, Spielberg’s choice for working with a historically-based story will get a lot of attention. The representation of the war both on the battlefield and in Congress can easily take center stage.
• Competitor: In comparison to the presentation of the story in Lincoln, Ang Lee’s Life of Pi combines an intriguing story with the beautiful visuals.
• Dark Horse: Amour with Michel Haneke exhibits a combination of love and compassion that could slide in for a win.

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

• Front Runner: In recognition for the expected, Tony Kuschner’s Lincoln will probably get the win. It is a deserving film with a strong dialogue.
  
• Competitor: Just as intriguing as Lincoln is Silver Linings Playbook. David O. Russell manipulates mental illness into both a challenging and rewarding series of conversations and interactions, particularly in the relationship between the main characters.
• Dark Horse: With little recognition for the more expected categories, Chris Terrio’s Argo presents a turbulent time through a combination of entertaining conversations during the Hollywood scenes and tense moments during the planning and escape.

Writing (Original Screenplay)

• Front Runner: Quentin Tarantino’s films may be bloody and violent, but there is no shortage of gripping moments built into the story. Even with Christoph Waltz’s acting, it is the screenplay that helps to set up the film’s strong recognition.
• Competitor: Zero Dark Thirty’s subject matter may make Mark Boal a winner on Oscar night.
• Dark Horse: Without a nomination for Best Picture (even after early predictions put them in), Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola could take this category with their quirky and dysfunctional style of storytelling.

Best Picture

• Front Runner: At this time, it is hard to pick against Lincoln. With the subject matter and the right combination of elements, it is definitely going to be difficult to dethrone this film from its path to the Academy Awards.
• Competitor: Even with some mixed review from the critics, Les Miserables is a wonderful combination of visual spectacles, beautiful vocal performances and the making of Oscar gold.
  
• Dark Horse(s): It is not hard to imagine that the field is a bit stronger this year and that Lincoln may not maintain momentum as we reach Oscar night. While wonderful films, it is hard to imagine that Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Amour and Life of Pi will challenge the other films, but stranger things have happened. In comparison, Kathryn Bigelow’s success with The Hurt Locker pushes Zero Dark Thirty into contention. Argo may have missed on other categories, but the film’s overall presentation was a strong one that even left the viewer curious of the outcome in the film when they may have known what happened in real life. Silver Linings Playbook has a similar appeal to when Shakespeare in Love stole the film big award, but it is a little bit of a different contender. Its charm as a film that explores mental obsession and illness boasts strong performances and memorable moments that could continue to build its momentum.
  

For now, these gut reactions leave a lot of room for change. Each of the awards shows over the next month will swing the momentum more toward or away from Lincoln as a frontrunner, or possibly propel Silver Linings Playbook or Zero Dark Thirty to achieve greater than anticipated success. There are still some films I have left to catch, so look forward to more reviews very soon.

By the way, I will say again that I believe the biggest snub of the nominations to be Cloud Atlas. While it would not have won for Best Picture and probably could not have even challenged the field for entry into the top 9, there are several categories that were clear possibilities for success that were overlooked, most notably makeup, both music categories, film editing, production design, visual effects and screenplay. Many thought the movie was too complex for its own good, but I would beg to differ.

A Work of Art: Recapping the 84th Academy Awards

Billy Crystal hosted for his 9th time. The Artist and Hugo split for the most awards of the night. Meryl Strep won her 3rd Oscar. And Cirque du Soleil performed a special segment dedicated to the movies. It was a wonderful night.

Though I did not pay attention to the Red Carpet this year, I caught a couple of highlights right before the start of the awards ceremony. The obsession with George Clooney started before the night even began, though he was nominated for two different films (The Descendants and The Ides of March). There were a number of very well-dressed celebrities, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I choose to not comment on which ones I liked. That choice is up to you.

The night started with the traditional video inserts and song & dance number by Billy Crystal. He had his numerous segues and clever jokes, but he tended to pause quite a bit to let the jokes sink in a bit. Still, he had a number of great moments during the video intro, including his kiss scene with Clooney for The Descendants, eating the pie with Octavia Spencer for The Help, getting a little face time with Justin Bieber for Midnight in Paris, talking with the guys from Moneyball and driving a motorcycle straight out of The Adventures of Tin Tin. The musical number was solid but felt a little too quick with 9 films to get through. All in all, Crystal was a good, safe choice for a host.

One of the interesting controversial elements talked about during and after the show online was that Chris Rock should have been the host. While Crystal had a number of solid jokes (most about the economy), Rock clearly appeared to have written his own material. He talked about how animation lets anyone become anyone, including a donkey and a zebra (find the video online to understand the reference). His actually felt like it was straight out of one of his standup specials.

Starting with the biggest losers…War Horse was Spielberg’s attempt to for another emotional war drama and it failed to win awards at any of the big ceremonies, including the Oscars. I will put Hugo into the winners category as well, but the best picture nominee failed to win any awards for substance-related categories. The musical categories were good nominees, but the best song category was lacking with only two nominees.

There were a few items that were definitely challenging, particularly with the competition in certain categories. I will definitely agree that Meryl Streep deserved her best actress award, but she was up against some phenomenal talent. It was the most competitive category where clearly every nominee deserved the award. Michelle Williams brought life to the iconic Marilyn Monroe. Glenn Close played a woman who poses as a man to find opportunity in a sexist world. Rooney Mara took the character of Lisbeth to a darker place than even the Swedish version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo did. And Viola Davis was remarkable as the woman who led the maids in their opportunity to speak out against discrimination in The Help. The men were nearly as competitive, but it was clear that the race was between George Clooney and Jean Dujardin, even though Demain Bichir was phenomenal in A Better Life.

The winners were definitely deserving of their achievements. I may be a bit conflicted about the merit of Hugo’s wins, but all of the film’s wins were deserved for the beautiful presentation of the film. Meryl Streep came away with her 3rd win after 17 nominations, solidifying her as the most winningest and nominated actress in history. Octavia Spencer has quite the emotional moment with her disbelief in her achievement in acting. Jean Dujardin picked up the best actor award and gave a little dance in celebration of his recognition. Christopher Plummer finally was awarded his first Oscar for his work in Beginners. The Artist was definitely the truly biggest winner of the night, snagging best original music score, costume design, best director, best actor and best picture. Michel Hazanavicius definitely deserved attention for putting together a classic style film so strong that an old film style would steal the show for 2011.

With another year before the next Academy Awards, there is an opportunity for the next set of films to come in and bring a whole new set of stories to life on the silver screen. In honor of the achievements of 2011, I will dedicate the next couple weeks to focusing mostly on Oscar winners for best picture.

Do not forget to check out the great upcoming films of 2012 in the theaters starting NOW!

Oscar Night 2012: Predictions and Winners

It is that time of year again. It is officially the night of glitz and glamour and, most importantly, a celebration of the past year in film. There are a number of great pictures that took place since the last awards, though many of them only appeared over the past couple months. While there is no party for me this year, I am still feeling the Oscar buzz and have my predictions below. I will update this post throughout the night to represent the winners as they are announced and follow up on the results in the next day or two. Enjoy the night (and thank you that Billy Crystal is taking the lead this year).

Actor in a Leading Role

• My Prediction: George Clooney in The Descendants
• My Spoiler: Jean Dujardin in The Artist
• Winner: Jean Dujardin

Actor in a Supporting Role

• My Prediction: Christopher Plummer in Beginners
• My Spoiler: Kenneth Branagh in My Week with Marilyn
• Winner: Christopher Plummer

Actress in a Leading Role

• My Prediction: Viola Davis in The Help
• My Spoiler: Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady
• Winner: Meryl Streep

Actress in a Supporting Role

• My Prediction: Octavia Spencer in The Help
• My Spoiler: Berenice Bejo in The Artist
• Winner: Octavia Spencer

Animated Feature Film

• My Prediction: Rango
• My Spoiler: Kung Fu Panda 2
• Winner: Rango

Art Direction

• My Prediction: The Artist
• My Spoiler: Hugo
• Winner: Hugo

Cinematography

• My Prediction: The Artist
• My Spoiler: War Horse
• Winner: Hugo

Costume Design

• My Prediction: Jane Eyre
• My Spoiler: The Artist
• Winner: The Artist

Directing

• My Prediction: Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist
• My Spoiler: Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris
• Winner: Michel Hazanavicius

Documentary (Feature)

• My Prediction: Undefeated
• My Spoiler: Hell and Back Again
• Winner: Undefeated

Documentary (Short Subject)

• My Prediction: Saving Face
• My Spoiler: Incident in New Baghdad
• Winner: Saving Face

Film Editing

• My Prediction: The Artist
• My Spoiler: Hugo
• Winner: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Foreign Language

• My Prediction: A Separation (Iran)
• My Spoiler: In Darkness (Poland)
• Winner: A Separation

Makeup

• My Prediction: The Iron Lady
• My Spoiler: Albert Nobbs
• Winner: The Iron Lady

Music (Original Score)

• My Prediction: The Artist
• My Spoiler: War Horse
• Winner: The Artist

Music (Original Song)

• My Prediction: Man or Muppet by Bret McKenzie
• My Spoiler: Real in Rio by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown
• Winner: Man or Muppet

Best Picture

• My Prediction: The Artist
• My Spoilers: The Descendants or The Help
• Winner: The Artist

Short Film (Animated)

• My Prediction: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
• My Spoiler: La Luna
• Winner: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Short Film (Live Action)

• My Prediction: Raju
• My Spoiler: The Shore
• Winner: The Shore

Sound Editing

• My Prediction: Hugo
• My Spoiler: War Horse
• Winner: Hugo

Sound Mixing

• My Prediction: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
• My Spoiler: Hugo
• Winner: Hugo

Visual Effects

• My Prediction: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
• My Spoiler: Transformers: Dark of the Moon
• Winner: Hugo

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

• The Descendants by Alexandre Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash
• Moneyball by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin
• Winner: The Descendants

Writing (Original Screenplay)

• My Prediction: Midnight in Paris by Woody Allen
• My Spoiler: The Artist by Michel Hazanavicius
• Winner: Midnight in Paris

Percentage Correct: 15/24 – 62.5%

Biggest Winners: The Artist (5) & Hugo (5)

Other Winners:

• A Separation
• Beginners
• Midnight in Paris
• Rango
• Saving Face
• The Descendants
• The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
• The Help
• The Iron Lady (2)
• The Muppets
• The Shore
• Undefeated