oscar follow up

Every year once the Oscar telecast is over, I say, "Self, you really must do something else worthwhile with your time."

Then 12 months later here I am blogging my predictions on a Sunday afternoon.

However, I've come to the conclusion that when I am choosing my potential winners in the various Oscar categories, if I write: "watch for ______ to possibly nab this" or "though it could be ______" and "______ would be my 2nd choice" - then whatever "blank" is, that is who I should be listing to take top prize.  Not the other film I've actually put in the winners seat.  Because if I'd done that last night I would have gotten 22 out of 24 categories correct.  Not 18.  18 is nothing to sneeze at, but last year it was 20 and I really hate to go backwards.

Costume/Production Design
The Costume Designers Guild awards in 3 categories: contemporary, period and fantasy film.  Usually the period film goes on to win the Academy award.  The CDG period film winner was 12 Years a Slave.  The Great Gatsby won the BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) in both costume and production design.  It also had "period" costumes and Catherine Martin is a previous Oscar winner.  I should have known better.

Animated Short Film
I know nothing about these movies other than Get a Horse! was the short film before Frozen.  I picked it based on Frozen's popularity.

Live Action Short
Again, just randomly guessing here.  After reading some about the films I picked The Voorman Problem as it was the only one not in subtitles.  And people seem to not like films with subtitles.

Documentary Feature
I haven't seen any of these films.  The other Oscar blogs I read from people who get paid for it, split this up between The Act of Killing, The Square and 20 Feet from Stardom.  20 Feet from Stardom was my gut reaction.  Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

Foreign Language Film
The Great Beauty won the BAFTA and some other awards.  But I also read that people thought it was boring and had been done before.  Never listen to "people."  Go with the awards.  This was another gut reaction I should have stuck with.


Another trend I noticed last night in these particular categories were winners who had previously won or at least been nominated before, some of them quite a few times.  It's something to remember to check up on next year...

oscar predictions

It's that time of year again!  Oscar prediction time.  I usually do this on my other blog.  Yes, I have a second blog.  A Chick & Her Flicks doesn't get a whole lot of lovin' though as I have a hard time just keeping up with new nothings.

Since no one ever reads the other blog anyway, I decided to post my Oscar predictions here this year.

The top post over in "other blog land" has all my guesses from last year.  You can see what I picked, but I didn't do a follow up with what I missed.  I was put out, to say it mildly, that my Outguess Ebert registration didn't go through and that even though I outguessed him - with a perfect score - it didn't count.  Since Mr. Ebert sadly passed away in 2013, there is no contest this year.  After I initially won, but had to relinquish the prize due to our location in 2011, I had been hoping to possibly win again and this time being able to accept the grand prize.

Even though I didn't see many of last years nominees and waited till just before the ceremony to pick my winners, I still did well, 20 out of 24 correct.  As always, I am trying for that perfect score.  It's those darn documentary films and live action shorts, etc. that get me.  I don't watch them and I read a blog yesterday where a few academy voters had anonymously published their ballots and apparently neither do they.  One guy even said he fell asleep during one of the foreign language films.  So your guess, is as good as mine in those categories this year.

I'm pretty confident I am right on the money with a few of my choices, but if I wind up being wrong (it's happened many a time before) I'll be sure to report back this week with my reaction.

Please note that instead of typing out, as in previous years, who I think will win and why for every single category and listing all of the nominees... I've just typed up the category and my choice as winner.  It's Sunday afternoon and it's raining and I want to take a nap.

Best Picture
12 Years a Slave

Actor in a Leading Role
Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club

Actor in a Supporting Roll
Jared Leto in Dallas Buyers Club

Actress in a Leading Role
Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine

Actress in a Supporting Role
Lupita Nyong'o in 12 Years a Slave

Animated Feature Film
Frozen

Cinematography
Gravity

Costume Design
12 Years a Slave
(watch for The Great Gatsby to possibly nab this)

Directing
Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity

Documentary Feature
The Square
(though it could be The Act of Killing)

Documentary Short Subject
The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life

Film Editing
Gravity

Foreign Language Film
The Hunt
(The Great Beauty would be my 2nd choice)

Makeup and Hairstyling
Dallas Buyers Club

Original Score
Gravity

Original Song
"Let it Go" from Frozen

Production Design
Her
(this choice is my biggest risk, watch The Great Gatsby or even American Hustle to win this)

Animated Short Film
Get a Horse!

Live Action Short Film
The Voorman Problem

Sound Editing
Gravity

Sound Mixing
Gravity

Visual Effects
Gravity
(do you see the trend?)

Adapted Screenplay
12 Years a Slave

Original Screenplay
Her
(again, risky guess, could go to American Hustle - with 10 nominations they have to win something... right?)


That's a wrap.