Countdown to Oscar Night Grand Finale: Best Picture

Best Picture

The Big Short

Bridge of Spies

Brooklyn

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant

Room

Spotlight

As pictured above this is a three horse race between Spotlight, The Revenant, and The Big Short. The Revenant seems to be the favorite with the most nominations, but Spotlight has been my gut feeling and the experts pick for a few months now. The dark-horse here is The Big Short which would be the most politically and socially relevant choice of the three, but voters haven't really been motivated by those causes of late. As for my personal choices, this is probably the strongest Best Picture field in years. Four of them (Room, Brooklyn, The Big Short, and The Martian) are in my top ten favorite films of the year. Three of them (Bridge of Spies, Mad Max, and The Revenant) would find a spot in my top twenty. Spotlight was the only film I was disappointed with. It was solid, but a wholly underwhelming experience.... which is why it will most likely be hoisting the big prize tonight.... of course.

My Ballot:

Room

Brooklyn

The Big Short

The Martian

Bridge of Spies

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Revenant

Spotlight

My Pick to Win:

Spotlight

Shoulda Been Here:

When Marnie Was There

Its been fun!  Here is my final summary of all of my picks for tonight. Like last year, I expect surprises galore:
Best Picture: Spotlight
Best Director: George Miller - Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio - The Revenant
Best Actress: Brie Larson - Room
Best Supporting Actor: Sylvester Stallone - Creed
Best Supporting Actress: Alica Vikander - The Danish Girl
Best Documentary: Amy
Best Animated Film: Inside Out
Best Cinematography: The Revenant
Best Production Design: Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Costume Design: Cinderella
Best Editing: The Big Short
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Big Short
Best Original Screenplay: Spotlight
Best Makeup & Hairstyling: Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Sound Editing: Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Sound Mixing: Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Visual Effects: Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Score: The Hateful Eight
Best Song: "When it Happens to You" - The Hunting Ground
Best Foreign Language Film: Son of Saul
Best Documentary Short: Last Day of Freedom
Best Animated Short: Sanjay's Super Team
Best Live Action Short: Day One

See ya tonight on the red carpet!!!!!!!!!!!

Countdown to Oscar Night: #OscarSoWhite Acting Categories Spectacular

Let me at first be clear, I think the #OscarSoWhite movement is a bit overblown. Since the '70s, the percentage of acting Oscars being awarded to African-Americans winning acting Oscars is nearly equivalent to the percentage of African-Americans living in America. That being said there were two 2015 movies that got unjustly ignored: Tangerine and Beasts of No Nation. I will highlight each of these categories with a beautiful photo of who should have been nominated from those films in each of the categories.




Best Supporting Actress
Jennifer Jason Leigh - The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara - Carol
Rachel McAdams - Spotlight
Alicia Vikander - The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet - Steve Jobs

My Ballot
Kate Winslet - Steve Jobs
Alicia Vikander - The Danish Girl
Jennifer Jason Leigh - The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara - Carol
Rachel McAdams - Spotlight

My Pick to Win:
Alicia Vikander - The Danish Girl

Shoulda Been Here:
Mya Taylor - Tangerine



Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale - The Big Short
Tom Hardy - The Revenant
Mark Ruffalo - Spotlight
Mark Rylance - Bridge of Spies
Sylvester Stallone - Creed

My Ballot
Christian Bale - The Big Short
Mark Rylance - Bridge of Spies
Tom Hardy - The Revenant
Sylvester Stallone - Creed
Mark Ruffalo - Spotlight

Shoulda Been Here (and WON!!!)
Idris Elba - Beasts of No Nation



Best Actress
Cate Blanchett - Carol
Brie Larson - Room
Jennifer Lawrence - Joy
Charlotte Rampling - 45 Years
Saoirse Ronan - Brooklyn

My Ballot:
Brie Larson - Room
Saoirse Ronan - Brooklyn
Cate Blanchett - Carol
Charlotte Rampling - 45 Years
Jennifer Lawrence - Joy

My Pick to Win:
Brie Larson - Room

Shoulda Been Here:
Kitana Kiki Rodriguez - Tangerine



Best Actor
Bryan Cranston - Trumbo
Matt Damon - The Martian
Leonardo DiCaprio - The Revenant
Michael Fassbender - Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne - The Danish Girl

My Ballot:
Leonardo DiCaprio - The Revenant
Eddie Redmayne - The Danish Girl
Michael Fassbender - Steve Jobs
Bryan Cranston - Trumbo
Matt Damon - The Martian

My Pick to Win:
Leonardo DiCaprio - The Revenant (obviously...)

Shoulda Been Here:
Abraham Attah - Beasts of No Nation

Countdown to Oscar Night: Best Director

Best Director
Lenny Abrahamson - Room
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu - The Revenant
Tom McCarthy - Spotlight
Adam McKay - The Big Short
George Miller - Mad Max: Fury Road

Such a shame that Ridley Scott isn't here to pick up his much deserved first Oscar. This is a toss up between George Miller and a repeat from Alejandro Inarritu. I don't think the Academy is quite ready to put Inarritu on John Ford-level so my money is on Miller.

My Ballot:
Lenny Abrahamson - Room
Adam McKay - The Big Short
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu - The Revenant
George Miller - Mad Max: Fury Road
Tom McCarthy - Spotlight

My Pick to Win:
George Miller - Mad Max: Fury Road

Shoulda Been Here:
Ridley Scott - The Martian

Countdown to Oscar Night: My Failed Categories (Documentary & Animation)

So I accomplished something I've never done before this year. I have seen every film nominated for an Oscar in the traditional categories. Unfortunately I have to add that "traditional" stipulation because I haven't been able to track down all the documentaries, animated films, shorts, and I'm not convinced the films in the foreign language category actually exist at all.  So here is my abbreviated take on the big two of these categories:





Best Documentary
Amy
Cartel Land
The Look of Silence
What Happened Miss Simone?
Winter on Fire

I was a fan of Amy Winehouse. Her story was tragic. I just felt this documentary didn't quite do her justice. Yes, she was a flawed artist, but this film was so much more about "flawed" than it was about "artist". I challenge you to watch Amy back to back with the masterful Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck. You will come away thinking one of them deserves an Oscar. Spoiler alert: it won't be Amy. Anyway.... It'll win best doc this year... Ho hum.

My Ballot:
What Happened Miss Simone?
Amy

My Pick to Win:
Amy

Shoulda Been Here:
I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story



Best Animated Film
Anomalisa
Boy & the World
Inside Out
Shaun the Sheep
When Marnie Was There

I was excited about the prospects of seeing all films in this category until Anomalisa's studio felt the need to turn its movie release schedule into a glacier pace (I'm pretty sure this movie hasn't even opened in North Carolina yet). And then, just the Academy being their pretentious selves, they go and nominate a movie that NO ONE has heard of (Boy & the World). Oh well, I'll see those two eventually I guess. Even with all that quirky variety, the big-box-office critical darling Inside Out will win this easily. Which is a bit dissapointing because Studio Ghibli's Marnie (pictured above) was one of the very best movies of the year, and the best movie I have seen out of Japan since the best of Miyazaki's work. It's also a little disheartening because Inside Out wasn't even Pixar's best 2015 movie, that would be The Good Dinosaur...

My Ballot:
When Marnie Was There
Inside Out
Shaun the Sheep

My Pick to Win:
Inside Out

Shoulda Been Here:
The Good Dinosaur

Countdown to Oscar Night: Best Cinematography

Best Cinematography
Carol
The Hateful Eight
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Sicario

Reading my past few Countdown specials, you may get the idea that I wasn't a huge fan of The Revenant. You would be wrong. The problem is that the majority of the my love for the movie comes from the sole fact that it is the most beautifully shot movie of the year. The others look nice, but just look at that shot above...  Take a second... I'll wait....  Emmanuel Lubezki has outdone himself once again and will win an unprecedented third consecutive cinematography Oscar (He also won for Gravity and Birdman). Considering the fact that he DIDN'T win for The Tree of Life (which IS the prettiest movie of the 21st century), we are certainly witnessing the greatest works of a man who will certainly go down as one of the greatest cinematographers in history. That is saying a lot since he's also nominated alongside Roger Deakins who is enjoying his 13th nomination and will go yet another year without a win. Can we please help Mr. Deakins pick better movies????  Sicario was okay, but it is a far cry from his masterpieces (Shawshank, No Country For Old Men, O Brother Where Art Thou?).

My Ballot:
The Revenant
The Hateful Eight
Mad Max: Fury Road
Carol
Sicario

My Pick to Win:
The Revenant

Shoulda Been Here:
Tangerine

Countdown to Oscar Night: Best Production Design

Best Production Design
Bridge of Spies
The Danish Girl
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant

Not much excitement here other than an abundance of well-made, easy on the eyes movies. I fully expect Mad Max to nearly sweep these technical categories as the Academy strives to point out that they aren't stuffy old white farts. Still, that's a shame because The Danish Girl is just as artfully crafted as the artists it portrays and deserves much more love than it is getting.

My Ballot:
The Danish Girl
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
The Martian
Bridge of Spies

My Pick to Win:
Mad Max: Fury Road

Shoulda Been Here:
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Countdown to Oscar Night: Best Costume Design

Best Costume Design
Carol
Cinderella
The Danish Girl
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant

I am sure the costume designers for The Revenant and Mad Max are hard-working, talented folks, but let's be honest, nobody wants to see slovenly-functional or steampunk-functional win this category. That leaves three flawlessly dressed movies. Carol captures the '50s chic aesthetic, and The Danish Girl dresses both its men and its women in artful and unique ways, but nothing will come close to Cinderella for the voters in this category. Just look at the picture above, those are the UGLY stepsisters!

My Ballot:
The Danish Girl
Cinderella
Carol
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant

My Pick to Win:
Cinderella

Shoulda Been Here:
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Countdown to Oscar Night: Best Editing

Best Editing
The Big Short
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Spotlight
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Yes, the above image is a screencap from The Big Short, and no, it isn't as exciting as you might think. It is from a "4th wall-breaking" sequence used multiple times throughout the movie to explain complicated financial gymnastics to the audience. This touch made the film much more poignant and relevant than a simple adaptation of the book. Unfortunately, this category is usually an early predictor of the Best Picture winner of the night so it could very well go to either The Revenant or Spotlight, but maybe, just maybe the voters will select something appropriate for the category.

My Ballot:
The Big Short
Mad Max: Fury Road
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
The Revenant
Spotlight

My Pick to Win:
The Big Short

Shoulda Been Here:
Dope

Countdown to Oscar Night: Best Adapted Screenplay

Best Adapted Screenplay
The Big Short
Brooklyn
Carol
The Martian
Room

Wow.... Four of my most favorite movies of the year.... and Carol. Don't get me wrong I really dug that one too, but the others are all in my current top ten of 2015 so this one is tough for me. Room is the best film, but its magic lies more in its performances and source material. Brooklyn is beautiful, but didn't really break any new screenwriting ground. So that leaves The Martian and The Big Short. The Big Short is a daringly original adaptation of a timely nonfiction book directed by a man whose most serious work up to this point was a really solid episode of Eastbound & Down. It'll most likely win, but I have to go with The Martian simply because Drew Goddard was able to distill Andy Weir's science geek masterpiece into an almost perfect screen translation without making me upset enough to throw anything at the screen. It'll also made Abby start using the phrase "we have to do the MATH Daddy!", which just gives me happy goose pimples all over!

My Ballot:
The Martian
The Big Short
Room
Brooklyn
Carol

My Pick to Win:
The Big Short

Shoulda Been Here:
Steve Jobs

Countdown to Oscar Night: Best Original Screenplay

Best Original Screenplay
Bridge of Spies
Ex Machina
Inside Out
Spotlight
Straight Outta Compton

With the huge amount of creative and innovative screenplays this year, this is an incredibly ho-hum list. Where is Dope? Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl? Tangerine? It Follows? Beasts of No Nation? Bone Tomahawk? and, most notably, The Hateful Eight? Ex Machina and Inside Out both get points for originality but neither had enough emotional punch for me (yes, even Inside Out). Straight Outta Compton was good just felt about 45 minutes too long because of the need to squeeze in every detail of Dre, Cube, and Eazy's life story. Spotlight was solid, but completely "by-the-numbers", and I don't really get all its award season love. The only deserving winner here, especially from a screenplay standpoint, is Bridge of Spies.

My Ballot:
Bridge of Spies
Ex Machina
Straight Outta Compton
Inside Out
Spotlight

My Pick to Win:
Spotlight

Shoulda Been Here:
The Hateful Eight

Countdown to Oscar Night: Best Makeup & Hairstyling

Best Makeup & Hairstyling
The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant

Kind of a ho-hum category here.  The Academy must really dig "old-person transformation makeup"; although it is a bit of a step up from Johnny Knoxville's "Bad Grandpa", "The 100 Year Old Man....." isn't much of a masterpiece. It was neat, but that was about it. I think The Revenant got the nod simply for making Tom Hardy and Leo Dicaprio look ugly. The only real artistry here though was the originality of Mad Max, and it will get the Oscar.

My Ballot:
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared

My Pick to Win:
Mad Max: Fury Road

Shoulda Been Here:
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (for the return of Chewbacca alone!)

Countdown to Oscar Night: Best Sound Editing/Mixing

Best Sound Editing                                Best Sound Mixing
Mad Max: Fury Road                               Bridge of Spies
The Martian                                              Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant                                            The Martian
Sicario                                                      The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens                 Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Probably the most misunderstood of all of the Academy's categories are the sound categories. Editing is creating new sound (i.e.: R2-D2's voice) whereas Mixing is balancing and amplifying the sound that is there (i.e.: producing the singers of Les Miserables). I'm pretty sure Mad Max is going to sweep all of these technical categories, and I believe it deserves it for Mixing for the guitar player alone. On the other hand, the editing doesn't hold up to Ben Burtt and company's flawless work on Star Wars. BB-8 deserves an Oscar by himself!

My Ballots:
Best Sound Editing                                  Best Sound Mixing
Star Wars: The Force Awakens                 Mad Max: Fury Road
Mad Max: Fury Road                                The Martian
The Martian                                               Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Sicario                                                       The Revenant
The Revenant                                             Bridge of Spies

My Picks to Win:
Best Sound Editing                                 Best Sound Mixing
Mad Max: Fury Road                                Mad Max: Fury Road

Shoulda Been Here:
Best Sound Editing                                 Best Sound Mixing
Beasts of No Nation                                  Dope

Countdown to Oscar Night: Best Visual Effects

Best Visual Effects
Ex Machina
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

I usually avoid Star Wars films on my year-end reviews, but this is the category that you simply can't ignore. The Force Awakens took us to new worlds and (whether simply because of technology or a shift in attention to detail) is the most utterly beautiful film in the franchise. Ex Machina was subtle and beautiful, but simply didn't have enough effects to compete with these others. The Revenant's beauty is in its scenery and cinematography. The Martian was perfect but never really wowed with any visuals. Mad Max will most likely win here which is unfortunate because it heralds a return to practical effects (real crashes, explosions, and stuntmen) and I'm not sure that is what this category is meant to be about.

My Ballot:
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
The Martian
Ex Machina
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant

My Pick to Win:
Mad Max: Fury Road

Shoulda Been Here:
Avengers: Age of Ultron

Countdown to Oscar night: Best Score

Best Score
Bridge of Spies
Carol
The Hateful Eight
Sicario
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Bridge of Spies, Carol, and Sicario each had scores that, while not distracting from their film, certainly didn't add much. Every Star Wars film has been driven by its John Williams score, and while The Force Awakens was no exception, very little new was added to the saga by way of music. Every Star Wars film has added a new theme (ANH - THE theme, ESB - Imperial March, ROTJ - Yub Nub (and others), TPM - Duel of the Fates, AOTC - Across the Stars, ROTS - Battle of the Heroes), but there wasn't really a recognizable tune to any of the new music in the franchise's return to glory. That leaves Ennio Morricone's masterful work on The Hateful Eight. He has an Oscar, but it was honorary. He didn't even get nominated for any of his work on the "spaghetti westerns". This year, the award is his.

My Ballot:
The Hateful Eight
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Bridge of Spies
Carol
Sicario

My Pick to Win:
The Hateful Eight

Shoulda Been Here:
Inside Out

Best of '15: When Marnie was There

In this world, there's an invisible magic circle. There's an inside and an outside... and I am outside.

As the finale in my "Best of '15" series, I present to you the most surprising, breathtaking, and heart-wrenching film of the year. Part teen angst film, part ghost story, part love story, and all of the whimsy one can fit into 103 minutes of moving pictures as gloriously beautiful as the still frame pictured above. I'm not so sure this should be your first foray into Japanese animation (that would probably be Castle in the Sky, Princess Mononoke, or Spirited Away), but if you are open and willing, you will be treated to the best film released in the United States during the 2015 calendar year.

I have long been a fan of Studio Ghibli and especially its central filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. The mighty godfather of animation is 74 years old now and constantly speaking of retirement. It first seemed that his son Goro would be the heir to the empire, but his two films have been solid but underwhelming. I submit that we have found the man to keep the vaunted animation studio on the top of its games for years to come, Hiromasa Yonebayashi. That may be a mouthful (especially for our English mouths), but his adaptation of the Borrowers (Arriety) in 2010 was perfection, and he has improved on his craft with this masterpiece.