I'm a bit behind this year, but I will try to deliver on my countdown in one rapid fire week. I have seen every film nominated in the major categories and I'm only missing 2 documentaries and 4 documentary shorts. I probably won't be able to find the foreign films (as normal) or the live action shorts, but I'll be able to give you my take and my predictions for everything else! Let's get this show on the road!
Visual Effects
Blade Runner 2049
Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2
Kong: Skull Island
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
War for the Planet of the Apes
Not a bad film in the bunch, which is rare for this category as we usually get the latest Michael Bay schlockfest. Unfortunately, there also isn't an original film in the bunch either with 3 sequels, a re-imagining, and a conclusion to a trilogy. I personally think that The Last Jedi is the best looking Star Wars film of all time, but I think that may be seen as more cinematography (where it didn't receive a nomination) than visual effects. It wouldn't surprise me to see Blade Runner sweep every category it's nominated in, but I think the Academy gives a 3 film achievement award for the motion capture marvel that is the neo-Apes series.
My Ballot
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Blade Runner 2049
War for the Planet of the Apes
Kong: Skull Island
Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol.2
My Pick to Win
War for the Planet of the Apes
Shamefully Snubbed
Baby Driver
Costume Design
Beauty and the Beast
Darkest Hour
Phantom Thread
The Shape of Water
Victoria & Abdul
This is always one of the toughest categories to predict because the voters can go in many different ways: They could choose the most period accurate (Darkest Hour), most original (The Shape of Water), most decadent (Victoria & Abdul), most nostalgic (Beauty & the Beast), or the only film actually driven by its costuming because the main character is a fashion designer (The Phantom Thread). Who knows? I'm going to go with the latter, but I'd be surprised by none of the choices.
My Ballot
Victoria & Abdul
The Shape of Water
Phantom Thread
Darkest Hour
Beauty and the Beast
My Pick to Win
Phantom Thread
Shamefully Snubbed
Wonder Woman
Makeup and Hair
Darkest Hour
Victoria & Abdul
Wonder
One of the easiest to predict of the night. I mean, come on, look at that picture posted above. That's Gary stinkin' Oldman. For reals. Victoria & Abdul was nice, but Darkest Hour exists based on the job that the makeup team did on Mr. Oldman. I will not speak of the third abomination nominated...
My Ballot
Darkest Hour
Victoria & Abdul
Wonder
My Pick to Win
Darkest Hour
Shamefully Snubbed
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Production Design
Beauty and the Beast
Blade Runner 2049
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
The Shape of Water
This category is similar to Costume Design in that it is hard to predict what they are actually looking for. That being said I'll go with the one with the most Best Picture chances.
My Ballot
The Shape of Water
Blade Runner 2049
Darkest Hour
Beauty and the Beast
Dunkirk
My Pick to Win
The Shape of Water
Shamefully Snubbed
Call Me By Your Name
Sound Editing & Mixing
Baby Driver
Blade Runner 2049
Dunkirk
The Shape of Water
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
The difference between these two categories matters some years and gets ignored in other years. Editing is making entirely new sounds (R2-D2's voice). Mixing is ensuring the existing sounds mesh well with the background noises or soundtrack (think musicals). With this in mind, the voters still decided to give us the same group of 5 movies for these two categories that should be very different. Ugh...
My Editing Ballot
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Blade Runner 2049
The Shape of Water
Dunkirk
Baby Driver
My Editing Pick to Win
Dunkirk
Shamefully Snubbed for Editing
Wind River
My Mixing Ballot
Baby Driver
The Shape of Water
Blade Runner 2049
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Dunkirk
My Mixing Pick to Win
Baby Driver
Shamefully Snubbed for Mixing
Wonder Woman
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