The 90th Academy Awards

Okay, it’s Oscar time again.  Let it be known that I have seen NONE of the films that are nominated this year.  BUT, I have seen American Film Buff’s reviews of each of the Best Picture nominations (look the works and tremble! American Film Buff's 2018 Academy Noms) and I have stayed once at a Holiday Inn Express.  So how does one pick Academy Award winning films by watching reviews only?  Well, it’s more than that. To do this effectively, one must think like an Academy voting member thinks.  One must get into character, stick one’s finger in the air to test which way the zeitgeist is blowing, use the Force, and choose wisely.  That said, here are my picks for who’s going to be walking away with an Oscar tonight…

Best Picture – “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”.  “Why?” lobbyists.  “The Shape of Water”, “Get Out”, and “Lady Bird” are probably better films but they don’t have a chance due to one being science fiction, one being horror, and one with far fewer lobbyists.  Of course, there is always the possibility that “Dunkirk” will slap the Oscar out of Three Billboards’ hands.  I’d be okay with that. 

Best Actor – Gary Oldman.  “Why?” He’s due.

Best Actress – Francis McDormand.  “Why her?”  Well, from what I understand it’s a good performance in a film that doesn’t really know what it wants to be.  She is talented, but I believe her name has been whispered by several lobbying firms in a full court press.  She’d be a fine choice among an excellent group of actors this year.  I understand that Margo Robbie and Saoirse Ronan delivered great performances too.  McDormand, FTW.

Best Supporting Actor – Sam Rockwell.  Not to take anything away from his performance, but Three Billboards has a powerful lobby.  I’d like to see Christopher Plumber take it for the pick-up shots alone, but smart money’s on Mr. Rockwell.

Best Supporting Actress – Octavia Spencer.  This is Ms. Spencer’s third nomination. She won for “The Help” and, although it’s a close field this year, she’s my pick for “The Shape of Water”.  “Why?” The Academy likes will run with a familiar winner. They’ve seen her work – they’ve recognized her, and they’re about to do so again.

Best Writing Adapted Screenplay – “The Disaster Artist”.  I have neither read the book nor seen the film – THAT said, this is going to win.  Special shout out to “LOGAN”, which is, for my money, in the top 10 ‘Superhero’ films ever made.

Best Director – Christopher Nolan.  “Why?” Spectacle.  The Academy enjoys a sweeping spectacle.  Nolan knows how to tell a story and “Dunkirk” was made for the big screen (especially IMAX).  This is a tight field this year.  As much as I’d love to hear the words, “And the winner goes to Guillermo del Toro!” I will not.  From what I understand, Jordan Peele and Greta Gerwig are no slouches either.  That said, tonight it’s all Nolan.

Best Original Music Score – Hans Zimmer for “Dunkirk”.  This will be a close one between Zimmer and John Williams for “Star Wars – The Last Jedi”.  Justifiably so.  Zimmer, by a nose.

Best Original Screenplay – “Get Out” by Jordan Peele.  “Why?” because this is how the Academy works – let the first-time nominee get the writing credit and two films from now, once he/she has paid their dues, THEN give them the Oscar for Best Picture or Best Director.  Mr. Peele will walk away the winner; although, I would not be opposed to hear Guillermo del Toro’s name either.

Best Cinemaphotography – Hoyt van Hoytema for “Dunkirk”.  I would LOVE to see Roger Deakins get the nod for “Blade Runner 2049”, (oddly one of the only films that I have seen this past year), but, “Dunkirk”, will ring in the Academy viewer’s/voter’s memory.

Best Visual Effects – “Blade Runner 2049”.  This is, again, a tight field this year.  Although there are some truly wonderful contenders this year, I have to give the edge to “Blade Runner 2049”. Like it’s predecessor it envisioned the future and made it real.  Dare I say, it is a beautiful offering.  “War for the Planet of the Apes” is probably a close second.

SO, there are my picks.  How about YOURS, fellow film fan?  Who’s walking away with the Oscar tonight?  

83rd Annual Academy Awards

Yes, it’s that time of year once more… Oscar has been spotted. It's time for the battle to be joined anew - Oscar Vs. Chicken!

But first...

Harry Knowles is one of my all-time favorite bloggers. He has been writing about movies even before there were things called, “bloggers”. On his site (aintitcoolnews.com) he is known as, “Head Geek” and that about sums it up. His site is one of the must stop places where both the unwashed and the true believers go to get their finger on the pulse of All Things Geek. Anyway, I tell you this, Gentle Reader, to give you somewhere to go if you desire a full and thorough rundown of all the films that have been nominated this year. You can find that here: http://www.aintitcool.com/node/48221.

Here at Chicken Scratch I’m gonna give you my spin on the down and dirty of the Academy Awards. Now some years are better than others, when speaking of the Academy voters. What should win and what does win are two entirely different animals. When picking winners in the Academy Awards one must think like the Academy thinks… It is in that vein that I humbly submit the following picks.

Best Actor: Jeff Bridges. The Dude will walk away with Oscar for a second consecutive time. Colin Firth or James Franco would be sweet too but with Bridges walks in two worlds; old Hollywood and modern American cinema.

Best Supporting Actor: Geoffrey Rush. He’s simply an amazing actor. Christian Bale is up there on the possibility scale too but 2010 remembers him better for blowing up at lighting guys than acting. I hear “The Fighter” is an amazing film but what’s going to stick out in the Academy’s mind are his tirades and not his talents.

Best Actress: Natalie Portman. Yup, the Academy will recognize her name from other outings although I hear her performance in “Black Swan” is pretty good – Oscar worthy good.

Best Supporting Actress: Helena Bonham Carter. Hailee Steinfeld did a pretty amazing job in “True Grit” but this year is Ms. Carter’s year.

Animated Film: “Toy Story 3”. I loved this film. It’s one of my favorite films released this past year. It pulls you in and just when you think you’ve got away unscathed it will undo your heartstrings all together. Pixar has yet to make a bad film and this is brilliant.

Best Visual Effects: “Iron Man 2”. “Inception” was amazing but watching Tony Stark in action on the big screen as Iron Man is pure, unadulterated eye candy.

Best Adapted Screenplay: Those Coen brothers again. “True Grit” is going to take it.

Best Original Screenplay: “The King’s Speech” will take this.

Art Direction: “Inception”. Christopher Nolan took a break from Gotham City to play in our dreams. Unbelievable that he didn’t get an Oscar nod for Best Director. “Inception” will take the Sound Editing too.

Documentary Feature: “Exit Through the Gift Shop”. The Academy wants to be ‘edgy’ and the act of embracing the artist Banky will let them believe they are.

Best Editing: “127 Hours” will walk away with the Oscar. “Inception”, a film that was not nominated for this category, should have at least been in the running. Oh well.

Best Makeup: Rick Baker will take this posthumously for “The Wolfman”. I really did not like this film for reasons that I have already expressed here at Chicken Scratch in the “Blu-Ray Dossier”; that being said the makeup effects are worth the nomination. Baker was a genius. Bottom line.

Best Original Musical Score: “The Social Network”. Trent Reznor will take it but what is practically highway robbery is the fact that Daft Punk’s soundtrack for “TRON Legacy” was not nominated. This is some of the most original music from the movies that has been heard in a long time. It’s a real shame the Academy was not given their score as a choice. This would have won. It should have won.

Best Cinematography: “True Grit”.

Best Director: The Coen brothers, Joel & Ethan for “True Grit”.

Best Picture: “True Grit”. The Academy has TEN nominations this year for the ‘Best Picture’ category. It’s gonna be “True Grit” although “Inception” (which has been ignored in most other categories) and “Toy Story 3” (which is animated and has no hope of EVER garnishing a ‘Best Picture’ win) is one of the best stories of the year. I’ve heard great things about “The King’s Speech” as well. “True Grit” is going home with the statue.

So there they are, my picks for the 83rd Academy Awards.

So who do you think will win?

We’ll find out together on 2/27/11.

See you then.