DGA, BFCA & Oscar Nominations

    The guilds have all spoken, as far as nominations are concerned. In 10 out of 11 both "Birdman" and "The Grand Budapest Hotel" were mentioned which bodes well for them before nominations morning. Surprisingly (or nor) the DGA did not mention Ava DuVernay. As you might have noticed, I am a big fan of the work she did on Selma, so I was more than a little disappointed. Again we say: no screeners. Or other factors. Didn't happen, so what. It's a 14000 member group that consists of all the TV sitcom directors too. Those are their choices. And they chose Clint Eastwood for "American Sniper". Oh for heaven's sake, not only is the movie bad, the direction is nothing to be admired. Jeeeez those directors. Anyways if you're interested in this shit and the DGA snub and what not, here is Scott Feinberg's (Hollywood Reporter) take on the now infamous snub --> http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/dga-noms-story-behind-snub-763334

    The Globes have been given out, and what can I say. Great monologue, but not enough Tina & Amy? Too long speeches maybe and had to cut material. Or those walks to the stage through side balconies and etc. The winners - meh, no surprises... Except for Grand Budapest! Wow, that was a fun thing to see. And although I did predict Selma and Ava, Boyhood sweeping didn't come as a shock. It just solidifies it as the frontrunner. And he's running away... So yeah those ballsy predictions of mine didn't exactly go well. Anyway, let's go ballsy with the Academy. I never learn, I guess.

  Oh and one more thing on the Globes -> Not that I want to brag, but I do need to. I found out that I am ranked 4th on Gold Derby for predicting 87% of the Globes nominees correctly, back in December. Just found out. Better score than any other editor. Best of them, Anne Thompson 82%.

   In other stories, Thursday comes with a double treat. First in the morning we get to see who got raped by the respective branches in their categories. Someone will. And I fear it's Ava. Then later in the evening we get a televised awards show! Yeeey! The Critics' Choice Awards. Ohhhh... Not that I complain that it's so boring but... These are critics, and yet every year they do EVERYTHING to predict the Oscars. To feel relevant in the race. They don't want to be pushed aside and not be cared about. So they go with the flow, popping a surprise here and there (Philip Seymour Hoffman in 2013).

   Back to Oscars then. Question one: How many BP nominees? Oh chill out it's NINE. Or eight. Who  cares in the end? I'd rather see nine, because I want to see Gone Girl make it. Couple more question marks like if Selma is embraced. If yes then where (pic, director, actor, song --- oops, editing?)? If Aniston's Cake is watched and embraced? Emma Thompson was in a similar situation last year. Was in a movie that wasn't particularly well liked, and that cost her a nomination. I do hope she gets in though. Otherwise paves way for Amy Adams (God that Globe, oh why?). And the big question if Steve Carell gets nominated in Lead or Supporting? Or neither?

   I must say, some of the nominees I just try to imagine on that screen during the announcement. Of I can't picture the contender's face there, or the movie's title, than I don't write it down. Old fashioned predicting. So let's get to that. THE FINAL OSCAR NOMINATIONS PREDICTIONS (all categories):



BEST PICTURE

1. Boyhood (Richard Linklater)
2. Birdman (Alejandro G. Innaritu)
3. The Imitation Game (Morten Tyldum)
4. The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson)
5. Selma (Ava DuVernay)
6. The Theory of Everything (James Marsh)
7. Nightcrawler (Dan Gilroy)
8. Whiplash (Damien Chazelle)
9. Gone Girl (David Fincher)
+MIGHT American Sniper (Clint Eastwood)



BEST DIRECTOR

1. Richard Linklater (Boyhood)
2. Alejandro G. Innaritu (Birdman)
3. Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
4. Ava DuVernay (Selma)
5. Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game)
+Dan Gilroy (Nightcrawler)



BEST ACTOR

1. Michael Keaton (Birdman)
2. Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything)
3. Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game)
4. Jake Gylenhaal (Nightcrawler)
5. David Oyelowo (Selma)
+Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel)



BEST ACTRESS

1. Julianne Moore (Still Alice)
2. Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl)
3. Reese Witherspoon (Wild)
4. Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything)
5. Jennifer Aniston (Cake)
+Amy Adams (Big Eyes)



BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

1. J.K. Simmons (Whiplash)
2. Edward Norton (Birdman)
3. Ethan Hawke (Boyhood)
4. Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher)
5. Steve Carell (Foxcatcher)
+Robert Duvall (The Judge)
 


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

1. Patricia Arquette (Boyhood)
2. Meryl Streep (Into the Woods)
3. Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game)
4. Emma Stone (Birdman)
5. Rene Russo (Nightcrawler)
+Jessica Chastain (A Most Violent Year)



BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

1. Birdman
2. The Grand Budapest Hotel
3. Boyhood
4. Nightcrawler
5. Selma


BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

1. The Imitation Game
2. The Theory of Everything
3. Gone Girl
4. Whiplash
5. Wild


BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

1. Birdman (Emmanuel Lubezki)
2. Mr. Turner (Dick Pope)
3. The Grand Budapest Hotel (Robert Yeoman)
4. Interstellar (Hoyte Van Hoytema)
5. Ida (Ryszard Lenczewski & Lukasz Zal)


BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

1. The Theory of Everything (Johann Johannsson)
2. The Imitation Game (Alexandre Desplat)
3. Interstellar (Hans Zimmer)
4. The Grand Budapest Hotel (Alexandre Desplat)
5. Gone Girl (Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross)


BEST EDITING

1. Birdman
2. Boyhood
3. Whiplash
4. The Grand Budapest Hotel
5. Gone Girl


BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

1. The Grand Budapest Hotel
2. Into the Woods
3. Mr. Turner
4. Interstellar
5. Unbroken


BEST COSTUME DESIGN

1. Into the Woods
2. Mr. Turner
3. The Grand Budapest Hotel
4. Exodus: Gods & Kings
5. Maleficent


BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING

1. The Grand Budapest Hotel
2. Guardians of the Galaxy
3. Maleficent


BEST ORIGINAL SONG

1. "Glory" (Selma)
2. "Lost Stars" (Begin Again)
3. "Big Eyes" (Big Eyes)
4. "Everything Is Awesome" (The LEGO Movie)
5. "For the Dancing and the Dreaming" (How to Train Your Dragon 2)


BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

1. Ida (Poland)
2. Leviathan (Russia)
3. Wild Tales (Argentina)
4. Force Majeure (Sweden)
5. Timbuktu (Mauritania)


BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

1. The LEGO Movie
2. How to Train Your Dragon 2
3. Big Hero 6
4. Boxtrolls
5. The Book of Life


BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

1. Citizenfour
2. Life Itself
3. Keep on Keepin' On
4. Last Days in Vietnam
5. Finding Vivian Maier


BEST SOUND MIXING

1. Into the Woods
2. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
3. Birdman
4.American Sniper
5. Fury


BEST SOUND EDITING

1. Whiplash
2. Interstellar
3. Into the Woods
4. American Sniper
5. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies


BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

1. Interstellar
2. Dawn of the Planets of the Apes
3. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
4. Guardians of the Galaxy
5. Godzilla


BEST ANIMATED SHORT

1. Feast
2. The Bigger Picture
3. Footprints
4. Symphony No.42
5. The Dam Keeper


BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT

1. Carry On
2. The Phone Call
3. Boogaloo and Graham
4. My Father's Truck
5. SLR


BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

1. The Lion's Mouth Opens
2. Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
3. One Child
4. White Earth
5. The Reaper



What an excruciating activity. Gosh. See you after "Cruel Morning".

BURT mizaki