[Ed. Update - 13 Correct Oscar Picks. Medea's was 1st in box office, 16 Blocks 2nd]They say that the Oscars last year had over 25.2 Million people in its draw from females age 18-24. Conversely, only 12.8 million were men of that same demographic. Speculation this weekend is that the Oscars will remain a high draw for women, while the men will go see 16 Blocks. Since I am so cool, I'll be doing both. But yey, I say not to underestimate the power of Dave Chapelle. He really is that nice of a guy. Oh, and Medea's Family Reunion. They'll still be going in drones to see that drivel.
Ah, yes. The Oscars. Probably my favorite night for film all year. And despite you having seen NONE of what's up this year, I suggest you watch too. Actually, just watch with me. I'll catch you up on what you've missed and you can be permanently scarred watching me act like a spaz. Ever see a 22 year old have a shit fit over best supporting actress? It's like I got caught in the rain without a tampon. I am laughable and pathetic.
So the picks. Here's the basic stuff you don't care about:
Art direction: "King Kong"
Cinematography: "Good Night, and Good Luck"
Film editing: "Crash"
Sound mixing: "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"
Sound editing: "King Kong"
Original score: "Brokeback Mountain"
Original song: "Travelin' Thru" from "Transamerica"
Costume design: "Pride & Prejudice"
Makeup: "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"
Visual effects: "King Kong"
And here's the stuff you do:
Screenplays:
Adapted: Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana have written some brilliant stuff together. I'd make a strong wager that nobody played a cowboy right until John Wayne, and nobody every wrote a cowboy right until Larry McMurtry. Lonesome Dove is one of the few books that's made me cry, and Brokeback is such a logical extension of his cowboy writing style. Exchange the old west for now and the hooker with a heart of gold to the sweet can of Jake Gyllenhall. I say it's a shoe in, especially since they wrote the screenplay in 1998.
Brokeback Mountain.Original: I'm going with Crash, as it was the same thing as Syrianna but with more crowd appeal. Syrianna was an amazingly well done movie, but it was designed to leave you feeling ignorant about the state of the world and your lack of effort in it. Crash just makes you feel ignorant for any hint of racism you've ever displayed. I'm an ignorant person, so I'd much rather feel bad about something that's already within my control.
Crash.Best Documentary: Murderball was too much at once without going somewhere. It wasn't like Fahrenheit 9/11 where you felt either manipulated or manipulated (by Moore or the Man) and polarized you into a response. You just watch those people in wheel chairs battle it out and go "God, damnit. That's creepy." I heard it was good the penguin movie was good in kindergarten.
March of the Penguins all the way.
Best Foreign Film: As it's controversial, Paradise Now seems in the running. It's topic is... who am I bullshitting, I've barely seen any of the Best Pictures, why would I have seen the foreign films? I know Tsotsi is really just Lone Wolf and Cub with a late second act entrance on cub's part. So for now money's on
Paradise Now.
Best Animated Film: Hayao Miyazaki is a name you should know. He makes very good Japanese animated films that intellictual appeal to people who may not enjoy anime. His Princess Monoke is probably one of the best films to ever be made, and Spirited Away was nothing short of... some flattering word. But his entry this year, Mr. Howl's Moving Castle, left a lot to be desired. It wasn't so much as bad as it was not genius. And as children's humor done well is some of the best stuff on this planet, I'd chose
Wallace and Grommit.
Best Director: If only for the fact that he's an Asian heterosexual doing a film about gay cowboys, Ang Lee. The man's last film was that comic to film bomb, Hulk. Clooney may have shown more cohesion than in his last film, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, with his Good Night and Good Luck entry, but it's a second option in comparison to the front runner. Plus Lee won the Director's Guild of America award for best work. That's quite an endorsement.
Ang Lee for broke.
Best Supporting Actress: Ah, the category no one pays attention to. I'm serious when I say studies were conducted that show more people get up at this time to urinate on their loved one than any other time of the year. Catherine Keener had been nomination before, so I think the academy said it was about to time give her another when they were struggling with filling the category. Rachel Weisz in The Constant Gardner was good, just not Gabby Hayes good. So I'm going to back Junebug's Amy Adams. The film was shot locally in my town, and I've been riding it all year. Unless the cowboys sweep, Michelle Williams won't be walking into the sunset with this one. Boy, that was a bad joke.
Amy Adams.
Best Supporting Actor: Do you know how long I've waited for George Clooney to be good in something? I sat through Peacemaker or Pace Maker or whatever that crap was. I saw Batman and Robin in theaters, where the nipples on the bat suit were four feet wide. I was a fanboy for From Dusk Till Dawn before people knew what the hell it was. I WATCHED ER! So goddamnit, this better go to Clooney. I love a man that is smug, but some how still grounded. Loosely grounded. Whatever. You know he'd give one hell of a good acceptance speech.
George Clooney.
Best Actress : Just with Catherine Keener in supporting, Dame Judy Dench only got nominated again because she already had been before. I'm not saying the Oscars are slanted. [Take time to giggle and revel in my joke or become mystified as to why you're still reading, but did not get that]. Nobody has seen TransAmerica, though Desperate Housewives may flip if Huffman wins. Charlize Theoron has hers already and Kiera Knightley got nominated because she was hot. If she pulls a Marisa Tomei and gets it, I'll tap dance to the moon. I don't what that means. Anyway, my money is one Reese Witherspoon, if not only for the fact that I hated her as an actress until Walk The Line. She converted me entirely. I have Legally Blond 1 and 2 order on Amazon and I'm totally excited to watch that movie she did with her husband back in 1939. Whatever it was, I'm sure it's awesomely awesometastic.
Reese Witherspoon.
Best Actor: Pssssssh. I hate this. I want Terrence Howard for Hustle & Flow so badly. I want it so, so, so badly. Like last call at the bar, fleeting drunk hookup attempt badly. The man made an incredibly complex character that you hate to hate because he's so bad, but trying so hard. It was the same thing with Matt Dillon in Crash. You hate that these characters burn you n the way down because something else is going on that might counter it. Ahh.. fart sandwiches. I know it won't happen. Instead, the virtuoso performance in Capote will take the cake. Never step between a fat man and his deserved cake.
Phillip Seymour Hoffman.Best Picture: I'll say Munich doesn't stand a chance because it's too controversial and it seemed like a pity nod to a director who has not been trying lately. No to Capaote because sometimes no means no. I don't know what that means. So of the three heavy players, Crash seems to have the popular appeal. Good Night and Good Luck is brilliant craftsmanship all around, but doesn't have the legging that Crash and Brokeback have. I say Crash has lost its luster for having stood around in the cold for so long. GLAAD is will protest if Brokeback Mountain loses, claiming homophobia. They might be able to argue people were afraid of seeing it, but I'd say people were afraid of seeing everything nominated this year. Regardless, I'm a sucker for playing the heart strings (Million Dollar Baby last year had me bawling as well). The cutest couple of the year will take it home.
Brokeback Mountain.Reminders for class: I love Oscar.