Oscars: Stefan Style

Tanner has already posted his picks and predictions, which were pretty good, so here are mine. I will be doing mine semi-live as the show goes on. I will not be drinking as the show goes so my writing shouldn't get weirder or anything but I probably will get bored so my writings will get shorter and less interesting.

Of the Oscar films, (nominated for anything that is) these are the ones that I have seen: Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, Milk, The Reader, Slumdog Millionaire, The Wrestler, Tropic Thunder, The Dark Knight, In Bruges, Wall-E, Wanted, Iron Man, Kung-Fu Panda, Vals Im Bashir, and Presto

The Red Carpet. I don't care what people are wearing but I will say that Taraji P. Henson is kind of hot, I never noticed that before.

Frieda Pinto is also wicked hot.

Miley Cirus, seriously? You have that much money and your teeth are that busted?

I can't find the order of the awards, as in when they are announced, so this is going to be a bit more difficult now.

Oscar stage set up, pretty cool lots of lights and Hugh Jackman looks amaaaazing, but why does he talk funny?

Hugh's intro song, actually kind of funny. I am already impressed.

I will put an * by the winner

Supporting Actress...
Amy Adams for Doubt (2008/I)
Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)*
Viola Davis for Doubt (2008/I)
Taraji P. Henson for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Marisa Tomei for The Wrestler (2008)

I am gonna say Taraji P. Henson wins, but it would be cool if Tomei wins, cause she is looking good. So Penelope wins, cool, she also talks funny and I am still not that attracted to her.

I am watching this with Danny and Kenny (Tanner's room mate). Kenny is totally on Rourke's nuts. already getting annoying and only one award has been awarded.

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Frozen River (2008): Courtney Hunt
Happy-Go-Lucky (2008): Mike Leigh
In Bruges (2008): Martin McDonagh
Milk (2008/I): Dustin Lance Black*
WALL·E (2008): Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, Jim Reardon

I say Milk, but I really liked In Bruges. Bam! First one right! Milk just has so much momentum. Really great acceptance speech.

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Eric Roth, Robin Swicord
Doubt (2008/I): John Patrick Shanley
Frost/Nixon (2008): Peter Morgan
The Reader (2008): David Hare
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Simon Beaufoy*

Frost/Nixon will win. Man, this is a close one, they could all be winners. It could easily be The Reader, I will stick with my gut though, Frost/Nixon. Ahhhh but of course it goes to Slumdog Millionaire, I have to remember that everyone is on that movie's taint. With the way the economy is, people like an uplifting film.

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
Bolt (2008): Chris Williams, Byron Howard
Kung Fu Panda (2008): John Stevenson, Mark Osborne
WALL·E (2008): Andrew Stanton*

Wall-E has to win this. It was really amazing, great animation. I think that this was no contest.

Best Short Film, Animated
Maison en petits cubes, La (2008): Kunio Katô*
Ubornaya istoriya - lyubovnaya istoriya (2007): Konstantin Bronzit
Oktapodi (2007): Emud Mokhberi, Thierry Marchand
Presto (2008): Doug Sweetland
This Way Up (2008): Alan Smith, Adam Foulkes

Presto, this is the only one that I have seen but it was really really good. Of course I am wrong though, Kunio Kato does not sound French at all, but props for saying Domo Oregato Mr. Roboto.

Best Achievement in Art Direction
Changeling (2008): James J. Murakami, Gary Fettis
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Donald Graham Burt, Victor J. Zolfo*
The Dark Knight (2008): Nathan Crowley, Peter Lando
The Duchess (2008): Michael Carlin, Rebecca Alleway
Revolutionary Road (2008): Kristi Zea, Debra Schutt

I say it goes to Dark Knight, I am personally very interested in Art Direction and with my expertise I say Dark Knight. Benjamin Button wins...I think this will be one of the only ones they win, they have to win something and they won't win any of the big ones.

Best Achievement in Costume Design
Australia (2008): Catherine Martin
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Jacqueline West
The Duchess (2008): Michael O'Connor*
Milk (2008/I): Danny Glicker
Revolutionary Road (2008): Albert Wolsky

No idea for this but The Dutchess, those costumes look pretty nuts. I get another one right! Whoooo! I am nailing the big ones (that's what she said). We are now almost done with the lame awards just a few more to go.

Best Achievement in Makeup
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Greg Cannom*
The Dark Knight (2008): John Caglione Jr., Conor O'Sullivan
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008): Mike Elizalde, Thomas Floutz

They all used lots of makeup but I will say the Dark Knight. Oh this is intense. So Benjamin Button wins another lame award. They have to show something for 13 nominations.

Best Achievement in Cinematography
Changeling (2008): Tom Stern
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Claudio Miranda
The Dark Knight (2008): Wally Pfister*
The Reader (2008): Roger Deakins, Chris Menges
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Anthony Dod Mantle

Ben Stiller coming out as Joaquin Phoenix, I should have seen that coming. Stiller's shtick gets old quick but that is funny. Winner, The Dark Knight, it has to win for something other than Heath Ledger. Damnit! Slumdog again. I want to clearify that I liked Slumdog but I don't think that it should win as many awards as it is going to.

Judd Apatow's short film with Seth Rogen and James Franco was pretty funny, especially when they showed James Franco's kissing scenes in Milk. Nothing awkward there.

Best Short Film, Live Action
Auf der Strecke (2007): Reto Caffi
Manon sur le bitume (2007): Elizabeth Marre, Olivier Pont
New Boy (2007): Steph Green, Tamara Anghie
Grisen (2008): Tivi Magnusson, Dorthe Warnø Høgh
Spielzeugland (2007): Jochen Alexander Freydank*

New Boy, my friend Ames saw it and said it was good. I should have picked the German one! I should have known it would be the master choice.

I'm not really into this musical medley thing. Tuxedos, top hats, and canes don't interest me. Nevermind this is awesome now that Zac Effron and Vanessa Hudgens are in it. Looking into Zac's eyes is like seeing Allah for the first time. Oh shit they are steppin'! Everyone in the audience just got served. Jackman says the musical is back, and I say, please no.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Josh Brolin for Milk (2008/I)
Robert Downey Jr. for Tropic Thunder (2008)
Philip Seymour Hoffman for Doubt (2008/I)
Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight (2008)*
Michael Shannon for Revolutionary Road (2008)

Heath Ledger has to win this. This new format of past winners talking about current nominees is kind of weird. Seriously, why is Cuba up there? What has he done since Jerry Maguire? His career has gone nowhere since that movie. It is funny though that he is talking about Robert Downey Jr. I can't take Christopher Walken seriously at all, please say, "I need more cowbell." Of course Heath Ledger wins. Kind of lame that he doesn't show up for the show though. Show some respect for the Academy.

Best Documentary, Features
The Betrayal - Nerakhoon (2008): Ellen Kuras, Thavisouk Phrasavath
Encounters at the End of the World (2007): Werner Herzog, Henry Kaiser
The Garden (2008/I): Scott Hamilton Kennedy
Man on Wire (2008): James Marsh, Simon Chinn*
Trouble the Water (2008): Tia Lessin, Carl Deal

I hate Bill Maher, good job plugging your own sh*t right off the bat. Winner, Man on Wire, it looks really cool. Of course Maher plugs his own movie again, what a douche. Nice, I get another one right.

Best Documentary, Short Subjects
The Conscience of Nhem En (2008): Steven Okazaki
The Final Inch (2009): Irene Taylor Brodsky, Tom Grant
Smile Pinki (2008): Megan Mylan*
The Witness from the Balcony of Room 306 (2008): Adam Pertofsky, Margaret Hyde

Don't plug yourself again Bill, don't do it. I say The Witness.. and as I am typing this I get it wrong. Smile Pinki wins. I'm just happy Maher didn't plug himself again.

The little montage sequences of the year are kind of cool. They are showing clips of some interesting films though. High School Musical? The action film montage is ho hum, mostly car chasing scenes, and way too many clips from Wanted.

Best Achievement in Visual Effects
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton, Craig Barron*
The Dark Knight (2008): Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Timothy Webber, Paul J. Franklin
Iron Man (2008): John Nelson, Ben Snow, Daniel Sudick, Shane Mahan

I say Iron Man, the effects to make his iron suit was crazy...but once again you gotta expect it to be Benjamin Button. It is killing the lame awards. Yawn.

Best Achievement in Sound Editing
The Dark Knight (2008): Richard King*
Iron Man (2008): Frank E. Eulner, Christopher Boyes
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Tom Sayers
WALL·E (2008): Ben Burtt, Matthew Wood
Wanted (2008): Wylie Stateman

I will stick with Iron Man but it's probably gonna be Slumdog. I am waaay off, The Dark Knight. I guess I don't have a good ear for that catagory. Courtesy laugh please.

Best Achievement in Sound
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce, Mark Weingarten
The Dark Knight (2008): Ed Novick, Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke, Resul Pookutty*
WALL·E (2008): Tom Myers, Michael Semanick, Ben Burtt
Wanted (2008): Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño, Petr Forejt

Slumdog, gotta win it. Got it! It's been at least 15 minutes since they have won something. Whoa, an Indian guy who wasn't an actor! I thought it was just white guys behind the camera.

I think Will Smith has some Soul Glo going on. His hair is shiny!

Best Achievement in Editing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter
The Dark Knight (2008): Lee Smith
Frost/Nixon (2008): Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill
Milk (2008/I): Elliot Graham
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Chris Dickens*

Slumdog is gonna win but it would be cool if The Dark Knight wins. Bam got it right again. People are still hanging on it's nuts.

Well now we are really done with the lame ones. I guess the music awards could be considered not that cool but they are certainly more interesting that Sound Editing or Live Action Short Film or Costume Design. So far the Oscars have been pretty good, Hugh Jackman hasn't really done too much though. He has done his two big musical pieces but other than that, kind of out of the way. I wish Oscar commercials were more like Super Bowl commercials, nothing but animals and football.

My prediction for the Jean Hersholt award, Jerry Lewis. Bam! Got it! I am really good. Pretty impressive that he helped raise over $2 Billion for charity.

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Alexandre Desplat
Defiance (2008): James Newton Howard
Milk (2008/I): Danny Elfman
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman*
WALL·E (2008): Thomas Newman

I'm thinking Slumdog again, I really liked it a lot, very different music. The score for Wall-E though was impressive, so much of that movie was just the music as there was not a lot of dialogue. Yessssss, Zac Effron again. Alicia Keys is alright looking as well. A.R. Rahman is very musically talented so I am glad he won. It is good that he sticks to music though because he is not a good speaker.

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman, Sampooran Singh Gulzar("Jai Ho")*
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman, Maya Arulpragasam("O Saya")
WALL·E (2008): Peter Gabriel, Thomas Newman("Down to Earth")

Gonna go out on a limb here, A.R. Rahman again. O Saya, specifically. OK who does A.R. Rahman think he is using auto-tune, T-Pain? Hope he starts singing about being on a boat. So John Legend is performing Peter Gabriel's song because he was upset that he couldn't do his full song. While the song is important in a film it's ok that they perform a short version of it, for best actor they don't show the whole film do they? So I got this one right and wrong. A.R. Rahman did win but not for the song I thought. Sampooran Singh Gulzar? Sound like a bad guy in He-Man. Yo, where is Sampooran Singh Gulzar? Oh he is in his castle Greyskul.

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Der Baader Meinhof Komplex (2008)(Germany)
Entre les murs (2008)(France)
Revanche (2008)(Austria)
Okuribito (2008)(Japan)
Vals Im Bashir (2008)(Israel)

I want Vals Im Bashir, a great movie, but I think something else will win. I haven't seen the other ones so I don't know if I should be upset that Okuribito won but those guys seem pumped. I like acceptance speeches in broken English, they are somehow adorable.

Best Achievement in Directing
Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire (2008)*
Stephen Daldry for The Reader (2008)
David Fincher for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Ron Howard for Frost/Nixon (2008)
Gus Van Sant for Milk (2008/I)

I'm gonna Slumdog this pick (haha ugh) and say Danny Boyle. You can't stop this momentum. Wow, did not see that coming. Slumdog wins. I do give him credit for thanking the choreographer who wasn't in the credits. Classy move, you crazy little man.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married (2008)
Angelina Jolie for Changeling (2008)
Melissa Leo for Frozen River (2008)
Meryl Streep for Doubt (2008/I)
Kate Winslet for The Reader (2008)*

I think that Kate Winslet is going to win. This personal message thing from past winners to the nominees is kind of funny, none of these women can not cry. Anne Hathaway is not an attractive crier. The women did this as well during the Supporting Actress announcement. Meryl Streep is like a robot though, there is no way she is going to cry. She has done this 14 times before, this is nothing new to her. She has no expression right now, she looks like she doesn't even care if she wins. Angelina also won't cry, she is too hot to cry. Oh Kate Winslet is going to give a terrible speech right now, she is going to be crying the whole time. So she isn't actually crying she is just really out of breath or something.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Richard Jenkins for The Visitor (2007/I)
Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon (2008)
Sean Penn for Milk (2008/I)*
Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler (2008)

Sean Penn totally deserves this, his performance was unreal. Rourke could walk away with this but I'm thinking Penn. Is Adrian Brody getting ready for another Holocaust film? He looks terrible, shave and get a haircut brother, oh and eat. Good intro to an acceptance speech, Penn...you commie, homo loving sons of guns.

Best Motion Picture of the Year
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Ceán Chaffin, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall
Frost/Nixon (2008): Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Eric Fellner
Milk (2008/I): Bruce Cohen, Dan Jinks
The Reader (2008): Anthony Minghella, Sydney Pollack, Donna Gigliotti, Redmond Morris
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Christian Colson*

Slumdog Millionaire, there is no doubt in my mind that this wins. I do like the way they are showing these nominated films by clipping it with past winners. Kind of a cool take on it. Slumdog wins! Nobody saw it coming! Pretty cool though that the whole cast came up with the producer.

Overall I have to say I am kind of surprised with the lack political acceptance speeches. A couple of mentions to gay marriage but not many other mentions. Good job Hugh Jackman, he didn't do a bad job, he really wasn't on that much but his opening song was really god.

So that is it...probably nobody is actually going to read any of this.