If you are wondering (big if) why you didn't hear about the list of people who were to present the awards, that's because the Academy (in all their infinite wisdom) decided to keep the list secret. Why? To get more people to watch it and be SURPRISED when people walk out on stage. Wow... stupid.

Anyway on with my predictions:

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

My pick would be Frank Langella's portrayal as Richard Nixon for the win. I could be wrong and it could go to (Yawn) Sean Penn or Mickey Rourke (another yawn). I personally think that Frank should win and this year I've decided that I'll state who I think should win and who the stickin' short sided Academy will pick. It should be Frank Langella but I have a feeling Sean Penn is going to win for his gay rendition of his I am Sam character in MILK. Good movie and great cast, but they didn't nominate the right person for an award.

Richard Jenkins - THE VISITOR
Frank Langella - FROST/NIXON
Sean Penn - MILK
Brad Pitt - THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Mickey Rourke - THE WRESTLER


Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

I think that Philip Seymour Hoffman should win. I really do. I know death makes people stupid and think someone did way better than they actually did, but Heath Ledger was fantastic, but Hoffman actually confused me. His acting gave meaning to the title Doubt and it was fantastic. But again my pick won't win because death also tends to make people go OMG we lost someone great (when he was ALWAYS great at what he did from the onset). So unfortunately a dead person will be awarded something that is to help careers. I don't know how much this'll help Heath Ledger, but apparently people have to beg for forgiveness for not seeing what was always there.

Josh Brolin - MILK
Robert Downey Jr. - TROPIC THUNDER
Philip Seymour Hoffman - DOUBT
Heath Ledger - THE DARK KNIGHT
Michael Shannon - REVOLUTIONARY ROAD


Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

There are mix signals with this award. Kate wins the Golden Globe and Meryl wins the S.A.G. Award. So instead of stating who should win I'm going to state that Meryl Streep will win the Oscar. She deserves it. Kate was awesome in The Reader. Her eyes were emotional vantage points to her soul, but Meryl's entire body and spirit dominated Doubt and she gripped the viewers by the eye sockets and never let them blink. If she doesn't win this there are people who don't know perfect from awesome.

Anne Hathaway - RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
Angelina Jolie - CHANGELING
Melissa Leo - FROZEN RIVER
Meryl Streep - DOUBT
Kate Winslet - THE READER


Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Marisa was good. Taraji was good. Amy was great. Penelope was something (didn't see that film). But Viola Davis was powerful. Her two scenes were packed full of emotionally charged words that hit every single mark perfectly and with convection that would cast no doubt how much she believed every single word and meaning behind the sentences they formed. If she doesn't win I'm thinking Penelope Cruz will take it, but that's wrong, I can't see how she could be better than Davis.

Amy Adams - DOUBT
Penélope Cruz - VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
Viola Davis - DOUBT
Taraji P. Henson - THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Marisa Tomei -THE WRESTLER


Best Animated Feature Film of the Year

Really? Wall-E. Who else could win this? A movie that was great for a number of reasons and if there wasn't a separate category for Animated and Live Action it would have been a shoe in for Best Picture.

BOLT
KUNG FU PANDA
WALL-E


Achievement in Art Direction

I don't know. It's hard. It's between Benjamin Button and The Dark Knight. But if I had to pick I pick The Dark Knight.

CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
THE DUCHESS
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD


Achievement in Cinematography

They all have really awesome cinematography work, but I think Slumdog Millionaire has the best. It's the winner for me. The beauty of India shined no matter the location.

CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
THE READER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE


Achievement in Costume Design

MILK and Revolutionary Road look boring via costume design. The Duchess is just a period piece and almost nominated just for that reason. I think it's between Benjamin Button and Australia. I also think that Australia should win, but it seems Benjamin Button is going to win.

AUSTRALIA
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DUCHESS
MILK
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD


Achievement in Directing

What's with the Academy's webpage not naming the names? I should not be lazy and just look it up, but that would require effort which they couldn't put forth to actually make for an exciting show and therefore neither shall I.

I think it's between Benjamin Button and Slumdog Millionaire. The cool thing is that I think Slumdog Millionaire's director will win. What he executed in that film not only reached high levels of “You gotta see this” but the heart, the characters, the story; it's just phenomenal and could not have been created without ‘em. However, total bust that Doubt was not nominated. I don't want to get into how The Dark Knight was shafted.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
FROST/NIXON
MILK
THE READER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE


Best Documentary Feature

And the winner is…..The Trouble with Water. Just because. No good reason. Sorry.

THE BETRAYAL (NERAKHOON)
ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD
THE GARDEN
MAN ON WIRE
TROUBLE THE WATER


Best Documentary Short Subject

And the winner is…The Final Inch and that's also just because.

THE CONSCIENCE OF NHEM EN
THE FINAL INCH
SMILE PINKI
THE WITNESS - FROM THE BALCONY OF ROOM 306


Achievement in Film Editing

The Dark Knight

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
FROST/NIXON
MILK
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE


Best Foreign Language Film of the Year

I've only heard of two: Waltz with Bashir and The Class. I'm going to go with The Class.

The Baader Meinhof Complex
The Class
Departures
Revanche
Waltz With Bashir


Achievement in Makeup

All three are really amazing. This is really difficult to decide. I'll just go with The Dark Knight. Though I have a feeling it'll be Benjamin Button.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY


Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)

I pick The Boy with the Stripped Pajamas …oh wait it wasn't nominated. Can't remember Benjamin Button therefore it was boring. The same goes for Defiance and MILK. I'm going to give it to WALL-E.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
DEFIANCE
MILK
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
WALL-E


Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song)

I've decided that this is probably the most boring of the major awards in this show. The year they actually pick something that's worthy to be nominated and win will be an great year. This is not one of those years. And because a movie is nominated twice it means it cancels itself out. I'm going for WALL-E.

WALL-E "Down to Earth"
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE "Jai Ho"
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE "O Saya"


Best Motion Picture of the Year

The Reader shouldn't even be nominated. BORING can't even begin to describe that movie. Doubt should be up there. The winner is Slumdog Millionaire. I think the only close one will be Benjamin Button. Though if The Dark Knight was up there...all bets would have been off.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
FROST/NIXON
MILK
THE READER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIR


Best Animated Short Film

Duh...the Bunny one. PRESTO

La Maison en Petits Cubes
LAVATORY - LOVESTORY
OKTAPODI
PRESTO
THIS WAY UP


Best Live Action Short Film

I'm going to go with New Boy.

AUF DER STRECKE (ON THE LINE)
MANON ON THE ASPHALT
NEW BOY
THE PIG
SPIELZEUGLAND (TOYLAND)


Achievement in Sound Editing

The Dark Knight.

THE DARK KNIGHT
IRON MAN
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
WALL-E
WANTED


Achievement in Sound Mixing

I'm going to go with Wanted.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
WALL-E
WANTED


Achievement in Visual Effects

I'm almost sure that Benjamin Button will win, but I'm going to say Iron Man because the suit was just too awesome and how they brought that to fruition was amazing feat.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
IRON MAN


Adapted Screenplay

Doubt. It should at least be recognized for the talent it took to adapt this and still have such powerful performances. It was riveting.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
DOUBT
FROST/NIXON
THE READER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE


Original Screenplay

Far in left field it is that In Bruges was nominated, but that movie is funny and entertaining and it would be great if that won. But I'm banking on WALL-E winning. I mean really how can you have something original when you're basing something off of real life events? It's almost like having the formulas for a math test while everyone else has to go off of memory.

FROZEN RIVER
HAPPY-GO-LUCKY
IN BRUGES
MILK
WALL-E

I am disappointed that The Dark Knight was not nominated for Best Picture as well as Doubt was not nominated. I would replace The Reader and MILK. Those are the two weakest on that Best Picture list. I would also not award dead people. You can acknowledge their greatness without praising them because they are dead. A lot of good it DOES not do, because appreciating the dead doesn't rectify the lack of such while he was alive, not even a little bit.

Hopefully this award show will be fun and political free. Oh what the hell am I talking about? I like having high hopes and having them dashed, apparently.

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