the Psychic Monster's Academy Award Prediction List Thingy!!!
(Leo was robbed!)


It's Academy Awards time! YAY!!! Time for us to guess who's going to win, then p*ss and moan when we're wrong.
Actually, my predictions were fairly accurate last year. Out of the twenty one categories I weighed in on in 2002, six movies I was rooting for and ten that I had a real hunch about turned out winners (somebody who's good at math can work out my batting average). You may argue amongst yourselves as to whether this is due to me just sitting and thinking about this real hard, or being a true psychic friend and consulting me taroot cahds, d'ay nevah lie!
Okay, who should be the unofficial mascot of this website: Miss Cleo, Calumon, the poor Draconic.com guy, or Cubone?
In general, I think the trend for this year's Oscar (trademark, copyright, not an advertisement or anything, I am poor, please don't kill me) ceremony will be "This movie was so-and-so's baby, and even though it's unpopular or isn't their best movie ever, we'll award it anyway." Okay.
4/29 - Well, it's only been a month or two, but I have finally revised this list. I've got the winners in boldface and have picked my winner of the coveted Golden Nessie for the Most W.T.F. Moment during the awards show. I came in second place after Coaster as far as winning the most Oscar predictions. Yahoo for school and yahoo for me. And yahoo for Eminem now owning more Oscars than Martin Scorsese. Somebody else can make the sarcastic comment. (Actually Entertainment Weekly and Spin both did, but still... argh!)
You kids all tucked in right? Heeeeeeeeere we go.

Best Makeup
Nominees: "Frida" and "Time Machine"
Should win: "Frida"
Will win: "Frida"
Comments: Well, let's us think about this. We got just two nominees here, and one of them is "the Time Machine"? I don't think a movie's gonna win when the people in charge of character design didn't read the book.

Best Costume Design
Nominees: "Chicago", "Frida", "Gangs of New York", "the Hours", "the Pianist"
Should Win: "Gangs" had some inventive costumes, as did "Frida".
Will Win: "Gangs" is a pretty safe bet.

Best Art Direction
Nominees: "Chicago", "Frida", "Gangs of New York", "Lord of the Rings: the Two Towers", "Road to Perdition"
Should Win: Either "Frida" (what? I majored in art) or "LOTR: the Two Towers"
Will Win: "Frida" is a likely winner here, and I am still blown away by the way the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy continues to look damn near exactly as I'd imagined. But "Chicago" stands out to me more here.
Comments: We learned from "Moulin Rouge" last year, never underestimate a flashy musical.

Adapted Screenplay
Nominees: "About a Boy", "Adaptation", "Chicago", "the Hours", "the Pianist"
Should Win: It would be immeasurably cool if "Adaptation" wins. I also liked "About a Boy".
Will Win: But, on the other hand, I anticipate an "Hours" sweep. And if it doesn't win, than "Chicago" will.

Original Screenplay
Nominees: "Far From Heaven", "Gangs of New York", "My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding", "Talk to Her!", "Y Tu Mamá También"
Should Win: Uh... The only one out of the list I've seen here is "Greek Wedding". Admittedly, it was pretty damn funny.
Oh, shut up. I'm female and I've got a huge family.
Will Win: "Gangs of New York" is sticking out to me here.

Best Original Song
Nominees: "Burn it Blue" from "Frida", "Father and Daughter" from "the Wild Thornberrys", "I Move On" from "Chicago", "the Hands That Built America" from "Gangs of New York", "Lose Yourself" from "8 Mile"
Should Win: I am an Irish Bostonian (it's not that obvious is it). I would love to see Bono with an Oscar (trademark ect.)...
Will Win: Eminem and U2 will cancel each other out, probably, leaving the award to Paul Simon. This is unless we have a "Chicago" sweep here too.
Comments: Here's the irony hanging over this whole category. I award 50 Crankybucks (or Nessiebucks, or cookies, or whatever our monetary equivalent should be here) to whomever can sing any of these songs besides "Lose Yourself" (and I'm sure this goes without saying, but I may have to hurt something cute if it wins).

Best Original Score
Nominees: "Catch Me if You Can!", "Far From Heaven", "Frida", "the Hours", "Road to Perdition"
Should Win: Uh... take your pick! I haven't seen any of these. I wanted to see "Catch Me" but didn't get around to it, so I'll probably root for it (hey, it makes my subtitle make sense).
Will Win: My intuition is picking out "the Hours" here. Enter a transcript of the randomly Philip Glass-hating-on scene in the first "Mr. Hankey" episode of "South Park" here.

Best Sound Effects
Nominees: "Chicago", "Gangs of New York", "LOTR: 2T", "Road to Perdition", "Spider-Man"
Should Win: Hmm, kind of a grab bag here too. I'd root for Frodo and Spidey...
Will Win: ...but if "Chicago" doesn't win this, I'll buy me a hat and eat it.
Comments: Last year, "Black Hawk Down" beat "Moulin Rouge" out here as I had predicted; this category frequently goes to war movies. It'll be interesting to see if "Two Towers" (after all, it's a war movie in a rather broad sense) beats "Chicago" here.

Best Sound Editing
Nominees: "LOTR: 2T", "Minority Report", "Road to Perdition"
Should Win: I really enjoyed "Minority Report", so I'm hoping it goes home with something.
Will Win: We could very well get a "LOTR" sweep in the technical awards. That said, watch for "Perdition" to give us an upset. With three nominees, this could go to anything, but I think the chances for "Minority" are really good.
Comment: If I'm vague here, it's because I am still reeling from the fact that "Pearl Harbor" walked away with this last year.

Best Film Editing
Nominees: "Chicago", "Gangs of New York", "the Hours", "the Pianist", "LOTR: 2T"
Should Win: Hell, I don't know. Aren't all of these movies, like, three hours long? I'll root for "Two Towers".
Will Win: This could end up being the category whose winner depends on what movie is the "sweeper" this year. Barring that situation, my amazing psychic powers are pointing towards... (shakes Magic 8-Ball) "the Hours".

Best Visual Effects
Nominees: "LOTR: 2T", "Star Wars 2: Electric Boogaloo", and "Spider-Man"
Should Win: "Two Towers"
Will Win: "Two Towers" with a possible "Spider-Man" upset
Comments: Kudos to Weta for completely beating ILM at their game.

Best Live-Action Short
Nominees: "Fait d'Hiver", "I'll Wait for the Next One...", "Inja", "Johnny Flynton", "This Charming Man"
Should Win: I dunno, I haven't seen or heard of any of these (see the Animated Short comments). I'll root for "I'll Wait"; it's got the niftiest title.
Will Win: Intuition says "Inja".

Best Animated Short
Nominations: "Cathedral", "The ChubbChubbs!", "Das Rad", "Mt. Head", "Mike's New Car"
Should Win: See the comments. But if we're rooting for the best title, it's a toss up between "ChubbChubbs" and "Das Rad".
Will Win: "Mike's New Car". Always bet on Pixar.
Comments: Okay, here comes a rant. Short films are SHORT, right? The average cartoon is about three and a half minutes, right? Why not cut out the musical numbers and some commercials and *show the freakin' short films*??? Rawr!

Best Documentary Short Film
Nominees: "the Collector of Bedford Street", "Mighty Times", "Why Can't we be a Family Again?", "Twin Towers"
Should Win: Is there some secret, magical place where we can watch these short films? Is there?
Will Win: It would be an astonishing faux pas not to award "Twin Towers".

Best Documentary Feature
Nominees: "Spellbound", "Daughter from Danang", "Prisoner of Paradise", "Winged Migration", "Bowling for Columbine"
Should Win: "Bowling for Columbine" is provocative, timely, unnerving in it's implications, and it got people talking (even Crankylanders; about a *MOVIE*!!!). In short, it's everything an award-worthy documentary should be...
Will Win: ...and that's exactly why it won't win. If it does, I'll have to go hat shopping again. Expect the Academy to go for the admittedly gorgeous (but, more to the point, safer) "Migration".

Best Foreign Film
Nominees: "El Crimen del Padre Amaro", "Hero", "the Man Without a Past", "Nowhere in Africa", "Zus and Zo"
Should Win: Who knows? "Y Tu Mamá También" isn't on the list, and it was as close as this year got to a "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" or "Ámelie". You know what I mean?
Will Win: "Nowhere in Africa" sticks out to me here.

Best Animated Film
Nominees: "Spirited Away", "Lilo and Stitch", "Ice Age", "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron", "Treasure Planet"
Should Win: I am going to be in full-on geek mode with this category, just so you're warned.
I wanted to see "Spirited Away" (and see also the California Adventure) but it was whisked in and out of wide release faster than a dwarf gets dunked into the Bog of Eternal Stench. (I warned you.) From what I have seen of Miyazaki's films (and enter the Disney/Miyazaki conspiracy theory here), this probably has more ideas in any given frame of film than all the other contenders have in their collective running length.
After the let's-nominate-"Jimmy Neutron"-and-ignore-"Waking Life"-so-this-effectively-becomes-Best-Kiddie-Flick fiasco last year, it is a triumph just to see "Spirited Away" nominated. We all know how Mundanes (er, it's a Geekish term for a non-Geek; see also Greyface, Muggle) view animated films, good and bad: video babysitters. And woe the poor animé fanatic. The non-Otaku sees Pikachu at one extreme and tentacle porn at the other, with nothing worthwhile in between. (And while I'm digressing, I'd love to be able to adopt Otaku as a catch-all term for EVERY animation fan over the age of twelve, since there doesn't seem to be one. So it wouldn't just refer to fans of foreign animation or domestic animation, and certainly not just to those freaks in the Super Sayajin costumes [they HAVE their own term, Cosplayer, and you may all return to your normal lives now].)
You see why a "Spirited Away" win would give this category (and animé, and animation for big kids, and so on) some much needed street cred.
Will Win: And if "Spirited Away" DOES win, I'm going hat shopping yet again. I am THAT cynical about Hollywood's attitude towards animé. But, like I said, it's good just to see it nominated. I would say that "Lilo and Stitch" is easily the safest bet here. I really liked "Ice Age" as well, but I don't seriously expect it to win unless we've got a lot of Academy voters in "Far Side" withdrawal. Or unless this category REALLY means Best CGI Film... but that's another rant entirely.
Comments: Uh, you wouldn't think I had anything more to say here, but I do. I haven't seen "Treasure Planet", but it's Internet buzz hasn't been good, even from online buddies who *love* Disney. I saw the previews and didn't like this movie much back when it was called "Titan A.E." either. But, since I haven't actually seen it, I can't really hate on it much. (Look, you're reading the words of somebody who felt the need to sit through "the Princess and the Goblin", "Thumbelina", and "Pocahontas" because of her faith that there's not a single animated film that isn't somehow worthwhile. I am wrong, of course, and officially became disillusioned with most mainstream animation by, oh, about the fifth "Land Before Time".)
But I have seen "Spirit: Two Many 'S' Sounds In a Row", and if THAT pretty, pretty waste of time wins I may have to do something evil to something cute yet again. (I wasn't going to bring up the insane AFI list, but WHY is "Spirit" on the list and not "Cats Don't Dance"? And WHY THE F**K IS "SECRET OF N.I.M.H." AT #35?????!!!!!?????)

Best Cinematography
Nominees: "Chicago", "Far From Heaven", "Gangs of New York", "the Pianist", "Road to Perdition"
Should Win: Categories like this one are why I spent so much time on Best Animated Film. See, I think that one category will be the one moment during the entire awards when I'm actually going to be anxious about who will win. Here, on the other hand, I've got nothing really to root for. It's a bunch of movies that I didn't see and, frankly, find myself kind of indifferent towards. This and most of the rest of the "Big Seven" categories below are like that.
Will Win: Intuition says "Road to Perdition". It will be the Requisite Touching Moment of this year's ceremony.

Best Supporting Actress
Nominees: Kathy Bates in "About Schmidt", Julianne Moore in "the Hours", Queen Latifa in "Chicago", Catherine Zeta-Jones in "Chicago", Meryl Streep in "Adaptation"
Should Win: Well... I could root for Queen Latifa, cause she's cool but, more importantly, she seems to be the only member of the "Chicago" cast nominated who is a musician and then an actor. God forbid you cast people who you know can sing in a musical movie. As a second choice, since I like weird movies, and they hardly ever get noticed by the Academy, I will also root for Meryl. Neither of them are going to win, but what the hey.
Will Win: Tough call. Really tough call. As with last year, it may be this category that decides which movie is this year's "sweeper". Catherine Zeta-Jones with a possible Kathy Bates upset.

Best Supporting Actor
Nominees: Chris Cooper in "Adaptation", Ed Harris in "the Hours", Paul Newman in "Road to Perdition", John C. Reilly in "Chicago", and Christopher Walkin in "Catch Me if You Can!"
Should Win: I'm going to root for Chris Cooper (same logic as Meryl Streep, above), Paul Newman (I like him), and Christopher Walkin (I've been hanging around in FARK.com too much, also his movie looked good).
Will Win: My eyes find themselves flicking towards Ed Harris in the above list. Then again, Jim Broadbent won this last year (fifty Crankybucks if you can name the movie), so anything is possible.

Best Actress
Nominees: Salma Hayek in "Frida", Nicole Kidman in "the Hours", Diane Lane in "Unfaithful", Julianne Moore in "Far From Heaven", Renée Zellweger in "Chicago"
Should Win: I could root for Salma seeing as "Frida" was basically her baby, I guess.
Will Win: I expect an "Hours" sweep in the acting categories, so bet on Nicole.

Best Actor
Nominees: Nicolas Cage in "Adaptation", Adrien Brody in "the Pianist", Michael Caine in "the Quiet American", Daniel Day-Lewis in "Gangs of New York", Jack Nicholson in "About Schmidt"
Should Win: A weird movie gets nominated in THREE of the Big Seven? Go Nic! It's yer Birthday! / We're gonna party like it's yer birthday! (I hate that song.) I could also root for Michael Caine, but mainly for riffing on himself in "Austin Powers".
Will Win: This is an interesting situation. Common sense tells me to never underestimate the power of the Jack, but this could also be seen by the Academy as a "safe" way to recognize "the Pianist".

Best Director
Nominees: Stephen Daldry in "the Hours", Rob Marshall in "Chicago", Pedro Almodóvar in "Talk to Her", Roman Polanski in "the Pianist", Martin Scorsese in "Gangs of New York"
Should Win: I have heard many mixed reviews for "Gangs", but even so, I think Marty's been ignored too long.
Will Win: I'm a little hesitant, but I think this could very well be Scorsese's year.

Best Picture!!!
Nominees: "Chicago", "Gangs of New York", "the Hours", "the Pianist", "the Lord of the Rings: the Two Towers"
Should Win: Hey, there's a movie I've seen in that list! I am going to root for "Two Towers", even though I think it's more likely to sweep the technical awards.
And even though I think "Fellowship of the Ring" is much better. It is simply my opinion. "Fellowship" has always been my favorite part. That said, "Two Towers" is still easily the most amazing movie of the year. Absolutely jaw-droppingly astonishingly amazing.
It is really amazing. It really is truly amazing. It is so amazingly amazing, I think I'd like to steal it.
This is my honest opinion, but, uh, Slater, you can put down the knife now.
Will Win: Something hit me, in California, when I was touring the Kodak Theater building. Is it me, or have the Best Picture winners the past few years looked like a list of future Trivial Pursuit answers? "A Beautiful Mind", "American Beauty"... uh... I know there's got to be something in-between "American Beauty" and "Titanic"...
Unless there isn't, and I've got a phantom year in my head...
My head hurts now. Also I am still p*ssed that "101 Dalmatians" outranks "N.I.M.H." What kinds of drugs are the AFI people on and where can I score some?
(Okay, sitting and putting my head down on the desk... okay. That's better.)
Anyway, my point is that "the Hours" seems to be underlined in red crayon up there. The same red crayon I saw under "A Beautiful Mind" last year. Yay.

the Golden Nessie Award! - For the Most W.T.F. Moment during the Award Show
It was about 42 minutes into the awards. We had just returned to the show from the first of several sobering war updates. And out on stage walks a noticeably embarrassed Jennifer Garner to present an award with... Mickey Mouse. It was immeasurably bizarre; I felt sad for her.

I'll hopefully see y'all at the Crankyland Oscar Party. Right now, I need to take a nap.
Somebody want to tell me why "Snow White" is better than "Nightmare Before Christmas"?

Related Links!

I *should* have a lot of Award-related links here, but you know what? It's my birthday. / We're gonna party like it's my birthday. (Still hate it.) Instead, here's three of my favorite funny links:

"Remedial Genius" - It is a Ralph Wiggums fan page. 'Nuff said.

"I am Jack's Younger Self" - "If it had been winter in the movie, I'm sure there would have been a scene where Jack and Tyler make a small gallery of gruesome snowmen." (WARNING: Big, BIG "Fight Club" spoilers)

"Mutant Ponies" - Strait from "the gooey center of an abnormal brain". I kinda liked Evil Dead Pony's site better before she went frames-crazy, and before each "Mootant" was on a separate page. Whatever, it's still sh*t-yer-pants funny.

And because 'tis the season...
"Cap'n Wacky's Boatload O'Blarney!" - "May your schizophrenia always be blamed on colorful drunkenness."



Disclaimer: Images and other original content is © 2003 to Mad-Ness Monster (aka Mad-Ness, Nessie, Trish, ect.) It may be reprinted as long as this notice is attached. Share and enjoy. ^_^
All entities mentioned herein are © to their respective owners and no endorsement is intended. Please don't sue me, I am poor.

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