Academy Awards 2007 - Scores

BEST PICTURE
Prediction: No Country for Old Men
WINNER: NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

CORRECT

BEST DIRECTOR
Prediction: Joel & Ethan Coen - No Country for Old Men
WINNER: JOEL & ETHAN COEN - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

CORRECT

BEST ACTOR
Prediction: Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
WINNER: DANIEL DAY-LEWIS - THERE WILL BE BLOOD

CORRECT

BEST ACTRESS
Prediction: Julie Christie - Away from Her
WINNER: MARION COTILLARD - LA VIE EN ROSE

WRONG - Cotillard was my alternate.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Prediction: Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men
WINNER: JAVIER BARDEN - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

CORRECT

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Prediction: Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton
WINNER: TILDA SWINTON - MICHAEL CLAYTON

CORRECT

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Prediction: Diablo Cody - Juno
WINNER: DIABLO CODY - JUNO

CORRECT

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Prediction: Joel & Ethan Coen - No Country for Old Men
WINNER: JOEL & ETHAN COEN - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

CORRECT

BEST ART DIRECTION
Prediction: There Will Be Blood
WINNER: SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET

WRONG - I should've gone with Sweeney like everyone else but I really didn't think it would.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Prediction: Seamus McGarvey - Atonement
WINNER: ROGER ELSWIT - THERE WILL BE BLOOD

WRONG - I'm an idiot for not picking There Will Be Blood. I don't know why I chose Atonement.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Prediction: Atonement
WINNER: ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE

WRONG - I was just plain wrong. I denied the power of Victorian regality over iconography.

BEST MAKE-UP
Prediction: La Vie en Rose
WINNER: LA VIE EN ROSE

CORRECT

BEST EDITING
Prediction: The Bourne Ultimatum
WINNER: THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM

CORRECT

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Prediction: Dario Marianelli - Atonement
WINNER: DARIO MARIANELLI - ATONEMENT

CORRECT

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Prediction: "Falling Slowly" - Once
WINNER: "FALLING SLOWLY" - ONCE

CORRECT

BEST SOUND EDITING
Prediction: Transformers
WINNER: THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM

WRONG - Ouch. Transformers should've won this one.

BEST SOUND MIXING
Prediction: Transformers
WINNER: THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM

WRONG - Ouch again. Transformers should've won this too. Combined nominations for the mixing team: 32. Wins: 0.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Prediction: Transformers
WINNER: THE GOLDEN COMPASS

WRONG - OUCH. At least, The Bourne Ultimatum is a worthy winner. But The Golden Compass? I think the visual effects designers for Transformers made the robots look TOO real, confusing the academy, which is why they didn't vote for it.

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Prediction: Ratatouille
WINNER: RATATOUILLE

CORRECT

BEST FOREIGN FILM
Prediction: The Counterfeiters - Austria
WINNER: THE COUNTERFEITERS - AUSTRIA

CORRECT

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Prediction: No End in Sight
WINNER: TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE

WRONG - As long as it wasn't Sicko. YES! Too bad the director came to Austin at a showing and I couldn't go...

BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT
Prediction: The Mozart of Pickpockets
WINNER: THE MOZART OF PICKPOCKETS

CORRECT

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
Prediction: Peter & the Wolf
WINNER: PETER & THE WOLF

CORRECT

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Prediction: Freeheld
WINNER: FREEHELD

CORRECT

SCORE: 16/24. I think that's pretty average for me. I really want to get 20 one year. That will be my goal for next!

Oscars 2007 Reactions

So, I'm doing this before I forget or not even do it. It's hard updated this blog and I find myself forcing myself to. It's hard when you know no one is really reading it, but alas, I shall update it for my sake. I have a xanga but it's... eh.

So there were a couple things that I didn't like about Sunday night's ceremony, mostly how the winners went:

1. I can't believe Transfomers lost all three of its categories! It should've hands-down won Visual Effects, but The Golden Compass? Why? At least The Bourne Ultimatum was good. Still, this would've been a good one for Kevin O'Connel to win -- he really did a spectacular job mixing for Transformers. Maybe next year, or the next... or 20 nominations from now.
2. Atonement should've won for Costume Design. In the past, I'm pretty sure all the "iconic" costume designs have won. I don't feel like checking but I want to say that Gone with the Wind, Breakfast at Tiffany's ... no they didn't. They weren't even nominated. I guess it's nice to think that Atonement are with the best snubbed.
3. Is Daniel Day-Lewis secretly gay? I wouldn't mind if he was -- haha. I think he's a definite man, but the two earrings? The kissing George Clooney?
4. I LOVE Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. They are probably the CUTEST pairing ever. "Falling Slowly" is definitely most deserving and I'm glad they didn't resort to honoring Enchanted with a false win. The Academy has been generally very good with picking the best songs -- I mean, the process of selecting which is and isn't eligible (2005) isn't exactly the greatest, but with all those nominated, the entire Academy generally picks the best. And Glen and Marketa's speeches were very beautiful -- very heartfelt. And I applaud them. So humble and modest.

Ya, I think that's all. Sorry this wasn't that great, but I've got school to worry about!! I'm making B's in all my classes and I am an A student! I need A's! I am slacking and I need to get a move on.

Oscar 2007 -- Wrapped UP

For the first year ever, my friends and I had an Oscar watching party. We set up a point system to where we score a set amount of points if our picks win and then a lesser amount if our alternates win. The maximum score was 48 and I won the contest with 33. Since this was our first one, it wasn't complex or anything, but we might tweak it for next year. Also, we're actually gonna have food and drinks at the party. We starved our way through the four hours this time around. The second place person scored 26 so I didn't win by much. I think I overthink some of the categories too much! I'll post some thoughts here later. Well, Eric -- that's his name, who got second place -- predicted Sound Editing and Mixing correctly simply because he believes "traditional action films" typically get it. For those who know Oscar history, we all know this isn't necessarily the case. And I guess it's hard to go against the consensus when you read up on so much about this, especially when those more knowledgable predict what you eventually end up choosing too (and agree with). Anyways, enough of my blabbing.

I will post how I did tomorrow or something and I will comment on some of the things that deserve commenting...

For example:

1. Costume Design
2. Transformers snubs. Grrrr.
3. Marion Cotillard and her infinite cuteness.
4. Sound Categories
5. Various other things

As of now, I have a test in my Sociology class tomorrow. Sociology of Life and Death Decisions! Yee-haw! It's gonna be a good time. I put off all studying this weekend to...

1. Attend a press screening for City of Men. I felt special attending my first press screening. There were only about 7 other people in there with me and I got to see it before pretty much everyone else does.
2. Attend the Barack Obama rally at the capitol building here in Austin, TX. Our future president of the United States of America (hopefully).
3. Watch 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days and then hang out with my friends.
4. Go see Be Kind Rewind and then watch the Oscars.

Now, I really have to study. I'm giving myself 3 hours and it is 12:35 right now. My test is at 1 p.m. today (!!!) and my first class is at 12 so I can sacrifice a few. I may get around to actually putting up a review of City of Men, 4 Months..., and Be Kind Rewind later. I have to write one for my newspaper for City of Men anyways so I'll do that. Alrighty, good night. I hope you had fun with Oscars!!! I know I don't have readers yet and I have yet to get a comment, but it's nice to think that there are some people.

[[P.S. I'm pretty sure I got 16/24 right though which is what I think I got last year also. I'll check it out on the old xanga. Haha]]

Academy Award Winner Predictions 2007

Black is what I would've voted for if I was an academy memeber. Number of nominees I saw are in parenthesis. My predictions are in RED

Best Picture: (5/5)
There Will Be Blood
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Best Director: (5/5)
Paul Thomas Anderson - There Will Be Blood
JOEL & ETHAN COEN - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Best Actor: (5/5)
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS - THERE WILL BE BLOOD

Best Actress: (3/5)
Ellen Page - Juno
JULIE CHRISTIE - AWAY FROM HER

Best Supporting Actor: (5/5)
Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
JAVIER BARDEM - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Best Supporting Actress: (4/5)
Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton
TILDA SWINTON - MICHAEL CLAYTON

Best Original Screenplay: (4/5)
Diablo Cody - Juno
DIABLO CODY - JUNO

Best Adapted Screenplay: (5/5)
Ronald Harwood - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
JOEL & ETHAN COEN - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Best Art Direction: (4/5)
Atonement
THERE WILL BE BLOOD

Best Cinematography: (5/5)
Roger Deakins - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
SEAMUS MCGARVEY - ATONEMENT

Best Costume Design: (4/5)
Atonement
ATONEMENT

Best Makeup: (1/3)
La Vie en Rose
LA VIE EN ROSE

Best Editing: (4/5)
No Country for Old Men
THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM

Best Original Score: (5/5)
Dario Marianelli - Atonement
DARIO MARIANELLI - ATONEMENT

Best Original Song: (4/5)
"Falling Slowly" - Once
"FALLING SLOWLY" - ONCE

Best Sound Editing: (4/5)
Ratatouille
TRANSFORMERS

Best Sound Mixing: (4/5)
No Country for Old Men
TRANSFORMERS

Best Visual Effects: (1/3)
Transformers
TRANSFORMERS

Best Animated Film: (2/3)
Ratatouille
RATATOUILLE

Best Foreign Film: (0/5)
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days and Persepolis should've been nominated. The
former should've won. The accessibility of these films is... pretty close to zero.
THE COUNTERFEITERS - AUSTRIA

Best Documentary: (2/5)
No End in Sight
NO END IN SIGHT

Best Animated Short: (4/5)
Peter & the Wolf
PETER & THE WOLF

Best Live-Action Short: (0/5)
??
THE MOZART OF PICKPOCKETS

Best Documetary Short: (0/5)
??
FREEHELD

The Voice of the Sparrow: Listening to Edith Piaf

I'm currently listening to a couple Edith Piaf CDs... because I think it's important, when about to watch a biopic, to know a little about the real life subject. What better way to learn a little about Edith Piaf than to listen to some recordings of her? I managed to obtain a copy of "The Very Best of Edith Piaf: The Voice of the Sparrow" and "La Vie en Rose." I love her; I don't understand what she's saying, but her voice and music transcends language and manages to stir inside me this sympathy and admiration for her, stimulated mostly by a tinge of tragedy in her strong voice. I'm watching La Vie en Rose tomorrow and I cannot wait. I want to see just how well Marion Cotillard captures the essence of Piaf and we will see if my Best Actress preference changes after seeing it. Currently, my preference is Ellen Page and my prediction is Julie Christie (what a confusing category, though, to say the least!).

Ahh... I didn't manage to see The Golden Age or the Savages, unfortunately. Nor did I see all 5 of the Best Supporting Actress race. They're hardly ever in Best Picture nominees, it seems so they're less accessible in terms of theaters playing them.

Gotta get back to Edith Piaf. Her voice is just so mesmerizing. When I get time, I will translate the lyrics (or get a friend to). As of now, the music, the tone of her voice, the expression -- these aspects of the legendary French singer have managed to capture my attention. I will write about Marion Cotillard tomorrow. And possibly Amy Ryan -- I'm probably watch Gone Baby Gone tonight or something.

Frivolous Update

So I haven't posted in a while. That's because I've been so busy with school and whatnot. I just survived my first hell week of the new semester. Three tests in one week: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday all in a row. Ah, well.

SO. ONE week until the Academy Awards shows! I am so excited. My friends and I are going to have a little Oscar watching party, although I think I'll probably the only one who cares about the winners (mostly because I want to see if my predictions are right -- I'll try to get those posted here some time before then). One of my friends watches it for the fashion, which is totally okay because I think it's interesting as well to see what these rich movie stars are wearing. Let's just hope the winners where something... decent.

I really hope the winner is actually wearing something totally amazing... unlike this past Oscar winner who wore... a backless BACKWARDS ... I don't even know what that is. We know the guys will look classy. Daniel Day-Lewis and Bardem? Simple, classic suit and ties. How could they go wrong if they just stick with a Versace suit or whatnot? As for the girls -- it's always more interesting to see what the females wear. And what about what the winners will wear. Since there exists no real frontrunner to the Actress or Best Actress race, we can only speculate. Imagine Tilda Swinton in a similar get up from what she wore at the BAFTAs. You know that would go down in infamy if she wore something ridiculous like that to the states. The press and fashion police would have a field day with it!

So in other words, this was just a little update. I don't know why I'm blogging, I don't think I'll ever reach a huge readership. As of now, I don't think anyone really knows about my blog, but one day I hope people come and click on my ads and generate me some revenue, and comment... because I have YET to recieve a comment.

It's slightly disappointing.

Although, maybe if I update this enough, Google will have me on their search engine. I have a xanga page and that recieves like 100 visitors a week as of late, mostly because people were checking up on Awards predictions and surprise, surprise, mine was ONE of the top most at one point. Maybe this will get there too. Such is life.

I'm currently skipping my first class writing this. Yikes. I really don't care. It's only Intro to Media Studies, which we took a test on last class so we're not really doing much at all today, I don't think. And we don't have quizzes or anything in the class -- and in general, it's all pretty lame.