Slumdog Sweeps Oscars

First off, what a brilliant, magnificent show! Didn't catch the name of the guy who directed the Oscars this year but he did a great job. And Hugh Jackman, whaaat?? He did an outstanding job hosting the show. I had no idea before this that he could sing no less perform a hilarious, exhausting number at the start of the show. I'm glad they went with him this year instead of the typical comic. It was good to see the first 10 minutes of the Oscars look more like the Tony Awards. Well done Hugh!

I'm kind of busy right now so I'll keep this post short. Maybe I'll do another Oscars post some time soon. But for now, here are the winners of the 81st Annual Academy Awards.

Best Picture
My prediction: Slumdog Millionaire
Winner: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Director
My prediction: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
Winner: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)

Best Actor
My prediction: Sean Penn (Milk)
Winner: Sean Penn (Milk)

Best Actress
My prediction: Kate Winslet (The Reader)
Winner: Kate Winslet (The Reader)

Best Supporting Actor
My prediction: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
Winner: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)

Best Supporting Actress
My prediction: Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
Winner: Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)

Best Adapted Screenplay
My prediction: Slumdog Millionaire
Winner: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Original Screenplay
My prediction: Milk
Winner: Milk

Best Cinematography
My prediction: Slumdog Millionaire
Winner: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Visual Effects
My prediction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Animated Feature Film
My prediction: WALL-E Winner: WALL-E

Best Art Direction
Winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Costume Design
Winner: The Duchess

Best Film Editing
Winner: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Makeup
Winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Original Score
Winner: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Original Song
Winner: “Jai Ho” (Slumdog Millionaire)

Best Sound Editing
Winner: The Dark Knight
Best Sound Mixing
Winner: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Foreign Language Film
Winner: Departures

Best Documentary Feature
Winner: Man on Wire

Best Documentary Short
Winner: Smile Pinki

Best Animated Short Film
Winner: La Maison en Petits Cubes

Best Live Action Short Film
Winner: Toyland

Big Winners
Slumdog Millionaire — 8
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button — 3
The Dark Knight, Milk — 2
Departures, The Duchess, Man on Wire, The Reader, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, WALL-E — 1

Congratulations to Slumdog Millionaire on the impressive 8 wins out of 10 categories nominated. The film truly deserved this glorious recognition.

Having gone 11 for 11 for my predictions, I really should've predicted for more categories than 11. Hopefully next year I will. Are you happy with the results? Sound out in the comments.

My Oscar Predictions

Its finally that time again. Oscar time. And what better way to celebrate the Oscars than making predictions on who's going to win. Before reading my predictions, you can check out the list of nominations here.

The way I'll do it is who I think will win and who I would want to win. I hope you enjoy my list. Here we go!


BEST PICTURE
Who will win: Slumdog Millionaire
Who should win: Slumdog Millionaire
Really? Are we doing this? Slumdog is undoubtedly the runaway favorite and deservedly so. A loss would be the biggest upset you could possibly imagine. Also, the runaway winner in the Best Picture poll in the sidebar.


BEST ACTOR
Who will win: Sean Penn (Milk)
Who should win: Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
This is a tough one. Sean Penn is more likely to win for his portrayal of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay politician in California. But Mickey Rourke could definitely win this one after such an amazing, personal, committed performance as Randy the Ram, the title character in Darren Aronofsky's brilliant The Wrestler. Or you could look at it the other way- Penn taking it from under the nose of Rourke. In any case, only these two have a chance.


BEST ACTRESS
Who will win: Kate Winslet (The Reader)
Who should win: Kate Winslet (The Reader)
This is another no-brainer. Winslet to take it for her role in Stephen Daldry's holocaust drama The Reader.


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Who will win: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
Who should win: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
Once again, really? Is there any question? Not only should Ledger win this award just because he's dead, but also because of his out-of-this-world performance as the maniacal Joker in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight. Anyone who's willing to get into a nurse costume before blowing up a hospital deserves an Oscar.


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Who will win: Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
Who should win: Amy Adams (Doubt)
Okay this one is a tricky one, trickiest so far. Penelope Cruz has generating tons of buzz as of late with her performance in Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Having said that, underrated Amy Adams could easily take it away from Cruz as her depiction as a naive nun in John Patrick Shanley's highly-rated Doubt opposite Meryl Streep (nominated for Best Actress, stands no chance) and Phillip Seymour Hoffman (nominated for Best Supporting Actor, even less of a chance). And then theres always Taraji P. Henson. Who you say? Taraji played Queenie, adoptive mother to Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt, also no chance for Best Actor).


BEST DIRECTOR
Who will win: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
Who should win: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
This year is Danny Boyle's year. Simple as that. Nobody's gonna break the stranglehold Boyle's got on that little golden statuette.


BEST ANIMATED FILM
Who will win: WALL-E
Who should win: WALL-E
Kungfu Panda and Bolt never had a chance this whole year. WALL-E was simply in a league of its own.


BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Who will win: Slumdog Millionaire
Who should win: The Dark Knight
I can definitely see why Slumdog will win. But The Dark Knight should win just for its pure awesome-ness.


BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Who will win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Who should win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Strangely enough, the only thing I loved about Ben Button was how Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett's appearances were digitally altered. Amazing work.


BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Who will win: Milk
Who should win: WALL-E
Gus van Sant's Milk should have no problem taking this. But the just the possibility of WALL-E winning it makes me feel all fuzzy inside.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Who will win: Slumdog Millionaire
Who should win: Slumdog Millionaire
Simon Beaufoy gets all the credit for transforming the novel Q & A into such a wonderful story on the big screen.


Well that's all from me now. What did you think of my predictions? Agreed whole-heartedly? Or think I'm full of horse shit? Either way, sound out and comment. Do share these predictions too. Check back Monday night for all the winners from the 81st Annual Academy Awards.