Oscar Predictions - Part Two

   Part One dealt with largely technical and design awards, but here Part Two finishes out the technical awards and knocks out the music as well. The big night is approaching fast, and with only five more days until the show, Part Two of the Oscar Predictions will knock out four more of the remaining nineteen categories. So without further ado, here is Part Two:

Best Sound Mixing

Favorite: Mad Max: Fury Road

   It’s another technical category, so of course Mad Max is favored to win. This category might feature the smallest odds for the post apocalyptic film, as Sound Mixing appears to be a pretty wide-open and unpredictable category.

Who I Want to See Win: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

   Of course I want to hear Star Wars called again, but more importantly it actually excels in the sound aspect of things. Merging the old with new quite well, it will transport you back to the wondrous times that were the original trilogy.

Prediction: The Revenant

   As I said before, Best Sound Mixing is largely unpredictable, as any nominee could pull out the victory. But when weighing out which film stuck out above the rest, it’s clear The Revenant was simply a hair better.

Best Sound Editing

Favorite: Mad Max: Fury Road

   I feel like I’m repeating myself with Mad Max and the technical categories, but no one can deny the excellence it achieved from top to bottom in the technical aspect of things.

Who I Want to See Win: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

   Again with the repeating, but I’m greedy with the amount of awards I want Star Wars to receive. It’s not as though it’s undeserving and has a really good shot at winning in reality, but in such a competitive category, it’s hard to rule anything out.

Prediction: Mad Max: Fury Road

   Sound Editing is just as wide open as Sound Mixing, perhaps only with Sicario being on the outside looking in. Feasibly the win could go to any of the nominees, but in this case that Academy’s apparent love of Mad Max: Fury Road will pull in the golden statue.

Best Original Song

Favorite: “Til It Happens To You” by Lady Gaga (The Hunting Ground)

   The category that has rapidly evolved over the years sees another collection of musical stars nominated. Lady Gaga hopes that this year will move her one step closer to EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony), and it seems as though the odds are in her favor.

Who I Want to See Win: Anything but “Earned It” by The Weeknd (Fifty Shades of Grey)

   Nowhere does it say that I can’t root against a nominee right? But hey it’s my predictions and more importantly the ‘Who I Want’ section. But if anything is certain in these predictions, it’s that no one should want an Oscar associated with arguably one of the worst films of 2015.

Prediction: Til It Happens To You” by Lady Gaga (The Hunting Ground)

   Not only is the song beautiful, but it also fits so well within the film that it’d be a shock if Lady Gaga weren’t giving a speech come Sunday night.

Best Original Score

Favorite: The Hateful Eight

   There are few things about The Hateful Eight that everyone agrees upon, but Morricone’s score is one of them. Arguably the best thing about the film entirely, the score is all but certain to bring home the gold.

Who I Want to See Win: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

   Surprisingly enough this is not about the film just being Star Wars, but instead about the man behind it all, John Williams. The man is a legend an has crafted so many beautiful scores over the years, it would be great to see him take home one more award before he rides off into retirement.

Prediction: The Hateful Eight

   It will be hard for anyone to pull the upset on Ennio Morricone and the Academy will likely send the man home with his first Oscar.

Oscar Count through Part Two:

Mad Max: Fury Road – 3
Best Production Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Sound Editing

The Hateful Eight – 1
Best Original Score

The Revenant – 1
Best Sound Mixing

The Big Short – 1
Best Film Editing

Star Wars: The Force Awakens – 1
Best Visual Effects

Cinderella – 1
Best Costume Design

The Hunting Ground – 1
Best Original Song

So what are your predictions? Share, comment below, be sure to look out for Part Three on Wednesday, and as always return to I Am Sam for weekly reviews and insight.