Oscar Predictions - Part Three: The Indicators

Halfway through the categories and most of the smaller ones are finished. With the heavy hitters waiting in the wings for tomorrow, the bigger but not quite the biggest awards come now. With a few categories that could be heavy indicators of what is to come with THE big one, here is Part Three of Oscar Predictions.

Oscar Predictions - Part Two: Shorts and Features

Part One was full of fairly straightforward picks on who should take home each trophy, but Part Two is where Oscar picks are broken. With three short film categories that are the equivalent of throwing a dart at a two inch target while blindfolded, and the feature categories that are less up in the air but still could get crazy. Without further ado, the predictions for the shorts and features:

Oscar Predictions - Part One: Sights and Sounds

With only one week left before Hollywood’s biggest night, it’s time to break down the nominees and make some final predictions. Over the next four days, each of the twenty-four categories will be discussed, from the favorites to the potential upsets and finally a prediction. Up first, the technical categories.

Game Night - Review

Studio comedies over the past few years just haven’t been cutting it. Whether unoriginal retreads or unfunny messes, true comedies haven’t been too successful (critically or commercially). But the key to any comedy from the onset is an interesting premise, and thankfully Game Night has that and a pretty solid cast to boot, all the markings of potential at least.

Annihilation - Review

Not far removed from his exceptional Ex Machina, director Alex Garland steps behind the camera again for another Sci-Fi venture. This time the weirdness is elevated to ridiculous levels, creating a world that’s as equally mesmerizing as it is terrifying. Throw in an excellent cast full of talented women and the recipe is set for a successful film.

Early Man - Review

As a studio, the often forgotten Aardman Animations releases very few feature length films. Since 2000, the studios first venture into the feature film game with Chicken Run, Aardman has only released seven feature films. To various degrees of reception, of course, but all relatively successful. And following a rather weak 2017 in terms of animation, getting an Aardman release just two months in is a good sign for 2018.

Black Panther - Review

As if Marvel Studios needed any assistance to garner attention and praise for their cinematic universe, now 18 films deep, they go out and put together their best cast and crew to date. Starting with a solid leading man with Chadwick Boseman, and introducing him in Captain America: Civil War, was a great start, but placing the sheer immeasurable talent around him almost insured that Black Panther was going to be successful.

The 15:17 to Paris - Review

As Clint Eastwood appears to be ever increasingly pulled towards telling stories of real life heroes, his newest film takes it a step further by including the actual individuals who lived the event. Undoubtedly an interesting and harrowing tale of heroism amidst a potentially monumental tragedy, The 15:17 to Paris takes a brief yet tension thick event and attempts to translate it into a feature length, ninety-minute affair.

Fifty Shades Freed - Review

On the bright side, at least Fifty Shades Freed isn’t split into two parts. The finale of the most unlikely franchise comes around to grace us with its presence one last time. The optimistic angle means hoping and praying that the threequel can be just a bit better than the predecessors, even if that doesn’t mean much in the long run.

Winchester - Review

In a weird coincidence, the first two horror films of 2018 feature women over the age of 70 as the lead. Insidious: The Last Key featured Lin Shaye (74) and Winchester features Helen Mirren (72). While Shaye has been a part of the Insidious franchise for a while now, this is Mirren’s first go at schlocky early year horror and let’s just say the yearly January atrocity came just a week too late.