Now things are starting to get intense. I’ve got a lot to say about this month’s update, so let’s not beat around the bush and dive straight in.

BEST PICTURE

Birdman
Boyhood
Foxcatcher
Gone Girl
Interstellar
Into The Woods
The Theory Of Everything
Unbroken
Whiplash

All year, Inherent Vice looked like it was going to be a big player. Then the reviews came in. As a result, the film has been removed almost entirely from my predictions, with the exception of a few categories. In it’s place is Whiplash, a movie that’s been receiving unanimous praise and could be an underdog contender. Now, I realize that a ton of people are predicting The Imitation Game and Selma for nominations, but I think that both of them seem like they’re being TOO obvious with their Oscar Bait. I think the Academy is smarter than that. I say, wait ’til the reviews come out. Although perhaps I’m being hypocritical, because I’m still going to give Unbroken the win. I think the field is too jumbled right now for any of us to get a clear picture.

BEST DIRECTOR

David Fincher, Gone Girl
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Birdman
Angelina Jolie, Unbroken
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher

Paul Thomas Anderson is gone, and after going back and forth between different directors to fill the spot, I settled on Linklater. I wanted so badly to put Nolan here, but I refuse to get my hopes up. And I’m still going with Jolie on the win.

BEST ACTOR

Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton, Birdman
Jack O’Connell, Unbroken
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory Of Everything

Honestly, you could flip a five-sided die on just about any of these categories. I finally landed on Keaton, but ask me tomorrow and I may have changed my mind.

BEST ACTRESS

Amy Adams, Big Eyes
Felicity Jones, The Theory Of Everything
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon, Wild

So this Julianne Moore movie comes out of NOWHERE and suddenly everybody is predicting Moore to win the Oscar. And just when I thought this’ll be a nail-biting race between Adams and Moore, I saw Gone Girl, and now I realize that Pike has a chance, too. I’ll vote Moore for now. In other news Meryl Streep will officially be going Supporting for Into The Woods. I’ll talk more about what impact this has in the Supporting category.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Josh Brolin, Inherent Vice
Edward Norton, Birdman
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
J. K. Simmons, Whiplash
Christolph Waltz, Big Eyes

Another tight category. Despite what people are saying about Inherent Vice, Josh Brolin is getting good notices and could still get in if he plays his cards right. For a time, I had Norton as the predicted winner, but I think Simmons may just be able to make it to the top with those reviews. I’ll be seeing Whiplash as soon as I can. I hope there’s a scene where he tells Miles Teller to ‘make life take the lemons back!’

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Jessica Chastain, Interstellar
Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
Emma Stone, Birdman
Meryl Streep, Into The Woods

Okay, so Meryl was placed in this category to give her a better chance at the win? But are we really going to give Meryl Streep her fourth Oscar in the supporting category? Then she’ll have two in lead and two in supporting. Not very indicative of her career. Plus, there is the possibility that the Academy could vote her lead anyway, like they did for Kate Winslet in The Reader. For the moment, it makes more sense to predict Arquette.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Birdman
Boyhood
Foxcatcher
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Interstellar

I don’t have to say as much for this category as I did the main six. I think I’ll keep the category as is, with Birdman as the predicted winner.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Gone Girl
The Imitation Game
The Theory Of Everything
Still Alice
Unbroken

If Still Alice is gonna be a big player in Lead Actress, it may as well get an extra nomination, in what’s looking to be a weak category. Now, I’m gonna do something a bit different from what I usually do. Seeing how there’s not much change in the remaining categories, and I am getting pretty tired, I’m just going to give you my predictions without any commentary.

BEST FILM EDITING

Foxcatcher
Gone Girl
Interstellar
Unbroken
Whiplash

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Birdman
Gone Girl
Inherent Vice
Interstellar
Unbroken

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Big Eyes
Exodus: Gods & Kings
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Into The Woods

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Big Eyes
Exodus: Gods & Kings
Into The Woods
Unbroken
Selma

BEST MAKEUP

Foxcatcher
Guardians Of The Galaxy
Into The Woods

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes
Gaurdians Of The Galaxy
The Hobbit: There And Back Again
Interstellar
Into The Woods

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Big Eyes
Foxcatcher
Inherent Vice
Interstellar
Unbroken

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

“???” Annie
“A Step You Can’t Take Back”, Begin Again
“Everything Is Awesome”, The Lego Movie
“Lost Stars”, Begin Again
“Something So Right”, Muppets Most Wanted

BEST SOUND EDITING

Fury
Guardians Of The Galaxy
The Hobbit: Battle Of The Five Armies
Interstellar
Unbroken

BEST SOUND MIXING

Gone Girl
Fury
Interstellar
Into The Woods
Unbroken

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
How To Train Your Dragon 2
The Lego Movie
The Princess Kaguya.

Well, that was a mouthful. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a certain Best Picture I’m trying to get caught up on. Later!