Oscar preditions.  Left out the foreign language and shorts, since I never know that the heck any of those are. Nothing too in-depth in terms of comments. Oh, and I’ll get most of these wrong.

COSTUME DESIGN: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. 

Nice job of costumes through the ages. 

ORIGINAL SONG: Jai Ho from Slumdof Millionare. 

Listen to that song and you can’t help but wish EVERY movie ended with a Bollywood dance number.

CINEMATOGRAHPY: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. 

In Spanish, “Fincher” means “dark and gloomy cinematography”. True.

ART DIRECTION: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. 

Nawlins’ has never looked so…Southern.

MAKEUP: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. 

If nothing but for the younger 18ish Brad Pitt.

ORIGINAL SCORE: WALL-E. 

Another brilliant Thomas Newman score.

VISUAL EFFECTS: The Curious Case of Benjaim Button. 

If you’ve seen it, then you know why. 

ANIMATED FEATURE: WALL-E. 

Duh.

SOUND MIXING: WALL-E

Sound carried most of the movie, allowing animated robots to portray emotions that many actors can’t reach.

SOUND EDITING: WALL-E

Again, brilliant use of sound. See above. Dark Knight was just too…loud.

FILM EDITING: THE DARK KNIGHT

From the funeral scene, to the “will they blow up the other ferry” one, brilliant creation of action and tesnsion. Why the heck this isn’t best picture is beyond me.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: Man on Wire. 

Because, it’s the only one I’ve heard of? 

ANIMATED SHORT: Presto. 

Pixar’s best short since Geri’s Game, in my opinion.

SCREENPLAY, ORIGINAL: WALL-E

I’m well aware that “Wall-E” won’t win everything, but i’m picking it here. Sadly, the money is on “Milk”, which didn’t blow me away.

SCREENPLAY, ADAPTED: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

For a standard “boy meets girl, boy loses girl” plot, the question-flashback-answer storytelling was excellent.

ACTOR, SUPPORTING: Robert Downey Jr. in “Tropic Thunder” 

Just seeing if you were paying attention. Heath Ledger in “Dark Knight”.

ACTRESS, SUPPORTING: Penelope Cruz in “Vicky Christina Barcelona” 

Going with the consensus on this one. 

ACTOR, LEADING: Mickey Roarke in “The Wrestler”

A great performance. And, Hollywood loves it’s comeback stories.

ACTRESS, LEADING: Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married”

Not even naked Kate Winslet could get me into “The Reader” or any of these other movies, though I have “Frozen River sitting here”. Anyhoo, going with an upset here. 

DIRECTING: Danny Boyle for “Slumdog Millionare”

Not a big fan of frantic editing and shaky cinematography. But Boyle pulled it off. 

BEST PICTURE: Slumdog Millionare.

I saw this the first weekend it opened in Austin, and have been a fan ever since. It will win. That’s my final answer.