This is a little late for me to start this thread seeing as the awards are tonight but what they hey.

So my family and I always make a big deal out of the academy awards. We do ballots and my dad gives us money for whoever gets the most right. It's always been so much fun.

I thought it would be fun to list the nominations and have people choose who they thought would win each one. I'm only gonna pick best movie, actor, actress, director, & supporting actor/actress cause I won't have any idea about the other ones. Here's where you can see the nominees. Nominees

Here it goes:

Best Picture-Atonement (I only saw Juno out of the bunch but I heard this one was really good)
Best Actor-Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Best Actress-Cate Blanchett (again, all I saw was Juno of the bunch but I just love Cate Blanchett)
Best Supp Actress-Ruby Dee, American Gangster
Best Supp Actor-Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton
Best Director-Michael Clayton

Wow, I totally winged those. I really didn't see very many movies last year...

What do ya'll think?

I couldn't even begin to make any choices here. I saw Sicko last month, and before that I think the last movie I saw was Bourne Ultimatum - in August!

Don't worry Steph. You're out of the all-important 16-24 demoraphic now, so you don't really count any more! Welcome to old age!

Har, ok I think I've seen...3 movies this year? I'm very culturally deficient. :p However, I did see Sweeney Todd and thought that was an excellent movie, so I would be happy if it picked up an Oscar or two. I especially thought things like the makeup and the cinematography were great.

And on a side note:

What, you mean I've only got a year left to be not old?!?! I better get moving...
JD

Actually, the hubby and I purchased the animated "Dragonlance" movie and "Call of Cthulhu" black and white, silent film as our boycott "thumbs to nose" of the oscars.

Those hoopleheads narcissic backpatters in hollyweird haven't done anything good since before they gave micheal moore an oscar and they totally lost my respect when they did *that*.

There was a funny advert last year of a new series, I think it was Reaper, where the actor promoting the series said in the commercial "You might as well watch our show. Those people don't care what you think."

Good luck on your guesses though. I think since you bet money makes it more worthwhile.

TEEEEEJ

I kind of have to agree with you Teej. I don't feel like the movies who win a lot of these awards are nearly as moving/entertaining as movies of the past. I think part of the reason I don't see very many movies anymore is (1)definitely because of the cost of seeing them in the theater (geez, like $10 now!!) and (2) most of them just don't catch my eye like movies used to. It's always fun for me watching the Oscars though and the money definitely doesn't hurt.

BTW, so far I'm in last place. Only 2!! And they've only got like 6 awards left. I really blew it this year!!

I feel bad. I haven't seen any of those movies. The only things I've seen lately at the theaters have been The Bee Movie and Enchanted with the kids. Are any of those up for Oscars?

Enchanted was up for best musical, I think.

I only know that No Country for Old Men won. It was one of those things that I knew it was good, but somehow couldn't put it into words. Something to do with will/fate. Watching it was a strange experience, but it could have been the jetlag. I saw it several hours after having flown back from NY to Cali.

We have a movie theater that gets movies late and charges $7 admission because of it (and 2 for 1 admission on Wednesdays). That's the reason, I more or less have seen most of the movies. But I almost never get why or how they choose these films and award shows inevitably bore the crap out of me.

alcyone

We rented "Balls of Fury" as well and it was a great funny movie, slapstick and bathroom humor all the way

I highly recommend it.

Atonement and I have a strange relationship. I'm not sure how I feel about it winning the award. Don't get me wrong, I liked the movie. The cinematography was beautiful, the acting was solid, but...I couldn't help but feel that I'd seen it all before. And I hadn't read the book either, so that can't be the reason.

As for the rest, the only other I'd seen was Juno. I resent paying the big bucks at the theatres. Also, our theatre here is filled with kids who talk through the whole thing. Very annoying.

I couldn't care less about most things about the Academy Awards but there's one thing I've enjoyed seeing very much. It's about time that an Austrian movie got some international recognition, if not in box office numbers then at least with the most revered award in the business.

The Counterfeiters has been a very interesting movie I saw about a year ago and it was all thanks to the most amazing Austrian actor Karl Markovics.

As I generally have zero tolerance for the darlings of the celeb industry, the Oscars hold little interest for me. (Other than to complain endlessly at the TV during the news that entertainment is not proper news and why are you telling me this? ) But I agree that they seem to be increasingly and boringly predictable from what little attention I've paid.

I find myself watching less movies each year, too. In fact I'm hard put to remember a movie I've seen in the past year. The last movie I saw was a couple of weeks ago - Ratatouille. I wasn't that keen when Stuart brought it home, but I absolutely adored it. Even had a sniffle or two at the ending. Best movie I've seen in a long time.

LabRat

We watched because my husband is a movie nut. I was actually reading fic during most of it but the one thing I loved is that "Falling Slowly" from Once won best song. Very well deserved! And it was so cool that Jon Stewart brought the lady back out to give her speech after the music cue cut her off.