Year in Review: Adam's Top Ten Films of 2015

2015 is finally in the books.  What a year it was too, not only for the big box office movies but also for the small indie films as well.  We had 9 movies this year have opening weekends of 80 million dollars or more (American Sniper, Fifty Shades of Grey, Furious 7, Avengers 2, Jurassic World, Inside Out, Minions, Hunger Games, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens).  6 of those films had opening weekends of 100 million dollars or more (Furious 7, Avengers 2, Jurassic World, Minions, Hunger Games, and Star Wars).  Then 2 of those films broke 200 million dollars for an opening weekend (Jurassic World and Star Wars).  In the first 20 days of being released, Star Wars has already broke the all time domestic record, set by Avatar in 2006.  Star Wars has made, as of 1/9/2016, 781,141,043 dollars and still going strong!  

We saw some sequels make some huge comebacks.  Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Creed, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, Jurassic World and Furious 7, have showed us that these franchises are a live and well.  They showed us that sequels can actually be better than some of the films in previous installments.  

As for indie films, we were giving some really good ones (Spotlight, '71, Mississippi Grind, Love and Mercy, Brooklyn, It Follows, Slow West, 5 Flights Up, The Revenant, Sicario), just to name a few.  Though there was some duds too (The Danish Girl, Welcome to Me, Adult Beginners, Big Game).  I feel like even though there was a lot of good ones, this year just doesn't stack up for quality to last year.  

As for performances, we witness a lot of good ones that will wreck havoc on Oscar voters.  Leonard DiCaprio (The Revenant), Alicia Vikander (Ex-Machina), Jenifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight), and Johnny Deep (Black Mass) gave us some really gripping performances.  Directors can be stars as well.  Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (The Revenant), J.J. Abrams (Star Wars 7), George Miller (Mad Max:Fury Road) and F. Gary Gray (Straight Outta Compton) gave us some of the most iconic images of the year.  

Before we get to my Top 10 list, lets hand out some awards to the people who make the films of 2015!

Total 2015 films seen: 120

Thumbs up percentage: 64%

Movies I need to see, that could make my list: Carol, The Martian, Son of Saul, The Look of Silence, and Amy

Actor of the Year:

Domhnall Gleeson

(Ex-Machina, Brooklyn, The Revenant, Star Wars: The Force Awakens)

Actress of the Year:

Alicia Vikander

(Testament of Youth, Ex-Machina, Seventh Son, Burnt, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Danish Girl)

Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio - The Revenant, Johnny Deep - Black Mass, Oscar Issac - Ex-Machina, Michael B. Jordan - Creed, Michael Fassbender - Steve Jobs

Best Actress: Emily Blunt - Sicario, Charlize Theron - Mad Max:Fury Road, Brie Larson - Room, Saoirse Ronan - Brooklyn, Amy Schumer - Trainwreck

Best Supporting Actor: Benicio Del Toro - Sicario, Idris Elba - Beast of No Nation, Sylvester Stallone - Creed, Tom Hardy - The Revenant, Jason Mitchell - Straight Outta Compton

Best Supporting Actress: Alicia Vikander - Ex-Machina, Jenifer Jason Leigh - The Hateful Eight, Cate Blanchett - Cinderella, Rachael McAdams - Spotlight, Elizabeth Banks - Love and Mercy

Best Breakout Performance: Alicia Vikander - Ex-Machina, Daisy Ridley - Star Wars:The Force Awakens, Shameik Moore - Dope, Taron Egerton - Kingsmen, Lilly James - Cinderella

Best Director: George Miller - Mad Max:Fury Road, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu - The Revenant, Ryan Coogler - Creed, Pete Doctor - Inside Out, Tom McCarthy - Spotlight

Best Original Screenplay: Inside Out, Spotlight, Sicario, Ex-Machina, Straight Outta Compton

Best Adapted Screenplay: The Revenant, Creed, Steve Jobs, The Big Short, Brooklyn

Most Underrated Films: Dope, Steve Jobs, Unfriended, McFarland USA, Mississippi Grind, The Gift

Most Overrated Films: The Big Short, Trumbo, The Good Dinosaur, Legend, Tomorrowland, Chappie, The Danish Girl

Biggest Surprise: Parallels, Creep, The Intern, Danny Collins

Biggest Disappointment: Avengers:Age of Ultron, Chappie

Best Sequel: Creed

Best Laughs: Trainwreck, Sleeping with Other People, Let's Kill Ward's Wife, Spy 

Best Scares: It Follows, Cartel Land, Insidious Chapter 3,  

Bottom Five of the Year (from bad to worse): Sinister 2, Hot Pursuit, The Gallows, Paranormal Activity:The Ghost Dimension, Mortedecai 

Check out my Top Ten Worst Films of 2015

Honorable Mentions: Kingsmen, Southpaw, McFarland USA, Jurassic World, Beast of No Nation, 

It Follows (David Robert Mitchell)

Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck (Brett Morgen)

Sleeping with Other People (Leslye Headland)

Trainwreck (Judd Apatow)

 Star Wars: The Force Awakens (J.J. Abrams)

10.

The Hateful Eight 

(Quentin Tarantino)

It seems like every time Tarantino makes a film, its always on peoples Top Ten list.  This year is no different.  The Hateful Eight can easily be compared to the movie Clue.  Its a western 'who done it' movie, with a ton of character!  This movie follows a bounty hunter (Kurt Russel) and his prisoner (Jenifer Jason Leigh) as they journey through the Wyoming winter.  They come across a few crazy characters along the way (Samuel L. Jackosn and Walton Goggins) and they all must hold up in a cabin due to a blizzard.  Their they meet a few more characters (Dern, Madsen, Roth, Bichir) that make the story even more interesting.  The characters are so rich in backstory, it makes it really enjoyable to see them interact with one another.  The second half might be even better than the first.  The 'who done it' part is really well written and paced.  It might not be Tarantino's best work (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, Reservoir Dogs) but its definitely deserving of a spot on this list.  You should check this out if your a fan of a good Tarantino flick, heck they are all good.

9.

Brooklyn

(John Crowley)

Brooklyn, to me, is a beautiful movie about growth and independence.  Saoirse Ronan plays Eilis, a young lady who leaves her small Irish town for Brooklyn, New York.  Now, Eilis isn't necessarily brave and adventurous, she is shy and cautious.  She is on the cusp of womanhood and she has to take those finally steps on her own.  She has to learn how to overcome her shyness by making new friends at the department store she works at as well as the boarding house she resides.  She falls in love with a local man and begins planning her life with him.  But after a tragic incident in her hometown, she must journey back, and figure out what her heart is telling her is right.  It's a beautiful movie of how we must grow into adulthood and to follow our heart.  Saoirse Ronan gives us one of the best performance of the year!

8.

Straight Outta Compton

(F. Gary Gray)

This movie was my most anticipated movie of the summer!  This film shows us the rise of N.W.A., the world's most dangerous group.  Jason Mitchell (Easy E), O'Shea Jackson Jr (Ice Cube), and Corey Hawkins (Dr. Dre) are amazing in their roles.  I enjoyed the journey that this movie took us on.  This movie came out at the right time, considering all the negative press about police brutality recently.  I enjoyed singing along with the songs in the theater (along with everyone else) and seeing how this group along with other rappers came up in the business.  This movie would make an awesome HBO series as well.

7.

Spotlight

(Tom McCarthy)

This the true story about how the Boston Globe uncovered the child molestation cover up with in the Catholic church.  Another perfect timing movie.  As I was watching this, I was blown away with the amazing performances and how well this film was put together.  Even though I enjoyed this movie a lot, I still had a hard time watching this knowing what the final outcome will be.  I have a daughter myself and I want to protect her from anything like this from ever happening to her.  It's hard believing that an organization, like the Catholic church, would do something like this to kids.  Truly breaks my heart.  I'm glad McCarthy and Singer penned this script and made this movie so the world knows about these things.  Going to be one to look out for come award season!

6.

Mad Max: Fury Road

(George Miller)

In the time of big CGI movies (Avengers:Age of Ultron, Jurassic World), its good to see a movie that uses practical effects.  It is so good to be back in this world and it feels like we never left.  Tom Hardy steps into the shoes of Max, taking them from Mel Gibson.  Even though this is a Mad Max film, his limelight is stolen from him by one of my favorite character this year.  Charlize Theron plays Imperator Furiose, a kick ass female movie character on par to the likes of Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) from the Alien franchise.  This was a non stop thrill ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat.  

5.

Inside Out

(Pete Doctor)

This movie is such a unique experience that is super enjoyable for the whole family.  Pixar is finally back with a fresh new idea and it pays off.  It's a movie about the emotions in our head.  It follows little girl, Riley, as she moves with her family to San Francisco.  Now as a person who moved around a lot as a kid, made this movie hit home even more.  Having a daughter made it hit even harder.  I actually teared up 3 times in this movie and I'm glad I did.  It's such a sweet movie about our feelings.  This is a good movie for the kids and adults.  

4.

Ex Machina

(Alex Garland)

The movie that made, Alicia Vikander, a star!  It follows a young programmer (Domhnall Gleeson) as he is selected to particapte in an experiment in A.I. by evaluating the human qualities of a female A.I. (Vikander).  The creator (Oscar Isaac) of the A.I. Nathan, and Caleb (Gleeson) build a strange relationship as they work on their project.  What's even stranger is the relationship between Caleb and Ava (Vikander), which is some of the best parts of the movie.  What movie that makes you think, and will leave you with even more questions after it is over.  Definitely a god conversation starter.

3.

Sicario

(Denis Villeneuve)

I am sensing a trend,  A third perfect timing movie.  This movie follows FBI agent (Emily Blunt) who in enlisted by a government task force to aid against the war on drugs.  This is such a hard movie to watch.  The way it is shot, makes you want to take a hot shower right after it.  The performance of Blunt, Del Toro, and Brolin are amazing and it is such a same that they are not getting recognized for any awards.  If you watch the documentary 'Cartel Land', it will make this movie even better.  

2.

Creed

(Ryan Coogler) 

 The last time Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler made a film (Fruitvale Station) it was amazing and made my top ten too.  The amazing thing about this is that Ryan Coogler actually wrote this a pitched it to Sylvestor Stallone.  Stallone liked it and the rest is history.  It follows Adonis Creed (Jordan) as he struggles to make an name for himself in the boxing world.  He turns to his late fathers best friend, Rocky Balboa.  Stallone gives one of the best performances of his carer, Oscar worthy.  I enjoyed the chemistry between Stallone and Jordan.  Jordan has continued to show us how he is one of the best young actors out there today.  The cinematography is one of the most underrated parts of this film too.  

1.

The Revenant

(Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu)

The Revenant, is my favorite movie of the year and hears why! 1) Leonardo DiCaprio is amazing as Hugh Glass.  Granted, he is one of my favorite actors working today.  My favorite film he is in is 'The Departed' though I feel that this role is even better.  I totally feel like he should finally receive the Oscar he has been chasing for such a long time.  2) Inarritu has shown us the last two years, how to direct a movie.  His long, beautiful, and gripping shots are truly breathe taking.  He builds the tension, that leaves you on the edge of your seat.  3) The score played perfectly with the way the movie was paced.  I love John Williams (Star Wars) but Ryuichi Sakamoto and Alva Noto, totally put an amazing score together that shines in the film. 4) Tom Hardy, is amazing and totally being overlooked during award season.  I really like Hardy as an actor and usually enjoy ever role he is in.  But man, I hate this guy in this film.  5) Now I didn't watch a single trailer for this film, so I went end completely unaware of what I was going to witnessed.  So glad I did.  6). Last thing, is that out of every movie this year, this was the one movie that is head and shoulders above the rest.  I realy enjoyed every shot and I can't wait to see this again!  The tense moments between characters and the the tense moments between Leo and the environment make for one amazing cinematic experience.  I can't say enough good thing about this movie!  This movie is not for the faint of heart and won't be liked by everyone, but for this guys it's my favorite film of the year!

Well that's my list an awards!  What do you think about them?  What is your Top Ten?

Thank you again!

Heres to an even better 2016 at the movies!

Adam 

2016 Oscar Predictions: Final (Major Categories)

We are getting close to the announcement of the Academy Award nominations! The race has changed a lot throughout the year, even throughout the past month. No one had really seen Star Wars, but now that everyone has, it is popping up on top 10 lists and even got a write-in nomination from the Critics Choice Awards after getting snubbed in every conceivable category from every awards circuit. It is shattering records and will have something to say about how the Oscars go. This year is filled it average movies with incredible performances and technical aspects, but far too few combine them into actual noteworthy masterworks. My predictions for the major categories are below, and be sure to check out the rest of the categories HERE.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

The Predicted Five

1. The Big Short – Charles Randolph, Adam McKay – It has the timely subject matter and the dynamite cast speaking the words. If this movie is going to get recognized somewhere, it is this category.

2. Steve Jobs – Aaron Sorkin – Under ordinary circumstances, this would be the clear favorite. It was actually one of the biggest flops of the year, but Sorkin’s name alone should warrant a nomination and maybe still get the win.

3. Room – Emma Donoghue – The screenplay is not all that great, but the movie is a massive indie hit. There hasn’t been a solo female winner in this category since 1995.

4. The Martian – Drew Goddard – Goddard isn’t exactly the most polished screenwriter, but this movie has all of the political notes in order to be remembered, and it was a surprise box office smash. I’d be shocked if this isn’t one of the nominated five.

5. Carol – Phyllis Nagy – The movie has underwhelmed in the previous awards circuits, but this nomination seems fairly secure. If Haynes had his name attached to the script, then it would be guaranteed.

Others in contention

6. Brooklyn – Nick Hornby – Hornby is a popular writer, but the movie hasn’t exactly shown up outside of Ronan’s performance so far this season. Maybe a BAFTA nom could put him back in the running.

7. Anomalisa – Charles Kaufman – There has been nothing but good words spoken about the film, but not enough people have seen it yet. Kaufman is always in contention when he decides to let us in on one of his crazy head trips.

8. Trumbo – John McNamara – The screenplay is sketchy, but the movie is about Hollywood, which is almost always good enough. We will have to see how much the Academy takes to it.

9. The Revenant – Alejandro G. Inarritu, Mark L. Smith – It doesn’t seem like much of a screenplay achievement, but that is not always the most important thing in these situations. It needs a nom here to have a chance at taking Best Picture.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

The Predicted Five

1. Spotlight – Thomas McCarthy, Josh Singer – This is the obvious frontrunner and winner in the category. The movie doesn’t exist without this outstanding script.

2. The Hateful Eight – Quentin Tarantino – Tarantino is going to be a nominee whenever he makes a movie. It is one of his more obvious screenplay achievements with how talky it is, but I just can’t see him beating out Spotlight.

3. Inside Out – Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley – When great Pixar movies are created, and this is absolutely one of the best, then it gets the screenplay nod.

4. Bridge of Spies – Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, Matt Sharman – The Coens are seemingly yearly nominees, but with how Inside Llewyn Davis was snubbed, it makes one wonder if they have had enough of the filmmaking duo. Plus, they didn’t direct, which is normally a bad sign. I am still thinking they get in, but it is not as easy as we once thought.

5. Sicario – Taylor Sheridan – This would be a surprise nomination, but sometimes the best screenplay of the year (Margin Call, The Messenger, etc) that has almost no awards love still gets in at the last minute.

Others in contention

6. Ex Machina – Alex Garland – The screenplay and movie are marvelous, but a nomination in this category is going to be difficult. Sci-fi is not always well received by the older voters.

7. Son of Saul – Laszlo Nemes, Clara Royer – There is usually room for a foreign film in this category. Son of Saul is clearly the foreign film of the year, but its lack of US distribution so far might hurt its chances at being a player for the awards outside of the Foreign Language Film category.

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

The Predicted Five

1. Rooney Mara – Carol – She and Vikander have some of the most extreme category fraud in recent memory. I don’t think both will be properly be placed in lead. Mara gets the supporting nod/win.

2. Jennifer Jason Leigh – The Hateful Eight – She has been snubbed throughout her underrated career, but playing in the Tarantino flick might finally be her ticket.

3. Kate Winslet – Steve Jobs – She is the classic also-ran. There is no chance this performance wins or even deserves to be in contention, but there is no chance she gets snubbed, either.

4. Helen Mirren – Trumbo – Mirren is one of those actresses that always gets in when she is in a popular movie. I am not 100% on this one since it is the same performance as she gave in Hitchcock, which she was snubbed for, but the Academy just loves her and these Old Hollywood movies.

5. Jane Fonda – Youth – Fonda hasn’t been invited since 1987. It is about time she gets her name back in the fold.

Others in contention

6. Alicia Vikander – The Danish Girl – I have Vikander getting the lead nom, or else she would be placed #2 in this one.

7. Alicia Vikander – Ex Machina – She has the best chance of anyone to get a double nod after getting exactly that at the Globes. How much will the Academy take to this oddball sci-fi movie?

8. Rachel McAdams – Spotlight – McAdams is arguably the actress of the year, and this part is her best chance yet to get an Oscar nod. She will need to beat out one of the old veterans.

9. Joan Allen – Room – This is somewhat of a forgotten performance, but she has always been well-liked and these types of roles (Laura Dern last year, for instance) get nominated every now and again.

Annual Tommy Lee Jones – In the Valley of Elah Shocker Nomination – Julie Walters - Brooklyn

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

The Predicted Five

1. Idris Elba – Beasts of No Nation – This seems to be the only slam dunk nomination for the Netflix original movie. Elba has been in and around the race for a few years now, and this is finally his ticket.

2. Christian Bale – The Big Short – Bale has been getting some category confusion, but he will settle into this category and get an easy nomination here.

3. Mark Rylance – Bridge of Spies – Rylance doesn’t feel like a winner, but his nomination is about as secure as any actor in any category.

4. Michael Keaton – Spotlight – Keaton has gotten the shaft from almost everyone so far, except he did take a Best Actor award at one point. Maybe the category confusion is hurting him, but this is just one of those types of roles that will wind up getting in despite everyone finally writing him off and giving up on him.

5. Michael Shannon – 99 Homes – Shannon is one of our best actors, and this performance was on my shortlists last year even. It’s good to know that my instincts still are solid sometimes.

Others in contention

6. Sylvester Stallone – Creed – Stallone should absolutely be one of the five, but he has to campaign for it. It would be a nice bookend for his career as Rocky. The movie is unfairly getting overlooked, though.

7. Mark Ruffalo – Spotlight – Ruffalo is one of the most well-liked actors around, and his performance is certainly the most difficult and scene-stealing in the movie. He just got a nom last year, so maybe he has to wait for another.

8. Jacob Tremblay – Room – This is as much category fraud as has ever existed. They never put male actors this young in the lead categories. The SAG nom is promising, but I think he loses out to the bigger names and personalities.

9. Tom Hardy – The Revenant – He hasn’t had such a good run so far this season, but once audiences see The Revenant and fall for it, I think he has a good chance at stealing a last-minute nomination.

10. Paul Dano – Love & Mercy – Dano’s performance has been heralded by a host of awards circuits as lead and supporting. Is this a broken record? Category fraud is rampant this year. He just feels way too similar to Daniel Bruhl in Rush, who got the important supporting noms, but got snubbed because of the category fraud and other more veteran actors.

Annual Tommy Lee Jones – In the Valley of Elah Shocker Nomination – Oscar Isaac - Ex Machina

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

The Predicted Five

1. Brie Larson – Room – Larson is probably the frontrunner? I really don’t know. This category is as stacked as it ever has been. Her performance is raw and deep, but for some reason those types don’t normally take awards. The movie is popular enough for her to remain in the top spot for now.

2. Cate Blanchett – Carol – This seems like a fairly obvious nomination. Blanchett…another movie, another nomination. Unless Mara gets the lead nod and splits votes, she is getting in for sure.

3. Saoirse Ronan – Brooklyn – This is the best performance in contention, but she hasn’t really been stacking up awards like she should be. If she takes the Globe and gets the rightful Best Picture nod at BAFTA, then she could gain frontrunner status.

4. Alicia Vikander – The Danish Girl – Vikander will probably go lead for this movie to open up the door for the double nom. This is either the classic Felicity Jones also-ran nom, or she is Reese Witherspoon in 2005. I haven’t decided yet. The movie sucks, though, so she probably can’t win.

5. Jennifer Lawrence – Joy – The movie has been snubbed all over the place because it supposedly isn’t all that good. Lawrence can withstand a bad movie and still get a nom, though. Just watch.

Others in contention

6. Charlotte Rampling – 45 Years – Rampling is an intriguing addition to this race because she is so rarely a player in American cinema, despite acting for about 50 years. She has shown up at the right moments so far, she just needs enough eyeballs on her movie.

7. Rooney Mara – Carol – Mara is right there trying to get into this category. I don’t even know how these rules work anymore for situations like this. The category you receive more votes in is the category you get nominated for? I hope it doesn’t end up being like Leo in 2006 and gets snubbed for the best performance of the year.

8. Helen Mirren – Woman in Gold – The SAG nom puts her in contention here. I can’t see it happening, but weirder things have happened. Oh who am I kidding…she will probably score a double nom.

9. Charlize Theron – Mad Max: Fury Road – This would be one of the more bizarre nominations ever, but I would dig it. She has the support from a few key spots already.

10. Sarah Silverman – I Smile Back – Sarah Silverman Oscar nominee is just too weird, despite her SAG nom. But then again, Oscar-nominee Kristen Wiig, two-time nominee Jonah Hill, Oscar-winner Common, Trent Reznor, Juicy J, etc. sound weird too. I am rooting for her, but this seems like Jennifer Aniston in Cake. She will come up just short because not enough people sought out her movie or take her seriously quite enough.

Annual Tommy Lee Jones – In the Valley of Elah Shocker Nomination – Cate Blanchett - Truth

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

The Predicted Five

1. Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant – Leo has been notoriously snubbed by the Academy throughout his career. He has worked with every major director that the Academy loves, but it appears that Inarritu is finally his ticket to Oscar gold. If he loses, I will riot.

2. Michael Fassbender – Steve Jobs – This seems like a shoo-in nomination for one of our best actors. He nailed everything about Jobs, which is really not an easy task. Plus, he speaks Sorkin’s words as well as anyone.

3. Johnny Depp – Black Mass – Depp is rarely overlooked when he tries. This is one of his best performances ever, and the physical transformation puts him solidly in the final five.

4. Eddie Redmayne – The Danish Girl – Speaking of physical transformations…two years in a row Redmayne gives the best physical performance of the year. If he gets snubbed, I will be shocked.

5. Bryan Cranston – Trumbo – This would be a bit of an upset, but I think Cranston has enough goodwill that he snags the last spot over two megastars. His performance is funny and dramatic, and movies about movies are always the Academy’s thing.

Others in contention

6. Will Smith – Concussion – Smith normally would get in when he makes a movie like this, but this category is really full, despite none of them really being as transcendent as many years past.

7. Matt Damon – The Martian – Damon deserves a nom as much as anyone who has given a solo performance (Tom Hanks in Cast Away, for example), but he just isn’t as popular with the Academy as he should be. This just feels all too similar to how his work in The Informant! was treated.

8. Paul Dano – Love & Mercy – I almost feel like Dano has a better shot at getting the lead nom over the supporting one. It would absolutely help his cause to choose one and do it quickly. It would be so cool for Dano to finally get in and not have it be for something where he was begging for it like There Will Be Blood.

9. Michael Keaton – Spotlight – If Keaton isn’t announced with the supporting actors, I can already almost picture his name coming up here. It would be a shocker, but I wouldn’t count him out.

Annual Tommy Lee Jones – In the Valley of Elah Shocker Nomination – Mark Ruffalo – Infinitely Polar Bear

BEST DIRECTOR

The Predicted Five

1. George Miller – Mad Max: Fury Road – Miller has this thing seemingly wrapped up, but especially in the past half dozen years, the obvious directing winners have been losing to the Best Picture directors.

2. Thomas McCarthy – Spotlight – His direction is not going to win anyone over by itself, but being the director of the frontrunner gives him a great chance. A DGA win would all but end this race.

3. Ridley Scott – The Martian – He seems to be in for another nom and another loss.

4. Alejandro G. Inarritu – The Revenant – Inarritu has become as much of a favorite with the Academy as any director, American or not. This seems like an obvious nomination, just a year after his victory in the category.

5. Lenny Abrahamson – Room – This would be an interesting one, but I just feel like Room is so similar to Beasts of the Southern Wild that this nomination is almost expected at this point.

Others in contention

6. Todd Haynes – Carol – Haynes getting snubbed would be a shame, but he has yet to be mentioned in this category for even more flashy movies.

7. Steven Spielberg – Bridge of Spies – Spielberg is always a threat, but his movie just hasn’t hit as hard as his past few.

8. Adam McKay – The Big Short – His movie is one of the ones to beat for Best Picture, but there is no chance McKay gets a Best Director nom, right?

9. Cary Fukunaga – Beasts of No Nation – If the Academy is ok with the instant streaming movie thing, then Fukunaga could make a run at that fifth spot. He deserves it for his work on such a difficult movie.

10. Laszlo Nemes – Son of Saul – Foreign directors have been popular choices in this category over the years. The lack of distribution might be his downfall, but I wouldn’t necessarily count him out just yet.

11. John Crowley – Brooklyn – Crowley is a talented director, and with some BAFTA love, he could get the British vote quite easily.

BEST PICTURE

The Predicted Ten (I predict 7 will get nominated)

1. Spotlight (Thomas McCarthy) – It is the frontrunner at this point, but the ACE Eddie snub is troubling. Driving Miss Daisy is the last to win Best Picture without an ACE nom.

2. The Martian (Ridley Scott) – Its status is faltering a bit, but enough people saw it and loved it that it still warrants the #2 spot.

3. The Big Short (Adam McKay) – It is a movie of our times, and while its Best Picture nomination is secure, its chances of winning are almost zero.

4. The Revenant (Alejandro G. Inarritu) – I can’t really see this movie getting left off, unless they really want to spread the wealth after Inarritu swept a year ago.

5. Carol (Todd Haynes) – This would be Haynes’s first mention in this category, something that is almost ridiculous to say when he has Far from Heaven on his filmography.

6. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (JJ Abrams) – The box office and word of mouth are ridiculous, and if it gets snubbed from this category, there will be serious backlash.

7. Room (Lenny Abrahamson) – The movie doesn’t stand much of a chance at winning, but its nomination is becoming more of a sure thing. It is the indie hit also-ran in the category that is becoming a yearly thing.

8. Mad Max: Fury Road (George Miller) – I don’t know if there are enough industry members who would vote this with #1 as much as critics, but it is knocking at the door of that elusive action movie Best Picture nom.

9. Inside Out (Pete Docter) – If you told me six months ago that Inside Out would be on the outside looking in, I would have called you crazy. There seems to be a bit of hesitation with Pixar with The Good Dinosaur flopping.

10. Bridge of Spies (Steven Spielberg) – Spileberg even got nominated in this category for War Horse, but I just can’t see the first place votes for this one.

Others in contention

11. Straight Outta Compton (F. Gary Gray) – Its box office was huge, but the way the precursors have gone, this would be its only nomination. That hasn’t happened since the 1930s.

12. Brooklyn (John Crowley) – It needs BAFTA domination to get into realistic consideration.

13. Trumbo (Jay Roach) – I still think this stands a decent chance at winning some awards if it gets in this category. It might have been too small and too slight to do so, but the Academy loves movies that are easy to take in.

14. Steve Jobs (Danny Boyle) – It isn’t completely dead yet. They actors and filmmakers are too good to count out, but its steam has certainly dissipated.

15. Son of Saul (Laszlo Nemes) – It would be a major surprise at this point, but the word of mouth is so outstanding that it could take ones of those open spots. 5% of first place votes is quite a bit for a foreign film, though, and it isn’t exactly a name like Michael Haneke directing…Nemes is actually a first-time director.

16. Beasts of No Nation (Cary Fukunaga) – The Academy really needs to accept that it is a Netflix original and instant streaming movie. All of the other awards circuits have taken to the format for TV and such, but if they can get over themselves, then this can still be a threat.

ARTISTIC AND TECHNICAL CATEGORIES

That’s a wrap for the major categories! Check out the rest of the categories for your Oscar pool with the link above. And as always, stay tuned for our 8^th Annual Oscar Challenge once the nominations are announced!