New Predictions

As is my tradition around this time of year, I have updated my predictions not only with new information, but also ranking the chances of nominations in all the categories. I have chosen to add these "chances" in this first post-Guild nominations predictions list. SAG, being the first ouf of the gate, usually sets a few things in motion such as the beginning of the end of Revolutionary Road's chances at Best Picture. Most of my thoughts on the race are posted in the forums, so head their to check it out.

But, just click on the Predictions box to the right and go take a look at my latest thoughts on who's going to triumph at this point in the competition.

-Wesley Lovell (December 18, 2008)

Several Updates

Along with today's DVD Report, I've updated the front page of the site to make it easier to click directly to the newest Precursors. In addition to being able to click directly to each above, you can get to the full list from the "81st Precursors" tab at the right. Additionally, you can now go directly to my latest predictions by clicking on the "81st Predictions" link at the right.

I updated my latest predictions on Sunday and the precursors seem to be coming in daily. So, check back often and find out what you've missed or see a concise rundown of all the precursors in an easy-to-read format. And new to this year, I'm adding a link at the right for the Precursor Tallies which is an even more concise glimpse at all the precursor winners sectioned out by category and organized by the most honored.

Another new feature, at least altered from last year, is the "81st Ceremony" link to the right. I used it last year to update the newest presenters announced for the awards, but I'll also use it to update any information associated with the ceremony itself that I receive, including the most recent announcement that Hugh Jackman will be posting the event.

If you have any suggestions for the site, please feel free to e-mail them to me using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of every page. Find an error, go to that page and report the error from that page. It all helps us keep things fresh.

-Wesley Lovell (December 16, 2008)

A Slew of Updates

Because of the massive number of new updates today, I thought I'd give you a brief heads up so you know hat's going on.

We start with our normal round of updates, including Peter Patrick's DVD review on the films of 1968. We also add in new box office information and an updated release schedule.

But, there are several other things of note. Now that I've had a chance to see a few of the higher profile contenders this year (Australia, Frost/Nixon, Slumdog Millionaire), I have a better idea of how these films will likely perform with the Academy. I still have several more to see, so we'll see how it goes as the days go by. For now, check out the updates to the Hopefuls page on the 81st Oscars page to the right.

In addition, to make it easier on you to follow the latest happenings in the precursor derby (the Spirit Awards announce nominations today), above this post is a precis on what's going on. The "This Jus In" section details the latest precursors that have been updated on my Precursors page, which you can get to, as the note says, through the 81st Oscars link to the right. The "Upcoming Events" section used to list which precursors were upcoming, but with my new Calendar page set up, I've just given a link to it instead so you can more easily see what's going on in the future. I update the calendar daily to highlight the current day so you can always see what's coming out.

Of course, when I find out the precursors, I will post them on my Forums/Discussion area, the UAADB (Unofficial Academy Awards Discussion Board). Then, once they are updated here, the forum entry will be updated with the link to the specific part of the page the precursor information is listed on.

This is going to be a busy season, but the Oscars will always come first. So, always keep a look out for new information and I'll get it posted just as soon as possible. And, as always, the forums are a great place to find out the latest information.

-Wesley Lovell (December 2, 2008)

And Oscar Season Begins...

It's hard to believe another year has come and gone. And it's even more difficult to fathom how the first precursor comes out this Sunday. At least, the first to present nominations. The Satellite Award nominations will be announced on Sunday, November 30, kicking off the official Oscar season. And after that, the dominoes start tumbling quickly as three groups should be announcing after the Satellites and another 11 are expected to be announced by the end of the next week. That's 15 groups to potentially reveal their nominations and/or winners by Saturday, December 13.

Then, before the Oscar ballots are mailed for the 81st Oscar nominations on December 26, a total of 26 different organizations kick off Oscar season as few others can. While the Satellites, this year, have gotten the drop on the Independent Spirit Awards (as may the Annie Awards), the National Board of Review is still the official first critics organization to reveal its winners. It will handle that task on December 4.

I will work hard to post the results as I hear them, but sometimes I don't always get them up on this page fast enough. So, always keep a look out on the UAADB for the first announcements and then check back here for further revelations and announcements, plus updates on the 81st Oscars page with the precursors as they come in.

Also, if you'd like to see what the calendar for the 81st Oscar precursor season should look like, check out the 81st Oscars section or click on the link below for the calendar. The fun is about to begin! Join us here for the latest news and information.

-Wesley Lovell (November 28, 2008)

Documentary Feature Finalists Announced

The Academy announced today the 15 finalists for the Documentary Feature award at this year's Oscars. Several of the titles are unfamiliar to me, so I'm not able to offer up immediate insight. So, I'll list them here for now and then once I've had a chance to research each title, I will add them into my Hopefuls page updating my predictions accordingly. As I am also working on a new update for my Hopefuls in general, these changes will likely go live at the same time.

  • At the Death House Door
  • The Betrayal
  • Blessed Is the Match
  • Encounters at the End of the World
  • Fuel
  • The Garden
  • Glass: A Portrait of Phillip in Twelve Parts
  • I.O.U.S.A.
  • In a Dream
  • Made in America
  • Man on Wire
  • Pray the Devil Back to Hell
  • Standard Operating Procedure
  • They Killed Sister Dorothy
  • Trouble the Water

-Wesley Lovell (November 17, 2008)

Animated Film Finalists Announced

Today is a big update date. The only sections not getting some fresh material are the Reviews and Previews pages.

The biggest news is the Academy's announcement of the thirteen finalists for the Animated Feature Film award. There are several that are easy to knock out, but some that fall into the Jimmy Neutron/Shark Tale surprise area. We'll see how things go, but my Hopefuls page has been updated with all the finalists and my predictions.

-Wesley Lovell (November 11, 2008)

It's Election Day

It's been four years since our last presidential election and this promises to be a historic one.

If you are an American citizen and are registered to vote, then it is your right to vote in elections. If you don't vote, then those who did won't care to listen to you complain about the results. This is your chance to give the country the direction you want to see, so get out and vote.

I will not be actively posting results as this is a film website, not a political one. However, I and our very politically savvy message board posters will be at it all night in the UAADB discussion board, so feel free to join us in the festivities.

Happy Election!

-Wesley Lovell (November 4, 2008)

Foreign Language Film Finalists

We have a whole slew of updates this week, largely based around the Friday-released finalist list from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the Foreign Language Film cateogyr.

With the list, comes an update to my Hopefuls page. I had already begun working on several updates Friday before the Academy's list came out, so I've incorporated it all into my update.

And I'm going to keep it brief, but also check into the new Previews for this week.

-Wesley Lovell (October 19, 2008)

Documentary Short Subject Finalists

Pushing their first release date of the finalists for the Documentary Short Subject ever earlier, the Academy preceeds its release by three days announcing the eight finalists for the Academy Award nominations.

There are some far more intriguing subjects this go around, so should make for some interesting choices, but the civil rights drama Witness from the Balcony of Room 306 seems like a strong contender, but it needs to look out for past Oscar winners Ruby Yang and Steven Okazaki who've both won this very category in the past. Also not to be discounted is the Tom Hanks/Gary Goetzman-produced documentary about famed historical novelist David McCollough. There are plenty of other potential nominees, making this a very intriguing and competitive cateogry.

All 8 finalists are now listed on my Hopefuls page. Check them out as well as my predictions.

The next announcement from the Academy should come around the 15th of this month revealing the films submitted for the Foreign Language film award. It won't be a final list, but at least it will give us enough to fill in the blanks for this year's race. After that, it will be early-to-mid November before we hear more from the Academy...at least based on last year's release schedule.

-Wesley Lovell (October 8, 2008)

R.I.P. Paul Newman (1925-2008)

Seldom do I post an update on the death of any known entity. However, this weekend, we lost one of the last true Hollywood Legends alive today. Paul Newman was one of those actors whose personality far outshined his movies. He was a name that millions of people around the world recognized and not just because of his movies, but as a successful entrepreneur, racecar fan and philanthropist.

In honor of his passing, I have posted a new update to my hopefuls page. While the connection between a new hopefuls list and Paul Newman is admittedly tenuous, Newman's legacy includes ten Oscar nominations, an Oscar for Best Actor in The Color of Money, an Honorary Oscar and a Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, making him one of the most recognized actors in Academy history. So, to honor his passing, I give you an update to this year's Oscar race.

-Wesley Lovell (September 28, 2008)

My Latest Hopefuls and an Announcement About This Weekend's Updates

First, let me get the bad news out of the way: I will be out of town this weekend, so the update I would normally run on Sunday will be postponed for one week. Tuesday's update should be done in time.

As for the other big announcement, I have compiled a new list of Hopefuls for this year's Academy Awards. Surprisingly, there are a number of changes to go around this time, so enjoy taking a look at them. You can use the list of links at the right to navigate to the 81st Oscars page and the only link presently available is to my hopefuls list.

Enjoy.

-Wesley Lovell (September 12, 2008)

The 81st Oscars Section Is Up

Normally, my first predictions list goes up in May. This has been a crazy year and I am running two months behind. However, I am proud to announce my first Hopefuls predictions for 2008 are now up. You can click on the 81st Oscars tab at the right to get there.

Now, let me qualify that these are very early predictions, which means about 80-90% of the will change before January...probably around early December there will be a completely different list. This is based on previews I've seen and information I've read. These are in no way meant to be my final predictions.

Having said that, there are a number of bold predictions that sometimes rely on the Academy not mucking about with rules or just ruling films ineligible. The most glaring of these is my prediction of a nomination and win by the Australian film Australia in Foreign Language Film. Since the official language of Australia is English, it's very unlikely this film will make the final list, but after relaxed rules regarding submissions and eligibility, just give it to the Academy to make such a weird choice. However, Foreign Language Film and Documentary Feature categories are always hard to predict so early as most countries haven't even begun selecting their submissions so far. So, those two categories are purely suppositional based on available information and feelings about those films about which I have information.

The one pretty solid prediction I have in this race is John Malkovich for Supporting Actor. Clint Eastwood's three English-language Best Picture-nomianted films (Unforgiven, Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby) have resulted in Hollywood veterans earning Oscars for their supporting work: Gene Hackman, Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman respectively. Malkovich has been floating around nomination and award rumors for years, but this could finally be his shot at winning that much-believed long-deserved Oscar.

I have a lot more to say, but not enough time to say it. For now, enjoy the meager offerings I make.

-Wesley Lovell (July 18, 2008)

Happy Anniversary

One year ago this week, our very own Peter Patrick began writing a column on new DVD releases. Largely based in and around Oscar winners, the column has slowly evolved to what you read today. My special thanks go to Peter for all his hard work and consistent dedication to helping me improve this site for readers. Feel free to visit the DVD page and go back and take a look at all Peter has written for us.

Congratulations on One Year at oscarguy.com!

-Wesley Lovell (May 6, 2008)

Key Dates Announced for 81st Academy Awards

I know I've been a long time in updating, but there hasn't been a lot going on. When I get some other things in order, I will try to make an effort to post like a blog, but time is a bit confined presently. Today's announcement comes directly from the Academy. They have announced the dates for this year's Academy Awards.

  • Mon. Dec. 1, 2008: Official Screen Credits
  • Fri. Dec. 26, 2008: Nominations ballots mailed
  • Mon. Jan. 12, 2009: Nominations polls close 5 p.m. PST
  • Thu. Jan. 22, 2009: Nominations announced 5:30 a.m. PST, Samuel Goldwyn Theater
  • Wed. Jan. 28, 2009: Final ballots mailed
  • Mon. Feb. 2, 2009: Nominees Luncheon
  • Sat. Feb. 7, 2009: Scientific and Technical Achievement Awards presentation
  • Tue. Feb. 17, 2009: Final polls close 5 p.m. PST
  • Sun. Feb. 22, 2009: 81st Annual Academy Awards presentation

-Wesley Lovell (April 15, 2008)

Acceptance Speeches

Thanks to the Academy providing transcripts of all on-stage and backstage acceptance speeches, I have compiled all of these and placed them in a new section on the 80th Oscars page. If they continue doing this, you will now have a brand new feature of this site to look forward to every year.

And here's what I'm currently working on. Besides trying to get a handle on this year's new films and what could be hot, I'm also working on a system to rank Oscar winners according to the various factors we often attribute to potential Oscar nominees and winners. This will take some time as I have to compare past years' performance and so forth, but when it's done, it may shine a light on the more statistical aspects of the Oscars. In addition, I'm also trying to finalize my section on Oscar nominees individually so that we can have a new set of statistics (this will also allow me to fill those statistics sections I've had up for some time).

-Wesley Lovell (February 29, 2008)

Post-Oscar Wrap Up

It's been three days since the 80th Academy Awards were presented at the Kodak Theater at Hollywood and Highland. My post-Oscar analysis is now posted under the 80th Oscars link to the right. The article goes over the best and worst of the ceremony and the winners.

You may also notice that the links to the right have decreased in number. With most information about the 80th Oscars already posted, I thought it necessary to reduce the congestion of links and have only one for the 80th Oscars. Nothing but the 80th Oscar links were removed, so you'll still have the same access you always have.

I'm still working through ideas of how to keep the site fresh other than our traditional weekly updates and may be starting a weekly 81st Oscars forecast post looking at the latest releases, what their Oscar chances are and glimpsing ahed into Oscar's future. There are other ideas rolling around in my head, so I'll let you know as soon as I know something more. Until then, just enjoy the results of a long, yet short Oscar season and get caught up on all the 2007 films you haven't had a chance yet to see.

-Wesley Lovell (February 27, 2008)

The 80th Annual Academy Awards

The Awards have all been handed out and the 80th Ceremony is finished. There were very few surprises, a few nice moments and some poor choices, but all in all, everything went better than could be expected on a two week notice (with the Writers strike just ending about that long ago). For a full list of the winners, click the 80th Oscars link to the right. I will be working on my impressions of the ceremony and the awards this week and as soon as it's ready, I will be posting it here.

-Wesley Lovell (February 24, 2008)

Independent Spirit Awards, Sound Editors Guild and the 80th Annual Academy Awards

This is the magic day that everyone has been waiting breathlessly for. Ok, maybe not breathlessly since most of the races seem hopelessly locked, but we get excited simply because it is the one day of the year where the best in film (always debatable) is recognized. It's a medium all Oscar enthusiasts love. And our love gives us the unique opportunity once a year to complain and bicker over what the Academy did and did not do right.

Tonight, I will be updating the winners LIVE. Every time one is announced, the following link will be updated. You can just sit on the page if you like or you can join us in the Unofficial Academy Awards Discussion Board and chat about the winners as they are announced. It's always a fun thing to watch people complain or rejoice about the choices being made.

To help prime you a touch for tonight's ceremonies, the Independent Spirit Awards and Sound Editors Guild each announced winners yesterday. Those winners have been posted in the Precursors section to the right. In addition, the latest tributes are up in the Tributes section, our first update since the page went live at the beginning of the month.

So, stick around for the festivities of the 80th Annual Academy Awards tonight on ABC.

-Wesley Lovell (February 24, 2008)

The Final Article, Costume Designers Guild and Final Predictions

It's been a long season. It's also been a short one. The truncated awards year has made things sweep by quickly, but when I look at all the frustration and irritation some of the results have generated, it seems like a much longer time. However, in just 4 short days, everything will be over.

Today, I bring to a close my annual predictions article. Looking at the top six categories, you'll find several locks, a few potential surprises and a lot of hope for a shocking outcome. But, in the interest of being fair, my final article, found in the 80th Oscars section, goes into detail on each film and performance and the chances they have of triumphing on Oscar night.

I have also posted my final predictions (well, as final as they can be. I can't imagine making a change this late in the game). I'm not 100% confident on everything, but I'm 95% sure I have good, solid choices. The Costume Designers Guild has also announced its winners and those have been posted in the Precursors section and the Tallies in the 80th Oscars area have also been updated.

-Wesley Lovell (February 21, 2008)

Ceremony Information and The 80th Academy Awards: The Second-Tier Categories

Today, my second article arrives on the internet focusing on the non-Best Picture Best Film categories (Foreign Language Film, Animated Film and Documentary Feature) as well as the two music categories and the two writing categories. It continues my look into the race and what the most likely outcomes are and a bit of what it means.

I'll have the final article up tomorrow, so stay tuned. But if you're looking for a distraction in the meantime, you can check out the Ceremony page on the 80th Oscars page (which is, coincidentally, where the article above appears). It has all the scheduled presenters, details about the ceremony itself, the song performances and the nominations presentation. Good luck and keep those predictions going. We're not out of the woods yet.

-Wesley Lovell (February 20, 2008)

The 80th Academy Awards: The Technical Categories

The first in my three-article series looking at the year's Academy Awards is now up in the 80th Oscars section. I take a look at the eight tech categories that make up the backbone of any Oscar sweep. They are a lonesome bunch this year, like in recent years, with no juggernaut to attach themselves to. The article looks at each nominee in varying amounts of detail and covers my personal thoughts on how the year's closets contenders may fair on Oscar night.

The second article should be up tomorrow and, with luck, I'll have the final one posted Thursday, giving you a full weekday to digest my picks before placing your money down on most prediction pools.

-Wesley Lovell (February 19, 2008)

American Cinema Editors and Poll Closure

The American Cinema Editors weighs in on the Oscar race and says that The Bourne Ultimatum is the best edited drama of the year. The bestowed their Comedy/Musical prize on Sweeney Todd and their documentary trophy went to Sicko.

It's finally coming to a close. This Tuesday, the Costume Designers announce their winners, but it will be too late to influence the Academy's decision. Those decisions must be handed in on Tuesday as the Academy Awards Polls close for the 80th Awards.

-Wesley Lovell (February 18, 2008)

Upcoming Updates, Art Directors and Cinema Audio Society Announce Winners

The Art Directors Guild and the Cinema Audio Society have cemented the love for No Country for Old Men with awards from both groups. The ADG picked it for Contemporary Art Direction giving its Period award to There Will Be Blood and its Fantasy honor to The Golden Compass. This evening we should also have the results of the American Cinema Editors Awards.

With the sudden announcement of all presenters and performers last Thursday, I have not had a chance to update that page. I will get to it this week, but the more important update will be my traditional pre-Oscar article series covering an examination of each category and the possibilities for each. These will be posted Monday, Wednesday and Friday (should I get the Monday one done in time). Also, my final predictions will go up with the release of the final article in the series and will include my predictions for the odds of each film winning the award. We can all hope for a surprise, but I don't think we're going to get much of that this year.

-Wesley Lovell (February 17, 2008)

The British Academy Awards Announced

Yesterday, the British Academy of Film & Television Arts announced its awards for 2007. At the top of the list was Atonement which topped their nomination list, but came away with only two trophies. For a full list of winners and the addition to the tallies section, visit the Precursors and 80th Oscars page respectively.

-Wesley Lovell (February 11, 2008)

Writers Guild of America, Online Film & Television Association and the Annie Awards

The Writers Guild of America confirmed what we already knew last night: Juno as the frontrunner for Original Screenplay and No Country for Old Men as the frontrunner for virtually everything else. The only semi-surprise was the award for Documentary writing that went to Taxi to the Dark Side.

The 12th Annual Online Film & Television Association winners were revealed just this morning. There Will Be Blood topped the list, one of the few it has managed to win since the season began. The org hasn't been much of a Best Picture forecaster in the last few years (picking films like Children of Men and Brokeback Mountain, but several other categories look like solid predictions.

The Annie Awards went for a near clean-sweep by Oscar frontrunner Ratatouille, taking home 9 prizes, missing only one category in which it was nominated, which it lost to Surf's Up. The film also managed to capture wins for Short Subject and Video Games.

The winners can be found on the Precursors Page and to see where the new tallies for all films stand, check out the 80th Oscars Page.

-Wesley Lovell (February 10, 2008)

Producers Guild Winners, Vancouver Critics Nominations

The Producers Guild of America decided they wouldn't throw a wrench into this year's festivities and crowned No Country for Old Men Best Picture. The group that has a tendency to surprise everyone went with the long-time critical fave, pushing it into a locked position for the Best Picture award. We can hope for a shock on Oscar Night, but don't expect one.

The Vancouver Film Critics Circle also announced nominations. They have international awards that closely resemble most of the American critics plus separate categories for Canadian films. The only quesiton is where is Away from Her in their list?

-Wesley Lovell (February 2, 2008)

Top Ten of 2007, Producers Guild of America and Re-Organization

In addition to today's typical Previews update, I've finally finished work on my Top Ten of 2007. There are still films I haven't seen, so the full list for 2007 could change, but as the year's second month has already begun, it's important for me to get my thoughts on paper. You can find my article on the 2007 Reviews page just under the picture on the right.

The Producers Guild of America will announce its Best Picture, Best Animated Feature and Best Documentary awards tonight. I will try to update this page as soon as they are announced, but you can always find the data quickly by logging into the Unofficial Academy Awards Discussion Board (UAADB) to find out. Just click on Discussion above to start working your way there.

As you can see, there's a bit of an alteration today with our site. The Quick Glance Updates have been shifted so they don't obstruct all of the newest posts. Feel free to use the contact page to send me your thoughts. This isn't necessarily the final configuration or even the final graphics, so expect more changes in the next few weeks as I put the finishing touches on them.

-Wesley Lovell (February 2, 2008)

Screen Actors Guild Awards

The SAG Awards were presented tonight and most of the critics' faves picked up trophies with the exception of Supporting Actress where sentimental favorite Ruby Dee walked off with the big prize. I'll be updating my predictions based on these wins some time Monday or Tuesday at the latest. Then, we'll have to wait for the PGA awards on Saturday to firm up a number of other predictions. For a full list of winners, check out the 80th Oscars page above.

-Wesley Lovell (January 27, 2008)

Online Film & Television Association Film Nominations

The 12th Annual Online Film & Television Association Film Awards nominations have been announced. Their selections for best of the year diverge from the Academy's on a number of fronts. After beginning its career as a sort of Oscar precursor, the OFTA has consistently selected high calibre winners and nominees the likes of which the Academy has sometimes been afraid to nominate. As is consistent with their choice of Children of Men as Best Picture of 2006, this year's list offers up an eclectic list of films and performances that will compete to win the OFTA's 12th annual prize. The organization may be small, but it is composed of film and awards enthusiasts from around the world. Find out the winners on February 10. Find out the nominees by checking out the link to the OFTA website in the Resources/Other Sites section or by going to the 80th Oscars page and selecting Precursors.

Tonight, the first kudos cast of the year presented by members of the industry. The Screen Actors Guild award winners will be posted here and in the forums live.

-Wesley Lovell (January 27, 2008)

Directors Guild of America & American Society of Cinematographers Awards

Joel & Ethan Coen win the Directors Guild of America.

This just in: Robert Elswit is the winner for There Will Be Blood.

-Wesley Lovell (January 26, 2008)

Directors Guild of America Award

They've started giving out prizes and so far, the only plaque for feature films I've seen is to Paul Thomas Anderson and from the looks of it, it's the silver nominee's plaque. So, we've got three more to eliminate now before we know who wins. Of course, that is if they don't give out silvers to everyone and then announce a gold one at the end. We'll have to wait (and wait and wait and wait) and see.

I've just confirmed (found photos of two pictures of Martin Scorsese with two different types of plaquest last year) that all nominees are presented nominations plaques first, then after all five (or in this case, six) have silver ones, they give out the big gold one.

-Wesley Lovell (January 26, 2008)

Motion Picture Sound Editors and Other Updates

The Motion Picture Sound Editors have announced their 2007 nominations in six categories. You can find those listed in the 80th Oscars section under Precursors. Additionally, I've updated this week's previews, posted some new posters you can buy and even put up three brand new reviews.

Stay tuned later this evening to find out who wins the American Society of Cinematographers and Directors Guild of America awards.

-Wesley Lovell (January 26, 2008)

Prediction Averages and Box Office Results

We have a small update today. I've posted my averages for my predictions, which you can find on the Oscars page as a link to Predictions Success Rate. I've also updated the box office results from over the weekend. If you haven't already found my first set of predictions, visit the 80th Oscars Page and take a look at the Winner Predictions page.

-Wesley Lovell (January 23, 2008)

The Academy Award Nominations

After a long season, the Academy Awards Nominations were announced and as always, there were a few surprises. Check out the full list at the 80th Oscars link above.

I've posted commentary on the 80th Oscars page under Nominations Commentary. Just click the 80th Oscars link above.

-Wesley Lovell (January 22, 2008)

Ineligibility and the Academy Awards

For reasons that make sense to virtually no one, the Academy's music branch has ruled There Will Be Blood, Into the Wild and Enchanted ineligible for Best Original Score. Variety has the full story and explanation. My predictions have now been updated to reflect this change.

-Wesley Lovell (January 21, 2008)

The 24-Hour Rush

The sense of excitement is in the air. The most unpredictable Nominations period in years culminates in less than 24 hours. At 5:30pm Pacific, we will learn who the nominees for the 80th Annual Academy Awards will be. To give myself a few hours to breathe before, I have finalized my nominations predictions for this year. They are up at the Hopefuls Quick Link above. I also updated the Oscar Morning Primer based on those predictions. You can find that on the 80th Oscars page.

I know I'm excited and I hope you are too. Tomorrow morning, I will be posting the nominations immediately following the announcement. They will go up first in the Discussion Board, then be finally updated here. So, tune in tomorrow morning and find out who the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences thinks are the best of 2007.

-Wesley Lovell (January 21, 2008)

Oscar Morning Primer

There's something profound about waking up early and sitting down to watch the live announcement of the Academy Awards nominations. I've been doing it for several years. Let me help you. In the 80th Oscars section above, you'll see a new link called Oscar Morning. There, you will find a primer for following the early-morning announcements. It features a section you can print out and follow along. While I have some personal comments and my current predictions are highlighted, the article is mostly unbiased examinations of the races that will be announced.

For my actual personal take, I have an update to my Nominations Predictions (also called Oscar Hopefuls) in the works and it should be ready by Monday. There, I will try to dissect each race and boil it down to the contenders I think will be nominated plus a few potential shocks we might hear read out on Oscar Morning. Until then, enjoy the primer and start working on your own predictions.

-Wesley Lovell (January 18, 2008)

Costume Designers Guild and Pre-Nomination Information

Sometime between when I last checked their website and now, the Costume Designers Guild have changed their nominations announcement date. However, the nominations are now posted at the 80th Oscars section above. Check out the nominees and note the exclusion of Best Picture contenders No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood and more conspicuously American Gangster.

With the nominations in less than 5 days now, I want to let you know what updates you can expect in the coming days. I will be returning to my Oscar Morning article that will prep you for the announcements, which will include a section you can highlight and print out to follow along yourself. And I'll be posting my final predictions. I've been working on them off and on since the PGA announced, but I'll be posting a finalized version sometime soon highlighting my predictions for the films the Academy will nominate. There's also the standard Previews update to look forward to, but youw would have gotten that anyway.

-Wesley Lovell (January 17, 2008)

British Academy Awards Nominations

The British Academy of Film & Television Arts (the British Academy Awards), have announced their nominees for films released in 2007. Their list is quite interesting featuring films that some are considering dead for Oscar consideration. This might be proof that support is wider than expected, but it's hard to know without seeing the Oscar nods in comparison.

-Wesley Lovell (January 16, 2008)

Foreign Film Finalists

Today, the Academy has provided us with a look at the nine semi-finalists for the Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. Absent are three critically acclaimed films: 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, The Orphanage and Persepolis. Their absence calls into question the Academy's selection process as the tendency of the category is towards more vanilla fare and away from controversial subjects. A revamp may never occur, but at least we know the nine films from which we can choose. I've updated my predictions in the Foreign Film category at the Oscar Hopefuls link above to include only the nine films and my predictions from those nine.

-Wesley Lovell (January 15, 2008)

Producers Guild of American Nominations

The PGA announced its selections for the best produced films of the year. Atonement, an early favorite, has fallen farther and farther behind in terms of Oscar consideration. If it picks up a nod next Tuesday, it will indeed be a surprise. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is quietly emerging as a strong contender while There Will Be Blood continues its late-release dominance of consideration, having now picked up several major guild nominations.

-Wesley Lovell (January 14, 2008)

Golden Globe Winners

The Golden Globe Winners have been announced and thanks to NBC for dragging it out, I found out too late that CNN gave all the winners and announced them faster. The Precursors page under the 80th Oscars link above is updated as is the Tallies page. All winners are there.

Atonement pulled out a squeaker of a win having picked up only one other award: Original Score. Julian Schnabel picked up a somewhat surprising win for Best Director and Amy Ryan, the Supporting Actress with the most precursors, went down to the ever-present Cate Blanchett who may have benefited from two nominations this year.

-Wesley Lovell (January 13, 2008)

Nominations Poll Closure and 2007 Year in Preview

The Oscar ballots will be due by 5:00 pm today, so any influence other group votes will have is neglible (even those for the guild nominations announced in the past couple of days could be ill-influential. What we're really looking at in the guilds is trends that may have been present in the voting community for the Academy and we've seen a few.

However, today's big news is that my first ever Year in Preview, detailing the Ten Best and Worst Trailers and Posters of 2007 has been posted. You can find it in the Previews section.

-Wesley Lovell (January 12, 2008)

Art Directors Guild, American Cinema Editors & Oscar Hopefuls Update

The Art Directors Guild followed the announcement of the American Cinema Editors Eddie award nominatoins with nominations of their own in Period, Fantasy and Contemporary Art Direction.

I've also posted my latest Oscar nominations predictions. The Hopefuls link above will take you there. I only expect one or two more updates before the nominations are announced.

-Wesley Lovell (January 11, 2008)

American Cinema Editors...for now

As I expect the Art Directors will announce later when I'm not available to update the site, I'm going to go ahead and post the American Cinema Editors nominations. The usual suspects show up here, but the lack of love for former frontrunner Atonement is clear.

-Wesley Lovell (January 11, 2008)

Writers Guild and Cinema Audio Society

Two more of the Biggies posted today. The Writers Guild of America and the Cinema Audio Society (Sound Mixing) announced their nominations. Both are decent predictors with the Audio Society edging out the WGA for the title of More Accurate. Tomorrow, we finish off the week with nomination announcements from the American Cinema Editors and the Art Directors guild. Also be on the look out for my latest predictions...while I'm still waiting on the PGA to announce Monday to put a more cemented list together, this will be nearly the final one I do before Oscar Nominations morning January 22.

I'll also be putting together my Oscar Morning primer that will help you follow the nominations announcement and guess what's big, what's not big and what's going to surprise. It shou.d be out some time next week.

-Wesley Lovell (January 10, 2008)

USC Scripter & Online Film Critics Society

The Online Film Critics Society has seemed to have tried to avoid standing out from the pack, choosing the Precursor Tally leaders in every category but Cinematography and Documentary. The USC Scripter winners will be announced today as well and we'll hopefully see a shake-up because it's rather boring to see the same winners turned out with every new precursor award.

Cormac McCarthy and the Coen Brothers triumphed over two dead competitors and several others to win the USC Scripter prize for Best Adapted Screenplay.

-Wesley Lovell (January 9, 2008)

Directors Guild of America Nominees & Online Film Critics Society Winners News

The Directors Guild of America announced their nominees today amid news that the Golden Globe ceremony scheduled for Sunday was going to be reduced to a winners-announcement press conference. The Online Film Critics Society will announce their winners tomorrow, Wednesday. The close of the nominations balloting process is coming up this Saturday the 12th. Groups announcing in the next three or four days may not have an impact on the nominations, but may give signs as to what to expect.

Also, note that the countdown clock at the top shows us that less than two weeks remains until Oscar nominations are announced. When that occurs, the clock will reset to Oscar Night and we'll then be in the final stretch to the 80th Academy Awards.

-Wesley Lovell (January 8, 2008)

Visual Effects Society Nominees & Broadcast Critics Winners

Each have been updated in the 80th Oscars section. Stay tuned tomorrow for the Directors Guild of America's nominations and the announcement of the Online Film Critics Society Award winners.

-Wesley Lovell (January 7, 2008)

Makeup Finalists, ASC Nominees and Broadcast Critics Awards

Today's a busy day and I still haven't even seen the Visual Effects Society nominations. The Broadcast Critics have not yet announced, but they will be presented live on VH-1, so as soon as I know the winners, I'll post them to the Discussion Board. Then, I'll update them here as soon as I can.

The Academy has announced the last of its Finalists prior to the nominations announcements. The Makeup Branch has announced the 7 films from which the final selections will be for the Makeup nominations.

The American Society of Cinematographers has also announced its nominations for 2007. Check the 80th Oscars page for all the updates.

-Wesley Lovell (January 7, 2008)

Tributes Fix, New Previews and the National Society of Film Critics Announces

Several announcements today. The Tributes section links have been fixed, so you should be able to access it normally. We have new previews up in the Previews section and the National Society of Film Critics, the last of the old guard, make their picks for the best of 2007.

-Wesley Lovell (January 6, 2008)

Tributes Section Opens, Visual Effects Finalists Announced

With the arrival of 2008, Peter has put together a list of luminaries that have departed this life in 2007. These lead off a new area of my site for tributes to those who pass away.

The Academy has also announced the seven films that will compete for the Best Visual Effects nominations. Three films will be selected (at maximum). The films selected are now included in my Hopefuls page accessible from the 80th Oscars tab above. These are the only updates I will make until the PGA and DGA announce this coming week. There were also several announcements this week of some special awards which have been updated on the Winners and Nominees page.

-Wesley Lovell (January 5, 2008)

USC Scripter

The USC Scripter award nomiantions have been announced. Their Best Adapted Screenplay selections aren't always the best precursors, but it's interesting to see what's popular. Check out those nominations at the 80th Oscars box above and also the weekend box office results, which have finally been updated.

-Wesley Lovell (January 3, 2008)

Online Film Critics Society

The OFCS has selected its nominees for 2007. The broad-spectrum list includes Oscar contenders in many categories and a first-time six-nominee Best Supporting Actress field. Not the best predictors, but it's always interesting to see the dichotemy between print and online journalists as well as how the American vs. International divide will play out (the OFCS features a large number of non-North American critics, who don't always get to see the films American critics do.

-Wesley Lovell (January 2, 2008)