8/27 Early Oscar Forecast

I'm only covering Picture, Director and Acting as of now. Above the line are current predicted nominees, below are possible spoilers. It's very early in the game so expect these to change. For Best Picture I put the minimum five above the line and other potential nominees below. Things like "Life of Pi" are below the line because of a high risk/reward factor.

NOTE: These picks are based on what the Academy is likely to nominate, not what may or may not be the actual "best" in their respective categories.

Best Picture

Beasts of the Southern Wild
Lincoln
Les Miserables
The Master
Argo

Anna Karenina
To the Wonder
The Sessions
Life of Pi
Moonrise Kingdom
Django Unchained
Zero Dark Thirty
The Impossible
Amour

Best Director
Steven Spielberg – Lincoln
Benh Zeitlin – Beasts of the Southern Wild
Paul Thomas Anderson – The Master
Ben Affleck – Argo
Ang Lee – Life of Pi
_______________________________________________________________
Quentin Tarantino – Django Unchained
Terrance Malick – To The Wonder
Joe Wright – Anna Karenina
Michael Haneke – Amour
Tom Hooper – Les Miserables

Best Actor
Joaquin Phoenix – The Master
Daniel Day-Lewis – Lincoln
John Hawks – The Sessions
Denzel Washington - Flight
Bill Murray – Hyde Park on Hudson

Hugh Jackman – Les Miserables
Jaime Foxx – Django Unchained
Ralph Finnes – Great Expectations
Bradley Cooper – Silver Linings Playbook

Best ActressQuvenzhané Wallis – Beasts of the Southern Wild
Keira Knightley – Anna Karenina
Marion Cotillard – Rust and Bone
Naomi Watts – The Impossible
Helen Hunt – The Sessions

Maggie Smith - Quartet
Laura Linney – Hyde Park on Hudson
Viola Davis – Won’t Back Down

Best Supporting Actor
Phillip Seymour Hoffman – The Master
Matthew McCounaghey – Magic Mike
Dwight Henry – Beasts of the Southern Wild
Jude Law – Anna Karenina
Leonardo DiCaprio – Django Unchained

Christoph Waltz – Django Unchained
Russell Crowe – Les Miserables
Bryan Cranston – Argo
David Strathairn - Lincoln

Best Supporting Actress 
Amy Adams – The Master
Sally Field – Lincoln
Anne Hathaway – Les Miserables
Olivia Williams – Hyde Park on Hudson
Rachel Weisz – To The Wonder

Emily Watson – Anna Karenina
Kerry Washington – Django Unchained
Jennifer Lawrence – Silver Linings Playbook

Lesson Zero: The Transition

School hasn't technically started yet. I don't move in until September 2nd. Yet I'm already learning something important. 

Because of how late my school starts, I get to see all of my friends file away to school and watch the last twelve years of my life end. When I go to college I will meet new friends and have the time of my life. But for now this sucks. 

It would be one thing if we all left at once. However, I get to watch it all play out. 

This is the first thing my new school has taught me. Things end, and there's nothing we can do about it. We have to take it all in stride. Because when things end, that means something else is beginning. 

And now, back to your regularly scheduled film-related programming.

T-Minus One Week, Five Days

Hello all. I'll be starting school in a short period of time, and at that time I'll give the true inaugural post, and then after that the big weekly posts along with the stuff in between.

Until then, I'll give a brief introduction of myself.

I'm Nick. I'm eighteen years old, an aspiring film director, avid New York Yankees fan, less avid FC Barcelona/New York Red Bulls/Argentina National team football fan, and a terrible dancer. I listen to all sorts of music, I'm half Italian, a quarter Argentine, and one quarter white trash.

I could tell you anything you could possibly want to know about American history, but don't add me to do anything more than simple division. I find science fascinating but I can't wrap my brain around half of it.

I'm quite opinionated when it comes to art and pop culture (and there's a fine line between those two things). I believe in detailed shots, good writing and better directing. I believe in Kubrick, Spielberg, Wilder, Soderbergh, Refn, and I want to believe in more of the old guard whose work I desperately need to view.

I believe in a constitutional amendment against astroturf and the designated hitter.

I believe films are an integral part of society, both as entertainment and as social commentary (whether intentional or not).

I believe Saturday Night Live hasn't been funny for some time now, and that Fallon, Ferguson, Stewart and Colbert are the only comedians worth watching on TV anymore.

I believe in the power of a voice and a guitar working together to create something magical.

You'll learn loads more about me as I post, and I look forward to your readership and even your feedback. See you all down the line!

Cheers,

Nick.