Countdown to the Oscars - 10

So here’s my take on this years Oscars, category by category. I’ll present a few each day counting down to the important day of March 5th 2006 (important for more than one reason). I’m starting with the categories no one seems to care about but dogarnit, they’re still important!

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

“In the Deep” from “Crash” (Lions Gate)Music by Kathleen “Bird” York and Michael BeckerLyric by Kathleen “Bird” York
“It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” from“Hustle & Flow” (Paramount Classics, MTV Films and New Deal Entertainment) Music and Lyric by Jordan Houston, Cedric Coleman and Paul Beauregard
“Travelin’ Thru” from “Transamerica” (The Weinstein Company and IFC Films)Music and Lyric by Dolly Parton

Well, there’s no Disney song or anything from Randy Newman so there’s no clear winner this year. With only three nominees, apparently there weren’t any winners at all (because its an honour to be nominated right? Well. Only three got through suckers!). Brokeback Mountain didn’t really get shut out of this category mainly because the song was deemed ineligible.
So, of the songs we have left, I cannot for the life of me remember the Crash song so it’s out. And even though the Academy picked Eminem’s Lose Yourself (deservedly though shockingly), I would guess that they will not choose a song with the word “pimp” in it for an Oscar. Anyways, it’s an irritatingly catchy song but it’s still no Lose Yourself. So this leaves Travelin’ Thru from Dolly Parton which will win and deserves to win because it hauntingly fits into the film Transamerica, and like Champagne to Strawberries (according to Richard Gere), it brings out the flavours of the movie so that you can appreciate the fullness of the fruit.

Achievement in visual effects

“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” (Buena Vista)Dean Wright, Bill Westenhofer, Jim Berney and Scott Farrar
“King Kong” (Universal)Joe Letteri, Brian Van’t Hul, Christian Rivers and Richard Taylor
“War of the Worlds” (Paramount and DreamWorks) Dennis Muren, Pablo Helman, Randal M. Dutra and Daniel Sudick

Will they give it to the popcorn movie, the popcorn movie? Or the Christian popcorn movie? My pick was King Kong but as Narnia rules the box office, I think they will give it to Narnia now.

Achievement in makeup

“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” (Buena Vista)Howard Berger and Tami Lane
“Cinderella Man”(Universal and Miramax)David Leroy Anderson and Lance Anderson
“Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith” (20th Century Fox)Dave Elsey and Nikki Gooley

Since Cinderella Man basically tanked, and the fact that there was no dramatic makeup, it’s out unless they use this as the pity vote for Ron Howard. It’s down to Narnia or Star Wars and since Star Wars basically sucked, my vote and my guess is Narnia will win again.

Best foreign language film of the year

“Don’t Tell” A Cattleya/Rai Cinema Production, Italy
“Joyeux Noël” A Nord-Ouest Production, France
“Paradise Now” An Augustus Film Production, Palestine
“Sophie Scholl - The Final Days” A Goldkind Filmproduktion and Broth Film Production, Germany
“Tsotsi” A Moviworld Production, South Africa

Since this is the first year I have actually not seen ANY of the foreign language pics and that only one was actually released widely in America, I basically have no idea. However, if Tsotsi winning the Audience Award at the Toronto international Film Festival is any indication, it will win this category over the Palestinian movie. Heartwarming African Struggling Tale vs. Powerful Palestinian Controversial Film, my bets on Tsotsi. Though I hear Paradise Now is terrific, it might be too much for the Academy.