On the eve of nomination morning...

       

 We have arrived to the final stop of this crazy awards season. After tomorrow morning there will be no more passengers and no one can escape until the final stop, the Kodak Theater on February 28th. Like waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve, the anticipation may kill me, but I can't wait to find out who the nominees will be tomorrow morning. This year is a lot more unpredictable than past years, with Supporting Actor being a complete toss-up. All I do know is that Leonardo DiCaprio will finally pick up his Oscar this year.

Quick Thoughts:
Does the Academy get over its genre bias and nominate both Mad Max and The Martian? I think so.

Carol, Bridge of Spies, Sicario and Straight Outta Compton are battling for positions 8-12, but the Academy only guarantees 5 and a max of 10. So maybe none get in?

Does the Academy buy the category fraud for Rooney Mara, Alicia Vikander and Jacob Tremblay? Or do they perhaps all get pushed to lead and/or snubbed.


Best Picture:
(Academy can nominate between 5-10 films.)
1. Spotlight
2. The Revenant
3. The Martian
4. The Big Short
5. Mad Max: Fury Road
6. Room
7. Brooklyn
8. Bridge of Spies
9. Sicario

Best Director:
1. Inarritu - The Revenant
2. Scott - The Martian
3. Miller - Mad Max: Fury Road
4. Spielberg - Bridge of Spies
5. McCarthy - Spotlight

Best Actor:
1. Leonardo DiCaprio - The Revenant
2. Michael Fassbender - Steve Jobs
3. Matt Damon - The Martian
4. Bryan Cranston - Trumbo
5. Steve Carell - The Big Short

Just Outside: Jacob Tremblay - Room, Eddie Redmayne - The Danish Girl

Best Actress:
1. Brie Larson - Room
2. Saoirse Ronan - Brooklyn
3. Cate Blanchett - Carol
4. Jennifer Lawrence - Joy
5. Charlotte Rampling - 45 Years

Just Outside: Charlize Theron - Mad Max: Fury Road, Alicia Vikander - The Danish Girl

Best Supporting Actor:
1. Mark Rylance - Bridge of Spies
2. Christian Bale - The Big Short
3. Sylvester Stallone - Creed
4. Jacob Tremblay - Room
5. Benicio Del Toro - Sicario

Just Outside: Idris Elba - Beasts of No Nation, Michael Shannon - 99 Homes, Mark Ruffalo/Michael Keaton - Spotlight

Best Supporting Actress:
1. Rooney Mara - Carol
2. Alicia Vikander - The Danish Girl
3. Kate Winslet - Steve Jobs
4. Jennifer Jason Leigh - The Hateful Eight
5. Rachel McAdams - Spotlight

Just Outside: Alicia Vikander - Ex Machina, Helen Mirren - Trumbo

Best Original Screenplay:
1. The Hateful Eight
2. Spotlight
3. Inside Out
4. Bridge of Spies
5. Ex Machina

Best Adapted Screenplay:
1. Room
2. The Big Short
3. Steve Jobs
4. Carol
5. Brooklyn

Best Cinematography:
1. The Revenant
2. Carol
3. Mad Max: Fury Road
4. Sicario
5. The Hateful Eight

Best Original Score:
1. The Hateful Eight
2. Carol
3. Bridge of Spies
4. Inside Out
5. Star Wars - The Force Awakens

Best Editing:
1. Mad Max: Fury Road
2. The Revenant
3. Spotlight
4. The Big Short
5. The Martian