The 2016 Outguess Bob's Oscar Picks Contest!
Well, the Outguess Bob's Oscar Picks Contest is back! It's been on hiatus for a couple of years as I took a bit of a break from writing (always a mistake) but I am back to regular posts as well as work on my current novel (watch for that soon!).
The contest is pretty easy - I will post my picks for your review - I want you to simply email me your picks. After the Oscars are over a few things will happen:
- All entries will be reviewed
- A winner will be announced by the Wednesday following the Oscars
- IF there are multiple winners - they will be tossed into a hat and a final winner will be pulled
- IF there are NO winners - the picks that are closest to my totals will be placed into a hat and a final winner will be pulled
- Prizes include: 1st Prize: 2 Tickets to your local movie theater; 2nd Prize: A Digital Download of one of the Oscar Nominated Films & 3rd Prize: A Digital Download of one of the Oscar nominated sound tracks
- Email me at: rsieger49@gmail.com
Not too bad I hope! SO with out further adieu, here are my Oscar Picks for 2016, NOTE: My picks will be highlighted and italicized!
Best Actor
- Michael Fassbender - Steve Jobs
- Matt Damon - The Martian
- Eddie Redmayne - The Danish Girl
- Bryan Cranston - Trumbo
- Leonardo DiCaprio - The Revenant: With a nearly completely silent performance, the 41 year old DiCaprio emoted a nearly perfect balance of visible pain, internal anguish and soulful insight. That not withstanding, let's face it, he's finally due!
Best Actress
- Saoirse Ronan - Brooklyn
- Cate Blanchett - Carol
- Jennifer Lawrence - Joy
- Charalotte Rampling - 45 Years
- Brie Larson - Room: The Academy loves to honor new comers in the Best Actress Category, and while Larson has been acting for over 20 years, her near perfect performance as a mother held captive is stunning. Stunning enough to propel her to the gold statue even amid a very talented, strong crowd this year.
Best Supporting Actor
- Mark Rylance - Bridge of Spies
- Mark Ruffalo - Spotlight
- Tom Hardy - The Revenant
- Christian Bale - The Big Short
- Sylvester Stallone - Creed: The Academy overlooked Stallone in 1977 for the Best Actor prize and snubbed Creed for the Best Picture category, so his powerful performance as the aging boxer facing cancer (probably the most memorable of his career) will be taking home the gold and deservedly so.
Best Supporting Actress
- Kate Winslet - Steve Jobs
- Rooney Mara - Carol
- Jennifer Jason Leigh - The Hateful Eight
- Rachel McAdams - Spotlight
- Alicia Vikander - The Danish Girl: The race is very tight this year, on one hand you have the always Kate Winslet, but on the other the performance of Vikander was a very delicate one as an artist whose husband discovers his true gender. Both riveting and touching, Vikander will walk away with the gold over Winslet.
Original Screenplay
- Bridge of Spies - Matt Charman, Ethan Coen & Joel Cohen
- Ex Machina - Alex Garland
- Inside Out - Peter Docter, Meg LeFauve & Josh Cooley
- Straight Outta Compton - Johnathan Herman & Andrea Berloff
- Spotlight - Josh Singer & Tom McCarthy: Told with a reporters eye and avoiding all evidence of leaning either one way or the other, Spotlight tells it's story with emotional & raw power. The unknown here may be the Academy's need to make up for the lack of diversity in the other major categories. Straight Outta Compton may be the surprise here.
Adapted Screenplay
- Brooklyn - Nick Hornby
- Carol - Phyllis Nagy
- The Martian - Drew Goddard
- Room - Emma Donoghue
- The Big Short - Charles Randolph & Adam McKay: This was a fine balancing act of writing as well as acting, almost always teetering on the absurd, The Big Short was one part 'Schoolhouse Rock of Economics' and two parts revealing. A true marvel of writing.
Best Director
- George Miller - Mad Max: Fury Road
- Adam McKay - The Big Short
- Tom McCarthy - Spotlight
- Lenny Abrahamson - Room
- Alejandro Inarritu - The Revenant: Only 2 directors have ever won the Best Director twice in a row, that particular honor falls on John Ford & Joseph Mankiewicz. Look to Inarritu to be added to that very short list this year for the compelling and majestic The Revenant.
Best Picture
- The Big Short
- Mad Max: Fury Road
- The Revenant
- The Martian
- Room
- Bridge of Spies
- Brooklyn
- Spotlight: This is one of the tightest Best Picture races in quite some time. All of the films nominated have a very strong chance; but I see it coming down to The Big Short, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Revenant or Spotlight. While, typically, action films have a harder time with the Academy, George Miller's reinvention and reinvigoration of Mad Max could be the dark horse winner. At the end of the day though, Spotlight was so compelling, so emotionally impactful and so well directed, I think it will take the prize home.
And the tie breaker (if needed):
Original Score
- Bridge of Spies
- Carol
- Sicario
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens
- The Hateful Eight: While Ennio Morricone has been nominated five previous times for an Oscar, he (incredibly) has never walked away with one. At 87 and still composing, this master of movie sound tracks will be taking home the gold this time. Finally. NOTE: If you are a 3rd Prize winner, I highly recommend this soundtrack! Better still, if you are the 3rd place winner AND Ennio Morricone wins, I will change the prize to the entire Ennio Morricone Discography (if you want).
Ok dear readers, those are my picks! I hope to hear from you all! Please feel free to forward the link for this article to your friends and neighbors! I always welcome new readers!