A Look at the Shortlists for Best Hair and Make-Up, Best Original Song, and Best Picture

Will Smith in Concussion

With The Academy starting to get their final ballots ready, it seems like a great time to see what has made the final cut on its various lists. So far, there has been exploration into the Best Foreign films and Best Documentary. Today, there's an exploration of three major lists: Best Hair and Make-Up; Best Original Song, as well as Best Picture. The following is a look at both of the categories including some additional commentary. While Best Hair and Make-Up has been whittled down to a very interesting seven titles, Best Picture looks to be more lofty with a lengthy 305 titles (even then, a decline in overall total from last year's 325). Check out more after the jump.

The first major category that we'll explore is Best Hair and Make-Up, whose seven nominees are at most a curious bunch that aren't likely recognized for their hair and make-up. However, it definitely does make for a far more interesting race with these titles:

Black Mass

Concussion

Legend

Mad Max: Fury Road

Mr. Holmes

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared

The Revenant

Of the list, Mad Max: Fury Road seems to be the only one that incorporated hair and make-up tactics to an exhaustive extent. There's no denying that it has an impressive, original look to it that makes it an arguable shoe-in. While I do believe that the film is still a long shot for Best Picture, I do think that it will show up strong in technical fields. While I haven't seen The Revenant yet, I think that it is likely another shoe-in for its wild and bushy men, whose appearances alone are haggard and defined. I am a little confused on what makes Black Mass a contender, save for Johnny Depp's make-up work where he changes into John Dillinger. That looks pretty good, though the rest seems baffling. Then again, this category went to The Iron Lady a few years ago, so anything can happen, I guess.

Next up is a look at the Best Original Song shortlist, which includes 74 titles. The following is a list of the songs, followed by the film in parenthesis:

“Happy” (Altered Minds)

“Home” (Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip)

“None Of Them Are You” (Anomalisa)

“Stem To The Rose” (Becoming Bulletproof)

“The Mystery Of Your Gift (Boychoir)

“I Run” (Chi-Raq)

“Pray 4 My City” (Chi-Raq)

“Sit Down For This” (Chi-Raq)

“Strong” (Cinderella)

“So Long” (Concussion)

“Fighting Stronger” (Creed)

“Grip” (Creed)

“Waiting For My Moment” (Creed)

“Don’t Look Down” (Danny Collins)

“Hey Baby Doll” (Danny Collins)

“Dreamsong” (The Diary of a Teenage Girl)

“It’s My Turn Now” from (Dope)

“Ya Rahem, Maula Maula” (Dukhtar)

“Earned It” (Fifty Shades of Grey)

“Love Me Like You Do” (Fifty Shades of Grey)

“Salted Wound” (Fifty Shades of Grey)

“Hands Of Love” (Freeheld)

“See You Again” (Furious Seven)

“Brother” (Godspeed: The Story of Page Jones)

“As Real As You And Me” (Home)

“Dancing In The Dark” (Home)

“Feel The Light” (Home)

“Red Balloon” (Home)

“Two Of A Crime” (Hot Pursuit)

“Til It Happens To You” (The Hunting Ground)

“I’ll See You In My Dreams” (I’ll See You in My Dreams)

“The Movie About Us” (Ingrid Bergman – In Her Own Words)

“Bhoomiyilenghanumundo” (Jalam)

“Koodu Vaykkan” (Jalam)

“Pakalppaathi Chaari” (Jalam)

“Yaathra Manoradhamerum” (Jalam)

“Lost In Love” (Jenny’s Wedding)

“True Love Avenue” (Jenny’s Wedding)

“Hypnosis” (Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet)

“Juntos (Together)” (McFarland, USA)

“The Light That Never Fails” (Meru)

“The Crazy Ones (Miss You Already)

“There’s A Place” (Miss You Already)

“Johanna” (Mortdecai)

“Little Soldier” (Pan)

“Something’s Not Right” (Pan)

“Paranoid Girl” (Paranoid Girls)

“Better When I’m Dancin'” (The Peanuts Movie)

“Pink & Blue” (Pink & Blue: Colors of Hereditary Cancer)

“Flashlight” (Pitch Perfect 2)

“Birds Of A Feather” (Poached)

“Still Breathing” (Point Break)

“Manta Ray” (Racing Extinction)

“Cold One” (Ricki and the Flash)

“Torch” (Rock the Kasbah)

“Someone Like You” (The Rumperbutts)

“Aankhon Me Samaye Dil” (Salt Bridge)

“Bachpana Thaa” (Salt Bridge)

“Kanpne Lage Tum” (Salt Bridge)

“Kyaa Bataaun Tujhe” (Salt Bridge)

“Le Jaaye Jo Door Tumse” (Salt Bridge)

“Na Jaane Kitni Door” (Salt Bridge)

“Sookha Hi Rang Daalo” (Salt Bridge)

“Feels Like Summer” (Shaun the Sheep Movie)

“Phenomenal” (Southpaw)

“Writing’s On The Wall” (Spectre)

“Squeeze Me” (The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of Water)

“Teamwork” (The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of Water)

“Who Can You Trust” (Spy)

“Came To Win” (Sweet Micky for President)

“Mean Ol’ Moon” (Ted 2)

“Love Was My Alibi” (The Water Diviner)

“Fine On The Outside” (When Marnie Was There)

“Simple Song #3” (Youth)

I will admit that I have not heard of a lot of these songs, which may make this commentary a little underwhelming (and thus why I decided to do three shortlists instead of the traditional one per article). Among them, I wonder if Furious 7 will make the cut, if just because it is a song that was a radio hit and has sentimental value. I really hate "Phenomenal" from Southpaw, which sounds more like a joke song than an actual anthem. Still, it's a strong bunch that very well may be difficult to choose from. I'm thinking that maybe Spectre will continue the James Bond nominated songs with a slot for "Writing's On the Wall." Otherwise, I guess that I need to get listening to music, because there's a lot of weird choices on here that could still be good.

Finally, I will guide you to another page, as I don't fell it is appropriate to write all 305 films currently competing for Best Picture here. Follow this link to see the official "short" list. It has practically every film that was released in 2015 on the list, and I  don't know that writing a comment on them will be worthwhile. However, I felt the need to share and hopefully that there will be value in you giving a shot. How diverse is it? Well, it has everything from Fifty Shades of Grey to Get Hard to It Follows and The Divergent Series: Insurgent. Yep, plenty of weird choices there. Try and guess what didn't make the cut (while still following guidelines). It's a fun game.