How Did I Do?: A Look Back at My August Oscar Predictions

Scene from Carol

Back in August, I wrote my premature, pre-Oscar season predictions for the main categories for this year's nominees. To say the least, it's an interesting list that manages to miss the point, ignoring films like Room, Brooklyn, and The Big Short all together. But, did I really do as bad as I have made it out to be? The following is a rundown of the list that will feature my original picks first followed by the actual results. If there's any embarrassing or profound comment to accompany this, I will also share them. So, step into the time capsule and recognize just how surprising 2015's Academy class ended up being and how rapidly things could change between August and January.

Check Out the 112 Finalists on the Best Original Score Shortlist

Michael Fassbender in Steve Jobs

The short lists keep on coming. While yesterday saw me tackle a variety of categories, I am choosing to focus solely on one for the Best Original Score list. More than the other field, this category is probably too subjective and controversial for me on a year-to-year basis. While there's certain ones that give me problems (the definition of "original"), I do think that sometimes The Academy gets it right, as the music used to emphasize emotional or action sequences are important to the film. This year's shortlist features 112 scores, including the absence of one of this year's biggest contenders (The Revenant, by Ryuichi Sakamoto). The following is a list of every contender, followed by the composer in parenthesis. There will also be opinions following the list for the ones that stand out to me.

"Suffragette" Photo Shoot Goes Horribly Wrong With 'Slave' Shirt

Carey Mulligan in Suffragette

It wasn't too long ago that many were considering director Sarah Gavron's Suffragette to be a strong Oscar contender. While the film still remains in the race, there's a certain backlash that came this past week when a photo shoot for Time Out London saw various actresses wear a t-shirt with a controversial slogan claiming that "I'd rather be a rebel than a slave." While it has been defended as being more descriptive of the oppressive nature of women in 1912, there's no denying that those words nowadays don't have the same connotation. But is it all justified? The magazine thinks so, but nobody else does. 

What the Telluride Festival Told Us About Oscar Front Runners

Scene from Suffragette

This past weekend was the Telluride Film Festival. While it doesn't have the immediate ring as that of Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) or Cannes, it has come to be its own predictor of the Oscar season ahead. As we enter the season, it's time to start looking at all of the possibilities out there and guessing just where everything will fall. If the news out of Telluride is any indication, we may be in for a hefty, exciting season full of returning favorites and a few new faces that may just well steal the show. The following is a quick rundown of the various films that have Oscar potential and what we have learned from the general buzz that has come from the festival.

Happy 600th Article! Here's My Predictions For the Upcoming Oscar Season

Scene from Suffragette

Ladies and gentlemen, I have reached another mini-milestone. I have reached my 600th article for The Oscar Buzz. Okay, maybe there's not a lot of honor as there is for the 1,000th article or even an anniversary entry. However, it feels like a special correlation has just happened where I can celebrate this achievement by talking about something that I do best here: The Oscars. Not just any Oscars, but the upcoming season that will be dominating conversation and filling our time endlessly with speculation (and the return of Failed Oscar Campaigns!). So, I figured that there wouldn't be any better way to celebrate this honor than predict what the line-up will be for the five main categories. 

The First "Suffragette" Trailer Gives Us a Look at a Potential Oscar Front Runner

Carey Mulligan

It looks like the beginning of the Oscars prospecting is upon us. First there was the Cannes Film Festival, which presented a plethora of debuts from potential nominees. Now we are seeing trailers for films playing during the prime time known as awards season. Among the first to show themselves is the star-studded vehicle known as Suffragette. This film, directed by Sarah Gavron, has such an impeccable cast of nominees and winners that it would seem ridiculous to not immediately put this on the calendar. Thankfully, the first trailer makes it all the more promising in the process.