Academy Award 2012 Poll

[Guest EXPAT]

OK. This is my favorite time of the year. I'm glued to the TV all afternoon on Sunday. I love the pre-show, the red carpet and I alway love seeing Billy Crystal do his thing in the beginning of the show. They call the Oscars the Superbowl for the gays. Well that's pretty close. So I put the three main categories above. Give me your view of who will/should win the major Oscars this year. Enjoy.

[Guest hitoallusa]

I didn't go to the movies much but Meryl was excellent in The Iron Lady! I think Brad Pitt in Money Ball was good and that's the other movie I have seen in the list.

[Guest CharliePS]

After not going to the movies all year, I went twice in the past three days, so I have seen only two of the nominees, "The Artist" and Meryl Streep. I liked both, but I don't know how they stack up against the competition.

[Guest EXPAT]

After not going to the movies all year, I went twice in the past three days, so I have seen only two of the nominees, "The Artist" and Meryl Streep. I liked both, but I don't know how they stack up against the competition.

I suspect that "The Artist" will win since it has the momentum going into Sunday. But I think it is a bit gimmicky to really be a BEST PICTURE. My personal favorite is Warhorse, but it has largely been ignored all award season. It is a classic epic movie which is kind of out now unfortunately.

Meryl Streep is my personal pick to win but it may to go Viola Davis for "The Help". I think she has more of the momentum going into Sunday. So we'll see. I'm not a George Clooney fan because I haven't really liked anything he has done. But he has the momentum going into Sunday along with Jean Dujardin of "The Artist". The best actor and best actress categories are both 2 person races. So at least that category will be interesting.

There is no doubt that Christopher Plummer will win for that awful movie "Beginners" as best supporting actor. And Octavia Spencer has won every other award for "The Help" so she is the likely winner in the supporting actress category Sunday.

[Guest EXPAT]

The Huffington Post Gay Voices has their GAY reasons to watch The Oscars. . .

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/23/academy-awards-2012-gay-reasons-to-watch-_n_1297955.html?ref=gay-voices

[Guest EXPAT]

The INDEPENDENT SPIRIT MOVIE Awards are tonight (just before the Oscars):

Here are the full list of nominees:

BEST FEATURE

"50/50": Producers: Evan Goldberg, Ben Karlin, Seth Rogen

"Beginners": Producers: Miranda de Pencier, Lars Knudsen, Leslie Urdang, Dean Vanech, Jay Van Hoy

"Drive": Producers: Michel Litvak, John Palermo, Marc Platt, Gigi Pritzker, Adam Siegel

"Take Shelter": Producers: Tyler Davidson, Sophia Lin

"The Artist": Producer: Thomas Langmann

"The Descendants": Producers: Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor

BEST DIRECTOR

Michel Hazanavicius: "The Artist"

Mike Mills: "Beginners"

Jeff Nichols: "Take Shelter"

Alexander Payne: "The Descendants"

Nicolas Winding Refn: "Drive"

BEST SCREENPLAY

Joseph Cedar: "Footnote"

Michel Hazanavicius: "The Artist"

Tom McCarthy: "Win Win"

Mike Mills: "Beginners"

Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash: "The Descendants"

BEST FIRST FEATURE

"Another Earth": Director: Mike Cahill; producers: Mike Cahill, Hunter Gray, Brit Marling, Nicholas Shumaker

"In the Family": Director: Patrick Wang; producers: Robert Tonino, Andrew van den Houten, Patrick Wang

"Margin Call": Director: J.C. Chandor; producers: Robert Ogden Barnum, Michael Benaroya, Neal Dodson, Joe Jenckes, Corey Moosa, Zachary Quinto

"Martha Marcy May Marlene": Director: Sean Durkin; producers: Antonio Campos, Patrick Cunningham, Chris Maybach, Josh Mond

"Natural Selection": Director: Robbie Pickering; producers: Brion Hambel, Paul Jensen

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Mike Cahill, Brit Marling: "Another Earth"

J.C. Chandor: "Margin Call"

Patrick deWitt: "Terri"

Phil Johnston: "Cedar Rapids"

Will Reiser: "50/50"

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD

"Bellflower": Writer-director: Evan Glodell; producers: Evan Glodell, Vincent Grashaw

"Circumstance": Writer-director: Maryam Keshavarz; producers: Karin Chien, Maryam Keshavarz, Melissa M. Lee

"Hello Lonesome": Writer-director-producer: Adam Reid

"Pariah": Writer-director: Dee Rees; producer: Nekisa Cooper

"The Dynamiter": Writer: Brad Inglesby; director: Matthew Gordon; producers: Kevin Abrams, Matthew Gordon, Merilee Holt, Art Jones, Mike Jones, Nate Tuck, Amile Wilson

Given to the best feature made for under $500,000.

FEMALE LEAD

Lauren Ambrose: "Think of Me"

Rachael Harris: "Natural Selection"

Adepero Oduye: "Pariah"

Elizabeth Olsen: "Martha Marcy May Marlene"

Michelle Williams: "My Week With Marilyn"

MALE LEAD

Demián Bichir: "A Better Life"

Jean Dujardin: "The Artist"

Ryan Gosling: "Drive"

Woody Harrelson: "Rampart"

Michael Shannon: "Take Shelter"

SUPPORTING FEMALE

Jessica Chastain: "Take Shelter"

Anjelica Huston: "50/50"

Janet McTeer: "Albert Nobbs"

Harmony Santana: "Gun Hill Road"

Shailene Woodley: "The Descendants"

SUPPORTING MALE

Albert Brooks: "Drive"

John Hawkes: "Martha Marcy May Marlene"

Christopher Plummer: "Beginners"

John C. Reilly: "Cedar Rapids"

Corey Stoll: "Midnight in Paris"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Joel Hodge: "Bellflower"

Benjamin Kasulke: "The Off Hours"

Darius Khondji: "Midnight in Paris"

Guillaume Schiffman: "The Artist"

Jeffrey Waldron: "The Dynamiter"

BEST DOCUMENTARY

"An African Election": Director-producer: Jarreth Merz

"Bill Cunningham New York": Director: Richard Press; producer: Philip Gefter

"The Interrupters": Director-producer: Steve James; producer: Alex Kotlowitz

"The Redemption of General Butt Naked": Director-producers: Eric Strauss, Daniele Anastasion

"We Were Here": Director-producer: David Weissman

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM

"A Separation": (Iran) Director: Asghar Farhadi

"Melancholia": (Denmark/Sweden/France/Germany) Director: Lars von Trier

"Shame": (UK) Director: Steve McQueen

"The Kid With a Bike": (Belgium/France/Italy) Directors: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne

"Tyrannosaur": (UK) Director: Paddy Considine

PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD

Chad Burris: "Mosquita y Mari"

Sophia Lin: "Take Shelter"

Josh Mond: "Martha Marcy May Marlene"

The 15th annual Piaget Producers Award honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality, independent films. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Piaget.

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD

Simon Arthur: "Silver Tongues"

Mark Jackson: "Without"

Nicholas Ozeki: "Mamitas"

The 18th annual Someone to Watch Award recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD

Heather Courtney: "Where Soldiers Come From"

Danfung Dennis: "Hell and Back Again"

Alma Har'el: "Bombay Beach"

The 17th annual Truer Than Fiction Award is presented to an emerging director of nonfiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD

"Margin Call": Director: J.C. Chandor; casting director: Tiffany Little Canfield, Bernard Telsey; ensemble cast: Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Mary McDonnell, Demi Moore, Zachary Quinto, Kevin Spacey, Stanley Tucci

[Guest EXPAT]

The Spirit Independent Award winners are:

Best Feature: The Artist

Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

Best Screenplay: The Descendants by Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash

Best Male Lead: Jean Dujardin, The Artist

Best Supporting Male: Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Best Female Lead: Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Best Supporting Female: Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

Best Cinematography: Guillaume Schiffman, The Artist

Robert Altman Award: Margin Call (given to director J.C. Chandor, casting directors Tiffany Little Canfield and Bernard Telsey, and the ensemble cast)

Best First Screenplay: Will Reiser, 50/50

Best First Feature: Margin Call (award given to the director J.C. Chandor, and producers Robert Ogden Barnum, Michael Benaroya, Neal Dodson, Joe Jenckes, Corey Moosa, Zachary Quinto)

Best Documentary: The Interrupters

Best International Feature: A Separation

John Cassavetes Award (best feature made for under $500,000): Pariah (written and directed by Dee Reeds and produced by Nekisa Cooper)

Piaget Producers Award: Sophia Lin, Take Shelter

Someone To Watch Award: Mark Jackson, Without

Truer Than Fiction Award: Heather Courtney, Where Soldiers Come From

[Guest EXPAT]

Here is a link for a printable ballot for the Oscars tonight.

http://www.moviefone.com/oscars-academy-awards/nominee-winner/printable-ballot