Oscar Nominations / Predictions
 

So the 87th Academy Award Nominations were released this morning and it's already consuming the http://www.musicbanter.com/media/266...seen-1486.html thread. I figure we ought to route that discussion into its own thread to avoid spamming that thread with pages of arguments and predictions rather than actual film reviews.

Make some predictons, rant about snubs, choose your personal favorites, worship Whiplash.
Here is the list:

Best Picture
“Birdman”
“Boyhood”
“Selma”
“The Theory of Everything”
“The Imitation Game”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“American Sniper”
“Whiplash”

Actress in a Leading Role
Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”
Felicity Jones, “The Theory of Everything”
Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”
Reese Witherspoon, “Wild”
Marion Cotillard, “Two Days One Night”

Actor in a Leading Role
Michael Keaton, “Birdman”
Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything”
Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Imitation Game”
Steve Carell, “Foxcatcher”
Bradley Cooper, “American Sniper”

Directing
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, “Birdman”
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Morten Tyldum, “The Imitation Game”
Bennett Miller, “Foxcatcher”

Actress in a Supporting Role
Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
Emma Stone, “Birdman”
Keira Knightley, “The Imitation Game”
Meryl Streep, “Into the Woods”
Laura Dern, “Wild”

Actor in a Supporting Role
J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”
Edward Norton, “Birdman”
Ethan Hawke, “Boyhood”
Mark Ruffalo, “Foxcatcher”
Robert Duvall, “The Judge”

Foreign Language Film
“Ida”
“Leviathan”
“Tangerines”
“Wild Tales”
“Timbuktu”

Writing – Adapted Screenplay
Graham Moore, “The Imitation Game”
Damien Chazelle, “Whiplash”
Anthony McCarten, “The Theory of Everything”
Jason Hall, “American Sniper”
Paul Thomas Anderson, “Inherent Vice”

Writing – Original Screenplay
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo, “Birdman”
Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Dan Gilroy, “Nightcrawler”
E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman, “Foxcatcher”

Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki, “Birdman”
Roger Deakins, “Unbroken”
Robert D. Yeoman, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Dick Pope, “Mr. Turner”
Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lynzewski, “Ida”

Music – Original Score
Hans Zimmer, “Interstellar”
Alexandre Desplat, “The Imitation Game”
Johann Johannsson, “The Theory of Everything”
Alexandre Desplat, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Gary Yershon, “Mr Turner”

Makeup and Hairstyling
“Foxcatcher”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Guardians of the Galaxy”

Costume Design
Colleen Atwood, “Into the Woods”
Anna B. Sheppard, “Maleficent”
Milena Canonero, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Jacqueline Durran, “Mr. Turner”
Mark Bridges, “Inherent Vice”

Music – Original Song
“Glory” by Common and John Legend, “Selma”
“Lost Stars” by Gregg Alexander, Danielle Brisebois, Nick Lashley and Nick Southwood, “Begin Again”
“Everything Is Awesome” by Shawn Patterson, “The LEGO Movie”
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” by Glen Campbell, “Glenn Campbell: I’ll Be Me”
“Grateful,” “Beyond the Lights”

Visual Effects
“Interstellar”
“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”
“Guardians of the Galaxy”
“Captain America: Winter Soldier”
“X-Men: Days of Future Past”

Documentary Short Subject
“Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1”
“Joanna”
“Our Curse”
“White Earth”
“The Reaper”

Documentary Feature
“Citizenfour”
“Last Days in Vietnam”
“Virunga”
“The Salt of the Earth”
“Finding Vivian Maier”

Film Editing
Sandra Adair, “Boyhood”
Tom Cross, “Whiplash”
William Goldenberg, “The Imitation Game”
Joel Cox and Gary Roach, “American Sniper”
Barney Pilling, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”

Sound Editing
“Interstellar”
“Unbroken”
“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies”
“American Sniper”
“Birdman”

Sound Mixing
Mark Weingarten, “Interstellar”
Thomas Curley, ”Whiplash”
“Unbroken”
“American Sniper”
“Birdman”

Production Design
“Into the Woods”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Interstellar”
“The Imitation Game”
“Mr. Turner”

Short Film – Live Action
“Boogaloo and Graham”
“Aya”
“Butterlamp”
“Parvenah”
“The Phone Call”

Short Film – Animated
“Feast”
“The Bigger Picture”
“A Single Life”
“The Dam Keeper”
“Me and My Moulton”

Animated Feature Film
“Big Hero 6”
“How to Train Your Dragon 2”
“The Boxtrolls”
“The Tale of the Princess Kaguya”
“Song of the Sea”

My (admittedly not so knowledgeable) picks*:

*Not who I think should win, but who I think will win.

Best Picture
“Boyhood”

Actress in a Leading Role
Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”

Actor in a Leading Role
Michael Keaton, “Birdman”

Directing
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”

Actress in a Supporting Role
Laura Dern, “Wild”

Actor in a Supporting Role
J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”

Foreign Language Film
“Ida”

Writing – Adapted Screenplay
Paul Thomas Anderson, “Inherent Vice”

Writing – Original Screenplay
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo, “Birdman”

Cinematography
Robert D. Yeoman, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”

Music – Original Score
Hans Zimmer, “Interstellar”

Makeup and Hairstyling
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”

Costume Design
Colleen Atwood, “Into the Woods”

Music – Original Song
“Everything Is Awesome” by Shawn Patterson, “The LEGO Movie”

Visual Effects
“Interstellar”

Documentary Short Subject
“Our Curse”

Documentary Feature
“Last Days in Vietnam”

Film Editing
Tom Cross, “Whiplash”

Sound Editing
“Interstellar”

Sound Mixing
Mark Weingarten, “Interstellar”

Production Design
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”

Short Film – Live Action
“Aya”

Short Film – Animated
“A Single Life”

Animated Feature Film
“How to Train Your Dragon 2”

My personal choices, not necessarily my predictions. Waiting until I've seen a few more before I start predicting winners.

Best Picture
“Whiplash”

Actress in a Leading Role
Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”

Actor in a Leading Role
Michael Keaton, “Birdman”

Directing
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, “Birdman”

Actress in a Supporting Role
Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”

Actor in a Supporting Role
J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”

Writing – Adapted Screenplay
Paul Thomas Anderson, “Inherent Vice”

Writing – Original Screenplay
Dan Gilroy, “Nightcrawler”

Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki, “Birdman”

Music – Original Score
Hans Zimmer, “Interstellar”

Makeup and Hairstyling
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”

Costume Design
Milena Canonero, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”

Visual Effects
“Interstellar”

Film Editing
Sandra Adair, “Boyhood”

Sound Editing
“Interstellar”

Sound Mixing
Thomas Curley, ”Whiplash”

Production Design
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”

Simmons can add the Critics Choice Award, which he won last night, to his mantle.

I think Simmons is a shoe in, which I'm perfectly happy with. The supporting categories are both incredibly strong this year. Except from Meryl Streep, who I think they'd nominate even if she stood still for a whole film.

I haven't seen all the films, but I'm fairly certain that Boyhood will get best picture. I've only seen two of those films so far though, and I liked Grand Budapest Hotel better. Boyhood was very well made but I think people rate it too highly. Still at least a 4/5 though.

I've stopped really caring about these awards. I'll always watch them but the outrage I used to feel when a film I like doesn't get recognition is gone. That being said, I'm glad Whiplash has been recognized with five nominations as it's my film of the year. I'm surprised that Gyllenhaal, The Lego Movie, the editing team for Birdman, and the sound mixing team from Fury got shafted...but whatya'gunnado.

So could someone explain to me what distinguishes one sound mixing team versus any other? Like in what way do I enjoy the movie more if the sound mixing is excellent as opposed to competent?

I'd say that sound quality is pretty important in a theatre setting.

It's really only dramatically noticeable in a theatre. Did you ever see Fury or Gravity in theatres? The sound becomes the focal point at times.