Eimer's 2016 Academy Awards Picks

This past year, I felt very fortunate. This past year, I’ve been able to hit the movie theater a good bit more. This past year, I've even seen some of those movies with my wife and kids - especially in the fall when the Oscar Bait gets released.

That said, here are my picks for the upcoming Academy Award nominated movies. Hopefully, I'll be able to check out more in the weeks leading up to the Feb. 18 date.

Also, if you're on Twitter, why not give my One Sentence Movie Reviews some love?

BEST PICTURE

The Big Short
Bridge of Spies

Brooklyn
Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant

Room

Spotlight

Eimer Note: I loved Room, Big Short, Mad Max and The Martian. I want the Revenant to win. Haven’t seen the rest … yet. But something just tells me that Spotlight is going to win.

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Bryan Cranston, Trumbo
Matt Damon, The Martian

Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant

Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs

Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl

Eimer Note: This is the year of the Leo. He should have won one for What’s Eating Gilbert Grape a looooong time ago. Never too late though, right?

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Cate Blanchett, Carol
Brie Larson, Room
Jennifer Lawrence, Joy

Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years

Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn

Eimer Note: I thought Brie Larson’s performance was fantastic. I really felt that she was the character. I dare any mom to watch this movie and not cry.

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Christian Bale, The Big Short
Tom Hardy, The Revenant

Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight
Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies

Sylvester Stallone, Creed

Eimer Note: I loved Tom Hardy in Mad Max and Revenant. But, I'm going with Sly. It seems like everyone wants him to win this one. So, sure, I'll hop on the Italian Stallion bandwagon. 

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight

Rooney Mara, Carol
Rachel McAdams, Spotlight
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl

Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

Eimer Note: My gut is going with Jason Leigh in this. No really reason, just a feeling. Plus, I haven't seen any of the other performances.

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

Anomalisa
Boy and the World
Inside Out
Shaun the Sheep Movie

When Marnie Was There

Eimer Note: I’m surprised Pete and Pixar team didn’t get nominated for Best Picture.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Carol
The Hateful Eight

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Revenant
Sicario

Eimer Note: Haven't seen Carol, but the rest of these movies were beautiful. Revenant was just outstandingly beautiful. Revenant cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki has won the past two years for Gravity and Birdman. He's on a roll!

COSTUME DESIGN

Carol
Cinderella
The Danish Girl
Mad Max: Fury Road The Revenant

Eimer Note: After watching this film in the theater, my wife and I were talking and we had a feeling that the costume design crew had an orgasm when they found out they were going to be working on this movie.

DIRECTING

The Big Short
Mad Max: Fury Road

The Revenant
Room
Spotlight

Eimer Note: Only John Ford (40 & 41) and Joseph Mankiewicz (49 & 50) have won back-to-back Directing Oscars in the history of the Academy Awards. I'm pretty sure Inarritu is going to be the third.

DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)

Amy
Cartel Land
The Look of Silence
What Happened, Miss Simone?
Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom

Eimer Note: I think it’s a toss-up between Amy, Cartel Land and The Look of Silence. I chose Cartel Land just because it won an award from the Director’s Guild. Haven’t seen it, but looking forward to checking it out.

DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)

Body Team 12
Chau, beyond the Lines
Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah A

Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness

Last Day of Freedom

Eimer Note: I haven’t seen any of these shorts, but I think I’ll go with Last Day of Freedom.

FILM EDITING

The Big Short
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Spotlight
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Eimer Note: With so many different high-octane scenes, and so much damn action, you have to give the award to Max Max, right? Right?

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Embrace of the Serpent Mustang
Son of Saul
Theeb

A War

Eimer Note: Haven’t seen it, but I’m hearing some pretty fantastic things from first-time director Laszlo Nemes.

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Mad Max: Fury Road
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared
The Revenant

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)

Bridge of Spies

Carol
The Hateful Eight

Sicario

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Eimer Note: Did you know Ennio Morricone's unused score for the John Carpenter's The Thing ended up being the chosen score for The Hateful Eight? Yep! Isn't ironic that Kurt Russell was also in both films?

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)

“Earned It,” Fifty Shades of Grey
“Manta Ray,” Racing Extinction
“Simple Song #3,” Youth
“Til It Happens To You,” The Hunting Ground

“Writing’s On The Wall,” Spectre

Eimer Note: I'm convinced that all ‘Bond’ songs win this category. I'm wrong. But, I'm still going to pick it to win this year. 

PRODUCTION DESIGN

Bridge of Spies
The Danish Girl
Mad Max: Fury Road 

The Martian
The Revenant

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)

Bear Story
Prologue
Sanjay’s Super Team
We Can’t Live without Cosmos

World of Tomorrow

Eimer Note: You can watch World of Tomorrow on Netflix right now. It’s short (duh) and freaky awesome.

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)

Ave Maria
Day One
Everything Will Be Okay

(Alles Wird Gut) Shok
Stutterer

Eimer Note: Again, taking a stab with Ave Maria ... because I love the song?

SOUND EDITING

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian
The Revenant
Sicario

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Eimer Note: Man, this is a tough category. Maybe the Academy will spread the wealth an give it Star Wars, although Sicario, Mad Max, Revenent and Martian deserve some respect as well. Screw it, going with Star Wars.

SOUND MIXING

Bridge of Spies
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

VISUAL EFFECTS

Ex Machina
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Eimer Note: Will Ex-Machina get some love? That Revenant bear was pretty damn impressive, though. Eh, let’s do Star Wars … just because.

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)

The Big Short

Brooklyn

Carol
The Martian

Room

Eimer Note: The Big Short was smart, witty and so fucking awesome with the dialogue. Going with Charles Randolph and Adam McKay on this one.

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)

Bridge of Spies
Ex Machina
Inside Out
Spotlight
Straight Outta Compton

Eimer Note: Ex Machina was my favorite movie from last year, but I’m going with Spotlight on this. And, from what I hear, the dialogues was so well written.

That's it! See you on Monday or Tuesday after the Oscars for a post mortem.