85th Oscars

It's the conclusion of the awards season, the 85th Oscars. It certainly has been a wild and unpredictable awards season. Will we see any twists and turns, any massive upsets? Well, we will see Sunday night. Here we go, my Oscars predictions, including dark horses, including a brief intro of each best picture nominee.

Best Short Film (Live Action):

'Asad'

'Buzkashi Boys'

'Curfew'

'Death Of A Shadow (Dood Van Een Schaduw)'

'Henry'

Winner: 'Asad', A boy from a poor somali village has to decide between a life of piracy or as a fishermen. This seems like the type of short film that will get noticed at the Oscars. However, look for 'Curfew', a touching film in its own right, as a dark horse.

Amour:

A moving foreign film from Austria on an elderly couple dealing with mortality, Amour.

Best Short Film (Animated):

'Adam And Dog'

'Fresh Guacamole'

'Head Over Heels'

'Maggie Simpson in "The Longest Daycare"'

'Paperman'

Winner: 'Paperman', A moving love story by Walt Disney, along with its style of animation, should give 'Paperman' the Oscar. Look for "The Longest Daycare" as a spoiler, a very well received 'Simpsons' short film.

Best Visual Effects:

'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'

'Life of Pi'

'Marvel's The Avengers'

'Prometheus'

'Snow White and The Huntsman'

Winner: 'Life of Pi', As 'Avatar' did a few years ago, 'Life of Pi' revolutionized visual effects. It should take the Oscar. 'The Avengers' could also be a dark horse here, with its grand finale.

Argo:

The declassified story of a highly improbable exfiltration of six embassy workers in Iran, Argo.

Best Sound Mixing:

'Argo'

'Les Miserables'

'Life of Pi'

'Lincoln'

'Skyfall'

Winner: 'Les Miserables', With its revolutionary style of putting musicals on the big screen, it should take this Oscar. Of course, you can't count out 'Argo' here.

Best Sound Editing:

'Argo'

'Django Unchained'

'Life of Pi'

'Skyfall'

'Zero Dark Thirty'

Winner: 'Zero Dark Thirty', Once seen as a hot commodity during the awards season, I don't think 'Zero Dark Thirty' will go home empty handed. Just as with Sound Mixing, you can't count out 'Argo' here.

Beasts of The Southern Wild:

A young girl faced with a great catastrophe threatening her small community, Beasts of The Southern Wild.

Best Cinematography:

'Anna Karenina'

'Django Uncahined'

'Life of Pi'

'Lincoln'

'Skyfall'

Winner: 'Life of Pi' Should have a good haul with the visual awards, so it should take this Oscar. Don't count out 'Lincoln' though, with its life-like qualities of taking the audience into the 1860s.

Best Film Editing:

'Argo'

'Life of Pi'

'Lincoln'

'Silver Linings Playbook'

'Zero Dark Thirty'

Winner: 'Argo', This could begin the tidal-wave Sunday night for 'Argo'. It was incredibly well edited, with a nice quick pace. Watch for 'Life of Pi as well here, with it's editing during the scenes where it's just Pi and Richard Parker on the open waters.

Django Unchained:

An epic western about a freed slave looking for his wife, along with a little revenge, Django Unchained

Best Production Design:

'Anna Karenina'

'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'

'Les Miserables'

'Life of Pi'

'Lincoln'

Winner: 'Life of Pi', With a grand production design on a fantastic scale, this Oscar should go to 'Life of Pi'. 'Les Miserables' could also take this, putting this stage musical onto the big screen.

Best Makeup & Hairstyling:

'Hitchcock'

'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'

'Les Miserables'

Winner: 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey', The styling used for the dwarves is more than enough for 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' to take the Oscar in this limited field. As for a dark horse, watch for 'Les Miserables'.

Les Miserables:

The grand musical found its way onto the big screen, a time of struggle and survival, Les Miserables

Best Documentary (Short):

'Inocente'

'Kings Point'

'Mondays at Racine'

'Open Heart'

'Redemption'

Winner: 'Open Heart', A moving short on eight Rwandan children leaving their families to receive life saving open heart surgery, this seems like a good bet to take the Oscar. Also, watch for 'Redemption', a story about recyclers in NYC recycling for a living, also an eye opening short that may also get the Oscars attention.

Best Documentary:

'5 Broken Cameras'

'The Gatekeepers'

'How To Survive A Plague'

'The Invisible War'

'Searching For Sugar Man'

Winner: 'Searching For Sugar Man', A unique documentary that introduces the world to a legendary folk hero in the musician known as Rodriguez, this seems like the popular bet to take the Oscar. For a dark horse, watch for 'The Invisible War', a documentary about the undocumented sexual assaults and rapes in the U.S military, along with the cover-ups involved.

Life of Pi:

The story of Pi, a 16yr old boy who went on a daunting, and spiritual journey with a "tiger", Life of Pi

Best Original Score:

'Anna Karenina'

'Argo'

'Life of Pi'

'Lincoln'

'Skyfall'

Winner: 'Life of Pi', A moving musical score by Mychael Danna, 'Life of Pi' should take this Oscar. Of course, you can't count out John Williams and his score for 'Lincoln'.

Best Original Song:

"Before My Time" from 'Chasing Ice'

"Everybody Needs A Best Friend" from 'Ted'

"Pi's Lullaby" from 'Life of Pi'

"Skyfall" from 'Skyfall'

"Suddenly" from 'Les Miserables'

Winner: "Skyfall" from 'Skyfall', This one is pretty much a guarantee. The awards success will continue for Adele. If there's any upset, look for "Suddenly" to be the one to do it, the other best known song besides "Skyfall" in this group.

Lincoln:

A President struggling with a divided country and a divided congress, Lincoln

Best Costume Design:

'Anna Karenina'

'Les Miserables'

'Lincoln'

'Mirror Mirror'

'Snow White and The Huntsman'

Winner: 'Anna Karenina', A period British piece, this Oscar was made for 'Anna Karenina'. However, watch for 'Lincoln' to pull off an upset here with its design accurately depicting and sending the audience into a troubled time in the United States' past.

Best Adapted Screenplay:

'Argo'

'Beasts of The Southern Wild'

'Life of Pi'

'Lincoln'

'Silver Linings Playbook'

Winner: 'Argo', A great screenplay that makes 'Argo' really come to life, it should take the Oscar. For an upset, don't look for 'Lincoln', but look for the much hyped indie film by David O. Russell, 'Silver Linings Playbook' to take it.

Best Original Screenplay:

'Amour'

'Django Unchained'

'Flight'

'Moonrise Kingdom'

'Zero Dark Thirty'

Winner: 'Django Unchained', Quentin Tarantino strikes again with 'Django Unchained', it should take this Oscar. However, look for 'Zero Dark Thirty' as a dark horse.

Silver Linings Playbook:

Life isn't always fair, but after losing his wife, his house and his job, Pat had to find himself, Silver Linings Playbook

Best Foreign Film:

'Amour' (Austria)

'Kon-Tiki' (Norway)

'No' (Chile)

'A Royal Affair' (Denmark)

'War Witch' (Canada)

Winner: 'Amour' (Austria), This seems like a shoe-in. However, don't forget that 'Pan's Labryinth' was also a favorite, so look for 'Kon-Tiki' for an upset if there is one.

Best Animated Feature Film:

'Brave'

'Frankenweenie'

'ParaNorman'

'The Pirates! Band of Misfits'

'Wreck-It Ralph'

Winner: 'Brave', One of the bigger toss-ups at the Oscars, I'm going with 'Brave' here, with its grand animation and moving musical score. Don't count out 'Wreck-It Ralph' though.

Zero Dark Thirty:

One of the greatest missions of all-time that occurred after years of searching and despair, Zero Dark Thirty

Best Supporting Actress:

Amy Adams, 'The Master'

Sally Field, 'Lincoln'

Anne Hathaway, 'Les Miserables'

Helen Hunt, 'The Sessions'

Jacki Weaver, 'Silver Linings Playbook'

Winner: Anne Hathaway, 'Les Miserables', This seems like another guarantee, with how awards season has gone, this Oscar should go to Anne Hathaway. If there's an upset, then look for Sally Field and her lively portrayal of Mary-Todd Lincoln.

Best Supporting Actor:

Alan Arkin, 'Argo'

Robert De Niro, 'Silver Linings Playbook'

Phillip Seymour Hoffman, 'The Master'

Tommy Lee Jones, 'Lincoln'

Christoph Waltz, 'Django Unchained'

Winner: Christoph Waltz, 'Django Unchained', Another category that's up for grabs, I'm going with character actor Christoph Waltz. He really made 'Django Unchained' come alive and brought humor to an epic western. In reality, anyone could take this Oscar and it wouldn't surprise me. I have a feeling the Oscars could also honor Robert De Niro here.

Best Actress:

Jessica Chastain, 'Zero Dark Thirty'

Jennifer Lawrence, 'Silver Linings Playbook'

Emmanuelle Riva, 'Amour'

Quvenzhané Wallis, 'Beasts of The Southern Wild'

Naomi Watts, 'The Impossible'

Winner: Jennifer Lawrence, 'Silver Linings Playbook', A diverse field of nominees, this Oscar will go to Jennifer Lawrence. The young Jennifer Lawrence is quickly moving into the Hollywood elite, with her other Oscar nomination previously coming in 'Winter's Bone'. If there's an upset, look for Jessica Chastain's role as the vigilant CIA agent in 'Zero Dark Thirty'.

Best Actor:

Bradley Cooper, 'Silver Linings Playbook'

Daniel Day-Lewis, 'Lincoln'

Hugh Jackman, 'Les Miserables'

Joaquin Phoneix, 'The Master'

Denzel Washington, 'Flight'

Winner: Daniel Day-Lewis, 'Lincoln', This is another guarantee. Daniel Day-Lewis is getting this Oscar, one of the greatest actors of modern time. Lewis really made President Lincoln come alive again. There won't be an upset. If there is somehow an upset, I would look for Bradley Cooper, but it would be one of the biggest Oscars upsets in history. It isn't happening, give Daniel Day-Lewis his much deserved Oscar.

Best Director:

Michael Haneke, 'Amour'

Benh Zeitlin, 'Beasts of The Southern Wild'

Ang Lee, 'Life of Pi'

Steven Spielberg, 'Lincoln'

David O. Russell, 'Silver Linings Playbook'

Winner: Steven Spielberg, 'Lincoln', Spielberg returns to the winner's circle in a controversial field that doesn't include Ben Affleck or Kathryn Bigelow. Since 'Lincoln' has been falling from grace a bit during the awards season thus far, I think Spielberg and 'Lincoln' gets noticed here. For a dark horse, look for Ang Lee, and his great transition in somehow taking 'Life of Pi' onto the big screen.

Best Picture:

'Amour'

'Argo'

'Beasts of The Southern Wild'

'Django Unchained'

'Les Miserables'

'Life of Pi'

'Lincoln'

'Silver Linings Playbook'

'Zero Dark Thirty'

Winner: 'Argo', Once seen as being done as a Best Picture contender when the Oscars nominations were released, 'Argo' has risen from the ashes, and will take Best Picture despite Ben Affleck being snubbed for a best director nomination. A unique film that sheds light on a wild scheme to save six Americans running from the American embassy in Iran, 'Argo' not only will it win, but it should win. If there's an upset, look for 'Life of Pi', a grand spectacle that could pull it off.