Monday, March 08, 2010

2010 Oscar Birdbath Results

I posted a bit yesterday about my Annual Oscar Birdbath... and so, as promised, the results. Well, I'm a bit embarassed... I won. Not a commanding win, mind you - I got sixteen correct (out of 24) and FOUR 2nd place finishers each got fifteen correct! They are:
  • Elizabeth Arneson (oh-so-patient & loving wife of Erik Arneson, my friend who runs the About.com/Board Games site)
  • Gigi Johnson (who was nice to me back in high school & not just because her sister & I share the same birthday)
  • Margaret Kellar (1/4 of the much-missed Kellar clan... her husband was our worship/youth pastor here at NewLife)
  • Susan Rozmiarek (Ed & Susan are gamers, friends, and - sadly - Aggies)

Congratulations also go to the two 3rd place finishers (with 14 correct)... Bob Trezise & Keith Monaghan.

Here are the final scores...
  • 16 - Mark Jackson
  • 15 - Elizabeth Arneson, Gigi Johnson, Margaret Kellar, Susan Rozmiarek
  • 14 - Bob Trezise, Keith Monaghan
  • 12 - the "collective mind", Erik Arneson, Jeff Monaghan, Rebecca Becknal
  • 11 - Jason Bullion
  • 10 - Greg Thatcher, J. Hunter, Josh Bussell, Shane Oakley
  • 9 - Crystal Bussell
  • 8 - Jennifer Collier Madon, Wayne Hansen
  • 7 - Ray Mulford
  • 5 - Jim Christiansen, Joe Huber
  • 4 - Darrell
  • 3 - Tony
Our predictions as a "collective mind" were OK if not spectacular... 12 correct.
  • BEST PICTURE: The Hurt Locker (we picked Avatar)
  • BEST DIRECTOR: Katheryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker (we picked James Cameron)
  • BEST ACTOR: Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart) - correct!
  • BEST ACTRESS: Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side) - correct!
  • BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Basterds) - correct!
  • BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Mo'Nique (Precious) - correct!
  • ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: The Hurt Locker (we picked Inglorious Basterds)
  • ADAPATED SCREENPLAY: Precious - correct!
  • CINEMATOGRAPHY: Avatar - correct!
  • FILM EDITING: The Hurt Locker (we picked Avatar)
  • ART DIRECTION: Avatar - correct!
  • COSTUME DESIGN: The Young Victoria (we picked Nine)
  • ACHIEVEMENT IN ORIGINAL MUSIC: Up - correct!
  • BEST ORIGINAL SONG: "The Weary Kind" (Crazy Heart) - correct!
  • ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP: Star Trek - correct!
  • ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING: The Hurt Locker (we picked Avatar OR Star Trek)
  • ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND MIXING: The Hurt Locker (we picked Avatar)
  • ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS: Avatar - correct!
  • BEST ANIMNATED FEATURE: Up - correct!
  • BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: El Secreto de Sus Ojos - Argentina (we picked Das weisse Band - Germany OR Un prophète - France)
  • BEST DOCUMENTARY: The Cove (we picked Food, Inc.)
  • BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT: Music by Prudence (we picked The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant)... btw, Jason Bullion was the only one to get this one correct!
  • BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT: The New Tenants (we picked Miracle Fish)
  • BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM: Logorama (we picked A Matter of Loaf & Death)... NONE of us got this correct!

And some final thoughts on the Oscar ceremony and a couple of the films:

  • The category explanations were much more concise & "spot on" than in previous years... and the lame jokes by presenters were kept to a minimum - thank you.
  • Hollywood, if you're listening, John Lasseter told you the secret to making great films during his short film introduction blurb. Hint: it's not the tools.
  • Ben Stiller is to Oscar night as John Ratzenberger is to Pixar films.
  • The dual host thing worked OK - not bad but not great.
  • Please don't waste Neil Patrick Harris again - if you're going to let him sing, turn him loose in something besides a Vegas showgirls number.
  • Didn't listen to the majority of the acceptance speeches thanks to Tivo - probably missed a good moment or two but also missed a lot of dreck.
  • What was up with George Clooney? Who put a thumbtack in his chair?
  • I guess I need to see "The Hurt Locker" now. And "Avatar."
  • The memorial for John Hughes was very classy... thanks, Academy. "The Breakfast Club" is still one of the best films ever about the social dynamics & rabid insecurities of high school.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

You haven't seen Avatar? You're that guy -- we've been wondering where you are.

Mark (aka pastor guy) said...

Dang! They've spotted. The blue CGI people are coming to get me!

Bob Trezise said...

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM: Logorama (we picked A Matter of Loaf & Death)... NONE of us got this correct!
Like any of us were going to bet against Wallace & Gromit!
Was so dissapointed that "Up in the Air" didn't get Adapted Screenplay. Heard an interview with the book author who enjoyed the changes. He knows there is a big difference in the media, and so the story has to be different.

Mark (aka pastor guy) said...

I'm w/you, Bob - though the W&G feature film wasn't as good, the shorts are delightful. (They show Shaun the Sheep shorts on the Disney Channel which are very cute, btw.)

When the official title of your film is "Precious Adapted From The Novel Push By Sapphire", it would seem that you'd be hard to beat for Adapted Screenplay.