Open Thread: Oscar 85 Begins Today--Yes, 85! (10/1/11)

I realize that many people are just beginning to do their predictions for the 84th Oscar race, but today is October 1, the day when the 85th Oscar race (2012-2013 awards season) officially begins for three categories: The Animated Shorts, The Live Action Shorts, and the Foreign Language race!

I hope to do an update for each of these categories in the next month or so, but in honor of the beginning of the season, I thought I would open this up for an Open Thread.

My blogger stats say that I’ve had visitors to this blog from 99 countries--which is just short of 100. And I’m betting that each of you has better film contacts in your nation or region than I do. So I’d like to ask: Have you heard of any upcoming films from your country that should be on my radar for next year? Have a favorite home-grown director that has been working on a new project? Let me know in the comments, and they may become an early front-runner in my next predictions!

Similarly, I know that there are many short filmmakers who read this blog, and that very often it is hard to get publicity out about your films. Let me know what you’re working on, and you might just find a new fan! Have an idea of what is being submitted to film festivals over the next year? Let me know that as well.

Got a prediction for another category? Let me know that too.

Here’s to another 85 years!

See predictions for other categories at the 85th Oscars HERE.
Switch to another year: 84th,  85th,  86th,  87th,  88th,  89th

Open Thread: Is It Ever Too Early To Make Oscar Predictions?

In doing research, I have found many different interpretations of when Oscar predictions should begin.  As you know from the name of this blog, my philosophy is that it is Never Too Early. But I’m curious to learn what my readers think, and I thought it might make for an interesting open thread this weekend.

When is the appropriate time to begin Oscar predictions?

After an actor/director/writer/producer says “I’m thinking of pitching a film about...”
After a script makes the Black List.
After a studio picks up a film.
After a film is listed on IMDB or similar sites.
After a director has been attached.
After major casting is completed.
After shooting has begun.
After shooting has wrapped.
After a distributor has been secured.
After a tentative release date is set.
After the trailer is released.
After a film gets scheduled for a film festival.
After a film plays at a film festival.
After a film is released in theaters.
After the critics have weighed in.
After you have personally seen the movie.
After the shortlists are announced.
After the precursors and guilds have spoken.
After the nominees have been announced.
The morning of the Oscar ceremony.

Let me know what you think in the comments. And Happy Weekend!

Open Thread: Is A Billion Dollars What It Used To Be?

I've been thinking about this question for a while after seeing it reported on various other blogs, and I haven't come up with an answer, so I thought it might make for a fun Open Thread to put this out for reader suggestions.

I've been trying to think more about statistics and historical trends as I do my predictions, and while some of us might wish that artistry alone was the main factor in the Oscar race, movies are also about business, and that means money.  According to Box Office Mojo, all of the top ten worldwide grossing films have been nominated in at least one category, and all of the films that have reached one billion in worldwide gross have won at least one Oscar.

Which brings us to the newest addition to that club: Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. It currently clocks in at number 7 on the all time list, with $1,023,860,479 and rising (since it is still in theaters).  I have it on the long lists for most of the technical categories, and yet, try as I might, I haven't been able to bring myself to put it into any of my nomination lists, much less give it a win.

As a disclaimer, I haven't actually seen the movie (and given it's box office numbers, I must be the only one!).  This is mostly because it got poor critic reviews in terms of story, and since I had missed several of the other films in the franchise I just didn't bother.

But since many of my readers have probably seen it, I put the question to you: Which category will it be nominated in?  Which category will it win in? Or will this be the movie that breaks the statistics and tells us that a billion dollars simply isn't what it used to be?

Open Thread: What Do You Like Most (Or Least)?

I most likely won't be able to post any new predictions today, so I thought this might be a good day to post an open thread and learn something about my readers.

I'm wondering what things you like most about this blog. (Presuming that you like it at all!) Specifically, what interests you about what I'm doing here, and what keeps you coming back to check me out.

Here are a few questions to help get you started:

Are you only interested in the current year's predictions, or do you like that I try to do predictions for future years (currently through 2017!)?

Are you only interested in the "BIG" awards (best picture, director, acting categories), or are you glad that I try my hand at the lesser known categories like shorts, documentaries, foreign language, song, etc.?

Do you find that you only read the top of the list to get the five or ten nominees, or do you enjoy reading all the way to the bottom to see who the long shots are all the way to number 50?

Do you like that my blog is mostly just the lists themselves, or would you prefer more commentary, discussions and open threads like this?

Do you think I am close to being correct with my predictions, or do you find yourself laughing at how "wrong" you think I am? (It's ok, you can tell me!)

Do you use these lists when deciding what movies you might like to see, or are you just a predictions addict (like me!) who would read no matter what?

And regardless of which of these things you like the most (or least), THANK YOU for checking out my little blog!

A long weekend means it’s time for an Open Thread!

I most likely won’t be able to post any new predictions this weekend, so hopefully the four new sets that I posted today can hold you over. I will, however, have the ability to check comments, so this seemed like a perfect time to have an open thread.

Feel free to introduce yourself. Tell me what you like (or don’t like) about this blog. Which predictions do you think I’m getting right or wrong? Which movies haven’t I noticed that I should?

One thing that I have been particularly thrilled about is that people are actually looking at the “Genre Category” page, where I make predictions for animated films, documentaries, foreign language and shorts. I’ve always been somewhat surprised that other Oscar prediction sites often leave these categories off of their lists, and I’m glad to see that there are other people like me who are interested in these categories!

Which makes me think that some of my readers may have great suggestions for these categories based on the films you have seen. For the folks outside the United States: What films are currently showing or hotly anticipated in your nation or region that might be contestants for Best Foreign Language film? I know that there were several from Cannes that will be appearing on my next set of predictions, but maybe there are others out there that you’ve heard of.

Or maybe you love documentaries, or attended Hot Docs in Toronto?

Or maybe you’ve heard about a new short film in the making that the media hasn’t begun covering yet?

I’d love to hear about any and all of these!

Send Me Your Suggestions (Open Thread)

I like to leave an open thread up every once in a while to give all my readers a chance to weigh in.

Use this open thread to tell me how you think I'm doing in the various races, what categories you think I’m most accurate in, what films I should be paying more attention to, ways I can improve this blog, or anything else you’d like to say. (Hey, that’s what an Open Thread is for!)

Send Me Your Suggestions (Open Thread)

Today I updated predictions for several of the Genre categories (Animated Short, Live Action Short, Documentary Short, Documentary Feature and Foreign Language).

Use this open thread to tell me how you think I did in these races.

Or in any of the other categories or years I’ve predicted.

Or about ways I can improve this blog.

Or anything else you’d like to say. (Hey, that’s what an Open Thread is for!)

Send Me Your Suggestions (Open Thread)

Each day that I make changes to the site, I post the Open Thread as the last one chronologically, and thus the first one that you see here at the top. This gives you, my readers, a chance to tell me which movies I’ve missed.

I try to do my own research to make this page timely and interesting, but there is undoubtedly a film or performance that I haven’t heard of yet, so please do chime in!

I’m anticipating that my next set of posts may be a list of live action and animated shorts, so if any of my readers have tips on those topics, I’d truly appreciate it!

Send Me Your Suggestions (Open Thread) 4/7/11

I’m not sure if I have any readers yet, but I would like to begin a tradition of posting an Open Thread at the top of this blog every time I’ve made changes. This gives you my readers a chance to tell me which movies I’ve missed.

I try to do my own research to make this page timely and interesting, but there is undoubtedly a film or performance that I haven’t heard of yet, so please do chime in!