As usual, I have no freakin’ clue about a lot of these traditionally difficult categories, but I’ve enlisted the help of the crowd (or, at least, this crowd) to get a few, admittedly arbitrary, clues.
SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
French Roast
Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty
The Lady and the Reaper
Logorama
A Matter of Loaf and Death
Will Win: A Matter of Loaf and Death
Should Win: A Matter of Loaf and Death
Three of the four times Nick Park has been nominated for this award, he’s won.
And with good reason. Even though this probably ranks about third in my enjoyment of Wallace and Gromit shorts, it’s still very funny.
SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
The Door
Instead of Abracadabra
Kavi
Miracle Fish
The New Tenants
Will Win: Kavi
Should Win: The New Tenants
Here’s where I have to rely on the crowd. Given their affinity for this, I have to guess that the Slumdog Millionaire vibe is expected to play a role in the voting.
Again, relying on a third party, but this guy at least thought The New Tenants was the best of the bunch and, hey, it’s got Vincent D’Onofrio and Kevin Corrigan, so why not?
DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
China’s Unnatural Disaster:The Tears of Sichuan Province
The Last Campaign of Governer Booth Gardener
The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
Music by Prudence
Rabbit a la Berlin
Will Win: The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
Should Win: Rabbit a la Berlin
It’s apparently a close race between China and GM, but my guess is the American-ness and timeliness of the topic will win out.
I have no idea about should, but a doc about rabbits living in between East and West Berlin while the Wall was still up sounds pretty fascinating.
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Burma VJ
The Cove
Food, Inc.
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellserg and the Pentagon Papers
Which Way Home
Will Win: The Cove
Should Win: Food, Inc.
If Anvil! The Story of Anvil had made the short list, this might be more of a fight, but minus that, no other doc has received the acclaim lavished upon The Cove. Besides, how can you say no to dolphins?
Both The Cove and Food, Inc. are must-sees, but the issues brought to light in Food, Inc. are more systemic and alarming to me, personally, than the (truly horrifying) plight of dolphins (and people, for that matter) in The Cove. In fact, you could make an argument that the slaughter depicted in The Cove is a symptom of the larger philosophy examined in Food, Inc., which puts humans and animals alike at great risk.
SOUND EDITING
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Up
Will Win: Avatar
Should Win: The Hurt Locker
Here’s the clearest answer I’ve ever heard about the difference between Sound Editing and Sound Mixing. Enjoy.
If it’s a technical award, it’s going to go to Avatar. Just get used to that.
The Hurt Locker recorded a lot of ambient sound and it’s used to gut-crunching effect in the film. When you make a film about bombs, sound matters.
SOUND MIXING
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Will Win: Avatar
Should Win: The Hurt Locker
If it’s a technical award…
Seriously, I feel like I could hear the sweat in that film.
In our next installment: Admit it. You hadn’t even heard of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus until now.
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