2015 Oscar Predictions

Ultra5280's picks for this year's Academy Award Winners

Yes, we admit, this is not the full list. But we've hit the major categories for you. Enjoy! 

Best Picture Nominees
“American Sniper”
“Birdman”
“Boyhood”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“The Imitation Game”
“Selma”
“The Theory of Everything”
“Whiplash”

Will Win: "Birdman"
Should Win: "Boyhood"
Dark Horse: "American Sniper"

Actor in a Leading Role Nominees
Steve Carell, “Foxcatcher”
Bradley Cooper, “American Sniper”
Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Imitation Game”
Michael Keaton, “Birdman”
Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything"

Will Win: Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything"
Should Win: Michael Keaton, "Birdman"
Dark  Horse: Bradley Cooper, “American Sniper”

Actress in a Leading Role Nominees 
Marion Cotillard, “Two Days, One Night”
Felicity Jones, “The Theory of Everything”
Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”
Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”
Reese Witherspoon, “Wild”

Will Win: Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”
Should Win: Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”
Dark Horse: Reese Witherspoon, “Wild”

Actor in a Supporting Role Nominees
Robert Duvall, “The Judge”
Ethan Hawke, “Boyhood”
Edward Norton, “Birdman”
Mark Ruffalo, “Foxcatcher”
J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash"

Will Win: J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash"
Should Win: J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash"
Dark  Horse: Mark Ruffalo, “Foxcatcher”

Actress in a Supporting Role Nominees
Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
Laura Dern, “Wild”
Emma Stone, “Birdman”
Keira Knightley, “The Imitation Game”
Meryl Streep, “Into the Woods”

Will Win: Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
Should Win: Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
Dark  Horse: Meryl Streep, “Into the Woods”

Directing Nominees
Alejandro Gonzåles Iñårritu, “Birdman”
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
Bennett Miller, “Foxcatcher”
Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Morten Tyldum, “The Imitation Game” 

Will Win: Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
Should Win: Alejandro Gonzåles Iñårritu, “Birdman”
Dark  Horse: Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”

Writing – Adapted Screenplay Nominees
Jason Hall, “American Sniper”
Graham Moore, “The Imitation Game”
Paul Thomas Anderson, “Inherent Vice”
Anthony McCarten, “The Theory of Everything”
Damien Chazelle, “Whiplash”

Will Win: Damien Chazelle, “Whiplash”
Should Win: Graham Moore, “The Imitation Game”
Dark  Horse: Jason Hall, “American Sniper”

Writing – Original Screenplay Nominees 
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo, “Birdman”
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman, “Foxcatcher”
Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Dan Gilroy, “Nightcrawler”

Will Win: Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Should Win: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo, “Birdman” 
Dark  Horse: E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman, “Foxcatcher”

Animated Feature Film Nominees
“Big Hero 6”
“The Boxtrolls”
“How to Train Your Dragon 2”
“Song of the Sea”
“The Tale of the Princess Kaguya”

Will Win: “How to Train Your Dragon 2”
Should Win: “Big Hero 6”
Dark  Horse: “Song of the Sea”

Cinematography Nominees
Emmanuel Lubezki, “Birdman”
Robert D. Yeoman, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lynzewski, “Ida”
Dick Pope, “Mr. Turner”
Roger Deakins, “Unbroken"

Will Win: Emmanuel Lubezki, “Birdman”
Should Win: Emmanuel Lubezki, “Birdman”
Dark  Horse: Roger Deakins, “Unbroken"

Costume Design Nominees
Milena Canonero, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Mark Bridges, “Inherent Vice”
Colleen Atwood, “Into the Woods”
Anna B. Sheppard, “Maleficent”
Jacqueline Durran, “Mr. Turner”

Will Win: Milena Canonero, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Should Win: Milena Canonero, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Dark  Horse: Jacqueline Durran, “Mr. Turner”

Documentary Feature Nominees
“Citizenfour”
“Last Days in Vietnam”
“Virunga”
“The Salt of the Earth”
“Finding Vivian Maier”

Will Win: “Citizenfour”
Should Win: “Citizenfour”
Dark  Horse: “Virunga”

Film Editing Nominees
Joel Cox and Gary Roach, “American Sniper”
Sandra Adair, “Boyhood”
Barney Pilling, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
William Goldenberg, “The Imitation Game”
Tom Cross, “Whiplash”

Will Win: Tom Cross, “Whiplash”
Should Win: Tom Cross, “Whiplash”
Dark  Horse: Joel Cox and Gary Roach, “American Sniper”

Foreign Language Film Nominees 
“Ida”
“Leviathan”
“Tangerines”
“Wild Tales”
“Timbuktu”

Will Win: “Wild Tales”
Should Win: “Leviathan”
Dark  Horse: “Ida”

Music – Original Score Nominees
Alexandre Desplat, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Alexandre Desplat, “The Imitation Game”
Hans Zimmer, “Interstellar”
Gary Yershon, “Mr Turner”
Johann Johannsson, “The Theory of Everything”

Will Win: Alexandre Desplat, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Should Win: Alexandre Desplat, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Dark  Horse: Hans Zimmer, “Interstellar”

Music – Original Song Nominees
“Everything Is Awesome” by Shawn Patterson, “The LEGO Movie”
“Glory” by Common and John Legend, “Selma”
“Grateful,” by Diana Warren, “Beyond the lights”
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” by Glen Campbell and Julian Raymond, “Glenn Campbell: I’ll Be Me”
“Lost Stars” by Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois, “Begin Again”

Will Win: “Glory” by Common and John Legend, “Selma”
Should Win: “Lost Stars” by Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois, “Begin Again”
Dark  Horse: “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” by Glen Campbell and Julian Raymond, “Glenn Campbell: I’ll Be Me”

Production Design Nominees
“The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Production design: Adam Stockhausen, Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
“The Imitation Game,” Production design: Maria Djurkovic, Set Decoration: Tatiana Macdonald
“Interstellar,” Production design: Nathan Crowley, Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
“Into the Woods,” Production design: Dennis Gassner, Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
“Mr. Turner,” Production design: Suzie Davies, Set Decoration: Charlotte Watts

Will Win: “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Production design: Adam Stockhausen, Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
Should Win: “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Production design: Adam Stockhausen, Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
Dark  Horse: “Mr. Turner,” Production design: Suzie Davies, Set Decoration: Charlotte Watts

Sound Editing Nominees
“American Sniper,” Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman
“Birdman,” Martin Hermandez and Aaron Glascock
“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” Brent Burge and Jason Canovas
“Interstellar,” Richard King
“Unbroken,” Becky Sullivan and Andrew Decristofaro

Will Win: “American Sniper,” Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman
Should Win: “American Sniper,” Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman
Dark  Horse: “Interstellar,” Richard King

Sound Mixing Nominees
“American Sniper,” John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff and Walt Martin
“Birdman,” Jon Taylor, Frank A Montano and Thomas Varga
Mark Weingarten, “Interstellar,” Garry A. Rizzo, Gregg Landaker and Mark Weingarten
“Unbroken,” Jon Taylor, Frank A Montano and David Lee
”Whiplash,” Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins and Thomas Curley

Will Win: ”Whiplash,” Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins and Thomas Curley
Should Win: ”Whiplash,” Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins and Thomas Curley
Dark  Horse: “American Sniper,” John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff and Walt Martin

Visual Effects Nominees
“Captain America: Winter Soldier,” Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Bryan Grill and Dan Sudick
“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett and Erik Winquist
“Guardians of the Galaxy,” Stephanie Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner and Paul Corbould
“Interstellar,” Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter and Scott Fisher
“X-Men: Days of Future Past,” Richard Stammers, Lou Pecora, Tim Crosbie and Cameron Waldbauer

Will Win: “Interstellar,” Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter and Scott Fisher
Should Win: “Interstellar,” Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter and Scott Fisher
Dark  Horse: “Guardians of the Galaxy,” Stephanie Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner and Paul Corbould

 

Ultra5280's Best Films of 2014

This year in movies was an exciting one. From one of the most fun experiences to the most breathtaking and everything in between, this year was jam packed with amazing performances, wonderful scores, meticulous direction, and don't forget the snarky raccoon. Though the digital age seems to be encroaching on our movie going experience, my faith and commitment to film as a medium and the theater-going experience itself was reaffirmed. Counting the films at Austin Film Festival, I saw more than 40 films in theater's this year. Even still, as of this post, I've not seen Foxcatcher, Unbroken, American Sniper or Inherent Vice. I also missed Snowpiercer which was a dark horse favorite this year. I feel confident that all five of those movies will be among the best this year, with Foxcatcher and American Sniper most likely to show up around Oscar time. So without further ado, my top films of 2014 (in no particular order):

BIRDMAN

Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu
Written by Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolás Giacobone, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Armando Bo
Starring Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis, and Edward Norton

WHIPLASH

Written and Directed by Damien Chazelle
Starring Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons

INTERSTELLAR

Directed by Christopher Nolan
Written by Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan
Starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, and Jessica Chastain 

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

Directed by Wes Anderson
Written by Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness
Starring Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, and Jude Law

BOYHOOD

Written and Directed by Richard Linklater
Starring Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, and Ethan Hawke

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

Directed by James Gunn
Written by Nicole Perlman and James Gunn
Starring Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, and Dave Bautista

Honorable Mentions:
Fury
Rudderless
Edge of Tomorrow
The Lego Movie

 

Not a Beat Out of Place: A Review of WHIPLASH

This is a post by Ian Beavers, contributing writer and filmmaker from LA. 

J.K. Simmons (left) and Miles Teller (right).

Though not at the Austin Film Festival, WHIPLASH was released just last week in Denver and is playing exclusively at the Mayan Theatre on Broadway. 

I have an admission to make: I was a high school band kid. Please don’t judge me too harshly… We are, generally, a good people. Band meant a great deal to me during my high school career, so much so that I self-identified as a band geek when social circles came into play. It built within me a great love of music and art of all kinds, and is a major part of my so-called “origins story.”

Why am I taking this trip down memory lane at the very beginning of a movie review? Besides the obvious, admittedly selfish indulgence in nostalgia, I’m hoping to provide a little context in my rating of Damien Chazelle’s WHIPLASH, a film that has left me both infatuated and filled with self-doubt.

WHIPLASH follows Andrew Neyman (Miles Teller), a young drummer with vast potential, as he begins his stint at a world-renowned music conservatory. Very early on in this stage of his education, Andrew is discovered and ultimately challenged by a personal idol of sorts; Conductor Terrance Fletcher (J.K. Simmons). Yes. At first glance, this is very much one of those “small fish, big pond” kind of stories.

And, truth be told, if you watched this movie with an eye for that surface-level appearance, the story would give you exactly that. Little more than the trials and tribulations of a little fish as he works to find a place in a pond that turned out to be much bigger than he had expected. But as soon as you get beyond that surface-level thinking, you will immediately find that Chazelle, Teller, and Simmons have all worked remarkably hard to provide the audience with a message that’s been all but lost in this, the age of participation trophies… “There are no two words in the English language more harmful than ‘good job.’”

J.K. Simmons has been lauded for his performance here, and for good reason. His character is incredibly motivated (perhaps over-motivated) to spread the film’s thesis statement, and he acts as this brilliant villain/mentor hybrid that simply hasn’t been seen before… At least not in the capacity presented. And Simmons does an astonishing job at filling that role.

“There are no two words in the English language more harmful than ‘good job.’”

As a piece, WHIPLASH takes a long, hard look at the differences in the ideas of “people who are good at what they do,” and “people who are great at what they love.” A view where no one person is responsible for an individual’s success… It takes a measure of independent dedication, outside drive, and personal support to achieve greatness in it’s purest and most passionate form. To my eye, that “long hard look” is exactly what sets this film apart from all the other “little fish” stories, and is exactly what makes WHIPLASH worth your time.

This is, admittedly, is where my self-doubt comes in… The combination of personal nostalgia, lavish musical performance, and a resolute perspective on the trials and tribulations of “dreaming big” leave me with little choice in making any kind of “official” rating… It’s a must-see kind of movie. 9 out of 10. Two thumbs up. Five stars. Pick your poison. But I have been so fascinated, so enchanted by my experience in watching this movie, that I cannot rightfully claim to have had an impartial viewing experience. I saw a little too much of myself on that screen.

So I guess you’ll just have to go see it for yourself.