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Thursday, February 28, 2013

Oscar Predictions 2013: Round One

        Did you really think I'd stop talking about the Oscars just because, you know, they already happened? You must not know me very well. I'm never (never!) done talking Oscars, even if my picks were largely foiled this last Sunday. Yes, going 12/21 overall (and a shameful 3/8 in major categories) is nothing to write home about (especially when you went 15/21 and 7/8 just the year before), but four whole days have passed, and I'm ready to get back up on the horse. Welcome to the very most arbitrary article ever posted on a blog chuck-full of them: My Oscar picks from a whole year out.

Best Picture:
1. The Wolf of Wall Street
        Last year was easy. There was a Spielberg-Lincoln movie, an Osama bin Laden film, a Les Misérables flick, and more. 2013 won't be so easy to predict from this far out, so we'll take it nice and easy with the top slot. No, I don't really like Wolf's chances to take the top prize, its subject matter both slightly out-dated, and potentially not to the Academy's liking, but with Leonardo DiCaprio in front of the camera, and Martin Scorsese behind it, the movie's almost a lock for a nomination. The director hasn't had a late-year release get shut-out of the big race since 1999's Bringing Out the Dead... enough said.
2. The Monuments Men
        The Academy loves George Clooney, even scrounging up a screenplay nod for the guy on 2011's already-forgotten The Ides of March. The silver fox puts his director's cap on once more, this time with a juicy story about art history and Nazis, and a cast featuring the likes of Daniel Craig, Matt Damon, John Goodman, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, and Clooney himself. What's not to like?
3. Gravity
        The last time director Alfonso Cuarón and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki teamed up, they made the masterpiece Children of Men, and somehow walked home empty handed on Oscar sunday. What makes their 2013 offering different? This far out, it appears to be the year's grandest spectacle, a road recently taken to gold-man glory by the likes of Life of Pi, Hugo, and Avatar. Having a pair of Academy favorites in your leading roles (Sandra Bullock and George Clooney) doesn't hurt either.
4. The Counselor
        This is where these pre-nominations become tricky: If The Counselor works out, I'll immediately bump all the way up to the #1 slot. It's the screenwriting debut of unmatched modern literary genius Cormac McCarthy, features Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, Michael Fassbender, Cameron Diaz, and Penelope Cruz, and receives direction from over-due Ridley Scott. That said, it has to actually work out, and Scott's recent track record has been suspect at best.
5. Untitled David O. Russell Abscam Project
        Yeah, I know predicting a still-untitled movie to be a Best Picture nominee a mere year later is kind of crazy, but are you really going to bet against Russell after The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook? The guy is a straight-up prodigy when it comes to guiding actors, and with a line-up featuring Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Louis C.K., and his famed Linings pair of Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, betting on his flick is pretty easy.
6. Captain Phillips
        In nominating director Paul Greengrass for his otherwise ignored United 93, the Academy showed a clear liking for the helmer's intense, kinetic action. Phillips should prove more within their wheelhouse, relaying the true story of a Somali Pirate hijacking, and placing Tom Hanks front-and-center.
7. Nebraska
       Oscar loves Alexander Payne, and it's not difficult to see why. The guy makes films about families and mid-life crises that wring maximal emotional substance out of their familiar rhetoric. While the lead pairing of Bruce Dern and Will Forte might not read exactly like George Clooney and Jack Nicholson, the man's got a hell of a track record, and I'm not going to be the first to jump ship.
8. Inside Llewyn Davis
        Still can't decide if I have this one so high out of hope or faith. Judging on both synopsis and trailer, there's nothing about ILD that seems particularly Academy friendly, but the Coen Brothers' record speaks for itself. Three of their last four flicks have sat at the Best Picture table, excluding Burn After Reading (which arrived on the final year of five nominees), and including A Serious Man (a willfully esoteric effort that almost screamed, 'don't nominate me!'). One wonders if they're automatic invites at this point.
9. Fruitvale
          Yes, it's all unknowns, and yes, it's just a tiny Sundance flick, but if there's anything that the Best Picture category has made room for with its recent expansion, it's the, 'little movie that could.' 2012 saw Beasts of the Southern Wild ascend to prominence, The Tree of Life, The Artist, and Winter's Bone filling out analogous in recent years past. Unlike all the aforementioned films on this list, this one's already been seen, praised, and positioned for a run.
10. Before Midnight
        Like Fruitvale, the fact that this flick's already been witnessed and adored gives it a leg-up on other speculative options. It's sure to be the same walk-and-talk exercise as the previous two installments, but this trilogy has built up a boat-load of goodwill at this point. We'll see where it gets them.

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As of now, I am predicting these ten films to be nominated (I don't have some crazy math equation that helped me determine this number; these just seem like the ones). The following is where I rank the next movies in line.
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17. Serena
18. Trance
20. 

22. Mud
32. Lowlife
33. Diana
37. Elysium
38. Malvita
40. Rush

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Oscar Predictions 2012: Round Five (Final Predictions!)

Best Picture:
And the Nominees are...

Amour
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Les Misérables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty

         This one is usually a pretty easy call. Heck, most of the categories are usually easy calls... but not this year. Zero Dark Thirty roared out of the gate, winning the majority of critics' awards, capping Top 10 lists left and right. Then came nomination morning, an early session that saw director Kathryn Bigelow left off the list, completely damning her film's chances of winning the big one. Why am I so certain? Because in the entire history of the Academy Awards, only three films have ever won Best Picture without a Best Director nomination, most recently in 1990 (Driving Miss Daisy), all other examples reaching back to the 30's. These are the odds that are stacked against Argo, but you wouldn't know it by looking; the Ben Affleck potboiler has won every precursor under the sun, recognized by guilds maned by producers, directors, actors, screenwriters, and more. It's a hot streak that has just about everybody prognosticating in favor of the CIA thriller, but not me. Call me brave, or call me cowardly; I'm just not ready to jump ship on tradition. Give me Lincoln, both the film with the most, 'Academy-Friendly,' subject matter, and the movie with the most nominations. Silver Linings Playbook, Life of Pi, Amour, and Beasts of the Southern Wild register as contenders on varying levels due to their Best Director nominations.

Final Prediction: Lincoln
Next in Line: Argo
If Things Get Crazy: Silver Linings Playbook

Best Director:
And the Nominees are...
Michael Haneke---Amour
Ang Lee---Life of Pi
David O. Russell---Silver Linings Playbook
Steven Spielberg---Lincoln
Benh Zeitlin---Beasts of the Southern Wild

        First thing's first; Zeitlin's nomination was a wonderful, 'out-of-nowhere,' surprise, and we should be grateful for that, because the guy's got the chances of a snowball in hell. Ang Lee has been a fairly consistent figure through-out this year's award season, but Life of Pi almost feels like an afterthought at this point. That leaves a favorite (Spielberg, for reasons too obvious to explain), and a couple of underdogs. Russell's film is a crowd-pleaser of the finest caliber, and if they're feeling chipper (or just love great performances), he'll be the pick. Haneke, on the other hand, directs a film nearly stripped of all mirth, but he's a living legend among film buffs, and this feels like the best shot he'll ever have.

Final Prediction: Steven Spielberg---Lincoln
Next in Line: David O. Russell---Silver Linings Playbook
If Things Get Crazy: Michael Haneke---Amour

Best Actor:
And the Nominees are...
Bradley Cooper---Silver Linings Playbook
Daniel Day-Lewis---Lincoln 
Hugh Jackman---Les Misérables
Joaquin Phoenix---The Master
Denzel Washington---Flight 

        This year's Oscars will be full of intrigue, many a category completely up in the air, unpredictability abounding. So let's not waste our time on the tonight's most obvious race; I know who's going to win, you know who's going to win, let's move on.

Final Prediction: Daniel Day-Lewis---Lincoln
Next in Line: Bradley Cooper---Silver Linings Playbook
If Things Get Crazy: Hugh Jackman---Les Misérables

Best Actress:
And the Nominees are...
Jessica Chastain---Zero Dark Thirty
Jennifer Lawrence---Silver Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle Riva---Amour
Quvenzhané Wallis---Beasts of the Southern Wild
Naomi Watts---The Impossible

        One of the evening's toughest categories to call, I feel comfortable taking both Wallis and Watts off the table right away. After that, it's anyone's guess. Chastain has leftover goodwill from last year's nomination (The Help), and this might be Oscar's only real chance to give the film props in a major category. Lawrence won the SAG, which makes her difficult to bet against, but Riva's story (the oldest Best Actress nominee in history, whose birthday is... wait for it... TODAY!) and stunning performance still might win out.

Final Prediction: Jennifer Lawrence---Silver Linings Playbook
Next in Line: Emmanuelle Riva---Amour
If Things Get Crazy: Jessica Chastain---Zero Dark Thirty

Best Supporting Actor:
And the Nominees are:
Alan Arkin---Argo
Robert De Niro---Silver Linings Playbook
Philip Seymour Hoffman---The Master
Tommy Lee Jones---Lincoln
Christoph Waltz---Django Unchained

        And you thought Best Actress was a crap-shoot. This year's Best Supporting Actor field is literally the most wide-open acting category I've ever seen, all five contenders possessing a legitimate chance. Hoffman and Waltz have the most screen time, each delivering showy, memorable work in films that Oscar only kind of liked. Arkin, on the other hand, has the least exposure, but if Argo goes on a tear, watch out. De Niro must be tempting, an all-timer receiving his first nomination in two decades; handing him a third golden man on the same evening that Daniel Day-Lewis takes his home would be a great story. Still, I'm going Jones; his film seems like the won to beat, and the SAG win gives me faith.

Final Prediction: Tommy Lee Jones---Lincoln
Next in Line: Robert De Niro---Silver Linings Playbook
If Things Get Crazy: Christoph Waltz---Django Unchained (which reeeally wouldn't be that crazy)

Best Supporting Actress:
And the Nominees are...
Amy Adams---The Master
Sally Field---Lincoln
Anne Hathaway---Les Misérables
Helen Hunt---The Sessions
Jacki Weaver---Silver Linings Playbook

        This one has been Hathaway's to lose from the word, 'go,' so much so that I almost wonder if folks remembered to jot her name down, her film having lost serious momentum since the start of the season. Hunt's essentially a lead in her film, and her brave baring of flesh might keep her on voters' minds. Both Weaver and Field could get swept in if their respective movies start going on a rampage, Field especially. Congrats on your nomination, Adams, and enjoy the show.

Final Prediction: Anne Hathaway---Les Misérables
Next in Line: Sally Field---Lincoln
If Things Get Crazy: Helen Hunt---The Sessions (which would be kinda crazy)

Best Original Screenplay:
And the Nominees are...
Michael Haneke---Amour
Quentin Tarantino---Django Unchained
John Gatins---Flight
Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola---Moonrise Kingdom 
Mark Boal---Zero Dark Thirty

        Oh, Zero Dark Thirty all the way... but then again... Impressive as Boal's script is, Oscar has already shown favoritism to Amour, and this might be the easiest way to put a statue in Haneke's hand. Django is filled with Tarantino dialogue, which always means your hat is in the ring. Flight and Moonrise Kingdom are just happy for the invite.

Final Prediction: Mark Boal---Zero Dark Thirty
Next in Line: Michael Haneke---Amour
If Things Get Crazy: Quentin Tarantino---Django Unchained

Best Adapted Screenplay:
And the Nominees are...
Chris Terrio---Argo
Lucy Alibar, Benh Zeitlin---Beasts of the Southern Wild
David Magee---Life of Pi
Tony Kushner---Lincoln
David O. Russell---Silver Linings Playbook

        They might as well call this one Best Picture: Argo and Lincoln are going head-to-head, and smart money has the winner of this one also landing the evening's top honor. If any other movie has a chance of making a run, it's Silver Linings Playbook, so don't scratch Russell's name out just yet. Beasts and Pi wouldn't feel like such second-teir contenders most year's, but tonight's Adapted Screenplay field is croooowded.

Final Prediction: Tony Kushner---Lincoln
Next in Line: Chris Terrio---Argo
If Things Get Crazy: David O. Russell---Silver Linings Playbook

Best Animated Feature:
And the Nominees are...

Brave
Frankenweenie
ParaNorman
The Pirates! Band of Misfits
Wreck-It Ralph

Final Prediction: Wreck-It Ralph
Next in Line: Brave
If Things Get Crazy: ParaNorman

Best Foreign Feature:
And the Nominees are...

Amour
War Witch
No
A Royal Affair
Kon-Tiki

Final Prediction: Amour
Next in Line: A Royal Affair
If Things Get Crazy: No

Best Cinematography:
And the Nominees are...

Anna Karenina---Seamus McGarvey
Django Unchained---Robert Richardson
Life of Pi---Claudio Miranda
Lincoln---Janusz Kaminski
Skyfall---Roger Deakins

Final Prediction: Claudio Miranda---Life of Pi
Next in Line: Roger Deakins---Skyfall
If Things Get Crazy: Seamus McGarvey---Anna Karenina

Best Editing:
And the Nominees are...

Argo---William Goldenberg
Life of Pi---Tim Squyres
Lincoln---Michael Kahn
Silver Linings Playbook---Jay Cassidy and Crispin Struthers
Zero Dark Thirty---William Goldenberg and Dylan Tichenor

Final Prediction: Zero Dark Thirty---William Goldenberg and Dylan Tichenor
Next in Line: Argo---William Goldenberg
If Things Get Crazy: Lincoln---Michael Kahn

Best Production Design:
And the Nominees are...

Anna Karenina---Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey---Dan Hennah, Ra Vincent, and Simon Bright
Les Misérables---Eve Stewart and Anna Lynch-Robinson
Life of Pi---David Gropman and Anna Pinnock
Lincoln---Rick Carter and Jim Erickson

Final Prediction: Life of Pi---David Gropman and Anna Pinnock
Next in Line: Les Misérables---Eve Stewart and Anna Lynch-Robinson
If Things Get Crazy: Anna Karenina---Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer

Best Costume Design:
And the Nominees are...

Anna Karenina---Jacqueline Durran
Les Misérables---Paco Delgado
Lincoln---Joanna Johnston
Mirror Mirror---Eiko Ishioka
Snow White and the Huntsman---Colleen Atwood

Final Prediction: Anna Karenina---Jacqueline Durran
Next in Line: Mirror Mirror---Eiko Ishioka
If Things Get Crazy: Snow White and the Huntsman---Colleen Atwood

Best Make-Up and Hairstyling:
And the Nominees are...

Hitchcock---Howard Berger, Peter Montagna, and Martin Samuel
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey---Peter King, Rick Findlater, and Tami Lane
Les Misérables---Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell

Final Prediction: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey---Peter King, Rick Findlater, and Tami Lane
Next in Line: Les Misérables---Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell
If Things Get Crazy: Hitchcock---Howard Berger, Peter Montagna, and Martin Samuel

Best Original Score:
And the Nominees are...

Anna Karenina---Dario Marianelli
Argo---Alexandre Desplat
Life of Pi---Mychael Danna
Lincoln---John Williams
Skyfall---Thomas Newman

Final Prediction: Life of Pi---Mychael Danna
Next in Line: Argo---Alexandre Desplat
If Things Get Crazy: Anna Karenina---Dario Marianelli

Best Original Song:
And the Nominees are...

Chasing Ice---J. Ralph (Before My Time)
Les Misérables---Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg, and Herbert Kretzmer (Suddenly)
Life of Pi---Mychael Danna and Bombay Jayshree (Pi's Lullaby)
Skyfall---Adele and Paul Epworth (Skyfall)
Ted---Walter Murphy and Seth MacFarlane (Everybody Needs a Best Friend)

Final Prediction: Skyfall---Adele and Paul Epworth (Skyfall)
Next in Line: Les Misérables---Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg, and Herbert Kretzmer (Suddenly)
If Things Get Crazy: Ted---Walter Murphy and Seth MacFarlane (Everybody Needs a Best Friend)

Best Sound Mixing:
And the Nominees are...

Argo---John T. Reitz, Gregg Rudloff, and José Antonio García
Les Misérables---Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson, and Simon Hayes
Life of Pi---Ron Bartlett, Doug Hemphill, and Drew Kunin
Lincoln---Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom, and Ron Judkins
Skyfall---Scott Millan, Greg P. Russell, and Stuart Wilson

Final Prediction: Les Misérables---Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson, and Simon Hayes
Next in Line: Skyfall---Scott Millan, Greg P. Russell, and Stuart Wilson
If Things Get Crazy: Lincoln---Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom, and Ron Judkins

Best Sound Editing:
And the Nominees are...

Argo---Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn
Django Unchained---Wylie Stateman
Life of Pi---Eugene Gearty and Philip Stockton
Skyfall---Per Hallberg and Karen M. Baker
Zero Dark Thirty---Paul N.J. Ottosson

Final Prediction: Skyfall---Per Hallberg and Karen M. Baker
Next in Line: Life of Pi---Eugene Gearty and Philip Stockton
If Things Get Crazy: Argo---Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn

Best Visual Effects:
And the Nominees are...

The Avengers---Janek Sirrs, Jeff White, Guy Williams, and Daniel Sudick
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey---Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton, and R. Christopher White
Life of Pi---Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik De Boer, and Donald Elliott
Prometheus---Richard Stammers, Trevor Wood, Charley Henley, and Martin Hill
Snow White and the Huntsman---Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, Phil Brennan, Neil Corbould, and Michael Dawson

Final Prediction: Life of Pi---Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik De Boer, and Donald Elliott
Next in Line: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey---Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton, and R. Christopher White
If Things Get Crazy: The Avengers---Janek Sirrs, Jeff White, Guy Williams, and Daniel Sudick

Best Documentary:
And the Nominees are...

Five Broken Cameras
The Gatekeepers
How to Survive a Plague
The Invisible War
Searching for Sugar Man

Final Prediction: Searching for Sugar Man
Next in Line: How to Survive a Plague
If Things Get Crazy: The Gatekeepers



Hype Starts Here's Top 40 Movies of 2012:

Other End-of-2012 Movie Articles:
Oscar Recap
Early 2013 Predictions

Saturday, February 23, 2013

The Third Annual Elwyns Awards



        Hello, and welcome to the Third Annual Elwyns Awards, a ceremony (see: blog post) dedicated to celebrating the greatest accomplishments set to film during the past year. This is, of course, my personal chance to play god with the Oscars, righting what I perceive to be the Academy's wrongs, replacing them with my own glorious, irrefutable selections. Sounds cool, right? I knew you'd think so. Without further delay, The Elwyns:






***A Special thanks to my big sister, Brittany Elwyn, for helping me out with all of the lovely graphics featured below***

Best Picture:
And the Nominees are...
Amour
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Frankenweenie
Sliver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty

And the Collin goes to...
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Runner-Up: Zero Dark Thirty

Best Director:
And the Nominees are...
Kathryn Bigelow---Zero Dark Thirty
Christopher Nolan---The Dark Knight Rises
David O. Russell---Silver Linings Playbook
Quentin Tarantino---Django Unchained
Benh Zeitlin---Beasts of the Southern

And the Collin goes to...
Kathryn Bigelow---Zero Dark Thirty
Runner-Up: 
David O. Russell---Silver Linings Playbook and Benh Zeitlin---Beasts of the Southern Wild


Best Actor:
And the Nominees are...
Bradley Cooper---Silver Linings Playbook
John Hawkes---The Sessions
Joaquin Phoenix---The Master
Jean-Louis Trintignant---Amour
Denzel Washington---Flight

And the Collin goes to...
Joaquin Phoenix---The Master
Runner-Up: 






Jean-Louis Trintignant---Amour

Best Actress:
And the Nominees are...
Jessica Chastain---Zero Dark Thirty
Jennifer Lawrence---Silver Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle Riva---Amour
Quvenzhané Wallis---Beasts of the Southern Wild
Michelle Williams---Take This Waltz

And the Collin goes to...
Jessica Chastain---Zero Dark Thirty
Runner-Up: 
Quvenzhané Wallis---Beasts of the Southern Wild


Best Supporting Actor:
And the Nominees are...
Robert DeNiro---Silver Linings Playbook
Leonardo DiCaprio---Django Unchained
Dwight Henry---Beasts of the Southern Wild
Philip Seymour Hoffman---The Master
Matthew McConaughey---Killer Joe

And the Collin goes to...
Leonardo DiCaprio---Django Unchained
Runner-Up: Matthew McConaughey---Killer Joe

Best Supporting Actress:
And the Nominees are...
Amy Adams---The Master
Anne Hathaway---The Dark Knight Rises
Anne Hathaway---Les Misérables
Helen Hunt---The Sessions
Emma Watson---The Perks of Being a Wallflower

And the Collin goes to...
Anne Hathaway---Les Misérables
Runner-Up: 






Amy Adams---The Master

Best Ensamble:
And the Nominees are...
Django Unchained
Killer Joe
The Master
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty

And the Collin goes to...
Django Unchained
Runner-Up: Silver Linings Playbook and The Master

Best Original Screenplay:
And the Nominees are...
Michael Haneke---Amour
Nicholas Jarecki---Arbitrage
Quentin Tarantino---Django Unchained
John Gatins---Flight
Mark Boal---Zero Dark Thirty

And the Collin goes to...
Mark Boal---Zero Dark Thirty
Runner-Up: Michael Haneke---Amour

Best Adapted Screenplay:
And the Nominees are...
Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin---Beasts of the Southern Wild
John August---Frankenweenie
Joe Carnahan and Ian Mackenzie Jeffers---The Grey
Ben Lewin---The Sessions
David O. Russell---Silver Linings Playbook

And the Collin goes to...
David O. Russell---Silver Linings Playbook
Runner-Up: Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin---Beasts of the Southern Wild

Best Cinematography:
And the Nominees are...
Beasts of the Southern Wild
The Dark Knight Rises
The Grey
The Master
Zero Dark Thirty

And the Collin goes to...
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Runner-Up: The Master

Best Editing:
And the Nominees are...
Argo
The Dark Knight Rises
The Grey
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty

And the Collin Goes to...
Zero Dark Thirty
Runner-Up: Argo

Best Score:
And the Nominees are...
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Cloud Atlas
The Dark Knight Rises
Frankenweenie
The Master

And the Collin goes to...
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Runner-Up: 
The Master


Best Sound:
And the Nominees are...
Beasts of the Southern
Cloud Atlas
The Dark Knight Rises
Life of Pi
Zero Dark Thirty
And the Collin goes to...
The Dark Knight Rises
Runner-Up: Life of Pi

Best Production Design:
And the Nominees are...
The Amazing Spider-Man
Beasts of the Southern Wild
The Dark Knight
Django Unchained
The Master

And the Collin goes to...
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Runner-Up: The Master

Best Special Effects:
And the Nominees are...
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Dark Knight Rises
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Life of Pi
Prometheus

And the Collin goes to...
Life of Pi
Runner-Up: The Dark Knight Rises

Best Costume Design:
And the Nominees are...
Cloud Atlas
Django Unchained
Lincoln
The Master
Moonrise Kingdom

And the Collin goes to...
Django Unchained
Runner-Up: The Master

Best Make-Up:
And the Nominees are...
Cloud Atlas
The Dark Knight Rises
Django Unchained
The Grey
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

And the Collin goes to...
Django Unchained
Runner-Up: Cloud Atlas

Hype Starts Here's Top 40 Movies of 2012:

Other End-of-2012 Movie Articles:
Oscar Recap
Early 2013 Predictions