10. The Avengers (Best Original Song)
The Academy gets the Original Song category wrong all of the time. There are plenty of awesome songs that are released in films every year, and they never seem to get recognized. Look at the soundtracks to "Godzilla" and "Batman Forever". Those had some of the most amazing songs from any movie ever, and not a single one got nominated. Soundgarden wrote the perfect song for one of the best summer blockbuster of 2012, and got no recognition. It was also the first song they had recorded together since their 1996 album "Down on the Upside", and it was like they had not missed a step together. However, the Academy doesn't recognize awesome as a form of music, and nominated a bunch of less awesome songs instead. And that Adele song from "Skyfall". That song was awesome.
What Should Not Have Been Nominated: "Suddenly" from "Les Miserables". THIS SONG SUCKS! Like every other crappy song in this poor excuse for a movie musical!
What Should Win: "Skyfall" - Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth
What Will Probably Win: "Skyfall" - Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth
9. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Best Costume - Bo Buck, Ann Maskrey, & Richard Taylor)
For some reason, "The Hobbit" only has three nominations, and not one for costuming. "But, Paul," you say, "The original trilogy won enough Oscars for both of them. Peter Jackson doesn't need that many awards for the same series." And to you, I say, "Bah!" "The Hobbit" was a glorious return to Middle Earth, and every single one of those dwarves looked awesome! What is so special about the costuming in any of the other films nominated in this category that makes them better suited to win over "The Hobbit"?
What Should Not Have Been Nominated: I would take either of the miserable Snow White films out this category, because how the blue hell did they get nominated for anything in the first place?
What Should Win: Lincoln - Joanna Johnston
What Will Probably Win: Les Miserables - Paco Delgado
8. Skyfall (Best Supporting Actor - Javier Bardem)
I want to start out by saying that this could just as easily have been Judi Dench as M. However, Javier Bardem was even creepier in this film than he was in "No Country For Old Men", and gave the most nuanced performance from any Bond character in all 23 films. He played a former MI6 agent named Silva who was left on his own by M when he became a little to intense with his cyber capabilities His villain was so good, he reminded of Anthony Hopkins in "Silence of the Lambs". I mean, just look at that face. Those eyes. Give this man another nomination already!
What Should Not Have Been Nominated: Honestly, I can't take anyone out of this category, because they all did a great job. So, I'll just go with Alan Arkin in "Argo", because he impressed me the least, and he got his for "Little Miss Sunshine" a few years ago.
What Should Win: "Silver Linings Playbook" - Rober De Niro
What Will Probably Win: "Lincoln" - Tommy Lee Jones
7. Beasts of the Southern Wild: (Cinematography - Ben Richardson)
I am so thrilled that I don't have to put Quvenzhane Wallis' name on this list, because she was thankfully nominated for Best Actress. The Academy did overlook Ben Richardson for a well shot movie, and this was a downright mistake. "Beasts" was one the grimiest, grittiest, most well shot films of this year. Richardson and director Benh Zeitlin captured the very essence of "The Bathtub", and made the audience fell like they were part of the experience. Somehow (thankfully) Zeitlin got his due, and Richardson did not.
What Should Not Have Been Nominated: As well shot as it was, I'm going to say that Seamus McGarvey's work on "Anna Karenina" is one that could have been skipped.
What Should Win: "Lincoln" - Janusz Kaminski
What Will Probably Win: "Life of Pi" - Claudio Miranda
6. Django Unchained (Best Actor - Jamie Foxx)
"Django Unchained" may have been one of the single most entertaining films of the year, and every performance was better than the last. Where I could have, once again, put someone like Samuel L. Jackson on this list, for his hysterical turn as Stephen, I thought Foxx deserved a nod for a very quiet, and nuanced, performance as the the title character. He is cool, angry, and has a great character arc (from being a slave, to being an apprentice with morals about killing, to being a cold-blooded killer who will gun down an unarmed woman without batting an eye), and he handles each act with ease and style. Bright blue style!
What Should Not Have Been Nominated: How awful was Hugh Jackman in "Les Miserables"? He was almost as bad as Russell Crowe in "Les Miserables".
What Should Win: "Lincoln" - Daniel Day-Lewis
What Will Probably Win: "Lincoln" - Daniel Day-Lewis
5. Moonrise Kingdom (Best Original Score - Alexandre Desplat)
Most of the time I don't get lost in scores. They're there, and I can hear what they are trying to accomplish, but it takes a hell of a score to really get me to notice. There are possibly five films a year that really jump out at me with thier scores, and "Moonrise Kingdom" had the lightest, most fun of all of the music I had heard this year. Alexandre Desplat (who was very busy this year) matched this quirky Wes Anderson film's felling frame by frame with pure giddiness. There is even a great piece over the credits that could have been considered for Best Original Song.
What Should Not Have Been Nominated: Since Desplat was nominated for "Argo" instead, I would just switch the film, and keep the nod.
What Should Win: "Skyfall" - Thomas Newman
What Will Probably Win: "Life of Pi" - Mychael Danna
4. Looper (Bast Makeup and Hairstyling)
Sometimes there are things that should just happen. Things that, for no other reason than they just deserve it, should totally happen. I thought the makeup in "Looper" getting nominated was a no-brainer, and one of those things. Joseph Gordon-Levitt looked so much like Bruce Willis, it was jaw-dropping. There was even a montage of what his character, Joe, was up to during the span of time when the film takes place and the time Bruce Willis is from in which they slowly age Levitt into Willis, and the transition is perfect.
What Should Not Have Been Nominated: There were only three nominees, so nothing should have to be dropped. However, I would have dropped "Les Mis" anyway. That movie sucks.
What Should Win: "The Hobbit" - Peter King, Rick Findlater, & Tami Lane
What Will Probably Win: "Les Miserables" - Lisa Westcott & Julie Dartnell
3. Seven Psychopaths (Best Original Screenplay - Martin McDonagh)
The "original" screenplay category is easily my most hated category the Oscars has. It hardly ever rewards actual originality (this year's crop is better than most), and instead gives it to a really good film that was in no way original (I'm looking at you "Good Will Hunting"), or based off of a true story ("The King's Speech"). But, when a film with a little imagination or original thought comes about, it may get a nomination ("Memento", "Pan's Labyrinth") but it will almost always lose to a film like "Little Miss Sunshine" (still good, but not THAT original). "Seven Psychopaths" is the most hilarious, most original film of this year, but without proper campaigning, it failed to get any nominations including for its marvelously written script.
What Should Not Have Been Nominated: Every film nominated is on my best of 2012 list, and it is hard for me to pick, but I will pick "Zero Dark Thirty" because original screenplays based off of true stories always irk me.
What Should Win: "Moonrise Kingdom" - Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola
What Will Probably Win: Zero Dark Thirty - Mark Boal
2. Moonrise Kingdom (Best Picture)
Why does the Academy hate Wes Anderson? He has only been nominated for three Oscars, and lost two of them (he is nominated this year for Best Original Screenplay). Granted "Fantastic Mr. Fox" did lose to "Up", the film that made every human being cry in the first ten minutes. Nonetheless, he received no nominations for "Bottle Rocket" or "Rushmore", and only got a nod for screenplay for "The Royal Tenenbaums". All, if not just "Tenenbaums, should have gotten more nominations including Best Picture. Here we are again, and Anderson has created one of the best films of the year, and he is holding only one nomination. No director nod, no picture nod. Why does the Academy hate Wes Anderson?
What Should Not Have Been Nominated: "LES MISERABLES"!!!! Even with only nine nominations, this movie should never have been nominated.
What Should Win: "Lincoln"
What Will Probably Win: "Lincoln" (hopefully)
1. The Dark Knight Rises (Anything!)
Ok! As much as I love, love, LOVE this film, "anything" does not mean Best Picture. "The Dark Knight Rises" was great, but not as Best Picture worthy as as its predecessor, but come on! Not one nomination? Not one for Art/Set Direction? Bane's sewer hideout was breath-taking, and the court room was as surreal and messy as it needed to be. Not one for costuming? The costuming in this film was better than just about any other film this year, down to the jerseys and t-shirts made for the Gotham Rogues. Not one for Cinematography? Wally Pfister proved that he could make Batman work as much in the daylight, as he could in the dark. Not one for Sound Mixing or Editing? This is just the kind of film that generally gets put into these categories. Even "Transformers 2: Electric Boogaloo" even got nominated for Sound Mixing. Not one for editing? I can't really make a fair argument for this, except that it was well edited. Not one for Visual Effects? How cool was the Bat? Really?! Not one for Best Supporting Actor?! Gary Oldman gave Gordon so much range in this film, topping even the performance he gave in the last film! His first nomination ever was last year for "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy", and lost it to Jean Dujardin, a man who barely talked. Love it or hate it, there should not have been a lack of nominations for all of the things were agreeably great about this film.
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