Visual effects finalists

“Australia”
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“Hellboy II: The Golden Army”
“Iron Man”
“Journey to the Center of the Earth”
“The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor”

ASC noms

Roger Deakins, Revolutionary Road and The Reader
Anthony Dod Mantle, Slumdog Millionaire (PGA, SAG, ASC)
Chris Menges, The Reader
Claudio Miranda,The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (PGA, SAG, ASC)
Wally Pfister, The Dark Knight (PGA, ASC)

WGA noms

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Burn After Reading, Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, Focus Features
Milk, Written by Dustin Lance Black, Focus Features
Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Written by Woody Allen, The Weinstein Company
The Visitor, Written by Tom McCarthy, Overture Films
The Wrestler, Written by Robert Siegel, Fox Searchlight Pictures

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Screenplay by Eric Roth; Screen Story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord; Based on the Short Story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures

The Dark Knight, Screenplay by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan; Story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer; Based on Characters Appearing in Comic Books Published by DC Comics; Batman Created by Bob Kane, Warner Bros. Pictures

Doubt, Screenplay by John Patrick Shanley, Based on his Stage Play, Miramax Films

Frost/Nixon, Screenplay by Peter Morgan, Based on his Stage Play, Universal Pictures

Slumdog Millionaire, Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy, Based on the Novel Q and A by Vikas Swarup, Fox Searchlight Pictures

Cinema Audio Society noms

For Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for 2008 are:

Motion Pictures:
THE DARK KNIGHT
Ed Novick
Lora Hirschberg
Gary A. Rizzo

IRON MAN
Mark Ulano, CAS
Christopher Boyes
Lora Hirschberg

QUANTUM OF SOLACE
Chris Munro, CAS
Mike Prestwood Smith
Mark Taylor

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Resul Pookutty
Ian Tapp
Richard Pryke

WALL-E
Tom Myers
Michael Semanick, CAS

DGA noms

David Fincher, Benjamin Button
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight
Gus Van Sant, Milk

Critics Choice winners

Best Comedy Movie: Tropic Thunder
Best Acting Ensemble: Milk
Best Young Actor/Actress: Dev Patel
Best Writer: Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
Best Action Film: The Dark Knight
Best Composer: A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire
Best Song: Bruce Springsteen, The Wrestler
Best Documentary: Man On Wire
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Best Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet, The Reader
Best Foreign Language Film: Waltz With Bashir
Best Animated Feature: WALL·E
Best Movie Made for TV: John Adams
Best Actress: tie!!
Meryl Streep, Doubt; Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Best Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Best Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire

Art Directors Guild noms

Period Films

CHANGELING
Production Designer: James J. Murakami
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Production Designer: Donald Graham Burt
DOUBT
Production Designer: David Gropman
FROST/NIXON
Production Designer: Michael Corenblith
MILK
Production Designer: Bill Groom

More after the cut.
Fantasy Films

THE DARK KNIGHT
Production Designer: Nathan Crowley
INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
Production Designer: Guy Hendrix Dyas
IRON MAN
Production Designer: J. Michael Riva
THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES
Production Designer: James Bissell
WALL E
Production Designer: Ralph Eggleston

Contemporary Films

BURN AFTER READING
Production Designer: Jess Gonchor
GRAN TORINO
Production Designer: James J. Murakami
QUANTUM OF SOLACE
Production Designer: Dennis Gassner
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Production Designer: Mark Digby
THE WRESTLER
Production Designer: Timothy Grimes

Golden Globe winners

• Best Picture, Drama: Slumdog Millionaire
• Best Picture, Comedy Musical: Vicky Cristina Barcelona
• Best Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
• Best Actor, Drama: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
• Best Actress, Drama: Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road
• Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
• Best Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet, The Reader
• Best Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy: Slumdog Millionaire
• Best Foreign Language Film: Waltz With Bashir
• Best Animated Feature: WALL·E
• Best Actor, Musical/Comedy: Colin Farrell
• Best Actress, Musical/Comedy: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
• Best Original Score: A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millonaire
• Best Original Song: Bruce Springsteen, The Wrestler
• Cecil B. DeMille Award: Steven Spielberg

ACE Eddie Awards

NOMINEES FOR 59TH ANNUAL ACE EDDIE AWARDS

BEST EDITED FEATURE FILM (DRAMATIC):
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Angus Wall & Kirk Baxter

The Dark Knight
Lee Smith, A.C.E.

Frost/Nixon
Mike Hill, A.C.E. & Dan Hanley, A.C.E.

Milk
Elliot Graham

Slumdog Millionaire
Chris Dickens

More after the cut.

BEST EDITED FEATURE FILM (COMEDY OR MUSICAL):
In Bruges
Jon Gregory, A.C.E.

Mama Mia
Leslie Walker

Tropic Thunder
Greg Hayden

Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Alisa Lepselter

WALL-E
Stephen Schaffer

Foreign Language Film short list

Austria, “Revanche” (Gotz Spielmann, director)
Canada, “The Necessities of Life” (Benoit Pilon, director)
France, “The Class” (Laurent Cantet, director)
Germany, “The Baader Meinhof Complex” (Uli Edel, director)
Israel, “Waltz with Bashir” (Ari Folman, director)
Japan, “Departures” (Yojiro Takita, director)
Mexico, “Tear This Heart Out” (Roberto Sneider, director)
Sweden, “Everlasting Moments” (Jan Troell, director)
Turkey, “3 Monkeys” (Nuri Bilge Ceylan, director)

Costume designers guild noms

Excellence in period film:

• Deborah Hopper for “Changeling”
• Jacqueline West for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
• Michael O’Connor for “The Duchess”
• Danny Glicker for “Milk”
• Albert Wolsky for “Revolutionary Road”

Excellence in contemporary film:

• Laura Jean Shannon and Rebecca Bentjen for “Iron Man”
• Ann Roth for “Mamma Mia!”
• Patricia Field for “Sex and the City”
• Suttirat Larlarb for “Slumdog Millionaire”
• Amy Westcott for “The Wrestler”

Excellence in fantasy film:

• Isis Mussenden for “Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”
• Lindy Hemming for “The Dark Knight”
• Sanja Milkovic Hays for ” The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor”

SAG noms

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
RICHARD JENKINS / Walter Vale - “THE VISITOR” (Overture Films)
FRANK LANGELLA / Richard Nixon - “FROST/NIXON” (Universal Pictures)
SEAN PENN / Harvey Milk - “MILK” (Focus Features)
BRAD PITT / Benjamin Button - “THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON” (Paramount Pictures)
MICKEY ROURKE / Randy - “THE WRESTLER” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
ANNE HATHAWAY / Kym - “RACHEL GETTING MARRIED” (Sony Pictures Classics)
ANGELINA JOLIE / Christine Collins - “CHANGELING” (Universal Pictures)
MELISSA LEO / Ray Eddy - “FROZEN RIVER” (Sony Pictures Classics)
MERYL STREEP / Sister Aloysius Beauvier - “DOUBT” (Miramax Films)
KATE WINSLET / April Wheeler - “REVOLUTIONARY ROAD” (Paramount Vantage)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
JOSH BROLIN / Dan White - “MILK” (Focus Features)
ROBERT DOWNEY, JR. / Kirk Lazarus - “TROPIC THUNDER” (Paramount Pictures)
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN / Father Brendan Flynn - “DOUBT” (Miramax Films)
HEATH LEDGER / Joker - “THE DARK KNIGHT” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
DEV PATEL / Older Jamal - “SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
AMY ADAMS / Sister James - “DOUBT” (Miramax Flms)
PENÉLOPE CRUZ / Maria Elena - “VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA” (The Weinstein Company)
VIOLA DAVIS / Mrs. Miller - “DOUBT” (Miramax Films)
TARAJI P. HENSON / Queenie - “THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON” (Paramount Pictures)
KATE WINSLET / Hanna Schmitz - “THE READER” (The Weinstein Company)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
DOUBT (Miramax)
FROST/NIXON (Universal Pictures)
MILK (Focus Features)
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (Paramount Pictures)

Golden Globe noms

Best Picture, Drama
Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Picture Comedy/Musical
Burn After Reading
Happy Go Lucky
In Bruges
Mamma Mia
Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Director
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry, The Reader
David Fincher, Ben Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Sam Mendes, Revolutionary Road

Actor, Drama
Leo DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Actress, Drama
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Joie, Changeling
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kristin Scott Thomas, I’ve Loved you So Long
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road

Supporting Actor
Tom Cruise, Tropic Thunder
Robert Downey Jr. Tropic Thunder
Ralph Fiennes, The Duchess
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Kate Winslet, The Reader

Actor, Comedy
Javier Bardem, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Colin Farrel, In Bruges
James Franco, Pineapple Express
Brendan Gleason, In Bruges
Dustin Hoffman Last Chance Harvey

Actress, Comedy
Rebecca Hall, Vicky Cristina
Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Frances McDormand, Burn After Reading
Meryl Streep, Mamma Mia
Emma Thompson, Last Chance Harvey

Foreign Language Film
The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany)
Everlasting Moments (Sweden)
Gomorrah (Italy)
I’ve Loved You So Long
Waltz with Bashir

Animated Feature
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
Wall-E

Screenplay
Slumdog Millionaire
The Reader
Frost/Nixon
Benjamin Button
Doubt

Score
Benjamin Button
Changeling
Defiance
Slumdog Millionaire
Frost/Nixon

Song
Down to Earth, Wall-E
Gran Torino
I thought I Lost You, Bolt
Once in a Lifetime, Cadillac Record
The Wrestler, The Wrestler

Critics Choice reactions

I haven't given up on Revolutionary Road. I am surprised that it was completely snubbed which is very odd. I think we will have to wait and see atleast the Golden Globe and SAG noms. Critics Choice awards used to be very good indicator on Academy Awards but last year wasn't so good (Into the Wild). Therefore I don't think that game is over for Revolutionary Road just yet. AMPAS polls close 12 January and many things can still happen. However, somebody must show some love for Revolutionary Road in the near future. I think Globes will.

Anyway, Slumdog is in. Cate for leading is confirmed. Robert Downey Jr sounds good. But the Revolutionary Road thing must wait for now. If it isn't in there are spots to fill: Dev Petal for supporting and so on. I don't see Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie happening. And the Dark Knight for Best picture; really? I need to be convinced.

And how about The Reader? Apparently Critics liked it but is it too late for Ralph Fiennes to be nominated?

Critics Choice noms

NOMINEES FOR THE 14TH ANNUAL CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARDS

BEST PICTURE

Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Wall-E
The Wrestler

MORE

BEST ACTOR
Clint Eastwood - Gran Torino
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

BEST ACTRESS

Kate Beckinsale - Nothing But the Truth
Cate Blanchett - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Meryl Streep - Doubt

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey, Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
James Franco - Milk

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Vera Farmiga - Nothing But the Truth
Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler
Kate Winslet - The Reader

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Milk
Rachel Getting Married

BEST DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Christopher Nolan - The Dark Knight
Gus Van Sant - Milk

BEST WRITER (Original or Adapted Screenplay)
Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionaire
Dustin Lance Black - Milk
Peter Morgan - Frost/Nixon
Eric Roth - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
John Patrick Shanley - Doubt

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
Wall-E
Waltz With Bashir

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS (Under 21)
Dakota Fanning - The Secret Life of Bees
David Kross - The Reader
Dev Petal - Slumdog Millionaire
Brandon Walters - Australia

BEST ACTION MOVIE
The Dark Knight
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Iron Man
Quantum of Solace
Wanted

BEST COMEDY MOVIE
Burn After Reading
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Role Models
Tropic Thunder
Vicky Cristina Barcelona

BEST PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
John Adams
Recount
Coco Chanel

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
A Christmas Tale
Gomorrah
I’ve Loved You So Long
Let the Right One In
Mongol
Waltz With Bashir

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
I.O.U.S.A.
Man On Wire
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired
Standard Operating Procedure
Young At Heart

BEST SONG
“Another Way to Die” (performed by Jack White and Alicia Keys, written by Jack White) - Quantum of Solace
“Down to Earth” (performed by Peter Gabriel, written by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman) - Wall-E
“I Thought I Lost You” (performed Miley Cyrus and John Travolta, written by Miley Cyrus and Jeffrey Steele) - Bolt
“Jaiho” (performed by Sukhwinder Singh, written by A.R. Rahman and Gulzar) - Slumdog Millionaire
“The Wrestler” (performed by Bruce Springsteen, written by Bruce Springsteen) - The Wrestler

BEST COMPOSER
Alexandre Desp lat - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Clint Eastwood - Changeling
Danny Elfman - Milk
Hans Zimmer/James Newton Howard - The Dark Knight
A.R. Rahman - Slumdog Millionaire

National Board of Review

Awards for 2008:

Best Film

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Top Ten Films

(In alphabetical order) BURN AFTER READING, CHANGELING, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, THE DARK KNIGHT, DEFIANCE, FROST/NIXON, GRAN TORINO, MILK, WALL-E, THE WRESTLER

Best Foreign Language Film

MONGOL

Top Five Foreign Films

(In alphabetical order) THE EDGE OF HEAVEN, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, ROMAN DE GARE, A SECRET, WALTZ WITH BASHIR

Best Documentary

MAN ON WIRE

Top Five Documentaries

(In alphabetical order) AMERICAN TEEN, THE BETRAYAL (NERAKHOON), DEAR ZACHARY, ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD, ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED

Top Independent Films

(In alphabetical order) FROZEN RIVER, IN BRUGES, IN SEARCH OF A MIDNIGHT KISS, MR. FOE, RACHEL GETTING MARRIED, SNOW ANGELS, SON OF RAMBOW, WENDY AND LUCY, VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, THE VISITOR

Best Actor

CLINT EASTWOOD, Gran Torino

Best Actress

ANNE HATHAWAY, Rachel Getting Married

Best Supporting Actor

JOSH BROLIN, Milk

Best Supporting Actress

PENELOPE CRUZ, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Ensemble Cast

DOUBT

Breakthrough Performance by an Actor

DEV PATEL, Slumdog Millionaire

Breakthrough Performance by an Actress

VIOLA DAVIS, Doubt

Best Director

DAVID FINCHER, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Directorial Debut

COURTNEY HUNT, Frozen River

Best Adapted Screenplay

SIMON BEAUFOY, Slumdog Millionaire and ERIC ROTH, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Spotlight Award

MELISSA LEO, Frozen River and RICHARD JENKINS, The Visitor

Best Original Screenplay

NICK SCHENK, Gran Torino

Best Animated Feature

WALL-E

William K. Everson Award For Film History

MOLLY HASKELL and ANDREW SARRIS

The BVLGARI Award for NBR Freedom of Expression

TRUMBO

More ideas

I made a couple new updates. I need a couple more days with Slumdog Millionaire. I am convinced with Marisa Tomei (supporting) and almost with Cate Blanchett (leading). Directors are hard to tell as I am not convinced with the best pictures yet. Next week will tell us more; or it makes everything even more confusing.

More predictions

Ok, more new ideas: Kate Winslet for the double, Benjamin Button for Best Picture etc. I am still looking for a spot for Cate Blanchett (leading/supporting); how could she not get nominated this year? Every second year I get to keep my hopes up for Ralph Fiennes. Now I am keeping my fingers crossed for supporting actor in the Reader. Marisa Tomei seems to have good chances and so on.

New predictions updated

I updated some new predictions to get started. I have no visions for best picture and director yet but I am sure it will start to get clearer soon. Anyway, in three weeks nominations start to roll in (starting with Critics' Choice noms) and if I remember correctly other critic awards may be released even earlier.

New season, new tricks

Updates have been made for the new season (calendar and categories) and of course Heath.