No matter what some people say, it’s never too early to start looking ahead. Last year, Oscar Frenzy correctly predicted two of the five Best Picture nominees a year in advance. Based on a variety of factors, we selected “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and “The Reader.” We’re especially proud of “The Reader,” as that was a film that wasn’t on a lot of people’s radars. Also, in the acting categories, we accurately predicted Kate Winslet, although we thought she would be nominated for “Revolutionary Road (which she should have),” as opposed to “The Reader.”

So now we…
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11:53: Slumdog fulfills its destiny by capturing the biggest prize of them all, best picture. The film goes home with eight trophies tonight. What an improbable journey for a small movie. It is also the first Best Picture win for small studio Fox Searchlight. Congratulations!

It was a very entertaining show overall. Hugh Jackman certainly surpassed expectations. There also were not a lot of big surprises. All in all a fun night. Thanks tuning in.

And, if you’re curious, Oscar Frenzy finished 19 out of 24.

11:43: Sean Penn wins for Milk. That’s somewhat unexpected. Sean Penn did completely immerse himself into the…
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After much deliberation, we are pleased to present our 2009 Oscar Predictions in all categories. Enjoy.

Best Picture – Slumdog Millionaire

Best Director – Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Actor – Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Best Actress – Kate Winslet, The Reader

Best Supporting Actor – Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

Best Supporting Actress – Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Original Screenplay – In Bruges

Best Adapted Screenplay – Slumdog Millionaire

Foreign Language Film – The Class

Documentary Feature – Man on Wire

Animated Film – Wall-E…
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Just a quick note to remind everyone that for the fourth straight year, Oscar Frenzy will be running live commentary throughout the ceremony as the awards are handed out. Tune in to check out who gave the coolest speeches, who scored the biggest upsets, and how the newly revamped show, starring first-timer Hugh Jackman, fared as a whole. Our live blog should be up and running shortly before 5:30 PST.

Sometime tomorrow morning, Oscar Frenzy will post its official predictions for the 2009 Academy Awards. This has certainly been an interesting year and there are many categories which are very close. Let’s take a look at some of the most compelling storylines as we creep up to the big ceremony.

1. Will Slumdog sweep the Oscars?

The last time it happened was in 2003, when LOTR: Return of the King went an amazing 11 for 11 on Oscar night. Many experts are forecasting a similar outcome, but there are a few things to keep in mind. The Return…
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Slumdog Millionaire is a very good film, and at this point virtually assured of winning Best Picture. It may even sweep the awards as many are predicting. A Slumdog win would be widely celebrated for many reasons. First of all, it sheds light on the tragic conditions in the Indian slums and raises the world’s awareness. Secondly, it is an inspiration to filmmakers to continue pursuing their passion projects. As most people know by now, there was a time when Slumdog could not even find a distributor. Nobody thought the public would embrace a film about orphans growing up in…
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Well, it’s T-minus a week to the big show, and we’re hard at work finalizing our predictions in all the categories. As always, there are many categories up in the air, and many fierce battles between two worthy contenders. Yes, the Best Picture race is practically a done deal. Slumdog Millionaire has exceeded everyone’s expectations, including our own, and swept all the Guild awards. It’s the most dominating force in recent memory since Return of the King. The big question now is how many statutettes it will amass on Sunday night. In recent years, no one film has won more…
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Revolutionary Road is a story about two selfish, miserable people who make terrible choices in life, yell and fight at each other for no good reason, hang out with other stupid, miserable people, and somehow think to themselves that they are special in some delusional way. Why would anyone want to actually watch this?

The film tries, and miserably fails, at making the story about something deeper. You are supposed to believe that these characters are trapped, that it is our society that is the problem. That people just can’t be happy because there are so many rules and…
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The Reader is another moody, depressing independent film (the same director as the The Hours) with method acting (Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes). Stir in a Holocaust backdrop and beloved, recently deceased insiders Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack as producers, and you have yourself an Academy-nominated Best Picture. No matter how many Heath Ledger or Clint Eastwood movies have their good china out.

The biggest problem with the film lies with the main character’s choices and motivations. The climax in the film will have many audience members scratching their heads, but not necessarily for moral purposes. If you’re into soft…
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