OFFICIAL OSCAR PREDICTIONS!

Announced Tuesday morning at 8:30AM Eastern. No word yet on the co-announcer. I've got my fingers crossed for Catherine Zeta-Jones!

At this point, I'll state that the only category I'm confident in is Cinematography. I don't recall the Academy's preferential balloting system ever having such an impact as it will this year. I'm getting the feeling that something like The Bourne Ultimatum or Zodiac will surprise with 4-5 nominations including Best Picture. The techs have been especially crazy the past couple of years so don't be surprised if Across the Universe or 3:10 To Yuma push out some major contenders in those categories. But most odd about this season is the complete American guild snubbing of Atonement, which if there were any justice, would lead the nominations Tuesday morning. It was ignored by the WGA, SAG, PGA and DGA despite leading the Globes and BAFTA nominations. When it comes to Oscar predicting, it's best to remember this: hope for the best, predict the most mediocre.

But perhaps the most maddening of all is that 5th slot in Best Actress. I usually like to go 5/5 in Actress and Supp. Actress but I don't see that happening this year. I decided to stick with the SAG nominees, despite that Amy Adams, Nikki Blonsky, Keira Knightley or Laura Linney could show up in lead. While Kelly MacDonald, Samantha Morton, Jennifer Garner and Saoirse Ronan are ready to take out Keener and Dee in Supporting. I think my bravest prediction is Supp. Actor.

But anyway...

Good luck to everyone in contention!

I'll start with the techs!

Best Cinematography:
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Atonement - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - No Country for Old Men - There Will Be Blood

Best Film Editing:
The Bourne Ultimatum - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Michael Clayton - No Country for Old Men - There Will Be Blood

Best Original Score:
3:10 To Yuma - Atonement - Eastern Promises - The Kite Runner - Lust, Caution
(NOTE: This category was edited at 1/22 at 1:17AM after Darren saw that There Will Be Blood - as well as Into the Wild and Enchanted - was deemed ineligble for the category. It was replaced with Eastern Promises.)

Best Sound Mixing:
The Bourne Ultimatum - No Country for Old Men - Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - Sweeney Todd - Transformers

Best Sound Effects Editing:
300 - Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - Ratatouille - Spider-Man 3 - Transformers

Best Visual Effects:
The Golden Compass - Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End - Transformers

Best Art Direction:
Atonement - Elizabeth: The Golden Age - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Sweeney Todd - There Will Be Blood

Best Costume Design:
Atonement - Elizabeth: The Golden Age - Hairspray - La Vie En Rose - Sweeney Todd

Best Makeup:
300 - La Vie En Rose - Sweeney Todd

Best Original Song:
"Do You Feel Me" - American Gangster
"That's How You Know" - Enchanted
"Comes So Far (Got So Far to Go)" - Hairspray
"Guarenteed" - Into the Wild
"Falling Slowly" - Once

Best Animated Feature:
Persepolis - Ratatouille - The Simpsons Movie

And for fun...

Foreign Language Film:
The Year My Parents Went on Vacation - Beaufort - The Unknown - The Trap - 12

Documentary:
Body of War - Lake of Fire - No End In Sight - Sicko - Taxi to the Dark Side




And the Big 8:

Adapted Screenplay:
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Into the Wild - No Country for Old Men - There Will Be Blood - Zodiac

Original Screenplay:
Juno - Knocked Up - Lars and the Real Girl - Michael Clayton - Ratatouille

Best Supporting Actor:
Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men
Paul Dano - There Will Be Blood
Hal Holbrook - Into the Wild
Tommy Lee Jones - No Country for Old Men

Best Supporting Actress:
Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There
Ruby Dee - American Gangster
Catherine Keener - Into the Wild
Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton

Best Actor:
George Clooney - Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd
Ryan Gosling - Lars and the Real Girl
Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises

Best Actress:
Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie - Away From Her
Marion Cotillard - La Vie En Rose
Angelina Jolie - A Mighty Heart
Ellen Page - Juno

Best Directing:
Julian Schnabel - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Sean Penn - Into the Wild
Tony Gilroy - Michael Clayton
Ethan Coen & Joel Coen - No Country for Old Men
Paul Thomas Anderson - There Will Be Blood

BEST PICTURE:
THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
INTO THE WILD
MICHAEL CLAYTON
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
THERE WILL BE BLOOD