Because you care:

My Oscar Predictions (with out having seen 55% of the movies nominated.)

Best Motion Picture of the Year
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008):
Frost/Nixon (2008):
Milk (2008):
The Reader (2008):
Slumdog Millionaire (2008):

Should be: WallE - but its not nominated. So....
Should be: Milk – its really really solid. And timely. And important. Aka it should win this thing. But it wont because…
Will be: Slumdog millionaire – I like this film a lot. But I don’t really see it as the best picture of the year. Which means it will win, naturally.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Richard Jenkins for The Visitor (2007/I)
Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon (2008)
Sean Penn for Milk (2008)
Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler (2008)

Should be: Richard Jenkins – that film was marvelous. It was one of those films that my mom had to drag me to kicking and screaming, and yet once I actually watched it I looooved it. I want it to get some recognition.
Will be: Mickey Rourke – Though I cant really begrudge him this win. I do love a comeback story.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married (2008)
Angelina Jolie for Changeling (2008)
Melissa Leo for Frozen River (2008)
Meryl Streep for Doubt (2008/I)
Kate Winslet for The Reader (2008)

Confession time: I haven’t seen a single one of these movies.
Will be: Kate Winslet – its her year.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Josh Brolin for Milk (2008)
Robert Downey Jr. for Tropic Thunder (2008)
Philip Seymour Hoffman for Doubt (2008/I)
Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight (2008)
Michael Shannon for Revolutionary Road (2008)

Should be: Heath Ledger – he was the best part of that movie. No other actor in this category, Robert Downey Jr included, transformed himself so completely.
Will be: Heath Ledger – and its not because of his performance.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Amy Adams for Doubt (2008/I)
Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
Viola Davis for Doubt (2008/I)
Taraji P. Henson for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Marisa Tomei for The Wrestler (2008)

Should be: Taraji P. Henson – Okay, I haven’t seen the movie, but in everything else she’s been in she has been the best thing about it. I want her to be more famous than she is.
Will be: Marisa Tomei – Deservedly.

Best Achievement in Directing
Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Stephen Daldry for The Reader (2008)
David Fincher for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Ron Howard for Frost/Nixon (2008)
Gus Van Sant for Milk (2008)

Should be: Gus Van Sant – He did marvelous work with those actors.
Will be: Danny Boyle – I think Milk is going to get completely shut out. Which makes me sad.

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

Frozen River (2008): Courtney Hunt
Happy-Go-Lucky (2008): Mike Leigh
In Bruges (2008): Martin McDonagh
Milk (2008): Dustin Lance Black
WALL·E (2008): Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, Jim Reardon

Should be: WallE – that movie is the most perfectly structured screenplay I have ever seen. Every time I watch it I am blown away by how subtly they set up the story. I think it is pretty close to perfect.
BETTER NOT BE: In fucking Bruges: I like Martin McDonagh as much as the next theatre nerd but good god. That movie was a fucking mess. Its tone and style was all over the fucking place and just when it got you to care about a character it pushes them out of a bell tower. I know that viciousness is his style, but the stylized violence and over blown characters that work on stage DO NOT WORK in film. In my opinion. Of course, everyone I have talked to about this movie has disagreed with me.

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Eric Roth, Robin Swicord
Doubt (2008/I): John Patrick Shanley
Frost/Nixon (2008): Peter Morgan
The Reader (2008): David Hare
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Simon Beaufoy

Should be: The Reader.
Will be: The Reader? Though Slumdog might take this too.

Best Achievement in Cinematography

Changeling (2008): Tom Stern
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Claudio Miranda
The Dark Knight (2008): Wally Pfister
The Reader (2008): Roger Deakins, Chris Menges
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Anthony Dod Mantle

Should be: Slumdog Millionaire -This is where I think Slumdog really shines (haha literally! gigglegiggle SNORT). But I am also a sucker for rich colors.
Will be: Dark Knight – aside from the joker, this was the best part of the movie.

Best Achievement in Makeup
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Greg Cannom
The Dark Knight (2008): John Caglione Jr., Conor O'Sullivan
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008): Mike Elizalde, Thomas Floutz

Should be: Hellboy – it’s a Gothic fairy tale with monsters and princess. Sure its over the top, but, uh, its for make up.
Will be: Dark Knight – I wasn’t a fan of two face. But the joker sure was awesome.

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Alexandre Desplat
Defiance (2008): James Newton Howard
Milk (2008): Danny Elfman
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman
WALL·E (2008): Thomas Newman

Should be: Dark Knight – it wasn’t nominated? Really?

In that case it Should be: Slumdog
Will be: WallE

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song

Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman, Gulzar("Jai Ho")
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman, M.I.A("O Saya")
WALL·E (2008): Peter Gabriel, Thomas Newman("Down to Earth")

Want it to be: PLEASE GOD LET MIA WIN AN ACADEMY AWARD! OMG! That would be hilarious.

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
Bolt (2008)
Kung Fu Panda (2008)
WALL·E (2008)

Should be: WallE for best fucking picture period.
Will be: WallE. Its a goddamn consolation prize at this point.

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Der Baader Meinhof Komplex (2008)(Germany)
Entre les murs (2008)(France)
Revanche (2008)(Austria)
Okuribito (2008)(Japan)
Vals Im Bashir (2008)(Israel)

Confession: I haven’t seen any of these.

Will be: Waltz with Bashir – I hear its good. Though I'm gonna root for the German one. Against the Israeli one. Because I am a bad Jew (AND I LIKE GERMAN CINEMA MORE OVER ALL. JEEEEEZE).