LAFCA and NYFCC are two of the bigger precursors, so this update comes just after their takes.

Picture
1. Slumdog Millionaire (BIFA, NBR, WAFCA, BFCA*)
2. Wall-E (NBR*, BFCA*, LAFCA)
2. Milk (NBR*, BFCA*, NYFCC)
4. The Dark Knight (NBR*, BFCA*, LAFCA***)
5. Frozen River (ISA*, GIFA)

Director
1. Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire” (BIFA, WAFCA, BCFA*, LAFCA, NYFCC***)
2. David Fincher, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (NBR, BFCA*)
3. Lance Hammer, “Ballast” (GIFA, ISA*)
3. Mike Leigh, “Happy-Go-Lucky” (NYFCC)
5. Christopher Nolan, “The Dark Knight” (BFCA*, LAFCA***)

Actor
1. Sean Penn, “Milk” (ISA*, BFCA*, LAFCA, NYFCC)
2. Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler” (ISA*, WAFCA, BFCA*, LAFCA***, NYFCC***)
3. Clint Eastwood, “Gran Torino” (NBR, BFCA*)
4. Michael Fassbender, “Hunger” (BIFA)
5. Richard Jenkins, “The Visitor” (ISA*, BFCA*)

Actress
1. Melissa Leo, “Frozen River” (GIFA, ISA*, BFCA*, LAFCA***, NYFCC***)
2. Sally Hawkins, “Happy-Go-Lucky” (LAFCA, NYFCC)
3. Anne Hathaway, “Rachel Getting Married” (ISA*, NBR, BFCA*)
4. Meryl Streep, “Doubt” (WAFCA, BFCA*)
5. Vera Farmiga, “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” (BIFA)

Supporting Actor
1. Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight” (WAFCA, BFCA*, LAFCA, NYFCC***)
2. Josh Brolin, “Milk” (NBR, BFCA*, NYFCC)
3. Eddie Marsan, “Happy-Go-Lucky” (BIFA, LAFCA***)
4. James Franco, “Milk” (ISA*, BFCA*)
5. Robert Downey, Jr., “Tropic Thunder” (BFCA*)
5. Philip Seymour Hoffman, “Doubt” (BFCA*)

Supporting Actress
1. Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (ISA*, NBR, BFCA*, LAFCA**, NYFCC)
2. Viola Davis, “Doubt” (BFCA*, LAFCA***, NYFCC***)
3. Rosemarie DeWitt, “Rachel Getting Married” (ISA*, WAFCA)
4. Alexis Zegerman, “Happy-Go-Lucky” (BIFA)
5. Penelope Cruz, “Elegy” (LAFCA**)

Screenplay, Adapted
1. Simon Beaufoy, “Slumdog Millionaire” (NBR**, WAFCA, BFCA*)
2. Eric Roth, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (NBR**, BFCA*)
2. Peter Morgan, “Frost/Nixon” (BFCA*)
2. John Patrick Shanley, “Doubt” (BFCA*)

Screenplay, Original
1. Jenny Lumet, “Rachel Getting Married” (WAFCA, NYFCC)
2. Mike Leigh, “Happy-Go-Lucky” (LAFCA, NYFCC***)
3. Nick Schenk, “Gran Torino” (NBR)
4. Martin McDonagh, “In Bruges” (BIFA)
5. Charlie Kaufman, “Synecdoche, New York” (ISA*, LAFCA***)

Animated
1. Wall-E (AA*, NBR, BFCA*, NYFCC)
2. Waltz With Bashir (AA*, BFCA*, LAFCA*, NYFCC***)
3. Bolt (AA*, BFCA*)
3. Kung Fu Panda (AA*, BFCA*)

Documentary
1. Man On Wire (BIFA, ISA*, NBR, WAFCA, BFCA*, LAFCA, NYFCC)
2. Waltz With Bashir (LAFCA***, NYFCC***)
3. Trouble The Water (GIFA)
4. I.O.U.S.A (BFCA*)
4. Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired (BFCA*)
4. Standard Operating Procedure (BFCA*)
4. Young At Heart (BFCA*)

Foreign Film
1. Sweden, “Let The Right One In” (NBR*, WAFCA, BFCA*)
2. Israel, “Waltz With Bashir” (BIFA, NBR*, BFCA*)
3. France, “The Class” (ISA*, LAFCA***)
4. Italy, “Gomorrah” (ISA*, BFCA*)
5. France, “A Christmas Tale” (BFCA*)
5. France, “I’ve Loved You So Long” (BFCA*)
5. Germany, “The Edge of Heaven” (NBR*)

Music (Score)
1. A.R. Rahman, “Slumdog Millionaire” (BFCA*, LAFCA)
2. Alexandre Desplat, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (BFCA*, LAFCA***)
3. Clint Eastwood, “Changeling” (BFCA*)
3. Danny Elfman, “Milk” (BFCA*)
3. Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard, “The Dark Knight” (BFCA*)

Music (Song)
1. Bolt, “I Thought I Lost You” (BFCA*)
1. Quantum of Solace, “Another Way To Die” (BFCA*)
1. Slumdog Millionaire, “Jaiho” (BFCA*)
1. Wall-E, “Down To Earth” (BFCA*)
1. The Wrestler, “The Wrestler” (BFCA*)

Cinematography
1. Anthony Dod Mantle, “Slumdog Millionaire” (LAFCA***, NYFCC)
2. Sean Bobbit, “Hunger” (BIFA)
3. Claudio Miranda, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (NYFCC***)
4. Maryse Alberti, “The Wrestler” (ISA*)
4. Lol Crowley, “Ballast” (ISA*)
4. James Laxton, “Medicine for Melancholy” (ISA*)
4. Harris Savides, “Milk” (ISA*)
4. Michael Simmonds, “Chop Shop” (ISA*)

Art Direction
1. Synecdoche, New York (LAFCA)
2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (WAFCA)
3. The Dark Knight (LAFCA***)

New York Film Critics awards:

Best Picture: Milk
Best Director: Mike Leigh, Happy-Go-Lucky
Best Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Best Actress: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Best Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin, Milk
Best Supporting Actress: Penélope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Best Screenplay: Jenny Lumet, Rachel Getting Married
Best Cinematographer: Anthony Dod Mantle, Slumdog Millionaire
Best Animated Film: Wall-E
Best First Film: Courtney Hunt, Frozen River
Best Foreign Film: 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
Best Documentary: Man on Wire

Not surprised at Wall-E winning. It wasn't a particularly great movie, but it had a lot of environmental awareness in it which is all the rage right now. Chris_sc77's hate of everything Pixar aside (The Incredibles is fantastic, Ratatouille wasn't half bad either), I'd agree with at least a .

I think Josh Brolin winning for Milk is a way to give him credit for W. as well.

Is Wall-E a joke or something? I mean, I liked the movie and all, but I was under the impression it kinda just bombed. Kung Fu Panda was HUGE news and all over the place...kids still talk about it. No one really "got" Wall-E or saw it.

Best ANIMATED movie? Yes.
Best MOVIE? Not even close.

Oh, If The music for Dark Knight does not win an oscar, I'll kill someone! I never really notice music in movies, but I was blown away at how amazing the eerie screeching and the rest of the score fit the tone of the film.

Nobody except 96% of critics and $495,377,366 of additional humans in cushioned seats.

Want to hear a REAL travesty? "The Fall" is not getting recognized ANYWHERE for it's cinematography. I mean....what the fuck is up with that!?

Thank you for beating me to it. Yeah it totally bombed.

And even IF it didn't make money since when does that have ANYTHING to do with what the critics thought was best?

Other than Ledger there is only one other name I really want to hear called:

SPRINGSTEEN

I'm surprised Vicky Cristina Barcelona hasn't gotten any screenplay recognition yet. I feel it's his strongest writing since Bullets Over Broadway.

It's a shame In Bruges isn't getting tossed in the shuffle for awards distribution as of yet.

I'm still trying to figure out if The Fall really counts for distribution in 2008. It enjoyed limited showings here and there throughout 2006-2007, so maybe there's some kind of time jurisdiction that's preventing it from receiving recognition because of that.

Fucking THANK YOU. I just watched it yesterday and not a damn thing can compare to it. It's far from a perfect movie, but the cinematography is light years ahead of anyone else's, even Slumdog's.

It's kind of funny that less than 3 hours after you posted that, it gets 3 Golden Globe nominations: Best Picture Comedy or Musical, Best Actor (Farrell) and Best Actor (Gleeson).

I just watched it this morning and can see why it got the nominations. Absolutely funny and dark.

How on earth did In Bruges not get a nomination for screenplay? Insane.

I know! I've said this since the film came out. That's the ONLY nomination I thought it would get. Even though I felt
it deserved many more. Such as all three actors and possibly director. Still the best film of 2008.

And your Oscar Host is...WOLVERINE!

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/20...cademy-awards/


WTF?!

Interesting choice. When was the last time they didn't have a comedian host? Opera?

Opera? No, it was Classical Oprah never hosted the Oscars btw.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...rds_ceremonies

I like it. Guess this means he won't be getting any noms.

Good to have a non-comedian, maybe it will speed up things. But god I hope he doesn't sing instead of doing an opening monologue.

Of course he's going to fucking sing. And if it's about Batman and Wolverine I'm destroying my TV to stop the pain.

Wow, I had no idea Bob Hope hosted the Oscars 18 times. I knew it was a lot but not that many.

I guess I always forget that she didn't co-host with Letterman, judging by her screen time.

Heh... I wonder if having an actor who first shot to fame playing an iconic character in a comic book movie is a good sign for The Dark Knight. These things don't just happen.

Dark Knight has a strong chance to score some big nominations, but it's most likely because of Ledger (1. He's another Australian and 2. There's a very strong chance he'll get the posthumous Oscar, my feeling is that he will).

Another one I've been watching is Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married, I haven't seen the film but I've heard the talk but I have to say she's got some Stiff competition if the Globes are anything to go by (And personally, I'd rather that be the main awards show since it embraces TV and Film.)