2016 Oscar Predictions & Favorites

We here at Mad About Movies have a great love for The Oscars. Flawed as they most certainly are, the Academy Awards are, at their heart, a celebration of film and we’re all about the celebration of film. Oscar nominations head our way on January 14th with the show itself to follow February 28th. In preparation, today we share our respective ballots for the Big Eight categories (Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Original Screenplay, and Picture) were the Academy smart enough to give us votes.

Three quick notes:

1.) In the 12 or so years that I’ve been writing about film in some form or fashion, I can’t remember a year with more outstanding films and performances to choose from in virtually every category. 2015 was fantastic and we’ll all miss it greatly during the dark days of 2016.

2.) Because of note number one, not all of us have seen every film that could possibly matter to this discussion. For my part, I have not seen Carol, Beasts of No Nation, or The Danish Girl, among, I’m sure, any number of other significant films.

3.) Kent and I deliver our prospective Oscar ballots below while Richard went with the predictive method, meaning his choices are less his personal ballot and more what he expects from the Academy itself.

**WINNERS ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN BOLD**

BEST ACTOR

BRIAN: Matt Damon (The Martian), Johnny Depp (Black Mass), Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant), Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs), Michael B. Jordan (Creed)

KENT: Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant), Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs), Samuel L. Jackson (The Hateful Eight), Eddie Redmayne (The Danish Girl), Will Smith (Concussion)

RICHARD: Bryan Cranston (Trumbo), Matt Damon (The Martian), Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant), Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs), Eddie Redmayne (The Danish Girl)

It seriously bums me out that Bryan Cranston is going to take someone’s spot on this list when the actual nominations come out. I love Cranston (who doesn’t?) but Trumbo is of the quality of a Hallmark movie and that should eliminate Cranston’s chances. I also had a tough time leaving Steve Carell (The Big Short) off my list but couldn’t decide if he really belonged in the Actor or Supporting Actor category.

BEST ACTRESS

BRIAN: Emily Blunt (Sicario), Brie Larson (Room), Jennifer Lawrence (Joy), Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn)

KENT: Brie Larson (Room), Jennifer Lawrence (Joy), Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn), Amy Schumer (Trainwreck)

RICHARD: Cate Blanchett (Carol), Brie Larson (Room), Jennifer Lawrence (Joy), Rooney Mara (Carol), Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn)

There have been plenty of years wherein the Actress category is a wasteland. Not so this time around. Nine or ten actresses were in contention here and all have a claim to be included. Ridley had my favorite leading female performance of the year but Larson’s work is so superb, I couldn’t see voting against her in this setting.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

BRIAN: Harrison Ford (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Mark Ruffalo (Spotlight), Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies), Sylvester Stallone (Creed), Jacob Tambay (Room)

KENT: Paul Dano (Love & Mercy), Mark Ruffalo (Spotlight), Kurt Russell (The Hateful Eight), Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies), Sylvester Stallone (Creed)

RICHARD: Christian Bale (The Big Short), Tom Hardy (The Revenant), Mark Ruffalo (Spotlight), Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies), Sylvester Stallone (Creed)

This is always the toughest category to sort through. Always. My list included no less than 12 actors and I already hate myself for excluding Russell, Walton Goggins (The Hateful Eight), Jason Segel (The End of the Tour), and Michael Keaton (Spotlight). You could probably talk me out of Ford but I couldn’t so there he is. Honestly virtually all of these guys have a strong case to win but I’m pulling hard for Sly.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

BRIAN: Olivia Cooke (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight), Rachel McAdams (Spotlight), Alicia Vikander (Ex-Machina), Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs)

KENT: Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful 8), Rooney Mara (Carol), Rachel McAdams (Spotlight), Alicia Vikander (Ex-Machina), Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs)

RICHARD: Joan Allen (Room), Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight), Rachel McAdams (Spotlight), Alicia Vikander (Ex-Machina), Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs)

Another strong category for women. We’re making progress! Vikander seemed like the favorite earlier in the year but has faded. JJL has perhaps the showiest performance but in a film that is fairly divisive. And McAdams is my favorite and I love her and I want her to win because True Detective made me sad. But Winslet’s performance, while at times uneven in the accent department, provides a much needed human counterpart to Fassbender’s robot Steve Jobs and I think makes the film more relatable.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

BRIAN: Jesse Andrews (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), Emma Donaghue (Room), Drew Goddard (The Martian), Adam McKay and Charles Randolph (The Big Short), Aaron Sorkin (Steve Jobs)

KENT: Scott Cooper and Mark Mallouk (Black Mass), Emma Donaghue (Room), Drew Goddard (The Martian), Adam McKay and Charles Randolph (The Big Short), Aaron Sorkin (Steve Jobs)

RICHARD: Emma Donaghue (Room), Drew Goddard (The Martian), Adam McKay and Charles Randolph (The Big Short), Phil Nagy (Carol), Aaron Sorkin (Steve Jobs)

What this category lacks in quantity (there are really only six or seven films competing for a spot here) it makes up for in quality. The Martian is one of the smartest sci-fi scripts in years, Donague’s adaptation of her own book is staggeringly sobering, and McKay’s structure is hilarious and impeccable. But when I look back on 2015 and consider this category, the first thing I’ll think of is Sorkin’s fast paced work of art that makes Steve Jobs so much more interesting than it has any right to be.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

BRIAN: Ryan Coogler and Aaron Covington (Creed), Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, and Josh Cooley (Inside Out), Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer (Spotlight), Amy Schumer (Trainwreck), Quentin Tarantino (The Hateful Eight)

KENT: Alex Garland (Ex-Machina), Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, and Josh Cooley (Inside Out), Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer (Spotlight), Amy Schumer (Trainwreck), Quentin Tarantino (The Hateful Eight)

RICHARD: Matt Chapman, Joel and Ethan Coen (Bridge of Spies), Alex Garland (Ex-Machina), Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer (Spotlight), David O. Russell (Joy), Quentin Tarantino (The Hateful Eight)

Beyond the Supporting Actor category, this one was the toughest call for me. There were a ton of excellent, original scripts this year and they lent themselves to outstanding finished products. Choosing between Tom McCarthy’s Spotlight and Tarantino’s Hateful was difficult but I am of the opinion that it is Tarantino’s best script and when one of the three or four best screenwriters in the world turns in his best script, you vote for him.

BEST DIRECTOR

BRIAN: Ryan Coogler (Creed), Pete Docter and Ronnie Del Carmen (Inside Out), Tom McCarthy (Spotlight), Adam McKay (The Big Short), Ridley Scott (The Martian)

KENT: Ryan Coogler (Creed), Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (The Revenant), George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road), Ridley Scott (The Martian), Quentin Tarantino (The Hateful Eight)

RICHARD: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (The Revenant), Tom McCarthy (Spotlight), George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road), Ridley Scott (The Martian), Steven Spielberg (Bridge of Spies)

This is, admittedly, a unique choice from me, given that Docter and Del Carmen probably won’t even be nominated next week. But I can’t ever recall having the emotional reaction to any film, let alone an animated one, like I did to Inside Out. It’s a brilliant film, plain and simple, and I love what Docter did with it. But all of the other directors listed and perhaps five or six more deserve a place on this list and have compelling cases for winning.

BEST PICTURE

BRIAN: The Big Short, Creed, Inside Out, Love & Mercy, The Martian, Room, Sicario, Spotlight, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Steve Jobs

KENT: The Big Short, Bridge of Spies, Ex-Machina, The Hateful Eight, Inside Out, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Martian, The Revenant, Spotlight, Star Wars: The Force Awakens

RICHARD: Brooklyn, Carol, Creed, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Revenant, Room, Spotlight

For the record, I think Richard is right on the number of nominations, if not the actual films themselves. This is the drunkest award season in memory and when you have at least 20 films with legitimate claims at a spot on this list, I’m afraid the votes are going to split and several of these movies are going to cannibalize themselves. For my part, I gave serious consideration to no less than 18 films and I’m still not completely happy with my ballot. I think Spotlight, Inside Out, The Revenant, and (by hook or crook) Mad Max have locked up nominations and the rest of the ballot will be the source of much discussion in the coming weeks. 

Ranking The Star Wars Creatures

Well, we’re here, nerds. We made it. Disney acquired the rights to Star Wars and announced a new slate of films just over three years ago and we’ve been foaming at the mouth for more content from our beloved galaxy far, far away ever since. I’m keenly aware that this time tomorrow (at the time of writing), I will have already seen The Force Awakens twice. I don’t know how I will possibly sleep tonight.

I started this week off with a look at the villains within this franchise, followed by an extensive ranking of the ships and vehicles. Kent pumped out a Best Droids list yesterday. And today I finish up our extended geek out with a look at all of the creatures, both good and bad, that populate the Star Wars universe. Now, it should be noted that I define creature as a living being that is not (or does not appear to be) sentient. So I’m cutting out all of the various alien species within this vast galaxy. I think I might do that list next year when the Rogue One debuts. But for our purposes today, we’ll only be discussing the 22 named creatures that show up in the six films. Enjoy the list and as always, send me your feedback at madaboutmoviespodcast@gmail.com or on the Twitter @BGill12. Thanks for reading and may the Force be with you. Always.

22. The Sea Monsters from Phantom Menace (Episode I)

This scene is the worst. THE. ACTUAL. WORST. That stupid submarine, five more pointless minutes with Jar Jar, and these awful sea creatures (colo claw fish, opee sea killer, and sando aqua monster). I despise these things.

21. Shaak (Episode II)

As you might have guessed, the bottom portion of this list will be heavily populated by creations from the prequels. The shaaks need not exist for one thing. And second, it’s basically just a cow with a huge butt. We couldn’t figure out a way to do that practically?

20. Orray (Episode II)

Here’s how I know the orray is worthless: In the process of making this list, I’ve had to look up this creature at least three times. Quite the impression, isn’t it?

19. Eopie (Episode I)

Eopies are the perfect illustration for many of the problems with the prequels. There’s was just so little creativity spent on these movies. “What if we took a camel and made it a little lamer?” “Done!”

18. Ronto (Episode IV)

I very strongly considered leaving this off the list altogether to take a stand against the digitally-added creatures from the special edition cuts. But you can’t really avoid this thing; it’s basically George Lucas just screaming, “LOOK AT THE COOL THING I CREATED WITH MY COMPUTER! LOOK AT IT!”

17. Varactyl (Episode III)

Based solely on creature design, the varactyl is pretty solid. Not bad at all, really. And then it opens its mouth and starts screeching in a manner reminiscent of Dumb and Dumber. The varactyl deserved to die.

16. Worrt (Episode VI)

The fact that the worrt is this high on the list really speaks volumes about the awfulness of the creature design in the prequels. Giant frogs that get three seconds of screentime aren’t exactly hot property in this universe.

15. Mynock (Episode V)

I can’t decide if the fact that mynocks live inside a giant space slug’s stomach makes them dumb or awesome. Also, I’ve always found it funny that the mynocks are what tip Han off to his location. In the Star Wars universe, people just KNOW that these weird winged things live inside other life forms. That’s some kind of reputation.

14. Kouhun (Episode II)

We never see the Kouhan in action but you do get the impression that they’re nasty buggers. Their affiliation with one of the dumber plot points in Attack of the Clones (and that is saying something) doesn’t help their cause.

13. Dewback (Episode IV)

More than anything, I’d like to know what the Stormtroopers who were forced to ride a giant komodo dragon were thinking when they landed on Tatooine. You know these things can’t possibly smell good.

12. Reek (Episode II)

Of the three arena monsters that are sent to kill Anakin and Obi-Wan when they both suddenly forget how to use the Force for 20 minutes (I just died a little), the reek is significantly less impressive than its cohorts but does look the least super CGI-y. So that’s something.

11. Dragonsnake (Episode V)

What do we really know about the dragonsnake? It lives in the waters of Dagobah and it doesn’t enjoy the taste of metal. And yet that scene is extremely memorable and as a kid I desperately wanted to know more about this thing.

10. Bantha (Episodes IV and VI)

Great creature design on what could very easily be a worthless entry on this list. It is amazing that the same person who went to such great lengths to create the bantha practically couldn’t be bothered to use costumes for virtually anything in the prequels.

9. Ackley (Episode II)

The ackley would be an iconic creature if only the CGI used to create it wasn’t so bad. Even still, it is sufficiently creepy and the design is solid.

8. Kowakian Monkey-Lizard (Salacious B. Crumb) (Episode VI)

If you didn’t know Salacious Crumb’s middle initial was “B” or that he identifies as a kowakian monkey-lizard, then are you really even a Star Wars fan? Just kidding, I had no clue about either of those fun facts. I did, however, think Salacious Crumb was stinking cool as a kid and I like to think his family tree intersects with the gremlins somewhere down the line.

7. Tauntaun (Episode V)

We know more about the tauntaun than most of the creatures on this list. For starters, they handle snow quite well. Second, they make a very memorable sound. And third, they’ll keep you warm in a pinch. What else could you ask for in a goat-kangaroo thing?

6. Nexu (Episode II)

Easily the coolest creature in all of the prequels, the nexu features a great design and seems to actually have a purpose on screen. If we cut the ackley and the reek from the gladiator ring altogether, the scene would lose nothing and would actually probably improve by letting us see this thing in action a little longer.

5. Sarlacc (Episode VI)

Return of the Jedi has always been my favorite film in this franchise and as a kid, the sarlacc pit both terrified and fascinated me. A living hole in the desert that eats you for eternity. That’s about as creepy as it gets. It’s an iconic creature and the only reason it isn’t higher on my list is the added elements from the special edition that strip it of some of its mystery.

4. Exogorth (Space Slug) (Episode V)

I’m not exactly sure how a giant space slug goes about taking up residence on an asteroid but let’s not start poking holes. When you watch Empire for the first time, the unease you feel when Han realizes this cave is not what he thought it was and shock you get when you see the teeth…it’s an inspired scene.

3. Dianoga (Trash Monster) (Episode IV)

Raise your hand if you were a little freaked out about the trash monster the first time you saw A New Hope. It’s cool, you’re in the circle of trust. The dianoga is a fantastic creature design and it preys on your fear of the unknown. I wasn’t totally sure Luke was going to make it out of that trash compactor alive and that scared the crap out of me as a young viewer.

2. Wampa (Episode V)

In the original script for Empire, the Rebel base gets bombarded by a horde of wampas in the midst of the Imperial invasion. Now, I’m not saying that would’ve made the movie better; but it would’ve been a crazy scene because wampas are AWESOME. This is also one of the few spots where the special edition actually adds something because you get a much better glimpse at the horror this thing really is as it just goes to town on a tauntaun leg. I would watch an entire movie about the Rebels trying to carve out a space on Hoth while these suckers roam around. So cool.

1. Rancor (Episode VI)

When you think of creatures in the Star Wars universe, your mind immediately goes to the rancor. It’s iconic (even if the special effects look dated now) and the design is perfect. Whereas many of the creatures in this franchise draw inspiration from real life animals, the rancor is entirely unique. And that scene is downright scary even after you’ve seen it a few times. My son watches all or part of a Star Wars movie nearly every day (please don’t call CPS) and the only part in the entire trilogy (he doesn’t consider the prequels to be real Star Wars so I’m doing something right) that he asks me to skip over is the rancor scene. And for bonus points, the toy was marvelous in appearance and grand in scale.

Ranking The Star Wars Droids

Original concept art for C3-PO and R2-D2 by Ralph McQuarrie based on Lucas' original screenplay.

I feel like I should start off this list with a bit of a disclaimer: there is no way I could ever begin to know every single droid in the Star Wars universe.

With the 6 currently released films, novels, video games, and cartoon series combined, there are dozens upon dozens of letter and number combinations to memorize which, frankly, I don’t have time for.

But I will admit, the droids, along with the consistently futuristic Stormtroopers, are my favorite thing about Star Wars.

I think we all want to experience a world where robots think independently and live among us, but right now Star Wars is the closest thing.

I should also state that I am not including General Grievous on this list because he is part human (although he would rank pretty high).

13. IT-O Interrogator

Considering the function of this droid is torture, I’m a little let down with the fact that we only get a glimpse of it in A New Hope when it threatens Leia with a needle as the Empire is seeking the location of the Rebels. I wonder what other war crimes are built into that thing…

12. OG-9 Homing Spider Droid

Not sure why this is called a spider droid and not a crab droid considering it has 4 legs and not 8. And the fact that it’s called “OG” is a bit of cringe, like it’s subliminally supposed to mean that it’s the “ultimate MACK DADDY” of all droids. That’s prequel-era Lucas writing for you. Yikes.

11. WED Treadwell Droid

I’m fairly confident that this is just the prop guy’s old broken umbrella that he hot glued to the base of a vacuum.

10. Battle Droid – Army Droid

I really have a soft spot for good production design, concept design, and innovative ways to do robots in films. It’s one of the biggest things that Ralph McQuarrie brought us in the early days. And I feel like the design alone on the Battle Droids in the prequels is great. But it’s complete lack of impact on any events in the story, despite there being literally hundreds of them, is extremely frustrating. It’s as if we know if there is a Battle Droid on screen, no one will die. Thanks for the heads up, George!

9. Gonk Droid – Power Droid

This one is just for me. It’s probably the most useless droid in the film series given the fact that we only get a few glimpses of Gonk (GNK) on Tattooine in Episode IV and in Jabba's palace in 'Jedi'. That 70s era trash can with legs makes me chuckle almost every time. It is just so ridiculous, but I love it.

8. 2-1B – Medical Droid

The design for the surgeon droid in the Empire Strikes back is one of the best in all of Star Wars, and if it wasn’t for 2-1B, Luke wouldn’t have a new hand…or have someone watching him while he’s in a giant tube getting sewn up…or creepily stare at him and Leia when they meet after the Wampa attack. OK now that I’m saying it out loud this droid is way more terrifying than I remember. Can we get a spinoff slasher flick?

7. MSE-6 – Repair Droid

This is another one that is a personal favorite that might not be on other peoples “top” lists. Giving this droid any screen time at all is so random but oddly memorable as we only see it briefly on the Death Star flying by as the disguised Rebels prowl the halls. Also known as the Mouse droid, this little guy reminds me of a mini Jawa Sandcrawler. Do they sell a remote control one? Asking for a friend.

6. Probe Droid / Imperial Probe

I still hear that probe droid sound in my sleep. It’s like a mixture of a 56k modem and a Daft Punk vocoder . The probe droid is one of the first things we see in The Empire Strikes Back, and sets a mysterious tone on the picture as it scans the snow planet Hoth with its insect-like appearance and mannerisms. Those tentacle things that hang down still creep me out. It’s like a robotic flying squid that can shoot lasers at your face. Yeeesh.

5. IG-88 - Bounty Hunter

Would it be weird to say that I have had nightmares about this fictional robot from a movie that came out 35 years ago? IG-88 was one of the first indications that droids could be villainous in this universe when Darth Vader hires the droid, along with a bunch of other bounty hunters, to hunt down the Millennium Falcon. The evil droid is something that George Lucas would bring back multiple times in the prequels with very little pizazz or intimidation.

4. Droideka

The droideka are simultaneously the most exciting and most disappointing thing about the Phantom Menace. I distinctly remember seeing them for the first time on screen in the first scene of Episode I and being filled with hope and excitement for the next THREE films. I mean, this was the first SCENE of the first film, and the droids were already this cool?!? Sadly, the droideka were both the most creatively designed droids of the prequels, but they served no purpose as well, with Jedi taking them down with ease. But those shields were pretty badass, right?

3. C3-P0 – Protocol Droid

Most people’s lists would probably rank C3P0 as the no-brainer number one. He speaks English, he offers a ton of comic relief, and he serves as the voice of reason when the rebels are heading into a rough situation. I always found Lucas’ use of Threepio uninspired after the original trilogy. I don’t think he should have been included in the prequels, and having Anakin be his creator was such an eye-roll and sad excuse to shoehorn him into 3 more movies. Let’s hope J.J. uses him correctly this time around.

2. BB-8 – Astromech Droid

I know it is unfair to rank BB-8 so high on this list by most fans’ standards, but BB-8 has already done more positive marketing in 6 months for the new trilogy of films than Ewan McGregor did in his 6 years of prequels. BB-8 is everywhere, and for good reason. The spherical design of the droid is both innovative and nostalgic, with an astromech head reminiscent of R2-D2 and a soccer ball base that hints at adventure yet-to-come. BB-8 is just so cool. I can’t wait to see what the next 3 films hold for the little guy.

1. R2-D2 – Astromech Droid

Artoo is, without question, the quintessential droid of the Star Wars universe. We meet other Astromech’s along the way (R5-D4 anyone?) but R2-D2 is the definitive. We somehow follow the emotions of this small robot character through every single Star Wars film and never once get tired of it. Along with Han Solo, R2 also ranks high on my list of characters I most want to see on screen. He serves as the primary MacGuffin of the story as we follow Artoo’s journey from “Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi” to the final scenes of Episode III. The ingenious use of Sound FX to voice the droid was not only groundbreaking technologically, but served as a brilliant bit of comic-relief by sheer concept – and we somehow knew, and felt, everything R2 was saying.