Oscar Countdown

Many of you are in Super Bowl mode, college or pro basketball mode or maybe with hockey season finally back you are in ala mode.  Regardless, the crazy kooks known as cinephiles are breaking down the categories and nominees in the days leading up to the Oscars.

First things first, however.  The Producers Guild Awards (Saturday) , the SAG Awards (Sunday) and the Directors Guild Awards (February 1st) will give us an even better picture of how the Oscar categories are breaking down.   Up until now, the awards have been decided by critics and press.  The Guilds begin giving us an idea of how the Academy is thinking.  

There are actually two additional awards before the grand finale.  The BAFTA awards and the Independent Spirit Awards.   The BAFTA awards can either give some confirmation for some nominees or give no clarification whatsoever.  The BAFTA awards typically reward British film first.  The Indie Spirit Awards (On of my favorites as it is held in a tent on Santa Monica Beach) does not include big studio productions so it really doesn't clarify the Oscar race much.

Over the next few weeks, we will review the Oscar categories and the nominees.  

Stay tuned!