by PETER BESAS
It’s Oscar time once again, the third round on the Simesite. So all you film buffs, gamblers, hotshots, filmic psychologists, put on your thinking caps and send us your picks for what you think will be the winners of the Academy Awards for 2005.
File your entries directly to pbesas@hotmail.com and we’ll post them on the Simesite as they come in. We’re using 12 categories, some of which are purely tie-breakers, cause who’s ever seen the documentaries and how many of you can judge the best musical scores?
Following a suggestion from Larry Michie, our two British wizards, Ian and Roger Watkins, are preparing a more appropriate trophy for the winner or winners of the forthcoming Simesite Oscar sweepstakes than that originally announced.
Instead of a raggedy copy of an old Variety, the winner will get a mug, with his name and our logo on it, proclaiming him the champ of the year in the Simesite Oscar contest.
The Awards ceremony is on March 5, so that gives you all a month to mull over your selection and send it to me.
Here is the list of nominees. Pick one in each category. The person who guesses the greatest number wins. In case of a draw, both contestants receive a back issue of a Variety special or whatever other prize we can come up with.
Below is a truncated list of categories.
Please pick one nominee from each category and email your choice topbesas@hotmail.com.
The 78th Academy Award Nominations
BEST PICTURE
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
Meyer, Segers, Besas, Hollinger, Torres, Adams, Price, Watkins, Silverman (Mike)
GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK
Bryer, Michie
MUNICH
Marich
CRASH
Stenzel
TRUMAN CAPOTE
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Philip Seymour Hoffman – TRUMAN CAPOTE
Meyer, Besas, Hollinger, Torres, Adams, Price, Watkins, Silverman (Mike), Stenzel
Terence Howard – HUSTLE AND FLOW
Heath Ledger – BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
Segers, Michie
Joaquin Phoenix – WALK THE LINE
David Strathairn – GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK
Marich, Bryer
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
George Clooney – SYRIANA
Meyer, Besas, Hollinger, Torres, Price, Watkins, Silverman (Mike), Michie, Stenzel
Matt Dillon – CRASH
Paul Giamatti – CINDERELLA MAN
Segers, Adams, Bryer
Jake Gyllenhaal – BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, NORTH COUNTRY
Marich
William Hurt – A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Judy Dench – MRS HENDERSON PRESENTS
Torres, Bryer
Felicity Huffman – TRANSAMERICA
Meyer, Silverman (Mike), Michie
Charlize Theron – NORTH COUNTRY
Reese Witherspoon – WALK THE LINE
Segers, Besas, Hollinger, Adams, Price, Marich, Watkins, Stenzel
Keira Knightley – PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Rachel Weisz – THE CONSTANT GARDENER
Meyer, Segers, Hollinger, Torres, Adams, Silverman (Mike), Stenzel
Frances McDormand – NORTH COUNTRY
Besas, Marich
Michelle Williams – BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, NORTH COUNTRY
Michie
Catherine Keener – TRUMAN CAPOTE
Price, Bryer, Watkins
Amy Adams – JUNEBUG
CINEMATOGRAPHY
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
Segers, Meyer, Hollinger, Adams, Price, Watkins, Michie, Stenzel
THE NEW WORLD
BATMAN BEGINS
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
Torres, Marich
GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK
Besas, Bryer, Silverman (Mike)
DIRECTING
Ang Lee – BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
Meyer, Segers, Besas, Hollinger, Adams, Price, Watkins, Silverman (Mike), Stenzel
Paul Haggis – CRASH
Steven Spielberg – MUNICH
George Clooney – GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK
Torres, Bryer, Michie
Bennet Miller – TRUMAN CAPOTE
Marich
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
LA BESTIA DEL CUORE
JOYEUX NOEL
Michie
PARADISE NOW
Meyer, Segers, Besas, Torres, Price, Watkins, Stenzel
SOPHIE SCHOLL – DIE LETZTEN TAGE
Adams, Marich
TSOTSI
Hollinger, Bryer, Silverman (Mike)
WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
Meyer, Segers, Besas, Torres, Adams, Price, Marich, Watkins, Silverman (Mike), Stenzel
TRUMAN CAPOTE
Hollinger, Michie
THE CONSTANT GARDENER
A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
MUNICH
Bryer
WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
CRASH
Meyer, Hollinger, Adams, Stenzel
GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK
Segers, Besas, Price, Bryer, Watkins, Michie
MATCH POINT
Marich, Silverman (Mike)
THE SQUID AND THE WHALE
Torres
SYRIANA
MUSICAL SCORE
Alberto Iglesias – THE CONSTANT GARDENER
Torres
Gustavo Santaolalla – BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
Segers, Meyer, Adams, Marich, Stenzel
John Williams – MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
Price, Watkins
John Williams – MUNICH
Besas, Hollinger, Silverman (Mike), Michie
Dario Marianelli – PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
Bryer
DOCUMENTARY
DARWIN’S NIGHTMARE
ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM
Segers, Besas, Torres
MARCH OF THE PENGUINS
Meyer, Hollinger, Adams, Price, Marich, Bryer, Watkins, Silverman (Mike), Michie, Stenzel
MURDERBALL
STREET FIGHT