I Have Special Skills. Skills That Allow Me...

...that will allow me to pick the Oscar winners. Sorry, bad parody of a bad movie.

I hope you're ready, readers, because after this post, you have only three days to prepare to make your picks. As a reminder, after I place my predictions in a note entitled "Pick Yer Horses", you will have the full week to make your predictions in the twelve categories I have chosen. Those categories are: Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Screenplay, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Original Song, Best Director, Best Original Score, Best Animated Feature, and Best Picture. You must bet in every category, and the picks must be posted in the comments section of that note. If your picks outscore mine, you will get a fabulous prize package of candy and a few other special things. (Including a copy of a favorite Oscar-winning film of mine!) Anyone who attends SMCA is welcome to place bets. Remember, you have to outpick me; tying me won't help you.

Now that that's out of the way, onto the last four categories!

Best Animated Feature
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E

Breakdown: Um... is this really a question? Other than Heath Ledger, this is the surest bet at the show this year. WALL-E.

Best Original Score
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Alexandre Desplat
Defiance, James Newton Howard
Milk, Danny Elfman
Slumdog Millionaire, A. R. Rahman
WALL-E, Thomas Newman

Breakdown: Does anyone remember Elfman's music? Newman's most memorable music wasn't original, so it doesn't count in this category. Howard's music was great, but it's hard to win on your movie's only nomination. Desplat's music is the only rival to Rahman's, but there's not much contest. Rahman's got this one sewn up.

Best Director
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry, The Reader
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant, Milk

Breakdown: Van Sant didn't do a whole lot of directing, just letting his actors do what they do best. Daldry screwed up a brilliant book. Fincher's a terrible campaigner, and is only poisoning the voters' minds. Howard took a few too many liberties with the truth. Boyle's already won all major awards and will take this easy.

Best Picture
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Breakdown: Throw it to the Dog. Milk isn't nearly as inspiring as it should be for its subject matter. The Reader and Frost/Nixon just weren't strong enough to qualify for nominations, much less a win. It could be the traditionalistic Button, but with the recent awards sweep, I would bet anything that Slumdog will take it.

All right guys, get ready. Sunday will be the start of the Inaugural AIWWAF Oscar Predict-Off!