As it always does, the Academy had a few things of its own to say this morning as the 86th annual Oscar nominations announcement was full of intrigue. Never too closely resembling the buzz we're all going on as ballots are turned in, the organization went its own way in a few key areas, putting smiles on some faces, slapping frowns on others.

The biggest note as you look through the list of nominees is that Disney's “Saving Mr. Banks” almost completely missed the boat. It landed a single, solitary nomination, for Best Original Score (which it largely owes to the amount of respect Thomas Newman has in that branch, this being his 12th nomination to date). It's a movie about Hollywood patting itself on the back with handsome production values and two of the most respected actors around in key roles. What happened?

Frankly, the campaign on this one seemed bungled from the start. Disney didn't put its best foot forward by dropping the film at the London Film Festival and failing to let press in the States help carry early buzz. Then decisions were made along the way that certainly didn't help it catch a stride, like dubiously positioning it as a drama for the Golden Globes when it would have been a sure-fire nominee in comedy (and actress Emma Thompson, snubbed today, might have given Amy Adams some real heat for the win). These things don't all fall on the shoulders of campaign. At the end of the day, the Academy likes the movie or it doesn't. But it's hard to win a marathon when you shoot yourself in the foot.

Speaking of Tom Hanks, we all knew someone was going to be the victim of a crowded Best Actor field and his name was always one of those bubbling to the top as a potential snub. In the end, the two latter-season players – Christian Bale in “American Hustle” and Leonardo DiCaprio in “The Wolf of Wall Street” – were both strong enough to squeeze in (and by the way, this is the second year in a row David O. Russell has landed nominations in every acting category for his players after breaking a three-decade drought of such an occurrence with “Silver Linings Playbook” – expect even MORE stars to line-up to work for him).

But getting back to Hanks, “Captain Phillips” just didn't quite hit on all the cylinders we might have expected going into the announcement. Six nominations is nothing to sneeze at, but the directors branch, for instance, didn't find room for Paul Greengrass in their lineup. The cinematographers couldn't squeeze Barry Ackroyd in that category despite the fact that we know he was in the mix given the seven ASC nominations. (And by the way, Sean Bobbitt's snub in that category for “12 Years a Slave” really stings.)

And so I come to it: “12 Years a Slave.” The film landed nine nominations, a great haul, but not the field-leading spread we might have anticipated. That designation goes to the 10 nods landed by “American Hustle” and “Gravity.” So it showed a little weakness this morning, and leaves you wondering whether that Golden Globe stunner on Sunday night might remain the high mark of the season. I'm of the mind that this Best Picture race is between the nomination leaders, but one can't be too negative to see Steve McQueen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender and newcomer Lupita Nyong'o all chalked up for Oscar nominations. Fox Searchlight has run a classy campaign throughout, never pushing so hard as to come off greedy and gross. In the hands of other companies, this film might have been shoved down everyone's throats. So they can sleep at night, and indeed, they absolutely still have an angle on this race.

The editing category is interesting, and as ever, it's a good indicator of what is and isn't in the race given that no film has won Best Picture without being chalked up here since “Ordinary People” in 1980. Though the winner of the editing Oscar that year – Thelma Schoonmaker for “Raging Bull” – was snubbed today, unceremoniously, for her gargantuan task of whittling “The Wolf of Wall Street” into a film that, for many, zips by despite a three-hour running time. The players are “American Hustle,” “Captain Phillips” (though, no director nod),” “Dallas Buyers Club” (the surprise) and “12 Years a Slave.”

All of that said, after last season, the stats fly out the window. “'Argo' can't win now that Ben Affleck wasn't nominated for Best Director” was the rhetoric at roughly this moment 365 days ago. We all know how that turned out, and it's for the better that such definitives be dashed. Now passionate campaigns can go to the suits and say, “Look, we have a shot despite the numbers.”

Which brings me to “Dallas Buyers Club,” rewarded today as Focus Features sails into the sunset with six nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing and Best Makeup and Hairstyling. That's a pretty good way to go out, and they should push for big wins for Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto, given how much love obviously exists for the film throughout the Academy.

Oh, and in the end, Harvey Weinstein didn't experience his first Best Picture off-year since 2007 after all. The love for “Philomena” found purchase as the film was nominated for four Oscars, including Best Picture. Good for him (though I think even he would admit he wasn't quite sure how his slate would shake out this year – those four plus two for “August: Osage County,” two for “The Grandmaster” one each for “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,” “Cutie and the Boxer” and “20 Feet from Stardom” and a goose egg for “Fruitvale Station” and “Lee Daniels' The Butler” and mark his entire Oscar showing this year — not terrible, but…).

Other bits and bobs: Sally Hawkins popping up in the Best Supporting Actress category did not, alas, indicate the kind of support that would find “Blue Jasmine” a Best Picture nominee.

Jonah Hill, perhaps the hardest worker on the “Wolf of Wall Street” campaign circuit, was rewarded with his second Oscar nomination in three years, and I'm truly happy for him because it's a dynamite performance.

The Best Original Song category, as ever, had a few tricks up its sleeve; the breathless campaign for Pharrell Williams' “Happy” from “Despicable Me 2” paid off and everyone will now be scrambling to see “Alone Yet Not Alone.” Lana Del Rey was the snub of note there for her “Great Gatsby” track “Young and Beautiful,” leaving one to wonder if the sneaky campaign to question its eligibility found purchase.

As I suspected, Sarah Polley's “Stories We Tell,” despite being one of the most critically acclaimed documentaries of the year, was vulnerable with a very fickle branch. She was passed over along with the activism of “Blackfish,” which is a shame. But this is a golden era for the form and these snubs will happen.

Oh, and speaking of snubs (Guy will have more on the surprising misses of the morning soon enough), Pixar hit the skids with “Monsters University,” it's first miss in the Best Animated Feature Film category since “Cars 2,” and the only film in the company's portfolio to miss besides that sequel, come to think of it. GKIDS' “Ernest & Celestine” managed to find room after all.

And finally, the sound branch sure did go all in for “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” in a way I wasn't quite expecting, but it is certainly a thrill ride compared to last year's installment.

That's about all I have to say at first blush. I'm sure we'll be digging through the announcement for other nuggets of note throughout the day, with the Critics' Choice Movie Awards being the first shot at a red carpet for many of today's nominees coming later tonight. I'll be at what's sure to be a very pleased “Wolf of Wall Street” table and I can't wait to commiserate on the intriguing experience of this season with the boys.

As for predictions, I'd say I had a slightly below average year. Most categories I went 4/5 with Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Foreign Language Film being the only spots where I nailed it 100%. Overall I went 92/122, 82/107 out of those that most predict (i.e., excepting the shorts categories).

From here we dive into phase two and it's a whole new ballgame. How will it continue to take shape? We'll be right here, learning as much ourselves as the 2013-2014 Oscar season forges ahead.

“American Hustle” and “Gravity” lead the nominees for the 86th Academy Awards, with nominations in 10 categories. “12 Years a Slave” is right on their heels with nine nods, while six other films made the Best Picture lineup. Full list of nominations below.

Best Picture
“American Hustle”
“Captain Phillips”
“Dallas Buyers Club”
“Gravity”
“Her”
“Nebraska”
“Philomena”
“12 Years a Slave”
“The Wolf of Wall Street”

Best Director
David O. Russell, “American Hustle”
Alfonso Cuarón, “Gravity”
Alexander Payne, “Nebraska”
Steve McQueen, “12 Years a Slave”
Martin Scorsese, “The Wolf of Wall Street”

Best Actor
Christian Bale, “American Hustle”
Bruce Dern, “Nebraska”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Wolf of Wall Street”
Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years a Slave”
Matthew McConaughey, “Dallas Buyers Club”

Best Actress
Amy Adams, “American Hustle”
Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine”
Sandra Bullock, “Gravity”
Judi Dench, “Philomena”
Meryl Streep, “August: Osage County”

Best Supporting Actor
Barkhad Abdi, “Captain Phillips””
Bradley Cooper, “American Hustle”
Michael Fassbender, “12 Years a Slave”
Jonah Hill, “Wolf of Wall Street”
Jared Leto, “Dallas Buyers Club”

Best Supporting Actress
Sally Hawkins, “Blue Jasmine”
Jennifer Lawrence, “American Hustle”
Lupita Nyong’o, “12 Years a Slave”
Julia Roberts, “August: Osage County”
June Squibb, “Nebraska”

Best Adapted Screenplay
“Before Midnight”
“Captain Phillips”
“Philomena”
“12 Years a Slave”
“The Wolf of Wall Street”

Best Original Screenplay
“American Hustle”
“Blue Jasmine”
“Dallas Buyers Club”
“Her”
“Nebraska”

Best Cinematography
“The Grandmaster”
“Gravity”
“Inside Llewyn Davis”
“Nebraska”
“Prisoners”

Best Costume Design
“American Hustle”
“The Grandmaster”
“The Great Gatsby”
“The Invisible Woman”
“12 Years a Slave”

Best Film Editing
“American Hustle”
“Captain Phillips”
“Dallas Buyers Club”
“Gravity”
“12 Years a Slave”

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
“Dallas Buyers Club”
“Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa”
“The Lone Ranger”

Best Music (Original Score)
“The Book Thief”
“Gravity”
“Her”
“Philomena”
“Saving Mr. Banks”

Best Music (Original Song)
“Alone yet, not alone” from “Alone, Yet Not Alone”
“Happy” from “Despicable Me 2”
“Let it Go” from “Frozen”
“The Moon Song” from “Her”
“Ordinary Love” from “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”

Best Production Design
“American Hustle”
“Gravity”
“The Great Gatsby”
“Her”
“12 Years a Slave”

Best Sound Editing
“All is Lost”
“Captain Phillips”
“Gravity”
“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”
“Lone Survivor”

Best Sound Mixing
“Captain Phillips”
“Gravity”
“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”
“Inside Llewyn Davis”
“Lone Survivor”

Best Visual Effects
“Gravity”
“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”
“Iron Man 3”
“The Lone Ranger”
“Star Trek: Into Darkness”

Best Foreign Language Film
“The Broken Circle Breakdown” (Belgium)
“The Hunt” (Denmark)
“The Great Beauty” (Italy)
“The Missing Picture” (Cambodia)
“Omar” (Palestine)

Best Animated Feature Film
“The Croods”
“Despicable Me 2”
“Ernest and Celestine”
“Frozen”
“The Wind Rises”

Best Documentary Feature
“The Act of Killing”
“Cutie and the Boxer”
“Dirty Wars”
“The Square”
“20 Feet From Stardom”

Best Documentary Short
“CaveDigger”
“Facing Fear”
“Karama Has No Walls”
“The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life”
“Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall”

Best Short Film (Animated)
“Feral”
“Get a Horse!”
“Mr. Hublot”
“Possessions”
“Room on the Broom”

Best Short Film (Live Action)
“A quel No Era Yo (That Wasn’t Me)”
“Avant De Tout Perdre” (Just Before Losing Everything)”
“Helium”
“Pitääkö Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?)”
“The Voorman Problem”

We’re just about 15 minutes away from the big announcement. At 5:40am PT (good GOD), Cheryl Boone Isaacs and Chris Hemsworth will announce this year’s Oscar nominees. If you’re tuning in online and steering clear of the horrors of E! and whatnot, you can watch the announcement via the livestream below (and knock out any first-blush reactions instantly as we prepare our initial reactionary coverage). See you soon.

[youtube=://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVDo7S4172o&w=640&h=360]

With the announcement of the Motion Picture Sound Editors’ Golden Reel Awards nominees this afternoon, all of the various industry guilds and societies have had their say on the season. And it’s just under the wire, too, as we’re all preparing for the Oscar nominations announcement tomorrow morning. So how did the various contenders fare?

First and foremost, as it pertains to the Oscars, these awards are more notable than things like the Golden Globes, the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards and the various other critics notices throughout the early part of the circuit. They represent the industry’s take on the film year and the crossover membership with the various branches of the Academy makes them more relevant to the season. That said, the voting deadlines for many of these organizations fall far earlier than the Academy’s, and therefore they can often reflect buzz that is much different than that which exists at the end of the year, when Academy members have ballots in hand.

David O. Russell’s “American Hustle” has turned out the most mentions this season, landing 10 industry award notices. They are (and to get the bulk of the acronyms out of the way): Producers Guild of America (PGA), Directors Guild of America (DGA), Writers Guild of America (WGA), Screen Actors Guild (SAG), American Cinema Editors (ACE), Art Directors Guild (ADG), Costume Designers Guild (CDG), Makeup and Hairstylists Guild (MHG) and Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE). The film also landed a BAFTA nomination for Best Film, which is worth mentioning throughout here as it’s also an industry award. For those reasons, it’s largely considered the frontrunning contender in this year’s Best Picture race.

However, “12 Years a Slave” is just a step behind with nine industry mentions. And it would probably have 10 as well had it been eligible for WGA. It missed with MHG but picked up an American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) nomination where “American Hustle” did not.

Then there’s “Gravity” and “Captain Phillips.” Like “12 Years,” both films landed nine industry mentions, though “Gravity” missed out on a WGA nod for which it was eligible. Both films were nominated by PGA, DGA, SAG, ADG, ASC, ACE, MPSE and the Cinema Audio Society (CAS), though neither was chalked up by CDG or MHG. “Gravity” managed BAFTA nominations for both Best Film and Best British Film and was also nominated by the Visual Effects Society (VES).

Those are the four dominant players of the season, no question about it. And everyone else is a fair distance back. Probably landing in the fifth spot, if I were to put forth a guess, is “Nebraska.” That film landed six industry nods from the PGA, WGA, SAG, ASC, ACE and CDG, a very strong showing for such a modest production.

Also chalked up for six industry mentions were “Her” and “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Each landed nods from PGA, WGA, ACE and ADG, but neither was nominated by SAG despite being eligible and seen by the nominating committee. “Her” filled out with CDG and MPSE mentions, while “Wolf” was chalked up by VES and, crucially, DGA.

Getting toward the back of the pack there’s “Blue Jasmine,” “Dallas Buyers Club,” “Inside Llewyn Davis” and “Saving Mr. Banks” with five mentions each. Three of them – “Blue,” “Dallas” and “Banks” are out in front a bit with more important/relevant notices. All three were PGA- and SAG-nominated, as well as CDG players. “Blue” and “Banks” were nominated by ADG while “Dallas” picked up a MHG mention. (“Banks,” however, was nominated for Best British Film by BAFTA, which ignored “Dallas” entirely.) “Davis,” meanwhile, was more of a below-the-line player with notices from ADG, ASC, ACE, MPSE and CAS.

“August: Osage County” is pretty close to that tier with four mentions, including a SAG ensemble. It was also WGA-nominated with below-the-line mentions from ACE and MHG.

And bringing up the rear are “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” and “Philomena” with two industry mentions each. Both received SAG nominations and some below-the-line support (MHG for “The Butler,” CDG for “Philomena”). But these numbers are a little bit deceptive. “The Butler,” for instance, picked up a SAG ensemble nod, indicative of wide-spread support throughout the Academy’s largest branch. “Philomena,” meanwhile – and most notably – was nominated for Best Film by BAFTA and would have, in all likelihood, been a WGA nominee had it been eligible. That puts it a hair out in front of this tier, and really, given its late-breaking buzz, remains a threat to land a Best Picture nomination despite its paltry industry awards showing.

All in all, those are the 14 films duking it out for anywhere between five and 10 Best Picture slots tomorrow. Anything else cropping up would be a shock indeed. It’s up to you to bank on what all these numbers mean when crunched, if anything (and you can overthink this stuff). But we’ve settled on our predictions here ate HitFix, which you can see in the gallery below. Let the chips fall where they may.

This promises to be an interesting addition to the annual awards trail, which could always use new below-the-line honors. Previously, the American Society of Cinematographers has only given out one award for feature film work — the nominees for which were announced last week. This year, however, they’re introducing a second: the Spotlight Award, which will recognize outstanding cinematography in lower-profile films that have either premiered at festivals or opened in limited release.

That, obviously, is great news for international cinema that otherwise doesn’t get much of a foothold in the awards season. (Though, to be fair, the existing ASC Award has been kinder than most to foreign fare: “The Grandmaster” is among this yea’rs nominees, while “The White Ribbon” and “A Very Long Engagement” both won the prize.) Anyway, the inaugural Spotlight Award nominees all hail from outside the US:

Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski, “Ida”
Mark Lee Ping Bin, “Renoir”
Camille Cottagnoud, “Winter Nomads”

Two of these nominees I can vouch for. The Polish period drama “Ida,” a wonderful creative comeback for director Pawel Pawlikowski, won the top prize at the London Film Festival and appeared on my Top 25 list last year; much of its impact comes down to its rich black-and-white cinematography, an exercise in stark composition and glistening contrast.(The film has its US premiere at the Sundance Film Festival next week.)

“Renoir,” meanwhile, was France’s (unsuccessful) 2013 Oscar submission: a biopic of the eponymous Impressionist master, it’s middle-of-the-road stuff, but elevated by Mark Lee Ping Bin’s luminous imagery, which channels the light and palette of Renoir’s own work. (Lee is, of course, one of the craft’s true contemporary masters: his other credits include “In the Mood for Love,” “Norwegian Wood” and “Flight of the Red Balloon.”)

I haven’t seen “Winter Nomads,” a Swiss documentary about French shepherds that appears to be heavy on snow-draped vistas. It’s worth noting that the film won the documentary section at last year’s Camerimage festival, which is specifically dedicated to the art of cinematography; “Ida,” meanwhile, came out on top in the narrative section.

The winner will be announced at the ASC’s awards ceremony on February 1.

Ever since he launched onto the scene with 2002’s “Bloody Sunday,” the work of director Paul Greengrass has been marked by intensity on the editorial side. Films like “The Bourne Supremacy,” “The Bourne Ultimatum” (which won the Oscar for Best Film Editing), “United 93” and this year’s “Captain Phillips” have really stood out for their assemblage, wrangling intense amounts of footage into narratives that reflect a docudrama style, putting you right in the action. Naturally, then, he’s a fantastic choice for the American Cinema Editors’ annual Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year award.

“Paul Greengrass is one of the most exciting filmmakers working in cinema today,” the ACE Board of Directors said jointly in a statement. “A Greengrass film simply has its own signature – from the magnificent hand-held camera work, to his ability to engage audiences with riveting storytelling, his canon of work is bold and iconic. His latest film, ‘Captain Phillips,’ is a masterwork yielding some of the finest filmmaking of the year…He maintains one of the foremost director-editor partnerships in the industry with Christopher Rouse, A.C.E., who has edited all of his features since 2002.”

Past recipients of the award include Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, Norman Jewison, Alexander Payne, James Cameron, Clint Eastwood, George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese.

Greengrass will be presented the honor at the 64th annual ACE Eddie Awards on Friday, Feb. 7, 2014.

Nominations have been announced for the Motion Picture Sound Editors’ (MPSE) 61st annual Golden Reel Awards, and it was “Gravity” and “12 Years a Slave” that led the way with three nominations each.

Picking up two apiece were “Captain Phillips,” “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” “Inside Llewyn Davis” and “Lone Survivor.” All are strong contenders with the sound branch at the Academy, which nominates in the Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing fields. “American Hustle” also picked up a pair of nominations, and if love for the film is THAT widespread, it could show up in the Academy’s sound mixing category.

Typically the biggest barometer of the sound editing side of things are the sound effects and foley MPSE categories. Films that popped up there that could absolutely show up in tomorrow’s nominations announcement include “All is Lost,” “Fast & Furious 6” and “Iron Man 3.”

Often the sound editing field makes room for an animated film. This year that doesn’t seem likely, though “Frozen” picked up a pair of nominations.

Oh, and “Rush” turned up a big ol’ goose egg, shockingly.

Check out the full list of nominees below, and remember to follow the season at The Circuit.

Best Sound Editing: Sound Effects and Foley in an English Language Feature
“All Is Lost”
“Captain Phillips”
“Fast & Furious 6”
“Gravity”
“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”
“Iron Man 3”
“Lone Survivor”
“12 Years a Slave”

Best Sound Editing: Dialogue and ADR in an English Language Feature
“American Hustle”
“August: Osage County”
“Captain Phillips”
“Gravity”
“Her”
“Inside Llewyn Davis”
“Lone Survivor”
“12 Years a Slave”

Best Sound Editing in an Animated Feature (English or Foreign Language)
(Includes ADR, Dialogue, Sound Effects and Foley)
“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2”
“The Croods”
“Despicable Me 2”
“Epic”
“Ernest & Celestine”
“Frozen”
“Monsters University”
“Planes”

Best Sound Editing in a Foreign Language Feature
(Includes ADR, Dialogue, Sound Effects and Foley)
“Blue Is the Warmest Color”
“The Grandmaster”
“The Past”
“Wadjda”

Best Sound Editing: Music in a Musical Feature (English or Foreign Language)
“Frozen”
“Inside Llewyn Davis”
“Justin Bieber”s Believe”
“Metallica Through the Never”

Best Sound Editing: Music in a Feature (English or Foreign Language)
“American Hustle”
“47 Ronin”
“Gravity”
“The Great Gatsby”
“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”
“Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”
“12 Years a Slave”
“World War Z”

Best Sound Editing in a Feature Documentary Feature
“CinemAbility”
“Dirty Wars”
“Good Ol” Freda”
“Muscle Shoals”
“1”
“Rising from Ashes”
“Sound City”
“20 Feet from Stardom”

“Grown Ups 2” is the clear “winner” of this year’s Razzie nominations, although the voters saved plenty of vitriol for summer flops “The Lone Ranger” and “After Earth,” and the star-studded comedy anthology “Movie 43.”

“Grown Ups'” eight nominations include worst picture, sequel, screenplay, lead actor (Adam Sandler), supporting actor (Taylor Lautner), supporting actress (Salma Hayek), ensemble (which also includes Kevin James, Chris Rock and David Spade), and director (Dennis Dugan). The latter will face, among others, Tyler Perry and “The 13 People Who Directed “Movie 43.'”

The nominations also single out such annual punching bags as M. Night Shyamalan, Lindsay Lohan, Halle Berry, and Sylvester Stallone, plus pop stars-turned-movies stars like Lady Gaga (“Machete Kills”) and Chris Brown (“Battle of the Year”).

“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2” took home last year’s Razzie for Worst Picture.

Check out the full list of nominees below.

Worst Picture
“After Earth”
“Grown Ups 2”
“The Lone Ranger”
“A Madea Christmas”
“Movie 43”

Worst Director
The 13 People Who Directed, “Movie 43”
Dennis Dugan, “Grown Ups 2”
Tyler Perry, “A Madea Christmas,”, “Temptation”
M. Night Shyamalan, “After Earth”
Gore Verbinski, “The Lone Ranger”

Worst Actor
Johnny Depp, “The Lone Ranger”
Ashton Kutcher, “Jobs”
Adam Sandler, “Grown Ups 2”
Jaden Smith, “After Earth”
Sylvester Stallone, “Bullet To The Head,”  “Escape Plan,”  “Grudge Match”

Worst Actress
Halle Berry, “Movie 43, ”  “The Call”
Selena Gomez, “Getaway”
Lindsay Lohan, “The Canyons”
Tyler Perry, “A Madea Christmas”
Naomi Watts, “Diana, ”  “Movie 43”

Worst Supporting Actor
Chris Brown, “Battle Of The Year”
Larry the Cable Guy, “A Madea Christmas”
Taylor Lautner, “Grown Ups 2”
Will Smith, “After Earth”
Nick Swardson, “A Haunted House, ” “Grown Ups 2”

Worst Supporting Actress
Lady Gaga, “Machete Kills”
Salma Hayek, “Grown Ups 2”
Katherine Heigl, “The Big Wedding”
Kim Kardashian, “Tyler Perry”s Temptation”
Lindsay Lohan, “InAPPropriate Comedy,”  “Scary Movie 5”

Worst Screenplay
“After Earth,” Screenplay by Gary Whitta and M. Night Shyamalan, Story by Will Smith
“Grown Ups 2,” Written by Fred Wolfe & Adam Sandler & Tim Herlihy
“The Lone Ranger,” Screen Story & Screenplay by Ted Elliott, Justin Haythe & Terry Rosso
“A Madea Christmas,” Written by Tyler Perry
“Movie 43,” Written by 19 “Screenwriters”

Worst Screen Combo
The Entire Cast of “Groan-Ups, Too”
The Entire Cast of “Movie 43”
Lindsay Lohan & Charlie Sheen, “Scary Movie 5”
Tyler Perry & EITHER Larry the Cable Guy OR That Worn-Out Wig & Dress, “A Madea Christmas”
Jaden Smith & Will Smith on Planet Nepotism, “After Earth”

Worst Remake, Rip-off or Sequel
“Grown Ups 2”
“The Hangover Part III”
“The Lone Ranger”
“Scary Movie 5”
“The Smurfs 2”

In the middle of this month’s entertainment avalanche there is a magical place where Hollywood’s dreams come true. No, it’s not Disneyland, it’s the Sundance Film Festival. Although, if you immediately thought the former you certainly made Disney stockholders happy.

Beginning Thursday night America’s most prestigious film festival will begin unveiling new works that will end up making an impact on the moviegoing public. Every year, without fail, a “Blair Witch Project,” “Little Miss Sunshine,” “March of the Penguins,” “Precious,” “Beasts of the Southern Wild” or “Fruitvale Station” are discovered in Park City.  That is one reason Sundance has transformed from an independent film powerhouse into arguably something more important: America’s most prestigious film festival (and you could argue its in the top three worldwide with Cannes and Venice).  

With that in mind, the HitFix team journeying to the snow mountains of Utah have selected the 13 titles we think you’ll want the inside scoop from this year’s festival. Check out the story gallery embedded in this post and then vote in the poll below for the movie you’re most interested in. Or, if you think we’ve missed a big one, let us know.

Look for reviews, interviews and commentary from the 2014 Sundance Film Festival beginning Thursday afternoon through Saturday, Jan. 25.
 

The Makeup and Hairstylists Guild has not presented awards in nearly a decade. This year, however, IATSE Local 706 is dusting off the trophies and jumping back into the kudos circuit.

All of the films that made the bake-off stage with the Academy are represented with nominations. So very little has been done to narrow things down, though you could take note of the fact that “The Lone Ranger” is the only film to manage two nominations.

I think we’re likely to see “American Hustle” in play and I feel pretty good about “Bad Grandpa,” but it’s a toss-up for me on the last spot. Could be the BAFTA-nominated “The Great Gatsby,” could be the obviously respected (at least in this department) “The Lone Ranger.” I may well tweak these predictions as well.

Check out the full list of nominees in an array of categories below, and as ever, keep track of the ups and downs of the season via The Circuit.

FEATURE LENGTH MOTION PICTURE (Feature Films)

Best Contemporary Hairstyling
“Lee Daniels’ The Butler”
“One Chance”
“Unfinished Song”

Best Contemporary Makeup
“August: Osage County”
“One Chance”
“Prisoners”

Best Period and/or Character Hairstyling
“American Hustle”
“Jobs”
“The Lone Ranger”

Best Period and/or Character Makeup
“Dallas Buyers Club”
“The Great Gatsby”
“The Lone Ranger”

Best Special Makeup Effects
“Bad Grandpa”
“Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters”
“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”

TELEVISION and NEW MEDIA SERIES (Episodic Television)

Best Contemporary Hairstyling
“Bates Motel”
“Breaking Bad”
“The Voice”

Best Contemporary Makeup
“Breaking Bad”
“Glee”
“Super Fun Night”

Best Period and/or Character Hairstyling
“Hell on Wheels”
“Key and Peele”
“Vikings”

Best Period and/or Character Makeup
“Boardwalk Empire”
“Hell on Wheels”
“Key and Peele”

Best Special Makeup Effects
“Longmire”
“Vikings”
“The Walking Dead”

TELEVISION MINISERIES or MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION (M.O.W) – CABLE NETWORK/M.O.W.s

Best Period and/or Character Hairstyling
“American Horror Story: Coven”
“Behind the Candelabra”
“Killing Lincoln”

Best Period and/or Character Makeup
“American Horror Story: Coven”
“Behind the Candelabra”
“Game of Thrones”

THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS (LIVE STAGE – LIVE THEATER)

“Falstaff”
“Magic Flute”
“Frank Zappa’s 200 Motels”

COMMERCIALS

Best Contemporary Makeup
“Wash the Day Away (Kohler)”

The Makeup & Hairstylists Guild Awards will take place on Saturday, Feb. 15.

Speaking of visual effects, after the “World War Z” went over really well and newly designed tech for “Oblivion” was a major talking point at the Academy’s visual effects bake-off presentation last weekend, I had been betting on each to slide into the final five Thursday morning. But then, neither landed a single nomination for the Visual Effects Society today, so maybe that’ll call for some last-minute tinkering on my predictions.

Of course, it’s all just a race for second place at the Oscars this year, as “Gravity” is set to win this award walking away. And as such, the film led the way with the Society’s nominations today, picking up eight. “Pacific Rim” was a few steps behind with six while “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” and “Iron Man 3” grabbed five apiece. I wouldn’t bank on “Star Trek Into Darkness,” which was nominated in the Society’s top field today but only managed one other mention besides, landing an Oscar nod, but who knows? It’s in the mix.

One film that could pop up is “The Lone Ranger,” which has a heavy practical effects element. The special/practical effects folks in the branch can sometimes come out for such a film, but other times, like last year with “Skyfall,” it’s just not enough.

And on the animated side of things, “The Croods,” “Epic” and “Frozen” all tied with four mentions apiece.

I’d say by this tea leaf, in addition to “Gravity,” “The Hobbit” and “Pacific Rim,” which are all secure, it’s probably worth putting “Iron Man 3” in there. After that, toss-up, really. There are arguments to be made for most of the films still in play, and the only bake-off reels that I heard underwhelmed the crowd were “Elysium” and “Thor: The Dark World.” Though the former picked up a pair of nominations today, so who knows?

Check out the full list of nominees (which I’ve broken down into categories) below, and remember to keep track of it all at The Circuit.

MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture
“Gravity”
“Iron Man 3”
“Pacific Rim”
“Star Trek Into Darkness”
“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Feature Motion Picture
“Rush”
“The Great Gatsby”
“The Lone Ranger”
“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”
“The Wolf of Wall Street”
“White House Down”

Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
“Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2”
“The Croods”
“Despicable Me 2”
“Frozen”
“Monsters University”

Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture
“Gravity” – Ryan
“Oz the Great and Powerful” – China Girl
“Pacific Rim” – Kaiju – Leatherback
“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” – Smaug

Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
“Epic” – Bomba
“Epic” – Mary Katherine
“Frozen” – Bringing the Snow Queen to Life
“The Croods” – Eep

Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture
“Elysium” – Torus
“Gravity” – Interior
“Gravity” – Exterior
“Iron Man 3” – Shipyard
“Pacific Rim” – Virtual Hong Kong

Outstanding Created Environment in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
“Epic” – Pod Patch
“Frozen” – Elsa”s Ice Palace
“Monsters University” – Campus
“The Croods” – The Maze

Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture
“Gravity”
“Iron Man 3”
“Man of Steel”
“Pacific Rim” – Hong Kong Ocean Brawl
“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”

Outstanding Models in a Feature Motion Picture
“Gravity” – ISS Exterior
“Pacific Rim”
“Star Trek: Into Darkness”
“The Lone Ranger” – Colby Locomotive

Outstanding FX and Simulation Animation in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture
“Gravity” – Parachute and ISS Destruction
“Man of Steel”
“Pacific Rim” – Fluid Simulation & Destruction
“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”

Outstanding FX and Simulation Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
“Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2”
“The Croods”
“Epic” – Boggan Crowds
“Frozen” – Elsa”s Blizzard

Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture
“Elysium”
“Gravity”
“Iron Man 3” – Barrel of Monkeys
“Iron Man 3” – House Attack
“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”

TELEVISION AND COMMERCIALS

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program
“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” – Pilot
“Almost Human”
“Battlestar Galactica” – “Blood & Chrome”
“Game of Thrones” – “Valar Dohaeris”
“Inseparable” – “Chernobyl”

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial
“Call of Duty” – “Epic Night Out”
“Galaxy Chauffeur”
Liberty Group Limited – “Answer”
PETA – –98% Human”
Sony PlayStation – “Perfect Day”

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program
“Banshee” – Pilot
“Da Vinci”s Demons” – “The Lovers”
“Hawaii 5-0” – “Ho”onani Makuakane”
“Mob City” – “A Guy Walks in to A Bar”
“Moonfleet” – “Episode 2”
“The Borgias” – “Relics”

Outstanding Animated Character in a Commercial or Broadcast Program
“Game of Thrones” – “Raising the Dragons”
“PETA – 98% Human”
“Smithwick”s” – “Squirrel”
“Three, The Pony”
“Toy Story of Terror”

Outstanding Created Environment in a Commercial or Broadcast Program
“Game of Thrones” – “The Climb”
“Hell On Wheels” – “Big Bad Wolf”
“Inseparable” – “Chernobyl”
Liberty Group Limited – “Answer”

Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a Live Action Commercial or Broadcast Program
“Mad Max” – “Ethos”
“Murdered” – “Soul Suspect”
Qualcomm Snapdragon – “A Dragon is Coming”
“The Crew”

Outstanding FX and Simulation Animation in a Commercial or Broadcast Program
PETA – “98% Human”
Sony PlayStation – “Perfect Day”
Toyota Avalon – “Formula”
“Toy Story of Terror”

Outstanding Compositing in a Broadcast Program
“Banshee” – Pilot
“Game of Thrones” – “The Climb”
“The Conquering of Yunkai”
“Vikings” – “Dispossessed”

Outstanding Compositing in a Commercial
“Call of Duty” – “Epic Night Out”
Jean-Paul Gaultier – “The Sailor”
“Mercedes Sensations”
Sony PlayStation – “Greatness Awaits”
Sony PlayStation – “Perfect Day”

OTHER MEDIA

Outstanding Real-Time Visuals in a Video Game
“Call of Duty: Ghosts”
“Crysis 3”
“Killzone Shadow Fall”
“NBA 2K14”
“Ryse: Son of Rome”

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special Venue Project
“Hayden Planetarium”s Dark Universe”
“Mysteries of the Unseen World”
“Mystic Manor”
“Space Shuttle Atlantis”
“SpongeBob SquarePants 4D: The Great Jelly Rescue!”

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Student Project
“Initium”
“Morphium”
“Rugbybugs”
“Runaway”
“Where the Dream Begins”

Best Documentary Feature remains one of this year’s most excitingly competitive Oscar races. While some titles — notably two critics’ favorites, Joshua Oppenheimer’s “The Act of Killing” and Sarah Polley’s “Stories We Tell” — have emerged repeatedly in the precursor awards, you’d be hard pressed to name a clear frontrunner, while no inclusions or omissions from the Academy’s 15-film shortlist would be truly shocking when the nominations are announced on Thursday. 

The DGA, meanwhile, has kept things in balance, yesterday naming five films for their documentary directing award, all of which are in contention for the Oscar. Polley and Oppenheimer are there, of course, as are Zachary Heinzerling for “Cutie and the Boxer,” Lucy Walker for “The Crash Reel” and Jehane Noujaim for “The Square.” That means female directors make up the majority of the nominees — I’ll leave it to more dedicated statisticians out there to tell me whether or not that’s a first, but it’s certainly heartening.

Does that mean they’re on the inside track for the Oscar? Maybe, though not necessarily: three of the DGA’s picks were nominated by the Academy last year (with “Searching for Sugar Man” taking both awards), but 2011’s eventual DGA winner, “Project Nim,” was left out of the Oscar lineup. The documentary branch has always done things its own way.

Meanwhile, if you’re looking to the Guilds for pointers — well, maybe you shouldn’t. There’s not one single overlap between the films nominated by the DGA, PGA and ACE, while only “Stories We Tell” from the DGA list also scored a WGA nod. As I said, it’s completely up in the air this year.

To recap, the five nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary are:

Joshua Oppenheimer, “The Act of Killing”

Lucy Walker, “The Crash Reel”

Zachary Heinzerling, “Cutie and the Boxer”

Jehane Noujaim “The Square”

Sarah Polley, “Stories We Tell”

It’s amazing, really, how seemingly mundane realities are so elaborately manifested in cinema. So much of what you see on screen, you’d never know, is a digital effect. This is the magic making business and these guys below the line who craft this stuff for us remain largely unsung, and particularly when their work is so invisible (as, often, it should be).

With that in mind, take a gander at the visual effects reel for “The Wolf of Wall Street” below. It takes things up a whole new level where lifting the veil on how things were accomplished is concerned. It’s one of the better presentations of such a thing I’ve seen, and hopefully – whether you’re a fan of the film or not – it will give you a whole new appreciation for how it was made.

Funny that Cannes named Jane Campion their jury president last week, while the Berlin Film Festival — which is only three weeks away — is only announcing their now. Anyway, former Focus Features chief James Schamus is an inspired and discerning pick for the role. The same, in fact, goes for the jury supporting him, an eclectic, international bunch that includes recent Golden Globe nominee Greta Gerwig, two-time Oscar winner Christoph Waltz, Michel Gondry (whose fascinating 2013 film “Mood Indigo” has finally been picked up by Drafthouse Films), Tony Leung and James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli. Can’t wait to see what they pick between them. [Berlinale]

Owen Gleiberman offers a measured, thoughtful take on Armond White’s eviction from the NYFCC. [Entertainment Weekly]

Pierre Lescure will take over from Gilles Jacob as president of the Cannes Film Festival next year. [Screen Daily]

As its Oscar campaign for “Gravity” ramps up, Warner Bros. is re-releasing the film in over 900 theaters on Friday. [Variety]

Pawel Pawlikowski’s gorgeous “Ida” is among the film’s shortlisted for the ASC’s inaugural Spotlight Award. [Hollywood Reporter]

Criticwire participants wonder whether or not critics should give out awards. [Indiewire]

Surprise (to some, anyway) Golden Globe winner Alex Ebert discusses his approach to scoring “All is Lost.” [New York Times]

Glenn Dunks completes his comprehensive profile of the film’s shortlisted for the documentary Oscar. [The Film Experience]

Love this. “The Act of Killing” director Joshua Oppenheimer waxes lyrical about my #2 film of 2013, Clio Barnard’s devastating “The Selfish Giant.” [The Dissolve]

The Broadcast Film Critics Association has announced recipients of honorary awards for the upcoming Critics’ Choice Movie Awards being held on Thursday, Jan. 16.

“Before Midnight” scribes Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke and Richard Linklater have been tapped for the Louis XIII Genius Award, to be presented by actor Matthew McConaughey. Given inaugurally to Judd Apatow last year, the honor recognizes an unprecedented demonstration of excellence in the cinematic arts.

“The Butler” star Forest Whitaker, meanwhile, will receive the organization’s Joel Siegel Award, presented by Oprah Winfrey and honoring its namesake’s legacy and belief that the true value of celebrity is an enhanced platform to do good works for others. Whitaker has worked to raise awareness about youth and violence throughout his career and in 2012 founded the Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative. Previous recipients of the award include Sean Penn, Matt Damon and Don Cheadle.

Tune into The CW Thursday night to see which of the roll call of nominees will walk away with prizes at the 19th annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, hosted by Aisha Tyler.

The Academy has announced that the 86th annual Academy Awards will focus on a celebration of movie heroes. The show will honor big-screen real-life heroes, super heroes, popular heroes and animated heroes, both past and present.

“We wanted to unify the show with an entertaining and emotional theme,” Oscarcast producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron said via press release. “People around the world go to the movies to be inspired by the characters they see on the screen. By celebrating the gamut of heroes who have enriched our movie-going experience, we hope to create an evening of fun and joy. And that includes the filmmakers and actors who take risks and stimulate us with provocative subjects and daring characters. They are all heroes in the cinematic landscape.”

To coincide with this theme, it’s also been announced that AMPAS will present “The Oscars Celebrate Movie Heroes,” an exhibition in the Grand Lobby Gallery of its Beverly Hills headquarters. That exhibit will be on display Friday, Jan. 17 through Wednesday, Mar. 5 and will feature photos and posters from 70 titles spanning nine decades, as well as video montages. Films in the exhibit will include “Gandhi,” “Silkwood,” “Superman,” “The Dark Knight,” “Shrek,” “The Incredibles,” “Seven Samurai,” “Gladiator,” “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “The Grapes of Wrath.”

So…there’s that.

The 86th annual Academy Awards will be held on March. 2, 2014.

Nominees have been announced for the 50th annual Cinema Audio Society (CAS) Awards. A sometimes barometer of the Academy’s Best Sound Mixing category. But the two awards don’t always correspond. In recent years films like “Hanna” and “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” have managed to get in with the Society but failed to be recognized by the sound branch.

The one film left off the list that might be surprising to some is “All is Lost.” But there are some things to consider. Like the fact that the CAS has a great many production sound mixers and “All is Lost” is a film where pretty much 100% of the sound was created and mixed in post-production (perhaps making it more likely to be recognized for Best Sound Editing at the Academy). Also cast aside is Ron Howard’s “Rush,” which just can’t seem to get arrested this season.

“Captain Phillips” and “Gravity” maintained their strong industry awards showing and “Inside Llewyn Davis” was predictably showcased. Also in the mix (so to speak) is “Lone Survivor,” and no surprise there. The only eyebrow-raiser might be the presence of “Iron Man 3,” which could signify, as it did for the first film in the series back in 2008, that it’s heading for some sort of sound branch recognition, perhaps for sound editing rather than mixing. We’ll see.

Check out the full list of nominees below and remember to keep track of the season via The Circuit.

Motion Picture – Live Action
“Captain Phillips”
“Gravity”
“Inside Llewyn Davis”
“Iron Man 3”
“Lone Survivor”

Motion Picture – Animated
“The Croods”
“Despicable Me 2”
“Frozen”
“Monsters University”
“Walking With Dinosaurs”

Television Movie or Mini-Series
“American Horror Story: Coven” – “The Replacements”
“Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome”
“Behind the Candelabra”
“Bonnie and Clyde: (Night Two) Part Two”
“Phil Spector”

Television Series – 1 Hour
“Boardwalk Empire” – “Erlkönig”
“Breaking Bad” – “Felina”
“Game of Thrones” – “The Rains of Castamere”
“Homeland” – “Good Night”
“The Walking Dead” – “Home”

Television Series – 1/2 Hour
“Californication” – “I’ll Lay My Monsters Down”
“Modern Family” – “Goodnight Gracie”
“Nurse Jackie” – “Teachable Moments”
“The Office” – “Finale”
“Parks and Recreation” – “Leslie and Ben”

Television Non-Fiction, Variety or Music Series or Specials
“2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony”
“Deadliest Catch” – “The Final Battle”
“History of the Eagles – Part One”
“Killing Lincoln”
“Mike Tyson:  Undisputed Truth”

The 50th annual Cinema Audio Society Awards will be held on Saturday, Feb. 22.

Alright, it’s time to just take the dive. Ballots have long been in and nothing as of late can influence the Academy’s nominations, so what will be on Thursday, in so many words, will be. What is Team HitFix thinking in the way of final predictions?

Well, “final” should probably be put in quotes. There are a couple of days left here for last minute jitters to creep in so keep an eye on this post all the way through Wednesday night in case one of us makes a last-second switcheroo. But for the most part, I think we’re ready to just make our bets and call it a day on phase one of this highly competitive Oscar season.

Click through the gallery below to see what Gregory Ellwood, Gerard Kennedy, Guy Lodge and I are thinking throughout the categories (save for the shorts, which I’m actually predicting – check the comments section here). It seems the four of us only agreed on two categories out of the 21 predicted: Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Screenplay. Meanwhile, there were two categories – Best Supporting Actor and Best Visual Effects – that saw us split four different ways.

Feel free to use the comments section to make your bold proclamations for this or that left-field possibility and check back with us bright and early Thursday morning to see how right…or wrong…we were.