Our Oscars Preview - The Technical Categories [2023]

It's Oscars Week '23! Here is Part 2 of our preview.

Babylon [2022]

Best Original Score

Nominees

• All Quiet on the Western Front – Volker Bertelmann
• Babylon – Justin Hurwitz
• The Banshees of Inisherin – Carter Burwell
• Everything Everywhere All at Once – Son Lux
• The Fabelmans – John Williams

Predictions

Isaac: John Williams refusing to retire just to continue working with Steven Spielberg is the stuff of legends. While The Fabelmans is far from his best work, it still is classic Williams, which you can never ignore. The emotional piano that's prevalent in the score makes you nostalgic not only for Spielberg's upbringing through the lens of the Fabelmans, but of all the Williams-Spielberg collaborations that have blessed our ears and eyes for so long. Movies, and their scores, such as Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T, Jurassic Park and so many more are all in their own way the pinnacle of movie scoring excellence. Watching a movie where the frequent collaborators reflect on the life of the director adds to the symphonic sweetness of the tunes. Its a shame I don't think Williams necessarily stands a chance of winning, but if he did I would be elated. I believe the real winner here is going to be Volker Bertelmann's somber and epic score that drives the machine of war in All Quiet on the Western Front. Bertelmann has created something incredibly special with a unique take on the "war score" with an emphasis of string instruments even if they are distorted in some scenes. It almost resembles a horror score in some parts more than a war epic, while also saving some of the tender string moments for an emotional gut wrenching respite. I think Germany's incredible film All Quiet on the Western Front nabs a much deserved Original Score win here.

Hopster: Did you know that Carter Burwell, the prolific film composer who has been previously nominated at the Academy Awards for Carol (2015) and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) and just received his third nomination for The Banshees of Inisherin, has yet to win an Oscar? Conversely, did you know that the symphonic titan himself, John Williams, who is nominated this year for his work on Spielberg's The Fabelmans, holds the record for the most nominations by a living person at 53 and could potentially win his sixth award? In terms of predictions, I'm betting against both of these two guys, as well as Isaac's boy Bertelmann and his arresting score for All Quiet, and I'm putting my money on Justin Hurwitz. He is the man behind one of the most audacious scores in recent history, aka Babylon, a film that is woefully underrepresented at this year's Oscars but could sneak out a few key wins in the craft categories. I won't babble on about this movie like I did not so long ago, but I'll reiterate one of my previous points to close out my prediction:

"Justin Hurwitz rip-roaring but melancholic, La La Land-infused score is perhaps the film's signature achievement. What he delivers is an epic and endless supply of music that highlights and outlines the film's core themes and thesis -- you can literally hear "Call Me Manny" and "Voodoo Mamma" collide in "Finale," as if there has been a changing of the guard or some sort of cataclysmic collision. It's phenomenal stuff."

Best Original Song

Nominees

• "Applause" from Tell It Like a Woman – Music and lyrics by Diane Warren
• "Hold My Hand" from Top Gun: Maverick – Music and lyrics by Lady Gaga and BloodPop
• "Lift Me Up" from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Music by Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler, and Ludwig Göransson; Lyrics by Tems and Ryan Coogler
• "Naatu Naatu" from RRR – Music by M. M. Keeravani; Lyrics by Chandrabose
• "This Is a Life" from Everything Everywhere All at Once – Music by Ryan Lott, David Byrne, and Mitski; Lyrics by Ryan Lott and David Byrne

Predictions

Isaac: Its Rihanna's world, we're just living in it. She crushed the halftime show, whilst pregnant mind you, is performing at the Oscars and may-or-may-not be dangling the long awaited ninth album in front of our faces. Her ode to the late great Chadwick Boseman was a beautiful tribute in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and is incredibly deserving. On another note, remember last year when Lady Gaga was campaigning harder than anyone else to just get nominated for the atrocious House of Gucci? I don't think anybody wants an Oscar more than Lady Gaga at this moment, but I haven't really seen anything pushing for this song to actually win? No matter what thought you cannot escape the inevitable worldwide phenomenon that is "Naatu Naatu". RRR was snubbed for Best International Feature and it deserves at least one accolade.

Hopster: First off, House of Gucci wasn't atrocious, it was just pretty bad, ok?! No need to be rude here. I won't have Ridley Scott and his old-man, reckless ambition be dragged through the mud. Second of all, I can think of a few people who may be as thirsty for an Oscar as Lady Gaga, but the first name that comes to my mind is Bradley Cooper -- that comedown from A Star Is Born has had a serious effect on these two, eh? That being said, Gaga winning for "Hold My Hand" would be fun, but few things brough me more joy this year than watching N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan sing and dance their asses off performing "Naatu Naatu" in RRR. Those two guys performing live at the Oscars could be one of the telecast's brightest moments.

The Batman [2022]

Best Sound

Nominees

• All Quiet on the Western Front – Viktor Prášil, Frank Kruse, Markus Stemler, Lars Ginzel, and Stefan Korte
• Avatar: The Way of Water – Julian Howarth, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Dick Bernstein, Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, and Michael Hedges
• The Batman – Stuart Wilson, William Files, Douglas Murray, and Andy Nelson
• Elvis – David Lee, Wayne Pashley, Andy Nelson, and Michael Keller
• Top Gun: Maverick – Mark Weingarten, James H. Mather, Al Nelson, Chris Burdon, and Mark Taylor

Predictions

Isaac: I'm championing All Quiet on the Western Front this year as I did last year with Dune. So let it be known that I hereby declare the winner of Best Sound, All Quiet on the Western Front. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

Hopster: No, no, no. All Quiet can't just run away with every technical category! As much as you want this to be Dune: Part Two, you will have to wait until that gets released later this year!! While All Quiet would be a worthy winner, but I'm looking for Top Gun: Maverick to grab some hardware here! As previously discussed, the sound mixing involved with syncing up the roaring thunder of fighter jets and establishing coherence and continuity across every shot should make this a shoo-in frontrunner. Buzz the damn tower and put your money on Maverick.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever [2022]

Best Costume Design

Nominees

• Babylon – Mary Zophres
• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Ruth Carter
• Elvis – Catherine Martin
• Everything Everywhere All at Once – Shirley Kurata
• Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris – Jenny Beavan

Predictions

Isaac: Ruth Carter has seriously had some of the best costume designs for the past 40ish years. Nominated for her work in the first Black Panther, Carter runs it back with some incredible displays such as the funeral sequence, Namor (Tenoch Huerta) and the rest of the Talokan people. However, I used the term "Academy fodder" when talking about Short Subject Documentary but didn't mean it, but now I'll say if there's any "Academy fodder" actually here its Elvis. The Academy eats up biopics of famous musicians, performers, overall icons and I think they're salivating at the thought of giving it as many awards as they can justify. Of course I'm not detracting from Catherine Martin's stupendous work on the film, but I would much more prefer Carter to win here. Unfortunately, I think Elvis takes the win.

Hopster: Even I can't pretend that Everything Everywhere All at Once or Babylon has a chance to win here. This really seems like a two-horse race between Ruth Carter for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Catherin Martin for Elvis. For the sake optimism, I'll be the positive light I want to see shine down upon us on Oscar night when Ruth Carter wins and the crowd goes wild -- just call me a normy MCU-megafan cheering for a Marvel movie to win a below the line craft category at the Academy Awards.

The Whale [2022]

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Nominees

• All Quiet on the Western Front – Heike Merker and Linda Eisenhamerová
• The Batman – Naomi Donne, Mike Marino, and Mike Fontaine
• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Camille Friend and Joel Harlow
• Elvis – Mark Coulier, Jason Baird, and Aldo Signoretti
• The Whale – Adrien Morot, Judy Chin, and Anne Marie Bradley

Predictions

Hopster: One of the most competitive categories of the field, right? Elvis is currently -140 and the The Whale is +100, making this a dead heat¹. Idk, I'd guess this to be a coin flip -- mark me down for The Whale.

Isaac: Echoing my same thoughts as above, Elvis is I think the frontrunner? But I can see the Academy splitting votes between Elvis and The Whale which means.... BAH GAHD that's All Quiet on the Western Front's music!! Heike Merker and Linda Eisenhamerová swoop in and snag the win for their stunning and harrowing work in the film.

The Fabelmans [2022]

Best Production Design

Nominees

• All Quiet on the Western Front – Production Design: Christian M. Goldbeck; Set Decoration: Ernestine Hipper
• Avatar: The Way of Water – Production Design: Dylan Cole and Ben Procter; Set Decoration: Vanessa Cole
• Babylon – Production Design: Florencia Martin; Set Decoration: Anthony Carlino
• Elvis – Production Design: Catherine Martin and Karen Murphy; Set Decoration: Bev Dunn
• The Fabelmans – Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Karen O'Hara

Predictions

Isaac: What's this? Another technical category that All Quiet on the Western Front is nominated in?? Put me down for another win. Although I will say, it would be pretty freaking cool if Avatar: The Way of Water won. In a film that is predominantly CGI, behind the scenes pictures and footage shows exactly what a production set looks like for a film like this. Water tanks, half submerged nautical vehicles, fiery boats, its almost as if we're peeking beyond the looking glass into Wonderland. I think if All Quiet were to lose, I would feel pretty ok with it losing to Avatar: The Way of Water, just for the cool factor.

Hopster: Babylon for the win, baby. Let's make it happen!!

Best Cinematography

Nominees

• All Quiet on the Western Front – James Friend
• Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths – Darius Khondji
• Elvis – Mandy Walker
• Empire of Light – Roger Deakins
• Tár – Florian Hoffmeister

Predictions

Hopster: Year after year, this is one of the most consistently competitive categories. But despite the Cinematog-God himself Roger Deakins' sixteenth Oscar nomination, this is a relatively off-year. I'm going to place the safest bet and put my money on James Friend and his excellent work in All Quiet on the Western Front. War movies are catnip in this category, and I think Friend's work is deserving of Oscar gold.

Isaac: Director Alejandro Iñárritu returns from a seven year hiatus after the back-to-back bangers of Birdman and The Revenant to somehow only come away with this singular nomination. While he didn't film Bardo with his previous collaborator Emannuel Lubezki, the film's cinematographer Darius Khondji brings in a whole new feel and texture to Iñárritu's film. Whereas Lubezki has become well known for his long single shot takes and masterful camera work, Khondji adds an almost surreal feel to a film through the lens and garners this well deserved nomination. Outside of Khondji we have the return of the king Roger Deakins who, even though Empire of Light is not a good movie, simply can't let off the gas when working. Ultimately, all of these cinematographers are well-deserving and a fairly strong field of nominees, but the work James Friend did in All Quiet on the Western Front is astounding. He stands above the rest and I think the Academy will see that as well.

Elvis [2022]

Best Film Editing

Nominees

• The Banshees of Inisherin – Mikkel E. G. Nielsen
• Elvis – Matt Villa and Jonathan Redmond
• Everything Everywhere All at Once – Paul Rogers
• Tár – Monika Willi
• Top Gun: Maverick – Eddie Hamilton

Predictions

Isaac: If Elvis wins this category I will beg our architect to shut this site down. So please for the love of all that is good and just in this world, please let Paul Rogers' transcendant work on Everything Everywhere All At Once be recognized for the beautiful achievement that it is.

Hopster: What Paul Rogers pulls off in Everything Everywhere All at Once is nothing short of extraordinary. Detractors might push back and contend that this category shouldn't be awarding the "most editing," but that sentiment would miss the key point -- the work done in post-production brings everything all together. A win for EEAAO here could signal a big night for the Daniels and this weirdo, beloved A24 movie.

Best Visual Effects

Nominees

• All Quiet on the Western Front – Frank Petzold, Viktor Müller, Markus Frank, and Kamil Jafar
• Avatar: The Way of Water – Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett
• The Batman – Dan Lemmon, Russell Earl, Anders Langlands, and Dominic Tuohy
• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Geoffrey Baumann, Craig Hammack, R. Christopher White, and Dan Sudick
• Top Gun: Maverick – Ryan Tudhope, Seth Hill, Bryan Litson, and Scott R. Fisher

Predictions

Isaac: I don't think you can go wrong with any of these films, however as we've come to know, you gotta let big Jim cook. Avatar: The Way of Water is literally the result of letting James Cameron take the wheel and wait for technology to catch up to his vision, and we're not going to reward the gigantic brass balls on this guy?? Avatar: The Way of Water wins in a landslide and James Cameron yells "I'm going to DisneyWorld", chalk it up.

Hopster: Avatar: The Way of Water is nothing short of a visually stunning, cinematic feast. The breathtaking beauty and and flawless design of Payakan and the tulkun whales on screen alone dunks on most other blockbuster films in terms of scale and spectacle. Put whatever you think about the Na'vi and the splendorous world of Pandora aside, and let's give Big Jim and his gigantic brass balls another Academy Award.