We're officially a week out from nominations. Time to gear it up!

What if Trumbo makes it? LOL

I'm sort of expecting them to make my worst nightmare come true and for them to troll us all and somehow nominate The Danish Girl as the last nominee in the lineup, like what happened with Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.

I think they will leave Star Wars for that last spot if nominated.

All things considered, there isn't a "terrible" movie in the running this year. While I didn't really like Trumbo or The Danish Girl or Star Wars, I wouldn't call any of them "terrible." Uninspired maybe? Spotlight for the record, made my top 15 of 2015.

The Danish Girl is 75% getting the last nom. Because #OSCARS!

Would a Mad Max snub lead to a backlash similar to 2009?

We have six contenders that made over $100m box office. I'm gonna predict that three or less of them make it in, with Mad Max and Compton being the only near-locks, and Martian having a good shot. Disney and Creed will be left out.

I could see Creed and Hateful Eight getting completely shut out

Hateful Eight is unlikely to be shut out completely with its cinematography and score in the mix. Its likeliest above-the-line nominations (Screenplay and Supporting Actress) are more tenuous, though.

Given it missed the ASG nom and the 5 nominees looking quite solid, an Oscar nom in Cinematography is less than 50/50 proposition. Score could always have some weird lineup, so I think it'll get shut out in techs. Screenplay is still the most likely one just because the category for original is really weak.

I think Score is the most likely one. It is Morricone's last chance.

If Mad Max gets snubbed, we riot.

Hateful Eight's only chance is score, which it might very well win.

Variety are campaigning for Stallone, so I don't see him getting shut out of Best Supporting.

are we sure hateful eight isn't going to be disqualified from score because it uses some previously recorded material?

I'm not sure, I think you can use previously recorded material, but it needs to fulfil a quota of new material. If that percentage is reached there is no problem. Same thing should happen with Star Wars.

I want to see Star Wars as a Best Picture nominee.
I want to see Kristen Stewart as a Best Supporting Actress nominee. She won a Cesar for goodness sakes!
I want to see Charlize Theron get nominated in Best Actress.

Those are three things I really want in the nomination lead up.

It seems like you mention that in every one of your posts.

Mentioned 5 times outside of the Cesar thread.

Maybe the race is now between The Big Short and The Revenant? The latter did miss SAG, but it's a late entry; it has no strength in screenplay, but it has a strong Best Actor frontrunner and techs strength, not to mention its director has better pedigree. Both are doing well at the box office.

I think Spotlight is still within shouting range. Where Big Short has beat it

- ACE nom (but Big Short was in comedy and Editing Dramatic was a death march)
- Director at BAFTAs

That's not too terrible. McCarthy just can't win anymore and it's enough for The Big Short to be #1. But Spotlight can make a comeback

The Big Short also got in over Spotlight in Editing at BAFTA.

My hopes (at least relatively reasonable):

- technical nods for Crimson Peak (art direction, costume design)
- supporting-actor nominations for, in order of importance, Jacob Tremblay, Sylvester Stallone, and Michael Shannon; Idris Elba and the Spotlight men can go

More far-out hopes:

- Any recognition for Far from the Madding Crowd or Macbeth (costuming? cinematography?)
- Steve Jobs nominated for Best Picture

After seeing The Big Short, McKay winning Best Director would make perfect sense if they can get past his history, the direction pops as much as anything else in it

John Krasinski will announce the nominations at 8:38 AM EST with Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs.

Ang Lee and Guillermo Del Toro will announce the "below the line" categories at 8:30 AM EST.