Photo by PoPville flickr user ep_jhu

Going to the Movies is written by Mount Vernon Triangle resident Catherine Taegel.

If you didn’t already know the 85^th Academy Awards (also known as the Oscars) are on this Sunday, February 24, at 7pm on ABC hosted by Seth McFarlane (Creator of “Family Guy”). Here is the entire list of the categories and nominees. Glad we got that out of the way. Now time to get down to it.

Here are my picks for the major categories:

• Best Picture: Out of the nine films nominated people are saying Argo, but I have to go with Lincoln. Both are amazing, but Lincoln is the man. In both cases the (majority of) truth is better than fiction.
• Best Actor: My heart says Bradley Cooper, but my general pragmatism and awe for the man himself says Daniel Day Lewis. Ben Affleck did get snubbed in this category which is a large unfortunate.
• Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence has been sweeping the awards and was perfection in Silver Linings Playbook. Let’s give it up for Quvenzhané Wallis in “Beasts of the Southern Wild” and Emmanuelle Riva, “Amour”, for being the youngest and oldest individuals, respectively, to be nominated in this category.
• Best Supporting Actor: This is so hard. The only movie in this category I actually didn’t see was Django Unchained but I watched Christoph Waltz in “Inglorious Basterds” and he was amazing evil comic relief. I heard in Django he made the movie.  Alan Arkin, Robert De Niro, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Tommy Lee jones are in his company. These are really some of the greats, but I just have a feeling Christoph Waltz is going to take it.
• Best Supporting Actress: I’m one of those people that really can’t stand Anne Hathaway. I mean I’m sure she’s a nice person, but you can always feel her trying just a little too hard. That being said, she’s another one sweeping the awards and she got emaciated, shaved her head, and sang live for “Les Misérables”. And, oh yea, she was actually really good. She’s the only one who provoked a tear out of me – in this category and Les Mis itself. She’s got my vote.
• Best Director: Well this category is whack. Nine best films and five best director nominations. So who gets slighted? Argo, Zero Dark Thirty, Django Unchained and Les Misérables.  If you ask me, that looks like the real category for Best Director. I guess we just have to work with what we got. My vote goes to Lincoln. Directing-wise it stands above the rest. If any of the others that were snubbed got in then we might have had a closer race.

For Good Measure:

• Best Adapted Screenplay: Argo.
• Best Original Screenplay: I so wish Moonrise Kingdom, but I think Django Unchained will take this one as well.
• Animated Feature Film: Wreck-It Ralph. What a surprisingly competitive category. (Mental note to go back and watch all of these.)
• Cinematography: Life of Pi.
• Costume Design: Anna Karenina. I just feel like they have to at least win this but I wouldn’t be surprised if Lincoln took it.

Just throwing it out there:

• Visual Effects: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Also, an unexpectedly good film. I’m not a Lord of the Rings diehard or even really fan, but I enjoyed this movie purely for the movie experience. It was fun to watch.
• Foreign Language Film: Amour.
• Animated Short Film: Head Over Heels.
• Live Action Short Film: Asad.

So those are my picks. My heart and head are nearly always conflicted. I’m a huge fan of “Bernie” with Jack Black. I am happy to see it’s getting a nod at tonight’s Film Independent Spirit Awards in the Best Feature category. I’m also surprised Matt Damon’s “Promised Land” and Dustin Hoffman’s directorial debut starring Maggie Smith “Quartet” didn’t sneak in with any nominations. Who do you think will win? Who do you want to win? Who wasn’t nominated that you thought deserves it?

Have some down time at work? Check out the list and trailers of 2013 movies, some out now.

Want to get out and enjoy the night? Check out these events around town:

• DC Film Society’s 21^st Annual Party at Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse (Silent Auction as well)
• “Snuggle with the Stars” Sponsored by DC Shorts
• Art Soiree’s Live Viewing Night of Oscars
• Helix Lounge
• Commissary DC

Closing thought: The Oscar’s put too much weight on the host. Hosts are generally overrated, underused, and lately have been polarizing. Expect to be underwhelmed. If you go in with that expectation you’ll probably be pretty entertained. It is live television after all.