And now for the Chair’s comments on the “No Comments” categories…

I said I wouldn’t predict these but what good is a cheat sheet that doesn’t include the tie breaking spoilers?  (Note:  Do not bet on any one of these separately).

Foreign Language Film

Bellissimo!

The Great Beauty – If Fellini and Almodovar had an offspring director this would be the result.  It’s wonderful.  It should win and will win.

Live-Action Short Film:  Helium – Imagination figuratively, if not literally, saves a dying child.  It’s what the movies are all about.

Documentary Short Film

Lady Oscar

 The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life – The story of a 109 year old Holocaust survivor who was a virtuoso piano for her entire adult life and just died last week – when voting was still going on.  I rest my case.

Animated Short Film:  It will probably be Disney’s Get A Horse!, a clever melding of past and present Mickey Mouse cartoons.  My personal fave is Room on the Broom but the ballots are in and I’m not being counted.

Original Score

The hip choice

I mistakenly left this one out of the original cheat sheet and it’s no wonder – it’s one of the most difficult categories.  Let’s say the score of Her by William Butler and Owen Pallett.  Others are predicting Stephen Price for Gravity but instincts tell me there will be several below-the-line categories where voters draw a line in space.

Word on the Street:  Many sources predict Great Gatsby will take costume design.  Yes, the clothes were great but Catherine Martin has won before and will win again this year for production design.  Something tells me a majority will want to reward American Hustle here for fear it will receive nothing anywhere else.  So I’m staying with my previous prediction.

Just announced words on a press release

They don’t call it the Gay Super Bowl for nothing!

Liza Minnelli and her sister Lorna Luft – the daughters of the late Judy Garland – will sing Over the Rainbow during the Wizard of Oz tribute along with Bette Midler and perhaps some others.   And yes – we are slowly painting the world pink.

For more Chairy Oscar coverage, follow my live tweets during the show @notesfromachair