Noisemaking

Categories that somehow involve microphones and tape and junk like that.

Best Original Song

"If I Didn't Have You," words and music by Randy Newman; from "Monsters, Inc." (Buena Vista)
"May It Be," words and music by Enya, Nicky Ryan and Roma Ryan; from "The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring" (New Line)
"There You'll Be," words and music by Diane Warren; from "Pearl Harbor" (Buena Vista)
"Until," words and music by Sting; from "Kate & Leopold" (Miramax)
"Vanilla Sky," words and music by Paul McCartney; from "Vanilla Sky" (Paramount)

Sometimes this category is chock-full of old reliables like Randy Newman (with his latest knockoff of the toilet-paper jingle he wrote in 1977) or Elton John (with another attempt to get all the way through a film composition without having to use more than four or maybe five keys on the piano, tops). Often, though, there's a Name or even two Names thrown in.

Here we have two: Sting and Paul "How'd My Hair Get That Color All Of A Sudden?" McCartney.

(Okay, that's uncalled for. But how disappointing. I thought he was committed to the idea that Sir Paul McDamnedCartney can have long, gray hair and still be Sir Paul McDamnedCartney, but hey, it's not like I had money on it)

When there are Names involved, the Oscar usually goes to the one who the Academy thinks would produce the cooler acceptance speech. Witness Bob Dylan's win last year, y'know?

My prediction: "Until." But it's a bit of a toss-up. I think Sir Paul's name is going to be a huge attractant. Still, "Until" is a far catchier and more pleasant tune.

My personal choice: "May It Be." I went into "Lord Of The Rings" with no expectations, having prepared my mind for absolutely anything. The one thing I never would have guessed in a million gazillion years? That a week later I'd actually wind up owning an Enya CD. I've got the disc camouflaged inside the jewel case for Iggy Pop's "Brick By Brick," naturally, but still, it's there. I mean, wow.

Best Original Score

John Williams, "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" (Warner Brothers)
James Horner, "A Beautiful Mind" (Universal and DreamWorks)
John Williams, "Harry Potter And The Sorceror's Stone" (Warner Brothers)
Howard Shore, "The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring" (New Line)
Randy Newman, "Monsters, Inc." (Buena Vista)

It's not that I dislike Randy Newman. I like much of his music. I've never met the man, but you know, if one of his daughters came to my house with an order form for Girl Scout Cookies, I'd be pleased to sign up for six boxes of Thin Mints in gratitude for songs like "When She Loved Me," instead of sending her straight home with a sharply-worded note regarding his blatant overuse of the same ham-fisted piano-thudding melody in movie after movie.

Okay.

So let's knock Randy Newman off the list just for spite. Also because he probably can't beat the rest of these guys. James Horner is in with a chance, but will probably be overwhelmed by competition from Williams and Shore. Williams' biggest competition is Williams himself. I preferred his "A.I." score to that of "Harry Potter," but was "A.I." in theaters long enough for anyone to actually hear it? It's possible that a vote for "A.I." will actually benefit "Lord Of The Rings," leaving Shore the beneficiary of a split John Williams vote.

My prediction: "Lord Of The Rings." One, because I think the vote-splitting will happen. Two, because it's sort of uncanny how "Harry Potter" has dropped straight off the radar after making a hell of a lot of money. And Three, because Howard Shore created a terrific score which was simultantously fantastic and warm and familiar. He also had a lot more heavy lifting to do thanks to the drastic changes in scene and tone that take place within the film, and because of it Shore's score is far more muscular than those of any of this other nominees.

My personal choice: "The Lord Of The Rings."

Best Sound

"Amélie" (Miramax Zoë); Vincent Amardi, Guillaume Leriche and Jean Umansky
"Black Hawk Down" (Sony Pictures); Mike Minkler, Myron Nettinga and Chris Munro
"The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring" (New Line); Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick, Gethin Creagh and Hammond Peek
"Moulin Rouge" (20th Century Fox); Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, Roger Savage and Guntis Sics
"Pearl Harbor" (Buena Vista); Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell and Peter J. Devlin

Good God, I had to type "Amélie" like a gazillion times in making these lists of nominees. And it hasn't had a stapling-machine's chance in Patagonia in any of these races. How the bloody hell did it even get this many nominations?

"Sound and Sound Editing." Supposedly, the "Best Sound" winner is the picture that had the best total "sound picture." Close your eyes during the movie; do you believe that you're actually in a mossy forest in Middle-Earth? That makes "Lord Of The Rings" the winner. If you were actually in the theater for "Moulin Rouge," that probably should be marked as a strike against.

It's a hard race to call because this category is being voted upon by the entire Academy. Do they know the difference between Best Sound and Best Sound Editing? Do they know the difference between these two categories and an egg-salad sandwich? Hard to say.

"Black Hawk Down" and "Pearl Harbor" both have ample opportunities for laying in sound, but they're more about 'splosions and ack-ack-ack-acks and sssHHHHPOW! K'BLOOOMM! and that sort of stuff. "Lord Of The Rings" is (usually) a more consistently subtle sound picture. You'd think that this would make it the standout, right?

My prediction: "The Lord Of The Rings." I'm worried about this one. When you bet against not one, but two war movies in a sound category, you're sort of closing your eyes and commending your soul to God. I sort of smell a serious "Rings" sweep in the minor categories, though. Thus, this pick isn't born from confidence in its validity as a Best Sound nominee but in the strength of "Rings" as a whole in attracting votes.

My personal pick: "The Lord Of The Rings."

Best Sound Editing

"Monsters, Inc." (Buena Vista); Gary Rydstrom and Michael Silvers
"Pearl Harbor" (Buena Vista); George Watters II and Christopher Boyes

And "Sound Editing" is supposed to reward the laying in of actual sound effects. So here you zoom in on the nominee with the most, the loudest, and the coolest 'splosions. We write down "Pearl Harbor" and then move straight ahead, not looking back.