List of Demands: 86th Academy Awards

1. Emmanuel Lubezki Wins Best Cinematography

He came close to winning at the 2007 Academy Awards for Children of Men, and he came close again for the 2012 Academy Awards (The Tree of Life).  Yet Emmanuel Lubezki, arguably the greatest cinematographer ever, still does not have an Oscar.  Lubezki is a major frontrunner this year for Gravity so it’s really looking like this will finally be the year.

2. Gravity Wins Best Picture

It seems Best Picture is down to 12 Years a Slave and Gravity.  12 Years a Slave would be one of the better Best Picture winners in recent memory, and it would finally give Brad Pitt a long overdue Oscar.  However, I find myself rooting for Gravity big time in this close race.  You see, Gravity is my favorite film of the year, and to see my favorite film of the year win Best Picture is a race occurrence (It hasn’t happened since 2004 when Return of the King won it).

3. Dallas Buyers Club Wins Less Than 3 Oscars

I really don’t understand the love for Dallas Buyers Club.  Yet it’s poised to come home with 3 awards on Oscars night.  Let’s be honest, the “McConaughsance” is really just a celebration of a good, not great, actor that finally started to take on some good projects.  Plus it hit its peak with True Detective not Dallas Buyers Club.  Much worthier winners can be found in Chiwetel Ejiofor and Leonardo DiCaprio.  Jared Leto’s much-praised performance also did little for me, and yet he is far ahead of much more complex performances from Michael Fassbender and Barkhad Abdi.  Unfortunately, Dallas Buyers Club will get it’s third in the Best Makeup and Hairstyling category.  This category is quickly becoming a place for voters to vote for a Best Picture nominee rather than a film with good makeup and hairstyling.  Bad Grandpa had makeup that was integral to the entire success of the film while The Lone Ranger’s makeup and hairstyling was on such a large scale that you couldn’t help but admire it.  Add in non-nominated work in films such as American Hustle, The Great Gatsby, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and Oz the Great and Powerful and it is an absolute travesty that Dallas Buyers Club is going to come away with this award.