2015 YEAR-END BALLOT

the point of this exercise isn't merely to stand in contrast to industry awards shows but to shine light on other works/achievements/performances that might've not gotten enough consideration during their initial releases 

Past ballots at The Wandering Image:
 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000,  2001,
 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 
 2013, 2014


To view my Top 30 films of 2015, visit the Final Cinema.




Note: As usual, Oscar winner predictions will be added towards the end of January beneath my *top pick in each category.


**Actual AMPAS nominees added 1/14/2016**
**Oscar winner predictions added 1/14/2016 in parentheses next to my choices**
**Actual AMPAS winners noted 2/29/2016**








2015

*MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
ANOMALISA

DUKE OF BURGUNDY

HARD TO BE A GOD

HORSE MONEY

THE FORBIDDEN ROOM

CAROL

PIGEON SAT ON A BRANCH REFLECTING ON EXISTENCE

QUEEN OF EARTH

HEAVEN KNOWS WHAT

CLOUDS OF SILS MARA

MEDITERRANEA

THE ASSASSIN

PHOENIX

BONE TOMAHAWK

BLACKHAT 

JAUJA

MISTRESS AMERICA

WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS

GETT: TRIAL OF VIVIANE AMSALEM

actual best picture oscar nominees:
THE BIG SHORT
SPOTLIGHT (won)
BRIDGE OF SPIES
BROOKLYN
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
THE MARTIAN
THE REVENANT
ROOM

prediction:
SPOTLIGHT


actual foreign language oscar nominees:
EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT
MUSTANG
THEEB
A WAR
SON OF SAUL  (won)

prediction:
SON OF SAUL










2015

*George Miller for 
      MAD MAX: FURY ROAD    
Charlie Kaufman & Duke Johnson for ANOMALISA
Joshua Oppenheimer for THE LOOK OF SILENCE
Todd Haynes for CAROL
Aleksei German for HARD TO BE A GOD
Peter Strickland for THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY 

actual oscar nominees:
Adam McKay for THE BIG SHORT
George Miller for MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
Alejandro G. Iñárritu for THE REVENANT  (won)
Lenny Abrahamson for ROOM
Tom McCarthy for SPOTLIGHT

prediction:

Tom McCarthy for SPOTLIGHT











2015

*Nina Hoss in PHOENIX         

Blythe Danner in I'LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS
Ronit Elkabetz in GETT: TRIAL OF VIVIANE AMSALEM
Elisabeth Moss in QUEEN OF EARTH
Rinko Kikuchi in KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER

actual oscar nominees:
Cate Blanchett in CAROL
Jennifer Lawrence in JOY
Charlotte Rampling in 45 YEARS
Saoirse Ronan in BROOKLYN
Brie Larson in ROOM  (won)

prediction:

Carlotte Rampling in 45 YEARS











2015

*Bryan Cranston 

              in TRUMBO

Ben Mendelsohn in MISSISSIPPI GRIND 
Koji Yakusho in THE WORLD OF KANAKO
Samuel L. Jackson in THE HATEFUL EIGHT 
Michael Fassbender in STEVE JOBS

actual oscar nominees:
Leonardo DiCaprio in THE REVENANT  (won)
Bryan Cranston in TRUMBO
Matt Damon in THE MARTIAN
Michael Fassbender in STEVE JOBS
Eddie Redmayne in THE DANISH GIRL

prediction:

Leonardo DiCaprio in THE REVENANT

 








2015

*Rooney Mara in CAROL 
Jennifer Jason Leigh in THE HATEFUL EIGHT
Kate Winslet in STEVE JOBS
Jessica Chastain in CRIMSON PEAK
Julianne Moore in MAPS TO THE STARS

actual oscar nominees:
Jennifer Jason Leigh THE HATEFUL EIGHT
Rooney Mara in CAROL
Rachel McAdams in SPOTLIGHT
Kate Winslet in STEVE JOBS
Alicia Vikander in THE DANISH GIRL  (won)

prediction: 

Alicia Vikander in THE DANISH GIRL












2015

*Mark Duplass in CREEP      

Idris Elba in BEASTS OF NO NATION
Paul Dano in LOVE & MERCY
B.D. Wong in FOCUS
Mark Rylance in BRIDGE OF SPIES

actual oscar nominees:
Christian Bale in THE BIG SHORT
Mark Rylance in BRIDGE OF SPIES  (won)
Tom Hardy in THE REVENANT
Mark Ruffalo in SPOTLIGHT
Sylvester Stallone in CREED

prediction:

Mark Ruffalo in SPOTLIGHT










2015

*LOVE & MERCY 

                   - Oren Moverman    
EX MACHINA - Alex Garland
BRIDGE OF SPIES - Matt Charman, Joel & Ethan Coen
THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY - Peter Strickland

SPOTLIGHT - Todd McCarthy

actual oscar nominees:
BRIDGE OF SPIES
EX MACHINA
INSIDE OUT
STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON
SPOTLIGHT  (won)

prediction:

SPOTLIGHT



 







2015

*BROOKLYN - Nick Hornby  
ANOMALISA - Charlie Kaufman
CAROL - Phyllis Nagy
PHOENIX - Christian Petzold, Harun Farocki
CHI-RAQ - Spike Lee

actual oscar nominees:
THE BIG SHORT  (won)
BROOKLYN
CAROL
THE MARTIAN
ROOM

prediction:

THE MARTIAN

2015

*THE LOOK OF SILENCE          
OF MEN AND WAR
HEART OF A DOG
THE PEARL BUTTON
WESTERN
WHAT HAPPENED MISS SIMONE?
IN JACKSON HEIGHTS
THE HUNTING GROUND
THE LIFE & DEATH OF MARK DEFRIEST
HITCHCOCK/TRUFFAUT

actual oscar nominees:
AMY  (won)
CARTEL LAND
THE LOOK OF SILENCE
WHAT HAPPENED MISS SIMONE?
WINTER ON FIRE: UKRAINE/S FIGHT FOR FREEDOM

prediction:

AMY

2015

*ANOMALISA                       
SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE
CHEATIN'
THE GOOD DINOSAUR
ZARAFA 

actual oscar nominees:
ANOMALISA
BOY & THE WORLD
SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE
WHEN MARNIE WAS THERE
INSIDE OUT  (won)

prediction:

INSIDE OUT

2015

*CAROL - Carter Burwell >       
HEART OF A DOG - Laurie Anderson > 
THE HATEFUL EIGHT - Ennio Morricone >
IT FOLLOWS - Disasterpiece >
SICARIO - Johann Johannsson >
EX MACHINA - Barrow & Salisbury >
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD - Junkie XL > 


actual oscar nominees:
BRIDGE OF SPIES
THE HATEFUL EIGHT  (won)
CAROL
SICARIO
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

prediction:

THE HATEFUL EIGHT

2015

*RUN THE JEWELS: CLOSE YOUR EYES (AND COUNT TO FUCK)            
NO NO SLEEP
POWER / RANGERS
TAME IMPALA: THE LESS I KNOW THE BETTER
QUAY by Christopher Nolan

MELVILLE by James M. Johnston

CHEMICAL BROTHERS: SOMETIMES I FEEL SO DESERTED

FLIGHT FROM THE CITY by Clare Langan

RIHANNA: BITCH BETTER HAVE MY MONEY
COPYCAT by Charlie Lyne Shackleton

JUDY JUDY JUDY

"DING DONG" [TALES OF HALLOWEEN segment]

JOANNA NEWSOM: DIVERS
DAWN by Rose McGowan

LANA DEL REY: HIGH BY THE BEACH

actual oscar nominees live action short:
AVE MARIA
DAY ONE
EVERYTHING WILL BE OK
SHOK
STUTTERER  (won)

 prediction:

STUTTERER

2015

*WORLD OF TOMORROW   

THE LAST DAYS OF CONEY ISLAND

Phil Tippet's MAD GOD PART II
CODA
ODIN'S AFTERBIRTH
SANJAY'S SUPER TEAM
MIGRATION by Fluorescent Hill

PROLOGUE by Richard Williams

THE LEVIATHAN by Ruairi Robinson

actual oscar nominees:
BEAR STORY  (won)
PROLOGUE
SANJAY'S SUPER TEAM
WE CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT COSMOS
WORLD OF TOMORROW

prediction:

SANJAY'S SUPER TEAM

categories below this point are

↓for you technical craft lovers↓

2015

*THE REVENANT 

- Emmanuel Lubezki, ASC, MSC  
CAROL - Edward Lachman, ASC
HARD TO BE A GOD - Vladimir Ilin, Yuriy Klimenko 
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD - John Seale, ACS

THE HATEFUL EIGHT - Robert Richardson, ASC

actual oscar nominees:
CAROL
THE HATEFUL EIGHT
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
THE REVENANT  (won)
SICARIO

prediction:

THE REVENANT

2015

*MAD MAX: FURY ROAD 

                      - Margaret Sixel  
CAROL - Affonso Gonçalves
CREED - Claudia Castello, Michael P. Shawver
LOVE & MERCY - Dino Jonsäter
SICARIO - Joe Walker

THE REVENANT - Stephen Mirrione

actual oscar nominees:
THE BIG SHORT
THE REVENANT
SPOTLIGHT
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD  (won)
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

prediction:

THE REVENANT

2015 - PRODUCTION DESIGN + SET DECOR

*CRIMSON PEAK 

           - Thomas E. Sanders  
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD - Colin Gibson; Lisa Thompson

HARD TO BE A GOD - S.Kokovkin; Kropachyov; Zhukova
BRIDGE OF SPIES -  Adam Stockhausen
THE FORBIDDEN ROOM - Galen Johnson
IN THE HEART OF THE SEA - Tildesley; D.Capon

actual oscar nominees:
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD  (won)
BRIDGE OF SPIES
THE DANISH GIRL
THE MARTIAN
THE REVENANT

prediction:

 BRIDGE OF SPIES










2015

*HARD TO BE A GOD 

                - Elena Zhukova
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD - Jenny Beaven
CRIMSON PEAK - Kate Hawley
CAROL - Sandy Powell
THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. - Joanna Johnston
THE HATEFUL EIGHT - Courtney Hoffman

actual oscar nominees:
CAROL
CINDERELLA
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD  (won)
THE DANISH GIRL
THE REVENANT

prediction:

MAD MAX FURY ROAD











2015

*MAD MAX: FURY ROAD   
PREDESTINATION
BLACK MASS
IN THE HEART OF THE SEA
WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS
CRIMSON PEAK
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS 
THE HATEFUL EIGHT

actual oscar nominees:
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD  (won)
100 YEAR OLD MAN WHO CLIMBED OUT A WINDOW AND DISAPPEARED
THE REVENANT

prediction:

THE REVENANT

2015

*MAD MAX: FURY ROAD  
LOVE & MERCY
ANOMALISA
THE REVENANT
IN THE HEART OF THE SEA
CRIMSON PEAK
EX MACHINA

actual oscar nominees:
THE MARTIAN
THE REVENANT
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD  (won)
SICARIO
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

prediction:

MAD MAX FURY ROAD

2015

*MAD MAX: FURY ROAD 
LOVE & MERCY
EVEREST
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS
BLACK HAT 

actual oscar nominees:
BRIDGE OF SPIES
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD  (won)
THE MARTIAN
THE REVENANT
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

prediction:

MAD MAX FURY ROAD










2015

*THE MARTIAN                         
IN THE HEART OF THE SEA
EX MACHINA
CRIMSON PEAK
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

SPRING

THE WALK 3D
THE REVENANT
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS
THE LAST WITCH HUNTER

SICARIO

HARBINGER DOWN [INANIMATE]

actual oscar nominees:
EX MACHINA  (won)
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
THE MARTIAN
THE REVENANT
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

 prediction:

 STAR WARS: FORCE AWAKENS

↓muriel awards categories:

2015

*1) Final 30mins convoy action (Slit & Interceptor ride eternal, "polecats," etc.) 

- MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
2) Strangers confess love for Michael (masks falling off) 

----------------------------------------- ANOMALISA
3) Fight with grizzly centrepiece.. continuous shot 

------------------------------------- THE REVENANT
4) the big finale between the Twin Towers - THE WALK
5) second time the dinner scene plays out 

(shoulder embrace, etc.) -------------------- CAROL
6) "the four passengers" arrival & shootout 

------------------------------ THE HATEFUL EIGHT
-tie- dirt bike gang pursuit through canyon 

------------------------- MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
7) Jack is able to convey predicament to female officer 

----------------------------------------------- ROOM
8) chemo therapy / training montage. climaxing in a run with "12 o'clock" bikers to Rocky's apartment - CREED
9) stalking Sadak during Nyepi festival. **finale violence**

------------------------------------------ BLACKHAT
10) "the doll cabinets".. Ava replacing her skin 

--------------------------------------- EX MACHINA
11) climactic night raid on underground drug tunnel 

---------------------------------------------- SICARIO
12) Powers is shot down. U2 jet crash sequence 

------------------------------------ BRIDGE OF SPIES
-tie- race within a water-cooled storage tank 

------------------------------- M:I 5- ROGUE NATION
13) trapped inside pitch black bedroom with "Nana" 

(hide & seek). Becca's camera LCD as sole light source

---------------------------------------------- THE VISIT
14) the rampaging Shock Street praying mantis 

---------------------------------------- GOOSEBUMPS
-tie- fiery Essex wreckage sinks into ocean 

---------------------------------- IN THE HEART OF THE SEA
15)  Mukunda's expressionist short during end credits 

--------------------------------------- THE WOLFPACK

also this:











2015

*LOVE & MERCY
SPOTLIGHT
CAROL
TRUMBO
BROOKLYN 
THE BIG SHORT

  

Other year-end ballots posted at The Wandering Image:   1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991,1992,
 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003,
 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014