The Oscars. This year we truly have some of the most boring and predictable picks while totally ignoring some of the finest cinematic gems..yet again. But there is still some value to be had in this masturbatory hollow pageantry. Namely, some better-than-usual films gain notoriety and people make an effort to see them simply because they are part of this parade. And despite my best efforts, I will be watching the Oscars with some interest. Which also means that it's Oscar Bowling time again. The rules are simple: you pick the winner and assign a confidence score between 1-24 using each value only once (24 being most confident, 1 being Least) which makes a total of 300 points possible. Some pro tips in picking the Oscar Winners: Replace Best with Most (i.e. most acting, most visual effects, most costumes) and keep in mind that the Oscar voting group is 97% Caucasian, 77% Male and the median age is 62 so just think what is appealing to an old white man and you're probably not too far off.

Here is my historical and (probably) this year's scores:

My picks (for who will win, not who should win):

24 - Best Actress - Julianne Moore
23 - Best Supp. Actor - J.K. Simmons
22 - Best Cinematography - Birdman
21 - Best Production Design - The Grand Budapest Hotel
20 - Best Supp. Actress - Patricia Arquette
19 - Best Costume Design - The Grand Budapest Hotel
18 - Best Song - Glory (Selma)
17 - Best Documentary Feature - Citiz en Four
16 - Best Animated Feature - How to Train Your Dragon 2 [Big Hero 6]
15 - Best Film Editing - Boyhood [Whiplash]
14 - Best Foreign Film - Ida
13 - Best Sound Editing - American Sniper
12 - Best Original Screenplay - The Grand Budapest Hotel [Birdman]
11 - Best Makeup - The Grand Budapest Hotel
10 - Best Animated Short - Feast
 9 - Best Documentary Short - Crisis Hotline
 8 - Best Score - The Theory of Everything [Grand Budapest Hotel]
 7 - Best Live Action Short - The Phone Call
 6 - Best Adapted Screenplay - The Imitation Game
 5 - Best Director - Alejandro Iñárritu
 4 - Best Picture - Birdman
 3 - Best Visual Effects - Interstellar
 2 - Bet Actor - Eddie Redmayne
 1 - Best Sound Mixing - Whiplash

Final Score: 249