Pretty hard time seeing Bridges not win BA.

I haven't see The Hurt Locker until Sunday on dvd but it's great.

The Directors Guild of America goes for Kathryn Bigelow.

Will AMPAS agree? Avatar surely has most of the technical categories locked up but the top-tier categories not so much it appears. Oooh.

as of yesterday Avatar was -160 for BP on pinny, today it's at -230...huge line move in under 24 hours

No DGA. No PGA. No ACE Eddie (American Cinema Editors). But it does have an ADG (Art Directors Guild) award for Best Fantasy Production Design.

Oooh. Where's the guild support for Avatar!?

Looks very much like it's The Hurt Locker's to lose now.

If it loses the ASC (American Society of Cinematographers) award (it's up against The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Nine and The White Ribbon) it won't necessarily be the final nail in the coffin as most of it's winners haven't gone on to win an Oscar over the last few years.

Avatar has in it's corner, visual effects and possibly the art direction and sound categories but what else has it got? The fact that it's just bested 'Titanic' to be the biggest grossing film ever?

Is that enough to give 'Avatar' Best Picture now?

Interesting what BAFTA will vote for Best Film. I say they'll be a homer and go for An Education but if it goes to 'The Hurt Locker' it looks very likely to be game over with the Golden Globes being very much a red herring.

No WGA award either as The Hurt Locker wins Original Screenplay and Up in the Air wins Adapted Screenplay.

Interesting tactic from James Cameron, Quentin Tarantino and Harvey Weinstein in that they want Kathryn Bigelow to win Director (looks a done deal) but their own films to win Picture (Avatar and Inglourious Basterds respectively).

Which film will triumph from that prefrential ballot system?

http://www.awardsdaily.com/?p=19537

Looks mostly like every other category is settled though.

Hurt Locker is a great movie. A must see imo.

Hmmm. It's not quite cut-and-dried for The Hurt Locker to win Best Picture as a late flurry of badmouthing from the likes of the LA Times might still have some effect and swing the momentum in favour of Avatar.

Ballots are handed in on Tuesday 2nd March though.

Seems to be a gamble in Foreign Language on the Argentinian entry 'The Secret In Their Eyes' based on a rumour that it played well in front of a packed crowd of AMPAS members (10/1+ into around 9/4). The category has been rife for upsets over the years so if The White Ribbon and A Prophet both lose it'd be of 'little' surprise. It's one of three categories where AMPAS members have to see all five nominees before they can vote on it.

ASC went to 'The White Ribbon' but I don't think it'll repeat in Cinematography next Sunday.

max bet on a few books for Cameron +350 and Avatar +125.