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    spoiler alert

    Guaranteed Academy Award winners: Win your Oscar pool with these Internet picks

    Duncan Carson
    Feb 26, 2012 | 4:23 pm
    News_Oscars_2010_generic_March 10
    Replicas of Oscars on display in a shop in front of the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, California
    Photo by Gabriel Bouys

    Spoiler alert: I'm going to ruin the Oscars for you.

    I used to watch the ceremony on the edge of my seat, though I've always been an avid cinephile, I could never outguess the Academy: Why would Million Dollar Baby beat The Aviator after it won so many technical categories? How could Crash possibly win anything?
    But a few years ago I discovered the cottage industry of blogs that follow every Oscar precursor, every press release and For-Your-Consideration ad, know all the angles and can predict what will win most categories.
    Basically these blogs do all the hard work for you, making charts of each Critic's circle award, the SAGs, the Golden Globes, the BAFTAs and all of the individual filmmakers' guild awards that correspond to the technical categories. They work out which ones match up to the Oscars and predict accordingly — there are even Vegas odds for Best Picture.
    The Internet, like it does for most everything, can remove the wonder from the Oscars but give you the upper hand. It'll drain Sunday night of most of its inherent drama (you can bet on just how wacky host Billy Crystal will be!), but you'll win your Oscar pool if its full of casual moviegoers that don't know Hugo from a hole in the ground.
    This year it's clear that The Artist has a deathgrip on Best Picture, as well as Best Director and Editing (the two most important Best Picture indicators). Star Jean Dujardin (the titular "Artist") has a slight edge on George Clooney for Best Actor, and since The Artist is a silent movie, composer Ludovic Borce had to carry so much weight that he's assured the Best Original Score statue. Plus it's a period piece, it can count on Best Costumes as well.
    Use these in your pool, and if you win then let me know (that I haven't wasted my last three winters obsessing over the Oscar-guessing industry for no reason).
    But the juggernaut ends there: The more colorful, expansive Hugo will beat it for Art Direction, and since it has no dialogue it'll lose Best Original Screenplay to Midnight in Paris (the screenplay category is basically Woody Allen's homefield).
    The Help was the only Best Picture nominee that people actually saw, so it has to take home something: Expect Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer to win Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively. Christopher Plummer will win Best Supporting Actor for Beginners, in a classic "He doesn't have an Oscar yet?" move of respect.
    Alexander Payne's The Descendants will have to console itself with Best Adapted Screenplay, and then we have some miscellaneous categories and techs: Rango is clearly the frontrunner for Best Animated Feature, A Separation the obvious Best Foreign Film winner and Hugo will probably take both Sound Mixing and Sound Effects Editing.
    Paradise Lost 3 (about the recently released West Memphis 3) seems to have the edge in Documentary feature, the song from The Muppets will easily beat the song from Rio, and Meryl Streep's Thatcher-ization will carry The Iron Lady to a Best Makeup victory.
    The Tree of Life was incomprehensible, but beautiful, so it ought to take home Best Cinematography. Andy Serkis' motion-capture performance in The Rise of the Planet of the Apes should guarantee that film Best Visual Effects.
    That just leaves the three short films: I'm not going to lie, these are nearly impossible to get right. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore seems like the most memorable of the animated shorts (though it has to beat La Luna from powerhouse Pixar). No one on the Internet can agree about the other two, so I'm arbitrarily going with The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom because it's the most depressing-sounding Documentary Short, and Time Freak for Live Action Short because I love time travel.
    The full list of picks is below. There are always surprises on Oscar Sunday, but if you're a nerd like I am, it's because Transformers inexplicably loses Visual Effects to The Golden Compass, not an upset in the big categories. Use these in your pool, and if you win then let me know (that I haven't wasted my last three winters obsessing over the Oscar-guessing industry for no reason).
    Picture: The Artist
    Director: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
    Actor: Jean Dujardin, The Artist
    Actress: Viola Davis, The Help
    Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
    Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, The Help
    Original Screenplay: Midnight in Paris
    Adapted Screenplay: The Descendants
    Editing: The Artist
    Cinematography: The Tree of Life
    Score: The Artist
    Song: The Muppets
    Art Direction: Hugo
    Costumes: The Artist
    Sound Mixing: Hugo
    Sound Effects Editing: Hugo
    Makeup: The Iron Lady
    Visual Effects: The Rise of the Planet of the Apes
    Foreign: A Separation
    Animated Feature: Rango
    Doc Feature: Paradise Lost 3
    Doc Short: The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom
    Animated Short: The Fantastic Flying Books...
    Live Short: Time Freak
    unspecified
    news/entertainment

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    weekend event planner

    Here are the top 15 things to do in Houston this weekend

    Craig Lindsey
    Jun 3, 2026 | 6:30 pm
    Ismali Center, Houston exterior
    Photo by Iwan Baan
    The building is reflected in the pool, a feature common in Muslim design.

    This weekend in Houston will be a very cinematic one.

    The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s yearly Jazz on Film series starts this weekend. The DeLUXE Theater recently launched its first Black Music Month film series. And Saturday will mark the grand opening of Lost and Found Media, a brand-new video store located inside Misfit Toys.

    More movie-related happenings will be going down this weekend, along with food events, art events, music events, and the return of a local star we affectionately refer to as The Pompadoured One.

    Thursday, June 4

    Sabine Street Studios presents "Ballet of the Masses" Awards Ceremony
    Experience the vibrant fusion of sport and art at "Ballet of the Masses," where over 40 Houston artists have transformed soccer balls into works of art. The aerial installation celebrates the incredible diversity of styles, skills, techniques, and media brought together by these talented creators. This awards ceremony will honor the artists, led by special guest juror/sports commentator/expert Glenn Davis, whose unique perspective bridges the worlds of athletics and creativity. Through Saturday, July 25. 6 pm.

    Wine & Food Week
    Located in The Woodlands, Wine & Food Week is one of the region’s premier culinary and wine events, with this year’s theme being Going Places, a culinary journey highlighting global flavors, emerging talent, and the innovators shaping the future of food, wine, and hospitality. With hundreds of wines, standout chefs, special guests, and immersive experiences, Wine & Food Week promises a week of indulgence, discovery, and unforgettable flavors. 6 pm (7 pm Saturday).

    Liverpool Legends
    Liverpool Legends are four musicians/actors, handpicked by Louise Harrison (yes, George’s sister), to honor her brother’s legacy and re-create the band that changed the world forever. The audience will experience the complete history of The Beatles, from the early mop-top hits to the Magical Mystery Tour through the psychedelic era, and other classics. With note-perfect vocals, authentic costume changes, and stunning state-of-the-art multimedia, Liverpool Legends allows audiences to experience The Beatles like never before. 7:30 pm.

    Friday, June 5

    Yuma Weekend Pop-Up Takeover
    In anticipation of its brick-and-mortar location opening later this summer, Brazilian/Cuban sandwich pop-up Yuma have scheduled three upcoming pop-ups. The pop-ups will preview some items from their menu, consisting of flavors that blend authentic Brazilian flavors with Cuban sandwich classics. The first pop-up will go down on Friday at cafe/chef residency Third Place, followed by Berwick’s Bird of Paradise on Saturday and 13 Celsius on Sunday. 11 am (1 pm Sunday).

    Cactus Music presents Thomas Csorba In-Store Performance
    Thomas Csorba will be at Cactus Music to perform and sign copies of Tender Country, his third studio album. The Houston-born, Dallas-based Csorba writes country music that feels less like performance and more like witness. His work belongs to the long lineage of Texas songwriters who understand that restraint can carry more weight than spectacle, and that the quietest lines are often the ones that speak the loudest. (For our CultureMap Austin readers, he’ll also be at Waterloo Records on Thursday.) 5:30 pm.

    La Calle Tacos, Juneteenth Houston, and Black Cinema Club HTX presents Bagby Park ‘90s Movie Night
    La Calle Tacos will host a special collaboration with Juneteenth Houston and Black Cinema Club HTX during 19 Days of Juneteenth. It’ll be an outdoor showing of the 1993 hit sequel Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, where Whoopi Goldberg returns to don the nun outfit and lead a teen choir (featuring a young Lauryn Hill!), on a large outdoor screen at La Calle's Midtown location at Bagby Park. Come enjoy tacos, drinks, and good vibes. Seating will be available, but feel free to bring chairs and blankets as well. 7 pm.

    Lyle Lovett with the Houston Symphony
    Houston’s own Lyle Lovett joins the Houston Symphony for a one-night-only performance. With countless accolades — including four Grammy Awards, the Americana Music Association’s Trailblazer Award, and the title of Texas State Musician — Lovett blends country, jazz, folk, swing, and blues into a sound that’s uniquely his own. Known for his dry wit, poetic lyricism, and genre-defying artistry, Lovett remains one of America’s most distinctive and enduring musical voices. 7:30 pm.

    Saturday, June 6

    Time Mission Houston Grand Opening Weekend
    Time Mission is a new, immersive adventure experience from the team behind Museum of Illusions and Sandbox VR. Located at the Marq*E Entertainment District in Spring Branch, teams of 2-5 players (ages 6-106) move through 25+ interactive, mental/physical challenge portals. Time Mission is also giving away 1,000+ free tickets to the first Houstonians to book their experiences. Additional tickets are half-off through Thursday with the code, OPEN50. 11 am.

    Ismali Center, Houston exterior
    Photo by Iwan Baan

    The Ismaili Center hosts the Cardamon Challenge this Sunday.

    Meow Wolf presents Phenomenomaly
    Meow Wolf presents a production that turns Meow Wolf’s newest exhibition into a living stage. The experience marks the first full-scale performance season inside Radio Tave, blending Houston’s creative pulse with Meow Wolf’s signature storytelling. The event invites guests to explore at their own pace through every dimension of the exhibition, with special performances by Houston artists throughout the season. Through Sunday, August 9. 2 pm.

    Michael Carbonaro: Wonderboy
    Michael Carbonaro is best known for his truTV series The Carbonaro Effect on truTV, where he performed inventive tricks on unsuspecting people, unaware that he is a magician. Carbonaro's illusions, along with his absurd, matter-of-fact explanations, leave people bewildered and families laughing out loud. On this tour, audiences will discover him as the Hero of Mischief in a world where magic is the superpower and laughter is the sidekick. 6 pm.

    River Oaks Theatre presents Stolen Kingdom with Filmmaker Q&A
    The 2025 documentary Stolen Kingdom delves into the history of mischief, scandal, and theft at Walt Disney World, ultimately leading to the theft of an animatronic valued at nearly half a million dollars. The film features key figures from the park’s underground exploration community, each sharing their unique stories. As the narrative unfolds, early pranks and antics are shown to have inspired more recent crimes, culminating in a true crime mystery. Filmmaker Joshua Bailey and other guests will be around for a post-screening Q&A. 7 pm.

    Sunday, June 7

    The Ismaili Center, Houston presents Spice Routes: The Cardamom Challenge
    The Ismaili Center, Houston will open its doors for a culinary/cultural experience celebrating the global journey of cardamom through food, art, and community, as well as serving as the debut of the Center’s permanent art collection. Attendees will experience chef-driven tastings with people’s choice voting, a judged, “Chopped”-style culinary competition, curated exhibitions, architecture and garden tours, family programming, and The Bazaar, a vibrant marketplace featuring artisan goods, specialty foods, crafts, and cultural vendors. 11 am.

    I'll Have What She's Having presents Preventative Health Care Bake Sale
    The Houston-based nonprofit has collected baked goods from more than 30 Houston bakers, which will be available for between $2-8. In addition, star pastry chefs such as CultureMap Tastemaker Award winners Christina Au (Blacksmith), Jane Wild (Jane and the Lion), Stephanie Velasquez (Casaema), and Vanarin Kuch (Koffeteria) are contributing "fancy cakes" for a silent auction. Proceeds support the IHWSH healthcare fund which provides no cost preventive wellness appointments to uninsured food and beverage employees. 12 pm.

    Texas Best Music Fest
    The Texas Best Music Fest was created in 2013 to bring together Lone Star musicians to help some deserving children. Proceeds from the show go to Champions Kids Camp, which helps little ones who have survived a traumatic injury, illness, or personal loss. This year’s fest will feature performances by headliners Scotty Alexander and Hayden Bakers, as well as Bill, Kim, and Jimmy Nash, special guest Grace Harrison, and more. 2 pm.

    The Big Queer Picture Show and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston present Cactus Pears
    Cactus Pears is the first of many screenings the Big Queer Picture Show will be co-hosting this Pride Month. Anand, a 30-something urbanite, returns to his rural home village for a 10-day mourning period for his father. He reconnects with Balya, a family friend and local farmer. As the mourning ends, Anand returns to the city and must decide the fate of his relationship with Balya. Winner of the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at last year’s Sundance Film Festival, where judges proclaimed it to be “the great modern love story . . . the world needs right now.” 5 pm.

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