WILL Win: “Lost in Translation” SHOULD Win: “Lost in Translation” While “Lost in Translation” is nominated for a total of four Oscars, it will probably lose Best Picture and Best Director to more glaring blockbusters like “Lord of the Rings.” To prevent Sofia Coppola and the film’s fans from feeling completely shafted, the Academy will most likely honor the subtly poignant film with Best Original Screenplay. Read more...

In the overgrown jungle of L.A. garage rock and testosterone-based performance, a new bird is quietly piping, but she doesn’t need to yell to be heard. Read more...

WILL Win: Charlize Theron, “Monster” SHOULD Win: Keisha Castle-Hughes, “Whale RIder” Theron will undoubtedly take home this prize, as the Academy loves to reward really hot women who make themselves look ugly for parts. Read more...

Just walk around campus, and it’s clear that many students are literally hooked to their iPods, yet Turkish musician Latif Bolat sees them as an evil that is killing off musical tradition. Read more...

WILL Win: “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” SHOULD Win: “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” There’s just no arguing with the power of the “Ring.” Just as one fabled Ring of Power ruled over every species of Middle Earth, so will one trilogy rule over the entire Academy Awards ceremony this year. Read more...

Charles Bissell is a natural born rock singer. His chords don’t have an effortless cool like Lou Reed’s, but instead a kind of natural brashness, an every-word-counts urgency that can turn even the most pedestrian lines into a keening credo. Read more...

WILL Win: Peter Jackson, “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” SHOULD Win: Peter Jackson, “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” The word “duh” comes to mind in this category. Read more...