2025 Oscar Predictions – Introducing The 1st Annual Gate Crashers

After Rebecca Keegan decided that my tweets and opinions were worth an expose at the Hollywood Reporter, I was “canceled” the way people often are in these terrifying, crippling, suffocating, puritanical, nauseating times we find ourselves living through. No one likes it yet too many people bow to the whims of the scolds. Who bowed to them? Gold Derby. My good friend Tom O’Neil “benched” me to make the other predictors “feel safe” keep the ad money rolling in.

And if my brand is “toxic,” then I guess I must be pushed out of utopia. Well, I don’t think my brand is “toxic.” I think I am not perfect. I wish I’d not made the one joke inviting trouble upon those who work with me – my only regret. And those who go along with the idea that one joke brands you as “toxic,” well, welcome to the wrong side of history.

At any rate, we decided, a bunch of us, to start our predictions group for the fun of it. I have put together the charts, which are a little less conventional than usual. Some of the participants you know, some you do not know. We’ll have fun with it and I will also post the user predictions in the next day. If you haven’t yet logged yours, you can still do so here. 

We’re still working out some of the kinks and it’s just a start.

Best Actor

Best Actress

Best Supporting Actor

Best Supporting Actress

Best Original Screenplay

Best Adapted Screenplay

Cinematography

Our individual pages with bios, etc.

The Gate Crashers are:

The Film Bee
Weekend Warrior’s Ed Douglas
The Cinescape
Film Threat’s Chris Gore
AwardsDaily’s Scott Kernen
Industry professional Bill McCuddy
Industry professional anonymous
We Live Entertainment’s Scott Menzel
World of Reel’s Jordan Ruimy
The Insneider’s Jeff Sneider
Sasha Stone
Hollywood in Toto’s Christian Toto
Hollywood Elsewhere’s Jeffrey Wells

Links to bios and predictions here:

The Film Bee

Film Critic at The Film Bee Reviews

The Cinescape

Writer at the Kinescope

Ed Douglas

The Weekend Warrior

Chris Gore

Writer at Film Threat

Michael Grei

Oscar Watcher

Industry Guy

Film Industry professional

Scott Kernen

NextGen Oscarwatcher

Bill McCuddy

Writer, Critic

Scott Menzel

Editor at We Live Entertainment

John Nolte

Author

Jordan Ruimy

Editor at World of Reel

Jeff Sneider

Writes The Insneider

Sasha Stone

The OG

Christian Toto

Host, Hollywood in Toto Podcast

Jeffrey Wells

Editor at Hollywood-Elsewhere

And the categories:

Best Picture

Best Director

Best Actor

Best Actress

Best Supporting Actor

Best Supporting Actress

Best Original Screenplay

Best Adapted Screenplay

Best Cinematography

Cinematography

Thanks to Mark Frenden who did the art.

Anyway, one thing I learned in the 25 years I’ve been doing this, you have to just get on with things. Make it work, survive as best you can, try not to waste time because life is way too short. The people involved in this group effort are kind-hearted people, most of whom are doing it — literally — to send me a lifeline. I am touched beyond belief by that. I can’t believe there are people like that in this cold world but there are. So do me a favor and don’t be dicks in the comments. I know that will be the inclination. But as a favor to someone who offers up content for free how about we not do that, just this once?

My observations in putting this together was that Zoe Saldana is wildly popular as a Supporting Actress contender, as is the film Emilia Perez. There are films that seem to be love it/hate it movies but that isn’t one of them. So I imagine it will be a formidable contender

Conclave is another that seem to have widespread support, as does Dune. Anora is a love it/hate it. Its win will have to be driven by passion.

The other observation is that several of our participants think outside the box, which I also like. I think it’s always good to keep your mind open. And maybe films that aren’t as known might find their way to someone, somewhere. I’m thinking of movies like The Order, for instance, or Heretic or Nosferatu, which is predicted here by Christian Toto.

Hopefully, you’ll get something out of it or at least appreciate our efforts. Why aren’t the AD people participating? Ryan was asked and declined, but he will be participating with the Contending‘s own group predictions which they will have regularly. So check ’em out.