Morristown’s movie maven has a pretty good crystal ball.
Mark Ehrenkranz, presenter of the New York Film Critics Series, went 8-for-14 with his 2015 Oscar predictions, a batting average of almost .600.
In baseball, that would get you your own wing in the Hall of Fame.
Mark, who lives in Morristown, nailed Best Picture, Supporting Actor, Best Actress and Supporting Actress, among other picks.
The New York Film Critics Series gives subscribers advance screenings, in Parsippany, Paramus and New York, of the most promising Hollywood and indie films, with appearances by actors and directors.
“Personally, it was the first Oscar show I’ve watched from start to finish in 10 years,” Mark said, explaining that it was gratifying to see so many independent films recognized.
“Year after year, there have been one or two Little Miss Sunshines or Slumdog Millionaires creeping in, with a lot of Weinstein Company period- and art house films,” he said.
“This year, the films were not just biopics, period- or prestige films, but truly, as Eddie [Redmayne] and Felicity [Jones] said ( way too much), “extraordinary” films, that were smart and entertaining.
The exception was the big-studio American Sniper, “which was Clint Eastwood by-the-numbers, but a great story and performances by Sienna [Miller] and Brad [Cooper]. The type of film that you see, and leave speechless.”
Below are Mark’s Academy Award predictions (made in January), and Sunday’s winners. All the winners are listed here.
What did you think of ABC’s three hour-and-40-minute production? Highlights? Lowlights? Did host Neil Patrick Harris give an Oscar-worthy performance?
BEST PICTURE
Mark: Birdman
Winner: Birdman
BEST ACTOR
Mark: Michael Keaton, Birdman
Winner: Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything
SUPPORTING ACTOR
Mark: J.K. Simmons in Whiplash
Winner: J.K. Simmons in Whiplash
BEST ACTRESS
Mark: Julianne Moore in Still Alice
Winner: Julianne Moore in Still Alice
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Mark: Patricia Arquette in Boyhood
Winner: Patricia Arquette in Boyhood
ANIMATED FEATURE
Mark: How to Train Your Dragon 2
Winner: Big Hero 6
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Mark: Whiplash, written by Damien Chazelle
Winner: The Imitation Game, written by Graham Moore
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Mark: Birdman
Winner: Birdman
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Mark: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Winner: Birdman
COSTUME DESIGN
Mark: Into the Woods, Colleen Atwood.
Winner: The Grand Budapest Hotel, Milena Canonero
DIRECTOR
Mark: Boyhood, Richard Linklater
Winner: Birdman, Alejandro G. Iñárritu
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Mark: CitizenFour
Winner: CitizenFour
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Mark: Ida, Poland.
Winner: Ida, Poland.
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Mark: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Winner: The Grand Budapest Hotel
