(Newser)
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Though everyone is buzzing about Avatar’s best-picture prospects, Tom O'Neil was an early predictor of Inglourious Basterds snagging the top Oscar prize—and now he’s defending his position. Even though it came out eons ago (in August), the disappointing performance of many much-hyped late-year films leaves Basterds in a position to make a “late-year dash” a la Gladiator or Braveheart, he writes in the Los Angeles Times.
Beyond that, all the frontrunners face problems: Avatar is too sci-fi, The Hurt Locker doesn’t have enough stars, Precious is too gritty, and Up in the Air has no gravitas. Meanwhile, Basterds has the love of critics, the seriously cool Quentin Tarantino-Brad Pitt-Harvey Weinstein combo, the potential to score the most nominations, a great title—and it’s already shocked the world with the number of Critics Choice Award and Golden Globe nominations it received.
