For our ninth Rundown article, two visual makeover categories. After the jump, you’ll find our winner and runner-up predictions for Best Makeup and Best Visual Effects as well as general commentary about the race. Wednesday, we’ll cover the category that brings it all together.

Best Makeup & Hairstyling

Winner Predictions

• Foxcatcher
• The Grand Budapest Hotel (TL R) [New]
• Guardians of the Galaxy (WL O) (PP R) [New] (TB O)

Runner-Up Predictions

• The Grand Budapest Hotel (WL O) (PP R) [New] (TB O)
• Guardians of the Galaxy (TL R) [New]

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Wesley Lovell: There are two competing thoughts for this category. One is that the film with the most obvious prosthetics wins. The other is the Best Picture nominee wins it. That gives us a two-way race between Guardian of the Galaxy and The Grand Budapest Hotel. While this category still tends to go to the more obvious effects, a win by Budapest could push it in the same direction as Best Visual Effects where the Best Picture nominees carries out the victory. For now, I’m giving the edge to Guardians of the Galaxy, but after the BAFTA win for Budapest, the possibility of Guardians losing is becoming a serious threat.
Peter J. Patrick: You never know with this category but the clever makeup of Guardians should prevail here.
Tripp Burton: The last few years have seen this award go to more prestige-type of films, even if they don’t have as much traditionally flamboyant makeup as normal, so Guardians of the Galaxy may seem to be an out-of-place winner. The category hasn’t had as well-liked a blockbuster (or as successful of one) in a few years, though, so I think the barrage of aliens will win out this time.
Thomas La Tourrette: This ended up being a strange set of nominees. I don’t think Foxcatcher will have enough support to win, though it is the only realistic makeup design of the bunch. That leaves the whimsy of The Grand Budapest Hotel versus the sci-fi work of Guardians of the Galaxy. I think this will also be a close race, with Hotel pulling off the win.

Best Visual Effects

Winner Predictions

• Captain America: The Winter Soldier
• Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (TL R) [New]
• Guardians of the Galaxy (PP R) [New]
• Interstellar (WL O) (TB O)
• X-Men: Days of Future Past

Runner-Up Predictions

• Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (WL R) [New] (PP R) [New] (TB O)
• Interstellar (TL R) [New]

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Wesley Lovell: With no Best Picture nominee on this list, we have no chance of repeating the current six-year trend of Best Picture nominees winning this category. With them out of the way, we have a real horse race between the early-season favorite Interstellar, the Visual Effects Society winner Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, the box office hit Guardians of the Galaxy and the sleeper X-Men: Days of Future Past. BAFTA may be our clue to what film is currently in the lead in spite of the VES victory. Until the British Academy gave their award to Interstellar, its prospects had been slipping. Now, it seems like it could still pull of a victory, but the tightness of the race could result in a surprise victory.
Peter J. Patrick: The more popular Guardians probably has the edge over the more realistic Apes.
Tripp Burton: It is hard to remember sometimes that Rise of the Planet of the Apes did not win the Oscar, so what could be (incorrectly) seen as a retread of the same effects might not win it here. However, series like Spider-Man and Pirates of the Caribbean have seen second films win this award after the first film lost. Still, the all-encompassing traditional effects of Interstellar will probably win a close race.
Thomas La Tourrette: For months this seemed Interstellar’s to lose, and I am now starting to wonder if it has indeed lost it. With wins by Dawn in every category where they competed head to head, it definitely feels like Interstellar has lost its front-runner status. The VES awards are not the best precursor, but it does make me think that Dawn may end up besting Interstellar. The well received Guardians of the Galaxy could also siphon off a lot of votes, but probably not enough to win. I am unsure of this vote, but I now think Dawn will manage to win over Interstellar in a very close competition.

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