For our eighth Rundown article, two categories that put all of their talent on the screen for viewers to appreciate. After the jump, you’ll find our winner and runner-up predictions for Best Makeup & Hairstyling and Best Visual Effects as well as general commentary about the race. Tomorrow, we’ll cover the only two categories at the Oscars that are entirely non-fiction.

Best Makeup & Hairstyling

Winner Predictions

• Hitchcock
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (O) (O)
• Les Misérables (O)

Runner-Up Predictions

• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (O)
• Les Misérables (O) (O)

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Wesley Lovell: There are two tech categories that have no guild precursors to guide us. Any one of these films could win as this category has frequently featured more surprises than any other. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey seems to have the best chance of winning considering the abundance of prosthetics, but Les Misérables just won the BAFTA award for Makeup, which means that Hobbit is vulnerable and fans of Misérables could push it over the top. Hitchcock could earn enough votes based on the transformation of Anthony Hopkins, but with so little other makeup in the film, I think it’s very unlikely it can triumph over the other two.
Peter J. Patrick: I don’t know why the impressive makeup and hairstyling in Lincoln didn’t make the cut while the grotesque missed opportunity to turn Anthony Hopkins into Alfred Hitchcock did, but the choice here is definitely between the other two nominees. The meticulous recreations of 19th Century styles in Les Misérables should take home the prize.
Tripp Burton: This category generally translates to most make-up, or most obvious make-up. This year, that probably would translate to all of the creatures, both old and new, that populate the Middle Earth world of The Hobbit. If Peter Jackson doesn’t pull off another win here, it is probably because the large, epic feel (and facial hair) of Les Misérables is proving popular with Oscar voters.

Best Visual Effects

Winner Predictions

• The Avengers
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
• Life of Pi (O) (O) (O)
• Prometheus
• Snow White and the Huntsman

Runner-Up Predictions

• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (O) (O) (R) [New]

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Wesley Lovell: Of all of this year’s categories, Best Visual Effects is one of the few foregone conclusions. Had it not been obvious before the Visual Effects Society awards, everything was cemented afterwards when Life of Pi took home quite a number of awards. While it almost seems strange picking a runner-up with such an eventuality, I’ll give it to the franchise that has already taken home three Oscars in this category: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
Peter J. Patrick: What constitutes the best special effects, the most or the most impressive? I would say the latter, which is why I think Life of Pi will win here easily.
Tripp Burton: For the past 4 years, this award has gone to a Best Picture nominee (and has gone to a Best Picture nominee in 8 of the last 12 years), so Life of Pi seemed to be the front-runner here before it won the Visual Effects Society award last weekend. I doubt anything else has too much of a chance.

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