Oscar hype already begun

We still have almost a year to go till the next Academy Awards hand-outs but already people are laying the odds on the likely nominations. And there is much Irish interest in those movies being hyped.

If the predictions are correct Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York - about the turn-of-the-20th-century New York gang warfare between the Irish and Italians - is set to clean up for it's being tipped in almost all the categories. The film gets support as Best Picture, Scorsese as Best Director, Leonard DiCaprio gets a nod for Best Actor and Daniel Day-Lewis for Best Supporting Actor.

Running Gangs close is Sam Mendes' Irish gangster movie Road to Perdition, featuring up-and-coming Belfast actor, Ciaran Hinds. Star Tom Hanks is tipped for Best Actor glory, the movie is supported for Best Picture, Mendes for Director, Jude Law and Paul Newman for Best Supporting Actor and the film is also being talked up for several of the technical and writing awards.

Colin Farrell's 'Phone Booth has support in the Best Original Screenplay category and his Minority Report is supported for the Cinematography award.

Coleraine-born James Nesbitt is even mentioned as an outsider for Best Actor for Bloody Sunday.

And voted one of the worst movies of the year, so far, is Samantha Mumba's futuristic turkey, Time Machine.