There's a really fun feature Variety cranked out this week for the Eye on the Oscars: The Actor/Actress issue that gives some added voices to various contenders and their chances.  It's a why and why not scenario for each nominee's hopes, plus a critical quote for added measure on each.  Yours truly wrote up the supporting actors.

Oh, I suppose I shouldn't forget the lede, which is kind of a cross-section of performances that walked a fine line between getting charismatic characters just right and flying off the rails of histrionics in 2007.  Also written by your truly.

Meanwhile, there's a "down to the wire" showcase, featuring four stories to sooth your Oscar sweet tooth in the coming weeks.  Jennifer Hutt gets into theps taking on dialect coaches to assist in their award-nominted portrayals, while Justin Chang digs into next year's crop of contenders, believe it or not (more on that in a moment).

There's also an interesting take on the editorial style of "There Will Be Blood" from David Bordwell, as well as an interesting Iain Blair story about some unusual places where you might unexpectedly find an Oscar.