He’s got a sculpted body, golden complexion and stands a staggering … 13.5 inches tall. The Oscars air this Sunday, and Staff Writer Alexandra Palombo is taking a pre-show stroll down the red carpet.

 

Whether you’re watching for designer dresses, celebrity presenters, host Jon Stewart or simply because every other network is showing pre-strike reruns, the Oscars are sure to be a highly watched event.

The winners are supposed to be “surprises” to Academy members, but the awards seem to repeat winners from shows like the Golden Globes.

To movie watchers everywhere, the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor nominees are no surprise: this year, the trend seems to be movie villains taking home the gold. Entertainment Weekly predicts that Daniel Day-Lewis will win Best Actor for “There Will Be Blood,” and Javier Bardem will win Best Supporting Actor for “No Country for Old Men.”

The Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories are less predictable. The Best Actress race is between three women: Golden Globe and Screen Actor Guild award winner Julie Christie (“Away From Her”), Golden Globe winner Marion Cotillard (“La Vie en Rose”) and long shot Ellen Page (“Juno”). The Best Supporting Actress category is even more difficult to call: Cate Blanchett won a Golden Globe for her take on Bob Dylan in “I’m Not There,” but Ruby Dee won the SAG award for “American Gangster.” On top of all that, Tilda Swinton is EW’s pick for her work in “Michael Clayton.”

The Coen Brothers more or less have Best Picture and Best Director tied up with “No Country for Old Men.”

It seems Day-Lewis and Bardem are obvious choices. Dee should win for “American Gangster,” and “Atonement” would be a lovely surprise for Best Picture. Page winning Best Actress, and “Falling Slowly” from Irish indie film “Once” winning the Best Original Song award would be unlikely but would make for a Sunday night well spent on the couch.

 

The Academy Awards air at 8 p.m. Sunday on ABC.