Original Song Oscar Finals: Listen to the Shortlisted Songs

Power couple Beyonce and Jay Z could fight it out at the Oscars this year.Last week, the Oscars published a list of 105 songs that qualified for the award. Today, that list has been winnowed down to 15 hopefuls, vying for the five Oscar nomination slots. Ten categories just got narrowed down today, and The Film Experience will be covering them all (such as International Feature). The Original Song category has gone through many ups and downs. It used to be the place for the biggest hits, such as “Last Dance” by Donna Summer and “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion. At its worst, it contained only two songs, one of which was “Real in Rio” from Rio. Will this year be a hit or a bust?

The fifteen shortlisted song includes songs from Grammy winners, Best Picture hopefuls, musicals and both Beyonce and Jay Z. Check them out after the jump.

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AFI World Premiere: Halle Berry's "Bruised"

by Eurocheese

Bruised gives us Halle Berry behind and in front of the camera, telling the story of a former MMA fighter who has been down on her luck for some time. When her life is complicated by the return of her son, she is forced to get her priorities in order and address the demons of her past. Berry spoke about revamping the script – originally written with a young white protagonist in mind – to reflect her own vision with the writer’s assistance, and it’s clear this was a passion project for her.

Does that passion translate to the screen? Yes, but this can be both a curse and a blessing...

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