No Country for Old Men vs. There Will Be Blood

After all the hand wringing about the fate of the Oscar show, it appears the Oscars will be held as planned. That means we can turn our full attention to who will win, and what the major Oscar categories will bring us. The biggest one of all is Best Picture, even though many thought the race ended for all intensive purposes weeks ago.

"Atonement" was the original Oscar favorite in the extremely early days of fall. But when the Coen Brothers came out with "No Country for Old Men" it stole the Oscar thunder while "Atonement" struggled to even get a nomination. Since December, "No Country" has been the number one Oscar favorite, maintaining the favorite position all the way up to Oscar night. The only question was what hard charging nominee would become "No Country"'s top challenger.

"There Will Be Blood" is a movie that not only matched the critical acclaim of "No Country" but surpassed it in some circles. Critics compared it to classics like "Citizen Kane" and "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" and evoked the names of John Huston and Stanley Kubrick in comparison. "Blood" became an Oscar contender due to hard critical love and the passionate support of fans who have made "Blood"'s most popular lines into downright catchphrases. But despite "Blood" making these gains, "No Country" has maintained its Oscar front runner status throughout.

Can "No Country" and its brutal killer hold off "Blood" and the ranting of its own now legendary psychopath? Here's how both films can stake their case, as well as what could stop them.

"No Country for Old Men"

Written and directed by: Joel and Ethan Coen.

Stars: Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones, Woody Harrelson, Kelly McDonald.