OSCARINDEX: 'Zero Dark Thirty' Storms Into Top Half of the Chart, 'Lincoln' Holds at No. 1

Popculturology's OscarIndex is a nifty chart of the top ten films that you should be paying attention to in order to be ready for the the Oscars. Each film on the list is assigned an OscarIndex number, with the No. 1 film getting a score of 100. The following nine films then get OscarIndex numbers based on how much buzz they have going into the Academy Awards compared to the No. 1 film.

I called it last week, and this week's OscarIndex is making me look like a psychic — Zero Dark Thirty is on the move. After director Kathryn Bigelow's film about the hunt and killing of Osama bin Laden climbed to No. 6 last week, Zero Dark Thirty jumped another two spots to land at No. 4 this week. The film is now just eight points behind Silver Linings Playbook. Expect this one to keep climbing too, as Zero Dark Thirty was named the best film of 2012 by both the New York Film Critics Circle and the National Board of Review. Both groups also honored Bigelow as the director of the year. Earlier this week, I put it out there on Twitter that people shouldn't be surprised if Zero Dark Thirty is the last film left standing at the Oscars. It looks like this one is getting its momentum at just the right time.

In other big OscarIndex news, Django Unchained fell out of the top ten, a pretty big deal for a film that has been a part of the top ten since the OscarIndex debuted on Sept. 7. Director Quentin Tarantino's upcoming film once ranked as high as No. 4, and now it finds itself behind Brave on the waiting list to even join the top ten. Amour, the favorite for Best Foreign Film, replaces Django Unchained in the top ten, debuting tied for No. 9.

Head past the jump to check out the full OscarIndex: Dec. 7, 2012 Edition. For past editions of the OscarIndex, click here.