Today, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that the 2010 Oscars will have not five…but TEN Best Picture nominations!
This is insanity, and save for publicity value, I don’t exactly see the logic behind it. I suppose behind-the-scenes they figure having ten Best Picture noms equates more promotional power for theatrical box office, more advertising clout for DVD releases, and thus, more money. Surprise, surprise.
As much as the press release references nostalgic roots and overall fairness, I don’t buy it. Every year, Jimmy and I make our “Top Ten” lists, as I’m sure you do, but I’ve never had a list that ALL deserved the sacred nod. What do ya’ll think?
Special thanks to super fan Max Elliot for sending in this story!
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“Total fucking bullshit” — David Lynch
Well, as if the Oscars needed yet another reason for not to be taken seriously.
So, besides giving out golden dudes to some very undeserving movies; now the Academy is going to acknowledge that 10 movies each year “could” be worthy of the statue? Especially in a year, like this, that isn’t having so many great movies so far?
Cool. Even one more reason to not watch the ceremony.
OOH! Maybe Transformers 2 will have a shot at putting “Nominated for Best Picture” on the DVD cover!!!
I see this more as a way of the Academy leadership giving more mainstream films a chance at being nominated for best picture, thus appeasing fans and eventually creating more revenue.
Academy voters have proven themselves incapable of picking popular movies regardless if they are good, so this is a way (hopefully) to ensure that if a film like The Dark Knight or Wall-E comes along that it will get the nod…
Yea, this is definitely in response to a year when mainstream movies pushed the quality envelope (Dark Knight, Wall-E, Iron Man)
This sucks for sure, but maybe it will mean Pixar’s first Best Pic nod.
Also, what do you guys think will make the list so far?
Up
Moon
The Hurt Locker
Drag Me To Hell?
well, everyone (including me) complained last year when great movies like the dark knight, wall-e, man on wire, and gran torino were snubbed. But i think the oscars should pull a golden globe and make seperate categories just for comedies and musicals (seriously Juno and Little Miss Sunshine should have won way more awards)
btw Bon, add the Hangover to that list
Reda you read my mind. I was about to say something about a Comedy category for the Oscars but decided not to, and I almost put the Hangover in my list, but then I thought about it and decided despite being hilarious, I don’t think it’s an Oscar-worthy comedy (examples of such rare gems are your listed Juno and LMS and also Knocked Up, in my opinion, because of their strong character development and emotional staying power)
I’m excited about seeing Coppola’s ‘Tetro’. Could possibly be a nominated for SOMETHING (even though I’ve heard poor reviews).
Anyone else excited about it? I’ve only heard people raving about ‘Moon,’ which is also on my ‘to see’ list.
As for the Academy Awards, TEN nominations will be far too many for the academy to fuss over. Great performances will be over-looked and etc.
(By the way, ‘Milk’ should have won best picture… just had to add that).
~Stefany
This could be a great promoter of great artistic films or another excuse of shitty Sea Biscuit Oscar-Fertilizer; and fuck you Toby Macguire.
It just seems kind of desperate. And it came out of intense studio lobbying that “mainstream” movies were being left out of the process. I think it’s just going to give attention to more obscure films, which actually may be okay…
This is not the first time the Academy Awards has nominated more than five movies. When Casablanca won in 1944, it beat out nine other movies. The highest number of nominees ever was 12, but that was in the early days of the award.
Stetle, after your comment I got to wondering why the Academy started limiting nominations to begin with. I can guess, but since I’m often wrong I tried to find out via google. I didn’t find it right off and my ADD kicked in and I started reading about other things. Does anyone happen know the history behind this?
Melissa, my information comes from an article I read the day after the announcement in USA Today.
Since this is true, do you think The Soloist has a shot at getting nominated?
Ok I can’t seem to find an ‘official’ reason as to why nominations were limited to 5 to begin with. Either I’m the only one on the planet that’s curious about this or it’s Super Top Secret information and anyone who knows will be executed if they tell me. I’ll just have to go with my own assumptions which will be as outlandish as possible to make up for the disappointment.