The 2010 Oscar Race To Date

We're more than halfway through the year, so we should have seen more than half of the nominees in all of this year's Academy Award categories, right? God I hope not. Of course, we all know that most of Oscar's favorite children are released in the final quarter of the year, but there are usually a few nominees found in films released before August 1st. Notable nominees that were out by now in previous years included The Hurt Locker, Up, Frozen River, The Visitor, The Dark Knight, La vie en Rose, Away From Her, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. What could those nominees be from this year? What's the state of the race today? Let's take a look at a few of the major categories as they stand right now.

There's a chance that we've already seen all of the nominees in this category, something we won't be able to say again in this entire feature. We have undeniably seen two of the likely three (last year there were five but I don't think we can expect that to happen again) in How to Train Your Dragon and Toy Story 3. They're IN. So, what's the third film? It could be Despicable Me if the Academy wants to spread the wealth to Universal. The film was well-liked enough and a hit with audiences. I think the highly-buzzed The Illusionist from the director of the nominated Triplets of Belleville will take that final spot but if Sony Pictures Classics bungles that campaign then Gru could finally get the respect he deserves and we will have the rare category that was filled by nominees with release dates prior to 8/1.

Last year it was The Hurt Locker vs. Avatar in both of these categories. So which films so far this year have a similar buzz? Inception certainly has the scope and remarkable ambition of sound design that it's likely to show up in both categories. Action films commonly appear here, especially blockbuster ones, so don't be surprised if Iron Man 2 or even Salt pops up. Other dark horse candidates are Clash of the Titans, Alice in Wonderland, and Green Zone, although all three are either too strongly disliked, too marginal a choice, or both. Finally, animation often makes an appearance and it seems possible that Toy Story 3 and How to Train Your Dragon will be multiple nominees. Expect one of them to multiply into at least one of the sound categories.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Inception. Photo by Stephen Vaughan. © 2010 Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.

Can we just give it to Inception now? Seriously? I mean is there any way that the scene where Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) fights security in zero gravity could possibly be topped? Personally, I think the film is a more momentous achievement of visual effects than Avatar merely for how brilliantly and seamlessly they work toward the final product. If Inception isn't nominated here, someone cheated. But what else? Alice in Wonderland made a mint and was HEAVY with special effects. Don't be surprised if it sneaks in. I don't think anyone was blown away by the work on Iron Man 2 but summer blockbusters often fill out this category. Which means The Sorcerer's Apprentice and Prince of Persia are screwed. They weren't big enough hits. Although with very few effects-heavy films on the horizon (other than the Potter film which seems a lock and the TRON movie), don't be surprised if a dark horse like Clash of the Titans or Burton's Alice sneaks in.

Inception is a masterpiece of editing. It's a sure thing here. And it's looking lonely. I adore Thelma Schoonmaker's work on Shutter Island but will it be too old to be remembered? I'm hoping that Scorsese's wildly underrated film sneaks into a few categories and this could be one of them, especially given her peers adoration for her remarkable career. After that? Slim pickings. Editing often matches up with Best Picture and most of the big boys in that category are coming later this year. Expect Lee Smith and nominees from three to four films we haven't seen yet, depending on the strength of the campaign I'm praying that Paramount is planning for Shutter Island.

Here's where Alice in Wonderland could get some love or this often-unpredictable category could pull out a nod for the historical accuracy of Robin Hood. They like period pieces. As with most tech categories, Inception is in. After those three? Nothing. The final two and possibly more will certainly come from the rest of the year.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ken Watanabe in Inception. Photo by Melissa Moseley SMPSP – © 2010 Warner Bros. Entertainment.

I know. Broken record – Inception. Wally Pfister's been nominated three times before and this is arguably his best work. Robert Richardson's use of shadow, light, and space in Shutter Island is arguably even better than Pfister's and I hope it doesn't go forgotten. There are a few power players left to come including Emmanuel Lubezki (The Tree of Life), Roger Deakins (True Grit), Anthony Dod Mantle (127 Hours), Rodrigo Prieto (Biutiful), and Matthew Libatique (Black Swan). After Pfister and, hopefully, Richardson, they'll probably make everything else released so far this year easy to forget.

With two very strong contenders, arguably "locks," in this category this early in the year, I guess we should consider ourselves lucky. Lisa Cholodenko's script for The Kids Are All Right has apparently sunk in hard with liberal Hollywood and seems almost guaranteed, probably more than any category for a film that I expect to be a multiple nominee. Will Academy members see Inception as a purely technical film and ignore Christopher Nolan's labyrinthine script? I doubt it. I think they're both in. And they're joined by three films most of us haven't seen yet. The only possible exception is Chris Provenzano, C. Gaby Mitchell, and Scott Seeke's acclaimed-and-buzzing work on Get LowCrazy Heart wasn't nominated in this category. And that's a better script. but I think that film will be seen as purely an acting piece.

Only one lock so far – Toy Story 3. I know, I know, adapted from WHAT? All sequels are adapted as the story is based on characters created by another film. It's a debatably stupid rule in that something as unique as Toy Story 3 certainly requires a different skill set from adapting the last Harry Potter book. Whatever you think about the distinction, it's IN and a frontrunner for the win. Considering how often that animation plays in these categories, How to Train Your Dragon shouldn't be ruled out either. And Debra Granik's Winter's Bone has the kind of love that pushed Frozen River into this category. Don't rule that out at all. Finally, I'd love to see Laeta Kalogridis' brilliant take on Dennis Lehane's Shutter Island but that seems unlikely.

Annette Bening in The Kids Are All Right. Photo by Suzanne Tenner – © 2010 Focus Features.

First, my favorite performances that I know have no chance in Hell of being remembered in six months time – Michelle Williams & Patricia Clarkson in Shutter Island, Rebecca Hall in Red Riding 1974, Rebecca Hall & Sarah Steele in Please Give, Vanessa Redgrave in Letters to Juliet, and Imogen Poots in Solitary Man. Who might be remembered? There's a rumor/hope that Focus is going to push Annette Bening into Supporting Actress for The Kids Are All Right so as not to compete with Julianne Moore (and it's arguably more accurate as Moore is in more of the film). Wherever they put her, she's in. What about her co-star Mia Wasikowska? Less likely. And what of Marion Cotillard, the emotional core and femme fatale of Inception? I know she's likely to be on my ballot but probably not enough Academy members. That means that unless they make the Bening switch, we haven't seen a single nominee in this category. Good news when one considers what to look forward to this fall but pretty pathetic.

This category has been hard to fill out in recent years but there have been a few that I love that will almost certainly be ignored – Ben Kingsley & Jackie Earle Haley in Shutter Island, Niels Arestrup in A Prophet, Jonah Hill in Cyrus, and Tom Hardy in Inception. The last two winners for Best Supporting Actor were from summer films – The Dark Knight and Inglourious Basterds. Will it be a hat trick? Not unless something really shocking comes out of The Expendables. In all seriousness, we have probably not seen a single nominee in this category, much less a winner, just like Supporting Actress. If Focus can keep the wave of support for The Kids Are All Right rolling through awards season then it certainly wouldn't be too stunning to see Mark Ruffalo deservedly nominated but even that seems unlikely with the amount of Oscar bait still to come. Some have buzzed Bill Murray's work in Get Low but the role isn't emotionally resonant enough to linger through ballot time. After that? Nada. It's possible that we've seen the WINNER in lead actor and actress in Robert Duvall and one of the ladies from The Kids Are All Right but we haven't seen a single nominee in either supporting category. Weird.

Julianne Moore in The Kids Are All Right. Photo by Suzanne Tenner – © 2010 Focus Features.

Katie Jarvis in Fish Tank, Catherine Keener in Please Give, and Dakota Fanning in The Runaways – all great, all with as much of a chance of a nomination in this category as I have. Luckily, there are a few nominees here already in theaters. Annette Bening and Julianne Moore from The Kids Are All Right would compete for the WIN if the Oscars were tomorrow and they may still do that in six months unless Focus pushes one to the supporting category. And the buzz around Jennifer Lawrence's performance in Winter's Bone is deafening in much the same way Carey Mulligan's was last year. It's very possible that we've seen 60% of this category, more than any other major one. We certainly haven't seen 80%. There's some love for Mother and Child but I'm not sure it would even register on the radar if the nominations were due tomorrow much less months from now. And it looks likely that Tilda Swinton will get screwed again. She should have been nominated last year for Julia. She probably should get nominated this year for I Am Love. Deja vu for one of the best actresses working today.

There have been some great performances in small films that have no chance of registering beyond maybe a critic's citation or two – Paddy Considine in Red Riding 1980, Tahir Rahim in A Prophet, John C. Reilly in Cyrus, Colin Farrell in Ondine, Ben Stiller in Greenberg, and arguably career-best work by Michael Douglas in Solitary Man. As for nominees that potentially have a chance, one of the biggest stories of nomination season will be Leo vs. Leo. His work in Shutter Island and his work in Inception both deserve and will earn strong consideration. For some reason, I'm picturing a situation not unlike a few years ago when everyone thought that Leo would get nominated for The Departed and he ended up with a nod for Blood Diamond. It seems clear that Inception will score more nods than Shutter Island, but I'm going out on a limb and saying now that Leo will deservedly get a spot in the category for the latter. Of course, it might not matter as I believe we've seen our Best Actor winner already and he ain't named Leo. Robert Duvall's work in Get Low stands among the best career performances from one of the best actors that ever lived. If the Oscars were tomorrow, Duvall would be a slam dunk and I think he might still be at the end of the year. As for the other three nominees, some power players have fallen flat (Russell Crowe in Robin Hood, Matt Damon in Green Zone, Johnny Depp in Alice in Wonderland), leaving the category wide open for fall contenders.

Christopher Nolan on the set of Inception. Photo by Melissa Moseley. © 2010 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

They can't screw Nolan again this year. It just won't happen. He's in. His peers will recognize that Inception is the labor of love that more directors should embrace and encourage. Is there enough love for The Kids Are All Right to get Lisa Cholodenko into this still all-boy's club? I doubt it. That's an acting piece and Lisa could get a writing nod but I don't think she's in for director. Same for Debra Granik, who I expect will be ignored for Winter's Bone in favor of the power players like Joel Coen, Julian Schnabel, David Fincher, Terrence Malick, Danny Boyle, Mike Leigh, Peter Weir, Edward Zwick, and Darren Aronofsky – all with films left to be released this year. Is there room for Scorsese with that remarkable list of potential future nominees? Doubtful. And despite the love for The Ghost Writer, I also doubt that anyone's going to risk the stigma associated with the recent drama surrounding Roman Polanski. Which means that we've seen only one of the Best Director nominees of the year. No wonder we all think this one sucks so far.

Let's approach this category a bit differently. What would the ten be if we could only vote through films released so far?

Get Low
The Ghost Writer
Greenberg
How to Train Your Dragon
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
Please Give
Shutter Island
Toy Story 3
Winter's Bone

It's a tough list to fill out. Immediately, we can cut the underseen-and-unlikely-to-be-campaigned Greenberg and Please Give. They're really just on the list above to fill it out and I couldn't bring myself to put Iron Man 2 on it. That leaves eight. The Ghost Writer is great but there's NO WAY that they're nominating a Polanski film (don't bring up The Pianist … times have changed since then for the public perception of Roman). Down to seven possibilities. Get Low and Winter's Bone have a lot of fans but will probably play just as acting nominees. Guaranteed nominees if the Oscars were tomorrow but unlikely in six months. That leaves only five. After waiting so long to nominate a second animated film for Best Picture, will the Academy really nominate two this year? It's not as much of a stretch as you might think considering the undying love for How to Train Your Dragon and Toy Story 3. The latter is IN (in fact, it might win) and I think that might push out the former. That leaves Toy Story 3, Shutter Island, The Kids Are All Right, and Inception. Scorsese's great thriller will pop up in a couple categories but won't have the overall support to get a slot. I expect that The Kids Are All Right will get enough writer and actor support to land in the top ten and Inception is a LOCK. Anyone who tells you differently is crazy. It may not be a lock to win – in fact, I doubt that it will – and may not have been a lock in the days of five nominees, but it's guaranteed enough tech nominees that it's in with ten choices. So, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, and Toy Story 3. Three nominees by August 1st. With less than half of the year to go, we have 70% of our Best Picture nominees yet to be released. It better be a strong Fall season.

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Your Guide to the Oscar Nominated Short Films of 2011

This year, Shorts International continues to promote the Academy-Award® nominated short films, which are available for screening in several cities across the country, as well as in the UK and Canada. But if you can't make a screening, they are also available on iTunes and On Demand. The shorts are original, thought provoking, funny and fresh, so don't miss them – it's quite a different experience from the predictable fare we mostly get fed at the multiplexes. For more information, and to join the spirit of Oscar® voting and choose your own personal favorites, visit http://www.shortshd.com/theoscarshorts/. Let's start our thoughts and musings with this year's animated. So, in alphabetical order…

ACADEMY AWARD-NOMINATED SHORT FILMS
– ANIMATION – Day & Night
Writer/Director: Teddy Newton
USA / Six minutes

This animated short was played before the start of Toy Story 3 in theaters last year, so audiences may already be familiar with it. The characters of Day and Night couldn't be more different, and at first, they each maintain their superior attitudes. Of course Night is a "darker" guy than Day, and Day is almost annoyingly chipper as they flip back and forth in a sort of "look what I can do" take on their duties . They finally arrive at the point of appreciating the important aspects they each bring to the table of passing time and nature, and form a respect and friendship. All the visions of day and night take place within the bodies (looking like little ghosts) of the characters, which is a cool touch—and the visions are clever and colorful. Rating: Three Bones

The Gruffalo
Directors: Max Lang & Jakob Schuh
UK / 27 Minutes

Coming in as the longest of the animated shorts (and the one with likely the biggest budget), this film is based on a beloved children's book and is lovely and sweet – not ground-breakingly clever, but a pleasure. Helena Bonham Carter (her voice lilting in a lovely maternal story-reading turn), Robbie Coltrane, and Tom Wilkinson are the famous voices who can be heard in the exceptional British cast. The animation is colorful and detailed and the characters of the squirrels and the mouse have that "aww" factor (and there's a great moment involving insects that wowed). The story is a tale of a mouse who ventures about the woods searching for a nut. He must use his wits to survive run-ins with animals who want to eat him. As he is adept at story-telling himself, he invents a monster he calls a Gruffalo. Is the Gruffalo real? See it to find out. Rating: Three and a Half Bones

Let's Pollute
Director: Geefwee Boedoe
USA / Six Minutes

This short is a satirical take on humans and our history of disregard for our natural surroundings. The animation is more crude than most of the others, but it's striving for the flavor of an educational "filmstrip" from the 1950s or 1960s, as is the narrator voice (Jim Thornton), and it succeeds. It's all tongue-in-cheek, but it gets its point across – and we all might see ourselves in it a little bit, even if we fancy ourselves as being better than that. Rating: Three and a Half Bones

The Lost Thing
Directors/Writers: Andrew Ruhemann & Shaun Tan
Australia / UK / 15 minutes

The most abstract of the offerings, this sweet and melancholy story is about a boy who finds a "thing" when he is collecting bottle caps on the beach. No one notices the thing, as no one is willing to look beyond their day-to-day involvements, except the boy. The thing seems to be constructed of items from a junkyard – items that have been tossed aside, guilty of the crime of no longer being wanted. Having noticed the thing and that it seems to be lost, the boy embarks on a journey to find it a home. Tim Minchin's narration adds the perfect inflections of a boy looking back on the day his earlier self found the lost thing. The denouement when the thing finally arrives "home," is rather moving and visually stunning. Rating: Four Bones

Madagascar, Carnet de Voyage
Director: Bastien Dubois
France / 11 minutes

This spectacular display functions as an inventive travel journal that whisks the viewer to Madagascar to witness the rituals of dance and death and just, well, life. This short doesn't have a story line, but it doesn't need one. Some of the faces the animators captured will make the moviegoer gasp a little – the expressions, the etched lines and the depth are wonderful. The whole piece makes you feel like you have been on a holiday when it is over. Rating: Four Bones

Final Thoughts: So which one will win? Well, in my opinion, the race is down to Madagascar and The Lost Thing, though there certainly isn't a lemon in the bunch. The Academy may like the flashy and celebrity voiced offering from the UK that is The Gruffalo, and it's good, but it just doesn't have the heart of the other two.

**********

ACADEMY AWARD-NOMINATED SHORT FILMS
– LIVE ACTION – The Confession
Director: Tanel Toom
UK / 26 minutes

Two nine-year old friends are informed they must make their first confessions along with the rest of their class. Sam is the "good" one and Jacob is the fun one, albeit a bad influence. When the movie starts, neither has much to confess – maybe talking back to their parents – but a seemingly innocent prank sends the movie along a tragic path, and said confession takes on a whole new meaning. The actors who play the boys are naturals and their chemistry is great. The Confession offers up a thought-provoking moral dilemma to the audience. Rating: Three and a Half Bones

The Crush
Director: Michael Creagh
Ireland / 15 minutes

An eight-year old Irish boy has a big crush on his teacher and decides to take matters into his own hands when she gets engaged to someone he deems not worthy of her. This small Irish film is both funny and suspenseful, and takes the audience down one path only to quickly revert and shock them with a completely new direction. The Director, Michael Creagh, used his nephew Orin Creagh to play the schoolboy, and that act of nepotism results in perfect casting. This kid makes a shot of his character walking across a school field memorable. The combination of the sweetness of his freckled face, contrasted with his spunky dialogue during the "duel" he has challenged his teacher's fiance to is priceless – as is the ending. Rating: Three and a Half Bones

God of Love
Director/Writer: Luke Matheny
USA / 18 minutes

Brooklyn-based Luke Matheny has written, directed, and starred in what is likely the most original plot of all this year's shorts. His dart throwing/lounge singing (yes, at the same time) character Raymond Goodfellow (catch the allegory) is in love with someone who does not feel the same way – Kelly, a drummer in his band. Unfortunately, she is in love with his best friend Fozzie. Raymond receives a mysterious package of darts that have the power to make the injected instantly fall in love with whomever does the dart injecting (though maybe not forever). Despite having such power, Raymond eventually learns some valuable lessons about love, friendship, and loyalty. This film is a total charmer and leaves the audience feeling like Cupid himself has thrown one of the darts at them. As an added bonus, the cast plays and sings all the music, and it's terrific. I challenge you to not fall in love with the goofy and talented Luke Matheny and his friends. Rating: Four Bones

Na Wewe
Director: Ivan Goldschmidt
Belgium / Burundi / 19 minutes

This film takes us back to 1994, when genocide was erupting in Rwanda, and reminds us that neighboring countries such as Burundi were not exempt from the violence or the Hutu/Tutsi hatred. A minibus is stopped by a band of Hutu rebels and its inhabitants are treated to the inhumane selection process that those who wield the power (because they have the guns) inflict on them. Each of the passengers must tell their stories and hope to be spared – and they all have stories. The bus includes a businessman who is not of African descent, when they leave him alone, adding to the message that violence can be quite random. The movie is realistic and disturbing (complete with a child rebel who has the empty look of those who no longer value life) and has a good universal message about human nature at the end. Rating: Three and a Half Bones

Wish 143
Director: Ian Barnes
UK / 25 minutes

Samuel Peter Holland gives a moving performance as David, a teenage boy who is in a facility being treated in his last stages of cancer. The UK's version of the Make a Wish Foundation has been tasked with granting him a big wish – hoping that it involves meeting a favorite sports figure or the equivalent "do-able" wish. But David has other ideas – he's a virgin, he wants a woman and he's not going to accept anything less. At first, everyone is against him, but eventually, even the resident priest comes to see his point of view. Though David is very sick and the reality of his condition is grave, the humor and compassion shine through in this film that takes a lousy situation and molds it into an uplifting tale – complete with a metaphor involving fruit that will haunt you for a couple of days. This film takes the scary subject of cancer and puts you right into the thick of what a real person goes through – and makes you understand the unique views of a teenager who has been fated to die. Rating: Four Bones

Final Thoughts: All the live action shorts this year are excellent. But the race should be between God of Love and Wish 143. This year's crop notably includes several terrific performances from children—the boys from The Confession, the lad from The Crush, and the teenager from Wish 143. It's obvious they were directed well and weren't spoiled with any pixy dust from Hollywood. Yet.

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Oscar In Memoriam Snubs Haim, others- Feldman upset

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Oscar Winners: Whose Next Role Is the Most Enticing?

Winning an Oscar doesn't immediately make a Hollywood career. It's not a sudden yellow-brick road to critically beloved superstardom. Aside from the many who seem to fade into an oblivion of bad choices (see Halle Berry), there's the whole challenge of timing. Each winner has prior commitments and pre-win productions that screen after the little gold man heads home with them.

We're already trying to reconcile the fact that Natalie Portman, Oscar winner, is also Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher's latest romcom beloved in 'No Strings Attached.' But what about the films to come? What's next on the pike for each of the four Oscar winners this year? Melissa Leo, Christian Bale, Colin Firth and Portman herself?

As the LA Times notes, "this year's Academy Award winners won't necessarily be in Oscar mode when they next pop up on a movie screen." What's to come is a mixture of heavy drama, laughs and ultra geek fare.

Just see for yourself:

Melissa Leo
After stunning people with her 'Fighter' performance and Oscars f-bomb, Leo has got two fun features on the way. She's one of the cult guntoters in Kevin Smith's 'Red State,' which he's self-distributing in October, and the golf dramedy 'Seven Days in Utopia,' which also stars Robert Duvall.

She's also got three indies slowly making their way to the screen -- 'Lost Revolution,' 'Francine' and 'The Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best,' plus work on Todd Haynes' television series 'Mildred Pierce.'

Christian Bale
Always one to mix the heavily dramatic with the pulp fun, Bale has two key roles gearing up. He's currently filming 'The 13 Women of Nanjing,' which will have him play an American priest in China, helping to shelter women from invading Japanese soldiers during World War II. Once he's done, however, it's back to the Bat Cave for 'The Dark Knight Rises.'

Colin Firth
Having brought a stutter to Oscar-winning proportions, Firth is also partaking in a mixture of period pieces and levity. First up is a massive wallop of Brit talent as he co-stars with Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Mark Strong, Christian McKay and more in 'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.' Firth plays a British intelligence officer suspected to be a Russian mole. He also just recently signed onto the Coen Brothers' latest remake, 'Gambit.'

Natalie Portman
Though she's now the Oscar-winning powerhouse behind 'Black Swan,' Portman's upcoming roster doesn't seem all that different from her past pursuits. She gets to play Isabel in the stoner comedy, 'Your Highness,' she's got a supporting role in the indie drama 'Hesher' and she's the love interest of a larger-than-life man in 'Thor.' Portman's also about to have her first child, so this could be the last work we see from the actress for a while.

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Corey Feldman "Gravely Disappointed" with Corey Haim's Oscar Snub

Corey Feldman 'Gravely Disappointed' With Corey Haim's In Memoriam Oscar Snub | Movieline Home Newswire Interviews Videos Reviews TV DVDs The Vault The Oscars  ||  by Christopher Rosen  ||  03 01 2011  4:40 PM Corey Feldman ‘Gravely Disappointed’ With Corey Haim’s In Memoriam Oscar Snub function twt_click276516() {window.open('http://twitter.com/share?url=http://www.movieline.com/2011/03/corey-feldman-gravely-disappointed-with-corey-haims-in-memoriam-oscar-snub.php&text=Corey Feldman \'Gravely Disappointed\' With Corey Haim\'s In Memoriam Oscar Snub&via=movieline','sharer','toolbar=0,status=0,width=626,height=436');return false;} function fbs_click276516() {window.open('http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http://www.movieline.com/2011/03/corey-feldman-gravely-disappointed-with-corey-haims-in-memoriam-oscar-snub.php&t=Corey%20Feldman%20%27Gravely%20Disappointed%27%20With%20Corey%20Haim%27s%20In%20Memoriam%20Oscar%20Snub','sharer','toolbar=0,status=0,width=626,height=436');return false;} comments: 5 || add yours

If you’re like Corey Feldman — or Movieline’s own Mike Ryan — the chances are good that you were fairly outraged when ’80s icon Corey Haim was not included in the Academy Awards’ In Memoriam segment on Sunday night. While rumors circulated that the snub occurred because of the circumstances surrounding Haim’s death — which was ruled as pneumonia, and not drug-related — the Academy stated that it was actually a time issue: “Whatever the length of the sequence, there will always be fans and family members of those not included who will be disappointed by their omission. The Academy extends its understanding and its apologies to those who missed seeing a favorite face in this year’s feature.” Is that cool with you, Feldz?

Not at all. “I am gravely disappointed that the public outcry of the voices of Corey’s supporters and fans on his omission from the SAG memorial was not heard by the Academy,” Haim’s long-time friend and cohort said in a statement on Tuesday. “Corey dedicated his life to the film industry…The same industry that failed to dedicate even 30 seconds to his memory.”

Deep burn. Though to be fair, it’s not like this is a total surprise. As Academy executive director Bruce Davis said last year, “[M]ore people die each year than can possibly be included in that segment. It gets close to agonizing by the end. You are dropping people who the public knows. It’s just not comfortable.”

With that in mind: Maybe they should do away with the In Memoriam montage altogether? I’m actually asking. It doesn’t really bring much to the table as a home viewer — beyond “Who will they leave out?” and “I forgot that he/she died!” — and it’s probably super awkward for the audience members. After all, how much clapping is appropriate, and who do you clap for the loudest? Anyway, it’s there and it isn’t going away, but maybe it should. If you can’t please everyone, maybe it’s best to please no one. Just a thought.

· Corey Feldman ‘Disappointed’ by Corey Haim Snub [E!]

Tagged: corey feldman, corey haim, in memoriam, oscars 2011, the oscars

From stolidog | Reply
Posted 01 Mar 2011, 5:58 PM

So what if it was drugs (which it wasn't)? If Nicole Kidman overdosed on heroine next year, do you think they'd exclude her from the montage? Besides, that montage could have gone on for another twenty minutes with Celine there to hold the last note.

From Christopher Rosen | Reply
Posted 01 Mar 2011, 6:03 PM

That was just the rumor, which I think started because Brad Renfro was excluded the year he OD'd. I am pretty sure it's total BS (Ledger OD'd and he made it, obvs).

From Quirky- | Reply
Posted 02 Mar 2011, 6:05 AM

Wellll, Ledger's was accidental overdose by prescription pills. The other two?...well, meth-face don't lie.

And there's a reason one of the three was nominated for an Oscar.

From Mykey716 | Reply
Posted 02 Mar 2011, 10:43 AM

let's face it....the Oscars may be there to honor the industry but the broadcast is for the public. I believe every actor who passes should be included in the montage. If that means you need to edit that list, than cut the agents and producers. The viewers want to/need to see their 'stars' honored. And based on the 'outrage' from the public (2010 - Corey Haim/2009 - Bea Arthur, Farrah Fawcett) on these snubs, it's obvious the viewers aren't aware of/concerned with producer, agents and even directors, cinematographers.
If there can be no happy meeting of the minds, then yes, maybe it would be best to discontinue the In Memoriam montage.
BTW - kudos to ABC & the Academy this year for muting the applause (which I always felt was in poor taste...you're clapping for the dead???)

From Martini Shark | Reply
Posted 02 Mar 2011, 12:53 PM

Didn't River Phoenix make the grade after he was found with a Walgreens inventory in his system? The Academy is full of it because they saw fit to exclude Haim, yet they included Ronni Chasen - a publicist - in this year's final list. You might think he would make it in if only because of their attempt at courting the younger crowd this year.

Remember personal info? Comments (You may use HTML tags for style) The Complete Oscar Index: Now With Time-Lapse Animation! Latest Interviews Recaps Sheenpocalypse  ||  by Julie Miller  ||  03 02 2011  5:35 AM Charlie Sheen Talks More About Drugs, Goddesses and His Near-Death Birth

What's that? You are not sick of Charlie Sheen after countless radio interviews, morning show segments, backyard investigations and weird Twitpics? Then you're lucky, because the self-described warlock sitcom star engaged in a stalemate with CBS over the fate of... more »

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Though Mr. Sunshine stars Matthew Perry as a San Diego arena manager and Allison Janney as his unpredictable boss, it's James Lesure (as former basketball star Alonzo) who adds a sense of cool to the comic delirium. We caught up... more »

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Guys and girls, it's my favorite time of year: the announcement of American Idol's Top 24 contenders. Not only did we meet the final pack of singers last night, but Idol forced them (as is tradition) to dance like horny... more »

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When Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives won the Palme d’Or at Cannes last year, those of us at home who’d been following the young Thai filmmaker’s career were thrilled — and puzzled. The new movie,… Movieline rating: 9.5 || read more

Gore Verbinski on Rango And Why It Wasn’t Made For Your Kids (Unless Your Kid Is Sharp) Nico Tortorella On Scream 4 Set Troubles and Learning to Love Joel Schumacher Hammond At The Oscars & Governors Ball OSCARS: Nervous Anticipation To The End Academy’s Tom Sherak Welcomes Banksy OSCAR: Academy Prez Tom Sherak Q&A HAMMOND: Could Indie Spirit Awards On Saturday Steal Oscar’s Thunder Sunday? TVLine Items: Bravo Revamps Masters, DWTS Pairs Revealed, and Other TV News to Know Pilot Scoop: Katie Cassidy Going To Georgetown So Much Sexy This Tuesday! What Got You Hot? First Look Video: Huddy Plays House, ’50s-Style! Ratings: The Good Wife Bounces Back, But Charlie Sheen ‘Wins’ Time Slot Charlie Sheen Quotes Make Superheroes and Movie Characters Better Real-Life Hogwarts Trains Future Harry Potters 'Harry Potter' Controversy: Warners Buying Out Broadway Theater So Daniel Radcliffe Can Promote Film? Demetri Martin on 'Take Me Home Tonight,' Stand-Up Comedy, Making Crosswords and Scriptwriting 'Dark Tower': Javier Bardem is 'Locked in Psychologically' to Lead Role Smallville - Going to the Chapel Supernatural - Hardy Boys Only Pawn In Game Of Life Biggest Loser - Losing! American Idol - One-Act, One-Crime No Ordinary Family - No Ordinary Cylons Sienna Miller Is Running Away With Her Belly-Dancing Teacher Henry Winkler To Join Kevin James In A “Comedy” Film See A New Photo From ‘X-Men: First Class’ That’s All Blue And Stuff Review: The Adjustment Bureau Kristen Stewart May Spend Her Summer In Prison TV ratings: 'American Idol' guys carry FOX Tuesday, Sheen interview scores for ABC 'Dancing With the Stars' pairings: Kendra Wilkinson with Louis Van Amstel and more Zap2it First: 'The Killing': Get to know Billy Campbell's ambitious politician 'The Biggest Loser': The Red Team closes ranks 'Idol's' Brett Loewenstern: Weigh in on the 'Light My Fire' performance Brooke Claims Charlie Sheen Sent Anti-Semitic Text Sheen Allegedly Wanted Associates Killed Kim Kardashian Releases FIRST SINGLE Keith Richards' Fashion Model Daughter -- ARRESTED David Beckham & Adam Levine -- Sweater Happens! Charlie Sheen Loses Sons, but Daughters Are Safe With Denise Richards Listen: Kim Kardashian's Debut Single 'Jam' You Got Sheened: Charlie Is Stealing Everyone's Thunder, and That's Good for Anne, James and Christina Charlie Sheen's Goddesses: Meet Rachel Oberlin and Natalie Kenley Gaga's 'Born This Way' vs. Britney's 'Hold It Against Me': Which Video Wins?

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