Though I'm happy Scorsese did not win for GONY or The Aviator. First, The Departed was much better, second, The Departed wasn't really an Oscar bait, third The Aviator and GONY actually were not the best-directed films in their respective years.

Yeah, and add that to a BP win and the gigantic reputations of Alien and Blade Runner, which would've gotten nominations if the genre wasn't sci-fi, and he's certifiably due.

I think the point Levy is trying to to make is that just because he's directed all these great movies doesn't nessecarily mean the academy thinks he's due, maybe because he's a bit of a commercial director and has made some rather shitty movies as well. Yes the numbers say otherwise, but I don't really think that's how public opinion works. Some lady just died who had six acting nominations and no one had heard of her.

If Ridley Scott had really blown people out of the water than I think he'd be considered to be a lot more due than he will be now. I think that this will be viewed much more like Scorsese's first two Oscar bait movies this decade rather than The Departed for a number of reasons Lecter already listed: 1. He's made much better films before. 2. It may have actually tried too hard to be Oscar bait. 3. Very few will consider this to be the best directed film of the year.

To be fair I guess they did give it to Ed fucking Zwick, but I really don't think he's a name we'll see popping up much from here on in.

I think we're past the point where we know AG and Scott are not going to win

I'm not sure where this argument came from actually, heh.

So after ISA, we got Gotham next. It should be coming sometime today. Here were the nominations:

Best Feature

* Great World of Sound -- Craig Zobel, director; Melissa Palmer, David Gordon Green, Richard Wright, Craig Zobel, producers (Magnolia Pictures)
* I’m Not There -- Todd Haynes, director; Christine Vachon, James D. Stern, John Sloss, John Goldwyn, producers (The Weinstein Company)
* Into the Wild -- Sean Penn, director; Sean Penn, Art Linson, Bill Pohlad, producers (Paramount Vantage & River Road Entertainment)
* Margot at the Wedding -- Noah Baumbach, director; Scott Rudin, producer (Paramount Vantage)
* The Namesake -- Mira Nair, director; Lydia Dean Pilcher, Mira Nair, producers (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Best Documentary

* The Devil Came on Horseback -- Annie Sundberg & Ricki Stern, directors; Ricki Stern, Annie Sundberg, Gretchen Wallace, Jane Wells, producers (International Film Circuit)
* Jimmy Carter Man from Plains -- Jonathan Demme, director; Jonathan Demme, Neda Armian, producers (Sony Pictures Classics)
* My Kid Could Paint That -- Amir Bar-Lev, producer/director (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Sicko -- Michael Moore, director; Michael Moore, Meghan O’Hara, producers (The Weinstein Company)
* Taxi to the Dark Side -- Alex Gibney, director; Alex Gibney, Eva Orner, Susannah Shipman, producers (THINKFilm)

Best Ensemble Cast

* Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead -- Albert Finney, Rosemary Harris, Ethan Hawke, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Brian F. O’Byrne, Amy Ryan, Michael Shannon, Marisa Tomei (THINKFilm)
* The Last Winter -- Connie Britton, Kevin Corrigan, Zach Gilford, James LeGros, Ron Perlman (IFC First Take)
* Margot at the Wedding -- Jack Black, Flora Cross, Ciarán Hinds, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Zane Pais, John Turturro (Paramount Vantage)
* The Savages -- Philip Bosco, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Laura Linney (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
* Talk to Me -- Cedric the Entertainer, Don Cheadle, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mike Epps, Vondie Curtis Hall, Taraji P. Henson, Martin Sheen (Focus Features)

Breakthrough Director

* Lee Isaac Chung for Munyurangabo
* Stephane Gauger for Owl and the Sparrow
* Julia Loktev for Day Night Day Night (IFC First Take)
* David Von Ancken for Seraphim Falls (Samuel Goldwyn Films)
* Craig Zobel for Great World of Sound (Magnolia Pictures)

Breakthrough Actor

* Emile Hirsch in Into the Wild (Paramount Vantage)
* Kene Holliday in Great World of Sound (Magnolia Pictures)
* Ellen Page in Juno (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
* Jess Weixler in Teeth (Roadside Attractions)
* Luisa Williams in Day Night Day Night (IFC First Take)

Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You

* August the First -- Lanre Olabisi, director; Shawn Alexander, Gabriel “Swede” Sedgwick, Nicky Arzeu Akmal, Lanre Olabisi, producers
* Frownland -- Ronald Bronstein, director; Marc Raybin, producer
* Loren Cass -- Chris Fuller, director; Chris Fuller, Frank Craft, Kayla Tabish, producers
* Mississippi Chicken -- John Fiege, director; John Fiege, Anita Grabowski, Victor Moyers, producers
* Off the Grid: Life on the Mesa -- Jeremy Stulberg & Randy Stulberg, directors; Eric Juhola, Jeremy Stulberg, Randy Stulberg, producers

Do you have the winners for last year's Gotham?

Winners:

Best Feature - Into the Wild
Best Documentary - Sicko
Best Ensemble - Before the Devil Knows You're Dead and Talk to Me
Breakthrough Director - Craig Zobel, Great World of Sound
Breakthrough Actor - Ellen Page, Juno
Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You - Frownland

http://www.variety.com/awardcentral_art ... =1983&cs=1

YES!!! Into the Wild... the first win. Though I really hope it has more potential than Half Nelson did.

I'm loving the Into the Wild win. Though it's still iffy when it comes to whether it will finish the year in my top five, I'm really hoping this is the first big win in a surge to a Best Picture nod at the Oscars.

Lynch should have won over twenty years ago, but he's way too dangerous for the Academy and he couldn't even get his last film distributed by big Hollywood. But once he ages like Bunuel less critics will have a standing to bash his work and he might win something in his 70s.

The irrelevant but fun and all-encompassing Satellites noms will be revealed on Friday.

while I don't think ITW will grab a BP nom [Best Director's a possibility], it definitely has more potential than Half-Nelson. HN was an indie, made no splash at all at the BO, and really only became a contender after Gosling surprised everyone with a nom. ITW has been deemed a contender since its release. I think it's in better shape overall.

If Paramount Vantage didn't have a hand in There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men I'd think that Into the Wild had a great shot at BP. As of now, it's a dark horse, and very much not out. It's got the sort of passion, y'know?