The Best Picture Category Changes. Again.

It's all his damn fault.

I'm sitting at home alone in my room, working, and waiting on a call from my girlfriend to tell me she's arrived in Dresden safely. Game of Thrones is on HBO, and if that's not enough, here's further proof that the night is totally beyond redemption. 

More after the cut--

Remember back in 2009 when the Oscar's rules for Best Picture changed? Remember when it used to be that only five movies were nominated in that prestigious category? 

Well, Christopher Nolan does. 

I'm sure they'll expand Director one day, too. 

In fact, some will argue accurately that it was his film The Dark Knight that got the five nominee rule changed. Apparently, Oscar does pay attention to ratings after all. Of course, that never stops the show from being terrible, but never mind. 

The point is, after The Dark Snub, Batfans went batshit and were heard loud and clear. Of course, we'll never know if this was the reason for the extension from five nominees to ten, but it makes sense. 

Of course, here's the Catch-22. It worked for two years, and that's apparently enough to convince the Academy that it didn't work. So, what we're getting for the next ceremony? A snatch-grab-mystery bag of Best Picture nominees. It'll be somewhere between five and ten, but "it's whatever." to quote the general tone of the Academy, in terms of most things. "Sure, let's expand to ten nominees." "Sure, let's let the number of nominees be a complete surprise." "Sure, James Franco can host!"

Sure. 

picture courtesy of Bad Idea Jeans

We all make mistakes. But, to forgive is divine. So, we all collectively blamed Franco on Franco's drug tolerance, and blamed The Dark Knight's Best Picture snub on The Reader and Stephen Daldry. Again, it's all speculation, but it works. 

What does this big news mean? That we who have made a hobby out of predicting Oscar nominations can either perform a free for all for a few months, banging our heads into a wall and shouting Avatar at the top of our lungs, or... we can get a Bachelor's of Mathematics and become a bookie. Some people will be banking on there being five or six nominees, while another pundit is predicting eight or nine. It'll be anarchy. 

This guy gets it. 

The important thing to remember is this - what was once a great chance for movies like Super 8 and District 9 and... Jason X? to be nominated, is now a great fat "thanks for playing, summer blockbusters and intelligent action movies. You can sit down now." This year's nominees will be four Schindler's Lists, a Driving Miss Daisy, three Winter's Bones, and a Beauty and the Beast. Or not. No one knows. 

While we're on the subject of Driving Miss Daisy, is there a way we can take this rule only in exchange for taking an Oscar back from a stupid winner? 

I always think his name was Hogie...

For a more intricate look at the story, E! Online (i know, right?) broke it earlier today - read Oscar's FUBAR decision here.