Oscar Snobbery Snubs The Dark Knight

Oscar Snobbery Snubs The Dark Knight

The nominations for Oscar were announced this morning, and true to form they snubbed the best movie of the year. No best picture or best director nod for "The Dark Knight." Apparently the elitist club of Oscar voters decided to dismiss it with the its-just-a-comic-book-movie excuse.

News
By ComicBookMovie - Jan 22, 2009 10:01 AM EST
Filed Under: Other

Instead, they continue to prove themselves out of touch with the masses by fanatically promoting gay films and boring crap nobody ever sees. And they wonder why viewership is down.

In this, the finest year of comic book movies ever, they threw us a few bones, but I for one believe it is time to hold our own awards show and stop believing that Oscar hold any real credibility any more.

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Frank Langella in Frost/Nixon
Richard Jenkins in The Visitor
Sean Penn in Milk
Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight
Josh Brolin in W
Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman in Doubt
Michael Shannon in Revolutionary Road

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Anne Hathaway in Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie in Changeling
Melissa Leo in Frozen River
Meryl Streep in Doubt
Kate Winslet in The Reader

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Amy Adams in Doubt
Penelop Cruz in Vicky Christina Barcelona
Viola Davis in Doubt
Marisa Tomei in The Wrestler
Taraji P. Henson in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best animated feature film of the year
Bolt
Wall-E
Kung Fu Panda

Achievement in art direction
Changeling: James J. Murakami
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Donald Graham Burt
The Dark Knight: Nathan Crowley
The Duchess: Michael Carlin
Revolutionary Road: Kristi Zea

Achievement in cinematography : Person/persons
Changeling: Tom Stern
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Claudio Miranda
The Dark Knight: Wally Pfister
The Reader: Chris Menges, Roger Deakins
Slumdog Millionaire: Anthony Dod Mantle

Achievement in costume design
Australia: Catherine Martin
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Jacqueline West
The Duchess: Michael O'Connor
Milk: Danny Glicker
Revolutionary Road: Albert Wolsky

Achievement in directing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: David Fincher
Milk: Gus Van Sant
Frost/Nixon: Ron Howard
Slumdog Millionaire: Danny Boyle
The Reader: Stephen Daldry

Best documentary feature
The Betrayal
Encounters at the End of the World
MThe Garden
Man on Wire
Trouble the Water

Best documentary short subject
The Conscience of Nhem En
The Final Inch
Smile Pinki
The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306

Achievement in film editing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Kirk Baxte, Angus Wall
The Dark Knight: Lee Smith
Frost/Nixon: Mike Hill, Dan Hanley
Milk: Elliot Graham
Slumdog Millionaire: Chris Dickens

Best foreign language film of the year
The Baader Meinhof Complex
The Class
Departures
Revanche
Waltz with Bashir

Achievement in makeup
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Greg Cannom
The Dark Knight: John Caglione Jr., Conor O'Sullivan
Hellboy II: The Golden Army: Mike Elizalde, Thomm Floutz

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Alexandre Desplat
Defiance: James Newton Howard
Milk: Danny Elfman
Slumdog Millionaire: A.R. Rahman
Wall-E: Thomas Newman

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"Down to Earth" from Wall-E: Peter Gabriel, Thomas Newman
"Jal Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire: A.R. Rahman
"O Saya" from Slumdog Millionaire: Person/persons

Best motion picture of the year
Slumdog Millionaire
Milk
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best animated short film
Le Maison en Petits Cubes
Lavatory - Lovestory
Oktapodi
Presto
This Way Up

Achievement in sound editing
The Dark Knight: Richard King
Iron Man: Frank Eulner, Christo
Slumdog Millionaire: Tom Sayers
Wall-E: Ben Burtt, Matthew Wood
Wanted: Wylie Stateman

Achievement in sound mixing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: David PArker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce, Mark Weingarten
The Dark Knight: Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo, Ed Novick
Slumdog Millionaire: Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke, Resul Pookutty
Wall-E: Tom Myers, Michael Semanick, Ben Burtt
Wanted: Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montano, Petr Forejt

Adapted screenplay
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Eric Roth
Doubt: John Patrick Shanley
Frost/Nixon: Peter Morgan
The Reader: David Hare
Slumdog Millionaire: Simon Beaufoy

Original screenplay
Frozen River: Courtney Hunt
Happy-Go-Lucky: Mike Leigh
In Bruges: Martin McDonagh
Milk: Dustin Lance Black
Wall-E: Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon

LORD OF THE RINGS Filmmaker Sir Peter Jackson On Teaming With Colossal To Resurrect The Giant Moa (Exclusive)
Related:

LORD OF THE RINGS Filmmaker Sir Peter Jackson On Teaming With Colossal To Resurrect The Giant Moa (Exclusive)
The Greatest Comic Book Movie Of All-Time Has Been Chosen By Hollywood's Directors, Actors, And More
Recommended For You:

The Greatest Comic Book Movie Of All-Time Has Been Chosen By Hollywood's Directors, Actors, And More

DISCLAIMER: As a user generated site and platform, ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and "Safe Harbor" provisions.

This post was submitted by a user who has agreed to our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. ComicBookMovie.com will disable users who knowingly commit plagiarism, piracy, trademark or copyright infringement. Please CONTACT US for expeditious removal of copyrighted/trademarked content. CLICK HERE to learn more about our copyright and trademark policies.

Note that ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Do you have what it takes to write for us?
Want to contribute?
1 2 3
Spock
Spock - 1/22/2009, 10:56 AM
Sometimes I believe they just want movies to win that aren't popular in genre unless for special effects or background drops like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. That was a good movie.
Inohaku
Inohaku - 1/22/2009, 10:59 AM
7 nominations for Dark Knight, for me that's pretty good for a comic book movie! The other nominations seem spot on. The Academy does focus on deep subjects rather than entertainment.
MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 1/22/2009, 11:04 AM
what a load of bollocks, im sick of the Oscar idiots getting it wrong every damn time, they are so predictable. Kate Winslet is a great actress no doubt, but she would be nominated for an oscar if she appeared for 5 minutes in a movie taking a shit!..And the Reader!! What a boring piece of worthy crap..every second of it is geared towards winning an oscar because the filmakers know how predictable the awards are...That Dark Knight was not at least nominated is a travesty. Slumdog is a great movie and deserves to be there..i havnt seen Milk..but a film about a dead gay politicion? how couls it not be nominated! ..Frost Nixon..who gives a [frick]! And i have yet to see Benjamin Button but i believe its equally overhyped and geared for Oscar. ...i really should have stopped watching this crap when Forest Gump beat Pulp Fiction!
SPANISHVEGETA
SPANISHVEGETA - 1/22/2009, 11:06 AM
yeah but not really in the ones that they deserve, they just wanna see movies they like the make me cry films that they dont even understand, they dont see excellents when it's right infront of there faces.
MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 1/22/2009, 11:06 AM
Deep Subjects? The Dark Knight was more complex and intricately woven than any of the movies nominated..that ive seen..and i guarantee more than the rest of them
Shaman
Shaman - 1/22/2009, 11:07 AM
Well isn't this magical... and not to mention it also was to be expected.
alten2345
alten2345 - 1/22/2009, 11:25 AM
Just a little correction. Josh Brolin was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Milk not W:)
alten2345
alten2345 - 1/22/2009, 11:31 AM
I'm not surprised in the least bit. The Academy Awards are voted on by a group of liberal, elitist scumbags who wouldn't know a good movie or acting performance if it came up and bit them in the ass. They rarely, if ever, get it right. Does Dark Knight deserve a nod for Best Picture? I'm not so sure about that. But it's at least as good as the other movies that are nominated
unbreakablezach
unbreakablezach - 1/22/2009, 11:34 AM
I can't believe dark knight got nothing for costumes and music.
JigJRod55
JigJRod55 - 1/22/2009, 11:43 AM
Holy shit! Did you just say the academy promotes "gay films"? You actually used gay as a put-down in this "report". You can't say stuff like that if you're trying to actually report something! This site has just lost a lot of credibility in my book.
ComicMans1234
ComicMans1234 - 1/22/2009, 11:47 AM
i really wish dark knight got some more nominations. this year was definately a great year for comic book movies. Everything was expected, except Robert Downney Jr for Tropic Thunder, I hope he wins that.
drgonzo
drgonzo - 1/22/2009, 11:57 AM
ive seen most of the movies that were nominated and i have to say i dont necessarily disagree with the nominees. although TDK was awesome i ddint really expect it to geta best pic nod. oh and milk was an awesome movie by the way.
thwip
thwip - 1/22/2009, 12:21 PM
dern right, drgonzo. i have to say that i walked away from iron man, benjamin button, doubt, and milk with my life having been changed for the better. i walked away from dark knight going "....umm...what? that was okay, i guess." the only oscar nod for dark knight that i agree with it heath's performance, but i have to say i'd rather see hoffman get it for doubt.
theFACE
theFACE - 1/22/2009, 12:23 PM
The oscars clearly aren't as sought after as perhaps they once were. If the main criteria for a good film is how deeply it touches on a subject (or how deep a sleep you are lulled into) then surely the oscars are biased and therefore do not fully represent the best film of the year. making the oscars only as respectable as the mtv or the kids choice awards.
Buzzdee
Buzzdee - 1/22/2009, 12:25 PM
the nominees for visual effects are missing in the list:
- THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON: Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron
- THE DARK KNIGHT: Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin
- IRON MAN: John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan

so eight nominations for TDK and two for Iron Man :-)
AsiantZero
AsiantZero - 1/22/2009, 12:25 PM
as long as slumdog doesnt win.
DarkAvengers
DarkAvengers - 1/22/2009, 12:32 PM
The people who make these selections are like 90 years old. Lets go smash them and bury them in the desert.
alten2345
alten2345 - 1/22/2009, 12:36 PM
Why can't they say "gay films?" They didn't say "gay" films as in "that movie is gay" in a derogatory way. They meant it as the subject matter of the film. Milk is a movie about Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office. Brokeback Mountain is a movie about two homosexual cowboys and their relationship. Philadelphia was a film about a gay man with AIDS. Capote is about Truman Copote, a gay author. All were nominated for Oscars.

I originally balked at the "gay films" statement but I don't think it was meant to offend. What was said might not have been the best argument against the Academy, but it is still an arguement.

benperrin
benperrin - 1/22/2009, 12:37 PM
I thought this was supposed to be a news report, not an opinion piece. Also... how many of the best picture nominees have you actually seen? If it's any less than ALL of them, your opinion means dick-all.

I absolutely loved TDK, and thought it was an incredible movie, but it's also good to expand your horizons a bit and see a variety of things. You might be surprised.

Finally... "Gay movies and boring crap no one ever sees"
Wow, you are a true word-smith. I think I'll get my info from another source now.
Scotteeo
Scotteeo - 1/22/2009, 12:40 PM
"The oscars clearly aren't as sought after as perhaps they once were. If the main criteria for a good film is how deeply it touches on a subject (or how deep a sleep you are lulled into) then surely the oscars are biased and therefore do not fully represent the best film of the year. making the oscars only as respectable as the mtv or the kids choice awards."

Are you kidding me? The oscars ARE the most sought after award in acting!!! Talk to anybody who just won a Golden Globe and ask them how they feel and most likely their response is "Good, now we just have to hope for that Oscar!" Everyone else here who is complaining about Best Film too, what are you complaining about? When every one of us would sit down and realisticly talk/type about how TDK would fare in Oscar nominations, the only one we were truely excited about was Best Supporting Actor for Heath. You got your cookie now keep your hands out of the cookie jar. We should be happy with what we got, not complaining that we didn't get more. I'm happy and I know Heath's got competition in there. Just don't be so suprised when somebody else wins. If Heath doesn't win, then we know we have to try harder next time. IF Nolan makes a third, appeal to the Academy by putting some of their lap boys in it like Depp and Hoffman. For the last couple of years these guys have been nominated, and when the academy sees them wanting to do roles in a comic film, maybe they'll begin to realise the effort these people put into comic based movies. The Academy's got to come around sometime. Once you start taking the big boys, then things will eventually fall into place.
CaptainAmerica
CaptainAmerica - 1/22/2009, 12:44 PM
Superherohype.com FTW!!!
CaptainAmerica
CaptainAmerica - 1/22/2009, 12:45 PM
try Screenrant.com too. Very good info/news without discrimination.
JigJRod55
JigJRod55 - 1/22/2009, 12:46 PM
I'm there BenPerrin.
Inohaku
Inohaku - 1/22/2009, 1:07 PM
Don't get me wrong rorschach1, Dark Knight is indeed a complex and psichological masterpiece. I believe if more than 5 films could be nominated for best film it would be in there.
theFACE
theFACE - 1/22/2009, 1:14 PM
JigJRod, i dont think he's insinuating that the oscars promote gay films, i think rorschach is trying to say that any activist (more often than not a political one) when transferred to film seems to get a decent amount of nominations. i'm not saying that Milk doesn't deserve to be there, truth being i havent seen it yet but i do plan on watching it as i have heard good things about it. The point i am trying to make is that no-one here is being homephobic, which is how it seems you've taken it.

If you read this and still feel like the site has lost credibility, i would like to say "get of your high horse" because it's that kind of lateral-negative thinking that has [frick]ed up the worlds economy and is slowing down the human race.
CaptainAmerica
CaptainAmerica - 1/22/2009, 1:17 PM
"If you read this and still feel like the site has lost credibility, i would like to say "get of your high horse" because it's that kind of lateral-negative thinking that has [frick]ed up the worlds economy and is slowing down the human race."

Lol please shut your face
Doritos
Doritos - 1/22/2009, 1:18 PM
Just because to you batman was the best movie evar or of 2008, it doesnt means everybody thinks the same, to me was a good movie, alot better than the 1st one, but that is it. It wasnt the best comic book movie and best movie overall either, you overrate TDK too much, dont let your fellings about the movie blind you of the other ones.

it has 7 or 8 nominations, i think its pretty ok for this movie.
CaptainAmerica
CaptainAmerica - 1/22/2009, 1:20 PM
Spider-Man 2 is bettar than TDK imo. And it didnt win anything big
theFACE
theFACE - 1/22/2009, 1:23 PM
Scotteeo, my point was that each award show has it's own criteria for whats best, meaning that TDK not being there doesn't mean they didn't think it was good, the number of other nominations it got shows that they believe it to be a good film. Reading my post again i do find that this point was not brought across as i intended, so sorry for that. And i do agree with you about hoffman and depp, the success of the dark knight may entice actors of this caliber to step into the comic book universe. TDk definetly knocked down some doors, so who knows what the future holds.
alten2345
alten2345 - 1/22/2009, 1:24 PM
Wow Captain America, "Please shut your face." That was an insightful, well thought out addition to this discussion. Great job.
theFACE
theFACE - 1/22/2009, 1:26 PM
Spiderman 2 better than TDK, thats pushing your argument a bit to far. And if you think the sites lost credibility why are you still posting comments.
Shaman
Shaman - 1/22/2009, 1:30 PM
Oh granted it's a shocker to read but reality has a knack of being in your face like that. As unpleasing as it could sound, no one can honestly say that it was inaccurate. It gave us two characteristics that more than qualifies the majority of the movies that actually win the award for "best movie". So he didn't put on his white gloves, are you guys the fashion police? Think twice before answering though.
Doritos
Doritos - 1/22/2009, 1:41 PM
@theFACE i know your not talking to me but whatever, i say samething to you or anyone else, if you dont like one thing why do you keep coming back and comment ? you for example, you dont like street fighter's new movie, but you keep coming and bashing it, just stop looking for news of it, same deal for DBE, dont like it people ? ignore it, cristh.
Joker1zero
Joker1zero - 1/22/2009, 1:56 PM
How the f**k did it not get nominated for best costume design, best director or best motion picture?! F**K YOU, HOLLYWOOD! Steve Colbert was right, you all suck!
NoobMike
NoobMike - 1/22/2009, 1:59 PM
Hey Ror... I saw Frost-Nixon thinking it would be crap, actually I was dragged to see it. Turns out it was quite entertaining and I hate Ron Howard with every ounce of my being.

If an actor wins an Oscar it means they can ask for more zeros on their paychecks unlike any other award, so yes it is amongst the most sought after. Also if a movie is nominated for best picture, it will get more tickets sold, since everyone wants to see why it got nominated.

I just think that (IMHO) usually the judges tend to like movies that will bring them to tears and that have fairly good production values and if possible exotic locations, not innovative movies, not deep movies, not the best movie. I don't think TDK is the best movie of 2008, and I think that Wall-E has much more cinematographic value than Frost-Nixon has, but that's just my opinion. Even if for someone TDK is the best movie, why need the academy awards to assure that?

I mean I have never and will never see The English Patient, I don't care how many oscars it won.
theFACE
theFACE - 1/22/2009, 2:09 PM
Doritos, you do make a very good point which i will bare in mind in the future. The only thing i'm bashing on this post is being told to shut my face for no particular reason and without any logical argument. And for the record i do not think they got the oscar nominations wrong.
Shaman
Shaman - 1/22/2009, 2:21 PM
NoobMike- "I mean I have never and will never see The English Patient, I don't care how many oscars it won."

Excellent point my friend and i quote:

"they continue to prove themselves out of touch with the masses by fanatically promoting gay films and boring crap nobody ever sees."

See, now that movie wasn't gay, it fell into the "boring crap" category. Why is it that "bored crappers" never get their panties in a twist on these forums...

thwip
thwip - 1/22/2009, 2:24 PM
captainamerica, i agree with everything you've said.

CBM, go shove an ice skate up your anus.

spidey 2 > dark knight
iron man > dark knight
"gay films and boring crap no one ever sees" > dark knight
Shaman
Shaman - 1/22/2009, 2:29 PM
thwip- "CBM, go shove an ice skate up your anus. "

Ehh dude... that's gay.
thwip
thwip - 1/22/2009, 2:37 PM
naw, shaman. only when you duct tape a cucumber to the end of the ice skate does it approach being gay. ...and maybe more enjoyable.

the ice skate treatment is just the rightful comeuppance of ignorance, narrow-mindedness, and bigotry.
1 2 3
Related Headlines
Latest Headlines

Hot Headlines Hot Headlines

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Anime & Manga

Gaming

Horror

Cartoons & Animated Features

Action Movies & TV

Pro Wrestling & MMA News
View Recorder