RIDLEY SCOTT SIGNS ON FOR “BLADE RUNNER 2″

Scott is a top-shelf filmmaker, the concept is sound and the source material as good as it gets. This one, unlike “Austin Powers 4,” feels right. The most positive aspect is that Scott apparently has a real fire in the belly for the project. He’s been fiddling with the original — director’s cuts, etc… — since the beginning of home video, which is a good sign the creative energy and inspiration are in plentiful supply.

Furthermore, Scott can do any picture he wants. He’s not some “auteur” on the downslide and desperate for a return to the glory days of yore. Translation: he’s doing this for all the right reasons: passion, love, creative energy…

Yep, this feels right.

On the other hand…

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Only in a political vacuum would anyone be surprised “The Dark Knight” was all but snubbed by Academy voters this morning. The defense will be that it’s a comic book movie, as though “Frost/Nixon” isn’t.

What happened to all the “modern day masterpiece” talk? This, perhaps?

If you look at today’s Best Picture nominees and ask yourself which one of these nominees people will still be watching a few years from now, the best possible answer is, “Lemme think.” Throughout its 81 year history, the Academy has overlooked a number of timeless films for best picture nominations; here, in my opinion, are the five best films completely overlooked, not counting “Dark Knight”: (more…)