Doc Short List

The 15 short-listed feature documentaries were announced today by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. For me the biggest mind-blower is the omission of Marina Zenovich's Roman Polanksi: Wanted and Desired -- one of the sharpest and most persuasive inside-the-legal-system docs ever made, as well as a perceptive portrait of a fascinating and haunted artist. My guess is that some Polanski haters didn't care for Zenovich's generally admiring (and yet thorough and fair-minded) approach.

I don't want to hear about any stupid disqualifiers because it played on HBO for a week or whatever. Academy disqualifiers is this realm are bullshit. Docs are always struggling for attention, and anything they can put together revenue- or attention-wise outside of theatrical should not be a penalty, for God's sake.

I'm also a bit surprised that Alex Gibney's Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson -- not a great film but certainly a professionally assembled and earnestly felt one -- wasn't included. And yet the dutiful and less-than-exceptional Trouble the Water -- a piece about the devastation of Hurricane Katrina that I've been calling the "King Kong of hand-held jiggle-pan docs" -- made the cut.

The 15 docs are At the Death House Door, The Betrayal, Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh, Werner Herzog's Encounters at the End of the World, Fuel, The Garden, Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts, I.O.U.S.A., In a Dream, Made in America, the great Man on Wire, Pray the Devil Back to Hell, Errol Morris' Standard Operating Procedure, They Killed Sister Dorothy and Trouble the Water.

The Documentary Branch Screening Committee viewed all the eligible documentaries for the preliminary round of voting. Documentary Branch members will now select the five nominees from among the 15 titles on the shortlist.

The 81st Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Thursday, 1.22.09, at 5:30 a.m. Pacific in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

DiCaprio and Shannon<< previous | next >>Trek Peek

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on November 17, 2008 at 8:22 PM

comment #1

Luke Y. Thompson Author Profile Page says ...

"King Kong of hand-held jiggle-pan docs"

Would that be the original Cooper/Schoedsack Kong, DiLaurentiis Kong, or Peter Jackson Kong?

And where do you fall on WALTZ WITH BASHIR? Doc, or not?

Posted by Luke Y. Thompson Author Profile Page at November 17, 2008 9:07 PM

comment #2

erniesouchak Author Profile Page says ...

What, is Vanity Fair losing all its clout in this town?

Posted by erniesouchak Author Profile Page at November 17, 2008 9:13 PM

comment #3

BurmaShave Author Profile Page says ...

I'm rooting for MAN ON WIRE, as it's probably the 3rd or 4th best film of the year in any medium, but I was very transported by ENCOUNTERS and it's worth pointing out Herzog has never even been nominated for an Oscar, not for AGUIRRE, not for FITZCARRADLO, not for GRIZZLY MAN.

Posted by BurmaShave Author Profile Page at November 17, 2008 9:26 PM

comment #4

MattM Author Profile Page says ...

No AMERICAN TEEN? No RELIGULOUS? Both of those have to be surprise omissions.

Posted by MattM Author Profile Page at November 17, 2008 9:36 PM

comment #5

scooterzz Author Profile Page says ...

this is the first time (i think) that i've actually seen almost all the titles......and, i'm pretty amazed the polanski and thompson docs didn't make the cut... that said, i still think 'man on wire' should take it.... i've shown it to several friends and not gotten tired of it....

Posted by scooterzz Author Profile Page at November 17, 2008 9:37 PM

comment #6

Cadavra Author Profile Page says ...

Didn't the Polanski doc play on HBO prior to theatrical release? That would've disqualified it.

Posted by Cadavra Author Profile Page at November 17, 2008 10:41 PM

comment #7

William Goss Author Profile Page says ...

Whither Dear Zachary...?

Posted by William Goss Author Profile Page at November 17, 2008 10:47 PM

comment #8

huntermdaniels Author Profile Page says ...

I guess they didn't consider Bashir to be a doc because that movie was simply incredible. I can't imagine that 15 better films, much less 15 better documentaries came out this year.

Posted by huntermdaniels Author Profile Page at November 17, 2008 11:16 PM

comment #9

The Hoyk Author Profile Page says ...

ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED had a one-week qualifying run in theatres before the HBO broadcast, so it was eligible.

Posted by The Hoyk Author Profile Page at November 17, 2008 11:46 PM

comment #10

Ben C Author Profile Page says ...

Hey, another Holocaust doc!

Who would have expected that?

Posted by Ben C Author Profile Page at November 18, 2008 12:41 AM

comment #11

lbeale Author Profile Page says ...

What happened to "Stranded," the doc about the Uruguayan plane crash? Easily one of the two or three bestof the year.

Posted by lbeale Author Profile Page at November 18, 2008 5:55 AM

comment #12

gruver1 Author Profile Page says ...

Good point, Lew. Of course. I don't know what I was thinking.

Posted by gruver1 Author Profile Page at November 18, 2008 6:29 AM

comment #13

actionman Author Profile Page says ...

Where is Bigger, Stronger, Faster? Weak that it isn't on this short list.

I have Encounters at the End of the World to watch tonight from Netflix...HUGE fan of Herzog...can't wait.

Still bummed I missed Man on Wire...that's out on DVD in a few weeks though.

Standard Operating Procedure was very good, but Taxi to the Dark Side was better.

The Polanski doc was great...pretty lame that didn't get a nod either.

Can't wait to see Gonzo...that's next in the queue I think.

Posted by actionman Author Profile Page at November 18, 2008 7:22 AM

comment #14

MoisesChiu Author Profile Page says ...

Stranded and Bigger Stronger Faster are missed nods I didn't remember, but it is odd neither made the cut. I quickly dashed my thoughts on Arthouse Cowboy, and in retrospect, I think I should see Wanted and Desired when not on narcotics for pain. Gonzo was ok, but didn't knock my socks off.

In a Dream is an excellent film and will be on HBO after the first of the year sometime...check their site. I think Actionman has a point about S.O.P. Good film, but I don't think it'll go the distance following Taxi's win last year.

Maybe Elsewhere needs a "15 films that didn't make the Doc shortlist that should have."

Posted by MoisesChiu Author Profile Page at November 18, 2008 9:44 AM

comment #15

Joshua Mooney Author Profile Page says ...

Absolute bullshit that "Wanted and Desired" didn't make the short list. I assumed that was a done deal, and fully expected it to get nominated. From the opening scene on, the film didn't pull any punches and I didn't, frankly, see it as a "generally admiring" take on Polanski. "Sympathetic," perhaps, but more to the point, it was, as you say, Jeff, "one of the sharpest and most persuasive inside-the-legal-system docs ever made." That was its quite specific raison d'etre.

Posted by Joshua Mooney Author Profile Page at November 18, 2008 11:13 AM

comment #16

TheJERMSguy Author Profile Page says ...

Bigger Stronger Faster is the best doc I've seen this year. Not that I've seen most of the finalists, but jeez, they left Standard Operating Procedure on the list, a movie so in love with its own artisticness that it had more dramatic re-enactments than actual footage. Taxi to the Dark Side puts it to shame.

Posted by TheJERMSguy Author Profile Page at November 18, 2008 2:57 PM

comment #17

HaFaKaN Author Profile Page says ...

huve puve moikka.

Sohbet
Chat
Sohbet odalari
sohbet
arkadaslik
arkadaslik sitesi
okey oyna

Posted by HaFaKaN Author Profile Page at April 30, 2011 4:42 PM

Leave a comment