Who is the academy? How do they choose them?

Membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is by invitation only. The Academy sends out invitations to a very limited number of qualified members of the film community once a year. Membership in the Academy normally fluctuates between 6,000 and 6,500 voting members.



Candidates for membership are proposed by current Academy members and then voted on by committees consisting of prominent representatives of the Academy's 14 branches - directors, screenwriters, documentary filmmakers, etc.

A candidate normally has the backing of at least two members of the branch for which he/she may qualify. Candidates must receive an endorsement by the appropriate branch executive committee before their name is given to the Board of Governors for its approval.


The Academy has tightened their entrance standards, with only the most impressive candidates invited to join the distinguished group. Academy Award nominees, if not already members, are automatically considered for membership (but not guaranteed an invitation to join).


The majority of the members are from the United States of America, however membership is not limited to U.S. citizens. Members remain eligible to vote until they have passed on or opted for retired (non-voting) status.

SOURCE: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

As long as I remain enough of an Academy "member" to keep getting free screeners, I'm cool with not being able to actually vote.

But, ya know, if I ever got an invitation to "upgrade" my AMPAStatus, I would probably not refuse.

A couple of thoughts.

I haven't seen Crash, so I cannot compare (I wonder how many people posting that BBM was "robbed" have seen Crash?). I HAVE seen BBM and enjoyed the film. While it is bold in its theme/storyline, it has quite a number of flaws. If it were not for the hardcore theme, it would be, at best, a mediocre movie. Should the theme be enough to win "Best Picture"?

Did Helena Bonham Carter look in the mirror before she left? WTF was up with that hair.

I do not watch The Daily Show, but I still got Jon Stewart. While I enjoyed most of his shtick, he seemed ill-prepared. He didn't seem to fit in. The show needs the comic relief, but somebody a little better prepped.

The "commercials" were hilarious. I think they could have done much more with them.

I am definitely the woman in this family: I was MUCH more into the dresses than Susan!

How do you get the screeners? Can one sign up for this somewhere?

While I don't remember who said it (it might have been the after show), I thought someone alluded to becoming a member automatically if you win an Oscar?

When the theme is uncommon and daring, I think so. When it is trying to chip away at long held perceptions of a certain group of people, I think so.

I've seen all the films for Best Picture and most of them that were nominated in other categories. 'Crash' should have came in 6th in line for Best Pics. (BBM, GNAGL, Capote, Munich, Walk the Line, Crash...)

But, it's over now. I'm slowly getting over the fact that it didn't win. Kind of like a non-Steelers fan two days after the Super Bowl. (The Steelers won, right?)

:)

correct.

and maybe if you wear your wife's Oscar gown around town after the telecast too. LOL