Oscar Bits and Bites

Scott Feinberg makes a heartfelt case for his friend, Melissa Leo, citing examples of others who rallied to her defense. We must remember that the Academy, being the wise and intelligent voting body that they are, rarely vote irrationally. Even their housecleaner, mistresses, grandchildren, Jiffy Lube guy take their time to make choices based on their own professional opinion of what stood out for them in 2010. It’s always about the performance. And if you believe that….but the Leo thing has inadvertently generated much-needed publicity for her at exactly the right time. Might just be enough to push her into the winner’s circle after all. [Scottfeinberg.com]

The Haggis papers have dropped. Finally, Haggis has unleashed the ties that bound him to Scientology. A bit:

In the editing room, Haggis felt the need for a cigarette, so we walked outside. He is ashamed of this habit, especially given that, in 2003, while directing “Crash,” he had a heart attack. After Haggis had emergency surgery, his doctor told him that it would be four or five months before he could work again: “It would be too much strain on your heart.” He replied, “Let me ask you how much stress you think I might be under as I’m sitting at home while another director is finishing my fucking film!” The doctor relented, but demanded that a nurse be on the set to monitor Haggis’s vital signs. Since then, Haggis has tried repeatedly to quit smoking. He had stopped before shooting “The Next Three Days,” but Russell Crowe was smoking, and that did him in. “There’s always a good excuse,” he admitted. Before his heart attack, he said, “I thought I was invincible.” He added, “I still do.”

[The New Yorker]

Exit Through the Pet Shop – Film Detail has a nifty collection of mash-up between Banksy and the internet meme Keyboard Cat.

[filmdetail]