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The Forgotten Oscars 2011

A slew of genre films that hold a special place in our hearts -- but not in the Academy's

By MICHAEL NEEL | February 28, 2011

It's Oscar time again, and, as usual, the Academy is trotting out the same old bullshit. Their overwhelming bias towards dramas and “serious” films remains unchanged, while comedies, action, horror, and other genre films get left out in the cold. I guess they think that if a comedy is hysterical or a horror film is terrifying, it just can't compete with a drama that's... dramatic. Or if they do want to nominate a horror film (*cough* Black Swan *cough*), they call it a “thriller,” despite the fact this particular movie has been hailed as a great fright flick by such top-shelf terror publications as Rue Morgue and Fangoria.

So as usual around Oscar time, I retreat into my fantasy world and celebrate all the ignored film classics that should have won Oscar gold but never did. I honor the Best Pictures won by The Big Lebowski, Airplane!, and Eraserhead. I clink champagne glasses with Christian Bale for his brilliant Best Actor performance as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho. I salute Dean Cundey's Best Cinematography Oscar for his game-changing camerawork in Halloween. So follow me down into my own private rabbit hole, won't you?

Caution: Spoilers ahead. Proceed at your own risk.

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