The Oscar Doc Shortlist
The list of 15 shortlisted film just came out:
AT THE DEATH HOUSE DOOR
THE BETRAYAL (NERAKHOON)
BLESSED IS THE MARCH: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF HANNAH SENEESH
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
MAN ON WIRE
PRAY THE DEVIL BACK TO HELL
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE
THEY KILLED SISTER DOROTHY
TROUBLE THE WATER
Among the surprising omissions - RELIGULOUS, ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED, AMERICAN TEEN and THE ORDER OF MYTHS. Warner Herzog gets shortlisted for ENCOUNTERS while Martin Scorsese (and music docs generally) is passed over, once again in the documentary category, for SHINE A LIGHT.
Much more to come...
Very interesting list, as usual from the Academy. Thanks for posting it, AJ. From a personal note, I'm not unhappy that RELIGULOUS and AMERICAN TEEN were passed over. I felt both films were overrated. THE ORDER OF MYTHS, however, is quite surprising, IMO.
Posted by: Michael C. | November 17, 2008 at 06:36 PM
Made in America! Piece of junk. Trouble the Water? Even worse: it's liberal junk that hits all the right spots in the worst way possible. Filmmakers screwed up what could have been a decent story. IOUSA? Yawn while digesting information. The Garden! Why? It's crap and tugs at the liberal heart. Boring. The rest of the films are exceptional and try something truly different.
Posted by: blah | November 17, 2008 at 06:56 PM
Documentaries about about to go into a dark age, thanks to the fact that over the last 5 years they have been nothing but propaganda for the US democrat party. It is really horrible and sad that the entire medium has been co-opted and used in this way. Thank Michael Moore. It will become more obvious and depressing the further away we get from Bush.
Posted by: Shephard Ward | November 17, 2008 at 07:15 PM
There are some disappointing omissions (Stranded, FLOW, Up the Yangtze, Calavera Highway) but all in all I think it's a pretty interesting list.
Posted by: Erin D. | November 17, 2008 at 08:10 PM
Sad to see that "Dear Zachary" didn't make the cut, but I hope that "In a Dream" makes the final five.
Posted by: kevin ely | November 17, 2008 at 09:01 PM
Thanks for the shout-out. But, really, history books will only remember the final five. Go Steve & Peter! Go Jeremiah! Go Daniel!
Posted by: Dentler | November 17, 2008 at 09:27 PM
Man, a few clangers on this list. But I'm happy to see "The Betrayal" & "In a Dream" here. Great films
Posted by: Jay | November 18, 2008 at 07:02 AM
I wasn't expecting it, but nevertheless sorry to see no "Anvil! The Story of Anvil."
Posted by: Andy Markowitz | November 18, 2008 at 07:08 AM
Having worked on Religulous, I'm not surprised. It's not really a doc, but some sort of hybrid. But Made in America isn't nearly the equal of some of the others on the list. I greatly respect Carl and Tia, but The Betrayal stands head and shoulders above this group.
Posted by: Kate | November 18, 2008 at 06:29 PM
The title is BLESSED IS THE MATCH.
Posted by: Brandon | January 21, 2009 at 06:42 AM
It's Hannah Senesh (not Seneesh)
Posted by: Peggy Ellithorpe | January 21, 2009 at 04:15 PM