Random reactions to today's Academy Awards nominations.

1. Where's Albert Brooks (DRIVE)?
2. Guessing the animated film winner will probably be one of the two mostly-unknown quantities--
either CHICO AND RITA or A CAT IN PARIS.
3. Why didn't one or both of Werner Herzog's documentaries (INTO THE ABYSS and CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS) make the final Best Documentary list?
4. I haven't seen WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN--but I'm thinking Tilda Swinton's more deserving
of being on the Best Actress list than Rooney Mara (good, but not as good as Noomi Rapace).
5. Haven't seen THE HELP, but I'd almost rather see Kate Winslet (CARNAGE) or Shailene Woodley/Judy Greer (THE DESCENDANTS) on the list rather than Jessica Chastain.
6.  Regardless of its detractors in the film review community, EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE deserves the Best Picture nomination it received.
7. Would have preferred the Cliff Martinez score for DRIVE in place of one of the two John Williams
nods.
8. Where's Charlize Theron (YOUNG ADULT)?
9. Hoping Nick Nolte's deserved Supporting Actor nomination brings more sales/rentals to the video release of last year's overlooked-by-audiences WARRIOR.
10. Congratulations in advance to Emmanuel Lubezki for what looks like an inevitable win for his fine cinematography in Terrence Malick's THE TREE OF LIFE.

Brett Ratner does it the "Old Hollywood" sexist/gay-panic way..

http://www.deadline.com/2011/11/brett-ratner-out-as-oscar-producer/
http://www.deadline.com/2011/11/brett-ratner-explains-his-oscar-resignation/

Adding my perspective to the above:
Brett Ratner's distasteful, unnecessary and regrettable incident (referring to the too-common use of "fag" or "gay" as a synonym for "weak"/"weakling") proved to one of the most egregious examples of reckless and thoughtless "guy's guy" Hollywood behavior since ex-New Line majordomo/now producer Mike De Luca was the recipient of a woman's public sex act at an A-list Hollywood party:
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,282635,00.html

I can't help but wonder what Ratner's career as a producer/director of mainstream star-driven movie/TV entertainment would be like if he put all his attention into making better product (certainly TOWER HEIST could and should have been more than it is)--and less to emulating the never-will-completely-go-away sexist/homophobic "player" behavior prevalent in Hollywood male power figures.