Each year the Academy's documentary branch finds a new way to enrage film fans everywhere. This year's big casualty: Anvil! The Story of Anvil, the blissfully reviewed heavy metal documentary (my review). That unforgettable music doc's Oscar snub is unsurprising but in a way it only strengthens the movie, adding yet one more pitiable chord of try-try-try never succeed to the engrossing story -- think The Wrestler by way of Spinal Tap if you haven't seen it. Ewwww, I just pitched a movie as two other movies. I am SO sorry. I hate myself right now.Other big name docs that got the thumbs down: We Live in Public, The September Issue, Tyson and Capitalism: A Love Story. My favorite doc of the year, Prodigal Sons, was not eligible for some sort of funding reason... I'm a little unclear on why.
Here are the 15 finalists that the AMPAS voters actually did love. Five of these will go on to be [drumroll please] ...Oscar Nominees. [cymbal crash]
The Beaches of Agnes Agnes Varda (yay!)- Burma VJ Anders Ostergaard
- The Cove Louie Psihoyos
- Every Little Step James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo (my review)
- Facing Ali Pete McCormack
- Food, Inc. Robert Kenner
- Garbage Dreams Mai Iskander
- Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders Mark N. Hopkins
- The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
- Mugabe and the White African Andrew Thompson and Lucy Bailey
- Sergio Greg Barker
- Soundtrack for a Revolution Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman
- Under Our Skin Andy Abrahams Wilson
- Valentino The Last Emperor Matt Tyrnauer
- Which Way Home Rebecca Cammisa
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