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Hollywood is fighting back against Steven Spielberg ’s efforts to block films released on streaming services such as Netflix from the Oscars.
The director, who is the current governor of the Academy’s directors branch, is said to be proposing changes to eligibility rules that will see films released on streaming services unable to compete at the ceremony.
According to a spokesperson for Spielberg’s production company Amblin, it’s something he “feels very strongly about”. IndieWire
The news comes a week after a impressive awards circuit for Alfonso Cuarón’s Netflix film Roma , which was beaten to the Best Picture Oscar by Green Book , a film that found distribution thanks to Spielberg . Roma went on to win three Oscars , including Best Cinematography.
Show all 47 1 /4747 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination American Psycho (2000) Starring future Oscar-winner Christian Bale, Mary Harron’s adaptation of the Bret Easton Ellis novel – in which the Vice star plays the psychopathic Patrick Bateman - didn’t receive a single nomination.
Rex Features
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Before Sunrise (1995) While the final two chapters of Richard Linklater’s Before… trilogy earned screenplay nominations, the film that introduced the world to future married couple Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) was criminally overlooked.
Columbia Pictures
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination The Big Heat (1953) Fritz Lang had a number of films overlooked by the Academy; this noir, starring Glenn Ford, Lee Marvin and and Gloria Grahame, was one of them.
Columbia Pictures
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination The Big Lebowski (1998) The Academy’s generosity to the Coen brothers peaked when No Country for Old Men beat There Will Be Blood in one of the ceremony’s closest Best Picture races of all time. It remains surprising that one of their few films to evade any nominations is this endlessly quotable mistaken identity comedy starring Jeff Bridges as The Dude.
PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Blow Out (1981) Brian De Palma doesn’t exactly make films in the hope of winning award, but his political thriller - based on Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blow Up – would have deserved any Oscar it was nominated for.
Filmways Pictures
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Breathless (1960) Breathless' failure to receive a nomination is proof that the Oscars can’t be trusted. Despite being one of the most studied films in the world, Jean Luc-Godard’s French masterpiece has an Academy Award tally of zero.
Films Around The World
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Bringing Up Baby (1938) The Academy rewarded many notable screwball comedies, though this Howard Hawks-directed standout starring Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn - who’d go on to hold the record for most wins - wasn't one of them.
Courtesy of BFI
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Don't Look Now (1973) Nicolas Roeg, who directed this Venice-set chiller, is one of the most unfairly overlooked directors in Oscars history.
Rex Features
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Donnie Darko (2004) Richard Kelly’s science-fiction mind-bender, which made a star of Jake Gyllenhaal, was a festival favourite upon its debut in 2004. Many expected a screenplay nomination to manifest.
Rex Features
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) It wouldn’t be until the 1990s that western films found favour with the Academy. It was ironically thanks to Unforgiven, a film directed by Clint Eastwood whose career flourished after starring in this Sergio Leone film that many consider to be the genre’s peak.
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination La haine (1995) Mathieu Kassovitz’s black-and-white drama – translated in English as Hate – follows three young friends and their struggles living in the suburbs of Paris.
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Halloween (1978) The Academy may not be frothing at the mouth to nominate horror films, but do have previous (see: The Exorcist and The Silence of the Lamb), which makes the absence of John Carpenter’s influential Halloween a glaring oversight.
Aquarius Releasing
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Harold and Maude (1971) This offbeat romantic drama was a critical and commercial flop at the time of release, which probably accounts for its lack of Oscar nominations. Today, though, it’s cult following ensures it remains in good favour with film fans.
Paramount Pictures
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Heat (1995) On paper, the big screen union of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in Michael Mann’s cop drama was a shoo-in for awards, but no Oscar nominations manifested.
Warner Bros
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination His Girl Friday (1940) Yet another Howard Hawks screwball comedy starring Cary Grant that criminally failed to secure a single Oscar nomination.
L/Columbia/Koba/Rex/Shutterstock
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Insomnia (2002) While falling short of Christopher Nolan’s best, modest drama Insomnia – made years before Batman Begins – had enough strong performances (Al Pacino, Robin Wiliams, Hilary Swank) to warrant acting nominations. Alas, it received none.
Warner Bros Pictures
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Local Hero (1983) Bill Forsyth’s beloved comedy-drama follows the mishaps of an American man sent to buy up a Scottish village where the oil company he works for wants to build a refinery. Forsyth won the Bafta for Best Director, but the film received no such love from the Academy.
20th Century Fox
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination M (1931) You’d be mistaken for thinking the “M” stands for “masterpiece” in Fritz Lang’s German drama that follows the manhunt for a serial killer - not that the Academy agreed.
20th Century Fox
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination A Man Escaped (1956) Robert Bresson’s adaptation of André Devigny’s memoirs charts the French Resistance member’s time as prisoner of the Germans during World War II, and is even more enthralling considering Bresson himself was held captive years before.
Gaumont Film Company
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Margaret (2011) Kenneth Lonergan would go on to win an Oscar for Manchester but he Sea, but Margaret - his three-hour plus drama featuring a searing performance from Anna Paquin - failed to secure a single nomination.
Fox Searchlight Pictures
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination In the Mood for Love (2000) Wong Kar-wai set the benchmark for romance in film with his acclaimed Hong Kong drama following a man and woman (Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung) who develop feelings for one another after suspecting their respective spouses of having an affair together.
defd Deutscher Fernsehdienst
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination The King of Comedy (1982) It may have taken him decades to win an Oscar, but the Academy has rarely balked at nominating Martin Scorsese films – especially for films starring Robert De Niro. The King of Comedy was an exception.
20th Century Fox
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination The Long Goodbye (1973) Robert Altman’s superior thriller stars Elliott Gould as Raymond Chandler’s private investigator Philip Marlowe in one of the director’s most entertaining films. The director would go on to be the recipient of the Honorary Award in 2006.
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination The Man With Two Brains (1983) He may have hosted several times, but Steve Martin has never been nominated for an Oscar. One film he deserved recognition for was Carl Reiner's 1983 sci-fi comedy, The Man with Two Brains.
Warner Bros.
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination A Matter of Life and Death (1946) The Academy Film Archive may have preserved A Matter of Life and Death in 1999, but voters failed to recognise the Powell & Pressburger’s fantasy-romance at the time of its release in 1946.
Eagle-Lion Films
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Mean Streets (1973) It may not be credited as his debut, but Mean Streets is very much the first true Martin Scorsese film. The director would go on to win a belated Oscar for The Departed in 2007, but he’d have to wait until 1975 for his first nomination (Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore).
Warner Bros
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Melancholia (2011) No Lars von Trier film has ever been nominated for Best Picture, though Dancer in the Dark came close (it settled for a Best Original Song nomination). He came close with Melancholia, but ultimately, the drama didn't get
Canal+
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Miller's Crossing (1990) Despite being revered as a Coen brothers favourite, not to mention its notable performances from Gabriel Byrne and Albert Finney, Miller’s Crossing is one of few Coen brother films not to receive a single Oscar nomination.
20th Century Fox
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Once Upon a Time in America (1984) Though it's by no means a masterpiece, it’s staggering to think that Sergio Leone’s gangster epic - starring Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci - didn’t acquire any Oscar nominations (the film's music was disqualified from consideration after Warner Bros accidentally omitted the composer's name from the opening credits when trimming the film’s lengthy running time for its American release).
Warner Bros
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Paterson (2016) Critics assumed Jim Jarmusch’s Paterson would have been a shoo-in for awards recognition - most notably in the Best Actor category, thanks to a quietly fantastic performance from Adam Driver - but no such luck.
Amazon Studios
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Paths of Glory (1957) Stanley Kubrick never won Best Director despite being nominated four times. One of his films that didn’t make the Oscars cut in any category was his black-and-white anti-war film, Paths of Glory.
United Artists
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Play Misty for Me (1971) Clint Eastwood would go onto become something of an Oscar darling thanks to Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby and Mystic River, but his directorial debut was ignored by the Academy.
Univeral Pictures/Courtesy of Getty Images
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Reservoir Dogs (1992) Reservoir Dogs may not touch Quentin Tarantino’s best, but it remains a surprise that the filmmaker’s debut didn’t get recognised in the screenplay category, at least.
Miramax Films
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination The Rider (2018) Of all the 2018 films to be snubbed at this year’s Oscars, Chloé Zhao’s drama - which stars a real-life rodeo cowboy and his family - smacks as the most unfair.
Sony Pictures Classics
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination The Searchers (1956) The role of Civil War veteran Ethan Edwards might be considered John Wayne’s best role, but the Academy didn’t agree: he would win his sole Oscar for True Grit in 1970.
Warner Bros
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination The Shining (1980) Another Kubrick film that was completely ignored by the Academy is the director’s Stephen King adaptation, The Shining. Today, it’s considered one of his finest works as well as being one of the most revered horror films of all time.
Warner Bros
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination The Shop Around the Corner (1953) It may have endured as one of the best loved romcoms of all time, but it has zero Oscar nominations to its name.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Still Walking (2008) Japanese director Hirokazo Kore-eda's portrait of a family over roughly 24 hours as they commemorate the death of the eldest son was a glaring oversight by the Academy.
IFC Films
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Swingers Before he became Disney's go to, Jon Favreau (Iron Man, The Jungle Book and the forthcoming live-action Lion King) wrote this independent film about the lives of single, unemployed actors living in Hollywood, California during the 1990s swing revival.
Rex Features
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination This Is England (2006 The 2007 ceremony would have been far better had Shane Meadows' coming-of-drama been in contention for awards.
Optimum Releasing
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Three Kings (1999) The Academy deemed Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle worthy of nominations, but not David O Russell’s Three Kings, which remains one of his greatest films to this day.
Warner Bros Pictures
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Tokyo Story (1953) Tokyo Story is deemed Japanese filmmaker Yasujirō Ozu's masterpiece and was named Sight & Sound's best film of all time in 2012.
Rex Features
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Touch of Evil (1958) Orson Welles' classic noir wasn't as well loved at the time of release as it is today.
BFI
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Tyrannosaur (2011) Olivia Colman may be in contention for Best Actress at this year’s ceremony, but the fact she failed to earn a nomination (or Bafta, for that matter) for her role in Paddy Considine’s hard-hitting drama Tyrannosaur is one of the biggest oversights in awards history.
StudioCanal UK
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Walkabout (1971) Another exceptional achievement in filmmaking from Nicolas Roeg that somehow failed to receive any Oscar nominations.
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination You Were Never Really Here (2018) Notch it down to bad timing, but Lynne Ramsay’s You Were Never Really Here - starring Joaquin Phoenix - is a sensational piece of work worthy of reward.
Amazon Studio
47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Zodiac (2007) Three years later, David Fincher would go head-to-head with The King Speech's Tom Hooper for The Social Network. In truth, serial killer drama Zodiac is every bit as good as the Facebook drama.
Warner Bros Pictures
Hollywood figures, including Selma and The 13th director Ava DuVernay, criticised Spielberg ‘s expected motion, writing: “Dear Academy, this is a board of governors meeting. And regular branch members can’t be there. But I hope if this is true, that you’ll have filmmakers in the room or read statements from directors like me who feel differently.”
Evil Dead actor Bruce Campbell also expressed his frustration, hailing Roma “as impressive as anything out there”. He continued: “Platforms have become irrelevant.”
Spielberg also faced heavy criticism from film fans on Twitter.
The director’s most recent film, Ready Player One , was released in 2018. His next film will be a remake of West Side Story .
In March last year, Spielberg said that Netflix films should not be awarded Oscars .
“Once you commit to a television format, you’re a TV movie,” he said at the time. “You certainly, if it’s a good show, deserve an Emmy, but not an Oscar. I don’t believe films that are just given token qualifications in a couple of theatres for less than a week should qualify for the Academy Award nomination.”
Netflix has seemingly responded to Spielberg's actions with an indirect message on Twitter.
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