Oscars, 2/20.

By David Hudson on 02/20/2009

Salon's Andrew O'Hehir sorts through the films in the foreign language category and he has a clear favorite: "Waltz with Bashir": "If I were running the Academy, it would be up for this prize along with best animated feature (where it was eligible but not nominated), best documentary (not technically eligible) and, hell, best picture and best director too. There are many other reasons we should all be grateful that I am not running the Academy." Related: In the Japan Times, Mark Schilling talks with Yojiro Takita about "Departures."

"I don't propose to provide a full survey of [Mickey] Rourke's career: Sheila O'Malley has done that, definitively and beautifully, in this chronicle of her long-standing love affair with his work. But for those who haven't had the chance to confirm Rourke's talent via Netflix lately, let me just state that your fond memories of 'Diner' are not wrong." Dana Stevens in Slate, where she and Troy Patterson are still talking Oscars at Slate. Related: Stephanie Zacharek in Salon: "For long stretches over the past 20 years, Mickey Rourke and Robert Downey Jr... were absent, or at least sporadically absent, from the movie landscape. Now the two of them are back, playing their respective roles in the sort of comeback story everyone loves. But even beyond the basic appeal of that narrative, their stories tell us something about the faces of actors and what they mean to us, as they get older and as we get older, too."

"Who owns Harvey Milk, and the rights to his hard-won, unequivocally 'out' gayness?" asks Hilton Als in the New York Review of Books.

"In the live action, animation and documentary short film categories of the 81st Annual Academy Awards, only one nominated director has a track record," notes Kim Adelman at indieWIRE. The other 20 nominees are first-timers. More from Chris Barsanti (PopMatters).

Predictions: David Carr (New York Times), Richard Corliss (Time), Roger Ebert, Gregory Ellwood (Hitfix), Guardian critics, Glenn Heath, Ann Hornaday (Washington Post; video), Peter Knegt, Christopher Orr (New Republic), Anthony Quinn (Independent) and Yair Raveh.

Edward Copeland presents his own awards.

At AMC, James Rocchi looks back at the "Worst Best Pictures in Oscar History" and names the movies "that history and heartfelt passions have shown to be that year's real winner." Related: "Inexplicable Best Picture Nominees" of the past 40 years from Patrick Ogle at Facets Features.

"Oscar is an Anglophile and always has been," writes David Thomson in the Guardian, where Stuart Jeffries talks with François Bégaudeau about "The Class."

"This much is clear: The people behind the show this year are trying something very different," reports Anthony Breznican for USA Today. "Without revealing specific details, the ceremony will have a narrative, unfolding like a play in which awards are given as part of the plot. Some of the industry's biggest stars (many of them aimed at younger fans) drop in for guest roles, but the producers have tried to keep them hush-hush, going so far as to sneak some in through the Kodak Theatre's loading dock." Via Movie City News.

Today's Sunday night live blog announcement: the AV Club.

Online browsing tip. The Nation's slide show of winners (and losers), linking to reviews that appeared in the magazine from 1935 through 1993.

Online listening tip. In preparation for the GreenCine live blogging event, Aaron Hillis and Craig Phillips have "one last cross-country conversation about the nominations, who we expect to win, which was the worst year ever for Best Picture nominees (hint: it's been longer than you think), and how to turn both the Oscars and our podcast into a drinking game."

Online viewing tip. David Carr strolls out into Times Square to do a little polling.

Online viewing tips. "Screengrab Salutes The All-Time Best & Worst Best Picture Winners." Clips galore.

Tags: Mickey Rourke, Milk, Oscars, Waltz with Bashir, Yojiro Takita