Oscar nominations are out. A few random notes:



* City of God was Brazil's Best Foreign Film entry in 2002. It did not get a nomination that year. Several foreign films have been nominated (or won) for BFF in one year and then picked up major nominations in the next, including works by Truffaut, Fellini, and Bergman.



* Right this minute, the most talented member of the extended Coppola clan is...the beleaguered Sofia. Now maybe people will shut up about the movie that wasn't her fault anyway. If she wins, I believe the Coppolas become the second three-generation Oscarwinning family, after the Hustons. In any case, they are probably the most-awarded extended family. In addition to Sofia:

Deceased patriarch Carmine won for the Godfather 2 score,

Francis Ford won for the Godfather films, as well as for the Patton screenplay,

Sister Talia Shire was nominated for Rocky and GF2,

Nephew Nic Cage won for Leaving Las Vegas,

Nothing yet for Jason Schwartzman (Talia's kid), but then there are awards and nominations for assorted ex-spouses David Shire and Spike Jonze.



*I was happy to see Twilight Samurai get a BFF nomination. I saw it at last year's Chicago Film Festival, and I hope it gets a wider release in '04.



*nice to see Errol Morris finally get some love in the Best Documentary category, and I was pleased that the whacked-out Triplets of Belleville got not only a Best Animated nomination, but a Best Song nod as well.



*Sad to see the Best Animated category didn't have enough eligible films (16) to qualify for a full five nominees. Surely 16 animated films throughout the world were made in 2003. With Disney shuttering its hand-drawn animation studio, I fear this is headed for premature extinction.



*Robbed: Scarlett Johansson. ROTK: Whatever. A friend once noted that Best Picture was really Best Project Management, so yeah, what the hell, ROTK it is.





Also, the Razzie nominations are out (and poke around to check out their snazzy new site design). These are getting as safe and predictable as the Emmys. Three parts Hyped Bombs (Gigli, Cat in the Hat). Two parts Good Actors in Questionable Projects (both "worst supporting" categories), one part Publicity Hogs Who Must Now Pay (Kutcher, Bennifer), and a dash of Pile On For Past Sins (Stallone in Spy Kids 3-D). Mix well, serve cold. I'm unimpressed.