They're all screened in one Academy theater on a schedule. You're not there, you didn't see it.

Every single equivalent awards-giving body on the planet gives awards in a foreign / foreign-language films category. Only the Oscars use this sort of selection system.

I blame the CMS.

I'll tell you why: Because I like seeing artists, etc. whose work I like get rewarded, even if it's a stupid glitzy awards show.

The honorary Susanne Bier nomination slot.

With the Foreign Language Film category, they can only vote if they sit through all of nominees at official Academy screenings—no screeners, no exceptions. Incidentally, the rule basically excludes those Academy members who don't live in Los Angeles from voting in the category.

What is this, 2008?

It's some sub-"Welcome To Earf" shit, made weirder by the fact that the man has speaking roles in several of his own movies.

I'll admit I only suggested something akin to the eventual hed because Katie Rife and I couldn't decide on a Split pun that made sense. Also, his twist endings are largely really good.

Actually, the voters have to watch all of the films to vote.

Way less than if it were directed by James Gray, which it already is.

How's that "new" Death Race?

C'mon, his last name is Kerabatsos. There is no explanation, except that he appears to buy all of his bowling shirts second-hand.

Shit, you're right. Removed. But hey, don't I get points for quoting facts about semi-obscure UK No. 1s from memory?

Eva Green. Closest thing we've got to a successor to Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, etc. Also, would make a heck of a Dracula.

Explanations ruin movies like Dr. Phibes, unless they are nonsensical. (He regained his voice with his knowledge of acoustics!)

P.S. I only now realized that "Béla Tarr Versus Dr. Phibes" can be sung to the tune of They Might Be Giants' "XTC Vs. Adam Ant."

It's the structure. An example would be Arrival; you can "spoil" the film without giving away a single detail of what happens just be relaying a single fact about how the narrative is structured. Same situation here.

Popular big-budget blockbusters are pretty much the only thing that gets nominated in these categories, which is the subject of the article above. Shit, Michael Bay's Transformers movies have 7 Oscar nominations between them.

Are you saying the category that automatically nominates every single goddamn Marvel movie (sometimes pitting them against each other) is going to change things up this year?