FotM: Hello, Oscar people, listen to me and I shall tell you things you know not of . . .

The Academy Award nominations are all about the snubs. Let's face it, the revelation (and subsequent analysis/rehash/blogger heaven) of what hasn't been nominated for an Oscar is often times much more interesting than what has received the coveted nod for the most prestigous honor the American film industy can bestow. There's no doubt that Tuesday's announcement will start the conversation afresh.

I know that nothing I write here will influence the nominations one bit, for two reasons.

Reason #1: No member of the Academy reads this blog.
Reason #2: The voting closed a week ago.

That said, Watchmen is one flick that I think deserves to be recognized by the Academy, even though I'm nearly positive it won't. The look of the film is spectacular. Creating Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon's dark, dreary world was no easy feat, and and merits a nomination for Best Art Direction for Francois Audouy, Helen Jarvis, & James Steuart.

The single biggest thing that I hope for, even though it's a hope against hope, is that the Academy will recognize Jackie Earl Haley's portrayal of Rorschach with a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Look, Rorschach is special. If you get the chance to be Rorschach and you're crap, there will be thousands of people calling out for the immediate loss of your salary, if not your imminent demise. Rorschach isn't a hero with easily defined motives and a neat set of "powers." I think he's as close to a fully realized flesh and blood person as a superhero can be.

I seem to remember Alan Moore once saying that his goal with the character was to explore what it would be like if someone like Batman lived in the real world, and that he would probably be a psychopath. In a role that could have easily been butchered, Haley isn't just good. He's great. He captures the essence of the character in a way that feels so wonderfully right. In a story made up of archetypical "heroes" dealing with nothing less than the loss of heroism and morality in a cruel world, Haley brings Rorschach's bleeding heart and anguished mind to cruel, beautiful life.

While we're at it, could we swap out Star Trek's probable Best Picture nomination for a nod for Watchmen? I'm just saying . . .