I’m at the Indian premiere and we just got the word of the Oscar nominations. You have no idea what an explosive combination that is. It’s going crazy out here. The red carpet was everybody singing and dancing their way down it. The Indians are so proud to have made a film that’s recognized in America this way. At the time, I thought the film was going straight to DVD. From that to this is kind of unimaginable, really. It was a film with subtitles and no stars and a cast that no one has heard of. You come to Mumbai and you learn the people here have this extraordinary generosity of spirit. We tried to get that in the film. For once in my life, I think we achieved what we set out to do.”
–Simon Beaufoy, adapted screenplay, “Slumdog Millionaire”

Four of the five films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Universal’s “Frost/Nixon,” Focus Features’ “Milk,” Fox Searchlight’s “Slumdog Millionaire” and the Weinstein Co.’s “The Reader” have designed their theatriacl release strategy around the Oscar nominations, announced today, Jan 22.

In the 81-year-history of the Academy, only two films have received 14 nominations: Joseph Mankiewicz's All About Eve in 1950 and James Cameron's Titanic in 1997.  Sweeping most awards, b0th films won the Best Picture Oscar. Up to The Curious Case of Benajmin Button, seven films received 13 nomination each, but not all of them won Best Picture.

See List of Nominated Pictures ny Number of Nominations

As in every year, the Oscar omissions are almost as interesting and glaring as the Oscar contenders.  This year, the following films and performers were ignored or snubbed by the Academy voters: “The Dark Knight” and its director Christopher Nolan, Clint Eastwood as Best Actor in “Gran Torino,” Leonardo DiCaprio in “Revolutionary Road,” Bruce Springsteen for his song in Darren Aronofsky's drama “The Wrestler,” to mention a few.