Could Marlon Brando return to the Oscars posthumously? The documentary Listen to Me Marlon made the finals for the Best Documentary Oscar even though documentaries about Hollywood stars and movies aren't typically so favorited. Note that Ingrid Bergman's documentary --also famously "in her own words" -- and the enjoyable Tab Hunter: Confidential and the Sundance sensation The Wolfpack about living through the movies weren't as lucky and did not make the finals.
The 15 Finalists
- Amy (PGA nominee, IDA nominee, NBR winner)
- Best of Enemies (NBR top 5, Spirit nominee)
- Cartel Land (Gotham nominee)
- Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
- He Named Me Malala
- Heart of a Dog (Gotham nominee, Spirit nominee)
- The Hunting Ground (PGA nominee)
- Listen to Me Marlon (IDA nominee, NBR top 5, Gotham nominee)
- The Look of Silence (PGA nominee, IDA nominee, NBR top 5, Gotham winner, Spirit nominee)
- Meru (PGA nominee, Spirit nominee)
- 3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets
- We Come as Friends
- What Happened, Miss Simone? (IDA nominee)
- Where to Invade Next
- Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom
Snubbed Again
Frederick Wiseman can't catch a break with the Academy though he's a legend and his latest In Jackson Heights met with the typical rapturous response among critics.
New Prediction Chart
I didn't have to adjust it too much. Why? Well I'm...
Psychic!
Of the 15 I Predicted for the Finalist, 9 of them made it so I did pretty well (of the films I predicted for nominations 4 of them are still standing). Bye Sherpa! Glenn is even better than me at Documentary predictions. Check out this prediction he tweeted back in October and all the films are still in the running:
As of right now I'd be predicting... 1. What Happened, Miss Simone? 2. Cartel Land 3. Winter on Fire 4. Look of Silence 5. Best of Enemies
— Glenn Dunks (@glenndunks) October 11, 2015
Noteable High Profile Omissions
Though these films made a name for themselves at the box office or with honors from various organizations none of them made it to the finals: The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution, Dark Horse, Deli Man, Dior and I, Iris, Janis: Little Girl Blue, Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, Meet the Patels, Only the Dead See the End of War, Stray Dog, Sunshine Superman, The Russian Woodpecker, and The Wolfpack