The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that Jon Stewart will return as this year's Oscar host.He is a good fit this year considering that a couple of the politically-charged films making the festival rounds lately (Redacted, In the Valley of Elah, Rendition) are shaping up to be strong contenders in this year's race.
Stewart was funny (for the most part) the last time he took the gig in 2005, although I could have done without the by-then redundant Brokeback Mountain parody, which never should have been included (none of the other Best Picture nominees were made fun of in such a way, so why single out the "gay cowboy" movie? Come on Academy, you should have known better).
In other award news:
- Gil Cates will return as producer of the Oscar telecast for the record-setting 14th time (his last time at the helm was also 2005).
- The Academy's music branch has banned the "for your consideration" soundtrack CDs studios sent out for Original Song and Original Score contenders.
- More banning: the Directors Guild of America won't allow DVD screeners to be sent to their members.
- And speaking of DVD screeners, Fox Searchlight gets a jump on the competition by sending out the very fist batch of the year for the movies Waitress, Once and The Namesake.
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