I realize this is a couple weeks after the fact but I felt the need to give Martin Scorcese his credit. This was his 6th time being nominated for the Best Director Academy Award (his 8th overall). I think it was fairly safe to say that everyone knew Marty was going to win, especially when the presenters of this award were Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, and Steven Speilberg. That was an impressive stage to be on with those four guys.

Winning the Oscar isn’t everything and he sure didn’t need it to validate his legacy as one of the finest American Filmakers, but the man deserved it. Take a look at this, out of the five times he lost out on the Best Director Award, three out of the five were men who are known more as actors.

Robert Redford won for Ordinary People, Kevin Costner won for Dances With Wolves and Clint Eastwood won for Million Dollar Baby (In fairness, you could argue that Clint is far better as a director than he ever was an actor). Of those three, I think MDB was a better picture than The Aviator, but you can’t tell me the other two deserved to win the Best Director and Best Picture Awards. Raging Bull and Goodfellas are absolute gems. When you look at most critic’s picks for movies of the decade for the 80’s and 90’s, chances are you’ll see both films either at the # 1 spot or damn close to it. How could he have not won for either of those movies. Kevin Costner? are you serious Academy? Kevin fucking Costner has a best director oscar but Alfred Hitchcock doesn’t, Stanley Kubrick doesn’t, Sergio Leone doesn’t, ugh. Makes me sick.

Anyway, congrats Marty on your well deserved Oscar.