“This was supposed to be a kinder, gentler Oscar season. After last spring’s awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced a shortened season, moving up nominations from February to January… and shifting the awards show itself from March to February. The idea was to take a bite out of the uber-aggressive campaigning that studios big and small launch in the never-ending quest for a golden statuette or two. It may have seemed like a swell plan, but competition is as fierce as ever, especially with all the added studio intensity – pandemonium, panic, twisted nerves – about adapting to the new schedule.”