• Listen to this segment

• Listen to the entire program

While Oscar night is generally an evening for Hollywood celebs to flaunt their wealth, fame, and fashion, it is also considered the highest mark of excellence for those in the film industry. This Sunday well known artists and lesser known hopefuls will gather in all their finery at the Kodak theater for the 83rd Academy Awards ceremony. The ballooning Best Feature category includes 10 films, ranging from blockbusters like Toy Story 3 to the mind-bending Inception. The Social Network is Oscar’s nod to our revolutionary communications’ cultural moment, while the tiny indie-pic Winter’s Bone provides a stark glimpse into the world of white poverty. The list of actors receiving nominations for being the best in their craft include Annette Bening, Javier Bardem, Colin Firth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, and Melissa Leo. Even more importantly for KPFK listeners, the increasingly important category of Best Documentary confers a mark of importance on issues near and dear to progressives. This year’s nominations include the street-art-glorifying Exit Through the Gift Shop, the Wall-street-scum-exposing Inside Job, and the surprise hit of the year, Gasland, about the dangers of mining natural gas.

GUEST: Jonathan Kim, Uprising contributor, ReThink Reviews

Read Jonathan’s reviews at www.rethinkreviews.net.