Bloody Sunday

**GREATwarEAGLE** · April 20th, 2003, 04:44 PM

I'm surprised nobody on this forum has posted anything about BLOODY SUNDAY. (unless I missed it) Being that the majority here are European and seem to favor films exploiting guns and violence.

I didn't catch it when it was in theaters here in America, but I am very curious to rent it. And then I found out about it's ineligibilty for Oscar contention. Despite their money grubbing Distributor expectedly protesting the Academy's ruling, I think it's an honorable sacrifice. Unless there's an ulterior motive. Could be.

Award winning drama Bloody Sunday, a recreation of January 1972 events in Londonderry, when British troops shot dead 13 unarmed civilians, was banned from competing for the Oscars.
Academy Award organisers ruled the film ineligible because it was aired on British and Irish TV to mark the 30th anniversary of the event, before it was released in cinemas.

United States distributors Paramount Pictures had appealed to the Academy's president, Frank Pierson, for a waiver, insisting that the film was an exceptional case. The board denied the request. A feature film screened on television within six months of its release is ineligible for an Oscar, under Academy rules.

Paramount said it would be "an incredible injustice" for the film to be barred from the Oscars, pointing out that Laurence Olivier was nominated for best actor in 1957 for his role in Richard III, which had previously been shown on TV.