Fool’s gold.

It's Oscar nomination time once again, friends.

Good news: the Academy will be airing all 23 categories at this year’s Oscars!

Bad news: ...just read on.

- The Banshees of Inisherin received nominations for all four lead actors and Original Score...but also Director, Picture and, most depressingly, Original Screenplay. This was - in no way, shape or form - a story that required a motion picture to tell, much less a two-hour motion picture. All I can do is pray for a clean sweep from Everything Everywhere All at Once. Let’s be honest: that was an original screenplay.

- The Menu was shut out completely, most likely because Searchlight threw their entire lot in with Fingerbang Over the Rainbow. You’d truly think that Original Screenplay and Supporting Actor (Ralph Fiennes) would've been a lock.

- Though not a perfect film, The Woman King was a decent success with a fair amount of awards buzz. Maybe acting nods were too much to ask, despite typically strong work from Viola Davis, but maybe some technical nods, like Costume Design and Original Score.

- “So, shall we nominate Hoyte von Hoytema for Cinematography, Michael Abels for Original Score and Keke Palmer for Supporting Actress?” “Nope!”

- No Art Direction nod for Glass Onion?! Those sets were amazing. Avatar: the Way of Water’s sets were created in a computer and they were nominated. Double standard, much?

- Three of the five nominees for Makeup and Hairstyling succeeded in making their actors look fatter than they normally do. And here I thought that fat suits were outlawed. That’s one on me.

- I’ve only seen two of the ten Best Picture nominees and maybe, that’s enough.

- The nominees for Original Score are...some Kentucky Fried Horseshit made with 11 herbs and spices of this sucks dicks. Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Banshees of Inisherin, The Fabelmans, All Quiet on the Western Front (me, neither) and the most-likely winner, Babylon. Not one slot for Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio. It is easily the best score of the year and far superior to not only this year's quote-unquote category, but even the last few scores that actually won the prize.

- Okay. I think I’m all raged out. Let’s move on to Best Animated Feature. While Wendell & Wild and The Bad Guys were ignored, at least Turning Red and Puss in Boots: the Last Wish made it in. However, the prize will likely go to Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio. On a narrative basis, it'd be a travesty, but on a craft level, it'd be a deserving win.

- Had no interest in Elvis, but hooray for the first of many nominations for cinematographer Mandy Walker (Mulan, Jane Got a Gun).

- Speaking of firsts, this may set a record for most first acting nominations: Austin Butler, Hong Chau, Kerry Condon, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ana de Armas, Colin Farrell, Brendan Fraser, Brendan Gleeson, Brian Tyree Henry, Stephanie Hsu, Barry Keoghan, Paul Mescal, Bill Nighy, Ke Huy Quan, Andrea Riseborough and Michelle Yeoh.

- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever landed nods for Original Song (eh), Costume Design (nice), Visual Effects (cool), Makeup and Hairstyling (neat) and Supporting Actress (awesome). It was the 'Have I not suffered enough?!' speech that did it.

- Really hoping that Tom Hanks or Eddie Murphy (or both!) are asked to host. It’s about damn time.

March 12th. Be there or be square.