The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences should be ashamed of itself

OK so where am I going with this?  We all know the Oscars will be here soon.  Am I blogging to complain about someone or some film that should be up for an award?  No.  Let me ask you this and I have been racking my brain to think of another example (if you can think of one please add a comment); what is the only big part of a film that still goes unrecognized by the Academy?  They give awards for the actors, directors, writers, composers, editors, costume and set people, people doing the filming, makeup, types of movies (doc, short, etc.), along with technical achievement awards for things like special effects and improvements in the industry.  Do you see what is missing?  No, not people providing the meals on the sets.  It is in fact the people that do the stunts in films!
On the drive into work today there was an interview on one of the news stations on the radio about a guy that has been lobbying the Academy for over 15 years to bring on an award for “Best stunt coordinator”.  In my mind this really makes sense.  These are really the only people in a film that will risk their lives to give you something dramatic or entertaining.  If you think back there have been people doing stunts since the beginning of film.  Even in the last 50 years they have added categories and over the last 50 years how many Westerns, 70’s car chase, James Bond, etc. movies have their been with amazing stunts?  I think it is time for the Academy to step up and recognize this vital part of many movies.
The stuntmen (and women) have a lot of support from major players.  Directors Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Jerry Bruckheimer have all signed a petition.  The list of actors that have signed include Robert DeNiro, Dustin Hoffman, Michael Douglas, and California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger just to name a few.  We also can sing the petition.  You can go to the Stunts Unlimited site and on their homepage click on a click that gives you more information about the petition but in turn just sends mail to academy@StuntsUnlimited.com.  Sign on and join the fight to recognize all of the great work that stunt people do.
While I am complaining about the Academy.  Why is it called Foreign films?  That just seems like the wrong name for the category.  I think the British have it correct with their Bafta Awards category of “Film not in the English language”.  

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