As you may recall, many members of the “online film community” fell into hyper-shock when, in 2008, The Dark Knight failed to receive an Oscar nomination for best picture. Apparently, this indicated bias against something or other. The subsequent decision to increase best-picture nominations from five to 10 looked to have been driven by that small controversy. Well, it seems as if, come January, Christopher Nolan’s fans may again be disappointed. Last weekend, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science, the body that hands out the Oscars, held a screening of The Dark Knight Rises for members. A story in the Hollywood Reporter relates that the film was greeted with shrugs. “There was nothing remarkable about the acting,” one member said. “I don’t think it can be nominated as best picture.”

Bret Easton Ellis, the salty novelist, went further: “Not that it really matters, but there was zero love for The Dark Knight Rises at the packed academy screening in Los Angeles tonight.”