The Golden Globe for best animated feature is so new that it's only been bestowed three times ("Wall-E," "Ratatouille," "Cars"). Each time there were only three nominees, just like at the Oscars during the last three derbies. But now that it looks like the Oscar category will expand to five slots this year, so will the Globes.

At the Oscars, the size of the category is determined by the number of contenders in the mix. The category expands to five nominees if more than 16 animated features qualify per year. Here's the new rule from the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.:

"Eligible films must be feature length (70 minutes or longer) with no more than 25% live action. If less than eight animated films qualify, the award will not be given, in which case the films would be eligible for Best Picture. If less than twelve animated films qualify, the category will be limited to three nominations per year."

Photo: Walt Disney

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Two films are tied for receiving the most Academy Awards nominations in history (14). One of them is "Titanic." What's the other? To see the answer, click on the "Continue Reading" link underneath the photos below.

Two people penned the screenplays to the most best-picture champs at the Academy Awards: three. One of them was Francis Ford Coppola: "Patton" (1970), "The Godfather" (1972), "The Godfather, Part II" (1974). Who was the other? To see the answer, click here!

Since part of an Oscar pundit's job is to jump off cliffs, bravely and spectacularly, we salute New York Post film critic Lou Lumenick for daring to forecast a best-picture nomination for "2012," the upcoming apocalypse thriller from Roland Emmerich, director of "The Day After Tomorrow," "Godzilla" and "Independence Day." One of the chief reasons the academy expanded its best-picture list to 10 nominees from five was to include big popcorn pix that used to get nommed in the good ole days ("The Towering Inferno," "Jaws") but now are slighted. Unfortunately, alas, it looks like poor Lou will go splat against the Oscar rocks, according to Variety's gloomy review of "2012."

The trade paper predicts the doomsday thriller will strike lots of ticket gold: "This simultaneously spectacular and risible concoction looks likely to trigger a worldwide B.O. tsunami for Sony." But don't expect much academy gold: "On any level other than as sheer visual sensation, '2012' is a joke, for the simple reason that it has no point of view; the film offers no philosophical, metaphysical, intellectual and certainly no religious perspective on the cataclysm, just the physical frenzy of it all."

But, hey, "2012" does possess an "eye-popping display of movie pyrotechnics," says Variety. So it's not really the end of the Oscar world for the flick. Maybe it can still find salvation is some tech categories like sound editing and viz effects, saving Lumenick a bit on Oscar night too.

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Hunger for "Avatar" continues to build, fed by the recent release of a new, long, all-revealing trailer and more photos. Check out this video interview with director James Cameron too. Sure, only two sci-fi flicks have ever been nominated for best picture at the Oscars ("Star Wars," "E.T."), but now there are twice as many nominees in that category than there used to be, it's a thin year in terms of rival competition and — best of all, "Avatar" fanboys — a fantasy film actually won in the past, let's recall. "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" (2003) went undefeated to tie the all-time record (11 chunks of academy gold) also held by "Titanic," which, coincidentally, was directed by "Avatar's" James Cameron. Back in 1997, Cameron proved lots of Oscar prophets wrong when they predicted his budget-busting, disaster-plagued "Titanic" would sink. Now most Gold Derby readers believe his "Avatar" will defy the odds and be nominated for best picture. See poll results below. Notice that 11% of respondents (as of Friday afternoon) believe that "Avatar" will actually win best picture! They're crazy, of course, but I personally agree with the majority that it will be nominated.

Sony Pictures Classics has so many fillies in the lead actress race that the studio's pushing several out of the gate early. Who has the best odds to go the distance? Pictured above, left to right: Abbie Cornish ("Bright Star"), Carey Mulligan ("An Education") and Audrey Tatou ("Coco Before Chanel"). And two posts down is another poll that considers the Oscar fate of Abbie Cornish separately.

Based upon its awards sweep earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival and its buzz today after screening at the Toronto International Film Festival, "Precious: Based Upon the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" emerges as a serious Oscars contender.

Watch out for a lead-actress Oscar nomination for Gabourey 'Gabby' Sidibe and — possibly — one in the supporting slot for Mo'Nique. And maybe a bid for best adapted screenplay. Even best picture? That's not out of the picture considering Oprah Winfrey is executive producer and this movie is a knock-out — literally — as in it knocks the wind right out of you.

The crowd at the press and industry screening this morning was wowed by the film about an obese ghetto teen beaten by her mother and raped by her father (resulting in two children). I overheard lots of whispers of "Oscar! Oscar!" as we exited the theater, but, strangely, more for Sidibe than Mo'Nique. That's a surprise.

At Sundance, "Precious" won three awards: grand jury and audience prizes for best picture plus a special jury award for Mo'Nique's performance as the girl's vile momma. The latter laurel has sparked major Oscars buzz for Mo'Nique. But wait! She portrays a monster so scary that Oscar voters may resist embracing her. However, Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe cries out for a hug and her performance is so shattering and unshakable as a viewing experience that she's a serious contender for best actress — even to win.

Changing the Oscars' voting method in just one category — best picture — is odd. Suddenly, academy leaders believe that using the preferential voting method that's employed now to determine Oscars nominees is the best way to pick a winner in the top race (which will have 10 nominees), but not the others (which will still have five). Thus voters will rank their faves when deciding the best-picture race, but merely check off their number-one choice of a winner in all other categories. Huh? 

When Steve Pond (The Wrap) broke the news of the new voting system yesterday, he quoted academy executive director Bruce Davis saying, "There are certain mathematical dangers with more nominees. You could really get a fragmentation to the point where a picture with 18% or 20% of the vote could win, and the board didn't want that to happen."

OK, but why not use the preferential ballot in all Academy Awards races? No doubt the answer to that is: butt out — the Oscars have used the current voting method to determine winners in the vast majority of categories since the 1930s. Can't mess with tradition. When there were more than five nominees for best picture between 1934 and 1943, the preferential ballot was used to choose winners, so that's what must be done again. Period. Oscar tradition and history are sacred.

But that means future voting will be schizophrenic and illogical. To see what that may mean, let's examine what occurred from 1934 to 1943 when there were more than five nominees — and in 1944 and 1945 when there were just five, but preferential voting still decided champs.

In the 63 Oscar derbies since 1945, the films that won best picture also won best director — using the same voting method — 50 times (80% overlap). During the 12 derbies (1934-1945) when schizophrenic voting was used, the two categories agreed eight times (67%).

One of the most notable disagreements between those races back in the old days led to one of Oscar's greatest tragedies: the snubbing of one of Hollywood's greatest directors, Alfred Hitchcock, who ended up going to his grave Oscarless despite the fact that his film, "Rebecca," won best picture of 1940. Hitchcock ended losing the helmer's honor to John Ford ("The Grapes of Wrath").

Doesn't this snub suggest that the same kind of outrage could occur in the future? Doesn't logic suggest that the year's best picture is also its best directed?

Ministers of America railed against "Elmer Gantry" when it debuted on Sept. 1, 1960. Sinclair Lewis' scorching expose of a firebrand, booze-swilling preacher (Burt Lancaster) with a sinful past had been the bestselling book of 1927, but Hollywood studios resisted turning it into a movie for 33 years, fearful of backlash from religious conservatives.

But the film version of "Elmer Gantry" received hallelujah reviews even though it softened Lewis' satire. The New York Times said the "justifiably controversial novel (was) impressively transformed into an exciting film. The briskly paced drama of a religious opportunist, his colleagues and his times utilizes the tools of the motion picture in expert fashion . . . . Lancaster has one of his fattest roles and one to which he gives outstanding service."

At Oscars time, "Elmer Gantry" received five nominations, including best picture (it lost to "The Apartment"), and won three: best actor (Lancaster), supporting actress (Shirley Jones) and adapted screenplay (Richard Brooks). The latter prize was Brooks' consolation for being shut out of a nomination for best director, an award he was nominated for three times during his career: "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1958), "The Professionals" (1966) and "In Cold Blood" (1968). Brooks received bids for helming "Gantry" from DGA and the Golden Globes. "Gantry" was also nominated for best drama picture at the Globes where Lancaster won best drama actor.

In the best-actor slugfest at the Oscars, Lancaster knocked out Spencer Tracy ("Inherit the Wind"), Trevor Howard ("Sons and Lovers"), Jack Lemmon ("The Apartment") and Laurence Olivier ("The Entertainer"). In the diva smackdown over supporting actress, Jones' role as a shady lady triumphed over Janet Leigh ("Psycho"), Mary Ure ("Sons and Lovers"), Shirley Knight ("The Dark at the Top of the Stairs") and Glynis Johns ("The Sundowners").

"This is great!" says the blue dude with the spooky eyes in the new trailer for "Avatar," the first new big flick from "King of the Oscars" James Cameron ("Titanic"). That's the only dialogue spoken. Otherwise, the "Avatar" trailer is all special effects and dizzy action — good or bad.

Some fan boys cheer, others gripe. Naysayers claim "Avatar" looks more like a video game than a serious film. Others claim it's too derivative. Actually, now that they bring the matter up, it does seem like the blue dude stole his ears from Mr. Spock and those jaundiced peepers from the guy in "District 9."

However, "Avatar" retains many staunch defenders since it triggered mega-buzz at Comic-Con — like our poster who insists, "The trailer looks fantastic and amazing. Your eye sockets will receive a drubbing you won't soon forget."

What do you think?

Photos: 20th Century Fox