We have a post about Heath Ledger’s Oscar chances. We have a post about WALL-E’s Oscar chances. And all the while the question remains: What’s the value (or fun) of talking about the Oscars in July?

How little I know. There’s an LA Times forum, from the section known as ”The Envelope,” that’s devoted to the subject. And many happy readers are speculating on the entire lineup of possible Oscar nominees / winners. For instance, one post dated May 30 has Clint Eastwood (Changeling), David Fincher (Benjamin Button) and Sam Mendes (Revolutionary Road) as Best Director “frontrunners.”

Whoa! This kind of talk is all about politics and expectation, and has nothing to do with the quality of the films. An interesting take on the business of movies.