Stephen Hunter: Wipe That Smile Off Your Face

Of all the Oscar scandals, the most persistent is the Academy's refusal to acknowledge comedy as an art form and its near-universal preference for so-called, often dreary, serious films come Oscar night.

Yeah, preachy, too. Of "Ben-Hur", he says,

I happen to love this old cornball carnival of religio-nutso freakiness and sadism, but only because I love holiness as an entertainment convention (that business of never showing Jesus's mug -- priceless) and because it starred the great Charlton Heston (whom I admire immensely) at his craggy movie-star best, with a face like the Grand Tetons in winter and a dignity so imperturbable that not even a .416 Remington Magnum could penetrate it.

Ha-ha. He also mentions Metacritic.com.