The Academy has a long history of leaving movie fans scratching their heads or screaming in anger.

This year's Academy Awards are just around the corner (well, okay, they're still a week and a half away, so it's more like around the corner, down a little, second door on the left), and while we can't help but get a little excited about Hollywood's big night, we're also being very careful to keep our expectations in check.

We've already lamented the many worthwhile films and performances that were unduly snubbed by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at the nominations phase; when Sunday the 26th rolls around, you can bet the farm that the AMPAS will confound us again by making at least a couple of spectacularly bone-headed choices. There's a long and storied history of the Oscar simply going to the wrong damn person or movie, countless cases where a peek back at the list of nominees and the eventual winner provokes confusion, rage, or at the very least, a bit of head-scratching.

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Image credit: Reuters

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