The 84th Academy Awards happened last night. If you’re anything like me, you’ve seen a fairly shameful percentage of the nominated films, so here’s a guide to some good reads about the Oscars and the stars of this year’s awards to help you get acquainted.

Raymond Chandler on the Oscars in 1948.

But in the motion picture we possess an art medium whose glories are not all behind us. It has already produced great work, and if, comparatively and proportionately, far too little of that great work has been achieved in Hollywood, I think that is all the more reason why in its annual tribal dance of the stars and the big-shot producers Hollywood should contrive a little quiet awareness of the fact. Of course it won’t. I’m just daydreaming.

On the Academy Awards’ odd, arbitrary rules for inclusion in the foreign films category.

David Niven was interrupted at the 46th Academy Awards by Robert Opel streaking across the stage behind him, but Opel was so much more than a streaker.

A little background on how the Oscar winners are selected. Nobody should feel “robbed” by what is simply a popularity contest.

Neil Gaiman on being invisible at the Oscars in 2010. His film, Coraline, had no chance of winning Best Animated Picture against Up.

The Nominees

The Artist left David Denby dreaming of the lost style of actors like Greta Garbo and Louise Brooks in the heyday of silent movies.

Elbert Ventura disagrees with critics who dismiss The Descendants as undeserving of scrutiny.

Fast Company profiled Scorsese as Hugo was hitting theatres. Even after making 22 movies, and the freedom to make whatever he wants, he still feels the pressure of never having had a major box office hit.

Juliet Lapidos watched every Woody Allen movie prior to Midnight in Paris. Here’s what she learned.

Michael Lewis’s 2003 New York Times article on Billy Beane and the Oakland A’s that Moneyball is based on.

Margin Call definitely isn’t a documentary, but it says a lot about the societal costs of high finance and the embrace of personal corruption.

W Magazine profiled David Fincher on the set of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. He distinguishes between his work as films (Fight Club and Zodiac), conceived for the public and filmmakers, and movies (The Social Network) as overtly commercial.

A profile of Moonbot Studios, winners of the best animated short for The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore.

Have you read anything good about the Oscars? email me or let me know on Twitter.

(Image via ABC)