If nominated, he will not campaign... No, seriously, he won't...

Richard Johnson of the New York Post has an interesting item in today's Page Six column. But I hope he'll forgive me if I respectfully suggest that he may have buried the lede. The item nails reporter L.A. Times reporter Paul Liberman for "recycling" quotes from a 2005 piece to create the illusion that he recently interviewed Martin Scorsese regarding the Oscar potential of The Departed. But Johnson save the really intriguing info until the very end: "The director, who's been nominated five times for Best Director and never won, is said to be purposefully not campaigning this year. 'He was embarrassed by all of the hoopla over The Aviator and Gangs of New York,' said Leslee Dart, Scorsese's rep."

'Martin Scorsese's Next Film To Be Three Hours Of Begging For Oscar'

Hilarious stuff from The Onion: A sneak preview of The Entitled, Martin Scorsese's "three-hour, unabashed plea for a Best Director Oscar," coming soon to a theater near you.

"'I've been making pictures for 40 years,' said the intense, fast-talking Scorsese in an excerpt from The Entitled, during which the Rolling Stones' 'Gimme Shelter' can be heard in the background. 'For 40 years, I've been making pictures. And I've always been fascinated with the struggles a man must endure when people don't appreciate him. People say I'm the best. I didn't say it, they did. I just do my work. But for years they've been talking and you know it. You do. I deserve that award, is all I'm saying...

"'You already should have done right by me with Gangs Of New York,' he said. 'I handed you guys that one on a silver platter.'"