Don Sharp, the director who helped revitalize England’s Hammer Studios as the premier producer of gothic horror cinema in the mid-1960s, died on December 25. His passing was announced by the studio, though they did not elaborate with a location or cause. He was 89.

Hammer Studios first burst onto the horror film scene in the mid-1950s, thanks in large part to the acting of Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing and the directorial talents of Terrence Fisher. However, as the 1950s gave way to the 1960s, Fisher seemed to have gotten tired of the genre. Following the poor reviews and dismal box office that greeted his 1962 adaption of The Phantom Of The Opera for the studio, executives turned to Sharp to inject some new blood.

Although he had allegedly never even seen a horror film before, Sharp’s first assignment, Kiss Of The Vampire and its story of a young couple honeymooning in Bavaria and getting involved with a vampire cult, was very well received by the critics. Studio executives were also pleased that Sharp had hired relatively inexpensive television actors to round out his cast.

Born in Tasmania, Australia, Sharp served in the Australian Air Force during World War Two before immigrating to Great Britain to pursue a career as an actor.

Sharp would direct two more films for Hammer – The Devil-Ship Pirates (1964) and Rasputin: The Mad Monk (1966), with starred Christopher Lee as the bearded, wild-eyed, notoriously hard-to-kill Russian. Sharp would work with Lee again on The Face of Fu Manchu (1965) and The Brides of Fu Manchu (1966) with the actor playing novelist Sax Rohmer’s titular arch-villain under makeup.

Other films on his resume include Witchcraft (1964) with Lon Chaney Jr., The Curse Of The Fly (1965) and a 1978 adaption of the John Buchan espionage novel The 39 Steps which was praised for being a true adaption of the source material while still not rising to the level of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 adaption.

Every year up to now, people have complained that their favorite movies never made the cut when Oscar time rolled around. Now, the complaints will be about an undeserving film getting a nod. And probably that their favorite film still didn’t make the cut.

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Sid Ganis announced today that starting with next year’s Oscar ceremony, the list of eligible nominees in the Best Picture category will increase from five to ten.

Ganis had this to say:

“Having 10 Best Picture nominees is going to allow Academy voters to recognize and include some of the fantastic movies that often show up in the other Oscar categories, but have been squeezed out of the race for the top prize. I can’t wait to see what that list of ten looks like when the nominees are announced in February.”

From this statement, one would hope the the typical, high quality Pixar films would escape the Best Animated Film ghetto and get the Best Picture nomination they deserve. Also, that worthy Foreign Films and Documentaries can get some time in the spotlight. Or, even worthy summer blockbusters such as last year’s The Dark Knight will be recognized.

Of course, this does not address the numbers of worthy actors, actresses and directors who are excluded each year, as their categories will presumably still keep their five nominee limit.

But, if we are to believe that this rule change will insure that no worthy film would go unnoticed, we simply must look to the past.

The five film limit was enacted in 1944. Before that, there was no limit to the number of films that could be nominated for Best Picture. The number in the years prior ranged from eight to an amazing twelve nominees.

But this didn’t not mean that there were not still glaring omissions. In 1935, the year with the twelve Best Picture nominees, the Alfred Hitchcock classic The 39 Steps. was snubbed.  Modern Times and My Man Godfrey were not included in 1936′s ten nominees, but less-remembered films such as Anthony Adverse and Three Smart Girls were. And the screwball classic Bringing Up Baby was snubbed in 1938, another year with ten Best Picture Nominees.

So, those of you hoping for Star Trek, The Hangover, or even Up to be announced as a Best Picture on February 2nd, don’t hold your breath. More films will be honored with a nomination, but there’s still a chance that your favorite will be snubbed.