Scorsese Nixes Oscar Blitz

STAY GOLD Weinstein, Scorsese Does Martin Scorsese blame Harvey Weinstein for his Oscar curse? The bushy-browed auteur has been nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Director category six times but has never snagged a statuette. Now, sources close to him are saying Scorsese has requested that Warner Bros. not promote him for The Departed, the highest-grossing and, in the view of many critics, most audience-friendly film of his career.

A sudden attack of humility? Not exactly. Rather, according to sources, Scorcese was uncomfortable with the over-the-top stumping Weinstein did on his behalf for Gangs of New York and The Aviator. Notorious within the industry for running no-holds-barred, if wildly successful, Oscar campaigns (as we touched upon last week), Weinstein's efforts left Scorsese feeling "whored out," says one studio source.