MCN’s David Poland to Indiewire‘s Anne Thompson: “I think the idea that Unbroken and Selma didn’t get [Zanuck-nominated by the Producers Guild] because both had female directors is childish pouting. The notion of two films with female directors (Angelina Jolie, Ava DuVernay) getting PGA, DGA, WGA, and Oscar nominations this year became a talking point that was hyped by many. But neither film was a natural lock for this. And I will not be shocked if neither woman gets a DGA nomination next Tuesday. That doesn’t mean that at least one might be deserving. But three, four or five films with Best Picture nominations will not get Best Director nods, likely leaving out the likes of David Fincher or Bennett Miller or Wes Anderson or James Marsh or Clint Eastwood or Christopher Nolan (again).

“The idea that sexism would be the defining character of a DGA nominee group of Inarritu, Linklater, Anderson, Marsh, and Eastwood/Miller/Fincher/ Nolan is pretty silly. I won’t be shocked, btw, to see DuVernay nominated by DGA. But it’s no cakewalk, especially this year. And it would be unfair to the entire group of directors to make this about sex. Or in the case of DGA, race.”

Wells to Poland: Chris Nolan will not be nominated by the DGA because too many people found Interstellar confounding and infuriating, and because of a suspected sizable consensus that he needs to be punished for that awful sound mix lest others follow in his wake. Nip that shit in the bud.