TAKING AIM AT OSCAR’S OVERSIGHTS

You’ll be seeing lots of those TV Oscar specials in the days ahead, previewing the big March 30 event. But since they’re often collections of clips we’ve seen ad nauseam (zzzzzz), we wanted to give you something a little more spicy: some on-air reviewers’ choices for the dumbest nominations and most glaring oversights.

Rex Reed (his one-hour “At the Movies Oscar Special” with Bill Harris airs locally on KTLA Channel 5, midnight Saturday and (again) Sunday at 8 p.m.):

“Dexter Gordon (“ ‘Round Midnight”) was one of the more demented nominations, totally stupid. Anyone who votes for someone who mumbles his way through a movie knows nothing about acting.” . . . “It’s pretty scandalous that Harrison Ford was overlooked for ‘Mosquito Coast.’ It’s the best performance he’s ever given.” . . . “Sigourney Weaver was upstaged by robots. . . .”

“Marlee Matlin is this year’s Harold Russell nomination (amputee Russell won in 1946 for “The Best Years of Our Lives”). I mean, it’s nice that the girl got the job, but the nomination’s wasted--how many roles can you find for a deaf mute actress?” . . . “I would have nominated the other two girls (Jessica Lange, Diane Keaton) in ‘Crimes of the Heart.’ ”

Michael Medved (his PBS “Sneak Previews” Oscar special with Jeffrey Lyons will air on KCET Saturday, 10:30 p.m.):

“The most glaring omission was (director) Randa Haines (“Children of a Lesser God”)” . . . “Piper Laurie (in “Children”) was one of the least deserving nominations--she just wasn’t on the screen. It defies explanation.” . . . “Tess Harper deserved a nomination for ‘Tender Mercies’ (1983), but not ‘Crimes of the Heart.’ She was the worst thing in the movie.” “ ‘The Fly’ was the most ripped-off movie of the year--how could you not nominate Jeff Goldblum?” . . . Steve Martin (“Little Shop of Horrors”) and Jackie Gleason (“Nothing in Common”) were “tremendous oversights” as supporting actors . . . And Medved would replace “The Mission” on the Best Pic list with “Stand by Me” or “Something Wild.”

David Sheehan (plans no KNBC Oscar special: “I think they’re kind of redundant”):

His main complaints are with the Best Pic category, where he’d insert “Hoosiers,” “Stand by Me” and “About Last Night.” In place of what? “ ‘The Mission’ is really a misguided choice but a token gesture by the voters to recognize big money moviemaking rather than a quality film. ‘Room With a View’ is a gesture toward artsy refinement. ‘Children of a Lesser God’ was a nice movie but not on a par with the other three (alternatives).”

Gary Franklin (his “Countdown to the Academy Awards” will air Saturday, 7-8 p.m. on KCBS):

Thought Jane Fonda’s performance “was not of Academy Award caliber” and Paul Newman’s “was not his best--it’s a sentimental nomination.” But “almost everything I loved was nominated.” He asked the reporter if Danny De Vito, Bette Midler, Matthew Broderick or Farah Fawcett were on any lists--was told they weren’t--and felt they should have been. “Now I’m so embarrassed,” he said of his faulty memory, blaming a recent trip to N.Y.C. (“I’ve got Broadway on my mind.”)

He did remember feeling that director John Hughes should have been up for “Ferris Beuller’s Day Off”: “I think Hughes has not been recognized enough--everything he’s done I’ve liked.”

Chantal Westerman (will do special Oscar segments for ABC’s “Good Morning America”):

We couldn’t pry much from the former Channel 9 reviewer--”I thought everyone who got nominated was wonderful”--although she’s upset that Mike the Dog didn’t collar a nomination. If she could, she’d expand the Best Actress list, adding Anne Bancroft (“splendid in ‘ ‘Night Mother’), Christine Lahti (“wonderful”) for “Just Between Friends” and Julie Andrews for either “That’s Life” or “Duet for One.”

Westerman apologized for not giving us hotter copy: “Bear in mind that you’re talking to the woman who once put ‘Revenge of the Nerds’ on her Best 10 list. I still love it!”