LOS ANGELES:

The movies There Will Be Blood, Atonement, No Country For Old Men, Juno and Michael Clayton — four dark, racy and offbeat movies — were nomin-ated for the best picture in the Oscar list unveiled on January 23 for the 80th Academy Awards.

The acclaimed modern Western crime thriller No Country For Old Men picked up eight nominations, including a best director and best screenplay, while There Will Be Blood earned eight nominations for best director, best screenplay and best actor for Daniel Day Lewis.

Atonement, the British war drama picked up seven nominations, as did the legal thriller Michael Clayton, which snagged nominations for best screenplay, best supporting actress (Tilda Swinton), best supporting actor (Tom Wilkinson) and a best actor nod for George Clooney.

One of the big surprises of the night was the success of Juno, an independent comedy about a pregnant teenager, which in addition to best picture was also nominated for best actress for Canadian newcomer Ellen Page. Writer Diablo Cody, a former stripper-turned journalist, was nominated for best original screenplay. The Academy Awards show is set for February 24. —DPA