"Iron Maiden has never relied on radio play or TV or the conventional forms of media that a lot of music bands rely on, " says Sam Dunn, a documentary filmmaker and Maiden fan who's making a film of the group's "Somewhere Back in Time" tour.
The talents of Alan Rickman, Juliet Stevenson and Kristen Scott-Thomas nevertheless conspire with Mr Minghella's bravura film-making technique to crush the play's humours.
There's more to film-making than winning an Oscar, and we suspect people will be watching and admiring Ms. Bigelow's handiwork long after they've forgotten about the nominated directors.