THE ACADEMY AWARDS sure has lower standards than People Paper movie critic Gary Thompson.

Academy President Sid Ganis said at a news conference yesterday that the academy's board of governors has decided to expand the slate of best-picture nominees from five to 10.

Ten?! It's tough enough to think of five. But in a tough economy the move allows more films to proclaim "Nominated for Best Picture" whether deserving or not.

The change takes effect with next year's Oscars on March 7.

The Associated Press noted that the move is a return to Oscar traditions of the 1930s and '40s, when 10 nominees were common. What it didn't note was that in the '30s and '40s, Hollywood churned out 500 movies a year.

Ganis said the board looked at last year's slate of films and decided there was room for more in the top category. "We nominated five, but there were many other great films last year," he said.

There were?

"The Dark Knight" was good, but best picture? Come on.

Ganis made the point that in 1939 the 10 best-picture nominees were "Gone With the Wind," which won; "The Wizard of Oz," "Stagecoach," "Wuthering Heights," "Love Affair," "Goodbye, Mr. Chips," "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," "Of Mice and Men," "Dark Victory" and "Ninotchka."

It doesn't really help Ganis' point that he chose perhaps the greatest year in movie history, but try to find 10 movies from last year to put up against that group and it's going to be twice as embarrassing as trying to find five.

A free cell-out

Billboard.com reports that the 2009 Virgin Mobile Festival, to be held Aug. 30 at the Merriweather Post Pavilion, in Columbia, Md., will have a price in line with hard times.

Organizers say 35,000 FREE tickets will be given away to the newly branded Virgin Mobile FreeFest, to be headlined by Weezer and Blink-182.

Other performers scheduled include Franz Ferdinand, Public Enemy, Jet, the National, Girl Talk, the Bravery, the Hold Steady, St. Vincent, Wale, Taking Back Sunday, Holy --, Pete Tong, Danny Howells and Lee Burridge.

"The idea was to do something that nobody else is doing," said Seth Hurwitz, chairman of independent concert promoter I.M.P. "It really comes from a sincere desire to make people happy."

Tickets to the FreeFest will be available Saturday through ticketmaster.com but Virgin Mobile customers and previous ticket-buyers to Virgin Mobile Festivals will get first crack at them today and tomorrow.

In a move even more shocking than a free concert, Ticketmaster has agreed to waive its "convenience" fees for concertgoers who pick up their tickets at the Merriweather Post Pavilion or the 9:30 Club in Washington.

* This can't be a good sign for the

music business.

When the Jonas Brothers' last album, "A Little Bit Longer," debuted at No. 1 last August, it sold 525,000 copies.

Billboard.com says their new album, "Lines, Vines and Trying Times" debuts at No. 1 this week after selling 247,000 copies.

'Real' sex tape put on hold

Danielle Staub, one of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey," has temporarily stopped an ex from releasing a sex tape.

A judge yesterday ordered an injunction banning the release of any sexually explicit video or pictures of Danielle and her ex-boyfriend, Stephen Zalewski, pending a hearing next month.

Danielle says Stephen is trying to get back at her because she broke up with him last year. She says she was videotaped without her knowledge.

Ex-boyfriend? In the mixed-up world of reality television, it seems, you can be a "real" housewife without actually being a wife.

Tattbits

* Billy Crystal will bring his stage

autobiography, "700 Sundays," to the Merriam Theater from Sept. 30-Oct. 11. Tickets go on sale July 13 at 10 a.m.

* Perez Hilton sued Black Eyed

Peas' manager Polo Molina in L.A. yesterday for battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. He is seeking unspecified damages in excess of $25,000. (TMZ.com reported the alleged punch may be a violation of Molina's parole on a DUI.)

The suit states Perez is seeking to protect his rights to free speech and claims Molina attacked him because he made critical comments about the Black Eyed Peas' new album.

How many celebs do you think would like to sue Perez for emotional distress?

* Winners of Tattle's contest for a

free copy of the book, "Julie & Julia," the inspiration for this summer's film starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams, were Amy Turner, Maria Smith and Patricia M. Dugan, all of Philadelphia; John Szuchan of Pottstown, and Donna Hancin of

Bensalem.

For a chance to win dinner for two at Patou, you have until noon today to enter with the phrase "I want to dine in the south of France without leaving Philadelphia."

To win a copy of the book "Scatter Joy" you have until Friday at noon and must include a sentence about how you scatter joy.

Enter at tattlecontest@ phillynews.com (no hyphens or spaces) and include your name, address and phone number.

* The way Kendra Wilkinson and

Hank Baskett scatter joy is by keeping things casual and fun.

That's why the former "Girl Next Door" and the Eagle wide receiver will have their wedding-rehearsal dinner at a California Dave &

Buster's.

We just want pictures of Hef playing games in the arcade.

* Famed music producer Phil Spec-

tor is hoping to get a few comforts of

home while he spends time behind bars for the murder of Lana Clarkson, and a TV, iPod and computer access top his list.

Goodbye, "Wall of Sound"; hello, "Cell of Sound." *

Daily News wire services contributed to this report.

Send e-mail to gensleh@phillynews.com.