Oscar season begins (1 Viewer)

[Matthew_Millheiser]

David,

You make some good points and as I have loved the LOTR films so far, I hope I'm wrong. But I doubt it. :frowning:

 

[Chris Atkins]

I am curious to see the inevitable ROTK (LOTR?) backlash some months from now. FOTR and TTT were relatively backlash free... it seems too good to be true.

Well I hope that doesn't happen, but I fear I am destined to contribute to it. I thought the drop-off in quality from FOTR to TTT was pretty steep, and that was confirmed with my second viewing of TTT last week. It hasn't held up well for me, that's for sure.

 

[Lou Sytsma]

Chris - wait for the EE. Your opinion will probably change then.

 

[Joshua_Y]

I could really give two s**ts about the Oscars...its all politics...and the movie that deserves it never wins! How else do you explain A Beautiful Mind winning over FOTR or Shakespeare in Love winning over Saving Private Ryan...ugh! Im still pissed about that...

 

[todd stone]

BILLJ: No offense but Matrix Reloaded is NO competition for ROTK

 

[Chris Atkins]

Chris - wait for the EE. Your opinion will probably change then.

I don't know, Lou...with FOTR, I loved everything that was in the theatrical cut. The EE just made it infinitely better.

With TTT, there are scenes and aspects I do not enjoy. I don't know if the EE will change it all that much.

 

[Nick Sievers]

I could really give two s**ts about the Oscars

Then why post in a thread discussing the Oscars? I swear you must have that exact comment copied down for quick use in any new Oscar thread.

 

[Daniel J.S.]

I hate to be the sourpuss, but so far the LOTR have not been worthy of a best picture Oscar even though I highly enjoyed both of them. IMO, they just don't stack up with some of the other epic films I've seen. If I had to choose between say FOTR and "Seven Samurai" it would be no contest. Of the 2001 nominees I saw (I think it was 2, I can't even remember all the nominees) I enjoyed "Gosford Park" more than FOTR and in 2002 none of the three nominees I saw (TTT, Gangs of New York and Chicago) were worthy of the Oscar. To be honest, a new Altman film has me just as excited if not more so than for ROTK (has anyone heard any buzz about this?). Call me a snob if you must, but when I hear people listing LOTR among the all-time great films, I tend to think these people need to see more movies. Anyway, at least these films prove that Jackson is a talented film-maker, which I've known since "Dead Alive." So please forgive me if I campaign for some of the other films with Oscar buzz. That is if I actually get to see them; Hamilton doesn't have much in the way of art house theatres. :frowning:

 

[Matthew_Millheiser]

If I had to choose between say FOTR and "Seven Samurai" it would be no contest.

What's your take on S.W.A.T vs. Citizen Kane?

 

[Daniel J.S.]

That's not a fair contest. Everyone knows "Pink Flamingos" is the only film that can be matched up with "Citizen Kane."

 

[ThomasC]

That Opie dropped out of the Alamo to direct the Missing sort of implies that the Missing is better.

Howard dropped out of the Alamo because he didn't get the budget he wanted, plus he wanted to film R rated material, but Disney said no. Those two factors could have no impact on the presentation.

 

[Brian W.]

I could really give two s**ts about the Oscars...its all politics...

They're a little political... but the example you gave, of "Shakespeare in Love" winning over "Saving Private Ryan," proves that they're NOT always political. Very few people thought "Shakespeare in Love" would win Best Picutre -- comedies rarely do. It was NOT a typical Oscar picture at all.

It's surprises like that, and "The Pianist" winning Best Director and Actor last year (not one major critic or Oscar pundit predicted Polanski's win -- not a single one!) that prove that most voters really DO vote their own minds.

 

[Brian W.]

Since I mentioned Polanski's win as one of the biggest Oscar upsets in history (and it really is), can anyone think of any other big Oscar upsets of the past?

All I can think of is Chariots of Fire, which was a major upset. The race was considered to be between Reds and On Golden Pond.

Shakespeare in Love, obviously.

Russell Crowe winning for Gladiator was quite a shocker -- most people thought that would be Denzel's year.

I seem to recall Silence of the Lambs as a surprise.

I've been told The Sting was a surprise winner, and The Godfather also, over Cabaret.

Seems like I've also read An American in Paris is one of the biggest upsets ever, maybe the biggest.

 

[Chris Atkins]

What about STAR WARS and ANNIE HALL?

Was that an upset, considering all the technical awards that STAR WARS took home?

Does anyone else find it odd that movies like GLADIATOR and TITANIC can win best picture, but the original STAR WARS and FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING were denied?

 

[Brian W.]

But Star Wars wasn't really expected to win. It wasn't expected to win much of anything but technical nods, as I recall. But you're right, it was considered to be between Star Wars and Annie Hall.

I was 12 at the time, but I did follow the Oscars that year, and I seem to remember the situation feeling exactly like what it was with FOTR -- the most nominations, and people thoght it COULD win Best Picture, but everyone knew in their hearts it wasn't going to, that it was too far out for the Academy.

I was thinking of a real shocker upset, a film or performance that was considered an "also-ran," but when that envelope was opened everyone's jaws dropped.

 

[Daniel J.S.]

"Rocky" was one of the biggest surprise wins ever. Look at what it was up against: "Taxi Driver," "Network," and "All the President's Men." However, everyone loves an underdog, so "Rocky" came through, much I would imagine to the shock of many pundits.

EDIT
I'd also consider "Annie Hall" an atypical win since it's a comedy. That hasn't stopped the zealots from heaping scorn on it simply for daring to beat "Star Wars" (I'd say many LOTR fans disdain "A Beatiful Mind" for similar reasons). Unfortunately, I've never gotten around to seeing it; I'll have to put it on my list.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

I haven't seen it yet, but I think "A Beautiful Mind" shouldn't have won because it's a misrepresentation of the truth and, based on what many people have told me, it wasn't really that well put together in some ways (one of my friends, who knew nothing about the movie, had it figured out within 20 minutes and was bored with the rest).

At the theater I work at, we're still running Finding Nemo, and I walked into it yesterday and thought that it should get a nomination for film score. Anyone else agree?

 

[Nick Sievers]

one of my friends, who knew nothing about the movie, had it figured out within 20 minutes and was bored with the rest

It wasn't meant to be seen as a 'twist' that you had to figure out. It was meant as a bio-pic film. Even if it did put false information in there.

I wasn't a big fan of that film but I don't think it should be crippled from winning awards because it bends the truth.

 

[Bill J]

I agree. It is perfectly acceptable to take artistic license with a film (within reason, of course).

 

[Andy Sheets]

I'd also consider "Annie Hall" an atypical win since it's a comedy. That hasn't stopped the zealots from heaping scorn on it simply for daring to beat "Star Wars" (I'd say many LOTR fans disdain "A Beatiful Mind" for similar reasons).

Eh. Even though I'm not a Woody Allen fan, I think a good case could be made for Annie Hall winning so I'm not that bothered by it beating Star Wars. But there's no doubt in my mind that FOTR is a better and more important film than A Beautiful Mind and should have won that year. And while I don't remember the other nominees, I do remember feeling that the other BP nominees were also superior to it. If it was up to me, I'd have given ABM some wins in the acting categories since I think it's really an actor's movie and it does have very good performances, but I would have given Best Picture to pretty much anything else.