The Academy Awards Discussion Thread

[Ezee E]

Surprised we haven't had a "way too early" prediction thread.

Here goes nothing:

10/10/11:
Best Picture
The Artist
Descendents
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Help
Moneyball
War Horse

... and for the hell of it, I'll predict Match Cut too:

Match Cut
Drive
Melancholia
Shame
Tree of Life
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall Past Lives

[Dukefrukem]

I haven't seen any truely great 2011 movies this year. The highest rated by me being Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall Past Lives

I'd like to see everything you've listed here E, with the exception of Moneyball.

[Ezee E]

I haven't seen any truely great 2011 movies this year. The highest rated by me being Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall Past Lives

I'd like to see everything you've listed here E, with the exception of Moneyball.
Have you seen Drive duke?

[Dukefrukem]

Have you seen Drive duke?

No, I go through spurts of movie watching and video game playing. Look at my sig, it hasn't changed in weeks. (since Dues Ex HR was released)

Since then I've beat, Dues Ex, God of War III, Fallout 3, and started the God of War Collection and Demon's Souls.

My first theater viewing since Transformers will be tomorrow when I get to watch the Thing. So excited.

[Ezee E]

Pretty sure Drive is....... right up your alley.

[Rowland]

I'd be perfectly alright with Moneyball being nominated for Best Picture. Pitt needs to be nominated at the very least, though I'd also argue that, besides the obvious Adapted Screenplay nomination, the film shouldn't be overlooked for its Editing and Cinematography.

[Watashi]

I haven't seen any truely great 2011 movies this year. The highest rated by me being Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall Past Lives

I'd like to see everything you've listed here E, with the exception of Moneyball.
Pretty sure you would like Moneyball, since it becomes a love-letter to the Boston Red Sox at the end of the film.

[Dukefrukem]

Pretty sure you would like Moneyball, since it becomes a love-letter to the Boston Red Sox at the end of the film.

Added to queue!

[Morris Schæffer]

No, I go through spurts of movie watching and video game playing. Look at my sig, it hasn't changed in weeks. (since Dues Ex HR was released)

Since then I've beat, Dues Ex, God of War III, Fallout 3, and started the God of War Collection and Demon's Souls.

My first theater viewing since Transformers will be tomorrow when I get to watch the Thing. So excited.

Early word on thing is of the not so good variety.

[Dukefrukem]

Early word on thing is of the not so good variety.

Shhhhh

[MadMan]

Early word on thing is of the not so good variety.I'm not surprised.

I really haven't seen much that would be considered BP worthy by either Match-Cut or the Academy, save for Moneyball and Drive.

[Spinal]

Eddie is out as host. (http://news.yahoo.com/eddie-murphy-follows-ratner-quits-oscar-gig-191945183.html)

[Ezee E]

Your ideal Oscar host?

[dreamdead]

Tina Fey. She's been the best part of the telecast the past few years...

[Watashi]

It will probably be Ben Stiller.

[Watashi]

Best Picture:

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
War Horse
The Descendants
The Artist
Moneyball

(The Iron Lady, The Artist, The Help)

Best Director:

David Fincher, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Steven Spielberg, War Horse
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Tomas Alfredson, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Michel Hazanaviciu, The Artist

Best Actor:

George Clooney, The Descendants
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
Michael Fassbender, Shame
Jean DuJardin, The Artist

Best Actress:

Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Viola Davis, The Help
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Supporting Actor:

Albert Brooks, Drive
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Viggo Mortenson, A Dangerous Method
Max Von Sydow, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Supporting Actress:

Who cares?

[DavidSeven]

Seems like a dumb move on Eddie's part. Doesn't this just forever link him with Ratner's douchery? Don't see the upside for him unless he really felt the show would completely bomb without Ratner's visionary leadership.

[DavidSeven]

I guess people say this every year, but it really seems like it's been a shitty year for Hollywood in the prestige department. Has anything besides Tree of Life received the same kind of buzz as The Social Network, Inception, Toy Story 3, The King's Speech, Black Swan, True Grit, The Fighter, etc.?

[Ezee E]

I guess people say this every year, but it really seems like it's been a shitty year for Hollywood in the prestige department. Has anything besides Tree of Life received the same kind of buzz as The Social Network, Inception, Toy Story 3, The King's Speech, Black Swan, True Grit, The Fighter, etc.?
The Help, The Artist, and The Descendents?

[DavidSeven]

The Help, The Artist, and The Descendents?

The Help had buzz? Only a 75% on RT.

To me, it seemed like there were at least a handful of "water cooler" movies last year. Those films you listed don't seem to fit the bill (though perhaps upon their release for the latter two).

[Ezee E]

Drive?

[DavidSeven]

Drive?

True.

[Watashi]

I guess people say this every year, but it really seems like it's been a shitty year for Hollywood in the prestige department. Has anything besides Tree of Life received the same kind of buzz as The Social Network, Inception, Toy Story 3, The King's Speech, Black Swan, True Grit, The Fighter, etc.?
Moneyball.

It's been very popular with the older crowds.

Most of those movies you mentioned came out in December. There's still time.

[number8]

There's an Internet campaign going urging them to get The Muppets to host.

[DavidSeven]

Moneyball.

It's been very popular with the older crowds.

Most of those movies you mentioned came out in December. There's still time.

Toy Story 3, Inception, The Social Network, and The Town were all out well before this time last year.

My feeling is that Moneyball is a broadly likable movie, but that it is not considered a landmark film by its fans in the same way that Inception and The Social Network were when they were released.

[Ivan Drago]

At the post house I intern at, there's an editor from LA who's working on the Oscars this coming year, but he's here in Nashville to edit the CMA Awards and Country Christmas show too. A couple days ago we were talking about how Brett Ratner was such a hack and douche, then later that night I found out he had quit the Oscars after his gay slur.

The next morning, I broke the news to the editor, and he responded with "That's the best news I'll hear for the rest of the day!"

[Boner M]

I think Midnight in Paris will be a major player. At least moreso than ToL.

[Boner M]

Tim & Eric should host.

[Watashi]

Toy Story 3, Inception, The Social Network, and The Town were all out well before this time last year.

My feeling is that Moneyball is a broadly likable movie, but that it is not considered a landmark film by its fans in the same way that Inception and The Social Network were when they were released.
You didn't mention The Town.

Tree of Life will get a cinematography nod and that's it.

[Mysterious Dude]

Your ideal Oscar host?
Norm MacDonald!

[Raiders]

There's an Internet campaign going urging them to get The Muppets to host.

Without a doubt the best idea ever.

[Boner M]

Without a doubt the best idea ever.

...with each Best Pic nominee getting a muppet re-enactment during the show, plz. :pritch:

[Ivan Drago]

Norm MacDonald!

THIS X A BILLION

[baby doll]

I think Midnight in Paris will be a major player. At least moreso than ToL.Screenplay usually goes to the movie with the most words (see last year's winners), so it's a cinch that any moderately successful Allen picture (financially speaking, of course) will get a nomination.

[baby doll]

By the way, Maryl Streep as Thatcher = instant Oscar

[Morris Schæffer]

Drive needs to win best picture and best director. There's no two ways about it.

[Pop Trash]

I think Midnight in Paris will be a major player. At least moreso than ToL.

This. I doubt ToL will be nominated. Everyone my parents' age loved Midnight. Many younger people too. IRL aint MC.

[Winston*]

It's Billy Crystal now. Doubt I'll watch.

[number8]

It's like wanting to go to Trader Joe to buy ingredients to cook and finding out that it's already closed, so instead of trying to see if Whole Foods is still open, you just go home and pick up that Chinese food you always eat from around the corner.

[Mysterious Dude]

I predict Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is going to do well. Stephen Daldry has been nominated for every movie he's made so far.

[Mara]

There was a Facebook campaign to have The Muppets host. That would have been really fun.

[Mysterious Dude]

I don't know that I can support the Muppets idea. Sometimes they'll have a computer animated character present the award for best animated film, and it's always really lame. The Muppets idea sounds like it would just be four hours of that. I don't think I could sit through it.

[MadMan]

Billy Crystal is a good choice, sure, but even I would have liked to see someone new. The Muppets would be great if they could throw in Statler and Waldorf to do their usual shtick and even insult the audience.

[Mara]

I dunno. Kermit has years of experience hosting a variety show. They'd need to modify the stage for the puppeteers, but I think it could work!

Also, the production numbers would be stellar.

[Mara]

Plus, they have this whole history of film satire.

[EyesWideOpen]

I think having The Muppets do it would take a lot more prep then the amount of time left till this year's Oscars. Maybe next year.

[Raiders]

I don't know that I can support the Muppets idea. Sometimes they'll have a computer animated character present the award for best animated film, and it's always really lame. The Muppets idea sounds like it would just be four hours of that. I don't think I could sit through it.

But the Muppets have already hosted a weekly variety show. They are much more built for this type of "gig" as opposed to the awkward shoe-horning in of one skit where the characters aren't actually there.

[Fezzik]

I think having The Muppets do it would take a lot more prep then the amount of time left till this year's Oscars. Maybe next year.

This was my thought. Having the Muppets host the Oscars would be inspired. Hell, they almost single handedly rescued an almost otherwise unimpressive episode of Monday Night Raw on Halloween night, but yeah, give them a full year to plan and prep.

It could be glorious.

I'd love to see a 'medley' of Oscar nominated songs performed by Beaker.

:lol:

[Ivan Drago]

Finally saw the trailer for The Artist. It looks fucking beautiful.

And my one for sure prediction is that Michael Fassbender will be nominated for either his performance in A Dangerous Method or Shame. Maybe both, who knows?

[Ezee E]

Finally saw the trailer for The Artist. It looks fucking beautiful.

And my one for sure prediction is that Michael Fassbender will be nominated for either his performance in A Dangerous Method or Shame. Maybe both, who knows?
I predict neither!

[Dukefrukem]

It's Billy Crystal now. Doubt I'll watch.

I saw this headline on the Onion, and thought it was a joke.

[NickGlass]

And my one for sure prediction is that Michael Fassbender will be nominated for either his performance in A Dangerous Method or Shame. Maybe both, who knows?

I know who knows he won't be nominated for both--anyone who knows the rule that no actor or actress can be nominated in a single category more than once (and both roles are the lead). He certainly has a shot with Shame--we'll have a better idea once it opens in early December; however, he has no chance with A Dangerous Method.

[Ivan Drago]

I thought Viggo Mortenson was the lead in A Dangerous Method?

[NickGlass]

I thought Viggo Mortenson was the lead in A Dangerous Method?

No, apparently his role is quite brief. And, from reports, A Dangerous Method is not either the Academy's cup-of-tea, or unanimously praised enough (which can help overcome the taste problem) to snag many--if any--nominations.

[Ezee E]

Don't think the movie did particularly well on the festival circuit, which certainly seems like Oscardeath to me.

[Rowland]

It was received really well within some critical circles, including much of the staff for Film Comment and Slant.

[MadMan]

Finally saw the trailer for The Artist. It looks fucking beautiful.Yeah I finally got around to watching it. Now I know why its getting all this major awards buzz.

[NickGlass]

It was received really well within some critical circles, including much of the staff for Film Comment and Slant.

It got mixed-to-positive reviews overall, but, yes, writers from Film Comment and Slant liked it; judging by that response, it means the film will likely be very good and fairly challenging and, therefore, will not be nominated for Oscars.

[Ezee E]

It got mixed-to-positive reviews overall, but, yes, writers from Film Comment and Slant liked it; judging by that response, it means the film will likely be very good and fairly challenging and, therefore, will not be nominated for Oscars.
I hear Keira is obnoxious.

[Boner M]

Knightley's performance is pretty much the worst thing ever.

[Dukefrukem]

sXGI9suAyBI

[MadMan]

That was hilarious. "You could have just texted."

[Dukefrukem]

I'm a sucker for those skits too. I remember the 1997 awards being hilarious.

[Ezee E]

That's pretty much what I want the most out of the Oscars. Billy Crystal reacting to Lisbeth Salander's strangeness, crying next a horse, and getting into a staring match with the robot from Hugo.

[EyesWideOpen]

That's exactly the kind of stuff I don't like about the Oscars. I don't need all that forced unfunny nonsense just give me the awards.

[Mysterious Dude]

He mentioned texting! See, Billy Crystal may be old, but he's totally hip with the kids!

[Boner M]

Yeah Chris Rock's gig is looking better with each passing year.

[Ezee E]

That's exactly the kind of stuff I don't like about the Oscars. I don't need all that forced unfunny nonsense just give me the awards.
Billy Crystal makes it funny usually.

Outside of the few funny parts, the speeches are usually the only thing worth watching.

EDIT: On top of that, we usually know the results of all the main categories anyway.

[MadMan]

Billy Crystal is one of the best hosts in Oscar history. I know that we all wish Bob Hope could be the Oscar host forever, but unless he puts his head in a jar or becomes a cyborg that's just not possible.

[Ezee E]

Billy Crystal is one of the best hosts in Oscar history. I know that we all wish Bob Hope could be the Oscar host forever, but unless he puts his head in a jar or becomes a cyborg that's just not possible.
Head in jar still means no host.

[EyesWideOpen]

Billy Crystal is one of the best hosts in Oscar history. I know that we all wish Bob Hope could be the Oscar host forever, but unless he puts his head in a jar or becomes a cyborg that's just not possible.

I don't want either of those people. I'd prefer someone relevant thank you.

[MadMan]

Head in jar still means no host.It was a Futurama reference, actually.


I don't want either of those people. I'd prefer someone relevant thank you.That has resulted in some truly awful Oscar hosts. I just want someone who does a good job, and gets some laughs.

[Adam]

Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams should host the Oscars together every year and that way, after I've sat through the whole miserable thing following two months of telling myself that I'm not gonna watch a second of the Oscars because they're so lame, I will have received the punishment I deserved

[number8]

What bizarre choices of casting. I like Fichtner, but they needed some nondescript hot lady to stand around and say nothing and they went with the career-dwindled Megan Fox? And Vinnie Jones, what? I found that commercial more sad than funny.

[Ezee E]

What bizarre choices of casting. I like Fichtner, but they needed some nondescript hot lady to stand around and say nothing and they went with the career-dwindled Megan Fox? And Vinnie Jones, what? I found that commercial more sad than funny.
Wonder if all those losers are with the same talent agency.

[EyesWideOpen]

I wouldn't necessarily call Vinnie Jones a loser.

[dreamdead]

Nominees for the 84th Academy Awards

Actor in a Leading Role

* Demián Bichir in "A Better Life"
* George Clooney in "The Descendants"
* Jean Dujardin in "The Artist"
* Gary Oldman in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
* Brad Pitt in "Moneyball"

Actor in a Supporting Role

* Kenneth Branagh in "My Week with Marilyn"
* Jonah Hill in "Moneyball"
* Nick Nolte in "Warrior"
* Christopher Plummer in "Beginners"
* Max von Sydow in "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"

Actress in a Leading Role

* Glenn Close in "Albert Nobbs"
* Viola Davis in "The Help"
* Rooney Mara in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
* Meryl Streep in "The Iron Lady"
* Michelle Williams in "My Week with Marilyn"

Actress in a Supporting Role

* Bérénice Bejo in "The Artist"
* Jessica Chastain in "The Help"
* Melissa McCarthy in "Bridesmaids"
* Janet McTeer in "Albert Nobbs"
* Octavia Spencer in "The Help"

Animated Feature Film

* "A Cat in Paris" Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli
* "Chico & Rita" Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal
* "Kung Fu Panda 2" Jennifer Yuh Nelson
* "Puss in Boots" Chris Miller
* "Rango" Gore Verbinski

Art Direction

* "The Artist"
Production Design: Laurence Bennett; Set Decoration: Robert Gould
* "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
* "Hugo"
Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
* "Midnight in Paris"
Production Design: Anne Seibel; Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil
* "War Horse"
Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales

Cinematography

* "The Artist" Guillaume Schiffman
* "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Jeff Cronenweth
* "Hugo" Robert Richardson
* "The Tree of Life" Emmanuel Lubezki
* "War Horse" Janusz Kaminski

Costume Design

* "Anonymous" Lisy Christl
* "The Artist" Mark Bridges
* "Hugo" Sandy Powell
* "Jane Eyre" Michael O'Connor
* "W.E." Arianne Phillips

Directing

* "The Artist" Michel Hazanavicius
* "The Descendants" Alexander Payne
* "Hugo" Martin Scorsese
* "Midnight in Paris" Woody Allen
* "The Tree of Life" Terrence Malick

Documentary (Feature)

* "Hell and Back Again"
Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner
* "If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front"
Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman
* "Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory"
Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
* "Pina"
Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel
* "Undefeated"
TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas

Documentary (Short Subject)

* "The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement"
Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin
* "God Is the Bigger Elvis"
Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson
* "Incident in New Baghdad"
James Spione
* "Saving Face"
Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
* "The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom"
Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen

Film Editing

* "The Artist" Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
* "The Descendants" Kevin Tent
* "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
* "Hugo" Thelma Schoonmaker
* "Moneyball" Christopher Tellefsen

Foreign Language Film

* "Bullhead" Belgium
* "Footnote" Israel
* "In Darkness" Poland
* "Monsieur Lazhar" Canada
* "A Separation" Iran

Makeup

* "Albert Nobbs"
Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
* "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
* "The Iron Lady"
Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

Music (Original Score)

* "The Adventures of Tintin" John Williams
* "The Artist" Ludovic Bource
* "Hugo" Howard Shore
* "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Alberto Iglesias
* "War Horse" John Williams

Music (Original Song)

* "Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets" Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
* "Real in Rio" from "Rio" Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown Lyric by Siedah Garrett

Best Picture

* "The Artist" Thomas Langmann, Producer
* "The Descendants" Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers
* "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" Scott Rudin, Producer
* "The Help" Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers
* "Hugo" Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers
* "Midnight in Paris" Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers
* "Moneyball" Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers
* "The Tree of Life" Nominees to be determined
* "War Horse" Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers

Short Film (Animated)

* "Dimanche/Sunday" Patrick Doyon
* "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg
* "La Luna" Enrico Casarosa
* "A Morning Stroll" Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe
* "Wild Life" Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

Short Film (Live Action)

* "Pentecost" Peter McDonald and Eimear O'Kane
* "Raju" Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren
* "The Shore" Terry George and Oorlagh George
* "Time Freak" Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey
* "Tuba Atlantic" Hallvar Witzø

Sound Editing

* "Drive" Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis
* "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Ren Klyce
* "Hugo" Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
* "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
* "War Horse" Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom

Sound Mixing

* "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson
* "Hugo"
Tom Fleischman and John Midgley
* "Moneyball"
Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick
* "Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin
* "War Horse"
Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson

Visual Effects

* "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson
* "Hugo"
Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning
* "Real Steel"
Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg
* "Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett
* "Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

* "The Descendants" Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
* "Hugo" Screenplay by John Logan
* "The Ides of March" Screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
* "Moneyball" Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin Story by Stan Chervin
* "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Screenplay by Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan

Writing (Original Screenplay)

* "The Artist" Written by Michel Hazanavicius
* "Bridesmaids" Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
* "Margin Call" Written by J.C. Chandor
* "Midnight in Paris" Written by Woody Allen
* "A Separation" Written by Asghar Farhadi

[Henry Gale]

Here they are. (http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/84/nominees.html)

Oddly inconsistent, but with more than a number of surprises (both good and bad), which is more than I can say for most years. The way the nominations graphic shifted to announce Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close for Best Picture almost seemed like even they knew it was ridiculous. I have mixed feelings about Tintin being snubbed in favour of two foreign animated films I am barely familiar with.

But, y'know, Tree of Life managed to pull off Picture and Director, so not all is lost. Watched it again last night and went to sleep in awe from it for the second time, thinking "I'm going to be so bummed when the Academy overlooks it tomorrow", but there you go.

[Dukefrukem]

Uggghhh. Terrible.

[baby doll]

In the best picture and director categories, I've only seen The Tree of Life (which I liked a lot) and Midnight in Paris (not so much). I haven't seen any of the films nominated for best actor or actress (I don't remember even hearing about A Better Life), and for best supporting actor and actress, I've just seen Beginners and Bridesmaids (neither of which I was particularly smitten with). I've also seen The Adventures of Tintin (best music) and Pina (best documentary); needless to say, I like the latter a lot more than the former. I guess the point here is that Hollywood is clearly winning the war on piracy.

[Henry Gale]

I also just realized that five of the nine BP nominations actually made my personal Top 10(ish) of the year. I think that's the best amount of crossover I've ever had with the Academy.

But at the same time, Drive's only nomination was for Sound Editing...

[baby doll]

The movies I'd like to see from the nominees are (in order of anticipation): A Separation (already downloaded from KG), Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (natch), If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front (one of John Waters' ten favorite films of the year), Footnote (J. Hoberman raved about it if memory serves), Monsieur Lazhar (to see my tax dollars at work), Hugo (after reading part of Kristin Thompson's blog post on it), L'Artiste (just to see what all the fuss is about), War Horse (because Steven Spielberg directed it), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (I picked up a DVD a while back, so I should get around to it eventually), A Cat in Paris and Chico and Rita (even though I know precisely nothing about them), The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (it's not like I'm ever going to read the book or watch the Swedish original), and maybe The Descendants (Alexander Payne used to make good movies).

Wait a minute... Was the Sarah Palin documentary Undefeated really nominated for an Oscar or am I hallucinating?!

[dreamdead]

Considering that I expected The Tree of Life to only score a cinematography nomination, I'll take the best picture and best director nominations. How cool would it be for Malick to score the win there, making it so that only Altman and Lucus never one an Oscar from the 70s guild of directors (with Coppola and Spielberg)...

I'm pleased that Max von Sydow finally got recognized. I'm hopeful that his portrayal redeems a sketchy caricature.

Apparently, Viola Davis is the only Best Actress nominee who also has her film up for Best Film. That makes her the presumptive favorite historically, which would please me, since I'm tired of actors and actresses winning for biopics, if nothing else.

[Rowland]

I've seen five of these Best Picture nominees, and of those I can only really get behind Moneyball and (especially) The Tree of Life. Otherwise, I'm looking forward to catching up with The Artist and War Horse, while these nominations don't make me want to see The Help or Extremely Loud (really?) anymore than I already wanted to, which wasn't at all.

The lead actor nomination for A Better Life is one of the biggest surprises, and it's a film I'm willing to give a chance, if for no other reason than a mildly positive Ed Gonzalez review that said this of it: "derivative of Polanski in its direction and of Bicycle Thieves in its plot (even Alexandre Desplat's gussy score suggests Angelo Badalamenti playing Mariachi Night)." If you're going to be derivative, those are some pretty solid sources of inspiration.

As usual, there are plenty of snubs, I only inexplicably recognize one of the foreign language nominations (yay for A Separation!), and after a year of seeing many wonderful documentaries, none of them are nominated.

[Rowland]

movies I'd like to see from the nominees: A Cat in Paris and Chico and Rita (even though I know precisely nothing about them)Ditto.


Wait a minute... Was the Sarah Palin documentary Undefeated really nominated for an Oscar or am I hallucinating?!Nope, it's an inspirational sports documentary nobody has heard of nor seen that is tellingly being released by the Weinsteins in a few weeks.

[baby doll]

How cool would it be for Malick to score the win there, making it so that only Altman and Lucus never one an Oscar from the 70s guild of directors (with Coppola and Spielberg)...Unless I'm forgetting something, I don't believe Hal Ashby, Peter Bogdanovich, Albert Brooks, Brian De Palma, Abel Ferrara, David Lynch, Elaine May, or Paul Schrader ever won an Academy Award for best director. Errol Morris won for best documentary but not director.

[[ETM]]

But at the same time, Drive's only nomination was for Sound Editing...

Transformers got three.

[Dukefrukem]

Transformers was a technological marvel. It deserves those noms.

[Irish]

Finding the multiple Moneyball nods to be mystifying. Jonah Hill? Writing? Wtf?

Also, is this the first year in Pixard/animated award history they weren't nominated? Talk about an extra kick to Lasseter's nuts.

Edit: And War Horse?! Best pic? Jesus, talk about a thin year.

Edit: Also not sure why they have an elastic number of noms for picture but not director.

[baby doll]

Also, is this the first year in Pixard/animated award history they weren't nominated? Talk about an extra kick to Lasseter's nuts.I bet he's wearing a red Hawaiian shirt today to express his fury.

[elixir]

Yeah, I'm not gonna bitch...I love that they nominated A Separation for Original Screenplay.

[Derek]

Edit: And War Horse?! Best pic? Jesus, talk about a thin year.

This is their "appeal to middle America" pick of the year, like The Blind Side from last year. With 10 options, there will always be at least a few terrible ones getting noms, so using that as a gauge for how strong/weak a year is is ludicrous.

Could their Best Actress noms be any more Oscar-y aside from Mara?

[[ETM]]

Could their Best Actress noms be any more Oscar-y aside from Mara?

Mara's is at least as Oscar-y as Streep's.

[Rowland]

;397766']Mara's is at least as Oscar-y as Streep's.Nah, Streep's performance, and indeed the entire film, seemingly exist for no purpose besides award consideration. I don't believe this was the case for Dragon Tattoo, and Mara was never considered more than an alternative possibility for the nomination, whereas Streep has virtually been a lock since the day her role in the film was announced.

[number8]

Two nominees is fucking stupid.

[[ETM]]

Nah, Streep's performance, and indeed the entire film, seemingly exist for no purpose besides award consideration. I don't believe this was the case for Dragon Tattoo, and Mara was never considered more than an alternative possibility for the nomination, whereas Streep has virtually been a lock since the day her role in the film was announced.

I was thinking in terms of standard reasons for the nomination: physically demanding, transformation, weight loss, violence, nudity... I didn't think much of her performance at all, she was the least good thing about the otherwise excellent film.

[number8]

Seriously, the two songs thing is pissing me off. What the fuck's the problem with throwing in Life's a Happy Song in there?

[baby doll]

Seriously, the two songs thing is pissing me off. What the fuck's the problem with throwing in Life's a Happy Song in there?Look at it this way: That's three less boring musical performances the Oscar audience will have to sit through.

[Rowland]

Look at it this way: That's three less boring musical performances the Oscar audience will have to sit through.Perhaps that's how the Oscars looked at it as well.

[Ivan Drago]

Does the Academy not recognize motion-captured CGI to consider it animation? Because Tintin being omitted from Best Animated Feature sticks out for me. Along with Drive getting snubbed of course.

But The Tree of Life got more nominations than I expected it too. Which is awesome.

[Lazlo]

Does the Academy not recognize motion-captured CGI to consider it animation? Because Tintin being omitted from Best Animated Feature sticks out for me.

I believe it was on the short list so it was eligible. But perhaps the voting body is biased against it as a medium and sees it as threatening in some way.

[EyesWideOpen]

Does the Academy not recognize motion-captured CGI to consider it animation? Because Tintin being omitted from Best Animated Feature sticks out for me. Along with Drive getting snubbed of course.

But The Tree of Life got more nominations than I expected it too. Which is awesome.

Nothing made me happier than Tintin not getting a nomination.

[number8]

Look at it this way: That's three less boring musical performances the Oscar audience will have to sit through.

Yet they still have 9 nominees for Best Picture. I'd rather see three Muppets songs in a row.

[Watashi]

Blah Blah Blah.

[Watashi]

Rooting for Hugo to take down The Artist.

[[ETM]]

Nothing made me happier than Tintin not getting a nomination.

The terrorists have already won.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Pleasantly surprised by the nominations for The Tree of Life.

[Watashi]

Nothing made me happier than Tintin not getting a nomination.
I'm sure the Academy was thinking of you when they snubbed it.

[Skitch]

No nom for Drive for best pic? Fuck you, Oscars.

[Watashi]

I honestly didn't expect the Academy to nominate their Lord and Savior, Brad Bird (after all, they are a bunch of Jews), but not one technical award to MI:GP? The shit is that?

[Pop Trash]

Some of you guys sound like a bunch of pathetic losers.

[number8]

Some of you guys sound like a bunch of pathetic losers.

This is a community for pathetic losers. No one told you? I'm sorry.

[Rowland]

Some of you guys sound like a bunch of pathetic losers.Anybody with what appears to be a high school yearbook photo of Charlize Theron as their avatar is the real loser. [/throwing down the gauntlet]

[Robby P]

Finding the multiple Moneyball nods to be mystifying. Jonah Hill? Writing? Wtf?

I didn't care for the movie but it was clearly Oscar bait and it achieved pretty good commercial success in addition to the critical praise it received. I expected it to get the most nominations of any movie.

[DavidSeven]

I don't get the Jonah Hill nom at all.

[Watashi]

Hill was serviceable in the film. Better actors probably deserved it over him, but there's been far more worse performances that have been nominated (and won!) over him.

[baby doll]

Apart from Albert Brooks, I can't say I'm all that surprised about Drive not getting many nominations. Aren't most Academy members forgotten former contract players from the 1950s? I can't imagine that Debbie Reynolds and Betty White were thrilled by the face-stomping scene in Drive.

[baby doll]

I don't get the Jonah Hill nom at all.Old people love Moneyball. It's a fact. And Jonah Hill is like their fat grandson who never calls or visits.

[baby doll]

Rooting for Hugo to take down The Artist.I don't see it. Old people love cute dogs.

[Irish]

Apart from Albert Brooks, I can't say I'm all that surprised about Drive not getting many nominations. Aren't most Academy members forgotten former contract players from the 1950s? I can't imagine that Debbie Reynolds and Betty White were thrilled by the face-stomping scene in Drive.
Occam's razor says that Drive just wasn't a very good movie.

[baby doll]

Occam's razor says that Drive just wasn't a very good movie.Yeah, that too, but I didn't want to coast on my subjective biases--or rather, I attempt to disguise them beneath a veneer of objectivity.

[Irish]

I didn't care for the movie but it was clearly Oscar bait and it achieved pretty good commercial success in addition to the critical praise it received. I expected it to get the most nominations of any movie.

Hm, fair points. (Although not sure I'd call it Oscar bait, as it lacks the required cripple/retard/Streep quotient and the stakes, as presented, are pretty low)

The noms throw me because the movie is completely unmbitious. Hill and Pitt were good and all, but I didn't see anything in those performances that warranted a nomination.

[Watashi]

Hm, fair points. (Although not sure I'd call it Oscar bait, as it lacks the required cripple/retard/Streep quotient and the stakes, as presented, are pretty low)

The noms throw me because the movie is completely unmbitious. Hill and Pitt were good and all, but I didn't see anything in those performances that warranted a nomination.
How about you list films that you enjoy and think are "worthy". You spend so much time crapping on films, yet rarely praise movies. What's your Top list from 2011?

[Pop Trash]

Anybody with what appears to be a high school yearbook photo of Charlize Theron as their avatar is the real loser. [/throwing down the gauntlet]

I like her glasses.

[Rowland]

Occam's razor says that Drive just wasn't a very good movie.Does Occam's razor also suggest that the films with the most prestigious and/or numerous nominations must be very good?

[Dukefrukem]

How about you list films that you enjoy and think are "worthy". You spend so much time crapping on films, yet rarely praise movies. What's your Top list from 2011?

That's a list for bizzaro Match Cut.

[Dukefrukem]

We know the Academy loves John Williams. I really didn't want to see this movie but now I feel obligated.

[Irish]

How about you list films that you enjoy and think are "worthy". You spend so much time crapping on films, yet rarely praise movies. What's your Top list from 2011?

That's a list for bizzaro Match Cut.

Truth is truth. Owe you both rep. Double points for Watashi.

I don't think I could do a top ten for this year. One, I don't feel I've seen enough and two, most of what I have seen has been horrid. (Even glancing at the box office list, I'm amazed how much of that top thirty is pure crap at worst and mildly entertaining diversions at best.)

Gun to my head:

1 - Bill Cunningham: New York
.
.
.
8 - Win Win (except for the last 10 minutes)
9 - the first 20 minutes of Hanna
10 - the first ~40 minutes of Drive

After that, memory fails & I'd have to dig through some lists to remember what was released (which is in itself a bad sign).

My overwhelming feeling is that the last two years have been horrible for major motion pictures, and the list of noms released today doesn't contradict that.

[Watashi]

Why are you looking at the Box Office of all places to determine if a year is good or not?

[Morris Schæffer]

But at the same time, Drive's only nomination was for Sound Editing...

I do not understand how this missed out on best picture with ten possible contenders. Sure, I've not seen all the nominees so I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, but Drive's ommission hurts.

Then again, Belgium has made the shortlist!!! Thank you Academy!!!

[Irish]

Does Occam's razor also suggest that the films with the most prestigious and/or numerous nominations must be very good?

Yes -- except in years where studios release upwards of a dozen comic book movies, and most everything else is a remake, retread, or sequel.

The thing about Drive is that it's a small movie made by a foreign director, didn't make a lot of money and isn't about a Big Important Issue, like racism, class warfare, American soldiers abroad, or a cripple overcoming the odds. Those are the primary reasons why I think it didn't get nominated.

The secondary reason is that it's not a very good movie, but that's not quite as tenable a position to take when work like War Horse and Extremely Loud get noms.

[Irish]

Why are you looking at the Box Office of all places to determine if a year is good or not?

Quickest way to remember the major releases for the year, as it cuts out seriously obscure stuff and direct to video stuff.

[Watashi]

Yes -- except in years where studios release upwards of a dozen comic book movies, and most everything else is a remake, retread, or sequel.

The thing about Drive is that it's a small movie made by a foreign director, didn't make a lot of money and isn't about a Big Important Issue, like racism, class warfare, American soldiers abroad, or a cripple overcoming the odds. Those are the primary reasons why I think it didn't get nominated.

The secondary reason is that it's not a very good movie, but that's not quite as tenable a position to take when work like War Horse and Extremely Loud get noms.
Drive has a 93% on the tomatometer and a 79 on Metacritic.

This isn't a Lars Von Trier film or Speed Racer that received polarizing reviews. Drive got plenty of love in Critic Awards from their respective circles.

The only thing it doesn't have going for was that it was not received well by the general public, but that didn't stop them from giving Tree of Life a nomination.

[Dead & Messed Up]

My guess is that the average Academy voter isn't going to make an effort for what looks like a pulp racing movie.

It's unfair, but come on, Oscars. Lest we forget, they bent over backwards to accommodate the movie about how important it is to remember that black people are people too.

[TGM]

I'm a little annoyed by Drive getting snubbed, though it's not exactly surprising. I am glad to see Kung Fu Panda get nominated, though.

[number8]

Drive has a 93% on the tomatometer and a 79 on Metacritic.

This isn't a Lars Von Trier film or Speed Racer that received polarizing reviews. Drive got plenty of love in Critic Awards from their respective circles.

The only thing it doesn't have going for was that it was not received well by the general public, but that didn't stop them from giving Tree of Life a nomination.

Neither critics nor audiences pick the Oscar contenders, yo.

[Irish]

The only thing it doesn't have going for was that it was not received well by the general public, but that didn't stop them from giving Tree of Life a nomination.

Wide release (2800 screens for Drive) & not catching on is a death knell, especially with violent genre movies. This kind of movie is always a hard sell with major awards.

Not sure you can argue that critical reception & the Academy have anything but the most tenuous connections.

The Oscars are a 3 hour advertisement for the industry, and the films there will almost always present the most four-quadrant, family friendly, mass market face that they can.

Drive doesn't fit into that scheme at all.

Also, it's not a very good movie. :P

[Watashi]

Neither critics nor audiences pick the Oscar contenders, yo.
That was in response to Irish's "it's not a very good movie" excuse.

[Watashi]

Wide release (2800 screens for Drive) & not catching on is a death knell, especially with violent genre movies. This kind of movie is always a hard sell with major awards.

Not sure you can argue that critical reception & the Academy have anything but the most tenuous connections.

The Oscars are a 3 hour advertisement for the industry, and the films there will almost always present the most four-quadrant, family friendly, mass market face that they can.

Drive doesn't fit into that scheme at all.

Also, it's not a very good movie. :P
Then how did The Hurt Locker (a movie that made 17 million world wide and was released in less than 1000 theaters) beat Cameron's Avatar?

[Irish]

That was in response to Irish's "it's not a very good movie" excuse.

Dangerous stats to invoke. Aside from the Tomatometer being a terrible metric, I'm sure with very little digging we could find a top rated movie that was pure shit. (As an aside, War Horse has a 82% rating with "top" critics.)

Critical reception is subject to the same biases & herd mentality as anything else.

[Watashi]

What makes your opinion stand out over all the critics on the tomatometer?

Also I liked War Horse so nyah.

[Winston*]

Why don't animated films get nominated for visual effects? Aren't the Tintin characters and the Apes created using more or less the same techniques?

[Irish]

Then how did The Hurt Locker (a movie that made 17 million world wide and was released in less than 1000 theaters) beat Cameron's Avatar?

Because it was about a Big Important Issue and was released into a weak field, when it was politically easier to vote for it, and succeeded in grabbing mindshare. (+/-5 years, how much of the right kind of attention does Hurt Locker get?)

Cameron made piles of money, but remember he also pretty much bolted from the industry for ~10 years.

If you look at the Best Picture noms & winners for the last decade, most of it could easily be consumed by a family with tween kids. Emphasis on the kids.

I think the Academy has gotten increasingly conservative, whereas before movies like Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, Usual Suspects and Pulp Fiction got noms & sometimes wins, I'm not sure they would in today's environment.

And Drive, whatever its successes, isn't nearly on that kind of level, either artistically, commercially, or popularly.

Hence, no nom.

[Irish]

What makes your opinion stand out over all the critics on the tomatometer?

Isn't that obvious? I'm smarter & better looking than most people.


Also I liked War Horse so nyah.

As far as I can tell, you're the only one.

[Watashi]

If you look at the Best Picture noms & winners for the last decade, most of it could easily be consumed by a family with tween kids. Emphasis on the kids.

No Country for Old Men?

Even movies like Million Dollar Baby, The Departed, and The King's Speech aren't movies that scream "bring your kids!".

[Watashi]

As far as I can tell, you're the only one.

82% of critics did too.

[Winston*]

If I know anything about tweens its that they love melodramas about race and mathematicians with Alzheimers.

[Boner M]

Old people love Moneyball. It's a fact. And Jonah Hill is like their fat grandson who never calls or visits.
:lol:

[Irish]

No Country for Old Men?

Even movies like Million Dollar Baby, The Departed, and The King's Speech aren't movies that scream "bring your kids!".

No Country is the one real outlier. But then there's ~50 other films, including stuff Toy Story 3 and Slumdog Millionaire which are easy sells.

I'm not arguing that these movies were marketed to kids, but rather that a family of four could rent a DVD of a best picture nom & know they're not going to see anything objectionable or risqué, like full frontal male nudity (Shame) or violent crime (Drive) & more gore than a half dozen episodes of CSI.

[Skitch]

It is clear to me that Irish is part of the Illuminati that runs the Oscars and its all a scam to make us nerds lose our minds.

[Irish]

82% of critics did too.

My argument is that 82% of critics might have an agenda where you, in espousing that opionion on a tiny message board, do not.

[Irish]

It is clear to me that Irish is part of the Illuminati that runs the Oscars and its all a scam to make us nerds lose our minds.

:lol:

[Pop Trash]

I'm more annoyed that Drive didn't get more tech noms (esp. editing, LAWDY!) than picture or director. I actually agree with Irish here that a) it's not a topical, Academy friendly film and b) it's not quite good enough to overcome point a.

[Lucky]

If I know anything about tweens its that they love melodramas about race and mathematicians with Alzheimers.

You're one of the best wielders of sarcasm I know. Makes my day.

[chrisnu]

Surprised by the Albert Brooks snub.

[Irish]

Surprised by the Albert Brooks snub.
https://twitter.com/#!/AlbertBrooks/status/161823050281656320

:lol:

[Qrazy]

The Academy has shit taste people, please stop caring what they think about anything.

[Boner M]

The Academy has shit taste people, please stop caring what they think about anything.
But it wouldn't be the same, missing a year where I lose all faith in market-driven groupthink.

[MadMan]

I think the Academy has gotten increasingly conservative, whereas before movies like Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, Usual Suspects and Pulp Fiction got noms & sometimes wins, I'm not sure they would in today's environment.None of these movies you mentioned won Best Picture or even Best Director. The Oscars have always been conservative, and will continue to be that way. Sure there are exceptions, of course, but for the most part this holds true.


Occam's razor says that Drive just wasn't a very good movie.Occam's razor can go fuck itself, then.

I'm not surprised at all that Drive didn't get anything, although I was hoping for Albert Brooks to somehow score a Best Supporting Actor nomination. The only nominations I'm annoyed about are Incredibly Loud Oscar Bait and Meryl Streep once again getting her usual token nomination. There wasn't too many surprises aside from maybe Mara and Hill getting nominations, really.

Also I'm rooting hard for Malick and The Tree of Life. Since I don't ever bother to watch all of the nominees, and I don't truly take the awards ceremony seriously, I just root for the actors and movies I like to win.


The Academy has shit taste people, please stop caring what they think about anything.Orson Welles' quote about TV in a certain way explains why I can't stop watching the Oscars every year:

"I hate television. I hate it as much as peanuts. But I can't stop eating peanuts."

[Kiusagi]

I don't have any major complaints, other than the lack of Drive. I'm not a fan of The Help and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close being nominated, but those aren't exactly unexpected from the Academy. Glad to see Jessica Chastain get some love, but I wish it was for any of the other eight hundred films she was in last year.

[Ezee E]

Composers must really hate that musicians are coming into their field. Their award for Trent Reznor last year was probably as far as they'll go. Snubbing him this year for a better score, as well as Chemical Brothers for your typical scores is strange.

Glad for Rooney Mara. Her performance is my favorite of the year.

Yay for Hugo, A Separation, and Tree of Life nominations. Boo on Drive snubs, even for Albert Brooks who was acclaimed across the board.

[Irish]

None of these movies you mentioned won Best Picture or even Best Director. The Oscars have always been conservative, and will continue to be that way. Sure there are exceptions, of course, but for the most part this holds true.

Unsurprisingly, you missed the point. We're talking about nominations. Every one of those films was either (1) nominated for Best Picture or (2) garnered nominations (and later, some wins) for its cast and crew.

Drive, by contrast, only managed to land a nom for its sound editor. Part of that is due to the film's overall quality, but I also think a large part of it is due to Academy's change in tone over the last three decades.

[Dukefrukem]

The Academy has shit taste people, please stop caring what they think about anything.

Ignore something we wait all year for? Blasphemy!

[MadMan]

Unsurprisingly, you missed the point. We're talking about nominations. Every one of those films was either (1) nominated for Best Picture or (2) garnered nominations (and later, some wins) for its cast and crew.Yes, but those nominations don't mean shit if the film, director, or actors/actresses, and anyone else involved that got a nomination didn't win. What your argument amounts to is that I'm supposed to give a shit about the team that loses the Super Bowl. Congrats, you made it to the title round, but lost. The funny thing about the Oscars is that (especially even more so these days) we remember and like far more the movies that didn't get nominated, or were nominated and lost, so I guess that sports analogy is a bit moot, I guess.


Drive, by contrast, only managed to land a nom for its sound editor. Part of that is due to the film's overall quality, but I also think a large part of it is due to Academy's change in tone over the last three decades.Had Drive been made in the past, it still would not have gotten a nomination for anything significant. Its a Grindhouse style, violent and stylistic suspense/action movie. Not too many of those get nominated, last time I checked.

[Sycophant]

I don't get a lot of things about Drive's reception (see Drive thread for details!), but I really don't get what was exceptional about Brooks's performance. I thought it was kind of awkward and unconvincing.

This is in spite of (or maybe because?) Brooks being a personal favorite of mine among filmmakers, performers, and comics.

I haven't seen something like 90% of those films. And I doubt I'll see more than two or three before the Oscars. But I'll probably be watching them Oscars!

Two-nomination song category is maybe the dumbest thing I've ever seen. IN THE WORLD.

[Ezee E]

Match Cut's current trend looks to only have two song noms too...

[Irish]

Yes, but those nominations don't mean shit if

The conversation was about the nominations, and why Drive failed to get many of them.

The. Nominations.


Had Drive been made in the past, it still would not have gotten a nomination for anything significant. Its a Grindhouse style, violent and stylistic suspense/action movie. Not too many of those get nominated, last time I checked.

It's LA noir that has more in common with Manhunter and To Live and Die in LA than any exploitation film. Grindhouse? Please.

[Dukefrukem]

Match Cut's current trend looks to only have two song noms too...

I nominate Nightcall again. :pritch:

[MadMan]

The conversation was about the nominations, and why Drive failed to get many of them.

The. Nominations.My previous point still stands. Who the hell is going to remember that a certain film got nominated or didn't get nominated if it doesn't win? Only hardcore film fans and, in 30 years when they're old enough to appear on TV, TCM.


It's LA noir that has more in common with Manhunter and To Live and Die in LA than any exploitation film. Grindhouse? Please.I'd say both for Drive, actually. And none of those movies got nominated for Best Picture, either, as far as I know.

[Irish]

My previous point still stands. Who the hell is going to remember that a certain film got nominated or didn't get nominated if it doesn't win? Only hardcore film fans and, in 30 years when they're old enough to appear on TV, TCM.

Fair enough, I guess -- but that is a point in an argument I wasn't making and still haven't made. It's completely irrelevant.


I'd say both for Drive, actually. And none of those movies got nominated for Best Picture, either, as far as I know.

Didn't say they were. You're continuing to make arguments outside the context of the original conversation, which is frustrating. I'm no longer sure what your point is, or if you had any to begin with.

[eternity]

The strangest thing about Drive is that it got a nom for sound editing. You'd think that if it got a nomination there, of all places, it would have elsewhere too.

The division of nominations is strange. Rooney Mara gets in but Dragon Tattoo strikes out everywhere else. Ides of March gets Adapted Screenplay while The Help and Extremely Loud don't. You'd think it would be way more "all or nothing" for a lot of these films.

None of this matters, anyway. The Artist is going to win everything.

[Boner M]

I'm predicting Midnight in Paris for an upset. That was, if I'm wrong, at least Midnight in Paris didn't win.

[TGM]

http://www.cinemablend.com/images/news/29019/Patton_Oswalt_Reacts_To_The_Ac ademy_Award_Nominations_132744 2674.jpg

[MadMan]

Didn't say they were. You're continuing to make arguments outside the context of the original conversation, which is frustrating. I'm no longer sure what your point is, or if you had any to begin with.I'm reminded of all of those times when you and Qrazy got into some really fucking stupid, long ass and really boring argument that would usually take up three-four pages at least and go completely nowhere in the end. Funny how being on the receiving end of that kind of works.

TGM, now that's a party :pritch:

[Ezee E]

Guess Patton wants an Oscar nom.

[Lucky]

Guess Patton wants an Oscar nom.

Was he even seriously considered? Did he score any nominations or wins from any of the other groups this year?

Didn't even think he was on the radar, personally, but I haven't been following the races too closely this year.

[NickGlass]

Was he even seriously considered? Did he score any nominations or wins from any of the other groups this year?

Didn't even think he was on the radar, personally, but I haven't been following the races too closely this year.

If there were, like, 10 nominations he might have gotten in. He picked up a few citations along the way--mostly from critics groups--so it wouldn't have been unfeasible. It doesn't seem like the Academy liked the film much, though.

[NickGlass]

I don't get the Jonah Hill nom at all.

Neither do I. Can someone explain this to me? Anyone? I've got nothing.


Hill was serviceable in the film. Better actors probably deserved it over him, but there's been far more worse performances that have been nominated (and won!) over him.

Yes, worse performances have been nominated (and won), perhaps--but of the over-the-top, bait-y variety. That's not the case here. His role is small, and it doesn't call for much, and he plays it straight. It's not a slight against Hill, but the role/performance is just so simple and straightforward. I really, really do not get it at all.

I get why Kenneth Branagh was nominated, even if it's a boring, hammy performance that wastes a nomination (next year, when some pundit is pondering who got nominated for Best Supporting Actor this year, I bet they recall Branagh last). Hill, though? Nope. No idea.

[Winston*]

Maybe they assumed he gained all that weight for the role.

[Ezee E]

The thing that's baffling to me is how close the critics match the Oscar picks. It sure doesn't seem like the critics have these opinions beforehand. I mean, are the BFCA just trying to do a "Oscar Predictor" or what?

[number8]

I just realized that the Academy isn't alone on this.

Golden Globes and SAG Awards both nominated him, too. And we all know how often their picks overlap.

[NickGlass]

I just realized that the Academy isn't alone on this.

Golden Globes and SAG Awards both nominated him, too. And we all know how often their picks overlap.

Yeah, I knew that. I predicted him. It wasn't a surprising nomination, just a consistently baffling one.


The thing that's baffling to me is how close the critics match the Oscar picks. It sure doesn't seem like the critics have these opinions beforehand. I mean, are the BFCA just trying to do a "Oscar Predictor" or what?

The BFCA is annually criticized for voting as Oscar pundits more than people with personal opinions.

And there are many people in the BFCA who are not "critics" per se.

[Ezee E]

It's basically Jonah Hill being Jonah Hill in a somewhat more serious movie. It could very well be his Superbad character a few years older. Seth Rogen's character in 50/50 has a lot more depth to it while still being the Rogen we all know.

And what's it take to be in the BFCA if you don't have to be a critic? How silly.

AMPAS should just push the award show to mid-January and screw all those Critics Groups and HFPA/BFCA.

[Watashi]

Hill is a lot better than Rogen right now.

[Spinal]

Jonah Hill is one of our finest --



Nope, can't do it.

[Ivan Drago]

Also, why weren't documentaries like Into The Abyss, Senna, and Tabloid not even on the shortlist for Best Documentary this year?

[Rowland]

It's basically Jonah Hill being Jonah Hill in a somewhat more serious movie. It could very well be his Superbad character a few years older. I disagree. His Superbad character was horny, vulgar, blustery, and portrayed as not particularly smart, whereas his Moneyball character is all about sheepish, droll understatement, and portrayed as being the smartest man in the room, which I do believe comes through in the performances. Not enough so to justify all the nominations, but I think he's fine.

[Ezee E]

Also, why weren't documentaries like Into The Abyss, Senna, and Tabloid not even on the shortlist for Best Documentary this year?
Whatever AMPAS rules exist for Documentaries, they make it awfully tough for a good documentary to get nominated.

[Ivan Drago]

Whatever AMPAS rules exist for Documentaries, they make it awfully tough for a good documentary to get nominated.

That they do. Into The Abyss is wonderful and underseen.

And I approve of him being nominated as much as the next guy, but it's gonna be weird to see & hear 'Academy Award Nominee: Jonah Hill' during trailers for Apatow/gross-out comedies now.

[MadMan]

Hey I had Jonah Hill on my Match-cut ballot for Best Supporting Actor for months :P

Although that is more of a commentary on me not having seen more movies this year, I will give you that. Except I thought he was great in Moneyball, and I can see why he was nominated. Should someone like Albert Brooks more deserving of his spot? Of course, but naturally that's what's been said about any of the nominees that people can't believe got nominated, or felt should not have been nominated.

[Lucky]

I just realized Margin Call is up for best original screenplay. Nice, that's a surprise! Why haven't more of you seen this movie?

[MadMan]

I saw a preview for Margin Call a couple months back, and then I forgot about it. As far as I know it never came to my area, so I haven't seen it yet.

[Lucky]

I saw Margin Call by renting it through a Redbox. That was weeks ago, I don't know if they'd still be in there.

[EyesWideOpen]

It's been out on dvd for a while now.

[Kiusagi]

I've been meaning to watch Margin Call, but I've been focusing on getting caught up on what's in theaters right now. Definitely planning on giving it a rent, though.

[Chac Mool]

I just realized Margin Call is up for best original screenplay. Nice, that's a surprise! Why haven't more of you seen this movie?

Agreed. Terrific little movie with some very, very tasty performances.

[Henry Gale]

Margin Call is the sort of film where I feel like it would've been easier to understand its flaws had been adapted from a play, a book, or some other medium where what makes it stall on screen could be traced back to either its prior limitations or even luxury of being able to give a vast amount of details where the movie doesn't. But instead it's an original screenplay that never really works as well as it should considering the scale of the subject matter and the cast involved. It decides to go through way too many scenes of exposition prompted by the higher-up characters telling those below them to explain the specifics of the central conflict in ways that feel incredibly forced, only meant to quickly build a broad idea of what the audience may need to know to be engaged in the story (but not really).

I'm pretty sure Bettany's character says: "Break it down for me like I'm a child", with Irons saying something similar later on, only substitute "child" with "plain English" or "dog". (This movie has seriously faded from my memory.) Also, the script's main philosophy of how to give dimension to its characters is to jump right into portraying everyone as cartoonishly damaged and insecure, that is except for the two main "good guys" that unraveled the issue at hand. I don't even want to get into Spacey's dying dog.

As a piece of cinema I found it stunningly stale, as something meant to actually learn from or to even observe a subjective take on a major issue, it's even more worthless. Frustrating in so many ways, none of them being the ways the filmmakers intended.

[Lucky]

Huh, I can see your viewpoint on some of your complaints, but on others I feel like we watched two different movies.

The higher we climbed the management hierarchy throughout the film, the less knowledgeable the staff became was entirely intentional. I don't think that played off as forced at all, that's generally how corporate management functions. Those meetings rang true with the divisions of power clashing at the table and were among the best scenes in the film.

I don't see the cartoonishly damaged characters you're referring to. Spacey's character I can see you applying that to, I guess, but none of the others. Tucci and Moore's reasons for being distraught are justified within the parameters of the film.

The biggest disagreement I have with your assessment above is labeling anyone in this movie a "good guy." The strongest aspect of this screenplay is that it takes this massive business debaucle and manages to humanize its characters without taking sides. Look at those characters' actions in the end. They're hardly "good guys." These are all people, first and foremost, and the drama that unfolds helps us understand, not necessarily sympathize, but understand the motives behind their unethical actions.

As a piece of cinema I found it tightly crafted and an interesting character study with a unique backdrop of human survival instinct, power, and ethics. Gifted with one of the best ensembles of the year, the performers never fail to keep the dense screenplay afloat and flesh out distinguishable characters in limited screentime.

[baby doll]

I don't normally make predictions, but I'm fairly certain that A Separation won't win best foreign language film. Look at the last three winners: Departures, The Secret in Their Eyes, In a Better World. Movies that win festival prizes (Waltz With Bashir, The White Ribbon, Dogtooth) never win the Oscar. I'm guessing the Polish film, In Darkness, is going to win since, according to Wikipedia, the story "is based on a true incident in German Nazi-occupied Poland."

[Pop Trash]

A Seperation seems to have the most momentum. Great reviews across the board, it's already in the top 100 of IMDB (so the general public seems to like it), it's actually playing in quite a few theaters, etc. But you are right: the Academy is often on their own planet and will probably vote for some mediocre holocaust drama or something.

[Ezee E]

Agreed. I'm not sure what the deal is, as some of the movies that have won just make no sense in the quality of the movie that should've won. Anyone remember No Man's Land?

[Henry Gale]

The higher we climbed the management hierarchy throughout the film, the less knowledgeable the staff became was entirely intentional. I don't think that played off as forced at all, that's generally how corporate management functions. Those meetings rang true with the divisions of power clashing at the table and were among the best scenes in the film.

What I meant by it feeling forced was the way the film pushed the explanations in the context of having it told to them like they weren't intelligent as a way of the script breaking it down simply for what it seemed to expect its audience's lack of intelligence to be.


The biggest disagreement I have with your assessment above is labeling anyone in this movie a "good guy." The strongest aspect of this screenplay is that it takes this massive business debaucle and manages to humanize its characters without taking sides. Look at those characters' actions in the end. They're hardly "good guys." These are all people, first and foremost, and the drama that unfolds helps us understand, not necessarily sympathize, but understand the motives behind their unethical actions..

What I mean is that I definitely think the movie views Quinto, Tucci and to lesser extent Spacey's characters much more highly than anyone else in terms of displaying the greatest amount of moral integrity and ingenuity. Everyone else just seems to fall in the category of the script humanizing them in the "oh how the mighty have (or will have) fallen" way.

But in the end, the film just didn't work for me. I never felt engrossed in it half as much as I felt scenes like the ending required me to be on an emotional level to truly admire it. And without trying to sound demeaning to television, I feel like if it had been an HBO movie or something then I might've been more surprised by it and kinder to it, but more in the sense of the casting and production values it would've managed. As a theatrical release that's successfully garnered a large amount of critical praise and even Oscar recognition, I'm just a bit puzzled.

[Qrazy]

Agreed. I'm not sure what the deal is, as some of the movies that have won just make no sense in the quality of the movie that should've won. Anyone remember No Man's Land?

Yeah, I remember it being tedious.

[chrisnu]

I saw Margin Call by renting it through a Redbox. That was weeks ago, I don't know if they'd still be in there.
Just checked Redbox, and it's still all over the place where I live. I'll check it out.

[Fezzik]

As someone who's run Oscar Pools for several years, all I can say about this year is that I couldn't give a shit.

I don't have time to run a pool this year, and since I don't have a movie blog anymore, I don't feel obligated to even try.

And this is a good thing, because I am so "meh" over most of the nominations this year that I wonder if I'll ever be able to muster excitement for them again.

[MadMan]

More than likely I will just enter my local newspaper's Oscar contest this year. Honestly I have more fun just chilling and watching the Oscars with a friend or two and discussing them online than trying to pick the winners. Cutting back on awards shows would be nice, as I do feel that they are part of the reason why the Oscars have lost their luster.

[Winston*]

I do feel that they are part of the reason why the Oscars have lost their luster.

Not their luster!

[Derek]

Not their luster!

Worry not, Winston*. They still have their glamour and their sheen!

[MadMan]

Worry not, Winston*. They still have their glamour and their sheen!Charlie Sheen? :P


Not their luster!At least they had luster. Winston* you never had luster. Oh snap!

[Winston*]

Mods, please delete the above post.

[Watashi]

I think you have luster, Winston.

[MadMan]

Mods, please delete the above post.I'll just post it again.

[EyesWideOpen]

Has their ever been a movie as critically derided as "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" that was nominated for Best Picture?

[Ezee E]

Has their ever been a movie as critically derided as "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" that was nominated for Best Picture?
Blind Side?
Awakenings?
Dr. Doolittle?

[Russ]

Has their ever been a movie as critically derided as "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" that was nominated for Best Picture?
Crash, surely.

[EyesWideOpen]

Crash, surely.

Crash has a tomatometer of 76%. Extremely Loud has one of 46.

And The Blind Side was 66.

[Spinal]

When are we going back to 5 nominees for Best Picture? Next year, please. The experiment has failed miserably.

[Morris Schæffer]

When are we going back to 5 nominees for Best Picture? Next year, please. The experiment has failed miserably.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v58/Lightstorm/oscar01.jpg

[baby doll]

When are we going back to 5 nominees for Best Picture? Next year, please. The experiment has failed miserably.I'm intrigued as to why having more than five nominees annoys you. I'm partial to six or eight myself (even numbers! Even numbers!), but that's just me.

[DavidSeven]

A larger pool just dilutes the significance of a nomination. It's pretty clear now that the extra five nominations are almost exclusively being used on middling Hollywood output while dragging down whatever credibility these nominations ever had. The old argument that smaller independent films would get spotlighted is officially a joke. Either you're marketed by the Weinstein machine or a studio machine. That is the only route to a nomination, and that truth has been completely exposed to the general public during this failed experiment.

[DavidSeven]

Assuming the films nominated for Best Director have the most Academy support, your Best Picture nominees look like this in a 5-nominee system:

The Artist
The Descendants
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Tree of Life

Alternate: The Help

Although I personally can't say I absolutely loved any these movies (seen all except The Descendants), I'm really not missing anything that didnt make the cut.

[Boner M]

Oscar the Grouch
Oscar Micheaux
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Mayer weiners
the OSCAR gene

[MadMan]

I remember The Reader not having a particularly good Tomatoemeter. Although it was in the 60s, I think. And that was nominated for Best Picture.

There is one thing I can say in the Oscars defense (yeah I know I'm surprised I'm even defending the Oscars, too) is that they have a halfway decent track record of nominating movies and handing out awards to at least some films and actors/actresses who deserve them. The Grammys giving Best Album to Arcade Fire last year was the first thing they've gotten right, in oh, forever.

[EyesWideOpen]

I remember The Reader not having a particularly good Tomatoemeter. Although it was in the 60s, I think. And that was nominated for Best Picture.



The Reader had a 62% still almost 20 points higher than Extremely Loud.

Every movie people have mentioned at least has a positive consensus. Extremely Loud does not.

[Derek]

The Reader had a 62% still almost 20 points higher than Extremely Loud.

Every movie people have mentioned at least has a positive consensus. Extremely Loud does not.

Please see above discussion of dilution of quality when BP was expanded to 10 pictures.

Plus, the Academy LOVES Daldry. They'd nominate his shit if he could commit it celluloid.

Oh wait, they did nominate The Hours.

[baby doll]

A larger pool just dilutes the significance of a nomination. It's pretty clear now that the extra five nominations are almost exclusively being used on middling Hollywood output while dragging down whatever credibility these nominations ever had. The old argument that smaller independent films would get spotlighted is officially a joke. Either you're marketed by the Weinstein machine or a studio machine. That is the only route to a nomination, and that truth has been completely exposed to the general public during this failed experiment.But really, what is the significance of being nominated for an Oscar? Like you say, for a film to get nominated, its distributor has to spend a lot of money taking out ads in the trades and sending screeners to academy voters. Getting nominated simply means that the distributor ran a successful campaign.

Incidentally, I haven't heard the argument that that smaller independent films would get spotlighted. What I keep hearing is that the academy wants to nominate more blockbusters in order to get the unwashed masses to tune in to the Oscar telecast. Last year they had Inception and Toy Story 3, but I don't know how much it boosted ratings.

[Morris Schæffer]

All this "incredibly loud..." talk is making my rage meter build up at the realization there was no room for Drive.

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/4527/ryu.gif

[MadMan]

Drive wouldn't have won, and besides I'll probably remember it more in years to come than I will any of the actual nominees for Best Picture.

[TGM]

All this "incredibly loud..." talk is making my rage meter build up at the realization there was no room for Drive.

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/4527/ryu.gif

There actually was, they just chose to only nominate 9 movies out of a possible 10 spots.

[Morris Schæffer]

There actually was, they just chose to only nominate 9 movies out of a possible 10 spots.

I forgot that. How evil can they be?

Now I understand Spinal's objection all the more.

[baby doll]

Drive wouldn't have won, and besides I'll probably remember it more in years to come than I will any of the actual nominees for Best Picture.I can't speak for you, but not me. I took another look at the film last night, and while it's definitely a great looking film (and I don't mean that as faint praise), the glib remark I made on my blog about it being a trashy American genre piece thinly veiled as a European art movie seems a lot less glib than when I said it, since what distinguishes the film from the Hugh Jackman action vehicle that the studio originally wanted to make is the deceptively loose storytelling in the opening scenes (the plot doesn't begin in earnest until the husband gets out of prison) and languorous pacing throughout. Ultimately, as with Soderbergh's The Limey (another art house genre film with an LA setting and music by Cliff Martinez that wears its influences on its sleeve), it's a professional piece of filmmaking that leaves virtually no aftertaste. It's the sort of unserious, politically safe entertainment that merely aims to provide a temporary respite from reality rather than bringing me back to it.

[Adam]

In evaluating a film, why does "aftertaste" take more of a precedence over actual, in-the-moment appreciation? I mean, I guess I understand why, but still

[Boner M]

It's the sort of unserious, politically safe entertainment that merely aims to provide a temporary respite from reality rather than bringing me back to it.
A safe critique.

[baby doll]

In evaluating a film, why does "aftertaste" take more of a precedence over actual, in-the-moment appreciation? I mean, I guess I understand why, but stillWell, my experience in the moment wasn't ecstatic.

[MadMan]

I read baby doll's post on Drive, and I can't really say I agree with any of it. But hey that's why its called "Opinion" :P

And it appears from that same post that you do not think highly of The Limey, either, which is a better film than Drive and is quite different, too. That film is about time, revenge, and two men from the past (the 60s) dealing with the fact that their period of history has long been over. Drive was about one man dealing with circumstances that quickly spiral out of his control.

[number8]

:)

MnwiOYhIExU

[NickGlass]

That's adorable. There was a video (which I believe has since been taken down) or the trio from The Artist watching the nominations, and it was equally charming. I wish I could watch videos of every nominee receiving the good news

[eternity]

Has anyone mentioned how they changed the voting to be reliant almost entirely on #1 votes rather than #2 and #3 votes, allowing movies that would have probably not have been nominated under last year's 10 nominee rules get nominated with nine?

Cause, yeah.

[Ezee E]

Members of the Academy:

Under 50 years old - 14%

There's your reason of why no Drive, Inception, etc.

[MadMan]

Members of the Academy:

Under 50 years old - 14%

There's your reason of why no Drive, Inception, etc.14%? Wow. That's higher than I thought it would be.

[Dukefrukem]

Inception should have swept.

[transmogrifier]

Not in a world I want to live in. :)

[Spinal]

Members of the Academy:

Under 50 years old - 14%


And 94% white.

[MadMan]

Inception should have swept.Nah the Best Picture winner should have been The Social Network.

[EyesWideOpen]

Only 2% of the voters are under 40.

[baby doll]

Only 2% of the voters are under 40.How many Match-Cut posters are over forty?

[Rowland]

Ed Gonzalez, having seen all but three of the films nominated, offers his ranking (http://www.slantmagazine.com/house/2012/02/ranking-oscars-2012-nominees/) of the whole bunch. Everything from The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo down is negative.

[Mysterious Dude]

Most of the animated short films were really mediocre this year. I think I'd give the award to Pixar's La Luna, which was cute but inconsequential.

[Ezee E]

I watched Billy Crystal's opening from '97. My, that was awful.

[MadMan]

I watched Billy Crystal's opening from '97. My, that was awful.You mean the one that made fun of Titanic? That was pretty goddamn funny.

Oh and after tonight I realized that once again the movie I think is the best out of the nominees won't win (okay I haven't seen Hugo but I will after the Oscars, and I refuse to watch Extremely Loud Oscar Bait or War Horse): Midnight In Paris. Although I'm really tempted to root for The Tree of Life since I can tell that Malick is way overdue and its a great film. I don't mind The Artist taking it, but an upset here would be nice as long as the Academy doesn't give it to, say, The Help. Which wouldn't surprise me: its a crappier version of Driving Miss Daisey for the 21st century.