Oscars 2014

[Dukefrukem]

OK, here comes a ~2 month binge of movie watching to see everything nominated I haven't seen yet.

[baby doll]

OK, here comes a ~2 month binge of movie watching to see everything nominated I haven't seen yet.

Around this time of year, I always wonder if anyone's still going to want to see these movies the morning after Oscar night. I've had copies of Argo, Life of Pi, and Lincoln sitting on my shelf for months, but I still haven't gotten around to watching them. Yet I'm somehow able to find time for a new Hong Sang-soo movie every six months or so, and I don't even like Hong Sang-soo all that much.

The ones I'm most interested in right now are The Wolf of Wall Street (because I think I'll enjoy David Bordwell's blog post more if I see the film before reading it); Inside Llewyn Davis (because I like the Coens); The Act of Killing (I've got the Blu Ray, so I'll probably see that in the next month or so); The Missing Picture (no explanation needed); The Wind Rises (Hayao Miyazaki is probably the greatest living Japanese filmmaker); American Hustle (I haven't seen a David O. Russell movie I didn't like, though maybe that's because I haven't seen The Fighter); Blue Jasmine (because I watch every fucking Woody Allen movie regardless); 20 Feet From Stardom (I like music); Her (for Joaquin Phoenix's mustache); 12 Years a Slave (Hunger was pretty awesome, didn't care for Shame); The Broken Circle Breakdown (The Misfortunates (The Shittiness of Things) was terrific); Nebraska (I still love Election, though Payne's been going steadily downhill ever since); Omar (I don't have that many opportunities to see films from the Middle East so I usually jump whenever one comes along); Prisoners (I miss the Denis Villeneuve who made Maelström; anyway, I've already got the DVD); Dallas Buyers Club (I guess I'm a McConaughey fanboy and the story sounds interesting enough, though my expectations are pretty low after Café Floré); and maybe Captain Phillips (I hope the Somali pirates cut Tom Hanks' fat fucking diabetic head off, and also I vaguely recall Bloody Sunday being good).

[Ezee E]

But in the end, I think it was Moonrise Kingdom that won--not a bad choice by any means, though it clearly had an edge over the competition in that it was a mainstream-ish US release that had been out for a while so that most of the people who wanted to see it had already gotten a chance to check it out before the voting deadline.

Zero Dark Thirty won.

But yeah, when you have 30+ people vote, the movies that get seen the most are more likely going to win. Same deal with the Academy where there's over a thousand (?) people.

[eternity]

Zero Dark Thirty won.

But yeah, when you have 30+ people vote, the movies that get seen the most are more likely going to win. Same deal with the Academy where there's over a thousand (?) people.

I believe the number of Academy members is in the 6000 range.

[MadMan]

I'm so far behind on 2013 viewing that I know I'm not going to catch up. Still I saw Wolf of Wall Street if that counts for anything.

[chrisnu]

Fandango is doing an Awards Ballot Challenge where you can win stuff.

Who I'm selecting currently, subject to revision:

Best Picture: 12 Years a Slave
Best Actor in a Leading Role: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Best Director: Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
Best Original Song: "Let it Go," Frozen
Best Costume Design: The Great Gatsby

[slqrick]

I think Lupita Nyong'o is gonna pull the upset, and I think Leo may finally win it.

American Hustle might win Best Costume for those wigs.

[Ezee E]

The experts know nothing. Only one beat my BAFTA picks, and I finished 31st out of 959 on Gold Derby. Ha!

[number8]

Watched the live action shorts. The French one is fantastic. The Finnish one is funny. The rest are really terrible.

[dreamdead]

I don't as much about the commercial aspects as the artistic aspects, so some of the number-questioning here I'm indifferent towards (The Act of Killing, Upstream Color, and Before Midnight are the best things I saw last year, and they're not going to receive much press or attention at the ceremony, though TAoK will win). Still, I do find it interesting how little this year's Oscars nominees have stirred the popular consciousness.

None of the films are still screening in a suburb forty minutes outside of Tulsa. Do an people you know seem to actively vocalize an interest in this year's ceremony, or has it distilled to JLaw and indifference otherwise?

[EyesWideOpen]

I don't as much about the commercial aspects as the artistic aspects, so some of the number-questioning here I'm indifferent towards (The Act of Killing, Upstream Color, and Before Midnight are the best things I saw last year, and they're not going to receive much press or attention at the ceremony, though TAoK will win). Still, I do find it interesting how little this year's Oscars nominees have stirred the popular consciousness.

None of the films are still screening in a suburb forty minutes outside of Tulsa. Do an people you know seem to actively vocalize an interest in this year's ceremony, or has it distilled to JLaw and indifference otherwise?

Well most of these films are out on video or will be before the Oscars.

[Ezee E]

Gravity, Wolf on Wall Street, American Hustle, and Captain Phillips each grossed over $100 mill.

[Spinal]

Do an people you know seem to actively vocalize an interest in this year's ceremony, or has it distilled to JLaw and indifference otherwise?

JLaw is one of our finest actors.

[Spinal]

This is approximately the 82nd time I have used this joke on Match Cut.

[baby doll]

I don't as much about the commercial aspects as the artistic aspects, so some of the number-questioning here I'm indifferent towards (The Act of Killing, Upstream Color, and Before Midnight are the best things I saw last year, and they're not going to receive much press or attention at the ceremony, though TAoK will win). Still, I do find it interesting how little this year's Oscars nominees have stirred the popular consciousness.

None of the films are still screening in a suburb forty minutes outside of Tulsa. Do an people you know seem to actively vocalize an interest in this year's ceremony, or has it distilled to JLaw and indifference otherwise?

Nobody's watching the Oscar telecast because of the nominated films. It mainly appeals to morons who are overly impressed by expensive gowns, bored young people looking for something to tweet about, retirees who nod off in the middle of the telecast, losers who want to have their friends over for a party but don't really want to talk to them, creepy guys with an unhealthy interest in Jennifer Lawrence, degenerate gambling addicts, and pathetic conformists who think it's their social and civic duty to keep up with popular culture no matter how debased it becomes (i.e., people who own smart phones and have active Twitter accounts).

[Spinal]

Misanthropy!

[number8]

Joke's on you, I watch it for the in memoriam montage.

[Watashi]

Nobody's watching the Oscar telecast because of the nominated films. It mainly appeals to morons who are overly impressed by expensive gowns, bored young people looking for something to tweet about, retirees who nod off in the middle of the telecast, losers who want to have their friends over for a party but don't really want to talk to them, creepy guys with an unhealthy interest in Jennifer Lawrence, degenerate gambling addicts, and pathetic conformists who think it's their social and civic duty to keep up with popular culture no matter how debased it becomes (i.e., people who own smart phones and have active Twitter accounts).

So which one do you fall under?

[Spinal]

Who doesn't talk to their friends during an Oscar party? It's not like it's football or something.

[Gizmo]

[baby doll]

So which one do you fall under?

The third and fifth.

[MadMan]

I watch out of habit. This will be the first Oscars since the one for the year 2005 that I don't care at all who wins. I doubt Leo has a chance so meh on that front and I don't know if he's deserving anyways.

[baby doll]

I watch out of habit. This will be the first Oscars since the one for the year 2005 that I don't care at all who wins. I doubt Leo has a chance so meh on that front and I don't know if he's deserving anyways.

Maybe it's because I grew up in a house where no one ever watched the Oscars that I just never got into the habit of enduring it. I did sit through it in 2002 and 2003 (when A Beautiful Mind and Chicago were the winners), but after that I figured my time would be better spent actually watching movies on video. Instead of sitting through all six and a half hours of the telecast, I could go on the internet the next day and find out who won in fifteen seconds.

[MadMan]

Hey I can't disagree with you there. And it was Chicago winning Best Picture that made me realize I shouldn't have any faith in the Oscars.

[Morris Schæffer]

I watch out of habit. This will be the first Oscars since the one for the year 2005 that I don't care at all who wins. I doubt Leo has a chance so meh on that front and I don't know if he's deserving anyways.

I still think it's a rather strong lineup this year although I haven't seen Her and Philomena. Wasn't so long ago that freakin' The Blind Side was nominated for best picture.

I will watch for sure as I've done in the past decade. Although the best foreign language category has a Belgian film so that helps!