Comments on: Backlash: Best Picture? Hardly.

By: KJB

KJB — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:34:15 +0000

I don’t think we can still toss out the bias against SF / fantasy films once “Return of the King” made its Oscar sweep. I think if a film manages to get the kind of attention, critical and public acclaim that “Rings” got, it’ll get nominated and even win.

Comedy is harder – there does tend to be a dismissal of that genre but it isn’t impossible for a comedy to get the Oscar. But it won’t be something from Adam Sandler. The biggest problem is that comedy is possibly the most subjective film genre out there. What a twisted ass like myself will find bladder burstingly hilarious will probably offend or just annoy someone else.

Horror is another tough call because there’s such a broad range of films that are considered part of the genre. You’ll never see a slasher flick like “Friday the 13th” cop the big award but you could see something like “The Exorcist”. Just like we’ll never see Anthony Hopkins open the envelope for Best Picture and say, “…and the Oscar goes to…. Godzilla vs. the Toe Nail Monster From Mars!”

By: Kelly

Kelly — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 05:07:02 +0000

I’m within the same headspace as most of you. Although I hadn’t seen a single one of the Oscar noms mentioned, I can state that I didn’t want to see them for that foul reek of Oscar putrizing from each selection.

Dark Knight as best picture? Sure, it was one of the best films I’ve ever seen, but the whole problem lies deeper.

There’s a massive bias against horror and comedy. Sci-fi and Fantasy get by, but here’s two genres never get dues. I’m not sure how it happens but best picture will always be a drama and/or a period piece. It will also have a stupid title that sounds like an Emo record.

Personally after seeing Steve Coogan’s performance in Hamlet 2, I think he deserves some serious consideration as it was one of the greatest comedic roles ever filled.

But really, who gives a shit. i have my own awards ceremony which involves me buying the dvd’s I like and ignoring the theatre.

By: Road Train

Road Train — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 00:55:42 +0000

BallsMonkey, you speak my language!

By: BallsMonkey

BallsMonkey — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 22:17:08 +0000

Personally I don’t really care. The movies I like never get nominated. If it were up to me, the nominees for best picture would be Dark Knight, Iron Man, Tropic Thunder, Pineapple Express, and Zack and Miri Make a Porno.

By: goat

goat — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 14:29:33 +0000

Ok granted, the Kate Blanchett relationship was unbelievable…in a movie where the guy lives backward. I wasn’t going in to the movie with any notions. I thought it was an incredible way to tell a story, using the main character going backward with the rest of the characters forward. It made me think about age, relationships, friends… there was some hokieness, like the tattooed “artist” and the whole Navy WWII thing in general, but those felt like reliefs to the harder drama underneath. I thought Brad Pitt did a great job, he let go of the 12 Monkeys, Fight Club, hand-swinging quirky character and was a thoughtful character who watched the world around him and tried to live in the day. He pulled off each “age” he was in nicely. I’ll agree that he’s no Robert Downey Jr. as Kirk Lazarus who speaks jive until the DVD commentary, but then you can’t improve on perfection, can you.

As for the Oscars? Never cared who or what those type of things picked; they never reflected good art. Look at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, no Rush? This year they inducted The fucking Ventures? Run DMC is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and not Journey? So, yeah there’s something wrong with all of those awards boards. I mean David Lynch never won an award, Moulin Rouge beat Gangs of New York… There’s no way these jerks are going to even consider a movie with the word porno in it, which is ridiculous; a failure before the starting gate.

By: Mike Jonze

Mike Jonze — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 08:07:37 +0000

I don’t wanna say its wrong to like a movie, but I think it is wrong to call Ben Button the best movie ever. There were even worse movies this year, but Ben Button made a special impression on me; this is a movie that gets on its knees and BEGS for an Oscar. The special effects are good, granted, but lets look at everything else: Brad Pitt’s performance is just an awkward, boring, annoying version of Forest Gump; the book that the movie was adapted from was a SHORT COMEDY…nuff said. The brutally depressing execution of the plot is interrupted every once in a while by a guy who got struck by lightning a lot (ho, ho). Finally, the relationship between Blanchett and Pitt was simply unbelievable. Of all the snubs that happened this year for the Oscars, (Chris Nolan, Clint Eastwood, Sally Hawkins, Bruce Springsteen) Ben Button getting Best Picture nod is the biggest snub to come along in a while.

So, goat, I’m glad to see that the filmmakers didn’t completely waste their money, and at least entertained you, your wife, and Ben Lyons.

By: goat

goat — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 14:27:09 +0000

I thought Benjamin Button was one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. I came home and watched David Fincher’s other movies, especially Zodiac. My wife and I walked out of BB and we looked at each other and said, wow, best film ever. What’s weird is that we both like underground films and usually agree with most people when “commercial” films and music are given honors they didn’t deserve. Maybe I’m just getting older? Who knows, I think the nominations are deserved in this case.

I haven’t seen Slumdog, Frost, or Milk yet, but I agree that Valkyrie was just ok. It’s one of those Sunday afternoon veg movies, alright for what it is, but definitely not a best picture.