JCC so what is the 2011 oscar buzz?

How do you mean that they snub foreign language films?

 

I made it about 15-20 minutes into Rango (He was in the bar, bragging, as he invented his "character." Was supremely bored and turned it off. And this has a chance of being one of the best animated features of the year?

Looking at that list, I have to say, it must have been a pretty sorry showing for animated movies.

 

Um. As someone who claims to do 3d work, you need to sit yourself down and watch the whole thing before you start to judge it. That movie is technically and visually a masterpiece. I mean, sit down and watch that, and then watch any other 3d animation that has to do with animals - and look at the treatment of the characters. Unless of course you're just one of those people who opens maya, does some crap, and calls themself a modeler. I just got the impression you were actually in the field.

 

Yeah, Chico and Rita was so terrible it's got a freaking 95% and 7.2/10 on Rotten Tomatoes. A Cat in Paris was so terrible it got a 100% and 7.8/10. Rango got an 88% and 7.6/10. AWFUL.

Oh, wait, you'd have to actually watch the damn films to realize they're good. I guess going by the "I watched maybe 1/6th of one film" metric that consensus might not hold.

 

Well, on the animated film category... I've only seen Kung Fu Panda 2 and Rango this year, and saw all three nominated films last year, and imo, all 3 from last year are better than the two from this year that I have seen.

 

Perhaps snub wasn't really the right word for those. More marginalize, I suppose. Like with the animated feature category, the foreign film category makes it harder for the films in it to be nominated for anything else, including Best Picture. Obviously this isn't impossibble (indeed, Javier Bardem's nomination for Best Actor just last year is one of the examples of exceptions) but they usually seem to be shunted into that one slot. I'm also annoyed with the idea of each country having to submit one film. While it's undoubtedly true that the Oscars are catered to an English speaking audience and that the film business seems to be the most prolific in English speaking countries (okay, you've got Bollywood, but that's Bollywood...) it feels like they're almost implying that these countries only had the one good film. It should be a celebration of the medium as a whole, not the medium in the U.S. or in English speaking countries. I've often felt that the Oscars would be a lot better if they didn't have any biases beyond what's well-made and what isn't, and dismissed the prejudices it carries.

I mean, it's not like there aren't more than five good non English-speaking films every year, so why create that illusion? I wish they did away with the category, as well as Best Animated Feature. I'm only willing to concede Best Documentary because documentaries shouldn't really (in my opinion) be judged on the same things as fictional films (not that they can't be as good, but I mean you're not thinking about actors and screenplays so much when making a documentary as you are being informative and clear, and documentaries have their own set of genres separate from fictional ones). The short-film categories can stay because those are also judged differently. But how are animated stories or stories in different languages really any different from the others, except based on some- in my opinion relatively superficial- details? The important thing is they all tell stories, and the films should be judged on the merits of those stories.

I think I'm starting to go in circles a bit, so I'll just repeat that despite all of this I usually enjoy the Oscars and I never miss them, and while the films who win (or who are nominated) aren't always the ones we'd pick, generally they are at least good films.

 

Even if TinTin was nominated I would want Rango to win, I'm just suprised a guy like Spielberg couldn't get a nomination for both his films. It's a failsafe for him, since War Horse won't win Best Film he could have had TinTin as a consolation in Best Animation.

Only 2 Original Songs? Really? The shortlist was 39 songs and they only picked two?
At least have something from Captain America & Cars 2. I would've thought Happy Feet 2 would at least get nominated.

Looks like The Muppets will win this one.

 

Watched The Help. I was wary of the controversy surrounding it, but most of the problems I saw were more that of the greater Hollywood/American culture (e.g., the only black women nominated for major Oscars this year played servants, white people share the starring roles) rather than the film by itself. That said, I think it's rather overrated. It drags in places, and most of the white socialites especially seemed like caricatures rather than real people.

However, Midnight in Paris is easily my favorite of the nominees I've seen. I loved it. I watched Annie Hall recently, and I think Midnight beats it quite handily (maybe because Woody Allen didn't put his annoying "neurotic" self in front of the camera).

 

I can't believe Tree Of Life was nominated. In my view, that's the generically "super-artsy and semi-intellectual so it doesn't even have to be good to be good" pick this year. The soundtrack was good and it had some really cool moments, but the Artist, Moneyball, and The Descendants were all better films, IMO.

 

I hope Midnight in Paris doesn't win big. I haven't seen it, mind you, but it's that kind of movie (hey, a quirky movie about Paris! a quirky movie about romance!) that I just don't like the concept of.


Los Angeles Lakers: Drama, guaranteed.

 

That's very reasonable.

 

I hate Woody Allen, so I'm biased.



Though after seeing 50/50, I really want to know why Joseph Gordon-Levitt didn't get an Oscar nod. (I still want to know what that was considered a comedy).

 

I've only seen one Woody Allen movie, Radio Days......................I loved it.


Los Angeles Lakers: Drama, guaranteed.

 

Don't get me wrong, I like 1 of his films; The Purple Rose of Cairo. But I hate him in general, and especially hate films starring himself.

 

I don't mind that on principle. Aside from marrying/dating his step daughter, I've never liked his anti-Oscar stance (only made 1 appearance in 2002). If you care enough about the craft to make films (and star in many of them) over the course of a few decades, then at least show up to an Academy Awards ceremony once in a while when your films are nominated.


Los Angeles Lakers: Drama, guaranteed.

 

Miana: Why do you hate him so much?

Tunick: Why can't the man not attend a ceremony he is opposed to? Also, I think a big part of the reason he doesn't attend is because the Oscars usually fall on a night when he's playing clarinet at one of the jazz clubs in New York.

 

He doesn't have to go, it's his right not to, but I still find it silly, especially if that's the reason why doesn't go. With NYC being the bustling metropolis that it is, that's really the only night to play in a jazz club? Come on now.


Los Angeles Lakers: Drama, guaranteed.

 

I'm gonna chime in just to say that I thought Annie Hall was stupid.

 

Well that was his excuse back in the 70s, I think he probably just thinks that the Oscars are a ridiculous spectacle that he doesn't want to be involved in, and I kind of agree with him. I really can't work up any enthusiasm for them myself, anymore.

 

I'm not sure I count that as a snub given that it's an American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences award. So the foreign films being a separate category makes sense.


And.... I will join in on the hating Woody Allen bit.

 

Wait, when did everyone start hating him? Did this become cool at some point?

 

Woody Allen is okay. He's good at what he does. I really liked midnight in paris, but... not oscar worthy. The only oscar worthy thing about that movie was tom hiddleston's ****.

 

Wait, how did I miss that? Now I gotta rewatch!

 

Wait, are people still upset that Annie Hall won Best Picture?

 

STAR WRAS WAS ROBBED