Awards Season 2009

[foofighters7]

Fuck the Academy

I have always loved the Oscars. I can remember back to about 5 years old watching it.

I have always put the Academy Awards on a higher level, as if they 'got it' better than other awards.

Screw them for nominating this piece of shit Avatar for Best Picture! Shame on everyone who has anything to do with nominations!

Up was nominated too! What the hell? The Blind Side? What the HELL?

Hollywood has become a den of idiots and self-obsessed bastards who barely even watch films, let alone know anything about film.

Screw them, Fuck the Academy, Go to hell you pieces of shit!

At least I'm not bitter.

[Kirkinson]

The only real (slight) competition is Clooney but Oscar knows that this may be Bridges' last chance.

I agree that Bridges is a lock, but why do you think it may be his last chance? He's not on his death bed or anything, and he's still widely respected, gets pretty good roles and does a great job in all of them. In fact, he probably has a pretty decent chance at another nomination next year for True Grit.

[aox]

Fuck the Academy

I have always loved the Oscars. I can remember back to about 5 years old watching it.

I have always put the Academy Awards on a higher level, as if they 'got it' better than other awards.

Screw them for nominating this piece of shit Avatar for Best Picture! Shame on everyone who has anything to do with nominations!

Up was nominated too! What the hell? The Blind Side? What the HELL?

Hollywood has become a den of idiots and self-obsessed bastards who barely even watch films, let alone know anything about film.

Screw them, Fuck the Academy, Go to hell you pieces of shit!

At least I'm not bitter.

In 2005, a movie called Crash won Best Picture....just sayin'

[domino harvey]

In fact, he probably has a pretty decent chance at another nomination next year for True Grit.

How hilarious would it be for two actors to win a career achievement award for the same undeserved performance?

[eljacko]

In 2005, a movie called Crash won Best Picture....just sayin'

Incidentally, 2005 was the year I stopped watching the Oscars, and the year I stopped caring about the awards beyond my basic interest in movies. Crash winning was the destruction of my innocence, in a way, the moment I realized how naive I was.

[domino harvey]

American Beauty and Slumdog Millionaire were equally embarrassing, FYI

[Fiery Angel]

And Braveheart and Titanic and Shakespeare in Love and Chicago and....

[domino harvey]

But Shakespeare in Love beat Saving Private Ryan, so that was a good one

[Fiery Angel]

It also prevented Life Is Beautiful from winning, but it also beat out The Thin Red Line

[domino harvey]

It also prevented Life Is Beautiful from winning

Which I believe means it actually qualifies for sainthood too

[Caged Horse]

Yes, Avatar has terrible dialogue and OTT acting, but has anybody (re)watched The Last Emperor recently? Gorgeous-looking for sure and arguably a logistically unprecedented production, but bloody hell -- the painfully obvious script, the really hammy performances! (Sound familiar?)

Sad fact is, Oscars get given to badly-written-and-acted epics, just so long as their mushy heart's in the right, well-meaning place. (See also: Dances with Wolves.)

On the other hand, Avatar's incredible SFX, which will doubtless win every technical award, might not automatically be an advantage when it comes to the top prize. The Jazz Singer, Becky Sharp, The Robe, etc -- technologically innovative and revolutionary in their day and some very popular, but none won Best Picture.

[lacritfan]

It also prevented Life Is Beautiful from winning, but it also beat out The Thin Red Line

Ugh, don't remind me of Life Is Beautiful at the Oscars. Roberto Benigni winning Best Foreign Film from Sophia Loren and climbing over seats - fine. It also won Grand Prize of the Jury at Cannes from a Scorsese-led jury, so fine.
But, Roberto Benigni winning Best Actor over :
Nick Nolte - Affliction
Edward Norton - American History X
Ian McKellen - Gods and Monsters
Tom Hanks - Saving Private Ryan
is one of the worst Oscars ever given, especially if the rumors that Benigni did the most campaigning is true.

But Shakespeare in Love beat Saving Private Ryan, so that was a good one

I have to respectfully disagree here. This was the epitome of campaigning winning the award. SiL with it's dozen producers including Harvey Weinstein pushing his way onto the list is responsible for the three person limit the Oscars have now that probably cost a few deserving producers some recongition over the past decade. So no, not a good one.

[domino harvey]

The Reader, Chocolat, and Cider House Rules Best Pic noms were far more embarrassing, I thought. In fact, just typing these titles out just now sent me into a bit of a tizzy

[Grand Illusion]

I don't think the Academy has ever awarded Best Picture to the film that I actually thought was the best picture that year (let alone best American picture.)

Nonetheless, I still like most of the stuff that wins Best Pic. As long as they don't give it to a picture that I hate, such as Crash, Slumdog, or Avatar, then I find it hard to get frustrated.

[RobertB]

When someone takes the Oscars too seriously I try to remember which films have received the most. 11 Oscars go to..... Ben-Hur, Titanic, The Return of the King Hollywood at it's best?

[domino harvey]

I don't think the Academy has ever awarded Best Picture to the film that I actually thought was the best picture that year (let alone best American picture.)

The Apartment?

[reno dakota]

I don't think the Academy has ever awarded Best Picture to the film that I actually thought was the best picture that year (let alone best American picture.)

All Quiet on the Western Front? (Best American, at least?)

[Michael]

I don't think the Academy has ever awarded Best Picture to the film that I actually thought was the best picture that year (let alone best American picture.)
.

All About Eve, no?

[reno dakota]

All About Eve, no?

If not for Orphée and In a Lonely Place, then sure!

[Grand Illusion]

Oh, dear. What have I done? I don't want to make this all about my personal picks. Although, of course, that'd make this whole process much easier if I, alone, was sole arbiter.

Re: The Apartment

I have to cop to not being the biggest Wilder fan. I much prefer this to Sunset Blvd, but I'd still take Psycho over it. Even The Magnificent Seven. And in a year with Bergman, Fellini, and (probably my top pick) Antonioni, this is further down my list.

Re: All Quiet On The Western Front

Hmmm... Okay. I'm cool with this one, actually. Checked out some 1930 lists, and I don't think I'm missing anything I liked more. I'll amend my statement to the Academy not agreeing with me for Best Pic in the past 80 years. Before that is fair game.

Re: All About Eve

Certainly not counting foreign films as well. Orphee, as mentioned, and Rashomon. Only American? I really don't know. I'll be honest and say that I'm not terribly informed on the '50s Hollywood output. Even In A Lonely Place irks me. I couldn't really get past Bogie as a screenwriter.

[foofighters7]

Fuck the Academy

I have always loved the Oscars. I can remember back to about 5 years old watching it.

I have always put the Academy Awards on a higher level, as if they 'got it' better than other awards.

Screw them for nominating this piece of shit Avatar for Best Picture! Shame on everyone who has anything to do with nominations!

Up was nominated too! What the hell? The Blind Side? What the HELL?

Hollywood has become a den of idiots and self-obsessed bastards who barely even watch films, let alone know anything about film.

Screw them, Fuck the Academy, Go to hell you pieces of shit!

At least I'm not bitter.

In 2005, a movie called Crash won Best Picture....just sayin'

Hehe... Was it you or someone else who posted a quote of mine and said they too agree and said they gave up on the AA's a few years back?
Someone posted that, then it was gone a minute later..
funny because, I was posting a reply to whoever said that by saying "Yeah I know, I pretty much gave up when 'Crash' won!!
just came back to this thread and that was the first reply to it, mentioning Crash!

I am still amazed as to how it won anything?

Having said that, I don't know which is worse, Avatar or...no nevermind its Avartar.

[NilbogSavant]

I don't think the Academy has ever awarded Best Picture to the film that I actually thought was the best picture that year (let alone best American picture.)

How Green Was My Valley is the only example I can ever think of.

[justeleblanc]

Sunrise also won best picture, no? That movie is sorta kinda the best movie ever made.

[reno dakota]

Sunrise also won best picture, no? That movie is sorta kinda the best movie ever made.

Sunrise won in the Unique and Artistic Picture category (which was never again awarded), while Wings won in the Outstanding Picture category (which eventually morphed into the Best Picture category). So, technically, Sunrise did not win Best Picture, but I think it ought to be mentioned alongside Wings when the 1927-28 winners are discussed. It is one of the Academy's finest winners, in any category.

[Caged Horse]

Ugh, don't remind me of Life Is Beautiful at the Oscars. Roberto Benigni winning Best Foreign Film from Sophia Loren and climbing over seats - fine. It also won Grand Prize of the Jury at Cannes from a Scorsese-led jury, so fine.

This is the same Cannes Film Festival that gave 1st prize to The Knack... and How to Get it. Far from fine.

Oscar's errors are many and various -- while we're on the subject, I'll mention the inaugural Best Animated Feature going to Shrek instead of Monsters Inc. -- but it's not like other awards are infallible.