Atticus Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 You seem to know as much about movies as anyone around here. I sense that I'm going to want to claw my eyes and ears out during and after the Oscars this weekend. I've made my feelings about Avatar known on here before, so I won't belabor the point. Sandra Bullock winning for The Blind Side seems uber-retarded to me (I am not, like some, a Bullock-hater, I just think she's done much better work than that crapfest of a movie). We didn't get a chance to see Hurt Locker yet, but most of my friends seem to think it's WAY over-rated. I guess my question is do you feel like ANY of the frontrunners deserves the award this year (perhaps Bridges notwithstanding, because he was fantastic)? and if not, should I just get over myself re the Oscars??? how do you cope??? Your e-friend, Poon Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Runaway Jim Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 I'd love to make a comment in this thread, but I'm not Beltmann. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Speed Racer Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 That doesn't mean you, too, can't write him questions. Beltmann, why was Rachel Getting Married such a self-indulgent wankfest? Should any of those people, excepting the tremendously tremendous Anne Hathaway, be allowed to ever appear in a talkie again? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sweet Papa Crimbo Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 That doesn't mean you, too, can't write him questions. Beltmann, why was Rachel Getting Married such a self-indulgent wankfest? Should any of those people, excepting the tremendously tremendous Anne Hathaway, be allowed to ever appear in a talkie again? Speaking of Ann Hathaway, what was she thinking when she made Havoc? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Winston Legthigh Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 Speaking of Ann Hathaway, what was she thinking when she made Havoc?"I need to do an edgy role that will prevent me from being forever typecast as Miss Princess Diaries". Can of corn. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sweet Papa Crimbo Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 "I need to do an edgy role that will prevent me from being forever typecast as Miss Princess Diaries". Can of corn. Yeah.../isn't it great/terrible that female actors need to get naked to show they are serious or edgy. (Notice my John Lennon homage in the cop out ala Revolution?) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
u2roolz Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 First, I would try to watch as many movies before you start to read/hear reviews and before they start to get nominated for awards. I'll also be interested in hearing your take on The Hurt Locker. WIll you like it because your friends lowered your bar for it or will you think it is also WAY overrated? I kind of find it funny that someone is saying Hurt Locker is WAY overrated. If anything it's kind of underseen or at least that's what the media wants us to believe. I saw it on August 1st before any of the awards hoopla and backlash (if there is any?). It was a great film. The only problem that I had with it was this: the local newspaper got the running time wrong. They listed it at 88 minutes which while watching it seemed perfect. A nice tight taut war thriller, but when it went past that I didn't mind it really but I did check my watch a few times. I still haven't seen Avatar yet. There's something about wearing glasses and watching a 3D movie that doesn't gel for me. I need my glasses to see far and wearing the 3D glasses makes my head too heavy with pressure. Sandra Bullock hasn't won yet. But by my conspiracy theorist notion: she could win. How much box office cash did she bring in for The Proposal and/or The Blind Side? A lot. Yes, I think that the Oscars are pretty much blatantly self serving for their entire industry. So I wouldn't be surprised to see Avatar win for Best Picture solely for the $700+ (and counting) box office and the "game changing" 3D technology that will plague our dramatic films. Yes, I read that they want to do a drama in 3D? Maybe Rachel Getting Married Part II for Speed Racer. I wouldn't get all riled up on Monday morning over Oscar night. I wouldn't even pay attention. Consider this little known fact: Dakota Fanning is a member of the Academy.The Truth About The Secret Academy Awards Members Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Speed Racer Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 I thought Rachel Getting Married was supposed to do that for her. (Also, ever since you started that thread about people visiting your profile, Crow Daddy, I have accidentally clicked on your member name three times, and each time I keep thinking about how you probably review your posts after I do that. ) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Good Old Neon Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 Unlike Poon, I will bag on Bullock, and suggest that as an actress, she displays about as much range as a Daisy Red Rider bb gun – a popular, yet weak starter rifle not exactly known for its abilty to knock stuff down. I haven’t seen Avatar, but sort of suspect that the Academy nominated it based on its ability to fill theaters, something that is sort of rare nowadays, rather than anything having to do with artistic merit – which is not to say the CGI is not flat out amazing, but it has all the depth of an episode of the Thunder Cats, at least based on what I gather from the commercials I’ve seen and the people I’ve talked to, anyways. I’m just going to go ahead and suggest that Christopher Waltz gave the performance of the year, and probably should have been nominated in every single Oscar category, up to and including Best Key Grip and Best Musical Score – I haven’t had that much fun watching someone on the screen in since, like, well it’s been a really long time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sweet Papa Crimbo Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 I thought Rachel Getting Married was supposed to do that for her. (Also, ever since you started that thread about people visiting your profile, Crow Daddy, I have accidentally clicked on your member name three times, and each time I keep thinking about how you probably review your posts after I do that. ) ...You must be paranoid like me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Speed Racer Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 You know, I wanted to knock on Sandra Bullock for a long time, but I enjoy every single movie I've seen her in, and she's really carried some duds. I'm continually impressed with her work, and even more impressed that - while she's not above challenging herself - she also has a good sense of her limitations as an actress. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Good Old Neon Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 You know, I wanted to knock on Sandra Bullock for a long time, but I enjoy every single movie I've seen her in, and she's really carried some duds. I'm continually impressed with her work, and even more impressed that - while she's not above challenging herself - she also has a good sense of her limitations as an actress. Whenever I watch a Sandra Bullock movie, I think, I’m watching a Sandra Bullock movie in which Sandra Bullock gives her standard Sandra Bullock performance – I get a similar feeling whenever I watch a movie starring Jennifer Aniston. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Winston Legthigh Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 Yeah.../isn't it great/terrible that female actors need to get naked to show they are serious or edgy. (Notice my John Lennon homage in the cop out ala Revolution?)It IS great. She's got nice tits. Rachel getting married followed havoc. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Atticus Posted March 3, 2010 Author Share Posted March 3, 2010 Christopher Waltz oooh! I forgot about him. I would edit the OP but inertia prevents me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Edie Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 Sandra Bullock was terrific in Crash, but so was everyone else in that movie. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Runaway Jim Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 I liked Sandra Bullock best in Speed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
u2roolz Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 Also, I left out the fact that over the last decade it really felt like the Oscars have been one year behind or awarding a person based on not awarding that person last year because that year they wanted to award that other person. Confused? Take 1999: Kevin Spacey wins for American Beauty and Russell Crowe loses for The Insider which most people felt that he should have won for instead of winning the following year in 2000 for Gladiator and losing in 2001 for A Beautiful Mind. Take 2001: Denzel Washington wins for Training Day and beats out Sean Penn for I Am Sam which most people felt that he should have won for (cue Tropic Thunder jokes). So in 2003 Sean Penn wins for Mystic River and rightfully so for screaming " IS MADONNA IN THERE?!?!!?!?!?!" (*inside joke) Best Picture "Domino Effect": 2003 The Lord Of The Rings finally wins Best Picture after its' 1st 2 films were nominated. This beat out Clint Eastwood's Mystic River (which I think should have won or even Lost In Translation).2004 Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby beats out Martin Scorsese' The Aviator and most people don't agree with The Aviator being a far superior overall film achievement than the film that he finally won for down below.2006: Martin Scorsese's The Departed wins Best Picture. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dude Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 2004 Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby beats out Martin Scorsese' The Aviator and most people don't agree with The Aviator being a far superior overall film achievement than the film that he finally won for down below.2006: Martin Scorsese's The Departed wins Best Picture. You completely lost me here. Million Dollar Baby was a stellar film that hit all the right notes for me without resorting to Mystic River histrionics. The Aviator suffered from biopic bloat, and wasn't even really great for Scorsese. His best films in my opinion (Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Casino, Cape Fear, hell even King of Comedy) have a grittiness to them that I think the Departed has but the Aviator doesn't have. There wasn't really much tension there for me, just a long slow descent into Hughes' insanity. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Winston Legthigh Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 You completely lost me here. Million Dollar Baby was an stellar film that hit all the right notes for me without resorting to Mystic River histrionics. The Aviator suffered from biopic bloat, and wasn't even really great for Scorsese. His best films in my opinion (Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Casino, Cape Fear, hell even King of Comedy) have a grittiness to them that I think the Departed has but the Aviator doesn't have. There wasn't really much tension there for me, just a long slow descent into Hughes' insanity.I loved Aviator - because to me, it really tells the tale of Scorsese's own Hollywood story. He's always been a maverick and outsider, so to me, the Aviator was a big fuck you to Hollywood. Besides that, you had the art direction with the different color palettes to coincide with the timeline which was pure genius. It's a simple enough concept, but it hadn't been done before to my knowledge. Scorsese's best, like you said, have a grittiness, but also, they all have one other unique thing in common, which most other filmmakers (and Hollywood) are loathe to go near: An antisocial protagonist, which includes all of the movies above plus The Aviator. But - to add my $0.02 to the "year later" argument - I think Vera Farmiga should have been nominated for her role in The Departed rather than in Up in the Air. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
u2roolz Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 You completely lost me here. Million Dollar Baby was an stellar film that hit all the right notes for me without resorting to Mystic River histrionics. The Aviator suffered from biopic bloat, and wasn't even really great for Scorsese. His best films in my opinion (Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Casino, Cape Fear, hell even King of Comedy) have a grittiness to them that I think the Departed has but the Aviator doesn't have. There wasn't really much tension there for me, just a long slow descent into Hughes' insanity. I don't really feel like defending films again, but I'll do it. Obviously, this is all subjective. I think the storytelling in Mystic River is amazing. It plays out like a modern day Shakespearean tragedy. Million Dollar Baby I really liked, but I don't feel the need to rewatch it for many different reasons. The Aviator is really a character portrait of Howard Hughes told through the eras that he lived in. Scorsese captures these early eras of Hollywood via an amazing cinematography technique of manipulating film stock to look like the old Multicolor process (no green color) & then using the three strip technicolor look of films such as Wizard Of Oz. It also features what I consider to be DiCaprio's best performance. It's odd to think that they both tread similar territory in Shutter Island. I have nothing at all against The Departed. It is an amazing film, but something in me just clicks a little bit more for The Aviator. And I think it has to do with what I described above which may seem foolish to some. Edit: Ok. I just saw Winston Legthigh's similar take on The Aviator just now. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 I think The Aviator is Scorsese's best '00s film and I fast-forwarded through the last 30 minutes of Million Dollar Baby. I think Rachel Getting Married was overindulgent and repellent but I still liked it, and anyone who doesn't want the great Bill Irwin to be allowed to work again has a screw loose! You heard me Napalm! And that scene from Havoc is awesome. And Kevin Spacey should be awarded another Oscar every single year for American Beauty. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Edie Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 The classic argument here is the Paul Newman loss for "The Verdict", which was arguably his best performance in his career, then winning with "The Color of Money". It was clearly a "career Oscar" And Kevin Spacey should be awarded another Oscar every single year for American Beauty. x2 It's one of my favorite performances in any movie ever. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Atticus Posted March 3, 2010 Author Share Posted March 3, 2010 you have all spelled "Beltman" wrong Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 Speaking of - it's 2 "n"s, friendo. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Winston Legthigh Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 you have all spelled "Beltman" wrongmaybe that's why he isn't answering? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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