It’s an annual tradition with the declining ratings ceremony. And culture war opportunities are so much more tempting, especially when you have no agenda other than outrage to rile up those you exploit, and their enemies. Some easy targets. Power of the Dog, suggesting cowboys can be gay, and can be outsmarted by an effeminate intellectual. Outrage! Licorice Pizza. A suggested pedophilia angle, though not really if you watch the movie. Don't Look Up. No need to explain, really, but even all but the far left dislike David Sirota, who helped make Trump President. Dune. Again a non macho type actually surviving and prevailing, a matriarchal secret power, Stellen Skarsgard obviously playing a Trump stand in (not really, but they will see it that way, which is telling). OTOH, Jason Momoa plays a tough guy named Duncan Idaho, which sounds like a character they will approve of, even if he is in a possibly illegal marriage once Sen. Braun gets his way. Drive My Car. Foreign. Over 3 hours. Enough said. Belfast. My personal favorite, but not favored. I suspect the Right won’t find it too objectionable, as it only alludes to The Troubles, without too much visual exposition, so you don’t have to confront the fact that even White Christians can act like Muslim terrorists, even before Muslim terrorists did! It might not be deficient theology after all. I’m sure I’ve only thought of a few angles. I haven’t even tried to anticipate the acceptance speeches. No more real movies, like the original unwatchable True Grit, before the Coens ruined it (actually far better version, but the Coens are, well, you now, even without the h). Strap in. Get your popcorn, though not at theatre prices. Wife wants to see the latest Channing Tatum this afternoon, and I’m still expected to kill bugs. Things are so confusing.
Almost forgot. The Worst Person in the World is Norway's foreign submission and can be rented. Well worth the watch. They will think it's about Trump, but the title is ironic.
Baseball and the Oscars. Two things in America whose declining popularity defies their tone-deafness to the trouble they’re in.
Hollywood is making some pretty great movies recently. Usually the award movies are a little too nerdy for me to love them though. Most of my favorites involve blowing things up, aliens, superhero’s, horror, or zombies. I only saw: King Richard (solid) Dune (loved) Don’t look up (ok) West side story (cute) Some of favs.. I’m sure I’m leaving some out. 1. Spider-Man No Way Home 2. A Quiet Place 2 3. Dune 4. Free Guy 5. Stillwater 6. Malignant 7. Antlers 8. The Night House 9. Cop shop 10. Wrong Turn 11. Ghostbusters This year Batman and the Lost City were great so far.
Wrong on movies. Movies compete with so many other experiences now and home movie watch is fine for many (not me) that it’s diluted at the box office. Still in 2018 and 2019 were record box offices until Covid. Covid has nearly killed the theater. My wife still “makes” me wear a mask in theaters and it will typically take a lot of nudging to get her into one these days. That’s hurting. Plus the break in production put stuff behind. Not the quality.
From the thread title I thought it was gonna be about the outrage and political speeches of the recipients and the hosts. Isn’t the Oscar show usually full of outrage and condescending lecturing? Would the people who would have outrage about these movies even watch the show?
Kind of disappointed that The Tragedy of MacBeth didn’t get more love. It was absolutely magnificent acting and visually stunning.
Liked it but not as much as I expected to. Maybe traumatic HS memories having to to memorize and recite to pass Jr. English. But good stuff.
I covered the acceptance speeches, albeit in passing. And no one has to watch anything anymore to know they are outraged by it. They just need their thought leaders to signal.
Same on wife. Second movie in months today. Saw The Outfit last week, masked. Typical Mark Rylance mastery, but not as good as expected overall.
Forgot King Richard. Great stuff. No need to explain why it will cause outrage. Also liked Spidey and Free Guy, and even watched WSS on Disney+, though not closely. Good stuff. Batman streams April 19, so will likely wait. On the arthouse side, Aldomovar’s Parallel Mothers is available for rent April 5. Can’t wait. Spanish Civil War angle. Even bought Anatomy of a Moment to read ahead of time. Obsessed with that largely overlooked episode in the last century’s history, far more impactful than appreciated.
The outrage should come from how so many theatrical bombs get nominated for awards every year. There has always been a disconnect between what the public thinks is good and what critics think is good.
Nothing in a movie is worthy of outrage, but the age gap in Licorice Pizza is more than hinted at by the end of the movie. It's open to interpretation what the point of the story and the choices Anderson makes are, but that part is there on the screen.
Thr academy made it political long before the right did, both in who they chose to nominate and in their speeches. Not to mention their decision to publicly air their political views. For example, even tonight, Sean Penn is threatening to publicly smelt his oscars if Zelensky isn’t invited. And that’s after him supporting Hugo Chavez etc. So both sides get outraged, and viewership is down 80 percent from its highs. It has other problems, streaming services blowing up the glamor of movies and splitting the audience, the show’s format being stuck in a 1970s variety show, the academy out of touch with its audience as Cise mentioned, the slow death of broadcast TV where it airs, among other things.
Yes very political. It just because too much when they instituted the diversity rules. A movie can not even be nominated unless the cast and crew meet diversity quotas.
Power of Dog was awful IMHO. King Richard and Belfast I thought were great. The writer/director of the latter, Kenneth Branach, is an extraordinarily talented actor. My wife and I loved his performance in Wallander, which I recommend to those who love British series, though it was set in Sweden.
i read a great article on that the other day and how crazy it was. They have to ask for medical and other personal info (like sexuality) from their staff to meet the quota, and then no one knows how that data will be stored. Are the Oscars Over?
You can tell by some of the films nominated. Power of the Dog is not worthy of a nomination IMO, but the subject demanded it.
Loved Dune and CODA and admired West Side Story. Just saw Belfast last night but still processing. Endured Don't Look Up, but barely. Can't believe it was nominated for anything, much less best editing. Looked to me like the editor didn't finish, way too long. Going to see Power of the Dog this afternoon. Been a fan of Jane Campion since An Angel at My Table. My fave but not necessarily my pick as the best is Licorice Pizza. Saw it on a 70mm screen (it was shot on 35) six rows back so I could see the film grain. Hands down the most entertaining, beguiling film I've seen in a few years. Been a PTA fan for years but rarely wanted to rewatch any of his other films. I ended up rewatching LP the next day in Dolby Sound to catch more of the dialogue and then again on the 70mm screen to take in all the trademark PTA craftsmanship; editing, coloration, lens and camera movement. Surprised it wasn't nominated for editing or cinematography. FYI, PTA was a protege of great Gator director Jonathan Demme. All that said, Power of the Dog probably deserves to win. I'll weigh in after I see it today.
