90th Academy Awards - March 4th, 2018

[zorbonaut]

I'm good with this. I was a bit surprised that this wasn't classified as a mini-series. You can't put something this long in the same class as a feature doc.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by Buscemi

Yes but Netflix releases their first at the same time, more or less gaming the system. Netflix distributes their films like a pay cable service where you pay by the month. The Academy seems to be convinced they are like Vudu or Google Play where you pay to rent or buy the film (and those were always meant as theatrical films). Netflix films are meant to benefit only Netflix with a theatrical run as an afterthought.

If they released them like a week earlier, I wouldn't have a problem. But because they do things day-and-date (and can't possibly be making money, seeing how they are charging only $10 a month and producing thousands of hours of material), it blurs the line and that's what's unfair. They shouldn't be ruling a great film like O.J.: Made in America ineligible. It followed the rules. They should be striking a blow to Netflix's ego. They are not theatrical films. They are TV movies getting the briefest of theatrical releases and should be considered as such. Besides, winning all the Emmys would be a better example for them than trying and consistently failing to find Oscar glory.

Do some research, you'll probably find each nominated film had some sort of theatrical screening before debuting on Netflix. 13th for instance screened at the New York Film Festival a week before its Netflix release.

[Talleyrand]

Why so late next year? I mean, that's my birthday so that'll be fun, but I find it odd when "best of year x" things get done any letter than the end of February.

~

Fair enough new rules; I mean, Made in America is one of not too many docs I have seen (although there's a David Lynch one that just premiered, so you know I'll be seeing that), and it was amazing and I am glad it won, but yeah.... I can see how it could be viewed as a cheat. That being said, I would argue that the fifth (and final) segment alone constitutes a 10/10 film and arguably is, by itself, the best documentary ever made (the whole series is phenomenal, but that last bit made it transcendental). This is, I will acknowledge, partly because it covers less well-tread ground (I always assumed he had just hit up an armored truck or something, but, no, the details of his arrest are also an entire can of worms). But the entire part is just so cool! There's this whole underworld of sports memorabilia collectors running around Vegas, doing sleazy things - honestly, why there are not more movies about these guys (whether the ones involved with OJ specifically, or just that culture in general), I don't know.

~

Well, I agree Steve with you about Netflix, but let's be honest. The Oscars have long been easily influenced into making asinine decisions. The category fraud that regularly occurs is a good example of this.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by Talleyrand

Why so late next year? I mean, that's my birthday so that'll be fun, but I find it odd when "best of year x" things get done any letter than the end of February.

~

Fair enough new rules; I mean, Made in America is one of not too many docs I have seen (although there's a David Lynch one that just premiered, so you know I'll be seeing that), and it was amazing and I am glad it won, but yeah.... I can see how it could be viewed as a cheat. That being said, I would argue that the fifth (and final) segment alone constitutes a 10/10 film and arguably is, by itself, the best documentary ever made (the whole series is phenomenal, but that last bit made it transcendental). This is, I will acknowledge, partly because it covers less well-tread ground (I always assumed he had just hit up an armored truck or something, but, no, the details of his arrest are also an entire can of worms). But the entire part is just so cool! There's this whole underworld of sports memorabilia collectors running around Vegas, doing sleazy things - honestly, why there are not more movies about these guys (whether the ones involved with OJ specifically, or just that culture in general), I don't know.

~

Well, I agree Steve with you about Netflix, but let's be honest. The Oscars have long been easily influenced into making asinine decisions. The category fraud that regularly occurs is a good example of this.

It's running later to not overlap with the winter olympics. It'll be late Feb. for the next couple years after.

[Buscemi]

The Oscars should be later than that. Having them in February was a horrible idea done for a short-sighted reason (increasing Nielsen ratings) when all it did was hurt box office prospects for winners (Best Picture nominees should not be hitting home video just weeks after the nominations) and create the clustercuss that exists now.

There was nothing wrong with having the awards in late March and it should have never moved.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by Buscemi

The Oscars should be later than that. Having them in February was a horrible idea done for a short-sighted reason (increasing Nielsen ratings) when all it did was hurt box office prospects for winners (Best Picture nominees should not be hitting home video just weeks after the nominations) and create the clustercuss that exists now.

There was nothing wrong with having the awards in late March and it should have never moved.

I thought it was moved to thwart the Golden Globe nominations having influence on the Oscar nominations.

[jabbercash]

Fuuck, you beat me.

[Buscemi]

I don't think the Academy cares about what the Foreign Press thinks. For years, the Golden Globes were a joke in Hollywood due to the insane amount of bribery (which still somewhat happens today) and had difficulty getting the show on television as a result (there were a few years when TBS had the rights as none of the then-Big Three wanted anything to do with them). In recent years, I'd say the Critics Choice Awards have eroded the Golden Globes influence somewhat.

I recall the awards getting moved up to increase Nielsens and to improve box office results for movies about to hit home video. Instead, it did the opposite as the industry really just wanted to shorten home video windows (before then, you'd see Oscar winners play in theatres for several months).

And the year when the Academy announced the nominees early to combat the Globes ceremony (2012) led to the ridiculous Best Picture nomination of Les Miserables all because it had a great opening weekend. The Best Picture snub (and Best Director and Best Cinematography) of The Master still hurts.

[Talleyrand]

Originally Posted by Buscemi

I don't think the Academy cares about what the Foreign Press thinks. For years, the Golden Globes were a joke in Hollywood due to the insane amount of bribery (which still somewhat happens today) and had difficulty getting the show on television as a result (there were a few years when TBS had the rights as none of the then-Big Three wanted anything to do with them). In recent years, I'd say the Critics Choice Awards have eroded the Golden Globes influence somewhat.

The Golden Globes still are a joke. If I was an actor or writer, and my film (or show) was getting recognition during awards season, I wouldn't even go. Honestly, I don't see much purpose to any awards beyond the Oscars (and for TV the Emmy's) because no one cares about or remembers any of the other ones. It's not a very equitable distribution as compared to, say, books, where there are a few top tier prizes.

Originally Posted by Buscemi

And the year when the Academy announced the nominees early to combat the Globes ceremony (2012) led to the ridiculous Best Picture nomination of Les Miserables all because it had a great opening weekend. The Best Picture snub (and Best Director and Best Cinematography) of The Master still hurts.

If this is true - and I am not convinced 100%, because there were only 9 BP nominees that year, so there could have been a slot for The Master - , then I will rescind my opinion that it's better for the Oscars to be in February.

[Buscemi]

2012 had a lot of good movies that could have been nominated over Les Miserables. But the voters looked at box office and Hooper's last film and nominated it over several far more deserving films (The Master, Moonrise Kingdom, The Impossible, Killing Them Softly, The Intouchables, the incredible amount of genre and animated films). The film's reception was not very glowing and Oscar buzz was based solely around pre-release hype and the Christmas opening.

The Les Miserables nomination was that year's Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: an overhyped film that got nominated due to an amount of financial influence (though the latter's case was purely of the campaigning).

[MazeRunner]

How nice of them to air the awards exactly 1 year and 1 day after Logan's release date because Logan will win all the awards

[shinobipopcorn]

Yeah, a shame Logan will get overlooked. It's not necessarily award sweeping material, but the actors' performances deserve recognition.

Which Oscars was it where Jackman sang that number that ended with "I'm Wolverine"? That was hilarious.

[imsounoriginal]

Yeah I don't see Logan making much noise except for maybe the Sound categories (no pun intended) and maybe Hair/Makeup. Releasing in March will hurt, but I hope Fox still gives it some kind of awards push. They'll already be campaigning for Jackman and The Greatest Showman.

[Darth Marcus]

Originally Posted by jabbercash

Fuuck, you beat me.

[Buscemi]

Originally Posted by imsounoriginal

Yeah I don't see Logan making much noise except for maybe the Sound categories (no pun intended) and maybe Hair/Makeup. Releasing in March will hurt, but I hope Fox still gives it some kind of awards push. They'll already be campaigning for Jackman and The Greatest Showman.

As I said, The Greatest Showman on Earth is already the early favorite. The voters love show business movies.

Unless Call Me by Your Name becomes this year's Moonlight.

[imsounoriginal]

Meh, there's no favorite this early in the year. Every time people try to guess what the nominees will be, the list is usually completely different when they're actually announced.

[Buscemi]

I don't know. Jackman's spent years trying to get the film made and there will be some sympathy from voters with his health issues (one of the main reasons why he left the Wolverine role). And as we saw with La La Land, the industry will drop everything to praise musicals made directly for the screen.

[UltraMario9]

With Blade Runner 2049 being released in Oscar season, I'm predicting this could be Deakin's year.

Also, I'd love to see McAvoy get recognition for his performance in Split.

[imsounoriginal]

Originally Posted by Buscemi

I don't know. Jackman's spent years trying to get the film made and there will be some sympathy from voters with his health issues (one of the main reasons why he left the Wolverine role). And as we saw with La La Land, the industry will drop everything to praise musicals made directly for the screen.

I think LLL will end up being more of an anomaly than a trend-setter. I'm sure Greatest Showman will get nominated for a bunch of stuff and maybe even win some, but as far as calling it a frontrunner for Best Picture, I think that's a little premature. As usual, we probably won't know which movies are gonna be the real contenders til Toronto, or maybe slightly earlier. I doubt at this time last year people were counting on movies like Moonlight or even Lion to be serious awards circuit favorites.

[Buscemi]

Lion was a Weinstein production. It was always intended for awards.

I can give you Moonlight though. A24 originally intended it to be an afterthought for the film they actually though would contend for Oscars...American Honey.

Meanwhile, the Academy loves films about show business. Slumdog Millionaire, The King's Speech, The Artist, Argo, Birdman, Spotlight. All films involving some sort of media, all Best Picture winners. It's not an anomaly. It's the rule.