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The 81st Annual Academy Awards, Most Important Yet?
Has anybody else noticed how crazy this year has been with movie releases. Week after week, people are contemplating what will be the next big hit. I was pleasantly surprised to find some very good movies at the beginning of the year. I couldn't believe it. On top of that, this summer is turning out to be the best yet. Already people are looking for nominations for their favorites. Though, I think it is safe to say most speak with trepidation. There is no clear certainty in regards to this year. Every time I think of the past, present, and future of 2008 and how it will all culminate come awards ceremony, I shiver in anticipation. I don't think enough people are aware of what may happen, but I think 2008 will have a profound impact on the movie industry for years to come.
Let me further explain myself. This year will play host to dozens of movies that will vie for the distinguished and honorary awards. Never have I seen such immense competition. From Ridley Scott's "Body of Lies" to Sam Mendes' "Revolutionary Road," there is no doubt in my mind people will be talking about this year for generations to come. To give you an idea, here is a string of details on some of the most vigilantly pursued films by avid cinema lovers.
As you can see, I wasn't joking when I said dozens. These are all destined to be top quality films. I'm sure I even forgot a couple. Where this all begins to affect us is that already there are huge amounts of fan bases for each film that claim their film will end up sweeping the awards, and for good reason. I have never seen this before. I mean, we got a taste of it last year, but nothing of this magnitude. It will be an exciting season for movie goers, even more so if "State of Play" finishes up in time, but it will be truly horrifying come awards season. I wonder how big the meltdowns will get this time. It just goes to show how great this year is shaping up to be.
Australia - Directed By Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge!)
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman
One of the most notable characteristics this director holds is his ability to dramatically improve upon his previous works. This time, Luhrmann hopes to strike gold with this dramatic retelling of the events that led to the bombing of Darwin, Australia. An English aristocrat (Kidman) finds herself the owner of a ranch that makes entire cities pale in comparison. Due to surrounding barons plotting against her, she hires a stock-hand (Jackman). Together they try to drive over 2,000 heads of cattle through perilous landscapes.
Body of Lies - Directed By Ridley Scott (American Gangster, Alien, Blade Runner)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Russel Crowe
The legend, Ridley Scott, returns; reuniting Russell Crowe for what will undoubtedly become yet another masterpiece for the duo's record. However, things are different this time around. Joining them are none other than Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Strong. So you could say the casting seems pretty decent. You'd be missing half of the promise for the film if that was all you were thinking. Bringing to life these remarkable characters will be none other than William Monahan. Yeah, that's right. This will be Monohan's first outing since he captured Oscar gold for his screenplay in a film movie goers may have become all too familiar with... The Departed.
Brothers - Directed By Jim Sheridan (In America, In the Name of the Father)
Starring: Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire
Mr. Sheridan's latest may prove yet another formidable film. Test screenings have already been raising brows and has begun to receive a tremendous amount of buzz. Brothers tells the tale of a man who consoles his older brother's wife after he has gone missing in Afghanistan. The stellar cast already makes this a shoe in, but will it be enough?
Burn After Reading - Directed By Joel and Ethan Coen (No Country For Old Men, Fargo, The Big Lebowski)
Starring: Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, George Clooney, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton
Hot off the heels of their recent success, No Country For Old Men, the Coens are ready to get back into the Dark Comedies they are largely known for. With an all-star cast and intelligent humor, the Coens are looking to go 2 for 0. When the memoirs of a CIA agent go missing, winding up in the hands of two gym employees, who attempt to sell it to the highest bidder, any hope for a civil agreement gets thrown out the window.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Directed By David Fincher (Se7en, Fight Club, Zodiac)
Starring: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton
Fincher has become a staple to the film industry. His history plays host to numerous cult classics that has formed the groundwork for his prestigious career. Looks like it paid off. The film has already received a substantial amount of buzz, if nothing else than for it's hauntingly beautiful trailer. Pitt and Blanchett are a dynamic pair as they proved in their last joint Babel. This time, however, they will be taking a rather obscure short story by world renowned American novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald. At it's essence, a love story, but when age becomes a factor the theme seemingly evolves. After all, how can love hold together a man that grows younger with each passing second, while his love grows older?
Defiance - Directed By Edward Zwick (Blood Diamond, Glory, The Last Samurai)
Starring: Daniel Craig, Liev Schrieber, Jamie Bell
What more needs to be said? Edward Zwick loves his war films, but as always they prove to be of the highest quality. Packed full of emotion and set to inspire, three Polish brothers are forced to flee their homeland. Rather than wait out the approaching storm, they choose to strike. Together they build a refuge for the hundreds of oppressed Jews they rescued. While providing warmth and protection, they train so that one day they will be able to strike back at the Nazi regime. Did I mention this was all based on a true story?
Doubt - Directed By John Patrick Shanley
Starring: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams
While known more for his writing, John Patrick Shanley will be directing an adaptation of his own play for the silver screen. His play has won countless awards including the Tony for Best Play. With a proven script, the movie might be one to watch for. Some big names are attached to this project, if Meryl Streep wasn't enough to convince you of that. The tale follows a nun who's early suspicions of a fellow Priest abusing a black student leads to an ongoing case in which she tries to win the support of her colleagues. Remember when I said big names? This will be Roger Deakins second project in which he is in charge of photography for for this year.
The Exchange - Directed By Clint Eastwood (Letters From Iwo Jima, Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby)
Starring: Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Jason Butler Harner
Clint Eastwood steps into the fray again. This time with a period piece about a mother, who's son was kidnapped. Never giving up hope that someday she would see him again, her prayers were answered... At least so she thought. Slowly, she begins to realize the kid returned to her is not her kid at all. The movie has already received a large following due to its screening at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. While it didn't win the Golden Palm award, it has, nevertheless, been thought of as an Oscar nominee.
Frost/Nixon - Directed By Ron Howard (Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man)
Starring: Michael Sheen, Frank Langella, Kevin Bacon, Sam Rockwell
Frost/Nixon recounts the events that followed Richard Nixon's resignation over the Watergate incident. The story plays out through a series of interviews conducted by David Frost, a British talk-show host. The film is based off the play by Peter Morgan. Both Michael Sheen and Frank Langella starred in the London and Broadway productions of the play.
Milk - Directed By Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting)
Starring: Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, James Franco, Josh Brolin
The story covers the assassinations of California's first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk, and San Francisco's Mayor, George Moscone. Accompanied by a nice ensemble cast, Gus Van Sant looks to take this biopic to soaring new heights when it debuts during the holiday season.
Miracle at St. Anna - Directed By Spike Lee (25th Hour, Malcolm X)
Starring: Derek Luke, Michael Ealy, Laz Alonso
Regardless of whatever recent controversies the two rival directors may have stirred up (Eastwood and Lee), Miracle At St. Anna is shaping up to be one hell of a film. Lee's track record is one for the books, and having the author of the book the film was inspired by as the writer in charge of the screenplay adaptation is always a plus. The film follows the story of four black Americans who get trapped in a small Tuscan village after rescuing an Italian boy.
Revolutionary Road - Directed By Sam Mendes (American Beauty)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Kathy Bates
Based on the novel by Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road follows a young dysfunctional couple: Frank (DiCaprio) and April (Winslet) Wheeler. Together they try to live up their dreams as best they can in the suburbs of Connecticut while raising two children of their own. Mendes reunites the crew from Titanic for perhaps their most important roles yet. DiCaprio and Winslet have both been long overdue for their awards. Could this be their year? With Roger Deakins in charge of photography, that could be a very resounding yes.
The Road - Directed By John Hillcoat (The Proposition)
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce, Robert Duvall
After making his way into the spotlight with the successful No Country For Old Men, Normac McCarthy has yet another book turned movie to keep an eye on. Imagine, will you, a post-apocalyptic world, where snow falls in ashen gray tones continuously. The savage world has warped the people left in it. Fighting for survival, most have turned cannibals. All the while, a boy and his father traverse the ruined landscape in hopes of discovering safety. Their path is treacherous, and the boy's father will see to it that he makes it to the coast; even if it means losing his humanity. For what promises to be an epic emotional case study of just what it means to be human, its hard not to get excited about this upcoming film.
The Soloist - Directed By Joe Wright (Atonement, Pride and Prejudice)
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx, Catherine Keener
The new and upcoming director has already proved his guff and is now taking on this big screen adaptation of Steve Lopez's novel. Unlike his previous works, the Soloist looks to etch its own identity in the form of a dramatic biopic. A homeless schizophrenic dreams of the day when he will be able to play at Walt Disney's Concert Hall. This film may prove as yet another defining moment in this director's early career.
Let me further explain myself. This year will play host to dozens of movies that will vie for the distinguished and honorary awards.
IOW, you want to legitimize a geek-thread about All the Neato Movies You've Heard Of, by giving them "Oscar buzz" before you've even seen a frame of them.
(Y'know, we haven't seen those nebbishes on the Usenet movie groups in literally ten years--
No wait, might've been longer than that...What was the year we all thought Kevin Costner was going to sweep Picture, Actor and Director nominations, two months before "The Postman" came out?)
Quote:
Australia - Directed By Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge!)
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman
One of the most notable characteristics this director holds is his ability to dramatically improve upon his previous works. This time, Luhrmann hopes to strike gold with this dramatic retelling of the events that led to the bombing of Darwin, Australia.
...As depicted in a big Donna Summer musical-medley number, in pink chiffon!
(Eh, just kidding, we've already got Baz's Nicole Kidman fetish, for the gay joke.)
But c'mon, it's not complete yet...It's not a TRUE Buzzy-Boy geek post, until we get one of those Three Sacred Phrases:
"Directed by Scorsese"..."Starring Tom Hanks"...or--oh, c'mon, say it, say it, you know you want to:
Quote:
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio
...YES! Houston, we have official Leo mention!
(Here's our thought for tonight, to grow on:
Sometimes...once in a while, in this crazy ol' world...last year's Oscar winners don't AUTOMATICALLY win the next year just for showing up? Cuba Gooding Jr., 'nuff said.
And that's why we don't get these posts anymore on the Usenet groups. Too bad, because, man, were they good for a nasty giggle.)
Well I cant comment on the academy nominations because I know little about most of the fims you have listed. And im not a member of the academy. But ill definitely look into them when they are released.
IOW, you want to legitimize a geek-thread about All the Neato Movies You've Heard Of, by giving them "Oscar buzz" before you've even seen a frame of them.
(Y'know, we haven't seen those nebbishes on the Usenet movie groups in literally ten years--
No wait, might've been longer than that...What was the year we all thought Kevin Costner was going to sweep Picture, Actor and Director nominations, two months before "The Postman" came out?)
I'm sorry. It must be a little too early. I've been shifting from forum to forum on these related movies for quite a bit of time now. There is crazy amounts of expectations for each of the movies I listed. Not because the Academy loves these kind of movies, but if you looked up the teams behind them, as well, maybe, you would have noticed these are high profile releases not to be messed with. If you don't want to contribute to discussion, fine. That's not my problem, but do a little research before you claim this is for some nerdish fantasy. I wrote this because I have been hovering around there respective forums for a long time, and each one had me going. The people behind the projects are simply incredible. It could still tank, but the likelihood of that happening is nigh on nil.
Let me present you with a challenge. Go to IMDB. Go to any forum that is dedicated to one of the respective movies I listed. See for yourself the hype generated for each movie. Test and advanced screenings are common for these types of films. Read about 'em. You'll start to see that most of these films deserve the attention they're getting. You can learn a lot just by being around those forums. No trailer needed, though it helps all the more if there is one. In fact, there are already quite a few trailers for the movies I listed below. Look them up: Australia, Burn After Reading, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Defiance, Miracle At St. Anna, etc...
If you still think all of this ridiculous, I'm sorry I invaded your time. Let discussion continue on, rather than trying to bring it down. Thanks for the heads up, though.
There is crazy amounts of expectations for each of the movies I listed. Not because the Academy loves these kind of movies, but if you looked up the teams behind them, as well, maybe, you would have noticed these are high profile releases not to be messed with.
Let me present you with a challenge. Go to IMDB. Go to any forum that is dedicated to one of the respective movies I listed. See for yourself the hype generated for each movie. Test and advanced screenings are common for these types of films. Read about 'em. You'll start to see that most of these films deserve the attention they're getting. You can learn a lot just by being around those forums. No trailer needed, though it helps all the more if there is one. In fact, there are already quite a few trailers for the movies I listed below. Look them up: Australia, Burn After Reading, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Defiance, Miracle At St. Anna, etc...
And I'm sure you did too, as your descriptions were remarkably similar to IMDb's "coming soon" insider-tracking.
But "having heard" of a movie's hype does not make it good. I'm sure a lot of people have heard of "Hancock" by now, and Sony right now believes that must be a good thing.
There is, as what has now become a common phrase even with regular mainstream viewers, such a term as "Oscar bait". (And yes, the term may have been crafted to subtly suggest "Oscar-bate". )
And here's the thing: Nine times out of ten, it RARELY WORKS. (Unless they toss "American Gangster" a spare surplus Actor/Supporting at the last minute, just to fill out five nominations, and shut up all the Consideration mail campaigns.)
In 1998, there were Oscar prognosticators willing to predict entire nomination sweeps around "Beloved", on famous past-winner ingredients alone. Jonathan Demme. Famous black actors. Oprah liked it. Famous book, just like "Color Purple", and looks sorta like it. It left theaters in a week.
To this day, a failed, dreary, somber noble-intentioned Oscar-bait to which the audience was too smart to bite for is still referred to as "This year's Beloved", and it took most of the whole pre-emptive Buzzy-Boy subculture with it.
(Hmm...Yep, ten years, I was right.)
In 1999, prognosticators were willing to craft entire sweeps around "The Green Mile" months before it opened (Frank Darabont! Tom Hanks! Saintly prison drama! Another black actor, although not Morgan Freeman!), even to the point that nominations had even included it on the basis of Golden Globes list-cribbing, and were ready to make it the main contender, although few had seen the movie yet.
And then they saw it, just in time for the actual voting. Oh, dear gods.
This introduces our next bit of Oscar slang which has been initiated into our national vocabulary: "Green Mile Syndrome". Which became the reason "American Beauty" won that year, although the dreary critics'-award favorite usually never wins.
And then, the sad 2001 saga of Kevin Spacey:
C'mon, he was in "American Beauty", he HAD to win for his next film!...Problem was, which one was that going to be: "K-Pax", "Pay it Forward", or "The Shipping News"? (And not that Miramax wasn't trying to push "Shipping News" as their annual all-out Consideration-campaign Bribe, Lasse Holstrom and all.)
...Y'know, I almost take it back, it could really have been Spacey who singlehandedly killed off the Buzzy-Boys.
If not for all those "Road to Perdition" and "The Terminal" jokes, because the BB's consider anything with Tom Hanks holy and sacred.
(After all, "The Terminal" merely had Hanks and Spielberg, but "Catch Me If You Can" had Hanks, Spielberg, AND DiCaprio! )
I can't wait to sit for three hours and listen to people tell me what movies are good. Thanks Hollywood money machine for telling me which films to think are good.
And I'm sure you did too, as your descriptions were remarkably similar to IMDb's "coming soon" insider-tracking.
Sorry. It was all I had to work with. That and Wikipedia, and I don't like Wiki as much because they don't keep up to date and they don't always include sources. Tried my best to describe it as accurately as I could. I was actually going to credit IMDB last night but I got too tired and drained from all the research.
Quote:
Originally Posted by EricJ
But "having heard" of a movie's hype does not make it good. I'm sure a lot of people have heard of "Hancock" by now, and Sony right now believes that must be a good thing.
There is, as what has now become a common phrase even with regular mainstream viewers, such a term as "Oscar bait". (And yes, the term may have been crafted to subtly suggest "Oscar-bate". )
And here's the thing: Nine times out of ten, it RARELY WORKS. (Unless they toss "American Gangster" a spare surplus Actor/Supporting at the last minute, just to fill out five nominations, and shut up all the Consideration mail campaigns.)
In 1998, there were Oscar prognosticators willing to predict entire nomination sweeps around "Beloved", on famous past-winner ingredients alone. Jonathan Demme. Famous black actors. Oprah liked it. Author of "Color Purple" and looks sorta like it. It left theaters in a week.
To this day, a failed, dreary, somber noble-intentioned Oscar-bait to which the audience was too smart to bite for is still referred to as "This year's Beloved", and it took most of the whole pre-emptive Buzzy-Boy subculture with it.
(Hmm...Yep, ten years, I was right.)
In 1999, prognosticators were willing to craft entire sweeps around "Green Mile" months before it opened (Frank Darabont! Tom Hanks! Another black actor, although not Morgan Freeman!), even to the point that nominations had even included it on the basis of Golden Globes list-cribbing, and were ready to make it the main contender, although few had seen the movie yet.
And then they saw it. Oh, dear gods.
This introduces our next bit of Oscar slang which has been initiated into our national vocabulary: "Green Mile Syndrome". Which became the reason "American Beauty" on that year, although the dreary critics'-award favorite usually never wins.
And then, the sad 2001 saga of Kevin Spacey:
C'mon, he was in "American Beauty", he HAD to win for his next film!...Problem was, which one was that going to be: "K-Pax", "Pay it Forward", or "The Shipping News"? (And not that Miramax wasn't trying to push "Shipping News" as their annual Bribe, Lasse Holstrom and all.)
...Y'know, I almost take it back, it could really have been Spacey who singlehandedly killed off the Buzzy-Boys.
If not for all those "Road to Perdition" and "The Terminal" jokes, because the BB's consider anything with Tom Hanks holy and sacred.
(After all, "The Terminal" merely had Hanks and Spielberg, but "Catch Me If You Can" had Hanks, Spielberg, AND DiCaprio! )
I appreciate all the previous knowledge you have shared with us, but I know, just as well as you, that any one of the films I listed could tank. I never go into a movie thinking its going to be good or bad. I let the movie decide that for me. Nor, do I advertise for movies coming out later this year. I was just looking to get discussion going. We have been given a wealth of material to discuss.
I too laugh and chuckle when I hear someone predict Oscar sweeps. I just want to know what everyone else thinks. Have they heard of it? Seen it? What did they think? Etc... Whether or not these potential releases are able to achieve the expectations many have set before them, this year could prove to be the best year yet for movies. That is why I posed the question if this year's Academy Awards would be the most important yet. I wanted to see if all movies did well, if others thought this would be the best year for cinema. If not, I expected nostalgic posts of previous years that had a hand in shaping the film industry. I invited nice friendly discussions. This thread is merely for potential reasons.
Thank you for the informative post. I agree with almost everything you said. The only thing I encourage in addition to your post is discussion. You can learn many things about a film before it even comes out. Opinions are most welcome. No nerdy geek posts. Just informative ones about potential. Like I said, I'm sure most if not all have not even heard of any of the movies I listed above, but that doesn't change the fact that others have and would be willing to comment on some news that they have heard of in regards to the film.
Though, no matter how much I appreciated the conversation, no one here wants to sift through an alarming amount of posts that they would classify as bickering. Just let it go, and stop picking on me. This was really hard to put together just to get some ideas floating around. We'll see how the remainder of the year turns out, but don't feel ashamed if you start getting a little excited for an upcoming project. Thanks again for the spirited dialogue.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jubei29
Any list without "The Road" on it for this year is flawed.
Sorry about that. I'll get right to it. My mistake. Still can't believe I forgot that one.
out of all those movies you listed i haven't heard of a single one nor do i care to see any of them. This is why i dont care about the academy awards since most of their films do not interest me.
What we have here is a demonstration of the disparity between the Academy and the rest of the world, and a point of evidence in why Hollywood is having a harder time generating box office results each year. Of all the films he listed most of them will be lucky to get a fraction of some of this summer's weaker releases.
It may be a bit early for Oscar Buzz, but I have seen trailers for a few of those you mentioned and look forward to seeing them. (Revolutionary Road, Milk, Defiance, Burn After Reading) You are correct about other forums really ranting and raving about the ones you mentioned. Being a huge RDJ fan, I'm interested in seeing a trailer for Soloist. Having seen all of this past years 'best picture' nominees, I think the academy did a fine job in their selection. Thanks for all the work you put into listing these films and brief descriptions of each!
It may be a bit early for Oscar Buzz, but I have seen trailers for a few of those you mentioned and look forward to seeing them. (Revolutionary Road, Milk, Defiance, Burn After Reading) You are correct about other forums really ranting and raving about the ones you mentioned. Being a huge RDJ fan, I'm interested in seeing a trailer for Soloist. Having seen all of this past years 'best picture' nominees, I think the academy did a fine job in their selection. Thanks for all the work you put into listing these films and brief descriptions of each!
I kind of expected the reactions I got. It is true not as many people go to see movies once summer is out. Its kind of sad really, because, if people gave these late comers a chance, our industry would be a lot more rewarding. My favorite season for movies is the end of the year. Its almost always a treat. The competition gets fierce around awards season. Its a time where we get to see top quality acting, editing, writing, and shooting. Even though the audience is just a niche compared to the larger summer movie goers, the movie industry needs us. This thread was made for that particular niche in mind. Where we can speculate and discuss all we want about the movies coming out towards the end of the year.
I've seen trailers for Australia, Benjamin Button, Burn After Reading, Defiance, and Miracle At St. Anna. I was stunned by each and every one. Personally, I liked the Burn After Reading and Defiance trailers the most. Defiance was just put together really well. The actors and actresses in the Burn After Reading trailer had just the perfect expressions. I loved how Frances McDormand lifted the edge of her lips into a subtle sneer that was unable to suppress her amusement, when Pitt was calling Malkovich about the security of his sh!t. Priceless. I was shocked as hell when I saw the St. Anna trailer. I remember when I was in the theater; I had no idea what was going on. This man came up to a bank window and was withdrawing some funds. Nothing unusual. But, then, the accountant noticed something about the customer. Everything got deathly silent and the camera faded to behind the counter. The accountant brought up his arm and pulled the trigger. Shooting the man dead. I literally jumped.
The Soloist sounds like a movie made for Downey. It sounds like he will have a wealth of material to play off of for his character. Haven't heard as much about this as I have the others. Interested in hearing more. For me, I want to see a trailer for Revolutionary Road the most. The sole reason being I think the acting will be out of this world. I can't remember which movie it was... Oh yeah, Body of Lies. The trailer for the film is rumored to be attached to The Dark Knight. I'm excited. I love The Departed, and if Monohan can do it again we may be in for something special.
Personally, I don't think it's ever too early to pull out an Oscar contender list. I have seen trailers for a few of these, and they look to be strong: Australia (hopefully Baz will get his first Best Director nomination), Burning before Reading, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
I'm rooting for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button just by the trailer alone. Watching it before Indiana Jones IV, I was astounded. The unusual story of a man born old and becoming younger by each second... who wouldn't be intrigued? The trailer's music, which is from Saint-Saens' Carnival of the Animals, only made it more fascinating. This one will definitely get Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Makeup, judging from the trailer alone. Predictions for other categories are still too early.
What we have here is a demonstration of the disparity between the Academy and the rest of the world, and a point of evidence in why Hollywood is having a harder time generating box office results each year. Of all the films he listed most of them will be lucky to get a fraction of some of this summer's weaker releases.
Your post is confusing. Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't Hollywood and the box office doing quite well atm?
How exactly are the movies listed above any different than The Illusionist which you list in your sig as your third most wanted movie?
BTW movies like The Love Guru and Speed Racer sure have set the bar high... the movies above don't have to do much to "get a fraction of some of this summer's weaker releases."
I fail to see how prospecting these movies' Oscar chances is any different than prospecting which "blockbuster" will win the summer box office.
How come anyone could say that some movie "deserves" to be nominated for Best Picture when He/She have yet to watch them? Makes no sense to me.
Don't try to sell "thin air", better let's wait and see if they are as good as the OP says or not.
The same way someone can watch an Iron Man trailer three months before the movie is released and say it is going to be awesome. The same way people were stating as a fact the effect of a movie on a format war six plus months from its theatrical release date. The same way people are already soiling themselves at how great Transformers 2 is going to be despite history clearly showing that more than likely it will be far inferior to the first (The exceptions are a very very small %).
Why is box office buzz welcome and Oscar buzz a turn off?
The same way someone can watch an Iron Man trailer three months before the movie is released and say it is going to be awesome. The same way people were stating as a fact the effect of a movie on a format war six plus months from its theatrical release date. The same way people are already soiling themselves at how great Transformers 2 is going to be despite history clearly showing that more than likely it will be far inferior to the first (The exceptions are a very very small %).
Why is box office buzz welcome and Oscar buzz a turn off?
Sorry but your comparison is quite lame. Basically you are saying that the reason why a movie is nominated for Best Picture is the huge propaganda machinery behind those movies, isn't? There is a lot of lobbying before the Oscars but it's not the same than a gazillion of dollars in publicity!
If that were true in the last edition of the Oscar Awards, "Atonement" "Michael Clayton" or "There Will Be Blood" wouldn't have been nominated, instead of those movies, Transformers, POTC At World's End or Spider-Man 3 would have been nominated.
Box Office buzz is based on figures, and they are somehow predictable, but Oscar nominees are based on "artistic merits" something that you CAN'T judge until you (and for BP nominations, the academy members) see ALL those movies from the start to the end.
Sorry but your comparison is quite lame. Basically you are saying that the reason why a movie is nominated for Best Picture is the huge propaganda machinery behind those movies, isn't? There is a lot of lobbying before the Oscars but it's not the same than a gazillion of dollars in publicity!
If that were true in the last edition of the Oscar Awards, "Atonement" "Michael Clayton" or "There Will Be Blood" wouldn't have been nominated, instead of those movies, Transformers, POTC At World's End or Spider-Man 3 would have been nominated.
Box Office buzz is based on figures, and they are somehow predictable, but Oscar nominees are based on "artistic merits" something that you CAN'T judge until you (and for BP nominations, the academy members) see ALL those movies from the start to the end.
Got it?
I'm not sure I understand what you are saying in your first paragraph. I understand that potential nominees lobby for and promote their movies to be nominated. Why wouldn't they? In what industry does that not happen? My company lobbies for its products when they are nominated for awards. It isn't much different than studios advertising their movies to get people to go see them or a politician lobbying for votes to win an election.
No, I don't believe anything stated in your second paragraph and I'm not sure why you would think that I would.
Just because something involves figures doesn't necessarily mean it is any more predictable than something that doesn't. Those figures are based on polls, past performance of similar movies and actor's past movies among other things. It is not much different than someone saying Ridley Scott's new movie may be Oscar worthy judging by his past performances as a director and how they've been viewed by the Academy. Want an example? Let's say Tom Hanks is in a new movie and Shaq is in a new movie and someone asks you of the two who do you predict to have more of a shot of being nominated for an Oscar this year? What do you say?
Ask Warner Brothers how useful figures were in estimating the box office success of Speed Racer.
You really believe every member of the Academy watches every movie nominated from beginning to end? LOL!!
My original point which you seem to have missed was that saying Burn After Reading may be an Oscar contender this year is no different than someone watching the trailer for Iron Man and saying it is going to be awesome. In both cases the person has not viewed the film but are using what they do know about the film and those who made it to make a prediction. I don't see the difference.
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The 81st Annual Academy Awards, Most Important Yet?
I've been shifting from forum to forum on these related movies for quite a bit of time now. There is crazy amounts of expectations for each of the movies I listed. Not because the Academy loves these kind of movies, but if you looked up the teams behind them, as well, maybe, you would have noticed these are high profile releases not to be messed with. If you don't want to contribute to discussion, fine. That's not my problem, but do a little research before you claim this is for some nerdish fantasy. I wrote this because I have been hovering around there respective forums for a long time, and each one had me going. The people behind the projects are simply incredible. It could still tank, but the likelihood of that happening is nigh on nil.
Thanks for the heads up, though.
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maybe early, but speculating can still be fun
It may be a bit early for Oscar Buzz, but I have seen trailers for a few of those you mentioned and look forward to seeing them. (Revolutionary Road, Milk, Defiance, Burn After Reading) You are correct about other forums really ranting and raving about the ones you mentioned. Being a huge RDJ fan, I'm interested in seeing a trailer for Soloist. Having seen all of this past years 'best picture' nominees, I think the academy did a fine job in their selection. Thanks for all the work you put into listing these films and brief descriptions of each!
I love The Departed, and if Monohan can do it again we may be in for something special.
Makes no sense to me.
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