The Big Picture: Oscars: The Grouse

minuialear

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Plinglebob said:
Firstly, please stop using The Kings Speech as an example of a film being "Oscar Bait" as it detracts from the fact its a fucking good film. *puts Union Flag away*
Not really. It's incredibly cliched, has almost every major Oscar motif/theme/plot device, and it's completely over the top in terms of melodrama. As if we haven't ever seen a film about a rich guy who ends up living a more enriched life by getting the help of someone of another class, or a film about some dude with a "loveable" impediment that he has to overcome in order to achieve something important, etc.
 

Mischlings

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I both like and hate the multiple part episodes. I like them because they're a lot more informative than the single part episodes can be, but I hate them for a week (or in the case of the Hollywood History series, three weeks) because I'm left wanting more. Any possibility of doing some longer episodes, like if you had enough material for, say, an eight minute episode?

As for the ridiculously low requirements, that really is a detriment to the audience for the Oscars. I go out of my way to watch movies when I can (is difficult when you're a college student and busy all the time), but I've only seen three of the nominees for Best Picture (Descendants, Moneyball, Midnight in Paris -- note that two of them came out before the Oscar season really started) and my campus has two theaters that show little other than Oscar Bait and other similar specialty movies (Indie and experimental movies are some of their favorites, as well as special midnight showings like Rocky Horror and similar) -- I simply don't have the time to see most of these until well after they come out, usually after the Oscars have happened, and I think that a lot of people have the same problem that I do.

The real question is, how would you fix this problem? I'm at a loss for the moment -- I have no idea right now how I'd suggest you make the Oscars less "broken".
 

esperandote

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CAPITALISM IS WEEEEEEIRD!

I hate it when he says he's running out of time and it's been less than five minutes. I don't think he's limited to any less than 10 minutes and even that seems too short.
 

Falseprophet

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Cineplex Odeon, one of the big Canadian theatre chains, seems to understand this. They've started one-off Classic Film nights, letting you see Hollywood Classics on the big screen (just saw The Godfather last night), and are currently running their "Digital Film Fest", an opportunity to see some much loved 80s films in theatres. I think it's brilliant--January to April is usually the worst time of year for movies, so bring people in to watch things they actually love.

Aiddon said:
While we're at it, it's kind of embarrassing how Max von Sydow, who's been in TONS of the legendary Bergman's films, was nominated for THIS pile of tripe. A big problem is that the Oscars are pretty much lifetime achievement awards a lot of the time (mostly for actors). This just brings up a gigantic question: WHY NOT JUST GIVE PEOPLE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS????? Hell, Kirk Douglas got one in the 90s for how famous he was.
I know exactly what you mean. Scorsese gets his Oscar for The Departed, a good remake but not Goodfellas or Raging Bull. Denzel gets his for Training Day, an excellent performance but no Malcolm X. Beginners is fairly well-regarded, but is it the film Christopher Plummer should get his "lifetime achievement" Oscar for?
 

PunkRex

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I still proberly won't watch the oscars until 'The Hobbit' comes out. I don't see as many movies as I used to and i'd like to know roughly whats going on. Not to mention they don't seem to EVER nominate animated films whichs bugs me. Is that a rule or something or the fact most are aimed at kids?
 

Hungry Donner

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Mar 19, 2009
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Mischlings said:
The real question is, how would you fix this problem? I'm at a loss for the moment -- I have no idea right now how I'd suggest you make the Oscars less "broken".
I've love to see MovieBob's thoughts on this as well. Unfortunately when it comes to Best of the Year awards people have often forgotten the first 4-6 months of the year so I rather understand why all of the Oscar-bait gets released in such a short time frame.

An idle thought, but what if the year was split into four-month periods, and a third of the nominees (at least for the major awards) had to come from each period? I think this would promote a more disperse release schedule without allowing for too much (more) abuse in that regard.
 

Stalydan

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I really don't get why there isn't an honest awards show for movies. Because thinking about it, you'll get the MTV movie awards that pander to the tween crowds and have the newest Twilight saga film win every year and then have the Oscars where something really dull with a checklist of "themes" will win despite nobody[/I] even knowing what that film is.

Something like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 despite being well received, both critically and financially (being the ninth film to ever to gross over $1 billion), and earning so many other awards will never be considered for an Oscar. Despite meeting all the requirements, because it doesn't tick all the boxes that the Academy wants, it won't be up for best picture. Sure, it's nominated for best art direction, visual effects and make-up but is that all the credit it's being given? Because really, after reading that bit about Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, I can think of no other film that deserves less to be on that list when I compare it to Harry Potter.

By the way, I'd like to point out that there were so many other great films last year but Harry Potter was just that one that I can't think deserved anything less than a nomination for Best Film.
 

Aureliano

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Very nice, Bob. I've always just skipped the show ever since they stopped featuring movies I would ever want to see as winners or even nominees, but it's good to see just how and why all these 'craft for awards committees' sake' (as opposed to art for art's sake, in case you were wondering) movies get made and released right around a time I might have actually wanted to go to a theater.
 

Lunar Templar

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really?
1 week, in 1 city to be considered for an Oscar?
really?
wow ... -.- no wonder shit i wouldn't ever watch keeps winning...
 

Crimson_Dragoon

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Jul 29, 2009
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I will say, I'm somewhat proud of this years Oscars as Bridesmaids of all movies got a couple of "big" nominations for best supporting actress and best original screenplay. It won't win either, but still.

Oh, wait. Jonah Hill's been nominated for best supporting actor. That pride didn't last long.

PunkRex said:
I still proberly won't watch the oscars until 'The Hobbit' comes out. I don't see as many movies as I used to and i'd like to know roughly whats going on. Not to mention they don't seem to EVER nominate animated films whichs bugs me. Is that a rule or something or the fact most are aimed at kids?
Um, did you miss the last two years? Both Up and Toy Story 3 got best picture nominations.
 

PunkRex

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Crimson_Dragoon said:
I will say, I'm somewhat proud of this years Oscars as Bridesmaids of all movies got a couple of "big" nominations for best supporting actress and best original screenplay. It won't win either, but still.

Oh, wait. Jonah Hill's been nominated for best supporting actor. That pride didn't last long.

PunkRex said:
I still proberly won't watch the oscars until 'The Hobbit' comes out. I don't see as many movies as I used to and i'd like to know roughly whats going on. Not to mention they don't seem to EVER nominate animated films whichs bugs me. Is that a rule or something or the fact most are aimed at kids?
Um, did you miss the last two years? Both Up and Toy Story 3 got best picture nominations.
Wow really!? I actually watched some last year and forgot about TS3, you give me happy thoughts, thanks guy.

Good to know Bridlemaids got some love to, that film was glorious.
 

krellen

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Jan 23, 2009
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Crimson_Dragoon said:
Um, did you miss the last two years? Both Up and Toy Story 3 got best picture nominations.
Nominations, perhaps, but, as with Beauty and the Beast way back (which led to the creation of a new category for animated films), neither really stood a chance of winning.
 

XDravond

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Mar 30, 2011
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Well you know what move to a weird really off country where almost "no one" knows a word english (being sarcastic here) and try to see a movie you seen good reviews of within 1-6 months of it's american release...
Yea I'm talking about norway/sweden/denmark/finland seriosuly half of the movies I'm intressted in doesn't show up here before the DVD is released in US... And what for? The subs can't take that long and "release windows" and other crap like that (for example "Iron lady" had US premiere 30dec, swedish prem is 3feb...)

So I enjoy most kind movies all year around.... Sort of anyway...
 

cricket chirps

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Apr 15, 2009
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Who, sets the time limits on these videos? For what reason would you end things at five minutes when you are JUST getting to the stuff worth talking about?

:( I really want to know this, because to me this episode just fealt like a "what happened last time on..." right before the stuff you actually want to see and talk about.

-Genuine question here, not trying to troll or anything
 

Not G. Ivingname

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Nov 18, 2009
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Of the oscar films nominated for the big one, only 1 could even called the "small independent film" that Bob was talking about, namely Midnight in Paris, which released months before "Oscar season" started, and even that is stretching it.
 

The Hungry Samurai

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Apr 1, 2004
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MovieBob said:
Oscars: The Grouse

Why the Oscar process is "broken".

Watch Video
You're Princess Summerfall Winterspring reference can't be that obscure. Stephen King references her in his latest novel. Thanks for giving me a face to put to that name ;)
 

Sylveria

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Nov 15, 2009
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I find this video humorous considering Bob's favorite movie of 2011 was Tree of Life: The most blatant, pretentious, pointless, art house-y Oscar bait of the year that was made purely to entice "old people" and film snobs who eat up that stuff
 

Nurb

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Dec 9, 2008
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Sounds like the forums is making poor ol Bob a liiittle bitter