The road to the 2009-2010 Oscars!!

[turtlex]

Has anybody seen any of her other films? The only one I've seen is Point Break.

I've seen all of them, and honestly - with the exception of Near Dark and Strange Days ( both of which I loved ) - they were only okay. She tends to have "moments" in her movies which are great, but the movies themselves, not always.

The night surfing scene in Point Break is lots of fun to watch, as is the big police arresting the surfers in the house scene. Both excellently blocked and filmed... the rest of the movie... :meh:.

Blue Steel was a joke, but Jamie Lee Curtis sure looked great as a cop.

Oscar Noms in 2 hours !!!!

[Hannah]

So, I'm a little embarrassed to admit I've only seen 3 of the nominees.

Best Picture
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

[Sam]

Which 3? I've seen District 9, The Blind Side, and Up. I think I went to see one film since my wife restarted chemo, and that was The Blind Side

This from a guy who used to watch at least 1 new film per week (and watched about ten old ones in that same week). That was before life interferred with my movie watching activities though.

[Hannah]

I've seen District 9 (liked it), The Blind Side (okay, but not oscar material, imo), and Inglourious Basterds (loved it). I've heard Up was fantastic though. My brother took my daughter to see it when it came to theaters and said he cried, which made me think it must be good because my baby brother hasn't cried since I made him eat cat food when he was six. ha.

Seriously though, I've heard avatar was amazing (visually), and that up in the air was great as well. I haven't really heard anything on the others.

[Sam]

Up truly was a wonderful film, if just a little on the silly side at times (it's a movie for kids, whadya expect). It did make me cry, though I'm not the best of testers these days. I seem to tear up at even the sappiest of scenes (and it's starting to piss me off). As for The Blind Side, I thought it was a really wonderful film, but I'm surprised to see it up for Best Picture. Bullock deserves the nomination for Best Actress and is my pic for the winner, but as much as I enjoyed the film I'm not sure it's Best Picture material. Of course many of the films that have been nominated and even won weren't Best Picture material, imo.

Poor choices that won in the last 20 years:
Slumdog Millionare
Crash
The Departed
Million Dollar Baby
Titanic (Cameron must have sold someone's soul for that, cause he had the nation snowed with this one)
Shakespeare in Love
The English Patient
Forrest Gump (that should have gone to Pulp Fiction or The Shawshank Redemption you bastards.)

[fernandito]

I've seen half of the movies on the BP list - Avatar, District 9, Inglourious Basterds, UP, and The Hurt Locker. I want to see Up In The Air before the Oscars as that seems to be one of the stronger contenders this year.

Honestly, I feel that Avatar deserves it's BP nomination. With the exception of a few wooden characters, I feel that what it set out to do , it did exceptionally well. A great story, an excellent art direction, gorgeous visuals, memorable central characters ... what more do you want ?

[turtlex]

Sam - I agree with some of your list, but certainly not all - Crash and Million Dollar Baby were both excellent.

No big surprises at all in the noms today. ( except me not being able to load the live feed on CNN to watch real-time )

My biggest surprise was Matt Damon for Best Supporting. I know he doesn't have a chance to win, but was still surprised to see the nomination.

Feev - I know you loved Avatar, but you're the first person I've heard call it an excellent story. Of all the reviews I've read, the story itself is usually the exception when talking about how great it is.

[Sam]

Regarding Avatar, I haven't seen it yet (though I wanted to, but illness has prevented it) but like Pam, nothing I've heard besides Feev's statement has been about the story itself. My mom told me I HAD to see this movie in theaters because the scenery was so awesome, and the effects were really great, and the way the creatures looked. I was like, but was the story any good?

[turtlex]

I was just checking Rotten Tomatoes and Avatar is doing great - however, when you look at the rottens... most every one points out the weak storytelling.

A couple funnier ones quoted here :

"Cameron's technical wizardry far outstrips his narrative capability" - The Independent

"It's baggy, longwinded and, for all the light-speed imagery, just not quick on its feet. Cameron used to be the tautest film-maker around, but he just got slack." - The Gaurdian UK

"The corniest movie ever made about the white man's need to lose his identity and assuage racial, political, sexual and historical guilt." - New York Press

"And for the epic battle at the end, well let me just say it's as believable as the Ewoks beating the Empire at the end of Return of the Jedi." - KPBS.org

"The demand for awe starts to grind the film down after the introductory, new-car-smell period, soon left with only one-dimensional characters making predictable choices while the backgrounds flashdance to stave off dramatic inertia." - BryanOrndorf

"Yes, the wonderful CGI effects and sophisticated editing rhythms in these moments represent all that's good about contemporary blockbuster cinema. But the film is compromised by a rather juvenile story exposition. A pity." - MovieTime/ABC Radio

and my favorite :

"Alternates between a slurry of Franz Marc expressionism and the most elaborate Thundercats episode ever made" - CinePassion

[Hannah]

Aaron saw it a couple of weekends ago and said the story was pretty good and he wasn't sure why it isn't getting good reviews for the story. I usually trust Aaron's opinion, and Feev's a good judge as well so I'm going to have to say that everyone else is wrong.

[turtlex]

My whole thing is ... how can you NOT want to see a movie called the "most elaborate Thundercats episode ever made" ?!?!?

[Seymour_Glass]

That is a great quote. I really hope Avatar doesn't win. I mean, it seems like such a technical exercise. I would love to see that technology put to use in a story that isn't so cliched and that has a protagonist not made of wood.

I'm throwing my inconsiderable weight behind Up in the Air. It was such a great film. See that.

Although i did love Basterds, and i do really want to see A Serious Man.

[Heather19]

I'm not really surprised by any of the nominations. I know it has no chance, nor do I think it should win, but I am glad to see that District 9 got nominated.

Out of the ones nominated I've only seen half of them (Inglourious Basterds, Avatar, District 9, Up, Up in the Air). I still have to see The Hurt Locker before the awards though. Who does everyone think it's going to go to?

[turtlex]

Best Picture?

My money is on Up In The Air or Hurt Locker.

[Sam]

I am very disturbed and disappointed that District 9 didn't get a nod for Makeup. How the hell does funcking Star Trek get nominated for Makeup and District 9 doesn't?

[fernandito]

Who does everyone think it's going to go to?

The Hurt Locker.

[turtlex]

Oh Feev.... from your words to the Academy's voting !!!!!!!!

[Melike]

I am really enthusiastic about the ''Best Foreign Language Film'' category. Though I haven't seen any of them yet, I have read enough about them to think at least three of them will be favorite to me.

[fernandito]

I am really enthusiastic about the ''Best Foreign Language Film'' category. Though I haven't seen any of them yet, I have read enough about them to think at least three of them will be favorite to me.

Especially The White Ribbon ... I am dying to see that film. I've heard so many great things about it from both fans and critics alike.

[Odetta]

Why so many Best Picture nominations?
So there can be 10 showtune numbers during the Awards ceremony? Oh boy! I just can't wait!

[turtlex]

O - the Academy decided on a 10 film Best Picture field this year.

First time since, like, 1943, I think.

Personally, don't get me started on how rediculous it is.

[Melike]

I am really enthusiastic about the ''Best Foreign Language Film'' category. Though I haven't seen any of them yet, I have read enough about them to think at least three of them will be favorite to me.

Especially The White Ribbon ... I am dying to see that film. I've heard so many great things about it from both fans and critics alike.

Haneke is a classic. I also want to see ''The Secret in Their Eyes'' from Argentina.

[Odetta]

O - the Academy decided on a 10 film Best Picture field this year.

First time since, like, 1943, I think.

Personally, don't get me started on how rediculous it is.

It is really stupid, if ya ask me

[turtlex]

[Still Servant]

Of course many of the films that have been nominated and even won weren't Best Picture material, imo.

Poor choices that won in the last 20 years:
Slumdog Millionare
Crash
The Departed
Million Dollar Baby
Titanic (Cameron must have sold someone's soul for that, cause he had the nation snowed with this one)
Shakespeare in Love
The English Patient
Forrest Gump (that should have gone to Pulp Fiction or The Shawshank Redemption you bastards.)

Sam, sorry to hear about your wife. I hope everything works out.

I was just wondering what films you thought should have won over some of these. Mainly Slumdog, Departed and Million Dollar Baby.

I hope you didn't want The Aviator to win over Baby. I really didn't think that was that good. I thought Letters From Iwo Jima could have beaten out The Departed, but I really loved The Departed. I know it seems like it's the victim of a lot of hate, but I don't really get it.

Also, Slumdog is a masterpiece. I honestly can't imagine any of the other films nominated beating it out.

You are right about Shakespeare in Love, one of the biggest blunders in Oscar history. Saving Private Ryan was clearly the better film.

My take on this years nominations:

I'm shocked by the Blind Side getting nominated. I haven't seen it yet, and I'm sure it's good, but I just don't think it's Oscar material.

I was happy to see District 9 get a nom. I think The Hurt Locker is going to win best picture.

Also, you heard it hear first-Tarrantino will win best director. My theory is as follows: Cameron and Bigelow will split the vote and QT will sneak in at the last second.