ous The First Comic Book Movie to Win Best Picture... sort of.

[joe_collector]

Hahahaha I can't honestly believe someone thinks Watchmen should win for best picture.

 

I'm just lucky I wasn't drinking my coffee when I read that or my screen would be toast. Watchmen... the Oscar for Best Pic...

[VintageComics]

For example, based on the threads on these boards, there seemed to be a lot of boardies that genuinely liked "Transformers" and "GI Joe".

 

Although those two movies were fun to watch for the eye candy I don't think anyone thinks they were "good movies" in the classic sense.

 

 

[VintageComics]

Hahahaha I can't honestly believe someone thinks Watchmen should win for best picture.

 

I'm just lucky I wasn't drinking my coffee when I read that or my screen would be toast. Watchmen... the Oscar for Best Pic...

 

Watchmen was awesome.

 

It just goes to show that you can't please everyone.

 

[tth2]

Still haven't seen Milk. I did see The Wrestler last weekend. I thought it was very good. Rourke was superb.

 

I'm a big Darren Aronofsky fan, so I went in with higher expectations than I normally do. I wasn't disappointed.

I have to admit I`m not a big Mickey Rourke fan (I didn`t even like him in "Diner", which every guy from my generation loves), so I went in with low expectations and was blown away by how good the movie was and how good Rourke was. The scene that clinched it for me was when Ram was working at the deli counter. It was a microcosm of everything that was great and flawed with his character and Rourke pulled it off so perfectly.

[chrisco37]

The scene that clinched it for me was when Ram was working at the deli counter. It was a microcosm of everything that was great and flawed with his character and Rourke pulled it off so perfectly.

 

The thing I liked most about the movie was that you really felt all his loneliness and sadness. But, you also got those brief moments (as you desrcibe above) where he captures the "glory" of his former self.

 

He and Marissa Tomei played off of each other very well too. Their relationship was very "real".

 

The scene that got me the most was when he was with his daughter at the warehouse and she walks up next to him and just leans on him and holds his hand.

[joe_collector]

There are also many boardies that talk about any Best Picture nominee that`s not a summer popcorn flick with such fear and loathing that it`d be funny if it weren`t so sad.

 

I think that some of the weaker-minded people are falling for the studio line of "we need more commercial movies winning awards" scam - I read that sentiment all over in the media world and the studios are *really* pushing this self-serving agenda.

 

This mistaken and overly simplistic "if it's not popular, it's no good" belief totally ignores basics like level of distribution, ad budgets, number of theaters, etc., as studios know that a dog can be driven to $100 million easily through advertising and exposure, while a truly great movie (low budget, by a director they want to "pay back", etc.) can be buried by a limited release.

 

But the studios still push this "box office popularity = great movie" BS, and some fools are falling for it, hook, line and sinker.

[*paull*]

Hahahaha I can't honestly believe someone thinks Watchmen should win for best picture.

 

I desperately want to think Watchmen is a great movie: Rorshach is a personal friend and I was invited up to the set in Vancouver when they were shooting it, but...it just ain't that good.

 

It is good, you just didn't like it.

 

"Good" is a relative term; I'm tempted to say you simply have lower standards than I for what constitutes good, but I'll be diplomatic and say your standards are just different than mine.

 

Lower standards? My "good" list just from this decade

 

The Departed

The Constant Gardner

Lord Of The Rings

Up

Spider-Man 1 & 2

Million Dollar Baby

A History Of Violence

Kill Bill Vol 1

The Lookout

Finding Neverland

Juno

 

"Bad List" This decade

 

Anything by Michael Bay

99% of the horror films

95% of all Comedies

Ghost Rider

The Spirit

Punisher War Zone

 

I know I have great taste in films,I don't know about you

 

 

How about something with subtitles?

[BaltimoreLauren]

Hahahaha I can't honestly believe someone thinks Watchmen should win for best picture.

 

I desperately want to think Watchmen is a great movie: Rorshach is a personal friend and I was invited up to the set in Vancouver when they were shooting it, but...it just ain't that good.

 

It is good, you just didn't like it.

 

"Good" is a relative term; I'm tempted to say you simply have lower standards than I for what constitutes good, but I'll be diplomatic and say your standards are just different than mine.

 

Lower standards? My "good" list just from this decade

 

The Departed

The Constant Gardner

Lord Of The Rings

Up

Spider-Man 1 & 2

Million Dollar Baby

A History Of Violence

Kill Bill Vol 1

The Lookout

Finding Neverland

Juno

 

"Bad List" This decade

 

Anything by Michael Bay

99% of the horror films

95% of all Comedies

Ghost Rider

The Spirit

Punisher War Zone

 

I know I have great taste in films,I don't know about you

 

 

How about something with subtitles?

 

Kikujiro and Shall We Dance? are two of my favorite Japanese movies.

[*paull*]

Keep going. There are better.

 

Try (from the past five years):

 

Daremo Shiranai (Nobody Knows)

Tokyo Sonata

Okuribito (Departures)

[BaltimoreLauren]

Keep going. There are better.

 

Try (from the past five years):

 

Daremo Shiranai (Nobody Knows)

Tokyo Sonata

Okuribito (Departures)

 

Yea I know, but I haven't bothered to watch any Japanese films in a while. I was in Japanese classes for a good 10 years and just got burned out by all the stuff from over there (especially anime).

 

To be fair, Japan makes just as many carpy movies as America does.

[Aman619]

HOW MANY times do I gotta say this? its not the studios that want Oscars along with cash profits, its AMPAS that wants its huge ratings (hence = advertising bucks) back!!!

 

Sure Hollywood people wouldnt mind the big fees AND the glory of an Oscar, but given the choice of one or the other? The take the cash every time (well, until they have more than other guys--- and then seek a lifetime career imortality capper of respectibility that an Oscar gives you).

 

Hollywood studios want grosses = money

AMPAS wants ratings = money

 

more nominations for big grossing films seems like the way to higher ratings... jury's still out.

[nearmint]

HOW MANY times do I gotta say this? its not the studios that want Oscars along with cash profits, its AMPAS that wants its huge ratings (hence = advertising bucks) back!!!

 

Sure Hollywood people wouldnt mind the big fees AND the glory of an Oscar, but given the choice of one or the other? The take the cash every time (well, until they have more than other guys--- and then seek a lifetime career imortality capper of respectibility that an Oscar gives you).

 

Hollywood studios want grosses = money

AMPAS wants ratings = money

 

more nominations for big grossing films seems like the way to higher ratings... jury's still out.

 

Oscars often result in higher grosses for a film. If studios don't want Oscars, why do they spend millions campaigning for their films?

[tth2]

The scene that got me the most was when he was with his daughter at the warehouse and she walks up next to him and just leans on him and holds his hand.

The scenes with his daughter were great. The movie didn't cop out by creating some typical Hollywood feel good resolution. The guy is what he is, and all the best intentions and fundamental good-heartedness in the world couldn't change that.

[bluechip]

HOW MANY times do I gotta say this? its not the studios that want Oscars along with cash profits, its AMPAS that wants its huge ratings (hence = advertising bucks) back!!!

 

Sure Hollywood people wouldnt mind the big fees AND the glory of an Oscar, but given the choice of one or the other? The take the cash every time (well, until they have more than other guys--- and then seek a lifetime career imortality capper of respectibility that an Oscar gives you).

 

Hollywood studios want grosses = money

AMPAS wants ratings = money

 

more nominations for big grossing films seems like the way to higher ratings... jury's still out.

 

Oscars often result in higher grosses for a film. If studios don't want Oscars, why do they spend millions campaigning for their films?

 

Studios want Oscars too but Aman is not far wrong when he says much of the impetus for the expanded best picture list isw coming from AMPAS. That said, WB did some howling when The Dark Knight was nudged off the nomination list by what was unofficially reported to be a fairly slim margin (it was sixth out of five). And plenty of people felt annoyed that Knight got bumped not so much by Slumdog but by a last minute push for the Reader, which made some people feel it was asking the aud to feel bad for a nazi just because she was illiterate (and smokin' hot).

 

 

[nearmint]

Studios want Oscars too but Aman is not far wrong when he says much of the impetus for the expanded best picture list isw coming from AMPAS.

 

Of course. It's their awards show, they should make the rules. And yes, it may have been a move to try an attract a larger audience to the telecast, but that doesn't mean studios don't care about Oscars. They clearly do.

[Aman619]

they dont. not as much as you might think. Kudos are nice, but its MONEY that gets real attention and power in the studio arena.

 

A longer answer though would explain why you think studios want Oscars. They used to get them years and years ago. But with the advent of the "art film" that critics admire, studio pics were crowded out of the Oscar races. But this coincided with the advent of super mega blockbuster films. Jaws Star wars and onward... so the studios wee cool with the deal: they make billions and art films win oscars. By the 90s with Miramax getting slews of Noms, and followed by other Indies, the majors got a little jealous and all formed their own little Classics divisions to chase some respect/Oscars. They felt they could compete in the cheaper Indie game and in so doing have the studio make big films and big bucks while the Classics divisions sought Oscar glory. And thereby have cake and eat it too. Oscars keep talent happy too. Many actor contracts included mandatory Academy campaigns in them.

 

But, there really isnt the great money anymore that people think for winning an Oscar below Best Picture. As a result of this (and other actions like losing too much money, the beancounters at the studios just shut down nearly every studio run specialty division.

 

In short, chasing Oscars is a money losing pit and the studios dont like playing anymore. YES, everyone would like to win an Oscar for their career, but studios just want money/box office. And the two arent so hand in hand as you think.

 

Every year Variety charts the bump films get from both Noms and Oscar Wins.. Its getting less and less reliable a reward for the millions they cost to win.

 

 

[Aman619]

HOW MANY times do I gotta say this? its not the studios that want Oscars along with cash profits, its AMPAS that wants its huge ratings (hence = advertising bucks) back!!!

 

Sure Hollywood people wouldnt mind the big fees AND the glory of an Oscar, but given the choice of one or the other? The take the cash every time (well, until they have more than other guys--- and then seek a lifetime career imortality capper of respectibility that an Oscar gives you).

 

Hollywood studios want grosses = money

AMPAS wants ratings = money

 

more nominations for big grossing films seems like the way to higher ratings... jury's still out.

 

Oscars often result in higher grosses for a film. If studios don't want Oscars, why do they spend millions campaigning for their films?

 

Studios want Oscars too but Aman is not far wrong when he says much of the impetus for the expanded best picture list isw coming from AMPAS. That said, WB did some howling when The Dark Knight was nudged off the nomination list by what was unofficially reported to be a fairly slim margin (it was sixth out of five). And plenty of people felt annoyed that Knight got bumped not so much by Slumdog but by a last minute push for the Reader, which made some people feel it was asking the aud to feel bad for a nazi just because she was illiterate (and smokin' hot).

 

 

Its not a coincidence that that last minute push came from the Weinsteins who have shown a distinct talent for the Oscar game. To have them overtake you always churns the rumors mills of Harvey cheating and not playing fair. And, they right. He came along into a sleepy boys club and started playing hardball and they didnt know what hit them until they began copying his moves and catching up slowly.

[bronze_rules]

Just watched the film, and I thought it was very entertaining. That being said, I have to wonder just what exactly it would get an Oscar for? I'm not even certain I identified the genre correctly-- is it comedy? It certainly didn't seem like a drama. I felt a lot like I was watching an old film from Mel Brooks, or How I Learned to Love the Bomb. Nor did I feel any distinct emotion (other than laughter somewhat sprinkled with suspense), which seems to be conjured up in most Oscar films that I've watched. I would put Titanic (which did accomplish that) miles above this film-- surprised to see I'm in the minority, but I guess we all have our opinions.

 

About the only Oscar worthy performance IMO, was the interrogator. And seeing that he is not that well established, I have doubts.

 

 

edit: I see the interrogator, Christopher Waltz, is established in foreign films, which doesn't seem to add much weight to American Film Oscar Unknowns (although, yes there might be exceptions).

[Aman619]

talking about READER?

[Aman619]

the holocaust film? like a Mel Brooks movie?