Badmovies.org Forum

Just in case any of you guys give a crap (I know a bunch of you don't), here's what's up for awards this year:

http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/84/nominees.html (http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/84/nominees.html)

What?  No Tintin for best animated film?  Not even Winnie the Pooh?!  Instead, you nominated A Cat in Paris, a 2010 film?  For shame!  Oh well, go Rango!

Looks like Hugo really is up for a lot of awards, or at least Midnight in Paris.  Much better of a choice than say, War Horse.

(http://billsmovieemporium.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/vlcsnap-2010-01-27-21h10m21s46.jpg)

"The ceremonies are a two-hour meat parade, a public display with contrived suspense for economic reasons."
--George C. Scott, 1970
He gets more right every year.  I used to at least find the Oscars entertaining but this is just ridiculous. Not one but three contrived award-bait movies in that Best Picture list?  The Help and War Horse I can at least see the precedent for why they're there (white guilt & Speilberg) but NOBODY liked Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, it's insulting to the people who actually went through 9/11.
Kind of surprised Fincher got shut out, but I guess I shouldn't be.  (I'm still bitter about Zodiac, especially since nothing he's done since has impressed me.)
I'm on the fence about the Bridesmaids noms.  On the one hand, the Academy so rarely acknowledges comedy that it's nice to see.  On the other hand, Bridesmaids really wasn't THAT good.
I'm as baffled as you by the Animated noms.  So we don't acknowledge stop-motion OR cell animation now? 
Jonah Hill, Oscar Nominee - that's a phrase that shouldn't exist.
And WHERE THE f**k is Michael Fassbender?!?!?!?

On the plus side, Gary Oldman is amazing, and I believe this is his first ever nomination.  Too bad Clooney's name was engraved on this award months ago.

I sure don't know much of anything about most of these nominees, but I've just got to say...

KUNG FU PANDA II ??

Wow.

I have not seen it (or the first one), but really?  Throw-away dreck production with cliche pop-culture references is Oscar material now?

I agree...where's TIN TIN?

I also loved RIO, which was (in my opinion) better than RANGO on several levels.  But still, RANGO at least makes sense.

Actually, Kung Fu Panda II is very solid.  The only pop culture reference that movie had was a Pac-Man one, but it was very brief.  This movie felt more like a Pixar movie than Cars 2 was.  It's a solid kung fu film with stellar action scenes, some big emotional moments, and quite funny even.  It's a lot better than what it looks like.  It's How to Train Your Dragon, the title doesn't invoke much in you but when you see it, you'll be amazed at how enjoyable and wonderful it can be.


The thing about Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, it's really not about 9/11.  Sure, his father died in it, but that's all.  The story takes place a few years after the events.  The story is about kid whose finds this key in a vase one day.  Before his dad died, his father use to set up these  little puzzles and challenges for the kid to figure out to help him cope or understand different things (the kid suffers from some unknown mental illness).  The kid then decides to solve this one last puzzle his father has left behind and figure out what the key goes to. 

This isn't like Remember Me with that sparkly guy from Twilight where 9/11 is crowbared into the film in such an insulting way and set up as twist in film that has no need for one.

Also for contrived award-bait movies, the Academy does that all the time.  Remember the year where The Reader was nominated over stuff like The Dark Knight (Your mileage may vary), Wall-E, Gran Torino, and The Wrestler?  Also, let's not forget the years where Crash and The King's Speech won.  I could go on with other winners (Around the World in 80 Days) and nominees (The Piano), but I made my point.  Award Bait is big with these guys.

I was hoping that "Drive" would sneak in with a nomination or two, but no such luck (not really surprised or anything).

It also would have been nice to see Andy Serkis get some motion capture love!


This.  I agree - I really liked "Bridesmaids" a lot, but didn't quite think it was Oscar-worthy.  BUT - it is nice to see a mainstream comedy get some recognition. 

Extremely Loud isn't about 9/11 the same way The Reader wasn't about the Holocaust.  And I know award bait is big with the Academy; that's the whole point and the whole problem.  It's just a lot more blatant this year.
At any rate, I didn't watch the ceremony last year, I won't be watching this year, and it's unlikely that I ever will again.

I'd actually like to see "Rango" win for Best Animated Feature.