ANYWAY. Another year, another Oscars. I mentioned last year that the Academy Awards are about as important as the Superbowl, at least to me. Really all the Academy Awards need are a way to make bets on them. Its kinda pointless to put money down for "Black Swan" when I know with some certainty that "The Social Network" is gonna win anyway. Maybe you could bet on which minor technical award like "sound editing" will put the most members of the audience to sleep. This year luckily, Cablevision and ABC are not fighting a brutal war, so that means the airwaves for the Oscars will be totally clear! Yay! I'll most likely miss them considering the Wake, but you know, that's how it goes. You'll all be second next to my baby.
Its easy enough to be cynical about the Oscars, considering them to be nothing more than the crooked machinations of old bitter fogies who couldn't see a good movie if it were given to them via suppository. However, I am far more forgiving. The Academy does have a bias, but not against hipness or entertainment. They like actor movies, films where the performers break out of their regular personas and really take the craft of acting to its very limit. So a movie like "Tron: Legacy" will never get much respect from the Academy. I don't entirely agree with such an assessment, but I wouldn't call it an "illegitimate" viewpoint. The Oscars still are the best standard of awarding high achievement in filmmaking.
Last year this post was dedicated to short thoughts on all ten Best Picture nominations, so I suppose I'll do the same again. There would be another post tomorrow about the actual show itself, yet circumstances don't look good for it. You should be happy that you're all enough of a distraction from me knowing that Michael will never see the new "Zelda" game that I could post this at all*. Maybe on Monday I'll write something about who won what. This is the best you're gonna get I think.
So anyway, that countdown:
1. 127 Hours: I reviewed this one two weeks ago. My thoughts on it really have no changed much. Its pretty funny that James Franco is not only nominated for Best Actor for this movie, but is also co-hosting the Oscars along with Anne Hathaway**. So there's the chance this sentence could show up during the broadcast: "The Oscar goes to...... ME!!!" "127 Hours" is a nice movie about overcoming terrible odds, something that doesn't seem to happen enough in real life. Seeing it again might make me feel better, so there's that.
2. Black Swan: My personal favorite for the win, if only because at no point during the long history of the Academy Awards has a horror movie ever been nominated***, let alone won, unless you count "Ghost". I don't know why the Academy actually saw this movie as being different, though perhaps the addition of a sexy lesbian subplot in the psychological horror might have made the difference. This movie gave me nightmares about my feet webbing together, so it gets points for that. There's no way in Hell it will win, keep remembering that.
3. The Fighter: I saw the trailers for this one and thought it was "Rocky" in Boston. Since I have yet to see the original "Rocky" (despite having seen all the sequels), I really didn't want to see some regional rip-off. Honestly this movie doesn't illicit much of anything from me, and I usual forget about its existence.
4. Inception: Another movie that has no chance in Hell of winning, and ironically my second-favorite film on this list. "Inception" is a maddeningly complex heist movie inside dreams. It has zero gravity kung-fu, car chases, an arctic battlefield, Leonardo DiCaprio losing his mind (again), and Ellen Page looking cute. A true marvel of expanding the art of filmmaking and bringing some intelligence to the summer blockbuster genre. That's why it can't win. Too much special effect, not enough acting. If it did win I would tear off my own head.
5. The Kids Are All Right: Every year at the Academy Awards there are usually a couple of films that I have never heard of until they get their nominations. I thought "The Kids Are All Right" was actually Robert De Niro's "Everybody's Fine" until exactly five minutes ago. That should be a clue about how little I care about this one. This movie features two middle-aged lesbians finding themselves or something... its a weird family drama. No aliens, so who cares? I'm sick of family drama, not going to see it.
6. The King's Speech: This movie, if you believe Movie Bob, supposedly represents the legion of old people who rule the Academy Awards with a wrinkled fist. Since it hearkens them back to the good old days of WWII and the respectable glories of the British monarchy, they love it. I, being an even younger person than Movie Bob, somehow love it too, meaning that either I am secretly an 80-year-old, or maybe "The King's Speech" has a universal message after-all and it being a front-runner isn't some conspiracy. This was a really good movie, and even if it is a regular Best Picture winner, I would not be disappointed to see it win.
7. The Social Network: I have no idea why this movie is loved so much. In terms of an biography, its subject, Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook, is presented in such an indirect way that you really have no idea what makes him tick. The movie opens with a few internal monologues from him, then it ends, meaning that you have little to no idea why he's being such a jackass all movie. Biography films can be heavily effective even when presenting their hero at their best and their worst, such as with "Ray", but only when they actually are able to show off their creation. "Ray" was filled with the incomparable musical genius of Ray Charles. "The Social Network" merely talks about Facebook, it never shows it. This is not a Facebook movie, its a Mark Zuckerberg movie. And sadly, Mark Zuckerberg is not a very likable person, so the movie ultimately fails. Plus the movie isn't half as clever as it thinks it is.
8. Toy Story 3: This is an animated film, thus it has no chance on Earth to win. I see the Academy is still trying to work off its guilt of snubbing "WALL-E" by nominating every single Pixar film for Best Picture as penance. "Toy Story 3" would be a great upset, and it deserves to win since it was the best movie of 2010, but it won't. Personally I rather cry at happy endings than sad ones.
9. True Grit: A western crafted just as traditionally as it is done perfectly. I would really like to see this movie win as well. I've said that about like five movies already, showing that the Best Picture still is relevant. I honestly love half the lot here, that's rare. "True Grit" is a movie utterly without flaws, everything about it was done as well as the Coen brothers could have done. Weirdly though, its star, Hailee Steinfeld was only given a Supporting Actress role, when by all rights she should have gotten Best Actress. When a character is in every scene they aren't a supporting role. If anything the Academy has done this year is unfair and prejudiced its this. What's this bias against children? A load of crap, that's what.
10. Winter's Bone: Nobody on Earth has actually seen "Winter's Bone", and nobody actually knows what its about. Something about the family in the Ozarks, most of us just fall asleep reading the plot summary. Could not care less.
Post end.
I love you baby, we'll play again in the next life...
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* (Yeah, this is breaking down into a wild stream of consciousness post, sorry. I'm not all together in the head right now and my misery is mixing into my pen's ink, despite my best attempts at cheeriness.)
** Last year the Oscars picked two old men to host, this year I guess they decided to go for the "ultra-sexy" route. If James and Anne had sex on the stage, the show would be a huge hit.
Oh my God...I feel so horrible :(
ReplyDeleteI..don't know what to say...Blue, I know for a fact that right now he is in heaven, finally at rest. I can't say I know how you feel because this has never happened to me, but all of my prayers go to you and your family. Sometimes things just happen, we have to move on and keep them in our hearts.
Back to the Oscars. First of all, just letting you know there is no ***. I don't blame you though. If I had a choice in this matter, I would give it to either Black Swan or The Kings Speech, two very well done movies that deserve it 100%. Ultimately, I don't know how the Academy chooses the awards, so who knows. As long as the Social Network doesn't win I'll be happy.
Ultimately Inception was the best movie I saw last year, but like you said, it has no chance at Best Picture. This year is one of the first where I have no idea whatsoever who will win, at all. Whoever does win it, lucky them.
im sorry for your loss.
ReplyDeleteYou have my deepest sympathies, Blue. I'm really sorry things turned out like this.
ReplyDeleteWell, I know that this won't really help you in any way at all, and it probably pisses you a little off that people who couldn't possibly know how much of a wonderful person your cousin is have the nerve to say, but my most heart-felt condolences are with you and your family right now. This is a fucked up world, and one where people who deserve to be happy get the worst possible end of tge stick. I wish there was something I could say that would make you feel even a small fraction better, but there isn't. Life's not fair, and it sucks that such things could happen to somebody so young. All you can do now is remember him how he was, and try, just try, to keep him alive somehow. It won't be easy without him, especially now, but you have to just think about the good times, even though thinking about those will hurt the most.
ReplyDeleteBe strong Blue. We're all here for you, in whatever small way we can be. Hopefully you took some comfort in writing this post. We've all had to watch people we love die. You don't have to explain yourself if you don't keep blogging.
I've been following your blog for a little over a year now, ever since it first started. I've enjoyed reading your opinions and I agree with most of the stuff you say wholeheartedly. But not once have I ever commented, or felt the need to try and talk to you until now.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading what you've just written, I am absolutely heartbroken. I set up an account on this website just so I could tell you how sorry I feel for you right now. My younger brother was born with Cockayne Syndrome Type III (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockayne_syndrome), a very rare genetic disorder . One day he'll be gone. But when that happens, I'll still think about him every day, and I'll remember only good things. I know the reason he's here is to teach me the delicate nature of human existence, and I will always love him. What you need to do is remember Michael, and how happy he made you. Just know that Michael will never truly be gone when you can still think about him every day, and you'll remember only good things. I hope you also know that you have fans just like me who relate with what you're going through and will be here for you no matter what.
God bless.
I'm sorry Blue.
ReplyDeleteMe too, losing a loved one is one of the worst things in the world.
ReplyDeleteI'm very sorry for your loss. I hope you feel better, from Belguim.
ReplyDeleteSorry for your loss.
ReplyDeleteFrom Argentina.
Sorry for your loss, man.
ReplyDeleteThank you to everybody for your kind words and thoughts.
ReplyDeleteAs it turns out I will be able to see the Academy Awards tonight, so there will be a post about it tomorrow. So then we can return to our regularly scheduled programming. (Bleach recap will be late though.)
I recently lost my aunt to cancer. Everything seemed to be outside a big bubble for a while. I am incredibly sorry for your loss.
ReplyDeleteAnd for the movies? It's a two horse race really, it could be Social Network or Kings Speech. I left the cinema feeling elated after seeing The King's Speech, it was truly an uplifting and warm film. I was bored and irritated by the Social Network. It was not in any way relateable, interesting, or good. I know what I'm backing.
Take care.
I am so sorry for you... I really was hopeing he might Pull through.... I mean, Oh my god... at least it wasnt just out of the blue or something like that, but it is STILL fucked up.. i Mean, ive been reading your blog since it fomred myself, and just recently started posting as well and.... oh my god.... this is just terrible. No one should ever Die young. My most sincere and heartfelt Condolences man. Although i cant say i know what you feel like, i can understand that having someone you love ripped away from you must be the most terrible thing in the world. Im so sorry...
ReplyDeleteWell... on to the Oscars. I actually Think Inception might get best screenplay or something at least. that movie triped me the fuck out after all. And i do think that toy story MIGHT have a chance of winning something. but it would be very slim. and the kings speech WILL win at least one award, but probably not best movie. And Social Netwrok does not deserve a single award at all, and does not in fact even deserve to attend the event.