tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post1739429252448879715..comments2024-03-28T10:18:00.370-05:00Comments on Gentlemen of Leisure: A Few Thoughts on the Oscar NominationsAustin Gortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-58085304258823560162010-02-04T17:03:13.920-06:002010-02-04T17:03:13.920-06:00dude you've been spammed!dude you've been spammed!Hannahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16915603693944523761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-10515552538977382112010-02-04T10:10:07.927-06:002010-02-04T10:10:07.927-06:00LOL! Point Break! I haven't thought about that...LOL! Point Break! I haven't thought about that in a while.Hannahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16915603693944523761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-49258913984530721422010-02-04T10:04:44.708-06:002010-02-04T10:04:44.708-06:00Heh. I KNEW you were going to say that as soon as ...Heh. I KNEW you were going to say that as soon as I pointed it out. <br /><br /><i>the main character will throw his military medals into the ocean for no good friggin' reason.</i><br /><br />He had plenty of good reasons. The Swayze had just died. He was worn down by the system, man. He didn't want to play by the rules anymore. It was time to embrace a life of hippie surfers, living for the moment, man. Or...something. <br /><br />Yeah, I got nothing. :)Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-48246862413033802912010-02-04T09:53:18.106-06:002010-02-04T09:53:18.106-06:00I'm sorry, there's no way someone who dire...I'm sorry, there's no way someone who directed Point Break should ever win an oscar for best director. That's a stink she should carry on her for the rest of her life.<br /><br />In fact, I'm afraid to see the Hurt Locker now for fear that at the end of the movie the main character will throw his military medals into the ocean for no good friggin' reason.Dr. Bitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13568570859981368717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-34432938164014416162010-02-03T12:12:37.454-06:002010-02-03T12:12:37.454-06:00Yeah, I *liked* Michelle Rodriguez's character...Yeah, I *liked* Michelle Rodriguez's character, but she pretty much just did the stuff the plot told her to do. I can buy that some of the soliders would see what was happening to the tree and the people, and would be aghast, and might even pull away, but they never really established why she, of all the soldiers, was the one to react that way. <br /><br />And the villain is easily my biggest problem with the movie. When he first showed up spouting nothing but military cliches, I thought it was kinda funny. "Oh, here's the military drill instructor character, he's a walking cliche, I get it, ha ha." <br /><br />Then he turned out to be the main bad guy. And never developed beyond the drill instructor cliche. <br /><br />Jeez, at least we knew WHY Giovanni Ribisi was all about the genocide; he was in it for the money, and his job. The colonel? He was just...evil...I guess? <br /><br />Oh, and I don't know what you're talking about; I flex ALL the time.Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-41202672227650422672010-02-03T12:04:48.473-06:002010-02-03T12:04:48.473-06:00I agree with your analysis of the AVATAR Script. I...I agree with your analysis of the AVATAR Script. I was along for the ride until Michelle Rodriguez's character turned and didn't blow up the tree or whatever. That was the WTF where did that come from moment. Also the villains BIG FCKN KNIFE on his mech suit! "I'm MILITARY! I'm HARD core! Put a BIG FCKN KNIFE on that ARMOR SON!<br /><br />I also hate how CGI artists always seem to make "exotic" creatures move around so much! It seems like every muscle in the animal's body is flexing and relaxing moment to moment! That doesn't sound like NATURE!<br /><br />George Lucas is notorious for this and now so is Cameron.boots~https://www.blogger.com/profile/11451943950396747401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-47211593173777412702010-02-03T11:51:48.309-06:002010-02-03T11:51:48.309-06:00"Hurt Locker" was showing at Riverview, ..."Hurt Locker" was showing at Riverview, for sure and the Lagoon, I think.Hannahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16915603693944523761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-76369773989044958602010-02-03T11:25:38.377-06:002010-02-03T11:25:38.377-06:00A little bit, maybe? :)
In your defense, if you ...A little bit, maybe? :) <br /><br />In your defense, if you haven't been following the awards season stuff, you probably wouldn't have heard of the Hurt Locker. It came out last fall, and while critically acclaimed, it made something like 12 million total before leaving theaters (which, if it wins best picture, means it would be the lowest-grossing best picture winner ever, by a wide margin). I don't know if it even made it out to MN, but it's on DVD now.Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-33463521859947130212010-02-03T11:19:18.641-06:002010-02-03T11:19:18.641-06:00Dr Bitz, FTW!
Why have i never heard of Hurt Lock...Dr Bitz, FTW!<br /><br />Why have i never heard of Hurt Locker? Am i crazy?Sarah Ahiershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02795455714801965956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-86698292319586187432010-02-03T11:13:41.720-06:002010-02-03T11:13:41.720-06:00Damn you Dr. Bitz! Damn you! >shaking fist<
...Damn you Dr. Bitz! Damn you! >shaking fist<<br /><br />@Palindrome: So maybe their expansion plan worked, then? ;) <br /><br />@boots~: Right now, my feeling is that Avatar and Hurt Locker will probably split a lot of stuff; Avatar will get Visual Effects, Hurt Locker will pick up the two sound awards, Avatar gets Best Pic but Bigelow gets best director, etc. Of course, a lot can change in a month. <br /><br />"Best Picture" is definitely an oversimplified term, and is as much about politics, advertising, studio stumping and popularity as it is pure craft. Which is one of the reasons I make a point to see all the Best Picture nominees. Even if my favorite or the one I think most deserving doesn't win, I'm guaranteed to at least see some good movies worth seeing.<br /><br />(I loved Michael Clayton, btw. I have such a man crush on George Clooney...)<br /><br />I'll still argue that Avatar's STORY wasn't a problem; it was simplistic, but in a timeless, Joseph Campbellian, fable kind of way. Where the script faltered for me was in some of the dialgoue (which was cheesy and/or cliched in too many places) and character development (particularly in the case of the main villain).<br /><br />Oddly enough (and I haven't seen Hurt Locker yet, so grain of salt and such) I'd almost rather Cameron win for director and Hurt Locker win best pic, because while Avatar is a good film with flaws, Cameron deserves some recognition for orchestrating the building of a complex world and delivering a fantastic visual feast. Meanwhile, Hurt Locker is probably the better, more complete, less flawed work overall (again, I say that based only on what I've heard of it so far). <br /><br />@Joan Crawford: Bigelow is considered the best director favorite, at the moment, at least. <br /><br />Also, I just learned yesterday that back in the day, she also directed one of my all time favorite craptacular movies, the Swayze-riffic epic, Point Break. That makes her aces in my book, right there!Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-57107722073467311002010-02-03T10:31:11.615-06:002010-02-03T10:31:11.615-06:00This is a "lock" year for the supporting...<i>This is a "lock" year for the supporting performance categories, with Christoph Walz (Inglorious Basterds) and Mo'Nique (Precious)</i><br /><br />I haven't heard of the movie Precious...let me look at Oscar.com....<br /><br />Nope, I don't see it. I don't see Mo'Nique nominated for any movie called Precious.<br /><br />All I could find is that Mo'Nique was nominated for the movie Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire.Dr. Bitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13568570859981368717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-13576760959921837732010-02-03T09:42:03.534-06:002010-02-03T09:42:03.534-06:00I've seen two of the movies up for best pictur...I've seen two of the movies up for best picture...that's two more than last year.Hannahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16915603693944523761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-45345882714480790112010-02-03T07:17:03.417-06:002010-02-03T07:17:03.417-06:00I have a feeling AVATAR is going to win most every...I have a feeling AVATAR is going to win most everything.<br /><br />I should know by now that BEST PICTURE doesn't mean "This was this most engaging story, best directed, visually pleasing film of the year" but it does mean "Hey, someone spent an obscene amount of money on the film and advertising, lots of people went to see it, and most thought it was watchable." or it's just an award for a niche accomplishment (see RETURN OF THE KING, THE DEPARTED, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN)<br /><br />Actually, I just looked at the past 20 years of best pic winners and most of them I like. It always seems like I have a better film in mind that should have won. MICHAEL CLAYTON for example.<br /><br />I'd give the award to UP IN THE AIR, but only because I haven't seen HURT LOCKER yet.<br /><br />I'm still from the standpoint that AVATAR is a tremendous technical achievement but the story, acting,and cheesiness really amount to a mediocre film.boots~https://www.blogger.com/profile/11451943950396747401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-72609600020203525832010-02-02T18:01:53.233-06:002010-02-02T18:01:53.233-06:00Cool - Battle of the Exes! I hope she wins! I have...Cool - Battle of the Exes! I hope she wins! I haven't seen Up in the Air or The Blindside yet...<br />I really liked Star Trek and Precious. District 9 was awesome - the lead actor was fantastic... <br /><br />And let's not forget little ZinkzorkJoan Crawfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04513335615114222374noreply@blogger.com