The Syndicate

Ricochet wrote:The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King?

Here's every Best Picture winner thus far:

Spoiler: show

I have seen 61 of the films on that list (still working on the rest- the wife and I took a break two years ago and will get back on track this summer). Very few of them pack that one-two punch of being liked and impacting filmmaking. Only a few of the recent ones had a shelf life of more than a few years.

I don't know if I can agree with you on Gladiator. Sometimes the Academy just falls in love with a spectacle (didn't hurt to appease the masses either). What did it do for film? It didn't bring back sword and sandals flicks and CGI was already on the rise. Is it the notion that popular entertainment can also be artistically executed?

As for American Beauty, I was not a fan early on. It's amusing more so than ground-breaking for me. It owes a lot of it's hip, sarcastic, and self-deprecating stylings to Quentin Tarantino and the early 90s indie film renaissance. In some ways, it's like Pulp Fiction's intentionally hip construct meets suburbia.

Ricochet wrote:I don't think Best Picture movies in the collective memory of the common moviegoers is a much relevant topic

This is a very valid point. Ask the average American to name a Best Picture winner and (depending on their age) the most likely two answers will be The Godfather and Titanic. A lot of Best Picture winners lack staying power, in my opinion. As diverse as viewing tastes and habits have become, it's hard for a Best Picture winner to enter the cultural consciousness for simply winning the award. Sometimes the awards chase after films that seem to be entering cultural consciousness though. It seems like it's easier to remember what didn't win (aka what some perceive as getting robbed).

Case in point- what was the last Best Picture winner to have both lasting popularity and impact on film?

I'm glad La La Land didn't win mostly because it would reinforce the (mostly true) notion that Hollywood is so full of themselves that they can't help but give awards to films about Hollywood/LA/the movie industry/acting in general.

It was a disgraceful mistake at the end. I feel bad for Beatty and Dunaway because they must feel like idiots for simply doing their job. Then again, why the heck didn't Beatty ask for clarification? If he thought it would make him look foolish, then the joke is on him. I feel bad for all the La La Land folk who got up on stage and then had to turn tail and sneak away. That's awkward and hard to live down. Finally, I feel terrible for the Moonlight people. It's bad enough that few people (especially few Americans) will ever watch that film, but just about everyone will always remember 'that movie that won the year the Oscars screwed up Best Picture.' That is a horrible footnote to be relegated to.

S~V~S should be pleased. Bear Story won best animated short.

S~V~S wrote:So you feel there is no artistic merit in Leo getting raped by a bear?

Bear rape works individually for Best Actor but collectively for Best Picture? I'm not so sure. Then again, the director is almost a shoe-in to win the Oscar after the DGA's. Best Actor plus Best Director momentum could do the trick. We'll see what the remaining guilds go for.

So the DGA went with The Revenant. That's intriguing because it further muddies the waters. Does the DGA plus the Golden Globe give The Revenant the lead in the Oscar hunt? The Academy is majority actors and SAG went for Spotlight. It's one of those movies that matter in terms of social justice, so I still think it's got a slight edge. I mean, rewarding a film about exposing an atrocity makes Hollywood look good because it gives the impression that Hollywood is paying attention to the 'little people' of the world. The Big Short highlights the exploits of a bunch of financial insiders and The Revenant boasts Leo getting raped by a bear.

Spotlight's subject matter is icky but the fact that it's about calling out wrong-doers makes me think it still has an edge. The cast is loaded with Academy-friendly talent too. Definitely a soft year but it's keeping us guessing.

The gif is really funny. I guess instead of 'interesting' I should have said wide open. Sometimes award season can be very exciting when there are no clear favorites in a few categories. This year though feels very flat. Maybe it's the OscarsSoWhite people taking the wind out of the pomp and circumstance of the season. I haven't seen any of the films nominated for Best Picture yet. I usually try to see or end up having seen at least one of them. I just haven't watched that many movies in the last two years though.

Ricochet, you seem like a movie snub cut from a similar cloth as me. I look forward to discussing the merits of movies we've seen in the future.

This could be an interesting year for the Oscars. Anyone else planning on watching? The Big Short won the Producers Guild Award for Best Production but Spotlight won the SAG Award for Best Acting Ensemble in a Film. Odds are pretty favorable for one of these two taking it all. I haven't been following closely as in years past but there doesn't seem to be as much hype about any of the Best Picture nominees. Lots of love for Leo but The Revenant isn't making much noise on the Best Picture front (the Golden Globe doesn't count for much).

The Syndicate

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