The Movie Thread Returns

[injurai]

Yeah, they really should differentiate. Totally different domains.

[Blarghagh]

Sadly, the Academy is pretty set in its ways. Animation itself has only been a category since 2001 and it's the awards redheaded stepchild as demonstrated by The Boss Baby being nominated over Mary and the Witch's Flower, Captain Underpants or even The LEGO Batman Movie. But then, it's been a pretty poor year for animation. Not like last year, when I really wanted Your Name to win but I couldn't decide what film to kick off the list. But this year has mostly been worse than last year's B-listers.

[LadyCrimson]

It won't change the fact that I won't find its nominations to be wrong, same as it hasn't for a film like The Martian.

Again, show me where I said the nomination to be "wrong." I stated why I think, at least in part, it was nominated and that I think it's not a top-10 type of film. Nowhere did I claim to have factual proof for my opinion nor did I claim the nomination itself is somehow "wrong." And since I hold little value about the Awards, I don't even know what "wrong" would mean in this case; idle discussion re: "best films" is not a morality play, in my book, there is no right or wrong. (I feel that) You're projecting that onto me. And yes, it is circular. Such is the nature of opinion debates.

 

 

That I get, but if a Big Mac had the best tomato then nominate the tomato, not the Big Mac. This Big Mac was nominated for best wholesome meal among other things. Transformers has been nominated for best effects*, hey that's good. But clearly it shouldn't be nominated for best picture.

 

That's about as far as this analogy will stretch, though.

 

*side note, for the love of god AMPAS please start differentiating between practical effects and digital effects, half the vfx nominees belong more in the animation category nowadays.

Agreed.

Edited February 3, 2018 by LadyCrimson

[algroth]

Okay, that's your opinion and that's fair, but I think that seriously devalues the Oscars. Your approach to it makes the prize absolutely worthless. Devoid of any and all merit whatsoever. If I agreed with you, this conversation would not have happened because I would not have cared. Especially in a day and age where we have Rotten Tomatoes at our fingertips at any time which does a better job at measuring 'trajectory'.

 

The Oscars are supposed to be the higher standard, experts of craft judging their peers. It's not about showing what they like, it's about rewarding true excellence, innovation and craftmanship. I shouldn't have to give a flying **** about it aggregating well from other awards and newspaper critics. They're not simple reviewers, they're film professionals from an organisation dedicated to advancing the art and science of film.

 

There's what I want from the Oscars. Having seen Get Out, which was perfectly 'just fine', then that is seriously just wrong to me even if it isn't to you. I don't want them to award a Michelin Star to a McDonalds because that Big Mac really hit the spot, and if they do I'm surely going to question their reasons instead of going 'well, I guess plenty of other people liked Big Macs before'.

At the risk of sounding a bit pompous with this reference, this does bring to mind the whole "tradition of quality" concept that was heavily criticized by Truffaut, Bazin and the rest of Cahiers back in the day. In a time where films that essentially took classic works of literature and theatre and reduced them to stuffy melodramas were seen as the "standards of excellence", they argued that the true auteurs and true excellence in cinema could be found in the industry filmmakers making genre films like Hitch****, Wilder and Ford. As far as I'm concerned there can be true excellence found in a genre film, in recent years Mad Max: Fury Road was one such example of a genre film nominated for Best Picture which thoroughly deserved its nominations, was incredibly creative and impressive from a sheer craftsmanship standpoint. Obviously I'll have to see Get Out before I can comment on whether it compares, but I have heard from just about everyone else, critics and audience alike, that it is a masterful film that very cleverly balances a number of genres and tones, all the while being quite relevant and poignant from a thematic/political standpoint. Based on all I've heard that *does* sound like a film which shows excellence and craftsmanship and which I'd very gladly see nominated for Best Picture over the likes of yet *another* stuffy but important period piece like Darkest Hour or The Post.

 

With regards to your Michelin Star analogy, it's funny to note that the first restaurant in Argentina awarded a Michelin Star (at least, I think it's the first, but I might be wrong) is Carne, which specialize in premium fast food - kind of like a really really good McD's. For what it's worth, I would not award a Big Mac but I could definitely see the case for a great hamburger being deserving of recognition.

 

With regards to how relevant the Oscars are to me, I like the Oscars inasmuch as they serve as yet another tool with which to create buzz for films that may otherwise fall off the radar or not catch on with general audiences (see this year the likes of Call Me by your Name for example). I also do like to see the films I love getting a wider recognition and all that... But as to how they influence my own tastes and how they speak to my personal view of the films, I do feel they are fairly irrelevant. That's why I don't feel like my personal opinion holds much sway as to whether I think a film ought to have been nominated or not, lest, in the case of the more technical noms, I see a film that is actually a mess from that very perspective (*cough* Hacksaw Ridge for editing *cough*), quite simply because I feel like my opinion and theirs are entirely independent (even if they may see eye to eye).

 

Also I'm sorry if I may have come across as a bit rude earlier, to you and LadyCrimson. For what it's worth, maybe I got a bit too carried away with this argument because, even whilst you mentioned 12 Years a Slave and Moonlight and Selma in a positive light in your own post, I feel like every single year I run across the same argument made for each of these, and I don't feel like this year was any less warranted than the years prior, from what I've seen and heard from both yearly awards trajectory and very reliable sources. I'll get around to it soon. Either way, no bad blood I hope.

Edited February 3, 2018 by algroth

[Blarghagh]

That is a perspective I can understand. Usually, I chomp at the bits when people complain that anything that has a woman or ethnic minority in it must be getting liked because of the dreaded Ess Jay Doubyas and their weirding ways. But in the case of Get Out, a film that goes out of its way to make fun of white people who would "vote for Obama a third time if they could", the film itself almost invites that scrutiny.

 

(Also, the fact that I'm usually the one getting accused of being an SJW is probably what made me respond a bit more irritated to the idea that I'm the racist now, so my apologies for that.)

 

And for the record, I wouldn't say Get Out it holds up to Mad Max: Fury Road. Which, incidentally, is a good film to hold up as an example as to why we need practical and animated effects to be divided like I said.

 

Side note, can't stop thinking about these things now:

[algroth]

Side note, can't stop thinking about these things now:

That reminds me that I had some coconut ash-flavoured ice cream yesterday, which looked completely black (apparently for its use of activated charcoal as an ingredient). It was surprisingly tasty, sweet and coconut-like, but also weirdly smoked and spicy. And ice cream, yes. Kinda like this one:

 

http://people.com/food/jet-black-ice-cream-is-officially-a-thing-we-need-to-eat/

Edited February 3, 2018 by algroth

[LadyCrimson]

Either way, no bad blood I hope.

Of course not. I wasn't actually offended or anything.   Just one of those times perhaps where I wish I could be sitting face to face with someone because I (like to hope) that if one saw me as I was speaking, it might come off differently than text.

 

Also, what the heck is that burger thing. The cheese looks like plastic and ... is that a real product or a joke picture? Ugh. Maybe it tastes better than it looks. I'll stick to my pizza tho.

[Blarghagh]

I believe it's been used for promotions. Halloween Whopper, Darth Vader Burger. Stuff like that. It's just food dye. Either way it looks incredibly unappetizing, just like that black ice cream though at least that's not just dye.

[algroth]

Yeah, the cheese looks like part of a garbage bag.

[Bartimaeus]

​they stole that pretty patty from spongebob

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​although black is a new and bold (...and disgusting-looking) direction, I'll admit

[injurai]

Just watched The Men Who Stare At Goats. I had heard it wasn't a great movie, and I'm inclined to agree. The whole thing just seems mis-told. For some reason Netflix was giving me a 97% affinity towards it... At least it was short.

[Blarghagh]

Yeah, that movie had all the ingredients to be Coen brothers style amazing, but it just... didn't work.

[Katphood]

Finished watching JFK.

 

Worst. Joe Pesci. movie. EVAR!!!

Edited February 3, 2018 by Katphood

[Labadal]

Watched the new IT movie. Can't compare to the original but not really bad.

[algroth]

Finished watching JFK.

 

Worst. Joe Pesci. movie. EVAR!!!

One of my favorites with him, actually, and easily the best I've seen from Oliver Stone. A great conspiracy thriller. Also, no way could it be the worst when you have Love Ranch there as well.

Edited February 3, 2018 by algroth

[Fiach]

Regarding the GET OUT discussion, here's a very interesting video with the director discussing fan theories

 

 

[Katphood]

 

Finished watching JFK.

 

Worst. Joe Pesci. movie. EVAR!!!

One of my favorites with him, actually, and easily the best I've seen from Oliver Stone. A great conspiracy thriller. Also, no way could it be the worst when you have Love Ranch there as well.

 

The movie itself wasn't bad buy any means, it's just that I believe that the color of David Ferrie's eyebrows and hair matched, even if every single photo of him out there is in black and white.

[Orogun01]

Katie McGrath whom I known since Merlin has now become the female Sean Bean. There's isn't anything where she stars in which she doesn't die in...I'm watching Frontier BTW.

[Raithe]

Watched Flatliners (the new version).

 

Most of the cast are good, the cameoish appearance of a white-haired Keifer Sutherland as one of the teaching Doctor's was nice, but some how the whole thing just runs alone as an average "eh" rather than anything special. I'm not sure what it actually lacked, but it didn't really have any creepy punch to it.

[Blarghagh]

Katie McGrath whom I known since Merlin has now become the female Sean Bean. There's isn't anything where she stars in which she doesn't die in...I'm watching Frontier BTW.

Sometimes in cruel and unneccesary ways.

 

 

 

 

Watched the new IT movie. Can't compare to the original but not really bad.

Can't understand this from any viewpoint but nostalgia. The original is terrible other than the fact Tim Curry is entertaining IMO.

[Katphood]

...aaaand I'm done watching Idiocracy. Pretty awesome stuff, they should make sequel: what if a society only allowed people with a high IQ to live?!  

[Bartimaeus]

Princess Kaguya. The first 30-45 minutes I was somewhat bored, but right around the running/dream sequence is where things took a strong shift for the better for me. A weird but good ending.

Edited February 5, 2018 by Bartimaeus

[Hurlshort]

Futile and Stupid Gesture - Pretty interesting biography, had me hitting up the internet for me info since most of the stuff was a bit before my time. It didn't paint Chevy Chase in a very good light, that's for sure. Worth a watch if you want to know more about National Lampoon.

[Guard Dog]

I watched Blade Runner 2049 after the Super Bowl last night. Loved it. But I'm betting there were quite a few deleted scenes because the plot made several unexplained... jumps. I hope there is an extended or "directors's cut" coming. 

[Malcador]

I watched Blade Runner 2049 after the Super Bowl last night. Loved it. But I'm betting there were quite a few deleted scenes because the plot made several unexplained... jumps. I hope there is an extended or "directors's cut" coming. 

 

As as well as a Extended Director's Cut and Final Cut and Definitive Cut..