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Topic: Announcing the 81st Oscar Nominations

Mark J. Marshall
Film God

Posts: 3188
From: New Castle, DE, USA
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 01-22-2009 10:01 AM

I'm not sure how Hollywood justifies its picks for Best Picture. They get stranger and stranger to me every year. Of course there's no mention of Dark Knight in the Best Picture category because it doesn't fit in Hollywood's neat little box. There should be a "Most Successful" category. If there was, Dark Knight would get the recognition it deserves since it made almost 3 times as much money as all of the Best Picture nominations combined, if my math is right. I'm kind of glad Warner is re-releasing Dark Knight including the IMAX version. It will be fun to watch it's re-release revenue kick all of the Best Picture nominations' asses all over again.
[/soapbox]

Link

quote:
Complete list of 81st annual Academy Award nominations announced Thursday:

1. Best Picture: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "Frost/Nixon," "Milk," "The Reader," "Slumdog Millionaire."

2. Actor: Richard Jenkins, "The Visitor"; Frank Langella, "Frost/Nixon"; Sean Penn, "Milk"; Brad Pitt, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"; Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler."

3. Actress: Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married"; Angelina Jolie, "Changeling"; Melissa Leo, "Frozen River"; Meryl Streep, "Doubt"; Kate Winslet, "The Reader."

4. Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin, "Milk"; Robert Downey Jr., "Tropic Thunder"; Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Doubt"; Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight"; Michael Shannon, "Revolutionary Road."

5. Supporting Actress: Amy Adams, "Doubt"; Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"; Viola Davis, "Doubt"; Taraji P. Henson, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"; Marisa Tomei, "The Wrestler."

6. Director: David Fincher, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"; Ron Howard, "Frost/Nixon"; Gus Van Sant, "Milk"; Stephen Daldry, "The Reader"; Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire."

7. Foreign Film: "The Baader Meinhof Complex," Germany; "The Class," France; "Departures," Japan; "Revanche," Austria; "Waltz With Bashir," Israel.

8. Adapted Screenplay: Eric Roth and Robin Swicord, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"; John Patrick Shanley, "Doubt"; Peter Morgan, "Frost/Nixon"; David Hare, "The Reader"; Simon Beaufoy, "Slumdog Millionaire."

9. Original Screenplay: Courtney Hunt, "Frozen River"; Mike Leigh, "Happy-Go-Lucky"; Martin McDonagh, "In Bruges"; Dustin Lance Black, "Milk"; Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon and Pete Docter, "WALL-E."

10. Animated Feature Film: "Bolt"; "Kung Fu Panda"; "WALL-E."

11. Art Direction: "Changeling," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Dark Knight," "The Duchess," "Revolutionary Road."

12. Cinematography: "Changeling," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Dark Knight," "The Reader," "Slumdog Millionaire."

13. Sound Mixing: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Dark Knight," "Slumdog Millionaire," "WALL-E," "Wanted."

14. Sound Editing: "The Dark Knight," "Iron Man," "Slumdog Millionaire," "WALL-E," "Wanted."

15. Original Score: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Alexandre Desplat; "Defiance," James Newton Howard; "Milk," Danny Elfman; "Slumdog Millionaire," A.R. Rahman; "WALL-E," Thomas Newman.

16. Original Song: "Down to Earth" from "WALL-E," Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman; "Jai Ho" from "Slumdog Millionaire," A.R. Rahman and Gulzar; "O Saya" from "Slumdog Millionaire," A.R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam.

17. Costume: "Australia," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Duchess," "Milk," "Revolutionary Road."

18. Documentary Feature: "The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)," "Encounters at the End of the World," "The Garden," "Man on Wire," "Trouble the Water."

19. Documentary (short subject): "The Conscience of Nhem En," "The Final Inch," "Smile Pinki," "The Witness — From the Balcony of Room 306."

20. Film Editing: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Dark Knight," "Frost/Nixon," "Milk," "Slumdog Millionaire."

21. Makeup: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Dark Knight," "Hellboy II: The Golden Army."

22. Animated Short Film: "La Maison en Petits Cubes," "Lavatory — Lovestory," "Oktapodi," "Presto," "This Way Up."

23. Live Action Short Film: "Auf der Strecke (On the Line)," "Manon on the Asphalt," "New Boy," "The Pig," "Spielzeugland (Toyland)."

24. Visual Effects: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Dark Knight," "Iron Man."

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 01-22-2009 11:17 AM

quote: Mark J. Marshall
Of course there's no mention of Dark Knight in the Best Picture category because it doesn't fit in Hollywood's neat little box

Or maybe it's just not as good as those other five? I haven't seen any of them yet so I can't say an opinion.

The noms are good news for us...we're playing Benjamin Button this week so it really gives us something to advertise.

I was surprised Wall-E didn't make the Best Picture noms what with all the acclaim it got, but since there is now an animated category, it's likely no animated film will ever get nominated for BP again no matter how good it is.

And the other surprise is no noms at all for Gran Torino.

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Mike Schindler
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1039
From: Oak Park, IL, USA
Registered: Jun 2002

posted 01-22-2009 11:25 AM

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Lyle Romer
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1400
From: Davie, FL, USA
Registered: May 2002

posted 01-22-2009 11:57 AM

Wall-E for best original screenplay????? Here I'll write the sequel.

Enter cavernous room with long hallway. WALL-E spots Eve and turns to her. Eve "smiles".

WALL-E: "Eeev-aa"
EVE: "WALL-E"
WALL-E: "Eeev-aa"
EVE: "WALL-E"

An evil robot named EVIL enters the room and whisks EVE away down the hall.

WALL-E: "Eeeeeeeeev-aaaaaaaaa"
EVE: "WAAAAAAAAAL-EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"

A chase down the hall ensues.

[ 01-23-2009, 06:58 AM: Message edited by: Lyle Romer ]

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 01-22-2009 12:11 PM

Mark, Mike S and Lyle put it best. There is something wrong with the Academy. [thumbsdown]

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Mark J. Marshall
Film God

Posts: 3188
From: New Castle, DE, USA
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 01-22-2009 12:20 PM

Agreed.

quote: Mike Blakesley
Or maybe it's just not as good as those other five?

Or maybe Hollywood's definition of what's "good" is seriously out of the mainstream.

The Best Picture Nominations, and their place on the top gross list for 2008, according to Box Office Mojo
Benjamin Button: #22
Slumdog Millionaire: #62
Milk: #111
Frost/Nixon: #145
The Reader: #150

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 01-22-2009 12:59 PM

quote: Mike Blakesley
Or maybe it's just not as good as those other five?

It is fairly rare that a good movie gets nominated. Instead, movies with a lot of shouting get nominated for the acting categories. Same with people who play gay or retarded folk. It's a shoe-in. The Academy eats that shit up. I told you all that Sean Penn would be nominated. I think I may have even guaranteed it, and I haven't even seen "Milk". They do not like to nominate mainstream stuff. It is the art house stuff that usually has the more screaming, yelling and crying and therefore the better acting and better screenplay. It also has more "meaning" and makes you think after you've seen it (usually about vomiting, but still). The Academy does not disappoint in its predictability.

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Joe Tommassello
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 547
From: Coatesville, PA, USA
Registered: Jan 2008

posted 01-22-2009 01:01 PM

Also movies about European people with large lawns seem to get a lot of attention.

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Justin Hamaker
Film God

Posts: 2253
From: Lakeport, CA USA
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 01-22-2009 01:32 PM

quote: Mark J. Marshall
Or maybe Hollywood's definition of what's "good" is seriously out of the mainstream.

The Best Picture Nominations, and their place on the top gross list for 2008, according to Box Office Mojo
Benjamin Button: #22
Slumdog Millionaire: #62
Milk: #111
Frost/Nixon: #145
The Reader: #150

The problem with this point is Slumdog, Milk, Frost/Nixon, and The Reader have not had a wide release yet. The studios have been holding back in anticipation of the Oscar nominations. Plus, if you've been watching the charts, Slumdog has been steadily climbing over the last few weeks.

The other problem with this logic is it suggests Indiana Jones, Hancock, and Twilight should have received some Oscar love.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Richard Jenkins get a nomination for The Visitor.

Having seen most of the top films, I basically agree with the nominations - except I would have put Dark Knight instead of Button for Best Picture and Director - Director for sure.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 01-22-2009 01:48 PM

I guess there are actually three things in life that you can count on: Death, taxes, and annual griping about the Academy Award nominations.

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 01-22-2009 02:30 PM

quote: Brad Miller
There is something wrong with the Academy.

Indeed... for the last 20 or so years there's been something wrong! I haven't watched them now in over 5 years... One thing you can bet on... if it's on network television its crap!

Mark

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Joe Tommassello
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 547
From: Coatesville, PA, USA
Registered: Jan 2008

posted 01-22-2009 02:33 PM

Even "Rock of Love Bus"? Oh wait...that's on cable.

I think I stopped watching the Oscars religiously after "Titanic" won in 1998. Not that I had a problem with Titanic. Maybe Whoopi hosted the next year. Especially since it's been eight years where the predominant theme was "George Bush sucks". I think I'll skip this year's "Isn't the world wonderful now" themed show too. I hope some wacko blows the shit out of the whole auditorium full of clowns because the new saviour wouldn't give the order to waterboard his buddy.

Is that too political?????

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John Hawkinson
Film God

Posts: 2273
From: Cambridge, MA, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 01-22-2009 02:47 PM

Mike Blakesley wrote, "I was surprised Wall-E didn't make the Best Picture noms what with all the acclaim it got,"

It shouldn't be a surprise. Remember that the majority of Oscar voters (and thus nominators) are unionized actors, and they are generally not enamored of films that don't involve actors acting (voice actors notwithstanding). So it is very very difficult for an animated film to garner a Best Picture Oscar.

"but since there is now an animated category, it's likely no animated film will ever get nominated for BP again no matter how good it is."

Basically I think that's true. Unless there is a really big vacuum that year.

--jhawk

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 01-22-2009 02:54 PM

Yep, probably too political, but as long as Whooopi doesn't host I'll probably at least record and skim the show. (Who IS hosting, Jon Stewart again?)

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 01-22-2009 02:55 PM

In one respect I'm surprised The Curious Case of Benjamin Button still managed to get nominated for Best Picture, much less grab a total of 13 nominations.

It doesn't seem justified at all if you look at its decent, but not great "tomato meter" score at Rotten Tomatoes -a mere 72%. The Dark Knight had a score above 90%. So did at least one of the other Best Picture nominees, Slumdog Millionaire.

At least Heath Ledger was nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category. I was happy to see The Dark Knight get a cinematography nomination. Sure, there are movies that look more pretty than The Dark Knight, but I think all the native IMAX work Wally Pfister's crew did deserves a very strong notice. What other movie had anything shot in 70mm during 2008? None, that's who.

I think it seems pretty certain Wall•E will win the Best Sound Effects Editing award and may also take the Best Sound award too. The Best Animated Feature award is a lock.

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