Academy Awards 2012

[danyulx]

Me, I much prefer Tom Noonan's Tooth Fairy to anyone.
Odd film that 'Manhunter'. I couldn't tell if it were brilliant or shit: usually a good sign.

[El Unicornio, mang]

I think most do, don't they?

The comments on the Cox vs Hopkins video on youtube would suggest otherwise. I would take the opinion of youtube commenters with a pinch of salt, mind. I do think Hopkins's portrayal was more "memorable", but prefer Cox. Really gets across the chilling banality of serial killers.

[Harpo Speaks]

I would like to make a statement, even though it'll be clearly erroneous, I'll swiftly be proven wrong: NO BRILLIANT FILM OR BRILLIANT ACTOR HAS EVER WON AN OSCAR - OR HAVEN'T FOR THE THE LAST THIRTY YEARS AT LEAST. AND THEY NEVER WILL. EVERY FILM AND ACTOR THAT HAS EVER WON AN OSCAR WERE ALL SHIT AT WORST, AND MEDIOCRE-TO-QUITE GOOD AT BEST.

What/who do you consider to be the brilliant films/actors that deserved oscars in the last 30 years? Enter the Void aside (which I haven't seen yet).

[BlodwynPig]

INLAND EMPIRE - didn't Lynch dress up as a cow on Hollywood Boulevard in support of Dern getting a nod.

[danyulx]

What/who do you consider to be the brilliant films/actors that deserved oscars in the last 30 years? Enter the Void aside (which I haven't seen yet).

Friggin' hell, don't start me off pal.

The greatest films made since 1982 - which shit all over every film since said date that have won The Best Picture Oscar -  other than 'Enter the Void', off the top of my head, in one go without really thinking about it: 'Withnail & I', 'The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover', 'A Zed and Two Noughts', 'Drowning by Numbers', 'The Baby of Macon', 'Dogville', 'Naked', 'Irreversible', 'Dog Tooth', 'Gummo', 'Festen', 'Blue Velvet', 'Muholland Drive', 'INLAND EMPIRE', ''Nostalghia', 'The Sacrifice', 'Brazil', 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas', 'Reflections of Evil', 'Tony Manero', 'Sombre', 'La vie nouvelle', 'Frownland', 'Gallivant', 'Four Months, Three Weeks and Two Days', 'Code Unknown', 'Koyaanisqatsi', 'Models', 'Import/Export', 'Eyes Wide Shut', 'Arizona Dream', 'The Terence Davies Trilogy', 'The Long Day Closes', 'Ratcatcher', 'Fitzgeraldo', 'Barton Fink', 'The Big Lebowski', 'Songs from the Second Floor', 'You, the Living', 'The Bothersome Man'..

There are a dozen or two more already flooding to me but I'll pack it in.

I know damn well none of these mentioned film won any academy award, and you could probably count the ones on half a hand that even got nominated in the most obscure of categories.

Either The Academy is wrong or am I wrong. I personally, if I were you, wouldn't trust anyone or anything that has at one time heaped the higest praise upon such dreck as 'Titantic', 'Crash' and 'The Hurt Locker'. Go with me instead.

[danyulx]

Looking through a list of all the 'Best Picture' wins since the dawn of time, the only film I would say that I outright love - that they got right, for once - is 'Annie Hall'.

INLAND EMPIRE - didn't Lynch dress up as a cow on Hollywood Boulevard in support of Dern getting a nod.

Too right he did.. or nearly: he brought a cow along with. Cracking video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut6zdE8qWj0. Didn't work though, did it. No, not even worthy of a nomination in the eyes of these clueless bastards. A fucking tour-de-force it was too.. the like not seen since Isabelle Adjani's turn in 'Possession' about thirty years back, who of course didn't win the Oscar or was even nominated either.

[dr_christian_troy]

The greatest films made since 1982 - which shit all over every film since said date that have won The Best Picture Oscar -  other than 'Enter the Void', off the top of my head, in one go without really thinking about it: 'Withnail & I', 'The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover', 'A Zed and Two Noughts', 'Drowning by Numbers', 'The Baby of Macon', 'Dogville', 'Naked', 'Irreversible', 'Dog Tooth', 'Gummo', 'Festen', 'Blue Velvet', 'Muholland Drive', 'INLAND EMPIRE', ''Nostalghia', 'The Sacrifice', 'Brazil', 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas', 'Reflections of Evil', 'Tony Manero', 'Sombre', 'La vie nouvelle', 'Frownland', 'Gallivant', 'Four Months, Three Weeks and Two Days', 'Code Unknown', 'Koyaanisqatsi', 'Models', 'Import/Export', 'Eyes Wide Shut', 'Arizona Dream', 'The Terence Davies Trilogy', 'The Long Day Closes', 'Ratcatcher', 'Fitzgeraldo', 'Barton Fink', 'The Big Lebowski', 'Songs from the Second Floor', 'You, the Living', 'The Bothersome Man'..

danyulx, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship...

[El Unicornio, mang]

I like quite a few of those films a lot (mostly the Lynch ones, like all his stuff) but I fucking hated Dogville, Ratcatcher and Fear and Loathing. And I found Irreversible to be interesting but I'd rather lick a cheese grater than watch it again.

[Harpo Speaks]

I love Annie Hall.

But looking through your list, surely it's not really a pre-82/post-82 issue - films that are in some way non-linear, experimental or abstract aren't the sort of films that win BP, and haven't been historically.

Barton Fink, Naked and Brazil are great films. I loved Dogtooth. Festen and Fear and Loathing are good, but in no way would I regard them as 'brilliant'.

Eyes Wide Shut is not a good film.

'Fitzgeraldo'

Is this Fitzcarraldo, the Herzog film? I've got the DVD on my shelf, looking forward to it.

[danyulx]

I can easily understand anyone hating the others you mention - though their hatred is wrong... But how could you or anyone possibly hate 'Ratcatcher'?! It's just beautiful. The Lynne Ramsay film 'Ratcatcher' I'm talking about.. not some other film.

But looking through your list, surely it's not really a pre-82/post-82 issue - films that are in some way non-linear, experimental or abstract aren't the sort of films that win BP, and haven't been historically.

Well sod them then: they're wrong, they should win.

Yeah, the Herzog film. All his best films were made before '82 so I could only get that one in there. He's still got the touch to this day though.

[El Unicornio, mang]

Also, although I like to be "challenged" a bit and watch the types of films you listed, I think there's always time for more predictable commercial fare. I've been watching the Die Hard films every night this week and loving every minute of them.

I can easily understand anyone hating the others you mention - though their hatred is wrong... But how could you or anyone possibly hate 'Ratcatcher'?! It's just beautiful.

I just found it depressing and pointless. Possibly it just reminded me too much of the kind of bleak environments I saw regularly around Newcastle. I do like some element of escapism in my films, they can be bleak but I like the reality to be stretched somewhat. There were a couple of "fantasy" sequences in it but I didn't think they blended well.

[danyulx]

I think there's always time for more predictable commercial fare.

For others there may be time, but for me there isn't. Life's predictable and commercial enough as it is, and it does my head in.. If I'm going spent two hours of my day a watching a film I demand to get my arse kicked by it. Same goes for music and all the other arts.

[Consignia]

I preferred Brian Cox's lecture.

[nb]

Spoiler alert

Sorry, couldn't resist

[close]

[/nb]

[danyulx]

The greatest film ever made to ever get nominated for the Best Picture Oscar (though of course didn't win): 'A Woman Under the Influence', 1974.
Great bit of trivia.

EDIT: No, I'm actually talking shit. Rather, John Cassavetes got a nominee for Best Director for said film. Still.

[El Unicornio, mang]

But then it would be up against Godfather II, which pwns every other film from 1974 (and it was up against some greats like Chinatown and The Conversation).

[danyulx]

Greats they may be. But 'A Woman Under the Influence' is ten times greater.

[Small Man Big Horse]

Friggin' hell, don't start me off pal.

The greatest films made since 1982 - which shit all over every film since said date that have won The Best Picture Oscar -  other than 'Enter the Void', off the top of my head, in one go without really thinking about it: 'Withnail & I', 'The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover', 'A Zed and Two Noughts', 'Drowning by Numbers', 'The Baby of Macon', 'Dogville', 'Naked', 'Irreversible', 'Dog Tooth', 'Gummo', 'Festen', 'Blue Velvet', 'Muholland Drive', 'INLAND EMPIRE', ''Nostalghia', 'The Sacrifice', 'Brazil', 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas', 'Reflections of Evil', 'Tony Manero', 'Sombre', 'La vie nouvelle', 'Frownland', 'Gallivant', 'Four Months, Three Weeks and Two Days', 'Code Unknown', 'Koyaanisqatsi', 'Models', 'Import/Export', 'Eyes Wide Shut', 'Arizona Dream', 'The Terence Davies Trilogy', 'The Long Day Closes', 'Ratcatcher', 'Fitzgeraldo', 'Barton Fink', 'The Big Lebowski', 'Songs from the Second Floor', 'You, the Living', 'The Bothersome Man'..

I'm with you on about 80% of that list, but no Almodovar? I'm appalled, and shocked, and no longer horny. I'd also add Twin Peaks Fire Walk With Me, my favourite of all Lynch movies. And one of the Academy's all time fuck up's was giving the Best Actor award in 2000 to Kevin Spacey instead of Richard Farnsworth.

I may be mis-remembering this, but I'm sure there was a time that the big 'worthy' films would be nominated for Best Picture, whilst the more interesting fare would get a Best Screenplay nom[nb]nom nom[nb]sorry.[/nb][/nb], but this doesn't seem to be the case anymore.

[danyulx]

I'm with you on about 80% of that list, but no Almodovar?

Glad you bring him up as he's definitely a filmmaker - one of many, there's too many - I've been meaning to check out more films of. The only film I've seen of his is 'All About My Mother' , which I wouldn't call a brilliant film but I really liked. Liked enough to possibly plough through the rest of his cannon anyway. It reminded me quite a bit of a Fassbinder film, that film, most of whose films I love.

Though I think 'Fire Walk With Me' is far from one of Lynch's best films, it's very good, probably his most underrated, considering how hated it apparantly was upon release. And I'm not that big a fan of the TV series at all. I'd fucking had enough by about six episodes in to be honest, though stuck with it anyway and I'm glad I did as the final episode (one of the rare Lynch directed/written ones) was astonishing.

[danyulx]

['Ratcatcher':] I just found it depressing and pointless. Possibly it just reminded me too much of the kind of bleak environments I saw regularly around Newcastle.

I was also born and bred in a similar Northern-English, dole-fueled, ale-fueled urban environment, which near killed me: which is I suppose why 'Ratcatcher' touched me so deeply, and not the contrary..  knowing too well I had it very easy compared to pretty much the rest of this planet's upbringing.

Life itself as a human being is both depressing and pointless, I'm afraid.. Or I'd love someone one day to prove the case to me otherwise, which they haven't so far. By showering the depression and pointlessness in ineffable beauty- which I think Lynne Ramsay did so incredibly by making 'Ratcatcher' - you're definitely doing something worth doing, by being alive, as a human being, on this earth, with this consciousness at this particular stage of human evolution wherever the fuck it's leading (if anywhere), which she did. This is not a film to be hated. Whilst on the other hand the likes of whatever's now currently wallowing at Number 1 in the Box Office Top Ten making some gormless bastard - who had nothing to do with the actual making of the film - a million quid a day to spend on nonsense he doesn't even need - to further piss all over us with - possibly has a legitimate reason to be hated. I think we're now into "religion".

EDIT: Forgive me Chris Morris's mum. You meant well. 'War Horse'.

[phantom_power]

For others there may be time, but for me there isn't. Life's predictable and commercial enough as it is, and it does my head in.. If I'm going spent two hours of my day a watching a film I demand to get my arse kicked by it. Same goes for music and all the other arts.

For a lot of people though life kicks their arse enough as it is so when they watch a film they just want to be entertained and comforted. You must realise that your tastes are pretty niche and off-centre , so why would a popular film competition like the Oscars tally with your view on films? It isn't about being right or wrong, they just aren't voted for with you in mind.

[BlodwynPig]

I agree with the danyulx list, although there are a few i have not seen. Is rat catcher set in Newcastle? have to hunt that one out.

Another nod for DogTooth - never Oscar material, but deserving of some plaudits.

I guess Blade Runner did not receive any Oscar nods either.

[Funcrusher]

The Oscars are about Hollywood feeling good about itself, and are voted for by Academy members who are Hollywood insiders, so it's never going to be much of a gauge of the actual best films of the year which these days come from outside the US and from independent producers/companies. The days of the big studios putting out films like 'The Godfather' or 'Chinatown' are long gone.

Danny's definitely into the 'controversial/brutal/unsparing' end of recent cinema - do you spend the rest of your time listening to Henry Rollins and punching yourself in the face while reading Harry Crews? The films and filmmakers in your list are always more likely to get a look in for an award at Cannes or other festivals or end of year critics awards in Sight and Sound and the like. The Oscars are always going to go to tasteful Oscar-fodder like Crash or to acknowledge a big commercial success if it's not too trashy.

[BlodwynPig]

The Oscars are about Hollywood feeling good about itself, and are voted for by Academy members who are Hollywood insiders, so it's never going to be much of a gauge of the actual best films of the year which these days come from outside the US and from independent producers/companies. The days of the big studios putting out films like 'The Godfather' or 'Chinatown' are long gone.

Danny's definitely into the 'controversial/brutal/unsparing' end of recent cinema - do you spend the rest of your time listening to Henry Rollins and punching yourself in the face while reading Harry Crews?

they are the only films that make you feel ALIVE

[lipsink]

The big crime this year I reckon is no nomination for Michael Fassbender in 'Shame'. What a fucking (literally) performance. Carey Mulligan really got her act together this year too with this and 'Drive'. No Ryan Gosling either? Christ.

[Funcrusher]

On a less piss-taking note, I wonder if dany's seen Pablo Larrain's next film after 'Tony Manero', 'Post Mortem'. Very chilly, disquieting and grim, and well worth a watch if you're nails like dany.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Call me a middle-of-the-road populist worshipper of mediocrity if you like, but I'd rather watch something like The Descendants or The Social Network than sit through The Baby of bloody Macon again.

[phantom_power]

It's a bit like expecting Merzbow to win something at the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party

[Harpo Speaks]

For others there may be time, but for me there isn't. Life's predictable and commercial enough as it is, and it does my head in.. If I'm going spent two hours of my day a watching a film I demand to get my arse kicked by it.

That's quite a demand to place on any film you watch. What about watching more mainstream and acclaimed films simply because you are interested in film history and their place in it?

Moreover, your apparent dismissal of things simply because they are successful at the box-office or critically lauded means you are potentially missing out on some genuinely good films.

That's not to heap praise on the Academy however, as I largely agree with your assessment about the drop-off in quality of the BP winners as compared to previous years, it's just that there's something about your statements that feel a little bit too...dogmatic.

[The Duck Man]

The greatest films made since 1982 - which shit all over every film since said date that have won The Best Picture Oscar -  other than 'Enter the Void', off the top of my head, in one go without really thinking about it: 'Withnail & I', 'The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover', 'A Zed and Two Noughts', 'Drowning by Numbers', 'The Baby of Macon', 'Dogville', 'Naked', 'Irreversible', 'Dog Tooth', 'Gummo', 'Festen', 'Blue Velvet', 'Muholland Drive', 'INLAND EMPIRE', ''Nostalghia', 'The Sacrifice', 'Brazil', 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas', 'Reflections of Evil', 'Tony Manero', 'Sombre', 'La vie nouvelle', 'Frownland', 'Gallivant', 'Four Months, Three Weeks and Two Days', 'Code Unknown', 'Koyaanisqatsi', 'Models', 'Import/Export', 'Eyes Wide Shut', 'Arizona Dream', 'The Terence Davies Trilogy', 'The Long Day Closes', 'Ratcatcher', 'Fitzgeraldo', 'Barton Fink', 'The Big Lebowski', 'Songs from the Second Floor', 'You, the Living', 'The Bothersome Man'..

All, without exception, shit.

CHECK ME OUT, I HAVE MAVERICK OPINIONS TOO.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Now, now.  Irreversible ends with the motto "Time destroys everything".  This is an important and in-no-way trite message for us all.