^Still need to see Burning and Cold War. For me the Oscars are a laughingstock. If you're racking up Oscars you've probably made a mediocre, milquetoast film.
Right on. Unless there's a clear standout filmed by prestige directors like the Cohen brothers, the Academy voters often go with safe, insipid pablum.
That's why I'm surprised First Man isn't getting more Best Picture Oscar buzz since it's a historical fiction that combines a prestige industry director with a tale of American perseverance. And it's a hell of a piece of cinema to boot.
My mock Best Picture nominee list (as of 1/20):
The Favorite - Yorgos seems to be working his way into the Hollywood prestige club. The Academy could try to get ahead of the curve here like they did with the Cohen brothers and Fargo.
First Man
The Rider - on top of being a damn good movie, it's a fascinating document that blends fiction, autobiography, and documentary in a way that I think will inspire going forward.
Leave No Trace - I wish quiet, poignant movies like this would get recognition from the Academy when they come along. Granik does masterful, larger than life work with a simple, personal story.
Support the Girls - mumblecore goes mainstream! As the Academy is constantly seeking to boost films that promote their progressive cred, STG subtly - and occasionally bluntly - balances issues of race, class, and gender in an exploration of empathy in the most banal of settings.
First Reformed
Annihilation - Alex Garland is a legitimate big ideas director working through genre in the mold of Kubrik with a touch of Cronenberg. Annihilation underwhelmed me a bit at first despite the two amazing scenes everyone remembers, but it stuck in my mind all last year and really blew me away on a re-watch.
Eighth Grade*
If Beale Street Could Talk*
* I'm going off the recommendations of friends whose taste I trust; haven't seen them yet. _________________ Under New Management
Vice is underrated by the critic class - maybe due to Trump fatigue and Big Short fatigue - but I really appreciate the craftsmanship and Bale's performance, which isn't just weight gain and prosthetics - he really finds the dark heart in a man oblivious to the dramatic irony of his self-righteousness. _________________ Under New Management
Cold Pursuit with Liam Neeson looks pretty awesome starts Feb 8...
In the Trailer they play Don't Fear the Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult, great song, seems to fit with the revenge theme... _________________ NOT A THING COMES TO MIND...!
^Still need to see Burning and Cold War. For me the Oscars are a laughingstock. If you're racking up Oscars you've probably made a mediocre, milquetoast film.
Right on. Unless there's a clear standout filmed by prestige directors like the Cohen brothers, the Academy voters often go with safe, insipid pablum.
That's why I'm surprised First Man isn't getting more Best Picture Oscar buzz since it's a historical fiction that combines a prestige industry director with a tale of American perseverance. And it's a hell of a piece of cinema to boot.
My mock Best Picture nominee list (as of 1/20):
The Favorite - Yorgos seems to be working his way into the Hollywood prestige club. The Academy could try to get ahead of the curve here like they did with the Cohen brothers and Fargo.
First Man
The Rider - on top of being a damn good movie, it's a fascinating document that blends fiction, autobiography, and documentary in a way that I think will inspire going forward.
Leave No Trace - I wish quiet, poignant movies like this would get recognition from the Academy when they come along. Granik does masterful, larger than life work with a simple, personal story.
Support the Girls - mumblecore goes mainstream! As the Academy is constantly seeking to boost films that promote their progressive cred, STG subtly - and occasionally bluntly - balances issues of race, class, and gender in an exploration of empathy in the most banal of settings.
First Reformed
Annihilation - Alex Garland is a legitimate big ideas director working through genre in the mold of Kubrik with a touch of Cronenberg. Annihilation underwhelmed me a bit at first despite the two amazing scenes everyone remembers, but it stuck in my mind all last year and really blew me away on a re-watch.
Eighth Grade*
If Beale Street Could Talk*
* I'm going off the recommendations of friends whose taste I trust; haven't seen them yet.
The lack of Academy love for First Man is astounding to me. It should be an easy Best Picture nominee and winner.
And that Hurwitz wins Globe for his score but isn't even nominated for an Oscar is disconcerting.
Lastly, since Roma got the eventual nod and may win best pic overall, it would bump Eighth Grade on my hypothetical "good movies to appeal to Academy voters list." I'm hopeful for a Roma or The Favourite win this year. _________________ Under New Management
Joined: 13 Sep 2008 Posts: 5869 Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2019 1:02 pm Post subject:
Baron Von Humongous wrote:
Baron Von Humongous wrote:
ocho wrote:
^Still need to see Burning and Cold War. For me the Oscars are a laughingstock. If you're racking up Oscars you've probably made a mediocre, milquetoast film.
Right on. Unless there's a clear standout filmed by prestige directors like the Cohen brothers, the Academy voters often go with safe, insipid pablum.
That's why I'm surprised First Man isn't getting more Best Picture Oscar buzz since it's a historical fiction that combines a prestige industry director with a tale of American perseverance. And it's a hell of a piece of cinema to boot.
My mock Best Picture nominee list (as of 1/20):
The Favorite - Yorgos seems to be working his way into the Hollywood prestige club. The Academy could try to get ahead of the curve here like they did with the Cohen brothers and Fargo.
First Man
The Rider - on top of being a damn good movie, it's a fascinating document that blends fiction, autobiography, and documentary in a way that I think will inspire going forward.
Leave No Trace - I wish quiet, poignant movies like this would get recognition from the Academy when they come along. Granik does masterful, larger than life work with a simple, personal story.
Support the Girls - mumblecore goes mainstream! As the Academy is constantly seeking to boost films that promote their progressive cred, STG subtly - and occasionally bluntly - balances issues of race, class, and gender in an exploration of empathy in the most banal of settings.
First Reformed
Annihilation - Alex Garland is a legitimate big ideas director working through genre in the mold of Kubrik with a touch of Cronenberg. Annihilation underwhelmed me a bit at first despite the two amazing scenes everyone remembers, but it stuck in my mind all last year and really blew me away on a re-watch.
Eighth Grade*
If Beale Street Could Talk*
* I'm going off the recommendations of friends whose taste I trust; haven't seen them yet.
The lack of Academy love for First Man is astounding to me. It should be an easy Best Picture nominee and winner.
And that Hurwitz wins Globe for his score but isn't even nominated for an Oscar is disconcerting.
Lastly, since Roma got the eventual nod and may win best pic overall, it would bump Eighth Grade on my hypothetical "good movies to appeal to Academy voters list." I'm hopeful for a Roma or The Favourite win this year.
I saw that the critics are calling Gosling's performance impassive and emotionless. I really don't get it, as far I read Armstrong was actually like that.
I loved the movie, especially Gosling's and Foy's performance. And the score, absolutely magnificent. I am a sucker for space and exploration-related movies, though.
^I thought pretty much the entire Claire Foy/Family At Home storyline was a bit of a bust but all of the space stuff was so spectacular I was happy to overlook. _________________ 14-5-3-12
Joined: 13 Sep 2008 Posts: 5869 Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2019 2:13 pm Post subject:
ocho wrote:
^I thought pretty much the entire Claire Foy/Family At Home storyline was a bit of a bust but all of the space stuff was so spectacular I was happy to overlook.
I'm guessing they had to throw in some drama. I didn't necessarily like the storyline (but I didn't mind it too much), but thought she did an admirable acting job.
The space stuff was... just wow. I've been reading about him, the Apollo and Challenger missions for two days straight. While going to my 8-16 desk uneventful desk job.
^I thought pretty much the entire Claire Foy/Family At Home storyline was a bit of a bust but all of the space stuff was so spectacular I was happy to overlook.
I'm guessing they had to throw in some drama. I didn't necessarily like the storyline (but I didn't mind it too much), but thought she did an admirable acting job.
The space stuff was... just wow. I've been reading about him, the Apollo and Challenger missions for two days straight. While going to my 8-16 desk uneventful desk job.
Funnily enough, most space race films barely acknowledge the astronauts even had home lives except to use the trope of stricken looking women and children at home to heighten dramatic tension.
The home life scenes had issues, but to me they really accentuated how hermetic their lives were, which accentuated even further how hermetic Armstrong's inner life was within his small, insulated community of astronaut families. I think it also showed how pervasive death was within that small community; how recklessly dangerous the space race was and the effect it had on others who cared for and relied on those men. There's an overall funereal atmosphere to the whole movie, but the deaths of his friends and colleagues contrasts with the opening death of Armstrong's daughter, which he couldn't control and that came from "outside," versus the "control" of risking his own life on his terms within his community. But I think I need to watch it again to clarify my thoughts on the subject. _________________ Under New Management
Cold Pursuit with Liam Neeson looks pretty awesome starts Feb 8...
In the Trailer they play Don't Fear the Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult, great song, seems to fit with the revenge theme...
I look forward to any bit of Liam Neeson kicking tail.
Velvet Buzzsaw is also hitting Netflix on 2/1, and that looks like a heckuva lotta fun. It's another Dan Gilroy/Jake Gyllenhall (sp) team-up after the wonderful, creepy Nightcrawler. _________________ Under New Management
I'm looking forward to Tarantino's new joint along with Claire Denis' "High Life," which is going to squick out so many unsuspecting moviegoers who haven't realized Robert Pattinson has turned into the next Joaquin Phoenix, and Noe's "Climax," because I'm a masochist. US, Ad Astra, Toy Story 4, and so many more look interesting - I think it'll be a fun year for movies. _________________ Under New Management
A 2018 film I saw a couple weeks ago that I forgot to write about, Madeline's Madeline - now streaming on Amazon Prime (promo code) - is an uncompromising indie about a bi-racial teenage girl with mental health issues trying to express herself through her work with an interpretive dance troupe. It is arty, it is alternatively opaque and as subtle as a hammer to the face, but it has vision, it makes tough choices, and it displays Josephine Decker's (Butter on the Latch) burgeoning talent. It turns into something that feels like an emotional seige film from all angles as Madeline seems both a threat to those around her and is threatened by and manipulated by those around her. And then it closes with creepiness, humor, light, and power in a lo-fi amalgamation of Mother! and Annihilation.
It's definitely not for everybody to say the least. I think it also might be genius. I can't escape it. _________________ Under New Management
Joined: 13 Sep 2008 Posts: 5869 Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia
Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2019 1:05 pm Post subject:
Baron Von Humongous wrote:
Nobody wrote:
ocho wrote:
^I thought pretty much the entire Claire Foy/Family At Home storyline was a bit of a bust but all of the space stuff was so spectacular I was happy to overlook.
I'm guessing they had to throw in some drama. I didn't necessarily like the storyline (but I didn't mind it too much), but thought she did an admirable acting job.
The space stuff was... just wow. I've been reading about him, the Apollo and Challenger missions for two days straight. While going to my 8-16 desk uneventful desk job.
Funnily enough, most space race films barely acknowledge the astronauts even had home lives except to use the trope of stricken looking women and children at home to heighten dramatic tension.
The home life scenes had issues, but to me they really accentuated how hermetic their lives were, which accentuated even further how hermetic Armstrong's inner life was within his small, insulated community of astronaut families. I think it also showed how pervasive death was within that small community; how recklessly dangerous the space race was and the effect it had on others who cared for and relied on those men. There's an overall funereal atmosphere to the whole movie, but the deaths of his friends and colleagues contrasts with the opening death of Armstrong's daughter, which he couldn't control and that came from "outside," versus the "control" of risking his own life on his terms within his community. But I think I need to watch it again to clarify my thoughts on the subject.
That's a very solid point. Perhaps I'll have to reconsider my stance as well.
Went to see The Mule the other day. A big fan of Clint, but I think it's time to hang 'em up. Gran Torino light.
I need someone to get me on the Cattet & Forzani train, because holy hell do I want to love their illogical visual excesses, but I'm struggling to do so. _________________ Under New Management
^Still need to see Burning and Cold War. For me the Oscars are a laughingstock. If you're racking up Oscars you've probably made a mediocre, milquetoast film.
Right on. Unless there's a clear standout filmed by prestige directors like the Cohen brothers, the Academy voters often go with safe, insipid pablum.
That's why I'm surprised First Man isn't getting more Best Picture Oscar buzz since it's a historical fiction that combines a prestige industry director with a tale of American perseverance. And it's a hell of a piece of cinema to boot.
My mock Best Picture nominee list (as of 1/20):
The Favorite - Yorgos seems to be working his way into the Hollywood prestige club. The Academy could try to get ahead of the curve here like they did with the Cohen brothers and Fargo.
First Man
The Rider - on top of being a damn good movie, it's a fascinating document that blends fiction, autobiography, and documentary in a way that I think will inspire going forward.
Leave No Trace - I wish quiet, poignant movies like this would get recognition from the Academy when they come along. Granik does masterful, larger than life work with a simple, personal story.
Support the Girls - mumblecore goes mainstream! As the Academy is constantly seeking to boost films that promote their progressive cred, STG subtly - and occasionally bluntly - balances issues of race, class, and gender in an exploration of empathy in the most banal of settings.
First Reformed
Annihilation - Alex Garland is a legitimate big ideas director working through genre in the mold of Kubrik with a touch of Cronenberg. Annihilation underwhelmed me a bit at first despite the two amazing scenes everyone remembers, but it stuck in my mind all last year and really blew me away on a re-watch.
Eighth Grade*
If Beale Street Could Talk*
* I'm going off the recommendations of friends whose taste I trust; haven't seen them yet.
The lack of Academy love for First Man is astounding to me. It should be an easy Best Picture nominee and winner.
Just saw it the other day. Reminded me of The Right Stuff with a different mood. Right Stuff was up for Best Picture in 83, but it was a flop that had to gain acclaim as time went on, which might be First Man's fate. I agree that it should get a nod. _________________ GOAT MAGIC REEL SEDALE TRIBUTE EDDIE DONX!
When Will This Movie Come Out?
The Irishman was rumored for a long time to be hitting Netflix (and possibly theaters) in 2019, but as the second month of the new year rolls by and we hear no news of the Scorsese film, that release date is becoming less certain. However, actor Sebastian Maniscalco, who plays legendary crime boss “Crazy” Joe Gallo in The Irishman, told the Joe Rogan Experience podcast to expect a October 2019 premiere on Netflix:
“It’s coming out in October…I didn’t sleep for the first week leading up to the [first] scene, because I knew it would be with De Niro and Pesci. When I went in there, I told myself that I’m not speaking to nobody. I’m gonna speak when I’m spoken to. There was a part when they were lighting De Niro and I, we’re standing face to face, and I’m looking straight at him.”
Lovely essay that articulates the processing of grief at the core of the film. I think the movie still plays into tropes of civilizing feminity on masculine violence even as it gives Mandy much more depth than the dead wife motivator of so many other revenge flicks. But that's just an observation, not a nitpick. _________________ Under New Management
^Still need to see Burning and Cold War. For me the Oscars are a laughingstock. If you're racking up Oscars you've probably made a mediocre, milquetoast film.
Right on. Unless there's a clear standout filmed by prestige directors like the Cohen brothers, the Academy voters often go with safe, insipid pablum.
That's why I'm surprised First Man isn't getting more Best Picture Oscar buzz since it's a historical fiction that combines a prestige industry director with a tale of American perseverance. And it's a hell of a piece of cinema to boot.
My mock Best Picture nominee list (as of 1/20):
The Favorite - Yorgos seems to be working his way into the Hollywood prestige club. The Academy could try to get ahead of the curve here like they did with the Cohen brothers and Fargo.
First Man
The Rider - on top of being a damn good movie, it's a fascinating document that blends fiction, autobiography, and documentary in a way that I think will inspire going forward.
Leave No Trace - I wish quiet, poignant movies like this would get recognition from the Academy when they come along. Granik does masterful, larger than life work with a simple, personal story.
Support the Girls - mumblecore goes mainstream! As the Academy is constantly seeking to boost films that promote their progressive cred, STG subtly - and occasionally bluntly - balances issues of race, class, and gender in an exploration of empathy in the most banal of settings.
First Reformed
Annihilation - Alex Garland is a legitimate big ideas director working through genre in the mold of Kubrik with a touch of Cronenberg. Annihilation underwhelmed me a bit at first despite the two amazing scenes everyone remembers, but it stuck in my mind all last year and really blew me away on a re-watch.
Eighth Grade*
If Beale Street Could Talk*
* I'm going off the recommendations of friends whose taste I trust; haven't seen them yet.
Other random Oscar "snubs" in my humble moviegoer opinion:
Having finally watched and re-watched Burning, I'm pained a bit that it was left out of the Best Foreign Picture nominees. I haven't seen Never Look Away, which sounds lovely, but with some mixed reviews behind it and given that I regard Burning more highly than even the wonderful Roma, Cold War, and Capernaum (I haven't seen Shoplifters yet), not having Burning among that top five seems the biggest snub to me.
In the dense acting categories I'd only really fight for Ethan Hawke's superb performance to earn a nomination over Rami Malek, but Steven Yeun (Burning) and Ben Foster (Leave No Trace) made compelling arguments for Best Supporting Actor nods while Regina Hall (Support the Girls) was magnificent in the kind of role the Academy rarely recognizes. _________________ Under New Management
The fact that Black Panther got a best picture nomination and First Man didn't is a bit of a travesty. Black Panther was like the 4th best Marvel movie of 2018; that just reeks of Hollywood politics, which I won't get into.
Mid90s and Bad Times at the El Royale were two great movies that will be on my blu ray collection that sadly won't be represented at the academy. Neither of them were pretentious arthouse fluff or Oscar bait, so understandable. Also, Jonah Hill's transition to the camera was miles more impressive than Bradley Cooper's.
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