The Oscars have now changed their Best Picture nomination format... again
TWO YEARS after the Academy expanded their number of Best Picture nominations to 10.
The new rule stipulates that a film must have 5% of the total "first place votes" in order to be nominated for Best Picture. The maximum number of films is still 10, but this means the number of films will be some indefinite number between 5 and 10.
Oh, ok.
If you want an idea of what that means, most of the time, the top 1st place vote getter has about 20% of the first place votes, so we can probably expect eight or nine nominations.
If you're like me, and play along closely at home, this is a huge curveball for predicting nominations, but for us close followers, it does provide some excitement.
I don't know if this really makes it that much more exciting, though. When the academy went to ten, it was surprisingly good for recognition of the smaller films, but now, we must really be in a panic to not fill an entire ten nominations. What with the new emphasis on increased commerce, Hollywood has been producing less movies for less competition at the box office. But what about competition for the OSCARS?!? If we have spectacle films with big budgets dominate the Oscars, there will be a lot of lash back, but at least we might have a little more variety at the theaters.
In other news, the Academy changes the Visual Effects category to include 5 nominations.
Could the lack of support from the smaller films actually harm the academy? The answer is, I have no idea, but if it ends up poorly, could the academy sacrifice it's good name in order to give send the message of a stagnant film industry in the US? Soon, whether you believe in 2012 or not, Hollywood will need a serious artistic makeover to save it from a truly apocalyptic implosion from greed and lack of true inspiration.
RIP This era of Hollywood film, 3 third golden age is the only thing that will save us.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Potential Oscar Contenders?
So, a rare sight in the past several years, is to have a film contend for even an Oscar nomination that has been released in the first half of the year. Certainly, years ago when home video was king, we could see The Silence of the Lambs, which was released in February, winning best picture, likewise, The Shawshank Redemption was also released early in the year and received 7 nominations. Before the Oscars went to 10 nominations, the only best picture in recent years (since, say 2001), that had been out on DVD before the award season began was Crash. In the past 2 years since we've had 10 BP nominations, only Pixar films and smaller indie films have been released before July, none of which inarguably would have been up had it not been for the expanded field.
This year, the most acclaimed smaller film thus far is Midnight in Paris, directed by Woody Allen, an Oscar favorite, having been nominated 21 times during his career. As much as the Oscars LOVE Woody, and this film has been raved as his triumphant return in the midst of all his other films over the last few years, it has only made about $7 million domestic, and a small film coming out early in the year is usually grounds for "forgettable," however, critics might push this film at the end of the year, especially for lack of a better film to fill 10 nominations for Best Picture.
The other, equally as acclaimed film, Win Win, has a small chance too, being that Comedies have been so popular among critics lately (a usually uncharacteristic trait), however, it's lack of star-power may inhibit it's memorability.
And finally, it may be too early to tell how Super 8 will be received, a current 82% on tomato-readings, however, having seen it and loved it, I may be biased for putting it on this list, but it is certainly cinematic, a trait which helped propel Inception last year (along with the half billion dollars the film made). If Super 8 ends up coming in the top 3 box office gross this year (already almost impossible with Fast Five, Pirates and Hangover), then it should be nominated for Best Pic.
We also can't quite yet count out the Golden Palm winner, The Tree of Life, and how about last year's winner, Thailand's Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives? Maybe? Huh? Maybe?
This year, the most acclaimed smaller film thus far is Midnight in Paris, directed by Woody Allen, an Oscar favorite, having been nominated 21 times during his career. As much as the Oscars LOVE Woody, and this film has been raved as his triumphant return in the midst of all his other films over the last few years, it has only made about $7 million domestic, and a small film coming out early in the year is usually grounds for "forgettable," however, critics might push this film at the end of the year, especially for lack of a better film to fill 10 nominations for Best Picture.
The other, equally as acclaimed film, Win Win, has a small chance too, being that Comedies have been so popular among critics lately (a usually uncharacteristic trait), however, it's lack of star-power may inhibit it's memorability.
And finally, it may be too early to tell how Super 8 will be received, a current 82% on tomato-readings, however, having seen it and loved it, I may be biased for putting it on this list, but it is certainly cinematic, a trait which helped propel Inception last year (along with the half billion dollars the film made). If Super 8 ends up coming in the top 3 box office gross this year (already almost impossible with Fast Five, Pirates and Hangover), then it should be nominated for Best Pic.
We also can't quite yet count out the Golden Palm winner, The Tree of Life, and how about last year's winner, Thailand's Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives? Maybe? Huh? Maybe?
Back in action for SUMMER 2011!!!
After a wrap on the award season, it's time to get caught up on a few things...
CANNES 2011-
The Golden Palm winner The Tree of Life, the 5th film by Oscar nominated director Terrence Mallick, was released a couple of weeks ago in theaters to rave reviews by critics, less than rave reviews by the blogging public.
You can watch the trailer at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlYYreuK8vo
Also, not much box office competition this summer, which makes for huge incomes for the blockbusters, including Fast Five and Hangover Part 2 (or Very Bad Trip 2 for all the fans in France).
Of course, due to the past couple of years, critics and audiences have both dumbed down their expectations of what the $12 movie ticket should get them (but they still go out to the movies anyway, isn't film the best). Some of the blockbusters so far are getting VERY good press;
Thor, the Marvel comic adaptation directed by Kenneth Branagh, was surprisingly well received for another unwarranted comic adaptation, and has nabbed a B+ average from Yahoo users and a 79% tomato-meter rating (I will just mention it has a 7.4 on imdb, but that's the last time I respond to the pretentious and prejudice voters on imdb).
Fast Five nabbed a 78% off the tomato-meter, and has already made $202 million in the US ALONE!!!
and X-Men: First Class tops the two with an 89% tomatoread, as the surprising reboot to the dull franchise has made this the summer of Marvel, betwixt Thor's temporary reign at the box office, and the upcoming release of Captain America, so don't be surprised if not as many people see the endlessly advertised Green Lanturn.
Especially because yesterday, Super 8 opened, J.J. Abrams dramatic, exciting, creepy, funny, Steven Spielberg-powered film. It may be a spectacle in a field of spectacles, but this film is certainly the most cinematic of the Summer so far, but I may be a bit biased.
So, if you are planning on seeing a film this summer, chances are, many of your friends have seen it. Unfortunately, the films to pick from are another flock of sequels and comic book adaptations.
Having that become the standard for Hollywood films creates good business for the studios, but it begs for Hollywood to have more original stories, if nothing else, to bring out the most talented directors, actors and crew. I myself have enjoyed the more original films that have come out this year, Super 8 and Insidious.
The only thing we can hope to count on is, by award season, the critics will be able to pick from more than just Comic movies and sequels to give major awards to.
CANNES 2011-
The Golden Palm winner The Tree of Life, the 5th film by Oscar nominated director Terrence Mallick, was released a couple of weeks ago in theaters to rave reviews by critics, less than rave reviews by the blogging public.
You can watch the trailer at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlYYreuK8vo
Also, not much box office competition this summer, which makes for huge incomes for the blockbusters, including Fast Five and Hangover Part 2 (or Very Bad Trip 2 for all the fans in France).
Of course, due to the past couple of years, critics and audiences have both dumbed down their expectations of what the $12 movie ticket should get them (but they still go out to the movies anyway, isn't film the best). Some of the blockbusters so far are getting VERY good press;
Thor, the Marvel comic adaptation directed by Kenneth Branagh, was surprisingly well received for another unwarranted comic adaptation, and has nabbed a B+ average from Yahoo users and a 79% tomato-meter rating (I will just mention it has a 7.4 on imdb, but that's the last time I respond to the pretentious and prejudice voters on imdb).
Fast Five nabbed a 78% off the tomato-meter, and has already made $202 million in the US ALONE!!!
and X-Men: First Class tops the two with an 89% tomatoread, as the surprising reboot to the dull franchise has made this the summer of Marvel, betwixt Thor's temporary reign at the box office, and the upcoming release of Captain America, so don't be surprised if not as many people see the endlessly advertised Green Lanturn.
Especially because yesterday, Super 8 opened, J.J. Abrams dramatic, exciting, creepy, funny, Steven Spielberg-powered film. It may be a spectacle in a field of spectacles, but this film is certainly the most cinematic of the Summer so far, but I may be a bit biased.
So, if you are planning on seeing a film this summer, chances are, many of your friends have seen it. Unfortunately, the films to pick from are another flock of sequels and comic book adaptations.
Having that become the standard for Hollywood films creates good business for the studios, but it begs for Hollywood to have more original stories, if nothing else, to bring out the most talented directors, actors and crew. I myself have enjoyed the more original films that have come out this year, Super 8 and Insidious.
The only thing we can hope to count on is, by award season, the critics will be able to pick from more than just Comic movies and sequels to give major awards to.
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