Chris Gore's Footage Fetishes: Whats wrong with Oscar? Plenty
One of the joys of watching the Oscars is complaining about it. For me, this usually involves either screaming at the television or calling up random friends to scream at them over the winners. The Academy Awards is the Super Bowl of awards show and perhaps the best part about the end of the broadcast is that it marks the finale of award season.
Having never missed a broadcast since the original Star Wars lost to Annie Hall back in 1977, I can tell you that many of the problems with the Oscars havent changed since way back then.
In order to improve the Oscars, it may be painful
it might even require torture.
So what would improve the Oscars and make the Academy Awards a better show? I could continue to complain, but this year I am humbly submitting the following solutions to some of the problems that have plagued the event since the 1970s when bell-bottomed tuxedoes were in vogue.
Lose the Musical Numbers
For some reason, the Oscar show itself is still firmly rooted in the '70s. One of the most popular types of television programs in the 1970s was the variety show which featured a wealth of overproduced musical numbers and uncomfortably unfunny shtick. For me, the musical numbers make a perfect bathroom break, but do those performances have to be so damn long? Does every nominated song need to be sung in its entirety? Must each song require dancers to prance around on stage in some choreographed Broadway number? I mean, this is a show honoring achievements in "film," not the "stage." Frankly, Id rather see more clips from the shorts than be forced to listen to someone like Phil Collins. And lets face it, do we really even need the award for Original Song anyway? In 1999 Phil Collins received the Oscar for Youll Be in My Heart from Disneys Tarzan winning out over Aimee Manns Save Me from Magnolia proving that when it comes to music, the Academy, at the very least, lacks taste.
Genre Awards
They could rename the Oscars, the "Drama Movie Awards." It's really an organization dedicated to awarding only one genre of film. Recently the Academy added the category of Best Animated Feature, so why not genre films? Nine of the top 10 movies listed in the all-time at the box office are either science fiction, fantasy or horror films. A "Genre" movie category would have allowed movies like Lord of the Rings or Star Wars to compete on a level playing field rather than trying to win against dramas where their chances are almost non-existent.
Give Producers Recognition
There's much controversy within the industry regarding the recognition of producers. These are the folks who receive the Best Picture Oscar and are the ones who get movies made. Filmmaking is a team sport requiring producers in many capacities to see a movie through the filmmaking process and onto the screen. The Academy has a rule which states that only three producers are eligible to receive the award, even though many features have multiple producers which means that someone always gets left out. There's talk of expanding the number of producers eligible for recognition, but perhaps they need to go further and create a Producer award given to the best producing team. Considering the number of awards for technical achievements in categories that the public hardly understands, this would be one welcome solution.
Let them speak...
Longtime Academy Awards show producer Gil Cates gives away a big screen TV each year to the person with the shortest Oscar speech. The person who often wins the prize is usually someone from one of the technical categories. The unscripted speeches tend to be the most memorable moments from the show. If the speech goes longer than the allotted 45-seconds, consider laying off the music and allow the winners to have their say.
And, it would also help to...
Coach the nominees to "Stop random thankings!"
It would improve the show to coach nominees to not thank so many people. Rather than reading a prepared list of people in quick succession, frankly, names that mean nothing to the one billion people watching the show, wouldn't that time be better spent saying something meaningful? Perhaps the best Oscar speech ever delivered was by Steven Soderbergh when he won Best Director for Traffic. He began by saying that he would thank everyone privately later and then he went on to deliver a heartfelt speech about those who dedicate their lives to doing something creative every day. It was moving and short and stood out from the rest. And, better yet, it was more entertaining than hearing a list of names, which constitutes 90% of the speeches delivered during the show.
Give shorts their due...
I personally love short films. I also see a lot of shorts online and at film festivals, so it always surprises me that I've seen so few of the Oscar-nominated shorts. The Academy should feature these movies on their web site so that the public can actually see the films we're talking about. If not online, at least allow them to be shown on cable or pay per view or as some Oscar Shorts special, but I'd love the chance to see what the Academy is calling the Best in shorts.
The Best Ensemble Cast Award
For years now, the Sundance Film Festival has given an award for the best ensemble cast. It makes a lot of sense as the highlight of a great film can be that combination of a number of standout performances. Other groups such as SAG have a similar award to acknowledge a stellar cast. The entire cast of The Departed performed beautifully together, so why should only Mark Wahlberg get a chance at gold?
Rather than singling out one performance in a movie, the Academy should create an award for the Best Ensemble Cast. I'm not the only one who would love to see the Oscar madness that would ensue from Jack, Leo, Alec, Martin, Matt and Marky Mark taking the stage to hoist a trophy created for their ensemble cast performance.
Lose some of the awards...
I've suggested things which actually requiring adding some new categories, which would only make the broadcast even longer and nobody wants that. So, we're going to have to kill some babies and lose some categories. I'd suggest these awards simply be moved from the main broadcast to the technical awards which are given away before the main event. No one is going to miss the following categories and the show will benefit by adding new and exciting awards which are long overdue. So, consider moving the following out of the show:
Art Direction
Sound Mixing
Sound Editing
Makeup
Costume
Film Editing
Visual Effects (The Best Genre Film award would actually give recognition to films with visual effects and replace this in a sense.)
Original Song (Sure, this one's not technical, but it would save so much time as well as suffering.)
Martin Scorsese has been nominated six times for Best Director and never won. Will he lose a seventh time for The Departed? If he walks away Oscarless this weekend, Marty may lose it altogether.
And finally, to the Academy voters... for film history's sake, get it right.
A "Best" in any category should be a creative achievement that will stand the test of time. However, the Academy has a habit of awarding films which appeal to those pesky emotions of the moment. Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull lost to Ordinary People in 1980. Then a decade later, Scorsese's film Goodfellas lost out to Kevin Costner's Dances with Wolves. Which films stood the test of time? It was obvious to me that Scorsese's work should have won Best Picture in both of those instances. So my message to Academy voters is to choose movies that are not just great for the period in which they were made, but ones that transform the medium and could be true movie milestones. That way we can avoid winners like Shakespeare in Love. Wait, Shakespeare in Love actually won Best Picture?!
Oh, and as if thats not enough Oscar madness, you can continue to complain about my Oscar picks from last week. Some of my choices caused quite a bit of debate including my prediction that Abigail Breslin will take home the award for Best Supporting Actress, though the LA Times agrees that she could win in an upset. Also, all bets are off about the Best Picture winner. Based on recent polling of Academy members, it seems to be a three-way race that is too close to call between The Departed, Little Miss Sunshine and Babel. So that means that your guess is as good as mine. My only hope is that it's not boring, but I know that's a bet I would lose.
Gore gone... for now
Chris_Gore is an author, a filmmaker, the creator of Film Threat, and, like everyone else, will probably watch the Oscars Sunday evening and then forget who won by Monday morning.
Chris Gore's Footage Fetishes: Os-Gore Predictions
Everyone in Hollywood wants to get their hands on a naked gold man. And everyone is so excited that for weeks theres a frenzy over speculation about the lucky folks who will be stroking some shiny bald guy. Well, everyone, that is, except for me.
Its Oscar time and yet again I find myself to be the only one who just doesn't seem to care all that much about the Academy Awards. Sure, I watch the broadcast every year, and, like many, I complain about the show or the speeches or the horribly scripted banter between presenters or the outdated musical numbers, but the truth is, I just don't care. Perhaps you dont care either? So, really quick, without doing a search online, answer this: Who won for Best Picture last year? C'mon, whats the answer? Can you tell me who won for Best Supporting Actor last year? Yeah, I dont remember either.
These awards dont seem to matter all that much it ends up being more of a career killer to the winners. Sure, they gain respect, but winning an Oscar can be more of a curse that a boost. Oscar winners are usually not so much a barometer of true quality as it is a reflection of what was popular at the time.
One of the main reason I don't care much about the Oscars is that the organization only seems to acknowledge one genre of filmmaking the drama. That's it. Other organizations that give countless awards to artists like the Grammys, acknowledge that you can't compare hip-hop to jazz music. Which is why comedic performances rarely ever get nominated and that forces the likes of Tom Hanks or Eddie Murphy or Jim Carrey or Robin Williams to appear in dramas in order to gain that Oscar respect they crave so much.
The Academy Awards is the ultimate popularity contest and the world watches with baited breath. All except for me. I have many theories about each category when it comes to choosing the winner and I will divulge my secrets to you. If it helps you win the office Oscar pool, then Ive done my job. And if you lose because of me, well, it was just an honor to be able to help you. So, with complete and total apathy, I present to you the 2007 Annual Os-Gore Predictions
(cue graphic
roll it)
Just like the show, let's begin with the awards that virtually no one cares about leading right up to the big five. First up...
In the category of Documentary (short subject) , the nominees are
The Blood of Yingzhou District
Recycled Life
Rehearsing a Dream
Two Hands
And the predicted Os-Gore winner is
Recycled Life
It's all about the environment this year, so this one is the odds-on favorite.
In the category of Film Editing, the nominees are
Babel
Blood Diamond
Children of Men
The Departed
United 93
And the predicted Os-Gore winner is
The Departed
Thelma Schoonmaker is Martin Scorsese long-time collaborator in the editing suite and she'll take the gold this year for a stellar job.
In the category of Makeup, the nominees are
Apocalypto
Click
Pan's Labyrinth
And the predicted Os-Gore winner is
Pan's Labyrinth
Pan's will take this one because Mel Gibson is not so popular at the moment and, um, can you imagine any Adam Sandler movie getting an Oscar?
In the category of Animated Short Film, the nominees are
The Danish Poet
Lifted
The Little Matchgirl
Maestro
No Time for Nuts
And the predicted Os-Gore winner is
Maestro
Really, your guess is as good as mine here, but this is the one film I have seen.
In the category of Live Action Short Film, the nominees are
Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea)
Eramos Pocos (One Too Many)
Helmer & Son
The Saviour
West Bank Story
And the predicted Os-Gore winner is
West Bank Story
Again, I've seen this short which takes a comedic look at the turmoil in the Middle East by turning a turf war into a musical comedy.
In the category of Best Foreign Language Film, the nominees are
After the Wedding, Denmark
Days of Glory (Indigenes), Algeria
The Lives of Others, Germany
Pan's Labyrinth, Mexico
Water, Canada
And the predicted Os-Gore winner is
Pan's Labyrinth,
Again, it will be a good night for Guillermo Del Toro as Pan's will get the acknowledgement it deserves.
In the category of Best Adapted Screenplay, the nominees are
Sacha Baron Cohen and Anthony Hines and Peter Baynham and Dan Mazer and Todd Phillips, Borat Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Alfonso Cuaron and Timothy J. Sexton and David Arata and Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, Children of Men
William Monahan, The Departed
Todd Field and Tom Perrotta, Little Children
Patrick Marber, Notes on a Scandal
And the predicted Os-Gore winner is
The Departed
Sure, it would be fun to see Borat give an Oscar speech, but William Monahan will win for The Departed. Some will think there's a sweep coming, but that's just not going to happen for any movie.
In the category of Best Original Screenplay, the nominees are
Guillermo Arriaga, Babel
Iris Yamashita and Paul Haggis, Letters From Iwo Jima
Michael Arndt, Little Miss Sunshine
Guillermo del Toro, Pan's Labyrinth
Peter Morgan, The Queen
And the predicted Os-Gore winner is
Letters From Iwo Jima
Iris Yamashita and Paul Haggis will take this one home.
In the category of Best Animated Feature Film, the nominees are
Cars
Happy Feet
Monster House
And the predicted Os-Gore winner is
Monster House
Well, I want to see Monster House and it should win, because it is clearly the best in terms of quality. Happy Feet is just torture for adults to watch and it could win if my environmental theory proves to be true, so look for either of these to take it.
In the category of Art Direction, the nominees are
Dreamgirls
The Good Shepherd
Pan's Labyrinth
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
The Prestige
And the predicted Os-Gore winner is
Pan's Labyrinth
Other films have been financially successful, which usually works against winning an Oscar. Academy voters like to award films that they feel need to be helped along.
In the category of Cinematography, the nominees are
The Black Dahlia
Children of Men
The Illusionist
Pans Labyrinth
The Prestige
And the predicted Os-Gore winner is
Children of Men
Again, the Academy will spread the love around.
In the category of Sound Mixing, the nominees are
Apocalypto
Blood Diamond
Dreamgirls
Flags of Our Fathers
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
And the predicted Os-Gore winner is
Flags of Our Fathers
The Academy loves Clint Eastwood and considering that the age of the voters tend to run on the high side, Flags will take it.
In the category of Sound Editing, the nominees are
Apocalypto
Blood Diamond
Flags of Our Fathers
Letters From Iwo Jima
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
And the predicted Os-Gore winner is
Letters From Iwo Jima
Spread the love!
In the category of Original Score, the nominees are
Babel, Gustavo Santaolalla
The Good German, Thomas Newman
Notes on a Scandal, Philip Glass
Pan's Labyrinth, Javier Navarrete
The Queen, Alexandre Desplat
And the predicted Os-Gore winner is
Notes on a Scandal,
Philip Glass did create a great score.
In the category of Original Song, the nominees are
"I Need to Wake Up" from An Inconvenient Truth, Melissa Etheridge
"Listen" from Dreamgirls, Henry Krieger, Scott Cutler and Anne Preven
"Love You I Do" from Dreamgirls, Henry Krieger and Siedah Garrett
"Our Town" from Cars, Randy Newman
"Patience" from Dreamgirls, Henry Krieger and Willie Reale
And the predicted Os-Gore winner is
"I Need to Wake Up" from An Inconvenient Truth
Melissa Etheridge will prime those at the show as they prepare to see Al Gore get his Oscar.
In the category of Costume, the nominees are
Curse of the Golden Flower
The Devil Wears Prada
Dreamgirls
Marie Antoinette
The Queen
And the predicted Os-Gore winner is
The Devil Wears Prada
It's simple, chicks dig the clothes in this movie.
In the category of Documentary Feature, the nominees are
Deliver Us From Evil
An Inconvenient Truth
Iraq in Fragments
Jesus Camp
My Country, My Country
And the predicted Os-Gore winner is
An Inconvenient Truth
This one is a lock. The real debate is whether Al Gore will announce his candidacy for President of the United States.
In the category of Visual Effects, the nominees are
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Poseidon
Superman Returns
And the predicted Os-Gore winner is
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
This category could be renamed "Best Genre Film," which will explain this choice.
In the category of Best Supporting Actor, the nominees are
Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine
Jackie Earle Haley, Little Children
Djimon Hounsou, Blood Diamond
Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls
Mark Wahlberg, The Departed
And the predicted Os-Gore winner is
Eddie Murphy
In this category, it's not so much about the best performance, as who the Academy would like to see give a speech. And you have to admit, Eddie's earned it.
In the category of Best Supporting Actress, the nominees are
Adriana Barraza, Babel
Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal
Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine
Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
Rinko Kikuchi, Babel
And the predicted Os-Gore winner is
Abigail Breslin
Best Supporting Actress seems to be a way for the Academy to award the "best newcomer to the business." Plus, she's so damn cute.
In the category of Best Actor, the nominees are
Leonardo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond
Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson
Peter O'Toole, Venus
Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness
Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland
And the predicted Os-Gore winner is
Peter O'Toole
This falls under the category of "Ooops! We love you and forgot to give you an Oscar." Now that O'Toole is at the end of his career, he can enjoy that statue on the shelf. Plus, old chicks dig Pete.
In the category of Best Actress, the nominees are
Penelope Cruz, Volver
Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal
Helen Mirren, The Queen
Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada
Kate Winslet, Little Children
And the predicted Os-Gore winner is
Kate Winslet
She's been overlooked too often and this also fits into the "spreading the love around" theory I am sticking to this year.
In the category of Best Director, the nominees are
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Babel
Martin Scorsese, The Departed
Clint Eastwood, Letters From Iwo Jima
Stephen Frears, The Queen
Paul Greengrass, United 93
And the predicted Os-Gore winner is
Paul Greengrass
Yes, it's an upset. Many are saying Scorsese. And Scorsese clearly deserves it for his amazing career. Scorsese has blown it in the past by acting like a sore loser. It's unfortunate that he is not well liked by Academy voters, so he'll walk away the loser. The Academy is going to give the love to United 93 in the interests of the film's powerful filmmaking and social relevance.
In the category of Best Picture, the nominees are
Babel
The Departed
Letters From Iwo Jima
Little Miss Sunshine
The Queen
And the predicted Os-Gore winner is
The Departed
While the Academy tends to award films that highlight some high-minded social issue, there are just too many socially relevant movies to choose from, so theyll cancel each other out. This year will see a Martin Scorsese-directed crime drama walk away with the gold. In fact, expect the Oscar-love to be spread around with no film achieving a clear sweep but with many films getting an Oscar or two or maybe even three.
And if you want a sure winner, make a side bet with your friends that Ennio Morricone will win an Honorary Award and that
Sherry Lansing will get the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. The recipients of these awards have already been announced so you can take that gold to the bank. Another sure bet - the Oscars will be long and boring.
Check in after the show to see how close my Os-Gore predictions were to the actual outcome... I'm kind of excited to find out.
Gore gone.
Chris_Gore is an author, a filmmaker, the creator of Film Threat, and plans to wear a tuxedo and crash an Oscar party or two.
Gael Garcia Bernal is Not Afraid to Fuck Up a Chicken
Babel star Gael Garcia Bernal prepared himself to pull the head off a chicken for a scene in the film, but animal humane laws stopped him from killing the animal. In a traditional Mexican wedding scene, the actor twirled a chicken in the air, pulling off its head. Although American audiences might be disgusted, Bernal said he had no qualms about the scene because he had to kill chickens in real life. Bernal explained its natural to kill your food for yourself.
"It's what goes on every day in life. You eat a chicken, you should be able to kill it. I mean people eat chickens all the time. Chicken is a worldwide delicacy, and in this case we didn't hurt chickens because it's a film. In film you try to make everything real with fictitious elements and so we had a dummy chicken.
Bernal then explained the proper way to decapitate a live chicken.
"It had it's neck connected so I could twist it around. It's how you kill a chicken in a non-industrial way. You might say it's more human than what they do in industries."
