Showing posts with label Oscar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oscar. Show all posts

Sunday, April 10, 2011

RANT: Top Ten people who should never be in Hollywood... from now

2011 will never be a great year for movies because every movie chucked right at us are terrible and the people responsible for making these films is Hollywood. Hollywood used to be the epitome of what everyone wanted to be in the 20th Century. They want to be famous actors, directors making an income and clinging their Oscars. These days, I cannot imagine how it's free to be in Hollywood and do whatever you want with your movies no matter how bad it is and yet the studios don't even care. They're manipulating the public to such a sense of pleasure that it's hard to resist and dislike. They're damaging tastes and senses.

So here are the directors, actors, producers and people that makes up our entertainment industry who should take one step away from Hollywood.

10. Jennifer Aniston


I'm suprised that this actress, 40, is still doing movies when a) her personal life is being shoved down our throats through brief relationships and b) she plays the same character in every one of her movie. From 1994, she was considered a style icon revolutionising everybody's hair with the"Rachel"named after the character she plays in Friends. Now ever since Friends had it's finale and Aniston was dumped by Brad Pitt, she appears in countless rom-bombs like The Break Up, The Bounty Hunter and every movie starting with "The" I believe. And there's a pattern, no matter what movie she's in, she's seem to have an infactuation with her co-stars and the gossip mags get that from the fact that she's still an icon. Aniston, your time is up.



9. Michael Bay.


This dude is the most manipulative, misogynistic director I have ever heard. Look at his films like Bad Boys, Pearl Harbor and Transformers and you know what you get. This dude's bring his inner frat boy to life by bringing up explosions from tanks, robots and girls running with cleavage simultaneously. When he thinks we're about to walk out, he puts in an emotionally setimental scene that had us by the end saying "best movie ever" which is what every kid at my high school say and thinking he's the best director yet. And also he's the highest earning director with $500 million. That's a joke.

Ben Affleck, Scarlett Johansson had regrets with making films with you and so did Shia Labeouf. Even apologising for making the atrocious sequel to Transformers doesn't help. No wonder Megan Fox had went out...


8. Megan Fox


... which automatically makes her into this list as well. I don't get the whole hotness of her. Her face constantly change from eyelid surgery and since how did he become the attention of our dumb youth. Lindsay Lohan was better than her for crying out loud, in terms of acting (they both appear in Confessions Of A Drama Queen). Seeing that her latest films Jonah Hex and Passion Play both bombed critically and commercially, shows a true testament that a) she's not an actor b) we had enough of her and c) that she has no potential in show business given her negligable talent. But I still cannot believe that boys are still going gaga for her. What is wrong with them. There are better actresses currently working who are also hot at the same time (Zooey Deschanel, Natalie Portman, Jennifer Lawrence, Blake Lively are some examples)


7. Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer


God, do you have to bring these two nutjobs here and let them do whatever they want with no order. Keeping in fact they both turned into a franchise with every dead parody movie coming with Meet The Spartans, Disaster Movie, and Epic movie become box-office hits having a hint of what's popular and then putting it in their movies, I was frustrated and it wasn't funny at all. I had the same feelings when they release Vampires Suck, the Twilight parody. Not only did I felt so angry when it made Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World a disaster, but made Twilight more special to the haters in a good way. There's an online petition to make these two stop filming. I'm signing it right now.

6. Miley Cyrus

 This so-called "singer" is starting a movie career when she already had a film based on her TV show Hannah Montana with The Last Song, then after that film, which is deservedly bashed, she smokes a bong and the next thing you'll know she will be appearing in the sequel The Last Bong. This girl came from Disney. What do you expect from these kids? They do the most stupid thing taking nude photos and drugs which is what she's doing at the moment. This girl can't sing and "Party In The USA" is supposed to be the dumbest anthem I've ever listened. She's a talentless nobody and 20 years from now we will regret for liking this girl. A message to her: you have all the money in the world and yet you spend the fame on shit. Now I'm going to scorn about Cyrus when she's coming to Australia.


5. Charlie Sheen


Recently the most creepiest rambling from this attention-seeking whore was when he asked Mila Kunis to become one of his goddesses. His goddesses are two porn stars and to tell you the truth the only way that we are going to stop Sheen is to ignore him no matter what kind of philosophy this whore will tell you. I had enough of Sheen when he's still not changing his ways from being both a junkie and a whore before and after Two And A Half Men. The dude had some potential in the 80s as this up and coming actor performing from Platoon to Wall Street. Now he's on a tour for no apparent reason other than to overly justify how he's winning. Why do some people feels that Sheen is an inspiration to their lives? Is it because living you life as an asshole is fun. Picking up girls is cool. Mr. Sheen, you're just a train wreck who couldn't stop.

4. The Academy members


The Academy had never been right for so long. OK. I confess. I was disappointed that The King's Speech won over The Social Network over the Oscars. The reason why TKS won was because of the voters and how they love feel good movies. These voters do not belong to the Academy but do they know anything about movies? No. This reminds me of how Forrest Gump tramped Pulp Fiction and how Crash won over Brokeback Mountain. Would TKS be considered one of the greatest movies of all time just because it won Best Picture. No.

3. Rob Schneider


I don't understand why this douche is given a lifetime free pass to let him do whatever he thinks its funny. COS IT'S NOT! Just because he work with Adam Sandler frequently doesn't help out. Schneider brings in all of the lowest forms of humor that is not only unfunny, but cruel as well.

Have you seen I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry where Schneider plays an Asian priest who conducts gay weddings? That's just brutal. When I saw Male Gigalo, probably his directorial debut, I just don't get it. Schneider should never be entitled as a director, a screenwriter or an actor because like Friedberg and Seltzer he brings in the utterly pointless and dastardly stupid to movie goers.


2. Kim Kardashian


Kim Kardashian is torture. She's only made famous because of a sex tape that was released and now it's too much. She's appearing in every magazine that's in existence. What next? Time magazine? What makes her so good is that her reality show Keeping Up With The Kardashians isn't popular like the Jersey Shore in which they're both the same show except that Kardashian and her sisters (who are the B-grade versions of her) do not start up a fight. I can't believe idiots would go searching for her ass online which is just so unimportant to Western civilisation. And appearing in every award ceremony with her big dress (no pun intended) just skims the limelight to actors whose there to show their graceful acting talent. And you lady got nothing. Appearing in Disaster movie does not start off your acting career.



And finally the NO.1 douche to take one step off Hollywood is...


Harvey Weinstein


This prick here comes to Hollywood to produce movies that are supposed to be good. I loved Pulp Fiction, one the few films in his resume as a 'producer' with the clever direction and script of Quentin Tarantino and such. Pulp Fiction was the only film I liked that has this dude credited. It would've won Best Picture had Forrest Gump didn't exist as a movie (by the way, I actually like that movie). But it's 1999 and Weinstein bribed every dumb voter of the Academy a luxury of lifestyle so that his film, Shakespeare In Love, one of the few movies served as producer, would win Best Picture over Saving Private Ryan. Why?

What bags me out about the Oscars is that for five years straight, no Hollywood film had won the Best Picture. The last film to do so was Martin Scorsese's The Departed which was made by Warner. Weinstein just comes to Hollywood to entertain the voters so they can reward his movies to the maximum amount. He may be revolutionizing how the Oscars would pick which ones are the best and it's usually arthouse junk. In 2009, you're responsible for sunbbing WALL-E and The Dark Knight at the Oscars for Best Picture. The Academy had enough of you so that's why they doubled the number of Best Picture nominees.

But it's the 83rd Academy Awards that captures everything I hate about Harvey Weinstein. The King's Speech, which he was an executive producer had won over The Social Network (which should've won Best Picture and Best Director, talking about social media and how it changes people lives for the better or worst). The Oscars is supposed to be about rewarding films based on its artistic aspects and entertainment. Because of this, I retract praise for TKS except for the outstanding performances of its cast. The Academy probably voted for that film only because it was a feel-good film and they are 57. But maybe because WEINSTEIN just gave them the same luxurious lifestyle to these dumbasses who don't know anything about movies. Harvey Weinstein is corrupting Hollywood because of his campaigns that has nothing to do with the greatness of his films.

People I wouldn't put on the list, but are close to being part of Hollywood.


The cast of Jersey Shore
Justin Bieber
Lindsay Lohan
Uwe Boll
Paris Hilton
Jennifer Lopez
Adam Sandler
Perez Hilton

Monday, February 28, 2011

My Reaction to the 83rd Academy Awards

OK. The Oscars are over. After that, you should get a life.

And I was divided. Really divided.

The King's Speech won four Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor (it almost got the Big Five - Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay and Best Director). I congratulate them with their win. It is a perfect prediction for this years Oscars because as I said in the Best Picture blog, the Academy loves a feel-good movie even if my wishes wasn't fulfilled. SO anyway congratulations to them. Even if it meant that a Hollywood movie had not won that category for four years.

I was really happy that Inception had got the most Oscars with four for Visual Effects, Cinematography, Sound Editing and Mixing. Most of the technical awards. And The Social Network got three Oscars - Best Editing, Best Original Score for Nine Inch Nails duo Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross and Best Adapted Screenplay for Aaron Sorkin. And even though it didn't win any important category, Inception and The Social Network will be remembered as two of the greatest movies made in this century.

And I was also pleased that Natalie Portman won the only Oscar for Black Swan. Black Swan is a dark movie and even it is so conflicted, Portman deserved it. Everybody's a winner (except for 127 Hours, that's a shame)

Insert rant:

But the entire show is so EXCRUCIATING. Anne Hathaway and James Franco may be the youngest hosts to ever host an Oscar show, but they are the worst Oscar hosts ever!! It makes David Letterman hosting feel like Billy Crystal, it makes Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin look like Cheech & Chong.

I have completely lost faith with Hathaway and I don't know if playing Catwoman in the next Batman movie was the right choice by Christopher Nolan. Seriously James Franco cross dress as Marilyn Monroe while Hathaway makes fun of Australians. That is such a dick move. It reminds me of two guys sitting next to each other at a bar. One's drunk and the other remains sober. Hathaway acts drunk while Franco seems like he came out from Alcoholic Anomynous. That is such a dick move.

More than so, this is what I've been expecting from these two actors who have never experienced any hosting duties. They honestly could not take this seriously together and the chemistry is entirely charmless. Seriously the jokes are unfunny, the lines are unplayful and this is the moment I've been waiting for... Hathaway changing her wardrobe for EIGHT FUCKING TIMES! Hathaway bringing in a choir from the movie Waiting For Superman is somewhat a hush compensation for us if we don't enjoy until the very end. Watching Hathaway and Franco hosting the 83rd Academy Awards is like watching The Last Airbender where it doesn't have an ending and until its 127 minute there's a twist (M Night Shyalaman joke put here) but there's still no ending. Now I'm wishing Kanye would come in and interrupt them. It's also like watching The Tourist again and again.

I honestly don't get why the Academy is so obsessed with kids my age. I mean did the whole Academy go into a midlife crisis? Did they want them to grab ratings? Did the Academy want to trick them into seeing the hottest girl and guy in Hollywood hosting the biggest event of their lives? They're trying to grab a younger audience and that plan had epicly failed. Unfortunately no one 16 years younger or older to 25 is interested in good movies. Because they don't know what the fuck is a good movie. They're still playing their Call Of Duty: Black Ops, still watching the same Adam Sandler movie or Twilight movie and they will never watch classic movies like 2001: A Space Oddysey or Goodfellas.

They could've chose a comedian instead. None of them are comedians and the Academy would've gave Stephen Colbert or even Conan o Brien the rights to host it.

But the best thing about the show is a montage of The Social Network, Twilight, Toy Story 3 and Harry Potter mashuped to deliver a hilarious autotune

So my verdict is this: Everyone's a winner, but they wasted their time to the most hollow show on Earth

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Road To The "Oscar"

OK. There will be 5 sleeps until the Oscars is held and I believe that in some ways, the Academy tries to get the attention of minors or trying to gather a youthful audience to watch the Oscars after school. They chose Anne Hathaway and James Franco as hosts because they're young and more well known to many young ones. Then they nominate Toy Story 3, Inception for Best Picture some movies that everyone would enjoy. Would teens watch the annual show?

But we're not talking about why young people should care about the Oscars. (they don't watch good movies at times anyway). the title Road to The "Oscar" refers to the one and only Oscar category I care about (hence the quotation marks of the word Oscar and how the word is not in plural form): The Academy Award For Best Picture.

In my opinion, doubling the nominees to 10 seems to be a good move. The move was based on what movies everybody liked (the people and the critics). Ever since 2005, there have been nominees which the majority of people have never heard about but the critics loved. In 2005, the Oscars back then was the lowest rated Oscars in television because nobody have heard about movies such as Capote, Crash (the Best Pic winner), Good Night and Good Luck which was directed by George Clooney and Munich which was an unknown piece from Steven Spielberg. It was the same as for 2007 where There Will Be Blood, No Country For Old Men and Michael Clayton was never well known to a lot of people. But the next year, the Best Picture category had everyone's nerves. There was disappointment to many people that The Dark Knight and WALL-E wasn't nominated for Best Picture accusing the Academy of snubbing these two movies (all poppy) saying they were deserving. So it was a great move that last year the nominees were 10 because it shows a range of movies that many audiences enjoy. From science fiction like Avatar, District 9 to darling indies like Precious and The Hurt Locker.

This year the Best Picture nominees involves a cyber-Kane, a stuttering King, a dream weaver, a lesbian couple, a batshit ballerina, some dude who cuts his arm off and a cowboy movie. I forgot to mention a crack boxer, toys and a hillbillie family with true grit.

127 Hours - that movie featuring the greatest amputation scene


Plot:
The true story of an extreme sports enthusiast whose arm got trapped between the rock. During his time with the boulder, he goes back to memories filled with every emotion from the varied spectrum and hallucinates of his peers and family.


What I Think Of The Movie:
I may be exagerrating, but 127 Hours is the best contemporary film of this modern millenium with a flawless performance from James Franco. It's Man Vs. Wild meets Hitchcock.

Chance of Winning Best Picture:
Despite the fact that Danny Boyle previously directed Slumdog Millionaire, this movie will not likely win Best Picture. It's risk taking at any standards but it won't appeal the Academy though. Won't likely to win any Oscars, but my wish is it should win Best Editing.



Black Swan - Ballerinas must seek group therapy


Plot:
Natalie Portman is a ballerina who seeks perfection so badly that she pressures herself way too much.

What I Think:
Black Swan is a movie that wants to find itself through sexual and literally reflective motifs. It is a rollercoaster ride by Darren Aronofsky whose character study brings Natalie Portman to a tour-de-force performance. Everything looks esquisite especially the choreography.

Chance Of Winning Best Picture:
Even if it won three Best Picture awards from three Critics Groups and a nod for Arronofsky for directing it, soon it won't win Best Picture. But hey. It'll definitely brings home Best Actress for Natalie Portman.



The Fighter - Boxer with seven troll sisters


Plot:
Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale) is the brother of Micky Ward whose a boxer. Well, unsuccessful. And Ward cannot continue not only because he cannot box properly, but because Dicky end up in prison but because his mother would not let him and also his seven ugly sisters.

What I Think:
The Fighter is just some ordinary boxing movie. Every movie is the same except for Million Dollar Baby. However The Fighter is just formulaic and cliche with the same plot, but I still think the performances save this film.

Chance Of Winning Best Picture:
It is nominated for many Best Pics, but it wouldn't win. At least they'll get Supporting honours.


Inception - The Dream Weaver


Plot:
An extractor whose still in grief for the death of his wife. But he makes one last task by planting an idea into someone's deepest dreams.

What I Think:
Inception is a multi-layered thriller with a science fiction premise. It's beyond speculative fiction cementing Christopher Nolan's reputation as its greatest filmmaker working right now.

Chance OF Winning Best Picture:
Nolan was responsible for bringing 10 nominees. The Academy already responded with that, they don't need to respond by giving it Best Picture. It's already an awesome movie. You don't need to win Best Pic if this movie was perfect. It should win most of the technical categories, but it should win Best Original Screenplay.



The Kids Are Alright - Married... With children... and we're gay.


Plot:
A lesbian couple has two kids. the kids find their sperm donor who had made them and the wives are shocked to find out.

What I Think:
The Kids Are Alright is pretty overrated. Ever since Brokeback Mountain, it seems that the academy is so obssessed with films about gays.

Chance Of Winning Best Picture:
Fortunately for The Kids Are Alright it won the Golden Globe For Best Picture - Musical Or Comedy (even though it was the only legit film for that category). But it will never win the category, but I'm predicting that the biggest shock of the Oscars would be Annette Bening winning Best Actress over Portman. It may win Best Original Screenplay because it's an indie flick with 'values'



The King's Speech - The King who.. simply couldn't speak


Plot:
King George VI can't deliver a speech. He then bond with a speech therapist so he can speak again during times of war and troubles

What I Think:
The King's Speech is a delightful film that has a fascinating problem of an iconic king. But the whole movie is entirely predictable but is lifted up by the performances of Colin Firth and Geoffery Rush.

Chances Of Winning Best Picture:
The King's Speech could win Best Picture not because it is supported by the Weinsteins but because the Academy enjoy a feel-good movie even if it was predictable. If it doesn't win, it will certainly go away with a Best Actor prize for Colin Firth and possibly a Best Original Screenplay.


The Social Network - Cyber-Kane


Plot:
Basically the foundings of Facebook responsible by Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg who's portrayed as this cold-hearted genius betraying his friends and peers to make this website.

What I Think:
An impreccable direction from David Fincher, a quick witted script by Aaron Sorkin and a remarkable cast featuring Jesse Einseberg and Andrew Garfield shows that this is the best film made by Hollywood for 2010. It is not a movie about Facebook, it's a dark and realistic look of how we find connections online

Chances Of Winning Best Picture:
Sweeping almost all of the critics awards there is including a Golden Globe, this may not win Best Picture because the Academy voters may be left cold with this one. At least they're a sure shot for winning Best Director, Best Original Score and Best Adapted Screenplay


Toy Story 3 - the third plot of plastics


Plot:
The third instalment of the incredible trilogy, Andy's going to college and don't know what to do with them. Unfortunately he unintendedly left them in a trash bag so the toys enter a daycare disguised as a dungeon.


What I Think:
It is perfect, but it doesn't mean it's flawless. Sometimes the movie feels so familiar with the previous movies way better than this one. At least Toy Story was fun and emotional

Chances Of Winning Best Picture:
They're certainly a full shot for Best Animated Feature, but will never win the top prize. At least it was nominated for the top category, grossed a billion dollars and is a great movie from Pixar



True Grit - Coens' 'greatest' film


Plot:
14 year old Mattie Ross asks a drunk US Marshal to help find her father's killers.

What I Think:
Well apparently I find this overrated. The Coens may have recaptured the Western and Hailee Steinfeld steals the show, but apparently I don't think the performances of the whole cast (exception of Steinfeld) never worked for me. And the ending is questionable, but still it's a good movie.

Chance Of Winning Best Picture:
The last Western to win was Unforgiven in 1991. However True Grit got too many noms and should get one Oscar, at least. Anyway, it won't win Best Picture even though the Academy enjoys remakes.



Winter's Bone - Ozarks may rest in pieces


Plot:
A family from the Ozarks is living under poverty and the daughter (Jennifer Lawrence) goes finding her father who escaped bail and is hunting the family.

What i think:
Honestly I don't have anything about Winter's Bone because I haven't seen it. But it was a critics darling and unfortunately many people were bored by it. This is the only film nobody's ever heard about unless you've went to Sundance.

Chance Of Winning Best Picture:
To be honest, there's a 1 in 10 chance of winning. But to be fair, this may be a shocker if it wins because it was considered 'unforgettable' by the critics. Expect a Crash-styled upset.


My Pics:


The 'Best' Best Picture Nominees:


1. 127 Hours (10.0)
2. The Social Network (9.6)
3. Inception (9.5)
4. Black Swan (9.4)
5. Toy Story and The King's Speech (tie) (7.8)
7. True Grit (6.4)

I haven't seen The Fighter, The Kids Are Alright and Winter's Bone but I stand corrected by my opinions (except for the latter)


Who Will Win:
It will be a neck-and-neck race between The King's Speech and The Social NetworkThe King's Speech may get the top prize. it was given every top honour from the Guilds, the public enjoyed it, the critics enjoyed it. Everybody enjoyed it. The Social Network is a critics' darling and to my understanding it was a cold portrayal of Mark zuckerberg, one of the most powerful men in the world who founded Facebook only his character matches the website's irony.

Who Should Win:
The Social Network. It is a modern day look of the insecurities of this generation

OK. I'm done. But I'm not watching the Oscars. I'll catch it up in the news of who won and who lost.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

For Your Consideration, can you stop?!?!

As Awards Season is opening, and the countdown to the Oscars started, movies like The Social Network, The Kids Are All Right, and Inception are getting real awards buzz that await for the Oscars. Critics, bloggers and film freaks would predict movies that would be recognised as the best films of the year. But seriously I hate it.

The problem with Awards Season is that voters and board members of each organisation that hand out movie awards nominate movies we never heard of and/or just focus with at least two movies that are certain to win a Best Picture award especially at the Academy, we skip each award event because of these movies. This was my problem with last year's award season. People were looking at two movies: a $2 billion grossing movie (made from Hollywood) Avatar and a $46 million grossing movie (independent) The Hurt Locker. The Hurt Locker was the champion of this battle ultimately winning Best Picture at the Oscars. (Interesting fact - Hurt Locker was released the same week as Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen. Ironically, Transformers was named Worst Picture). The movies that were recognised but were not part of the close battle was Precious. It was adopted from Oprah and I was wondering whether that the screenplay was almost patronising, it mustn't won the Best Adapted Screenplay which would have been reserved for Up In The Air.

However the biggest problem I have with the season was For Your Consideration.

For Your Consideration is three words made by Hollywood studios to advertise movies in websites, newspapers and magazines and DVDs to convince organisations that give out awards (the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, Screen Actors Guild) to nominate their movies which they think is great and they would spents millions of dollars to advertise their movies for the sake of them being submitted for a nomination or two

What causes this. I don't know. Hollywood studios would like to cash in because they have sympathy towards directors, actors and writers who make movies for their studio. If it was a box office or critical success or both, then the studios will likely to show these film again in ads in every entertainment publication for a better chance of having the movies submitted.

FYR is getting really obvious and at the same time oblivious of the conseqences it would have on the studios. If the movies submitted for voting weren't nominated, then they would have to lose $70 to $80 million in advertising revenue. This is going too far

Last year, studios submitted Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen for the Oscars as well as 2012 because they both grossed around $800 million. However both were also critical disasters receiving a 20% and 42% by Rotten Tomatoes respectively. Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen was later honoured for Worst Picture at the Golden Raspberry Awards. It was weird given how it's absurd to see Michael Bay or Roland Emmerich nominated for a Best Director


But there were some movies that were putting great risk of advertising and for that matter was recognised by others. When the Academy announced ten Best Picture nominees, Warner Bros. put in ads for The Hangover. It was a box office hit as well as acclaimed. It wasn't nominated for any Oscars, but won a Golden Globe for Best Picture (Musical or Comedy).

One thing I hated about For Your Consideration is that it doesn't achieve anything for each film unless the films advertised were submitted for voting were then nominated. Studios are so desperate for the recognition they want for the films they've produce, that the more advertising the less chance it has for a spot at the Oscars.

FYC had some movies successful for an Oscar nomination that it became a total loser. For example Martin Scorsese had Harvey Weinstein, the studio owner for The Weinstein Company to advertise his movie Gangs of New York for a bid at the Oscars. It did, received nine nominations and not a single win. It is a pity cos it was a waste of $50 million.

But when Scorsese hit back with The Departed receiving his deserved Oscar for Best Director, there was no marketing with the three worded heading. So he might have learnt his lesson... sort of. He now has Shutter Island in the FYC heading and it is possible that his latest flick has a one in 34 chance of being nominated. If it was marketed for Best Picture then it would belong to The Blind Side slot (the nominee that was nominated for no reason).

This would be a grim story for Toy Story 3 which Disney heads are so desperate to have the film winning Best Picture, it named it the Best reviewed film of the year (with a 99%). This movie would have an impossible chance from winning from any categories nominated except the Best Animated Feature category in which much of Pixar had dominated. No voter would be voting for an animated feature for the prestigious award even if it was the highest grossing animated feature or was part of the greatest trilogy of all time.

I would say that when they (the studios) use FYC, it is because they had wanted to be recognised since the awards season had officially lost their mainstream appeal. Precious, Little Miss Sunshine, Juno, and There Will Be Blood were all well known because they were critically acclaimed and when they are popular with the public it's during awards season. Juno had grossed $300 million with a $10 million budget.

Last year, when Avatar became the highest grossing movie of all time it is $2 billion in counting. Now we see Avatar to be the total loser of every awards event with the exception of the Golden Globes while The Hurt Locker wins big.

Now if I guess, if a movie became so big based on word of mouth or box office hit they are likely to get pwned by the voters. This was what happened with Brokeback Mountain which had lost to Crash for Best Picture in 2005. Many people claimed that homophobia was a factor of it winning, but I believed that Brokeback focused too much on its FYC that it lost.

FYC is also a way of manipulating the voting process. It is a form of propaganda to convince voters to nominate their movies. It's like an political election where your movie campaigns to be recognised. These can be the movies that are produced for the stupid. If my theory is correct, I would expect Grown Ups to be campaigned for Best Picture and Best Ensemble.

It is the greed of studio heads to cash in so their movies can be recognised. Movies are not nominated if a movie was bad or if the movie was great. Unfortunately studio owners as well as the members of the Academy are the stupidest people on Hollywood for decision making on toast.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Please welcome your hosts... James Franco and Anne Hathaway?

Finally I get to know who will host next year's Oscars. After so much predicting we finally get these two people: James Franco and Anne Hathaway.

First found out when I searched IMDB and news came in telling us that both actors are doing their duties hosting next year's Oscars.

Which had me asking:
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?!?!?!?!

These two actors have something in common. Hathaway and Franco hosted Saturday Night Live, both appeared in great comedies (Hathaway was in The Devil Wears Prada while Franco was in Pineapple Express) and had a head start on their character as type characters (she was a children's actor, Franco was somewhat a fanboy's actor in the Spiderman movies) and they're both attractive people on the outside and the inside

But these actors are the wrong people to be negotiated with. This is the worst decision the Academy had ever made since snubbing WALL-E at the Oscars two years ago. You could have known a more accurate detail of both actors instead of knowing who they are from the gossip magazines


  • Firstly, Hathaway had never had a great movie since Rachel Getting Married. That movie is still part of my favourite movies of all time. The movie had resulted her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. But the latest film might have been a lambast. 'Love and Other Drugs' was released out of massive marketing particularly when there was details about her taking it off with Jake Gylenhaal. It was a flop debuting at sixth place with negative word-of-mouth. While Franco. Never seen his films before except the Spiderman films. But I'm not quite sure if he's a good actor and how did he deserved to be the most influential man of 2010 in many magazines (Askmen, GQ)? 
  • Secondly, this is an excuse to get a boost in the ratings instead of the reason the Academy is putting behind. Choosing these actors as hosts is because the Academy believed they are 'icons of their generation'. Seriously you could have chosen Robert Downey Jr or Natalie Portman for the roles because they are great actors of their generation. Downey's in X, Portman's Y.  But because they (Franco, Hathaway) are well known to people my age, they (the Academy) choose them. It's also add to the fact that in theory, if you have an actor hosting and nominated at the Oscars at the same time, it would've a milestone. Given how Franco is a possible nominee for Best Actor for Danny Boyle's 127 Hours, it would have matched the theory.
  • I think these two actors have absolutely no experience in hosting. Hosting the Oscars is a big job. It's not your average presentation night. They're not like Steve Martin, Billy Crystal who once ruled the Oscars and had us recognising movies like American Beauty, Gladiator, Lost In Translation and the Lord Of The Rings trilogy. But if these actors are hosting well they wanted us to know about great movies we have watched this year like Inception, The Social Network or Toy Story 3. But I predict that Franco and Hathaway despite their comedic routine (if they have one) would force us to look at movies we never heard or watched like Winter's Bone or Animal Kingdom or any movie that are only known to people who avoids the mainstream. Even if they had hosted Saturday Night Live, their ability to host would be limited. These people would tell us jokes that couldn't grab a laugh or such. 
  • There are more choices for Academy Award hosting. You could've chose Stephen Colbert or Jon Stewart or maybe Paul Giamatti or Jack Black. They all have great comic timing and had gave a great impact in our lives. For Hathaway and Franco they're only funny ONLY for their respective genres. Franco more into stoner jokes, Hathaway can only go for rom-com.
  • More weirdly, I'm quite sure that it would be that moment where Hathaway would show off her dress on stage. Maybe from Versace, or Tom Hardy. Best dressed at every show. Great fashion sense, but what has it got to do with the main points of the Oscars (which is movies?)
When I watched the Oscars almost nine months ago, it was a pity to see that Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin had done the worst job into becoming the worst duos with no timing. We wanted to see the moment where Hugh Jackman last year had entertained us with an opening monologue turned to a funny musical (featuring Hathaway, although it was unintended).

But I wouldn't care about the hosts. I would care about the quality of the Oscars. For 3 years, a Hollywood studio had never had a movie winning Best Picture. The last movie to win Best Picture and it was produced by Hollywood was Martin Scorsese's The Departed. But because of the recent decisions by the Academy (like nominating ten movies for Best Picture, choosing actors since they are known in their generation), these days, the Oscars has lost its mainstream look and can only focus on arthouse and indie movies (Precious, An Education, No Country for Old Men to list a few). Now the appeal feels so boring as we are watching a two hour speech fest.

For a quick outlook on which movies I think shoud be nominated for Best Picture here are a few posters. But these movies can be overlooked.
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