Awards Season 2015

[terabin]

The Oscars were great this year and always important culturally. Leo gets to make his speech as an environmental activist, The Weeknd has their most important moment as a band in the spotlight, Chris Rock has many shining stand-up moments including an incredible monologue. CK is hilarious. This is why The Oscars exist and I'm sure others here on the forum have other winking details to share. It's a thing of beauty really. Even as we delve into Tarkovsky and other Giants of film past, we can still appreciate the present cultural moment.

The Weeknd is a he, and he's had two number one singles this year. He, of all people, didn't need an Oscars bounce.

I only just noticed Lubezki made it a hat trick of Oscars (and he was nominated for Tree of Life the year before too). I wonder if anyone has ever won three in a row in any category?

Good points. I still think The Oscars would be a huge moment for any up and coming artist. I guess your point is, the dude has already arrived.

[captveg]

What Best Picture winners from the last 10-15 years will remain culturally relevant?

Depends on what one means by that idea. Really, only The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King crosses the film geek, pop culture, and mainstream relevance lines since A Beautiful Mind won in 2001. The others of the last 15 years all fall short in one of those areas. Doesn't mean I don't like all of them, sans Crash, or that they are without merit as film art and/or entertainment.

[Roger Ryan]

...I wonder if anyone has ever won three in a row in any category?

Edith Head won three times in a row for Best Costume Design (1949 - 1951). She was nominated (but didn't win) in '52, but then won again two years in a row in '53 - '54. Bound to happen when you get nominated 35 times!

[captveg]

Walt Disney won for Best Short Subject (Cartoon) eight times in a row from 1931-1932 to 1939

Surely a record that will never be matched, as he was the benefit of a time where the rules were quite favorable to producers.

[Film is Life]

Agreed. This brings up a good question. What Best Picture winners from the last 10-15 years will remain culturally relevant?

With the primal exception of LOTR, The Departed and No Country for Old Men still retain cultural relevance among the regular moviegoer crowd. Maybe 12 Years a Slave if it starts to become regular shown in public schools.

[zedz]

Depends on what one means by that idea. Really, only The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King crosses the film geek, pop culture, and mainstream relevance lines since A Beautiful Mind won in 2001. The others of the last 15 years all fall short in one of those areas. Doesn't mean I don't like all of them, sans Crash, or that they are without merit as film art and/or entertainment.

I'm kind of mystified as to why you think A Beautiful Mind ticks any of those three boxes, let alone all three. Did anybody care about that film twelve months after it won the Oscar?

[captveg]

Depends on what one means by that idea. Really, only The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King crosses the film geek, pop culture, and mainstream relevance lines since A Beautiful Mind won in 2001. The others of the last 15 years all fall short in one of those areas. Doesn't mean I don't like all of them, sans Crash, or that they are without merit as film art and/or entertainment.

I'm kind of mystified as to why you think A Beautiful Mind ticks any of those three boxes, let alone all three. Did anybody care about that film twelve months after it won the Oscar?

You misunderstood my post. I only mention A Beautiful Mind by name because it is the first of the last 15 winners. It's probably the 2nd weakest winner of those 15 after Crash by my rankings.

[Film is Life]

Also relating to long-term legitimacy: looking back at past BP winners.

[zedz]

Depends on what one means by that idea. Really, only The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King crosses the film geek, pop culture, and mainstream relevance lines since A Beautiful Mind won in 2001. The others of the last 15 years all fall short in one of those areas. Doesn't mean I don't like all of them, sans Crash, or that they are without merit as film art and/or entertainment.

I'm kind of mystified as to why you think A Beautiful Mind ticks any of those three boxes, let alone all three. Did anybody care about that film twelve months after it won the Oscar?

You misunderstood my post. I only mention A Beautiful Mind by name because it is the first of the last 15 winners. It's probably the 2nd weakest winner of those 15 after Crash by my rankings.

Whew!

[Luke M]

Chris Rock made a powerful point about racism until he threw Asians under the bus

This is really good.

[domino harvey]

No, this is really good:

Later, in the media room, when Mr. Smith was informed of a previous gay winner for best original song, he laughingly unleashed a couple of expletives and asked, “Who’s the other person?”

That would be the playwright and lyricist Howard Ashman, who won Academy Awards for “Under the Sea” (from “The Little Mermaid,” 1989) and for “Beauty and the Beast,” from the 1991 film of the same name, in collaboration with Alan Menken.

Of Mr. Ashman, Mr. Smith said: “I should know him. We should date.”

Mr. Ashman died at age 40 of AIDS complications in 1991.

[knives]

Wow Dom, Smith really seems like a terrible person whoever he is.

Chris Rock made a powerful point about racism until he threw Asians under the bus

This is really good.

That seems over the top and silly (antisemitism, really).

[Luke M]

No, this is really good:

Later, in the media room, when Mr. Smith was informed of a previous gay winner for best original song, he laughingly unleashed a couple of expletives and asked, “Who’s the other person?”

That would be the playwright and lyricist Howard Ashman, who won Academy Awards for “Under the Sea” (from “The Little Mermaid,” 1989) and for “Beauty and the Beast,” from the 1991 film of the same name, in collaboration with Alan Menken.

Of Mr. Ashman, Mr. Smith said: “I should know him. We should date.”

Mr. Ashman died at age 40 of AIDS complications in 1991.

Oh my. I thought his singing voice was his worst attribute.

[thirtyframesasecond]

Sam Smith is also trying to hit on Dustin Lance Black's boyfriend, the British Olympic diver Tom Daley. Give the boy some record sales and some drastic weight loss and he turns into a complete douche. His music is absolutely dreadful as well. He was of course sued by Tom Petty because 'Stay With Me' sounds very much like 'I Won't Back Down'. Smith said he'd never even heard of the song, which in my opinion is much worse than actually plagiarisng it.

[Roger Ryan]

Also relating to long-term legitimacy: looking back at past BP winners.

I recognize this list is subjective, but the numerous "No Contender" notations really undermines the author's argument that "we" collectively remember films other than the best picture winners. Apparently, no one has time to recall 2001 because we're too busy reveling in the memory of Oliver!.

[ianthemovie]

Later, in the media room, when Mr. Smith was informed of a previous gay winner for best original song, he laughingly unleashed a couple of expletives and asked, “Who’s the other person?”

That would be the playwright and lyricist Howard Ashman, who won Academy Awards for “Under the Sea” (from “The Little Mermaid,” 1989) and for “Beauty and the Beast,” from the 1991 film of the same name, in collaboration with Alan Menken.

Even if he didn't know Ashman he should at least know Elton John or Stephen Sondheim, who have also won in that category. And Smith has the audacity to call himself a gay songwriter!

[Lars Von Truffaut]

Also relating to long-term legitimacy: looking back at past BP winners.

I recognize this list is subjective, but the numerous "No Contender" notations really undermines the author's argument that "we" collectively remember films other than the best picture winners. Apparently, no one has time to recall 2001 because we're too busy reveling in the memory of Oliver!.

I believe the author is only using other "Best PIcture Nominees" as a comparison. 2001 wasn't included in that category, but rather Kubrick was nominated for "Best Director".

[Feego]

Also relating to long-term legitimacy: looking back at past BP winners.

I recognize this list is subjective, but the numerous "No Contender" notations really undermines the author's argument that "we" collectively remember films other than the best picture winners. Apparently, no one has time to recall 2001 because we're too busy reveling in the memory of Oliver!.

I believe the author is only using other "Best PIcture Nominees" as a comparison. 2001 wasn't included in that category, but rather Kubrick was nominated for "Best Director".

I would argue that the author got it wrong saying that Doctor Zhivago is a better remembered film than The Sound of Music. I've never seen the musical myself, but for better or for worse, it has become a cultural icon and been passed down from generation to generation. Zhivago, on the other hand, is very much an epic of its time and probably chiefly remembered by those who were young romantics in the 60s and fell in love with its score.

[flyonthewall2983]

ABC wants more creative control over the show.

[thirtyframesasecond]

No need to say "for good or for bad" regarding the Sound of Music. I'd rather watch it than Zhivago any day of the week.

[Numero Trois]

Rivette didn't make the cut for the In Memoriam.

Rivette who? Never heard of him.

[swo17]

Do they only include people who died during the last calendar year?

[Numero Trois]

Yeah, I've pretty happy for A24. The Ex Machina upset has to be one of the more exciting things. They're going to get real big soon.

I hope you're right. They do deserve major props. But 100 years of Hollywood makes me doubt they can sustain what they're doing for long without making some major compromises at some point down the road.

[knives]

Do they only include people who died during the last calendar year?

They typically do, though they've had some high profile exceptions like Rickman and Bowie this year.

[captveg]

I would argue that the author got it wrong saying that Doctor Zhivago is a better remembered film than The Sound of Music. I've never seen the musical myself, but for better or for worse, it has become a cultural icon and been passed down from generation to generation. Zhivago, on the other hand, is very much an epic of its time and probably chiefly remembered by those who were young romantics in the 60s and fell in love with its score.

I'm a huge Doctor Zhivago fan, but I agree. To say it's more fondly remembered than The Sound of Music is absurd.