Miscellaneous Movie Musings the Sequel
 

The old thread is over 5000 posts and is loading slowly for me, so I thought I'd start a new one.

Did you just watch a cool flick? Did you just jab your eyes out with an ice pick because of the stinkified movie you just viewed? Any Netflix queue recommendations?

Post 'em here.

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I can't wait to see Precious. This film sounds like a winner.

Speaking of winners, what do you guys think about the whole 10 nominees for Best Picture thing the Oscars are doing next year?

Moderator Note: Here's a link to the old thread for reference sake.

I'm probably the last one here to see it, but I really enjoyed "Spirited Away." I've now greatly enjoyed the two Miyazaki movies I've seen, the other being "Ponyo." I thought that the otherworldly premises to both movies had a huge "Huh?" quality, but it did not matter.

I was somewhat surprised to see John Lasseter introduce my DVD as a big Miyazaki booster given that the Pixar movies are overly padded with heartless, zany animated peril.

I am against ten best picture nominees. The most rational objection I have is that I have internalized the suspense developed by the reading of five nominees. Read ten, and I'll be off making a sandwich.

I'm not sure how I feel about the 10 nominees thing. It'll be neat to see because it's different but I kinda feel like it waters down the award a bit, makes it less special. But I sure am curious to see what is going to be nominated.

Here are some of my predictions for nominees for Best Pic:
Precious
Up
Nine
Inglorious
The Road
The Soloist



Predictions for acting noms:
Streep in Julie and Julia
Daniel Day Lewis in Nine
Swank in Amelia
Sharlto Copley in District 9
Gabourey Sidibe in Precious
Christoph Waltz in Basterds
Mo'nique in Precious
Audrey Tatou in Coco Before Chanel
Downey and Foxx in The Soloist


I predict Up will get a Best Pic nom and it will cause a ruckus in the media. Not sure it will win, tho.

And, as always, I predict some film everyone loves will be snubbed.
:D

Which Nine? The musical or the animated stitch-punk epic?

Is The Road out yet? Anytime soon? I liked the book, but I could think of a thousand ways to ruin it cinematically.

I don't think 10 nominees waters down the final award. What I'm interested in seeing if it actually brings more mainstream successes into the limelight (not necessarily a terrible thing) or just more art house fare (also not a terrible thing but not good for ratings).

I'd be very much in support if it were used as a way to kill some other categories. Hold earlier voting on Feature Documentary, Feature Animation, and Foreign Language Film and announce those winners at the overall nominee announcement with each guaranteed one of the 10 Best Picture nomination slots.

Somewhat conversely, I'd be happiest if they eliminated Best Animated Feature and let those compete like the regular movies they are with everything else ... under the assumption that one or two will usually nab one of the increased Best Picture nom slots.

Yeah, hopefully that would be the case. I've heard talk that if even with 10 slots Up still doesn't get a Best Picture nom that they will eliminate Feature Animation (assuming they keep 10 BP slots) to force the issue.

The awards prediction community is split on whether Up deserves a slot or not. (I think it does, personally.)

Precious was indeed quite good. Extremely effective with character and emotional storytelling - but there were directing choices that I thought didn't match the quality of the rest of the film. The fantasy sequences didn't always work for me, but I see why he used them. I think MoNique is a lock for supporting, and Sidibe is also quite possible.

The Fantastic Mr. Fox was good, but overrated by critics. I was expecting more. I really did enjoy the animation, and the bordering-on-adult humor, but there was something that didn't totally jive with me. Loved the musical Robin Hood reference, since that Disney flick was a favorite in my youth.

I won't make predix on Oscar contenders without seeing the films, and at this point, of the major contenders (as noted by the awards watching communities, not based on my taste) I've only seen:
* An Education
* (500) Days of Summer
* Julie & Julia
* Precious
* Up
* District 9
* The Informant!

Terribly out of our usual loop for not having yet seen The Hurt Locker, The Cove, Bright Star, The Road, and A Serious Man. Films that are not out yet that we'll need to see include Up in the Air, The Lovely Bones, Nine, and A Single Man.

The musical.
:)