Blogs and Stories
The Oscar Recession
The Dark Knight, July 18, 2008
Storyline: You know...Batman.
Status: All of the late releases have been a huge boost to Dark Knight’s chance, giving it time to step into the Best Picture void despite its low subject matter, thanks to mega-sales and a posthumous Heath Ledger. The Academy would be psyched to see this film get a nomination, as it’s sure to boost the telecast’s sagging viewership with comic book obsessives.
Wall-E, June 27, 2008
Storyline: The future’s cutest little robot finds love, saves mankind.
Status: The delayed releases have also helped this animated film, which probably wouldn’t be discussed as a best picture possibility if there were plenty of live-action films worth considering. That said, it remains very difficult for a film with no actors to get a nomination because actors make up the majority of voters and don’t love seeing their jobs usurped by special effects.
Milk, December 5, 2008
Storyline: Bio-pic about America’s first openly gay elected official, the assassinated Harvey Milk.
Status: Despite some speculation that Focus Features was hiding the movie for fear of negative homophobic attention, recent strong reviews in the trade papers have positioned it for a strong run.
Frost/Nixon, December 5, 2008
Storyline: Dramatization of Richard Nixon’s post-Watergate interview with David Frost.
Status: Buzz says Frank Langella may get an acting nod for playing Nixon, and other nominations may follow.
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magentagreenx
I don't think it's any secret that the movie industry is going down like a led balloon, fast. You see actors going on talk shows and willingly admitting their movies suck, and that's even more of a sign. I mean, what are you going to do?
Rdschenkel
It's interesting that a political movie like "W" would be panned by both Republicans and Democrats alike. Perhaps it's time to admit that Oliver Stone has gone the way of other great directors like Stephen Spielberg. Once great. But now cannot direct there way out of a paper bag.
PeacePot
Edits. . . "rein in" - not "reign in," please, in paragraph 4. And the login screen should be "fill out," not "fill-out."
Arg.
Please respect meat-world rules of grammar; please don't let the immediacy of the Web drag us down!!
ColoradoCynic
Why the two references to Batman being "lowbrow" and "low subject matter?" Maybe back in the days of pulpy 10-cent comics, but not now. Comic books, graphic novels, whatever you want to call them, are succeeding as an industry in developing stories with a far more compelling, varied and vivid palette of creativity and talent than either the film or TV industries. While few were looking, comics grew up. And now it's time to stop looking down your nose at them.
What's funny to me is the growing backlash against "all these comic book movies" while seeing, as a reader of comics, that most of these adaptations pale in comparison to their source material. The darly shining exception is this "low" Batman film, which expertly draws inspiration from some of the best stories published in recent memory and adds to them in ways that only moviemakers can. That's what makes this one so special.
MeMeMe
"The Curiours Case of ..." is three hours. Won't be seeing that. Isn't this one of the issues that is having a negative effect on movie ticket sales? Who wants to sit in the movie theater for three hours. Aside from the review, the most important factor in whether I will spend my time and money on a movie is the length of the film. An hour, forty-five is perfect. Two hours is pushing it. I broke my daughter's heart when I refused to see the Chronicles of Narnia sequel which clocked in at some ridiculous time, but I would've chewed my hand off if I had to sit through a two-hour, forty-five minute film. We settled for Baby Mama. Good, not great, but I was in and out of the theater without feeling like I'd given half my day. Am I the only one who checks the length of the movie? Surely, I can't be.
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