23/01/2008

Oscars

As with most years, the Oscars once again relegates any nominations for anything remotely cult to the minor leagues of the show. Now, I know that these awards to the people involved in the non glamorous part of the film industry mean a lot, and so they should!

But my problem is that critical acclaim is never awarded to anything that remotely indicates a film that veers even slightly off the mainstream, sure some of the 'normal films' are challenging, but it's not exactly Lord of the Rings (ironically in this article one of the few big genre winners of late). It's my problem, but it's never a surprise.

Lets take a look (ed-and no doubt comment) at what nominations do actually include anything remotely 'culty'.


Achievement in Art Direction
American Gangster
Atonement
The Golden Compass
Sweeney Todd
There Will Be Blood

Achievement In Costume Design
Across the Universe
Atonement Elizabeth: The Golden Age
La Vie en Rose
Sweeney Todd

Achievement In Film Editing
The Bourne Ultimatum
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Into the Wild
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

Achievement In Make-Up
La Vie en Rose
Norbit
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Original Song
Falling Slowly - Once
Happy Working Song - Enchanted
Raise It Up - August Rush
So Close - Enchanted
That's How You Know - Enchanted

How can Enchanted not win? You would think that with the amount of nominations the 'genre films pick up in sound that the 'normal' movies are silent pictures.

Achievement In Sound Editing
The Bourne Ultimatum
No Country for Old Men
Ratatouille
There Will Be Blood
Transformers

Achievement In Sound Mixing
The Bourne Ultimatum
No Country for Old Men
Ratatouille
3:10 to Yuma
Transformers

Achievement In Visual Effects
The Golden Compass
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Transformers

And of course, the bastion of all things genre, the visual effects, its always a gong for that, at least ILM and there ilk can rest easy this time of year, there shelves must be sagging under the weight of each years awards season.

You will see that I have indicated The Bourne Ultimatum as a 'genre' film. Well, some might disagree but I think a super agent with memory loss is pretty 'out there' so it's to geeky for me to ignore. Also Sweeney Todd has got a damn few nominations and is already picking up gongs from other ceremonies, I can't and better not comment as generally I find the formula of (Burton+Carter+Depp=Success) very tiring, not to mention I just don't like musicals.

So to conclude, it's another typical awards season, with the more user friendly niche films such as 'Sweeney' and 'Bourne' most likely to take home a fistful of gongs. Oh well, here's hoping the panel of snobby industry types will one day change, I think I hope in vain though.

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