The 1st Annual Decision ‘08 Academy Awards Spectacular
Yes, we all know finding a conservative at the Academy Awards is harder than playing Where’s Waldo, but hey, it’s the Oscars…
In honor of the annual craptacular fiasco, I’m posting a never-ending Oscar thread that will simulate the stoppage of time each viewer feels upon realizing that this year’s telecast has been on for 3 1/2 hours already, and we still haven’t got to Best Director.
In other words, this thread is an all-day liveblog of sorts; I’ll be adding Oscar items to it throughout the day, starting…..now! (Newer items on top)…
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I’m gonna wrap up now…I’m sure Frank Rich will explain the cultural factors that caused Brokeback to lose…Mickey Kaus, we await your commentary, as well…to the new readers, I thank you for your presence, and to the old readers, your patience. I want to thank the Academy for allowing me to leave the world of political blogging for a day, and to realize my true ambition, to be a mediocre entertainment writer…I love you all!…
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Okay…boy, I missed it - the Brokeback backlash was real! Crash took it…man, wish I had put my money on it at TradeSports…
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I do believe Jack is drunk…here we go…
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There was a time when Tom Hanks was a shoo-in to get nominated every single year…Ang Lee, Brokeback…that does it, it’s a shoe-in…Brokeback will win Best Picture…
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When I started the 1st Annual Decision ‘08 Academy Awards Spectacular early this morning, I made the following joke: In honor of the annual craptacular fiasco, I’m posting a never-ending Oscar thread that will simulate the stoppage of time each viewer feels upon realizing that this year’s telecast has been on for 3 1/2 hours already, and we still haven’t got to Best Director. Looking pretty prescient now, isn’t it?…
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Paul Haggis for Crash…has this been the most predictable Oscars ever? If Brokeback wins Best Picture, and Ang Lee Best Director, then the conventional wisdom will have been pretty much dead on…
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Boy, that McMurtry is one odd bird…
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All right, Charles, you got your wish…
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One of my good friends is very much wanting Larry McMurtry to win this one…
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Okay, that cow thing was a bit bizarre…
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Reese is going on a little long…still, a nice little speech…jeez, this thing ain’t ending anytime soon, is it?…
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Yay!!!! Even though she was the favorite, you never know…
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It seems to me that Memoirs of a Geisha is winning way too many awards…Hollywood seems far more enamored of this movie than the general public…
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Wonder how Travolta liked that Scientology gag? Bwaaahaaahaaa…
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You know, I keep thinging about that Boogie Nights movie now…there’s a really underrated film…that scene with the drug dealer and the firecrackers, wow, that was creepy stuff…
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Well, Best Actress is coming up, and if it’s not Reese Witherspoon, I’m going to be really pissed, which is an odd thing for me to say, as I never liked Reese Witherspoon particularly…but she was that good…
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I think my favorite Phillip Seymour Hoffman performance was his oddly sweet one in Boogie Nights, a film about people who are really likeable who shouldn’t be, if you had to sum it up…
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Joaquin Phoenix was just great, I gotta say it again…
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Hillary Swank is an odd-looking, yet still very attractive woman…Phillip Seymour Hoffman is a shoo-in…
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Crash gets one…shucks, I was going for Walk the Line…you know, I think I’ve got Jon Stewart figured out…he’s funnier reacting to what’s happening on the show than he is with the prepared stuff…he’s kind of pulling it out, I think - though I still don’t think he’ll be invited back…
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My only hope in that category was that Paradise Now would not win…very nice speech, nice to see some real emotion…
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Will Smith is a very likable actor who is squandering his career on terrible parts, in my view…
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Ahh, Richard Pryor…the greatest of all stand-up comedians. I hadn’t realized that Ismail Merchant (of Merchant-Ivory fame) had died until that montage…
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Well, Kong has done pretty well on the technical categories (that’s number three)…the Lord of the Rings and Peter Jackson are the best thing to ever happen to New Zealand cinema…
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Jon Stewart was good there…
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Craptacularly awful…oh, my…and it wins!…wow, what a fiasco…
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Oh, boy, here we go…I’m not opposed to rap…I think Jay-Z, Public Enemy, and Ice Cube are all just great…but this is not good rap…
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Well, they had better pick up the pace…there’s a lot of awards left - too many montages, perhaps, this year?
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Altman’s speech was better than most of his movies…and hey, they shut off that awful orchestra for a minute!…
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Gosford Park is a perfect example - a movie that was much, much less than the sum of its parts…
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Well, that was either really great or really horrible - maybe both…Altman is perhaps the most overrated of directors…his movies have very little popular appeal, much like Woody Allen, but, though he is more daring than Allen, he’s not as talented…
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Yay, the big ape gets a second one…
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Nevertheless, the point is correct - certain movies scream to be seen on the big screen (I should be writing this show)…is it just my imagination, or is the crowd warming up a bit to Stewart?
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Wow, Hollywood is scared to death of the DVD - this is a bit much…
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In other Salma Hayek-related news, I see that she was born a mere two years before me…have I mentioned I’m single? Oh, hell…back to the show…
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I vote for an all-Hayek presentation next year…so, Brokeback gets one…is that its first?…
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As I was saying…oh, Salma! Excuse me, while I jump in a cold shower….welcome, one and all, I notice the audience getting bigger bit by bit…feel free to comment, I’m glad you’re here…
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Oooohhhh, baby….Salma Hayek makes me feel woozy - that’s-uh one-a spicy meatball!…
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That was a nice speech from the Academy president - quite heartfelt, I thought…
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Is there - I mean, truly - is there a more pretentious bunch than the Hollywood crowd? Best Jon Stewart bit of the night, right there, because it was SOOOOO on target…
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Let’s see, in the ’socially responsible’ movies, we have…9 to 5? Thelma and Louise?…
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Philadelphia helped change our country? Give me a break…
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Dang - wanted Kong to get its second, but instead Geisha becomes the first movie with two, I believe…you know, a category like Art Direction reminds me that technically, the movies have never been better…too bad the stories don’t usually measure up to the brilliance of the technical folks…
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Stewart should leave the shouting at home…Sandra is definitely the hottest citizen of my fair city…but Keanu - man, the guy is just a blank…
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I see the Super Bowl commercials are getting recycled…
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Okay, this is much, much better…no disrespect to Dolly, but this is a far better song (a bit repititious, maybe, but decent)..
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I haven’t seen Crash, but if it’s as pretentious as J-Lo made it sound, I’m glad…
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Well, March of the Penguins was the sentimental favorite, to be sure…I heard great things about Murderball, however…
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Well, we’ve hit a bit of a lull here…I must say, George Clooney is getting some good laughs, despite his cloying acceptance speech….
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Man, that was painful - I didn’t think Lauren Becall was going to make it through that little speech…a bit awkward, to say the least…
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Damn the Muse thinks Stewart will be asked back; I’m guessing Irish Wake would disagree…
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Rachel Weisz, then…the conventional wisdom has been right thus far on the big categories…
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So, the surprise hit of the year won’t go home empty-handed…but Star Wars III will…(you know, the presenters have been pretty decent this year)…
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By the way, that Sonic commercial earlier - mmmyah! The mot just!…
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May I just say - Mel Gibson, in retrospect, looked and sounded ridiculous in Braveheart (a decent movie despite that)…
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Well, Memoirs of a Geisha got one…(yawn!)…you know, Jennifer Aniston is cute, but Nicole Kidman is beautiful…and that makes all the difference…
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You are remembering to check out the Pajamas liveblog, I hope…
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For a look at how uncourageous Hollywood really is, look at its cautious reaction to the hilarious Scientology bit…
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Defamer is also liveblogging (with a marginally larger audience than me, I’m guessing), and is also singularly unimpressed with the decision to have the orchestra playing under EVERY SINGLE SECOND OF EVERY SPEECH! What the hell?…
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I’m absolutely unimpressed with the Best Song nominees this year, I must say…
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I didn’t see any of the animated nominees, but Wallace & Gromit was the best(!!!) reviewed picture of the year, according to Rotten Tomatoes…God, this orchestra thing is intolerable…
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Hey, all right, Kong got one…nice!…and well-deserved…
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The Tom Hanks bit just, well, blew…but the Stiller thing is very funny….
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Boy, that Adam Cohen piece in the New York Times about how Hollywood is not really liberal is looking really, really stupid about now, isn’t it?…
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Jake Gyllenhaal did a nice job of looking faux serious there, didn’t he? I predicted Clooney, but I would have preferred Giamatti…Nicole Kidman looks great, as usual…are they going to play the orchestra like this all night during every speech? Jeez, that’s annoying…oh, here we go with the liberal backpatting…yuck…get bent, George!…
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I liked the Brokeback bit…
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Clooney got a good laugh there…not a bad Cheney joke…
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Stewart’s bombing! Ouch…let’s hope he picks up…
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Wow, how lucky we are that Whoopi’s not hosting…not a bad bit, this opener…
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Traffic’s picking up, it must be showtime…the trick to liveblogging is to find the right mix between watching and typing…I’ll do my best, you have my solemn pledge…
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More liveblogging at Something Requisitely Witty and Urbane…
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Cathy Seipp looks at Crash, the only movie given a chance to spoil Brokeback’s parade; Roger Simon predicts an Oscar for its screenwriter, Paul Haggis (you can see all his picks here)…
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Brokeback may not play well in the sticks (just ask Mickey Kaus), but New York liberals love it, says Louis Wittig…
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Live blogging at popbytes, as well…
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The conventional wisdom on Best Supporting Actor is that it will be the closest race, with George Clooney and Paul Giamatti in a dead heat at TradeSports (I bet Clooney takes it, though)…
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That tingle you’re feeling is not a heart attack…it’s the anticipation of seeing “It’s Hard Out Here For A Pimp” performed live…
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Though my own personal favorite is Joaquin Phoenix for his honest portrait of Johnny Cash, Phillip Seymour Hoffman is a mortal lock for Best Actor, as confirmed at TradeSports…
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If you’re the type to be influenced by Hollywood big shots when making car purchases, you’ll be glad to see this list of stars showing up in hybrid vehicles…
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Syriana is up for two Academy Awards, including Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for George Clooney. In case you missed it, Charles Krauthammer just flat went to town on this movie quite recently…
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Joseph Epstein asks, “What Happened to the Movies?” - Answer: globalization, corporatization, digitalization, and lots of other -zations, too, I bet…
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Long-time readers know I’m not exactly a Jon Stewart fan, but he can be funny at times, and I’m willing to give him a shot. Here’s the scoop on the newest Oscar host…
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Reese Witherspoon is the overwhelming TradeSports favorite for Best Actress, and I hope the conventional wisdom is right. Witherspoon’s June Carter is fetchingly attractive, deceptively smart, strong enough to wait years to say yes, and caring enough to give her all when the time is right. It would be impossible not to fall in love with Witherspoon’s Carter, and her presence is felt in every scene, whether she is on the screen or off…
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Don’t miss the 7th Annual Golden Tomato Awards (and prepare to be stunned at the best-reviewed movie of the year)…
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My second favorite movie of the year was Peter Jackson’s epic King Kong, a movie that suffered because of its excessive length and over-the-top expectations that it could never fulfill (Kong came in 5th in yearly box office). Kong is up for 4 Oscars tonight - not bad, but if it had been more tightly edited, it might have been a contender…My review of the movie can be found here…
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Don’t miss the entertaining Oscar symposium at National Review…
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Rounding out the triumvarate of top-grossing films that get no Oscar respect, the year’s #2 box office movie gets one lousy nomination. As a series, I think the Harry Potter films are vastly underrated. None of them has been bad, and taken as a whole, they’re quite good…
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Ang Lee is the overwhelming TradeSports favorite for Best Director…
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Terry Teachout examines two Best Picture nominees, Capote and Good Night, And Good Luck, and finds both technically superior, but Capote much the better (and truer-to-life) movie…
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With the hat tip to Academic Elephant, here’s a NY Times article by Adam Cohen that scales undreamed of heights of stupidity with its assertion that Hollywood is not a liberal outpost. The proof?
…[R]eports of Hollywood’s liberalism are greatly exaggerated. According to Variety, 56 percent of Disney’s contributions in the 2006 election cycle have gone to Republicans, and the second-biggest recipient of Hollywood money has been Ted Stevens, the conservative Republican who heads the Senate Commerce Committee.
You mean Disney gives marginally more to the party in power, and the guy who heads the Senate Committee that regulates the industry gets a lot of cash, too? Well, I’ll be…that proves it, all right…
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Like Revenge of the Sith, the third-biggest box office draw of the year finds itself neglected by the Academy, with only three nominations…it was no Lord of the Rings, but it was a pretty good yarn, and well-made, for the most part…
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On the last day of wagering, Brokeback Mountain has solidified its lead over Crash for Best Picture at TradeSports…
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David Carr of the New York Times makes his Oscar predictions here…
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Here’s the link for the Oscar liveblogging from Pajamas…
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Mickey Kaus’s longshot Best Picture pick revealed…
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Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith was this year’s box office king, but was nominated for one little measly award, for Makeup…I reviewed the film here…
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David Ignatius looks at this year’s nominees, and notices a trend: in a time of outward trouble, Hollywood has chosen introspection:
What’s obvious about this year’s nominees is that they are not the usual Tinseltown entertainment. America may have its troubles, but Hollywood’s response is introspection rather than escapism. Each of the five nominated pictures — “Brokeback Mountain,” “Capote,” “Crash,” “Good Night, and Good Luck” and “Munich” — is a journey inward. Nobody would accuse the producers of trying to take our minds off our problems…
I’m not really seeing it, myself…
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The Washington Post says the Oscar goes to social issues, in a piece that exemplifies the reason Middle America increasingly could care less:
The awards season in Hollywood is by its very nature a self-congratulatory affair. But this year, the filmmakers say their serious, somber movies really do matter — not just as entertainment or art, but politically, socially. Hollywood thinks the movies are important again.
Ang Lee, director of “Brokeback Mountain,” speaks of “the power of movies to change the way we’re thinking.” Steven Spielberg, director of “Munich,” has called this year’s Oscar-nominated films “courageous” for the risks they took with stories about racism, terrorism, government and corporate crime, and homosexuality. Mark R. Harris, a producer of “Crash,” said “this movie has changed people’s lives.”
Bah!…make good movies, and don’t worry about teaching lessons, I say - did The Philadelphia Story have any lasting social impact? And yet does any film up for Best Picture tonight even remotely touch its grandeur?…
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My personal favorite movie of the year was probably Walk the Line, the excellent Johnny Cash-June Carter biopic…Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon both deserve their respective ‘Best’ awards, though Phoenix has little chance. The fact that they did their own vocals was impressive, but so was the fact that they played their characters with intelligence and warmth; you detect no implicit ’snobbery’ directed at these simple country folks with talent, a belief in God, and a need for love. Director and writer James Mangold deserves much of that credit, and it’s a real shame he’s not up for an award in either category, and that the film was not in the running for Best Picture, though it is nominated for 5 Oscars total…
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Chris Nashawaty’s look at the 25 worst sequels of all time in Entertainment Weekly is a gem:
Stars generally skip the inevitably cruddy sequels. And when they do crawl back for sloppy seconds, their heart never seems to be in it. That’s because sequels, as a general rule, blow. But some are so ill-conceived, so cynically calculated, and so aggressively inept that they need to be called out and held accountable in the public square. Or, in this case, Entertainment Weekly. Hence our list of the 25 Worst Sequels Ever Made. But before we kick off the countdown of caca, a quick word on our criteria. First, we looked at how steep a sequel’s drop-off in quality was from the original. Then we weighed how utterly unnecessary the sequel was. You’re probably thinking, ”Yeah, but some sequels are so bad they’re good!” Those aren’t on this list. These movies are so absolutely bad their badness can be measured only in Kelvin degrees. Finally, we factored in a certain intangible stankitude — a sort of je ne sais crap that makes a film so god-awful you wish there were a cinematic Hague where it could be tried. Until such a court is convened, however, all we can do is offer our testimony against these 25 offenders.
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Morgan Freeman says it’s Brokeback all the way:
Oscar winner Morgan Freeman has said Brokeback Mountain could be the big winner at this year’s Academy Awards because it is “flavour of the month”.
“Brokeback Mountain is this year’s right subject at the right time, which is all that counts,” Freeman, 68, told the Radio Times.
“I liked the movie… but I wouldn’t choose it over Capote or Philip Seymour Hoffman, he added.
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Gay Patriot looks at the predicted awful ratings numbers and concludes the Awards are nothing more than a showcase for indie movies no one has seen…
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The worst year to be nominated for Best Picture? 1939…
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Roger L. Simon is none-too-thrilled about living a block or so from Oscar’s ground zero…
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Pajamas will be covering the event throughout the day, including a liveblogging thread that I’ll link to when it opens this afternoon…
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Here’s a list of this year’s nominees from the official site…
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My picks for the worst Best Picture winners ever can be found here…
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Last year, I did a more traditional liveblogging of the event…you can read the incredibly witty transcript here…
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Gabriel Schoenfeld looks at Steven Speilberg’s Munich, one of the 5 Best Picture nominees (though perhaps the least likely to win), and finds it a well-made film that shows incredible sympathy to its characters - as long as they’re Palestinian terrorists. Read his denunciation of the film’s moral relativism here…
36 Responses to “The 1st Annual Decision ‘08 Academy Awards Spectacular”
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March 5th, 2006 at 11:13 am
Mark, you are a veritable glutton for punishment. To make it interesting, you should start taking odds on how soon into the telecast before John -John takes a jibe into Bush and co. 5 minutes? 10 minutes? How about the opening monologue? The bidding’s open…
And the NYT has a silly piece today in their arts section, where the writer makes the case that the American public is basically too stupid to realize what a masterpiece Munich is…unbelievable, even for them.
March 5th, 2006 at 12:36 pm
Unless someone heckles Streisand from the gallery (Hey, Babs, do you need me to use “corruption” in a sentence?) I don’t think I can muster much interest.
March 5th, 2006 at 1:42 pm
Ugh. I’ll watch them, and I’ve actually seen most of the movies that are nominated. But they’ll still suck.
Two things:
1) All of this “Munich is moral relativism!” crap needs to end. It just plain isn’t. Just because a movie is thoughtful doesn’t mean it’s soulless. I realize this might be hard for the “anything for our narrow view of right and wrong” crowd - and they do keep winning the elections, so maybe there’s something to it - but we can all learn new things.
2) I can’t wait for Bush jokes. If anything will make this broadcast bearable, it’ll be Bush jokes. And gay cowboy jokes. My real hope is that Stewart sticks to good old ribs (the ones about Cheney that mix quail and duck are especially delightful) and doesn’t slip into preachiness. Bush is a buffoon and it’s worth pointing out - just like it was worth pointing out that Clinton was a philanderer - but there are still lines not to be crossed.
March 5th, 2006 at 2:29 pm
“Just because a movie is thoughtful…”
It’s neither thoughtful nor accurate. Spielberg (and his notorious agitprop screenwriter,Tony Kushner) neglected to interview any of the former members of the Mossad, Knesset, or the murdered Israeli athlete’s families that were the main players in setting the course of events that followed. Who did they talk to? Why, the former (and current members of ) the PLO. He has made numerous statements akin to the effect that violence begats violence (this is not moral relativism?), and his decision not to focus on the horrifying massacre of the Israeli team, rather than the killing of ONE innocent victim mistaken for the PLO terrorists, is a classic “tell” in poker parlance. Moral relativism is part and parcel of the film, not to mention a vast array of confusing plotlines and needless diversions that rob the film from any coherency.
…”but there are still lines not to be crossed.”
I see - so the voluminous statements we’ve heard, read and seen from public figures (and most of Hollywood) that equate Bush with Hitler, baby - killer, Dark Overlord of the World and everything other stinkpile that can be thrown in is…now out of bounds, just because it’s an Oscar telecast? Since when was that rule instituted? You must have missed Vanessa Redgrave’s insane rantings back in the 70’s, when she won for the film Julia and was a card - carrying member of the PLO.
Did you happen to miss Michael Moore’s infantile rant when he won a few years ago? How about Tim Robbin’s a few years before that telecast? Where on earth have you been all these years, living in a cave?
I mean, Good lord.
March 5th, 2006 at 2:39 pm
One more thing: The NYTimes is hoping the left-leaning politics of the best picture nominees indicates a political shift in the country. Because, in their opinion, Hollywood is really a-political; it’s a big right-wing scam that it’s a liberal outpost.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/05/opinion/05sun4.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin
Any port in a storm, I suppose.
March 5th, 2006 at 3:04 pm
Right - and the NYT never displays any particular set of polemics - just ask Peter, they’re as neutral as Switzerland (not withstanding their clandestine support of the Nazis, of course).
Here’s the link to the article I referenced earlier:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/05/movies/redcarpet/05darg.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
The level of condescension displayed here reminds one of the parallel notion making the rounds that anyone who declines to see Brokeback Mountain must be a homophobe - but Ang Lee covered the gay issue (and it’s associated challenges) with much greater range, urgency and humour in his late 80’s film, The Wedding Banquet.
March 5th, 2006 at 5:44 pm
dmac - Is vs. ought. Pay attention.
March 5th, 2006 at 6:11 pm
Quite a witty reposte…and a complete non - answer to my earlier question. I do appreciate the attempt at misdirection, though. Please try again…
March 5th, 2006 at 6:59 pm
Pesonally, I LONG for the days when Marlon Brando wouldn’t show and Dustin Hoffman would launch into a rant about what a nacissistic bunch they all are.
“sniff” good times, good times.
March 5th, 2006 at 7:25 pm
Which question, dmac? I lost it in the pontificating. Or maybe in the confusion where I said certain jokes are inappropriate and you accused me of being the anti-Christ or something. What exactly are we even talking about at this point?
March 5th, 2006 at 7:27 pm
Also, dmac, given the sheer number of people on both sides of the Munich debate (those who say it’s propaganda for one side or another), it’s pretty safe to say that you all have your heads up, etc. Of course, given that it’s a political debate, OF COURSE you all have your heads there. It’s almost a rule at this point that intelligent discourse is impossible.
March 5th, 2006 at 8:11 pm
Stewart was bombing, but the “Bjork couldn’t be here… Dick Cheney shot her” bit was high-larious.
March 5th, 2006 at 8:26 pm
I thought the Clooney speech was absolutely phenomenal. It was liberal, as predicted, but it was noble and remarkably un-priggish. Also, not thanking ANYONE = GREAT
March 5th, 2006 at 8:37 pm
I saw all three animated films. Wallace & Gromit was the best, Corpse Bride was the worst, and all three were well above average for the medium.
March 5th, 2006 at 8:48 pm
Yeah, I feel like Stewart is dangerously close to being the next David Letterman, who I think is by far the best Oscar host of all time.
March 5th, 2006 at 8:51 pm
Oh, yeah, Letterman was great! And they hated him!…
March 5th, 2006 at 9:24 pm
Yeah, an hour and some change and Stewart is still sucking in my opinion. I miss Billy Crystal. Hell, I miss Chris Rock.
March 5th, 2006 at 9:24 pm
Both March of the Penguins and Murderball were terrific films. I would have preferred the latter, but Penguins was still one of the most stirring films of the year. Better than just about any movie nominated for Best Picture, actually.
March 5th, 2006 at 9:28 pm
I thought Crash was fine. I understand that sometimes it’s hard to resist the knee-jerk, conservative, everything-is-perfect-and-liberals-are-just-stupid reaction (and I mean that honestly), but actually watching the film was a good experience. It’s well-made and well-acted.
March 5th, 2006 at 9:29 pm
Jen, welcome…I don’t think Stewart has been as bad as the crowd would have you think, but he’s not a hit, to say the least (you know, these Hollywood types are surprisingly stiff)…
March 5th, 2006 at 10:03 pm
No, it’s not just you–the crowd is warming up a bit. However, that could be all the alcohol they’ve been provided kicking in.
Yes, you could be writing the show. OR…we could be writing it together. Surely it would HAVE to be better.
March 5th, 2006 at 10:04 pm
Hey, maybe we can land the contract for next year…
March 5th, 2006 at 10:10 pm
I agree that Altman is overrated, but that still leaves a whole lot of room for greatness. It’s hard to deny that, like Woody Allen, when he’s hit something on the head, it’s downright breathtaking.
March 5th, 2006 at 10:23 pm
Also, remember when Eminem won an Academy Award with a rap song that was, you know, great?
March 5th, 2006 at 10:29 pm
Aww, Jennifer Garner just slipped walking up to the mike. Too bad it wasn’t J Lo instead.
March 5th, 2006 at 10:36 pm
I missed the Jennifer Garner slip…I just caught her reaction…yeah, that 8 Mile thing was blown way out of proportion, wasn’t it?…
March 5th, 2006 at 10:53 pm
Reese Witherspoon is like Meg Ryan with acting skills.
March 5th, 2006 at 10:56 pm
Well said…
March 5th, 2006 at 10:59 pm
I was under the impression that the general public liked Geisha much more than the critics did, but these are all technical awards. And pretty much every review I read (I admit, I have not seen the film) said that it was technically superb.
March 5th, 2006 at 11:20 pm
…”it’s pretty safe to say that you all have your heads up, etc. Of course, given that it’s a political debate, OF COURSE you all have your heads there. It’s almost a rule at this point that intelligent discourse is impossible.”
Right - but you are the voice of reason, logic and pure objectivity. How pompous - and why bring up the movie and your opinion in the first place, only to dismiss any contrary viewpoints to your own? If you can’t justify it, don’t bother to submit it - stay in your echo chamber.
March 5th, 2006 at 11:30 pm
I have no intention of being the voice of reason and pure objectivity. I’m just saying, not everything is a little political crusade for you neanderthal types and your cousins on the left side of the aisle. Sometimes a movie is just an attempt to say something thoughtful, and Munich - heaven forfend! - made the point that violence has a toll, whether it’s justified or not. But then again in your little black and white nonsense world, either you’re with us or against us or some other foolishness that doesn’t make any sense at all.
And exactly which echo chamber do you think I’m in? Is that a phrase that even makes sense to apply to someone who’s just told you that you AND the people you disagree with are both being completely unreasonable? Again, not everything is a political battle.
March 6th, 2006 at 12:10 am
About the Oscars.
Who won?
Who cares.
Bill Force
March 6th, 2006 at 9:55 am
Ryan - my point was that your statement about moral relativism being an unfair criticism of Munich was incorrect, so we obviously see things differently here. Also - if you’ve read any of my many blog postings here over the past year, you’d know that I usually see most things from both sides of the fence - for goodness’ sakes, everyone knows I come from the moderate left on most issues.
Black and white? Hardly, but I think Hollywood should stop trying to frame political debates within it’s own rarefied worldview, which is usually from the far left of center. That, my friend, is a “little white and black nonsense world.”
March 6th, 2006 at 12:32 pm
dmac - I apologize for being so harsh yesterday. Something got into me and God knows what it was. We agree that Hollywood is and lives in a fantasy world, and we can agree to disagree about Munich. Fair?
March 6th, 2006 at 12:47 pm
Sure thing, Ryan. And no need to apologize - I’ve gotten a little too hot under the collar sometimes as well (over silly stuff, as usual). I probably misunderstood the context of your initial point about Munich - such are the perils of e - mail.
Regardless, I just can’t bring myself to use those emoticoms to help others understand my own contextural references - reminds me of the 70’s too much.
May 2nd, 2006 at 8:50 am
I usually have about 10 websites that I go to, as I’m a creature of habit, however I think I found one to add to that list! Keep up the good posts, and I’ll keep reading!