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Actually no one human today actually lives up to the magical beauty Galadriel possessed. I just took that role with a grain of salt. Still it doesn't seem as if Peter Jackson shies away from camera tricks....

 

(personally I have a hard time picturing anyone except Sean Connery as Aragorn)

 

And I don't dislike Tom Hanks it's just that I think he's a pretty limited actor. Especially in the case of Captain Phillips where is New England accent wasn't that good and faded in and out at times. There is a technical side to acting and that's one of the rules. Does his charisma somewhat cover for that,? Sure probably. But it is what it is.

As I've said I wasn't choked up by the accent in Forrest Gump or the Coen brothers crime movie.

 

And you are most certainly correct that the academy loves a particular segment of society probably because there are a lot of gays in theater. That was my pager in college and I was one of the few straight guys and some of the classes. Probably the reason for my liberal attitudes on that particular subject. But it can be annoying to see a film I believe is not Oscar worthy nominated because of political correctness.

WSS

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I don't think it's political correctness as much as it is political leanings. For example, you're more likely to get a film like Milk nominated by a liberal panel of judges than a conservative panel. Not that they're under any pressure or whatever to do so, but one group might look at that particular film as an inspirational story about courage in the face of adversity and another might look at it as having the gay agenda rammed down their throats some more.

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LOL- Steve- I won't argue with you about Cate Blanchette being a great actress- but me and the wifie have a long running feud about her being cast as Galadriel in Lord of the Rings. IMHO, she's not drop dead gorgeous enough for the part. Though probably too young (mostly) at the time, I would have voted for Charlize Theuron, Nichole Kidman (& certainly Amy Adams) in a perfect world for that part. Cate got it because IMHO she's almost 6' tall, and it involved a lot less camera tricks.

 

Cate Blanchett, in my opinion, is more drop dead gorgeous than Theron/Kidman/Adams

 

 

 

PS Steve- I totally disagree with you about Tom Hanks- he's been shafted out of a bunch of Oscars. He deserved one in spades for "Saving Private Ryan". Seems like the Academy prefers (and I say this without bias) homo movies like Brokenback Mountain and Black Swan.

The mentality must be that they just want to spread the wealth around. "Tom got two...and even though he was best, he don't need no more"

That is all I can figure, because, yes, he easily could have won 3 more Best Actor awards.

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I don't think it's political correctness as much as it is political leanings. For example, you're more likely to get a film like Milk nominated by a liberal panel of judges than a conservative panel. Not that they're under any pressure or whatever to do so, but one group might look at that particular film as an inspirational story about courage in the face of adversity and another might look at it as having the gay agenda rammed down their throats some more.

I won't quibble about semantics. Actually I think both the definitions are applicable here. Yes it's an inspirational story about courage in the face of adversity and also a political cudgel with which to beat the opposition.

 

But it is logical that a group of people that contain a lot of gays would be sympathetic to that type movie. On the other hand I didn't care for twelve years a slave nearly as much as Dallas.

And I wouldn't guess there are very many African American members of the Academy. But it's politically correct to manipulate an audience into hating white people but not if the situation were reversed.

 

WSS

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I won't quibble about semantics. Actually I think both the definitions are applicable here. Yes it's an inspirational story about courage in the face of adversity and also a political cudgel with which to beat the opposition.

 

But it is logical that a group of people that contain a lot of gays would be sympathetic to that type movie. On the other hand I didn't care for twelve years a slave nearly as much as Dallas.

And I wouldn't guess there are very many African American members of the Academy. But it's politically correct to manipulate an audience into hating white people but not if the situation were reversed.

 

WSS

My whole point of view comes down to entertainment value. 12 years a slave, to me had little entertainment value. OK, the guys acted their roles fine, but as we have noted it was merely a graphic documentary on slavery. Without the graphic display of violence it could have probably been a History Channel/PBS program.

And the AIDS epidemic I guess was the issue in Dallas Buyers Club. I never did get to see it but my question is: was it entertaining? Obviously Hollywood thought the two actors in it did a great job.

 

I also note this: Of the Ten highest grossing pictures of 2013, only 1 of the Oscar nominated films were on the list: Gravity.

(of course that could be a function of so many of the Oscar nominated films being released toward the end of the year and not getting their full run)

Though Frozen...winner in feature length animated film was one of the top ten.

Nevertheless I surmise that their is a reason that the likes of Iron Man 3, The Desolation of Smaug, The Hunger Games, Man of Steel, Thor The Dark World et al are in the Top Ten grossing movies, and 12 Years a Slave, Dallas Buyers Club, etc. are not:

because they are more entertaining.

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Those movies probably also appeal to a wider variety of people. Your Iron Man style action film with the effects, tony stark lifestyle, high on fast paced action with a comedy twist is generally great viewing. But it doesn't require much thinking. The academy rewards those films that get your brain/emotions more involved, generally, with a few notable exceptions, when a film like Titanic, Return of the King etc comes along and is just such a huge success that you have to acknowledge it.

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Well entertaining is something of a loose term. I have absolutely loved some movies that are depressing and bleak etcetera. (I didn't like Iron Man 3 but I really liked number one.) As far as entertaining? Dallas buyers club engrossed me through most of the film but it wasn't a laugh riot like men in black or Animal House or ghostbusters or stripes. When I say a film is manipulative however, they could show 2 hours of anyone torturing anyone else and you would hate the people committing the evil acts. You get the reaction. Texas Chainsaw Massacre did that. I've seen porn movies that get the desired reaction even though I think they tend to get boring after you... What is it you Brits say? Yes have a wank.

 

I think sometimes we need to acquire a taste for great films, and never reach that summit. You know, chasing the dragon? I like Johnny Walker red but just this past year bought myself a bottle of 16 yr old Lagevulin.

:D

 

WSS

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Those movies probably also appeal to a wider variety of people.

Yea, because they are more entertaining.

Your Iron Man style action film with the effects, tony stark lifestyle, high on fast paced action with a comedy twist is generally great viewing. But it doesn't require much thinking. The academy rewards those films that get your brain/emotions more involved, generally, with a few notable exceptions, when a film like Titanic, Return of the King etc comes along and is just such a huge success that you have to acknowledge it.

I am not a member of the "Academy", but I bet they do not have a requirement of "Best Picture that makes you think." It is just Best Picture.

And if they are going to make it a requirement that it just be the "Best Picture that makes you think" , then they need to expand the Oscar Categories.

Like they did for animated feature films, which has only been a category now for about a decade.

Maybe they should create a category for Most Entertaining Movie or some such.

(they should create a category for "Best Comedy" as no Comedy these days has a snowball's chance in hell of winning Best Picture".

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Those movies probably also appeal to a wider variety of people.

Yea, because they are more entertaining.

Your Iron Man style action film with the effects, tony stark lifestyle, high on fast paced action with a comedy twist is generally great viewing. But it doesn't require much thinking. The academy rewards those films that get your brain/emotions more involved, generally, with a few notable exceptions, when a film like Titanic, Return of the King etc comes along and is just such a huge success that you have to acknowledge it.

I am not a member of the "Academy", but I bet they do not have a requirement of "Best Picture that makes you think." It is just Best Picture.

And if they are going to make it a requirement that it just be the "Best Picture that makes you think" , then they need to expand the Oscar Categories.

Like they did for animated feature films, which has only been a category now for about a decade.

Maybe they should create a category for Most Entertaining Movie or some such.

(they should create a category for "Best Comedy" as no Comedy these days has a snowball's chance in hell of winning Best Picture".

 

 

Exactly Gip. Different strokes for different folks. I'm strictly a SiFy action adventure kind of guy. And those sort of movies almost never take home the (big) Oscars.

 

Fer example "The Last Picture Show" (didn't even realize Jeff Bridges was in it until I looked it up) won a shit ton of Oscars, and I thought it sucked. Never have seen a Woody Allen movie that I liked- I thought "Annie Hall" sucked so bad it's one of the few movies I actually got up and left before it was over- yup multiple Oscars there too. Oh- it's competition that year? Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Needless to say, I don't give the Academy much credit, they go artsy-craftsy over Box Office Blockbuster every time. I suppose I'll get around to watching Black Swan and Dallas Buyers Club eventually- though the wifie has already warned me I probably won't like them.

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Exactly Gip. Different strokes for different folks. I'm strictly a SiFy action adventure kind of guy. And those sort of movies almost never take home the (big) Oscars.

 

Fer example "The Last Picture Show" (didn't even realize Jeff Bridges was in it until I looked it up) won a shit ton of Oscars, and I thought it sucked. Never have seen a Woody Allen movie that I liked- I thought "Annie Hall" sucked so bad it's one of the few movies I actually got up and left before it was over- yup multiple Oscars there too. Oh- it's competition that year? Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Needless to say, I don't give the Academy much credit, they go artsy-craftsy over Box Office Blockbuster every time. I suppose I'll get around to watching Black Swan and Dallas Buyers Club eventually- though the wifie has already warned me I probably won't like them.

Well, perhaps to entice you, in White Swan Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis do engage in a little (or a lot) of girl on girl action.....for what that's worth. (and yes, it is there but only feigned at. Under the Sheets Colonel Angus)

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