Oscar Nominees

[George Bellefontaine]

No real surprises here. For those who are interested, go to:

https://www.oscars.com

[Burke Strickland]

The one major surprise for me was the nomination of only three songs. Frankly, even reducing the choice to three this year doesn't take it far enough. They should decline to perform any of the nominees, declare all three losers and keep the statuette for another year. That might help cut the running time of the awards telecast in March, since in the past it has seemed like about half the show was devoted to performances of an agonizingly boring parade of lame songs.

Of course over the years there have been numorous memorable exceptions to the rule that most nominated songs really suck. But as an exercise to demonstrate the main point, think of a favorite Oscar-winning song, and then, without checking IMDB, name one other song nominated the same year. If you were able to think of one, did you really like that one too?

For the record, I think "Hustle and Flow" was one of 2005's best movies, and in the context of the movie, its nominated song worked well. So from the standpoint of rewarding a song that actually helps the movie create its drama instead of just being "placed" to grab an award, perhaps it should win, even though it is of a genre I don't particularly care for ("rap music").

Of course, there will be a kind of delicious irony if the song "It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp" does win, since allegedly to get ahead in show-biz (at least in acting and perhaps writing), one must prostitute one's talent. Actually, if you think about the agent "selling" the client to the studio and taking a cut of the proceeds, the analogy isn't all that far off -- more legal than what happens on the street, but an agent's work isn't easy, so....

I was also surprised to see that "Munich" is a "Best Picture" nominee. I was expecting either "Hustle and Flow" or "The Constant Gardener" (another outstanding drama) to take the fifth spot on the list. But I don't think it will matter much when the final vote is tallied. I don't think Spielberg and associates will be onstage to accept the award and it won't be because they are busy elsewhere (unless they are at the library thumbing through back issues of "The New Yorker"). :>)

Burke

[aud19]

No real surprises here. For those who are interested, go to:

www.oscars.com

Now George.... you're sure this is in the right section... right? : :rofl:

[Burke Strickland]

... you're sure this is in the right section... right?

Maybe it belongs in "After Midnight" since most years it seems the telecast drags past that time :>) (although it is less likely to this year if they follow my suggestion above). :>)

Burke

[David Meek]

I was also surprised to see that "Munich" is a "Best Picture" nominee.

That's the film that is showing this week at our only theater. Jen and I'll be catching it in the next day or so.