DISQUS

Jeremy_M · 9 months ago

I have yet to see slumdog. But after watching the awards show last night it appears I am missing a good movie.

ANGRYBROOMSTICK · 9 months ago

Yes, I really do think Slumdog is THAT good. Everyone has their own opinions. I respect that you don't think Slumdog is that great, while me and many other fans out there maintain that it's a damn good movie and deserves the Best Picture win.

A lot of people hated No Country for Old Men, Juno and There will be Blood last year. This year everyone "hates" Slumdog and Benjamin Button. There's just no way to make everyone happy.

I have to agree with you about The Wrestler's snub for its Springsteen song, though. I think that was pretty cruel of the Academy... and Wall-E should HAVE WON the Sound editing award, too!

Moses Roberts · 9 months ago

Sounds like a typical Oscars night if you ask me. Tears, Anger, Snubs, and Victors. I've only watched the Oscars (Fully) twice. Once when Chicago was nominated for a lot of categories, and when Chris Rock hosted (I still think he's the best host since Bill Crystals third go around (what is he on now...10?))

Julian Dean Shapiro · 9 months ago

Idunno, if your critique is correct, Mickey Rourke should have won.... Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if most of the Academy voters hated the assclown that Rourke is in the real world and couldn't bring themselves to vote for him.

tk. · 9 months ago

I do agree that they seem to give Oscars for things that should have gotten them earlier-- Scorsese and Winslet being the two most notable examples in recent memory. I liked Slumdog-- and again, it's not Danny Boyle's best movie-- but I think Milk or Frost/Nixon were more deserving of "greatest films of all time" accolades.

Robert Fure · 9 months ago

Oscar is stupid. he doesn't vote for the movies I like, especially the ones from like 20 years ago that were AWESOME. I should be oscar. And bruce springsteen should be my friend.

~Robert Fure.

RobertFure · 9 months ago

I'm the real Robert Fure and I both endorse and love this comment.

flameyheadgear · 9 months ago

This awards ceremony was kinda like last year's.

But someone was missing. Was Jack Nicholson just... NOT THERE, or did I miss him? He's always front and center, and the host ALWAYS points him out. WTF? I missed him!

RickyTheDragon · 9 months ago

Well these are the same voters that didn't give Star Wars the top prize.

Homero · 9 months ago

What deserved:
WALL-E for Best Animated Feature
Sean Penn for Best Actor
Slumdog for Best Picture, Screenplay, Song, Score and Editing
Danny Boyle for Best Director (David Fincher did as well)

Who didn't:
Departures for Foreign Film - Should've been The Class
The Dark Knight and Slumdog for Sound Editing/Mixing - Should've been WALL-E
Slumdog for Cinematography - Should've been The Dark Knight
Milk for Best Original Screenplay - Should've been WALL-E
The Dark Knight's nomination for Art Direction - Should've gone to Synecdoche, New York
Smile Pinki for Documentary Short - Should've been The Conscious of Nhem En

Who got left out? (Nominations)
Christopher Nolan for Best Director
Revolutionary Road for Best Picture (Over Frost/Nixon)
Sally Hawkins and Kristin Scott Thomas instead of Jolie and Streep for Best Actress
Rosemarie DeWitt instead of Amy Adams for Best Supporting Actress
Benecio del Toro for Best Actor instead of Pitt (Who should've been nominated a while ago)
Synecdoche, New York for Best Original Screenplay, Best Art Direction and Best Makeup
Let the Right One In for Best Foreign Film and Best Adapted Screenplay

RobertFure · 9 months ago

Awesome in depth reply, agreed on a lot of these you pointed out.

taybo20 · 9 months ago

The problem is that Slumdog wasn't up agains Return of the King or Titanic, Schindler's List or Saving Private Ryan. This year it was the best and won the most Oscars. That is just how it is whether right or wrong. I agree with best song...Springsteen got robbed straight up. To be honest I'm still in the camp that thought THE DARK KNIGHT should have been nominated for at least 3 more oscars (Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay, and Director) and should have won!! But that's just me...

srsly · 9 months ago

This post (read rant) is idiotic.

The annual Oscars are a "relative" judgment comparing movies within a given year; NOT an "absolute" judgment in comparison with movies through-out history.

The awards are not broken... your understanding of it is.

RobertFure · 9 months ago

The column is called Boiling Point. It's always a rant. srsly I'm not even joking. And I understand the Oscars are relative (and this year was weak) but Slumdog wasn't the best film of the year in my opinion. I would have rather seen Button, Milk, or the Wrestler win, and in that order. But thats me personally, its nothin personal, I do what work for me you do what work for you. I dress with what I been blessed with, ain't been arrested for nothin domestic. and I chill, the way you let me.

Yes. I just quoted Mace. And it made me Feel So Good.

PaulSileo · 9 months ago

I personally thought Milk was the best film I saw last year. While I enjoyed Slumdog, Milk managed to resonate with me much more where I was still thinking about it well after I left the theater. Now all I can remember about Slumdog is Dev Patel screaming "LATIKA" over and over again. Oh, and the little kid jumping in the lake of shit. Hmm, maybe I shouldn't sneak 40s into the theater.

That said, I never did get the chance to see Frost/Nixon, mostly because I live nowhere near civilization, so it's entirely possible I would consider Frost/Nixon better than Milk.

Nick · 9 months ago

What irks me is how Benjamin Button would win for special effects over Iron Man and even The Dark Knight. I mean, the face thing and the WWII battle was cool and all, but we've seen it before.

Call me a fanboy, but it just seems like an effects-heavy movie like Iron Man would be more deserving. But I can't change the past.

srsly · 9 months ago

1) I happen to agree with you on almost ALL your basic positions in the post.
2) I am fully aware that "Boiling Point" was an indication that the post was going to be a rant.
3) I fully support the whole - you are entitled to 'do what work for you and i do what work for me'. I like living in a plural society even if it means sometimes i disagree.

That's not the point.

The point is you think the awards [the system] is broken because it's boring and predictable, then your supporting argument of how many Oscars Slumdog won by comparison to previous years is completely irrelevant because those are based on the same broken system. If you think somebody else should've won a whole bunch of awards THIS YEAR then rant about how movie abc or xyz FROM THIS YEAR was so much better and why. The system didn't break suddenly THIS year - do you think Jack Palance really deserved best supporting actor for City Slickers?

And on the subject of strange supporting arguments, you start with the inequities of how some college sports teams go undefeated but never get national titles, how some teams with one or two losses be ranked above those who are undefeated... but then you go on to say the Oscars should be like the Superbowl - an all or nothing single day competition where past record should be completely irrelevant? HUH?? (<--ala Scooby Doo) Your position contradicts your own argument and somehow you expect the reader to understand how this applies to the Oscars?

I'm not criticizing your position.
I'm not criticizing your right to have/express your opinion.
I'm criticizing the argument you are using to justify your opinion. It doesn't make any kind of logical sense. That is why i called it "idiotic".

If you're gonna opine without an argument - that's cool. If you're gonna support your position then support it with relevant arguments. If you are gonna support it with irrelevant and illogical arguments then you're just a crazy man with a soapbox and a megaphone.

P.S. - believe it or not i have no malicious intent here, i'm only writing this to make you a better writer/blogger. I quite like this site and the efforts you guys go through. But just like you have an opinion about "this" Oscars, i have an opinion about "this" post.

RobertFure · 9 months ago

Re: Jack Palance. No, he shouldn't have won for that role. I address people being given Oscars because they were "owed" one and he fits in there.

Re: This year. Perhaps I should have said the "Awards have been Broken for years" because I agree, this is nothing new. However, this year is pretty ridiculous. You can justify a film like Saving Private Ryan or Titanic winning Sound Mixing or something like that, some of the more technical things, because they were huge in scope and had scenes that were very challenging for sound, etc. Slumdog didn't really have anything like that - especially not when you compare it to TDK, Iron Man, etc.

Re: College/Superbowl. It's not contradictory. In the Super Bowl, it doesn't matter what your record was that go you there. You're there, now it comes down to one game. In College, that's not true. Your record is all that matters. The comparison to the Oscars is that the only thing on a persons mind should be THAT film that is nominated in THAT category. Jack Palance was in a dozen fantastic movies but his performance in City Slickers should have only been judged by his performance in City Slickers, not taking into account anything else. Denzel Washington should have been judged based on Training Day, not Glory. I don't see how that's contradictory in the slightest.

djjeffhall · 9 months ago

Unfortunately last year was fairly unremarkable as far as movie go. (Yes, The Dark Knight was spectacular, but Batman is a well established figure so TDK will not have the viceral impact of say Star Wars. I don't see this year being listed in polls of 10 worst Oscar mistakes. I think TDK is a better film, but Slumdog over TDK doesn't exactly rank with How Green Is My Valley over Casablanca and Citizen Kane.)

Hence, we were left with with a relatively unremarkable field leading to unremarkable results. Were the five Oscar picks good films? Yes. Were they films for the ages? No. But, what film last year was?

I cannot think of any film last year that is one to remember for the ages, at least outside of the fan community.

(Again, I might love TDK and play it over and over, but would the general public? No.)

RobinRuinsky · 9 months ago

The best film I saw in 2008 was Let the Right One In.
I think the Swedish Vampire film knocks them all out of the box. But of course it wasn't nominated.
But still I thought, maybe a write in vote would carry the day! ; )

Anti_Cool · 9 months ago

While I dont think Slumdog was this year's best film it was certainly a turn for the academy. It had an old hollywoo narrative while still trying to tackle political issues that are outside of American consciousness. It had great style and rhythym. It could represent a new direction for hollywood in terms of style and cultural relevance. I'm glad it won because were it not for all of the fanfare leading up to it nobody would ever classify this as a typical best picture film.

Adam_Sweeney · 9 months ago

I think the only real flaw in your argument is comparing Slumdog to films of other years. Much like football seasons, not all film years are the same. The Pittsburgh Steelers won the Super Bowl this year, but would they have stood a chance against a truly great team like the 1985 Chicago Bears? It is all relative.

curt · 9 months ago

sean penn was amazing as milk and im happy he won but i really thought rourke had it. randy the ram is a freaking beast