Topic: 2014 Oscars. Ranking the movies and your opinions on the 2013 movie scene.

[Khushrenada]

I don't care about the Oscars. Just pretentious people giving themselves self-congratulatory awards. A sham. They never get it right. Yadda yadda yadda.

I don't care if you have some baggage about the Oscars. I like them but I'm also not beholden to their opinion as the final say on movies. It took awhile but I finally realized the Oscars are based on a small sample size of various Hollywood people and so the end results can and will be different than what I, a number of 1 (when I'm taking my meds) would choose. However, the Oscars still provide a good selection/recommendation list one can use to find great movies released in a year. Even now, I like to look up old Oscar lists from the past to find films I may have forgotten about. Do the Oscars get it wrong? Perhaps. But everyone has their own taste and opinion so what they might get right or wrong is entirely subjective. For instance, I prefer Ordinary People over Raging Bull and am glad it won Best Picture as I regard it a better film and yet, that view would be in the minority for many people. On the other hand, I thought Life of Pi was last year's Best Picture and have had to continually remind myself it was Argo because I found that movie rather unmemorable.

That said, I thought it might be interesting to discuss and share the opinions others may have about this year's crop and see how our preferences line up. Haven't seen them all? Only seen 1? Haven't seen any but still want to render an opinion? Think there was something that should have been nominated but wasn't? Go ahead and post it. It's NWR. You'll probably do it anyways. (Especially if it is to complain.)


I actually have seen all the Best Picture nominees so I can rank them all. Here are my quick thoughts and views from them all.

9. Dallas Buyers Club
8. 12 Years a Slave
7. Philomena
6. The Wolf of Wall Street
5. Captain Phillips

To be honest, I'll be happy if any of these win but in the efforts of ranking them, here goes
4. American Hustle
3. Nebraska
2. Gravity
1. Her

It's funny. When you actually try and put the movies in order, you suddenly start thinking of all kinds of different criteria and other factors to sort it out. Her might benefit from the fact that I just saw it on Saturday and may need more time to think about it but I found it an interesting examination of love and romance. I guess I should post more about my thoughts on each film and why I rank them as I do but that is something I can do over a period of time and just get this thread rolling for now.

[broodwars]

Eh, I haven't watched the Oscars in years, as no movie I actually like ever actually wins anything noteworthy and the whole ceremony pretty much lost its spirit once Billy Crystal retired. It certainly didn't help when the Academy threw animated films into their own ghetto with the Best Animated Film category.

That said, WHAT THE HELL, Academy? In what universe is The Lone Ranger a candidate for Best Visual Effects, but Pacific Rim ISN'T?!  Even by the Academy's ****ed-up logic, that's an insane snub.

As for the Best Picture nominees, I have no opinion. I've seen none of them and only maybe want to see two of them (Gravity and The Wolf of Wall Street).  I'm hoping Frozen (& it's attached Mickey Mouse short) sweeps its categories, though (Best Animated Film, Best Animated Short, Best Song - "Let It Go"), just to see one of the few films I cared about this year get the awards.

[Oblivion]

The Wind Rises > Frozen

[broodwars]

The Wind Rises > Frozen

We'll see. It's been a long time since I liked a Miyazaki movie, and it's been even longer since Miyazaki had any sense of subtlety. The problem with The Wind Rises at the Oscars, though, is that no one's seen it. It got that "1-2 weeks in an obscure Hollywood theater" treatment just so it could qualify for the Oscars, all so the box quote on the home video release could have a "nominated for an Academy Award" sticker on it (which was the goal all along).  Frozen pretty much has that award in the bag unless the Academy is even more senile than usual.

[Oblivion]

Please don't tell you think Studio Ghibli = Miyazaki, because no **** dude, the reason why it's been a long time since you liked a Miyazaki movie is because he's only had three in the last decade, including The Wind Rises, which I highly doubt you've seen.


I know you're like the epitome of a hipster douche along with Ian Sane, but the post you just made was absolutely hilarious in how bad it was.

[Stogi]

Frozen is a decent movie at best. It's a highly forgettable experience. The songs are average and overwhelming, the only decent characters are the two whom aren't actually human, there's barely a villain to speak of, and the end is incredibly cliche. This is NOT a return to Disney Animations. If anything, it's the same enthusiastic but ultimately mediocre offering.

I haven't seen any other animation films this year, so you may be right about it sweeping the Oscars, but it certainly doesn't deserve it.

EDIT:

WOLF OF WALL STREET

It deserves to win in every category it's nominated. Maybe not technically, but this is a "watch the rest whenever it's on" sort of movie. 12 years, Gravity, Her, Dallas Club...all great movies, but Wolf...it's classic.

[broodwars]

Oblivious, you are just about the LAST person on this board to have the right to call ANYONE a "hipster douche", so why don't you stop now before you embarrass yourself further. I am FULLY aware of the Gibli movies Miyazaki's done, and he hasn't made a good one since Princess Mononoke, if not porco Rosso.

[Oblivion]

Go ahead, bud. Keep talking. I'm not the one getting embarrassed here.

[nickmitch]

So, I haven't seen Philomena and Wolf of Wall Street.  I plan to correct at least of of these situations tomorrow.

Anyway, I'd have to say Her is my definite number one.  By far my favorite.

Next is probably Gravity and then American Hustle.  I can't tell you how impressed I was with Gravity and American Hustle had the best acting in a movie all year, hands down.

After that, it'd be Dallas Buyers Club and 12 Years a Slave.  The former being such a great story with two top notch performances creating an unusual and unique chemistry.  The latter being personally relatable to me, being black and growing up in New Orleans.  My dad actually grew up in a place much like what you see in the film.  They were both just flawed enough to not make my top 3.

Then there's Captain Phillips and Nebraska.  The pirates in Captain Phillips were the best part for me.  They felt more real than anything.  Nebraska was incredibly charming, and may grow on me after multiple viewings.

[broodwars]

Go ahead, bud. Keep talking. I'm not the one getting embarrassed here.

No really, please continue. I love hearing about this delusional fantasy world of yours where a Disney-published foreign movie no one's seen (because it's not technically out yet) manages to beat a Disney-created AAA, critically acclaimed and beloved animated film in a popularity contest determined by the films' marketing budgets. By all means contine telling me how Disney will push an obscure movie from a filmmaker FAR past their prime over a major Disney franchise. Please do. I haven't laughed this hard in ages. 

[Oblivion]

By all means contine telling me how Disney will push an obscure movie from a filmmaker FAR past their prime over a major Disney franchise.

Go ahead, bud. Keep talking. I'm not the one getting embarrassed here.

Please don't tell you think Studio Ghibli = Miyazaki, because no **** dude, the reason why it's been a long time since you liked a Miyazaki movie is because he's only had three in the last decade, including The Wind Rises, which I highly doubt you've seen.


I know you're like the epitome of a hipster douche along with Ian Sane, but the post you just made was absolutely hilarious in how bad it was.

The Wind Rises > Frozen

Funny, I don't see where I was telling you that they will be pushing The Wind Rises over Frozen. God damn.

You are using a variety of illogical fallacies to prove your point and all it does is make me giggle like a little school girl. I guess all we are doing at this point is laughing at each other.

[NWR_insanolord]

Can you please not use personal attacks as part of your pointless argument?

[Oblivion]

Better?

[broodwars]

Can you please not use personal attacks as part of your pointless argument?

Are you saying that arguing over semantics on an internet gaming forum regarding a Hollywood popularity contest where rich people give other rich people golden statues regardless of merit...is pointless?  I'm hurt, Insanolord! 

Funny, I don't see where I was telling you that they will be pushing The Wind Rises over Frozen. God damn.

You are using a variety of illogical fallacies to prove your point and all it does is make me giggle like a little school girl. I guess all we are doing at this point is laughing at each other.

Alright, since it's becoming rapidly apparent that actually reading what people are saying is not your strong suit, I'll break this down for you slowly: I've never once said that The Wind Rises is better or worse than Frozen. I don't care about the movie. No one cares about the movie. We haven't been allowed to see it yet in NA. When the movie releases this year, it'll be the same failure -> modest success that all the Ghibli movies have been in NA, and a week later everyone will forget it even existed.  Whatever. The only reason Disney even publishes these films in NA is because Lasseter has such a fondness for Ghibli.

It can be the best movie ever made, and it will never win the Oscar for Best Animated Film, which is what I've been saying FROM THE OUTSET (hence "the problem for The Wind Also Rises at the Oscars").  You know why? Because the Oscars are run by an Academy of increasingly old and easily influenced people, and they are typically decided by whatever marketing agency can throw the most money at "for your consideration" ads and screener copies for the Academy members. And all this is done because Academy Award winners typically have a very healthy home video sales life afterwards. Merit hasn't had any correlation with the actual award winners in decades, if not longer.

Which brings us to the Best Animated Film Oscar. The one time that a Ghibli movie has won the Best Animated Film Oscar (for the mediocre "Spirited Away"), Disney threw their entire Oscar marketing weight behind that movie instead of the other films they had up for the Oscar that year. The end result is that this obscure movie no one outside the anime community had ever heard of won the Oscar, which led to a very successful home video campaign that no other Ghibli movie has since replicated.

Which brings us to Frozen and The Wind Also Rises. Disney has major money riding on Frozen, and The Wind Also Rises is just another Lasseter pet project like all the other Disney-published Ghibli movies. Which do you think Disney's putting all their Oscar marketing behind? The Gibli movie that not even the general public in NA has even had a chance to see, or the major studio-revitalizing & acclaimed Disney-owned animated feature?

I'm sure The Wind Rises is a potentially decent movie. I haven't liked anything Miyazaki's touched since Princess Mononoke (Howl's Moving Castle was a mess, Ponyo was horrible, and the Miyazaki-written Up On Poppy Hill was average at best), but I'm open to seeing it when it releases on BluRay later this year. But that said, it doesn't stand a chance in hell of winning the Best Animated Film Oscar, not without Disney putting its full weight behind pushing it to the Academy and that's NOT going to happen. The only reason it even got nominated was so that Disney could put "Nominated for Best Animated Film" on the BluRay box and sell a couple hundred more copies. Frozen is Disney's heir apparent, and that's all I've ever said on this matter.

[Stogi]

I haven't laughed this hard in ages. 

Something tells me that after that wall of text someone isn't laughing. Unless you can laugh and type. I'm terrible at that.

I still need to watch Nebraska...but eeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhh. Nebraska. Really? I'd rather watch a movie about a dude with aids.

[broodwars]

I haven't laughed this hard in ages. <$1alt="" title="" onresizestart="return false;" id="smiley__$2" style="padding: 0 3px 0 3px;" />

Something tells me that after that wall of text someone isn't laughing. Unless you can laugh and type. I'm terrible at that.

After my last post? No, now I'm just annoyed.

[Stogi]

Annoyed on the internet.

How quaint.

[broodwars]

Annoyed on the internet.

How quaint.

Touche.  :   Well, as you know, the Internet is serious business. 

Back to the topic, I actually really want to get around to seeing some of this year's Best Picture nominees (notably 12 Years a Slave & Wolf of Wall Street), but I'll wait for them to hit home video. I've heard really good things about those 2 movies in particular.

[Oblivion]

I've never once said that The Wind Rises is better or worse than Frozen.

Neither did I. I called you a hipster douche because of your opinion on Miyazaki. That's it, broski. You jumped down my fucking throat because I obviously hit a nerve.

[Stogi]

Annoyed on the internet.

How quaint.

Touche.  :   Well, as you know, the Internet is serious business. 

Back to the topic, I actually really want to get around to seeing some of this year's Best Picture nominees (notably 12 Years a Slave & Wolf of Wall Street), but I'll wait for them to hit home video. I've heard really good things about those 2 movies in particular.

I watched both at home. I found myself pausing 12 years to grab snacks and rewinding Wolf to laugh harder.

So yeah...good choice to wait.

[jrlibrarian]

And we're still reacting to Oblivion's rants, why? It's entertaining, at times, to see him go off, but nothing more than that. I mean. He used the word broski completely seriously. Personally, I don't really care at all about either Frozen or Miyazaki in general.


Anyway.


I've seen Her, Gravity, Wolf, and 12 Years. That would probably be my rating order as well. Wolf made me laugh harder than I have in years, but Her and Gravity affected me the strongest over the longest period of time.

[Dasmos]

I've never once said that The Wind Rises is better or worse than Frozen.

Neither did I. I called you a hipster douche because of your opinion on Miyazaki. That's it, broski. You jumped down my fucking throat because I obviously hit a nerve.

The Wind Rises > Frozen

Did you forget what the "greater-than" sign is used for, mate?

God, this whole argument is train a wreck.

[Khushrenada]

I haven't laughed this hard in ages. 

Something tells me that after that wall of text someone isn't laughing. Unless you can laugh and type. I'm terrible at that.

I still need to watch Nebraska...but eeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhh. Nebraska. Really? I'd rather watch a movie about a dude with aids.

I didn't know anything about the movie and was debating going to see it since the only theater playing it was almost on the other side of town. So, the night before, I thought I'd see the trailer for it and after about 20 seconds, I stopped it because I could tell right away I wanted to see it and didn't want to spoil it any further. So, I was able to go in pretty blind about its contents which often seems to yield the best movie experiences.

[Oblivion]

EDIT: Actually, **** it,

[Stogi]

I smell a new title