Can you spell tendentious, children?
Even our local movie critic (Cleveland Plain Dealer) tends to rave about any movie that pushes certain agenda topics (homosexuality, anti-war, anti-Christian, etc.). She gave the Passion movie a C or a C+ when it came out and the only movies that got C's (can't recall which titled) were pretty terrible movies.
It's like one big club - the producers, directors, actors/actresses AND the film critics too. One of the reasons I like Michael Medved.
No surprise there.
Obviously, in order to protect the avantguard producers of art/films from the rigors of having to monetarily support their work, the govenment should step in to buoy up Hollywood with movie-subsidies. George, Tim and Susan have'nt been able to buy that new Ferarri this year.
Ever since Hollywood dumped the Code and took on the "ratings system", the Oscars are invariably for garbage. Never mind movies got heavier on the garbage side over the decades. As Medved points out, you went from Best Film going from "Sound of Music" to "Midnight Cowboy" in 5 years.
bump