Posted on 02/11/2006 2:20:27 AM PST by AmericaUnite
The current batch of Oscar nominations underscores the notion that now more than ever Hollywood is out of touch with America.
The simple fact that twice as many people have seen the documentary "March of the Penguins" than have seen any of the five nominations for Best Picture ("Brokeback Mountain," "Crash," "Capote," "Munich" and "Good Night, and Good Luck") drives the point home.
The combined audience total for all of the Best Picture nominations is less than the number of moviegoers who flocked to see "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe."
Another indication of the growing chasm between Hollywood and the rest of the universe is the scarcity of bona fide movie stars; those who enjoy that special combination of box office success and larger-than-life personas.
Long associated with the term "movie star" is the name of Jamie Lee Curtis's dad, Tony Curtis. Tony recently told Fox News's Bill McCuddy that he hadn't yet seen "Brokeback Mountain" and had no intention of doing so. He claims that other Academy members feel similarly.
"This picture is not as important as we make it. It's nothing unique. The only thing unique about it is they put it on the screen. And they make 'em [gay] cowboys."
Curtis reminded folks that his contemporaries wouldn't have cared for the highly acclaimed Best Picture nominee. "Howard Hughes and John Wayne wouldn't like it," Curtis said.
Curtis's favorite flick of 2005 is one that, judging by the box office take, a lot of Americans would place on their list as well: "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire."
The Left Coast Report points out that while Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon may have donned women's clothing for their film roles, at least they shaved their legs for the part.
Fudge Pack Mountain
(What would John Wayne Do?)
From my parochial (to the extreme) perpective, I don't care whether they receive awards or not. I guess I sinply don't pay any attention to the awards. I also think I would be happier if I didn't ever hear about the personal lives of the actors, although that is impossible.
I have thoroughly enjoyed some movies the last couple of years that have been box office bombs (The Alamo and Cinderella Man, for examples).
I have been a bit surprised by the success of Brokeback Mountain at the box office. This thread offers some explanation of that. I won't be surprised if someone tells me it won every award the Academy has to offer. I still won't see it.
Agree on Clint Eastwood. I have most of his movies that involve his .44.or where there is a horse involved. But I pretend that he was not involved with "Bridges" or anything after that. He seems to be definitely headed to the other side.
Yeah, agreed. There was a definite turnaround in the '80s. His westerns and war movies are good, and of course the Dirty Harry series, but other than that after those, ouch. It's as if he was neutered.
So you gotta ask yourself one question. Was he just pretending to be Dirty Harry while secretly wishing he was Dirty Harriet?
Watching Two Mules for Sister Sara now in fact. It's on AMC. Great flick. One of Shirley MacLaine's better movies. In fact, the only one that I've seen and liked.
It's "Buttcrack Mountin'"!
Didn't they come close [no pun intended] with that flick with Nicole Kidman and the 10 yr. old kid who thinks he's her dead husband?
Oh please.
Unless you live under a rock, you know the premise of the film. And it is a love story, one of the most powerful and haunting love stories I've seen in years.
Capote was sort of the "Paris Hilton" of his time, except he actually had some talent. "In Cold Blood" was something else. I read it many years ago, and the movie made from it was chilling. Robert Blake (cast as a convicted murderer?) was great in it, and I believe he got an academy award nomination, back when that actually meant you did a good job acting, rather than being a good PC toadie.
Mark
Two men, and the sheep that brought them together. Frankly I'm really surprised that we haven't seen the following, so I'm going to do a nose dive straight into the gutter!
Q: Where do you get virgin wool?
A: Ugly sheep!
What did the lamb say to the shephard?
"Are you my daaaaaaaaaa-dy?"
Brokeback Mountain: Where men are men, women are scarce, and the sheep used to be mighty nervous!
Mark
Is it powerful in that these guys get together finally or that they are willing to dump their families to do so? I am wondering how they cover that aspect of it, not trying to pick a fight.
My favorite roles of Shirley MacLaine's were in "Guarding Tess," and a bit role she played in Albert Brooks' movie, "Defending Your Life."
For anyone who hasn't seen DYL, I don't want to ruin it, but it was a hoot!
Mark
Let the agenda benders spend their money...It'll just be that much less profit for them. I'm not going to see the flick anyway, what do I care.
So they're that constant on other stations too, eh? I wondered whether the Brokeback, Goodnight and Good Luck and other movie ads were only on LA radio stations because they were trying to influence the Oscar voters who live here around LA. Then it dawned on me - what Oscar voter would listen to relatively conservative KFI?!
I have heard the commercial during Rush as well. But the station that carries him here, KMOX, is in no way a conservative station..
Reese reportedly just gave the Hillary campaign $1000. The movie was great, however.
There's a big difference here - People were really going to see The Passion and in far more numbers than they are seeing BM. ("BM"...hehehe)
She was great, too, in What a Way to Go!, an excellent comedy, and the Hitchcock comedy/thriller The Trouble With Harry; not bad, either, in The Apartment, with Jack Lemmon. If you havn't seen them, and get a chance, it'd be worthwhile.
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