Posted on 01/10/2006 9:31:10 AM PST by SirLinksalot
Oscar Indicators
James Hirsen, NewsMax.com
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced its choice of host for the 78th Annual Academy Awards. It's one of today's foremost wisecrackers, host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" Jon Stewart.
Stewart apparently landed the Oscar gig after Billy Crystal turned it down citing scheduling conflicts.
In a press release announcing the Academy's selection, Stewart lampooned the fact that he was second fiddle, describing it as "another sad attempt to smoke out Billy Crystal."
The comic already has some award show experience under his belt, having served as host for the Grammy Awards in 2001 and 2002.
Evidently, he intends to take a week off from his "Daily Show" duties to work with his writers, who will most likely assist him in preparing the requisite number of Bush-bashing jokes.
Meanwhile the Producers Guild of America (PGA) and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) have announced some nominations of their own. This is significant in that their selections tend to serve as predictors of Best Picture Academy Awards. In fact, no movie has ever won an Oscar for Best Picture without first having been nominated by at least one of these two groups.
If the PGA/WGA forecasting pattern holds true, "Munich," "Memoirs of a Geisha" and "Match Point" are already out of the running.
When the PGA and the WGA ignore films, arrows point toward losses, while conversely, films that are nominated by both groups can take on front-runner status.
In this awards cycle, movies nominated by both groups include "Brokeback Mountain," "Capote," "Good Night, and Good Luck" and "Crash."
"Capote" also squeaked out a win for Best Picture from the National Society of Film Critics (NSFC) after six ballot rounds. Based on the almost universal raves given by critics to "Brokeback Mountain," one might have expected the film to win the NSFC Best Picture award in a landslide. But the critics group snubbed the movie, with the exception of giving a Best Actor nod to Heath Ledger.
Regarding the actors and directors unions, the controversial film was the nomination leader. It earned four Screen Actors Guild (SAG) nominations and a Directors Guild of America (DGA) nomination for Ang Lee for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film, a precursor for a Best Director Oscar.
Other DGA nominees include George Clooney for "Good Night, and Good Luck," Paul Haggis for "Crash," Bennett Miller for "Capote" and Steven Spielberg for "Munich."
As an interesting side note, the online gambling sites have "Brokeback" as the clear betting favorite.
We'll find out who wins the bets and the statuettes on March 5.
Well, the 1988 National League Cy Young Award winner was Orel (not Oral) Hershiser.
"They should rename The Oscar.... The Bruce."
The Oscars are for women and gays anyway, so who cares?
Hollywood is dead.
I never buy that line when it is used. It is a cover for an intent to hide a lie.
The truth is that the writers of such movies believe they are writing a true version of history, but they have to acknowledge that critical parts are not based on facts; so the lie "well of course it is fiction 'inspired' by 'historical events' ". The lie is that they intentionally want you to believe their fiction as truth.
The entire intent of Munich is to paint the Israelis and their hunt for the perpetrators of the massacre at Munich with a moral equivalence with the terrorists who committed the massacre. Speilberg keeps seeking the adulation of the Hollywood community that so often spurns him. Like any good liberal, he wants the left to like him.
Yup - anything that promotes homosexuality will be a winner in Hollywood.
I did not know the 2005 version of War of the Worlds was among the most popular. It had a big release here, but faded very quickly (as I thought it should).
Anyone have the numbers on how much Barebum Mounters is making? It really isn't making too many waves up here in Canada that I've heard.
I can't think of anything a more pathetic event than the hollywood crowd spending millions on a single evening and pretending that they think America cares about what they wear or what they think about the movies, Oscars = waste of time and money.
I saw the movie "Walk the Line" and I thought the performance by Ms Witherspoon was her best acting performance to date. It would not surprise me if she wins Best Actress in one or more the Hollywood awards venues.
My only question about Brokeback Mountain is, do they eat pudding?
I guess that means "Deuce Bigalow European Gigolo" was shut out. Damn!
http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/deucebigalow/site/deuce.php
Oscars, Smoscars who cares.
Well, it's not like the most recent Star Wars pictures are worthy of winning the major awards. The wife and I finally watched the most recent one the other night and it was *laughably* bad.
Hollywood's annual `Mutual Admiration Society' used to be an exercize in 'back-slapping/stabbing', but this year I expect there will be a lot of 'cheek-squeezing'.
As usual I'll be: polishing my cats, cleaning debris from my nose and puttering around the house, while my better half sits goggle-eyed viewing Sodom's finest.
How does Mel Gibson stand it?
I did too, but the men in my family liked it.
You ain't barking out orders here. Good bye.
Tapioca or chocolate?
Few people know that veteran movie actor Jack Palance was a professional heavyweight boxer in the early 1940s. Fighting under the name Jack Brazzo, Palance a product of Lattimer Mines, Pennsylvania, won his first 15 fights, 12 by knockout before losing a 4th round decision to future heavyweight contender Joe Baksi on Dec. 17, 1940. With the outbreak of World War II, Jack Palance's boxing career ended and his military career began. Wounded in combat, he received the purple heart, good conduct medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. After the war he began his long and famous motion picture career.
Brokeback Mountain will be the most-awarded movie that no one ever saw. : )
I must be a clod, I've missed all these epics...NOT.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.