"He who molds public sentiment goes deeper than he who enacts statutes or decisions possible or impossible to execute." -Lincoln
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Open Question
How much of The Reader's success today was due to the fact that it was a relatively typical Oscar movie (aka Holocaust), and how much was due to the fact that it had the wizardly Weinsteins behind its marketing operation?
10 comments:
Anonymous
said...
I'd say both combined. (that was actually going to be my next status. "Danlly wants to make a holocaust pic with Weinstein's checkbook, just so he can get an Oscar." hah.)
see my comment about the nominations process on your previous entry. I think that's how the reader prevailed today.
how much of ledger's award success this year is because of his performance and how much of his success is because he passed away? i mean, he did not win an oscar for his brilliant performance in brokeback mountain, but now that he's gone, he will most likely win for the dark knight? no offense but the dark knight is a comic book movie, not high art, and does not deserve a place in the best picture category.
The Dark Nights is the best comic book movie ever made and it DOES deserve a best picture nomination. By the logic that the anonymous poster poses, films should be automatically ruled out due to their genre. So I guess we should fill every year's oscar best pic category with the standard:
-Holocaust or Genocide Film -Biopic -Political film -Monumental Epic -Indie or International pic
and what is wrong with those genres? they are far better than the comic book genre. they speak to the ages, the times, and its people. comic books are there to entertain.
I agree, the nominations were a bit disappointing. I am upset about Revolutionary Road and Doubt not getting spots too. The Wrestler was amazing also.
It is a shame that there aren't more than 5 Best Picture slots.
I think all the movies nominated are worthy... at least we know Heath has it in the bag!
The Reader is a fantastic movie and having seen it I really think it is less so much a holocaust movie as much as a love story, and anyone who has seen it is sure to agree. I mean of course the holocaust happens, and Winslet's character is a former Nazi -- but we see nothing of that time, it is only referenced. It is more about the boy and the woman, and their affair.
I don't know if The Reader will even win Best Picture, but in my opinion the other movies in the category are at least deserving of the nomination. Even if they aren't our personal favorites, you have to admit they are great movies!
To Anonymous in response to comment about Weinstein company:
Dan's argument makes sense because the Weinstein Co. is infamous for shamelessly promoting (to an almost undignified extent) one or two films that, I guess, Harvey has deemed his darlings. This year, it was The Reader. I mean, they promoted The Dark Knight a lot as well, but far more so for the former.
In response to Anonymous (can't you come up with SOME kind of pseudonym?), the multiple, unexpected nominations for The Reader - coupled with the stunning lack of support for The Dark Knight - strike me as CLASSIC Weinstein.
In 1999, Miramax (then controlled by the Weinsteins) had produced both The Talented Mr. Ripley, seen as an Oscar shoo-in, and The Cider House Rules, which had NO pre-Oscar buzz. Somewhere during the process, the Weinsteins decided to abandon the fading Ripley in favor of their smaller darling, Cider House Rules.
So they may have produced The Dark Knight too, but it didn't seem to have a lot of buzz at the end, while The Reader chugged in out of nowhere to grab several nominations. You can bet that it had a stellar ad campaign, on which millions of dollars were spent.
10 comments:
I'd say both combined. (that was actually going to be my next status. "Danlly wants to make a holocaust pic with Weinstein's checkbook, just so he can get an Oscar." hah.)
see my comment about the nominations process on your previous entry. I think that's how the reader prevailed today.
how much of ledger's award success this year is because of his performance and how much of his success is because he passed away? i mean, he did not win an oscar for his brilliant performance in brokeback mountain, but now that he's gone, he will most likely win for the dark knight?
no offense but the dark knight is a comic book movie, not high art, and does not deserve a place in the best picture category.
The Dark Nights is the best comic book movie ever made and it DOES deserve a best picture nomination. By the logic that the anonymous poster poses, films should be automatically ruled out due to their genre. So I guess we should fill every year's oscar best pic category with the standard:
-Holocaust or Genocide Film
-Biopic
-Political film
-Monumental Epic
-Indie or International pic
Oh, wait. The academy just did that.
and what is wrong with those genres? they are far better than the comic book genre. they speak to the ages, the times, and its people. comic books are there to entertain.
the dark knight was a great movie, highly entertaining...
but it doesn't deserve a place in oscar history. that is my opinion.
its why some art works are deserving of a wing in the met museum of art, and some are not.
the reader won't win anyway
the WEINSTEIN company produced dark knight...
so your argument that it's because of the weinstein co. makes no sense.
Hey Dan!!
I love your blog :)
I agree, the nominations were a bit disappointing. I am upset about Revolutionary Road and Doubt not getting spots too. The Wrestler was amazing also.
It is a shame that there aren't more than 5 Best Picture slots.
I think all the movies nominated are worthy... at least we know Heath has it in the bag!
The Reader is a fantastic movie and having seen it I really think it is less so much a holocaust movie as much as a love story, and anyone who has seen it is sure to agree. I mean of course the holocaust happens, and Winslet's character is a former Nazi -- but we see nothing of that time, it is only referenced. It is more about the boy and the woman, and their affair.
I don't know if The Reader will even win Best Picture, but in my opinion the other movies in the category are at least deserving of the nomination.
Even if they aren't our personal favorites, you have to admit they are great movies!
We shall see..... :)
To Anonymous in response to comment about Weinstein company:
Dan's argument makes sense because the Weinstein Co. is infamous for shamelessly promoting (to an almost undignified extent) one or two films that, I guess, Harvey has deemed his darlings. This year, it was The Reader. I mean, they promoted The Dark Knight a lot as well, but far more so for the former.
In response to Anonymous (can't you come up with SOME kind of pseudonym?), the multiple, unexpected nominations for The Reader - coupled with the stunning lack of support for The Dark Knight - strike me as CLASSIC Weinstein.
In 1999, Miramax (then controlled by the Weinsteins) had produced both The Talented Mr. Ripley, seen as an Oscar shoo-in, and The Cider House Rules, which had NO pre-Oscar buzz. Somewhere during the process, the Weinsteins decided to abandon the fading Ripley in favor of their smaller darling, Cider House Rules.
So they may have produced The Dark Knight too, but it didn't seem to have a lot of buzz at the end, while The Reader chugged in out of nowhere to grab several nominations. You can bet that it had a stellar ad campaign, on which millions of dollars were spent.
Post a Comment