The Oscars 2016

[GibbonBlack]

I don't think Mad Max should be nominated for Best Picture and Matt Damon's performance in The Martian wasn't quite Oscar worthy but other than that there aren't many surprises here. Alicia Vikander should be in Best Actress, not Best Supporting but that kinda thing happens all the time.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-35313266

[implanted_microchip]

I've got to go see The Big Short tonight; I've been interested in it and all the nominations is the push I've needed to get around to it.

Hopefully I'll get to see Carol this weekend or next week along with Brooklyn, thankfully there's a theatre nearby showing both.

I'm pretty happy about Mad Max getting so many nominations; I doubt it'll win many, but it's recognized alone and that's pretty great. It was critically lauded, well-loved by audiences and a genuinely impressive film in a lot of technical ways, and that's not nothing to shrug at.

Stallone for Best Supporting would make me pretty happy. When I first heard of Creed, I expected it to be a terrible attempt at cashing in on another aged franchise, and instead got a fantastic movie with Stallone's best performance since, well, the original Rocky.

The Revenant seems like a lock for a lot of things. I could see Lubezki getting a third consecutive Cinematography award and Iñárritu could very likely get a second consecutive Director award. Leo's got to have Best Actor this time around. I doubt he'll ever get it if he doesn't for this. I know I've seen some people talk about Redmayne, but he just won for Theory of Everything (which I still don't feel good about) and I'd be really surprised of he got it again.

Oddly enough I feel like a lot of the strongest competition's in the technical categories. Star Wars, The Revenant and Mad Max were all top of their game effects and design. Sicario getting sound mixing would be pretty great, but I doubt it. As a big Villeneuve fan, I'm just happy to see his work getting any sort of nominations.

I'm sure a lot of Quentin fans might get bitchy over Hateful Eight not getting that many nominations, but QT's been getting tons for a while now and I don't have a problem with them not giving it as much.

In general from everything I've seen this is all around a pretty decent if not safe year of nominees.

[richardp]

Nominations this year are soooooo predictable and boring. I don't know why every year I think "this is the year where they actually throw politics out the window!" and then am massively let down. It feels like the same like five or seven movies are nominated in every category. There barely feels like there's any diversity or anything. I STILL don't understand the hype on Mad Max either. Like, it was a good enjoyable film, but I don't think it's anywhere near worthy of Best Picture. And it's now 2016, I think it's time to get rid of the Best Song category. I really like The Weeknd, but that dude doesn't need an Oscar for this garbage ass Fifty Shades of Grey song. Oh, and I think it's fucking stupid that Anamolisa gets shoved into the Best Animated category. Completely deserves a spot in the Best Picture list. Same for Straight Outta Compton. One measly Screenplay nomination isn't anywhere NEAR enough.

I'm rooting for The Revenant in everything it's nominated in. Which in itself feels boring to me. "Oh I just want that one film to win in every category, because every category is too boring to spice it up a bit".

Whatever, I'm just super salty this morning from the news of Alan Rickman.

[elevenism]

Sicario was the best movie i saw in 2015. Straight Outta Compton was the 2nd best.

Star Wars i don't count because it wouldn't even make sense apart from the first 3.

Both of those movies deserve best picture nominations. So does Trumbo. All three of those are better than the Martian, Bridge of Spies, or Spotlight (IMHO, of course.)

[implanted_microchip]

It's worth keeping in mind that just because there's a limit of 10 BP nominees, the films only get nominated if they receive over five percent of votes in the nomination process. It's wholly possible that a good chunk of people voted for Sicario to be a nominee, but not enough did, or simply too few people heard of it/saw it.

Bridge of Spies doesn't surprise me at all and shouldn't really for anyone else. A well-reviewed Spielberg film is always kinda destined to be nominated. Whether that's fair or not, who knows, but it's pretty par for the course. I'm hopefully going to finally see it this weekend, despite not being the biggest Spielberg fan; my biggest complaint is that most of his movies are pretty okay and average enough to be universally agreed upon as good, and in that way end up feeling really safe. But regardless, that goes a long way at getting a lot of votes for the nomination. If everyone enjoyed something, it's likely going to get nominated, whereas something like Sicario might isolate a lot of viewers. The Martian seemed to have the same factor to its success -- everyone liked it. Maybe not many would call it a masterpiece, but it's largely agreeable, so it's then easy to build a lot of support around.

[Deepvoid]

I agree that Sicario should have been nominated for Best Picture.

I have not seen The Martian yet so I cannot comment on the Ridley Scott snub.
Sorkin not getting a Best Adapted Screenplay looks like another snub.

[Rabbit]

Love that Mad Max is getting this love from the Academy. It was easily my favorite film of last year. I have yet to see the Revenant, and the Big Short. I think i've seen everything else though.

[october_midnight]

Love that Mad Max is getting this love from the Academy. It was easily my favorite film of last year. I have yet to see the Revenant, and the Big Short. I think i've seen everything else though.

Definitely don't miss out on The Revenant....one of the best in a while.

[elevenism]

Just saw Room and it's fucking amazing.

The only one i haven't seen is Brooklyn
@Rabbit , what do you HATE about the Oscar nominations?

[Nyx]

The Martian being nominated for best picture and Damon for best actor is just laughable. It was such an average movie all around, I honestly don't get it.

[allegro]

I'm afraid to see "Room" because the book was so riveting and movies are so often shitty versions of the book (edit: except maybe "House of Sand and Fog").

[richardp]

The Martian being nominated for best picture and Damon for best actor is just laughable. It was such an average movie all around, I honestly don't get it.

Agreed 100%. That movie was an enjoyable way to spend a Sunday afternoon, but it doesn't deserve to be anywhere near Best Picture nominations.

I'm afraid to see "Room" because the book was so riveting and movies are so often shitty versions of the book (edit: except maybe "House of Sand and Fog").

Honestly, I hated Room. Because I read the book. The book was so goddamn dark and riveting, and the movie just turned the story into some corny Lifetime movie, in my opinion. Brie Larson really was fantastic in it, though.

[GibbonBlack]

I just spent the evening watching all of the Best Documentary nominations (except The Look of Silence which I'd already seen) and the best of the bunch by...not really a long shot so much as it's out there with the voyager probes whilst the rest are humbly on Earth is 'Winter on Fire'. I'm absolutely blown away by it.

[thevoid99]

Just saw Room and it's fucking amazing.

The only one i haven't seen is Brooklyn
@Rabbit , what do you HATE about the Oscar nominations?

He's just upset that Get Hard and Aloha didn't receive any nominations

[icecream]

Straight Outta Compton snubbed for acting isn't right. But I agree with some comments before that this is a pretty boring list. I feel the Revenant will be the big winner this year.

Thinking on it more, I can see Miller winning best director too. Revanent best picture lock thought.

[implanted_microchip]

Just got home from The Big Short, and I loved it. Had somewhat avoided it out of fear that I'd find it boring, but it's anything but. I'm really surprised to say that I'm genuinely happy it's got a BP nominee.

We can shit all over this year's nominees all we like but let's remind ourselves that the last year had things like The Imitation Game, Theory of Everything and American Sniper as "Best Picture" potentials. If The Martian's the worst of this list, then even if somewhat bland or predictable, it's a pretty decent list.

[elevenism]

Honestly, I hated Room. Because I read the book. The book was so goddamn dark and riveting, and the movie just turned the story into some corny Lifetime movie, in my opinion. Brie Larson really was fantastic in it, though.

I have been disappointed with every single book to film project i've ever seen if i have read the book first, from feeling that the flick UTTERLY failed to capture the book's theme, to complaining about every little thing that is different or left out. But if i see the movie FIRST, then it often ENHANCES the book, by "casting" the characters for my imagination (Depp in Secret Window Secret Garden being a great example) as interesting actors.
This is why i utterly dread The Dark Tower screen adaptation, even as i look forward to it.
For what its worth, i watched the Room today and adored it.
@kleiner352 , i thought The Imitation Game was great, though i wish it would have had another hour about the terrible things that were done to AMT.
@GibbonBlack , thanks for the recommendation about the doc. I'm turning it on as soon as i turn off this computer.

[kel]

amy schumer deserved a nod. her trainwreck performance was nuanced and intense. she blew former comedic nominees like melissa mccarthy away.

and since when are there a thousand bp nominees? is this new? the last time i watched the oscars there was like four or five.

[elevenism]

amy schumer deserved a nod. her trainwreck performance was nuanced and intense. she blew former comedic nominees like melissa mccarthy away.

and since when are there a thousand bp nominees? is this new? the last time i watched the oscars there was like four or five.

Here's an article about it

They went from 5 to up to ten starting in 09, thinking it would boost viewership.
But now they are considering going back to five, because viewership HASN'T gone up, and some are arguing that the prestige of being nominated has been lost and the pool has (cough the martian cough cough) been watered down.

As to why some years have seen 9, 7, and 8 instead of ten, i have no idea.

[Rabbit]

@Rabbit , what do you HATE about the Oscar nominations?

There's a lot i don't like about it. I hate how at times there's a clear political and/or social agenda at play. I don't like that it selects very safe, there's very little risk in their picks. There's also little diversity in tastes.

But what irks me above all else is the fact that you can campaign for noms and wins and that the biggest body of voters are fellow actors. It can make it a popularity contest when it shouldn't be. The Oscars' credibility has been dwindling for a while now but it still has a ways to go before it's worthless like the Grammys.

[elevenism]

There's a lot i don't like about it. I hate how at times there's a clear political and/or social agenda at play. I don't like that it selects very safe, there's very little risk in their picks. There's also little diversity in tastes.

But what irks me above all else is the fact that you can campaign for noms and wins and that the biggest body of voters are fellow actors. It can make it a popularity contest when it shouldn't be. The Oscars' credibility has been dwindling for a while now but it still has a ways to go before it's worthless like the Grammys.

i was just busting your balls, but well played, @Rabbit , well played.

i agree.


edit: okay, @c0f3d , amy schumer deserved an oscar nomination?
i haven't seen any of her work, but i have great respect for her for posing nude, because women and girls are made to feel that only anorexic looking people are worthy of desire in a society where about 7 out of 10 are overweight.

SO

Now i'm REALLY intrigued.
What do i watch?

[GibbonBlack]

Now i'm REALLY intrigued.
What do i watch?

Not Trainwreck. They should make a special award for most apt title for that movie. And her stand up is pretty terrible too. Her show is really good though

[Self.Destructive.Pattern]

Amy Schumer is the most overrated, ridiculously not funny, comedian these days. And lets not act as if she is the first woman to pose nude or whatever for overweight women. Of course this is just opinion though. Trainwreck was OK, but no where near worthy of any nominations for an academy award... lets be real here.

I'm rooting for Leo all the way here. Man has been snubbed too many freaking times. I really wanted to see Sicario to get a nod because that movie was freaking great all around. Also, how many times can Matt Damon play almost the same role in getting saved in almost every movie he is in nowadays?

Weak, weak noms this year. I feel the Oscars become more and more irrelevant as the years go by. What a surprise.

Some more huge snubs:

Best Picture:

Creed
The Force Awakens
Ex Machina

Best Actor:

Johnny Depp
Will Smith in "Concussion". (Come on, his performance was stellar)

Best Animated:

The Peanuts Movie

Best Supporting:

Jason Mitchell
Idris Elba

[Rabbit]

A
Some more huge snubs:

Best Picture:

Creed
The Force Awakens
Ex Machina

I agree with Ex Machina. Another of my favorites of the year.

I won't even comment on your other selection there, you're trolling me.

[elevenism]

Oh yeah! i forgot about Black Mass!

I don't think Creed was best picture material though. The first act wasn't so hot.
And like i said about Star Wars, it wouldn't even make sense without the first three.
It was my FAVORITE movie, but not the BEST.

Ex Machina...i guess i need to watch that one again because i forgot what it was even about.

[implanted_microchip]

I would have loved to have seen Creed get a BP nominee. The minute I heard of it, I thought, "Oh, great, another cash-in on a dead franchise," and then I finally saw it ... incredible. Was really impressed with it, and I don't care for sports films most of the time at all.

If it's all about our personal favorites then I wish It Follows had a bajillion nominations, but I'm not going to get upset, because I realize that's really unlikely, and the same goes for Ex Machina -- it's a great movie, and has a cult following, and will continue to do so for years, especially since all three stars are beginning more and more major names, so you'll have a lot of people see it, recognize them, and watch it maybe completely blind by the time it's on Netflix or some equivalent.

I don't know, I usually find the awards pretty disappointing and somehow I don't mind this year. There's some oversights as always, and some poor decisions as always, but in recent years there have been far worse choices and far worse snubs.

I will say, and this stuns me that it's a sentence I'd ever find myself typing, but I really wish that Jason Segel could have gotten some kind of nomination for The End of the Tour. Amazing performance that brought David Foster Wallace to life.

Also as far as Star Wars goes, I was one of those people who went to see it several times and loved it and it'd absolutely make a favorites list of mine for the last year, but I'm not mad nor surprised it isn't a BP nominee. Could you imagine what the rabbit thread would look like if it was?

[allegro]

There's some oversights as always, and some poor decisions as always

Like, ALL the nominees are WHITE this year?

[kel]

@Self.Destructive.Pattern i respectfully disagree with you. @kleiner352 i would have loved to see it follows up for best score, at least. @elevenism trainwreck and literally any episode from her comedy central show. she's NOT overrated. she worked her ass off to get where she is and uses her fame wisely. if you enjoyed bridesmaids (and who the fuck didn't?) you'll get the hype.

edit: amy posed nude? didn't know that, but okay. why was that brought up?

[implanted_microchip]

Like, ALL the nominees are WHITE this year?

Yeah, that sucks; Oyelowo should have been nominated for Selma instead of Cooper for Sniper last year and I would have loved to have seen Michael B. Jordan nominated for Creed this year, but neither happened. I also really wish Benicio del Toro had a Best Supporting nomination for Sicario this year.

I don't know, the tone of your comment makes it sound like that's somehow my fault? I'm not a voter, as much as I'd like to be. But I don't know, who would you have preferred seeing get nominated in what categories that are PoC instead of the white people that were nominated? That actually creates more of a discussion as opposed to just saying that and not adding anything else, it doesn't offer a lot to work with, dialogue-wise.

[allegro]

I don't know, the tone of your comment makes it sound like that's somehow my fault?

How the HELL could it be YOUR fault? I don't get it. I was simply pointing it out, as has nearly every film critic I've seen on TV.