2018 Oscar Nominations-And the Oscar Goes To..........

[jeff1225]

The blockbusters are rarely the good movies. Some have been but usually the better movies are not box office winners. I'll take Mudbound, 3 Billboards, I,Tonya and Shape of Water over the comic book movies any day.

Absolutely agree in terms of the last few years. If you look at the 90's, most winners were blockbusters: Dances with Wolves, Silence of the Lambs, Forest Gump, Unforgiven, Braveheart, Titanic, etc.

 

[still-one]

IMO Marshall was absolutely terrible. Maybe her ear monitors were bad, I've never heard Mary J hit so many sour notes.

Mary J Blige sang her own song Mighty River from "Mudbound". Andra Day sang the song from Marshall.

 

[jeff1225]

Mary J Blige sang her own song Mighty River from "Mudbound". Andra Day sang the song from Marshall.

Thanks for the correction. Both were horrendous. I can only hope the ear monitors were bad.

 

[Steve Williams]

Yep, it takes a lot of confidence to wear a yellow dress. She was absolutely stunning.

Totally agree. Loved her in Baby Driver

 

[KeithR]

Absolutely agree in terms of the last few years. If you look at the 90's, most winners were blockbusters: Dances with Wolves, Silence of the Lambs, Forest Gump, Unforgiven, Braveheart, Titanic, etc.

the awards have become best indie film in recent years. Sad really.

 

[jeff1225]

the awards have become best indie film in recent years. Sad really.

agree 100%

 

[dminches]

Which mainstream films deserved recognition but didn’t get it? It seems like the awards have been spread among tons of movies.

 

[NorthStar]

Which mainstream films deserved recognition but didn’t get it? It seems like the awards have been spread among tons of movies.

Perhaps 'Mudbound', it's on Netflix. Yes, 'Mudbound'

'Icarus' the Netflix documentary won.
• https://netflixlife.com/2018/03/02/oscars-2018-why-netflix-will-not-win-an-academy-award/

Mudbound was nominated in four categories:

1. Best Adapted Screenplay
Dee Rees, Virgil Williams

2. Best Cinematography
Rachel Morrison

3. Best Original Song
Raphael Saadiq, Taura Stinson, Mary J. Blige

4. Best Supporting Actress
Mary J. Blige

 

[dminches]

Is Shape of Water an indie film? I didn't think $20 million budget films were indie.

The reality is the world of film making has widened well beyond the major studios. That's a good thing for film enthusiasts because we get to see the creativity of a ton more people.

For me, I don't care who wins the awards. I just want to see good movies.

 

[853guy]

Is Shape of Water an indie film? I didn't think $20 million budget films were indie.

The reality is the world of film making has widened well beyond the major studios. That's a good thing for film enthusiasts because we get to see the creativity of a ton more people.

For me, I don't care who wins the awards. I just want to see good movies.

Hi dminches,

"Is Shape of Water an indie film?"

Technically, yes - it was financed by TSG Entertainment and del Toro's Double Dare You Productions (the latter of which has also produced Pacific Rim, Crimson Peak and Netflix's Trollhunters animated series), and distributed by Fox Searchlight, which specialises in indie, British, art-house and horror films.

Of the other Best Film nominees, Shape of Water was the fifth costliest to make at $19.5 million, bringing in $126.4 million in box office.

If you rank them by budget, they go from most to least:

Dunkirk - $100 million ($526 million)
The Post - $50 million ($153 million)
Phantom Thread - $35 million ($38.2 million)
Darkest Hour - $30 million ($138 million)
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - $12 million ($131 million)
Lady Bird - $10 million ($59.4 million)
Get Out - $4.5 million ($255 million)
Call Me By Your Name - $3.5 million ($33.2 million)


If you rank them by return on investment, they go from most to least:

Get Out - 5666%
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - 1091%
Call Me By Your Name - 948%
Shape of Water - 648%
Lady Bird - 594%
Dunkirk - 526%
Darkest Hour - 460%
The Post - 175%
Phantom Thread - 10%

Absolutely agree in terms of the last few years. If you look at the 90's, most winners were blockbusters: Dances with Wolves, Silence of the Lambs, Forest Gump, Unforgiven, Braveheart, Titanic, etc.

the awards have become best indie film in recent years. Sad really.

All the above were major studio films, that's true. But they're the product of an era pre-dating downloading and rampant file-sharing, when big investment made sense because distribution channels were more limited. Now we have on-demand distribution models, not only providing content, but creating their own, producing films to rival major studios who have become somewhat more risk averse. I have a friend who works in development for a major studio, and by the amount of staff turnover and corporate restructuring, it's clear the old model is no longer sustainable. The fact that the three major studio films generated ROI below that of the top five nominees - all of which were indies - lends some credence to this.

Having said that, you only need to go back to the 2015 awards in which five of the eight nominees were all major studio films, with an average budget among the eight of $64 million (Mad Max, The Martian, and The Revenant all above $100 million in budget.)

However, I share dminches' sentiments - I don't care how much they were made for, nor which production/distribution channel they originate from, I just want to see great films, and in terms of "Best Film", personally speaking none of this year's nominees transcended their constituent parts.

Best,

853guy

 

[KeithR]

Next year's Best Song winner just came out:

slam dunk and stunning!

 

[still-one]

Next year's Best Song winner just came out:

slam dunk and stunning!

Sorry Keith this song is totally unemotional for my tastes.

 

[Steve Williams]

Sorry Keith this song is totally unemotional for my tastes.

I have to agree with Jim here Keith

I find the song totally emotionless for my tastes as well

 

[KeithR]

I have to agree with Jim here Keith

I find the song totally emotionless for my tastes as well

Quite the opposite from my Tidal stream. I love the No I.D. remix as well if you want more of a beat included.

https://www.npr.org/sections/allson...er-of-the-universe-is-here-and-it-is-stunning

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/sade-flower-of-the-universe/

But to each their own, of course.

 

[jeff1225]

I have every Sade album, original and audiophile re-issues. I hope she backs up this song with a new album.

 

[NorthStar]

Is Shape of Water an indie film? I didn't think $20 million budget films were indie.

The reality is the world of film making has widened well beyond the major studios. That's a good thing for film enthusiasts because we get to see the creativity of a ton more people.

For me, I don't care who wins the awards. I just want to see good movies.

Hi dminches,

"Is Shape of Water an indie film?"

Technically, yes - it was financed by TSG Entertainment and del Toro's Double Dare You Productions (the latter of which has also produced Pacific Rim, Crimson Peak and Netflix's Trollhunters animated series), and distributed by Fox Searchlight, which specialises in indie, British, art-house and horror films.

Of the other Best Film nominees, Shape of Water was the fifth costliest to make at $19.5 million, bringing in $126.4 million in box office.

If you rank them by budget, they go from most to least:

Dunkirk - $100 million ($526 million)
The Post - $50 million ($153 million)
Phantom Thread - $35 million ($38.2 million)
Darkest Hour - $30 million ($138 million)
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - $12 million ($131 million)
Lady Bird - $10 million ($59.4 million)
Get Out - $4.5 million ($255 million)
Call Me By Your Name - $3.5 million ($33.2 million)


If you rank them by return on investment, they go from most to least:

Get Out - 5666%
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - 1091%
Call Me By Your Name - 948%
Shape of Water - 648%
Lady Bird - 594%
Dunkirk - 526%
Darkest Hour - 460%
The Post - 175%
Phantom Thread - 10%




All the above were major studio films, that's true. But they're the product of an era pre-dating downloading and rampant file-sharing, when big investment made sense because distribution channels were more limited. Now we have on-demand distribution models, not only providing content, but creating their own, producing films to rival major studios who have become somewhat more risk averse. I have a friend who works in development for a major studio, and by the amount of staff turnover and corporate restructuring, it's clear the old model is no longer sustainable. The fact that the three major studio films generated ROI below that of the top five nominees - all of which were indies - lends some credence to this.

Having said that, you only need to go back to the 2015 awards in which five of the eight nominees were all major studio films, with an average budget among the eight of $64 million (Mad Max, The Martian, and The Revenant all above $100 million in budget.)

However, I share dminches' sentiments - I don't care how much they were made for, nor which production/distribution channel they originate from, I just want to see great films, and in terms of "Best Film", personally speaking none of this year's nominees transcended their constituent parts.

Best,

853guy

Good stuff.

By the way James Cameron and Alfonso Cuarón contributed with Guillermo del Toro to The Shape of Water. The production design team was lead by three Canadians who won the Oscar.
I think Guillermo did the voice of the amphibian, I'm not 100% sure.

Bonus: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mexican_Academy_Award_winners_and_nominees

Canadians and Mexicans are big in the art of cinema.

Denis Villeneuve and Blade Runner 2049 is another film of great artistic value.
It costed more to make, it did not met expectations for revenues but still made a fair bunch internationally.
____

The art of cinema versus the profits @ the box office are two very different parallels; the Academy voters recognize the former without being influenced by the later, good. This is Art and Science.

I'm very happy from the last few years with the winners, including this year.
I do have few more to catch for my artistic knowledge...I love that pursuit...the road to cinema and orchestral manoeuvres destination.

 

[NorthStar]

The music from the video...Sade - Flower of the Universe...beautiful.
I'm in love, truly. ...The melody, her voice...totally sublime.

 

[NorthStar]

A simple add-on from a previous mention:
• http://fortune.com/2018/03/05/oscars-ratings-academy-awards-viewership/

"But, a driving factor for the Oscars’ recent ratings decline is almost certainly the rapidly-changing viewing habits of TV audiences, more and more of whom are choosing to stream their favorite content online (including on social media) rather than watching live on TV. Notably, Nielsen’s early ratings do not include digital and mobile viewership (though ABC only allowed viewers with cable subscriptions or live-TV streaming subscriptions to stream last night’s Oscars broadcast)."

 

[NorthStar]

Blade Runner 2049

Budget: $150–185 million
Box office: $259.2 million

It received many accolades, and won two Oscars last Sunday; Best Cinematography (to me it's a very important one) and Best Visual Effects.
This film also has some great music, very powerful.

* Scroll down for the Accolades
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blade_Runner_2049

As you can see cinematography, music, production design ...are very well regarded by many cinéma art organizations. It received multitude of artistic accolades in visual and audio.
To me, it was underrated by the box office. I predict this film will become a classic and cinema students will learn and flourish from studying it. It is that good, and more.

 

[still-one]

Blade Runner 2049

Budget: $150–185 million
Box office: $259.2 million

It received many accolades, and won two Oscars last Sunday; Best Cinematography (to me it's a very important one) and Best Visual Effects.
This film also has some great music, very powerful.

* Scroll down for the Accolades
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blade_Runner_2049

As you can see cinematography, music, production design ...are very well regarded by many cinéma art organizations. It received multitude of artistic accolades in visual and audio.
To me, it was underrated by the box office. I predict this film will become a classic and cinema students will learn and flourish from studying it. It is that good, and more.

It underwhelmed at the Box Office because after the first two weeks word of mouth got out that it wasn't that good. The first couple of weeks it pulled in the nostelgia crowds. It did less than $100 million in the US.