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Oscar Nominations for 2008

MacGuffin

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Yeah, The Dark Knight was the best Hollywood summer blockbuster I've seen in a looooooooong time.

Almost as good as the original Star Wars trilogy movies.
 
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I haven't seen several of the major contenders, so I really shouldn't even be posting. That said...

1. It's a travesty the way animated movies are ghettoized by the Best Animated Feature category. Wall-E was the best movie I saw this year. It was lyrical, beautiful, and the best romance I've seen in a while. When did you ever think you could say that an animated movie about robots was a great romance?

1. The Dark Knight got punked. In my opinion it's the best superhero movie ever made. I liked Batman Begins, but this was even better. And I'm not even close to being a comic book guy.

2. The acclaim for Benjamin Button makes me scratch my head.

3. Speed Racer deserved a nomination for Best Visual Effects. Conceptually and creatively (if not technically), the effects were original and exciting.

4. To follow up on a theme someone else brought up, Shakespeare In Love is always the movie I think of when I think of lackluster Best Picture winners. That win was the crowning glory of the Miramax style of Oscar campaigning. Looking back, Saving Private Ryan (the deserving winner) and Life Is Beautiful are the only movies in the discussion for 1998 that anyone still cares about.
 

The Ü™

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3. Speed Racer deserved a nomination for Best Visual Effects. Conceptually and creatively (if not technically), the effects were original and exciting.

I agree with this totally. I was surprised when I saw that it did not even make any of the two long lists at the VFX Bake-Off (the List of 15 and the List of 7).

But I hope Benjamin Button wins in the category, as it was also a stunning technical achievement. If I had not done research on it beforehand, I would've never guessed that "young" Benjamin was CG, but merely Brad Pitt in makeup.

And it's not the amount of awards a movie is nominated for, it's what the movie's nominated for. And I think Benjamin Button deserved nods in nearly all the minor categories; excellent cinematography, music, makeup, etc.

As for major categories, I thought it was one of the best movies I saw this year, but that's possibly because I also thought Forrest Gump was a good movie, the structure of which is closely followed in Button. That said, I don't think it really deserved a nod for Best Screenplay.

In terms of effects, I didn't think The Dark Knight was anything too original, and Iron Man largely seemed like Transformers Lite.
 

pure_mercury

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I can't agree about Saving Private Ryan. 75 minutes of epic violent anarchy, then about 100 more of mawkishness and (frankly) unheroic behavior really got to me. I'd rather watch about 20 war movies before that movie, any day of the week.
 

Jack Flak

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The Dark Knight...I think Ledger had one of the best performances I've ever seen on film, and should definitely win his nomination. However, the film as a whole is just plain imperfect going by any standards. It has great things in it, but is not composed like a classic. There are dead points near the beginning, for example.

Wall-E and Step-Brothers were my favorite films of the year, and it's uncharacteristic of me to choose "kids" movies or comedies as favorites. I just adored Wall-E, especially that they got away with the slow but sublime first act. And Step-Brothers usurped 40yo Virgin as the movie which made me ROFL most in history.
 

Magic Poriferan

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I am definitely jumping on the bandwagon of being pissed-off about The Dark Knight.

That was best picture material, damn it! How much you wanna bet that the award goes to some movie no one will talk about beyond this Oscar season? Mean time, Batman doesn't even get nominated. :dont:
 

Jack Flak

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That was best picture material, damn it! How much you wanna bet that the award goes to some movie no one will talk about beyond this Oscar season? Mean time, Batman doesn't even get nominated. :dont:
I can't say I'm a bit surprised it wasn't nominated (No way it would win though) as the Oscars are at least 50% popularity contest.

FORREST GUMP BEAT PULP FICTION FOR CHRIST'S SAKE
 
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Forrest Gump was a great movie. 1994 was actually the strongest Best Picture class I can remember...Gump, Pulp Fiction, Quiz Show, Four Weddings And A Funeral and The Shawshank Redemption.

All were worthy of a Best Picture win, and I couldn't have begrudged any of them for winning.
 

Jack Flak

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Forrest Gump was a great movie. 1994 was actually the strongest Best Picture class I can remember...Gump, Pulp Fiction, Quiz Show, Four Weddings And A Funeral and The Shawshank Redemption.

All were worthy of a Best Picture win, and I couldn't have begrudged any of them for winning.
You are not a cinephile, my friend! Pulp Fiction is perfection, even compared to other Tarantino.
 

Lexicon

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You are not a cinephile, my friend! Pulp Fiction is perfection, even compared to other Tarantino.

I second that.

You seem to have decent taste in movies.
Uhm, I'm happy for you.
 
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You are not a cinephile, my friend! Pulp Fiction is perfection, even compared to other Tarantino.

Well it's DEFINITELY superior to other Tarantino, no question. That selection of nominees is a murderer's row, though. If pressed, I would probably cite Pulp Fiction as my favorite of that group, but I really feel like they're all worthy.
 

Lexicon

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I know Forrest Gump illustrated some profound, moving themes that encompass humanity... and stuff.. but I can't watch that movie and take it seriously

Tom Hanks is a Special Boy on a bench talking to strangers eating his diseased crush's intended chocolates, throughout much of the film.

....
 

Negative_

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Slumdog Cash Money Millionaire and Benji Button's Case were great.
Ironman was decent but forgettable, if memory serves. Stepbrothers was hilarious throughout and Tropic Thunder had a few "haha" moments. Haven't seen the others. Wanna watch MILK soon, though.

Really surprised The Dark Knight didn't get nominated for best picture, but only because it's so popular. I didn't actually like the movie. :whistling:
 

pure_mercury

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Well it's DEFINITELY superior to other Tarantino, no question. That selection of nominees is a murderer's row, though. If pressed, I would probably cite Pulp Fiction as my favorite of that group, but I really feel like they're all worthy.


I agree here. 1996 should have been up there, too, if Trainspotting had been nominated. The English Patient, Jerry Maguire, Fargo, Trainspotting, and one of Shine/Secrets and Lies would have been a very strong field, as far as mainstream pictures go.
 
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But the special effects were state-of-the-art and awesome. And that makes all the difference in the world.
When will you realize that you are literally the only moviegoer in the world that cares so much about special effects? It's fine that you think that, but stop thinking that everyone else should.
 
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