78th Annual Academy Awards Nominations, And the nominees are.... Options

[*Zatanna*]

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Philip Seymour Hoffman - CAPOTE
Terrence Howard - HUSTLE & FLOW
Heath Ledger - BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
Joaquin Phoenix - WALK THE LINE
David Strathairn - GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
George Clooney - SYRIANA
Matt Dillon - CRASH
Paul Giamatti - CINDERELLA MAN
Jake Gyllenhaal - BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
William Hurt - A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Judi Dench - MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS
Felicity Huffman - TRANSAMERICA
Keira Knightley - PRIDE & PREJUDICE
Charlize Theron - NORTH COUNTRY
Reese Witherspoon - WALK THE LINE

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Amy Adams - JUNEBUG
Catherine Keener - CAPOTE
Frances McDormand - NORTH COUNTRY
Rachel Weisz - THE CONSTANT GARDENER
Michelle Williams - BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM OF THE YEAR
HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE
TIM BURTON'S CORPSE BRIDE
WALLACE & GROMIT IN THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT

ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE
KING KONG
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
PRIDE & PREJUDICE

ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
BATMAN BEGINS
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
THE NEW WORLD

ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN
CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTSPRIDE & PREJUDICE
WALK THE LINE

ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
CAPOTE
CRASH
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.
MUNICH

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
DARWIN'S NIGHTMARE
ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM
MARCH OF THE PENGUINS
MURDERBALL
STREET FIGHT

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
THE DEATH OF KEVIN CARTER: CASUALTY OF THE BANG BANG CLUB
GOD SLEEPS IN RWANDA
THE MUSHROOM CLUB
A NOTE OF TRIUMPH: THE GOLDEN AGE OF NORMAN CORWIN

ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING
CINDERELLA MAN
THE CONSTANT GARDENER
CRASH
MUNICH
WALK THE LINE

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
DON'T TELL
JOYEUX NOèL
PARADISE NOW
SOPHIE SCHOLL - THE FINAL DAYS
TSOTSI

ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
CINDERELLA MAN
STAR WARS: EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES
(ORIGINAL SCORE)
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
THE CONSTANT GARDENER
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
MUNICH
PRIDE & PREJUDICE

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES
(ORIGINAL SONG)
"In the Deep" - CRASH
"It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" - HUSTLE & FLOW  *snicker*
"Travelin' Thru" - TRANSAMERICA

BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
CAPOTE
CRASH
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.
MUNICH

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM
BADGERED
THE MOON AND THE SON: AN IMAGINED CONVERSATION
THE MYSTERIOUS GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORATIONS OF JASPER MORELLO
9
ONE MAN BAND

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
AUSREISSER (THE RUNAWAY)
CASHBACK
THE LAST FARM
OUR TIME IS UP
SIX SHOOTER

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING
KING KONG
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
WAR OF THE WORLDS

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND MIXING
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
KING KONG
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
WALK THE LINE
WAR OF THE WORLDS

ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
KING KONG
WAR OF THE WORLDS

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
CAPOTE
THE CONSTANT GARDENER
A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
MUNICH

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
CRASH
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.
MATCH POINT
THE SQUID AND THE WHALE
SYRIANA

Any thoughts or predictions. I can't make any now since I'm at work, but I will later.

[*Zatanna*]

Look, I think Sin City is a genius film, I really do (I'm also a long time reader of Frank Miller's by the way). But I think that calling the direction in Brokeback Mountain "d**k directing" is both uninspired and trite. Obviously you don't care for the film. Fine. Don't care for the film. However, until you are able to stand behind the camera and create what Ang Lee has, leave the "d**k directing" commentary out the door. Seriously. Unless you have some suggestions as to how to make the film better. Seems to me, all you really care to do is bash the film. I'd also be interested in what someone who is so apparently insightful as yourself would consider "classic cinema." (Eraserhead perhaps? Because you seriously need to revisit David Lynch's directorial repertoire if that is the case).

As as sidenote - I am quite aware that the Academy and its nominations are more of a political vehicle than an artistic notion of importance. That doesn't mean that all films that are nominated are sh*t films. It is quite possible to be recognized in that arena AND have talent (The Corpse Bride, for example, which seems to appease certain audiences but is far far from being Tim Burton's best effort).

[NoSex]

Look, I think Sin City is a genius film, I really do (I'm also a long time reader of Frank Miller's by the way).  But I think that calling the direction in Brokeback Mountain "d**k directing" is both uninspired and trite.  Obviously you don't care for the film.  Fine.  Don't care for the film.  However, until you are able to stand behind the camera and create what Ang Lee has, leave the "d**k directing" commentary out the door.  Seriously.  Unless you have some suggestions as to how to make the film better.  Seems to me, all you really care to do is bash the film.  I'd also be interested in what someone who is so apparently insightful as yourself would consider "classic cinema."  (Eraserhead perhaps?  Because you seriously need to revisit David Lynch's directorial repertoire if that is the case). 

As as sidenote - I am quite aware that the Academy and its nominations are more of a political vehicle than an artistic notion of importance.  That doesn't mean that all films that are nominated are sh*t films.  It is quite possible to be recognized in that arena AND have talent (The Corpse Bride, for example, which seems to appease certain audiences but is far far from being Tim Burton's best effort).

I appreciate that.

If I'm going to be a critic here, I don't need to offer up alternative suggestions as to how the film could have turned out to be a masterpiece. Nor do I need to have gotten behind a camera and created something on a proportional budget with equally successful actors and crew. This is my taste, and my opinions of the art of cinema and film. I'm simply being a critic at this point.

You flatter me so!



But, when refering to "classic cinema" I was simply addressing the Golden Age of Cinema. You know, back during the Studio System and such. Eraserhead, as being released in 1977, hardly classifies as classic cinema. Heck, not even The Elephant Man. I was speaking more of the films released during the early 1920's up to the beginning of the 1950's. Films like Casablanca, Citizen Kane, The Lady From Shanghai, and It's a Wonderful Life.

Aside from films that prided themselves on a style-over-substance doctrine in early cinema, such as the experimental Russian classic Man with the Movie Camera by director Dziga Vertov, most classic cinema is punctuated by seamless, complimented, and thoughtful photography and editing. Orson Welles may have been one of the first American directors to allow the camera to become a character itself, on screen. With Citizen Kane, Welles took an unprecedant amount of creative control. The result was something that had not been seen out of the studio system, a film with a camera that is alive and vibrant. This was revolutionary. However, the camera did not deny the plot. Despite its new life, the camera still payed its tribute to the drama, actors, and plot. Never going as far as to become a distracting entity.

At one point, it has felt as if the goal of dramatic film had become to fool the audience into believing that they were not even watching a movie.

This is the photographic economy I was speaking of.

Jumping back to the Lynch comment. I do rather enjoy Eraserhead as a surrealist demonstartion, however Blue Velvet is by far my favorite work by Mr. Lynch.

I'm glad that you are familiar, it seems that more should be.

Well, we feel exactly the same way about the Academy, pretty much. Although, I respect an earlier Academy more, I do understand that many films and persons being recognized under the Academy do indeed have much talent, passion, and worth. However, I do believe that a handful do not have nearly as much as those select few. Also, I did not see Corpse Bride, because I thought it a waste of my time after the monsterous disapointment that was Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (Shame onto even the great Danny Elfman). Quite possibly the worst film I have ever had the displeasure to see in theaters. And, I saw Mortal Kombat 2 in theaters.

One last thing.
Ahem, The Hulk.