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[Panda1]

Here's what you don't get.

20 years from now Avatar will be a name, an unwatchable movie because of it's extremely dated visuals, poor story, etc.

The Hurt Locker, Inglorious Basters, etc will be movies than when you re watch, they are still just as awesome.

So who gives a shit. You can keep trying to spread that hurtin, sour from Avatar not winning, not only is THL the better movie now, it will be even better later. (in comparison)

How can the visuals date in Avatar? They are meant to be realistic and excluding the 3D aspect how could everything else date? I mean watch the first 5 minutes of T1 or T2 and tell me that they have not dated but still are awesome ?

 

[EricHasNoPull]

I didn't take your profound words for Abbadduh...yaddi yaddi yadda!


....Was there a time I said that Avatar got more critical acclaim? Hmm....yaddi yaddi..yadda..

.

I'm just yankin your chain dude, don't take what I say too seriously, didn't mean to sound harsh, I should go to bed, I am tired...

 

[Skiptastic]

Or the fact that he put The Hurt Locker as the 7th film of the decade above Avatar at 10.

Seventh best out of 2000-2009? Really? I should check this out apparently.

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

Yeah, the people trying to short The Hurt Locker seem to be ignoring just how well-received this movie has been on every non-financial front. I think it will be enduring for that reason alone, and in terms of film history, I think that it will probably stand out as being the best Iraq War movie made during the war itself.

 

[beelzebozo]

that TIME article is completely hilarious. it almost reads like a parody extolling the virtues of populist voting over good storytelling and performances in one breath, presenting conspiratorial notions of grudges against cameron in the next, and implying that academy voters are too old and senile to go make it into a theater at last. wonderful. i'm sure this guy would be more than happy to point out and give the big thumbs up to roger ebert's positive review of AVATAR and turn around to slam academy voters. yeehaw

 

[Ceres]

Seventh best out of 2000-2009? Really? I should check this out apparently.

I wouldn't agree with most of his list even though I really liked The Hurt Locker.
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,1949837,00.html

 

[Salsa]

russian roll !!

 

[Meier]

Richard Corliss proudly stands up for all those who are silenced and explains why Avatar lost.

I guess I hadnt given much thought to the fact that Hurt Locker was the least successful ($$ wise) winner of all time. Pretty interesting factoid.

I compared the sound editor for THL to the doctor from Funny People. :lol

 

[beelzebozo]

I guess I hadnt given much thought to the fact that Hurt Locker was the least successful ($$ wise) winner of all time. Pretty interesting factoid.

we didn't even get it in a theater around here.

 

[Pakkidis]

2. Size. Over the decades, the membership has shown a fondness for small dramas with an obvious social message and a prejudice against gigantic science-fiction pictures that use pioneering techniques to create a compelling new world — albeit with their own obvious social message. Avatar is every bit as political as The Hurt Locker in its eco-friendly theme, and much more boldly anti-military: by the end of the movie, viewers are meant to be cheering for the deaths of the U.S. soldiers trying to occupy Pandora. It didn't help. The Oscar voters saw Avatar (if they did watch it) as just another genre film. No sci-fi movie has ever won Best Picture.

Lord of the rings?

 

[Dresden]

Corliss liked Speed Racer, too.

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

we didn't even get it in a theater around here.

I had to drive an hour to see it.

It's a shame that it got so little box office attention. It was a great action movie and could have fared well if it had gotten some sort of marketing push.

 

[Solo]

Lord of the rings?

Depends on whether or not you call fantasy an offshoot of sci-fi.

 

[2 Minutes Turkish]

Glad I was proven right on Avatar.

I told everyone the film was 100% visuals with no substance. And the Academy just proved me right.

Enjoyable as a popcorn action flick, but I expected more from Cameron. Titanic aside, I felt connected to the characters in ALL his other movies.

Not sure about Hurt Locker winning it though. Was hoping the Blind Side would take it. Or Up.

 

[Dresden]

Glad I was proven right on Avatar.

I told everyone the film was 100% visuals with no substance. And the Academy just proved me right.

Enjoyable as a popcorn action flick, but I expected more from Cameron. Titanic aside, I felt connected to the characters in ALL his other movies.

Not sure about Hurt Locker winning it though. Was hoping the Blind Side would take it. Or Up.

:lol

 

[JGS]

why do you say that?

Don't shoot me

1. It's too topical. Some Oscar winning movies focused in the current day on current events/interests don't last. This in and of itself isn't bad, but couple it with the fact that few people saw it in the first place and it makes it tough to have legs. You would literally have to have word of mouth campaign just on TV viewings and DVD rentals. Most movies with longevity start at the theaters.

2. Now I will admit to being a little biased on this next point so sorry. Although the acting is great in the movie and Mackie should have gotten a nomination too imo, I do not think the characters are particularly memorable or even liekable.

Renner's character reminds me of two things- his character in his TV show from last year and Mel Gibson's whacky suicidal character in the first Lethal Weapon. I don't know why. In any event, I don't have sympathy for him. Some of the best lines & scenes in the movie show what a jerk he is.

3. It is not grand enough. It just feels like a smaller movie.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

Lord of the rings?

Lord of the Rings is fantasy, not Science Fiction.

 

[MisterHero]

I'm not a huge fan of Avatar, but I believe that any movie that's done as well as it has, was able to connect much more with the audience than any of the other movies since perhaps ever.

As much as I can criticize Avatar I do not believe it's complete success came from simply marketing it.

In that sense while it flops with acting dealing with cardboard characters in a mediocre script taken from half-a-dozen other movies, I still think it could've (should've?) won Best Picture.

Or maybe they're saving the shower of praise until Avatar 3 can be nominated. :lol

 

[naijaboy]

Glad I was proven right on Avatar.

I told everyone the film was 100% visuals with no substance. And the Academy just proved me right.

Enjoyable as a popcorn action flick, but I expected more from Cameron. Titanic aside, I felt connected to the characters in ALL his other movies.

Not sure about Hurt Locker winning it though. Was hoping the Blind Side would take it. Or Up.

let me second that :lol

i understand why many love real life gritty rags-to-riches stories but sometimes fantasy/action/comedy/sci-fi/animation movies should get their dues too.....

 

[brianjones]

Don't shoot me

1. It's too topical. Some Oscar winning movies focused in the current day on current events/interests don't last.

I don't know that that's true though.

I feel like the theme of war being a drug and all that transcends the setting. It's not a political movie.

 

[JGS]

Glad I was proven right on Avatar.

I told everyone the film was 100% visuals with no substance. And the Academy just proved me right.

Enjoyable as a popcorn action flick, but I expected more from Cameron. Titanic aside, I felt connected to the characters in ALL his other movies.

Not sure about Hurt Locker winning it though. Was hoping the Blind Side would take it. Or Up.

:lol

Uh, if the Academy had proved you right on that, it wouldn't have been up for best picture.

 

[I <3 Memes]

I don't think Avatar should even be in the discussion of best film. But neither does hurt locker. Everyone who is happy that hurt locker won seems to really only be happy that Avatar didn't.

Truth is IB, UP, and a serious man were all far better than hurt locker. There are other movies that I haven't seen yet but are also brought up in this thread as being much better than hurt locker. Heck I thought District 9 deserved to be in the running, but there were definitely better movies than D9 that should have won. The Hurt Locker isnt one of those movies.

And I will say it again. Worlds Greatest Dad was better than The Hurt Locker. And Daryl Sabara really brought his obnoxious character to life better than anybody in Hurt Locker did.

 

[tekumseh]

Seventh best out of 2000-2009? Really? I should check this out apparently.

Either Corliss didn't pick this list, or he's an enormous fraud, because as of December 8, 2009, he'd picked The Hurt Locker as only the 4th best movie of the year so far.

Behind:
1. The Princess and the Frog
2. Up
3. The Fantastic Mr. Fox
4. The Hurt Locker


As it turns out, Corliss IS a HUGE FRAUD because he'd reviewed all the movies in question across the years...

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

I don't think Avatar should even be in the discussion of best film. But neither does hurt locker. Everyone who is happy that hurt locker won seems to really only be happy that Avatar didn't.

Truth is IB, UP, and a serious man were all far better than hurt locker. There are other movies that I haven't seen yet but are also brought up in this thread as being much better than hurt locker. Heck I thought District 9 deserved to be in the running, but there were definitely better movies than D9 that should have won. The Hurt Locker isnt one of those movies.

And I will say it again. Worlds Greatest Dad was better than The Hurt Locker. And Daryl Sabara really brought his obnoxious character to life better than anybody in Hurt Locker did.

World's Greatest Dad was okay, but it was nowhere NEAR as good as The Hurt Locker, which is great.

 

[MIMIC]

let me second that :lol

i understand why many love real life gritty rags-to-riches stories but sometimes fantasy/action/comedy/sci-fi/animation movies should get their dues too.....

They're called technical awards (Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Mixing, Best Make-Up, etc.)

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

Oh, can I also just give a big :lol :lol :lol to the Academy's attempt apology to The Dark Knight by giving the film an exclusive five minute feature to explain how sound mixing works. I like how they didn't visit past movies for the other awards. :lol

 

[2 Minutes Turkish]

:lol

Uh, if the Academy had proved you right on that, it wouldn't have been up for best picture.

I'm talking about the Awards it WON, not up for.

It was up for MANY awards, but it only WON the VISUAL awards. As I said, it was a good enjoyable popcorn flick. It's not a bad movie or anything. Like I said, I just expected a better story/character development from Cameron, chalk it up to high expectations from a great film maker.

As to Blind Side, it wasn't a brilliant movie or anything, but it seemed like Up In The Air was snubbed to the shit, and Up never had a chance since the Academy don't take animated films seriously, so outside of those two, Blind side semed the only one truly deserving of the win. There's nothing wrong with a good rags to riches story every now and again.

 

[Ceres]

I had to drive an hour to see it.

It's a shame that it got so little box office attention. It was a great action movie and could have fared well if it had gotten some sort of marketing push.

Iraqi war era films thus far have been pretty big poison in the box office. Which is a shame because it is a fantastic film.
I'm lucky enough to have an indie theater that gets most of the films out there that no chain will show and will usually bring in any film nominated if it hadn't already shown it. Sometimes it even brings them back in closer to Oscar time like with Hurt Locker. It also always shows the nominated animated and live action shorts.

 

[Tobor]

Oh, can I also just give a big :lol :lol :lol to the Academy's attempt apology to The Dark Knight by giving the film an exclusive five minute feature to explain how sound mixing works. I like how they didn't visit past movies for the other awards. :lol

Next year they're doing a five minute feature on special effects...in Star Trek.

 

[Dresden]

I'm talking about the Awards it WON, not up for.

It was up for MANY awards, but it only WON the VISUAL awards. As I said, it was a good enjoyable popcorn flick. It's not a bad movie or anything. Like I said, I just expected a better story/character development from Cameron, chalk it up to high expectations from a great film maker.

As to Blind Side, it wasn't a brilliant movie or anything, but it seemed like Up In The Air was snubbed to the shit, and Up never had a chance since the Academy don't take animated films seriously, so outside of those two, Blind side semed the only one truly deserving of the win. There's nothing wrong with a good rags to riches story every now and again.

You think the Blind Side is a good movie.

 

[Kasra_2x4]

I could'nt imagine one day.....Sandra Bullshit

 

[Skiptastic]

Either Corliss didn't pick this list, or he's an enormous fraud, because as of December 8, 2009, he'd picked The Hurt Locker as only the 4th best movie of the year so far.

As it turns out, Corliss IS a HUGE FRAUD because he'd reviewed all the movies in question across the years...

And that explains that. His list was pretty bad, though I wouldn't say any of the movies on that list were bad...just...that's your top ten movies of the decade? Really?

 

[2 Minutes Turkish]

You think the Blind Side is a good movie.

It is.

 

[Dresden]

And that explains that. His list was pretty bad, though I wouldn't say any of the movies on that list were bad...just...that's your top ten movies of the decade? Really?

The linked list is the top ten of the year, not the decade.

 

[Skiptastic]

The linked list is the top ten of the year, not the decade.

Wait, something happened to that link, because it originally showed Corliss's Top Ten Everything of the Decade...

EDIT: Here it is.

 

[tekumseh]

The linked list is the top ten of the year, not the decade.

Top 10 of the year 2009 (through 12-9-2009)

1. The Princess and the Frog
2. Up
3. Fantastic Mr. Fox
4. The Hurt Locker
5. Up in the Air
6. The White Ribbon
7. A Single Man
8. Of Time and the City
9. District 9
10. Thirst

Top 10 of the DECADE, 2000-2009

1. WALL-E
2. LOTR Trilogy
3. Talk to Her
4. Slumdog Millionaire
5. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
6. Moulon Rouge!
7. The Hurt Locker
8. White Diamond
9. Farenheit 9/11
10. Avatar

 

[Ceres]

The linked list is the top ten of the year, not the decade.

But he listed three films above The Hurt Locker in 2009 that didn't make the decade list so either he already is taking back his 2009 list or his name just gets thrown on anything published whether or not it's truly his list or not.

 

[Dresden]

Wait, something happened to that link, because it originally showed Corliss's Top Ten Everything of the Decade...

EDIT: Here it is.

Ah, the link changed?

Wow, he has terrible taste. I can understand love for Kazuo Ishiguro, but Order of the Phoenix? Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (a.k.a. Bloated and Overrated)?

 

[MisterHero]

Top 10 of the DECADE, 2000-2009

Ewwwww @ #1

 

[JGS]

I don't know that that's true though.

I feel like the theme of war being a drug and all that transcends the setting. It's not a political movie.

The writer contradicts that although I'm with you in that I didn't see a political theme either.

I could be wrong altogether about the film in terms of how grand it is. However, while the awards were on, TNT was showing Saving Private Ryan and that film just does more for me just in the little bit of time I got to watch it

I guess I'm having a hard time explaining the difference of why Saving Private Ryan qualifies as timeless. It could be that THL will be the definitive Iraq War movie & I'm just missing that.

I feel uncomfortable "dissing" it to this extent because I really did enjoy it and everything has been translating to me hating it which is not the case at all.

 

[Sobriquet]

Guess what, with a green screen you still need to set up your lights and camera shots and even entirely CG scenes have cameras and lights that must be set up and worked.

Not to mention setting up the lights and camera shots for composited shots is not a simple task.

I think you missed my post where I explained that lighting has been my job for twelve years. I'm pretty sure I have a handle on how it all works.

dumbest post ever.

Thanks! I stole that post from a Cinematographer.

 

[Ceres]

Ah, the link changed?

Wow, he has terrible taste. I can understand love for Kazuo Ishiguro, but Order of the Phoenix? Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (a.k.a. Bloated and Overrated)?

Now you're getting into different categories which actually are done by different reviewers.

 

[FleckSplat]

Highlights were the Music by Prudence acceptance speech(es), and the costume design winner's "I already have two of these..." line. God.

 

[Dresden]

Now you're getting into different categories which actually are done by different reviewers.

Curse my lack of reading comprehension. :lol

 

[JGS]

I'm talking about the Awards it WON, not up for.

It was up for MANY awards, but it only WON the VISUAL awards. As I said, it was a good enjoyable popcorn flick. It's not a bad movie or anything. Like I said, I just expected a better story/character development from Cameron, chalk it up to high expectations from a great film maker.

As to Blind Side, it wasn't a brilliant movie or anything, but it seemed like Up In The Air was snubbed to the shit, and Up never had a chance since the Academy don't take animated films seriously, so outside of those two, Blind side semed the only one truly deserving of the win. There's nothing wrong with a good rags to riches story every now and again.

Sorry, I misunderstood that. However, keep in mind that many thought it was a showdown was only between THL & Avatar. So no matter how you slice it, the Academy took Avatar very seriously as they should have.

 

[Kunan]

I think you missed my post where I explained that lighting has been my job for twelve years. I'm pretty sure I have a handle on how it all works.

Yea I did miss that. You obviously have a handle on how it works. I still think that green screened movies deserve a shot too though.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

Top 10 of the DECADE, 2000-2009

1. WALL-E
2. LOTR Trilogy
3. Talk to Her
4. Slumdog Millionaire
5. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
6. Moulon Rouge!
7. The Hurt Locker
8. White Diamond
9. Farenheit 9/11
10. Avatar

#1, really?

 

[JGS]

Eh, maybe I'm running in the wrong circles but how many people talk fondly about Titanic and rewatch it often? I rarely hear anyone discuss it. I see Avatar pretty much the same way. Its moment was huge, but it will pass and be all but forgotten.

You're probably running in the wrong circles because many people still love it (Although the length is prohibitive), but I didn't mention Titanic since it does have sort of a bad rap as a chick flick.

 

[Haunted]

Maybe it's time for Matt Damon's idea, where Oscars are handed out ten years after the films came out.

That's a great idea, actually.

Will never happen of course, the ad power of an Oscar nomination/award for the DVD release of a movie is too lucrative to forego for the industry people deciding this.

 

[BowieZ]

I stole that post from a Cinematographer.

Has the cinematographer worked with CG before? Worked on anything of the scale of Avatar?

Sounds quite logical that someone with a traditional on-location photography background, for example, would dismiss the skill and artistry of someone incorporating modern tech and stage shooting.