Slog - Comments on Academy Award Nominees http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees First off, congrats to Stranger Genius and Seattleite James Longley, who's been nominated again--this time for his documentary short Sari's Mother, which first premiered in Seattle at our 2006 Genius Awards ceremony. It's a heartbreaking, beautiful film. The big shots: Best motion picture of the year Atonement Juno Michael Clayton No Country for Old Men There Will Be Blood Achievement in directing Julian Schnabel for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly Jason Reitman for Juno Tony Gilroy for Michael Clayton Joel and Ethan Coen for No Country for Old Men Paul Thomas Anderson for There Will Be Blood Best documentary... Copyright 2008 Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:12:04 -0800 Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:59:16 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by poster Girl Who should win:
"No Country" best pic
"No Country" director
Ellen Page Best Actress
Daniel Day-Lewis Best Actor

]]> poster Girl http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c904877 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c904877 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:28:48 -0800 Comment by SeMe Stop hating, Ruby Dee gave a great performance as Denzel's mom in American Gangster, though, she should have gotten that oscar back when she played Gator's mom in Jungle Fever.

Glad to see There will be Blood get all those nominations. As far as best actor, just give it to Danie Day Lewis now.

]]> SeMe http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c904883 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c904883 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:32:00 -0800 Comment by Mr. Poe Juno being up for Best Picture is arguably the funniest thing about the movie.

]]> Mr. Poe http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c904896 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c904896 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:40:14 -0800 Comment by Original Andrew


Cate Blanchett for Elizabeth: The Golden Age?? Seriously??


Here's hoping that means there will be even more sequels:


E 3: Rise of the Machines

Elizabeth 4: This Time It's Personal

Elizabeth 5: Risk Addiction

Elizabeth 6: The Thunder Down Under

]]> Original Andrew http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c904905 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c904905 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:47:55 -0800 Comment by anna The performances of Ruby Dee and Julie Christie in this year are both excellent but they'll probably win for lifetime achievement. Without depriving an especially deserving performance by another actress. Roles for female actors in MAINSTREAM, English speaking films seem especially weak this year anyway, look at the nominees. You could credibly list another 10 male actors or different performances deserving nominations this year.

Documentaries: as opposed to (almost)every previous year when most of the subjects were WWII? The category is always nominated/voted on based on subject not quality of the film. At least the Motion Picture Academy has finally settled the question: Hitler=Evil.

No song nominations for Eddie Vedder or Kimya Dawson? Three songs from Enchanted? (Jay-Z's American Gangster songs weren't in the film).

]]> anna http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c904911 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c904911 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:50:36 -0800 Comment by OSCAR AMPAS There Should Be Blood for virtually ignoring "Into the Wild" - but then maybe the Academy feels they've already given Bad Boy Penn his due. Hal "Mark Twain" Holbrook would win were it not for Anton Chigarh. Otherwise, it's the Coen Bros., Depp et Cotillard. And Blanchett [as Bob not Liz] will be the first person to win two Oscars for portraying two persons who've also won Oscars. Unless Tilda rightly squeaks by.

]]> OSCAR AMPAS http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c904916 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c904916 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:54:00 -0800 Comment by michael strangeways ya know, I loves me some Ruby Dee, but is her 4 minute hamfisted turn in American Gladiator: the Movie, really worthy of attention?

and I seriously loves me some Cate Blanchett, but Elizabeth: the Golden Age of Overwrought Cinematography was a big piece of poo...

other than that, the acting nominations aren't bad, but I wish they had nominated James McAvoy from Atonement, and Josh Brolin from No Country...oh, and Helana Bonham Carter, too.

]]> michael strangeways http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c904925 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c904925 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:56:31 -0800 Comment by scary tyler moore i'm predicting johnny depp for best actor. why? because people in hollywood, and the academy, like him. and he likes people!

daniel day-lewis is bat-shit crazy, doesn't like to do promotion for his films, doesn't like people, period, and his character is hugely unlikeable. not to mention he's a fucking ham actor.

]]> scary tyler moore http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c904934 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c904934 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 10:05:23 -0800 Comment by Darrell Is it just me? I am so not on this Juno bandwagon. I thought it was completely charming and cute but best picture of the year? That is just sad.

]]> Darrell http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c904936 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c904936 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 10:07:02 -0800 Comment by Darrell Is it just me? I am so not on this Juno bandwagon. I thought it was completely charming and cute but best picture of the year? I don't get that at all.

]]> Darrell http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c904939 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c904939 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 10:07:43 -0800 Comment by yearning Still wondering why people didn't laugh out loud when Johnny Depp thought it would be a good idea to sing in a modern day musical. And then he goes and poses on the cover of RS w/ his shirt half open, a cross necklace 'round his neck, out dated facial hair and hair to match. Is this the 80's? Yes, he's a great actor and a handsome guy. But I wonder if he did these things as a joke.

]]> yearning http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c904943 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c904943 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 10:11:23 -0800 Comment by Matthew I thought Once and Sweeney were both better than Juno. Agreed that McAvoy got robbed...he was by far the best thing in Atonement. Vedder should have gotten in for best song. "Surf's Up" over the Simpsons Movie? Bullshit. And of course, the failure to make "4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days" eligible for best foreign flick is a travesty.

]]> Matthew http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c904949 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c904949 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 10:15:52 -0800 Comment by OSCAR AMPAS @11 - I believe it's called "Show Business" - next question.

]]> OSCAR AMPAS http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c904951 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c904951 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 10:16:50 -0800 Comment by jewritto @5 I don't think any of Dawsons songs for Juno were original.

]]> jewritto http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c904979 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c904979 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 10:35:16 -0800 Comment by Gloria Juno for Best Director, really? That's so confusing. If they needed a nomination to round out the category, couldn't they throw in some other token like Polley for Away from Her? Same small chance of winning, but at least her nomination would be more interesting.

]]> Gloria http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905030 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905030 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 11:06:31 -0800 Comment by Andy Juno was funny, but not worth that many nominations. The one for Ellen Page might be the only one I agree with. But Best Actress is going to go to Marion Cotillard.

I think the nominations for the most part are pretty exciting this year, since I liked most of the movies nominated.

]]> Andy http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905041 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905041 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 11:13:31 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle @4 - I saw Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth: The Golden Age. She deserves the nomination.

So, my two picks I agree with are:

Performance by an actress in a leading role:
Cate Blanchett for Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Marion Cotillard for La Vie en Rose

Performance by an actor in a leading role:
Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905057 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905057 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 11:21:17 -0800 Comment by stinkbug Very nice to see TWBB get a bunch of noms. Sarah Polley and PT Anderson nom'ed in the same category is great!

Very nice to see Atonement not get a bunch of acting noms.

Ellen Page is cute (and I'd love to see her play janeane garofalo's kid in a movie), but I don't know if that role was "acting" - she comes across the same way in interviews.

More noms for Once would have been nice.

The shutout of 4 luni, 3 saptamani si 2 zile in best foreign film is a crock.

]]> stinkbug http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905077 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905077 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 11:29:43 -0800 Comment by michael strangeways Will, Cate is wonderful, (I don't think she is capable of being awful), but there WERE better performances last year...spread the wealth, I say and that movie was very silly.

Ellen Page is a charming and unique screen personality, but so far, she seems to be a one trick pony...she does sarcasm very, very well but that's about it...still, I'd rather see her nominated than Angelina Jolie.

]]> michael strangeways http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905100 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905100 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 11:42:56 -0800 Comment by michael strangeways oh, I forgot to post this; Oprah is going to be one missed off mother that "The Great Masturbators" didn't get a nomination...

If Obama fails to get the nomination, she may go nuculear...

]]> michael strangeways http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905106 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905106 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 11:44:40 -0800 Comment by stinkbug my brain usually blows up with the noms because i don't know if I should focus on commenting about who DID get nominated or if should spend more time commenting on who SHOULD HAVE gotten nominated. i suppose it's all a simple process though.

sad for no darjeeling limited.
was the aerial or the violin eligible for anything?

]]> stinkbug http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905116 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905116 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 11:51:04 -0800 Comment by Bauhaus @ 7 -

Short performance nominations are nothing new. Judi Dench was in "Shakespeare in Love" for just a few minutes and took that Oscar. It was a consolation Oscar because she should have won (and everyone knows it) for "Mrs. Brown" the previous year (when Helen Hunt inexplicably got it for "As Good As It Gets").

Oscar history is rife of people not getting a deserved Oscar and then getting one the following year for something less.

It's all still fairly exciting because one hopes the Academy will make the right decision and avoid sentimental favorites (Elizabeth Taylor in "Butterfield 8" and John Wayne in "True Grit").

By the way, I keep hearing that Marisa Tomei didn't really win for "My Cousin Vinny" but her name was read out by Jack Palance and the Academy didn't want the embarrassing job of a public retraction.

]]> Bauhaus http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905227 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905227 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 12:48:02 -0800 Comment by stinkbug @22, that Marisa rumor .

]]> stinkbug http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905237 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905237 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 12:55:04 -0800 Comment by stinkbug (fixed link:) that rumor is false

]]> stinkbug http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905239 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905239 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 12:55:57 -0800 Comment by Andrew Ratatouille should have been nominated for best picture.

]]> Andrew http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905240 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905240 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 12:56:50 -0800 Comment by Marcel Duchump There Will Be Blood should win for nearly everything its nominated for.

]]> Marcel Duchump http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905281 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905281 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 13:17:35 -0800 Comment by OSCAR AMPAS @26 Including the seldom seen category: Best Death by Conversion of a 7-10 Split.

]]> OSCAR AMPAS http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905305 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905305 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 13:29:47 -0800 Comment by Geni No Best Song or Best Score nominations for Eddie Vedder's work in Into the Wild is a travesty of a mockery of a sham. But the one that really frosts my cookies is no Best Makeup nomination for Eastern Promises - the work the makeup artists did creating those Russian-mob tattoos was AMAZING.

]]> Geni http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905695 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905695 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 17:19:15 -0800 Comment by gnossos Pardon my complete, profound and utter ignorance, but...was Once not eligible for nominations or did it just not garner any?

]]> gnossos http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905773 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905773 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 18:54:52 -0800 Comment by Jo @11: The reason I don't laugh at Johnny Depp is that I think he picks interesting roles. Even if it's not a good idea (I haven't seen Sweeney Todd yet but want to), it's interesting. The guy either really doesn't give a shit about Hollywood expectations or he's good at pretending he doesn't, but he always plays interesting characters. Even if the movies suck or if he winds up sucking, he's at least interesting. Plus, I want to fuck him, so I'll watch anything he's in. ;)

Of the best picture nominees, I've only seen Juno, so I have no way of knowing what should win. I did love Ellen Page in the role, though.

]]> Jo http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905779 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905779 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 19:04:11 -0800 Comment by pm phill Yeah for Tommy Lee Jones in In the Valley of Elah........he deserves to win.....

]]> pm phill http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905831 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905831 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:11:56 -0800 Comment by David Persepolis vs. Ratatouille? Christ, what a choice.

]]> David http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905873 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/academy_award_nominees#c905873 Film Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:59:16 -0800