h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

being a bit freakish - I'd actually probably put Gosford Park about TTT anyway. Probably cos it gets to really stand alone, and it is just so fabulous.

Do you mean 'above'? I know, it was a tough call, and it's hard to compare a film that's fresh in your mind with one you haven't seen in nine months. The decision was closer than a lot of people might think.

yeah, I think above...
it is a hard call - but I think I can probably rewatch Gosford Park and find more new little things in it each time than in The Two Towers, much as I adore it.
I probably *like* TTT more, but think Gosford Park is better

I know what you mean. It's difficult to get passed the sheer freight-train gobsmack impact of T2T. Where's that Gosford Park vid gone? Reassessment required!

yeah... but actually I probably just have "film snob" issues along the lines of 'an epic action-filled fantasy movie couldn't possibly be better than Robert Altman' - which it could, I'm just not sure if it is (though I would like to smack Altman for Stephen Fry's character who drives me up the wall)

I know what you mean, I think I said at the time that Fry hams it up just a bit too much.

'film snob'? Hmm. I don't have much time for film snobbery, that's the mentality which made it absolutely certain that The Matrix didn't even get nominated for best direction, best picture, or best screenplay Oscars - all of which it surely deserved.

Not that the film snob view isn't sometimes the right one - Daniel Day-Lewis will deserve every single award he wins for GoNY...

well, personally I'd like to smack everyone who voted for A Beautiful Mind for anything!
but you know how somehow it's assumed that a really great drama is better than a really better action/fantasy/comedy flick... sometimes it can be hard to buy out of - especially if it's as tight a choice as Gosford Park or TTT.

Yeah, this is kind of what we were discussing over in the other thread, the difference between 'quality' and 'blockbuster' movies. Oscar doesn't like SF, doesn't like horror, and isn't that keen on comedies either.

Having said that the Oscars have always been deeply biased towards white, English-speaking men anyway, not surprisingly given they're an outgrowth of the US movie industry.

so how do you get to be a member of the academy then - someone's got to start the revolution sometime!

the debate over whether Halle/Denzel were the best last time round is interesting too - I've not seen either of those films, so I can't really say, though the idea of giving Beautiful Mind awards, and not Crowe is a bit daft.

I believe academy membership is by invitation only - and if that's not a recipe for maintaining the status quo I don't know what is!

I think all award nominees get membership as a matter of course, but apart from that I've no idea. During the BBC Oscar coverage last year Alan Cumming (faintly camp Scottish actor, played the nerd in Goldeneye, is playing Nightcrawler in X men 2) revealed he was a member, so (no offence to him) they can't be *that* exclusive...

has he ever been nominated for anything?
(he is pretty cool though!)

I believe hearing once that you had to be nominated and seconded by members or something. Sounds like getting into the MCC is easier.

Not that I can think of. I can't think of any films he's been in apart from Goldeneye and Spy Kids (not counting X Men).

The MCC parallel sounds about right. Apparently the Academy membership not consisting of celebrities is mostly elderly studio moguls.

He was in Emma (the Gwynnie version) as Mr Elton... and other artsy stuff I think. Highly amusing in Spy Kids.

so we just need to brainwash a bunch of celebs then? and we can fix the awards.

Y'know, it sounds so simple when you put it like that.

yep, all we need to do is become/catch a new celebrity "magician" and get all the members to queue up for hypnosis-on-telly shows...
how hard can it be?

Bet you 100 quid you can't fix it so Resident Evil wins best picture in March, then.

but why would I want to pick an even worse film...

what might be up in March - is it all the Christmas releases that aren't quite out here yet?

Reckon this year's Oscar contenders are going to be LOTR (again), Chicago, Road to Perdition, and Gangs of New York. Big Fat Greek whatever will probably win best screenplay (God help us all if Nia Vardalos wins best actress, which is being rumoured!).

I would have thought Kidman might be up for best actress from what I keep hearing.

Well, as long as TTT wins best adapted screenplay and music I'm less likely to want to kill people. Still on an Andy Serkis for best supporting actor campaign though. along with half the rest of the world.