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Post by G✇JI☈A on Feb 24, 2010 1:50:17 GMT -5
We often hear the term Oscar Bait. And if you don't know what that means. Here is how the Urban Dictionary defines it:
A film released during the last two months of the year with a big cast and 'important' subject matter to attract the attention of the Academy.
"'Good Will Hunting' and 'I am Sam' are sickening examples of Oscar bait."
A lot the time the Academy will bite and take the bait if you will. But sometimes they see right threw it and mostly ignore it.
So what are some examples?
For this year at least it's 'Nine' a musical from the director of Chicago. Has a big cast which includes a number of former Oscar winning actors.. It's the sort of movie the Academy love. Well not this time. Yes it has been nominated for 4 awards (For costume design, art direction, song, and best supporting actress for Penelope Cruz). But I bet the studio involved were disappointed it was not nominated for best picture.
OK it was probably not the best example. But that's off the top of my head.
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In 1998 a movie called 'Beloved' starring Oprah Winfrey playing a Slave Women and directed by Jonathan Demme was released. Well everyone and their dog knew that Oprah was trying to buy an Oscar. Oprah produced the film and she owned the rights to the book it was based on. She did try though and her performance was OK. But the movie was forgettable. And in the end the film only got one Oscar nomination for 'Costume Design' (Which is not that hard to get if you make a big budgeted period film).
So what are some other examples?
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Post by Orange on Feb 24, 2010 1:53:55 GMT -5
Aw I thought this was going to be about something like Oscar Mayer Fish Bait, *sighs* oh well   Would a movie like Valentine's Day count (if it were good enough to get even considered for an Oscar)? EDIT - Nope nevermind that wouldn't work, failed to read the last two months part. |
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Post by G✇JI☈A on Feb 24, 2010 1:55:32 GMT -5
Aw I thought this was going to be about something like Oscar Mayer Fish Bait, *sighs* oh well Would a movie like Valentine's Day count (if it were good enough to get even considered for an Oscar)? I think that was more of a 'Cashing in on the Hallmark Holiday' film  Plus Valentine's Day is still eligible for next year's Oscars. |
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Post by DiBiase is Good on Feb 24, 2010 1:58:28 GMT -5
I wouldn't consider Good Will Hunting to be Oscar bait. But I'd have to go with Chocolat from about 10 years back. It stopped films like Almost Famous, Requiem for a Dream and Billy Elliot getting Best Picture nominations.
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The Lodger
Don Corleone
Wino is not pleased.
Posts: 1,394
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Post by The Lodger on Feb 24, 2010 1:59:48 GMT -5
Cold...Mountain.
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Post by Koda, Master Crunchyroller on Feb 24, 2010 2:12:11 GMT -5
Gotta be honest, but a lot of the biopic films this decade. Why do I say this? Well because when a biopic works, it works BIG time, a well done biopic lands at least one of it's actor's an Oscar. Not a nominee, but a full on Oscar. But of course, if a biopic is great, then the four biggest actors in the film(the lead and supporting males and lead and supporting females) will all get an Oscar nom at the least, but it is a sure thing that at least one will win a full on Oscar.
Hell, 4 out of the last 5 winners of the Best Actor Oscars this past decade were given to guys who were playing in a biopic.
But of course, this is when the biopic is GOOD. But dear lord, there are some many crappy biopics out there.....
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Post by Vice honcho room temperature on Feb 24, 2010 2:15:11 GMT -5
Gotta be honest, but a lot of the biopic films this decade. Why do I say this? Well because when a biopic works, it works BIG time, a well done biopic lands at least one of it's actor's an Oscar. Not a nominee, but a full on Oscar. But of course, if a biopic is great, then the four biggest actors in the film(the lead and supporting males and lead and supporting females) will all get an Oscar nom at the least, but it is a sure thing that at least one will win a full on Oscar. Hell, 4 out of the last 5 winners of the Best Actor Oscars this past decade were given to guys who were playing in a biopic. But of course, this is when the biopic is GOOD. But dear lord, there are some many crappy biopics out there..... Go ahead... Name some |
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Post by Kevin Hamilton on Feb 24, 2010 2:26:16 GMT -5
Good Will Hunting is a great flick that I don't think can legit be considered Oscar Bait.
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Post by G✇JI☈A on Feb 24, 2010 2:29:12 GMT -5
On Good Will Hunting. I did not say that. It was from the Urban Dictionary. |
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Post by Koda, Master Crunchyroller on Feb 24, 2010 2:30:48 GMT -5
Gotta be honest, but a lot of the biopic films this decade. Why do I say this? Well because when a biopic works, it works BIG time, a well done biopic lands at least one of it's actor's an Oscar. Not a nominee, but a full on Oscar. But of course, if a biopic is great, then the four biggest actors in the film(the lead and supporting males and lead and supporting females) will all get an Oscar nom at the least, but it is a sure thing that at least one will win a full on Oscar. Hell, 4 out of the last 5 winners of the Best Actor Oscars this past decade were given to guys who were playing in a biopic. But of course, this is when the biopic is GOOD. But dear lord, there are some many crappy biopics out there..... Go ahead... Name some Amelia, Flash of Genius, The Soloist, Public Enemies(well...I disliked it), The Informant!, Valkyrie, Defiance, Into the Wild, Infamous(Capote was WAAAAAAY better), Glory Road, Jarhead, Alexander, and Shattered Glass(interestingly, despite totally sucking, it had the best performance Hayden Christensen has ever given in his career...and his performance still sucked). That's just to name a few. And a good chunk of those films were being hoped by their studios to be Oscar winners. Some of them, like Flash of Genius shouldn't have even been made in the first place. |
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AriadosMan
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Your friendly neighborhood superhero
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Post by AriadosMan on Feb 24, 2010 2:32:11 GMT -5
The Lovely Bones was pretty much an epic fail...
AND the money Paramount wasted on its attempted launch is the reason that Shutter Island was pushed back, so it deserves credit for screwing the runs on another film that could have been nommed!
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Post by Koda, Master Crunchyroller on Feb 24, 2010 2:37:25 GMT -5
The Lovely Bones was pretty much an epic fail... AND the money Paramount wasted on its attempted launch is the reason that Shutter Island was pushed back, so it deserves credit for screwing the runs on another film that could have been nommed! True, but then you consider the fact that the movie wouldn't have made as much money if it was out when originally planned. It was going to come out in October. People would've thought of it as just another horror title released in a horror title packed October and it wouldn't have made as much money. They probably should've just pushed it back to Novem....oh damn it, New Moon, Decemb....Avatar and all the other Christmas releases.....January? Yeah. They should've pushed it to January, no February. |
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AriadosMan
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Your friendly neighborhood superhero
Posts: 15,620
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Post by AriadosMan on Feb 24, 2010 2:46:41 GMT -5
Does Miracle at St. Anna count? WWII setting, acclaimed filmmaker (although it wasn't this project that won him acclaim...), important subject matter...its pretty much got it all covered.
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Post by DiBiase is Good on Feb 24, 2010 2:46:52 GMT -5
Amelia, Flash of Genius, The Soloist, Public Enemies(well...I disliked it), The Informant!, Valkyrie, Defiance, Into the Wild, Infamous(Capote was WAAAAAAY better), Glory Road, Jarhead, Alexander, and Shattered Glass. You lost me when you said Into the Wild. One of the best films of the last few years IMO. And I'm in the "Public Enemies is fantastic" camp too. |
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Post by Sickfit, King Of The Fits on Feb 24, 2010 2:47:07 GMT -5
Gotta be honest, but a lot of the biopic films this decade. Why do I say this? Well because when a biopic works, it works BIG time, a well done biopic lands at least one of it's actor's an Oscar. Not a nominee, but a full on Oscar. But of course, if a biopic is great, then the four biggest actors in the film(the lead and supporting males and lead and supporting females) will all get an Oscar nom at the least, but it is a sure thing that at least one will win a full on Oscar. Hell, 4 out of the last 5 winners of the Best Actor Oscars this past decade were given to guys who were playing in a biopic. But of course, this is when the biopic is GOOD. But dear lord, there are some many crappy biopics out there..... Go ahead... Name some Amelia. Amelia. Amelia. Amelia. Notorious. Mommie Dearest. Freedom Writers. El Cantante. Alexander. Patch Adams. Private Parts. Evita. The Babe. Caligula. Pride. And I'm gonna say it only because I know no one else will. Ray was one of the biggest acts of manipulation in film history. Jamie Foxx did not act in the film, he simply did a decent imitation of Ray Charles that he's been milking for years. The fact that they gave the Oscar to him instead of Bruno Ganz in his portrayal of Hitler (HITLER!) in Downfall just goes to show that the Academy are a bunch of pilfering Filistines. I simply refuse to acknowledge Jamie Foxx as the great actor that people make him out to be. I think the only movies I found him half-way decent in were Bait and Collateral. Other than that, he's just a really good imitator. The black Frank Caliendo, if you will. |
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Post by Rorschach on Feb 24, 2010 2:50:40 GMT -5
The Lovely Bones was pretty much an epic fail... AND the money Paramount wasted on its attempted launch is the reason that Shutter Island was pushed back, so it deserves credit for screwing the runs on another film that could have been nommed! True, but then you consider the fact that the movie wouldn't have made as much money if it was out when originally planned. It was going to come out in October. People would've thought of it as just another horror title released in a horror title packed October and it wouldn't have made as much money. They probably should've just pushed it back to Novem....oh damn it, New Moon, Decemb....Avatar and all the other Christmas releases.....January? Yeah. They should've pushed it to January, no February. I don't know...what horror films came out this past October that were real powerhouses? PARANORMAL ACTIVITY? SAW eleventy-BILLION? On that note, I honestly wonder why studios are so SCARED to release something opposite SAW. As evidenced by PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, any original idea stands a good chance of dethroning a series that by now has reached Jason and Myers level of repetitious garbage, though nowhere NEAR as enjoyable as those two franchise's later offerings. Hell, PA was just two hours of a yuppie couple bitching and fighting, and doors closing by themselves. F***'s sake, man! If IT could beat out SAW...anything stands a chance. I also honestly wonder what dumbf*** studio head sits there and goes, "We have a movie called HALLOWEEN. Let's open it in MAY! Better yet, JULY!" Because we all know that horror films are just reknowned for doing huge business in a month that's devoted to big, huge, noisy blockbusters. That's like releasing VALENTINE'S DAY in October, or a movie called ST. PATRICK'S DAY MASSACRE in freakin' NOVEMBER.  But I digress. On topic, yeah, Oprah's vanity project failed to net her any awards, but it DID get a young actress named Thandie Newton some attention and well deserved accolades. Would it count to include the fact that some fans believe that every one of Peter Jackson's LoTR movies deserved an Oscar? How about Jackson's own KING KONG? |
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AriadosMan
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Your friendly neighborhood superhero
Posts: 15,620
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Post by AriadosMan on Feb 24, 2010 2:51:30 GMT -5
Amelia. Amelia. Amelia. Amelia. Notorious. Mommie Dearest. Freedom Writers. El Cantante. Alexander. Patch Adams. Private Parts. Evita. The Babe. Caligula. Pride. And I'm gonna say it only because I know no one else will. Ray was one of the biggest acts of manipulation in film history. Jamie Foxx did not act in the film, he simply did a decent imitation of Ray Charles that he's been milking for years. The fact that they gave the Oscar to him instead of Bruno Ganz in his portrayal of Hitler (HITLER!) in Downfall just goes to show that the Academy are a bunch of pilfering Filistines. I simply refuse to acknowledge Jamie Foxx as the great actor that people make him out to be. I think the only movies I found him half-way decent in were Bait and Collateral. Other than that, he's just a really good imitator. The black Frank Caliendo, if you will. Yeah, Ganz was one of the all-time best Hitler performers, but Downfall seriously needed a Best Picture nod as well. One of the most stunningly brutal and apocalyptic films of the last decade. Hitler's speech near the end where he basically WANTS the Russians to wipe out the Germans because "The disciplined men of the East" have proven their superiority is incredibly disturbing. |
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Post by G✇JI☈A on Feb 24, 2010 2:54:48 GMT -5
True, but then you consider the fact that the movie wouldn't have made as much money if it was out when originally planned. It was going to come out in October. People would've thought of it as just another horror title released in a horror title packed October and it wouldn't have made as much money. They probably should've just pushed it back to Novem....oh damn it, New Moon, Decemb....Avatar and all the other Christmas releases.....January? Yeah. They should've pushed it to January, no February. I don't know...what horror films came out this past October that were real powerhouses? PARANORMAL ACTIVITY? SAW eleventy-BILLION? On that note, I honestly wonder why studios are so SCARED to release something opposite SAW. As evidenced by PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, any original idea stands a good chance of dethroning a series that by now has reached Jason and Myers level of repetitious garbage, though nowhere NEAR as enjoyable as those two franchise's later offerings. Hell, PA was just two hours of a yuppie couple bitching and fighting, and doors closing by themselves. F***'s sake, man! If IT could beat out SAW...anything stands a chance. I also honestly wonder what dumbf*** studio head sits there and goes, "We have a movie called HALLOWEEN. Let's open it in MAY! Better yet, JULY!" Because we all know that horror films are just reknowned for doing huge business in a month that's devoted to big, huge, noisy blockbusters. That's like releasing VALENTINE'S DAY in October, or a movie called ST. PATRICK'S DAY MASSACRE in freakin' NOVEMBER. That's like releasing 'A Miracle on 34th Street' in f***ing May..... Oh Wait they actually did that: www.imdb.com/title/tt0039628/releaseinfoSeriously what were they smoking in 1947? (probably Opium) |
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AriadosMan
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Your friendly neighborhood superhero
Posts: 15,620
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Post by AriadosMan on Feb 24, 2010 2:58:01 GMT -5
The Saw series is really played out, but it probably would have still taken some away from Shutter Island if Shutter opened vs. it.
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Post by Rorschach on Feb 24, 2010 3:04:09 GMT -5
Amelia. Amelia. Amelia. Amelia. Notorious. Mommie Dearest. Freedom Writers. El Cantante. Alexander. Patch Adams. Private Parts. Evita. The Babe. Caligula. Pride. And I'm gonna say it only because I know no one else will. Ray was one of the biggest acts of manipulation in film history. Jamie Foxx did not act in the film, he simply did a decent imitation of Ray Charles that he's been milking for years. The fact that they gave the Oscar to him instead of Bruno Ganz in his portrayal of Hitler (HITLER!) in Downfall just goes to show that the Academy are a bunch of pilfering Filistines. I simply refuse to acknowledge Jamie Foxx as the great actor that people make him out to be. I think the only movies I found him half-way decent in were Bait and Collateral. Other than that, he's just a really good imitator. The black Frank Caliendo, if you will. Yeah, Ganz was one of the all-time best Hitler performers, but Downfall seriously needed a Best Picture nod as well. One of the most stunningly brutal and apocalyptic films of the last decade. Hitler's speech near the end where he basically WANTS the Russians to wipe out the Germans because "The disciplined men of the East" have proven their superiority is incredibly disturbing. I'll agree with this. DOWNFALL is one of the most disturbing and powerful movies I have ever seen, and Ganz...he sends chills down the spine with his portrayal of Hitler. As for SAW's waning power...mark my words. Now that PA has shown that the almighty SAW is vulnerable...I think more studios are going to open films against it, instead of pussing out and going for a mid-summer opening. I myself would have gladly gone to see SHUTTER ISLAND or THE LOVELY BONES or heck, even DAYBREAKERS instead of SAW. Horror fans LOVE to have options around the Halloween season, and sadly, last year we didn't have many. The wonderful TRICK R TREAT got shuttled directly to DVD with no fanfare at all, while the uninspired and played out SAW VI rolled out and promptly got crushed by a boring cinema verite' student film. That angers me even more, because seeing that, I have NO DOUBTS that the hugely entertaining, "Creepshow" esque TRICK R TREAT would have done gangbusters against SAW. |
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