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June 24, 2009
Top Ten, Pt 2
Sooooo...
After a few hours of thinkin' on it - how old fashioned - and receiving some takes from others, my feeling about this change is firming up.
The real answer is still... we don't know how it will play out. Things have changed a LOT since the old studios "ran" the Oscars - mostly by block voting - and what films fill the 10 slots cannot be predicted.
Michael Speir, who is apparently going to be The Wrap's Oscar dude, wrote a bit of a hysterical piece about the idea of The Hangover being in the race. They will race it now... but no, not really. On the other hand, he wondered whether anyone really needed The Visitor to get nominated... to which I respond that new nominees like that woud be the most positive possible outcome... like The Hurt Locker and Tetro.
We should all keep in mind that while studios will fight harder for more, perhaps less worthy films, a more spread field allows for companies like Overture, who can't chase a nomination with millions, but who have a movie that Academy members truly love, to have a shot.
Moreover, new sites like The Wrap - which has been positioning itself for Oscar ad sales for months already - are now much more likely to stay in business because of this move. The Hollywood Reporter and, somewhat, Variety too. More people will need more ways to get to voters. Prices per ad will be slightly lower, but the net will be cast much wider. DVD Wars will intensify. And publicists who were considering grad school will have 6 months of full employment again.
Will a crap movie that doesn't deserve it and is advertised in get in? Yes. They do now. But there should be some sincere excitement about the door now opening a little wider for indies and foreign films and docs and some really fine films that have been priced out of the race in the past.
Posted by dpoland at June 24, 2009 01:19 PM
Comments
And the Best Picture campaign for 'Paul Blart: Mall Cop' starts now!
Actually, this is a good thing. Considering the worthy stuff that missed the cut this year ('Doubt' and 'The Wrestler' to name two) this should potentially give some 'little' movies a fighting chance to at least enjoy a bump in attention.
Posted by: mushmouth ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.mcnblogs.com/thehotblog/nav-commenters.gif)
at June 24, 2009 02:10 PM
Not only will this dilute the Best Picture pool, but it'll mean even more wining and dining of the Academy establishment. With fewer people to lobby to get a Best Pic win (as few as 600-700) you're going to see a full court press on titles with with big Academy budgets.
If only the Weinsteins actually had cash...they'd rule the world again!
Posted by: Wrecktum at June 24, 2009 02:29 PM
I really love the 10 film nominees notion. Though if one was to compare to other the practice to other groups that allow for ten in one best picture category, such as BFCA, I think the outcome of what will win won't change. It'll just mean five more films that have the Oscar stamp of consideration that get more exposure.
Posted by: Joseph at June 24, 2009 02:57 PM
I think if the Oscar top ten lists look like the more astute AFI top ten lists then hell yeah, The Hangover has a shot at a nomination. As does Star Trek. And that would be a good thing. The problem with Oscar is that it's stuck in Oscar mode... So you get limp dick tv movie of the week nominees like Milk, Frost Nixon & The Reader simply because they smell like Oscar. ("This one's called Body Bags 2, Clarence.")
I also think that The Academy casting a wider net should come as an embarrasment to the studios. If their big popular movies were good enough to be nominated, this would not be necessary.
Posted by: Crow T Robot at June 24, 2009 03:01 PM
@Wrecktum: Dream on. Harvey and his cronies may soon be writing Chapter 11 if not Chapter 7.
Posted by: Chucky in Jersey at June 24, 2009 05:00 PM
"On the other hand, he wondered whether anyone really needed The Visitor to get nominated... to which I respond that new nominees like that woud be the most positive possible outcome... like The Hurt Locker and Tetro."
"Tetro" would only benefit from a nominee ballot the size of a Torah scroll.
Posted by: Hallick at June 24, 2009 10:45 PM
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