The Academy voters should protest by putting Barbie down for Best Picture on their ballots.
All fair, but I really disagree that Barbie is a standard predictable movie. Some of its relatability itself is the achievement. We’ve gotten lots of Barbie movies already, but they were all made from the same cloth as what the live action movie was going to be before its final iteration. Before Greta and Margot, the movie was going to star Amy Schumer and be indistinguishable in plot from one of the animated movies mostly enjoyed only by 4 year olds.
It’s subversive and innovative, so I’m not just saying it deserved to win only because the bar to pass was to merely not suck. But the fact that it doesn’t is kind of impressive.
1 Like
This is a truly weird way to judge art. It’s like saying Warhol wasn’t original because he painted Cambells soup cans.
As eloquently pointed out in be post above mine the fact that it’s based on boring IP is what makes it even more impressive and original.
2 Likes
Not disagreeing but fwiw about Warhol lol
1 Like
it’s exactly nothing like this and to make this comparison is incredibly cringe. Warhol’s work was wholly independent of the company and whatever he was trying to communicate (interpretations of his pop art vary from him expressing beauty for modernity to making subversive statements about capitalism) he knew enough to know that any impact his work would have would have been lost if Campbell’s was in on it.
Barbie relies on the relationship between the company and the director. Greta used the toy to tell an interesting story with an important message and puts on a great show. but ultimately the only thing that anyone will remember is the product that was moved and the tickets that were sold. and when they do another one, it won’t be bc of the “art” of it
2 Likes
I don’t understand how Mattell being in on it plays any role in judging the art. I don’t hate marvel films because Disney made them. I hate them because they are almost entirely soulless brainless crap. I like lots of things Disney makes.
Your logic means Blackberry. Air, the Lego movies, Clue, the Last of Us are all somehow diminished art?
The source material is almost entirely irrelevant to judging the final art. A terrible film can be made from great source material and a great film from terrible source material.
you’re all over the place, but to this point, no one is arguing otherwise.
but trying to label Barbie as some great artistic achievement because you responded to the story and thought the songs were cool, and are choosing to ignore its primary function and impact as commercial is baffling.
bc you brought up Warhol, he was a commercial illustrator before becoming the artist we know him as. this is relevant bc it (probably) influenced his style and what he noticed around him, like the cans and bananas and brillo. so he chose these things to express himself and how he was feeling bc they were organically part of his world. not to sell soup and not bc they asked him to.
vs Mattel who had been shopping their products to Hollywood for years - to sell more product. that Greta told an entertaining and important story while doing so doesn’t obfuscate its purpose, and certainly does not make it art.
and btw, comparing Barbie to corporate biographies is apples to oranges.
1 Like
Maestro was good, Nyad was decent
The nominees are:
Little Gold Men
This Had Oscar Buzz
The Town with Matthew Belloni
Gold Derby Show
Indie Wire: Screen Talk
Huge snub for The Big Picture
On Cinema At The Cinema
2 Likes
Anybody have the Fast Car thing? Looks like its being yanked everywhere
Saw zone of interest tonight
It wasn’t that funny.
1 Like
2 Likes
Official posting of fast car.
5 Likes
Thanks. I hadn’t seen this yet because I am generally jaded on internet hype, but this is truly a great performance of a great, great song. I find it actually hits harder in 2024 than 1988 (I am old enough to remember when this came out) because the plight of America’s desperate class is much more front and center now. Like she could have written this song yesterday.
4 Likes
Oppenheimer continues to crush the pre-Oscar awards.
Looking like most of the categories will have really heavy favorites come Oscar night.
Yeah, it doesn’t appear it will be a very exciting show. Oppenheimer gonna sweep the majors, Randolph will win supporting, and it will be a toss up between Stone and Gladstone for Actress. The only real upset possibility looks to be American Fiction for screenplay.
Not all awards ! Failed to get “best foreign movie” at this year’s Césars (French oscars), which instead went to a Quebecois movie. Made even better by the fact that Nolan was there in person to accept an honorary career award, so he had to sit there for 3 hours listening to lame French comedian’s jokes to not even get the one award he was eligible for 
1 Like