Comments on: ‘Avatar’ & ‘The Hurt Locker’ Lead The 2010 Pack With 9 Oscar Nominations Each

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:56:05 +0000

this one's for gabe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8cO28MCflU

By: gabetoro

gabetoro — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:17:35 +0000

Also, Max, I will go on the contrary and say you aren't thinking enough about the film. It's not explicit in its defense of Bush, merely the questionable tactics needed to wage a semantic, philosophical war not unlike the quagmire we are currently involved in. Of course, yes, the question as to whether it's an apologia or not is certainly valid - one could say the movie is stringently anti-Batman, which I would agree with given his line about the updated survellience at the film's end, "Beautiful, isn't it?" To me, that's the key to the character's philosophy, that he's so far gone that any good he does in invalidated by his avoidance of our own laws.

To get this conversation back on track, Sandra Bullock is a cunt.

By: gabetoro

gabetoro — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:56:43 +0000

Tristan, Avatar is hypocritical because it's enemies are wasteful environmental actions and the industrial military complex. Meanwhile, it's the most expensive movie in history and, like all Cameron films, it fetishizes the military and its equipment to a ludicrous degree.

By: Max

Max — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:23:44 +0000

I've really tried to stay mute on this subject, but seeing as how this has gone off into a whole bash-TDK event, I fear I must interject. The movie is most definitely not an "apologia" for Bush-era politics. Even if it were, the fact remains that it was a great movie and was snubbed at the Oscars because it was a comic book movie. I am probably the only person on the planet who has not seen Avatar, but based on what I've heard, even from those who loved it, it does seem a bit odd that a movie based heavily on visual stimulus can receive Oscar nods, and not something that was as groundbreaking as TDK.

Comparing the Joker to Islamic fundamentalist is completely retarded. He doesn't do the things he does because he hates our society, he merely makes an observations of out "pointless" lives to rattle those interrogating him. His only motivation is to incite chaos, or as it was PLAINLY stated in the movie "to watch the world burn." He has no real back story, nor any tangible motivation. That is what makes him a threat.

Now, the ending you refer to, from a simplistic perspective, yes, seems to condone Bush era "Patriot Act" politics. I'd say you simply read too far into it. The ending of the movie is simply the Joker's manipulation of Batman's morals. It is only meant to illustrate that even when Batman does do these things, which he recognizes as wrong, the Joker is still in control. In the end, Nolan leaves that section of the film in the way Alan Moore leaves Watchmen (more aligned with the actual comic and not the movie). We have these paths presented in front of us, and the audience should debate with themselves: Was it right or wrong?

To the Playlist: Sorry for this long-winded tangent, but this douche's comment just pissed me off.

By: tommy

tommy — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 03:51:25 +0000

Why the fuck did they not read out the directors names for best Foreign Language Film?????????? Everyone else got their name read out, just not the foreigners!! Would it have been so fucking difficult to learn how to pronounce a few peoples names?

jesus cunting christ!!

By: Tristan Eldritch

Tristan Eldritch — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:16:37 +0000

Gabe – I think Avatar's politics is simplistic, heavy-handed, propagandised – but i don't understand how you manifest them as hypocritical. Plus, I'm not sure why far-right shadings make Dark Knight interesting, but Avatar's far-left shadings constitute another reason to dislike the movie.

By: Tristan Eldritch

Tristan Eldritch — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:00:42 +0000

Hey aaron. Dark Knight winds up as a Bush apologia because:
a) the Joker is depicted as a completely motiveless threat; hence he replicates the neocon conception of terrorism as arising solely out of a hatred of our way of life.
b) Batman is clearly signposted as replicating Bush era policy (rendition, torture) in ways that are as obvious and heavy handed as anything in Avatar.
c) at the end of the movie, Batman's methods, despite some perfuctionary handwringing from both the elderly platitude dispensers (Caine and Freeman), bascially saves the city. In the final scene, basically Batman has to become a criminal – because only he can take the tough decisions necessary to protect the city – just like GW. I honestly don't think chris nolan is a right winger, or intended the movie to come out this way – he just makes a god awful muddle out of the movies politics.

By: Jake Yenor

Jake Yenor — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:16:52 +0000

Good for Hurt Locker, it deserves it. Hopefully Bigelow wins, we need a female to finally win this.

- Jake Yenor

By: gabetoro

gabetoro — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:57:49 +0000

The fact that The Dark Knight is an "uber-right wing apologia for the Bush era" is probably what makes it so fascinating and worthy of discussion! I love that about the movie, it really toys with warring ideologies from within the genre, which is a pretty unprecedented thing in the "superpowered people punch each other genre" - rather the film take an unpopular stance (which I strongly disagree with, though it truthfully lies at the heart of the superhero fantasy) that a hypocritical one like Avatar. Cameron's bloated "masterpiece," meanwhile, was a green version of "Sky Captain."

Also, guys, this Blind Side practical joke has gone too far. Shut it down.

By: aaron

aaron — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:14:37 +0000

tristan, please make your argument for why TDK is an apologia for the bush era/conservatism. then i will absolutely dismantle that argument.

also, avatar has a blatant political slant, yet somehow it's forgivable because . . . you agree w/ it?

By: Tristan Eldritch

Tristan Eldritch — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:56:07 +0000

"How does does "Avatar" get an oscar nom and not "The Dark Knight"?" Um, possibly by possessing a modicum of story-telling, pacing, a coherant plot, and a political ideology that isn't so muddled it winds up being bascially an uber-right wing apologia for the Bush era. By being a vastly better film, basically.

By: NG81

NG81 — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:46:03 +0000

No love for the score of The Cove? Shame.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:33:17 +0000

Let's just put it simply: the Oscars are now at the level of the grammy awards. Both totally and utterly irrelevant award ceremonies.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:32:15 +0000

How does "Avatar" get an Oscar nom and not "The Dark Knight". Oh wait, 3D. I forgot.

By: Frank Steiner

Frank Steiner — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:30:37 +0000

Yeah, I totally get confusing A Serious Man with Avatar. Happens to me all the time…

By: ScorpTO

ScorpTO — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:29:20 +0000

That's right, I meant 'A Serious Man' not 'Avatar' my bad. But seriously, I did not like 'A Serious Man' at all.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:04:35 +0000

Where The Wild Things Are not being nominated for Visual Effects is bullshit.

By: Trent

Trent — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:59:53 +0000

The Hurt Locker getting nominated for Best Score is the one ridiculous nomination I still can’t justify in my head. I mean, the violin dirges added tension to the scenes, but nothing special comes to mind at all. The only music I remembered was the below-average Ministry tracks from their second-to-last album.

A Single Man wins Best Score in my book. Like someone said, the Academy’s gaga over THL, so it’s getting the Slumdog treatment (“What’s that category again? Nominate it! Did the movie have sound in it? Then nominate it for both categories! Give it TEN!!”). I know it's not that simple, but that' how it looks.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:33:57 +0000

Avatar didn't get an Original Screenplay nomination

By: ScorpTO

ScorpTO — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:26:16 +0000

I agree, I'm a little bit shocked to see 'The Blind Side' on there, but then again, it was one of the highest grossing films of the years and many people did like it so I guess its not that shocking. More shocking is 'Avatar' for Best Original Screenplay over '(500) Days of Summer'. Seriously? Visually 'Avatar' is amazing but story-wise, I don't think so. I was one of the few who actually liked 'Nine'. And though I love Penélope Cruz, I would've loved to see Julianne Moore in that slot over her, but I'm loving Maggie Gyllenhaal on that list. All-in-all, pretty much what I had expected. Would've loved it if 'The Hangover' got nominated for something though.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:23:25 +0000

You think with 10 spots, one would go to Bright Star.