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David Poland

By David Poland poland@moviecitynews.com

Jon Landau On The Politics Of Awards Season

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This is the full 20 minutes. We also talk about the future of 3D and TV.

2 Responses to “Jon Landau On The Politics Of Awards Season”

  1. guselephant says:

    Any idea why DP30 videos don’t work in Safari? I always have to open firefox to view them…

  2. anghus says:

    my plea re: best picture.
    what good comes of Avatar winning Best Picture?
    nothing.
    It has money, mainstream success, and technilogical innovation. but it does nothing for cinema as an art.
    what does rewarding it (or Cameron) accomplish? Does it do anything to help inspire the medium?
    hurt locker is a small film that has accomplished so much. a war movie for this generation. the revelation of the kind of director Bigelow is. The discovery of Jeremy Renner, the validation of Mackie. Hurt Locker proved so much.
    Avatar showed what a talented guy with limitless funds can accomplish.
    hurt locker showed what a talented gal can do with a little bit of money and a whole lot of talent.
    avatar’s success is it’s own reward. thinking that it deserves and award for being ‘best’ is kind of insulting and short sighted.
    to me, the point of award season is not just honoring the best, but believing that those awarded were so because it was the right choice.
    Think back to 92 when Pacino won Best Actor for Scent of a Woman. Was there anyone who really believed that Pacino deserved the award for that performance, or for the great body of work he had delivered over the years.
    Can anyone make the argument that Avatar is the Best Picture? Were the performances so powerful? Was the story that original? Are people going to vote for Avatar because it was this technological marvel and the closest thing we’ve had to a cultural pheomenon in years?
    Bigelow v. Cameron for Director
    Bigelow. Because she directed a movie with real characters, real situations, and made an Iraq war movie that didn’t take sides or make statements, but transport viewers into the intensity of the modern day battlefield.
    Cameron. Because he is so hands on. Even on projects of this magnitude. Marvel at what he can accomplish with limitless resources. The only guy whose imagination matches the money required to put it on screen. But he still directs actors like Lucas. He might be a lot more talky, but he’s still just little more than “Faster, More Intense!”
    hurt locker is far more deserving of best picture.
    and this is from a guy who would put Inglorious Basterds, An Education, and District 9 as better pictures.
    still, if it comes down to hurt locker v. avatar, i don’t understand how anyone could vote avatar with any degree of seriousness.
    i’d be interested to hear someone’s case for avatar without using ‘technical innovation’ or ‘financial success’ as reasons.

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