Oscars 2020 - More Men, Please?

[Angie]

And your new loving term of endearment: SCRAM!

The moments I lived for on Sesame Street:

- The "12345" song with the pinball
- "Near Far" when Grover got tired out
- Whenever they'd go down into Oscar's basement and it sounded like someone was either going to die or maybe get hoarded

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

I can't wait to see it and "Knives Out." I've heard both are incredibly clever.



The only Oscars I can think of offhand are:

- The Grouch
- The one from "The Office"
- De La Hoya

And none of them seems like they would pan out for me long-term.

Getting back on point, Knives Out was a fun movie.

 

[BryceC]

Why do you think you hated Little Women so much? I'm totally curious - for some people, they hate period pics. I heard some complaining that it was a movie about white people, but that's the source material, which makes it hard to change and keep it at all true to the time/story. Or is it just hating Gerwig?

I don't think she's a great person, for sure. I liked Little Women far better than Lady Bird, but I also liked that a fair amount.

I’ll see little women, because I’m actually a sucker for period pieces.

that said I actively disliked ladybird. I have a really hard time getting in to any movie where I just flat out don’t like anybody. I disliked the mom. I really disliked ladybird. So I spent 2 hours watching people I dislike and that just wears on me.

same reason I don’t like Scorsese either.

 

[Cybyassociation]

Why do you think you hated Little Women so much? I'm totally curious - for some people, they hate period pics. I heard some complaining that it was a movie about white people, but that's the source material, which makes it hard to change and keep it at all true to the time/story. Or is it just hating Gerwig?

I don't think she's a great person, for sure. I liked Little Women far better than Lady Bird, but I also liked that a fair amount.

I wasn't a huge fan of Lady Bird but I'm still really interested in Little Women. It will probably be a rental for me though. I'm anticipating not enjoying Little Women as much as other films I've seen this year and I don't think it has to do with a female director. If anything, like you said, it's a period piece. I'm interested to see what Gerwig did with the source material, but it's really just not a movie that jumps out at me.

Being said, there have been several movies in the past that I wasn't really excited about but ended up blowing me away. I wasn't rushing out to see Parasite and it was just kind of a movie I was going to watch...by the end of the film I was heading right back to the ticket counter like it was the log ride at Adventureland or something.

 

[Angie]

I wasn't a huge fan of Lady Bird but I'm still really interested in Little Women. It will probably be a rental for me though. I'm anticipating not enjoying Little Women as much as other films I've seen this year and I don't think it has to do with a female director. If anything, like you said, it's a period piece. I'm interested to see what Gerwig did with the source material, but it's really just not a movie that jumps out at me.

Being said, there have been several movies in the past that I wasn't really excited about but ended up blowing me away. I wasn't rushing out to see Parasite and it was just kind of a movie I was going to watch...by the end of the film I was heading right back to the ticket counter like it was the log ride at Adventureland or something.

I think people either love or hate period pieces. I grew up reading primarily classic literature, specifically 18th and 19th century, so period pieces are totally natural for me. But that's not at all normal, and so I think the style is just weird to people who haven't been deeply immersed in that since age 8 or whatever.

 

[Sigmapolis]

Getting back on point, Knives Out was a fun movie.

It works as entertainment and has an underappreciated political subtext, too.

It is actually one of the better political satires in recent memory.

 

[brett108]

I think people either love or hate period pieces. I grew up reading primarily classic literature, specifically 18th and 19th century, so period pieces are totally natural for me. But that's not at all normal, and so I think the style is just weird to people who haven't been deeply immersed in that since age 8 or whatever.

Weird thing to me was how bad it did at the box office. I would have thought the same Downton Abbey audience would have shown up for Little Women, but that didn't seem to be the case. I also think the promotion for it was right. I went with my wife, and we have liked most things Ronan has done lately(we were ok with Ladybird), and I wanted to see Chalamet's chops, as he is in a project I cant wait to see in the near future(the spice must flow!).

 

[BryceC]

Weird thing to me was how bad it did at the box office. I would have thought the same Downton Abbey audience would have shown up for Little Women, but that didn't seem to be the case. I also think the promotion for it was right. I went with my wife, and we have liked most things Ronan has done lately(we were ok with Ladybird), and I wanted to see Chalamet's chops, as he is in a project I cant wait to see in the near future(the spice must flow!).

Chalamet was also in The King on netflix, not a terribly successful movie but I can see Maud'dib in it.

 

[Angie]

Weird thing to me was how bad it did at the box office. I would have thought the same Downton Abbey audience would have shown up for Little Women, but that didn't seem to be the case. I also think the promotion for it was right. I went with my wife, and we have liked most things Ronan has done lately(we were ok with Ladybird), and I wanted to see Chalamet's chops, as he is in a project I cant wait to see in the near future(the spice must flow!).

Yeah, it's definitely been a sleeper. I wonder if people who already know the previous versions just are waiting it out, and there were just maybe other things to see for those unfamiliar?

 

[brett108]

Chalamet was also in The King on netflix, not a terribly successful movie but I can see Maud'dib in it.

I saw it. The dual scenes were good and period accurate. The Agincourt battle was very inaccurate and Henry was based on Shakespeare and not the historical accounts. Henry the V was a straight up dude when it came to the martial aspects of medieval rule. I think he died of heat exhaustion on one of his campaigns.

 

[brett108]

Yeah, it's definitely been a sleeper. I wonder if people who already know the previous versions just are waiting it out, and there were just maybe other things to see for those unfamiliar?

Box office success has been somewhat fickle. If you aren't Disney your best bet is to do something new with a twist. The incessant remakes have been hard to stomach. Honestly I like Winona Ryder's Little Women movie just as much as this one. Maybe I wouldn't if I watched it now but I did when it came out.

 

[BryceC]

Yeah, it's definitely been a sleeper. I wonder if people who already know the previous versions just are waiting it out, and there were just maybe other things to see for those unfamiliar?

It's made 100 million worldwide on a budget of 40 million. I guarantee you that's successful based on any measure they had going into it.

 

[simply1]

Enjoyed little women, love Ronan and gerweg together, probably wouldn’t award it though.

 

[simply1]

No Lupita Nyong’o?

 

[MLawrence]

So I saw Once Upon a time in... Hollywood last night, and I thought it was terrible. I thought the acting and the cinematography was great, but the story flow was straight up garbage. Why is Kurt Russell narrating a small amount in the beginning and then a decent amount towards the end with nothing in between? The scenes with Margot Robbie were pointless, and the hippies in the house scene was very unnecessary other than for QT to be on brand.

 

[HFCS]

What a shock - no Greta Gerwig (or any other women) in the Best Director spot:

https://oscar.go.com/news/nominations/oscar-nominations-2020-list-nominees-by-category

Hot takes:

- Tarentino will get either his first best director, or his third best screenplay (tying him w/Woody Allen, I think?). I doubt he'll get both.
- Parasite almost has to get best international.
- Either 1917 or Once Upon A Time...for best picture
- They'll throw Gerwig a paltry bone for adapted screenplay

Apologies in advance for TLDR...

I'm a middle aged man who really liked Little Women way back when I read it in maybe fifth grade? I think the trailers look good and obviously cast seems incredible but haven't seen it yet. I'll probably watch it as soon as it's on video. Keep in mind my memory on the plot is now 30 years old but the trailer seems like it's more of an adaptation than a direct translation of the book?

I will say this is a REALLY strong year for best picture after some pretty weak years recently. 1917, Joker and Once Upon a Time are all insanely gorgeous looking movies before you even get into the acting and stories. I was skeptical of Joker but after watching it last week I have to admit it deserves the accolades. It is Taxi Driver...but at the same time I didn't feel like I was watching a knock off of Taxi Driver as I watched it, probably because it is so perfectly shot and so perfect in its performances.

The fact that those films center around white men...
- 1917 would have lost authenticity if it weren't almost all white men.

- Once Upon a Time in Hollywood kind of the same when you look at 60s Hollywood and the Tate murders, that tragic female character is given top billing and focus after the two main characters. There is the Bruce Lee asian stereotype criticism and I'll actually defend Q on that. He's a gigantic Bruce Lee fan like I am, I loved the scene, Bruce Lee was an eccentric egomaniac and he was a genius artist/athlete. The two aren't mutually exclusive.

- Other than casting the best actor possible for the lead role (a character that has traditionally been portayed as a white man in his origin) I actually think Joker goes out of its way to be an accurate portrayal of late 70s/early 80s Gotham (the directors admit it's just NYC). Zazie Beetz, a black woman, gives the second strongest performance and second most important performance in the film. She was incredible. The actress who plays his mother was incredible in a role that would have been top billing like DeNiro's role if they had cast Emma Thompson as his mother and an unknown as DeNiro's character. Because those two women aren't famous but DeNiro is it seems like it's an all male movie. The angry mob is men because angry mobs are usually men.

I'll probably watch 1917 and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood several more times. I probably won't ever watch Joker again. But I have to say Joker is the one that stuck with me for days after I watched it. It is ultra violent in just a few parts, but unlike Once Upon a Time the violence seems real/tragic and not done for entertainment shock.

 

[HFCS]

So I saw Once Upon a time in... Hollywood last night, and I thought it was terrible. I thought the acting and the cinematography was great, but the story flow was straight up garbage. Why is Kurt Russell narrating a small amount in the beginning and then a decent amount towards the end with nothing in between? The scenes with Margot Robbie were pointless, and the hippies in the house scene was very unnecessary other than for QT to be on brand.

I thought the scenes with Margot Robbie were the best part...but I'm kind of obsessed with 60s Hollywood and Sharon Tate.

I have a laserdisc of The Fearless Vampire Killers that plays this 10 minute feature at the end. I'm sure this sort of tragic irony is the exact inspiration Q had for the film:


I mean if that isn't tragic irony, I don't know what is.

 

[Angie]

Apologies in advance for TLDR...

I'm a middle aged man who really liked Little Women way back when I read it in maybe fifth grade? I think the trailers look good and obviously cast seems incredible but haven't seen it yet. I'll probably watch it as soon as it's on video. Keep in mind my memory on the plot is now 30 years old but the trailer seems like it's more of an adaptation than a direct translation of the book?

I will say this is a REALLY strong year for best picture after some pretty weak years recently. 1917, Joker and Once Upon a Time are all insanely gorgeous looking movies before you even get into the acting and stories. I was skeptical of Joker but after watching it last week I have to admit it deserves the accolades. It is Taxi Driver...but at the same time I didn't feel like I was watching a knock off of Taxi Driver as I watched it, probably because it is so perfectly shot and so perfect in its performances.

The fact that those films center around white men...
- 1917 would have lost authenticity if it weren't almost all white men.

- Once Upon a Time in Hollywood kind of the same when you look at 60s Hollywood and the Tate murders, that tragic female character is given top billing and focus after the two main characters. There is the Bruce Lee asian stereotype criticism and I'll actually defend Q on that. He's a gigantic Bruce Lee fan like I am, I loved the scene, Bruce Lee was an eccentric egomaniac and he was a genius artist/athlete. The two aren't mutually exclusive.

- Other than casting the best actor possible for the lead role (a character that has traditionally been portayed as a white man in his origin) I actually think Joker goes out of its way to be an accurate portrayal of late 70s/early 80s Gotham (the directors admit it's just NYC). Zazie Beetz, a black woman, gives the second strongest performance and second most important performance in the film. She was incredible. The actress who plays his mother was incredible in a role that would have been top billing like DeNiro's role if they had cast Emma Thompson as his mother and an unknown as DeNiro's character. Because those two women aren't famous but DeNiro is it seems like it's an all male movie. The angry mob is men because angry mobs are usually men.

I'll probably watch 1917 and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood several more times. I probably won't ever watch Joker again. But I have to say Joker is the one that stuck with me for days after I watched it. It is ultra violent in just a few parts, but unlike Once Upon a Time the violence seems real/tragic and not done for entertainment shock.

Little Women is pretty true to the book; it's just sort of told through a lens of flashbacks. But it's actually layered really well to tell the stories of their childhood (in gold hues, incredibly happy) against the more stark, somber, cold white balance of their current life in ways that make sense. So, I guess it's an adaptation in that it's not told in the true linear sense of the original, and it makes Jo's stories and such even bigger than the book, but it tells pretty well the exact story.

I have not seen 1917 or Joker. I've not liked Tarentino's last couple of films very much once they teetered into the ultraviolence, but I really enjoyed Once Upon A Time. Even with the over-the-top violence, it still seemed toned down from the past handful. I don't mind some violence, I just can't handle all of that.

Zazie Beetz is one of my favorite current actresses. I think she's just incredible, and nuanced. I'm a huge Donald Glover fan, but she just shines in Atlanta. She's also just beautiful!

 

[HFCS]

Little Women is pretty true to the book; it's just sort of told through a lens of flashbacks. But it's actually layered really well to tell the stories of their childhood (in gold hues, incredibly happy) against the more stark, somber, cold white balance of their current life in ways that make sense. So, I guess it's an adaptation in that it's not told in the true linear sense of the original, and it makes Jo's stories and such even bigger than the book, but it tells pretty well the exact story.

I have not seen 1917 or Joker. I've not liked Tarentino's last couple of films very much once they teetered into the ultraviolence, but I really enjoyed Once Upon A Time. Even with the over-the-top violence, it still seemed toned down from the past handful. I don't mind some violence, I just can't handle all of that.

Zazie Beetz is one of my favorite current actresses. I think she's just incredible, and nuanced. I'm a huge Donald Glover fan, but she just shines in Atlanta. She's also just beautiful!

I see now. I was confused that parts of the trailer weren't what I remembered yet it seems fans if the book are pleased with the film. I had forgotten there was a 90s film and I'm guessing it wasn't as good or I'd have remembered.

 

[Gonzo]

Looks like it's going to be a pretty anti-climactic evening with most of the major categories. Some of my (fairly predictable) predictions:

Movie: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Director: Bong Joon-ho (Parasite)
Actor: Joaquin Phoenix
Actress: Renee Zellweger
Supporting Actor: Brad Pitt
Supporting Actress: Laura Dern (Marriage Story)
Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarrantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)
Adapted Screenplay: Taika Waititi (JoJo Rabbit)
Feature Documentary: For Sama