Whoops! - Marty's Oscar campaign

Started by mutinyco, June 30, 2003, 11:00:41 AM

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mutinyco

Won't be able to till tonight. I'll hit it then.
"I believe in this, and it's been tested by research: he who fucks nuns will later join the church."

-St. Joe

bonanzataz

this avatar has been formatted to fit your screen.
The corpses all hang headless and limp bodies with no surprises and the blood drains down like devil's rain we'll bathe tonight I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls Demon I am and face I peel to see your skin turned inside out, 'cause gotta have you on my wall gotta have you on my wall, 'cause I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls collect the heads of little girls and put 'em on my wall hack the heads off little girls and put 'em on my wall I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls

mutinyco

You pan and scanned my avatar! Now THIS is cropping Kubrick!
"I believe in this, and it's been tested by research: he who fucks nuns will later join the church."

-St. Joe

bonanzataz

i thought you'd get a kick out of it.
The corpses all hang headless and limp bodies with no surprises and the blood drains down like devil's rain we'll bathe tonight I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls Demon I am and face I peel to see your skin turned inside out, 'cause gotta have you on my wall gotta have you on my wall, 'cause I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls collect the heads of little girls and put 'em on my wall hack the heads off little girls and put 'em on my wall I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls

Arnzilla

Quote from: mutinycoIt's one thing if your point is that you acknowledge the faults Shaun Digi or I have pointed out -- but that they don't matter for you.
I guess they don't matter because pro or con,  I skipped over them since they don't interest me at the moment (been there, done that). The thread's title, however, was intriguing.

I'm not sure what your point is with Cinemascore vis-a-vis Scorsese. My guess is that his highest score was for one of his lesser efforts: Cape Fear. What does that tell you?

I guess we can agree that the film was divisive, much like The Hours, another film with a comparatively low RT rating, yet appearing on more top ten lists than other much higher-rated films.

But onto the yo-yo factor and your nutty implication that Miramax strong-armed Roger Ebert into changing his original review. Simply put, you make David Poland's conspiracy theories sound downright sane.

mutinyco

I liked The Hours. I thought it was a taut effort. I would've liked to have seen Peter Boyle win for Best Editing. He did a really concise job of holding the whole thing together. Also seemed to be the only nominee to do any campaigning.

As for the Tomato score, etc., the point was to build up a track record of various sources to show that GONY was not an accepted masterpiece. It was a hyped masterpiece. As for Ebert, I have no evidence of anybody strong arming him -- however I do find it interesting that somebody who basically claims responsibility for "discovering" Marty would go through the process of clarifying his position on national TV. Again, what I'm arguing is that people weren't supporting Gangs so much as they wanted Marty to win an Oscar. Miramax's campaign, even in the words of Harvey Weinstein, was about getting him an Oscar for his body of work. My dissent on this has to do with the fact that he didn't deserve it for GONY -- and to have given it to him for that film would be to legitimize the other controversial winners who've beaten him in the past. Career awards are supposed to be lifetime achievement awards.

As for David Poland, as long as he links my articles I'm content.
"I believe in this, and it's been tested by research: he who fucks nuns will later join the church."

-St. Joe

SoNowThen

Just as a tidbit, or an aside, or whatever.... I was reading a Marty interview a while ago, and they asked him about winning the Oscar, and he said something like: of course I'd like to win, but if they're gonna give it to me, give it to me because you think I did a good job directing this film, not for what I've done before.

I guess he could have just been saying that and all, but I thought it was a solid quote. He's a good guy.
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

mutinyco

I have no doubt that he's a good guy. I also have no doubt that he got caught up in the Gangs hysteria. He hit every TV talk show, went to every party... he was CAMPAIGNING BIG TIME...

When the Robert Wise scandal broke I think that was a true embarrassment.
"I believe in this, and it's been tested by research: he who fucks nuns will later join the church."

-St. Joe

finlayr

William Goldman ain't all that.  His name sounds cool and he knows how to stick to the rigid formulas of Hollywood (razzle-dazzle, lie to me please to make me think the world's really great bullshit) into a script.  General's Daughter??  C'mon, Goldman, can't be THAT jealous of Scorsese, the TRUE artist, can you?
Filmmaker

Mesh

Quote from: SoNowThenSee how that works? Back and forth, back and forth. Why not just drop it and let us praise Marty in peace......Please, I'm asking nicely. Just let it go.

I haven't read the rest of this thread, but God do I hate this kind of shit.

Discuss fucking films and filmmakers.  Love them.  Hate them.  Defend them.  Argue about them.  Xixax.com is rendered even more pointless if we don't do the above.

SoNowThen

Oh, Mesh....... :roll:





I dunno about you, but to me, there's nothing more pointless than "I think that was great", "well, I think it was stupid", "no, it was great", "no... stupid"... and on and on.
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

Mesh

Quote from: SoNowThenI dunno about you, but to me, there's nothing more pointless than "I think that was great", "well, I think it was stupid", "no, it was great", "no... stupid"... and on and on.

Here's something more pointless:

"I think that was great"

"Yeah, me too."

"Yeah, totally."

"Hellz, yeah, that movie rulez!"

"Damn straight."

.....which is exactly what you were lobbying for.

SoNowThen

Actually, what I was lobbying for was a bunch of people who love a certain movie or director, talking about what/why it is it works for them, figuring out what the artist was trying to do/say, and learning from it, and hopefully getting a fresh outlook to enjoy it more next time. The only person I've ever had constructive disagreements with has been GT, and that's kind of his shtick anyway. I get so much more out of positive discussion.
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

Mesh

Quote from: SoNowThenThe only person I've ever had constructive disagreements with has been GT, and that's kind of his shtick anyway.

For a disagreement to be constructive, I guess I'd have to learn or glean some new perspective from the person I was in disagreement with.  GT's not very good at making clear, cogent points, IMO; I'm never more than 80% sure I understand what the fuck he's talking about, so it's hard for me to A) take him seriously and B) learn or glean anything from him.  But if he works for you:   8)

Quote from: SoNowThenI get so much more out of positive discussion.

Discussions to me are just that:  discussions.  I don't differentiate between positive ones and negative ones.

MacGuffin

Oscar Watch: Martin Scorsese
Clint already has his Best Director trophy and Alexander Payne is only 43. This year, everyone’s sentimental favorite is a 62-year-old native of Queens, New York. Source: FilmStew.com

The list of Hollywood legends that have never won an Oscar is of course longer than Greer Garson’s famous 1944 acceptance speech. But in the shadow of two recent and expansive DVD collections from Warner Brothers and MGM, perhaps no such omission feels as glaring this awards season as that of filmmaker Martin Scorsese.

Beginning with Raging Bull, ending with Gangs of New York and spanning The Last Temptation of Christ, Goodfellas and The Age of Innocence in between, the 62-year-old Queens, New York native has had to settle for close but no Oscar cigar. However, many industry watchers are expecting this year to be different, thanks to the second of Scorsese’s three collaborations with actor Leonardo DiCaprio (the third being their ambitious planned remake of Infernal Affairs).

Scorsese himself seems to sense the opportunity, engaging with the media for a more concentrated and consistent period than at any other time in recent memory. From a special edition of Jon Favreau’s Dinner for Five (retitled for the occasion as Dinner for Two) to Q&A’s following special industry guild screenings, Scorsese has been happy to talk up his latest DiCaprio effort, which reteams them as well with Initial Entertainment Group financier Graham King.

“In the ‘80s, I was sort of on the outskirts of the industry, to a certain extent,” explains Scorsese during a recent press conference to promote The Aviator’s release. “I sort of had to make films all over again, lower budget films, until I got The Color of Money and that sort of thing, until I hit back to stories that I really wanted to make like The Last Temptation of Christ.”

“I felt I was real lucky to have lived through a period where people could come back and say, ‘Hey, that stuff that you did in the ‘70s, that was pretty good.’”

It still comes as a surprise to the man responsible for some of the most acclaimed films of the modern era that there is virtually an entire generation of filmmakers who worship at the altar of his filmography, pilfering various ideas and influences. “To even hear about these kids doing films that are influenced by Mean Streets, of all things, it’s a real honor if they really have been,” he says humbly.

At the same time, Scorsese confesses that it’s not easy to continue to move forward without regard for what audiences, critics and fans expect. “For me to make my own films, I just have to remain true to what the picture is and know that's the story that I really want to tell,” he says.

“I was very lucky with The Aviator to have fallen upon the situation with [screenwriter] John Logan, Leo [DiCaprio] and Michael Mann,” Scorsese continues. “All of them created a story about a man that I could identify with, feel for, empathize with; a visionary who also had tragic flaws.”

“I think that kind of makes me feel comfortable with the material. But there's no doubt that every time I make a picture, there's a part of me that thinks, ‘Well, what are they expecting?’”

The Aviator follows Hughes through his early days as a maker of films to middle age, when he was challenged for ownership of TWA by Pan Am president Juan Trippe (played by Alec Baldwin). Logan’s script is a sprawling affair that captures events in Hughes’ life like fly-bys on an aircraft carrier tower. Although Scorsese says he was initially mystified by Logan’s approach, he was also ultimately charmed by the screenwriter’s unconventional approach to both the man and the material.

“[It was interesting] what John chose to leave out during that period, and what he chose to combine and fictionalise, attempting to get the spirit of what Hughes was like,” he says. “[Hughes] was a visionary, he was obsessed with speed, young, energetic, filled with wonder and excitement, not only with aviation but also Hollywood, and making big movies.”

“Major Hollywood filmmakers like Warren Beatty and Stephen Spielberg had wanted to do this project for many years,” Scorsese continues. “But to make a Hughes picture about the events of Hughes’ life, where do you start and where do you end? And so I thought it was more or less their territory until I read John’s script.”

Scorsese is just a few days away from the beginning of his possible awards season roll, with this Sunday's Golden Globes ceremony preceding those of the Academy, the Directors Guild of America and others. Although the hoopla surrounding Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby is formidable, the splashy style of The Aviator is one that could very much sway the voters of the Hollywood Foreign Press, thereby boosting the filmmaker's subsequent Oscar chances.

With his latest film, Scorsese admits that combining fact and fiction is a necessary evil. With too much material to represent accurately, key moments were in the end often condensed to streamline the cinematic narrative.

“In the publishing world, people call it, ‘Faction,'” he explains. “But when you're dealing with a character like Howard Hughes or other characters in history, I think that to a certain extent one can take a kind of poetic license to combine and fictionalise certain aspects of lives and what happened. I think that a lot of it has to do with if you're truthful to the emotion, if you're truthful to the very core of the ideas of what happened in his life.”

“There will always be people who disagree with you because it's based on a real character,” Scorsese acknowledges. “But I think what John did was very interesting. The film is meant to be an impression of views, an impression of the spectacle of Hollywood and at the same time [that of] a man who wants to fly to the sun like Icarus. But his wings really are wax, ultimately.”

Scorsese’s own wings have never amounted to wax, except in the final rounds of Academy voting. But if he fails to win Best Director once again this season for The Aviator, it will increase the odds of yet another of our pre-eminent filmmakers not being recognized by the awards bastion of his chosen industry.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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