David Brent

With the Oscars just over a week away I'm sure all the high profile film distribution companies are busy with promotions, politics and payola behind the scenes to encourage votes for certain films and actors.

Winning one of the best actor awards though is no guarantee of further film career success. Winners in the past from Joan Fontaine up to Gwyneth Paltrow and Richard Dreyfuss have all said that it was a curse to their careers to win an Oscar.
F.Murray Abraham - best actor in 1984 for his performance in 'Armadeus', has hardly been sighted since winning the award.
Louise Fletcher, Brenda Fricker, Linda Hunt, Marlene Matlin, Cubba Gooding Jnr.,Dianne Wiest, Ben Kingsley and even Kevin Costner hardly set the world alight after winning a best actor Oscar.
Halle Berry, Faye Dunaway and Liza Minnelli, all best actress winners, are unique as later in their careers they also won an infamous Razzle award for 'Worst Performers' in other films.

Dave.

WiseFilms

I refuse to watch the Oscars. I haven't seen'em in four years.
To paraphrase David Mamet: I can stand many things, but I can't stand to be bored.

Besides, it's the worst list of nominees I've ever seen this year!
Only Clint Eastwood and Cate Blanchett are really worth anything, and I'm sure they'll lose.

"The horror...the horror...."

Steve Crook

Don't you think Scorsese is long overdue one?

Steve

WiseFilms

Yeah, sure. That ain't the point though. If they were giving him a Lifetime Achievement thing, I'd say Okay, but I honestly think he hasn't done much recently worth celebrating. Especially last year.
The Departed only added more profanity and length to the trashy Hong Kong film it's based on.

What's really long overdue, is for film lover's to stop caring about what films get nominated for Awards. It's meaningless.

I hope I didn't spoil anyone's fun!

foha80

Infernal Affairs is far from being 'trashy' - I think it is an excellent thriller.

Terry

Steve Crook

The Departed is far from being trashy as well. I think that's an excellent thriller as well.

Of course Scorsese should really have been given the Oscar for his truly great films like Goodfellas and Raging Bull.

But by not winning one he's in some great company :

Steve

MarkG

The problem with the Oscars is that so many are given to bad movies for political reasons within the movie industry rather than given to good movies because they're good... if you look back through the results there are many years where the movies that won Oscars have been pretty much forgotten while the runners-up (or movies not nominated at all) are highly regarded classics.

Scorcese is one obvious example of someone who should have won an Oscar long ago, as mentioned above.

ChristineCB

I've gotten away from paying attention to the Oscars after they continued to give one picture so many awards, almost as if the voters were saying, Oh well, why not an 8th or a 9th Oscar... it's easier to check this one box for all of its awards rather than consider all other films. Fine - if only one film was made that year, at least it's easy for the Academy members, and that's what the movie industry's all about - making it easy for them. yawn...

foha80

Agreed,I also love to listen to him talk about movies,he speaks well and he never forgets to mention his debt to the great films of the past and their makers.We are lucky to have him,if he never wins a Oscar he has done more than enough to earn our applause.

Terry

Fellwanderer

Must agree on both counts.

I'm not sure if it is just wishful thinking or patriotic pride [very unlikely!] but my gut feeling is that there is more integrity in the BAFTAS [at the moment] than the Oscars. What do others think?

I tend to ignore the Oscars - although I'll still be annoyed if they manage to miss Helen Mirren yet again. I suspect that if her performance had been of anyone other than Mrs Windsor, she'd have had no chance.

All the best
FELL

A signature is no substitute for a life

Wolfgang

They are shit as well. How many times have they got it right? Midnight Cowboy, definitely, The Godfather, maybe.

Lee Lee

It's worth watching The Oscars in order to get a heads-up on what to avoid.

Harleybloke

Some years 5 or 6 great films are made, while another year......I mean 'Forrest Gump'.? I still can't believe that won.............never will either.........