Cracker by Damian Christie

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Cracker: Wallywood

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  • Craig Ranapia,

    Yeah, I guess you know more about how Hollywood works than Nikki Finke does.

    Um, I don't think a post that ends "And people wonder why I have nothing but contempt for the Academy?" exactly screams dispassionate analysis. If Nikki Finke wants to throw in with the "Avatar wuz robbed by the Hollyweird liburul elite" gang, the geek equivalent of 9/11 Truthers, so be it. But could it be within the realms of possibility that The Hurt Locker and Kathryn Bigelow won because... well, a plurality of the voters actually thought they deserved it?

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • craigm,

    I rather like my own suggestion for that sign on the hill next to the airport.

    whoop whoop pullup!

    Taupo • Since Nov 2007 • 16 posts Report Reply

  • Josh Addison,

    Avatar was flawed, yes, but it was soooo much better than any of the Star Wars prequels for instance, and involved an unprecedented massive leap of technology.

    Personally, I enjoyed the Star Wars prequels more than Avatar (which isn't to say I enjoyed them lots and lots, just more than Avatar...)

    While I'd believe that there was "an unprecedented massive leap of technology" behind the scenes, I didn't see it on the screen - really pretty CGI as opposed to pretty CGI; really good motion capture instead of good motion capture; and the 3D accented the visuals nicely but didn't do anything revolutionary with them. Where's the leap?

    Onehunga, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 298 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Personally, I enjoyed the Star Wars prequels more than Avatar (which isn't to say I enjoyed them lots and lots, just more than Avatar...)

    No they were awful. George Lucas made up an entire universe, made a big thing about it, and contradicted himself between the original movies and the prequels in several places.

    And Avatar has no Jar Jar equivalent.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    The Academy recognised the visuals with several awards

    I thought different groups of academy members vote for different categories of award - so you get technical expertise where it counts (ie: recognition by peers) except for the best film awards that everyone has a say on. Do I have that wrong?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    But could it be within the realms of possibility that The Hurt Locker and Kathryn Bigelow won because... well, a plurality of the voters actually thought they deserved it?

    And,nothing wrong with a "must do better next year" post it on the fridge, for those coming in second eh?

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    whoop whoop pullup!

    Been done

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • philipmatthews,

    Um, I don't think a post that ends "And people wonder why I have nothing but contempt for the Academy?" exactly screams dispassionate analysis.

    When the same Academy has, for example, rewarded Ordinary People over The Elephant Man and Raging Bull or Forrest Gump over Pulp Fiction, I guess it's hard to assume that the best film will always win. Do you think that politics, loyalties, grudges and whose turn it is assumed to be might not sometimes enter the equation?

    If Nikki Finke wants to throw in with the "Avatar wuz robbed by the Hollyweird liburul elite" gang, the geek equivalent of 9/11 Truthers, so be it.

    That's such an over the top reading ...

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2007 • 656 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Been done

    I got there first though I think you'll find :-)

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Andrew,

    But more importantly - PIXIES woooooooo!!!!!

    I won't see you there - I'll be there, but I'll be looking at the stage...

    Have to drive thru the night to Wellywood after the Pixies to attend a funeral on Saturday morning. Not missing the show though!

    Hamiltron - City of the F… • Since Nov 2006 • 900 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    I cannot believe nobody has noticed how angry Hitler is about this Wellywood thing:

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Avatar was flawed, yes, but it was soooo much better than any of the Star Wars prequels for instance

    Which is a good point, actually.

    I still think the indignation about Avatar is a bit ritualised.

    Sure, valid criticisms can be made of its Dances With Wolves premise, but it never gets near as awful as what Lucas threw us in the first few minutes of The Phantom Menace . I genuinely thought "what is he doing!? " when I saw that.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    I still think the indignation about Avatar is a bit ritualised.

    One could say the same of the praise, provided one was into dismissing opposing arguments out of hand like that. Personally I found the film quite awful and I like to think I had valid reasons and was honest in my assessment.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Deborah,

    I still think the indignation about Avatar is a bit ritualised.

    Possibly because the story and characterised were so ritualised? There were some marvellous flights of imagination - I was fascinated by the floating mountains - but the very predicatability of what would happen made the whole film little more than an exercise in prettification.

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report Reply

  • Damian Christie,

    I cannot believe nobody has noticed how angry Hitler is about this Wellywood thing

    @RB - well, apart from me, in the original post (or at least an edit made to it shortly after posting), and Hugh, who pointed it out to me, and @philipmatthews who noted earlier that the link was buggered and relinked to it... ;)

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1164 posts Report Reply

  • Islander,

    For me, "Avatar" had occaisional (*very* occaisional) gasp-moments.
    The kind of hippyish surrealism of the phosphorescent bush and - as Deborah mentioned - the floating mountains- and the occaisional moment (the burning 'horse', and the link between lemur-ancestry and the Na'vi) were momentary 'wow!'s for me.

    But that klutzy klutzy script, and the stereotypical characters - arghhh!

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Parks,

    I thought different groups of academy members vote for different categories of award - so you get technical expertise where it counts (ie: recognition by peers) except for the best film awards that everyone has a say on. Do I have that wrong?

    I think the different groups (actors, editors, DoPs etc) pick the nominees list for their area, but then the whole academy votes on the winner for each category. There are a few exceptions to that, but Best Cinematography, for example, would have been voted for by all the members, I believe.

    Wellington • Since May 2007 • 1165 posts Report Reply

  • webweaver,

    <smallvoice>I quite like the idea of the Wellywood sign</smallvoice>

    <evensmallervoice>...and I really loved Avatar</evensmallervoice>

    .
    .
    .

    I'll get me coat....

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 332 posts Report Reply

  • Islander,

    Hey, let me help you on with that-

    seriously, everyone has their own opinion: I think I just expected way too much from a Cameron film because it was using Weta...and I *hated* "Titanic", so - I was stupid.

    The one thing when we emerged from the Oamaru theatre (no 3D but goodsized screen) was talking about sequels: the 2 12yrold males *knew* they were going to be forthcoming, and were enthusiastic whatever dreck could be handed out: the two females (one the mother of one of the 12yrolds, headed towards her 50s) and my ancient self thought, O dear."Star Wars"-type franchise... although we didnt exactly articulate it then, in just those words.

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • webweaver,

    Heh! Thanks Islander! I needed help with those pesky armholes :)

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 332 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    I think the different groups (actors, editors, DoPs etc) pick the nominees list for their area, but then the whole academy votes on the winner for each category.

    Thanks Steve - correct

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Parks,

    Was it actually that gorgeous, even? Ehhhh

    Yeah, I was not especially impressed by the visuals, either. On the animation side, UP was a more visually impressive film. For traditional photography, I thought Inglourious Basterds was best.

    Personally, I enjoyed the Star Wars prequels more than Avatar (which isn't to say I enjoyed them lots and lots, just more than Avatar...)

    No they were awful.

    Yeah, but so was Avatar. Choosing between these films is like doing a Harry Hutton poll: “You are a British fox. How would you most like to be killed?”

    Wellington • Since May 2007 • 1165 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    @RB - well, apart from me, in the original post (or at least an edit made to it shortly after posting), and Hugh, who pointed it out to me, and @philipmatthews who noted earlier that the link was buggered and relinked to it... ;)

    Oh. Those. Well, I had been at lunch ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Islander,

    "UP"!

    Now, that was a totally deserved Oscar!

    I've replayed my dvd about 10 times now - and each time, I notice something new and delicious (cliche cliche but truly true!) And each time - the intro as it were- detailing the relationship between Ellie & Carl, makes me want to grab a tissue-*

    And I havent even opened "The many deaths of Muntz" yet!

    *One of my slight phobias is real hankies. I stopped using them as soon as paper-tissues became available. This maybe not understood unless you were the eldest child given the job of stirring your family's hankies (5 siblings and various adults) in a copper, before fishing them out and putting them through a wringer...

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • philipmatthews,

    And each time - the intro as it were- detailing the relationship between Ellie & Carl, makes me want to grab a tissue-

    Yes, lovely. Oscar for best marriage-done-in-a-two-minute-montage goes to ...

    Got a bit sub-Miyazaki after that though.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2007 • 656 posts Report Reply

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