True all dat, yet most actors, directors, craftspeople and techies working in film would love to earn an Oscar. It's because, in my opinion, that the award does not really represent the "best" of anything, but rather the approbation of one's peers. Who doesn't like it when someone says to them "good job." We all know that that "best" game is tricky at best, so to speak.
As for those hip, trendy and messagy movies, many of them are misfires, it's true. But so are some of the "masterpieces." IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE is the poster-child example of this. Now regarded in many circles as a masterpiece, it was a flop upon release. So much so, that, as many on this list will no doubt remember, its copyright was never protected by Capra and Liberty Films. Hip? I'm not sure what hip was, exactly, in the immediate postWWII years. Trendy? - or at least trending - certainly, as it struggled for an audience and even a title just prior to Christmas in 1946. Messagy? It's the most messagy movie I can think of. Well, wait, I might could think of some others... Institutions, like the people who run them, are imperfect. So I can tolerate their mistakes. But I do like the work that they do, which is essentially promoting movies, cinema, flicks, motion pictures, films. Still, after everything is said and done, they are the people's art. And that should be recognized. Kirby McDaniel movieart.com > On Jan 19, 2025, at 5:20 AM, David Kusumoto <[email protected]> > wrote: > > Yes, and it's getting worse as ratings decline because most nominees for Best > Picture in particular - represent movies that were hip and trendy and messagy > at the time - and are quickly forgotten. There have been few 21st century > masterpieces - and almost zero if you filtered them through JUST the nominees > for Best Picture. Academy revenues are also too dependent upon the ceremony > for which Disney / ABC pays $$$ to broadcast. And the next negotiation will > be interesting. > > As far as Lifetime Achievement / Thalberg / Hersholt awards - again, I think > the board just waits too long. So many are given out to people shortly > before they pass; I'm thinking of Ernest Lehman, Maureen O'Hara, Myrna Loy, > etc. But if you look over the list, some names are surprising - if only > because I didn't see nor remember them given out, e.g., Steve Martin, Sidney > Lumet, Blake Edwards, Gena Rowlands, Donald Sutherland, Samuel L. Jackson, > Elaine May, Peter Weir, Michael J. Fox, Angelina Jolie, etc. - who never won > competitive Oscars. And only recently, winners of the Thalberg producing > award now get Oscar statuettes instead of the small bust "trophy" they used > receive. > > But other recipients who have won competitive Oscars - have never been feted > for Lifetime Achievement, which feels a little odd, e.g., giants like > Spielberg, Eastwood, Scorsese, etc. Just having one of those Oscars means > permanent enshrinement and should get a mention in the first line of any > obituary, regardless of it being a competitive or honorary. > > Meanwhile, about David Lynch - either you are a fan of his contributions to > surrealist cinema or you're not. But he did have a global impact. I took > the photo on the right while at a bookstore in Florence in May 1991 during > the peak of Twin Peaks mania. And that was a TV show that came AFTER Blue > Velvet. - d. > > > > > From: Toochis r <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> > Sent: Friday, January 17, 2025 9:57 PM > To: David Kusumoto <[email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>> > Cc: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> > Subject: Re: [MOPO] RIP David Lynch > > The Acadeny has SO many problems. Maybe Janet Yang can help. Who knows. > Still wish they had the stunt person category - the ONLY one where lives are > at risk. > > On Fri, Jan 17, 2025 at 6:37 PM David Kusumoto <[email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: > I've always lamented that many don't learn - (except via brief summary > snippets during the February broadcast) - who gets honorary Oscars for > Lifetime Achievement - because they're given out at the Governor's Awards in > the fall. David Lynch picked up his in October 2019. Sometimes I get the > feeling that the board waits too long to bestow them, e.g., still waiting for > Ridley Scott to get his from AMPAS. > > > > From: MoPo List <[email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>> on behalf of Toochis r > <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> > Sent: Friday, January 17, 2025 6:00 PM > To: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> > Subject: Re: RIP David Lynch > > Got to meet him about a project and he mentioned his mentor, Frank Daniel who > I then studied with at USC. Frank and David were going to work on a film > together but Frank died. They're working together now. > > > To unsubscribe from the MoPo-L list, click the following link: > https://listserv.american.edu/scripts/wa-american.exe?SUBED1=MoPo-L&A=1 Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: [email protected] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content.
