Oscar Snubs and other Academy Mistakes

[Control]

ROCKY winning best picture was a mistake. Fun movie, sure, but not better than TAXI DRIVER or NETWORK.

[Lacelle]

 Esquire wrote that very thing

[Control]

Indeed. And admittedly I did read that article, which is why I chimed in. But I'm my defence, this is a position I've held for a long time (which is why I never mentioned their other choices). I felt newly invigorated by their support.

[odessasteps]

1 hour ago, Control said:

ROCKY winning best picture was a mistake. Fun movie, sure, but not better than TAXI DRIVER or NETWORK.

Or all the presidents men.

Or bound for glory.

[Brian Fowler]

Christ that was a fucking loaded year though.

[Victator]

I tried to watch Network last year and it felt like a movie where you had to be there. I can see why people were nuts over it at the time, but do not see a lot of staying power. I don't know if that would be the right term.

[Curt McGirt]

Network is more prescient now than ever so yeah, "staying power" is the exact opposite of the right term.

[AxB]

I would guess that Rocky winning best picture that year was one of those things that looked inevitable at the time, but history (and sequels) have diminished it, whilst allowing it's opposition to look better and more prescient. Sort of like how when people look back on this year they'll think it's a travesty that La La Land beat Moonlight.

[odessasteps]

8 minutes ago, AxB said:

I would guess that Rocky winning best picture that year was one of those things that looked inevitable at the time, but history (and sequels) have diminished it, whilst allowing it's opposition to look better and more prescient. Sort of like how when people look back on this year they'll think it's a travesty that La La Land beat Moonlight.

See also How Green was my Valley beating Citizen Kane. 

[Kuetsar]

5 hours ago, AxB said:

I would guess that Rocky winning best picture that year was one of those things that looked inevitable at the time, but history (and sequels) have diminished it, whilst allowing it's opposition to look better and more prescient. Sort of like how when people look back on this year they'll think it's a travesty that La La Land beat Moonlight.

If the academy had any clue about the career Stallone would have(he was an unknown at the time), there is no way in hell Rocky wins....

[Victator]

9 hours ago, Curt McGirt said:

Network is more prescient now than ever so yeah, "staying power" is the exact opposite of the right term.

Well no you are wrong on that. It makes it an interesting footnote, bit does not add to it as a great movie. 

By even 1987, the premise looks almost quaint. Its hard to look at it in a modern context and wonder what the big deal is. Death Race 2000 has more relevancy to the modern media landscape. 

That is why it feels like you had to be there. I'm not saying it as an insult. Its not the directors fault society fell off a cliff.

[Victator]

Just now, Kuetsar said:

If the academy had any clue about the career Stallone would have(he was an unknown at the time), there is no way in hell Rocky wins....

The Academy are pretentious asses. Seems like the Oscars were more relevant, when the studios were secretly running them.

[Technico Support]

8 hours ago, odessasteps said:

See also How Green was my Valley beating Citizen Kane. 

See also anything Forrest Gump won in 1994 vs anybody else in their respective categories.

[odessasteps]

I used to have a book called (i think) oscar snubs that found at least one "incorrect"  winner every year of the awards. 

[Control]

4 hours ago, Victator said:

Well no you are wrong on that. It makes it an interesting footnote, bit does not add to it as a great movie. 

By even 1987, the premise looks almost quaint. Its hard to look at it in a modern context and wonder what the big deal is. Death Race 2000 has more relevancy to the modern media landscape. 

That is why it feels like you had to be there. I'm not saying it as an insult. Its not the directors fault society fell off a cliff.

And yet people do it all the time. Anyway, on top of some all-time great performances, it's a pretty good satire of living under neoliberalism (before that term had found its contemporary meaning), even if Paddy Chayefsky's misogyny is a bit unappetizing. .

Also, I could watch that Ned Beatty monologue every day.

[Curt McGirt]

3 minutes ago, Control said:

that Ned Beatty monologue

...which is why I still find it prescient

[odessasteps]

More prescient: network or rollerball? 

[Matt D]

... if he went with Running Man?

[Victator]

5 hours ago, Control said:

And yet people do it all the time.

Good for them.

[Brian Fowler]

How Green Was My Valley is actually a really good movie. It shouldn't have won the Oscar, but it's really good.

If I had a vote for the class of 76, it would be Taxi Driver, but I have no problem with Rocky winning. It's a fantastic movie, and I think it's somehow become underrated. It's not Rocky's fault the competition was so otherworldly great that year.

[zev]

Today I heard that in his lifetime, Robert Mitchum only had 1 nomination, and that was for The Story of G.I. Joe.

How is that even possible?

Oh and to go back a few pages, yes both Tron and Tron: Legacy each had at least one snub.

[rainmakerrtv]

On 2/24/2017 at 5:14 AM, AxB said:

I would guess that Rocky winning best picture that year was one of those things that looked inevitable at the time, but history (and sequels) have diminished it, whilst allowing it's opposition to look better and more prescient. Sort of like how when people look back on this year they'll think it's a travesty that La La Land beat Moonlight.

Just stumbled across this thread and found this entry hilarious with the benefit of hindsight.

[AxB]

I was entirely correct for a minute or so.

[Reed]

On 23/02/2017 at 8:41 PM, Control said:

ROCKY winning best picture was a mistake. Fun movie, sure, but not better than TAXI DRIVER or NETWORK.

Maybe, but I wouldn't put it on the same level as "Forrest Gump beating Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption."

I liked Rocky. It had depth. It wasn't just a fun sports movie.

When you realize at the end Rocky doesn't give a shit about the result and only wanted to prove something to himself and Adrian.

"Where's your hat?"

He's just lost the biggest match of his life. And he's more bothered about this woman's Goddamn silly hat.

It's so subtle. But you get the point: This wasn't a boxing match; it was about two lonely dysfunctional people who fell in love.

[WholeFnMachine]

1 hour ago, Reed said:

Maybe, but I wouldn't put it on the same level as "Forrest Gump beating Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption."

I liked Rocky. It had depth. It wasn't just a fun sports movie.

When you realize at the end Rocky doesn't give a shit about the result and only wanted to prove something to himself and Adrian.

"Where's your hat?"

He's just lost the biggest match of his life. And he's more bothered about this woman's Goddamn silly hat.

It's so subtle. But you get the point: This wasn't a boxing match; it was about two lonely dysfunctional people who fell in love.

He also spoke mostly about just wanting to go the distance as no one had ever gone the distance with Creed before, not about beating him, just about going the distance. And then he lost, it was just such great storytelling in my opinion.