I learned in 2007 that there are too many goddamn awards groups. It was tolerable then because most of them were going to No Country for Old Men, my favorite film of that year, but it was also time consuming and pointless.
This year I’m focusing on some of the big ones, but I’m not reporting on every group with a press release and a website.
Indiana Film Journalists, Southeastern Film Critics, Women Film Journalists, Women Film Critics and probably a bunch of others have announced awards in the last few days. I don’t care.
Though it might be interesting to look at a master list to see if there is any kind of critical consensus, a nice list already exists over at Movie City News.
I’ll be on top of the the assorted guilds and a couple of others, but if you want to know who the Critics Society of East Bumblefuck Nowheresville picked as Best Supporting Actress, go ask David Poland.
Don’t even get me started on The People’s Choice.
Filed under: Awards, Blog Admin
“I learned in 2007 that there are too many goddamn awards groups. It was tolerable then because most of them were going to No Country for Old Men, my favorite film of that year, but it was also time consuming and pointless.”
LOL Craig! But I hear ya! NYFCC, LAFCS and the National Society of Film Critics (which announce at year’s end) are the real heavyweights, and beyond those three it all becomes overkill. Everybody wants to chime in, but there should be some consolidation. I applaud your decision to pear down the reporting, but at the same time say Bravo for the coverage of the majors you have so far provided.
I’m taking the same approach, Craig. This can get to be too much. I’m limiting my reporting to a few of the more notable/influential ones, no offense to the Southeastern Film Critics and others.
I probably wouldn’t care what the Indiana Film Critics thought either, if all they did was repeat the parroting going on between NY, LA and Boston the past couple of days.
But in fact they’re a breath of fresh air — especially as they recognize Wes Anderson and Spike Jonze as the top two directors of 2009, and seem to be one of the few groups so far that isn’t treating Where the Wild Things Are like a pack of critters with mange.
Anyway, who wants to go skulking around MCN when there’s a much friendlier and far less pompous handling of the Bumblefuck prizes at Awards Daily?
Yeah, no offense to all the groups out there…many of whom are more qualified probably than the BFCA…but life is too short.
Do you have a handy, easy to read chart this year Ryan?
I don’t know if Sasha has a chart this year or not. We try to keep up with news so our readers don’t have to go traipsing off to rival sites to find something the Oscar-hobbiest sites aren’t covering, but we try not to be obsessive nerds about it.
I guess I wonder the same thing that puzzles me about visitors to AD who take time out of their busy short lives to leave disgruntled comments about things they don’t care about.
No offense to those who do. It’s their life, and they can fill it with whatever inspires them to tap a keyboard.
Really, I don’t mean to get bristly, but I thought Fantastic Mr Fox and Where the Wild Things Are were more respected in these parts than shrink-wrapped studio steamrollers like Precious and Up in the Air.
The Oscars largely ignore the “prestige” critics and drive down the middle of the road on their way to better ratings. But if the big city critics get all the coverage anyway, it doesn’t help the little films that appeal to less homogenized sensibilities, does it?
Poland’s chart is the only reason I linked him. I think it’s a great way to look at how all the smaller guys fit into the big picture.
And don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I don’t think these groups are interesting or valuable, it’s just they’re already covered by bigger guys like AD and it’s hardly worth my time repeating info people can just as easily get from you.
No offense to the Hoosiers reading this, but according to this article the IFCA has NINE members (scan down to the bottom). Their picks are great but I have a hard time getting excited over the choices of a group this small. If we start cherry picking results just because we agree with them, the relevance of the picks themselves lose value. The NYFCC and LAFCC have much larger memberships, hence there’s a much broader sampling.
It’s essentially the same argument I have about the relevance of the Golden Globes, awards picked by a very small group of individuals.
If we start cherry picking results just because we agree with them, the relevance of the picks themselves lose value.
I guess I’ve been choosing and cherry-picking my closest friends the wrong way all my life.
But I see what you mean, Joel. None of my best friends ordinarily agrees with the majority opinion. Fuckin’ worthless irrelevant assholes. I hate them now. Thanks for setting me straight.
Hahaha..Touché, Ryan. OK, clearly I didn’t express myself right. I’ll leave it alone because my point doesn’t really matter.
Ahem, I can’t help but notice that you’re all forgetting about the most important awards of all- The Muriels, coming in February, and better than ever.
Who is going to be the host for this year’s Muriels ceremony?
Why, Muriel is, of course. Although some special guest stars might be in order as well, provided they deign to answer her calls.
Paul, we love the Muriels here at LiC, and references to them frequently pop up here. We were afraid that there wasn’t going to be a ceremony this year.
The Muriels will be front and center, as always.
“Who is going to be the host for this year’s Muriels ceremony?”
Ricky Gerbais
(You were making a good point, Joel. My response was just an effort to stick with my original stance of overreacting.)
Hahaha Ryan.
Ha!
I’ve been watching The Office again. I swear to god I worked with David Brent at this crap office job I had in a law firm after college.
Utterly convinced of his own comic and intellectual brilliance and completely assured that he was beloved by everyone, yet pretty much a dope. Generally a nice guy and not subject to fits of clueless inappropriateness a la Brent, but otherwise a dead ringer.
Off topic.
Craig I just bought the blu-ray of INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS at a local blockbuster during an afternoon prep period. Lucille and I had bought an LG for $179.00 at a Best Buy over the weekend to match our LG plasma purchased two months ago. So after all the controversy I caused with my resistance to the film, it’s still one of the first I bought on blu-ray!
Now of course I’ll admit it will probably be a prime demonstration disc. Similarly I know I’ll wind up with the Criterions of A CHRISTMAS TALE and GOMORRAH on blu-ray too, before long. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry!
Congrats, Sam!
Once you go blu, the view is extra-true.
Ryan, that pic of Ricky Gerbais could be a Billy Crystal parody of Nine.
Thanks Ryan!!! And that Sinatra clip there is divine!!!
My gang were immersing themselves in the gorgeous sounds and visualas last night!
Sam…I say this with all the affection in the world: You’re a mess when it comes to DVDs. Basterds? Really?
Well, I hope you warm up to it a little bit, though I think your chances are much better for A Christmas Tale. Not sure why I think that. I guess I was just more surprised you didn’t like the Desplechin film than the Tarantino. Of course, a lot of people around here agreed with you…not that I’m still bitter.
Not like I need to encourage you to keep propping up the economy, Sam, but the best Blu-ray presentation discs: Pixar. Any of their Blus are incredible. People that I know that are otherwise unimpressed with Blu-ray change their tune when they see Ratatouille on Blu.
Once one goes blu there is no turning back.
Sam, you can check out the following sites for blu ray disc reviews -> bluray.com, dvdbeaver.com, and highdefinitiondigest.com.
Well Craig, once again you have a good point there. While I was on the PC last night, some relatives watched IB on blu-ray and seemed to quite impressed. I played the role of gracious host, and provided some modest support demonstrating some very fine artistic hypocricy.
Joel: Thank you. I will surely have the Pixar catalogue at the top of my must-buy list. I already have that UP package with the extra digital copy (like IB) and it looks like you’ve entered the gates of heaven. But RATATOUILLE wil definitely be acquired soon, and then the others one by one. Lucille already ordered some “Santa Claus” stuff for the kids on amazon yesterday, including the full Spider Man set. We already have TERMINATOR SALVATION, one of the worst films ever, but a demonstation disc. I can only imagine what AVATAR will look like on blu-ray! Craig, as I say I must give the Despletchan another chance.
Sartre: Thanks very much for those sites. DVD Beaver is a regular stop for me, but those other two are new, so I’ll definitely be checking there.
I suppose that I will have buy THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES again on blu-ray, even though I have the standard copy, no?
I’d have to suggest that the first and last place to go for technical reviews of Blu-rays is DVDFile.com. I don’t always agree with their reviews of the actual films themselves, but their technical reviews of picture/sound/extras are without peer.
I like those other sites Sartre, especially DVDBeaver.