Posted on 10/17/2004 7:15:21 PM PDT by Paul Atreides
Despite shattering box-office records and dominating headlines for months, "The Passion of the Christ" and "Fahrenheit 9/11" face real obstacles in the race for an Oscar nomination for best picture.
As Senior Writer Sean Smith reports in the current issue of Newsweek, many of the high-placed studio executives, producers, Oscar strategists, publicists and Academy members interviewed think that "Fahrenheit's" chances depend on the results of the presidential election, and all say that a "Passion" best-picture nod is almost unthinkable.
"A lot of older Academy voters, who are largely Jewish, refuse to even see this movie," says one Oscar-campaign vet. "There's a level of animosity toward this film that is very real. When I talk to the members, I hear it over and over and over again."
Complicating matters, says one exec, is the sense, fair or not, that Mel Gibson marketed the film as something Hollywood couldn't, or wouldn't, make. "It's a little weird to trash the establishment, and then to come knocking at the establishment's door during awards season."
But if "The Passion" gets shut out, there's a concern that some Christians could protest and – worst-case scenario – boycott the Oscars. "The born-agains will come out screaming that it's another case of censorship," says one source. "The whole Sodom and Gomorrah thing about Hollywood will come up again."
Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit" faces an entirely different problem, Smith reports in the Oct. 25 issue of Newsweek (on newsstands Monday, Oct. 18). Most insiders believe its fate is inextricably tied to the election – but they can't agree on whether a Bush or a Kerry win helps Moore the most.
"If John Kerry wins, 'Fahrenheit' gets nominated," says one exec. "Then it becomes 'the movie that changed the course of American history,' and the perception will be that Moore contributed to Bush's loss."
Or not. "Its chances are zero if Kerry wins, because then the protest is over and everybody feels better," says another source.
But,says one Academy member, "If Kerry loses, it gets nominated as a big 'f--- you' to Bush."
If I am not mistaken (and often am!) you can only affect ratings IF you have a ratings box & are one of those monitored. As of yet, there is no way for them to really know how many watch/don't watch.
I watch prolly 3 tv shows a year. the oscars is & will be one of them. I don't agree with the politics of some of my grocery store owners but I still go there. Georgeo Soro's & progressive insturance need to be boycotted. am I consistent? guess not.
I go to several movies a week. I don't do TV. I guess each person has their own avocations/interests. I am not into boxing.... but will resect fully someones desire & right to enjoy & watch.
I have heard good things about Team America (haven't seen it yet).. loved Dodgeball. Reallly like Friday Night Lights
I'm sure he likes the money, but he has said many times he felt as if God wanted him to make the movie and the Holy Spirit wrote it and produced it. I'm sure he never dreamed the success of the movie would be so great. His treasure is in heaven.
I bow to thee, oh great one!
And then to top off this article they make Michael Moore's movie legit by saying that its impact will have profound affects for documentary, if nominated. Please, spare me.
I bow to thee, oh great one!
And then to top off this article they make Michael Moore's movie legit by saying that its impact will have profound affects for documentary, if nominated. Please, spare me.
This born-again doesn't scream censorship, just BOYCOTT!
I REFUSE to put a penny in their pockets.
The Academy ignoring Mel's $650 million blockbuster "The Passion of The Christ" would not be a very smart idea.
I mean what if people started asking questions about the legitimacy (or legality) of the Academy's voting procedures, and whether the Academy might be issuing fraudulent results of its voting procedures?
The Academy must know (snicker) that cooking the books is a no-no. But then again, greedy Hollywarped lefties cook the books as a matter of course, to cheat investors.
Actor Robert Wagner, for one, had to sue Aaron Spelling (he of multi-hit TV shows) b/c Spelling cheated Wagner in a TV investment deal.
Summing up, I would say that the Academy's ignoring Mel's monumental film oeuvre would be tantamount to an admission of wrongdoing.
All this points out is that Oscars have absolutely nothing to do with the quality of the films being nominated. I stopped watching the Oscars when "Shakespeare in Love" beat out "Saving Private Ryan" for best film. Besides, who can sit and watch 3 hours of the most self important, arrogant, pretentious people all packed in one room?
Oh, no. A "hate crime." Somebody better call the "thought police."
Wait a minute, that would be ADL Abe, the enforcer who determines who commits "hate crimes" in America. ADL Abe even gets federal funds to train US law enforcement to prosecute "hate crimes."
ADL Abe won't help, he was one of the first ones out of the gate to trash Mel's films, trying to dissuade people from seeing it.
The Secular Hit Squads were hard at it when The Passion debuted, trying to demean Mel Gibson, putting a chokehold on Christians and Christian beliefs.
Secular wrecking crews stooped to the lowest levels of condescension to bash Mel, the film, and Christian audiences. Clearly, there was a calculated, coordinated effort to demonize The Passion.
Secular shock troops came out in full battle regalia. The first foray had ADL Abe claiming the film was anti-Semitic. That didn't work. NYT's Frank Rich attacked next----said it was fascistic. Then his NYT colleague Maureen Dowd said it was crass. That didn't work. Andy Rooney bashed it on CBS and SNL evilly caricatured it on NBC. That didn't work either. Newsweek's Evan Thomas told Imus it was a snuff film. Even so-called conservative Krauthammer trashed it and Hitchens---in his usual drunken stupor--said it was homo-erotic.
John Kerry was also among the film's naysayers (no surprise) indicating were he to be elected, secularists would tighten their stranglehold on American culture. < P> Chances are if ADL Abe and the secular Hollywarped-types don't trash The Passion for their Christian-hating Masters, they stand to lose thir positions, their contacts, their invitations to A-list parties, and their corner tables at Le Dome.
Now secularists must be running scared as the Oscar snub illustrates. Could they really be losing their stranglehold on American culture? Are those Bible-believing Christians really gaining on the secularists.
Will Hollyarped weirdos and the ACLU's decades-long work to eradicate all vestiges of religion from America be in vain?
Tune in tomorrow (getting down off my soapbox).
Just curious here, no criticism implied in any way.
How can you stand going to see several movies a week?
I am making the assumption that this is new movies .
For my taste, Hollywood only produces something worth spending money for every couple of years.
What do you say we all arrange a one-year boycott of Hollyweird if F 9/11 wins Best Picture? Sounds good to me. But its got to be overall boycott of Hollywood. It won't do any good just to stay out of the theater, it has to be video, DVD, TV, etc...
Yep. And we need to announce it ahead of time, not after the fact.
And if it wins anything, I'll say 'f--- you' to the Oscars - forever.
Hypocrite is an english word that comes from the greek word for actor.. rightfully so.. When Hollywood or New York City acts patriotic remember its just acting...
Actually he gave alot to charity but the money he made certainly shows what people like and want.
A lot of good points were made here, but I can't believe that in 119 posts not a SINGLE FReeper has mentioned one of the main reasons that Mel Gibson doesn't care if he wins an Oscar this year:
Mel already has 2 of them, for directing and producing (Best Picture trophy goes to the producer) a little film of his called BRAVEHEART back in 1995. You know, it was just one of the most brilliant, epic, charging actioners of all time, and an ode to those who are willing to fight against unspeakable odds for freedom from tyranny. The conservative Braveheart somehow defied the liberal conventions of the Oscars to triumph in a scattered, yet strong field of competitors that also included Babe, Sense and Sensibility, Apollo 13, and Leaving Las Vegas or Il Postino (can't remember which one).
Mel himself was rewarded for his masterful direction of the 13th-century epic, with an emphasis on the brutal, realistic, and carefully constructed battle scenes.
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