[Darkwolf377]

"In the second lead role, Cate Blanchett’s caricature of Katherine Hepburn is uproariously incompetent. Like every movie Scorsese has made since 1980’s great RAGING BULL, this film is too long, too loud, and too lumbering. "

Blanchett gives probably the best performance of any kind in the last year. Scorsese is still one of the greatest living directors. If this is an indicator of this guy's taste, his opinion doesn't mean much.

[frankiep]

ping

[kellynla]

Today's Hollyweird crowd hates Catholicism and everyone and everything connected to it...

That's alright, Mel Gibson is laughing all the way to the bank. And he's releasing another cut of "The Passion" to the theaters next month.
Instead of watching the self congratulatory Oscars, I'll go out and purchase the DVD of "The Passion" and watch it. Payback is a ...

[newgeezer]

When and if the Hollywierd establishment is ever throwing accolades at a "Christian" movie, I'd have to wonder how very Christian that movie could possibly be. Oil and water don't mix well.

[FreedomSurge]

If Hollywood nominated THE PASSION it would be seen as a slap to the Jewish community. At least they didn't nominate Fahrenheit 911.

[Recovering_Democrat]

Look, I think POTC should've been nominated, too. But I don't agree with the heavy handed critique of "The Aviator". I saw that movie and thought DeCaprio did a fine job. And so did Blanchett as Kate Hepburn.

Slamming all the other films nominated for Best Pic isn't the best argument for Gibson's film.

That being said, I won't be watching the Academy Awards again for the thousandth year in a row. They've become boring and repetitive and trite and predictable.

[JimVT]

Ah, Mr. Bemis...how right you are.

It wasn't too long ago that H'wood was promoting Der Bingle and Ingrid in "The Bells of St. Mary's" (and wasn't himself in St. Mary's JHS at the time?) and 'Duke' Wayne and Maureen O'Sullivan in a couple of other award-winning flicks.....and Barry Fitzgerald was the epitome of H'wood Irish-Catholicism for decades.

Eastwood was my anti-hero hero in the 'spaghetti westerns' and the 'Dirty Harry' flicks.

It must be the CA smog that makes guys like him decide that a Tonya Harding look-a-like film is worth making.

I haven't set foot in a movie theater in 20 years; (1) because there was nothing worth paying $10 to see and (2) nobody in charge seems to want to tell the a**holes that they're not watching TV and "keep your mouth shut."

I gambled on "Master and Commander" at the video store last year and since then I have rented it three times, read all 21 of Patrick O'Brian's novels and was blessed with the Collectors Edition DVD from my son for mybirthday last month.

Thank God the Sisters of Mercy taught me to love reading!!!!!

[ex-snook]

1944 Going my Way & 1945 Bells of St Mary. Back to Back award winners. Amazing no foul words, sex scenes or murders would win.

Guess after seeing The Passion, mobs ran out to destroy Jews. But Hollywood and the pundits would admit they were wrong if they recognized The Passion.

[wmileo]

I am a Christian also. However you are mistaken concerning the quality of the other movies which were nominated. Labeling Clint Eastwood as anti- Christian is over the top as well.

[stuartcr]

Do many consider The Passion to be entertainment?

[Phsstpok]

So? It's their awards show. They can award it to anyone they want for any reason, good or bad. Witness the fact that they "honored" Michael Moore a couple of years ago for a very poorly made piece of hideous propoganda.

But it's still THEIR awards show.

Now don't get me wrong, I 100% agree with and applaud what this author wrote (I even agree with his reviews of the other films, down the line). What I disagree with is the unstated assumption that Hollywood ought to behave any differently. We get to criticize them, but we shouldn't expect them to change who they are.

Now, if we want to we can have our own awards show. We've had plenty of threads about "best picture" and other such categories (I liked the "best guy flick" the other day). But I bet there are FReepers out there who could actually organize an alternative film awards process that would represent the views of real people and not Hollywood robots.

So, any takers? Anybody think they have the organizing skills to get something like this off the ground?

I bet if we did it we could get the folks at the Liberty Film Festival interested in at least looking at what we come up with. Maybe an alternative to the Oscars (the Ronnys?) given 6 month's off cycle, around the 4th of July.

[Tribune7]

The last movie I enjoyed was Sixth Sense. That's about six years old now?

[ColoCdn]

ping

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

The author needs to understand that since the Passion is not in English it doesn't qualify for best picture. Since it is not in any language currently spoken on the planet, it doesn't qualify as a foreign film.

Why does everyone have to go into spasms when their favorite film isn't nominated. Big whoo. Most of the Best Pictures of the past 20 years really sucked.

[Mr. K]

The Passion was one of the best movies I have ever seen.

To fail to acknowlege that brings shame to the awards themselves.

[Hildy]

FINDING NEVERLAND, a story about “Peter Pan” creator J. M. Barrie, is a thin but rewarding film, featuring an excellent performance by Johnny Depp – the first role I’ve seen in which he doesn’t grossly overact. Another highlight is the extraordinary performance by Freddie Highmore as a member of the family that inspires Barrie to write “Peter Pan.” NEVERLAND is an enjoyable and touching movie, but ultimately is rather insubstantial.

I would never categorize Johnny Depp as an overactor. He just isn't. His portrayal of the Jack Sparrow in PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN was meant to be over the top and he was brilliant. Finding Neverland was a beautiful movie and I recommend it to everyone.

[montag813]

It still amazes me that "The Passion" was not nominated for Picture (or Director, Actor) when that overlong sappy bore-fest "Return of the King" was nominated and WON last year. "The Passion" had me on the balls of my feet with chills on my neck from start to finish. ROTK had me falling asleep for the last 90 minutes. Will be skipping the irrelevant Oscars for the first time this year.

[montag813]

Like every movie Scorsese has made since 1980’s great RAGING BULL

Which was robbed for Best Picture by the thoroughly detestable "Ordinary People" (watch it now and marvel at how it ever won).

[narses]

Ping.

[bray]

Mel Gibson being snubbed by the O-scars for his absolute Masterpiece should be worn as a badge of honor. A bit like a whorehouse wondering how a Church is bringing in so many people?

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