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And the Oscar for most depressing . . .
Jewish World Review ^ | Feb. 25, 2008 | Mitch Albom

Posted on 02/25/2008 12:20:00 PM PST by Caleb1411

I'm didn't watch the Oscars. Normally I do. But I've spent enough time and money on the most depressing, dark and disturbed lineup of movies I ever can remember. I don't need to see them get rewarded.

Am I the only one who remembers when they actually gave Oscars to movies that had happy endings? There's not one happy ending in this lot — unless you consider an unplanned teenage pregnancy resulting in someone else's adoption a happy ending. That's the big payoff in "Juno."

Otherwise, you have "There Will Be Blood," in which a tyrannical oil baron destroys everyone and everything around him; "No Country For Old Men," in which a serial killer destroys everything and everyone around him; "Michael Clayton," in which greed gets nearly everyone killed; and "Atonement," in which a false accusation ruins the lives of all involved.

Um. Remind me again.

Why do we go to the movies?

THERE'S NO DEBATE HERE

Now, I'm not a Pollyanna. I enjoy films. I collect them. And I understand that not every story ends with music swirling and heroes walking off into a sunset.

But lately there's this sense that unless a movie is dark, violent and hopeless, it can't be "real." It can't be "art." It can't truly "matter." I put these words in quotes because it feels as if critics and awards committees define things that way.

(Excerpt) Read more at jewishworldreview.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: hollywood; oscar
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To: i_dont_chat
But then I love all of the Cohen Brothers movies..

including Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?...aka "The Greatest Film in the Entire History of Cinema"..

241 posted on 02/26/2008 7:01:27 AM PST by martin gibson ("I care not what course others may take, but as for myself, give me Ralph Stanley or give me death")
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To: Borges; durasell

Alan Bloom is dead.Durasell, could you have been thinking of him?


242 posted on 02/26/2008 7:05:49 AM PST by murdoog
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To: murdoog

Might have been Orlando Bloom...


243 posted on 02/26/2008 7:36:13 AM PST by durasell (!)
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To: durasell
Might have been Orlando Bloom

We'd best stop before we get to Leopold.

244 posted on 02/26/2008 7:38:50 AM PST by murdoog
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To: murdoog

...and with Bloomsday fast approaching!

(Here in NYC they read it cover to cover in honor of the day. Naturally, Molly’s section at the end packs the house)


245 posted on 02/26/2008 7:47:43 AM PST by durasell (!)
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To: Holicheese
Ever since “Beerfest” was not even nominated for an award

No kidding! How could it not have won for "Best On-Screen Belch - EVER!"

246 posted on 02/26/2008 7:58:54 AM PST by Sicon
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To: Sicon

And best scene with a frog!


247 posted on 02/26/2008 8:01:55 AM PST by Holicheese (Beware your friendly air defenses!)
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To: Borges

The only one on the list I saw was Atonement. It was a good film, IMHO, but not worthy of an Oscar by a long shot. Too long, too slow, and the jumping around in time didn’t work smoothly for me. If that was one of the best movies last year, the crop couldn’t have been THAT good.


248 posted on 02/26/2008 8:07:02 AM PST by SoCal Pubbie
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To: LexBaird

I thought you meant BP winners. Did TD or Sweeney Todd even win any Oscars?


249 posted on 02/26/2008 8:13:26 AM PST by Borges
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To: Holicheese

Best scene with a frog? Hmmm, I don’t remember that, but I saw the movie about a year ago. Still have it on my DVR though, so I’ll have to revisit it.


250 posted on 02/26/2008 8:14:28 AM PST by Sicon
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To: martin gibson

I agree. I’ve seen Oh, Brother about a dozen times, and I’ve enjoyed it each time.

A great companion CD “Down from the Mountain” has some wonderful selections by the groups who performed the music in Oh, Brother. I highly recommend it.


251 posted on 02/26/2008 8:21:46 AM PST by i_dont_chat (Your choice if you take offense.)
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To: Sicon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dvI_J_OWnU

Here is the scene. It is when they introduce Fink.

Don’t have food or drink anywhere close.


252 posted on 02/26/2008 8:21:46 AM PST by Holicheese (Beware your friendly air defenses!)
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To: Caleb1411
Ever since AMERICAN BEAUTY I have thought the same of the Oscars.

I have not watched another oscar. American Beauty was the most disrespectful trash touted as art I ever saw. It literally made me sick at the whole concept.

The next year, same thing... I didn't watch, but was informed that "Oh Brother, where art thou?" took the honors? Movies that spit on everything I believe in.

To hades with the oscars. The oscars are not worth caps anymore.

253 posted on 02/26/2008 8:32:38 AM PST by LowOiL (Duncan Hunter .. accept no conservative substitute... it can cause cancer of the heart...)
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To: martin gibson
including Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?...aka "The Greatest Film in the Entire History of Cinema"..

I think I am gonna be sick. Only movie the wife and I could not get past the first 15 minutes of.

254 posted on 02/26/2008 8:36:33 AM PST by LowOiL (Duncan Hunter .. accept no conservative substitute... it can cause cancer of the heart...)
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To: DoughtyOne
The decline of ‘Entertainment Tonight’ mirrors the general cultural decline in the last 10 years or so. They used to actually deal with entertainment...movies, music. Now they are a tabloid mongering freak show. They did about a week on Anna Nicole Smith and nothing else. Legendary stars like Deborah Kerr get no mention on there when they die unlike the past when they did extensive tributes to them. Mary Hart must be quite embarrassed as she was around when it was a perfectly respectable show.
255 posted on 02/26/2008 9:11:19 AM PST by Borges
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To: LowOiL

Oh Brother didnt win any Oscars. What didn’t you like about it? It was actually quite Christian in its outlook ending with a reconciled marriage. And the music was great.


256 posted on 02/26/2008 9:12:35 AM PST by Borges
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To: Caleb1411

I can proudly say that I had never heard of a single movie or actor/actress that won the Oscars.


257 posted on 02/26/2008 9:14:11 AM PST by caver (Yes, I did crawl out of a hole in the ground.)
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To: Sicon

No kidding! How could it not have won for “Best On-Screen Belch - EVER!”

________________________________________________________________________________-

No way! “Revenge of the Nerds” will hold that title forever.


258 posted on 02/26/2008 9:58:34 AM PST by sinanju
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To: Borges

Thanks for explaining what has been taking place on there. It doesn’t sound good.


259 posted on 02/26/2008 10:12:17 AM PST by DoughtyOne (We've got Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dumb & Tweedle Dumber left. Name them in order. I dare ya.)
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To: what's up
“It had no business being up for an Oscar”

Yes it did. It was a movie made by a guy who HATES BUSH. If you HATE BUSH you get at least a nomination. That is how Julia Roberts got her OSCAR 7 years ago. She told everyone that “BUSH WAS NOT HER PRESIDENT” and that was the clincher.

She is not the only one who declared a hatred of Bush and got an Oscar or at least a nomination and she won't be the last. That is why nobody watches the program on TV anymore.

260 posted on 02/26/2008 10:20:03 AM PST by wmileo (I miss Ronald Wilson Reagan. POTUS #40)
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