LoTR coronation and other moments

[JohnT]

As a big Titanic fan, I feel oddly vindicated. Thanks, OB!

[Sava]

titanic sux

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Oncle Boris
And the music: yes, it sucks. It's nothing like true classical music.

Um, why should a movie that isn't about the classical period of music use "true classical" music? That would be an inappropriate anachronism.

The music was perfectly suited to the film, and better yet, unlike most films out there these days, it wasn't intrusive. The award for music should go for complementing the movie well, not standing out garishly. LotR wasn't overscored at all, the music created the appropriate atmosphere and helped heighten the tension in the right spots. I can't think of film score since Schindler's List that was as suited to the subject matter while not being overbearing.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
LotR is new--nothing on that scale has ever been done before.

Not really. Some Chinese movies depicting battles in the civil war are of even bigger scale.

[Imran Siddiqui]

This is no different from the sweep by "Titanic"

You'll note many of us hated that.

So all the whining about a "pity party" is really exaggerated. There wasn't any "pity" involved, it was recognition of the acheivement of the ENTIRE work.

Bull. They say that NOW! If FOTR had won, would you hear the same thing? It's a 'pity party' because the voters have been pelted by the fan boys and decided to cave in, giving LOTR everything under the sun and more. Definite pity party.

This 'we gave it for all three movies' is kinda BS, because they were released at different times. You didn't see a nomination for "Lord of the Rings: Trilogy", you saw it for "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King". It's a fiction to say it was for the entire trilogy. The academy only said it that way to save their hides from the fanboy hordes.

[Kontiki]

I'm not so sure LotR should have won. Yeah, it was the best adaptation of a geek-fest thing done in recent memory, and I thoroughly enjoyed the trilogy, but let's come back down to earth for a minute. It doesn't matter if it seemed like it would be hard to make some book (best work of fiction of the 20th century? Grab some perspective) into a movie, nor did Peter Jackson work on three movies simultaneously (it's just one really long movie spliced into three, very different from something like Star Wars or the Godfather). IMO, you need to consider how the movie was standing completely on its own merits, not outside factors.

[MrBaggins]

Originally posted by Oncle Boris
Not really. Anything cathartic with a quest and good/evil conflict is Hollywood. Tolkien was not a particularly intelligent man, and not a great writer. It's just another popular novel, on the level of Paulo Coelho (OK, not as bad).

Oh... Fake Boris... the tenuous thread of your sanity is completely unravelling, isn't it? Why the hell does a quest and good/evil conflict mean that something is hollywood. These concepts have been around as long as the great sagas.

I guess movies should only be made without quests and or good/evil motifs, if they are to be valued?

Seriously... do you expect anyone to believe this tripe?

You have the right to your own taste, but if you think that LOTR is the true literary classic of the 20th century, then you should take some literature classes...

Listen, and read carefully. Opinion is opinion. Nothing can be proven in terms of opinion. Opinion between differing subjects is actually a fuzzy problem, and can't ever be solved in absolutes, even when offering statistical validation.

We could debate for all eternity, and never get anywhere.

The only method we have that approaches some kind of validation, are statistical polls of peoples opinions on a subject.

Many public polls have been done on the subject, at hand, of the greatest book of the 20th century (or millenia). The BBC, Amazon.com and the NY Times, notably... and they all agree. LOTR is undoubtedly the most popular choice.

Of course, you'll claim that popular opinion isn't worth much... but why is your opinion worth anything?

Popular support is seemingly the only concrete conclusion that can be drawn in advocacy discussion.

It's a very common music, nothing groundbreaking. It's here to manipulate the viewer, not to make an artistic breakthrough. True, it is EFFECTIVE- but it's nothing like "true" music.

Oh... so now you're the one true messiah when it comes to music. I guess we should all stop bothering choosing our own music and listen to Fake Boris?

I hate (well... not really) to bring up the opinion vs. popular opinion argument again.

Simply put, most people disagree with you. More people paid money for these three soundtracks, than any three classical albums you could name.

BTW, the Academy voters are not that great. Look at the awards they give, and then consider whether or not you should trust them. Venice, Berlin and Cannes are much better when it comes to trust an award.

I'll take their combined views over yours, particularly since they are in the industry that we're discussing advocacy of.

[Imran Siddiqui]

IMO, you need to consider how the movie was standing completely on its own merits, not outside factors.

I agree! I have no problem with either ROTK or FOTR winning Best Picture, but to give them everything, saying it was for the 'trilogy' and how hard it was, etc, is just bunk to me. I mean it couldn't have been easy to take two 400 page novels, combine them, and turn them into a 2.5 hour movie, such as what they did with 'Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World'.

[GePap]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui


This 'we gave it for all three movies' is kinda BS, because they were released at different times. You didn't see a nomination for "Lord of the Rings: Trilogy", you saw it for "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King". It's a fiction to say it was for the entire trilogy. The academy only said it that way to save their hides from the fanboy hordes.

So what? They were filmed at the same time and always envisioned as one project-perhaps the reason LoTR Fellowship was not given an award was because they wanted to wait for the next two?

As for "fanboys", you must really be smoking something if you think LoTR fans have any power in Hollywood.

[GePap]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

I agree! I have no problem with either ROTK or FOTR winning Best Picture, but to give them everything, saying it was for the 'trilogy' and how hard it was, etc, is just bunk to me. I mean it couldn't have been easy to take two 400 page novels, combine them, and turn them into a 2.5 hour movie, such as what they did with 'Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World'.

Actually, that is simpler. Not easy by any strech, but simpler.

[Imran Siddiqui]

They were filmed at the same time and always envisioned as one project-perhaps the reason LoTR Fellowship was not given an award was because they wanted to wait for the next two?

I don't believe that for a second. Did people wait to vote for Godfather II because they knew a third one would be out completing the triology? In most trilogies it is the FIRST one which goes the highest. Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, etc.

It's a convenient excuse now.

As for "fanboys", you must really be smoking something if you think LoTR fans have any power in Hollywood.

Public pressure has NO influence? I doubt that.

[pchang]

Clearly, LOTR winning 11 out of 11 is all a conspiracy. New Line used its LOTR profits to bribe all the academy members.

[Proteus_MST]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

They were filmed at the same time and always envisioned as one project-perhaps the reason LoTR Fellowship was not given an award was because they wanted to wait for the next two?

I don't believe that for a second. Did people wait to vote for Godfather II because they knew a third one would be out completing the triology? In most trilogies it is the FIRST one which goes the highest. Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, etc.

It's a convenient excuse now.

Had Godfather or Star Wars or Indiana Jones already their Sequels produced at the time when they got into the theatres?
I doubt so

[Nostromo]

Originally posted by Oncle Boris
The prize for the Barbarian Invasions.

I agree with you. A fellow Québéquois, I suppose? And a fellow philosopher also! Arcand's speech was short and sweet, to say the least! And "Les triplettes de Belleville" should at least have won for the best song.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Had Godfather or Star Wars or Indiana Jones already their Sequels produced at the time when they got into the theatres?

Produced and made are different things. The Academy usually doesn't say, Oh, we'll wait and award it to the whole thing. They'll usually just say, oh, we passed this guy over last time, so we'll just give him the Oscar this year. Basically, an award out of pity. I think that's exactly what they did this year. That's why it won 11 out of 11.