Tuesday, January 30, 2007

The Academy Awards

I remember staying up as a kid to see if Rocky would win the Academy Award. Life imitated art when Sylvester Stallone didn't win Best Actor, but his screenplay went the distance and won Best Picture. I was 11.
Then I grew up and realized that some very shitty movies win Academy Awards, even some shitty actors: Titanic, Gladiator, Platoon, The Piano, Marissa Tomei, George Clooney, Leonardo Dicaprio, Julia Roberts, Halle Berry, Roberto Benigni, Michael Douglas. What's worse The Academy Awards are self awarded. That would be like the baristas at your local coffee shop getting together every year and awarding each other queer little statuettes for best latte by a non-chain female barista, non caffeinated.
Trey Parker co-creator of South Park puts it pretty well into perspective, hat tip Kim du Toit:

“People wonder why we rip on celebrities, when all around there are pages of shit glorifying celebrities like Winona Ryder. And celebrities view themselves as the fucking Mozarts of their time. Even fucking Ray Romano thinks hes an enlightened individual. These people all think they’re enlightened artists and therefore speak for the country. But I haven’t met one celebrity who wasn’t a little bit fucked up. Actors and actresses are the worst, because they’re just fucking monkeys. Half the people in this country could do what they do but for some reason they think their opinion matters.”

6 comments:

Unknown said...

I would argue that Platoon is still one of the better films about Vietnam if a little heavy handed and that Clooney and Dicaprio are solid actors. Dicaprio still coming into his own but his role in Gilbert Grape alone is worth remembering. I am more annoyed when blatant and inane "message" films like Crash win Best Picture...ugh.

El Duderino said...

Platoon wasn't horrible, but best picture? I admit I just don't like Dicaprio, who plays a retarded person exceedingly well, but then again who can't? George Cloony can not act. It shocks me that you defend him. He can act slightly better than Keanu Reeves and Brad Pitt. Faint praise indeed.

Unknown said...

Clooney is solid many films... I think his politics cloud your opinion.

El Duderino said...

Wrong, search this blog to see what I have to say about Sean Penn. Clooney can't act. Just because you have a man crush on him doesn't mean he's talented.

Unknown said...

De gustibus non est disputandum. I would say that the preponderance of evidence is on Mr. Clooney's side. Movies such as Out of Sight, Confessions of a Dangerious Mind, or the Coen Brothers Oh Brother & Intolerable Cruelty?...not to mention with Tarantino in From Dusk til Dawn. You are saying he couldnt or didn't act in any of those? Not to mention he was pretty good on E.R. I look forward to seeing the Good German as well. He can definitely act, uncommon in movie stars.

Anonymous said...

I agree Clooney can't act. Not worth wasting another word on the subject..