One of the smartest things someone ever did was put Mark Harris in front an Oscar blog to write up the season. Like Damien Bona, Harris’ writing on the Oscars combines both a knowledge of the awards themselves, with a passion for the topic. That makes him a compelling read and a bit of a force to be reckoned with. I mean, let’s face it, he’s not exactly the train wreck that we here at Awards Daily are — he’s respectable and stuff. Here he is on his Oscarmetrics column ruminating on the fallout of the Ratnergate:
Meanwhile, as they search for a producer, I’m hoping that the choice is someone who can bring new ideas to the show while respecting its virtues — which at the telecast’s infrequent best have included a sense of history and tradition, sentiment, humor, surprise, and even taste. Personally, I wish they’d call Bill Condon and Laurence Mark, who produced the 2009 show, the best of the last decade (Condon, as the director of Dreamgirls, also has an Eddie Murphy connection, and as the director of Breaking Dawn, could probably placate those at the network who think that the show would be just super-awesome if only movies like Breaking Dawn could win Best Picture). Deadline’s Mike Fleming reports that Harvey Weinstein has floated the idea of Lorne Michaels and Tina Fey, which would also be an interesting and even exciting choice.
Meanwhile, the folks at Funny or Die take a muggle’s stand against what they think is a good parody of Leo and J. Edgar. The problem is that they wrongly cast Leo as the guy who wants to win an Oscar at all costs. To me it illustrates how much the snarky chatter online has it in for Eastwood and this film. It would have been funnier to me if it had been right. At any rate, see for yourself.
Kris Tapley reports on Stan Lee honored for a Lifetime Achievement award by the Producers Guild.
Aaron Sorkin profiles David Fincher for Vanity Fair telling us what we already knew about him – he was the last person who cared about losing the Oscar to Tom Hooper except for the fact that people kept wanting to console him. Fincher was never the one who wanted to win. Some of us thought he deserved to, is all.
Hello,
About this thing, I’m pretty sure Fincher cares about the Oscars. I saw a video of him in 2009 just after Button gets 13 noms. He said “I’m little nervous” with a smile. When you don’t care, you don’t say that 🙂
I’m remember too his attitude at the ceremony. Sure hes was nervous. He wanted to win.
But I guess, this year, he doesn’t understand why a movie like The social Network gets lot of glory. He said that he doesn’t understand the critics. Maybe he doesn’t wanted to win for a movie that he doesn’t consider like his best movie. Hope he’ll win this year…
I remember reading a story that he was furious when Benjamin Button largely struck out. Maybe he’d stopped caring by the time The Social Network rolled around, but I’m pretty sure Fincher isn’t just way too classy for the Oscars.
Fincher looks like my guitar teacher from last year.
Not that it matters to him, but I think Fincher is the best in the business, right now. Tight, sharp, innovative but neither showy nor self-indulgent. I’m plowing through the book TGWTDT right now, and I have to confess that the only thing that’s motivatiing me, chapter to chapter, is the fact that Fincher is directing and I’m trying to imagine as I go along what he’s going to do with it.
that Parody is actually great because it’s true. Dicaprio believes he can play anybody in the world, yet he makes no effort to actually transform in these roles. It’s the same mannerisms presented in a different context. The most effort he makes in a role, is sometimes creating a strained and mechanical, obnoxious accent, which still resembles his natural way of speaking.
I would LOVE to get a chance to read Fincher’s speech.
red_wine,
What about Seven? That film is full of humanity and empathy towards Somerset and Mills.
Otherwise, why show up at the Oscars, if you don’t care about it? Makes no sense.
If that is his attitude he should just stay away like Woody Allen…which I would have a lot of respect for, actually. But having it both ways? Embracing the Oscars and not caring one bit…nah!
ah, c’mon! every director would be happy to win the oscar for his work. I’m sure Finchers ego is big enough, he knows he is a good filmmaker, so he can do without it. But I bet he would be very happy to win. 😉
red_wine,
I don’t know what to say except that you’re wrong about the “no humanity”, “lack of empathy” thing. His films are full of humanity and empathy, especially his last three. Give an example, maybe?
Sounds like the same argument people used to use against Kubrick.
It was supposed to say “I look forward” not “He look forward” above.
I’m with Harris, let’s have a smarter Oscar show, not a stupider one.
The BAFTAs can do it despite a Elmer Fudd-sounding host, why can’t Hollywood?
I got to meet Mark Harris about two years ago when he gave a very funny and smart lecture on film and popular culture at Wesleyan. I told him how much I admired his book and he was genuinely pleased to hear that. He always look forward to his EW columns and now the ones at Grantland.
Fincher should win one when he deserves one.
I think if the high technical mastery is coupled with atleast some humanity, Fincher could be one of the greatest directors of our time (no I don’t think he already is one of them).
His work lacks empathy and while technically good, its not balls out auteur dazzling. So for me he falls in between, neither here nor there.
The “Funny or Die” video illustrates my biggest problem with showbiz “comedy” and even the journalism… they’d rather be “cool” than smart. They attach themselves to a stereotype of the Oscars that barely existed in the 80s and 90s and is essentially gone now. “Actors want Oscars and playing Gay can get you an Oscar. That’s funny, clever and original, right?” Fucking hell. For another terrible oscar parody you should watch Cracked’s “Trailer for Every Oscar-Winning Movie Ever”. A much smarter Oscar-film parody from Funny Or Die, on the other hand, is their fake trailer for “Weird: the Al Yankovic Story”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUXnqhqFYJc
Oh god, I love that pic! I smile every time I see a David Fincher pic 😀 I have a man crush on him :O
I wish Damien Bona would write another Inside Oscar book!!