More AMPAS news – the Special Effects Finalists
“Australia”
“The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”
“Cloverfield”
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“The Day the Earth Stood Still”
“Hancock”
“Hellboy II: The Golden Army”
“The Incredible Hulk”
“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”
“Iron Man”
“Journey to the Center of the Earth”
“The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor”
“Quantum of Solace”
“The Spiderwick Chronicles”
In early January, the members of the Academy’s Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee, who voted the semifinalists, will narrow the list to seven.
On Thursday, January 15, all members of the Visual Effects Branch will be invited to view 15-minute excerpts from each of the seven shortlisted films. Following the screenings, the members will vote to nominate three films for final Oscar consideration.
No Response for "15 Films To Compete for Special Effects"
I think the final three will be:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Surprised at lack of Speed Racer or Wanted. What does it take for 5 finalists? Or is it ever just 3?
Where’s Speed Racer?!?
WHERE IS THE FALL?! That was some old school shit right there that looked great! My money is on “TDK” “Prince Caspian” and “Ben Button.”
Wow, ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth’? It looked like a graphic designer student project…
Benjamin Button
TDK
Hellboy II
ALT: Prince Caspian
I agree: Wanted trumpets above many of these nominees, including Iron Man and Indiana Jones
I agree with Jon Reis.
I really hope Nick Davis and company manage a nod for TDK. The effects were important and noticeable, but never dominated the film or the story. I love that the CGI was used only were necessary (two-face, the sonar images) and the rest was done with good ol’ fashioned pyro and practical effects.
BOO to the omission of Wanted. A lot of it was more cinematography than visual effects, but really, it’s not like The Dark Knight involved the visual effects of, say, Iron Man, which I didn’t think were that great or believable either, anyways. This is usually a category for the popular films with artistic detail thrown in for good measure (think of surprise winner Golden Compass), so for now I will guess Narnia joins Iron Man and Dark Knight over Indiana Jones, Button, and Australia.
I’m thinking Cloverfield (because of the way they seamlessly married the home movie/digital camera look with the monster and mass destruction effects); Iron Man (because of the suit); and either The Dark Knight, Ben Button, Hancock or Hellboy II.
Benjamin Button, TDK, and Iron Man
But where is Speed Racer and Wanted!
Tropic Thunder will win Make Up.
There, I’ve said it.
T.
TDK
TCCOBB
IM
Alt: Cloverfield
Final three:
Button
Dark Knight
Narnia
Alt from final 7: Hellboy II, Iron Man, Indiana Jones, and maybe Quantum of Solace
No Speed Racer or WALL·E… the two best of the year were ignored.
1. Iron Man
2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
3. The Day the Earth stood still
4. Indiana Jones
5. The Dark Knight
6. The Chronicles of Narnia
7. Quantum of Solace
8. The Incredible Hulk
9. Hancock
10. The Spiderwick Chronicles
11. Journey to the Center of the Earth
12. Cloverfield
13. Hellboy 2
14. The Mummy
15. Australia
I think Iron Man is a lock, Benjamin Button is almost locked and the third spot could be for either 3, 4, 5 or 6.
No Speed Racer reminds me of when Star Wars III was left out of the nominees and Narnia was let in.
So I agree with Zach’s wise comments. Narnia might just get in there. I do think that Iron Man and TDK are dead certs though.
I’d love to see Benjamin Button nominated, for recognition of a more unconventional yet effective and superb use of SFX. Also, although I dislike the film, Hancock’s SFX were seamless.
@ Kevin.
I agree. The Fall was one of the most visually astounding films of the year. I hope it does well in the other technical categories. Same goes for Hellboy 2. That Troll Market was one of the best scenes in a movie all year.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
NGNG:
Cloverfield
Hancock
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
I think these two will get in and the third spot may go to one these ones
“Cloverfield”-like someone else said blending of giant monster with handheld look
“Hellboy II: The Golden Army”-They like Del Toro maybe…
“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”-Only if they want to give Spielberg something this year
“Iron Man”-Looks great, but may get shut out cuz of The Dark Knight
The final three is hardly ever what you would instantly the think the final three should be.
I think BUTTON and IRON MAN are locks, though. I don’t think TDK will get it (BEGINS was up and didn’t get in).
It seems like lately, with this and makeup, something obscure and frankly, undeserving, will get in, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the third slot went to something like Indiana Jones.
The reviews are probably too awful for The Day the Earth Stood Still and The Mummy to get in.
It seems to me that The Fall, while looking like a visually stunning film (I haven’t seen it yet but have rented it and am about to), was never a natural fit for this category because it has no CGI effects. The Visual Effects field, unless I am wrong, was always borne of “special effects” wizardry. The official rules for the field, per the Academy website, include: “the artistry, skill and fidelity with which the visual illusions are achieved.” If this definition is taken into account, especially the word ‘illusions’, then it would seem to me that The Fall rightly was not nominated in this field as its wizardry would fall somewhere between the categories of Makeup, Cinematography, Costume Design and Art Direction
Cloverfield should get a nom, but likely won’t. I for one found it to quite impressive, especially on a low budget.
Yeah, I’ll join the chorous who don’t get the SPEED RACER snubbing. Then again, TRON was disqualified back in the day because the AMPAS thought it “cheated” by using CGI.
No, I didn’t make that up.
I say the final 3 are:
IRON MAN
HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
BENJAMIN BUTTON
SPEEDRACER is an underrated movie.
Of all the snubs this season, this has to be in the top 2.
My only horse this year is Richard Jenkins.
Also, Slumdog Millionaire was very good, but it’s not BP material, I think. I rather have TDK than this movie.
I have a terrible feeling that The Fall will end up being shut out or at least greatly snubbed. I hope that feeling is wrong as its one of my top 5 for the year so far and, in my opinion at least, greatly underrated.
I also think Iron Man is most likely a lock and that TDK, Ben Button, Cloverfield, and Hell Boy are the other strong possibilities.
Daniel I agree with you unfortunately about The Fall which should at the very least be nominated for Best Cinematography (2nd best work of the year after Australia).
Fav’s: Curious Case, The Dark Knight, Iron Man
If it were 5 nom’s: Hellboy 2 & Prince Caspian
Daniel, I agree with you that it will be criminal if The Fall gets snubbed for Best Cinematography and Art Direction. Even if you didn’t like the film as a whole you can’t argue that it was a feast for the eyes.
Yep The Fall has no CGI, its true, its all just location photography. There was a very good analysis by Tarsem that I read on RottenTomatoes in which he said no special effects were used.
Button is the most ground-breaking of all the films in terms of FX. Since we’ve always been able to make actors look older but never younger, hopefully after this we can make em younger albeit with a lack of credibility regarding the actor’s acting acheievement.
TDK would be stealing a nomination from more deserving films in FX if it gets nominated but it might get in due to its popularity.
Alright, I see that. I will take out The Dark Knight for Benjamin Button. Gotta have a Best Pic nominee in there. Also gotta have a huge hit in there and Iron Man’s FX were not much worse than Transformers (similar stylistically)…that leaves the last slot to Narnia or Jones or Dark Knight, it’s a toss-up.
That red_wine is why I dont think TDK will get a VFX nod.
Where’s the CGI in it?
That’s usually the criteria that (lazy) AMPAS voters use, which is honor usually pictures with a buttload of eyecandy.
Thus why I’m surprised SPEED RACER didn’t even make this cut. Like or hate, it, RACER has CGI up the fucking ass.
‘
Hmmm… I’m finding it hard to predict even the shortlist of seven.
Journey to the Center of the Earth is out. So is Spiderwick and The Mummy.
Australia, Hancock and Quantum of Solace seem pretty unlikely.
Gotta eliminate two more… Caspian, since the movie itself underwhelmed everyone. Aaaaand… dang this is hard. Screw it, I’m stopping there. The shortlist will include seven of these eight:
“Cloverfield”
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“The Day the Earth Stood Still”
“Hellboy II: The Golden Army”
“The Incredible Hulk”
“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”
“Iron Man”
Now, the final three, on the other hand, are easy to call: Benjamin Button, The Dark Knight, and Iron Man. Money matters, and TDK and Iron Man both did waaay too well at the box office to be left out.
Fortunately, the effects work on both is totally deserving. Two-Face seals it for TDK; I just wish Aaron Eckhart had altered his line delivery so that it really sounded like the words were coming from that ruin of a face. There is no way you can say a proper “m” sound if your mouth looks like that. That was a directing error on Nolan’s part.
And Benjamin Button will get in as the “Babe” nominee. Unlike Babe, though, I doubt it can win. TDK is gonna be tough to take down.
BTW, thank you guys for reminding me of the delicious smackdowns that AMPAS has delivered in this category in the past several years. No VFX wins for Star Wars Episodes I or II, not even a nomination for III, nor any nominations for the awful Matrix sequels… man, that’s some savory Schadenfreude. Even last year was tasty: three bad movies nominated, and they gave the Oscar to the one that didn’t earn kajillions of ill-gotten dollars. Zing!
Thinking about the Matrix sequels reminds me that Master and Commander scored a nod in this category. That should tell us that if AMPAS likes a movie enough, it doesn’t need soop-er obvious CGI to get nominated for VFX.
I’m thinking Benjamin Button, Iron Man, and probably The Dark Knight (since it’s looking more and more likely it will miss making the big categories). Narnia’s a likely replacement for TDK should it miss here.
Yep RRA, this along with the art categories is where the Ampas voters really go for eye candy. The bigger the sets, the more elaborate the costumes, the more beautiful the scenery, the more chances of winning.
The nominees will be likely films where its apparent its CGI.
I think
Button
Iron Man
Crystal Skull
INDIANA JONES should win, but the nominees will be IRON MAN, BENJAMIM BUTTON and maybe NARNIA.
I think IRON MAN is a lock for a nomination, if at least because of this one reason:
Stan Winston
The multi-Oscar winning FX maestro legend died earlier this year, after IRON MAN (which he had worked on) had hit theatres, and if the AMPAS are sympathetic about Ledger, they’ll love the sight of Winston winning yet another prize from the grave, as a basic tribute to his entire career of badass effects.
Benjamin Buttom is taking this home, I think. They tend to pick up the most “artistic” visual effects (remember Babe or What Dreams May Come… also, Forrest Gump is another precedent of why Buttom might win, the BP nom will help a lot).
For the other two spots, a hard fight. One of these might be close but left out: The Dark Knight, Cloverfield (SHOULD be nominated and even win!) or Iron Man. Given how Marvel comics adaptations – save Spiderman – fare at the Oscars, I think Iron Man won’t be nominated in this cathegory.
So…
1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttom
2. The Dark Knight – even if I feel it shouldn’t be nomm’d at this cathegory.
3. Cloverfield
4. Iron Man
5. Hancock
6. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
7. Indiana Jones
8. Quantum of Solace
… even thought I don’t really think ANY of the contenders but the 6 first mentioned stand a chance.
Plus, since 1982 – I stopped checking at that ceremony – if a Visual Effects nominee was a Best Picture nominee, it would win: ET, Forrest Gump, Babe (also Apollo XIII was nom’d at both), Titanic, Gladiator, the 3 Lord of the Rings movies… If The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttom is nom’d at both and The Dark Knight isn’t… you know the drill already.
Most Marvel adaptations haven’t torn up the box office the way Spidey and Iron Man did, though.
It’s a shame “Speed Racer” wasn’t on the list, the special effects from that film were spectacular. I assume Warner Bros. is just not giving it a chance after it flopped at the box office. (I mean, even the DVD release flopped thanks to poor support!)
And was it the right choice to approve the idea of “Journey 3D” actually appearing on the list? The whole movie was like a video game-esqe bastardisation of the Jules Verne novel (which has already spawned several adaptations, including a 1959 Cinemascoped version produced by Fox.)
I’m not too sure on “Australia”, “The Mummy”, “Quantam of Solace”, and “Prince Caspian”,
“Spiderwick”’s, “The Day the Earth Stood Still”’s, and “Hancock”’s effects were good enough to save their actual movies,
“Hellboy II” and “Benjamin Button” sound like they would qualify for make up or costumes,
“Hulk”, “The Dark Knight”, and “Iron Man” are superhero movies, so it’s obvious one of the big three would make it on the three choices,
I thought “Cloverfield”’s effects were spectacular for a $20 million dollared feature,
and there could be a chance for “Indiana Jones” to make it on.
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