Please relax! the Academy is a trade/professional association

168.122.15.124

Posted by Celluloid on March 28, 2001 at 09:28:22

In Reply to: Re: The Academy ... note - It's a tirade posted by Victor Khomenko on March 27, 2001 at 16:38:58:

I hate to see you get your nose(s) out of joint on this topic. Everyone is a film critic today! As a professional (look out! :-} )
in this field for over 30 years I have to stress that nobody but folks in Peoria think anything about these...certainly not people who MAKE movies. Some movie beancounters care, professionally, but always dissociate themselves from their commercial tasks when talking about films personally. No other art form has such a strong (read: opinionated!) and enthusiastic fan base... The films that win are voted on by other professionals who may or may not have seen the films. I worked for the Academy for both nominations and then to make sure people had access to films voted on and I can assure you many voters don't even bother seeing the films. And no one I've ever met in the industry treats them seriously as indicators of aethethic quality--its a beauty contest that the biz uses to focus attention worldwide on its products and thereby increase the profits. Period.

For those who bemoan the fact that very interesting, even artistically challenging films like "Sunshine" don't get Academy Awards. Please. If there is any serious studio money to be made, then "Sunshine" gets a nomination. As H'wood sees it, there are plenty of festivals for artistic films. The Academy Awards are for commercial features in which their own community has a financial stake. If their marketing and advertising people can convince people that there is any artistic merit in the film (and if that's the only way to put fannies in the seats...to make self-proclaimed serious filmgoers feel good about themselves for supporting a film ) then so much the better.

From reading on this site, I think a lot of people would be surprised at the esoteri/artistic film tastes of the typical H'wood celebrity or tech person seen at the ceremony--they are much more likely to see an art film than the junk awarded prizes Monday night. Which often makes the actors inordinately defensive/guilty that they don't support the ART of film--and opt instead for the best paying gig.

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - The Academy ... note - It's a tirade - RGA 22:14:27 03/26/01 (10)

Re: The Academy ... note - It's a tirade - whackamus 14:53:22 03/27/01 (8)

Re: The Academy ... note - It's a tirade - Victor Khomenko 16:38:58 03/27/01 (7)

Please relax! the Academy is a trade/professional association - Celluloid 09:28:22 03/28/01 (6)

Thanks for that! - clarkjohnsen 12:01:11 03/29/01 (3)

Ah, Clark! - Victor Khomenko 21:49:56 03/29/01 (2)

Matinees in Boston are $5.50 n/t - clarkjohnsen 12:19:15 03/30/01 (1)

Got me there, I forgot about matinees... love them too... (nt) - Victor Khomenko 12:32:57 03/30/01 (0)

Re: Please relax! the Academy is a trade/professional association - RGA 00:00:54 03/29/01 (1)

RGA: Nice post, but please, Ebert & ilk are reviewers/consumer guides NOT critics!! (you are easily as qualified as he!) - Celluloid 20:35:24 03/29/01 (0)

Re: The Academy ... note - It's a tirade - RGA 22:19:05 03/26/01 (0)

Follow Ups

Please relax! the Academy is a trade/professional association - Celluloid 09:28:22 03/28/01 (6)

Thanks for that! - clarkjohnsen 12:01:11 03/29/01 (3)

Ah, Clark! - Victor Khomenko 21:49:56 03/29/01 (2)

Matinees in Boston are $5.50 n/t - clarkjohnsen 12:19:15 03/30/01 (1)

Got me there, I forgot about matinees... love them too... (nt) - Victor Khomenko 12:32:57 03/30/01 (0)

Re: Please relax! the Academy is a trade/professional association - RGA 00:00:54 03/29/01 (1)

RGA: Nice post, but please, Ebert & ilk are reviewers/consumer guides NOT critics!! (you are easily as qualified as he!) - Celluloid 20:35:24 03/29/01 (0)

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