Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Hannah Montana Oscar Contender? Academy Awards Expands Best Picture Nominees To Ten


The Academy Awards people announced today they were going to expand the field of Best Picture nominees from the current five all the way to ten. I think the reason for doing it is so more people will watch the show. By my calculations it will also increase the length of the show from 6 hours to about 3 days.

There are years where I think a movie should have been nominated and wasn't, but there are also years where I am stunned they could even find five nominees to put into the category. I think the Academy is hoping that by diluting the nominees to such an extent that a movie like Hannah Montana has a chance. No, I'm serious. Awful movie, but I know that is what they are hoping. That way they can invite someone like Miley Cyrus and that attracts a bunch of 12 year olds who are now suddenly wanting to watch the show with mom and dad and attracts new advertisers and gets people discussing why it is such an awful idea to make the Academy Awards look like the MTV Movie Awards.

Last year if they had expanded the field, Dark Knight probably would have made the list. It sucks that it didn't make the field, but if it had, what difference would it have made, right? Well, here is the thing. When you are voting in that first round you are just coming up with the five that get the most votes and those are your nominees. Then there is another round of voting where the winner is determined. So, all of the people who voted for something in the first round who didn't get one of their picks nominated pick something else. They may or may not have seen any of the five movies and so get influenced by the screeners they receive or ads in the trade magazines. But, if there are ten movies, the chances they have seen a movie like Dark Knight already is going to influence their choice and might not be as influenced by screeners and ads and just vote for Dark Knight.

I do know that ten movies is going to lead to some upsets and some movies which clearly don't belong. I would not be shocked at all if one of the ten movies nominated is also nominated for a Razzie.

22 comments:

Pookie said...

the oscars org has officially jumped the shark.

*sigh*

btw, lol @ "it will also increase the length of the show from 6 hours to about 3 days."!

Sinjin said...

Hannah Montana as an Oscar nominee?? First sign of the Apocalypse!

K said...

I have trouble finding more than three movies in a whole year that I think are worth schlepping to a theater and paying $11.00 (plus $27 for a bag of Red Vines and a small Coke) to see. Good luck, old Oscar voters. I guess whoever has the biggest promotion budget wins from now on.

Little Miss Smoke and Mirrors said...

Actually if you go back, there didn't used to be a 5-film limit.

In 1934, for example, 11 films were nominated. Not sure when the field was limited to 5.

http://www.filmsite.org/aa34.html

Little Baby Jade said...

not a good idea.

bionic bunny! said...

does this mean they will also lower the academy membership dues?
'cuz we really, REALLY want to be members!

Audrey said...

I'm sure the movie studios are all for it. Now even more movies can be billed as "Academy Award Nominated..."

Anonymous said...

Audrey nailed it. That's why their doing it, and unfortunately it will only water down the impact of "Academy Award Nominee".

Cheryl said...

Lame, but I get it. Most years I have seen very few of the nominated movies. I stopped watching years ago because I can get a wrap-up on the internet.

notachance said...

Wouldn't it be a better idea to have more than one Best Picture category? I just don't think putting a serious drama and a comedy in the same category is a fair contest for "best". They could both be best pictures in their own right. There are so many movies anymore and we are still trying to squeeze them all into the same categories that have been around forever. Expanding the quantity isn't evolving if you ask me.

captivagrl said...

Adding one more is ok, but doubling it to 10? No.

fairylights said...

This makes no sense at all to me, except in the marketing sense. I rarely agree with the Academy as it is, I doubt adding 5 more nominees is going to help.

nancer said...

the movie biz is dead. they make shitty movies. they can't even come up with 5 good enough to nominate so why not make it 10 and just throw in every damn remake and sequel and see what sticks?

jax said...

By my calculations it will also increase the length of the show from 6 hours to about 3 days.

lol and we fools wil be sitting through all freakin 3 days.

sunnyside1213 said...

I agree with notachance. More catagories.

shakey said...

More categories could work, but we'd still be seeing bad movies nominated. Could you imagine if Norbit was nominated as Best Comedy? I think not.

ardleighstreet said...

Can you think of 10 movies that deserved an Oscar?

I can't believe that having 10 movies up for best is a plus.
Next it will expand to 10 actor/actresses etc...
No thanks.

Unknown said...

Every year people complain that their favorite film wasn't even Oscar nominated because it was animated, an actioner, a docu, a comedy, etc. Maybe this slight change will open up the Best Picture category to more popular and possibly less/more serious films.

TinselSass said...

RE: Little Miss Smoke and Mirrors... From the Academy's press release announcing this BRAND DIMINISHING EFING STUPID CHANGE:

For more than a decade during the Academy’s earlier years, the Best Picture category welcomed more than five films; for nine years there were 10 nominees. The 16th Academy Awards (1943) was the last year to include a field of that size; “Casablanca” was named Best Picture. (In 1931/32, there were eight nominees and in 1934 and 1935 there were 12 nominees.)

Katja said...

pookie NFS!
I have no interest in watching idiots make millions of dollars while people who rely on foodbanks work 50-60 hours a week.

why I'm on this site & donated suddenly makes no sense to me.

Ayesha said...

Audrey is right. Another motive is that there are plenty of people who will break their necks to make sure they see all the nominated films. More revenue for the film companies.

westward ho said...

*scuffs toe, looks around nervously* um, i kinda like the idea. lol. *runs like hell*

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