Thursday, February 27, 2014

Academy Award Blind Item - Which Voter Is This?

The Hollywood Reporter ran this article and I think everyone wishes they knew who it was. All that is known is that he is a long time Academy voting member who is a director and is brutally honest.

To read the entire thing, click here.

➻ BEST ACTRESS
Blanchett has to win this. Bullock is the weak link -- she's just OK. For Streep, whom I love, this is a bottom-drawer performance. Dench is a terrific actress, and she's very good in this film. Adams I love. But you have to vote for who's truly the best, and to me, Blanchett -- whom I'm normally not that wild about, with the exception of Bandits -- is that. She was just a revelation; she was just spectacular.
MY PICK: Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)

➻ BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Everyone was at least very good, but Cooper was the best. I think this is the best he's been in anything. If he wasn't in the category, I'd probably end up voting for Jonah Hill, only because I found him so funny. Jared Leto was good and will win, but he's getting tremendous points because of the person he's playing more than the way he played it, which is as close to pandering as you can get.
MY PICK: Bradley Cooper (American Hustle)

➻ BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Lawrence and Hawkins are the two obvious best of the five. Hawkins had a difficult part -- it's not an attractive role, and she's intentionally overshadowed constantly by Blanchett, but she registers strongly in each scene she's in. Jennifer was even better -- she has that extra level of excitement in every scene she's in. She just dazzles; she's always doing something original and bold and surprising and believable. June Squibb was fine. Julia Roberts was horrendous. And Lupita was very good, but a lot of the commotion over her is attributable to people's tremendous empathy with and sympathy for the role she's playing.
MY PICK: Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle)




64 comments:

  1. David O. Russell.

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  2. Yeah, right? Sure he picks the people from his movie!

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  3. It's all opinions isnt it? Why would you particularly care who it was - apart from the fact this person presumably gets to vote, his opinion is no more valid than mine.

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  4. I can't stand Sandra Bullocks. I have never enjoyed any movie she was in...

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  5. He's a director out of, like, 150 other eligible voting directors.

    With that, it sounds like Joe Pytka to me.

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  6. I want to know what he thinks about best actor though! I would have to agree Cooper was quite exceptional. But Leto for the win!

    I still haven't seen Wolf of Wall Street. Is Leo Oscar worthy in this role?

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  7. i think i'm the only person on the planet that didn't like American Hustle.

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  8. Hey guys!

    I'm rooting for Jared Leto.

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  9. It's either David ORussell or his grumpy, biased dad. American Hustle is so over-rated.

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  10. This fella certainly has a hard-on for American Hustle.

    Personally, I thought that movie was just OK. I was confused at the the slapped-together-quickly ending, too. Entertaining? Yes. Best picture? Hell no.

    Obviously, this was written by a man because the costumes weren't realistic in any way. They were cartoons.

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  11. Could be any old timer. Francis Ford Coppola is pretty outspoken, though doesn't live in LA. Peter Weir? Not sure he's a member. Roman (definitely not in town)? Who knows, I enjoyed the story, though.

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  12. Good morning, Bruce.

    Is your Vitamix still broken? You know I didn't break it, right?

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    1. Hi Rob! Khloe came over last night and figured it out. I don't know what I'd do without her help!

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  13. How is any of this scandalous

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  14. Who is known for being cranky though?

    I did not see Gravity but I just heard that in addition to her $20 million initial fee for Gravity, Bullock got another $50 million.

    Smart girl for a meh actress.

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  15. Sounds like David O Russell wrote that.

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  16. Catsup, I would think of Coppola being grumpy he was grumpy in that documentary about Seduced and Abandoned.

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  17. I take it back the Jewish references = Jewish director but yeah someone really really loves American Hustle LOL.

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  18. Wiglet - I like your Pytka guess!

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    1. @candyland thanks! Just you and I on that guess though.

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  19. I'm guessing Paul Mazursky...

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  20. Am I the only one who thinks Jennifer Lawrence is totes overrated?

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    1. @ bb nope add me to that list.

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    2. Add me, too. All the hype over that dance/ballet movie with BCoop where they were both mentally ill. Utter crap on her part.

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    3. Ok so I like Silver Lining Playbook so now I can't hate BCoop or JLaw...I also have a soft spot for Reese and Goop, so it's a good thing I don't get to vote. Now that I have confessed I'm guessing... Hollywood Dime.. for the win!

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  21. Over 50-55. White, old school liberal. Jewish. Not proficient with any tech products since Windows 95. Straight, slightly-moderately misogynistic, whiff of white privilege.

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  22. di---thats almost everyone in Hwood dahlin

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  23. I think it's a baby boomer on the old side. Lives in NYC, or raised there.

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  24. I think the director is that mouth-piece Kevin Smith

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  25. @Derek Harvey You're not all wrong there, lol. But I recognize the speech and wording and the age/tech thing and general comments that this dude is very familiar to me.

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  26. No. Kevin doesn't talk like this. He's also my age. You have to look at the descriptive words and the things he dismisses and lauds. There's a reason he loves American Hustle, guys. His heydey. I think it was spent in NYC.

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  27. I like the Paul Mazursky guess. What about James Toback? Mel Gibson? He's a director...

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  28. Thank you Derek! To me, a good actor or actress is when I forget their real name/character in a movie. And for Sandra, I always know it is her--she just never disappears into a role. I do think Jennifer Lawrence becomes her role, such as in the Hunger Games. She was a bit over the top in American Hustle, but boy did she light up the screen.

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  29. I love Jlaw and I know not everyone does. But agreed L'auteur, she was incandescent in AH.

    Thank goodness there are a lot of voters because the only winner from this guys list would be American Hustle..Anyone know what he meant about the rules for the best song?

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  30. @Sherry:

    http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=39982

    (Sorry don't know how to make it clicky)

    Alone Yet Not Alone was pulled

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  31. @jessi Just saw wolf of wall st the other night, and Leo was phenomenal! Most critics are saying it's McCounahey vs. Leo as the front runners. Didn't see Dallas buyers club though. This is Leo's 5th nom he deserves it!

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  32. Why o why would anyone vote for jonh turd hill. Hes not funny anymore, only got the role and more than likely the nomination cause of leo and is a smug diva jerk. Such a tool.j

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  33. Adversarial Stylometry would suggest looking for distinctive words or phrases used in this specific interview, which may have been used in other previous interviews where the speaker wasn't anonymous. "Hokum" and "swine" and "quasi-" stood out for me. "Hokum" was used twice. Anyone with access to a good, professional-grade PAO (Periodicals Archive Online) might be able to find another interview with this director using the same words.

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  34. @Jessi He wants Christian Bale to win.

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  35. Oh whoops, missed that click here to read the entire thing. : ) Thanks @Karen!!!

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  36. "And Lupita was very good, but a lot of the commotion over her is attributable to people's tremendous empathy with and sympathy for the role she's playing."

    Isn't that what an actor is SUPPOSED to do? Make you believe and empathize?

    I don't care how powerful he is, this guy is a moron.

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  37. Enjoyed reading this. Agree MM should win based on True Detectives alone! Thought that was a very interesting comment and bet others feel the same.

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  38. Totally agree with the overhype of American Hustle, it was an entertaining movie but Oscar worthy for Adams and Lawrence, I didn't think so.

    Leo was excellent in Wolf of Wall Street, it was based on actual events, I would love to know who the players were, although now they are old, lol.

    I loved the movies Gravity, Lone Survivor, not an Oscar movie for Wahlburg but it was a really good movie and Captain Phillips was pretty good too.

    I love Cate Blanchett but would never go to a Woody Allen movie.

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  39. Not Kevin Smith. Full article says he has a son, KS has a daughter....

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  40. I love this director! I am far too pleased to hear someone say that Julia is a one dimensional poser.

    I've been saying the same thing for too long and threw my remote at the tv when she won her oscar over Ellen Burnstyn and made her horse laugh. You just know she made a deal with Benjamin Bratt to delay the break up to avoid a hint of negative press.

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    1. My somewhat irrational hate for Julia Roberts runs deep... her laugh, her teeth, the way she sings along to Prince in the bath.... mumble mumble. ..one dimensional...

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  41. I summed up American Hustle as a character study in love with its characters. (Screw moving the story along, let's watch these actors act!) Too long...

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  42. Blanchett was truly phenomenal in Blue Jasmine. Just an incredible film. I'm rooting for her. She truly becomes and disappears into her characters. She is just fabulous. Love watching her act.

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    1. +1 and JLaw too. Love them both

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  43. I loved Silver Linings but didn't think Jlaw was Oscar worthy in it.

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  44. BRAVO for what he said about Lupita.
    Sympathy for a character shouldn't mean - Instant Oscar!

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  45. Hollywood Reporter has another brutally honest Oscar ballot up. Because what we need are more blinds about sound editors.

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  46. "Brutally honest"? What the f word do you call "politically correct"? This critics are totally normal, excepting the JR one.

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    1. @KnobJockey That was the headline: "Brutally Honest Oscar Ballot." (Shrugs)

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  47. In the pic, Julia Roberts looks like a man, man!

    Oh, and what about George Lucas?

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  48. Just read the whole thing, and whoever it is, the guy is a self-proclaimed friend of Woody Allen, so his judgement on anything has become immediately irrelevant.
    This tool should go eat a rotten dick, along with all the other Woody Allen defenders.

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  49. Ooh, Kevin Smith you're SUCHA bitch!

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  50. Michael K from Dlisted seems convinced this was Clint Eastwood.

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  51. The minute I read all the praise for Blanchett I knew the guy was a Woody Allen backer.

    I saw Silver Linings Playbook and spent the whole movie waiting for the greatness to jump out at me. That's why I don't want to or plan to see American Hustle unless there's nothing to watch one weekend and it's on Netflix.

    I agree with the comment upthread. Lupita did what an actor is supposed to do. This clown gave all the reasons why she should win.

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  52. American Hustle is/was overrated.

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  53. This was John Milius

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