The Hopefuls

[Penelope]

I know Meryl Streep is being pronounced a possibility for The Devil Wears Prada, but I would be somewhat disappointed if that were to occur. She's fine in the film, if more mannered than usual (if that's possible), though she certainly knows how to deliver a withering stare. The bigger problem for me is that it's a borderline Lead/Supporting performance: 1) I'm sure (or hopeful) that more deserving Lead performances will come along and I hate for one of them to be bumped by Her Majesty Meryl; 2) if they go Supporting, one of the performances that will likely get shamefully bumped is Prada co-star Emily Blunt, who provides the kind of classic comic Supporting turn that the category was created for.

[Hollywood Z]

Eragon, Pirates of the Caribbean and Superman Returns seem like the likeliest contenders for visual effects this year, if Eragon only because it has the Narnia comparison (well-liked novel-based fantasy).

After seeing Superman Returns, I'm convinced that it will be a lock for sound, sound effects and visual effects this year, maybe even winning visual effects. Every other catagory it pretty much has a nil chance in.

[dreaMaker]

I think that the visual FX nominations predictions are pretty bad... Eragon and The Fountain? No way! Even X-men doesn't seem like a possibility...

Superman and Pirates instead.

[Hustler]

LOL that I'm the one accused of blowing it out of proportion, or the one who turned it into a "slugfest".

I think that you misunderstood my comment. I didn´t accuse you precisely. I was implying just the opposite.

[Nik]

I just love being thrown into conversations in a negative context.

lol, aww.

Well honey with you, the negative is implied.

[99-1100896887]

The review for Superman came out today in our paper--2 1/2 stars. Great notices for Spacey and, especially, Parker Posey. IMO Posey is a real up-and-comer: I loved her in Waiting For Guffman, and Best In Show, and I am glad she's doing something else notable besides Guest's films.
Also do not see a mention anywhere of For Your Consideration, Guest's next film, due in Oct. or Nov.

[criddic3]

Sonic, you're treating this like a criddic3 debate with scores and scores of quoted documentation to support what, in the end, is a pretty insignificant argument.

I just love being thrown into conversations in a negative context.

[flipp525]

Had Mr. Bush arrived to this board?

This one's just too easy. I think the sanctified voice of George W. Bush has been alive and well on this board for some time now.

By the way, for what it's worth, I think this whole thread should be deleted and started over again. I'm completely and utterly bored with the direction it's gone.

A very important lesson to learn about interacting in cyberspace, everyone: 1) Learn to ignore; 2) Let it go; 3) Move on. You don't have to respond to every single little comment. Sometimes it's better to just chalk it up to miscommunication and venture off in another direction.

It's one of the reasons I stopped responding to criddic3 posts. It was just so undeniably futile and blood pressure-raising that I just decided to either skip his posts entirely or just read, laugh at them, and move on.

[Sonic Youth]

I'm going to get really angry soon. LOL that I'm the one accused of blowing it out of proportion, or the one who turned it into a "slugfest".

I said from the outset that it was a very unlikely possibility, but something to keep our eye on in case it's a huge blockbuster, and I've never wavered from that beyond-tepid statement. That's hardly a "second coming" prediction.

Everyone else found this idea such an alluring topic of discussion, they threw in all sorts of statistics, history and theory, and all talking to each other. I jumped into the fray late. And on top of that, I purposely provided examples (like DiCaprio in Titanic) that weakened my initial premise, which I guess is very flexible of me, no? I understand that when one poster takes a lone position, it skews everyone else's perspective on that poster's dedication to his suggestions and the weight he gives his own prediction. But before everyone is left with the wrong impression, please focus on what I actually said. Not on how everyone responded cumulatively to me, thank you.

I didn't really MEAN it when I apologized for any personal slights with my Batman Begins comment (which is what this is all about, I believe), because it obviously wasn't a personal attack. I was just trying to end the discussion on a positive note and move on. Why can it not end already?

I did make a very interesting discovery, though. On Rotten Tomatoes, I see the Cream of the Crop rating for Batman Begins is only 63%. Gee, not exactly the critics' darling it's always made out to be. Now excuse me while I climb my tree, and wait for more sacred ground to drop another coconut on.

[MovieWes]

It's been a month or so since I last posted, so I'm gonna drop I quick line and then scram.

Sonic, do you remember last year when I had my own out-of-left-field prediction and tried to convince everyone that The Chronicles of Narnia was going to be the second coming of fantasy and continue to reap the success enjoyed byThe Lord of the Rings? I threw out all sorts of stats and tried to cover every criticism with more stats. And by the time the Oscars were finally handed out, all it did was come away with only one win from three nominations (and for nothing more than makeup). I was harping on about that movie for nearly a year, and hopefully I came out with my dignity intact, but boy was I wrong. The point I'm trying to make is... listen to reason, lol.

I'd love to join you in predicting Brandon Routh for a best actor nomination, but somehow I don't think it's going to happen. I'd say that Eva Marie Saint probably has a better shot than Routh, and I don't think that even she's got a realistic chance.

And by the way, I think that Batman Begins is, without a doubt, the greatest superhero movie of all-time. But then again, I was obsessive in my love for Batman when I was a kid, so maybe I'm a bit biased. (On the flip side, however, I think that Batman & Robin is not only the worst superhero movie ever made, but one of the worst movies ever made. Period.)

I think that one day down the road, there will be a superhero movie that gets nominated for best picture/best director/best actor, etc., but I don't think that it's going to be anytime soon. But I guess it's bound to happen one of these days.

[Hustler]

Alright, alright, it was just meant to be a tossed-off, deliberately out-of-context comment. I apologize if anybody took it personally. None of my comments about any film are supposed to be meant as personal attacks,

First of all, I can´t understand why in an open board like this could someone turn a simple comment that express a free opinion into a personal attack. On the other hand I think that no one has the right to limit the free association that a respectful board implies. Had Mr. Bush arrived to this board?

[VanHelsing]

oscarguy, i see that you have toby jones as a possibility for infamous but no sandra bullock.

i don't see jones having any chance at all considering they've already awarded hoffman for the very same role. in fact, i feel that infamous will be totally overlooked due to capote's success last year.

but if they do want to be fair to infamous as well, i think bullock and daniel craig have better chances of being nominated since their predecessors lost and didn't get nominated respectively.

[VanHelsing]

i didn't like batman begins. maybe because there was no villainess such as uma thurman (poison ivy) and michelle pfeiffer (catwoman). lol

it would be a great idea to see brandon routh oscar-nominated but i don't think it will happen at all cause oscar voters are kinda boring.

but then again, it would be an excellent idea to see sandra bullock nominated for the lake house imo. lol

[Sonic Youth]

Getting this back on topic...

In the category of more unlikely Best Actor contenders, Variety gave a pretty terrific review to a comedy crime caper called "Lies and Alibis". If the film breaks through, perhaps Steve Coogan has a shot, albeit for the most competitive of categories.

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117930883?categoryid=31&cs=1

[Sonic Youth]

Alright, alright, it was just meant to be a tossed-off, deliberately out-of-context comment. I apologize if anybody took it personally. None of my comments about any film are supposed to be meant as personal attacks, unless I deliberately mock a films fans or the critical community en masse which is something I try not to do.

If you want to see my critical observations of the film, I'm sure I have some in last year's Batman Begin's thread tucked away somewhere on the board.

Savage Malick all you want. I was disillusioned with The New World, myself.

Done? Done.

(I'm a beaten man.)