Short Take On The Shorts

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anonymous1980
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Re: Short Take On The Shorts

Post by anonymous1980 »

I saw three of the nominated Documentary Shorts.

I'd be very surprised if Extremis won. The film is not bad. It's quite compelling and thought-provoking. But it's such a DOWNER (all caps). It's about a doctor discussing end of life management with her patients. It's probably gonna depress a lot of the more older members of the Academy.

4.1 Miles is eye-opening and harrowing. It's about a man working as a coast guard in a tiny Greek island rescuing refugees from Afghanistan. It's very relevant and could win votes for that alone. This one has a shot. But I felt it's a tad too short. It could have used a bit more fleshing out.

But I do think the safe money (even without seeing the other two) is indeed The White Helmets. In 40 minutes, the film has everything. It will make you mad, it's gripping, it's shocking. It will make you sad. Without spoiling it, the film has a really touching and moving scene that will clinch it the Oscar to anyone who has seen it. I highly recommend this doc even if it wasn't in the running for the Oscar.
Mister Tee
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Re: Short Take On The Shorts

Post by Mister Tee »

The Original BJ wrote:Both the live action and animated (save Piper) are available in packages on iTunes. (The docs are not available except in theaters).

Do you use iTunes? If you go to the iTunes Store and search something like "Oscar shorts 2017" both packages should come up. They are available to purchase in HD (for a higher cost) and Standard Definition (what I bought.) (Is this in enough detail?)
Thanks, yes -- I learned how to order from iTunes when you pointed me to The Bold and the Brave there.

I'll try to squeeze them in sometime today.
dws1982
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Re: Short Take On The Shorts

Post by dws1982 »

I know that, at a minimum, the Live Action Short nominees are available for purchase (HD only) on Amazon Video for $19.99. Not sure about Animated Shorts or Docs.

Amazon has been my lifesaver on doing some catch-up. Too bad some that I either missed (like Allied) or never came to my town (like Jackie) are only available for purchase, not for rental, so I won't get to catch them before the Oscars.
The Original BJ
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Re: Short Take On The Shorts

Post by The Original BJ »

It turns out, although the doc shorts are not available as part of a package (i.e. if you want to see ALL of them, you have to see them in theaters), four of them are in fact online.

The White Helmets and Extremis are both available to stream on Netflix. (So you have to have the Netflix streaming option).

4.1 Miles is available to watch on The New York Times's website.

Joe's Violin is available to watch on The New Yorker's website.

Watani: My Homeland is the only one unavailable to see except in theaters.
The Original BJ
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Re: Short Take On The Shorts

Post by The Original BJ »

Both the live action and animated (save Piper) are available in packages on iTunes. (The docs are not available except in theaters).

Do you use iTunes? If you go to the iTunes Store and search something like "Oscar shorts 2017" both packages should come up. They are available to purchase in HD (for a higher cost) and Standard Definition (what I bought.) (Is this in enough detail?)
Mister Tee
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Re: Short Take On The Shorts

Post by Mister Tee »

Is there a convenient place to watch the shorts this year? The past two seasons, Time Warner has had them On Demand, and I've become used to seeing them before the Oscars, rather than blind-picking. But this year they seem to be passing on it.

Remember, I'm still computer-unsavvy, so be very explicit with any directions.
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Short Take On The Shorts

Post by Greg »

Here are my rankings and short reviews of the short versions (trailers I watched on the oscar.go.com web site) of the films nominated for Live Action Short, Documentary Short, and Animated Short.

Four general remarks:
1: It appears the best documentaries and animated films are at least somewhat delving into the territory of live action dramatic films.
2: The Documentaries had a decidedly Syria emphasis.
3: Many of the Live Action and Animated Shorts had trailers too short to evaluate.
4: That web site forced me to spend nearly as much time watching the ads for the trailers as the trailers themselves. Damn you UnitedHealthcare
and Cadillac Escalade.

Live Action Short:
1: Silent Nights - Looks like an effective mixture of pathos and suspense.
2: La Femme et la TGV - Intrigued as to whether it is more romantic or thrilling.
NA: Ennemis Interciers - Trailer too short.
NA: Sing - Trailer too short.
NA: Timecode - Trailer too short.

Documentary Short:
1: The White Helmets - Tells the stories of volunteer first responders in Syria as suspensefully and movingly as you would expect from a
dramatic film.
2: Watani: My Homeland - A fascinating juxtaposition of how a young girl transitions from terror to loneliness as she escapes Syria for
Germany.
3: 4.1 Miles - A heart-pounding expose on those unprepared to deal with a flood of refugees.
4: Extremis - Contemplative and moving examination of terminal illness.
5: Joe's Violin - A somewhat new take on the Holocaust theme by focusing on one musical instrument.

Animated Short:
1: Piper - Trailer too short to indicate enough of story, but, animation looks astoundingly like live action.
2: Borrowed Time - Trailer too short to indicate enough of story, but, animation looks surprisingly like live action.
3: Pear Cider and Cigarettes - Looks like a trite animated version of film noir.
NA: Blind Vaysha - Trailer too short.
NA: Pearl - Trailer too short.
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