Comments on: Anvil! The Story of Anvil Among Academy Award Documentary Snubs http://www.filmjunk.com/2009/11/19/anvil-the-story-of-anvil-among-academy-award-documentary-snubs/ Blog and Podcast Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:14:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Mahotoe http://www.filmjunk.com/2009/11/19/anvil-the-story-of-anvil-among-academy-award-documentary-snubs/comment-page-1/#comment-662283 Mahotoe Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:40:09 +0000 http://www.filmjunk.com/?p=29033#comment-662283 While it has been historically true that the Academy has made some very bad decisions when it comes to documentaries, in the past few years they have adapted the rules to allow for a wider variety of styles and themes in the documentary categories. Just look at last year - Man on Wire won and it was far from the typical "important" Oscar-bait winners of the past. It also happened to be as character-based as anything by Errol Morris. The previous year's winner was Taxi to the Dark Side, which was also terrific. You aren't likely to find a film more character-driven than The Cove, which, like Man on Wire, is structured and paced more like a thriller than a documentary. I love American Movie - in my opinion it should have been nominated for and won Best Picture of 2000. It may be the best film of the decade. And if Chris Smith's 2009 release was as good as American Movie it likely would be on this year's Oscar short list. It wasn't, so it isn't. While it has been historically true that the Academy has made some very bad decisions when it comes to documentaries, in the past few years they have adapted the rules to allow for a wider variety of styles and themes in the documentary categories. Just look at last year – Man on Wire won and it was far from the typical “important” Oscar-bait winners of the past. It also happened to be as character-based as anything by Errol Morris. The previous year’s winner was Taxi to the Dark Side, which was also terrific.

You aren’t likely to find a film more character-driven than The Cove, which, like Man on Wire, is structured and paced more like a thriller than a documentary.

I love American Movie – in my opinion it should have been nominated for and won Best Picture of 2000. It may be the best film of the decade. And if Chris Smith’s 2009 release was as good as American Movie it likely would be on this year’s Oscar short list. It wasn’t, so it isn’t.

]]> By: Goon http://www.filmjunk.com/2009/11/19/anvil-the-story-of-anvil-among-academy-award-documentary-snubs/comment-page-1/#comment-662150 Goon Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:59:52 +0000 http://www.filmjunk.com/?p=29033#comment-662150 I havent seen many of those documentaries so I'm not sure, but I think the track record of the Oscars in regards to documentaries speaks for itself, they lean too heavily towards a specific style and don't take a lot of other important documentaries seriously simply by nature of the subject matter. They want everything to be 'important' first and well crafted or character based far second. The only way they'll take it seriously is if it makes some serious bank. So something like American Movie doesn't get nominated. It's a shame. I havent seen many of those documentaries so I’m not sure, but I think the track record of the Oscars in regards to documentaries speaks for itself, they lean too heavily towards a specific style and don’t take a lot of other important documentaries seriously simply by nature of the subject matter. They want everything to be ‘important’ first and well crafted or character based far second. The only way they’ll take it seriously is if it makes some serious bank.

So something like American Movie doesn’t get nominated. It’s a shame.

]]> By: Mahotoe http://www.filmjunk.com/2009/11/19/anvil-the-story-of-anvil-among-academy-award-documentary-snubs/comment-page-1/#comment-662105 Mahotoe Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:39:05 +0000 http://www.filmjunk.com/?p=29033#comment-662105 I've seen 8 of the movies on this list and I wouldn't want to argue that Anvil, as fun as it was, was better than any of them. I would argue that Burma VJ, The Cove and The Most Dangerous Man in America are each better than any of the films you last as possible snubs. The Cove and Burma VJ are as good as or better than anything else I've seen this year, doc or narrative. I’ve seen 8 of the movies on this list and I wouldn’t want to argue that Anvil, as fun as it was, was better than any of them. I would argue that Burma VJ, The Cove and The Most Dangerous Man in America are each better than any of the films you last as possible snubs. The Cove and Burma VJ are as good as or better than anything else I’ve seen this year, doc or narrative.

]]> By: MJS http://www.filmjunk.com/2009/11/19/anvil-the-story-of-anvil-among-academy-award-documentary-snubs/comment-page-1/#comment-662103 MJS Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:36:14 +0000 http://www.filmjunk.com/?p=29033#comment-662103 This is worse than usual. I could live without an Anvil nod, but the sheer number of popular documentaries that are being overlooked in favor of obscurities is pretty rediculous. This is worse than usual. I could live without an Anvil nod, but the sheer number of popular documentaries that are being overlooked in favor of obscurities is pretty rediculous.

]]> By: Goon http://www.filmjunk.com/2009/11/19/anvil-the-story-of-anvil-among-academy-award-documentary-snubs/comment-page-1/#comment-662028 Goon Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:28:59 +0000 http://www.filmjunk.com/?p=29033#comment-662028 pretty big snub if you ask me, as Anvil is not only one of the best pictures of the year, but also one of the best reviewed and most unique. pretty big snub if you ask me, as Anvil is not only one of the best pictures of the year, but also one of the best reviewed and most unique.

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