I could understand if it was 84 years ago and there weren’t any other film awards, but in 2012 we have so many different award shows that it seems silly to complain when one of them doesn’t meet your tastes. Some people prefer the BAFTA’s for their British sensibilities. Others follow the Golden Globes precisely because they offer up more comedy options. Lovers of independent cinema can track the film festivals and the FIPRESCI prizes, while those who can’t get enough of their teen heartthrobs have the MTV Movie Awards.
For fellow geeks like me, one of the most interesting awards is the Saturn Awards, sponsored by The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. They’ve recently released their Saturn Award Nominations, and while I haven’t seen all of them, I have to agree that this is a pretty good list. Those who are angry about how this year’s Oscars turned out will be pleased to see that The Artist, The Help and The Iron Lady didn’t even make the cut.
Which leads me to wonder: If we know that each of these awards has their own tastes and follows their own trends, why do we get so upset that the Oscars do the same? Is it simply the prestige of it? If they changed their name to the Academy of Dramas and Biopics, would we still be as upset? Or, to be honest, if there was a new organization that was being formed today that called itself by the same name, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences, wouldn’t we expect that they might pick exactly the type of films that they do now?
That's a good question. I think it's just because the Oscars are held in such high regard by the general public. There aren't many awards shows that get 3+ hours on primetime network TV. It is great that there are so many other types of awards that cover various genres/niches, though.
ReplyDeleteI know that they do televise the Golden Globes, although I'm not sure about the Saturns. But your point is well taken about the prestige. Still, it's not that hard to find an award group that one likes.
DeleteAgree with Eric - it's all about the prestige of the Oscars. To the Joe Public they're THE awards to care about. The average person hasn't heard of the Saturn awards or any of the other awards which celebrate niche films. That's why everyone lays into the Oscars for just being so closed off.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jaina! You're right of course about the general public, but I've been surprised that many of the film bloggers that complain about what's not in the Oscars don't cover some of these other awards to help boost the reputation of these other groups.
DeleteOh hell, finally some recognition for Harry Potter, though the nods for Adjustment Bureau and Limitless in best sci-fi movie are embarassing.
ReplyDeleteI didn't see Limitless, but remember liking The Adjustment Bureau well enough. I think I would have rather them pick Source Code though.
DeleteI love this point of view. So true. Reminds me of those who say that the Oscars are too predictable. Not if you get great enjoyment from trying to predict! When you're invested in Best Live Action Short and Film Editing, it hardly seems that way.
ReplyDeleteYou're definitely right there Katie, and I think it does explain a lot of the predictability that people complain about. In a sense, many folks only really look at 5 to 10 races (depending on whether they include screenplays and animation), so it would probably be strange if all 5-10 were filled with surprises every year.
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