comment #1

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey says ...

"The only Inglourious Basterds Oscar nomination that's going to happen is Christoph Waltz for Best Supporting Actor -- end of story."

I know you hated the film, but surely you must recognize the technical aspects were absolutely top drawer. Are you really suggesting Richardson's photography stands no chance? The film looked gorgeous, simple as. Even if the screenplay/picture doesn't get nominated, it'll pick up more nominations than simply Waltz.

And don't bet against this weekend's success giving Basterds an awards boost. Had it flopped you'd probably be right, but in the newly expanded Best Picture category it stands a great chance of being nominated.

It's a crowd-pleaser with artistic merit. Oscar loves that combination.

comment #2

actionman says ...

That's the thing -- it's always the darker screenplays that end up taking the best original trophy. Not saying QT will win for IB (I liked the film but don't consider it to be one of his "best"), but he has won in the past, and many dark, violent movies have won best original screenplay.

Waltz should definitely get a nom; he was hilarious.

comment #3

ElstonGunnAICN says ...

Richardson will get nominated, especially now that SHUTTER ISLAND has been pushed and he doesn't have to compete against... himself.

comment #4

MartinBlank says ...

Oh, you mean like how Ted Tally didn't win for The Silence of the Lambs and the Coens didn't win for No Country for Old Men, despite a prison guard getting his brains beaten out in the former and a random guy getting his brains punched out with a cattle thing in the latter? And we can't forget Quentin Tarantino's non-win for Pulp Fiction, with its brain matter all over Jules' car. Yes, people getting their brains exteriorized are automatic anathema to Academy voters.

comment #5

actionman says ...

Bosh -- I gotta say, and I consider myself a MASSIVE Robert Richardson fan, IB wasn't as sexy looking as I thought it might be. Not that it was ugly or incompetently shot, quite the opposite. I guess I just expected something even more visually dynamic, especially after their amazing collaboration on Kill Bill 1,2. I need to see IB again I think.

comment #6

Chase Kahn says ...

The way the floorboards, walls and tables rip apart and leave wood shrapnel and dust lingering in the air to a shockingly excessive degree was really nice.

Also the deep reds and the scene in the movie theater set ablaze -- those really impressed me.

comment #7

arturobandini2 says ...

Don't underestimate the Academy's predisposition. Nearly every time a nominated movie (short, feature-length, fiction, documentary) takes the Holocaust as its backdrop, it wins. And I'm not sticking up for Basterds, having no desire to pay to see it. No filmmaker who hocks phlegm at people on live TV gets my financial support. I don't care how much talent he may or may not have -- that's a mind too infantile to spend time with.

comment #8

punchdog says ...

Hmmm, the "over-50" crowd won't go for it. Right. Since the average age of Academy voters is something like 75, considering many of them, or their parents, suffered through the Holocaust, there's no way in hell they would vote for a movie about kicking some Nazi ass. Right? Right!?

comment #9

Josh Tate says ...

That theater burning was some of the best pyro I have ever experienced. It was so tactile that I was almost physically uncomfortable watching it. And wanted to applaud afterwards.

comment #10

MikeSchaeferSF says ...

Meanwhile Brad Pitt says Valkyrie was "a ridiculous movie":

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/dailydish/detail?blogid=7&entry_id=45992

comment #11

Jeffrey Overstreet says ...

"...isn't Waltz's nomination already pasted into most people's heads? "

If you had said "...isn't Waltz's nomination already carved into most people's foreheads?", I would have chuckled.

comment #12

storymark says ...

I think Jeff just ensured it will get several nominations.

comment #13

Sonic Boom says ...

I think the expansion to 10 films ensures it'll get in for Picture.

comment #14

Gabriel says ...

I know this probably wasn't Richardson's decision, but the cinematography of "Inglourious Basterds" has big strike against it by virtue of the fact that Chapter 3 wasn't shot in black and white (as the original screenplay indicated).

Personally, I think Melanie Laurent was every bit as good as Waltz, so she should be in the running as well.

comment #15

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey says ...

There is a great piece on ThePlaylist right now about those who were nearly cast in the film. I forgot as well that DiCaprio was up for the Landa role, with Sandler as The Bear Jew and Pegg as the British officer. As much I like DiCaprio and Pegg, I am delighted neither got those roles. Fassbender and Waltz were brilliant.

comment #16

Rothchild says ...

Guaranteed nominations:

Screenplay
Art Direction
Cinematography
Production Design
Editing

Guaranteed win:

Landa

comment #17

cleopatrajones says ...

Mike,
Brad Pitt's reps say he's never even seen Valkyrie
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20299404,00.html

Back on topic. IB will be nominated for more than Waltz's performance.

comment #18

Rich S. says ...

Unless there's an explosion of top-drawer films in the last 4 months of this year, IB will get a best picture nom in the expanded category. Hell, in June they were talking about nominating Star Trek!

comment #19

goony says ...

As great as Waltz is, I thought Brad Pitt was even better. Looks like I'm not the only one:

http://www.media-party.com/mp/2009/08/movie-review-inglourious-basterds.html

comment #20

corey3rd says ...

If Harvey could get The Reader all those nominations....Basterds will be a shoe in for a basketful of Oscars.

And this "Crash" strategy is in fact The Gladiator DVD strategy when Dreamworks was able to completely circumvent the rules against what you can put on a DVD by having the special edition set out before the nomination period. It also allowed Dreamworks to have DVD release parties with Oscar voters getting to get the perks normally forbidden for receiving a screener DVD.

comment #21

nightheat says ...

Most of these clowns here now, were saying it was a shoe in for the Palm D Or... nope. Waltz was the only winner.

It would be ridiculous if this crap film was nominated for anything but...

comment #22

Jonah says ...

It's amazing the anger and bitterness people like Nightheat, DZ and JW bring to a debate like this.

It's normally about something else, other than the film. I know what I'm talking about here.

comment #23

HanekeFanBoyNumberOne says ...

"Most of these clowns here now, were saying it was a shoe in for the Palm D Or... nope. Waltz was the only winner."

"It would be ridiculous if this crap film was nominated for anything but..."

Remember we're only talking American film and in that regard Cannes really has no bearing (Star Trek's gonna get a nod for fuck sake). I would submit, and Wells will hate me for it, the only competition facing IB for best picture is The Hurt Locker. But then again this the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences so what do I know.

comment #24

nightheat says ...

"the only competition facing IB for best picture..."

This guy thinks IB will be nominated for best picture... LOLZ

comment #25

Mark says ...

The Weinsteins like money, right? The returns in getting Crash to beat Brokeback paid handsomely. Same w/ Gladiator. Not sure where the money is in giving away free DVDs of a hit movie just to break the list of 10 Best Picture Nominees. There's no big payoff there, unless of course, they think they could win. Basterds now doesn't exactly need the exposure that The Reader did.

comment #26

Terry McCarty says ...

Actionman wrote:
Bosh -- I gotta say, and I consider myself a MASSIVE Robert Richardson fan, IB wasn't as sexy looking as I thought it might be.

Certainly, Richardson did a terrific job on the acene where Melanie Laurent gets herself ready for the premiere--with David Bowie's CAT PEOPLE theme as the underscore.

comment #27

Terry McCarty says ...

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey wrote:
There is a great piece on ThePlaylist right now about those who were nearly cast in the film. I forgot as well that DiCaprio was up for the Landa role, with Sandler as The Bear Jew and Pegg as the British officer. As much I like DiCaprio and Pegg, I am delighted neither got those roles. Fassbender and Waltz were brilliant.

Am guessing that at least one or two of the above actors are kicking themselves for not signing on (likely for the "I won't work for less than my quote" reason).

comment #28

actionman says ...

Yes, in total agreement McCarty. I think I need to see it again. I think I was expecting something more flamboyant. I look forward to my second viewing later this week.

comment #29

KidB says ...

I liked IB just as much as the next guy, but I'm advocating for a screenplay nom based solely on the fact that Jeff takes his tarantino/p.jackson grudges way too far.

LOVELY BONES BEST PICTURE '10

comment #30

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey says ...

"Am guessing that at least one or two of the above actors are kicking themselves for not signing on (likely for the "I won't work for less than my quote" reason).

No, it was scheduling that killed off Sandler's (Funny People) and Pegg's (Star Trek) participation, and I think I read that Tarantino decided against DiCaprio because he felt an actual German would be better.

Glad all three deals fell through.

Here's the Playlist article: http://theplaylist.blogspot.com/2009/08/basterds-trivia-harvey-keitels.html

comment #31

BRob says ...

Tarantino's screenplay was fun, but it does not deserve an Oscar.

Not by a long shot.

comment #32

Alboone says ...

Total agreement. Waltz and the blonde girl. Maybe set design or cinematography, but that's it.

comment #33

MartinBlank says ...

Also, I guess the "Last Word on Basterds" was actually the penultimate word on Basterds. One hopes.

comment #34

corey3rd says ...

will the Academy embrace a Jewish WWII revenge fantasy flick written and directed by a Goy? Does anyone not see Spielberg running a whispering campaign to trounce this flick since it's pretty much the anti-Schindler's List. What did Spielberg's World War II Jews do? Did they win the war? Or were they just pawns?

After all the Holocaust related Oscar winning documentaries, to have Inglourious Basterds also get to claim "Oscar winning" could be conceived by many voters as a debasement of the ceremony and the memory of those who died.

comment #35

Carl LaFong says ...

Y'all just wait and see... You can argue back and forth about worthy titles, but 2012 is gonna sweep the Oscars next year! Roland E. is the New King o' The World...

comment #36

EdHavens says ...

Who fucking cares how many Oscars Basterds might be nominated for or win? It's not going to affect 99% of us in the least. History will tell us which movies were truly exceptional and which were just momentary blips, in what our children and grandchildren are watching decades from now. If they are interacting with Basterds then like we do with Casablanca today, then it'll be the classic it may deserve to be. Otherwise, for now, just enjoy a better than average movie with three exceptional performances, some gorgeous cinematography and costuming, and some killer music cues from one of cinema's genius composers.

comment #37

The Hoyk says ...

Crucial detail no one seems to mention: Universal controls the U.S. DVD rights, not Weinstein Company. As such, I think the real story is that Universal is banking on huge Xmas sales for this title and is exercising their option to put it out then, and this announcement from the Weinstein camp is their way of spinning this to make it look like it was their idea all along.

comment #38

Chase Kahn says ...

"Total agreement. Waltz and the blonde girl. Maybe set design or cinematography, but that's it.'

"And now the nominees for Best Actress" (looks at teleprompter):

"Meryl Streep...for Julie & Julia" (applause)...

"Carey Mulligan...for An Education" (applause)....

"That blonde girl from Inglourious Basterds" (applause)...

comment #39

Chase Kahn says ...

I guess it would be Supporting Actress, but who cares, try to at least know the name of the human you are trying to nominate please.

comment #40

Travis Crabtree says ...

I just remember everyone talking about how exciting and cool and fun and clever "Grindhouse" was. Then I saw it on cable.

Shit salad. (for the most part)

comment #41

ZayTonday says ...

Valkyrie WAS a ridiculous movie in the same ways many other W2 movies in the past were. In many ways, IB is a giant "Fuck You" directed towards Valkyrie with its English speaking Nazis with some having an English accent and von Stauffenberg having an American accent. QT talked on NPR about Where Eagles Dare being a shining example of the whole language issue in WW2 films when Eastwood and Burton blended in undercover with the Nazis by speaking regular English, just like they spoke.

There was that whole thing plus the fact that you knew how Valkyrie was going to end, so there was no real tension there.

IB is the antithesis to Valkyrie.

comment #42

Bob Violence says ...

The English-speaking Nazis in Valkyrie are no more or less ridiculous than the accents in IB

comment #43

BurmaShave says ...

Waltz assurance: Oscar, Bond villain.

comment #44

Benetta says ...

Singapore Property