Best Book or Movie of The Year 2014

[Army of Dad]

Hey Rick, if Hollywood liberals snubbed American Sniper then why didn't they snub The Hurt Locker or Zero Dark Thirty?

Because the message in those films coincided with their polical leanings?

No, those films are not the same as Anerican Sniper.

[Censored by Laurie]

Because the message in those films coincided with their polical leanings?

No, those films are not the same as Anerican Sniper.

to be fair, they also snubbed Alan Turing and Stephen Hawking...and we all know is science is a leftist plot...so let's call the Oscar politics a push.

[Coffee and TV]

Because the message in those films coincided with their polical leanings?

No, those films are not the same as Anerican Sniper.

Um...

Zero Dark Thirty alluded multiple times that torture and waterboarding lead us to finding bin Laden...

The Hurt Locker's main character confesses to his infant son that there's only one thing he loves and that's his job as an explosives tech in Iraq...

Get that false narrative the heck outta here.

[CMJ]

The Academy Awards are rather middle of the road most of the time. The fact that some conservatives seem to say they don't represent "their" America and that many liberals lambast it for not being accepting of minority films (see Selma as the most recent example) means it's probably doing a decent job of threading the needle.

[FirefightnRick]

Hey Rick, if Hollywood liberals snubbed American Sniper then why didn't they snub The Hurt Locker or Zero Dark Thirty?

I had no idea what won what? But if I had to guess, it's probably for the same reason the best documentary of the year back in 2012, "Obama's 2016" wasn't even considered?

But seriously, though I've actually been in a movie I've not wasted my time watching their award ceremony since the mid 80's.

I got caught up on last weeks' "Banshee" episode, followed up with TWD last night.

Rick

[Censored by Laurie]

I've actually been in a movie

Rick

and the imdb page to prove it:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1053751/

starred as "special thanks"

[Army of Dad]

Um...

Zero Dark Thirty alluded multiple times that torture and waterboarding lead us to finding bin Laden...

The Hurt Locker's main character confesses to his infant son that there's only one thing he loves and that's his job as an explosives tech in Iraq...

Get that false narrative the heck outta here.

Oh the wave Obama's flag (remember he got bin laden America) and a not necessary flattering look at the enlisted men who fight and why they fight.

Talk about false narratives...

[Coffee and TV]

Oh the wave Obama's flag (remember he got bin laden America) and a not necessary flattering look at the enlisted men who fight and why they fight.

Talk about false narratives...

Yeah it's almost like you didn't even see either one of those films.

Edited February 23, 2015 by Coffee and TV

[FirefightnRick]

and the imdb page to prove it:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1053751/

starred as "special thanks"

Yeah, when Stan Dragoti asked me how I wanted my "Billing" I had no idea what a "Billing" was. He explained to me it was where and how I wanted to be credited, so I told him I wanted to be included with all of my fellow Mean Green buds like Scott Davis and Sidney Bradford etc. Little did we know they would just clump us all in together in a bunch like that? of course, Sidney got a speaking role so he's separated. Anyhow, it is what it is. I had a blast doing it and getting paid.

Remember Stebo? He pointed that IMDB site out to me one time and suggested I activate it but it costs like $25 or so a month and there was no reason since it's not my profession or would ever be. Everyone that gets a credit of any kind can do it I believe. It's a good resume tool for folks in the industry.

Rick

[Army of Dad]

Yeah it's almost like you didn't even see either one of those films.

Yeah, that's it.

[UNT90]

Um...

Zero Dark Thirty alluded multiple times that torture and waterboarding lead us to finding bin Laden...

The Hurt Locker's main character confesses to his infant son that there's only one thing he loves and that's his job as an explosives tech in Iraq...

Get that false narrative the heck outta here.

I'm just surprised you aren't ready to label all of the academy members racist and want to lock them up for not nominating one black actor/actress for one single award.

I figured you would be inciting the red carpet riot for racial justice.

But seriously, don't watch the Oscars if you can't tolerate a leftist slant. It's Hollywood, for Pete's sake.

I will say Patricia Arquette's non-sensical rant was a little much, especially coming from a golden spoon fed Hollywood child who hasn't a clue what struggles a middle class woman faces.

But it made for a really good laugh.

Oh, and the GF made me fill out that Oscars sheet that ABC puts out before the show. I actually got 8 right to her 4. Thank you, Grand Budapest Hotel, for those off category wins.

Obviously complete guessing.

Edited February 24, 2015 by UNT90

[CMJ]

The little known secret is that while the "above the line" (Producers, Directors, Actors, Writers) in Hollywood are what give it its liberal reputation, that it's actually a pretty split industry. The "below the line" (a term that a lot of people use for the crew) are often much less liberal than you may think.

And there are a lot of those "steak eaters" (code for non mover and shaker in Hollywoodland) out there.

[UNT90]

The little known secret is that while the "above the line" (Producers, Directors, Actors, Writers) in Hollywood are what give it its liberal reputation, that it's actually a pretty split industry. The "below the line" (a term that a lot of people use for the crew) are often much less liberal than you may think.

And there are a lot of those "steak eaters" (code for non mover and shaker in Hollywoodland) out there.

I have no doubt. No industry is all liberal or all conservative. Problem is the people you mention don't have the power in that industry. That's why in just about every movie, if there is an evil politician, it's a republican. That's why you see movies like "the American President" released in election years.

The product of the industry is decidedly left to far left slanted. A movie like American Sniper doesn't get made if Clint Eastwood doesn't make it, plain and simple. I was surprised with the fair slant given water boarding and what intelligence was obtained from it in zero dark thirty.

You just gotta take it as entertainment and move on. Problem is, many Americans take " based on a true story" as true story. It's basically how they get their news, as sad as that is.

Edited February 24, 2015 by UNT90

[CMJ]

The product of the industry is decidedly left to far left slanted. A movie like American Sniper doesn't get made if Clint Eastwood doesn't make it, plain and simple.

Steven Spielberg developed it for at least a year. He only stepped away from it because he didn't want to make it for the budget constraints the studio put on him (I believe Spielberg wanted a 100 million dollar budget but the studio was only wanting to give him 60M).

[UNT90]

Steven Spielberg developed it for at least a year. He only stepped away from it because he didn't want to make it for the budget constraints the studio put on him (I believe Spielberg wanted a 100 million dollar budget but the studio was only wanting to give him 60M).

But would it have been the same movie. Not that there should be anything controversial about it, but we have seen several of the more noteworthy far far left Hollywood types blasting the movie for reasons that are incomprehensible.

Would someone like Spielberg have been true to the story that was told (no, I'm not gullible to believe that movie was real life, either) or would he have adjusted it to fit his politics

That is something we will never know.

Edited February 24, 2015 by UNT90

[CMJ]

Well, I did happen to see a Q&A with the screenwriter, Jason Hall. When asked about the drafts he wrote for Spielberg, Hall said they were mostly the same but more focused on the rivalry with the enemy sniper. Given the sniper standoff sequence in Saving Private Ryan, that doesn't exactly surprise me. He's probably had ideas in his mind on how to film two rival snipers for 15 years.

[TheTastyGreek]

There's a cage. Keep the cage talk in the cage, and the movie talk in the movie thread.

[CMJ]

There's a cage. Keep the cage talk in the cage, and the movie talk in the movie thread.

Sorry man, I thought I was talking about movies.

[golfingomez]

got around to seeing Enemy this weekend...

I still don't know if it was good or bad... but i really liked it...

this is one of those movies that has to be seen at least a few times to wrap your head around it

[ColoradoEagle]

Grabbing Birdman and Whiplash for my flight to/from my office next week. I've heard mixed reviews on Birdman, but anyone I've talked to who's seen Whiplash says it's an amazing movie. I'd also like to work Foxcatcher in sometime soon.

Still trying to get to the theater to see American Sniper. I've heard it's the best movie ever made or ever will be made.

Seriously, though, it does look very good.

[forevereagle]

Well, I did happen to see a Q&A with the screenwriter, Jason Hall. When asked about the drafts he wrote for Spielberg, Hall said they were mostly the same but more focused on the rivalry with the enemy sniper. Given the sniper standoff sequence in Saving Private Ryan, that doesn't exactly surprise me. He's probably had ideas in his mind on how to film two rival snipers for 15 years.

Wouldn't a movie about two rival snipers look something like Enemy at the Gates? Just seems like we already have made that movie.

[UNT90]

Wouldn't a movie about two rival snipers look something like Enemy at the Gates? Just seems like we already have made that movie.

And it also would have taken away from the humanizing aspect of Kyle's returns home and the struggles he faced adjusting back to civilian life. That really is what makes the movie nomination worthy. Otherwise, you are right, it would just be another in a long line of war movies.

[CMJ]

No, it would have still had him returning home and going back multiple times, just with more focus on the sniper rivalry. Hell, that was his stated reason for keeping going back anyway, right? He wanted to get the guy who kept shooting his comrades.

And no, it wouldn't necessarily looked like Enemy at the Gates...like at all. I mean every movie could be denigrated that way if you think about it. All sorts of movies have also focused on the difficulty of soldiers readjusting to civilian life! The Best Years of Our Lives did that story 70 years ago.

[UNT90]

No, it would have still had him returning home and going back multiple times, just with more focus on the sniper rivalry. Hell, that was his stated reason for keeping going back anyway, right? He wanted to get the guy who kept shooting his comrades.

And no, it wouldn't necessarily looked like Enemy at the Gates...like at all. I mean every movie could be denigrated that way if you think about it. All sorts of movies have also focused on the difficulty of soldiers readjusting to civilian life! The Best Years of Our Lives did that story 70 years ago.

I just wonder if it would have lost any connection with the truth. The sniper rivalry was obviously already played up in the movie. I would imagine Kyle's reasons for going back had far more to do with the men and women he worked with over there than trying to kill one certain sniper.

[FirefightnRick]

I think enemy at the gates gave us the best visual discriptive (other than mine and CMJ's doc films we love) of what it must have been like to have experienced the German assault on Stalingrad. To me there hasnt been near enough discriptive/movies/coverage on that individual struggle. Would you agree C?

Rick