The Oscars are almost here! It's the moment everyone on the planet has been looking forward to since the 83rd Annual Academy Awards last February! Well,...maybe not, particularly when (debatable) there were not many mega-stand-out-sure-fire Oscar winners. Usually they don't start showing until December anyway. Drive received much Oscar hype but has ended up with just a single nomination, and for the first time ever Pixar did not receive a Best Animated Feature. I'm here, however, to talk about the Best Sound Mixing category.
I am not an expert on sound. In fact, it might be what I know the least about, which is something I should correct being a film production student. I've always been confused by what the difference betweenSound Mixing and Sound Editing is, and Wikipedia only helped so much. Mixing refers to the interloping of all the different audio tracks within a film: dialogue, effects and score. Sound mixers have to make sure the audience can hear and understand what they hear at all times (i.e. hopefully Nolan hires a good one for Bane's dialogue). Editing refers to the recording of sound, notably where it concerns sound effects and Foley.
It's still a bit confusing to me, but I do know that sound Oscars tend to go to awesome films as opposed to "artsy" films: Inception, The Dark Knight, Star Wars, Jurassic Park. The list of Best Sound Mixing (which is also just called Best Sound) winners are some great blockbusters. Best Sound/Mixing has been around since the 3rd Academy Awards (1929) whereas Sound Editing was picked up in 1963 and not consistently until 1981. Still, it's one of those awards not many necessarily fret over but is still fun to keep up with. Let's take a look at the 84th Annual Academy Award Nominees for Best Sound Mixing:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - I would be able to ogle over how awesome this movie sounded more if this were the Best Original Score category. As for Sound Mixing, yeah, it's solid, obviously. Fincher, teamed with Rinzer/Ross and no doubt the same sound team as The Social Network know what they're doing. Fincher's latest films make sound something both backgrounded and foregrounded. It's almostalways playing, but you only notice it when he wants you to notice it. This film sounds like we are in the harsh tundra of northern Sweden solving a tense, sexually charged murder mystery.
Hugo - I really, really enjoyed this film, mostly for its thematic elements. It also has a solid score, but thinking back to its sound track (dialogue + music + effects) it's equally great. You feel like you're not only in a Paris train station but that it is the 1930s, and only Scorsese could so accurately recreate many of the early film set pieces and spectacles he does. The film's theme is the magic of moviemaking, and it's a tad ironic but oddly fitting that it would be praised for its sound design considering it's all about films from the silent era. Another reason Hugo is a superb blending of old and new tools and techniques of the film art form.
Moneyball - I did not see this one (though I'm seeing it 1 February), so I can only assume the roar of baseball fans mixed with the emotional intensity of how much we know this team and Pitt and Hill's characters have invested in the game is really moving. There isn't much more I can say, though I'm skeptical towards it being able to compete with the other four. Still, it's interesting that it was nominated.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon - Say what you will about Michael Bay'sTransformers movies but you can't deny he knows how to use surround sound, especially in an IMAX theater. The seats rattle under the booms as you hear characters move from one corner of the theater to another. The score is nothing particularly remarkable, and I'll reserve talking about the dialogue, but the massive amounts of sound effects of gears clinking and epic battles and buildings being destroyed. It's very impressive. You may hate Bay and his movies, but you've got to give props to his post-production sound team for its hard work.
War Horse - Again, I have not seen this picture, so I can say very little which means nothing at all. I hear good things, however, but it isn't really a film that appeals to me to start with. No doubt it sounds great with the large-scale battle sequences and heroic racing hooves of the horse, but...somehow I suspect the Oscar will go to one of the other films, speaking solely for the audio track.
My pick: Unless there's something surprisingly spectacular aboutMoneyball or War Horse, I think even without having seen them it still comes down to the three I have seen. Having to pick is difficult without having the opportunity to watch them all again (or without really knowing what I should listen for in great sound mixing). But I will probably have to go with Hugo. It's the most nominated film, so obviously the Academy loves it, and it really is pleasing to the ears. Alas, I would not be surprised if it went to Dragon or Transformers at the end of February. We'll just have to watch and find out!
Hunter F
Ah, the Oscars! The time of year movie geeks orgasm to death. As a guy who watches bad movies and/or horror movies and/or bad horror movies about 360 days a year (I spend a week watching Ingmar Bergman films cause I lost a bet years ago, long story) I don't really have a lot of investment in the Oscars. I might check out some of the movies nominated at some point. This year they surprised the fuck out of me by nominating some movies I've already seen and/or really do wanna see. Of course, those movies don't fall in the category I get to write about.
What do I get to write about? BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY! Now what the hell does "Adapted Screenplay" mean? Well basically it's when some people take a story from somewhere else, either a book, a play, or the drunk ramblings of a drunk hobo, and turn it into a movie. Previous years winners have been, uh...The Social Network? Or, uh, Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry? Maybe? Sure, why not?
I'm surprised The Girl Who Played With The Dragon Tattoo's Fire In A Nestwasn't nominated in this category. It is a movie based on some hugely popular children's books, right? I'm guessing they're children's books cause it features girls and dragons and the cover of the books look colorful. Well, I gave it as a gift to my 5-year-old cousin last week, and she seems to LOVE it!
Also surprised? The Hangover Part II based on the first Hangover. THERE DYLAN I SAID IT! NOW LEAVE ME ALONE!!
With that done, let's take a look at what's nominated this year shall we? Of course, I haven't seen any of the movies in this category, so I'm gonna do what I did last year and watch the trailer and try to figure out what the movie is about and if it deserves to win. Cool? Cool. Here we go!
Hugo
Ok so Obi-Wan is this kid's dad, and there's a robot. I guess Obi-Wan died in the Clone Wars and of course the kid has to go live with some old guy who'll probably use him as slave labor in some illegal factory or some shit. He simply shows up at a train station and Borat yells at him for no reason. The kid runs into Hit Girl, who has the key to unlocking this robot and we're suppose to be all magical and happy and cry or some shit. Yeah...remember when Martin Scorsese made Goodfellas? And Casino? Joe Pesci stabbed a guy in the kneecap with a pen. A FUCKING pen. Ouch.
Will This Win: I have no idea what this is "adapted" from and it looks too god damn mushy. Plus the people who vote for the Oscars are old guys not bored 8-year-olds. So no. And pass. Next!
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
From the people who bought you Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice, The Cook, The Thief, The Wife, and Her Lover and...It comes a movie of British people! Talking! In rooms! Outside! In cars! Hey it's Gary Oldman! He gets to use his accent this time! Will I ever find out what Tom Hardy looks like? No? Ok then!
Will This Win: I'm gonna guess the voters will fall asleep mid-way through so no. Probably not.
Moneyball
So Brad Pitt is handsome and charming and Jonah Hill isn't. Don't they make a wacky pair? I guess some baseball team sucks so badly they told Brad Pitt he can be their coach or something? And Brad Pitt hires Jonah Hill to...coach for them as well? Using numbers? Ok I'll be honest. Sports and math are my two least favorite subjects. I rather talk about anal rape than either one of those, but something about Brad Pitt just makes me want to listen to him, dammit! So anyone who follows sports, did this actually happen? What team is this? Did they win? And doesn't Jonah Hill look weird skinny?
Will This Win? Do sports movies normally do good at the Oscars? Did Major League win? How about Unnecessary Roughness? Bad News Bears? What about The Sandlot? Aw, dude, I fuckin' LOVE The Sandlot cause it was more about the kids being funny than baseball you know? Where was I? Oh right.
The Descendants
Umm...I have no fucking idea what this movie is about. Is it two hours of George Clooney just standing there, looking through bushes? That can be a movie now? And it can be nominated for an Oscar? I mean really? I know George is good looking and all but...come on! Now imagine if he did that shit in Batman and Robin. Would THAT have been up for an Oscar? Wow...
Will This Win? You know, I wouldn't fucking doubt it.
The Ides of March
OH! I get it! It's a neat idea! So Ryan Gosling is the Brutus character, George Clooney is Julius Caesar and I guess Phillip Seymour Hoffman is Marc Anthony? Wow! This is very clever! I love modern retellings of Shakespeare stuff! Very original and fun! I can't wait to see how they kill Clooney's character! Will he be simply stabbed? Or shot a whole bunch of times? Does he actually say "Et tu, Ryan Gosling?" You know what? I should watch this movie! It sounds fucking amazing!
Will This Win? I hope so! It's an awesome idea! Oooh! How about The Tempest? Maybe Michael Cera as Prospero, Selena Gomez as Miranda, and Ellen Page as The Tempest! Look out Oscars 2013!!
-Jason
The Blog of Big Ideas
URL: http://niels85.wordpress.com/
Site Name: The Blog of Big Ideas
Categories: Reviews
Rating: PG
What is the main focus of your site?
Film reviews and analysis, or anything concerning the arts
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Share my thoughts on several subjects I feel passionate about. Develop and nurture my writing skills.
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Interactive community
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March 2011. Updated once or twice a week.
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Amelie, Alien, The Godfather
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Editors note: apparently Niels is doing some kind of IMDB top 250 round-up that is worth checking out here...
Devours the Oscars: Best Makeup
Let's get things started!
Editor's note: Welcome to the first of a 32-part series dissecting the 84th Academy Awards, brought to you by the Large Association of Movie Blogs and its assorted members. Every day leading up to the Oscars, a new post written by a different LAMB will be published, each covering a different category of the Oscars. To read any other posts regarding this event, please click the tag following the post. Thank you, and enjoy!
Editor's note: Welcome to the first of a 32-part series dissecting the 84th Academy Awards, brought to you by the Large Association of Movie Blogs and its assorted members. Every day leading up to the Oscars, a new post written by a different LAMB will be published, each covering a different category of the Oscars. To read any other posts regarding this event, please click the tag following the post. Thank you, and enjoy!
By Rachel of Rachel's Reel Reviews
The make-up category can be a hard one to predict, because the spectrum is extremely wide. Last year's winner was almost a given with a nominee that had previously won the award multiple times (including the first ever in the category) heading up the makeup design for a (terrible) werewolf film. This year is a little tougher with only one nominee having been nominated previously and comparing the differences in a cross-dressing period piece versus the portrayal of a modern historical figure versus magical creatures...and some questionable aging techniques.
Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnson & Matthew W. Mungle
for Albert Nobbs
for Albert Nobbs
Have you ever been standing in line at the grocery store and glanced at the tabloid covers that "reveal" stars without their makeup? Unpleasant, isn't it? That's the kind of vibe I get when I see Glenn Close playing a woman pretending to be a man in Albert Nobbs. Harsh? Sure, but looking at the character and the actress side-by-side, I just think she's missing some eyeliner and lipstick. I'm sure the film also received its nomination for other uses of 19th century makeup and hairstyles, but I think it's possibly the underdog in this fight.
Mark Coulier & J. Roy Helland
for The Iron Lady
for The Iron Lady
I was a bit young when Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister, so I actually had to Google her to get a better idea of what she really looked like around the time The Iron Lady is set. Except for making Meryl slightly more polished, I'd say well done. Meryl has received her 17th Oscar acting nomination for playing Thatcher, and certainly looking the part only helped her performance, so should she win, she should certainly give thanks to J. Roy Helland, who is not only credited as her personal hair and makeup artist on The Iron Lady, but 34 other films as well.
Nick Dudman, Amanda Night & Lisa Tombling
for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
Over the course of a decade, the Harry Potter series has produced a number of magical looks and yet this is the first film of the franchise to be nominated for a makeup award. What was so different about the final film that demanded a nomination in the category? Nothing really. Outside of a majority of the cast being smeared with dirt and blood due to battle, the only other noticeable makeup would be the gaggle of Goblins, which have been shown numerous times before. (If you're wondering, Voldemort's snake face is mostly CG.) Perhaps the makeup simply improved over the decade, because surely the Academy didn't nominate the makeup department for the infamous two-decade "aging" on the Trio in the final scene. Surely not.
Despite Harry Potter bringing the fantasy element into the mix, which is often the popular choice, and Albert Nobbs sporting the only makeup artist to have been previously nominated (and won) for the category, my money is on The Iron Lady. Looking back over past winners, the Academy seems to really love a makeup department that can transform a star into a believable replica of a real life character (La Vie en Rose, Frida, Elizabeth, Ed Wood) and that tradition will likely continue this year.
