The Flop House - The Flop House Movie Minute #19 - Oscar Bait

Episode Date: February 1, 2009

We make up for our lost movie minute with our longest supplemental episode yet, about how the Oscars are always wrong.

And now the flop house movie minute So the Oscar nominations came out recently boo and Yeah, that's the Academy Awards, right? Sure, okay the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Sciences fuck those doors They don't even pay attention to arts in the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences. Sciences, fuck those doors. They don't even pay attention to arts in the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences. It was, I mean, it was, it started as a union-busting organization. Really? Pretty much, yeah.

That was Elliot's drop in some history, when you... There you go. Let's get into the meat of this meat and potatoes. Well, here's the thing. Potatoes for later. We did a movie minute scout about our most overrated films of the year. Yeah we totally did. And it got... What happened to that Dan? It got eaten by my computer because basically what happened is it was

an outtake from the step up to the streets show. Okay. And because that show went over long. As hard as it is to believe it did. It was split into two files and for some reason my computer couldn't handle that but your computer wasn't ready for that jelly is what you're saying yeah exactly it was just too booty-living however it it should have put a ring on it two different songs thank you for acknowledging current pop music always know but um Stuart your most operated of the year was uh... bingeman button yeah absolutely mind was so much frost next and and uh... my own uh... slum dog billionaires

yeah and uh... low and behold those three films were nominated for best picture well surprise surprise so i can do and they're not and let's get like frost next let's get one thing straight i don can like some dog i don't think any of those were shit movies i just think

Benjamin button is certainly the least of them and that's that one but i didn't care Benjamin button is a fairly boring movie that had it's like not terrible but it feels like a move it's like kind of a league of their own it fits like sunday afternoon and it's on tv then you might sit and watch it. You're not going to go out there is nothing else. Only there's nothing else on. But like Frost Nixon is not a bad movie. It plays fast and loose with history but it's not bad like slum dog leaners not a bad

movie. It's just overrated. But I mean Frost Nixon is very much structured like a bad knees bear style thing but that doesn't make it a bad movie it's place to go that that is that is the only like the only way to win more like that is if instead of day a david frost was Walter math out who's doing the interview but yeah like it's a bad news bears movie where you're way more interested in the bad like the evil team but what about eating the scenery, best film of the year.

The five nominees are the Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Ross Nixon, Milk, the reader, Slum Dog Millionaire. No, I'm baffled that the reader is on there. Did you see the reader? Yes, I did. I have to admit though, I was a little drowsy when I watched it. So it didn't keep my attention but i'll it is a member of the uh... w g a

the writer's guild of america right-of-the-america east and thus which is the little brother the writer's guild which is the tiny brother of hollywood you've seen all five of these in my correct yes this is one of the first years in a while i've seen every best picture on me yeah i've only see which is the best of them it's not like my

in my opinion milk is by far and milk has problems. It's not a perfect movie, but the way it's put together the intensity of it most of the act. There are two stellar performances in it, which is more than I can say for any of these other films. Frost Nixon comes closest to having that number of good performances. I'll have three of the five that I've seen. Actually, some dogma leader has some great children. Milk is my favorite by far. But milk is, but also there's something about the fact like milk is almost also feels like the movie of the moment,

not just because of prop eight, but because it's about the importance of persistence in politics, local and grassroots efforts in politics and working through the system to make change. Like it feels like the movie of the moment and it's a really well-made movie and it's and Sean Penn and Josh Rollin are fantastic in it both of them it has its issues it's too repetitive should we really started with this category for the first thing we should say that for a while okay well we can talk about other ones I mean what are we gonna talk about last like sound

editing I don't think we're gonna talk about that I don't think we're gonna go out of the whole list but let's talk about that. I don't think we're gonna go down the hole with this. Let's say we can- I want to talk about the isn't that, isn't it? Wanda's not- We'll save it for- It's probably- That movie's a fucking turd. We'll save it for our-

Let's bank hot dick. Words flop-tacular. Let's bank hot dick. Dangerous nominated for. Uh-oh. Hair, hair and makeup. Okay, hair and makeup. So, we're-

And what's this shit? Off just Streka on the line, nominated for Best Live Action Short Film? What? We're- Anyone knows it's gonna go to Spitz-Wilglund, shit off just streka on the line nominated for best live action short film what where there was it's gonna go to spits will go and now where there any were there any nominations that you're actually surprised about nip positive way or there any nominations that you're surprised about nip positive yes one will you go first and well now i think that oh two i

think that in general the um... acting nominations okay not bad uh... i was glad to see that richard jinkens got a nomination for best actor robber down in juneer and tropic thunder is a pretty good supporting actor a nomination cus comedic performances don't usually get nominated i actually haven't seen this movie at all so i can't actually say whether good bad i was gonna say that uh... the fact that molissa leo got a

non-sense for frozen river just shows that they actually paid attention to movies that people had not seen vaguely vaguely it's a neck to new york should be dominating this list and nobody saw it and they didn't sense at the very that was the thing that really surprised me the most aside from the best picture nominees which it was like if john mccain had won the 2004 election that's how that started the 2008 election you didn't run into those were if john mccain had but the wet when bush won the 2004 election is how

kind is a bigger version of how I felt when I saw these nominees where it's like the months leading up to and I was like I know bush is going to win and I'm so mad and be so disappointed and I just hope there's a surprise and there wasn't. And it was this heart drop of like, oh, there's no changing the system. And that's how I felt these best picture nominees. But, but the fact that Sinecti New York isn't even nominated for best original screenplay,

which you think they give it to Charlie Kaufman a nomination just on his past work. Even if they hadn't seen this movie, which is brilliantly written, but, you know. Well, I just think that it's strange we all know that the best picture nominees are given to the which of the best middle-brow films of the year we're not going to nominate anything too disreputable and we're not going to nominate anything too already well it's Billy Wilder said I think I've

quoted him before on this podcast maybe I haven't I don't know Billy Wilder once said that they don't nominate the best films they nominate the films that make Hollywood look best right this is Hollywood's advertisement to the rest of the country to say like see we made the kind of stuff you guys can can respect but even so like if they're gonna nominate a movie that no one saw why nominate the reader and not say Rachel getting married I still haven't seen that yet I can't there's some, for every time you've told me you loved it, I've met a person who said they hated it.

But, but Ali, you trust me more than most people don't you? Yeah, usually. But for like Frost Nixon, why wasn't say, Wall-E nominated instead? I know why it wasn't, it wasn't nominated because they put it in the animated category, which is a category that they invented so that no animated film whatever when best picture but also frankly like uh... as much effort for its flaws in the fact that it's a

batman movie like the dark night was a fantastic movie and i would say better than the reader and better than benjamin button you know well here's what i felt like dark dark night with robb in the directing category yes i agree there too historically the directing category has been a place where you know they can be like well

this movie was too awesome for us to put in the best picture but will toss the director of bone like if if the christopher no one did not get nominate it will not howard gets a nod uh... weird because he's not that good at my directing movies ron ron howard is the most baseline competent director in hollywood he is not great and he's not terrible but he could he is competent like he brings nothing to a movie and but we don't think it takes nothing away it takes nothing away it's like uh... it's only pictures like you know we're in movies uh...

and no he already tracks greatly for movies chain reaction would have been masterpiece it was anyone else but like run out like run out is your journey man competent director but he's been elevated to this like this high status for the status they like some because he's a very nice guy the status things that david venture gets uh... not for directing curious case of Benjamin but

after last year where he got literally no recognition for directing so yeah which was amazing which is and so did actually been best picture last year and it was nominate and not them at least or least at or best adapted screenplay like that was a brilliant and i'm just concerned that they'll make david fincher somehow believe like maybe i'll just make a bunch of shitty movies that that's why i should be heartwarming that's why i feel like the com brothers last year were not enthusiastic on stage about their words also because they don't seem like the most diffusive guys at all, but almost feels like they've been making movies that are very personal to them for years, and they finally made a movie that they seem to have

put nothing of themselves into and they won the highest award that Hollywood gives and they were like, all right, so this is what you want to see from us, is mechanical filmmaking. Well, we understand what you didn't understand, the Bigelbausky, but then again, you also didn't honor Fargo. So I guess this is what you like, okay, fine. Fargo movie that we put parts of our growing up into, or like even the man who wasn't there, which I love, it's like, you can tell they put their soul into that movie and people don't

even talk about it but and then they make a movie like burn after reading this year where everybody's like all what what the hell is this what happened to them no country for a man and like at least burn after reading feels like a movie they enjoyed making yeah so like a com brothers move i love that but like the thing is i sort of don't understand why people are so down i mean i guess i understand why people should down

burn after reading because alright fine yes everyone in that movie is reprehensible is an idiot but that's the movie if you look at it just in terms of like writing on your like a sheer writing level like the brilliance of each character like each character feels totally realized well being totally crazy well I don't know if I go that far but it's

really but it's a genuinely funny movie all the way through which is hard to very hard to do and I'm really glad that um but it's like it's like if they were like Michael Apptid your seven-up documentaries are illuminating but you know we'd rather want to reward you for your shitty bond movie work well you know and the thing about the academy awards this year is that i'm really glad they felt that the felt the need to basically just pee on bruce spring steam by nominating uh... wall song for by nominating the shitty song by peter gay real from wallets that's all that's the one thing wrong with wallets that

terrible song from some dog millionaire and nothing else like that that's good to found a space for a fourth person you know we didn't want Bruce showing up to the Oscars this year you know who no one likes Bruce spring you know who wouldn't get people to watch the Oscars a performance by Bruce Springsteen on the way. Oh, our ratings are so bad every year. Maybe we should get one of the most popular performers in American history. No, I don't think so. We'll get Peter Gabriel. Yeah, well, like what the fuck? Kidding me like I'm gonna shock the

monkey bro for America. Maybe people remember they kind of like what you say what you want about the wrestler and Bruce Springsteen songs and whatnot. But like I don't think you can come up with a better like marriage of artist and subject matter Then I'm singing a song about I've a beaten all up beaten down old New Jersey wrestling I haven't even seen the movie but when I hear the song and the ads and like that's pretty good I want to see that piece. That's a pretty good movie Well, that was when I was a little disappointed. What are you going to do?

But still better than the reader? But I was going to say I was also very happy to see Richard Jenkins nominated because he's a really great, very solid actor who kind of doesn't get a lot of attention. And he made what could have been a very cliched, bland character into a very believable character. Yeah. And he had a bunch of good performances this year. I mean, he's befunny and burn after reading. He's funny and burn after reading.

You know what, stepbrother's not a great movie, but Richard Drinkins. Jenkins is actually very funny. Richard Drinkins. His alcoholic alter ego. And he has a little too many at the end of the night. Yeah, no, sure. He goes out to the bar.

He's like, just call me Richard Drinkins tonight. Is he hanging out with Andy Cap? I'm kidding. Oh, Flo Kicks, you out to the bar. He's like just call me Richard Drinking tonight. He hang out with Andy Cap Oh flow kick to the house again Andy. Yeah, congratulations Congratulations on your Academy nomination. You know, we're still Imagine that Andy Cap actually never gets hit by that rolling pen He just professionally has a rolling pen floating behind his head. I like to not think about any cap, unless I'm eating cheese fries. I would like to endorse cheese fries for the Oscar nomination this year. I'm really glad that both bread and angelie and jolly both got nominated.

I think that's really great. Yeah, I'm glad that Meryl Streep got nominated for being the most overactinous actress in the world. I gotta say she was very good in doubt though. Okay, overacting or no? No, I thought she did a very good job in doubt. No, I haven't seen it. I heard that she's over it. I usually find her to be a little too much, but in doubt I thought she was very good.

And Marissa Tomei got a nod for showing her boobs. Yeah, after she was, she was overlooked for showing her boobs and the devil knows you're dead. Again, before the devil I would like to uh... pimp Rachel getting married and say that I wish that rose married to wet got a nomination for best for the actress I was glad that viola davis was nominated for doubt that she only has really one scene in the movie but it is a very it is

the best scene in the film as for taraji p henson for the case case of Benjamin Button, you know, not that good. Who is that? She plays Benjamin Button's mom, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay. That's that she's not that great. And for the most obvious choice of the year, it's Kung Fu Panda for best anti-fifth film. What's the summary wall? Now Benjamin Button is some sort of stuffed bear, correct? Yes. He's like, he's like, Corey Roy. He's born in Pattington Station.

So a thing that it's to it's what's too bad is that the there are a couple great performances in the supporting actor category. I mean, Heath Ledger should get it. But I wish that Josh Brolin could also win because his performance in milk is great. Well, he got a golden globe. That's just as good, right? Uh, Hollywood foreign press. I mean, all of Hollywood or the Hollywood because his performance in milk is great. Well, he got a golden globe, that's just good, right? Uh, Hollywood foreign press. I mean, all of Hollywood or the Hollywood foreign press. Hollywood foreign press.

But Heath Ledger was astounding in the dark night. So, and Robert Day Jr. is very funny and Trapple-Catunder all the joke kind of gets very old. Yeah, but he sells it. Yeah. You can't watch anyone in the scenes of the and it's because that everyone else has money on pulling off

yeah that's true he does it in a way that say even like maybe someone who's more of a comedian oh i'm so glad tom cruise was not now you're a raster conversation about the most over overrated performance of the race it got you you were worried the Scientologists would come down on you like a bag of bricks and you erased our discussion

about Tom Cruise sucks in Tropic Thunder and everyone's that he was great, but he's terrible. You just put on a first suit and a bald cap. You were afraid they'd kill you like they killed Jack Parsons. Hey, I noticed that a, I noticed that Colin Ferrell's performance from in bruises can speculously absence. I still haven't seen in bruise, but I want to. I think in bruises very good. I was actually glad that it got a nomination for

best screenplay. And I was glad, but you know, Wally should get the should get best original screenplay. So sorry in bruise. Was that original? Wally is not just a great animated film. It's a great, it's a really fantastically written film. The structure of that movie is so phenomenal in a way that none of the others are. Certainly not milk, which is super repetitive. That's a movie that succeeds despite its script, as opposed to something like... Frostnix in which I think a better script than a director yeah you can say that although there's parts of for us next and then I don't like or something like

um but I think like the Peter Morgan elements are what makes that movie yes yes I agree that uh that for the best achievement and sound mixing wanted to take it away it's amazing I mean they curve bullets how how do you make that sound if you got to imagine that sound first and that's the hard part? I imagine sort of like No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, because it's the I think the best short picks are his ever done. I agree with that. And it's a great concept. I'm surprised we haven't seen more often. It's a magic hat with a rabbit in it and a door.

A little rags. Few hijinks. Best makeup. Hellboy to the golden army. I kind of want to win because it's a really cool looking movie. I hope curious case of Benjman but Benjman button doesn't win because the makeup in it is not that great. Benjman button.

I don't want it to like if it wins. It's really play on the so mad. It's a terrible. is not that great. Benjamin Button, I don't want it to like if it wins it's brand play. I'm going to be so mad. It is terrible. It's terrible. If he wins best actor, I think it'll spawn an entire generation of actors who just look kind of bored the entire movie. It is maybe his worst performance. Up, late, up, late. He's done, especially in a year when he did, we was in burn after reading, which he's fantastic in. Brad Pitt. But which he should get a recognition for being good he should get recognition for being planned yes exact on screen a lot but that's the academy awards the county awards

recognizes blandness and easy to digest this in mediocrity i i was thinking about burn after reading perhaps i was uh... remiss in calling these characters well-rounded because they're all cartoon fun house characters However the Cohen brothers are amazing in terms of just writing unique characters none of whom like sound like each other and each are indelible and You understand who they are within moments of them coming on screen. I, I mean, they're two of the best writers in film, basically. When there's a Dildo chair in that movie.

There's a Sibian chair, which is Hilar, or Sibian, I don't know, it's pronounced, which is hilarious. I've only heard about those on website. I saw it in my gentleman's magazine. I really said, we've been quoting this at work constantly. A gentleman's magazine. A gentleman's magazine. It's mostly just speed rail.

It cost me $100 put together, not including labor costs and I had to buy the deal though I'm not set up to mold plastic A mold latex whatever he says such a funny scene There's that moment. Oh well it involves a spoiler I won't say it. There's a moment of just George Clooney's posture in one part of that movie that blew me away Just that involves him yet killing someone. He's not supposed to kill and then just this moment you just see him in his shoulders are so slumped down and look and he looks so sad posture and it's just this defeated the thetic moment from George Clooney that you rarely see

that was just really great well this is gonna be the longest movie minute yeah this is a 20 minute minute well we can edit down right I'm not interested down to a tight frame. That's the kind of guy I am. Just cut out everything except the best picture talk. Yeah, fucking Oscars, huh? Mm-hmm. What are you gonna do?

How come Australia didn't get nominated for too much? Just costume design. Not even songs? Not even songs. That is lyrmen love songs. That Peter Gabriel song in Wally is so bad. It's so crappy, right? And it's that movie, like, the movie ends on such a perfect note and you're like, oh, just let me Love saw this. That Peter Gabriel song in Wally is so bad. It's so crappy, right? And it's that movie, like the movie ends on such a perfect note and you're like,

oh, just let me savor this. And then Peter Gabriel's terrible song comes in and ruins it. Like, you don't really want it to win best animated picture anymore because of the song. Dude, like, is like, did Randy Newman die or something? Like, what is he's calling that dude? No, Randy. I assume he gave Peter Gabriel switch off. Oh, okay, they tack it out. Yeah

That's too bad. Peter take care of this one slap hands So the Oscars and in don't worry when it happens for real to be a super disappointing thing and I'm not We'll talk about it all sad stuff and my boss is not hosting it. So I'm not doing anything for it this year There was recently a costed by a relative of mine because he was mad about a clip I used in the gate cowboy thing which is three years old this point we're talking about as if it just happened and i was like really like i kind of forgot i did that like why would you know that anyway

so that was lives on people's hearts so that for hollywood magic Thank you.