Oscars to add "Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film" Category

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by JozefK, Aug 8, 2018.

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  1. JozefK

    JozefK Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dixie
    RIP Oscars

    Can't say I'll miss you

    Oscars Won't Televise All Awards, Adds Popular Film Category

    The Academy's board of governors has approved several major changes to the tradition-bound ceremony's format in the hope of retaining the dwindling number of Oscars telecast viewers it still has and luring others back into the fold ahead of the 91st Academy Awards on Feb. 24, 2019.

    At least as important, in terms of improving the ratings of the Oscars telecast for ABC, the Academy also said in its letter that it "will create a new category for outstanding achievement in popular film," adding that "[e]ligibility requirements and other key details will be forthcoming." Some will complain that adding such a category cheapens the prestige of the Oscars, making it more like the People's Choice Awards or MTV Movie & TV Awards, but that is old-world thinking. More than the length of the telecast or the name of the host, Oscar ratings have been shown to correlate with the popularity of the nominated films among the general public. And the gulf between what the public buys tickets to see and what the Academy nominates and awards has never been greater.

    If the popular film award (likely to be nicknamed "the Popcorn Oscar") is implemented in time for the 91st Oscars, then there is little doubt that ratings will improve, since blockbusters like Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Deadpool 2, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again — and their fan-favorite stars — will be guaranteed a presence at the ceremony. (One can safely assume that their backers will not have to decide whether or not to enter in competitive categories or for the popular film category, but will automatically be eligible for both; Black Panther already was expected to seriously contend for competitive nominations and awards.)​
     
  2. BeatleJWOL

    BeatleJWOL Senior Member

    Hey look, a handy way for the Academy to dismiss any and all genre films as "popular" and not taint their precious "real films".
     
  3. dprokopy

    dprokopy Senior Member

    Location:
    Near Seattle, WA
    They ought to just call it "Best Comic Book Movie" and get it over with.
    Seems like a similar situation as to when they created the Best Animated Feature category in 2001 because so many popular animated films (particularly Pixar films) were getting shafted in the Best Picture category.
     
  4. AKA

    AKA Senior Member

  5. Mugrug12

    Mugrug12 The Jungle Is a Skyscraper

    Location:
    Massachusetts
    Isn't it denigrating those nominees, like saying they're not real movies? I visualize some sarcastic acceptance speeches...
     
    guppy270 likes this.
  6. dprokopy

    dprokopy Senior Member

    Location:
    Near Seattle, WA
    And next year's award winner will be...
     
  7. MrGrumpy

    MrGrumpy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Burbank
    We're probably not qualified to comment. The telecast is aimed at a female audience - and that species ain't on this site.
     
  8. Daniel Plainview

    Daniel Plainview God's Lonely Man

    I'm out. After last year, and that horrible fish man movie and Kimmel shaming me for three hours because of my gender and race, I just don't care anymore. I see Hollywood and their almighty stars for what they really are. A hypocritical joke.
     
  9. malcolm reynolds

    malcolm reynolds Handsome, Humble, Genius

    Location:
    Oklahoma
    "Coming up the awards for the film that made $1.5 billion at the box office and then for the film that twelve people saw."
     
    Michael Rose, Murph, PH416156 and 4 others like this.
  10. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    soon everybody in movies will receive an Oscar...because you know everyone is special and the loser may get their feeling crushed...Hmm, I'm surprised it took this long...
     
    bherbert, Murph, CrazyCatz and 2 others like this.
  11. MikaelaArsenault

    MikaelaArsenault Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Hampshire
    Who even watches The Oscars anymore anyway?
     
    bherbert, Tristero, budwhite and 3 others like this.
  12. dprokopy

    dprokopy Senior Member

    Location:
    Near Seattle, WA
    This isn't about feelings and egos. It's all about $$$. Ratings for the telecast, and more money at the box office. (Which is presumably why the ceremony is being moved forward yet again - to give more of a boost for the end-of-the-year releases.)
     
    guy incognito, Shawn and Michael like this.
  13. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    $ sounds about right...
     
  14. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    :wave:

    Along with 26.5 million others!
     
  15. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    LOL...
     
  16. Squealy

    Squealy Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Vancouver
    They want to move it forward because the Oscars now follows a number of other televised awards... who will probably move their shows as well.
     
  17. Dillydipper

    Dillydipper Space-Age luddite

    Location:
    Central PA
    ...which sent me to Wikipedia, because it never occurred to me the Academy Awards actually ignored animated features even during years when Disney released one...I hadn't noticed!
     
    lightbulb likes this.
  18. nosticker

    nosticker Forum Guy

    Location:
    Ringwood, NJ
    First the uptick in Best Picture noms and now this? Are they forgetting that almost *any* contest is a popularity contest?


    Dan
     
  19. Dillydipper

    Dillydipper Space-Age luddite

    Location:
    Central PA
    ...most of which were only created by Dick Clark Productions in the 1980's, just because ABC got jealous they didn't have the broadcast rights to any show they could trot out big-name actors to get a statuette.
     
    dewey02 and lightbulb like this.
  20. Ghostworld

    Ghostworld Senior Member

    Location:
    US

    Too late adding this new category for me: they should’ve done it before the ghastly “the shape of water” forever besmirched the Oscars. Then again it might not of won most popular because I don’t think anybody went to see it anyway.
     
  21. Ghostworld

    Ghostworld Senior Member

    Location:
    US

    Hey at least they’re admitting Marvel and DC will never be deemed the “high art” by the Academy. That’s a positive. I completely agree.
     
    the pope ondine likes this.
  22. the pope ondine

    the pope ondine Forum Resident

    Location:
    Virginia

    it is? they aren't?

    me.

    how soon till we have "best kiss", "most killer fight", "most awesome...."

    uma....oprah....uma....oprah
     
  23. Ghostworld

    Ghostworld Senior Member

    Location:
    US

    Best trailer will replace Best Picture for the ADD.
     
    apesfan and the pope ondine like this.
  24. Squealy

    Squealy Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Vancouver
    “Best Popular Film” is too People’s Choice but I’ve thought for ages they should follow the Globes and have a best drama and best comedy category, and while they’re at it why not have something like a “genre film” award too? These films are made with different aims and succeed on different terms than dramatic films, so maybe it would be better to compare apples with apples and spread the wealth.
     
    lightbulb and mmars982 like this.
  25. jjhunsecker

    jjhunsecker Senior Member

    Location:
    New York city
    Bad move IMHO- If a film is good enough, it should be nominated for Best Picture whether it made $300 million or 39 cents...
     
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