NFT: "The Shape of Crap"

...tend to be ones that critics love, especially if its got a social or political bent to it, but most of the public don't like or even bother to see

There are lots of reasons it won Best Picture, but a lot of people didn't like it, too. You're not alone.

If you look up the early reaction, it was met very warmly when it premiered at the Venice Film Festival but got a much cooler response a few days later at the Telluride Film Festival.

The resemblance to the Creature From the Black Lagoon is deliberate. That's the point -- it's meant to be a different spin on monster movies, where the monster gets the girl. That's del Toro. You either get on his wavelength or you don't.

He drives around L.A in a customized Lincoln clone of the evil car from cult classic 1977's The Car

In comment 13858333 jnoble said:

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He drives around L.A in a customized Lincoln clone of the evil car from cult classic 1977's The Car

that is a fun fact.

anyway, I thought the creature could have looked better:

https://www.filmibeat.com/hollywood/movies/rumble-fish/awards.html

Oscar Awards : No
Golden G : No
Independent Spirit : No
Producers Guild : No
Writers Guild : No
Directors Guild : No
Critics Award : No
BAFTA'S Award : No
BSFC : No
Rumble Fish Award : Yes.

But I would never watch a movie like The shape of water.

I didn't watch Get out for a long time because I thought it was laughable that one of the guys from Key and Peele could create a serious movie.

But good god was Get Out an incredible movie. In an era of mostly remakes and reboots, Jordan Peele created an incredibly original movie that was extremely thrilling and littered with social and racial themes.

If a movie about a mute falling in love with a fish is better than that movie, than what is the point of the Oscars?

But wife and adult kids loved it

it glorified the movies. (the two scenes where they showed the old musicals and mentioned Cagney dancing). if you mention the movies, glorify movies or acting, etc., you win best picture. it's the rules. that's why we get winners like Birdman, LaLa Land, Argo, Wag the Dog, etc.

If the stupid director of 3 Billboards simply changed the third billboard to say "Actors are heroes and movies are great" then 3 Billboards would have won best picture.

In comment 13858361 NYG07 said:

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But I would never watch a movie like The shape of water. I didn't watch Get out for a long time because I thought it was laughable that one of the guys from Key and Peele could create a serious movie. But good god was Get Out an incredible movie. In an era of mostly remakes and reboots, Jordan Peele created an incredibly original movie that was extremely thrilling and littered with social and racial themes. If a movie about a mute falling in love with a fish is better than that movie, than what is the point of the Oscars?

Get out was barley original. It was a Skelton key remake with a racial twist.

I guess Skelton key wasn’t popular enough for people to remember but it was basically the same premise

In comment 13858361 NYG07 said:

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But I would never watch a movie like The shape of water. I didn't watch Get out for a long time because I thought it was laughable that one of the guys from Key and Peele could create a serious movie.

Maybe be a little more open minded in the future?

for going to a movie - if it wins the best picture award, it's boring. Skip it. For the most part, I haven't missed much.

As these films didn't win, but Shape of Water does..
Its like having the least impressive SB win.

Taxi Driver
Pulp Fiction
LA Confidential
Scar Face
Black Swan
Shawshank Redemption

.

In comment 13858414 ATL_Giants said:

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As these films didn't win, but Shape of Water does.. Its like having the least impressive SB win. Taxi Driver Pulp Fiction LA Confidential Scar Face Black Swan Shawshank Redemption

3 Billboards would have been a deserving winner.

In comment 13858414 ATL_Giants said:

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As these films didn't win, but Shape of Water does.. Its like having the least impressive SB win. Taxi Driver Pulp Fiction LA Confidential Scar Face Black Swan Shawshank Redemption

Quiz Show

The Oscars have ALWAYS been about politics (and self promotion). They frequently don't honor the people or pictures who deserve it. Take best director this year for example. Del Toro is a notable director, granted, but I didn't like the pacing, or how he went about telling the story in "Shape". Not his best work, but its like they use this nomination as an excuse to honor HIM and his whole body of work. Nolan made a risky, very different type of war picture in Dunkirk, at it was his direction that made the movie notable. That's deserving of an Oscar.

In comment 13858373 markky said:

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it glorified the movies. (the two scenes where they showed the old musicals and mentioned Cagney dancing). if you mention the movies, glorify movies or acting, etc., you win best picture. it's the rules. that's why we get winners like Birdman, LaLa Land, Argo, Wag the Dog, etc.

This is true, and it's a huge problem for the Oscars, IMO.

I was telling people that the moment I saw the black-and-white musical sequence, I thought: Oh, that's winning the Oscar. The Academy's narcissism is ridiculous. They need to tear their eyes away from the mirror and recognize movies that are about other people's lives, not their own.

In comment 13858589 81_Great_Dane said:

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In comment 13858373 markky said: Quote: it glorified the movies. (the two scenes where they showed the old musicals and mentioned Cagney dancing). if you mention the movies, glorify movies or acting, etc., you win best picture. it's the rules. that's why we get winners like Birdman, LaLa Land, Argo, Wag the Dog, etc. This is true, and it's a huge problem for the Oscars, IMO. I was telling people that the moment I saw the black-and-white musical sequence, I thought: Oh, that's winning the Oscar. The Academy's narcissism is ridiculous. They need to tear their eyes away from the mirror and recognize movies that are about other people's lives, not their own.

Is Moonlight an example of this Hollywood narcissism? Or 12 Years a slave? Or No Country for Old Men? Or perhaps the Hurt Locker?

Nobody said EVERY Oscar winner is a showbiz story. But a lot of entertainment-connected stories have won Best Picture since 1998, and even more have been nominated. The Academy likes it if performance or showbiz people are woven in, even if they're not central.

2018 The Shape of Water (win)
2017 LaLa Land (nominated)
2015 Birdman (won); Whiplash (nominated)
2013 Argo (won); SIlver Linings Playbook (nominated) -- remember the dance competition
2012 The Artist (Won); Hugo (nominated)
2010 The King's Speech (won) Arguably a showbiz movie; the climax is a radio performance.
2009 Slumdog Millionaire (won); Frost/Nixon (nominated)
2006 Crash (won; characters include LA movie people); Good Night and Good Luck (nominated; set in TV)
2005 The Aviator (nominated; he makes movies, movie stars depicted)
2004 Lost in Translation (nominated; she's married to a director, he's a movie star)
2003 Chicago (won); The Pianist (nominated; a Holocaust story about a performer. Total Oscar bait.)
2002 Moulin Rouge! (nominated)
2001 Gladiator (won; "ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?")
1999 The Insider (nominated, set in the TV world)
1998 Shakespeare in Love (won)

I’m stunned that critics, or anyone over the age of 18 liked it. And yet it’s getting raves. I sat there laughing my ass off at how bad it was. The writing, acting, and special effects were unintentionally hilarious. I guess there’s no accounting for taste.

LOL what a funny thread. Some of you do realize it's their industry award show. It's an association for them, by them and paid for and sponsored by them.

There's been very little in the way of objectivity ever seriously claimed by the Academy.

The only reason the viewing public cares to watch their show is to watch famous people in nice clothes.

The process is not much more objective or sophisticated than the local Oakland longshoreman's union man of the year ceremony.

There are a billion other award shows that attempt to be critical. Those might be more some of yours jam.

that list is actually minuscule in the grand scheme of things. You forgot Hugo, FYI (actually a really good movie). Are you suggesting Gladiator won because it was about...Gladiators, the #1 form of entertainment in Roman times which came long before movies were made?

I couldn’t be calmer. Not sure where you’re getting that read from. I will say, however, that your list and its reasoning is ludicrous. A dance competition is indicative of show biz narcissism? And gladiators? And jazz drummers?

Holocaust movies are certainly Oscar bait. Of course that has absolutely nothing to do with your overly generalized thesis.

treasure -- I thought the Shape of Water was a beautiful and poignant movie

In comment 13858449 markky said:

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In comment 13858414 ATL_Giants said: Quote: As these films didn't win, but Shape of Water does.. Its like having the least impressive SB win. Taxi Driver Pulp Fiction LA Confidential Scar Face Black Swan Shawshank Redemption 3 Billboards would have been a deserving winner.

Just saw 3 Billboards and it was indeed very good.

In comment 13859285 Chris in Philly said:

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I couldn’t be calmer. Not sure where you’re getting that read from. I will say, however, that your list and its reasoning is ludicrous. A dance competition is indicative of show biz narcissism? And gladiators? And jazz drummers? Holocaust movies are certainly Oscar bait. Of course that has absolutely nothing to do with your overly generalized thesis.

Yeah and you're not allowed to rent videos here anymore!

In comment 13859288 gidiefor said:

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treasure -- I thought the Shape of Water was a beautiful and poignant movie

kick the tires.

In comment 13859326 Joey in VA said:

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In comment 13859285 Chris in Philly said: Quote: I couldn’t be calmer. Not sure where you’re getting that read from. I will say, however, that your list and its reasoning is ludicrous. A dance competition is indicative of show biz narcissism? And gladiators? And jazz drummers? Holocaust movies are certainly Oscar bait. Of course that has absolutely nothing to do with your overly generalized thesis. Yeah and you're not allowed to rent videos here anymore!

YEAAAHHHH!!!

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best picture, I did like it - I thought it was beautifully shot. The story was pretty obvious, I figured out the plotline once Octavia Spencer mentioned that Elisa was found down by the river as a baby.

I haven't seen all of the nominees, but I really liked Lady Bird, although I wouldn't say it was best picture caliber, and Darkest Hour was very good, although it made a hideous man look good (speaking of Churchill, not Oldman). I didn't care for Phantom Thread, and The Post was the very definition of ordinary. I really liked Dunkirk and loved Get Out, I still think it should have won (although I haven't seen 3 Billboards or Call Me by My Name yet).

and I had to come to this thread and let you know you are 100% right. In fact crap may be to nice a description for it.