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ANNCast Holiday Special Part II

rainbowcourage wrote:

On the other hand, Slumdog Millionaire fully deserved that win. I was very happy. It played like a modern very dark fairytale and was gorgeous in just about every aspect of production, from the cinematography and art direction (love the scene where he's filling the tub with money) to that lovely, lovely soundtrack.

Yeah, I loved it too, but I don't know that it should have won Best Picture...hm. It's kind of a tough call. I mean Slumdog Millionaire was one of the movies that reminded me why I love film. The production aspects were striking, you're right, the editing was brilliant and while the story was very basic, I thought the writing was pretty good, too. It felt like a very "complete" movie, I felt very full walking out of the theater. Still, when I think "Best Picture," I think a movie that does all that and changes the dynamic if possible. A movie that does all that and then grabs people and shakes them. The Wrestler was a better choice by that logic, so I can see where the guys are coming from, which also explains their head-scratching over Chicago's win, because it's much the same kind of picture as Slumdog. But I wasn't crushed or anything, because I did like Slumdog. Eh. I know it only won all those awards because the agenda for the year was multiculturalism. Sometimes there are just trends to address for the hoity-toits on those committees.

...Gurren Lagann and Haruhi are the same kind of series, hate to break it to ya. Okay, Gurren Lagann has some success with digging into drama and Haruhi doesn't really, but even then, only some. The drama's pretty sophomoric. But both of these series are slightly self-aware celebrations of their genres instead of being satirical subversions of the genre. For Gurren Lagann it's mecha and shonen. ("BURST THROUGH TO THE HEAVENS WITH YOUR DRILL!" indeed...) For Haruhi Suzumiya, it's the fandom itself, specifically the Japanese fandom. Haruhi is every otaku's dream. Haruhi creates the world and the friends I think every stereotypical otaku would, and even if you don't fit that, you can certainly recognize it as you watch. Doesn't make it a satire, but it's just a little self-aware, as is Gurren Lagann in all its bombastic explosiveness and shoutouts to other Gainax legends. They're both ribbing their genres a little bit but mostly celebrating them very loudly.

[Yuki isn't a parody of characters who ripoff Rei Ayanami, she's just a ripoff of Rei Ayanami. Mikuru isn't a parody of characters whose main purpose is fanservice, she's just a character whose main purpose is fanservice, Haruhi isn't a parody of tsundere, she's just an obnoxious not-so-nice-person whose antics I am supposed to find funny like Peter Griffin, and Homer Simpson.

Gurren Lagann did that, the characters felt like characters, you can see everyone's point of view, even though their where a ton of factions over a period of only 26 episodes. They didn't force people into leadership roles, Simon isn't the type of person who could run a city, and so we see that in the series.

Haruhi didn't have any of that, all it had was a bunch of tired cliches, and a bunch of characters with no character development in 26 episodes.

And sometimes, the hardest thing to do well is to tell a straight story in an imaginative way, and for me the movies that do that, and do it beautifully, are often my favorites (not that I don't love intersecting or complicated plot lines ala Pan's Labyrinth or Donnie Darko...gah, I don't know).
I mean, take a look at Shakespeare in Love. There's nothing really new about that movie, but it's such a compelling story and so freaking well put together that it won Best Picture and it's also awesome.
So I guess there's the difference. Critics want something that will revolutionize the medium of film at least a little bit because they view it as art; as a casual fan I kind of just want a good story to win because while film is art to me, it is first and foremost entertainment.

Not a shining example of Ang Lee's capabilities...

On the other hand, Slumdog Millionaire fully deserved that win. I was very happy. It played like a modern very dark fairytale and was gorgeous in just about every aspect of production, from the cinematography and art direction (love the scene where he's filling the tub with money) to that lovely, lovely soundtrack.

Not an Ang Lee fan. ...but I don't like Ang Lee. At all.

Charred Knight missing the point? I'm shocked!

They're parodies of those types of characters because we're constantly led by Kyon's narration to the conclusion that they're off-putting characteristics for people to actually have. Aside from Mikuru, but that's because Kyon is a red blooded high school boy. But Mikuru sheds a spotlight on the "moeblob" characters and how utterly useless they are (which, as it's been mused, may be Mikuru's cover). And if you really think Yuki is anything like Rei Ayanami, I don't think you were paying attention to either this show or Evangelion.

We're supposed to delight at Haruhi's charming sociopathy because it's so over the top and in sharp contrast with ordinary people. The viewer still feels annoyed at her selfishness, but feel guilty pleasure at what she can get away with.

@CharredKnight: A mockery? If it were a mockery we would hate those characters and their narcissism, not adore it. Also, what is the moral of Host Club? Do you remember? It's "loosen up and viva la vida." Haruhi learns more from the Host Club than they learn from her, although there's a lot of give-and-take. It is absolutely in love with its shojo roots and does not mock them except with great affection. ...After thinking about it, actually, the thin line it walks between celebration and parody is so well-done, I guess I'll put it on record that I DO think it's better than Haruhi and Gurren Lagann, which...*toss up in brain* are about equal in my eyes but if I had to give a bare nod, I'd say Gurren Lagann is better because, as rainbowcourage pointed out, it does have a solid story, simple though it may be. And it didn't completely embarrass itself with a ghastly second season...just a...recap movie instead.

Good show again, and at least this time I was around for those last three years.

Totally agree for nearly anything from the Coen Brothers, and at least half of Tarantino's stuff (Pulp Fiction so should have won best picture). I focus on the Independent Spirit Awards anyway, because those are the movies I know I'll be interested in seeing, and the broadcast is far more entertaining. YEAH, rainbowcourage, hurray for Little Miss Sunshine .

And oh, BTW, one of which is NOT Planetes, which single-handedly cured me of my completionist obsession. The lack of success of that show is not mysterious in the least, because it went downhill after the mid-point and the last part was a mess and just sucked.

I haven't seen Brokeback Mountain so I can't comment on it but what I heard from people was that the fact there was a fully explored gay romance was more the subject of all the hoop-and-holler than the quality of the film itself as a good drama...sounds like Oscar food to me~! No, seriously, though, I should see it at some point...but I don't like Ang Lee. At all.

Good god, Disney's City of God was overrated. Production values only go so far, which is why I'm dreading Oscar season this year when it comes to Avatar. Any good media, regardless of whether its visual, textual, or audible, needs a story and characters, and if those are weak, then you have a weak movie regardless of how beautiful it looks... unless it's one of those freeform projects to which rules can be bent, but that was clearly not the case with Slumdog.

I rooted for Milk that year. Much stronger film. The Wrestler getting shafted hurt me as well. Aronofsky never gets recognized by the Academy.

After hearing these specials I'm kind of glad I only recently got into anime because I didn't have to live through all that crap. Also the fact that I don't have to pay $80 for a box set and can get singles for dirt cheap makes me pretty happy as well. Hell, I can get entire shows for dirt cheap now that Funimation does two half sets and then the eventual complete (half sets drop big time when completes come out). I do, however, dislike the fact that almost every Geneon show that's pretty good is insanely expensive.

After hearing these specials I'm kind of glad I only recently got into anime because I didn't have to live through all that crap. Also the fact that I don't have to pay $80 for a box set and can get singles for dirt cheap makes me pretty happy as well. Hell, I can get entire shows for dirt cheap now that Funimation does two half sets and then the eventual complete (half sets drop big time when completes come out). I do, however, dislike the fact that almost every Geneon show that's pretty good is insanely expensive.