Academy Award Season
The good films are starting to be released, which always signals the Academy Award season. The academy also released the finalists for consideration in the documentary category. Documentaries have been so popular this year and there are 15 finalists instead of 12 as is usually the case. I am happy that I have seen 6 of them:
After Innocence
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
Mad Hot Ballroom
March of the Penguins
Murderball
Unknown White Male
I loved The Aristocrats and am disappointed that's not in consideration, but it's so risque, I'm not entirely surprised. I'm surprised "Why We Fight" isn't a finalist. Perhaps it wasn't eligible for some reason. I haven't seen it yet, but I'm also surprised Grizzley Man wasn't a finalist.
I've heard After Innocence is a frontrunner. I think March of the Penguins will be nominated, but I think it's too popular to win - usually the most popular docs don't win. Although Fahrenheit 9/11 won, so you never know. It's unlikely the documentaries I've seen will all of the actual nominations, but of the ones I've seen, I'd vote for Unknown White Male. I LOVED Mad Hot Ballroom, but I think UWM was a little more compelling and less straight forward.
On a less happy note, I'm OUTRAGED that Fox has basically cancelled Arrested Development. They have cut the new episode order and yanked it off the network until November sweeps is over. That basically means that they'll burn off the episodes they've already shot and then it's done. This is the funniest show on television. I don't understand why more people don't like it. It's particularly horrifying that the show that took it's Sunday night place, The War At Home, is still on the air. THAT show is garbage. Why wouldn't they cancel that show and put AD back on Sunday nights? I am hoping one of the cable networks - especially HBO - picks AD up and keeps it going. It's so smart and funny and sometimes very risque = HBO would be a natural.
After Innocence
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
Mad Hot Ballroom
March of the Penguins
Murderball
Unknown White Male
I loved The Aristocrats and am disappointed that's not in consideration, but it's so risque, I'm not entirely surprised. I'm surprised "Why We Fight" isn't a finalist. Perhaps it wasn't eligible for some reason. I haven't seen it yet, but I'm also surprised Grizzley Man wasn't a finalist.
I've heard After Innocence is a frontrunner. I think March of the Penguins will be nominated, but I think it's too popular to win - usually the most popular docs don't win. Although Fahrenheit 9/11 won, so you never know. It's unlikely the documentaries I've seen will all of the actual nominations, but of the ones I've seen, I'd vote for Unknown White Male. I LOVED Mad Hot Ballroom, but I think UWM was a little more compelling and less straight forward.
On a less happy note, I'm OUTRAGED that Fox has basically cancelled Arrested Development. They have cut the new episode order and yanked it off the network until November sweeps is over. That basically means that they'll burn off the episodes they've already shot and then it's done. This is the funniest show on television. I don't understand why more people don't like it. It's particularly horrifying that the show that took it's Sunday night place, The War At Home, is still on the air. THAT show is garbage. Why wouldn't they cancel that show and put AD back on Sunday nights? I am hoping one of the cable networks - especially HBO - picks AD up and keeps it going. It's so smart and funny and sometimes very risque = HBO would be a natural.
rdladd@arnan.com
