NBC News obtained a copy of an email the academy sent members that provided guidance on what steps they need to take ahead of the final voting deadline March 5.
I understand your first sentence, and I agree that for some of them that might be the case, but I still think more are made for entertainment and winning or being nominated can provide a positive signal.
To be clear I’m not saying that winning an Oscar is an automatic “best movie ever” signal. It’s a signal to take another look.
And honestly looking only at last year’s nominees and winners it is a pretty weak signal overall. But if I go back a year, I look over the winners and nominees there…
I never would have seen “Anatomy of a Fall” if it hadn’t been nominated and/or won for best original screenplay, but after it did and I read about it, I decided to watch it and really enjoyed it.
Similarly Emma Stone winning best actress for Poor Things got me interested in it. It’s not a film I thought looked interesting, but I like Emma Stone. So I decided to give it a chance. Now I don’t think I liked it as much as other people, but I think the film was worth watching, worth my time.
Awards let me know that other people have enjoyed something. If I think something looks boring, but then it suddenly wins a bunch of awards, maybe I misjudged it. Maybe I saw the wrong trailer or read the wrong synopsis. Maybe I wasn’t in the right mood at that time.
But if I go back a year, I look over the winners and nominees there…
Which is your preference but it’s not a signal for people who watch a lot of movies. For me, it’s best to have a multiple methods for content discovery. For example, you say you like Emma Stone, were that me I’d setup a list to automatically make me aware of her movies.
But this is all preference. I prefer to control the signal and do not trust external signals. You prefer external signals. There are no wrong answers. They are just movies, after all.
I understand your first sentence, and I agree that for some of them that might be the case, but I still think more are made for entertainment and winning or being nominated can provide a positive signal.
To be clear I’m not saying that winning an Oscar is an automatic “best movie ever” signal. It’s a signal to take another look.
And honestly looking only at last year’s nominees and winners it is a pretty weak signal overall. But if I go back a year, I look over the winners and nominees there…
I never would have seen “Anatomy of a Fall” if it hadn’t been nominated and/or won for best original screenplay, but after it did and I read about it, I decided to watch it and really enjoyed it.
Similarly Emma Stone winning best actress for Poor Things got me interested in it. It’s not a film I thought looked interesting, but I like Emma Stone. So I decided to give it a chance. Now I don’t think I liked it as much as other people, but I think the film was worth watching, worth my time.
Awards let me know that other people have enjoyed something. If I think something looks boring, but then it suddenly wins a bunch of awards, maybe I misjudged it. Maybe I saw the wrong trailer or read the wrong synopsis. Maybe I wasn’t in the right mood at that time.
Which is your preference but it’s not a signal for people who watch a lot of movies. For me, it’s best to have a multiple methods for content discovery. For example, you say you like Emma Stone, were that me I’d setup a list to automatically make me aware of her movies.
But this is all preference. I prefer to control the signal and do not trust external signals. You prefer external signals. There are no wrong answers. They are just movies, after all.