tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256060.post7258230051339638378..comments2024-03-17T10:11:46.952-04:00Comments on Film Experience Blog: Regarding Mo'Nique... What Nick SaidNATHANIEL Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11597109147678235399noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256060.post-73818137060179590502009-12-26T10:29:18.188-05:002009-12-26T10:29:18.188-05:00Thanks Paul!Thanks Paul!Peggy Suenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256060.post-4986405827365723372009-12-23T17:23:01.769-05:002009-12-23T17:23:01.769-05:00Nick, I think your comments on Fox particularly bo...Nick, I think your comments on Fox particularly bothered me because although the film was well-received by most critics (and I loved it), the film is not finding the large audience it deserves. I know Anderson can be an acquired taste (though I can't see why anyone wouldn't be charmed by Rushmore), but if people won't take their kids to see Fox but instead take them to The Blind Side (yes, this is a family film), I can only wonder why, why, why.gabrieloakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00460263240309976652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256060.post-8794366912343554282009-12-23T15:24:47.722-05:002009-12-23T15:24:47.722-05:00@ Peggy Sue:
Prior to Precious, Mo'Nique was ...@ Peggy Sue:<br /><br />Prior to <i>Precious</i>, Mo'Nique was more like a female Bernie Mac or an African-American Roseanne Arnold, if that says anything to you. Stand-up comic, star of a television comedy series, host of various award shows and (ugh) reality series. For the past few months she has had her own talk show. She's been in about a dozen feature films, most of them cheap, raunchy comedies. Inklings of her present triumph were there to be seen in 2005's <i>Domino</i> and <i>Shadowboxer</i> (Lee Daniels' first film).Paul Outlawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14223551781533342142noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256060.post-54991012868890330272009-12-23T09:41:45.404-05:002009-12-23T09:41:45.404-05:00I don't live in the US so I've never heard...I don't live in the US so I've never heard of Mo'Nique before "Precious". I know she has her own TV Show but is she a star? Rosie/Ellen/Oprah type?<br /><br />Generally speaking, I don't like the idea of an actor campaigning for an Oscar. I also dislike when actresses cry or jump on stage after winning. So not cool...Peggy Suenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256060.post-90926920388989265242009-12-23T01:22:58.470-05:002009-12-23T01:22:58.470-05:00Anon @8.00 - Mo'Nique was winning acting award...Anon @8.00 - Mo'Nique was winning acting awards for <i>Precious</i> before Oprah came on board (she won at Sundance) so your Oprah criticism is a moot point.<br /><br />Anon @8.18 - You really think Mo'Nique showing up to the New York critics awards is "a must"? What exactly is doing that going to accomplish for the film? Trust me, nobody outside of Oscar-watching circles gives two hoots about all these critics groups and those people already know enough about <i>Precious</i>. <br /><br />The Golden Globes, definitely. SAG, for sure. Oscar, she better show! Other than that? Nobody, I repeat <b>NOBODY</b>, cares except for Oscar obsessives. You never hear about the Detroit Film Critics Assosciation on the nightly news. Winners from the Dallas Fort Worth critics or whatever never get mentioned on CNN. Years in the future people will see that Mo'Nique won an Oscar for <i>Precious</i> (most likely) and not care that she didn't show up for a lousy boring award show that nobody cares about.<br /><br />bbats, he also sent a fake native American to accept his <i>Godfather</i> Oscar. By that stage I don't think he gave a damn. George C Scott refused to accept his statue!<br /><br />Maybe, just maybe, Mo'Nique wants money to show up because she knows that the American film industry is not only inherently racist and sexist, but especially so when it comes to comedians. And can you really expect directors like Ron Howard and Clint Eastwood to go about casting Mo'Nique in their Oscar bait dramas? I highly doubt it. And movies based around female comedians are rare. She probably knows her time is now and she won't get another chance like it before she's being relegated to making movies like <i>Phat Girlz</i>.Glenn Dunkshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05424659636310160482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256060.post-33192680579484198662009-12-23T00:57:16.549-05:002009-12-23T00:57:16.549-05:00Just to avoid acting as though I'm not reading...Just to avoid acting as though I'm not reading this:<br /><br />* thanks to everyone who said nice stuff or expressed commiseration, though I do also appreciate when people push back with sharp disagreement;<br /><br />* I am very aware of having written an angry screed, based in equal part on my dislike of those movies (even the ones that did ingratiate themselves in some ways before ultimately disappointing me, like <i>Fox</i> and <i>District</i>) and on the kind of publicity they can bank on from now until March, but I promise I am not a pessimist overall, and still less do I think that only my opinion counts, though I can understand why my pouting and shouting on this occasion sounded that way to some readers;<br /><br />* I think there were plenty of mainstream movies that are better than most of the increasingly designated "Oscar crop," so I'm not about denigrating popular art so much as I am about being miffed that <i>these</i> are the films that have survived that cut, in many cases because the studios have advertised them and scheduled their releases to make them, by default, look like "the best"... even though, again, I realize many people agree whole-heartedly that they really are the best;<br /><br />* my opinion on the "Mo'Nique wants to get paid" thing, if it's even true, is that if I gave a galvanic performance on a movie made for peanuts, virtually guaranteeing that my paycheck was almost nil, and then I was asked to donate loads of free and extra behind-the-scenes dish-time and baby-kissing for a prize I don't even necessarily want, and to spend months doing it when I'm already busy, I would expect to be paid, too; and if most actors in this position aren't paid, maybe they should be, or maybe their $5 or $10 or $20 million upfront paychecks have already sufficed to compensate them;<br /><br />* and lastly, I'll be completely, completely thrilled if <i>Hurt Locker</i> wins, but having a "pony" in the race that easily could win isn't enough reason for me to go to the race, when I'm this put out by so many of the other contenders, and still kind of exhausted by last year's embittering race, and the increasing protocols of The Race, period. I'm not saying it's a reason for other people to drop it or to come 'round to where I am on these movies, I'm just dropping out. Or maybe, just like a watched pot never boils, I'm hoping that if I walk away from the Oscar coverage, my fave will somehow get lucky? I'll try anything.NicksFlickPickshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04607501848596529493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256060.post-87035140589068530752009-12-22T19:19:59.225-05:002009-12-22T19:19:59.225-05:00It's not like Nick's pony (The Hurt Locker...It's not like Nick's pony (The Hurt Locker) is out of the race or something... in my mind, it's a serious contender in quite a few categories. It would be worse if his favorite of the year were, say, the horribly overlooked (500) Days of Summer, which has no chance of winning much of anything.Bryannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256060.post-22377536020256716752009-12-22T18:28:22.351-05:002009-12-22T18:28:22.351-05:00And I bet you, that if Mo'Nique wins, she will...And I bet you, that if Mo'Nique wins, she will be overwhelmed with joy. NO ONE can resist Oscar. No, just one can do it. Only George C. Scott has done it. <br /><br />All the rest who were reluctant, warmed up once they won it!<br /><br />Don't forget, that when Brando won for On the Waterfront he was very happy to win it. The Godfather thing was more a political statement than a snub of Oscar.<br /><br />In recent years we have seen it with Sean Penn and Bill Murray who refused to play the game for many years. But still, it was very obvious that Murray was very dissapointed when he lost to Penn, who was very happy to win ;)<br /><br />I'm at the moment reading Anthony Holdens book "The Secret History of Hollywood's Academy Awards", and even Katharine Hepburn must have some joy over actually winning an Oscar, as she once said this as to why she had never been there when nominated: "It has to be because I'm afraid I'm not going to win"... and continues: "If I were an honest person, which obviously I'm not, I would refuse to compete". "But I do say to myself - I wonder if I'm going to win".<br /><br />And yes, as someone here pointed out, she has actually appeared at the Oscars. I 1974 when she presented the Thalberg Award to Lawrence Weingarten.<br /><br />At the end of the day, nobody can refuse Oscar. Not even Mo'Nique... :DMichael W.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256060.post-52361482041535732112009-12-22T18:09:39.776-05:002009-12-22T18:09:39.776-05:00Although I admit that hardly any of the contenders...Although I admit that hardly any of the contenders for Best Picture this year are movies I thought were great or even that good, I didn't agree with most of Nick's evaluations of the films. His dismissal of Fantastic Mr. Fox was so off-base that it made me question if I should continue reading his evaluations on his web site.<br /><br />I see that he loves The Hurt Locker like so many other critics. I am not a critic but I've seen many, many films in my lifetime. The Hurt Locker is a good film but it's not the greatest film ever made and it so overrated it isn't funny. I went into it with very high expectations which it never met.<br /><br />I hate the idea of giving "best" awards, particularly in the acting categories in which there is such good work being done.<br /><br />But I do know I don't think The Hurt Locker is the best picture of the year.gabrieloakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00460263240309976652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256060.post-17519688358731002742009-12-22T18:06:09.234-05:002009-12-22T18:06:09.234-05:00The only reason Katherine Hepburn never showed up ...The only reason Katherine Hepburn never showed up to accept her awards is because she was trying to be Greta Garbo. Garbo's biography by Barry Paris even said that Katherine changed her whole look after seeing a picture of Greta.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256060.post-87310102223786308622009-12-22T17:43:01.030-05:002009-12-22T17:43:01.030-05:00Rick -- movies ARE fun. and we take our fun with t...Rick -- movies ARE fun. and we take our fun with them very seriously ;)NATHANIEL Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11597109147678235399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256060.post-3095258217983956952009-12-22T17:26:53.908-05:002009-12-22T17:26:53.908-05:00I am voting for Maureen Stapleton this year. Oh ...I am voting for Maureen Stapleton this year. Oh wait ... it isn't 1981.Billy Held An Oscarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09462888920400921139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256060.post-45980631159715997502009-12-22T16:08:44.386-05:002009-12-22T16:08:44.386-05:00I can't disagree with many of Nick's asses...I can't disagree with many of Nick's assessments. Even when he slammed films I loved (like District 9), he acknowledged what I loved about them then pointed out what was so awful. It's sad to loose his coverage for the season but I know how awful it is to try and stay interested in something that you don't care about.OtherRoberthttp://www.trentsketch.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256060.post-91590817920508236182009-12-22T15:32:53.295-05:002009-12-22T15:32:53.295-05:00Movies should be fun and enjoyable...
Some you b...Movies should be fun and enjoyable... <br />Some you bloggers need to ease up and not take everything so seriously .. after all, we are not talkiing rocket science here.Ricknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256060.post-73526258471590505842009-12-22T15:28:35.124-05:002009-12-22T15:28:35.124-05:00i haven't seen enough of the "competition...i haven't seen enough of the "competition" to have a yes-or-no consensus status, but i agree that the whole "she's not campaigning" thing is nuts.<br /><br />a few years ago (during the 2001-2 season), ian mckellan was chastised for campaigning too much and being too overt about his desire to win.<br /><br />monique's been upfront about her lack of interest in campaigning. the telling clip of her talking to terrance howard & taraji henson showed what she was interested in. while i do think the campaign can help develop a larger career, she's already at a certain age & point in her career that she's not going to be much more developed, either as a casting choice or as a name.<br /><br />all that being said, as everyone's pointed out its about the performance. i'm not interested in hearing the shilling, i'm interested in the work, the effort and the performances.ShoNuff Liveshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09664455361259014271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256060.post-49176495639835369662009-12-22T14:32:21.953-05:002009-12-22T14:32:21.953-05:00She's barely in the film too. I don't thi...She's barely in the film too. I don't think Moore's win would be looked at too well either no matter how overdue she's perceived to be. They'd be better off deciding between the "Up in the Air" ladies if there must be an anti-Mo'Nique choice.Iannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256060.post-36345610380054139422009-12-22T13:53:25.425-05:002009-12-22T13:53:25.425-05:00Ian-while I agree that she'll struggle to get ...Ian-while I agree that she'll struggle to get nominated, if she does get in, she's the candidate to beat. Think 2000, where Harden probably got fifth place amongst the nominees, but managed to win because the Academy didn't want to honor Kate Hudson.<br /><br />This isn't to say that I don't think that Mo'Nique should win (of the candidates I've seen thusfar, she's the best), but I do think that if the want is strong enough, someone will make it a two-legged race.<br /><br />And also, I want to echo the calls of how much I like Nick in the podcasts-hopefully he'll be back once the gold man insanity diminishes and we get back to the important issues of the day, like discussing the many reasons to love Tilda Swinton!John Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12778817752411507792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256060.post-16473444203652799652009-12-22T13:01:59.410-05:002009-12-22T13:01:59.410-05:00Julianne will struggle to even get nominated. The...Julianne will struggle to even get nominated. There really has to be an alternate candidate to take down Mo'Nique, and there isn't one. It would need to be one of the "Up in the Air" ladies, and they'll split all through the season.Iannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256060.post-56257415393713073632009-12-22T12:56:38.623-05:002009-12-22T12:56:38.623-05:00Great loss for the podcasts, indeed. No offense to...Great loss for the podcasts, indeed. No offense to the rest of you :), but for me he delivers the funniest comments.Pf_Iggynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256060.post-81878060349827805772009-12-22T11:55:52.256-05:002009-12-22T11:55:52.256-05:00I think that if anyone does end up taking out Mo&#...I think that if anyone does end up taking out Mo'Nique, and personally, I don't think anyone can, it has to be Moore. Farmiga and Kendrick will split, Cotillard & Cruz have recently won, and Morton isn't deemed "due" yet. Moore, on the other hand, has been nominated four times, and is a household name that no one is going to really complain about having an Oscar. It all depends on if the media makes this a two-horse race, ala Bening vs. Swank both times.John Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12778817752411507792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256060.post-24750145934541854272009-12-22T10:15:50.030-05:002009-12-22T10:15:50.030-05:00That's sad that Nick couldn't find worth i...That's sad that Nick couldn't find worth in any of those 12 films. He wasted a lot of his damn time then. Whatever. I loved most of those films he trashed, and I'll miss him on the podcasts, but onto next year for him I guess.IJnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256060.post-72378454330970855402009-12-22T09:50:45.172-05:002009-12-22T09:50:45.172-05:00No more Nick in the podcasts? That's taking a ...No more Nick in the podcasts? That's taking a key element of you guys' mojo out of the equation, but I respect his decision nevertheless.<br /><br />Kate Hepburn did show up to one Oscar ceremony to present an honorary Oscar to someone.<br /><br />The Mo'Nique stuff is really interesting, b/c you'd think based on her persona that she would be eating all of this attention up hook, line, and sinker. I know I would! Not gonna even lie. I mean, come on! But if this is how she wants to play the Oscar game, then more power to her. She's winning either way, so it shouldn't matter how she gets there, and I'd agree that making it all about the hype does overshadow the performance in many cases. The work should always speak for itself. I won't be so quick to call this a Harvey smear campaign (I'm not that cynical about these things yet), but it's sounding more and more like that with each of these silly stories. She wants money to appear at festivals, she doesn't want to promote "Precious" (which couldn't be farther from the truth -- but she does have her talk show to think about too), animosity on the set with the cast (again, a lie, and they constantly claim otherwise in all of the interviews the cast gives), etc. It's all quite sad really, but what can you do in the end?Doriannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256060.post-28031193134041932412009-12-22T09:46:24.339-05:002009-12-22T09:46:24.339-05:00Mo'Nique has a long history of being difficult...Mo'Nique has a long history of being difficult to get along with. Personally, I never liked her. But, I'd still give her the stupid Oscar this year.Cinesnatchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00244752542602944093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256060.post-40522252002515505782009-12-22T08:57:35.111-05:002009-12-22T08:57:35.111-05:00If Mo'Nique were white and male in this situat...If Mo'Nique were white and male in this situation, would this still be AS MUCH of an issue? I have the distinct impression that much of the backlash, such as it is, is rooted in some degree of racism and sexism. Thus, this notion that she should be grateful that anyone is even considering -- much less favoring -- her for an ward (her being a comedienne with heretofore unseen dramatic talents also factors in). We have to remember that it has only been recently that ethnic and racial minorities have been this consistently honored during awards seasons, so most people will, and are expected to, play the game in order to maintain the new status quo (at least one minority performer cited per year).Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04521208512678472596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256060.post-23877478991170597232009-12-22T08:18:41.197-05:002009-12-22T08:18:41.197-05:00Look I agree that actors should not have to do end...Look I agree that actors should not have to do endless interviews and all that. But showing up to places that honor you like the New York Film Critics is a must. It also helps raise awareness if you're in a small movie like Mo'Nique is. At this point, if it's true that she wants to be paid--then she needs to go somewhere that is not The Oscars. <br /><br />She gave the best performance but you know what...Julianne Moore could easily get rewarded for the fact that in a year she will actually be back on the screen.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com