blowback mountain

i'm making monday after the academy awards an official FFT holiday. that's why i didn't post yesterday about the shenanigans, i.e., crash winning the oscar. again, i was surprised, but the film's victory was not completely unexpected. ebert predicted a win weeks ago, and by last friday pundits like ny times blogger david carr were on the bandwagon. the average out-of-the-loop sacramentan may have been shocked sunday night, but those in the know evidently sensed the rumblings.
which brings us to FFT's monday problematic (on tuesday): what caused brokeback blowback?
consider the following:
at ny daily news, junketeer jack matthews believes the blowback can be attributed to three causes: 1) "Enough Academy voters found the gay subject matter of Brokeback Mountain too uncomfortable to sit through, meaning they abandoned their professional responsibility and didn't watch all five nominated films"; (2) Lions Gate "simply bought the grand prize by outspending everyone else in a $4 million campaign that included mailing DVDs to each of the 130,000 members of the Screen Actors Guild" and thus "a combination of everybody seeing Crash and some refusing to watch Brokeback Mountain"; and (3) Crash's subject matter—racism, fear, and intolerance on the streets of L.A. " don't underestimate matthew's second reason, that being good ol' fashioned weinstein-esque oscar campaigning (get the dvd out there, spend the cash on ads—awareness, awareness). while FFT's father won't step near a theater showing brokeback, i doubt that rampant homophobia was a major factor in crash's victory. of course, we'll never know as the vote tallys are kept secret. also, los angeles is in love with itself: an ensemble piece shot in la about la-centric issues ... shiiiiit.
turan over at la times had an interesting angle: "... Crash's biggest asset is its ability to give people a carload of those standard Hollywood satisfactions but make them think they are seeing something groundbreaking and daring. It is ... a film that could make you believe that you had done your moral duty and examined your soul when in fact you were just getting your buttons pushed and your preconceptions reconfirmed." moreover, the film is a fairy tale; far from the gritty dramas of the '70s. neo-liberal cinema for shmucks that'll vote hilary in '08.
here are a few more links in case you're into this crashback story; FFT ain't:
http://www.thehotbutton.com/today/hot.button/2006_thb/060306_mon.html
http://theenvelope.latimes.com/columnists/insider/env-screenscrash7mar07,0,5184709.column?coll=env-home-headlines
http://carpetbagger.nytimes.com/?p=455
locally, d won the oscar contest at ems shindig and took home the nishiki chedda', dammit! kabinet has yet to update their screenings for march, wtf? oscar winner tsotsi will be at the tower on 24 march (dude gave the second best speech of the evening).
this week i'm going to try to review three unreleased-in-sacramento films. check it, FFT.




pimpin' IS easy for academy-award winners three6mafia. too bad the academy didn't have any gall when they gave bob dylan (shitty wonder boys song) and celine dion (you know what song) oscars over bjork (duet with thom yorke from dancer in the dark) and elliott smith (the indie classic "miss misery"), respectively.