The Daily Hustler: Your Paradigm City Movie Source

Damn it all, another double post...

Coming up on Oscar night a couple of days from now, I don't understand on thing: people around Hollywood, the "experts" and the writers really, really, REALLY hate "Crash".

I really don't get why because I thought this was an excellent movie, it didn't shy away from one of the touchest subjects in American culture today and that's racism among the many different races in the US. It was daring and the characters all acted and behaved that many people actually think, in ways to different races. It was beautifully pulled off and well directed and produced.

So, around the Internet, I'm hearing all this hater talk like "Crash sucks" or "All the movies for nominated for Best Picture were amazing... expect Crash." And I just read this article about who should actually win Best Picture;

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Now this thing. I want to like “Crash.” It’s a film about how race and class blend together — but mostly don’t blend together — in modern Los Angeles. That’s a great subject for a serious film. And while “Crash” sees itself as a very serious film, it’s not a good film because it’s false from the beginning. What do we talk about when we talk about race? We don’t talk about race. I would argue that this is the big problem with race in America. Our tendency to ignore it. Our tendency to pretend otherwise. Our tendency, in Paul Laurence Dunbar’s words, to “wear the mask that grins and lies.” What is the big problem with race in the Los Angeles of “Crash”? That everyone enunciates every racial thought they have. So the Asian woman complains that “Mexicans” don’t know how to drive and the “Mexican” mocks the Asian woman’s pronunciation (“blake” for “break”), and the white gun store owner calls the Persian man “Osama” and blames him for 9/11 and the white cop mocks the black woman’s name (“Shaniqua. Big f---ing surprise”) and the black cop calls his girlfriend “Mexican,” as the Asian woman did, even though — she informs him — her mother is from Puerto Rico and her father is from El Salvador, to which the black cop makes it up to her by asking her why all of her people park their cars on their lawns. “Crash” is saying “How horrible that we're all this way” when most of us are not only not this way but the exact opposite of this way. We may think these thoughts but we rarely enunciate them. Sure, racism still exists, but at its most potent it's usually silent. It's opaque. It makes you wonder “Is this happening because of race?” You suspect but you have no evidence. “Crash” not only gives us evidence it manipulates the evidence. “Crash” has another big problem. It assumes that by showing us the two extremes of a single character it’s giving us a full character. Don Cheadle’s character dismisses his mother and then cares for her; Matt Dillon’s character humiliates a black woman and then risks his life to save her; Ryan Phillippe’s character goes out of his way to rescue an armed black man and then shoots an unarmed black man because of a racial assumption. But two extremes are not a full character. They’re just extremes. “Crash” raises important issues but in the end it gives us no clarity; it just gives us more noise. Sum up All in all, though, 2005 was a good year for movies, and — “Crash” aside — it’s a strong line-up of best picture candidates. Since “Munich” has no shot, I think I’ll be rooting for “Brokeback Mountain” on March 5. I don’t want advertising to win. I don’t want homophobia to win. I don’t want this to be another year, like 1952 (“The Greatest Show on Earth” over “High Noon”), 1968 (“Oliver!” over the unnominated “2001”) and 1989 (“Driving Miss Daisy” over the unnominated “Do the Right Thing”), when the Academy ignored the zeitgeist and got it completely wrong.

Any thoughts on why quite a number of people really dislike (hell, hate) Crash?
Peace.

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I don’t want homophobia to win.

This is the thing. If anything except brokeback mountain wins, all we'll hear about is how we're collectively homophobic, and awful people, and so on and so forth.

I've got this revolutionary new idea. How about...the academy awards actually JUST basis its selection on whats the better film. I know, it's sort of a weird concept (the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences making a choice based on cinematic merit and not political/social relevance) but I think it might pan out.

No I'm not saying brokeback mountain was a bad movie, apparently its very good. But lets be totally honest...thats whats going on here. It's notbeing looked at as a movie by alot of people, it's being looked at purely as commentary on society and just another "statement" to be made. Which is sort of upsetting because then it dosen't matter how good of a movie it was. Just that it somehow makes a statement.

So basically...crash wins, and we're all homophobic. Brokeback Mountain wins...and we're all closet racists because Crash dealt with race.

Heres my plan. I'll make a movie about the bill of rights, except it won't be a movie. It'll be a still shot of a poorly xeroxed copy of the bill of rights. A two and a half hour long still shot.

Then if it dosen't win, I can begin screaming people have forsaken their civil liberties. And rake in cash off the dvd sales.

The people of Hollywood hate Crash because of the fact that, surprise, it's politically incorrect! Only WHITES are supposed to be racist in the world of far left loonies. Nobody else can be racist, the other races are enlightened because they've experienced racism. You're all forgetting this.

Now nominating Brokeback is politically CORRECT, because it supports gays by some weird leap of logic and choosing anything else over it would be homophobic.

You're all trying to apply rational thought to the sensibilities of Hollywood. That's your problem... they don't think rationally.

Make sense now?

Oscars aside, I'm going to see a screening of V for Vendetta in about 12 hours or so. I'll report on it tomorrow.

Fo sho.

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Make sense now?

I didn't see crash OR brokeback mountain...so...I think we may have been agreeing, I'm not even sure anymore.

What about Mexicans?

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Originally posted by X Prime The people of Hollywood hate Crash because of the fact that, surprise, it's politically incorrect! Only WHITES are supposed to be racist in the world of far left loonies. Nobody else can be racist, the other races are enlightened because they've experienced racism. You're all forgetting this. Now nominating Brokeback is politically CORRECT, because it supports gays by some weird leap of logic and choosing anything else over it would be homophobic. You're all trying to apply rational thought to the sensibilities of Hollywood. That's your problem... they don't think rationally. Make sense now?

Man X, you win the internet.

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you win the internet.

I'd have taken the washer/dryer..but..congradulations on your prize nonetheless.

Zaphod: I'll repeat. IN HOOLYWOOD, ONLY WHITES CAN BE RACIST. And by whites, I mean Caucasian whites.

I was watching Bill Maher, as is my habit, and it was funny when he pointed out...brokeback mountain, are they actually gay?

Apparently the premise of the movie is that for 363 days of the year, the main characters are married and have kids and all. Then for a weekend they go off into the woods and POOF! NOW THEY'RE GAY!.

Until monday rolls around, then...they're apparently not.

So...yeah, what? Are they gay werewolves or something? Like they're heterosexual for most of the time, but then the moon enters a certain phase and they feel the uncontrollable desire to redecorate?

I'm not trying to be flippant here...well...okay, I am. A little, the gay werewolf thing was flippant, I admit. But yeah...I'm still sort of in the dark on this.

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Originally posted by Cerpin Taxt Oscars aside, I'm going to see a screening of V for Vendetta in about 12 hours or so. I'll report on it tomorrow. Fo sho.

And it sucked compared to the awesomeness that is the graphic novel. Mediocre translation from print to screen. Decent movie, though.

Thought it would be kinda funky.

I mean, really. Knives?

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Originally posted by X Prime Zaphod: I'll repeat. IN HOOLYWOOD, ONLY WHITES CAN BE RACIST. And by whites, I mean Caucasian whites.

'
I fail to see what this has to do with Mexicans.

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Originally posted by Zaphod Beeblebrox Thought it would be kinda funky. I mean, really. Knives? quote: Originally posted by X Prime Zaphod: I'll repeat. IN HOOLYWOOD, ONLY WHITES CAN BE RACIST. And by whites, I mean Caucasian whites. ' I fail to see what this has to do with Mexicans.

You weren't asking whether they could be racist in Hollywood? Your post was ambigious and it didnt seem to be relevant any other way.

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Originally posted by X Prime You weren't asking whether they could be racist in Hollywood? Your post was ambigious and it didnt seem to be relevant any other way.

That was a joke.

But yeah, I think not allowing other peoples to be shown as racists is racist in itself.

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Originally posted by Zaphod Beeblebrox quote: Originally posted by X Prime You weren't asking whether they could be racist in Hollywood? Your post was ambigious and it didnt seem to be relevant any other way. That was a joke. But yeah, I think not allowing other peoples to be shown as racists is racist in itself.

It is by the definition of racial discrimination. But remember, the sub-human entities of Hollywood these days do not usually operate using rational thought.

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the sub-human entities of Hollywood these days do not usually operate using rational thought.

THATS RACIST!!1

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Originally posted by Sharpshooter005 quote: the sub-human entities of Hollywood these days do not usually operate using rational thought. THATS RACIST!!1

OMG I"LL BE SUED FOR MILLIONS BECAUSE I HURT THEIR TENDER FEELINGS!!11!! OHNO!!

...That said, I guess you COULD consider Hollywood to be a different species...

So the Oscars aren't over yet, but...so far, if you missed it and wandered into this thread:

-Brokeback Mountain has been snubbed twice (supporting actor and supporting actress..or..lead actress..I forget). So all the people who wanted Crash to win best picture...maybe it will.

-Syriana won one award for Clooney's performance. This dosen't really matter much, I'm just glad one of the two movies that were nominated which I actually saw won something.

-There was a seemingly random sequence about Film Noir (which is okay since...well, that genre is sort of the textbook definition of awesome).

-Jon Stewart is doing very well. Particularly since the audience either dosen't get half his jokes, or don't want to admit alot of them are very grounded in reality (after a montage of scenes from movies dealing with hot button issues, Stewart said "And none of those issues were ever problems again.." The audience then nervously confirmed the joke with sporadic laughter, since their attempt to pat themselves on the back had been deftly torn from them). Also there was a daily show-esque bit involving faux campaign commercials for the best actress nominees, narrated by Steven Colbert. That was..easily the funniest part of all of this.

Then some other stuff happened, and I wasn't paying attention. Oh right, at one point Samuel L Jackson gave a speech and I thought for a second they'd skipped right to next years oscars and were giving one for Snakes on a Plane.

I guess this could be construed as the "half-time" report. Unless the ceremony runs long like it usually does.

What the HELL is with all of these friggin' montages? Just get to the awards already.

Also, the "gay cowboy movie" thing in the beginning was pretty funny, even though none of the audience laughed.

Contrary to popular belief, Jon Stewart is probably the worst host since Letterman.