Neurotrash

Oscar, Bloody Oscar!
Vol 3. Column 3
Part I

A few tidbits to start today's OBO...first up is an exclusive list of screeners and other materials that an AMPAS member has received:

PIECES OF APRIL VHS 11/21/2003
GIRL WITH A PEARL EARING DVD 11/22/03
THE COOLER DVD 11/22/03
SHATTERED GLASS DVD 11/22/03
CITY OF GOD VHS 11/24/03
DIRTY PRETTY THINGS VHS 11/24/03
THIRTEEN VHS 11/26/03
AMERICAN SPLENDOR VHS 12/1/03
THE MAGDALENE SISTERS VHS 12/1/03
THE STATION AGENT VHS 12/1/03
IN AMERICA VHS 12/1/03
21 GRAMS VHS 12/5/03
LOST IN TRANSLATION VHS 12/5/03
HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG VHS 12/8/03
A MIGHTY WIND VHS 12/10/03
GODS AND GENERALS VHS 12/10/03
MATCHSTICK MEN VHS 12/10/03
MYSTIC RIVER VHS 12/11/03
SCHOOL OF ROCK VHS 12/11/03
MONSTER DVD 12/11/03
WHALE RIDER DVD 12/11/03
RADIO VHS 12/12/03
BIG FISH VHS 12/12/03
THE MISSING VHS 12/12/03
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD VHS 12/15/03
THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE VHS 12/16/03
LAUREL CANYON VHS 12/16/03
THE STATEMENT VHS 12/16/03
THE FOG OF WAR VHS 12/16/03
THE COMPANY VHS 12/16/03
MONSIEUR IBRAHIM VHS 12/16/03
SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE VHS 12/17/03
MONA LISA SMILE VHS 12/17/03
THE LAST SAMURAI VHS 12/17/03
MATRIX: REVOLUTIONS VHS 12/17/03
X2: X-MEN UNITED VHS 12/18/03
RUNAWAY JURY VHS 12/18/03
SEABISCUIT VHS 12/19/03
KILL BILL VOL.1 VHS 12/19/03
THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS VHS 12/19/03
THE HUMAN STAIN VHS 12/19/03
OPEN RANGE VHS 12/22/03
UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN VHS 12/22/03
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL VHS 12/23/03
FINDING NEMO VHS 12/24/03
LOVE ACTUALLY VHS 12/26/03
COLD MOUNTAIN VHS 12/31/03
MYSTIC RIVER Script 1/29/04
BIG FISH CD (score) 2/3/04
AMERICAN SPLENDOR Script 2/3/04


Interesting to note how late it was before he received Cold Mountain, only 17 days before ballots were due for nominations, and of course the absence of a Lord of the Rings: Return of the King screener (New Line didn't bother sending out screeners for nomination purposes).

AMPAS members final voting ballots are in the mail today and must be turned in no later than Tuesday, February 24th at 5PM. We are now in the final 3 weeks of the campaign season!


Variety reported today that ABC is apparently trying to push a 5-second delay for the telecast on AMPAS, here are some bits from that article:
"Not even the traditionally well-behaved Academy Awards ceremony is immune to the storm over indecency that is lashing the broadcast biz. For the first time ever, ABC wants to impose a delay on its telecast of the Oscars, so that inappropriate material can be edited out.

ABC approached the Academy of Motion Pictures & Sciences about using a five-second delay. On Tuesday night, the AMPAS board voted not to change its plans for the show, but will not fight the web execs: "It's up to them," said an Acad spokesman.

Unlike other live telecasts, the Oscars have never been subject to a delay -- a point of pride for the org. While board members understand the web's concerns, they decided to make no changes to their Oscarcast strategy."

The networks use a five-second delay on most live events, which allows them to edit for audio.

"The network has made it clear they're feeling enormous pressure to institute a delay," AMPAS exec director Bruce Davis said. "ABC may factor in the board's decision, but has indicated that it will not necessarily feel obligated to follow it."


Thankfully, this was in today's Guardian Unlimited, AMPAS isn't going to back down:
"The Academy is, however, concerned that a similar approach to the Oscars could represent the thin end of the wedge.

"We would be very concerned about a delay that would raise possibility of a network representative deciding that remarks like Michael Moore's last year [in which the maker of Bowling For Columbine publicly questioned the integrity of the Iraq war] would be inappropriate," Davis said. "We don't want that kind of censorship."


ABC won't be able to stronghand AMPAS in this situation, we'll get our live, uncensored telecast.


Coming up later...
Speculation on the Costume Design race (reader request! haha)