I know we're in the Music forum talking about movies now, but Capote was my fav of the Best Picture nominees. I enjoyed Crash way more than the yawn-fest of Brokeback Mountain though - but never in the Academy's history has one film swept all of the run-up ceremonies so much and then failed to win Best Picture, especially after that hilarious Entertainment Weekly list of the best reviewed movies of the year, and Crash came one place below Mr. & Mrs. Smith I kind of bought into the homophobia accusations then.

Ellie said:

You didn't get enough hugs as a child, did you?

BlaqueKnight said:

Shooting someone with blanks from a couple of metres away still would have hit them, just look at Brandon Lee. That awful Persian man should have suffered the consequences,

I like the Total FIlm abridged script of Crash

=====

FADE IN:
EXT. LOS ANGELES

LUDACRIS and LARENZ TATE leave a diner.


LUDACRIS:
I'm so sick and tired of everyone thinking I'm some kind of criminal or delinquent just because I'm black.

LARENZE TATE:
Yeah, truly the situation with racism in this country is out of control.

LUDACRIS:
True dat. Now let's carjack this honky-ass bitch over here.

They attempt to carjack SANDRA BULLOCK, wife of BRENDAN FRASER, random politician.

SANDRA BULLOCK:
I'm going to be afraid of these black kids because I'm so totally racist.

BRENDAN FRASER:
But those kids actually want to steal your car, so you're not really racist enough to help the movie make its obscenely blunt point.

SANDRA BULLOCK:
Oh. In that case, I also hate the Latino guy who changed our locks. And I disrespect our maid. Um, and I listen to 'Prussian Blue' in a Nazi uniform.

BRENDAN FRASER:
And I view racism as a mere political obstacle. Plus, I was in Bedazzled, so I'm pretty much a douchebag already.

SANDRA verbally berates MICHAEL PEÑA, who, of course, is a super-nice guy.

MICHAEL'S DAUGHTER:
I love you so much, Daddy.

MICHAEL PEÑA:
Shit. I'm going to die, aren't I?

He argues with SHAUN TOUB, who is trying to run a shop selling something-or-other.

SHAUN TOUB:
We're not even Arabs but everyone thinks we're violent terrorists.

BAHAR SOOMEKH:
Dad, let's prove them wrong by buying a gun and using it inappropriately.

Meanwhile, BRENDAN FRASER tries to find a black man to promote in order to not look racist, so he uses DON CHEADLE.

DON CHEADLE:
I'm not comfortable being used as a political pawn.

JENNIFER ESPOSITO:
That's not very racist of you at all.

DON CHEADLE:
Oh, then I'll insult your race for absolutely no reason. So what are you doing in this, anyway? Was J-Lo busy?

Meanwhile, LUDACRIS tries to steal a car from TERRENCE HOWARD, a black man.

TERRENCE HOWARD:
You're an embarrassment.

LUDACRIS:
Dude, you answer to Bill Cosby.

TERRENCE and THANDIE NEWTON get pulled over by racist cop MATT DILLON and his non-racist partner RYAN PHILLIPPE.

RYAN PHILLIPPE:
I don't like your racism, Matt, which means I will almost certainly commit the most racist act in the film.

He DOES.

LARENZ TATE:
Well, I guess that finally introduces everyone. Let's start the movie.

LUDACRIS:
But the movie's almost over.

Everyone LEARNS A VALUABLE LESSON

RYAN PHILLIPPE:
Racism is bad.

TERRENCE HOWARD:
Bring on the Academy Award!

MATT DILLON:
Yeah, and racism is bad. BAD! Wait, did we say that already?

END

Ellie said:

Ellie said:

Oh come oooon. Invisible magic necklaces, guns shooting blanks still defying the laws of physics for some fake sentimentality, a man who technically should have murdered one of them getting away with it just to please the audience.

Ellie said:

Relax, release. Its okay.

It just pissed me off that the "message" was so blatant but the movie succeeded in fooling people into thinking it was some complicated deep piece of cinema. And Oprah's "Crash Moment" crap. Did she do a show on Capote at all? The moment at the end of that when they flash back to what really happened on the night of the killings was far more shocking than anything in Crash.

Ellie said:

Oh it most certainly was a deep piece of cinema. I don't think you got it or you're refusing to accept it. My earlier post explained this already. This movie displayed people was three dimensional and didn't play into stereotypes. The "good cop" actually cracked and committed murder while the "bad cop" saved a life even though he was racist scum in a more casual setting. I can't think of a movie more realistic in its definitions of people as whole human beings instead of establishing a stereotype for the audience to follow. Granted, the little girl moment was a cheap shot but I looked arounds the theater and almost everyone was crying. That alone was worth an Oscar. There are very few cinematic moments that deliver a moment that poignantly. The "Hollywood magic" moment that followed was cheesy and really meant to bring the audience down from the shock. Say what you will but it got the award. I'd say deservingly so. Ludacris did a nice job in the flick, too. Since "Killer Mike" is affiliated with the Outkast crew who are buddies with Luda, maybe that's why he's speaking on the Oprah issue? (see how I'm swinging this back on topic?)

CalhounSq said:

PREACH!

How sad...a bunch of Black men ganging up on a Black woman.

PurpleCharm said:

It would be sad if it were that simple.

BlaqueKnight said:

Please expound.

BlaqueKnight said:

It was trying to be Magnolia and failed. That is all I saw. The premise that everyone talks and thinks about racial issues 24/7 was patronising, Don Cheadle's character just blurting out some racist remark for the sake of giving him a line to blur, Matt Dillon's character being almost forgiven for being the racist thug by some manky back story about his father and being brave for a split second.

It was almost like someone was jumping in front of the camera to let the audience know the message behind every line in the scipt. So it wasn't Star Wars with the clearly defined good/evil characters (which was my main criticism of that Million Dollar Baby trash), but it's not unique and didn't teach anyone any life lessons who didn't have an ounce of intelligence already.

PurpleCharm said:

I already have on another thread. Ice Cube doesn't like her because she did a show on his movie Barbershop and his show Black/White and hasn't invited him. Luda had issue with his comments being edited out with regards to the use of the "n" word and rap. 50 Cent and Killer Mike are attention whores who ARE ganging up on Oprah. No one seems to want to hold the sensationalist media accountable for trying to instigate a beef between Oprah and rappers and apparently Oprah is as flawless as Christ in the eyes of many. Not to mention, I can't think of any possible reason why a rapper would want to go on Oprah anyway (Cube, Luda, Will and L.L. are actors so they don't really count) A rapper going on Oprah should be the antithesis of "gangsta". If ever there was an opportunity to get dissed by another rapper, that's it

...and your bitch ass is crying on Oprah's couch
While I'm headed straight to your mom's house
I hope she gave you a damn good recipe
cause you're better off in an apron than f**kin' wit me...

Nope, I wouldn't want to go on Oprah as a rapper. Street cred would be DESTROYED.
[Edited 6/6/06 15:55pm]

Ellie said:

I didnt care much for Crash...I found it too forced and contrived but i do have issue with a couple of your points. 1) Dillon was never forgiven. Its left open for your mind to make up what becomes of him. 2) Magnolia failed at being Magnolia. Both films tried a bit too hard to be "Altman".

But with that being said I must say I have yet to be impressed with any of the films that were nominated for Best Picture last year...Including the overrated Brokeback and the rather dull Capote. Great acting alone does not make a great film. So, I gotta kinda say that Crash was the best of the lesser then best.

It's true that last year was pretty weak for great movies, yeah, while the year before was crammed with great ones. I've seen nothing so far this year that I would class as being award worthy either, and I see a lot at the cinema.

This is all about trying to incite a class war between black celebrities. So tired.
Black Entertainment TeleDivision

I agree with Ellie that Crash was a bit pompous & patronising..


& The audacity of the academy 2 give Altman a prize the night 'Crash' won..

lyecry said:

There ya go killer!

Might I add that Luda loosing the Pepsi contract for being obscene was racist anyway. Then they turn around and gave the Pepsi deal to Ozzy Osbourne???!???? The Prince of darkness, the same person who bit the head off of a bat, sniffed ants, almost killed his wife, and he has children that curse just as bad as Ludacris right in front of their parents. When you are whiter it seems like it’s just a little bit righter.

Oprah’s show appeals to white middle and upper class American women so she has to play devils advocate and play it safe, but she is still black and I’m glad that the rappers are calling her out. Keep sending money to Africa Oprah that’s good, however you live in Chicago. The high schools on the south side of Chicago are poorly funded. For every dollar spent on a black school that’s three to five dollars spent on a white school. The school I attended has a 65% drop out rate. Charity starts at home. But maybe giving to a school on the south side of Chicago doesn’t get your name in the paper.

I hope they all get together to write a song about her rich ex coke head ass. Fuck her, people act like she is black Mother Mary or something.
[Edited 6/6/06 15:18pm]

Ellie said:

Umm, didn't Oprah praise "Closer" for being so honest & real?

whodknee said:

No, I'm clearly talking about Mike's comments... "He speaks of... then"

Martinelli said:

It was a bit rude, wasn't it? They honor the imitators, but not the man that originated the style. He's in good company - Hitchcock and Scorsese have never won either. The one that stings most is Ron Opie Howard beating him.

Ellie said:

That's disturbing...

CalhounSq said:

But the situation was so stupid that it was almost like an episode of The A-Team when they'd crash a plane and then get out to dust themselves off.

Anyway, like Jon Stewart said at the Oscars. Three Six Mafia: One, Martin Scorsese: Zero.

RipHer2Shreds said:

lyecry said:

BULLSHIT!! Just because she doesn't talk about it all the time on her show doesn't mean she's shitting on them. She chooses rather to expose them to reading and Maya Angelou, and Toni Morrison and uplift and inspire them to pull themselves up from their bootstraps and thus stop being poor.

And she doesn't shit on rappers either, just rappers who say things she doesn't appreciate. And let's face it, she has good reason to "shit on rappers" if she really wanted to.

Yea, but who gives two shits about anything killer Mike says. I hear he fucks his moms.