The Not-Oscars 2012

(Originally posted at FabApp.)

It’s that time of year again, folks! What I like to call “movie Christmas.” And like an actual holiday, the Academy Awards often end up as more of a disappointment than anything else — any Oscars handed out to not-so-great nominated films like Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close and The Iron Lady can be chalked up to the cinematic equivalent of “ugly sweaters from grandma we’ll throw in the back of the closet and never speak of again.” But it’s really the excitement leading up to the big show and the discussions of film it creates that make it all worthwhile.

So here’s where I like to make up for the Academy’s occasional lapses in good taste by recognizing the movies and performances that are really worthy of celebration. Because what has a group of thousands of filmmakers with decades of experience in the entertainment industry got on me?

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Gold Rush: National Society Of Film Critics Winners 2012

And you thought it was all about the Oscars, didn’t you?

Nope. The Academy Awards are basically the last group to have their say about which films are the year’s most esteemed, and their picks don’t necessarily (or even often) reflect the feelings of the critical community, which is why you’ll see a lot more of The Tree Of Life, A Separation, and especially Melancholia below than you’ll see of them on the Oscars telecast.

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Gold Rush: Independent Spirit Awards Nominees 2011

BEST FEATURE (Award given to the Producer)
§  50/50
§  Beginners
§  Drive
§  Take Shelter
§  The Artist
§  The Descendants

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‘Melancholia’ Is Depressing. Surprise!

(Films discussed in this post: Melancholia, Another Earth.)

Believe it or not, Melancholia is the second 2011 drama about a young, hot woman preoccupied with a fictional planet.

And no.

Neither of them is Pluto.

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