March 9, 2006
CAN'T BE TOO SUBTLE IN YOUR BUSHITLER MEME:
Snubbed film `too subtle' for Oscar crowd (PETER HOWELL, 3/09/06, Toronto Star)
Opening up yesterday for the first time about his frustrations with the Oscar nominations and awards process, [David Cronenberg,] the veteran Toronto director said he believes politics were at play. Any film that didn't directly challenge the policies of President George W. Bush wasn't going to gain Academy favour this year."I have a feeling there is a lot of `anti-Bushness' in those nominations, for which I can blame nobody because I would be that way, too," Cronenberg told the Star.
"And those movies that were nominated in many ways had a much more obvious anti-Bush, anti-conservative bent to them. Maybe my movie was too ambiguous and disturbing in terms of accepting the sort of exhilaration aspect of violence that is there in us as well. It's hard for me to feel that they didn't get it. Maybe they did get it and they didn't like what they got, you know?"
In an obvious nod to the Oscar voters, his next film is titled "George W. Bush is a Big, Fat Nazi." Posted by Orrin Judd at March 9, 2006 8:20 AM
"Any film that didn't directly challenge the policies of President George W. Bush wasn't going to gain Academy favour this year."
I am sure Nick Park ("Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit") feels much the same way - keeping the gardens safe from pests, unforeseen circumstances and all that. Why didn't the academy see the obvious here?
Posted by: Rick T. at March 9, 2006 8:58 AMWhat I liked best about this article, Orin, is that you didn't mention the name of the movie. Since I'm not a movie buff an anti-hollywood I don't know who that gentleman is or could care less. Thanks for not giving him free ads on his movie.
Posted by: Butch at March 9, 2006 9:37 AMHe's made some incredibly cool movies. Scanners and Videodrome ROCK. And I loved eXistenZ -- which is probably the best film statement ever made about violence in video games and how kids in the future will be able to distinguish reality from play. You also had to like Dead Ringers. Crash is also incredibly disturbing. Ignore the guy's politics: he makes very cool movies. Videodrome is a watch-again and again. Twenty years ahead of its time.
Posted by: geoff at March 9, 2006 11:06 AMIn an obvious nod to the Oscar voters, his next film is titled "George W. Bush is a Big, Fat Nazi."
Are you sure that isn't a little too nuianced for the Academy's screeners to glom onto when they do the 2006 nominations? I'd at least stick an R-rated invective or two into the title just to make sure the message of the movie isn't lost on the audience.
Posted by: John at March 9, 2006 11:21 AMHow about a sequel to "The Boys from Brazil", in which a hight US gov't offical whose family wealth was built on dealings with the Nazis was one of the adoptive parents.And how the "boy", not knowing his true ancestry, goes on to become President while fearless Holllywood entertainers battle his neo-con cabal intent on establishing a new Fourth Reich. Can't come up with a good title, though..
Posted by: Raoul Ortga at March 9, 2006 11:35 AMHow about, "The Bozos from Bozowood".
Posted by: erp at March 9, 2006 11:47 AM"Mein Kampf II: Crusade Against Islam"
Posted by: Jayson at March 9, 2006 2:44 PMIronically, one of the 90+ Hitler clones in BfB
was named Jack Curry.