The Academy Dances, Day One: Thirty-Plus Reactions, Wednesday 8 August 2018

The Academy issued a vague head's-up about cuts to and the timing of the broadcast—2020's is now set for February 9—as well as a new Oscar category, "Popular Film"... The Academy's note and twenty-four first takes... and words on Oscar from Raymond Chandler, from 1948.
"In a message to its membership, president John Bailey and Dawn Hudson said the broadcast will now include a new category for outstanding achievement in popular film. The group did not provide details on what movies would be eligible and when the award will first be handed out. 'We have heard from many of you about improvements needed to keep the Oscars and our Academy relevant in a changing world. The Board of Governors took this charge seriously.'" Variety

"At the come-to-Jesus meeting after March’s show, the TV people walked through the lousy ratings at a granular level, identifying precise moments during the show that prompted viewers to stop watching. They made several recommendations about the ways that the telecast’s length could be reigned in, and proposed a “best blockbuster” category that would reward films that had been seen by larger audiences. They also argued that viewers had become fatigued by the ever-increasing number of televised awards shows — including the Golden Globe Awards, whose viewership has been relatively stable in recent years — and that the Oscars should be moved to an early calendar period." Kristopher Tapley

Bilge Ebiri: "The Academy: 'We can’t add a Best Stunts category. The show is too long as it is!'

Also the Academy: 'Here’s an inane new category nobody asked for that will further dilute the value of Best Picture.'"


Jeremy Walker: "is there a new category for most popular documentary feature because I bet I could call it now? asking for an old friend"
Kyle Buchanan: "The revamped, totally snatched show will run no more than three hours, and a new Oscar will be added to put respek on a popular box-office banger. Are you dead yet? In your feelings? Ready to stan? If it was exhausting to read just a few sentences of that, imagine how it’s going to feel when the Academy does it. So am I sitting here clutching my pearls, ready to bash the Oscars for letting the common rabble into the theater? No, bitch, I’m in my boxers eating a Slim Jim I just bought from the gas station. I’m you."

Stephen Whitty: "Of course -- on another related, and maybe sadder, topic -- "best-picture winner" and "popular film" did not used to be mutually exclusive. "The Best Years of Our Lives," "Lawrence of Arabia," "The Godfather," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" -- all major hits."

 Emily Nussbaum: "New Oscar categories for Highbrow Despicable, Hot-Take Magnet and Separate The Artist from The Art."

"HuskyDusty": "If the Academy thinks people will be happy if Black Panther just wins Best Popular Movie..."


Mike Drucker: "I know it’s pretentious but I find it disappointing they’re now giving Oscars to so-called “popular” movies. Oscars only deserve to be given to beloved cinematic classics like Crash."

Mark Harris: "I'd also be very curious to hear what makers of some "popular" movies feel about being invited to compete for what is going to be widely derided as a consolation/condescension trophy."

David Sims: "anyone who's remarking on all this with "lol who cares the Oscars suck anyway," ok! but remember basically the only thing still encouraging studios to fund non-blockbuster films is...the Oscars"

Michael H. Weber: "What % of Academy members would plotz if Netflix ever buys the exclusive rights to the Oscars telecast? (Yet they’d probably spend a kajillion dollars for it.)"


Angie J. Han: "a stunt category would’ve been a good way to honor some “popular films” in a way that actually feels meaningful, i’m just saying."



Raymond Chandler, 1948: "Perverse fellow that I am, I found myself intrigued by the unimportant part of the program also. I found my sympathies engaged by the lesser ingredients of picture-making, some of which have been enumerated above. I was intrigued by the efficiently quick on-and-off that was given to these minnows of the picture business; by their nervous attempts via the microphone to give most of the credit for their work to some stuffed shirt in a corner office; by the fact that technical developments which may mean many millions of dollars to the industry, and may on occasion influence the whole procedure of picture-making, are just not worth explaining to the audience at all; by the casual, cavalier treatment given to film-editing and to camera work, two of the essential arts of film-making, almost and sometimes quite equal to direction, and much more important than all but the very best acting; intrigued most of all perhaps by the formal tribute which is invariably made to the importance of the writer, without whom, my dear, dear friends, nothing could be done at all, but who is for all that merely the climax of the unimportant part of the program."

Diego Lerer: "La Academia de Hollywood agregó la categoría Best Popular Film ("Mejor película popular") con el único objetivo de subir el rating de la transmisión del Oscar. Un horror
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