The Ohio Sci-Fi and Horror Marathons

District 9 and Avatar got nominated for a slew of awards. Including for best picture:

http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawa ... inees.html

I'm rooting for District 9 but the oh so average Avatar will win. Why does flash in the pan movies like Avatar wins while a great science fiction film like District 9 does not?

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Just a guess

The plot devices of Avatar aren't even original. See the Ewoks. The human piloted mecha done before in a live action film. See the live action Gundam Movie. Before that Aliens.

So what you're saying is that if it has ever been done before, then it sucks??..you must not like more than ten to fifteen movies total then, because there really aren't many movies that are wholly original, that borrow nothing from the films that preceded it...i mean, you must not like district 9 then, because a ship hovering over a city was done in Independence Day, and V before and after that...I am by no means proclaiming Avatar the greatest movie ever, but it was really well done, and I am tired of people knocking it because parts of it "stole" or "borrowed" from other movies...all in all, it's not an end of the world debate, we are all entitled to our opinions, and one of the things i love best about us marathoners is that we can have these discussions/debates/arguments and after that, move on to the next topic and enjoy the privilege of getting to watch all the movies we watch, good or bad...

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"Ernest Hemingway once wrote, 'the world is a fine place, and worth fighting for.' I agree with the second part"

I agree with Hallbeast it was great entertainment .......but I put it below a movie like Moon. Which had derivative elements but used them with a clever twist. Such as the HAL like computer.

I really did enjoy Avatar.

Maybe I'm a snob?

Get use to it Hellbeast, Willcail spends most of his time on here complaining about how most movies suck, lol.

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Remember ... no matter where you go, there you are.

Actually, it's a fairly moot point as far as Best Picture - HURT LOCKER is likely to take it. And should.

I am in the small minority of SF fans who was greatly disappointed in DISTRICT 9. It never took the opportunity to expand on the social commentary angle that it sets up. Instead it devolves into an alien remake of the remake of THE FLY. And, the Documentary within the movie is never consistently held in the proper point of view via camerawork, editing etc.

I like AVATAR, but it is quite derivative. Take large portions of POCAHONTAS and DANCES WITH WOLVES and mix with an inside out take on ALIENS and you basically have the plot.

STAR TREK was probably the best SF film of the year.

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Long Live the Orson Welles Cinemas

Someone mentioned to me that Avatar was "fern gully" meets "dances with wolves" meets "the last of the mohicans". Sadly, I have seen none of those.

I don't remember enough of Last of the Mohicans to say anything on that, but when I saw Avatar, I was reminded of Ferngully, Dances with Wolves, something from Star Trek, and lots of other movies and TV shows. I liked it, but I recognized that the only original component was the technology behind it. I think it is proof that great artists steal. Cameron took lots of other people's art and made it his own.

As for Star Trek, the more I think about it, the less I like it. I think it was a great action film, but it fails as Trek, especially since it has little of the social commentary and moral conflict of TOS and the original crew's films. When I want an action flick that I can watch with my mind switched to the off position, I'll watch the new Star Trek. When I want something that will challenge preconceptions and push the limits of social mores, I'll watch Star Trek: TOS.