While you were sleeping and training your bladder to hold its knot for three solid hours (and two minutes), AMPAS decided to make some incidental changes to its broadcast and how they reward the best film in each category.
Ahead of the 92nd #Oscars, we’ve made some changes to the rules. Take a look. https://t.co/zVkOc7ti90
For the full rules, click here: https://t.co/hyO4c55hMf
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) April 24, 2019
So, here is the summary: The Foreign Language Film Category will hereby be known as the “International Feature Film Category” on account foreign sounds circa 1700s and colonial speaking.
Oh, not the news you wanted? Yeah, there was a little something to stick it to Steven Spielberg with his hypocritical ways and butthurt speech that Roma should not have been considered–and later, won everything–for film awards.
You see, Spielberg is a Hollywood deity in most cases. He can say or do whatever he wants, except when it means taking down TV ratings or personal checks, then Hollywood would like to have a word.
What Does This Mean?
With Netflix giving a healthy jolt of credibility to the streaming channels out there (i.e., Hulu, Amazon), more stars and starlets will be more likely to pick up the phone the caller ID screams “NOT Steven Spielberg.” (Just sayin’)
AMPAS’ Board of Governors has ruled, basically, in favor of the streaming companies by maintaining its eligibility “Rule Two” intact, which stated the following, according to a website statement:
The Academy’s Board of Governors voted to maintain Rule Two, Eligibility for the 92nd Oscars. The rule states that to be eligible for awards consideration, a film must have a minimum seven-day theatrical run in a Los Angeles County commercial theater, with at least three screenings per day for paid admission. Motion pictures released in nontheatrical media on or after the first day of their Los Angeles County theatrical qualifying run remain eligible.
(See? It really is all about them.)
The aforementioned legend believes “Once you commit to a television format, you’re a TV movie. The good show deserves an Emmy, but not an Oscar.”
While Spielberg isn’t wrong, the times are right for change.
Theaters will always be here. Shoot, even Netflix owns one now for its own premieres. People are cutting the cord in droves and content is going streaming. Many more producers are taking a chance on a TV forum for a movie world.
And now, as we mentioned about Captain Hypocrisy, Spielberg is doing the same. If his “TV movies” are good on Apple+ — and has a one-week theater run in L.A. County — he deserves every bit the attention Alfonso Cuaron received for Roma and its 10 nominations and three wins. Granted, the attention was fueled by a reported $60 million marketing campaign, but it got people talking during Oscar chat.
Once the news came out, Netflix had a cryptic subtweet for Oscar and Spielberg:
We love cinema. Here are some things we also love:
-Access for people who can’t always afford, or live in towns without, theaters
-Letting everyone, everywhere enjoy releases at the same time
-Giving filmmakers more ways to share artThese things are not mutually exclusive.
— Netflix Film (@NetflixFilm) March 4, 2019
And there’s that, but something else.
You know all those artsy, indie movies that come out with one week to spare in the calendar year and usually end up getting noticed by The Academy?
If AMPAS changed their rule to spite Netflix and the gang, they would have slaughtered the true pioneers in film who have no marketing budget but can make fantastic films of note (e.g., Call Me by Your Name, Manchester by the Sea, Whiplash, and Captain Marvel’s Room).
It’s a brave new world for indie production and movie viewing, which is nothing but good for cinephiles everywhere. And, as we learned, even Steven $&@*#@ Spielberg is starting to recognize how to Netflix and chill (the eff out).
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