Oscar Beat '07
Oscar Beat: Seven Candidates Remain for Best Visual Effects
Posted by Michelle Graham (michelle@filmschoolrejects.com) on January 8, 2008
The Hollywood Reporter gives a somewhat surprising shortlist for the best visual effects Oscar this year, with some startling inclusions and some even more startling omissions. The shortlist of 7 movies, whittled down from an original list of 15, includes The Bourne Ultimatum, Evan Almighty, The Golden Compass, I Am Legend, 300, Transformers and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, but excludes the previously thought of automatic inclusion performance-capture movie, Beowulf.
A surprising amount of sequels grace this year’s list, with 3 in the running, not to mention the trilogy opener, The Golden Compass getting a nod, but as pointed out by The Hollywood Reporter, sequels have it tough when attempting to place in this list, “especially if the (key) breakthrough work happened in the movie before.” For example, Spider-Man 2 was not only shortlisted in 2005 but was nominated for the award, similar to Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest, however unlike the Pirates saga, the closing chapter to Spidey has not received a nod for effects this year. In the same vein, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the first Potter movie not to be shortlisted in this category, the previous four all having received at least a place on the the short list.
The final decision on official nominees for this year’s effects Oscar will be announced on January 22nd, after the members of the Acadamy’s visual effects branch have viewed a 15 minute excerpt from each candidate and entered their vote.
Talking Point: In your opinion, which of these 7 should win the Oscar for Best Visual Effects?
Read more articles by Michelle Graham
3 Comments
January 9th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Anything but I am Legend. Those effects were horrible. There were better effects on Resident Evil for the PS1.
January 9th, 2008 at 11:13 am
There are many movies that indeed deserved to be at least on the short list for the Oscar nominations, but still only the best of the bes will be advancing. One of the movies that really made an impact me was “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.” It’s visual effects were superior than the the other Pirates. This year though, the directors had been at their best with their awesome movies, such as 300 and Transformers. The Golden Compass has a very nice and delicate Art Direction along with 300. Over all “POC 3″ still impresses me more than the other movies and in fact what made it the the best movie was thanks to Johny Deep and it’s astonishing visual effects.
January 9th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
It has to be Transformers … I dare any of the other art studios to try and duplicate what was done in that movie. That is how it should be judged!