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JERRY BECK
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AMID AMIDI
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Golden Globe nominations
by jerry
December 11, 2008 10:30 am


The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (aka a group of anonymous journalists who cover Hollywood for international publications, but nonetheless produce a glitzy influential awards show that is somehow a bellwether for the Oscars) has announced their nominees for the 2008 Golden Globes. For Best Animated Feature Film they have nominated Bolt, Kung Fu Panda, and Wall-E. The winner will be announced Sunday, January 11th, 2009 on NBC.

12/11/08  11:27am
RODAN says:

Three very good pictures. If I had a vote in the HFPA I’d have to go with WALL-E.

I offer no defense of for my virtual vote…I just liked it far more than the others.

Loved the panda a lot….

It’s a shame that there were no 2-D offerings this past year.

12/11/08  11:52am
Lucky Jim says:

Jerry, you left “Waltz with Bashir” off the post. It was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film.

12/11/08  12:12pm
Saturnome says:

Well I haven’t seen Waltz with Bashir (And I hope to see it soon) but it got a foreign nomination. Why no animation nomination? As weird as the “Best picture: Wall-E, Best animation: Waltz with Bashir” from L.A. critics.

12/11/08  12:29pm
Tommy Day says:

I think Wall-e will win, because it feels more like a great film in general to me than just the best animated picture. Kung Fu Panda was awesome, but I think that Wall-e deserves it this year.

Again, I’m just happy that its actually a close race this year. Bring on more great animated flicks!

12/11/08  1:15pm
Charles says:

Saw all three, but I didn’t like Bolt. It seemed really long and I just couldn’t stop thinking about the voices. Oh well, I hope Wall-E wins although I really enjoyed Kung Fu Panda.

12/11/08  1:45pm
dan says:

It’s nice when I agree with all three of the nominees. I think these were the top 3 movies of the year.

12/11/08  3:36pm
Andrew says:

WALL-E will win.

12/11/08  5:13pm
Zack Mays says:

WALL-E all the way !!

12/11/08  6:36pm
Ryan says:

Those were definitely the three best animated movies of this year. In my opinion, they are ranked, from best to “least” best:

1. Kung Fu Panda
2. Bolt
3. Wall-E

By the way, Jerry, why is Bolt not represented in your heading graphic?

12/11/08  7:15pm
Ryan says:

Additionally, I agree that Wall-E is the most likely to win, primarily because it is a “cerebral” film. Critics love cerebral.

12/11/08  10:25pm
rhinotonight says:

Ryan- bolt is trite, infantile trash.

thats why.

Wall-E was a lot of fun, and really seemed like it had a lot of work put into it. I’m sure its gonna win.

12/11/08  10:56pm
Joe says:

rhinotonight-
I’m willing to bet $100 you never even saw Bolt.

Prove me wrong. In which city did Bolt and Mittens find a lot of food, and then have their big “breakup” scene? This is not an obscure question for anyone who actually saw it.

Wall-E may win for its pretentiousness, but both Kung Fu Panda and Bolt were better, more entertaining movies. Sorry, but a movie that loses track of its own protagonist, and devolves into an endless 40-minute chase scene doesn’t deserve to win. (The first act was excellent, though)

12/12/08  5:22am
Andrew Kieswetter says:

I also agree with all 3 nominations.

12/13/08  9:11am
elan says:

Fun game Joe. I also dont believe he saw the film.

Okay Rhinotonight, bonus question. What color or colors was the dog Bolt played with in the park?

12/18/08  7:51pm
selvagem says:

For anyone who did see Waltz with Bashir, on the one hand while it did gain that foreign film nomination, its kind of a tragedy it wasn’t tapped for best animation.

Given the formulaic storytelling that all 3 “BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM” nominee’s rely on (I mean seriously.. it isn’t as if Dreamworks, Disney or Pixar have really told anything OTHER than the see-saw formula story since their humble beginnings), its seems a shame stuff that “serious” Waltz like Bashir or Persepolis are put into completely separate categories.

Of course you have to acknowledge the fact that both Pixar and Disney always manage to push the envelope and show some serious quality animation skills worthy of high end professionals, but the truth is the industry has been cow-towing to this particular vernacular of animation forever. Its so old hat, and bloody well expected of them to do something “good” within their nuclear family, picket fence, everything is swell at the end of the day aesthetic. Worse, if it were the best of furniture awards, it’d be like we’re celebrating a company that has been making the same type of chair for the last 50 years, except every decade they add a different “flair” button to distinguish it from the times (coughcoughIPOD).

Its frustrating to think the golden globes are trying to say “serious” animations don’t fit into the category of “best animation”. Or perhaps, its just that Waltz wasn’t done by one of non power-house animation companies. I’m not really sure which one it is. Regardless if its part of the age old cultural divide on kids stuff and adult, or if its just a reality of big companies winning over little companies among the golden globes, i think ultimately this inability to to celebrate something different, according to a different animation aesthetic OTHER than this stale old stodgy disney aesthetic is plain unfortunate.

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