[buticut]

Courtesy of Sasha Stone:

Nikki Finke raises a few interesting things to note about the Chartier email. When I read that an Academy flack, an EMPLOYEE of AMPAS, had forwarded the story on the Carpetbagger about the military’s objection to The Hurt Locker, I thought, hm. That’s strange. Why would the Academy be sending out an anti-Hurt Locker story as an email blast? Something feels very fishy indeed. Meanwhile, here is Finke on the matter (admitting at the end that she believes Avatar should win — I know she doesn’t realize that this means the Academy will match only the Golden Globes in terms of taste and preference)::</span>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;">So let me get this straight; Nicolas Chartier who financed <i>The Hurt Locker</i> and is one of the 4 officially credited producers can’t attend the Academy Awards because he sent a mass email that never even mentioned <i>Avatar</i> by name? And the Oscars governing body thinks his badmouthing is so much worse than what nearly everyone in the Best Picture category has done year after year? I find it ludicrous that the Academy of shame has made a decision so lame. <b>So I must ask: is it mere coincidence that Academy president Tom Sherak (at one time a bigtime Fox movie exec), Oscars producers Bill Mechanic (at one time a bigtime Fox movie exec) and Adam Shankman (currently a bigtime Fox Broadcast talent), and Academy Board Of Governors member Jim Gianopulos (currently a bigtime Fox movie exec) all have strong ties to the <i>Avatar</i> studio? The Academy should have leaned over backwards not to appear Fox-sympathetic because of this. </b>(Especially when I have emails from the studio accusing “the <i>Hurt Locker</i> people of running the dirtiest campaign and getting away with it”.) And would this draconian action have been taken if Chartier’s name had been Grazer or Rudin or some other Hollywood insider? I think not. Know that I ask these questions as someone who thinks <i>Avatar</i> should win Best Picture (because it changed the way Hollywood makes movies) and James Cameron Best Director (because he changed the way Hollywood makes movies). So, please, no baseless accusations that I’m biased.</span></p>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;">People keep saying that the wagons are circling to make sure Avatar wins. That makes me wonder whether it really win on Sunday and how unprecedented that would be. Needless to say, the only way I think Cameron and Avatar SHOULD win is if they deserve it not just for the technical achievement, but for the story and the art of it. That is still what it’s all about. And has been since the days of Aristotle. Computers can’t and shouldn’t change that.</span></p>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;">Thanks to Zennie fl"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;">

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