Editor’s note: This is part of a 32-part series dissecting the 85th Academy Awards, brought to you by the Large Association of Movie Blogs and its assorted members. Every day leading up to the Oscars, a new post written by a different LAMB will be published, each covering a different category of the Oscars. To read the other posts regarding this event, please click here. Thank you, and enjoy!
By Nolahn of Your Face!
I know what you’re thinking.
You’re thinking “Dammit, not another one of these bad movie guys! These guys always talking out of their asses and gumming up the LAMB’s Oscar series with their stupid crap.”
Well ha-HA! Turns out that I actually know a thing or two about sound editing. I had a good friend in college who created her own major to study audio engineering, and she has been a sound editing machine ever since. It was from her that I learned that sound editing deals with getting the proper sounds or effects and having them timed perfectly to the action. Like all the punching sounds in a fight, somebody had to find just the right KA-POW and dub it in at just the right insta… Spoilers for anyone who thinks the people on-screen are really punching each other?
So yeah, I know all about sound editing, no problem there. I just haven’t seen any of the films that have been nominated.
That’s okay, it doesn’t matter. What? You didn’t think these awards were given out on merit, did you? Oh, so adorable.
Let’s look at the nominees!
ARGO – Ben Affleck is starting to earn some real respect in the industry for his work behind the camera, but this isn’t the kind of big spectacle picture that often wins this award. Argo will get some Oscar goodness, but probably not here. ODDS OF WINNING, 7:1
DJANGO UNCHAINED – Simply put, The Academy hates Tarantino’s face. What does this have to do with sound editing? Oh, you really are adorable. ODDS OF WINNING, 30:1
LIFE OF PI – This is an imaginative film from a very well-respected director, and it may be nominated in 11 categories… but it’s no Lincoln. While Spielberg and Company suck up all the high profile awards like some kind of award-sucking vacuum thingie, Life of Pi will pick up hardware in more technical categories like this one. Also, this is the only film that has to work in tiger sounds. ODDS OF WINNING, 2:1
SKYFALL – Yes, it’s a big spectacle picture. And yes, there’s a lot of punching. But The Academy probably considers Bond films to be of a “lesser” quality. They’re kind of jerks like that. ODDS OF WINNING, 12:1
ZERO DARK THIRTY – This is an interesting nominee… The Hurt Locker did win this award back in 2009, so there is a precedent here. Of course, this film also has about 150% more torture than The Hurt Locker. My gut is telling me that Zero Dark Thirty should just be happy with its Best Actress win (my gut is also telling me to lay off the tortilla chips), but I do like this as a “surprise” win. ODDS OF WINNING, 5:1
Haha, love this!
And I’m glad you know what sound editing is, so annoying when people just write about stuff they don’t know about.
Thank you! And thank you for not holding it against me that I haven’t seen any of the nominated films.
I know, right? I just HATE it when people just write about things to have fun instead of taking it seriously? Don’t you agree? DOWN WITH FUN!!
-Jason
Ha! Look at that. All week I’ve been preparing myself in case I needed to come in and defend you guys, talking about how we want a mix of perspectives and how even someone who takes the Oscars as serious as I do can still laugh at them, but it turns out you didn’t even need it any help.
But let’s not poke at it with a stick either. I don’t want to see the comments section cross that invisible line between making fun of the movies (which is great) and making fun of our fellow bloggers (which isn’t so cool).