At long last, the Academy has announced a new Oscar category for stunts, something which filmmakers have wanted for years.
    • Mouselemming@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      10·
      5 days ago

      I would agree except employment is so fickle in the biz. Health insurance should come through the Academy, since everyone is always a member even when they don’t have a gig

      • ohulancutash@feddit.ukEnglish
        1·
        2 days ago

        Why would the academy have anything to do with labour relations at all? It’s the literal anthithesis of its foundation.

        • Mouselemming@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          2·
          4 days ago

          They do, (thanks, Arrkk) and that’s a better answer.

          But the schoolmarm in me brings me back to tell you that, because of the “y-” in the way “union” is pronounced, standard usage is “a union” even though it starts with a vowel. The reason we use “an” is to avoid an awkward slide from the a to the vowel, but in words that start with the “you-” sound it’s not necessary.

          A ugly bastard An ugly bastard

          A onion An onion

          An unicorn A unicorn

          That’s me done, and a gold star to you on catching my original error!

  • barneypiccolo@lemm.eeEnglish
    5·
    4 days ago

    My theory is that the Mission Impssible franchise is about to wrap, and Tom Cruise is going to calm down on the stunt work, now that hes getting older. I cant blame him for that.

    So they can’t count on him to continue doing big stunts in the future, so they better give it to him now. So he’ll be nominated for the final MI movie, and he will win. And frankly, he deserves it, for his amazing body of stunt work.

    • MidsizedSedan@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      3 days ago

      I remember readng articles MI:Dubai. Didnt think much of it. Camerawork and editing makes it look cool and such.

      Then I watched the movie. Even on the small screen, I was on the edge of my seat.

      Am willing to give up my kidney to watch that movie in IMAX.

      • barneypiccolo@lemm.eeEnglish
        1·
        3 days ago

        I really think Tom Cruise is a weird and creepy guy, but i can’t help it, his movies are nearly always great. I’ll watch anything he does, and at least 9 times out of 10, I’m blown away.

  • funkajunk@lemm.eeEnglish
    18·
    5 days ago

    Give one to that panda for doing all those crazy kung fu moves

    Masterpiece

  • MidsizedSedan@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    3 days ago

    My favourite Tom Cruise roll is A Few Good Men. But even then I cant think of another stunt perfomer than Tom Cruise.

    If/When he retires, who is next?

  • neuracnuEnglish
    5·
    4 days ago

    Oh dear.

    The stunt arms race is officially on. That means bigger stunts, more danger, and more people getting hurt to chase the big shiny prize they just created.

    The safe and humane way forward here was better digital effects. This change will literally mame and kill people who didn’t have to get hurt.

    • Krauerking@lemy.lolEnglish
      5·
      4 days ago

      You have clearly never seen Order of the Black Eagle where a man gets his face run over as a stunt gone wrong. It’s low budget and they weren’t trying.

      Idiots will hurt themselves doing stunts for cheap too without the prestige. The “Big” stunts are actually usually safer as they have more people knowing what they are doing.

      Maybe we can just still give them the awards for putting their bodies on the line anyways for film making a thing that isn’t going to stop.

      • neuracnuEnglish
        1·
        4 days ago

        Idiots will hurt themselves doing stunts for cheap too without the prestige. The “Big” stunts are actually usually safer as they have more people knowing what they are doing.

        Having a prize for stunts encourages more low budget unsafe stunt work too as people take risks to increase their prestige to get the bigger gigs.

        I don’t deny that stunt work demands immense talent and effort and risk. Just like a performance artist who does five-finger filet really fast for money. But is it moral to give out accolades for it?

        Would it be better to look at ourselves and say “Woah, this is fucked up. It’s fucked up that it’s happening and it’s fucked up that I’m entertained by it. What can I do to encourage less of this in the world?”

          • neuracnuEnglish
            1·
            4 days ago

            I’m not sure “swap” is quite the right word for it. Effects can be used to drastically reduce the risks for performers, which already happens. Stunt performers wear harnesses and safety wires for high falls that get digitally painted out. Functioning guns with blanks can be replaced by non-functioning guns that have muzzle flash effects added later (though I still don’t know how to accurately depict recoil). I would like to see awards going towards innovations in these areas.

            That said, I’m not sure how to properly honor stunt performers for the risks and sacrifices asked of them without encouraging more people to do it.

    • barneypiccolo@lemm.eeEnglish
      2·
      4 days ago

      This has always been the argument against having an oscar for stunts, but its hard to imagine that stunts could get much more dangerous that they already are.

      Most stunt pros want to protect themselves from death even more than their defenders. They plan these stunts extensively and train hard for them. They do their best to leave nothing to chance. Yet they still take it to the edge, often, and they’ve been doing it since the beginning of film. Its highly doubtful they could even get more dangerous that those old Buster Keaton stunts, or the car chase scene in Death Proof, or many of Tom Cruise’s stunts in the Mission Impossible franchise, etc. We can all name 100 jaw-dropping stunts.

      Getting killed or maimed is not likely to get you the Oscar, so I don’t think its a valid reason to not have a category for Stunts.