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LOS ANGELES – The idea of distributing a popular film Oscar has been suspended for the moment following a brutal reaction, but the president of the film academy, John Bailey, said that this new category was well-intentioned.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Thursday that it will further study the plans in this category, citing the fact that the introduction of a new award at three quarters of the year would create challenges for movies already out.
Last month, the academy announced the new category "Exceptional Achievement in Popular Cinema" without parameters, raising immediate questions about the criteria and their impact on critical and commercial films such as "Black Panther". competitor.
Bailey told The Associated Press that he was surprised by the negative reaction to the new category and believes that people have not understood his goal of recognizing the types of films made today. hui.
"The idea of this price was not to try to make sure that certain types of large mass market images are recognized. In my opinion, it's more like the kind of pictures that are so hard to achieve, "said Bailey, citing films he has worked on as" The Big Chill "and" Ordinary People, "the kind of" photos middle ". studios do not do as much and, when they do, they are not often recognized by the most prestigious award in the film industry.
"What the jury was hoping for was that in addition to giving a chance to some of the biggest low-budget movies, it was also and mainly for such hard-to-make photos – from images like 'A Quiet Place' or ' Crazy Rich Asians, "says Bailey." These are wonderful pictures and deserve to somehow find an ability to be honored. "
He does not know yet when he will win at the Oscars, but it could be as early as next year.
Although the criteria for the new category are still not defined, Mr. Bailey said that the size and the box office are part of the equation and that a movie like "Black Panther" could be presented The same is true for an animation film.
The audience at the Oscars is often linked to the musculature of the big names. The scores for the 90th Academy Awards dropped to a record 26.5 million viewers, down 19% from the previous year and for the first time less than 30 million viewers since 2008. 1998, when the blockbuster "Titanic" was named best picture.
In the last three years, Oscar's best picture has gone to the "smaller" movies – "The Shape of Water", "Moonlight" and "Spotlight", none of which has won more than $ 100 million box office of 3000 theaters.
The 91st annual Oscars, to be held on February 24 in Los Angeles, will undergo some changes this year, with the academy planning to shorten the ceremony to three hours. To do this, he plans to distribute Oscars in six to eight categories during commercial breaks. The academy also plans to shorten the awards season by spending a few weeks of the 2020 Oscars until February 9, 2020.
For Bailey, the Oscars are not a static entity subject to a certain way of doing things. He notes that the Oscars have undergone many changes over the years, including the addition and subtraction of segments and categories.
The Oscar statuette, he said, "is a symbol of excellence in an ever-changing industry. And what we are trying to do is follow these changes and honor those changes. It's not like it's frozen in time, these rewards.
He can not help but laugh at the apparent hypocrisy of the academy and the outside world.
"Some of the people who so loudly criticize this award as an evasion and vulgarization of the Oscars are the same people as five years ago, seven years ago:" Why do not you name the movies and honor them? ? which are intended for a wider audience? Bailey said, "Everyone loves to jump into the academy."
Yet he found a glimmer of hope in the tumult.
"For an institution that people continue to say is irrelevant and disconnected from everything related to the industry, and there are people who say they can not wait to get into the fight, 'express their opinions and create discussion,' said Bailey. "If we are not relevant, why is everyone so concerned?"
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Follow AP movie director Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, disseminated, rewritten or redistributed.
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