Academy loses popularity
Regarding “Let Us Count a Film Panel’s Errors” [Aug. 10]: Justin Chang is a savvy guy, and I really like his take on many things movie-related. His opinion on the academy and the awkward band-aid they propose to fix sagging ratings, while different from mine, is very interesting. I believe, however, that all the academy’s efforts merely tap dance around the reason the only people watching this mess are on either Coast.
I don’t like my entertainment so heavily dosed with political rhetoric and hate speech. We get it, academy, you don’t like the president. But just accept your accolade, thank your family and move out of the way. These entertainers are entitled to their opinion, as am I, but using an awards show as a pulpit is sad. I wouldn’t stand for a political diatribe from my plumber, either. Just fix the faucet and leave.
Peggy Lymburner Signal Hill
Justin Chang’s response to the academy’s latest dilution of its significance was spot-on. It’s stupefying that the academy doesn’t understand how they’ve diminished their brand. Where so-called genre movies could once transcend that designation by inspired execution, they’ll now be thought less of, no matter their virtues.
As for imposing new time limits, the fact is that television is fueled by advertising, and if the Oscars went four, or even five hours, the revenue they would generate in that extra time still dwarfs any alternative programming that’s run against them.
Michael Jenning Van Nuys
As a longtime Oscar purist, I normally look askance at any major change in the Oscar process, such as allowing up to 10 best picture nominees, but the now added category of outstanding achievement in popular film I find worthwhile. Sure, it’s designed to boost TV ratings, an important goal, but these action/ super hero/blockbuster genre films are now overlooked in best picture nominations, not for lack of highquality production values (or even sometimes acting), but because they are and will continue to be deemed not serious enough. If the academy wishes to make this new award really important they should force the studios to choose which category to place such films in nomination for: best picture, where they certainly won’t win, or best popular picture, a major new Oscar, recognizing the importance of both box office success and audience acclaim.
Joe Whitaker Arroyo Grande
Chang tries to conflate all popular movies under one umbrella. “Lawrence of Arabia,” “All About Eve,” “The Best Years of Our Lives” were popular films but certainly at a much higher level of artistry and meaningfulness than “Black Panther,” “The Dark Knight” or any of those comic-book-hero films. If one eliminates all the special computer-generated imagery, stunts, fights, chases, etc., there is no film, there is only a rather juvenile, irrelevant script and over-the-top acting.
Giuseppe Mirelli Los Angeles