With the Academy Awards just days away, you’d think it would be a time for celebration. I’m thinking Oscar parties, Oscar pools, hell, I’m even thinking Oscar the Grouch at this point. Oscar, Oscar, Oscar. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences though, they’re thinking a bit differently than the rest of us.
All of this mess started when Nicolas Chartier, one of the financiers and producers behind The Hurt Locker, sent out an email to some friends that went a little something like this:
“From: “Nicolas Chartier” Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2010
I hope all is well with you. I just wanted to write you and say I hope you liked Hurt Locker and if you did and want us to win, please tell (name deleted) and your friends who vote for the Oscars, tell actors, directors, crew members, art directors, special effects people, if everyone tells one or two of their friends, we will win and not a $500M film, we need independent movies to win like the movies you and I do, so if you believe The Hurt Locker is the best movie of 2010, help us!
I’m sure you know plenty of people you’ve worked with who are academy members whethere a publicist, a writer, a sound engineer, please take 5 minutes and contact them. Please call one or two persons, everything will help!
best regards,
Nicolas Chartier”
Voltage Pictures
Apparently the AMPAS frown on you when you badmouth another nominated film. In this case, Chartier referring to James Cameron’s AVATAR as that “$500M film.” So what did they do? They stripped him of his Oscar tickets and told him to hit the road, Jack.
The problem is, during awards season, everyone and their mother sends out emails to friends and colleagues asking them to vote for their film over the other guys. It’s a known fact, and one the AMPAS has condoned and tolerated for so long. Now all of a sudden they’re badmouthing The Hurt Locker for badmouthing AVATAR? Seems a bit hypocritical to me.
Whatever, man. If the AMPAS are going to ban Chartier from attending the Oscars, then they should ban at least 50 other filmmakers, producers, and directors from the show. Because his email got leaked though, they have to put on a front and make a Spike Lee example out of him. Do the right thing? I think not.
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