'Criticism is the only thing that stands between the audience and advertising.' - Pauline Kael

*


Paul Robeson With Oakland, Ca. Shipyard Workers, 1942

Black August

So in order to best cover all bases, progressive film critics tend to consider three categories of assessment, rather than two: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. The first two are self-explanatory. And the third category is reserved for movies that may have been impressively put together, but there's just something offensively anti-humanistic about them.

Stay tuned......

The Organizer

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

***THE ANTI-OSCARS***: THE BEST POLITICAL FILMS OF 2011


IF A TREE FALLS: A STORY OF THE EARTH LIBERATION FRONT


THE TRUMBO: The Award For BEST PROGRESSIVE DRAMATIC FEATURES is named after Oscar-winning screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, a member of the Hollywood Ten, who was imprisoned for his beliefs and refusing to inform. Trumbo helped break the Blacklist when he received screen credit for "Spartacus" and "Exodus" in 1960.
3 BACKYARDS
ALBERT NOBBS
THE CONSPIRATOR
DRIVE
50/50
THE LINCOLN LAWYER
MEET MONICA VELOUR
THE MUSIC NEVER STOPPED
PUNCTURE
REPO CHICK
RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
THE WHISTLEBLOWER


THE GARFIELD:
The Award for BEST ACTORS is named after John Garfield, who rose from the proletarian theatre to star in progressive pictures such as "Gentleman's Agreement" and "Force of Evil," only to run afoul of the Hollywood Blacklist.
GEORGE CLOONEY: THE DESCENDANTS
JOSEPH GORDON LEVITT: 50/50
LOU TAYLOR PUCCI: THE MUSIC NEVER STOPPED


KAREN MORLEY AWARD:
For BEST ACTRESSES. Named for Karen Morley, who was driven out of Hollywood in the 1930s for her leftist views, but who maintained her militant political activism for the rest of her life, running for Lieutenant Governor on the American Labor Party ticket in 1954. She passed away in 2003, unrepentant to the end, at the age of 93.
GLENN CLOSE: ALBERT NOBBS
DANAI GURIRA: 3 BACKYARDS
MARGARITA LEVIEVA: THE LINCOLN LAWYER
JANET MCTEER: ALBERT NOBBS
KATIE O'GRADY: RID OF ME
ROBIN WRIGHT: THE CONSPIRATOR


THE RENOIR: The Award for BEST ANTI-WAR FILMS is named after the great French filmmaker Jean Renoir, who directed the 1937 anti-militarism masterpiece, "Grand Illusion."
CATERPILLAR
THE MUSIC NEVER STOPPED


THE GILLO: The Award for BEST PROGRESSIVE FOREIGN FILMS is named after the Italian director Gillo Pontecorvo, who lensed the 1960s classics "The Battle of Algiers" and "Burn!"
THE OLD SCHOOL OF CAPITALISM
THE IRON CROWS
LE HAVRE
POETRY
THE TIME THAT REMAINS
WHEN WE LEAVE
ZERO BRIDGE

THE DZIGA: The Award for BEST PROGRESSIVE DOCUMENTARIES is named after the Soviet filmmaker Dziga Vertov, who directed 1920s nonfiction films such as the "Kino Pravda" ("Film Truth") series and "The Man With the Movie Camera."
THE BIG FIX
THE BIG UNEASY
THE BILL HICKS STORY
DAMN!
THE LAST MOUNTAIN
PLASTIC PLANET
THE PRICE OF SEX
PROJECT NIM
RED SHIRLEY
SEMPER FI: ALWAYS FAITHFUL
UNDER THE BOARDWALK
WOMEN ART REVOLUTION
YOU BETCHA


THE BOUND FOR GLORY AWARD:
The Award for BEST ANTI-CAPITALIST FILMS is named after the 1976 Hal Ashby directed biopic about Woody Guthrie, played by the late David Carradine.
BATTLE FOR BROOKLYN
THE BIG FIX
THE BIG UNEASY
CHASING MADOFF
CRIME AFTER CRIME
FARMAGEDDON
THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER SOLD
IF A TREE FALLS
THE LAST MOUNTAIN
MOTHERLAND
THE MAN NOBODY KNEW
MARGIN CALL
THE OLD SCHOOL OF CAPITALISM
THE PRICE OF SEX
PROGRAMMING THE NATION
PUNCTURE
REPO CHICK


LA PASSIONARA AWARD:
For the most positive female images in a movie, and in light of the historically demeaning portrayal of women in movies.
ALBERT NOBBS
CRIME AFTER CRIME
THE HEDGEHOG
THE HELP
MEEK'S CUTOFF
MOZART'S SISTER
RED SHIRLEY
RID OF ME
SHEHERAZADE: TELL ME A STORY
SNOWFLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN
WHEN WE LEAVE
THE WHISTLEBLOWER
ZERO BRIDGE


OUR DAILY BREAD AWARD:
For the most positive and inspiring working class images in movies this year.
3 BACKYARDS
ALBERT NOBBS
THE HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER
ILLEGAL
THE INHERITORS
THE LAST MOUNTAIN
PIECE OF THE PIE
RED SHIRLEY

THE ROBESON AWARD: Named after courageous performing legend, Paul Robeson. The award is for the movies that best express the people of color experience, in light of their historically demeaning portrayals in films.
3 BACKYARDS
THE HELP
PARIAH


THE TOMAS GUTIERREZ ALEA AWARD:
Named after the late legendary Cuban filmmaker. For best depicting mass popular uprising or revolutionary transformation in movies
AMIGO
EVEN THE RAIN
IF A TREE FALLS
PIECE OF THE PIE
THE OLD SCHOOL OF CAPITALISM


THE SERGEI:
The Award for Best Progressive LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT OR ACTIVISM is named after the Soviet filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein, who created Russian revolutionary classics such as 1925's "Potemkin" and 1927's "10 Days That Shook the World."
DARYL HANNAH


THE LAWSON: The Award for BEST ANTI-FASCIST FILMS this year, is named after screenwriter John Howard Lawson, one of the Hollywood Ten, who wrote Hollywood's first feature about the Spanish Civil War, 1938's "Blockade," with Henry Fonda, and anti-Nazi movies such as 1943's "Sahara," starring Humphrey Bogart.
CATERPILLAR
THE DEBT
SARAH'S KEY


THE MODERN TIMES:
The Award for Best Progressive Film SATIRES is named after Charlie Chaplin, who made 1936's "Modern Times" and 1940's "The Great Dictator."
PIECE OF THE PIE
REPO CHICK

THE ORSON: The Award for BEST OVERLOOKED OR THEATRICALLY UNRELEASED [seen at festivals, or on TV or DVD only] Progressive Films is named after actor/director Orson Welles. After he directed the masterpiece "Citizen Kane" Welles had difficulty getting most of his other movies made.
BACK OF THE BUS
THE CLIENT LIST
RED SQUAD
TRIANGLE FIRE [JAMILA WIGNOT]


THE PASOLINI: The Award for Best PRO-GAY Films is named after Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini, who directed 1964's "The Gospel According to St. Matthew" and "The Decameron" and "The Canterbury Tales" in the 1970s.
PARIAH
TOAST


COURAGE IN FILMAKING:
:
THE OCCUPY WALL STREET MOVEMENT


ELIA KAZAN HALL OF SHAME 2011
: Citations for the worst anti-workingclass and right wing movies of the year is named after director Elia Kazan, who was Hollywood’s 'King Rat.' Kazan not only informed on accused radicals to the House Un-American Activities Committee, he took out a New York Times ad justifying his self-serving treachery.

*The Elia Kazan Hall Of Shame represents the 'don't tell me to shut up' sidebar contribution of individual members, and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the entire Circle. Also, members may be objecting to particular characters in a film, and not the entire movie.

Atlas Shrugged: A Tea Party directed and funded production taunting the status quo with a Greed Is Fabulous mantra - and laced with topsy turvy Marxism extolling robber barons in mass rebellion.

Hollywood's Odious Icons of 2011: J. Edgar and The Iron Lady's faux feminist, Margaret Thatcher.

Melancholia: One Percent self-indulgent navel-gazing.

Page One: Disingenuous infomercial disguised as doc spins the NY Times.

Potiche: Anti-labor Sarkozy era cynical revisionism, in which French capitalist trophy wife Catherine Deneuve takes over as head of the union of her spouse's company.

There Be Dragons: Opus Dei funds and restages the Spanish Civil War, with Franco's fascists in league with the Catholic Church as the good guys this time around.

Snuff Movie Bad Taste Award: Hilary and company in dazzled spectator mode, assembled for a bizarre photo op at the premiere of the Osama Bin Laden Navy Seals action thriller. Popcorn and Jawbreakers, anyone?

2 comments:

  1. What ever happened to Langlois award?

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