The 4th Annual BOX OFFICE THEORY Awards: Official Ceremony

[Ethan Hunt]

Can't say that I've heard of Take a Fucking Guess before. I'll have to check it out

[Ezen Baklattan]

Ground control to write-up #4.

 

THE MARTIAN

 

 

 

“The Martian, one of the nominees for Best Picture at the BOFFYs, is a movie that captivated audiences in theaters and members within this forum. Set at some point in the near-future, The Martian is the story of a manned mission to Mars that is forced to abort and leave one of its members behind for dead…except he’s not quite finished yet. Stranded on an inhospitable world with limited tools and resources, the astronaut, Mark Watney, is forced to rely on every ounce of ingenuity he has in order to survive and find a way to contact NASA, so they can scramble together a way to get him home. The Martian was a box office success, earning nearly $615 million worldwide. It was also a critical smash, earning rave reviews and seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture of the Year.

 

The film stars Matt Damon as Mark Watney, the titular character, and features a large ensemble of supporting cast members, including Jessica Chastain, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jeff Daniels, Kate Mara, and many more.

 

The ensemble cast works very well together, but make no mistake, this is Matt Damon’s movie. With a light sense of humor and an aw-shucks charisma, Damon definitely channels a bit of Tom Hanks in portraying Mark Watney, who though possessing an irreverent personality and having superhero-level botany and engineering skills, manages to come across as an everyman, your average guy caught in a situation out of his depth and struggling to overcome it. He naturally wins the audience’s sympathy and support as he toils against the obstacles in his path, making light of what he can, but also unleashing anger and anguish when things seem to be going really south for him. It’s no surprise that Damon received a BOFFY nomination and an Oscar nomination for Lead Actor. It’s a winning, eager performance that doesn’t rely on classic Oscar-bait emoting scenes and instead focuses on presenting a lively character who feels real and who earns our respect and backing.

 

Ridley Scott, a director with an impressive pedigree who has also become a bit of a punchline on this forum with several recent efforts that were to many members lukewarm at best, returns to form with an incredibly skilled management of the movie. The sets, the actors, the effects, they are all staged brilliantly as the film charges ahead. The film, which runs 141 minutes and features characters and action in numerous locations, could have ended up as feeling bloated, sprawling, and overburdened, but Ridley keeps it a tight and focused ship with a laser-like precision. There are no wasted scenes in this movie. As comebacks go, this is quite the coup for Sir Ridley, as his management and coaching of the nuts and bolts is superb.

 

The Martian features impressive set design, painstakingly laying out in detail the habitat Mark finds himself stuck in for countless months as well as the vehicles and equipment he uses in his quest to stay alive. Even though all of these vehicles are purely theoretical or experimental, they have the look and feel of things we could build and use right now today. The Martian also features a killer soundtrack, including numerous classic songs from the 70s, including disco music, to set the mood while also playing it as a running joke due to Mark’s utter distaste for the songs. It adds to the movie’s grinning sense of humor and ability to lighten the mood and engage the audience, even after a disaster nearly scuttles any chance of survival.

 

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about The Martian is that there is no antagonist. Everyone involved is working together to find a way to bring Mark Watney home and the film carries with it an optimistic and upbeat message of how the human race has the innate ability to unify and collaborate when faced with a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. It would have been easy for the film to go the standard Hollywood route and have Jeff Daniels’ character or someone else at NASA or the government be a cliché corporate/government bureaucrat who is willing to sacrifice Mark’s life for some nebulous advantage elsewhere while acting like a scumbag. But the film doesn’t do that. When Jeff Daniels shoots down the Purnell Maneuver, it’s because he has a legitimate concern for the safety of the other astronauts on the Hermes. Like Apollo 13, The Martian is a movie that says “We can do this. We can achieve the impossible if we come together and figure this out with our combined wits and skills.” In a Hollywood landscape of grim blockbusters and nihilistic Oscar-baits that wallow in showing the darker depths of the human condition, The Martian presents a wonderful contrast by instead presenting humanity as it could be.

 

For these reasons, and more, I am proud to present The Martian as one of the nominees for Best Picture at the BOFFYs.”

-Numbers

 

 

 

“In space, no one can hear you scream- that is, unless you can contact Earth millions of miles away. The Martian tells the harrowing story of a mission to Mars gone wrong. When a storm is approaching, the Ares III crew must abort their mission and evacuate the planet. Botanist Mark Watney is knocked out by a piece of shrapnel and is unable to be found in sufficient time. Presumed dead, Mark wakes up alone on Mars and has to make the most out of limited supplies and contact Earth to rescue him. Director Ridley Scott and screenwriter Drew Goddard adapt the story through comedy, drama, action, science, and disco, leaving you on the edge of your seat anticipating every next step of the rescue.”

-WrathOfHan

 

[DAR]

That was a little Inside for Spaghetti but I'm sure we'll figure it Out

[Ezen Baklattan]

It's Telly Time! Here are the nominees for best TV series, Drama!

 

Better Caul Saul

 

Fargo

 

Jessica Jones

 

Mad Men

 

Show Me A Hero

 

And the Boffy goes to...

 

 

FARGO!

[Ezen Baklattan]

And now, for the Comedy awards. The nominees are...

 

Master of None

 

Parks and Recreation

 

Rick and Morty

 

Silicon Valley

 

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

 

And the boffy goes to...

 

 

The third win for PARKS AND RECREATION!!!

[Ezen Baklattan]

Let's transition right from Comedy in TV to film! The nominees for best Comedy film are...

 

Inside Out

 

Kingsman: The Secret Service

 

Spy

 

Trainwreck

 

What We Do In The Shadows

 

And the Boffy goes to....

 

[Jack Nevada]

I'm not mad yet, but I know I'm going to be. 

 

Glad Crimson Peak won, though. The design of the creepy mansion adds so much to the film. 

[DAR]

5 minutes ago, Spaghetti said:

It's Telly Time! Here are the nominees for best TV series, Drama!

 

Better Caul Saul

 

Fargo

 

Jessica Jones

 

Mad Men

 

Show Me A Hero

 

And the Boffy goes to...

 

 

Hidden Content

 

Didn't vote but good job people

[Jack Nevada]

Also seriously beating myself up for voting before seeing Carol and The Big Short. 

[Ezen Baklattan]

And now, before our 5th write-up, the award for Best Overlooked Feature: The nominees are...

 

Beasts of no Nation

 

The End of the Tour

 

Room

 

Shaun the Sheep Movie

 

Tangerine

 

And the Boffy goes to....

 

 

ROOM!

[Ezen Baklattan]

Halfway through the write-ups, we reach an exciting precipice. Speaking of precipices, 

 

BRIDGE OF SPIES

 

 

“With Bridge of Spies, Steven Spielberg has done it again. Like Lincoln three years ago, I initially wrote the film off to some degree because of the trailers that promised a sober, self-important examination of a significant historical event. However, just as was the case with Lincoln, Spielberg brings the setting to extremely vivid, engaging life, as even scenes that are entirely dialogue-driven feel as immediate and weighty as any of the film's well-executed visual flourishes. The most surprising factor, however, is how well Spielberg's more sweepingly cinematic style gels with the script that was co-written by the decidedly less sentimental Coen Brothers; even though some moments feel distinctly Spielbergian, it utilizes the script's slyly witty and playful edge perfectly, and all without sacrificing the levels of tension and intrigue inherent in the segment set in East Germany. The history at hand is fascinating, and all parties involved make it feel remarkably immediate from start to finish. While the film isn't as much of an acting showcase as Lincoln was, it still boasts some very strong work from Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance. Hanks fills the everyman angle of his character perfectly, and the quiet-but-unshakable conviction that he displays makes his character's actions feel both noble and believable. Rylance is also quite impressive in a much more humanized, even-handed portrayal of a Russian spy than we've seen in other films; he never overplays his hand, yet the grace that he brings to the performance allows him to linger in viewers' minds even though he is offscreen for significant stretches of the running time. Like Rylance's performance, the film on the whole feels like an unexpected, yet wholly-welcome revelation for its genre: it's as thrilling as one would expect from a film with its subject matter, yet it's also so humorous and human that it earns its feel-good ending. In my book, it belongs among the ten best efforts from Spielberg, which is no small praise when one considers the man's prolific resume.”

-Webslinger

 

 

“I'd never heard of Rylance before.  I think after this, I'll never forget him.  He should be a shoe in for best supporting actor.  Absolutely terrific.  I pretty much loved the film.  It's very subdued, far from flashy but it's pretty much fantastic in every way.”

-Baumer

 

Yeah, I didn't get any write ups for this. You can see my desperation.

[The Panda]

Nothing too infuriating too far, except for the fact that The Martian is a BP nominee. 

[Fancyarcher]

Wish I had posted a write-up / review for one of the films that I actually did, but still great stuff. Really liked BOS.

[Ethan Hunt]

1 minute ago, The Panda said:

Nothing too infuriating too far, except for the fact that The Martian is a BP nominee. 

 

1 minute ago, The Panda said:

Nothing too infuriating too far, except for the fact that The Martian is a BP nominee. 

 

1 minute ago, The Panda said:

Nothing too infuriating too far, except for the fact that The Martian is a BP nominee. 

[Jake Gittes]

I'm kinda bewildered that people not only consider Inside Out a comedy but think it's better at comedy than any other film last year. 

[Ezen Baklattan]

And now, we've seen so many new stars rise to the top this year. Here are the nominees for Biggest Breakthrough.

 

Abraham Attah

 

John Boyega

 

Daisy Ridley

 

Jacob Tremblay

 

Aliciva Vikander

 

And the winner is...

 

ALICIA VIKANDER!

 

For Ex Machina!

And The Man From UNCLE

And The Danish Girl

And Testament of Youth

And..er....Seventh Son?

[Ethan Hunt]

Looking forward to seeing Vikander

[Ezen Baklattan]

And now, speaking of performances, the nominees for Best Voice Performance are...

 

Lewis Black

INSIDE OUT

 

Richard Kind

INSIDE OUT

 

Jennifer Jason Leigh

ANOMALISA

 

Amy Poehler

INSIDE OUT

 

Phyllis Smith

INSIDE OUT

 

And the boffy goes to....

 

 

[Fancyarcher]

3 minutes ago, Jake Gittes said:

I'm kinda bewildered that people not only consider Inside Out a comedy but think it's better at comedy than any other film last year. 

 

Well it has a lot of funny moments like most Pixar movies, but yeah, it's get pretty dark and serious after the first act, still it has a lot of memorable lines.

Edited February 21, 2016 by Daniel Dylan Davis

[Ethan Hunt]

*In Bourne