I hate many things about The Academy. They usually reward movies I find more or less unbearable. They perpetuate the homogenization of the movies and the star system which deprives us of access to lots of talent. And there is something weird and wrong about the idea that what is supposed to be art can be lined up in order, worst to best, with exactly one movie at the top. The main thing I hate is this idea, that there is one "best." It prevents comedy from ever being recognized, of course. And it excludes other good movies too. I would prefer a diversification of awards, which I guess is a direction we're heading in (with the addition of animated feature, foreign language, shorts, etc), but I want to go further. Much further. I would like to see a category for Best Performance By An Established Actor Playing Against Type, or Best Movie That You Wouldn't Expect To Be Good, or Best Non-Condescending Writing of a Slangy Teen. And rename the "best picture" what it really is: Best Very Dramatic, Moderately Politically Movie Set In The Past With At Least One Hard-to-Place Accent and At Least One Main Character Who Dies Unpleasantly.
Anyway, it is in this spirit that Not That Critical presents the first annual HandMade Awards, honoring the films of 2008 (that I happen to have seen) that best capture the spirit of hand crafting and/or promote crafts, especially fiber arts.
5. Wanted
What could be better than an action movie, based on a comic book, full of sexiness and weaving? Well, Wanted doesn't answer that question, because it was pretty much none of those things. But I still give it a place on the list, for trying to make weaving edgy.
4. Twilight
We've already written a fair amount about Twilight. But we haven't talked about Bella's lovely mittens, which have inspired a lot of fan crafting. They are very pretty, in a muppety sort of way.
3. Role Models
Role Models was a pretty good movie, and I found its portrayal of nerdy LARP/SCA culture pleasantly affectionate (if probably inaccurate). The crafty high point of the film is the arrival of the four main characters decked out in homemade KISS costumes. Homemade!
Also: McLovin sews!
2. Dr Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog
http://community.livejournal.com/weloveamigurumi/344530.html
Dr. Horrible deserves a hand-made award for several reasons. First, Joss Whedon has inspired TONS of fan crafting over the course of his career. Dr. Horrible was produced independently and released free online (and now it's free on Hulu) which is in itself very much in the DIY spirit. Finally, Joss Whedon graciously granted an interview to Kim Werker of crochetme.com, in which he took the idea of craft seriously and gave good answers to good questions.
1. Happy-Go-Lucky
Mike Leigh's lovely improvisational comedy Happy-Go-Lucky gets the award, largely on the strength of that ridiculously wonderful sweater vest.
2 comments:
This is great! I love the idea of holding a sub-oscars every year for crafts in film. I know I keep saying this, but we need to rent Brideshead Revisited because I think the knits in it looked amazing.
Dr. Horrible is especially appropriate not solely for the insane level of fan crafting it inspired, but because the Dr himself reminds me of a member of the crafting community. He's always making things--elaborate and unnecessary things. He's a big name in an extremely small community of people whose collective is entirely enabled by the internet and the increasing accessibility of technology. He might as well be us.
Anecdote: I watched Wanted with my family this weekend and kept insisting that this is what weaving is really like. At one point my brother asked if I had ever looked closely at a piece of craft work and exclaimed "My God, It's A Code," and I was overjoyed to explain that lydia knits in binary.
Awesome is ours.
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