This just in for cineastes. Check out the nominations for the 2008 MTV Movie Awards, with prizes for the best in cinema to be doled out live on June 1st, hosted by the Love Guru himself, Mike Myers. There Will Be Blood Oscar winner Daniel Day Lewis can go drink his milkshake. Not a nod for his film, or his role-of-a-lifetime performance. He was crowded out of the Best Actor category by stiff competition from Michael Cera in Juno and Shia LeBeouf in Transformers. Maybe next year, Danny Boy.
What you’ve gotta love about the MTV movie stakes, celebrating 16 years of laughing at Oscar’s ass, is the refreshing way it laughs at itself. Maybe it's time to laugh back or, judging from this year's movie crop, just give in and go with the idiot flow. The MTV Movie Awards have some of the most playful categories ever,
including Best Fight (my vote goes to Matt Damon vs. Joey Ansah in The Bourne Ultimatum) and Best Kiss (Daniel Radcliffe’s Harry Potter getting it on with Katie Leung is priceless). It’s all about mainstream pandering. The more money a movie makes, the more likely it’ll be up for MTV honors. That means out with Oscar winner No Country for Old Men and underperformers such as Michael Clayton, Into the Wild, Gone Baby Gone, and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. And forget about documentaries, for MTV they don’t exist.
But here’s the thing. The awards, voted on by fans who visit MovieAwards.MTV.com, can often give props to fun flicks that the snotty Academy won’t let in the club. For example, here are the five MTV nominees for Best Movie:
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
National Treasure: Book of Secrets
I Am Legend
Juno
Superbad
The first two are beneath contempt. The third is a scrappy Will Smith effort if you can ignore the final 20 minutes. The fourth actually won an Oscar nod for Best Picture. And the fifth, Superbad, is a terrific teen comedy the Academy stupidly sneered at. In fact, Superbad led every film in nominations, scoring for Best Movie, Best Comedic Performance (Jonah Hill), and hitting a trifecta for Best Newcomer—Hill, Michael Cera and Christopher Mintz-Plasse, who played the immortal McLovin.
So think pleasure—guilty or not—and pick the Best Movie of last year that entertained you the most without ever trying to make you a better person. Why is it I can’t stop thinking about McLovin?
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- Portions of Album Content Provided by All Music Guide © 2008 All Media Guide, LLC.
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Memphis | May 16, 2008 1:53 PM
To say that Hot Rod made you laugh, makes me wonder if you can tell the difference between comedy and 88 minutes of paint drying.
Stage Front Tickets | May 13, 2008 11:35 AM
I do like the idea that MTV pokes fun at the Oscars and themselves. However, I think to really go the distance, they should broaden their categories... "Biggest Douchebag" could be for character or actual actor- why not. Or "Most Awkward Moment"- although, I don't know which movie could top television's "The Office" What are some other crazy categories they could add? I'd like to see "Biggest Primadonna" or "Most Likely to Lower Your I.Q. Level in under 3 hours."
Savon | May 8, 2008 7:00 PM
My pick for most entertaining movie that did not try to make me a better person would have to be Enchanted, which allowed me to indulge in my Disney princess nostalgia. As for MTV Movie Awards 2009, Iron Man MUST be a nominee in multiple categories. I'll be looking for at least Best Film, Best Actor (Robert Downey Jr.), and Best Fight (Downey vs. Bridges in full costume and special effects).
G-Dawg | May 8, 2008 3:50 PM
Zodiac was the most entertaining for me...
Catlina | May 8, 2008 8:00 AM
McLovin indeed! Too bad he aint in the main male category!
caleb | May 7, 2008 5:37 PM
Juno is the only worthy movie up there.
gabe | May 7, 2008 4:50 PM
who the hell put NATIONAL TREASURE in for best picture..... retards
Tyler Durden | May 7, 2008 4:30 PM
For some reason, I laughed the hardest at Hot Rod last year.
CDubs | May 7, 2008 1:20 PM
I used to watch this when I was younger and it would prove to be somewhat entertaining. Mr. Travers makes a good point saying it's great they don't take themselves seriously. Also, I am one of the ones that absolutely adored Superbad, so props to the crazy guys being nominated for something.
What if the Academy decided to reconsider some of their award categories (would never happen) and open up some awards like "Best Newcomer" and "Best Comedy." Sure, best comedy is unlikely, but why not a rookie of the year type award? If the Grammys have "Best New Artist" why can't the Oscars open up their eyes and recognize film stars that make their debuts?