Tyler Fisher – Contributor
2018 has been a big year for blockbuster movies. So far this year, movies like Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War have taken over mainstream media, and in many ways have influenced large parts of the film industry. Earlier this year the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization that is responsible for organizing the Oscars, discussed the possibility of an additional award for “Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film”. Although the introduction of this new category has been suspended, the mere mention of the addition of this category, along with the dwindling views that the awards have been receiving as of late, has been seen by many as a desperate attempt to recapture an audience that seems to no longer be interested in watching award shows.
In addition to this, the category has muddled the understanding of which films deserve to be awarded for their popularity, and which films should be celebrated for being the year’s “Best Picture”. Along with this addition, the Academy is also making two other changes to 2019’s show. Next year, the show will be aired two weeks earlier than 2018’s award show. According to the Academy on Twitter, they are planning a “more globally accessible, three hour telecast”.
While talk of this new award has been controversial as it may be seen as an unfair advantage to popular films, some see it as a welcome addition to the program.
“I don’t think of it as having an advantage,” said Danny Thomas, a freshman, “if you have the top grossing film and it’s popular, then you deserve to be recognized”.
Despite the controversy, 2018 is set to be a very successful year for the film industry. The superhero trend is alive and kicking, as aforementioned Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War have been this year’s cash cows, with both films grossing over $3.3 billion between them.
“I’m excited to see Venom because the portrayal of the character looks interesting” freshman, Declan Donnelly said, “The movie Predator is another movie I really want to watch because the action looks good and I like the cast”.
As the Oscar season approaches many studios have begun promoting their Oscar bait. The last few months of 2018 brings a wide variety of films to choose from. Operation Finale is a thriller starring Oscar Isaac, in which a Mossad (Israeli Intelligence) Agent tracks down and captures a top Nazi official.
There are also more light hearted films releasing later this year, including a spinoff of the Transformers franchise with the movie Bumblebee, starring Hailee Steinfeld, as well as the long awaited sequel to Creed; Creed II, starring Michael B, Jordan which is set to release in November.
2018 will undoubtedly spawn many films worthy of recognition, as of now the Oscars will not include their controversial category, but that’s not to say that it will not be introduced in the near future. As film seems to continue to influence the masses more and more, every time a new film releases, it is hard to see a version of the Oscars where popular films are not acknowledged for their influence on society.
Photo Credit: Yawen Aven Chen