Academy Award Conspiracy?

Is there a conspiracy in Hollywood? Have members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the ones that hand out the 'Oscars', colluded to wring more money from our pockets?
Witness the latest round of awards Sunday night, for the 2005 film year. The following were awarded in the top six categories:

Best Picture: Crash
Best Director: Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain)
Best Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote)
Best Actress: Reese Witherspoon (Walk The Line)
Best Supporting Actor: George Clooney (Syriana)
Best Supporting Actress: Rachel Weisz ( The Constant Gardner)

Notice something? No? Let me give you a hint. The following were awarded to the top six categories in the previous four years:

2004: Million Dollar Baby - 4 out of 6
2003: Lord of the Rings - 2 out of 6; Mystic River - 2 out of 6
2002: Chicago - 2 out of 6; The Pianist - 2 out of 6
2001: A Beautiful Mind - 3 out of 6

Still don't see the pattern? Okay, okay, I'll tell you. In this year's Academy Awards, no single picture got more than a single Oscar! Why do you think that is? I think that Hollywood is trying to make more money. Sound crazy? Look at the evidence:

1. In the previous four years, at least one film was awarded two or more Oscars.

2. When George Clooney was awarded the Best Supporting Actor Oscar Sunday night, he quipped that he guessed it meant he won't be getting the Best Director award.

3. Box office numbers were down significantly last year, despite big budget releases.

4. Hollywood box office has to compete with other entertainment outlets, of which many people are flocking to.

5. Films, even bad ones, make plenty of money in DVD sales, or from selling to rental outlets, some going on to achieve cult-like status with audiences.

6. Oscar winning films are usually re-released at the box office to benefit from Oscar wins, or at the very least, their DVD sales spike significantly.

7. During the Oscar ceremonies, there were at least two separate comments about advocating seeing movies in theatres, rather than on DVD.

Was Clooney a part of a greater plot? If not, was he just aware of Hollywood's dirty little secret? Is it the worst kept secret amongst those in the industry?

Although they may not have overtly rigged, or manipulated the results, since they use the auditing services of PriceWaterhouseCoopers to count the secret ballots, I believe that members of the Academy quietly influenced voters to spread the wealth. Why not? It's the movie industry that supports the Academy, why shouldn't they scratch the other's back? Bad box office? Boost DVD sales of as many movies as possible. Everyone wins...except maybe audiences.

Now, I'm not advocating that you bootleg copies, or do anything else that may be illegal. However, I do suggest that you not get taken in by this charade. If you didn't want to see it at the box office, you probably don't want to see it on DVD, unless you're of the ilk that likes to go through those six hours of "extras." If you do want to see it on DVD, then I suggest renting, rather than buying. In fact, wait until it's off the newly released rack. Cheaper for you. You're not stuck with a bad movie, if you don't like it, and your not saddled with a DVD format that may become obsolete in a year or two. Show Hollywood that they can't get away with this manipulation.

By the way, does anybody know who to contact for "The Razzies"? I have a new category: Most thinly-veiled attempt at separating viewing audiences from their money.

And The Razzie goes too...

Wings Over The World