Academy Awards screeners...

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/10/08 at 10:10am

I know there's be a lot of speculation as to what movie screeners have been sent out to the Academy members for Oscar voting, and when they were sent "strategically."

The following list was posted on the Awards Daily web site, and shows the screeners one voter has received thus far. He's kept a tally of them, along with the date they arrived "for consideration."

http://kenru.net/movies/2007-08_academy_screeners.html

[Jane2]

Posted: 1/10/08 at 10:20am

My friend is a member of the academy and that's how I watch films, in her screening room. She hasn't received Sweeney Todd yet. Interesting. She said that some films aren't sent out as screeners.

BTW, she also told me that this year, there's some extra doodad which prevents the dvds from being loaned and/or copied. She used to lend them out to her friends, but not anymore.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 1/10/08 at 10:38am

I want the Sweeney screener.

[tazber]

Posted: 1/10/08 at 10:56am

I noticed he hasn't received "Good Luck Chuck" yet. I thought Dane Cook was considered a shoo in for lead actor.

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/10/08 at 11:19am

I don't blame her, Jane2.

Most (if not all) of the DVD screeners sent out contain a unique digital watermark. If they are duplicated, the copies are easily traced back to the exact recipient.

It's not a myth either. It happened last year.

[Jane2]

Posted: 1/10/08 at 11:27am

You are so right, Besty. The academy is wildly protective of their screeners.

I have borrowed some in the past and was nervous about having them in my apt! Some of my friends' friends who borrowed screeners never returned them to her, so I don't blame her either.

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/10/08 at 11:33am

Make sure you don't 'fess up as to your voting member's identity. It's strictly forbidden to loan out the screeners. He/she could lose their membership, if caught.

Stick to watching them at his/her place...

Or keeping it on the DL!

[Auggie27]

Posted: 1/10/08 at 11:35am

I'm not in that Academy, but in one of the unions, and I can tell you we all got more this year than any other. It began in November, even earlier than others, and ended last Friday when we got the SWEENEY (which is terrific, the sound is superb). And they are marked and trace-able to us as individuals. I've pissed friends off as I do not lend mine out, because all it takes is one sent via a compter, and I could face not only problems with my union, but criminal prosecution. Each screener arrives with a kind of "open this if you dare" sticker, which, once-broken, means you abide by the rules. I love them, and have reversed my previous strong opinion that movies at home lose their impact. I just watched both DIVING BELL and INTO THE WILD, and both are exquisitely presented, and worked great on my normal-sized TV. (I have nothing like a home entertainment center, the usual image we all have of Academy voters watching...)

I think the Academy members get even more than the unions, however. We did not get BROKEBACK two years ago or DREAMGIRLS last year. That's why I was shocked when SWEENEY came 4 days before the votes went in (Tuesday.)

[Jane2]

Posted: 1/10/08 at 11:37am

I hear ya, Besty. And I'm one step ahead-I could be lying about my friend being a male or female, or whether it's he/she or their relative!

[DAME]

Posted: 1/10/08 at 1:17pm

They have had watermarks for about two years now. But I don't think it is making any difference. And the Sweeney Todd screener arrived just before New Years.

Updated On: 1/10/08 at 01:17 PM

[Jane2]

Posted: 1/10/08 at 1:34pm

Good to know about Sweeney-I want to watch that one next!