On a recent trip to Wal*Mart, I made my habitual trek to the electronics department to check out the new releases. I knew ARGO had just come out and I was considering purchasing it. When I made it to the "New Releases" section, there were tons of copies of the film on DVD. "Okay, but where are the Blu rays," I muttered. "ALL GONE!? Wow!" my brain responded after seeing the two completely barren Blu-ray sections. It was surprising to say the least. The movie had just came out that day. I know it was late in the evening, but Jesus. Then I saw why.
Parked in the center walking area of the Wal*Mart was an ARGO/Oscar display. On two of the display's four sides were slots filled with DVDs and Blu-rays depicting Ben Affleck's bearded mug. On the other two sides were various DVD s and Blu-rays of past Oscar nominees and winners. From BEN HUR to SLING BLADE, the cornucopia of films were impressive if unexpected. Sure, I have seen plenty of displays like this at various Wal*Marts throughout the years, but nothing quite like this.
Not only did it seem like blatant advertising for the actual award show itself, it almost seemed as if ARGO has already won. For those of you, like me, that follow the Oscar race, this seems like a safe bet. However, that doesn't stop the fact that, you know, technically it still hasn't won yet. And that got me thinking, "Has there ever been anything quite like this in the history of the Oscars?" And, based on my limited knowledge of ceremonies past, I couldn't think of won.
For those of you who don't know, ARGO was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. However, the Academy quickly came under HEAVY scrutiny when it did not nominate the film's director, Ben Affleck, for Best Director (along with also snubbing another favorite, Kathryn Bigelow, and DJANGO UNCHAINED's Quentin Tarantino). Almost as if a big screw you to the Oscars, every other major award ceremony both nominated AND gave the award for Best Feature and Best Director to ARGO and Ben Affleck respectively. The Golden Globes, the SAG and DGA Awards, the BAFTAs, you name it, they won it.
What turned out to be an unprecedented (to my knowledge) blunder by the Academy, also sparked a sort of underdog story that seems to have captured the attention of the nation. Sure, many people including hardcore cinephiles (just to complain or because it's their job) and casual moviegoers alike tune in to watch the ceremony each year. But this year, it seems like there's an even bigger fervor. People want to see if ARGO can take the top prize even though it's director wasn't even nominated (something that has only happened a minuscule amount of times in the ceremony's history), or if the Academy will fight off the peer pressure and give the win the pre-award season favorite LINCOLN or maybe even the indie upstart BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD.
The thing is, the people marketing the Oscars seem to sense this. This year, apart from the ARGO display and various Oscar nominated and winning films being on sale at various outlets, the theater chain Cinemark is also having it's "Oscar Movie Marathon" this weekend. Where, for two days, it will be showing all 9 films nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. 5 one night and 4 the next. Never have I seen such market saturation for an award show.
So, what's really behind this? Is it simply a new trend that we'll now see for years to come? There has always been a connection between Oscar nominations/wins and film advertising. However, are we witnessing the birth of a new kind of advertising that promotes actual award show as much as the films themselves? Or is there something special about ARGO? The little movie that could, almost representative of the underdog spirit of the country itself. The film is about a man who takes on nearly impossible odds to accomplish a goal most thought impossible. Sure, I could just be grasping at straws, but the connections between the film's narrative and the narrative that has come to surround the film and it's humble, bearded director are undeniable. Needless to say, no matter what happens this Oscar Sunday, the buildup has been something that we've, or at least that I've, never seen before.
