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VOTE NOW: Smackdown Poll on DGA Nominees

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0001anThe Directors Guild of America nominations traditionally predict the Academy Award nominees (and winners) with considerable and uncanny accuracy. They'll give their own award out this Saturday, January 30.  Just a few days in advance of the Oscar announcements.

DGA nominees are also traditionally almost exclusively white males. And, based on our own incredibly scientific polling sample (insert smile here), it looks like it's coming down to a battle between James Cameron and "Avatar" (winner, Golden Globes) and Quentin Tarantino and "Inglourious Basterds" (winner, SAG).  

But hold on a sec…

This year, in a more-than-welcome break with that longheld and too-infrequently broken tradition, Kathryn Bigelow ("The Hurt Locker") and Lee Daniels ("Precious") are crashing the extremely prestigious party. Only three other women and one other black man have previously been included on this shockingly racist-sexist-what-year-is-this-anyway? short list:  Lina Wertmuller ("Seven Beauties"), Jane Campion ("The Piano"), Sofia Coppola ("Lost in Translation") and John Singleton ("Boyz N the Hood").  Of course, Kathryn Bigelow's been having some big days lately with her nominated "The Hurt Locker" which won the Critics' Choice and the Producers Guild awards. 

Having pointed all this out, we'd like you to forget we said anything and vote here for your favorite nominee, regardless of their race, creed, sex, religion, or propensity toward infuriatingly awful acceptance speeches. Polls close Friday, January 29, when we'll see if we can scoop the DGA on its own award. 

Here's the poll… express yourself…


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About Bryce Zabel 196 Articles
Drawing inspiration from career experiences as a CNN correspondent, TV Academy chairman, creator of five produced primetime network TV series, and fast-food frycook, Bryce is the Editor-in-Chief of "Movie Smackdown." While he freely admits to having written the screenplay for the reviewer-savaged "Mortal Kombat: Annihilation," he hopes the fact that he also won the Writers Guild award a couple of years ago will cause you to cut him some slack. That, plus the fact that he has a new StudioCanal produced feature film, “The Last Battle,” shooting this summer in Europe about the end of World War II. He's also a member of the Directors Guild, Screen Actors Guild, and a past enthusiast of the Merry Marvel Marching Society. His new what-if book series, “Breakpoint,” just won the prestigious Sidewise Award for Alternate History, and has so far tackled JFK not being assassinated and The Beatles staying together.
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10 Comments on VOTE NOW: Smackdown Poll on DGA Nominees


  1. I’m down for the Avatar/Star Trek smack.
    Yeah, Star Trek should be in there, and I do think that are some very interesting performances in Precious. However, the rest — pft.
    Tarantino and Abrams were the only “wowed-me” directors of the year. Reitman just made me go “hmph, he doesn’t always have to do overly-witty dialogue pieces. Hope for him yet. Bravo.”


  2. I think an Avatar/Star Trek Smack might be in order.


  3. Don’t watch it. One less thing to do. More precious time to live your life. But if you have to get in the zone to watch it, start drinking now…


  4. Yea I wish Trek would get more of the respect it deserved come awards time. I respected the series but was honestly never a fan, but i saw that film 4 times in theaters.
    And Precious, I haven’t watched it yet. I have it, just can’t get myself in the zone to actually watch it. I’ll let you know what I think when I finally do though


  5. I’m with you on STAR TREK. I thought it was a really great film. As for PRECIOUS, I just don’t see it…


  6. And I just wanna be clear and note that I did enjoy the film, much more than I had expected to. I had a lot of fun. I’m just not on board with some of the accolades thrown its way, while definitely on board with others.


  7. James Cameron most definitely directed the creative vision of the film. The visuals are amazing, the action sequences were wonderful and there were plenty of times I was fully engaged. That’s no question. Like I said in my comment, its an amazing technical achievement.
    However, having seen it twice now I couldn’t help but feel that a lot of the performances felt forced a lot of the time. Directing actors holds just as much weight in my definition of direction as creative vision and sequencing and, unfortunately, I just didn’t see it consistently in Avatar (Zoe Saldana aside).
    Also, when you’re directing your own writing, if the script is weak (which I thought it was in dialogue, secondary character development and some story development) then I blame the director.
    And I get the hype, I do. And I think its worthy of it for some reasons. Just not completely. When I’m told something is going to “redefine filmmaking and change everything we know” I expect it to work on all fronts. And though I must admit I’ve yet to watch Precious, in my opinion the other films listed above not only demonstrated incredible control of creative vision but also the consistent performances that I find so necessary to consider a film a “best picture” or “best direction” achievement.
    I would’ve rather seen that nomination go to what was, in my opinion, the better science fiction film this year, Star Trek.
    Just MO tho


  8. Stephen… Define directing then. If it’s the guy in creative charge of a film, then clearly James Cameron directed Avatar and it’s plenty good enough to get a nomination.


  9. avatar? really people?


  10. It’s about time.

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