Apparently I’m not the only person irritated by the Oscars this year, dominated by sexual immorality and politically controversial left wing movies. Michael Class has started a new awards program, American Values Awards for Movies and Television, to reward those movies that are more family friendly.
LOS ANGELES (AFP) – A conservative US filmmaker, angered by the awards success of films such as the gay drama “Brokeback Mountain,” launched a rival cinema prize to honor American “moral” values.
In a year where films starring homosexual or transgender characters or those dealing with thorny political issues such as US oil interests in the Persian Gulf are dominating Hollywood’s awards season, right-wing film industry figures are hitting back at what they say is a vacuum of morality in Tinseltown.
Former dot-com entrepreneur turned movie producer Michael Class is calling on conservative media groups to support his American Values Awards for Movies and Television.
“I want media leaders with a sense of patriotism and respect for family to join with me to turn the American Values Awards into a high-profile event,” he said.
This year’s Oscars race is led by “Brokeback” and also features “Capote,” the story of gay US author Truman Capote, and “Transamerica,” about a man in the process of undergoing a sex change.
In addition, two politically-charged dramas starring George Clooney are also competing for awards gold.
“Good Night, And Good Luck,” the Clooney-directed story of US newsman Ed Murrow’s fight against the right-wing communist witch-hunt of the 1950s, and “Syriana,” about US oil interests in the Middle East.
“Skip ‘Syriana’, ‘Munich’, and ‘Brokeback Mountain’ unless your only criterion for seeing a movie is aesthetic merit,” said Class, referring also to Steven Spielberg’s contentious Middle East violence thriller “Munich”.
“They are morally confused — I don’t want my kids seeing them,” Class added.
“‘Syriana’ blames America for terrorism. ‘Munich’ confuses justice with vengeance. ‘Brokeback Mountain’? What’s positive about a film whose main character’s sexual behavior destroys a family?,” he said.
Instead of the awards frontrunners, Class, head of a tiny independent studio called Magic Picture Frame Studio, applauded the values of films including “Cinderella Man,” “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe,” “Star Wars: Episode III” and “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.”
Also honored by the new awards were “The Great Raid,” the story of US heroism during World War II, “End of the Spear,” about religion and the British film “Millions,” about a family that ends up doing the right thing after finding stolen loot.
“Cinderella Man,” starring Russell Crowe, is the saga of a depression-era US boxer overcoming adversity, while “Harry Potter” and “Star Wars” are tales about good versus evil, according to Class.
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