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# This year’s batch of Best Picture Oscar noms suggest that we want to be anywhere but now.
- URL: https://www.killscreen.com/this-years-batch-of-best-picture-oscar-noms-suggest-that/
- Published: 2012-02-06T18:21:00.000Z
- Updated: 2015-11-17T15:26:40.000Z
- Description: Every year when February rolls around, Oscar buzz dominates in the realm of the press- try looking for a major news site that doesn’t have predictions and ruminations on the most prestigious of all Hollywood awards shows. In this vein, the Chicago Tribune has a curious piece on what exactly this ye
- Author: Kill Screen Staff
- Tags: News, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2024-07-26 09:39

Every year when February rolls around, Oscar buzz dominates in the realm of the press- try looking for a major news site that doesn’t have predictions and ruminations on the most prestigious of all Hollywood awards shows.

In this vein, the Chicago Tribune has a curious [piece](http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/movies/ct-mov-0131-focus-oscars-nostalgia-20120130,0,4158522.story?ref=killscreen.com) on what exactly this year’s batch of Best Picture nominees tells us about the present culture: we’re all pining for simpler times. Consider the line-up: *Hugo*, Martin Scoreses’ tale recalling the magic of visionary filmmaker George Melies in 1930s Paris; *The Artist*, a charming silent film that looks back on the introduction of sound in film in the late 20s, and *Midnight in Paris*, Woody Allen’s ode to past generations in Paris. Not to mention *The Help* of the 1960s American South and *Tree of Life* of, well, all of history. Borrelli terms this as “The New Nostalgia.”

> It’s not about mere homage to fading sensibilities or needless remakes or period epics. It’s not about a cultural malaise and filmmakers with nothing new to say. The New Nostalgia, despite every dyspeptic bone in my body, is not necessarily a bad thing – particularly in thoughtful hands, like those of Martin Scorsese or Steven Spielberg. The New Nostalgia is about dipping into movie history to rediscover the joy of moviegoing itself.  
>  

It’s difficult to draw a parallel to gaming, as the experience of “moviegoing” takes place in a highly specific setting and the history of film is more extensive for obvious reasons. The self-referential nature of these films cannot ultimately be mirrored in videogames.

However, as evidenced in [our own list](http://killscreendaily.com/articles/high-scores-best-2011?ref=killscreen.com) of 2011’s best games, sequels and franchises dominate (read: *The Elder Scrolls: Skryim*, *Super Mario 3D Land*, *Portal 2*), which may be the gaming equivalent of self-reference. That we continue to sit down in front of our consoles to play *Mario* games, old and new, reflects our desire to *go back* to familiar favorites. The New Nostalgia of the gaming world might be just this: that we want now more than ever to revisit tradition.

*– Lyndsey Edelman*

\[via *[Chicago Tribune](http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/movies/ct-mov-0131-focus-oscars-nostalgia-20120130,0,4158522.story?ref=killscreen.com)*\]