Your ignorance is the Devil's bliss. Every time you scorn what confounds you, he smiles. Every time you sow the fear of him where there was none, he laughs. It's you he loves. It's you he thanks in his evening prayers. -Everville
The complete list isn't out yet, but here are the major awards. "Brokeback Mountain" leads the pack with 8 nominations. The 78th Academy Awards will be presented on Sunday, March 5, 2006 at 5 p.m.
BEST PICTURE
"Brokeback Mountain"
"Capote"
"Crash"
"Good Night, and Good Luck"
"Munich"
BEST DIRECTOR
George Clooney, "Good Night, and Good Luck"
Paul Haggis, "Crash"
Ang Lee, "Brokeback Mountain"
Bennett Miller, "Capote"
Steven Spielberg, "Munich"
BEST ACTOR
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Capote"
Terrence Howard, "Hustle & Flow"
Heath Ledger, "Brokeback Mountain"
Joaquin Phoenix, "Walk The Line"
David Strathairn, "Good Night, and Good Luck"
BEST ACTRESS
Judi Dench, "Mrs. Henderson Presents"
Felicity Huffman, "Transamerica"
Keira Knightley, "Pride and Prejudice"
Charlize Theron, "North Country"
Reese Witherspoon, "Walk The Line"
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
George Clooney, "Syriana"
Matt Dillon, "Crash"
Paul Giamatti, "Cinderella Man"
Jake Gyllenhaal, "Brokeback Mountain"
William Hurt, "A History of Violence"
BEST ANIMATED FILM
"Howl's Moving Castle"
"The Corpse Bride"
"Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
"Brokeback Mountain," Screenplay by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana
"Capote," Screenplay by Dan Futterman
"The Constant Gardener," Screenplay by Jeffrey Caine
"The History of Violence," Screenplay by Josh Olson
"Munich," Screenplay by Tony Kushner and Eric Roth
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
"Crash," Screenplay by Paul Haggis and Robert Moresco
"Good Night, and Good Luck," Screenplay by Grant Heslov and George Clooney
"Match Point," Screenplay by by Woody Allen
"The Squid and the Whale," Screenplay by Noah Baumbach
"Syriana," Screenplay by Stephen Gaghan
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"Don't Tell" Italy
"Joyeux Noel," France
"Paradise Now," Palestine
"Sophie Scholl: The Final Days" Germany
"Tsotsi," South Africa
I'm going to predict that Brokeback mountain ends up winning almost everyhting it was nominated for.
Not because it was a good movie.
Not because it was a box office hit.
But because it makes the people voting on the oscars feel good to vote for a movie about Gay Cowboys.
I agree with you to a certain extent... but isn't the Oscar committee made up of a bunch of 80 year old crusties? I have to wonder what their take will be.
I have not seen Brokeback Mountain and am honestly interested if it's really a good movie, or people just talk about it because of the "I wish I could quit you" line.
Sadly, the only one I've seen on the list is Walk The Line, and it was fantastic... but I wouldn't be surprised if Hollywood has given out their quota of Oscars for famous people playing other famous people.
That does surprise me too. The complete list is up and King Kong got 4 nominations, in the usual "throw them a bone" categories. Narnia got 3 nominations in the same.
Oh, this got my attention... seeing as how the Oscars usually does a musical number for each of the nominees for Best Song, I will be interested to see how ""It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" from "Hustle & Flow" pans out.
I agree with you to a certain extent... but isn't the Oscar committee made up of a bunch of 80 year old crusties?
Well, specifically well known people from the Movie Industry. Yeah, the average age is probably older than the average person in the industry. (Cause they aren't going to ask the guy doing lighting or props to vote...) But generally, well known and influential people in hollywood.
I agree with you to a certain extent... but isn't the Oscar committee made up of a bunch of 80 year old crusties? I have to wonder what their take will be.
Membership in the Academy is by invitation of the Board of Governors and is limited to those who have achieved distinction in the arts and sciences of motion pictures. Some of the criteria for admittance are: film credits that reflect the high standards of the Academy, receipt of an Academy Award nomination, achievement of unique distinction, earning of special merit, or making an outstanding contribution to film.
Members represent 14 branches — Actors, Art Directors, Cinematographers, Directors, Documentary, Executives, Film Editors, Music, Producers, Public Relations, Short Films and Feature Animation, Sound, Visual Effects, and Writers.
Candidates for membership in the Academy must first receive the endorsement of the appropriate branch executive committee before their name is submitted to the Board of Governors for approval. The Board of Governors also may invite to membership members-at-large and associate members.
Members-at-large are those engaged in theatrical film production, but for whose craft there is no separate branch. They have all the privileges of branch membership except for representation on the Board. Associate members are those closely allied to the industry but not actively engaged in motion picture production. They are not represented on the Board and do not vote on Academy Awards. Life members are designated by unanimous vote of the Board of Governors and have full privileges of membership, but pay no dues.
and I always thought that once you won an oscar.. you were an academy member.
That does surprise me too. The complete list is up and King Kong got 4 nominations, in the usual "throw them a bone" categories. Narnia got 3 nominations in the same.
Oh, this got my attention... seeing as how the Oscars usually does a musical number for each of the nominees for Best Song, I will be interested to see how ""It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" from "Hustle & Flow" pans out.
I think it will be funny for Jon Stwart to try and say "It's hard out here for a Pimp" with a straight face.
I'm surprised Sin City didn't at least get a nomination for Cinematography or Visual Effects. It was one of those rare times when I went to a movie and found that they tried something different, and it really worked well.
Sin City was filmed almost entirely on a greenscreen, and the use of black and white with accent colours was both unique in this day and age, and made the movie better than if it were in full colour.
BEST DIRECTOR
George Clooney, "Good Night, and Good Luck"
BEST ACTOR
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Capote"
BEST ACTRESS
Reese Witherspoon, "Walk The Line"
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Jake Gyllenhaal, "Brokeback Mountain"
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Rachel Weisz, "The Constant Gardener"
BEST ANIMATED FILM
"The Corpse Bride"
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
"Capote," Screenplay by Dan Futterman
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
"Good Night, and Good Luck," Screenplay by Grant Heslov and George Clooney
I also want to note that "Good Night, and Good Luck," "North Country," and "Syriana" were all produced by the same guy, the founder of eBay. The critical success of his movies might bode well for the near future of Hollywood films, since he goes for substance over hype.
Here is an article about him:
SPOILER:
Lights, Action, and Bleeding Hearts
Jessi Hempel in New York. Business Week. New York: Nov 7, 2005., Iss. 3958; pg. 102
Coming soon to a theater near you: Jeffrey Skoll. Or, more accurately, a star-studded film with backing from the billionaire who developed eBay Inc.'s business plan and was its first full-time employee. Skoll's company, Participant Productions, is off to a rousing start in its quest to promote social awareness on the big screen. Three of the highest-profile movies this fall have funding from the former eBay president: Good Night, and Good Luck, about Edward R. Murrow's battle with Senator Joseph McCarthy; North Country, starring Charlize Theron as a miner confronting sexual harassment (both films in theaters now); and Syriana, an oil espionage thriller starring George Clooney and Matt Damon due out Nov. 23.
Hollywood has a history of drawing in newly made millionaires anxious to buy access to the right parties with vanity projects. Some in the industry question if Skoll, worth some $3.5 billion, is any different. "I see guys come here and lose their fortunes all the time," says Brian Robinson, senior vice-president of worldwide marketing for Morgan Creek Productions.
But Skoll, who launched his firm with $100 million in early 2004, is not your usual rich dilettante (though the Financial Times did name him one of eight most eligible billionaire bachelors). The Montreal native moved from Silicon Valley to Beverly Hills last year to spend time questioning Hollywood players about why they don't make more movies with political messages. "The system's set up for safe bets: sequels, superheros, romantic comedies," he says. "All the people I met had a particular interest in doing something more meaningful. I thought if I could start a company that takes the risk out of doing these films, they'll get done."
One thing that sets Skoll's efforts apart is that each film has a social issues campaign. Just as he built an online community for eBay, he's trying to build one around his movies. The firm partners with nonprofits to launch Web awareness campaigns that it hopes will nurture a network on its Web site, participate.net. Users can start blogs -- even submit audio and video reports that may be picked up by "partners" such as PBS and XM Satellite Radio. Bloggers include people who inspired films, such as journalist Shirley Wershba, who was played by Patricia Clarkson in Good Night, and Good Luck.
BLOCKBUSTER, REDEFINED
That's a smart way to build networks, and it's smart business. The National Organization for Women and the Family Violence Prevention Fund plug North Country front and center on their Web sites, urging members to support the film and promoting sneak previews at 20 college campuses across the country.
Skoll wants his venture to make money, but says that's so he can plow it into more films: "For me, it's philanthropy. I don't expect to see any money come back to me personally." He measures social returns as well, so in theory, money-losing films can be successful. Skoll plans to look at things such as how much a film raises for nonprofit partners and how active social networks on the Web sites become.
This is not Skoll's first foray into "strategic philanthropy." He has given $567 million to support social entrepreneurs. He started a program at Oxford's Said Business School to train nonprofit leaders and funded a PBS miniseries about people making a difference in their communities. Next up on the big screen: director Richard Linklater's film of the book Fast Food Nation, a critical take on the fast-food industry. Skoll hopes it will beat out, say, Superman Returns.
"I'm going to predict that Brokeback mountain ends up winning almost everyhting it was nominated for.
Not because it was a good movie.
Not because it was a box office hit.
But because it makes the people voting on the oscars feel good to vote for a movie about Gay Cowboys."
That's exactly the same reason why there was so much controversy about Bush not seeing the flick. No one asked him if he saw Crash, Walk the Line, or any other film for that matter. They just need to give it a rest. It was a movie about a touchy subject in today's society. Good. There are a lot of those. Get over it.
-----
"I like too many things and get all confused and hung-up running from one falling star to another till I drop. This is the night, what it does to you. I had nothing to offer anybody except my own confusion." -- Jack Kerouac
Yeah, I wouldn't really call that a controversy. Most stories that mentioned that question used it as an example of just how comfortable Bush has become when speaking in public without a script.
I caught Brokeback with my wife last weekend and I was surprised that I liked it so much. It's a good movie...though I think I enjoyed the cinematography more than anything else. Well that and the gay sex of course.
Crash...I might be alone here, but I thought it stunk. It tried so friggin hard to have the Indie feel, and to show things that were supposed to be enlightening, but it came off as forced and contrived. Maybe it's because I've grown up in urban mixed-race environments, but it just didn't work for me.
I actually saw New World and felt that the girl in that who played Pocahontas could have been nominated easily...and she's only 15 years old.
Morvran McGuinness {Shanks} *retired Barbarian rogue of the North, Vallon Zek
The more you leave dead, the less you need to watch your back
I saw both crash and brokeback mountain, while crash was good, brokeback mountain hit me like no movie has before. The acting was superb, the story was incredibly deep, and the movie was just beautiful... not to mention it hurts. Once you get past the whole gay cowboys thing, it's a beautiful movie about forbidden love, and doomed love... I would have to agree if it swept the awards.
I'm annoyed Sin City didnt get anything too, I really thought it'd at least be a shoe-in for some of the visual/design categories. Maybe it just came out too long ago, and everyone forgot about it. I clearly will never belong in the Academy, as every year I disagree more and more with the stuff they pick. I wonder how many of the movies their memebers have actually seen :P
The only other movie on there I've seen is Munich.
There's really nothing on there I'd care if it won or lost, I'll watch but only for Jon Stewart.
Glip the Gnome Old and Busted
"Where are my pants?"
If it wasn't, then it must have been out in the beginning of 2005. Movies out in the first half of the year tend to get forgotten when it comes time for Oscar nominations. That's why movie studios always release the movies they pimp for Oscar consideration in the last couple months of the year.
According to The-Numbers.com, Sin City debuted April 1, 2005 and grossed $159 million worldwide, so I don't see how it could have been forgotten, especially with its cast. I mean Bruce Willis, Benitio Del Toro (he should be Tony Stark in the Iron Man movie), Elijah Wood, Mickey Rourke, Michael Madsen, Jessica Alba, and more.
Brokeback Mountain - Dec 9
Good Night and Good luck - Oct 7
Capote - Sept 30 Crash - May 6
Munich - Dec 23
Walk the Line - Nov 18
Hustle & Flow - July 22
Mrs Henderson Presents - Dec 9
North Country - Oct 21 Cinderella Man - June 3
Pride & Prejudice - Nov 11
Transamerica - Dec 2
Syriana - Nov 23
The Constant Gardener - Aug 31
A History of Violence - Sept 23
Junebug - Aug 3
So out of the nominees in major categories, 2 of those movies, out of 16 total, were released in the first 6 months of the year, for a total of 4 nominations, out of a possible 30.
Cinderella Man, in fact, further goes to prove my theory. When it came out, people were saying that it would probably be nominated for best picture, and that Russell Crowe and Paul Giamotti were shoo-ins for nominations. Seven months later, and only Giamotti was nominated.
All the segments I saw about Bush made it out to be such a huge deal that "Bush hasn't seen Brokeback Mountain." They would only show his reaction to that question. And this wasn't just one show, either.
I posted the transcript of that Q&A session here. The reason that question got so much play is because it and the question about student loans were the only two questions that caught Bush off-guard, and so he had interesting responses to them. The Brokeback Mountain one was also mentioned quite a bit, because it is funny to ask a guy like Bush about gay cowboys.
I don't think Jackson's directing in "King Kong" was a definite nomination effort. I thought it was fine overall and good in some parts but I was unimpressed to distracted by how bad it was in others. In general I thought he let the cgi play a little too much of a part in the film, letting it dictate to him how a scene should be and not the other way around. For non cgi moments, I hated the slow motion blur on the island when they showed the skulls. To me it was a cheap way to try to build up a spooky atmosphere, and it failed to achieve even that.
Did you see "Brokeback Mountain" Meddik? Or are you just making your predictions based on your predjudices of what kind of people the Academy is comprised of and what you've heard second hand about the movie?
By the way, all members of the Academy can vote for Best Picture so it's one thing to be nominated and another to win. I haven't seen any of the Best Picture nominations but I'm willing to admit the possibility that each of the films are good films.
Personally, I still need to see Narnia and the latest Potter movie in terms of what I want to see at the theater. Voting at the Box Office is one way to show your support for a film if you disagree with the Academy. In the end voting with your pocket book speaks louder than any award, especially one the general public loves to tear down every year.
Fricka
Safehouse Forums Administrator - Wielder of the Whip of Administration (TM) Fricka curtsies elegantly...while picking your pocket! My gaming store - My Flip Minos
Did you see "Brokeback Mountain" Meddik? Or are you just making your predictions based on your predjudices of what kind of people the Academy is comprised of and what you've heard second hand about the movie?
B. And I'm quite confident about the prediction. I don't know if its a good or bad movie, but pretty much any movie that "Challenges society's norms" (Or whatever euphemism for that is in vogue this week) is going to be more well recieved by the Hollywood crowd than an equally well acted/written/filemd movie that doesn't do so. And One that actually reinforces those norms (Even symbolically) will do extremely poorly. (See Narnia and The Passion of the Christ of examples of well made movies snubbed by the Hollywood Elite because of their support for more traditional values.)
I know its a bit biased, but I want Kiera Knightly to win. So when her and I get married, I can go to my class reunion and go "Oh yeah! Well my wife is an Oscar winner!"
B. And I'm quite confident about the prediction. I don't know if its a good or bad movie...
Well sure, you can be confident about the prediction because there's no way to prove you wrong without polling all who voted. You set it up so you can point to any wins the movie may get and say "this is why they voted", without having to prove that the people voting actually thought the way you said they did.
Anyway, as far as 2005 movies I actually saw, I'm not sure what I would have nominated if I had been on a committee. I only saw a handful and none on the Best Picture list (so far).
I guess I'd nominate "Batman Begins" if I had to choose from just the ones I've seen. It was a highly watchable film and the best of the ones I actually saw in the theater, I liked the directing better in it than in "King Kong".
"Serenity" was a 2005 release but, while I liked it, I felt like I was watching a longer episode of the TV series rather than a fully fleshed out and supported movie. I wonder if I would have liked it as much as I did if I hadn't seen the series first.
Of all the movies listed in Dorla's original post, the only one I've seen is The Constant Gardener, which was good. Man, I am really falling behind this year.
Of course, having a kid will really limit your theater-going time. Funny that.
And speaking of end-of-the-year release dates being more likely to get nominated, it is very true that Oscar has a short term memory. However, this is not an absolute. Silence of the Lambs swept the 5 major catagories, and it was released in February of 1991.
(See Narnia and The Passion of the Christ of examples of well made movies snubbed by the Hollywood Elite because of their support for more traditional values.)
I'm going to go with those films being snubbed because there are far better films out there. Sorry, but it's true.
Brokeback Mountain took the Golden Globe for Best Picture, so it's pretty much a given that it will win the Oscar as well. Anyone else see the irony in Clint Eastwood being the presenter for Best Picture? Ang Lee even made a joke about it.
I'm going to predict that Brokeback mountain ends up winning almost everyhting it was nominated for.
Not because it was a good movie.
Not because it was a box office hit.
But because it makes the people voting on the oscars feel good to vote for a movie about Gay Cowboys.
That's what everyone said about the SAG awards, but the Hollywood Elite essentially snubbed the movie and Crash was the big winner.
Of course, it's really easy to say it's winning based on its politics and not its merit without actually seeing it...
Dorla said:
Revenge of the Sith wasn't nominated for anything either... I would have expected some sort of token effects or sound nod.
That sort of surprised me as well. I figured they'd throw it some "end of an era" type bone like how LotR lost Best Picture every year up until the third and final one.
Otherwise none of the nominations are overly surprising. It's basically the same thing the same nominees as the SAG Awards and the Golden Globes. Of course, I'll still be watching because those bastards roped Jon Stewart into hosting, and I can't resist.
If anything Brokeback Mountain should win for cinematography. Can't think of anything else it's worthy of.
The whole way the story played out just wouldn't happen like that in real life. The movie was like a Harlequin Romance Novel for gay guys - totally unbelievable. I'm not saying this about the fact there are gay cowboys.. I'm just saying the story and the way the two guys 'got together' and how things started off were way way out there in neverland.
Jake Gyllenhall was basically Bubble Boy in a cowboy outfit (read: out of place) and was a "sexual predator". Quoted part is from Gene Shalit who has since rescinded the remark but I think it was quite honest and fits the situation.
The ending was quite out of place/not believable either. I'd say more about it but I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it and still wants to.
I watched this with a friend who wanted to see the movie because she likes to see all the 'Best Picture' movies for the oscars. This way she can make her own mind up what the best picture really was. She and I agreed.. this movie ain't it. Walk the Line shoulda been nominated instead.
We still haven't seen Munich but hopefully that'll be soon. Looks to be pretty good.
King Kong was good but the whole bug scene and brontosaur stampede thing was just way overdone and totally not necessary. Jackson likes to overdo the creepy crawly stuff and he went way overboard with that with the bugs. Made it not believable.
Syriana was ok but jumped around too much and it was really hard to keep track of all the characters.
If anything Brokeback Mountain should win for cinematography. Can't think of anything else it's worthy of.
The whole way the story played out just wouldn't happen like that in real life. The movie was like a Harlequin Romance Novel for gay guys - totally unbelievable. I'm not saying this about the fact there are gay cowboys.. I'm just saying the story and the way the two guys 'got together' and how things started off were way way out there in neverland.
I couldn't agree less. In fact I felt that the story rang true to many romances started "away from home". Add the isolation of their work assignment, and I felt like I've been in that situation before, more than once (minus the gay part hehe). It was similar to Lost in Translation except these two weren't "taken" and they acted on their feelings. Then they return to their other lives, carry on, but never completely forget the other person. The flame is rekindled at some point and it just starts a chain reaction. It's actually more believable b/c of their separation...I firmly believe that absence makes the longing heart grow stronger.
It was hard for me to truly "feel" the emotions of the two main characters because I just don't feel/get man on man love, but if I substitute a woman for one of them it makes perfect sense.
That sort of surprised me as well. I figured they'd throw it some "end of an era" type bone like how LotR lost Best Picture every year up until the third and final one.
I'm not sure, but maybe it's because Episodes 1-3 sucked ******* donkey ****.
And yes, all of you people out there that thought Episode 3 was good just because you refuse to believe you waited 20 years for 3 horrible ******* movies--get over and just accept the reality. It sucked. It sucked terribly. The acting was probably the worst of the 3 newer episodes, and the final lightsaber battle was absolutely the most ridiculous anticlimactic garbage bull**** I've ever seen in my life.
I couldn't agree less. In fact I felt that the story rang true to many romances started "away from home". Add the isolation of their work assignment, and I felt like I've been in that situation before, more than once (minus the gay part hehe). It was similar to Lost in Translation except these two weren't "taken" and they acted on their feelings. Then they return to their other lives, carry on, but never completely forget the other person. The flame is rekindled at some point and it just starts a chain reaction. It's actually more believable b/c of their separation...I firmly believe that absence makes the longing heart grow stronger.
It was hard for me to truly "feel" the emotions of the two main characters because I just don't feel/get man on man love, but if I substitute a woman for one of them it makes perfect sense.
To me, the fact that this was man on man made the story resonate even further, my best friend's uncle backed out of a marriage, and came out of the closet on the same day... what people don't understand that a person in that situation is usually a victim of society, pressured to lead a life they don't agree with, just to be accepted by what other people consider normal. Back then there was a good chance there'd be a hate crime against you, homosexuality was misunderstood, and feared because of it. now days there's still that climate of misunderstanding, but at least in the majority of places you don't fear for your life.
The one scene after Elma sees the two locked in a passionate embrace is probably one of the best scenes I've ever seen in a movie, her betrayl is palpable, also compounded by her confusion. When a situation like this occurs, the woman feels doubly betrayed, one because of the affair, and two because of the deception of sexuality.
To quote the guardian, ( http://politics.guardian.co.uk/libde...696053,00.html ) "When your husband dies, you lose your future with him. But when something like this comes out, you lose your past because it was all based on lies."
These situations only arise because of intolerance, if people are taught to accept themselves, and accept others... ah, who am I kidding, like that will happen.
"When your husband dies, you lose your future with him. But when something like this comes out, you lose your past because it was all based on lies."
Well I'd argue that in many cases they weren't based on lies. I don't think Heath Ledger's character didn't truly love his wife and kids...he just had strong ties to someone else as well. He hid this from her, yes, but his relationship wasn't built on lies...it just involved one (a big one though!).
And to clarify, when I said I couldn't "feel" it as much, I meant that the idea of a man loving another man in the way I love my wife just doesn't work for me. I have never felt that way about a man, and I can't "feel" it. I would (sort of) compare it to seeing people with kids. They LOVE and adore their children in a way that you just can not understand until you have one of your own. Hmm, maybe this means I need to find a gay lover.
But I *could* identify and truly feel the despair of the characters trapped in a horrible situation
It was similar to Lost in Translation except these two weren't "taken" and they acted on their feelings. Then they return to their other lives, carry on, but never completely forget the other person.
Bzzt. Ennis clearly states that he has a woman that he's going to marry when he gets back. I wouldn't exactly call that 'not taken'.
Sorry, from the get go Bubble Boy was scoping out Ennis so you know it wasn't just a 'oh we're so alone, I suddenly love you' type of thing.
I'm not sure, but maybe it's because Episodes 1-3 sucked ******* donkey ****.
And yes, all of you people out there that thought Episode 3 was good just because you refuse to believe you waited 20 years for 3 horrible ******* movies--get over and just accept the reality. It sucked. It sucked terribly. The acting was probably the worst of the 3 newer episodes, and the final lightsaber battle was absolutely the most ridiculous anticlimactic garbage bull**** I've ever seen in my life.
Well yeah, there is that. The special effects were great though.
Personally, I liked all three movies though. *shrug*
No, you're a bad geek just for admitting you liked Episode I. Episode II was decent and Episode III was almost as good as IV and VI.
Episode II made me want to scrape my initials into the backs of my eye sockets with a rusty, dull screwdriver. Mostly it was when Anakin and Padme were spewing those horrible lines.. oh and whenever Jar Jar was onscreen.
Hold me like you did by the lake on Naboo... ugh. Episode III horrible moment flashback, too. NOoOOoOOoooOooOoo!
No, you're a bad geek just for admitting you liked Episode I. Episode II was decent and Episode III was almost as good as IV and VI.
Admittedly, Episode 1 was the worst of the three. They each were better than the last. The way I figure, it Lucas had gone a dozen more episodes, he would've been able to match up to the first trilogy.
Don't delude yourselves, Episode II wasn't a whole lot better than Episode I. Aside from completly disrupting 20 years of continuity in the Star Wars universe and having better fights than the originals, it really didn't have a whole lot going for it.
