The Oscars

[LSPoorEeyorick]

1) Gil Cates is a ninny. What awful ceremony decisions, all down the line.

2) All of you really need to see the winning animation short, "Ryan." It was one of the best films I saw all year. Actually, all of you need to see all of the original shorts. Both categories were almost as good as Best Actress. I wish they'd release them with other films. We saw them at the Egyptian on Friday.

3) I would have voted for Staunton and Madsen, but I knew Swank and Blanchett would win. I only got five categories wrong. Woo hoo! Plus, Payne and Kauffman's wins made me particularly happy.

4) I actually thought Banderas killed "Al Otro Lado Del Rio." It's quite beautiful in its original form. But I'm just glad that Lloyd Webber and Silvestri didn't win the category.

5) Poor Marty, yes. But M$B was my favorite big film of the year, so I'm glad it won.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I found some of the presenter introductions to be...weird. Like, "The multitalented, Drew Berrymore." Or, "The likeable, Mike Meyers." Huh? Is that all they could come up with. "likeable"? Odd.

[mhrc4]

i was at an oscars party last night, very fun, I was upset that Finding Neverland did not win more, or Phantom of the Opera. both were movies i enjoyed thoroughly, however, Aviator was one I did not, IMHO, it drug on and was a bore after the 2nd hour.

Anyhow to all who enjoyed watching the oscars!

[mhrc4]

oh, and thinking back now really quick, the guy that won the lifetime acheivment award last night, how many times did they pan up to shoot his balcony with his family, which included two horrendously plastic women? must have been like 8 times!

[Ponine]

I hosted an Oscars party. Six women in the living room, three boys under the age of 8 upstairs.
The upstairs looked as if a tornado had hit, but we were able to watch the awards in relative silence.
Lots of leftovers, could have fed another small army. Lots of wine was drank by all.

I think, for me, the best moment was the interviews with the public. It'll be a long time before I forget the man who's favorite movie was Chronicles of Riddick, and then was unable to get a second fave.
One of the damn funniest bits I've seen in a while.

We were all very fond of the GAP analogies.

I was pleased with whom the awards were given to, though not at all surprised. wasnt EW about dead on in their predictions? I saw some of the men I adore... not as many as I would like, but heck.. they arent the award types anyway.
The dead on Poitier impersonation was great. And although everyone I have talked to said that Robin Williams was repeating what he's done before, it made me laugh.

[innerSpaceman]

I must be the only one who liked the method of having some awards handed out at the seats, so that the nominees could be "scanned" while seated as the noms were announced, and also of the groups of nominees brought on stage all at once while the noms were announced. It's been eighty years of having every bloody award delivered in the same way, and I applaud the effort to put some variety into it. And I frankly think that the nominees got more coverage this way.

I didn't hate too many outfits this year, but someone oughta tell Hillary that backless is not the Swankiest look for her.

I'm really glad The Aviator didn't make the sweep it looked like it was headed for. I guess it was top notch in all the artistic categories for which it won, but I don't think it was really better than most of the other nominated competition. Ditto for Cate Blanchett's win. Others were, I think, more deserving (cough*LauraLinney*cough), but there's no denying that Cate was the life line of her movie (which lost all its juice once her character was out of the story).

I'm really glad that Eternal Sunshine won for original screenplay, though I was routing for The Incredibles (it was a shoe-in for animated film, but would have been a breakthrough to win for it's fantastic script).

I'm bummed that Finding Neverland only won for best score. Better than totally empty-handed I suppose. But I really felt that, out of very slim pickings, it was the best of the nominated films. I thought Million Dollar Baby was a fine movie, but it's basically a tear-jerker and I detract points for that. And this is the first time that I felt the Best Animated Film was better than any of the Best Picture nominees.


Oh, and Sean Penn needs to find a sense of humor.

(That being said, Chris Rock was only so-so, and I predict he won't be back.)

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

I must be the only one who liked the method of having some awards handed out at the seats, so that the nominees could be "scanned" while seated as the noms were announced

I was mixed. What I disliked was the backdrop of random audience members either fidgeting (omg, that lady in the red dress during the first of these in-audience presentations. Sit still for crying out loud!) or freezing in panic nervously trying to decide whether to look at the camera or not. I found it distracting. However, I liked that chance that the nominees got to mug for the camera. I think it made some of the smaller awards stand out more.

[Chernabog]

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

Lina! "I can't stannum!"

I can't make love to a BUSH! tee-hee! OK so I am not completely crazy.

Originally Posted by mhrc4

how many times did they pan up to shoot his balcony with his family, which included two horrendously plastic women?

I think one of whom is the aforementioned woman with "TITS that ATE the WORLD!" Holy clapping mammaries, Batman!

Originally Posted by ism

I must be the only one who liked the method of having some awards handed out at the seats, so that the nominees could be "scanned" while seated as the noms were announced, and also of the groups of nominees brought on stage all at once while the noms were announced.

I liked it too. Made the awards go by much faster.

Now if only they could chop out that middle section of the televised awards (i.e. short subjects, cinematographer, and others) the thing would be so much less boring. We want to see glamorous movie starts looking glamorous. I'm not saying they shouldn't give out awards for these things (because they should), but people at home don't really need to see it. Do what they do for the technical awards and have a prior awards ceremony.

Also, I agree with you ism about Chris Rock. Not that great.

[Gemini Cricket]

I didn't think the show moved any faster or was any shorter. It just started earlier.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

I didn't think the show moved any faster or was any shorter. It just started earlier.

They've been starting earlier for years, and it was still ending after 9.