The Oscars

[Babette]

Phew! Took a while to catch up on this thread and it will probably be killed by now, but here's my reactions.

I only saw a handful of the full length films (Pan, Dreamgirls, Sunshine, Happyness, Cars, Illusionist) this year so I could not accurately judge any category except the shorts. I was so happy when Poet won and today had to defend what people described as rough animation. Beautiful, beautiful movie! I enjoyed WestBank but thought the joke was too dragged out. It was more of a Hot Shots scene. My vote was for Éramos Pocos (grandma!).

I forget now who presented, but the shock when Pan's Labrynth did not win was priceless. She almost said it (the wrong name) without reading the card, and had to catch herself once the actual words processed. (who will be the first LoTr to tell me her name?) I am sad it was not Pan.

I thought Ellen worked, and everyone really seemed to enjoy her and join in on the jokes. It was fun. Not super-entertaining but fun. Myspace photo, script passing, snakes on a plane, I wouldn't want to follow that, America votes for Al v. Jennifer. Considering I was on only 4 hours of sleep and a full day of NASCAR, I thought it was fun.

I love Jennifer Hudson, she is beautiful and talented. I did not see any other nominees' performances so I won't say she shouldn't have won. That said, I feel like she won an acting award for singing. That is all.

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

I found it very suspicious that Copolla, Lucas and Spielberg just happened to be presenting the Best Director Oscar this year. Methinks they knew something the rest of us didn't. I found it fishy. Yes, Marty was due but I found it very interesting. Spielberg has been a presenter often, but not Copolla or Lucas.

It seems a lot of awards were presented by people associated with the winners. I don't remember hearing the rules or seeing the Arthur Anderson guys handcuffed to the envelope briefcase - is it still super-secret until opened on live TV? It felt a little more like the MTV or People's Choice awards where you could guess the winners based on who's attending/presenting.

Originally Posted by Not Afraid

Kidman looked great in red but I found the dress to be unfortunante. It really distracted from her beauty. (That and Daniel Craig )

The gowns were so classy and gorgeous. I can think of only one I did not love (Kidman - the giant red cone on her shoulder was yucky, but the rest of her look was stunning) Many cute men in tuxes, but I kept asking "why is Mark Wahlburg wearing a shirt?" Seriously, he doesn't need one! I loved that they kept showing Scorcese because that meant I got another glimpse of Marky. (Leo doesn't really do it for me.)

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

And reading the complaints about acceptance speeches I am seeing today, the dominant theme is too much thanking of people we've never heard of.

Overall, I found the show politically tame. But that's to be expected when the only unscripted event seems to have been Will Smith's kid screwing up his line.

For some of them I think that is the only time they have to publically thank people important to them, people who supported them and got them to where they are. I think it is sweet. I hate when they list the whole cast and crew. We can read their names in the movie credits!

Does Jaden Christopher Syre Smith know how to read yet? It seemed like he couldn't read the card. How cute were the two shorts delivering the awards for the two shorts

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

I thought Taxi Driver and Goodfellas were way better than Rocky and Dances With Wolves.

I agree. But, speaking of Dances with Wolves...I did get to spend Oscar morning with Oscar winner Kevin Costner. We were just discussing his body of work at dinner Saturday. I had the pleasure surprise of hearing his band, The Kevin Costner Band, at NASCAR! Sammy Hagar was there too (yes he sang I Can't Drive 55). Brian McKnight sang the National Anthem as F18s flew overhead. Costner had the honor of saying "Gentlemen, start your engines". I forget now who waved the green flag - someone else we'd all know (It was Gov. Ah-nahold the last time I went) A star-studded day indeed.

Originally Posted by €uroMeinke

So what I really want to know is how these Academy Awards were made "carbon neutral" or whatever the buzzword was. Did the stars carpool in electric vehicles? Did they all come in through the closed redline station? Were those spotlights all compact fluorescents? Ot did they just plant a bunch of trees somewhere?

Thinking of the pageantry, the closed metro station and streets, all that Tule - how did they pull it off, or even calculate it. I find the claim hard to swallow as much as I may support the cause.

Ditto! Were the envelopes printed green? The carpets woven green? The golden men caste green? How could the entire show be green!? Besides, the NASCAR event only 50 miles away cancelled out ANY efforts OSCAR made to help our environment.

Now it is time to catch up on my sleep from the weekend!

[Stan4dSteph]

Most likely they estimated the emissions of CO2 based on the World Resources Institute emission factors for the energy use of the show, then somehow offset them.

[Strangler Lewis]

Originally Posted by Stan4dSteph

Most likely they estimated the emissions of CO2 based on the World Resources Institute emission factors for the energy use of the show, then somehow offset them.

I assume they wrote a check.

http://www.climatecrisis.net/takeact...boncalculator/

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

Wow, if you can't stop your political views from tainting a silly comedy, I seriously think you might consider lightening up. Just because the Kosher Fast Food Joint was managed a little more obnoxiously than the Palestinian Flafel Joint does not make West Bank Story an anti-semetic piece of Israeli-hating propaganda.

Did you listen to the acceptance speech? The movie was a musical comedy spoof designed to promote peace. Get a grip.

Sorry, that was not based on her post ... but rather on our conversation after the screenings.

Well, I didn't say that I hated the short, in fact I laughed just as much as you did. And I said as much the night of. Doesn't mean I thought it deserved to win. And I NEVER said it was "an anti-semetic piece of Israeli-hating propaganda." Just because he said it was "about peace" doesn't mean it should win, either. Is it ok with you if I root for "Wrong Grandma" and be a Jew at the same time?

It's getting more and more difficult to remember what was posted here, talked about in person, commented on Live Journals, etc.

"Remember"? You quoted me. It's written down. And like I said above, I never said the things you attributed to me, in person on online. Who needs to get a grip now?

Ack, no time to read rest of thread...

[innerSpaceman]

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

Oh, can I also add that while I love Helen Mirren, her "Ladies and Gentlemen I give you The Queen" moment was a little too uppity for me. It didn't play well with me for some reason.

Everyone's noticed the "Quotes" ad campaign the Academy had running all over town, right? Posters proclaming "Frankly My Dear, I Don't Give a Damn" or "I Coulda Been a Contender."

Well, the one right there on the tower of H&H, adjacent to the Kodak Theater, featured on the Oscar broadcast, 40-feet all and a hundred feet in the air was the one blaring "I'm the King of the World!"

Yeah, it's a quote from Titantic. But who can not be reminded of James Cameron's "uppity" yell from the podium upon accepting the Best Picture Oscar? It set a new level for acceptance uppity, one that will reign for generations I think ... and Mirren's was hardly a blip in comparison.

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

"Remember"? You quoted me. It's written down.

Heheh, that was a subtle jab at your husband. He recently posted a reference to a live journal comment here that no one but he and I would have understood ... and I was just trying to point out in a vaguely humorous way that some of us know each other so well, we are not necessarily responding to merely what's posted when we post a reply on the LoT.

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

And I NEVER said it was "an anti-semetic piece of Israeli-hating propaganda."

That's funny ... according to my notes, that's your exact quote.


I thought it was obvious that line was one of my standard exaggerations for dramatic effect. But did you not tell me you had a problem with West Bank Story because you perceived an anti-Israeli stance??

If you hadn't, my mistake ... and I apologize.






(But my notes say otherwise.)

[innerSpaceman]

But what does go grey are the films that won Best Picture. More often than not, they are forgotten in time and are NOT the films best remembered for the various years they were released and awarded the highest "honor."

Sheesh, The Greatest Show on Earth won in 1952, beating out High Noon and The Quiet Man ... while Singin' in the Rain wasn't even nominated. Which films from that year are watched today, and have stood the test of time as great movies?

In 1956, Around the World in 80 Days, beat out Giant, The King and I, and The Ten Commandments (wow, what a Yul Brynner year that was!)


I could go on and on. mousepod has already pointed out some he felt were winners that compared unfavorably with "losers." It's the test of time that counts ... though, of course, movies are rightly judged in their own time as well.


Personally, I don't think The Departed is going to be a film watched generations from now (except as part of the Scorcese canon). I really don't think it's one of his better films, though.

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

I really don't think it's one of his better films, though.

I do. It's the best thing he's done since Goodfellas.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

But what does go grey are the films that won Best Picture. More often than not, they are forgotten in time and are NOT the films best remembered for the various years they were released and awarded the highest "honor."

That said (and I do agree), with the help of Netflix I have seen most of the best picture winners over the last few years and while they don't necessarily pick the best picture of the year, I've found that they rarely pick a long-term clunker. Yes, there are a few (Chicago, The Greatest Show on Earth, and Tom Jones) being the first that come to mind, but not many.

[€uroMeinke]

Aww, I liked Around the World in 80 Days

[innerSpaceman]

That's not saying much, is it? Marty's best days arre long, long behind him.