I didn't think the costume designer's speech was offensive, in fact it was refreshingly frank, but I agree that Sandra Bullock did what most voters probably imagined she would do which was give a lighthearted but heartfelt speech. Too many winners take the path Mo'Nique did tonight and hamfist some social/political issue into their speech in order to give it more gravitas. (News flash, lady: Whoopi Goldberg, Halle Berry, and Jennifer Hudson all won Oscars too.) Sandra Bullock thanking all the mothers who care for unwanted children was not only on point with her film it's also pretty hard to take issue with it in any circumstance. Aside from that, I thought the only real upset of the night was Precious' win for best adapted screenplay. That was a pretty impressive haul for a so-so movie and ended up turning Up In The Air into the night's biggest loser (six noms in five categories, but zero wins).
I have a feeling this is going to turn into a Scorsese type thing where it'll take so long that Hollywood will have to take Jason Reitmans dick out of their mouths just so they can hand him an award.
Notable thoughts from watching the last hour or so: The whole bringing up someone who worked with a actor/actress nominee to verbally fellate each nominee is kind of a cool way to get them the credit and praise they deserve, win or lose. Colin Farrell isn't my favorite, but I liked his little shout out, just brutally honest and seemingly off the cuff. Is Sean Penn wasted? Sandra Bullock is a classically beautiful woman, damn. Helen Mirren at 65, dang. I can only hope my future wife looks half that good. Woman is aging well. For some reason, I kind of find Kathryn Bigelow attractive. She has a hell of a body for her age, but I also wonder if James Cameron fashioned the Avatar species after her when they were married. Seriously, think about it. Tom Hanks, just getting right into it, no fan fare. In a way, pure class, some of those presenters love to draw it out, make it a little about their delivery, Hanks just did his job and got out of the way. Pretty cool.
I was kind of annoyed that he was chosen as Jeremy Renner's presenter. Renner hasn't had the most illustrious career, but Christ, you got him the guy that co-starred with him in 'SWAT'? The man's up for Best Actor and you reference 'SWAT'. For fuck's sake, get someone from 'North Country' or 'Dahmer'. Anything but 'SWAT'.
Yeah, they should have had Kevin McDonald or Matt Frewer from National Lampoon's Senior Trip. There's a role he sunk his teeth into. I was impressed with Bullock's humble speech. She got on my nerves FOR YEARS, but no doubt earned repect from me tonight. Fuck Kate Winslet looked hot.
Colin Farrell is actually awesome. Since his kid was born he's been less of a party-boy and more of a decent human being. Also, In Bruges kicked ass and is one of the best/funniest movies ever. Kate Winslet makes me rethink my position on English chicks. (No, this isn't an invite for you pervs to post up pictures of Lucy Pinder or whatever page3 girl is popular. Three models can't raise the national chick rating of an entire empire higher than 4.7/10)
I didn't even know the Oscars were on until 8 o'clock last night when I checked Youtube on my browser. I decided to check out the results if only because I had a wager riding on them (I bet that Avatar would not win EITHER Best Director or Best Picture). As usual, the results, particularly for Best Supporting Actress, Best Actress, Best Actor, and especially Best Adapted Screen were hilariously awful, but that's not surprising. Thankfully, the Oscars become more irrelevant and blatantly moronic each year, and in 20-30 years, will be about as important as the newest reality show premiere, which is the mental level they're best matched to.
Maybe, but they have a LONG WAY TO GO (down) before they become as useless as the Grammies. In the old days, the Grammies were handed out to actual artists that were truly talented and deserving of the best albums, recordings and songs of the year. Who wins nowadays? Kelly Clarkson, Coldplay and Kings Of Leon. Somebody has to die for that. You cannot convince through explanation, verification or waterboarding that in any way those artists deserve so much as a fucking Blockbuster Award, much less the most "coveted" award in music. The Oscars are either a sham or they're not. No Country For Old Men was as deserving as a winner gets, and I thought Million Dollar Baby was the best of its group easily. On the other hand, in the last little while you also have Chicago beating out Gangs Of New York (a musical is not truly a movie, sorry), And Return Of The King beating out Mystic River, which is just plain wrong. It's always a toss-up every year.
One decent performance in the last 10 years makes him awesome? Nah. Anyone else catch the old guy holding up the "Text DOLPHIN to 44144" when 'The Cove' won Best Documentary? I feel like they couldn't have cut away faster. Not that I really care about their cause, I just wonder if the producers were making an effort to tone down the politicizing after Sean Penn's bullshit last year. The less opportunity these people have to soapbox, the better. You're actors. Act, and then shut up.
Speaking of act, and then shut up, easily the funniest part of the show was the Presentation for screenplay by Tina Fey and Robert Downey, Jr.
"You sickly mole people" had me laughing, that's for sure. By the way, I doubt anyone else really cared, but I thought that set was downright gorgeous. I spent half my time staring past to the presenters to check out the stage. And "Hitler memorabilia" jokes crack me up every time.
Can someone explain that Hitler memorabilia joke to me? And forget the set what about Michelle Pfeiffer? Holy hell was she smoking.
I never thought I would hear the words "Academy Award Winner Fisher Stevens." That's right, the Indian guy from Short Circuit 1 and 2 has an Oscar, and we don't.
I thought Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin were the best presenter's I have ever seen. I wanted to ask the board a question, I have been trying to research the question but I can't find the answer. Who exactly is invited to the oscars? Obviously all the nominee's and it appears anyone who may have been in a film that was nominated. Is it like the Master's if you won an award you get an invite? Why was Keanu Reeves there? (I was switching back and forth between Oscars and saving Private Ryan so he may have presented, god knows why) I'm also guessing Taylor from Twighlight presented as well. Pretty much only the nominee's and presenters are in the front but the venue look's huge, any idea's? I'm pretty sure the Hitler jokes refer to Sophie's choice. I think Jeff Bridges was stoned. One more thing, what was the schtick with Clooney and the presenters? Were they supposed to not like him, is that what they were getting at? I hate how the academy cut's off people so quickly, even though I barely listen to the speeches they won the award let them have there say. You can play wrap it up music if they get to long winded but some of the award winners got like ten seconds. Worst acceptance speech was the "short documentary" this black guy began speaking and this old fat lady just interrupted him with some crap monologue. Lastly did anyone catch that Tom hanks is an Academy Governor? Whatever that is..............
Over all I thought the entire show was rather boring. Baldwin and Martin had a handful of good lines but laughing at Ben Stiller for being painted like an idiot got the biggest laugh from me, not a good sign. I missed one of the better traditions, the in memoriam part, because I was channel surfing and thought it was playing best original music (something Ive always hated at the Oscars and that they actually cut this year). I never saw Sophies Choice but I was just as confused with the Hitler memorabilia jokes as well. I know she had to choose between the two kids of hers at a concentration camp or ghetto but did she collect Hitler shit after? Did Meryl Streep actually collect Nazi stuff? I thought it had something to do with Inglorious Basterds since that seemed to be the only movie this year with Hitler and Nazis in it.
He was the bad guy in the ultra-shitty 1995 movie Hackers, the annoying cornerman in Undisputed, I remember him as one of Baldwin's hangers-on in The Marrying Man (very underrated movie) and his first movie was the REALLY shitty slasher movie The Burning. He has a habit of playing twitchy assholes to a "T".
1. The short answer re: who gets to attend the Oscars is pretty simple: whoever the Academy wants. It's not difficult to figure out who gets to go: nominees, their guests, presenters and their guests (Keanu introduced one of the Best Picture nominees if I recall correctly), stragglers from nominated films that make for good TV (such as The Hurt Locker actors, the real life Leigh Ann Tuohy, and that crippled African kid), and then voting members of the Academy. There isn't any real hard rules about it that I'm aware of, though. 2. I'm pretty sure the Hitler references were aimed at Inglourious Basterds, not Sophie's Choice which is a film that takes place mostly in America. 3. That Kanye West moment where the lady in the purple outfit hijacked the microphone is actually kind of awesome. I just read about it today, but basically the black guy was the director and the lady was the credited producer. However, they're not on speaking terms. Here's the link to the story: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.salon.com/entertainment/movies/oscars/index.html?story=/ent/movies/2010/03/07/music_by_prudence_burkett" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.salon.com/entertainment/movi ... ce_burkett</a> 4. The Board of Governors is the body that makes all kinds of Oscar decisions ranging from expanding the slate of Best Picture noms by five films and deciding to give Dakota Fanning a ballot.