Oscars

[Brazoo]

It's the 100th year anniversary of the Horror movie but I don't think the mannequin kids mentioned that.

Really? Out of curiosity what do they consider to be the first horror movie? That could be pretty debatable.

[megoscott]

I thought the show was an absolute mess, but it had some really nice moments. I liked the bit before actor and actress where their peers said nice things about them. Bridges speech was wonderful, talking about his parents and show biz, learning to act on Sea Hunt. Sandra was great, I"m glad she won, she's really outlasted a lot of her peers. I haven't seen Hurt Locker, but it's on Payperview now, I'll check it out. Agree the horror montage was a real what the heck, the John Hughes memorial was very appropriate given the number of stars he launched and what he accomplished. What was up with the dance sequence for Score? What a disaster.

[Sandman9580]

But ever since Pulp Fiction (which I consider to be one of the most offensive films ever made), and ever since Tarantino's Oscar acceptance speech where he felt the need to announce that he needed to go urinate... I have been majorly put off by the man and his work.

Actually, it was Roger Avery, Tarantino's writing partner, who announced he had to pee. This was a reference to all five '94 Best Picture nominees having scenes where someone announces the need to use the bathroom (Pulp Fiction alone has at least three such moments). On a tragic side note, I think he's currently serving time in prison for vehicular manslaughter.

Didn't that chick say 'it's been since 1973's The Exorcist that the Academy has given an award to a horror movie' or something to that effect? So I figured that depended on what they classified as a horror film - Then they kept showing clips of "Silence of the Lambs" from 1991. It just made no sense at all.

Exactly!! They included Silence of the Lambs in there, and it won like all five of the top Academy Awards! So, oh wise Academy, is it horror or not? That whole thing was completely incoherent and silly. And anyway, when they really want to "pay tribute" to the genre that pours so much money into their industry, they can have a Best Horror Film category.

All in all, the Oscars are kind of embarrassing. I could go on and on about what's wrong with them (deserving movies and performances being ignored, getting rid of the "boring" technical categories, putting time limits on speeches), but it all comes down to the fact that it's a very dirty, cutthroat industry who's whole product is fantasy and illusion, trying very hard to be "real" and elegant and classy for one night. And the results are always tacky and squirm-inducing. Every year it feels more and more like phony WWF wrestling.

Oh, and Steve Martin was funny. So there was one good thing.

[Sandman9580]

Sandra was great, I"m glad she won, she's really outlasted a lot of her peers.

Alright, two good things. (What's a nice girl like her doing in a town like that?) She had the decency to look embarrassed when they called her name, and she gave a really good, funny, and very genuine acceptance speech. I've always thought Sandra Bullock deserved respect.

[Brazoo]

Yeah - big ups for Jeff Daniels, that's for sure. By my count he should have won a few of these by now!

Just to clarify, I wasn't saying that thought John Hughes didn't deserve the respect he got, it's just that I've never seen a presentation like that before. To my mind the memorial tribute was always within the memorial montage. So it's not that I'm saying he didn't deserve it, but I did think it was tacky, because presumably what they are saying is other people died, but they weren't as valued.

Again, I also think it's incredibly trashy that people aren't silent through the whole memorial montage and clap at the end - I think it's disrespectful that they applaud for some and stop on others, so maybe I'm just overly sensitive.

[Hector]

And terrible. "Young Frankenstein" is a horror movie? "Edward Scissorhands"?

Those two Twilight people might as well yawned during their intro, that girl was so uninterested in her delivery it was awful.

Did you notice the Twilight girl turning her head momentarily...and coughing without covering her mouth with her hand?

So elegant of her...

[cjefferys]

Sorry to be clueless. Is the memorial focused on people who were in "films" or on Entertainers?

I know Farrah was in Saturn 3, and many TV movies.

According to IMDB Bea was uncredited in History of the World Part I.

If they were not in much more "films" than this, that may explain their absence.

You're probably right about Bea Arthur, that's a good point, but Farrah certainly appeared in more theatrical films than Michael Jackson did, so she at least should have been included. Sure, many of her films were no classics (Saturn 3, Cannonball Run, etc) but they were theatrical films none the less.

[Hector]

This was the first one I've watched in years - a bunch of friends had an Oscar night party so I figured I'd check it out. It's usually a pretty dull show, and this was no exception.

The winners were fairly predictable - if I was a betting man I would have lost money on picking "Avatar" for Best Sound Editing & Mixing - I figured it was going to sweep all the technical awards. I was also guessing "Coco Before Chanel" would win Costume Design based on the fact that it was about a designer. "Young Victoria" won, and even the winning designer ungraciously mentioned the inane bias towards victorian era costume design in that category.

Hector - I have NO CLUE what the horror segment was there for. I also have NO IDEA why they thought it would be tasteful to give special attention to John Hughes as oppose to just including him the regular memorial part of the ceremony. Also, I noticed the classless wankers at the show still clap for the popular stars during the memorial montage instead of tastefully waiting until the end - disgusting.

Because the Oscars are peer given awards I'm always slightly interested in what they select. It's more interesting for me to see what movies the people who actually make movies appreciate. Anyway, I do think the award for most popular movie already exists, it's called money.

[cjefferys]

Did you notice the Twilight girl turning her head momentarily...and coughing without covering her mouth with her hand?

So elegant of her...

Yeah, that girl was the epitome of class and elegance.

[Hector]

I had to post congrats Hector, well done. This was, oddly, the first year I was totally unconcerned with the Oscars. Usually I have some interest.

I checked this thread to see how they'd be connected to Megos. But good call. We need to go to Vegas.

But with my luck...I'll end up somehow losing...

[Hector]

Jennifer Jones was indeed mentioned, it certainly would have been a glaring omission if she hadn't been. But I agree that Farrah and Bea really should have been included.

Oh...oops...must've gone to the fridge for a beer at that point in time...

[Hector]

Hector!

I think you have a time machine...

or maybe one of those "Oscar Almanacs" like Marty Mcfly's "Sports Almanac".

nice job dude.

I also had picked The Cove to win Best Documentary...but I didn't post it...had forgotten about it when I started the thread...

[Hector]

It's the 100th year anniversary of the Horror movie but I don't think the mannequin kids mentioned that.

"The Mannequin Kids"...lol...

[The Toyroom]

Those two Twilight people might as well yawned during their intro, that girl was so uninterested in her delivery it was awful.

She ALWAYS comes across that way IMO....must be tough being a movie "star" She should thank her lucky stars she got attached to a franchise pic like "Twilight" because her attitude leaves a lot to be desired.

[Hector]

Alright, two good things. (What's a nice girl like her doing in a town like that?) She had the decency to look embarrassed when they called her name, and she gave a really good, funny, and very genuine acceptance speech. I've always thought Sandra Bullock deserved respect.

I agree.

Sandra Bullock had the best acceptance speech...she was funny and thoughtful...when she mentioned her deceased mom...she got very emotional...thanked her for letting her "choose that" (as she pointed to the audience)...she was referring to her husband, Jesse James, who's manly blue collar biker eyes where watering...that was priceless...lol.