The big show down in Hollywood is Sunday night. Ho-hum. Maybe I'll watch the opening, but seriously, after that, I have plans. I get the feeling that I'm not alone.
Have the Oscars lost their buzz? What used to be appointment-TV has become a three-hour-plus bore-a-thon. ABC will own the night once again, and the show will be watched by at least 30 million people, but the last few years, the numbers have dwindled.
Even with an abundant amount of star power and a generous list of very different movies, the show itself is devoid of a lot of the spontaneity that made it so popular to even the most non-movie people.
For one, the awards lack a real strong and cogent host. This year, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin are co-hosting. Uh, what's up with that? Martin hasn't made a decent movie in years and Baldwins' very public transgressions make for potential supreme awkwardness Sunday night. I mean, yeah, I know Billy Crystal wasn't interested, (again) but seriously, couldn't the academy do any better? At least they didn't go down the Ellen DeGeneres or Whoppi Goldberg road.
The show itself has become stale and predictable. After the 200 shots of Jack Nicholson, what is there to see? Yet we continue to watch, albeit in declining numbers. That should tell the producers and ABC something, shouldn't it?
Supposedly, winners have been warned not to go past 30 seconds for their acceptance speech. Yeah, good luck with that. As if Meryl Streep or Jeff Bridges are going to stick with that command. Cue the orchestra, my ass.
To the producers defense, since much of what takes place is past their control, the direction of the show is essentially at the will of the performers. A pro like Crystal can work the hall and pace the event, smooth things together, the whole shebang; heck, even Jon Stewart worked some magic last year--OK, OK, enough about the hosting duties. I give up.
Oscar night in previous years was a big to-do. Of course in previous years too, they're were genuine STARS in Hollywood and Johnny Carson was and is, still, the best ever host the Oscars ever had. Now they're reduced to Meryl Streep, Nicholson, and a few other guys and gals.
Oh yeah, and that James Cameron guy. Can't wait for the speech. That should take about 20 minutes.
And another thing. The very essence, the real zenith of the show, is the unpredictability element, and ABC has taken that away. Remember the streaker behind David Niven in 1974? And Marlon Brandos' homage to Native Americans with what's her name announcing that MB was not accepting the award? Even the Vanessa Redgrave anti-Israel tirade, as hideous and tedious as it was, at least provided a bit of real drama for those in the hall and the millions watching. No more.
Oscar night needs more than just neurotic, overly-insecure millionaire actors, directors, make-up people, and women with enhanced breasts in $5000 gowns and tons of Channel.
Give me more song and dance. Give me someone other than Sean Penn pitching Haitian earthquake relief. I'd love to see Streep show off her muscles at the podium. OK, insert punchline there.
More Halle Berry. A lot more. Yeah, I know she's a pain in the ass, but I want to SEE her. Less Whoppi, more Berry. More Streep, less Sandra Bullock. More Martin, less Baldwin. Get the picture?
**Follow me on Twitter and Facebook
**Academy Awards
Sunday night
ABC 5 PM PST
I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
ReplyDeleteBaldwin and Martin? I like the two guys and they did okay.
Unpredictable moments? Sure, the savvy folks probably called all the winners but we had a "Kayne" moment with the little red-head lady busting in during the winning for "Music by Prudence" (look up the backstory on that one. Interesting). We had someone holding up a sign about texting or something before the camera shot away. We had a little more controversy with why some dead celebrities were left out of the montage.
We had the Big Lebowski win after about 38 years from his first nomination and drop more "mans" than a hippy at a Dead concert. That's a hell of a long wait, man!
We also had the first female director who beat out her ex husband and the top money making film of all time to do it. And looked good doing it. How's that for a headline?
I enjoyed the montages to horror movies and John Hughes and my "80s Moment" although Ringwald didn't look so good.
Thankfully, no drunk Jack grinning it up behind his shades in the front row but we did have to put up with the Diva Baba at the end for Best Director. And I'm glad AVATAR didn't run away with the awards (talk about your lopsided movie; great effects, cliche story).
Anyone looking for faults will find them. Anyone pining away for the good old days with Johnny and Billy need to move on. Anyone that enjoys seeing the movie industry celebrate its best, should have had a good time.
I think my lackluster interest before the show was because it seems like 2009 wasn't a great year for movies. After seeing the show, looks like there might be some good movies out there but the average film goer has to hunt for them or wait until they get showcased at the Oscars to know about it.