I'll be short with this because it's not a 415 issue, but is it just me or was that about the worst Oscar show ever?The Academy Awards used to make for real "appointment TV", but it now labors on and on.
Even Billy Crystal couldn't save it this time.
We watch the show to celebrate the movies, look at the beautiful women wearing million-dollar dresses and hope for the occasional gaffe, memorable speech, or someone doing something unexpected. We didn't get a whole lot of that Sunday night.
Crystal was OK, but just OK. His opening production number was clever with help from the 2012 movie duets, but I wanted more of a monologue. Angelina Jolie showed some leg--great. And Meryl Streep won best actress for a movie very few pople saw, (a great performance, no doubt, portraying Margaret Thatcher), but her acceptance speech was very un-Meryl-like, too disjointed. For me, at least.
I know a lot of you don't watch the Oscars anyway. You didn't miss much.
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Angelina Jolie looked ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteA personal best this year for me. I didn't see any of the movies in any of the major categories!
ReplyDeleteWhy is it Tom Cruise still looks great while Kelly McGillis looks like crap?
ReplyDeleteI kept thinking that for once Tom Cruise is finally looking his age!! (Which isn't bad, it's just his age..)
DeleteMust be a really slow "media" day for this pablum, Rich.
ReplyDeleteActually, comments on the Oscars is interesting to me. It's a cultural event that many people watch. Not pablum, but balanced topics. I appreciate the comments on it.
DeleteRich...I agree...it lacked some pizzaz or something. Angelina's leg, sadly, was a bit too spindly and I'm thinking she has an eating disorder. Still, I'll be watching next year, as always. Thanks for writing about it.
DeleteI do watch it every year (unless it becomes boring) but could not believe all the fuss over it! Tons of commercials and discussion the week prior and the WHOLE DAY OF (the presidential election won't get as much attention). SO MUCH emphasis on looks, and expensive clothing and jewelry...and, I'm sorry: movies! I love them too but it's just entertainment!! We seem to have lost even more of the little perspective we still have. But maybe it bugged me because so many people are suffering all over the world that it's a bit inappropriate to be so over the top. (And, please, don't anyone try to suggest that it's a good "distraction". That idiot in Syria is killing innocent babies. Sorry, had to be said.)
DeleteHighlight was Danny Elfman's score for Cirque. He's an absolute genius, so I'll take him anywhere I can find him. Best composer/musician/lyricist on the planet!
ReplyDeleteCirque de Soleil's performance was a highlight!
DeleteThe thing I always enjoy about the Oscars is watching little known actors such as Octavia Spencer and John Dujardin winning the coveted
ReplyDeleteawards and showing some genuine emotion up on the podium.
Think about what most have been going through their heads as they stood in front of Hollywood Royalty and millions of viewers to take their much deserved bows for terrific performances.
One thing I don't like about the recent Oscars is that they've expanded the number of movies eligible for Best Picture to nine, which is excessive. It was five for many years...and it should still be five, especially this year when they number of really memorable films was really thin. Much as I liked the 'Descendants' with George Clooney, and Martin Scorsese's 'Hugo,'
I believe most film experts would agree with me that neither of these pictures was worthy of being nominated for the best movie of the year.
I also liked seeing Christopher Plummer finally win an Oscar for
his role in 'Beginners.' You can tell that Plummer is one of those 'old school' actors who really appreciate and understand the craft, and it was nice to see him and his good buddy Max Von Sydow both being recognized with nominations, even though one of them didn't win the award.
Crystal is one of the better hosts and keeps things moving with some good jokes and wonderful facial expressions. There are not that many people who have done as good a job in this role as Billy, who hasn't lost a thing as he's getting well into middle age.
Despite what some people may say or think, there are still plenty of great films being made today. Unfortunately, most Americans seem to gravitate toward the 'blow em up, shoot em up' video game-type of films that feature quick cuts, little acting, and imbecilic plots. But that's the type of world we now live in I guess!
When are you going on Dino again??? Im sure he would love to have you on, you guys can talk about dim sum and all the women you will never get. The only thing seducing you is a hot pastrami on rye fatso.
ReplyDeleteThe pomp and circumstance has made the Oscars a chick flick. It even looks like the woman dress to impress other woman more then men.
ReplyDeleteI notice now that its like a routine to find the fat black actress de jour. Like-people of color? your covered..now back to the blonds. Doesnt matter if the leading man is black,latin or jewish-you cant go wrong with the blond woman.Some things never change.
Angelina now feeling the need to prove herself?.well,I guess she can't be 28 years old with a touch of baby fat again.
Moneyball got skunked...somehow the word that Billy Beane is a fraud and enemy of the blue collar people of Oakland was heard and read. I wonder who did that??
The Oscars is ALWAYS boring to me!
ReplyDeleteI don't always turn it on, but last night I had it going while I did other things. That's what I usually do.
I like to catch the gowns and the occasional interesting speech.
I liked the dog!!!!
I thought Streep was elegant and naturally a bit flustered--kind of appropriate when you've just won the Oscar for Best Actress! Geez, Rich.
But Sean Young did make things kinda exciting at the Post Oscars party. . . She's one of those hard-ass, Irish broads from the midwest. . . and bi-polar or not, I love that woman.
ReplyDelete10:23- are you sure you watched the same show.?
ReplyDeleteNo disrespect but it sounds like you must be some movie buff of the old school. Most movies and stars today bore the living crap out of me, and I'm only 45!.
Radnich had Ye Olde Jan Wahl on his Monday KRON show to chat about the Oscars. The only thing more boring than than the ceremony itself is listening to Wahl talk about anything. I can't believe I'm going to say this, but you had it right the first time, KRON - get her off the airwaves.
ReplyDeleteI've wondered this aloud before, and I'll do it again. Why is Jan Wahl ever on TV? Does she own the station?
ReplyDeleteOh yes, another "good old days" lament from Rich.
ReplyDeleteThe Oscars used to be great but now they suck.
Local radio used to be great but now it sucks.
Is there a pattern here?
The Oscars are still an world-wide curiosity/event, but this year the films up for award consideration were not up to par from previous years. ABC apparently anticipated lower ratings simply because the most "buzzed" about film was "The Artist", which was a minor box office success, and not universally enjoyed. (I for one don't understand the appeal of the movie).
ReplyDeleteExpanding the field was a mistake and in most any other previous year movies like Moneyball and The Descendents (and possibly The Tree of Life) would not have been nominated.
It will be interesting to see who becomes the next "go-to" host for the Oscars. As comforting as it was to have Billy Crystal up there, I'm sure the Academy recognizes a need for someone new and dependable. Could that be why Chris Rock was there? He was clearly one of the more relaxed and popular presenters of the evening.
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