Xixax Film Forum

Oscars moved back into late February for 2011

LOS ANGELES - The Academy Awards are moving back to February.

Awards organizers said Thursday next year's Oscar ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 27. That's about a week earlier than this season's awards show, which was held March 7 to avoid conflicting with the Winter Olympics.

Though the show used to be held in late March, the Oscars have been staged in late February in most recent years to shorten the long Hollywood awards season.

Nominations for the 83rd annual Oscars will be announced Jan. 25.

Oscars open visual-effects prize to 5 nominees

LOS ANGELES - The visual-effects category has gotten an upgrade at the next Academy Awards ceremony.

The board of governors for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences increased the number of nominees to five, up from three, at the 83rd awards show next Feb. 27.

The switch brings more awards attention to visual effects, which play a bigger role in Hollywood blockbusters as digital-animation technology continues to advance.

Since 1996, the visual-effects category has featured only three nominees, including last year's winner, the science-fiction blockbuster "Avatar."

The academy also announced Thursday some changes to the feature-animation category, including shortening the minimum running-time for animated contenders to greater than 40 minutes. That's down from the previous minimum of 70 minutes.

The change brings the animation rules in line with the minimum running times in other feature-film categories.

The new rules include language to clarify what constitutes an animated film, stating that "motion capture by itself is not an animation technique."

Motion-capture records performances by live actors wearing special suits covered with sensor dots that are read by digital cameras. The technology was used as the foundation for alien characters in "Avatar," the great ape in "King Kong" and the Gollum character in "The Lord of the Rings" films.

Coppola, Godard to receive honorary Oscars

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Directors Francis Ford Coppola and Jean-Luc Godard, actor Eli Wallach and historian Kevin Brownlow are this year's recipients of the Governor's Awards from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Coppola will receive the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, the academy said Wednesday, with Godard, Wallach and Brownlow receiving honorary Oscars. The prizes will be given at a dinner Nov. 13.

Coppola, the 71-year-old director of the "Godfather" trilogy, is already a five-time Oscar winner. Through his American Zoetrope studio, which he established in 1969, he has produced more than 30 films, including "The Black Stallion," "The Outsiders" and "Lost in Translation," which earned his daughter Sofia an Academy Award nomination for best director.

Godard, 79, is a key figure in the French New Wave who wrote about films before making shorts of his own. His 1960 feature debut, the crime drama "Breathless," is a hugely influential example of the movement.

He's credited with helping shape contemporary directors such as Martin Scorsese, Steven Soderbergh and Quentin Tarantino.

Wallach, 94, is a longtime character actor who has appeared in "The Magnificent Seven," "The Misfits" and "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly." He's also in Oliver Stone's upcoming "Wall Street" sequel, "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps."

Brownlow, 72, an author and documentarian, is considered the pre-eminent historian of the silent film era and a preservationist.

The Thalberg award, which is a bust of the film executive, goes to "a creative producer whose body of work reflects a consistently high quality of motion picture production," according to the academy.

Honorary Oscars are given for "extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the academy."

Hathaway And Franco To Host Oscars
The Academy is hip and with it, man

That sound you hear is Justin Bieber crying into his mop-top as he's just heard the news that he won't be hosting the Oscars next year. No, while they are clearly aiming for younger viewers, the producers of the 2011 Academy Awards ceremony have instead reached out to Anne Hathaway and James Franco to serve as the hosts for the event.

"James Franco and Anne Hathaway personify the next generation of Hollywood icons – fresh, exciting and multi-talented. We hope to create an Oscar broadcast that will both showcase their incredible talents and entertain the world on February 27," producers Bruce Cohen and Don Mischer said in a statement picked up by The Wrap. "We are completely thrilled that James and Anne will be joining forces with our brilliant creative team to do just that."

While word first broke over at Deadline, the news is now official. Both are certainly interesting, slightly offbeat choices, and may prove controversial since Franco and possibly also Hathaway are likely to be nominated in the acting categories for their work in 127 Hours and Love and Other Drugs this year.

Both actors have hosted Saturday Night Live, and Hathaway had a memorable moment at the Oscars two years ago when she sang and danced with Hugh Jackman. Both have also presented categories at the event in years past. But neither has experience hosting big awards events.

Which might be partly why they were picked, since the producers seem to be sticking with the current trend of going with actors who have comic chops rather than stand-up comics who can present. And both have an appeal for younger audiences, the sort of ratings demographic that don't usually tune in to watch the show, but could possibly be tempted to see what the pair does.

Naturally, the nay saying has also begun, with other commentators dismissing them as lacking the required gravitas or spark to do the job. But the real challenge will come when the lights go up on February 27 next year at the Kodak Theatre in LA...

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=29591

yall ready fer some disapointment, nom-noms come out tomorrow, whos gettin snubbed? i say Franco

No way Franco gets snubbed. That would be a travesty. I think Blue Valentine will. It won't even get acting nods.

Do we like the 10 best picture format?

Quote from: Stefen on January 24, 2011, 11:21:35 PM
Do we like the 10 best picture format?

No, we don't. Should've done it for one year and GREW SOME BALLS

I remember being really excited about 10 best pictures when it was first announced because I thought it meant some smaller and more obscure flicks would get some love, but instead it just meant they gave tons of crappy movies extra love.

Christopher Nolan shut out of Best Director!   :yabbse-angry:

Winters Bone makes it in, instead of The Town.

Best motion picture of the year

   * Black Swan (Fox Searchlight) A Protozoa and Phoenix Pictures Production
   * The Fighter (Paramount) A Relativity Media Production
   * Inception (Warner Bros.) A Warner Bros. UK Services Production
   * The Kids Are All Right (Focus Features) An Antidote Films, Mandalay Vision and Gilbert Films Production
   * The King's Speech (The Weinstein Company) A See-Saw Films and Bedlam Production
   * 127 Hours (Fox Searchlight) An Hours Production
   * The Social Network (Sony Pictures Releasing) A Columbia Pictures Production
   * Toy Story 3 (Walt Disney) A Pixar Production
   * True Grit (Paramount) A Paramount Pictures Production
   * Winter's Bone (Roadside Attractions) A Winter's Bone Production

Performance by an actor in a leading role

   * Javier Bardem in "Biutiful" (Roadside Attractions)
   * Jeff Bridges in "True Grit" (Paramount)
   * Jesse Eisenberg in "The Social Network" (Sony Pictures Releasing)
    * Colin Firth in "The King's Speech" (The Weinstein Company)
   * James Franco in "127 Hours" (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

   * Christian Bale in "The Fighter" (Paramount)
   * John Hawkes in "Winter's Bone" (Roadside Attractions)
   * Jeremy Renner in "The Town" (Warner Bros.)
   * Mark Ruffalo in "The Kids Are All Right" (Focus Features)
   * Geoffrey Rush in "The King's Speech" (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actress in a leading role

   * Annette Bening in "The Kids Are All Right" (Focus Features)
   * Nicole Kidman in "Rabbit Hole" (Lionsgate)
   * Jennifer Lawrence in "Winter's Bone" (Roadside Attractions)
   * Natalie Portman in "Black Swan" (Fox Searchlight)
   * Michelle Williams in "Blue Valentine" (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

   * Amy Adams in "The Fighter" (Paramount)
   * Helena Bonham Carter in "The King's Speech" (The Weinstein Company)
   * Melissa Leo in "The Fighter" (Paramount)
   * Hailee Steinfeld in "True Grit" (Paramount)
   * Jacki Weaver in "Animal Kingdom" (Sony Pictures Classics)

Best animated feature film of the year

   * How to Train Your Dragon (Paramount) Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
   * The Illusionist (Sony Pictures Classics) Sylvain Chomet
   * Toy Story 3 (Walt Disney) Lee Unkrich

Art Direction

   * Alice in Wonderland (Walt Disney), Robert Stromberg (Production Design), Karen O'Hara (Set Decoration)
   * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (Warner Bros.), Stuart Craig (Production Design), Stephenie McMillan (Set Decoration)
   * Inception (Warner Bros.), Guy Hendrix Dyas (Production Design), Larry Dias and Doug Mowat (Set Decoration)/span>
   * The King's Speech (Paramount), Eve Stewart (Production Design), Judy Farr (Set Decoration)
   * True Grit (Paramount), Jess Gonchor (Production Design), Nancy Haigh (Set Decoration)

Achievement in Cinematography

   * Black Swan (Fox Searchlight) Matthew Libatique
   * Inception (Warner Bros.) Wally Pfister
   * The King's Speech (The Weinstein Company) Danny Cohen
   * The Social Network (Sony Pictures Releasing) Jeff Cronenweth
   * True Grit (Paramount) Roger Deakins

Achievement in costume design

   * Alice in Wonderland (Walt Disney) Colleen Atwood
   * I Am Love (Magnolia Pictures) Antonella Cannarozzi
   * The King's Speech (The Weinstein Company) Jenny Beavan
   * The Tempest (Miramax) Sandy Powell
   * True Grit (Paramount) Mary Zophres

Achievement in directing

   * Black Swan (Fox Searchlight), Darren Aronofsky
   * The Fighter (Paramount), David O. Russell
   * The King's Speech (The Weinstein Company), Tom Hooper
   * The Social Network (Sony Pictures Releasing), David Fincher
   * True Grit (Paramount), Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Best Documentary Feature

   * Exit through the Gift Shop (Producers Distribution Agency) Banksy and Jaimie D'Cruz A Paranoid Pictures Production
   * Gasland Josh Fox and Trish Adlesic A Gasland Production
   * Inside Job (Sony Pictures Classics) Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs A Representational Pictures Production
   * Restrepo (National Geographic Entertainment) Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger An Outpost Films Production
   * Waste Land Lucy Walker and Angus Aynsley (Arthouse Films) An Almega Projects Production

Best documentary short subject

   * Killing in the Name Nominees to be determined A Moxie Firecracker Films Production
   * Poster Girl Nominees to be determined A Portrayal Films Production
   * Strangers No More Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon A Simon & Goodman Picture Company Production
   * Sun Come Up Jennifer Redfearn and Tim Metzger A Sun Come Up Production
   * The Warriors of Qiugang Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon A Thomas Lennon Films Production

Achievement in film editing

   * Black Swan (Fox Searchlight) Andrew Weisblum
   * The Fighter Paramount Pamela Martin
   * The King's Speech (The Weinstein Company) Tariq Anwar
   * 127 Hours (Fox Searchlight) Jon Harris
   * The Social Network (Sony Pictures Releasing) Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter

Best foreign language film of the year

   * Biutiful Mexico
   * Dogtooth Greece
   * In a Better World Denmark
   * Incendies Canada
   * Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi) Algeria

Achievement in makeup

   * Achievement in makeup (Sony Pictures Classics) Adrien Morot
   * The Way Back (Newmarket Films in association with Wrekin Hill Entertainment and Image Entertainment) Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
   * The Wolfman (Universal) Rick Baker and Dave Elsey

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

   * How to Train Your Dragon (Paramount) John Powell
   * Inception (Warner Bros.) Hans Zimmer
   * The King's Speech (The Weinstein Company) Alexandre Desplat
   * 127 Hours (Fox Searchlight) A.R. Rahman
   * The Social Network (Sony Pictures Releasing) Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

   * Coming Home from Country Strong (Sony Pictures Releasing (Screen Gems)) Music and Lyric by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey
   * I See the Light from Tangled (Walt Disney) Music by Alan Menken Lyric by Glenn Slater
   * If I Rise from 127 Hours (Fox Searchlight) Music by A.R. Rahman Lyric by Dido and Rollo Armstrong
   * We Belong Together from Toy Story 3 (Walt Disney) Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

Best animated short film

   * Day & Night (Walt Disney) A Pixar Animation Studios Production Teddy Newton
   * The Gruffalo A Magic Light Pictures Production Jakob Schuh and Max Lang
   * Let's Pollute A Geefwee Boedoe Production Geefwee Boedoe
   * The Lost Thing (Nick Batzias for Madman Entertainment) A Passion Pictures Australia Production Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann
   * Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary) A Sacrebleu Production Bastien Dubois

Best live action short film

   * The Confession (National Film and Television School) A National Film and Television School Production Tanel Toom
   * The Crush (Network Ireland Television) A Purdy Pictures Production Michael Creagh
   * God of Love A Luke Matheny Production Luke Matheny
   * Na Wewe (Premium Films) A CUT! Production Ivan Goldschmidt
   * Wish 143 A Swing and Shift Films/Union Pictures Production Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite

Achievement in sound editing

   * Inception (Warner Bros.) Richard King
   * Toy Story 3 (Walt Disney) Tom Myers and Michael Silvers
   * Tron: Legacy (Walt Disney) Gwendolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague
   * True Grit (Paramount) Skip Lievsay and Craig Berkey
   * Unstoppable (20th Century Fox) Mark P. Stoeckinger

Achievement in sound mixing

   * Inception (Warner Bros.) Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick
   * The King's Speech (The Weinstein Company) Paul Hamblin, Martin Jensen and John Midgley
   * Salt (Sony Pictures Releasing) Jeffrey J. Haboush, Greg P. Russell, Scott Millan and William Sarokin
   * The Social Network (Sony Pictures Releasing) Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick and Mark Weingarten
   * True Grit (Paramount) Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter F. Kurland

Achievement in visual effects

   * Alice in Wonderland (Walt Disney) Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips
   * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (Warner Bros.) Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi
   * Hereafter (Warner Bros.) Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojanski and Joe Farrell
   * Inception (Warner Bros.) Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb
   * Iron Man 2 (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment, Distributed by Paramount) Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright and Daniel Sudick

Adapted screenplay

   * 127 Hours (Fox Searchlight), Screenplay by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy
   * The Social Network (Sony Pictures Releasing), Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin
   * Toy Story 3 (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Michael Arndt. Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich
   * True Grit (Paramount), Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
   * Winter's Bone (Roadside Attractions), Adapted for the screen by Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini

Original screenplay

   * Another Year (Sony Pictures Classics), Written by Mike Leigh
   * The Fighter (Paramount), Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson. Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson
   * Inception (Warner Bros.), Written by Christopher Nolan
   * The Kids Are All Right (Focus Features), Written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
   * The King's Speech (The Weinstein Company), Screenplay by David Seidler

Quote from: modage on January 25, 2011, 07:47:01 AM
Winters Bone makes it in, instead of The Town.

YAAAAAAAYYYY!!!!!

Quote from: modage on January 25, 2011, 07:49:24 AM
Best motion picture of the year
* Winter's Bone (Roadside Attractions) A Winter's Bone Production

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
* John Hawkes in "Winter's Bone" (Roadside Attractions)
 
Performance by an actress in a leading role
* Jennifer Lawrence in "Winter's Bone" (Roadside Attractions)
 

YAAAAAAYYYYYYY!!!!!!  :bravo:

lame
-supporting actress category.. who cares?
-no nolan.. lousy ingrates.

cool
-EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP!
-inception qualified for score! in fact the whole score category looks really exciting.

huh? (aka how did that get in there?)
-another year in screenplay.. no one knows if it's good or not but the weird part is that it's nominated at all in this major category pretty much out of nowhere, and then back into hiding it goes. doubt mike leigh would attend for this random shout out.
-Hereafter in special effects.. haha this must feel like a little nerdy kid surrounded by massive tough guys.. "uh... hi guys.. i done used the special effects too... barf"

winner
-Day & Night.. one of the most brilliant things i've ever seen.

Kings Speech for cinematography? Is it opposite day today?

Incendies is in! Nice! See it asap, real good war drama in Lebanon.

i don't see how black swan doesn't get nominated for anything in the sound department. that was one of the best parts of the movie!

As Long as Winter's Bone doesn't win anything outside of acting (it won't) and The Kids are Alright doesn't win ANYTHING (it might), I think I might not absolutely hate this year's Oscars.

I mean, Nolan snubbed for Director is terrible.  And so is Inception not being there for Editing. And Black Swan not being eligible for Score.

BUT. BUT. BUTT.

Let's just take a second to realize like, this is probably the best round of Oscar noms in a long long time.

Aronofsky, Fincher, Nolan, Coens, Boyle, O. Russell, Pixar.

Like, this is our shit. (Besides Pixar), these guys are the outsiders, who a decade ago were making the movies that we loved, and would outlast the bullshit that was winning Oscars. And now they're on the inside. Still making great stuff but somehow there has been a shift in the Academy and now they're being recognized.  It's pretty incredible.  

Even if King's Speech pulls off the win, and becomes the more predictable Oscar fare over The Social Network. I think I'll still be okay with that, because then that will mean Fincher is still (somewhat of) an outsider. Still not getting the recognition, still with something to prove.  

How weird would it be if PTA's next won Best Picture?  I would feel like they were taking him away from us.  Taking what is ours and trying to say that they were "down since day one".  Wouldn't it be weird if the masses agreed with us?

My Top 5 Films of the year are all nominated for Best Picture. I feel so WEIRD about that.

Not even a directing nomination for Nolan? ..what a shame.

he really only deserves it for screenplay, and he probably will win that.

He does not deserve to be nominated for Best Director?  Seriously?

Richard Roeper (I know I'm not helping my case but actually) said something good this morning:

No offense to Tom Hooper, but I'll bet Nolan could direct a pretty good "King's Speech." Could anyone else have directed "Inception"?

I'm glad Inception isn't getting overrated (after the hype, it's really just a smart summer action movie), but I think Nolan deserves a directing nomination over Tom Hooper for sure. And even O. Russell.

I'm a lot happier this year than I have been before. They got it mostly right, but they will probably screw it all up for Kings Speech. What's that about? Does there always have to be an obligatory proper British film? Really tired of those.

It's a shame Ryan Gosling didn't get an acting nomination. He should be there over Eisenberg. If there are any acting noms for Social Network it should be supporting for Garfield or NOBODY. That's Fincher's movie.

I'll be watching this year and actually looking forward to it. I just hope The Kings Speech doesn't run away with everything.

Man, these are probably the best bunch of nom's the academy has doled out in awhile. With the exception of snubbing Nolan (WTF) and overrating Winter's Bone and Kids Are Alright (the "Little Miss Sunshine" Indie Noms), they done pretty good.

Glad Eisenberg got nominated (was sure that Gosling was). He blew me away in Social Network. Totally elevated himself out of "Jesse Eisenberg" in that role. For me at least.

Seriously, Alright Kids is an overrated mess; I don't think it deserves any accolades. I bet if the Academy could, they'd nominate last night's episode of Skins.

Quote from: The Perineum Falcon on January 25, 2011, 05:41:03 PM
Seriously, Alright Kids is an overrated mess; I don't think it deserves any accolades.

I know right?! There is nothing good about that movie, how the fuck did it get a best picture nom?

It's gonna win.

we could do what we* did last year to make this thread worth something, post the shorts that are available on the nets, you guys remember that (http://xixax.com/index.php?topic=10756.msg288492#msg288492) right?


* by we i mean p.

YES! good call, ferninand. that was the aboslute best ever last year. p-p-p-please make it happen again.

Quote from: P on January 25, 2011, 06:10:44 PM
It's gonna win.

King's Speech

that's BS, I'm protesting by not seeing it for at least a year

Quote from: Pozer on January 25, 2011, 08:14:10 PM
YES! good call, ferninand. that was the aboslute best ever last year. p-p-p-please make it happen again.

since that request fell into deaf p-ears, I tried to find them all but didn't, so some of them are just clips or trailers, Gruffalo is on hulu and since I cant access from my location I dont know if it's the whole thing or not.

guys, if you happen to find the full shorts I didn't please post them.


ANIMATED

Day & Night (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpN0vwgVBZk) 5.16min

Gruffalo (http://www.hulu.com/watch/199682/gruffalo)

Let's Pollute (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXL0nOMMR5Y) clip only.

The Lost Thing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdoFqYCPLEU) 15min

Madagascar, A Journey Diary (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaWEzsLVGiA) 11.04min


LIVE ACTION

The Confession (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5pyl0bIvVs) 3.44min

The Crush (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unQolMNkJQ4) clip only.

God of Love (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlQsnMsq_RI) trailer.

Na Wewe (http://vimeo.com/19557444) trailer.

Wish 143 (http://www.shortfilmfests.com/content/wish-143) 22.54min

Oscar Talk with Leonard Maltin and Mike Tyson (http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/3eb570fc6e/oscar-talk-with-mike-tyson-leonard-maltin)


It made me laugh.

Tonights a good night for a drunkathon what with the Oscars and the Knicks/Heat game. I'll be doing that if anyone wants to join me here.

I'm calling a Kings Speech sweep. A great year in film and the proper British Oscar bait is going to win everything. Just wait. Also, Annette Bening will beat NatPo. JUST WAIT!

Sucks that I drank so much last night that hte mere thought of alcohol is....

Crossing fingers for Incendies to win foreign!

I would normally be with you, but I have a stomach bug and you can't drink beer on a stomach bug  yabbse-sad:

it's gonna be a sad year, none of the movies I like will be winning, but I'm trying to focus on the positive.

Almost done with the first bottle of wine of the night. I'll be on here every so often. Let's hope JF & AH are entertaining.

Stomach bugs, hangovers, psh. Nerds.

Alright, Sleepless is in. Cool.

You know, this red carpet stuff always cracks me up. Celebrities take themselves so seriously, but they try and pretend like they don't. Like when they're being interviewed, they'll be self-deprecating, but not TOO self-deprecating. Cracks me up. Like one of their big flaws will be how they are never on time. You have bigger flaws than that!

Got me all caught up in the excitement with the Gone With The Wind, Titanic moment... Building up the importance of the art direction award as a sign of who might win best picture. Alice in Fucking Wonderland.

^lol. yeah, fail when Alice in Wonderland wins the first award at a prestigious awards show.

FISTER wins cinematography. Was hoping Deakins would get it.

Can we have more Kirk Douglas please? Jeez...

haha, I thought Kirk was awesome. He didn't give an eff.

TS3 for best animated feature. Well deserved.

Brolin and Bardem's suites provided by Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Boo. Dogtooth loses best foreign film to some other movie.

I pay attention to international cinema all year long but when they announce the best foreign films, I had never heard of any of them. Happens EVERY year. What's up with that?

Bale wins best supporting.

So glad Kings Speech is losing everything.

EDIT: Wack. New page. Now I'm the guy who says Kings Speech loses everything right before they win it all. Let's move this page quick.

Hahahaha all my life I thought Rand Newman and Randy Quaid were the same person

^lol. For years I thought the same about Neil Diamond and Neil Young. When I heard Neil Young performed with Pearl Jam I told my grandmother she has awesome taste.

Randy Newman is actually a robot operated by elves and buffed to a high polish by a squadron of bunny rabbit tails.

Fake Musical montage put the show right back on top. Then the brought on Oprah  :doh:

I turned the Oscars on just in time to watch autotune land on the far end of the shark.

And Exit Through the Gift Shop lost, thereby ending the possibility of anything interesting in any way happening tonight. I'm out. I just need to find something to watch for the next half-hour before Amazing Race starts.

Billy Crystal. Better again.

TOM HOOPER IS THE NEW CRASH.

^ Absolutely.

I'm still feeling bad I tuned out when Celine Dion came on and missed half the In Memoriam.

He shouldn't even have received a nomination over Nolan.

Nat Po winning was a big surprise!! I got douche chills everytime I thought of Benning getting it, suck on that Benning!

Worst Oscars ever.

NEVER TRUST THEM.

Sometimes I hate being right.

Predictable. After a few exciting years it's back to business as usual for the Oscars. Being wrong is their full-time job.

There were a few awards which I was happy about, a really boring stretch which last 2 hours, then a disappointing end to the night. And I now dislike Melissa Leo - as amazing an actress as she is, really disliked her attitude tonight. I won an oscar, I'm awesome, blaaaah.

Thanks for saving the new page.

Yeah, there was some good stuff tonight, but overall it was a disappointment. This was pretty much a xixax year, but it didn't prevail.

Ebert says its the worst Oscarcast he's ever seen. I wouldn't go that far (Billy Crystal isn't THAT good), but it was definitely subpar. The sets were absolutely boring. Franco was too stoned, Hathaway too cheesy. Melissa Leo wins Least Charming Person on the Planet. Kirk Douglas wins Most Likely to Be in the In Memoriam Next Year. Thought most of the speeches were good. Florence and dude were great, others were boring as shit. This all says nothing of what actually won. Yeah, pretty miserable Oscars.

Despite "King's Speech" winning BP, I still have zero interest in seeing it. Always bugs me when something wins BP and I feel so detached from the story.

Edit: ..and ditto "Exit Through the Gift Shop" not winning. That bummed me out too.

Quote from: modage on January 25, 2011, 01:07:10 PM
No offense to Tom Hooper, but I'll bet Nolan could direct a pretty good "King's Speech." Could anyone else have directed "Inception"?

This is what i kept saying to my friends all night, Christopher Nolan, Darren Aronscarfsky, The Coen. Bros, David Fincher...gaspar noe (well maybe not gaspar noe) could have all directed the king's speech

Tom Hooper couldn't have directed any of their movies.

Worst. Oscars. Ever.

There's no way that it's the best film of the year, but it should probably be acknowledged that The King's Speech isn't a BAD film. It isn't a directorial nonentity like, say, A Beautiful Mind - it's got it's own visual sense. It isn't dramatically cheap and offensive in its politics like Crash - it's a solidly told human story. Given that we know the academy never actually awards 'best picture' to the best pictures, this movie is more artistically distinctive than a film needs to be in order to win (Titanic, Braveheart, etc...). I agree it's kind of annoying in a year when a number of particularly good other films were nominated for the top prize. I just never expect much more than mediocrity from the Oscars in the first place, so I'm content for a slightly-better-than-workmanlike movie to get praised by a routinely unimaginative organisation.

shit oscars deserves a shit summary:

what's my wife's name again?
christian bale

what the hell?
gwyneth paltrow

get off the stage, i wanna go home/to bed!
the kids

Also, James Franco was way too stoned.

Once again the Oscars was forgettable.

Oh, I just realised that I didn't see it. Congrats to Trent Reznor though.

Wrote a short blog on this:

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_lhc9xvmTJZ1qzptin.jpg&hash=153c77d3a6b7fb056b3ca10b8176da7f64e69b13)

http://modage.tumblr.com/post/3566102633/cheer-up-the-oscars-are-usually-wrong

Good read. I'm just hoping to erase The King's Speech from memory. I said before that I'll protest by not seeing for at least a year so I can judge it for what it really is. I'm guessing it'll make me cry at some point.
oh boy..

Quote from: Filmdrunk.comOkay, maybe it wasn't terrible, but The King's Speech is not a film that should win Best Picture at the Oscars, it's a film that should win Best Picture at a parody of the Oscars.  If Seltzer-Friedberg were slightly talented and made a film called "Oscar Movie," it would look exactly like The King's Speech.

This.

^pretty much. I called it awhile ago.

It was oscar bait. That's all it was. And it worked. It's a shame, too, because this year was pretty great in terms of good filmmakers putting out good movies that were actually recognized by the Academy.

I haven't read this thread since Sunday night, but in honor of the most boringly predictable Best Picture win, I give you:

A One-man reenactment of The King's Speech trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVetE8qypJM)

^LOL. That was pretty good. The guy got the proper British stuff perfect. Especially the Firth "I have a voice!" part and Rush.

Man, I don't know what was cornier in terms of parts in trailers this year, the because I have a voice bit from Kings Speech or the if god wanted another angel why didn't he just make one bit from Rabbit Hole.

Quote from: Stefen on March 01, 2011, 02:50:45 PM
^LOL. That was pretty good. The guy got the proper British stuff perfect. Especially the Firth "I have a voice!" part and Rush.

Thanks!  The guy is me.

Stefen, I wonder the same thing.  I didn't want to have anything to do with Rabbit Hole when I first saw that happen in the trailer.

^haha, good job!

Rabbit Hole is actually pretty good, but there are some parts in that are cringe worthy, especially that scene.

stefen, that's not The Guy, that's regularkarate.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2011/06/oscars-best-picture-field-five-ten-new-rule-academy-awards-best-picture.html

Best Picture category will be changed yet again. Now there can be anywhere from 5 nominees to 10. The requirements for nomination is now predicated on a film just receiving 5% of the votes. So whatever number of films get the votes, they will be on ballot. I guess it's to keep the dead weight competition from being inexplicably nominated, but 5 choices already seemed like enough nominees.

A silly award show just gets sillier.

When they made it 10 I thought there was a good chance less standard fare would be nominated but instead they just ended up nominating more shitty movies. I thought some world cinema could get recognized but instead they just included shit like action movies and movies from the comedy/musical category at the golden globes.

Critics Boo Oprah's Honorary Oscar
Source; THR

Oprah, meet Oscar. On Tuesday the board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted to give Oprah Winfrey an honorary Oscar at the Nov. 12 Governor's Awards. It's called the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, given to an "individual in the motion picture industry whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry.'"

Not everyone is applauding the move, because Winfrey hasn't exactly shown a laserlike focus on movies since her 1986 Oscar nomination for The Color Purple. "She's in the motion picture industry?" New York Film Critics Circle chair John Anderson asks THR sarcastically. "It seems like a shameless bid for a ratings boost --although once they start showing clips from Beloved and The Color Purple the numbers will plummet."

Many charge that giving Winfrey the philanthropic award is really an attempt to get her to be philanthropic to the academy, by showing up at the February Oscar broadcast as well as the untelevised Governor's Awards. The Los Angeles Times' Patrick Goldstein called Winfrey's award "boneheaded." Even a Winfrey fan like former NWFCC chair Armond White, who enthusiastically voted for her in the 1986 National Society of Film Critics Awards and the New York Film Critics Circle Awards, was appalled. "Does this newly announced Academy prize prove that Oprah means the same thing to Hollywood as past Jean Hersholt Award winners Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Lew Wasserman, Charlton Heston?" White asks THR rhetorically. "Is this just another way for the academy to continue to grovel for TV ratings?" Yes, probably. And Winfrey could sure use some Oscar-fueled ratings boost for her fledgling Oprah Winfrey Network. Winfrey's award, along with the honorary Oscar that will be given to James Earl Jones, also serves to soothe the Academy's probable guilt over the much-criticized chronic absence of black faces among the regular Oscar nominees. Winfrey is the second black Hersholt winner after 1995's Quincy Jones. "Is the Academy kowtowing to the silly complaints that no black actors were nominated this year?" says White. "The Oscars are supposed to be about the works Hollywood admires, not a score-keeping mechanism for ethnic and racial equality. By that standard the Oscars fail Native Americans, Asians, Africans, Scandinavians, and Latin Americans every year. I'm afraid those complaints were just media hype, an attempt by some to hold the Oscars hostage to political correctness." It seems unlikely that Winfrey (or the exceedingly eminent actor Jones) is a mere example of PC tokenism. But so far, her Hersholt isn't winning many awards in the court of public opinion.

Not as bad as Drew Carey getting into WWE Hall of Fame.

Brett Ratner and Don Mischer to Produce Oscars Telecast
Comedy will be "a big part" of the Feb. 26 broadcast, Ratner says
Source: THR

Brett Ratner and Don Mischer will produce the 84th Academy Awards telecast, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom Sherak announced Thursday.

Ratner, a surprise choice who has directed such movies as the Rush Hour series and X-Men: The Last Stand, said that he suspected one reason that Sherak and the Academy's new CEO Dawn Hudson turned to him is his love of comedy. "To their credit, Tom and Dawn really understand what is needed, and comedy is a big part of it and I want to make that part of it," Ratner said.

While the Oscar show assignment usually goes to a more experienced Hollywood hand, Ratner is just 42, but he's long had a fascination with Old Hollywood lore --he lives in Beverly Hills in a home known as Hillhaven Lodge, which once belonged to Ingrid Bergman, and he has palled around with Robert Evans --and his sense of Hollywood history is something he could well draw upon in wrestling the Oscar show into shape.

Before he accepted the challenge, though, he also me with Mischer, who produced this past February's broadcast with Bruce Cohen, and Ratner said that gave him the confidence to say yes because, "the guy is just a pro." Speaking on a call with Ratner, Mischer, who will also direct the live broadcast, added of his new producing partner, "His enthusiasm was just overwhelming. We met for what was to be one-half hour and it turned into two-and-one-half hours as we talked approaches and ideas."

Their first order of business will be deciding on a host, but both men insisted they haven't zeroed in on a choice. "We haven't discussed hosts yet," Mischer said. "It's wide open."

When Sherak and Hudson first began discussing potential candidates to produce the show, it was Hudson who suggested calling in Ratner. "We just had an instinct that he would have a fresh point of view for the show. He's young, he's enthusiastic, and mostly he comes with a deep, deep love of movies," Hudson said of her intuition. "Brett is such a renowned cinephile, and such a student of this industry and of the Oscar shows. He knows the ins and outs of the shows from the beginning of time. He has a very broad sense of entertainment, a great sense of comedy, and he's a showman." Plus, she added, "He has great talent relationships," which is always useful in lining up a host and presenters. Sherak said he sparked to the idea immediately, and so he called Ratner in for a meeting a couple of weeks ago without telling him what was on the agenda. "But we started talking with him, and before we knew it, it was three hours later," Sherak said.

Sherak also set up a meeting between Ratner and Mischer. "Don gives us continunity," said Sherak of Mischer, who has been nominated for an Emmy for his work on this year's Oscars. "We wanted Brett and Don to like each other, and they fell in love with each other."

One concern that Ratner had was how the Oscar job would fit into his existing schedule. He's currently finishing post-production on the comedy Tower Heist, starring Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy, which Universal releases Nov. 4. And he's developing a couple of projects: 39 Clues for DreamWorks and Hercules: The Thracian Wars for MGM, while also producing Relativity's Snow White.

Mischer assured him that it was "absolutely doable. We have a lot of support and systems in place, having done it last year. So I'm not worried about Brett's schedule at all." Said Ratner, "I'm finishing a movie in a few weeks, then I'll do press and there will be a premiere I can't miss. Then I'm working on two movies that are in early, early pre-production. I foresee the day when I wrap [the Oscar show], and then I'm immediately shuttled off to a location to start pre-production on one of them."

Before making a decision, though, Ratner first took a vacation, during which he reviewed a lot of past Oscar shows. Then, Wednesday night, he emailed Sherak --who had been re-elected for a third term as Academy president the previous day --and requested a meeting Thursday at which he accepted the assignment.

As a student of the Oscars, Ratner knows the risks he faces for he now shares a further link with the late producer Allan Carr, who also once lived in Hillhaven. Carr produced the 61st Academy Awards in 1989, and that show drew a firestorm of criticism, much of it directed at its kitschy, overlong production numbers. But Ratner doesn't consider that an omen. "Look, Allan was a showman in his way, and it was a very different time," he said. "And by the way, he did some good things too. He had some good ideas. It was on that show that they changed the line 'and the winner is' to 'and the Oscar goes to'."

Next year's awards show will be broadcast live by ABC on Feb. 26 from the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood.

So it's going to be a 3 hour commercial for whatever film Ratner has opening next.

Calling Brett Ratner a cinephile is like calling Josef Mengele a humanitarian.

Tower Heist DOES look kinda entertaining, guys.

Saying Tower Heist looks entertaining is like saying Josef Mengele looks like a good babysitter.

I'm not one to shit on a movie before it comes out, but Black Ocean's 11 - Black People + White People x Ratner, has to = SHIT.... i don't care what BadassDigest or Slashfilm tells me to think.

... and the oscars will continue to suck as well.

Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on August 08, 2011, 02:03:40 PM
Once again, the movie show will be less entertaining than this thread.

Eddie Murphy In Talks To Host 84th Oscars
Source: Nikki Finke, Deadline

EXCLUSIVE: This Tuesday, a confab is scheduled for Oscar producer Brett Ratner to tell the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences whom he wants to host the Oscars. I've learned that Ratner will offer one name to Academy President Tom Sherak: Eddie Murphy. This is by no means a done deal yet, but this is a first step –though a lot more steps have to happen before this becomes a reality. I'm told that a lot of big names have approached the other 84th Academy Awards producer Don Mischer saying they are interested in hosting, and Don is fielding those calls. But insiders tell me that Ratner since getting the Academy Awards producing gig has only been talking to one person: Eddie. It's been along the lines of, "If the Academy asked you to host, would you accept?" I learned that Eddie is "showing interest". I do know that Murphy's Hollywood agency WME thinks it'd be a real coup for Murphy's dormant career which is about to get a kick-start. That's because the veteran comedian is starring in the Brett Ratner-directed and Imagine/Universal-produced Tower Heist action laugher with Ben Stiller that opens on November 4th and is receiving great buzz. So Murphy and Ratner already have a close relationship, and this would be a way for Brett to put his personal stamp on 2012′s broadcast. Plus Murphy is starring in the DreamWorks' dramedy film A Thousand Words scheduled for release on January 12th.

Eddie, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 2006′s Dreamgirls but lost, is said to worship the Oscars. "Nobody knows movies better or is a bigger cinephile than Eddie. Not Brett. Not even Quentin Tarantino. Eddie can quote scenes from every single movie word for word," an insider tells me. "He can bring all that experience to hosting. Plus he has Saturday Night Live experience before a live crowd. And worldwide the biggest crossover comedians are Will Smith and Eddie Murphy." That's important because a huge part of the Academy Awards telecast audience is global. And with two movies opening before the Oscars, Murphy could benefit from the publicity bonanza especially overseas where international releases usually follow U.S. opeings by several months. Besides, the Academy has been after more diversity which is why this October it's honoring James Earl Jones and Oprah Winfrey (even though she's much more of a TV personality than a movie star or filmmaker).

Today the comedy and urban entertainment website Humor Mill posted first an exclusive (sourced from several close friends of Eddie's) that it's a done deal. But I've confirmed it's not —yet. Meanwhile, I hear that Billy Crystal, who recently expressed interest in hosting again, will almost certainly be incorporated into the show in some marquee way.

Quote from: MacGuffin on September 03, 2011, 11:21:52 PM
Eddie Murphy In Talks To Host 84th Oscars
Source: Nikki Finke, Deadline

EXCLUSIVE: This Tuesday, a confab is scheduled for Oscar producer Brett Ratner to tell the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences whom he wants to host the Oscars. I've learned that Ratner will offer one name to Academy President Tom Sherak: Eddie Murphy. This is by no means a done deal yet, but this is a first step –though a lot more steps have to happen before this becomes a reality. I'm told that a lot of big names have approached the other 84th Academy Awards producer Don Mischer saying they are interested in hosting, and Don is fielding those calls. But insiders tell me that Ratner since getting the Academy Awards producing gig has only been talking to one person: Eddie. It's been along the lines of, "If the Academy asked you to host, would you accept?" I learned that Eddie is "showing interest". I do know that Murphy's Hollywood agency WME thinks it'd be a real coup for Murphy's dormant career which is about to get a kick-start. That's because the veteran comedian is starring in the Brett Ratner-directed and Imagine/Universal-produced Tower Heist action laugher with Ben Stiller that opens on November 4th and is receiving great buzz. So Murphy and Ratner already have a close relationship, and this would be a way for Brett to put his personal stamp on 2012′s broadcast. Plus Murphy is starring in the DreamWorks' dramedy film A Thousand Words scheduled for release on January 12th.

Eddie, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 2006′s Dreamgirls but lost, is said to worship the Oscars. "Nobody knows movies better or is a bigger cinephile than Eddie. Not Brett. Not even Quentin Tarantino. Eddie can quote scenes from every single movie word for word," an insider tells me. "He can bring all that experience to hosting. Plus he has Saturday Night Live experience before a live crowd. And worldwide the biggest crossover comedians are Will Smith and Eddie Murphy." That's important because a huge part of the Academy Awards telecast audience is global. And with two movies opening before the Oscars, Murphy could benefit from the publicity bonanza especially overseas where international releases usually follow U.S. opeings by several months. Besides, the Academy has been after more diversity which is why this October it's honoring James Earl Jones and Oprah Winfrey (even though she's much more of a TV personality than a movie star or filmmaker).

Today the comedy and urban entertainment website Humor Mill posted first an exclusive (sourced from several close friends of Eddie's) that it's a done deal. But I've confirmed it's not —yet. Meanwhile, I hear that Billy Crystal, who recently expressed interest in hosting again, will almost certainly be incorporated into the show in some marquee way.

YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU LET BRETT RATNER TOUCH YOUR STUFF?

This will be like the most glorious natural disaster we've ever seen.

For some reason, the image of Eddie Murphy as a raging Oscars nerd cracks me up.

That's because it's not true. Just like ratner isn't a cinephile and the Oscars don't award the best movies of the year.

It's like instead of trying to regain some integrity the Oscars are going the other way and fully embracing their phoney status. Eddie Murphy might be a good host, if he can remember how to be funny again, but the reason he's got the gig is ratner nepotism and nothing else.

Ratner himself is using this as an opportunity to somehow legitimize his credentials as "lover of cinema" and hoping it retroactively rebrands his cinematic output as the work of someone who is consciously carving out a legacy instead of all his films being the result of staunch opportunism.

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Source: Brett Ratner Out as Oscar Show Producer
In recent days, the "Tower Heist" director said that "rehearsal is for fags" and discussed his sex life on Howard Stern's radio show.
Source: THR

Director Brett Ratner is out as Oscar producer, a source close to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences tells The Hollywood Reporter. The source says a decision has been made and the Academy will make an announcement shortly.

Calls to the Academy were not returned.

Ratner had been named as the producer of the 2012 Academy Awards show, but he has been under fire for making a series of ill-judged remarks in recent days, including saying "rehearsal is for fags" and discussing his sex life with Howard Stern.

The Academy is expected to issue an announcement detailing the situation later today. It is not yet known whether Eddie Murphy, who stars in Ratner's film Tower Heist and was recruited by Ratner to serve as the host of the Oscar show, will remain involved with the production.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/brett-ratner-fired-oscars-olivia-munn-258883

Brett Ratner's 10 Offensive Quotes That Ended in Oscar Trouble
4:20 PM PST 11/8/2011 by Michael O'Connell
From insults on Howard Stern to Olivia Munn to that gay slur, the (former) Oscar producer and Tower Heist director has been on a tear.

Directors rarely get the opportunity to be the face of their films' promotions, but not all directors are Brett Ratner.

The man behind the Rush Hour franchise, and what was supposed to be the upcoming Oscar telecast, has been making the rounds for his latest film, Tower Heist, appearing on talk shows, radio programs and at public screenings.

At almost every opportunity, he seems to have gleefully inserted his foot into his mouth.

First, he addressed rumors about a past relationship with Olivia Munn, defending his manhood by confirming that he did indeed "bang" her. Then, he dropped the three-letter f-bomb at a Q&A, eliciting scorn from GLAAD and eye rolls from every corner of the industry. Most recently, he stopped by Howard Stern to backtracked on Munn but confess that he once forced Lindsay Lohan to get checked for sexually transmitted diseases when she was "very young."

So in the interest of absorbing the crudest, most ill-advised and all around regrettable soundbites to come out of Ratner's mouth in the last week, here are the 10 greatest. And by "greatest," we mean worst:

1. "I'm a hypochondriac. Before I go all the way, I send the girl to the doctor and check them for everything. My doctor has a test to tell if you're going to catch something in the future even." - - Brett Ratner on Lindsay Lohan (The Howard Stern Show)

2. "I said I banged her three times, which wasn't true... The problem is I made her look like whore." - Brett Ratner on Olivia Munn (The Howard Stern Show)

3. "I have huge balls." - Brett Ratner on his balls (The Howard Stern Show)

4. "I turned 40, and I said, 'Holy s---. I've never gotten a girl pregnant.' And I've been doing this pull-out thing for year and years and years. So I go to a doctor and I said, 'You gotta check my sperm.' He calls me up two days later and says, 'We gotta talk.' .... He said, 'Brett, in 25 years, I've never seen a sperm count like this.' The average load is 40 million sperm, and only 30-40 percent are motile. He said I have 10 times, 480 million sperm, he said, 'If you breathe on a girl, she's going to get pregnant.' ... So now I'm condoms only." - Brett Ratner on never getting a woman pregnant, including longtime girlfriend Rebecca Gayheart (The Howard Stern Show)

5. "I'm probably the best in the world at it" - Brett Ratner on oral sex (The Howard Stern Show)

6. "She was hanging out on my set of 'After the Sunset,' I banged her a few times...but I forgot her." - Brett Ratner on Olivia Munn (G4)

7. "When she came and auditioned for me for a TV show, I forgot her, she got pissed off and she made up all these stories about me eating shrimp and masturbating in my trailer. And my shortcomings. She talked about my shortcomings. I get it. She's bitter."  Brett Ratner on Olivia Munn (G4)

8. "I used to date Olivia Munn.. when she was Lisa. That was the problem. She wasn't Asian back then." - Brett Ratner on Olivia Munn (G4)

9. "Rehearsal? What's that? Rehearsal's for fags. Rehearsal. Not much." - Brett Ratner on the Oscars (Tower Heist screening)

10. "It was a dumb way of expressing myself. Everyone who knows me knows that I don't have a prejudiced bone in my body. But as a storyteller I should have been much more thoughtful about the power of language and my choice of words." - Brett Ratner apologizing for his stance on rehearsal.

Brett Ratner Explains His Oscar Resignation
BY MIKE FLEMING | Deadline

Brett Ratner has issued a letter to the entertainment industry explaining why he has resigned as producer of the Academy Awards following a litany of spectacularly dumb and insensitive statements made while promoting his new film Tower Heist. I'm told that despite a growing groundswell of Academy members calling for Ratner's head, the Academy likely would have grudgingly hung in there with Ratner as producer. He made it easy for them by bowing out. Here is his statement:

An Open Letter to the Entertainment Industry from Brett Rather

Dear Colleagues,

Over the last few days, I've gotten a well-deserved earful from many of the people I admire most in this industry expressing their outrage and disappointment over the hurtful and stupid things I said in a number of recent media appearances. To them, and to everyone I've hurt and offended, I'd like to apologize publicly and unreservedly.

As difficult as the last few days have been for me, they cannot compare to the experience of any young man or woman who has been the target of offensive slurs or derogatory comments. And they pale in comparison to what any gay, lesbian, or transgender individual must deal with as they confront the many inequalities that continue to plague our world.

So many artists and craftspeople in our business are members of the LGBT community, and it pains me deeply that I may have hurt them. I should have known this all along, but at least I know it now: words do matter. Having love in your heart doesn't count for much if what comes out of your mouth is ugly and bigoted. With this in mind, and to all those who understandably feel that apologies are not enough, please know that I will be taking real action over the coming weeks and months in an effort to do everything I can both professionally and personally to help stamp out the kind of thoughtless bigotry I've so foolishly perpetuated.

As a first step, I called Tom Sherak this morning and resigned as a producer of the 84th Academy Awards telecast. Being asked to help put on the Oscar show was the proudest moment of my career. But as painful as this may be for me, it would be worse if my association with the show were to be a distraction from the Academy and the high ideals it represents.

I am grateful to GLAAD for engaging me in a dialogue about what we can do together to increase awareness of the important and troubling issues this episode has raised and I look forward to working with them. I am incredibly lucky to have a career in this business that I love with all of my heart and to be able to work alongside so many of my heroes. I deeply regret my actions and I am determined to learn from this experience.

Sincerely,
Brett Ratner

Quote from: Ravi on November 08, 2011, 07:40:59 PM
Brett Ratner's 10 Offensive Quotes That Ended in Oscar Trouble

That interview (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Xy3Zw5SYHY) on Howard Stern was the most douche-chilling hour of radio I've ever listened to. This guy needs much less of a career.

Eddie Murphy is officially out.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/10/movies/eddie-murphy-drops-out-of-oscars-telecast.html

I like Empire's suggestion of getting the Muppets to host.

OSCARS: Brian Grazer Will Step Into Breach And Produce 84th Academy Awards
BY NIKKI FINKE | Deadline

The Academy Of Motion Pictures & Arts Sciences just made official what Deadline reported first: that Hollywood A-lister Brian Grazer will produce the 84th Academy Awards with TV veteran Don Mischer. And there's more news on this fast-breaking story: As much as the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences hoped that Eddie Murphy would reconsider his exit as host, insiders tell me that Imagine Entertainment co-founder Brian Grazer has moved on this afternoon. "We are not going back to him. No way," they say. Grazer, co-founder of Imagine Entertainment with Ron Howard, first told Hollywood around 1 PM that he committed to the gig. The Academy now owes Brian big-time for stepping into the breach left when Brett Ratner exited because of the scandal which the director created around himself. Immediately, Grazer began calling around town looking for an Oscar host and speed-dialed the top agencies checking availabilities for big talent.

For Grazer to take on the Oscars demonstrates a dedication to the movie community that the Academy won't soon forget. Grazer's name frequently comes up for the Irving G Thalberg Memorial Award, the most coveted Oscar honor for anyone in Hollywood, and the producer almost received it for the 76th annual Oscars. So maybe sooner rather than later it should be Grazer's turn for the Thalberg.

Beverly Hills, CA – Academy President Tom Sherak announced today that Academy Award®-winner Brian Grazer will join Don Mischer as a producer of the 84th Academy Awards. This will be the first time Grazer has produced the Oscar® telecast.

"Brian Grazer is a renowned filmmaker who over the past 25 years has produced a diverse and extraordinary body of work," said Sherak. "He will certainly bring his tremendous talent, creativity and relationships to the Oscars®."

"I am thrilled to welcome Brian Grazer as my partner and that we will be collaborating to produce an outstanding show," echoed Mischer.

"It's very gratifying to be part of a show that honors excellence in the medium to which I have devoted so much of my career," said Grazer. "Don is a legend, and I am excited to work with him."

"I too am delighted that Brian will join Don in producing the Academy Awards and I am looking forward to our producers delivering the movie event of the year," commented Academy CEO Dawn Hudson.

Grazer has earned four Academy Award nominations. He won a Best Picture Oscar in 2001 for "A Beautiful Mind." In 1984, Grazer was nominated in the writing category for "Splash," and he received Best Picture nominations in 1995 and 2008 for "Apollo 13″ and "Frost/Nixon," respectively. His other film credits include "Spies Like Us," "Kindergarten Cop," "The Nutty Professor," "Liar Liar," "8 Mile" and "Cinderella Man." His current projects include the about to be released "J. Edgar" and the just released "Tower Heist."

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar® presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

It's Billy Crystal. (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2011/11/billy-crystal-oscar-host-grazer.html)

Sweet, I really need to catch up on my sleep that night.

i wanted to have the muppets host it

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Trailer here.  (http://youtu.be/sXGI9suAyBI)

that was hack.

Nah, he's still got it.

Best Picture

"The Artist" Thomas Langmann, Producer
"The Descendants" Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers
"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" Scott Rudin, Producer
"The Help" Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers
"Hugo" Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers
"Midnight in Paris" Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers
"Moneyball" Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers
"The Tree of Life" Nominees to be determined
"War Horse" Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers

Actor in a Leading Role

Demián Bichir in "A Better Life"
George Clooney in "The Descendants"
Jean Dujardin in "The Artist"
Gary Oldman in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
Brad Pitt in "Moneyball"

Actor in a Supporting Role

Kenneth Branagh in "My Week with Marilyn"
Jonah Hill in "Moneyball"
Nick Nolte in "Warrior"
Christopher Plummer in "Beginners"
Max von Sydow in "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"

Actress in a Leading Role

Glenn Close in "Albert Nobbs"
Viola Davis in "The Help"
Rooney Mara in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
Meryl Streep in "The Iron Lady"
Michelle Williams in "My Week with Marilyn"

Actress in a Supporting Role

Bérénice Bejo in "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain in "The Help"
Melissa McCarthy in "Bridesmaids"
Janet McTeer in "Albert Nobbs"
Octavia Spencer in "The Help"

Animated Feature Film

"A Cat in Paris" Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli
"Chico & Rita" Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal
"Kung Fu Panda 2" Jennifer Yuh Nelson
"Puss in Boots" Chris Miller
"Rango" Gore Verbinski

Art Direction

"The Artist"
Production Design: Laurence Bennett; Set Decoration: Robert Gould
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
"Hugo"
Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
"Midnight in Paris"
Production Design: Anne Seibel; Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil
"War Horse"
Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales

Cinematography

"The Artist" Guillaume Schiffman
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Jeff Cronenweth
"Hugo" Robert Richardson
"The Tree of Life" Emmanuel Lubezki
"War Horse" Janusz Kaminski

Costume Design

"Anonymous" Lisy Christl
"The Artist" Mark Bridges
"Hugo" Sandy Powell
"Jane Eyre" Michael O'Connor
"W.E." Arianne Phillips

Directing

"The Artist" Michel Hazanavicius
"The Descendants" Alexander Payne
"Hugo" Martin Scorsese
"Midnight in Paris" Woody Allen
"The Tree of Life" Terrence Malick

Documentary (Feature)

"Hell and Back Again"
Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner
"If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front"
Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman
"Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory"
Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
"Pina"
Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel
"Undefeated"
TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas

Documentary (Short Subject)

"The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement"
Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin
"God Is the Bigger Elvis"
Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson
"Incident in New Baghdad"
James Spione
"Saving Face"
Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
"The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom"
Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen

Film Editing

"The Artist" Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
"The Descendants" Kevin Tent
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
"Hugo" Thelma Schoonmaker
"Moneyball" Christopher Tellefsen

Foreign Language Film

"Bullhead" Belgium
"Footnote" Israel
"In Darkness" Poland
"Monsieur Lazhar" Canada
"A Separation" Iran

Makeup

"Albert Nobbs"
Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
"The Iron Lady"
Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

Music (Original Score)

"The Adventures of Tintin" John Williams
"The Artist" Ludovic Bource
"Hugo" Howard Shore
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Alberto Iglesias
"War Horse" John Williams

Music (Original Song)

"Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets" Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
"Real in Rio" from "Rio" Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown Lyric by Siedah Garrett

Short Film (Animated)

"Dimanche/Sunday" Patrick Doyon
"The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg
"La Luna" Enrico Casarosa
"A Morning Stroll" Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe
"Wild Life" Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

Short Film (Live Action)

"Pentecost" Peter McDonald and Eimear O'Kane
"Raju" Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren
"The Shore" Terry George and Oorlagh George
"Time Freak" Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey
"Tuba Atlantic" Hallvar Witzø

Sound Editing

"Drive" Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Ren Klyce
"Hugo" Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
"War Horse" Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom

Sound Mixing

"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson
"Hugo"
Tom Fleischman and John Midgley
"Moneyball"
Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin
"War Horse"
Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson

Visual Effects

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson
"Hugo"
Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning
"Real Steel"
Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

"The Descendants" Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
"Hugo" Screenplay by John Logan
"The Ides of March" Screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
"Moneyball" Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin  Story by Stan Chervin
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Screenplay by Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan

Writing (Original Screenplay)

"The Artist" Written by Michel Hazanavicius
"Bridesmaids" Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
"Margin Call" Written by J.C. Chandor
"Midnight in Paris" Written by Woody Allen
"A Separation" Written by Asghar Farhadi

Initial thoughts: Why 9 best picture nominees? I forget how that works. Nice to see TOL up for best pic and director, but doubt it will win even though I would love to see it do so. The best actress category looks pretty solid (for the Oscars). Would love to see Glenn Close win (she deserves it), but more likely it'll go to either Streep or Williams. Lasseter must be pissed Cars 2 missed out considering Rio, Panda and Boots all got a nod lol. I still have a few of the big ones to watch, but I expect the Artist to continue it's dominance as this award season's big winner.

I'm happy for Jonah Hill and Melissa McCarthy. Woulda been cool to see Patton get a nom, but I don't think he deserved it, honestly.

im more surprised that tintin was snubbed from the animated category than cars 2.

and I bet 10,000 to 1, that TOL in the best pic goes home empty as well as terry, el chivo might have a chance..

Wow, no Drive at all.

I'm surprised at the lack of Tintin as well, that was a terrific animated film, at least it got a score nod.

Quote from: Sleepless on January 24, 2012, 10:31:35 AM
Why 9 best picture nominees? I forget how that works.

I believe it's any film with over 5% of the votes, up to 10 films.

Quote from: ddiggler on January 24, 2012, 11:36:35 AM
Wow, no Drive at all.

they really forked over Al Brooks.

Wait, I take it back, it got a nod for Sound Editing

all is forgiven.

Can't believe Albert Brooks didn't get nominated. That's crazy. And it's cool to see Tree of Life get the big ones.

I'm predictably disappointed that Tintin isn't nominated for Animated Feature while Kung Fu Panda 2 and Puss in Boots somehow both made the cut, but the real surprise to me is no Corey Stoller Best Supporting Actor nomination for Midnight in Paris.  In a better world, the category would be a two-way race between him and Albert Brooks.  The only thing I have left to root for is for Nolte to win so we get to see him grumble and slur his way through an acceptance speech.

Also, Jonah fucking Hill?  Fuck that noise.

No Melancholia. Not even for visual effects.

Quote from: MacGuffin on January 24, 2012, 07:54:15 AM
Short Film (Animated)

"Dimanche/Sunday" Patrick Doyon

Woa! I know Patrick!

This year really sucks. I don't know why Extremely Cloying and Incredibly Bad is there other than to prove that Oscar bait is Oscar bait even if it's widely acknowledged to be crap. I'm not surprised that Drive and Melancholia and Shame got snubbed, but it still is disappointing. I didn't expect (but I'm glad) The Tree of Life got nominated for something other than cinematography. I figured those would all be too experimental for the Academy to even nominate it. I hope A Separation picks up best original screenplay along with best foreign film, which it seems to already have locked. Does Meryl Streep really need another Oscar? Does John Williams really need one too?

I may end my life if War Horse wins anything major.

whorehorse nomination is a lose faith kinda deal.

Quote from: Sleepless on January 24, 2012, 10:31:35 AM
Initial thoughts: Why 9 best picture nominees? I forget how that works. Nice to see TOL up for best pic and director, but doubt it will win even though I would love to see it do so. The best actress category looks pretty solid (for the Oscars). Would love to see Glenn Close win (she deserves it), but more likely it'll go to either Streep or Williams. Lasseter must be pissed Cars 2 missed out considering Rio, Panda and Boots all got a nod lol. I still have a few of the big ones to watch, but I expect the Artist to continue it's dominance as this award season's big winner.

cars 2 doesn't deserve it. neither does tintin.

Quote from: malkovich on January 24, 2012, 08:27:51 PM
Does Meryl Streep really need another Oscar?

How many do you think she has? She has the same amount of Oscars as Jodie Foster and Hilary Swank. And Paul Haggis.

Quote from: socketlevel on January 24, 2012, 10:10:44 PM
cars 2 doesn't deserve it. neither does tintin.

Didn't expect Cars 2 to get nominated. Just though it was funny 3 other crappy CG films got nominated and Pixar didn't.

Quote from: Sleepless on January 25, 2012, 09:49:28 AM

Quote from: socketlevel on January 24, 2012, 10:10:44 PM
cars 2 doesn't deserve it. neither does tintin.

Didn't expect Cars 2 to get nominated. Just though it was funny 3 other crappy CG films got nominated and Pixar didn't.

Nope no nomination. Rango was great! i agree with the other two CGs, just as bad.

<a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/blogs/the-travers-take/damn-you-oscar-2012-20120125">Peter Travers says "Damn You, Oscar!"

peter travers is a clown

What the hell? Peter Travers talks like a child. I expected someone who had class...

Haha that is bizarre.

How to improve that video:

- Let Mr. Travers take a breath
- Less fake anger
- Silence that fellow who's being obnoxious in the background

Everyone seems to be doing the "crew members laugh and heckle" shtick from The Soup.

And the Oscars go to...


Best Picture: The Artist

Best Actor: Jean Dujardin, The Artist

Best Actress: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady

Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, The Help

Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

Short Film (Animated): The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Short Film (Documentary): Saving Face

Short Film (Live Action): The Shore

Writing (Original Screenplay): Midnight In Paris

Writing  (Adapted Screenplay): The Descendants

Music (Original Song): "Man Or Muppet," The Muppets

Music (Original Score): The Artist

Visual Effects: Hugo

Animated Feature: Rango

Documentary Feature: Undefeated

Sound Mixing: Hugo

Sound Editing: Hugo

Film Editing: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Makeup: The Iron Lady

Costume Design: The Artist, Mark Bridges

Art Direction: Hugo

Cinematography: Hugo

In a letter to the Motion Picture Academy he stated that he didn't feel himself to be in competition with other actors. However, regarding this second rejection of the Academy Award, George C. Scott famously said elsewhere, "The whole thing is a goddamn meat parade. I don't want any part of it."

I'm sorry, I don't understand - was your story about george c scott, or were you writing about somebody else, and then introducing george c scott in the middle as a reference to the first "he" you were writing about?

I think the real story here is Billy Crystal. More specifically, that Billy Crystal needs to go away and never come back. If Brett Ratner had just kept his mouth shut, we could have instead enjoyed a more subtle ceremony hosted by Eddie Murphy.

Billy Crystal's wackity-shmackity song-and-dance routine (as Stephen Thompson preemptively called it) was the most cringe-worthy thing I've seen since Coldplay performed on SNL with Chris Martin writhing awkwardly in glow-in-the-dark clothing. Actually it was worse. He looked like he was forcing himself to do it... like he expected it of himself, but his soul was shriveling up inside his body as a consequence.

What really got me — perhaps because it happened throughout the entire ceremony — was the thing he does after every joke. He pauses for laughter, staring into the camera with that goofy fake serious look, as if carving out that space will itself create laughter... then he abruptly toggles to an entirely unearned self-congratulatory dopey smirk. It's the most annoying thing this side of Macy Gray.

Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on February 27, 2012, 01:35:35 AMBilly Crystal's wackity-shmackity song-and-dance routine (as Stephen Thompson preemptively called it) was the most cringe-worthy thing I've seen since Coldplay performed on SNL with Chris Martin writhing awkwardly in glow-in-the-dark clothing. Actually it was worse. He looked like he was forcing himself to do it... like he expected it of himself, but his soul was shriveling up inside his body as a consequence.

What really got me — perhaps because it happened throughout the entire ceremony — was the thing he does after every joke. He pauses for laughter, staring into the camera with that goofy fake serious look, as if carving out that space will itself create laughter... then he abruptly toggles to an entirely unearned self-congratulatory dopey smirk. It's the most annoying thing this side of Macy Gray.

I was jaded after my first academy awards viewing, too.

Quote from: S.R. on February 27, 2012, 02:30:12 AM

Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on February 27, 2012, 01:35:35 AMBilly Crystal's wackity-shmackity song-and-dance routine (as Stephen Thompson preemptively called it) was the most cringe-worthy thing I've seen since Coldplay performed on SNL with Chris Martin writhing awkwardly in glow-in-the-dark clothing. Actually it was worse. He looked like he was forcing himself to do it... like he expected it of himself, but his soul was shriveling up inside his body as a consequence.

What really got me — perhaps because it happened throughout the entire ceremony — was the thing he does after every joke. He pauses for laughter, staring into the camera with that goofy fake serious look, as if carving out that space will itself create laughter... then he abruptly toggles to an entirely unearned self-congratulatory dopey smirk. It's the most annoying thing this side of Macy Gray.

I was jaded after my first academy awards viewing, too.

It's just been so long, I barely remembered all the Billy Crystal antics.

But there was also a layer of sadness this time which made it all very unsettling, compounded by the crowd's complete lack of interest in him. Also, he has Val Kilmer's puffy face disease.

After the clunky opening number and video (what the hell was up with the microphones? you could barely hear him) I actually thought he did okay. From his crack after Tom Sherak's speech through to the end he seemed to loosen up. What did you honestly expect? Eddie Murphy would've been a trainwreck.

Quote from: ddiggler on February 27, 2012, 10:30:02 AM
(what the hell was up with the microphones? you could barely hear him)

The Sound was fucked up. (http://news.moviefone.com/2012/02/26/microphone-feedback-issue-academy-awards_n_1303084.html)

glad I'm not the only one who noticed, that was trippin' me out.

From the clips I've watched, the microphones were making everyone sound like they were doing Rob Brydon's Small Man in a Box voice.

The more watered down and unoffensive the Oscars get, the less interested I get.
Nothing happened that made me really upset and nothing really crazy happened.
The video that I'm guessing Christopher Guest directed with the Wizard of Oz audience testing was the funniest thing that has ever intentionally happened at the Oscars (though I like Zach and Will's cymbals thing).

(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/429427_10150548318307014_269545302013_8728223_233212161_n.jpg)

here we go...

http://angelinajolieing.tumblr.com/

Billy Crystal's Sammy Davis Jr. Impersonation Draws "Blackface" Criticisms
Source: THR

During Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony, Billy Crystal revisited one of his oldest bits as he put himself into the Best Picture nominees via some clever cutting, CGI, and occasionally, the assistance of the nominees' stars. But the Oscars host drew criticism after revisiting an even older bit in which he impersonates Sammy Davis Jr., prompting claims that his "blackface" performance was offensive and racist.

Following a segment in which Crystal spent a few seconds talking to Justin Bieber and Sammy Davis Jr. (actually Crystal in makeup) in a scene meant to reference Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris, complaints began pouring in from Twitter that Crystal, the segment and the show as a whole was racist for allowing Crystal to impersonate the iconic black performer.

Monday morning online pundits offered critiques of his performance as Davis, suggesting that it was pointless at best, categorically offensive at worst. While the performance was obviously a throwback to Crystal's frequent segments as the singer on Saturday Night Live, many found the decision questionable at best since it had little or nothing to do with either the immediate context of that part of his intro or the Oscars in general.

Crystal and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have not yet issued a statement or response to the controversy. But the polarizing reaction on Twitter and the blogosphere has already inspired discussions about where the line is, or should be drawn for white performers to imitate characters of different ethnicities. Is there a difference between comical impersonation and cartoonish derision, if it's a white performer playing a character of color? In today's climate is there a difference between "blackface" and a white person wearing makeup to look black for the purpose of comedy?

Quote from: MacGuffin on February 27, 2012, 07:29:46 PM
Billy Crystal's Sammy Davis Jr. Impersonation Draws "Blackface" Criticisms
...In today's climate is there a difference between "blackface" and a white person wearing makeup to look black for the purpose of comedy?

Yes

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.hollywood.com%2Fcms%2F300x375%2F5241015.jpg&hash=37989b7ecc528e3161736482185096e271d52c73)

Man, I didn't realize that was him. How did that get greenlighted?

Quote from: RegularKarate on February 27, 2012, 03:51:01 PM
The video that I'm guessing Christopher Guest directed with the Wizard of Oz audience testing was the funniest thing that has ever intentionally happened at the Oscars (though I like Zach and Will's cymbals thing).

The Wizard of Oz thing was so-so, but the Will Ferrell skit was tired and predictable. He needs to give it a rest. I actually thought the best bit of the show was Emma Stone's introduction with Ben Stiller. They need to bottle her energy and maybe think about giving her a solo hosting gig next year to bring some much-needed freshness and youth to the whole thing.

Billy Crystal is getting a lot of stick for the show, but I really didn't think he was that bad. At the end of the day, it's an awards show. What do you expect? Not every ceremony is going to be Ricky Gervias at the Golden Globes two years ago.

Quote from: Sleepless on February 28, 2012, 10:51:35 AM
The Wizard of Oz thing was so-so, but the Will Ferrell skit was tired and predictable. He needs to give it a rest. I actually thought the best bit of the show was Emma Stone's introduction with Ben Stiller. They need to bottle her energy and maybe think about giving her a solo hosting gig next year to bring some much-needed freshness and youth to the whole thing.

Oh, so you predicted that they were going to awkwardly use those cymbals?  It was just pure physical comedy and Zach was playing it well.  I'm not saying it was hilarious, but it wasn't a shitty overwritten introduction like the Emma Stone intro (THAT was tired and predictable).

So you didn't see that the giant cymbals were going to be dropped on the floor? Okay...

I laughed at the Emma Stone thing more than the cymbals. She played that very well, and I was impressed with her commitment to the gag.  Zach dropped the cymbals one too many times. Chris Rock had the best jokes of the night though, he was a better host than he got credit for.

Quote from: Sleepless on February 28, 2012, 12:14:53 PM
So you didn't see that the giant cymbals were going to be dropped on the floor? Okay...

Yes, obviously, the cymbals were going to get dropped.  Comedy isn't always about surprise.  If it were, almost nothing would be funny anymore.

I liked it. I'm not sure if I agree with the Best Cinematography, or Best Adapted awards. I would have preferred The Tree of Life for Best Cinematography, and Ides, or Moneyball for best adapted, but other than that, I actually agreed with most winners.

The first time since 2006 I've been happy with the best pic winner.

I haven't seen the Arist or Hugo, so this is totally unfair, but it concerns me how pathologically the Academy is intoxicated by "tribute to the movies" type films.