The Oscars

Raiders lost of course, to some film I haven't and will never see...(of course because you should be aware of this - not that it was less deserving). Besides being a general catch all, (like the Oscars) following is a great peek at the voting process...for one member. I will forever cringe at the revelation made during an Oscar episode of At The Movies, it was common knowledge that members aren't required to see the films they vote for.

I'll never see any "winner" loft the statue without picturing Oscar's taint...

An Oscar Voter's Brutally Honest Ballot

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One of the 371 members of the Academy’s directors branch recently invited me over to his office to listen in as he openly deliberated about how to fill out his final ballot for the 85th Oscars. As you can tell from his remarks -- highlights of which have been reprinted below, category-by-category -- he has seen virtually all of the contenders and has very strong but carefully considered opinions about them. He opted to vote online rather than via paper ballot -- “because I want to feel young again,” he said with a chuckle -- and did not experience any issues with the voting system. His main issue, in fact, is with the studios that have inundated him with promotional swag, most of which he doesn’t want. “I’ve gotten books, cookbooks and just about everything short of Lincoln condoms,” he cracked. “It’s ridiculous.” Eventually, we got down to business, and, in no particular order, touched upon all 24 Oscar categories.

BEST SOUND MIXING

“This is the award for sound that is mixed on the set on the day. I’m going to dismiss Life of Pi because it seems like very much of a postproduction movie. And I’m going to vote for Les Miserables because they recorded the singing for live on the set and every quaver had to be caught. They had to be absolutely perfect, and they were.”

Vote: Les Miserables

BEST SOUND EDITING

“This is more about sound effects done in post. I’m going to dismiss Argo, Django and Life of Pi because I don’t think their post sound effects were terribly interesting or original. Zero Dark Thirty? I imagine that a great deal of the raid was done with sound effects editing. But I’m gonna go with Skyfall. The sound of that movie was absolutely extraordinary -- in particular, when the train comes colliding into the station.”

Vote: Skyfall

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

“I did not see all of the nominees, but with something like visual effects you can see enough of a film, in many cases, to make an informed decision. The Hobbit lost me with the 48 frames-per-second; I think it’s failed experiment -- noble, but failed. The Avengers and Prometheus are the same old thing. Snow White and the Huntsman lost me when they went into the woods. But Life of Pi is pretty extraordinary—the visuals are as magnificent as anything I’ve seen in a movie in a very long time. I was also very impressed that the tiger is so realistic and so unsentimental.”

Vote: Life of Pi

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

“In general, I object to movies that primarily feature CGI production design, like The Hobbit and Life of Pi. Les Miserables? One of its weakest things was its production design -- for example, in the beginning of the movie, that huge boat looked ridiculously fake. So that leaves Anna Karenina, which is a movie I loathed, and Lincoln. I’m not gonna vote for Lincoln for best picture, but I have a lot of personal respect for Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy and I want to help the film, so when I can throw it a vote, like here, I will.”

Vote: Lincoln

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

“This is No-Brainer City: ‘Skyfall’ is one of the best songs that has ever been in the best song category and Adele is f---ing brilliant. Plus I think it’s about time that a James Bond song won best song. In a way, this is my F-you for not giving it to ‘Live and Let Die’ back in 1973. I will say that ‘Before My Time,’ which is sung by Scarlett Johansson, is pretty good. ‘Pi’s Lullaby’ I couldn’t remember if my life was on the line. ‘Everybody Needs a Best Friend’ is a simple song. And ‘Suddenly’ from Les Miserables is a very boring song and an absolutely blatant attempt to win a best song Oscar; that upsets me. If ‘Skyfall’ does not win I will fillet my next-door neighbor’s dog.”

Vote: “Skyfall” (Skyfall)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

“Life of Pi is an absolutely perfect score. [Lincoln composer] John Williams has enough f---ing Oscars, and I really feel that the score was a weak part of Lincoln and just self-plagiarism for Williams. Thomas Newman should have won the Oscar a couple of times, but I just didn’t see anything particularly new or interesting in the music of Skyfall.”

Vote: Life of Pi

BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING

“I don’t think it’s a very impressive category this year. They should have nominated Lincoln because of how much they made Daniel Day-Lewis look like Lincoln. In Hitchcock Anthony Hopkins just looked like a man in a fat-suit—I didn’t really buy it. The Hobbit? You know, whatever—it’s what they do every time. So I guess I’m going to vote for Les Miserables here, only because of how well they aged Hugh Jackman. And I think they did a good job beating the **** out of Anne Hathaway, as well.”

Vote: Les Miserables

BEST FILM EDITING

“I think one of the worst things about Silver Linings Playbook was its editing; there was a lot of mismatching. Lincoln? There really isn’t much editing to speak of. Life of Pi is interesting because it was mostly computer-generated, I think there were not that many decisions to be made with editing, as opposed to when you get a ****load of stuff and have to figure out what you’re going to use. Argo had some pretty good editing, especially that sequence at the end when they’re making their escape. But the undeniable winner is Zero Dark Thirty, which must have had a massive amount of footage to boil down and made that raid at the end very understandable.”

Vote: Zero Dark Thirty

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

“It’s a very good group; I saw them all. The most powerful might be The Gatekeepers, so that could win. But, in order to win this Oscar, you usually have to make a film that makes people feel absolutely great or makes people feel like they want to slit their wrists; something that’s jovial or something that’s important. I think that Searching for Sugar Man is going to win, and I’m going to vote for it because I just felt like a million bucks after watching it -- and I bought Rodriguez’s album.”

Vote: Searching for Sugar Man

BEST SHORT (ANIMATED)

[Had not seen any of the films, but had heard good things about Paperman so he voted for it.]

Vote: Paperman

BEST SHORT (DOCUMENTARY)

[Had not seen any of the films and knew nothing about any of them, so he declined to vote.]

Vote: [Abstained]

BEST SHORT (LIVE ACTION)

“Curfew is the least depressing of five films guaranteed to prevent you from getting laid, as I personally learned.”

Vote: Curfew

BEST DIRECTING

I would have voted for Bigelow -- I certainly nominated her and Affleck. Silver Linings is a screenplay; the direction is not particularly important -- although it took David O. Russell to figure out that Bradley Cooper is a great actor. Life of Pi is very well-directed and extremely well-thought-out, but I was put off by the religious message at the end. Beasts? I know many people loved it, but I got seasick and found it to be almost impossibly boring. Amour is purely a performance piece; besides, Michael Haneke has pissed me off in the past because he’s made movies that are so misanthropic. He just hates human beings, and I happen to be a human being and don’t like being **** on. That leaves Lincoln, which I don’t feel is the best-directed film of the year -- there’s nothing innovative about it -- but I’m swept away with the gravity of the subject matter, with the respect that Spielberg showed to it and with him guiding Day-Lewis in a direction different than we’d normally associated with Lincoln. Plus, Spielberg deserves an Oscar every 10 years or so out of respect for what he does for the industry.

Vote: Lincoln
 
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An Oscar Voter's Brutally Honest Ballot Part II

One director shares his choices...
BEST COSTUME DESIGN

?This always goes to the nominee with the puffiest dresses. Just once I?d like to see a more modern film put into this category. Mirror Mirror is out for me. Lincoln is out for me. I just don?t want to support Anna Karenina, even though it?s probably going to win because it?s exactly the kind of movie that does win this award; people who haven?t even seen the film are going to vote for it because it just has that smell. But I?m gonna go for Snow White because you had the knights in the shining armor and then you had the more mythical costumes and on and on. I think it was just a little bit more inventive than the others.?

Vote: Snow White and the Huntsman

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

?I liked Life of Pi, but I?m suspect of any nominee that used a lot of CGI, since you can manipulate the photography so much. Lincoln was way too milky for me; I have that problem with almost everything Janusz Kaminski does. The Anna Karenina cinematography was totally unimpressive. Django Unchained was Robert Richardson, and he, in general, does far too much top-lighting for me. I?m voting for Skyfall because I want Roger Deakins to win an Oscar. Now, I?m a person who knows that Roger Deakins shot Skyfall, but a lot of people in the Academy will have no clue who did because they don?t tell you on the ballot; in fact, they won?t vote for it because it?s a James Bond film -- you know, ?How can you give James Bond an Oscar?? But they should go back and rewatch that opening shot where Bond is approaching the camera, and he?s out-of-focus and he slams into focus in a way that I?ve never seen done before. I also really love the way that Deakins plays with dark and light in the film.?

Vote: Skyfall

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

?It?s a tough category because everything is mediocre. I?m definitely not voting for The Pirates. I?m not voting for Frankenweenie. Brave was unimpressive. So I guess it?s between ParaNorman and Wreck-It Ralph. So? " [At this time, he assigned the screen-side of his iPhone to the former and the back-side of it to the latter, and spun it on his desk.]

Vote: Wreck-It Ralph

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

?It?s a very interesting category. Jacki Weaver? I don?t even know why she?s there, and she knocked out Ann Dowd, who probably deserved that spot for Compliance. Helen Hunt is really a lead actress. Sally Field is undeserving in this category -- I didn?t find a single moment in the film where I thought she did anything extraordinary; she?s playing an annoying character, and she is rather annoying, plus she?s about 20 years too old for the role. Amy Adams is going to be nominated 20 more times, but this one?s a total throwaway role. Which leaves Anne Hathaway, who?s going to win because she makes you cry and because I find her charming. Sometimes it?s one scene that wins it for you. Not just anybody can come in and kill one song; there are many songs that Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe should have killed, and, in fact, they killed them literally.?

Vote: Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)

BEST ACTRESS

?For the first hour of The Impossible, you can?t imagine how Naomi Watts cannot win, but her character basically becomes a person who is exclusively struggling and who disappears for large chunks of the film, so I can?t vote for her. I also don?t vote for anyone whose name I can?t pronounce. Quvez---? Quzen---? Quyzenay? Her parents really put her in a hole by giving her that name -- Alphabet Wallis. The truth is, it?s a very sweet but immature performance from a 9-year-old. I?ve directed children. They probably did a thousand takes and put the best ones together. Jennifer Lawrence I was on the fence about, but she lost me with that Saturday Night Live bit; I thought it was mean-spirited and shows a lack of maturity on her part. So, for me, it?s between Jessica Chastain and Emmanuelle Riva. I didn?t like Amour, but I think Riva was extraordinary in it. Chastain was just fantastic in Zero Dark Thirty -- she is the major star of tomorrow and probably has another 10 Oscar nominations in her future. Meanwhile, Emmanuelle Riva may not even live through Oscar night, so ??

Vote: Emmanuelle Riva (Amour)
 
An Oscar Voter's Brutally Honest Ballot Part III

"Argo" a "whole lot of nothing," saying "Django Unchained" is "Tarantino masturbating" and passing on "Amour" because "there's only so much diaper-changing I can tolerate."

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

?I rule out Christoph Waltz because this is a fake nomination ? he?s a co-lead with Jamie Foxx, and it?s unfair for the others to compete with that. Also, much of his performance is just like in Inglourious Basterds. Robert De Niro was just Robert De Niro; yes, he had one crying scene, but crying is not enough. Alan Arkin in Argo? I?m shocked he?s even nominated. Tommy Lee Jones has been such a bitter guy -- all that scowling at the Golden Globes? I?m telling you, people don?t like the guy. So I turn to Philip Seymour Hoffman, who was sublime in The Master. It?s a very original performance. What?s interesting about it is you don?t know where the character is coming from; you sort of assume he?s insincere, but sometimes he comes across as extremely sincere. Now, you could argue that it?s also a lead, but if you go back and take out a stopwatch, you?ll realize that it really is Joaquin Phoenix?s movie.?

Vote: Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master)

BEST ACTOR

?I would be surprised if Daniel Day-Lewis doesn?t get 80 percent of the vote -- people like and respect him and also the character. I?ll bet you that none of the other nominated guys have even written a speech. I, too, thought he was very good, but basically it was a lot of soliloquies, you know, so I didn?t see that much range from him. For Bradley Cooper, the nomination is his award. Hugh Jackman did a terrible job singing many of the songs in Les Mis -- I think the live singing, in many cases, actually hurt the movie because the singing just isn?t as good as it could be. Denzel Washington plays a drunk and an addict, which is very difficult to do, and it?s a brilliant performance, but so much of it goes on the natural fumes of Denzel, and he?s already won two Academy Awards. So I?m gonna vote for Joaquin Phoenix, who gives a performance for the ages. So much went into that performance. He created a character as distinct as Daniel Plainview [Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood], from always hunching and putting his right hand on his hip to crying as he?s being audited.?

Vote: Joaquin Phoenix (The Master)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

?It?s a rather strong category, but I?m partial to Life of Pi because we all thought that it was an unfilmable book, and yet David Magee came up with a way to structure it that was faithful to the book but also cinematic. Lincoln was a little too much of a history lesson. Plus, I thought the opening scene with the black soldier and the scene featuring Tommy Lee Jones? character and his maid were both very contrived, and that the ending, as is so often the case in Spielberg?s movies, was overkill. Silver Linings is a pretty good screenplay, but I wasn?t wowed by it. Argo is a whole lot of nothing; it?s a very engaging story, but with nothing particularly clever in the writing. And I didn?t understand what was going on in Beasts of the Southern Wild; up until this very second, I didn?t even realize it was an adapted screenplay.?

Vote: Life of Pi

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

?Amour is immediately disqualified -- it?s just a woman dying, and there?s no real story, and it made me feel like ****. There?s only so much diaper-changing that I can tolerate. Django? If Tarantino had never made a film and this was his first screenplay, I might consider voting for him, but he?s made the same movie eight times. Moonrise Kingdom? It?s a personal thing, but I don?t like this guy?s movies. Flight offers a look at addiction unlike any we?ve seen. But Mark Boal?s Zero Dark Thirty script is even more amazing, with very good moments and great tension. Also, this whole torture thing is nonsense. Knowing that it?s not gonna win best picture, part of me just wants to try to push through an award for it as an ?I?m sorry.??

Vote: Zero Dark Thirty

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

?I?ve seen all of the nominees at official Academy screenings held over the past few weeks. You go into that theater, you sit there, you look around, and you just hope that there?s an ambulance outside because a lot of the members in attendance must have aged out of AARP at this point. I really wonder if these people are going to vote for Amour, because they?re really looking at themselves and they?ve gotta be saying, 'This is what?s in my future? This is f---ing depressing.' It?s depressing for people who are dying and for people who have to take care of people who are dying. It?s like, who needs that ****? I personally didn?t care for it. A Royal Affair is the kind of film that bores me; I fell asleep as I was watching it. No is a very good film, but it?s shot in a very weird way. War Witch is a really great film, but it?s an absolute f---ing bummer, and when you have children in jeopardy, people check out. That leaves Kon-Tiki, which has a very weird beginning but is very moving by the end; when they showed the photos of the real-life people at the end, my eyes were welling up. There is a tendency among voters in this category to vote for something that uplifts or energizes them, and this certainly does that.?

Vote: Kon-Tiki (Norway)

BEST PICTURE

?This is a preferential system. I?m putting Amour at No. 9 because I?m just pissed off at that film. Beasts of the Southern Wild is a movie that I just didn?t understand, so that?s my No. 8. Les Miserables goes in seventh place -- it?s not just the most disappointing film of the year but the most disappointing film in many years. Above that I?m putting Silver Linings Playbook, which is just a ?blah? film. Django Unchained will go into my fifth slot -- it?s a fun movie, but it?s basically just Quentin Tarantino masturbating for almost three hours. Next up is Life of Pi because of how unique it is and for holding my attention up until its irritating ending. Argo is gonna go in third place, but I don?t want it to win because I don?t think it deserves to win and am annoyed that it is on track to win for the wrong reasons. Actually, come to think of it, do we have to put a film in every slot? Because what I want is for my best picture choice to have the best possible shot, so why even give any support to the others? [He has his assistant call the Oscar voting helpline, finds out that voters can leave slots blank and promptly removes all of the aforementioned selections.] I?m basically OK with one of two films winning. Lincoln is going in my second slot; it?s a bore, but it?s Spielberg, it?s well-meaning, and it?s important. Zero Dark Thirty is my No 1.?
 

Attila the Professor

Moderator
Staff member
I saw this. Pretty interesting to see someone's thought process like that.

For myself, the Oscars are extremely hit or miss in their choices, but it's still always nice to see a deserving film or artist win when they do. With Argo being the favorite, I don't think that's a likely prospect for Best Picture this year.

I edited out the links in your quoted text.
 
Attila the Professor said:
I saw this. Pretty interesting to see someone's thought process like that.

For myself, the Oscars are extremely hit or miss in their choices, but it's still always nice to see a deserving film or artist win when they do. With Argo being the favorite, I don't think that's a likely prospect for Best Picture this year.

Its not difficult not to root for any number of reasons, "deserving" really is the issue.

The campaigning is another great subject...

Attila the Professor said:
I edited out the links in your quoted text.
You're fast man! I was at it myself, after the waiting game, and wondered where they went.:hat:
 

Attila the Professor

Moderator
Staff member
Rocket Surgeon said:
Its not difficult not to root for any number of reasons, "deserving" really is the issue.

Exactly. It's a fun little movie that harks back to a whole bunch of 1970s political thrillers. It's also shallow as can be.

Rocket Surgeon said:
The campaigning is another great subject...

Weinstein's got one heck of a machine.
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
Attila the Professor said:
I saw this. Pretty interesting to see someone's thought process like that.

I barely made it through the entire thing. Reminded me of those wildly convoluted thought processes people went through in coming to their "final answers" on Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

Random Feelm Guy said:
?This is No-Brainer City: ?Skyfall? is one of the best songs that has ever been in the best song category and Adele is f---ing brilliant. Plus I think it?s about time that a James Bond song won best song.

No, no it's not. It's a very simple song. Adele sings it quite well, but the lyrics are banal. How many times does she say 'Skyfall'? About a million? Goldeneye and Die Another Day were superior numbers.

Without embellishment, my ballot can be found over here. And, yes, Random Feelm Guy, I have seen all of the nominees this year.
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Le Saboteur said:
No, no it's not. It's a very simple song. Adele sings it quite well, but the lyrics are banal. How many times does she say 'Skyfall'? About a million? Goldeneye and Die Another Day were superior numbers.

And that is why the Oscars are but a trifle.

Strip away the illusion, the back patting and the back stabbing, and they carry as much weight as a percentage on Rotten Tomatoes or IMDB.

It all comes down to opinion or bias. Reporters long ago exposed the latter.

Voting in the Oscars is akin to the voting in the Eurovision Song Contest. Terry Wogan and Graham Norton knew to take those with a bucket of salt.
 
Le Saboteur said:
I barely made it through the entire thing. Reminded me of those wildly convoluted thought processes people went through in coming to their "final answers" on Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
Might as well be...the "Oscar Bump" has to be worth that and more right?

Le Saboteur said:
No, no it's not. It's a very simple song. Adele sings it quite well, but the lyrics are banal. How many times does she say 'Skyfall'? About a million? Goldeneye and Die Another Day were superior numbers.
Good Lord, Madonna?! :rolleyes:

Talk about banal lyrics:Sigmund Freud Analyze this, Analyze this, Analyze this...:sick:

She mentions that sh-tty Billy Crystal film almost as much as she repeats Die Another Day...Oi!

Didn't like Chris Cornell?

Montana Smith said:
Voting in the Oscars is akin to the voting in the Eurovision Song Contest. Terry Wogan and Graham Norton knew to take those with a bucket of salt.

And people are surprised by Vatican "scandals"!
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Rocket Surgeon said:
Spielberg was PISSED.

rotfl1.gif


"Argo" Win Makes Steven Spielberg Hollywood's Biggest Loser

...


So to what do we attribute this ongoing snub? Chalk it up to Hollywood's love/hate relationship with its greats. The number one thing Hollywood hates is failure. The sad fates of those who have fallen beneath the C list demonstrate every day how little empathy the town has for those who can't soar with the eagles. But the number two thing Hollywood hates is success. Praying for the downfall of its mighty is practically the industry's official religion.

...

Spielberg, as he always is when he gets into an Oscar race, went into a heavily managed bunker posture, limiting his appearances, keeping his interviews to few, appearing handled and protected at every turn.

The fact of the matter is that a heavily guarded, insulated oligarch is much closer to the true face of Hollywood than a vanquished actor giving one more chance to redeem himself, as an artist. But its not about what story is true, it's about what story projects the way Hollywood would like to think of itself.

The shame of it is, the real Spielberg on the rare moments when he emerges from behind the palace gates is a wonderful story and a wonderful story teller. He has had a career like no other of his generation, has in his time taken enormous risks both as an artist and producer that have led to be triumphs and disappointments. He is responsible for a busload of films high and low destined to stand the test of time. And when he submits to interviews, he is warm, gracious, avuncular, undefensive and endlessly fascinating with five decades of filmmaking stories under his belt.

However, he is also, as this race shows again, all too willing to play the mighty mogul on high. And in the end, the fear that position inspires might keep him at the top of the industry, but as he has discovered once more, it doesn't make Hollywood see him as its ambassador to the world.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/richardrushfield/argo-win-makes-spielberg-hollywoods-biggest-loser
 
Montana Smith said:

Nikki Finke?s Oscar Live-Snark: Four Hours Of Unfunny Seth MacFarlane; Unnecessary Michelle Obama; ?Argo? Wins Best Picture

Everything in Hollywood is agenda driven. That?s why I always say, when it comes to its biggest awards, what?s important are the scars, not the Oscars. Here?s how to handicap them: just look for whomever is envied most by members of the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and bet those names probably won?t get called onstage tonight. That?s why few think Steven Spielberg has any real shot at Best Director or his Lincoln at Best Picture. Of course he thinks he deserves both. But when you?ve been moviedom?s legend for seemingly forever, the Academy voters can?t wait to knock you off your pedestal. OK, I?ll say it; Hollywood actually hates Spielberg. And denying him an Oscar is their unsubtle way of showing it.
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Attila the Professor re. "Argo" said:
Exactly. It's a fun little movie that harks back to a whole bunch of 1970s political thrillers. It's also shallow as can be.
Nikki Finke said:
Everything in Hollywood is agenda driven.
"Argo" is a good movie for entertainment value but it's also a sorely inaccurate telling of events because it downplays Canada's involvement in the hostage crisis to an almost insulting level.

What was the agenda with this film?:confused:

Even Jimmy Carter, who was the U.S. president at the time, said about "Argo":

"Well, let me say, first of all, it’s a great drama. And I hope it gets the Academy Award for best film because I think it deserves it. The other thing that I would say was that ninety per cent of the contributions to the ideas and the consummation of the plan was Canadian. And the movie gives almost full credit to the American C.I.A. And, with that exception, the movie is very good.

But Ben Affleck’s character in the film was only—he was only in, stayed in, Iran a day and a half. And the main hero, in my opinion, was Ken Taylor, who was the Canadian Ambassador who orchestrated the entire process."


---
As for Spielberg being snubbed at the Oscars, that is nothing new. He was ignored for ages.
 
Originally Posted by Nikki Finke

Everything in Hollywood is agenda driven.
Stoo said:
What was the agenda with this film?:confused:

I take it that she means the awards, and to stand in the snarky/cynical shoes (for a moment) Argo was built to win an award...thats the agenda.

As it was previously mentioned, how often is Hollywood portrayed as patriots and heroes?

Even if they weren't, (shocking Hollywood would embellish a story, eh?).

Regarding Lincoln...I wish we'd get a film with such high production values and performances that dramatized an accurate story.
 
Ultimately Seth McFarlane was stale, from the MTV Music Awards approach to his opening, (Captain Kirk? SockPuppet Theater?) to tired and lazy three year old references to Chris Brown/Rhianna, there wasn't anything he did that wasn't done before including Ted, (Beavis and Butthead).

To be fair his whole schtick is derivitive, so to some extent its to be expected.

The Boob Song and the John Wilkes Booth joke were both grade school weak...they didn't even approach the venue much less rise to the occasion

The Bond "Tribute" sucked. The montage was disjointed and unpolished while the music behind it lacked the dramatic punch and the sharp horns.

Adele was passable performance wise, it wasn't anywhere near 70+ year old Shirley Bassey's performance.

Shirley Bassey was STUNNING. Amazing voice. Maybe the slightest singular waiver...but as close to perfect and true artistry as one could wish for.

No gulping for air, no lip synching...striking example of talent and craft.

Nicholson looked and sounded like I would imagine McMurphy would this far along...

I wouldn't have had a problem with Michele Obama presenting if not for the rambling speech/agenda we had to suffer through in an already extended cut.

Her dress looked odd without the greater context of a party...and stranger flanked by a few service men and women.

It really gave the Argo Government/Hollywood Heroes finale a weird political/entertainment synergy.

Makes one think where the separation of church and state...I mean Hollywood and State really is.

kongisking said:

Lad, that was one rambling article...can you summarize it?

What do you think of it?
 
Like Michael posted elsewhere: the Raiders March was segue music returning from commercial.

The rope bridge scene was part of an iPad commercial.

The Oscar Orchestra, (located in a seperate building) played E.T. , Luke and Leia durring commercial and Jaws as "time-up" music for acceptance speeches.

Lawrence of Arabia sounded perfect but The Raiders March was the only one that came off as an "interpretation".(n)
 
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