Oscars (2006)

Subject: OSCARS
From: Leadfingers
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 09:20 PM

So Wallace and Grommet have another Oscar !! Any Argument ??

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: Once Famous
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 09:24 PM

Who cares?:

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 09:45 PM

I loved Wallace & Gromit, but Howl's Moving Castle was incredible.

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: JedMarum
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 09:48 PM

I love Wallace & Gromit!!

but as for oscars??? humbug!! A pox on their houses. Seems to me Hollywood never tires of congratulating itself!

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 10:02 PM

I agree with you to a point Jed. There are so many award ceremonies that have come along over the years, but I think it is important to remember that the Oscars were the first.

Sure, there is way too much pagentry and self-indulgence, and the campaigning for the awards are a joke. However, I think the Academy Awards are an important evening.   I am watching the ceremony as I type this. A few minutes ago they did a stirring tribute to films that have changed culture. I would argue that movies have become the ONE artform that truly makes a difference and gets people to think.   The tribute showed clips from films like Grapes of Wrath, On the Waterfront, Network, All the Presidents Men, The Defiant Ones, Inherit the Wind and many others.   For all the complaining, Hollywood has always found ways to tackle difficult subjects. For many people, these films have made changes in their thinking and has helped open doors. George Clooney said it best, in 1939 they gave an award to Hattie McDaniel when segragation was in full swing in this country.

The films nominated this year also cover some tough subjects and unfortunately they are not the blockbusters that draw people into theaters. Subjects such as the blacklist, censorship, racism and tolerance are tackled in these films. Perhaps if these awards introduce the films and serve as "commercials", then I think it is doing a wonderful thing and might make a difference.

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: number 6
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 10:11 PM

The Oscars don't interest me in the least bit.

sIx

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: Peace
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 10:26 PM

I don't get it. Oscar Meyer's? It's a joke, right?

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: number 6
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 10:29 PM

Oscar Meyer is a hot dog from chicago.

Louis B. Meyer is a home town boy from Saint John N.B.

sIx

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: Peace
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 10:43 PM

Ad Meyer is when ya really look up to someone.

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: number 6
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 10:46 PM

Meyer Lansky is actually someone ya wouldn't mess around with.

sIx

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: Peace
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 10:49 PM

Quag Meyer is when ya get stuck up to your navel in muck.

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: number 6
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 10:50 PM

I dare not ask what kind of muck.

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: Peace
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 10:59 PM

"I dare not ask what kind of muck."

Tuk.

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 11:33 PM

Oscar Schmidt? Oscar Pedersen? (Now it's a music thread.)

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: Anonny Mouse
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 11:38 PM

The wifey was into it a bit--I'm in the "who cares" mostly. I read something I thought was interesting: that movie The March of the Penguins grossed more than all 5 of the "Best Pic" contenders...combined. And the "Best Song" was that Rap number about how hard it is to be a pimp. What crap. :>(

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: Peace
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 11:45 PM

Penguins have pimps now? Where will it all end?

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: John O'L
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 11:48 PM

"Best song" and "rap number" are oxymoronic phrases for mine.

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: katlaughing
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 06:02 AM

I haven't watched the Oscars in years. I watched it this year because Jon Stewart was hosting. I was really surprised at how much they had changed, in presentation, set decor, etc. Stewart's humour seemed to breath new life into them and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also liked that they honoured the orchestra and the conductor, Conti, AND that each recipient had a timer in front of them, so there were no long-winded thank you speeches.

I think it is great that so many independent and socially aware movies were in the running this year. IMO, this was not Hollywood as usual.

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: Rapparee
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 07:26 AM

I ate some great seaweed salad and some really good sushi, drank a little Kirin Ichiban, talked with an old friend while doing so, and went to bed.

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 08:27 AM

The Academy Awards "an important evening"? Please.

If a film is great, or important, or whatever, it is that because it stands above the rest all on it's own. Without any of the decadent and obscene "glitter and glamour" crap.

That said, I too watched for the entertainment value of Jon Stewart, but sadly, there was nothing he could do to save the day. This awards show must die. Jon Stewart struggled admirably to liven it up, but it is not to be. This is, quite simply, the most boring night on tv of the year.

Best jokes of the evening: Billy Crystal and Chris Rock in the teepee & the Dick Cheney joke.

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 08:56 AM

Overpaid people with their heads firmly stuck up their own arses, butt-kissing one another. Utterly vomit-inducing.

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 09:29 AM

Wow, talk about "heads firmly stuck up their own areses" - I guess I should not be surprised at the curmudgeonly reaction of Mudcatters, but I guess it does surpise me a bit that people have such negative reactions when it is obvious that they have not watched the awards in years and can comment on things they have not seen or heard - such as the song that won. I am not a rap fan, but the song impressed me as well as the film from which it came.

I am impressed by the independent nature of the films that were up for awards this year and the topics they tackled. The awards are important, for those with open minds, and I now have several films that I want to watch based on what I saw last night. That is one of the reasons most people tune in.

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: katlaughing
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 10:06 AM

Me, too, Ron.

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 10:44 AM

Actually, I've watched the Oscars all my life. I am a huge movie buff. But this awards show sucks, pure and simple. It just ain't what it used to be.

Sure, I'll see some films that were honored last night when they are released on DVD. But not because they were honored with a nomination. I'll see them, because they look good.

And I disagree that people tune into this broadcast to learn about the films. I think it is the celebrity watching people tune in for.

That's what I tuned in for--to see Jon Stewart. But this bloated, behemoth of a broadcast just isn't worth 4 hours of my remaining time on earth anymore. Of course, I've been saying that for years, and still tune in most years for at least awhile. But this really has become an exercise in celebrities worshipping themselves and one another. It is vacuously disturbing to watch these people. Frighteningly so.

And really, what was so different this year? Spielberg still lost, just like he always does. The blockbusters got the tech awards, the "brave" films got nods for writing. The pretty picture (Memoirs of a Geisha) won the costume, art, blah blah blah. Utterly predictable. Even the "surprise best picture" was predictable. They picked the film with the happy ending.

Hollywood is a very scary place. Films made by Hollywood players and powerbrokers are NOT indie films, no matter what Robert Redford says at Sundance every year, or how "small" the budget by Hollywood standards.

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 10:46 AM

But I enjoyed the Altman bit. The only saving grace of the night.

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 11:08 AM

"I disagree that people tune into this broadcast to learn about the films. I think it is the celebrity watching people tune in for."

Nothing wrong with either reason, as well as other reasons for choosing to watch or not.

I do agree that last nights show was not very good entertainment. With live shows, it is difficult to manage. Jon Stewart was a bit stiff, the music playing under the speeches was tacky and insulting, but I did enjoy the rap song, Dolly Parton, Robert Altman, the gay western montage, and a few other moments. The speeches of George Clooney and Reese Witherspoon were heartfelt and endearing.

"this really has become an exercise in celebrities worshipping themselves and one another"
I honestly see nothing wrong with that. While many people think that creating films or television is easy work, it can be very hard. The work that these people have created deserves recognition, in my opinion. What you may consider "worship" is often congratulations on a job well done. Sure it may go over the edge, but we need opportunities to celebrate our victories and accomplishments in all walks of life. Ang Lee, who could not afford rent when he first came to Hollywood, is now at the top of his game.   He deserves to shine.

"Hollywood is a very scary place"
So are Des Moines and Hackensack. It is what you make of it. Most people can see beyond the vapid trappings and recognize the true art that gets created there. The Academy Awards CAN sift through the crap and recognize the films that make a difference.   Sure, the studios (or what is left of them) may be financing these "independent" films - but there spirit and message is not being shut out. To my way of thinking, that is an example of art shining over corporate trappings.

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: number 6
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 11:08 AM

Rapaire ... sounds like that was a pleasant evening ... good food, good wine, good conversation.

sIx

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: number 6
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 11:20 AM

Oscar Brand .... now it's back to a music thread again.

sIx

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 11:39 AM

Yes, Des Moines and Hackensack are scary too. But they don't do an annual four hour broadcast from those cities, showing it's citizens congratulating themselves and patting each other on the back for doing a hard job well. Give me a break.

Why does Ang Lee deserve the attention and praise more than an insurance sales manager from Hackensack?

Answer: celebrity worship.

We all know "the Academy" doesn't reward excellence, except on a rare occassion. They reward their current "in group", their own taste in films, and box office.

The Academy Awards are SO not about art.

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 11:41 AM

And certainly the "best song" category from last night proves that.

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 11:49 AM

"Why does Ang Lee deserve the attention and praise more than an insurance sales manager from Hackensack?
Answer: celebrity worship"

The insurance sales manager certainly deserves praise and attention if he creates something that can impact on so many people.

There is nothing wrong with a degree of celebrity worship when someone is being recognized for their accomplishments. While you are an un-named guest and none of us can determine what your experience on which you base your opinions, I think most people do look up to those that can create great art or work that effects others.

Your opinion of the "best song" is strictly your opinion. I think others, with more open minds, look beyond their preconceived notions of music and would realize that the song has value and context that made it stand above others. It isn't something that I will be humming throughout the day, but it was a performance that struck me by its openess and honesty.

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 11:54 AM

Yuck.

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: Peace
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 11:58 AM

Much ado about a puffed up industry. Make their own wind to fill the sails of their show.

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: LilyFestre
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 12:05 PM

Oscar=a nice little fishy for your fish tank that can get quite large and aggressive rather quickly.

Oscar, as in Oscar the Grouch.

I love 'em both.

Michelle

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: Cllr
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 12:14 PM

Hi leadfingers I enjoyed I stayed up to watch as much as I could before I fell asleep I pleased rachel wiez (or however you spell it got an oscar I though she was great in Constantine and I am a big fan of wallace and gromit so that was nice.
Cllr

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 12:19 PM

I saw all three films from which the best song nominations were made. Not one of the three songs was memorable in the context of the film, or on it's own. All three were bloody awful on their own.

A movie song should trigger an emotional connection to the part in the film where it is placed, for it to work effectively "in context".

All I could think of when I saw "Hustle and Flow" was--no wonder the guy is a loser, his song sucks. While I loved the performance of the actor, the song just threw me right out of the movie. Same thing with the "sweeping soundtrack" bit at the end of Memoir of A Geisha (which was nominated for best film score--a predictable, bland "lush" John Williams score) when she was standing out at the end of what looked like the bloody Cliffs of Moher, dropped there how? by helicopter? also threw me right out of the film.

Now come on. Be honest. You are trying to justify the celebration of some very, very banal and pedestrian stuff here.

Think of past best songs and best film scores. I can still hear the film scores from films like Out of Africa and Dances with Wolves in my head. But hey--just how many Best Song nominees or winners from the past can you name?

I can't name a single one, because it is a complete fluff category of largely worthless and forgetable songs (just like this year).

Film scores on the other hand, do sometimes rise to greatness, but only in the film context. I doubt the Vienna Symphony is playing stirring versions of the above mentioned film scores, except during their summer pop music series to pull in some cash.

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: Alba
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 01:09 PM

I didn't see the whole program.
I was happy to see Wallace and Gromit got another oscar (even it meant that a fellow Country woman in that category didn't..:( )
Crash is a very good film and I was glad it won in the Best Film category.
I suppose that rather than watching the small part of the Oscar program that I did I could have come into the Mudcat and contributed to the many stimulating topics available for discussion down in the BS but as I have no opinion on wether a woman looks better than a man in shorts or have any knowledge about alien women with 3 green tits I opted for the 'banal' and spent my R&R watching the TV for an hour.

I agree that the independent nature of the films and their wide range of social topics was of interest to me this year.
I hardly bother with the Oscar Film song...to me that is like choosing a eurovison song contest winner. The Musical scores are a different matter entirely.

J

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 01:23 PM

The biggest problem I have with the horse race, is it is a truly lousy way to judge art.

If I were to pick a favorite among the best film category (amazingly enough, I saw all of these films this year--a likely first) it would be Good Night and Good Luck, with Crash a close second. Walk the Line was fun for watching Reese & Joaquin, but as a film, it wasn't very good. Same with Capote. It was SO worth seeing Hoffman channel Capote, but again, not a great story. I was underwhelmed by Brokeback too, but then Ang Lee makes pretty pictures, not really great ones. Altman he ain't.

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 01:23 PM

"You are trying to justify the celebration of some very, very banal and pedestrian stuff here."

Don't make assumptions. I do not feel the song was "banal" or "pedestrian".

Aside from your assumptions, you do make a good point about songs not being particularly memorable. You would have to go back a few decades to when musicals had a greater role to find really good songs.   From the performances I heard last night, this was the best of the bunch.

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 01:27 PM

Which is a pretty underwhelming recommendation.

Out of all the nominated films I haven't seen, I know I won't see Cinderella Man or History of Violence. But I will definitely see the animated film that should have won, North Country (gotta see my girl Frances), Mrs. Henderson Presents, maybe TransAmerica.

Constant Gardener most definitely should have been on the best film list instead of Walk the Line, which was a joke of a nomination for best film. And I could go on and on forever about what SHOULD have gotten a nod that was a gazillion times better over the years...

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 01:32 PM

Again guest, not knowing who you are and without any reasons behind your opinions, they really have impact.

First of all, "Walk the Line" was not on the best film list.

Secondly, to call "Walk the Line" a "joke of a nomination" is wrong in my book. I felt the acting was wonderful, the construction of the film top rate, and the story compelling. I think it should have been included as best picture. For the catagories in which it was nominated, all were deserving for the reasons I mentioned above.

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 02:18 PM

Right-eo. I was wrong again, and isn't that horrible considering I had already fallen asleep by the time they announced "the big one".

It wasn't Walk the Line nominated, it was Munich, that utterly predictable film of Spielberg's. I knew there was a reason they put him up front. Everyone loves to watch him be humiliated again and again.

Spielberg knows about as much about making political films as Disney, and they all look like it. What on earth can ever save us from another Jews under siege film by Spielberg? His untimely death, perhaps?

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 02:27 PM

I have not seen Munich yet, so I can't comment.

I did like Stewarts joke about Spielberg - saying that Spielberg gave us Schindler's List and now Munich, to which Stewart commented "I think I speak for all Jews when I say I can't wait to see what happens to us next" to which he added "Trilogy?"

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: gnu
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 02:57 PM

I watched because of John Stewart. He was okay. But, the Oscar goes tooooo, Billy Crystal.

As for the movies, never saw any of them.

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: Peace
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 03:14 PM

"or have any knowledge about alien women with 3 green tits"

That movie didn't win an Oscar either.

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: Peace
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 03:15 PM

Did Hans Zimmer win anything?

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 03:20 PM

I did see Munich. It was no Z.

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: Alba
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 03:24 PM

"That movie didn't win an Oscar either."
Nope it didn't and that may have been a good thing!:)

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: Peace
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 03:28 PM

Definitely. The story line was great, but the acting--well, it wasn't. The whole Mars scenes were terrible and as movie IMO it was 1 1/2 outta 10. But as a story--9 1/2 outta ten. How ya doin', Alba. Hope the music is coming apace. Looking forward to hearing the new songs.

Subject: RE: OSCARS
From: Scoville
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 03:33 PM

Mom and I watched the last little bit. I was impressed that there were so many good movies from which to choose--that doesn't always happen. Other than that, Oscars are sort of like voting for Prom Queen in high school; unless you have a real stake in it, you don't care. The great thing about TV is I can turn it off if I don't like it.

I liked Capote--that is, I thought Philip Seymour Hoffman did a great job even though I ended up not liking Capote the character at all. I didn't mind that it was a slow story. I thought the woman who played Harper Lee was good but I didn't really think she had enough of a part to justify an Oscar (Reese Witherspoon got it, anyway. I'm not sure I agree with that, either, but whatever).

I don't go to the movies much. I still haven't seen Good Night, and Good Luck but I really want to. I've always liked David Strathairn, and I couldn't stand George Clooney in his ER days but I've liked his movies much better. I haven't seen Brokeback Mountain and I don't even remember Crash. I would have liked to see Judi Dench get an award for something but oh, well.



And I love Wallace & Gromit, too.