2010 Oscars Thread

[Butter]

Trent Reznor wins an Academy award. Never saw that one happening.

[CrimsonFox]

This is painful to watch. Watching old people be old is NOT comedy.

[tucker rocky]

Ok, which one of you FOFCers knocked up Portman?

[Scoobz0202]

Hubba Hubba.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

Not having seen any of these (other than Inception) my actor/actress predictions:

Actor: Firth
Actress: Portman
Supporting Actor: Bale
Support Actress: Leo

Blammo. Nailed it.

[Scoobz0202]

I figured it would go as such as well. Some very stacked categories, but they were still pretty easy to select. Can't really complain with any of the winners so far. I would have liked to have seen Amy Adams win, but Leo was very good. Very happy for Firth who had a fantastic performance, but really any of the best actors nominees were deserving.

[Swaggs]

I didn't see the film, but I'm glad Colin Firth won. He's pretty funny.

I'm kind of bummed that it looks like Inception is likely going to miss out on any of the big awards. One of the rare original ideas that made it into film this year and it was actually well written/acted/directed. I liked a lot of the other films that I saw, but I'd like to see kind of recognition given for making such an original movie (and executing the concept very well).

[tucker rocky]

Originally Posted by tucker rocky

Ok, which one of you FOFCers knocked up Portman?

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

Not having seen any of these (other than Inception) my actor/actress predictions:

Actress: Portman

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

Blammo. Nailed it.

So you're saying it was you?

[Sun Tzu]

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

[Scoobz0202]

Great film. Saw it twice. Happy to see it win.

But a really good year for movies, in my opinion. Hopefully this year repeats.

[Sun Tzu]

I have to say, the hosts/presentation of this years show was subpar at best.

[Swaggs]

I've seen Hathaway on Saturday Night Live a couple of times and, with this tonight, she's just not very funny on live television. James Franco just came off detached, like he was just going through the motions (and didn't know where the camera was filming from half the time).

Not a very good pairing for the hosting gig, in my opinion.

[Young Drachma]

No big surprises, I guess. But I stopped watching early on and just followed twitter updates occasionally because the whole thing felt bleh otherwise.

[Honolulu_Blue]

I can't say anything bad about Anne Hathaway. She's too charming. I could watch her read the phone book.

[Comey]

Originally Posted by Swaggs

I've seen Hathaway on Saturday Night Live a couple of times and, with this tonight, she's just not very funny on live television.

I enjoyed her a good bit on SNL (the first time she hosted). The Mary Poppins sketch is fantastic.

I have to admit, though, I don't think there's anything about Hathaway I don't enjoy. ; )

[DrAFTjunkie]

Originally Posted by Butter_of_69

Trent Reznor wins an Academy award. Never saw that one happening.

I dunno. I think both the Natural Born Killers and Lost Highway soundtracks were stellar.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Butter_of_69

It took them 20 minutes just for that award. That was painful.

It was like watching Dick Clark on new years eve.

[DrAFTjunkie]

Originally Posted by Lathum

It was like watching Dick Clark on new years eve.

That was a savage buzzkill...everyone watching in silence, waiting for someone else to be the first one to say something.

[DeToxRox]

Tom Hanks has been hilarious on Kimmel tonight. Kimmel in general has been great, but Hanks you need to go out of your way to watch video of from tonight.

[ISiddiqui]

Congrats to King's Speech (haven't seen it yet, but a few of my friends said it wasn't all that wonderful. Good, yes... but other films were better).

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

...but I suspect this will be a year similar to Shakespeare in Love and A Beautiful Mind. If A King's Speech is what I think it is, it's your general "Oscar" movie, the kind of professionally performed and shot movie that is pretty much made to appeal to the staid and conservative tastes of the average Academy voter. With that and the full support of the large British detachment of the Academy, it would be shocking to see A King's Speech not win Best Picture tonight.

I guess I'll be the one who continues to defend SIL, but here goes again . SIL is a more rare movie to win an Oscar than SPR. Definitely not a "general Oscar movie". Comedies don't tend to win the award, especially not in recent times ("Annie Hall" is the only other one that comes to mind). SPR, as a war movie, would have traditionally more success in the big award department.

Of course, I think SIL was doomed to be put in the same year as SPR. If it was released a year before or after, people would be singing SIL's praises as more and more people discovered it after it won the big award. Unfortunately it got tainted with "stealing" the victory and never will get to where it should be.

[NorvTurnerOverdrive]

Originally Posted by DrAFTjunkie

That was a savage buzzkill...everyone watching in silence, waiting for someone else to be the first one to say something.

i thought it was great. all those beautiful people watching their own mortality. the only thing that would have made it better is if he came out with a hood and sickle and just started pointing, 'you...'

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

I guess I'll be the one who continues to defend SIL, but here goes again . SIL is a more rare movie to win an Oscar than SPR. Definitely not a "general Oscar movie". Comedies don't tend to win the award, especially not in recent times ("Annie Hall" is the only other one that comes to mind). SPR, as a war movie, would have traditionally more success in the big award department.

Of course, I think SIL was doomed to be put in the same year as SPR. If it was released a year before or after, people would be singing SIL's praises as more and more people discovered it after it won the big award. Unfortunately it got tainted with "stealing" the victory and never will get to where it should be.

Well, my comparison of SIL to A King's Speech wasn't with respect to its Oscarishness, but to it stealing away the Best Pic from the more deserving SPR. I never really thought of SIL as overly Oscarish or more or less so than SPR.

Obviously, opinions may (and do) vary, but I to this day still consider SIL to be a drab comedy with little interesting to say. IMO, it was a terrible choice for Best Pic. It only won because Miramax was the first company to really lobby the Academy voters hard for their votes, something which to that point had not been done so overtly.

[larrymcg421]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

That said, I think you're cutting short shrift to The Social Network's impact, because of its association with Facebook. You offer up the Facebook reason as the only reason it will be discussed, as if that is to be dismissed (because it is a factor that is essentially a society thing outside of the actual art of the movie itself). I would argue that's a very relevant factor and one reason that The Social Network will be considered memorable and timely. The fact it is also an intriguing storyline with one of the best dialogue scripts to come along in some time will likely be less remembered than the whole Facebook aspect of it. I actually think the Facebook side of it works against it, in that people get caught up in that part of it, and don't really stop to consider that it's just a very well done film.

FWIW, I should note that The Social Network made my top 10 and King's Speech did not. My main point in my response was just to dispute the way you framed the two movies (although you hadnt seen Kings Speech, so I dont mean that as a criticism.) Also, I didn't say Facebook is the only reason it will be remembered, just that it will be a pretty big part of it. I think it is a great film, but not at the level of a transformational classic like SPR for example. And King's Speech appeals to stuffy people, but it really wasn't a stuffy movie. It was pretty funny, actually.

Incidentally, I would be pleasantly surprised if your prediction on Fincher for director is true, since for some time now, the Best Director almost always goes to the Best Pic director. If the Academy is insistent on giving Best Pic to A King's Speech, I would hope they would at least break from their own tradition to give Fincher a well-earned Best Director nod.

Unfortunately, I was wrong in my prediction. I think this is a more clear example of the Academy screwing up. Hooper's direction was competent, but The King's Speech was mostly carried by terrific performances and a great script. The Social Network had a more clear director's stamp on it, with a solid visual structure and a fantastic use of camera angles.

Still massively disappointed that Nolan wasn't even nominated. Just ridiculous.

Nolan has received three Director's Guild nominations, but no Oscar nominations yet. Not sure what that's about, but it is ridiculous. Another egregious snub was that Inception didn't even get nominated for Editing.

[MikeVic]

How did Scott Pilgrim not get nominated for editing or whatever category that should be under... I think even if you hated the movie, you could see that there was a ton of post-shooting work done to add all the little things, no? Maybe I'm not understanding that award.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Numbers likely to improve, but earliest ratings are down 15% versus last year. Looks as though the attempt to be younger/fresher/hipper didn't exactly go as planned.
TV Ratings Sunday: ‘Academy Awards’ Ratings Fall, More Accurate Results Pending; ‘Amazing Race,’ ‘CSI:Miami’ Hit Series Lows

The fast national ratings for the Academy Awards show are down from last year’s comparable numbers, but we’ll have to wait until the time zone adjusted numbers are available later today for an accurate reading of the declines.

Last nights Academy Awards drew a fast affiliate 10.6 adults 18-49 rating down 15% from the fast affiliate 12.5 adults 18-49 rating for last year’s show. The fast affiliate average viewership was 33.5 million viewers, but expect both numbers to rise with the time zone adjusted numbers. Even with the likely upwards adjustments, our polled readers look to have been overly optimistic, and the show looks to be on the low side of recent years.

[MikeVic]

Younger, hipper, fresher would mean cutting the show to half the length. I think I'm a patient person, but I missed the main awards because I was just burnt out.

[MJ4H]

Younger hipper and fresher was the goal? I must've dreamed that bit with Kirk Douglas. Wait, I don't sleep that long, so that couldn't have been it.

[larrymcg421]

Well one thing you have to take into account is that last year's Oscars had the highest grossing film in history nominated in almost every category. This year the top two contenders were not nearly as successful (both hovering around the $100 mill range).

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

FWIW, I should note that The Social Network made my top 10 and King's Speech did not. My main point in my response was just to dispute the way you framed the two movies (although you hadnt seen Kings Speech, so I dont mean that as a criticism.) Also, I didn't say Facebook is the only reason it will be remembered, just that it will be a pretty big part of it. I think it is a great film, but not at the level of a transformational classic like SPR for example. And King's Speech appeals to stuffy people, but it really wasn't a stuffy movie. It was pretty funny, actually.

Yeah, since I haven't seen it, I can't say directly (yet) if A King's Speech is truly like the other examples I gave. I am only going off of feedback I have received from others who have seen it, and from what I have read from the critics and what not. I'll see it eventually. I completely understanding objecting ont he grounds of not mentioning Inception, which was just because of my narrow focus. Inception will definitely be the one which is most memorable down the line. FWIW, those I have spoken to about A King's Speech echo what you have said about it being a funny and appealing film. My view of its "Oscarishness" is more to what it has in common with past such pieces (period pieces, dramatic elements, scenery-chewing Oscar types, late December release, etc., all the usual earmarks), not with whether it itself is stuffy.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by MJ4H

Younger hipper and fresher was the goal?

Yup. That was the point in selecting the two hosts (they even poked fun at that themselves)

[MJ4H]

Oh I know, just making light of Kirk.