Oscars
My thoughts on this years Oscars. What I liked, what I didn’t, and Jon Stewarty goodness.
Also, thanks to Rania and Emily for coming over to watch the show with me. It’s never as fun to snark to an empty room.
Winners and Losers:
Best:
Best Supporting Actor George Clooney (syriana): He rocked in Syriana. He injured himself during a torture scene and still has memory loss problems because of it. His acting was also superb.
Best Actor Nominee Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line): Basically he gets props just for being himself ‘cause I love him. Also, I think he mouthed “I love you River” when they announced his name in the list of nominees. That made me love him even more.
Best Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote): I honestly didn’t think that any performance could be better than Heath Ledger’s in Brokeback Mountain. I also didn’t think Hoffman’s performance could live up to my tremendously high expectations but he managed to surpass them. I just love watching an actor become his character so well that you really think he is that person and not just an actor playing that person. Big props to Hoffman for some of the better acting I’ve seen in years.
Best Director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain): I’m just amazed at how diverse Lee’s list of credits is. He’s directed, among other things, Sense and Sensibility, The Hulk, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and of course Brokeback Mountain. Good for him for tackling a subject matter that most mainstream directors wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole, and for directing such an understated and moving love story with gentility and grace. Also, not related to his directing talent, he just seems like a really nice guy, so I’m happy for him.
Best Editing (Crash): This seemed like a really smart pick to me because Crash had so many characters and so many story lines (some overlapping) going at once. It must of taken a lot of work to edit all of the storylines together in a way that made sense and was entertaining.
Original Score (Brokeback Mountain): Wow, the music in this movie was beautiful. The guitar sound fit in well the sparse and understated elements of the movie. Also, I saw the man who scored the movie in an interview and he seems really nice and he seemed to be grateful to be part of a movie that sends that message “that love is what makes us all very similar, in spite that we can be so different.” He reportedly cried after he went backstage which makes me even happier for him. And lastly, John Williams is great but I’m happy when the Score award love gets spread around to others sometimes.
Original Song (Hustle and Flow - It’s Hard out Here for a Pimp): Even if I hated this song I would be absolutely thrilled with the win because a song about a pimp won an Oscar. Ha Ha. I really am glad it won though because the plot of Hustle and Flow really did revolve around the creation of the song and it’s rare that the Original Song is actually given to songs that are important to the movie rather than songs that just run over the credits.
Worst:
Best Actor: I saw, and adored all five performances. I really wish there could have been some freak voting anomaly and there had been a five-way tie. In any other year, any of these men would have easily walked away with this award.
Best Supporting Actor: Again, I love Clooney, Gyllenhaal, and Dillon and there should have been a three way tie. Sucks to have been nominated this year when the men’s competition was so tough.
Best Supporting Actress: Rachel Weisz was great in The Constant Gardener but Michelle Williams and Amy Adams were so good also. It just proves that it’s virtually impossible to compare art that’s so different. How do you pick a winner from such a great crop of actresses?
Best Picture (Crash): I loved Crash. I thought it was a really entertaining and thought provoking movie with solid to great acting. But when I compare it to the other four nominees (Brokeback Mountain, Good Night and Good Luck, Munich, and Capote) I don’t think it I love it quite so much. Personally, I thought Crash was the least deserving of the award, although I think the case could be made that it deserved it more than Munich or Capote. Mostly, I just think that Brokeback Mountain was robbed. I guess Hollywood really isn’t read for gay cowboys in love.
Best Actress Resse Witherspoon (Walk the Line): I thought Reese was surprisingly fantastic in Walk the Line and am glad the award went to her than someone less deserving. I do think, however, that her character was nowhere near as complex as Felicity Huffman’s Bree in Transamerica and I don’t think the acting was as much of a stretch either. Hopefully Huffman will keep getting good roles and have her chance at an Oscar again and Reese Witherspoon will use this award as a reminder to never do Legally Blonde 3.
Best Cinematography Memoirs of a Geisha: To be fair I haven’t seen this movie but I doubt the cinematography in this movie beat that of Brokeback Mountain. I just found all the shots of sweeping hills to be beautiful. Calgary, where the movie was filmed, was a lot more beautiful than I would have guessed and the cinematography style fit in so well with the way the story was being told.
Speeches
Best:
George Clooney: I would give my right arm to do George Clooney (sorry for TMI), I really would. He’s handsome, funny, self-deprecating, smart, etc. He seemed really honored to be awarded, especially in a year when I know he loved a lot of the other movies out and felt them to be just as important as his two.
Quote: Wow. Wow. All right, so I'm not winning director. It's the funny thing about winning an Academy Award, it will always be synonymous with your name from here on in. It will be Oscar winner, George Clooney. Sexiest Man Alive, 1997. Batman, died today in a freak accident at a -- Listen, I don't quite know how you compare art. You look at these performances this year, of these actors and unless we all did the same role, everybody put on a bat suit, and we'll all try that. Unless we all did the same role, I don't know how you compare it. They are stellar performances and wonderful work, and I'm honored, truly honored to be up here.
Philip Seymour Hoffman: Sincere and he seemed nervous/excited to be getting an award (even though he’s won all the other ones). He also gave a long shout out to his mom, apparently she raised him right.
Quote: And my mom's name is Marilyn O'Connor, and she's here tonight. And I'd like if you see her tonight to congratulate her. Because she brought up four kids alone, and she deserves a congratulations for that. Oh, I'm at the party, mom, you know? And she took me to my first play, and she stayed up with me and watched the NCAA final four. And my passions, her passions became my passions. And, you know, be proud, mom, because I'm proud of you, and we're here tonight, and it's so good.
March of the Penguins Guys: They spoke spotty English with French accents and best of all they brought stuffed penguins up onstage with them. It was too cute.
Ang Lee: He always comes of as sweet and genuinely happy that his film is doing so well. I just really like him.
Quote: Their names are Ennis and Jack. And they taught all of us who made "Brokeback Mountain" so much about not just all the gay men and women whose love is denied by society, but just as important, the greatness of love itself.
Three Six Mafia (3 6 Mafia? Three 6 Mafia? 3 Six Mafia?): I loved it because they just seemed so damned excited. I don’t think they thought they had a chance in Hell that they’d win. It was refreshing seeing so much genuine, unscripted emotion. Their speech very much reminded me of a Grammy speech (especially the name dropping and thanking Jesus parts).
Quote: Once again our families. Ludacris. What's up? Going down. George Clooney, my favorite man, he showed me love when I first met him. We bringing the house. We out of here. Memphis, Tennessee!
Worst:
Reese Witherspoon: How many times in one award season can she remind us that she’s just a good ol’ southern girl? I liked the end of her speech where she thanked her family and got to the point but the 5 minutes preceding that point were tiresome.
Dianna Osanna: Lady, you just won and OSCAR for Best Adapted Screenplay (Brokeback Mountain) at least act like you’re happy. Her speech was boring and she just kept talking and it all started to sound like “blah blah blah blah blah.” She didn’t seem even remotely grateful, just put out that she had to leave her seat for a few precious moments. Blegh!
Jon Stewarty Goodness
Best:
Started out on the right note, Jon Stewart in bed with George Clooney. I think every awards ceremony should start this way. Almost too much snarky, smart, salt and peppery goodness in one bed. Added bonus: Stewart’s hysterical reaction to George being “real.”
"The Oscars is really, I guess, the one night of the year you can see all your favorite stars without having to donate any money to the Democratic Party. And it's exciting for the stars as well, it's the first time many of you have ever voted for a winner."
"Capote was a ground breaking film that broke taboos, that showed America not all gay people are virile cowboys. Some are actually effete New York intellectuals."
"Capote of course addressed very similar themes to Good Night and Good Luck. Both films are about determined journalists defying obstacles in a relentless pursuit of the truth. Needless to say both are period pieces." - - - Funny because it’s true and sad because it’s true.
Gay Cowboy Montage.
On the Gay Cowboy montage: Heston looked really cut and he "could probably bench-press twenty commandments."
"I do have some sad news to report. Bjork couldn't be here tonight. She was trying on her Oscar dress and Dick Cheney shot her."
“This was great year for remakes. Walk the Line... remake of Ray with white people"
“If we pull down this statue (statue of Oscar), do you think democracy will flourish in Hollywood?” - - - This joke was awesome. Great way to slip in a zinger at the Iraq war and the media stupidity surrounding it without being to obviously anti-war/Bush.
On Schindler’s List and Munich: "Speaking as a Jew, I can't wait to see what happens to us next! trilogy?
“And that’s why I think Scientology is right, not just for this city, but for the entire country.” - - - I just want to know how Jon got away with saying this on air. The Scientologist are know to be sue happy, if I was Jon I would watch out for Tom Cruise’s revenge.
Regarding the montages about films that raised awareness for social issues:
"and none of these issues were a problem ever again"
On pimps and hoes dancing: "I definitely think the best way to relate to this audience how hard it is for a pimp is through interpretive dance."
"Martin Scorsese: 0 Oscars, Three-Six Mafia: 1" - - - In the immortal words of Homer J. Simpson “It’s funny ‘cause it’s true”
Fake attack ads, in the style of ‘Swifboat Veterans For Truth,’ narrated by Stephen Colbert.
Worst:
THE AUDIENCE. Wow, they did not seem to get Jon’s sense of humor during the opening monologue. Every time the camera panned into the crowed someone was making bitch-face. These people (save George Clooney) need to stop taking themselves so damn seriously.
Jon seemed really nervous during his monologue. I felt really sorry for him.
The end of the show when Jon said good night and …. Get home safe. Not very funny and a weirdly low-key way to end the show.
Odds and Ends
Best:
Usually hate Jamie Foxx but loved him tonight. On Mondays Oprah, Jon Stewart said that he was really nervous until he told a joke that made Foxx laugh really hard and that put him at ease for the rest of the night. So thanks to Jamie for cracking his shit up!
Yea to Steve Carell and Will Ferrell for making total fools of themselves while presenting the Achievement in Make award. I’m a huge proponent of boys wearing make-up but this was something all together different. But, it was funny and that’s what matters.
Lilly Tomlin and Meryl Streep in Altman-esque style doing the opening to the Robert Altman tribute. The overlapping dialogue was hard to understand but hysterical and from what I’ve read improvised. Impressive ladies, impressive.
Jake Gyllenhaal, whose already hot as fuck, and whom has a wonderfully charming and funny personality got even better on Oscar night. He looked beautiful but more importantly, at the end of the show he made a beeline for Jon Stewart and hugged him. I love a man who loves him some Stewart.
World famous violinist, Itzak Perlman playing pieces of all the nominated scores. He played each one beautifully and each one sounded distinctive even though they were being played by the same man on the same instrument.
Jack Nicholson announcing that Crash, not Brokeback Mountain, had won best picture. After he read the name, he turned to the side and I believe said “wow” and had a look of total shock on his face. Too funny. And, it’s being reported that afterwards he went backstage and loudly proclaimed that he had voted for BBM and couldn’t believe it lost, then he realized the Paul Haggis (Crash producer) was standing behind him and tried to recover by saying "But hey, your film was good too." Drama!
Worst:
The persistent rumor (even talked about before the Oscar telecast) that many of the older, male members of the academy refused to see Brokeback Mountain because apparently they’re scared to catch the gay. Also, the many who refused to watch Paradise Now because it was made by a Palestinian and reportedly takes a human look at Palestinian terrorists. I hate to break it to the academy, but the gay isn’t contagious and terrorist are humans, no one said you had to feel sorry for them but it might be in everyone’s best interest to understand them and their motivations. It’s hard to say that a movie is the best picture of the year or the best foreign film when so many people, reportedly, refused to watch the other candidates.
The academy gets preachy and constantly reminds us to go see the movies in the theaters. Apparently, and I hadn’t gotten the memo on this, DVDs are now considered evil and the bane of movie studios. Funny, last week, illegal downloading was the bane of their existence. I think they need be decisive and pick one thing that we, the viewers, are doing wrong and stick to that to preach to us about. One more piece of advice: I’ll go to more movies in the theater when you teach people how to be polite, no more cell phones, no talking during the film, no babies crying, no kids at rated ‘R’ movies, and most importantly, I’ll go more often when you stop making crap like “Dukes of Hazards” and “Big Momma’s House 2” and start making more quality films. End of rant!
Montages. They most be stopped. The Gay Cowboy montage was funny but that’s because Stewart and his Daily Show team wrote and edited it. The montages just make your overlong show even longer and the clips aren’t meaty enough to get me interested in the films I haven’t already seen.
Playing music while people are giving their acceptance speech has also got to stop. It’s just rude. This is a moment most of these people have been waiting their whole lives for and the music probably made them more stressed out and their speeches more rambly then they already were. At least artistic winners weren’t given awards in their seats this year to speed the show up. Gil Cates needs to be fired before work on the 2007 Oscars begins.
Also, thanks to Rania and Emily for coming over to watch the show with me. It’s never as fun to snark to an empty room.
Winners and Losers:
Best:
Best Supporting Actor George Clooney (syriana): He rocked in Syriana. He injured himself during a torture scene and still has memory loss problems because of it. His acting was also superb.
Best Actor Nominee Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line): Basically he gets props just for being himself ‘cause I love him. Also, I think he mouthed “I love you River” when they announced his name in the list of nominees. That made me love him even more.
Best Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote): I honestly didn’t think that any performance could be better than Heath Ledger’s in Brokeback Mountain. I also didn’t think Hoffman’s performance could live up to my tremendously high expectations but he managed to surpass them. I just love watching an actor become his character so well that you really think he is that person and not just an actor playing that person. Big props to Hoffman for some of the better acting I’ve seen in years.
Best Director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain): I’m just amazed at how diverse Lee’s list of credits is. He’s directed, among other things, Sense and Sensibility, The Hulk, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and of course Brokeback Mountain. Good for him for tackling a subject matter that most mainstream directors wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole, and for directing such an understated and moving love story with gentility and grace. Also, not related to his directing talent, he just seems like a really nice guy, so I’m happy for him.
Best Editing (Crash): This seemed like a really smart pick to me because Crash had so many characters and so many story lines (some overlapping) going at once. It must of taken a lot of work to edit all of the storylines together in a way that made sense and was entertaining.
Original Score (Brokeback Mountain): Wow, the music in this movie was beautiful. The guitar sound fit in well the sparse and understated elements of the movie. Also, I saw the man who scored the movie in an interview and he seems really nice and he seemed to be grateful to be part of a movie that sends that message “that love is what makes us all very similar, in spite that we can be so different.” He reportedly cried after he went backstage which makes me even happier for him. And lastly, John Williams is great but I’m happy when the Score award love gets spread around to others sometimes.
Original Song (Hustle and Flow - It’s Hard out Here for a Pimp): Even if I hated this song I would be absolutely thrilled with the win because a song about a pimp won an Oscar. Ha Ha. I really am glad it won though because the plot of Hustle and Flow really did revolve around the creation of the song and it’s rare that the Original Song is actually given to songs that are important to the movie rather than songs that just run over the credits.
Worst:
Best Actor: I saw, and adored all five performances. I really wish there could have been some freak voting anomaly and there had been a five-way tie. In any other year, any of these men would have easily walked away with this award.
Best Supporting Actor: Again, I love Clooney, Gyllenhaal, and Dillon and there should have been a three way tie. Sucks to have been nominated this year when the men’s competition was so tough.
Best Supporting Actress: Rachel Weisz was great in The Constant Gardener but Michelle Williams and Amy Adams were so good also. It just proves that it’s virtually impossible to compare art that’s so different. How do you pick a winner from such a great crop of actresses?
Best Picture (Crash): I loved Crash. I thought it was a really entertaining and thought provoking movie with solid to great acting. But when I compare it to the other four nominees (Brokeback Mountain, Good Night and Good Luck, Munich, and Capote) I don’t think it I love it quite so much. Personally, I thought Crash was the least deserving of the award, although I think the case could be made that it deserved it more than Munich or Capote. Mostly, I just think that Brokeback Mountain was robbed. I guess Hollywood really isn’t read for gay cowboys in love.
Best Actress Resse Witherspoon (Walk the Line): I thought Reese was surprisingly fantastic in Walk the Line and am glad the award went to her than someone less deserving. I do think, however, that her character was nowhere near as complex as Felicity Huffman’s Bree in Transamerica and I don’t think the acting was as much of a stretch either. Hopefully Huffman will keep getting good roles and have her chance at an Oscar again and Reese Witherspoon will use this award as a reminder to never do Legally Blonde 3.
Best Cinematography Memoirs of a Geisha: To be fair I haven’t seen this movie but I doubt the cinematography in this movie beat that of Brokeback Mountain. I just found all the shots of sweeping hills to be beautiful. Calgary, where the movie was filmed, was a lot more beautiful than I would have guessed and the cinematography style fit in so well with the way the story was being told.
Speeches
Best:
George Clooney: I would give my right arm to do George Clooney (sorry for TMI), I really would. He’s handsome, funny, self-deprecating, smart, etc. He seemed really honored to be awarded, especially in a year when I know he loved a lot of the other movies out and felt them to be just as important as his two.
Quote: Wow. Wow. All right, so I'm not winning director. It's the funny thing about winning an Academy Award, it will always be synonymous with your name from here on in. It will be Oscar winner, George Clooney. Sexiest Man Alive, 1997. Batman, died today in a freak accident at a -- Listen, I don't quite know how you compare art. You look at these performances this year, of these actors and unless we all did the same role, everybody put on a bat suit, and we'll all try that. Unless we all did the same role, I don't know how you compare it. They are stellar performances and wonderful work, and I'm honored, truly honored to be up here.
Philip Seymour Hoffman: Sincere and he seemed nervous/excited to be getting an award (even though he’s won all the other ones). He also gave a long shout out to his mom, apparently she raised him right.
Quote: And my mom's name is Marilyn O'Connor, and she's here tonight. And I'd like if you see her tonight to congratulate her. Because she brought up four kids alone, and she deserves a congratulations for that. Oh, I'm at the party, mom, you know? And she took me to my first play, and she stayed up with me and watched the NCAA final four. And my passions, her passions became my passions. And, you know, be proud, mom, because I'm proud of you, and we're here tonight, and it's so good.
March of the Penguins Guys: They spoke spotty English with French accents and best of all they brought stuffed penguins up onstage with them. It was too cute.
Ang Lee: He always comes of as sweet and genuinely happy that his film is doing so well. I just really like him.
Quote: Their names are Ennis and Jack. And they taught all of us who made "Brokeback Mountain" so much about not just all the gay men and women whose love is denied by society, but just as important, the greatness of love itself.
Three Six Mafia (3 6 Mafia? Three 6 Mafia? 3 Six Mafia?): I loved it because they just seemed so damned excited. I don’t think they thought they had a chance in Hell that they’d win. It was refreshing seeing so much genuine, unscripted emotion. Their speech very much reminded me of a Grammy speech (especially the name dropping and thanking Jesus parts).
Quote: Once again our families. Ludacris. What's up? Going down. George Clooney, my favorite man, he showed me love when I first met him. We bringing the house. We out of here. Memphis, Tennessee!
Worst:
Reese Witherspoon: How many times in one award season can she remind us that she’s just a good ol’ southern girl? I liked the end of her speech where she thanked her family and got to the point but the 5 minutes preceding that point were tiresome.
Dianna Osanna: Lady, you just won and OSCAR for Best Adapted Screenplay (Brokeback Mountain) at least act like you’re happy. Her speech was boring and she just kept talking and it all started to sound like “blah blah blah blah blah.” She didn’t seem even remotely grateful, just put out that she had to leave her seat for a few precious moments. Blegh!
Jon Stewarty Goodness
Best:
Started out on the right note, Jon Stewart in bed with George Clooney. I think every awards ceremony should start this way. Almost too much snarky, smart, salt and peppery goodness in one bed. Added bonus: Stewart’s hysterical reaction to George being “real.”
"The Oscars is really, I guess, the one night of the year you can see all your favorite stars without having to donate any money to the Democratic Party. And it's exciting for the stars as well, it's the first time many of you have ever voted for a winner."
"Capote was a ground breaking film that broke taboos, that showed America not all gay people are virile cowboys. Some are actually effete New York intellectuals."
"Capote of course addressed very similar themes to Good Night and Good Luck. Both films are about determined journalists defying obstacles in a relentless pursuit of the truth. Needless to say both are period pieces." - - - Funny because it’s true and sad because it’s true.
Gay Cowboy Montage.
On the Gay Cowboy montage: Heston looked really cut and he "could probably bench-press twenty commandments."
"I do have some sad news to report. Bjork couldn't be here tonight. She was trying on her Oscar dress and Dick Cheney shot her."
“This was great year for remakes. Walk the Line... remake of Ray with white people"
“If we pull down this statue (statue of Oscar), do you think democracy will flourish in Hollywood?” - - - This joke was awesome. Great way to slip in a zinger at the Iraq war and the media stupidity surrounding it without being to obviously anti-war/Bush.
On Schindler’s List and Munich: "Speaking as a Jew, I can't wait to see what happens to us next! trilogy?
“And that’s why I think Scientology is right, not just for this city, but for the entire country.” - - - I just want to know how Jon got away with saying this on air. The Scientologist are know to be sue happy, if I was Jon I would watch out for Tom Cruise’s revenge.
Regarding the montages about films that raised awareness for social issues:
"and none of these issues were a problem ever again"
On pimps and hoes dancing: "I definitely think the best way to relate to this audience how hard it is for a pimp is through interpretive dance."
"Martin Scorsese: 0 Oscars, Three-Six Mafia: 1" - - - In the immortal words of Homer J. Simpson “It’s funny ‘cause it’s true”
Fake attack ads, in the style of ‘Swifboat Veterans For Truth,’ narrated by Stephen Colbert.
Worst:
THE AUDIENCE. Wow, they did not seem to get Jon’s sense of humor during the opening monologue. Every time the camera panned into the crowed someone was making bitch-face. These people (save George Clooney) need to stop taking themselves so damn seriously.
Jon seemed really nervous during his monologue. I felt really sorry for him.
The end of the show when Jon said good night and …. Get home safe. Not very funny and a weirdly low-key way to end the show.
Odds and Ends
Best:
Usually hate Jamie Foxx but loved him tonight. On Mondays Oprah, Jon Stewart said that he was really nervous until he told a joke that made Foxx laugh really hard and that put him at ease for the rest of the night. So thanks to Jamie for cracking his shit up!
Yea to Steve Carell and Will Ferrell for making total fools of themselves while presenting the Achievement in Make award. I’m a huge proponent of boys wearing make-up but this was something all together different. But, it was funny and that’s what matters.
Lilly Tomlin and Meryl Streep in Altman-esque style doing the opening to the Robert Altman tribute. The overlapping dialogue was hard to understand but hysterical and from what I’ve read improvised. Impressive ladies, impressive.
Jake Gyllenhaal, whose already hot as fuck, and whom has a wonderfully charming and funny personality got even better on Oscar night. He looked beautiful but more importantly, at the end of the show he made a beeline for Jon Stewart and hugged him. I love a man who loves him some Stewart.
World famous violinist, Itzak Perlman playing pieces of all the nominated scores. He played each one beautifully and each one sounded distinctive even though they were being played by the same man on the same instrument.
Jack Nicholson announcing that Crash, not Brokeback Mountain, had won best picture. After he read the name, he turned to the side and I believe said “wow” and had a look of total shock on his face. Too funny. And, it’s being reported that afterwards he went backstage and loudly proclaimed that he had voted for BBM and couldn’t believe it lost, then he realized the Paul Haggis (Crash producer) was standing behind him and tried to recover by saying "But hey, your film was good too." Drama!
Worst:
The persistent rumor (even talked about before the Oscar telecast) that many of the older, male members of the academy refused to see Brokeback Mountain because apparently they’re scared to catch the gay. Also, the many who refused to watch Paradise Now because it was made by a Palestinian and reportedly takes a human look at Palestinian terrorists. I hate to break it to the academy, but the gay isn’t contagious and terrorist are humans, no one said you had to feel sorry for them but it might be in everyone’s best interest to understand them and their motivations. It’s hard to say that a movie is the best picture of the year or the best foreign film when so many people, reportedly, refused to watch the other candidates.
The academy gets preachy and constantly reminds us to go see the movies in the theaters. Apparently, and I hadn’t gotten the memo on this, DVDs are now considered evil and the bane of movie studios. Funny, last week, illegal downloading was the bane of their existence. I think they need be decisive and pick one thing that we, the viewers, are doing wrong and stick to that to preach to us about. One more piece of advice: I’ll go to more movies in the theater when you teach people how to be polite, no more cell phones, no talking during the film, no babies crying, no kids at rated ‘R’ movies, and most importantly, I’ll go more often when you stop making crap like “Dukes of Hazards” and “Big Momma’s House 2” and start making more quality films. End of rant!
Montages. They most be stopped. The Gay Cowboy montage was funny but that’s because Stewart and his Daily Show team wrote and edited it. The montages just make your overlong show even longer and the clips aren’t meaty enough to get me interested in the films I haven’t already seen.
Playing music while people are giving their acceptance speech has also got to stop. It’s just rude. This is a moment most of these people have been waiting their whole lives for and the music probably made them more stressed out and their speeches more rambly then they already were. At least artistic winners weren’t given awards in their seats this year to speed the show up. Gil Cates needs to be fired before work on the 2007 Oscars begins.