Oscar night observations
A few days late, but hey, it's my journal.
We watched on a pull-down screen that was hung over the fireplace. Either because of the angle between the projector and the screen, or, well, who knows why, but all the women except for the lovely Kate Winslet looked small-breasted and thick-waisted. (Maybe Wm fixed it that way so I would feel like a Hollywood star!) It was the first run for the big screen and the little TV widget Wm got last week, and it took two-thirds of the broadcast before he figured out how to get it all running smoothly (it had something to do with the antenna and the laws of physics, but I don't know what).
There was one cool innovation in this year's show: for each nominee for each of the acting awards, a different actor who had previously won the award gave a speech of praise directed at the nominee. I don't know if that's something that would hold up for several years in a row, but it was fun this year, except for the one or two speeches that were clinkers (e.g., the one directed at Richard Jenkins).
There was one sucky innovation: the songs nominated as Best Song (only three, wtf?) were performed in a medley. A lame medley backed by lots of uninteresting swirling of brightly colored fabric (on dancers). Blech. There's always enough time to have each performed individually IMO, and with a sentence or two about how the song relates to the movie, even if there are five nominees. With only three, there was no excuse for this bullshit, especially given that there was apparently time for a different pointless musical number of the kind everyone used to hate about the Oscars.
There were other things I didn't like about the show, but about the awards I have no complaints. I was emotionally invested in only one race. When I heard Sean Penn's name I let out a shriek that made the cats leap off my lap and run. YAY! I was also pleased that Dustin Lance Black won Best Original Screenplay for Milk, and his speech made me a little teary-eyed.
Oh, I did run out Sunday afternoon and watch Doubt. Meryl Streep's knuckle-whacking nun was a little over the top, but whether that was good or bad I can't decide. Philip Seymour Hoffman was excellent, but is he ever not? I have had a little bit of a crush on him since Magnolia, I think, even though I wouldn't call him attractive.
I skimmed a news story on CNN or one of its linked sites about movies being a "$10 vacation" or a "$10 escape" or something that would become more popular during the recession. I'm not sure I agree that more people are going to be buying movie tickets when they can rent DVDs for a third of the cost, but I've said it before and I'll say it again: seeing a movie in a theater is indeed an awesome escape from reality. The article suggested that we could expect more comedies and action films for this purpose. Meh to that, unless it's going to mean more jobs for my daughter. I hope there will still be more vibrant, intense dramas for me to escape into. Though the next movie I want to see is Were the World Mine. I hope it'll still be at Living Room next Tuesday, for a $5 escape from reality.
We watched on a pull-down screen that was hung over the fireplace. Either because of the angle between the projector and the screen, or, well, who knows why, but all the women except for the lovely Kate Winslet looked small-breasted and thick-waisted. (Maybe Wm fixed it that way so I would feel like a Hollywood star!) It was the first run for the big screen and the little TV widget Wm got last week, and it took two-thirds of the broadcast before he figured out how to get it all running smoothly (it had something to do with the antenna and the laws of physics, but I don't know what).
There was one cool innovation in this year's show: for each nominee for each of the acting awards, a different actor who had previously won the award gave a speech of praise directed at the nominee. I don't know if that's something that would hold up for several years in a row, but it was fun this year, except for the one or two speeches that were clinkers (e.g., the one directed at Richard Jenkins).
There was one sucky innovation: the songs nominated as Best Song (only three, wtf?) were performed in a medley. A lame medley backed by lots of uninteresting swirling of brightly colored fabric (on dancers). Blech. There's always enough time to have each performed individually IMO, and with a sentence or two about how the song relates to the movie, even if there are five nominees. With only three, there was no excuse for this bullshit, especially given that there was apparently time for a different pointless musical number of the kind everyone used to hate about the Oscars.
There were other things I didn't like about the show, but about the awards I have no complaints. I was emotionally invested in only one race. When I heard Sean Penn's name I let out a shriek that made the cats leap off my lap and run. YAY! I was also pleased that Dustin Lance Black won Best Original Screenplay for Milk, and his speech made me a little teary-eyed.
Oh, I did run out Sunday afternoon and watch Doubt. Meryl Streep's knuckle-whacking nun was a little over the top, but whether that was good or bad I can't decide. Philip Seymour Hoffman was excellent, but is he ever not? I have had a little bit of a crush on him since Magnolia, I think, even though I wouldn't call him attractive.
I skimmed a news story on CNN or one of its linked sites about movies being a "$10 vacation" or a "$10 escape" or something that would become more popular during the recession. I'm not sure I agree that more people are going to be buying movie tickets when they can rent DVDs for a third of the cost, but I've said it before and I'll say it again: seeing a movie in a theater is indeed an awesome escape from reality. The article suggested that we could expect more comedies and action films for this purpose. Meh to that, unless it's going to mean more jobs for my daughter. I hope there will still be more vibrant, intense dramas for me to escape into. Though the next movie I want to see is Were the World Mine. I hope it'll still be at Living Room next Tuesday, for a $5 escape from reality.