Wow. I'm lucky. The Academy Awards fell on the day of my birthday. What an awesome present 
Watching the Red Carpet stuff right now.
Watching the Red Carpet stuff right now.
2014 Oscars
- Thread starter photon
- Start date
Good luck on the show. I'll tell people I know the person responsible for lighting the faces. simple white lie. It'll make me feel good. Union pay must be nice, eh Rik?
I hope they'll do a tribute for Alain Resnais, one of the most important filmmakers of all-time. I doubt they'll do one, but at least I'll see him in the memoriam.
Whoa. Lupita's speech was amazing.
Just finished watching.... mehh
Alright, alright, alright 
One of many reasons I don't bother watching it anymore.
Spike ftw.
I was wrong, Alain Resnais was not even in the 'In Memorium' section. I really just have no reason to take the Oscars seriously anymore. I mean, sure the guy is French but he revolutionized everything about cinema, he basically started the New Wave before the New Wave. I wonder what the hell the Academy will do when Jean-Luc Godard dies, I mean he's more famous but still, I'm disappointed at this. The Academy should be trying to educate viewers about film, instead it regurgitates middlebrow claptrap with some occasional great films, and I'm not one who believes we should create the dichotomy of 'high' film art, 'middle', and 'low' I just want to see variety in the biggest movie cultural event. I want to see genre films, traditional Oscar dramas and epics, and art films at one event, but that seems to be too much to ask for.
Gravity didn't deserve to win all the awards it did. It should have gotten visual effects, sound and maye editing but thats about it. It wasn't that good of a space film, mediocre story and bland casting... it's a popcorn movie that shouldn't be in the same category with oscar winners. The Oscars was a joke this year.
You have a deep misunderstanding of what the Oscars are. That leads
to disappointment. The Oscars was started by the studios as a publicity
stunt (among other reasons – the threat of government censorship being
one). They have evolved into popularity contest while still just a way to
get a few more people to go see a “popular” movie and to show how
“hip” those old folks are.
The Academy does do some good work educating people about movies.
The Oscars is an awards show – nothing more. You will always be
disappointed if you hope an awards show will educate viewers about film
– especially about film outside of the States.
Was there ever a reason to take the Oscars seriously? Once in a while
honor a truly great film - most of the time the truly great films of any year
are not even nominated.
C'mon people, it's entertainment!
And as far as entertainment goes, I thought Ellen did a fantastic job as host. I was cracking up during the show. Making Harvey Weinstein pay for the pizza? Dude, that's gold.
What I think a lot of people don't realize, too, which will lead to disappointment, is that the "Academy" (read: voting members) have their own tastes and preferences. They are not made up of professional critics like, say, the Hollywood Foreign Press. Which makes the Golden Globes more predictable and, in some people's opinions, more respectable by being slightly more artistically and globally minded. So a lot of people see who/what won at the GGs and then are surprised when it doesn't win an Oscar.
Anyway, I had fun watching and I'll be tuning in next year.
And as far as entertainment goes, I thought Ellen did a fantastic job as host. I was cracking up during the show. Making Harvey Weinstein pay for the pizza? Dude, that's gold.
What I think a lot of people don't realize, too, which will lead to disappointment, is that the "Academy" (read: voting members) have their own tastes and preferences. They are not made up of professional critics like, say, the Hollywood Foreign Press. Which makes the Golden Globes more predictable and, in some people's opinions, more respectable by being slightly more artistically and globally minded. So a lot of people see who/what won at the GGs and then are surprised when it doesn't win an Oscar.
Anyway, I had fun watching and I'll be tuning in next year.
ALRIGHT! THAT'S HOW THE OSCARS SHOULD BE...
No surprise 12 YEARS took BEST PICTURE. No contest there. Honestly I think that film should be introduced to ALL high school history classes.
WHY is everyone KNOCKING GRAVITY? It got the awards it deserved it's a decent little sci-fi drama so let it it at that.
The big surprise was all the Hollywood Heavyweights for Best Actresses by a sparky energetic newcomer (12 YEARS A SLAVE) that won't be last we'll hear of her. I didn't think Jennifer Lawrence could win 2X back to back. If that happened then a lot will suspect favoritism going on.
I missed some parts but did AMERICAN HUSTLE get anything at all?
Best Actor was also a surprise. Go MATTHEW!!
The Memorial's were very emotional this year more so the previous. Probably there were a lot of excellent people taken unexpectedly and to soon before their time.
Thumbs up Ellen. She should host every year.
I hope everyone listened to the speech given by the filmmakers who won best short live action Hellium. The cast and crew worked for NO pay so it goes to show if they can do it ANY ONE can.
No surprise 12 YEARS took BEST PICTURE. No contest there. Honestly I think that film should be introduced to ALL high school history classes.
WHY is everyone KNOCKING GRAVITY? It got the awards it deserved it's a decent little sci-fi drama so let it it at that.
The big surprise was all the Hollywood Heavyweights for Best Actresses by a sparky energetic newcomer (12 YEARS A SLAVE) that won't be last we'll hear of her. I didn't think Jennifer Lawrence could win 2X back to back. If that happened then a lot will suspect favoritism going on.
I missed some parts but did AMERICAN HUSTLE get anything at all?
Best Actor was also a surprise. Go MATTHEW!!
The Memorial's were very emotional this year more so the previous. Probably there were a lot of excellent people taken unexpectedly and to soon before their time.
Thumbs up Ellen. She should host every year.
I hope everyone listened to the speech given by the filmmakers who won best short live action Hellium. The cast and crew worked for NO pay so it goes to show if they can do it ANY ONE can.
12 years a slave really isn't all that exceptional a film. It was sloppily assembled. It was uncomfortable to watch, not because of the subject matter because of it's poor assembly. Why it was even nominated for best editing truly boggles the mind.
But I agree, there's no surprise it won best picture. It couldn't not win, or all of hollywood would have to refer to themselves as racist (even though that would be complete bullshit).
I thought it was a complex and layering film with beautiful acting, direction, and imagery, with some stunning sound design and some of the best uses of symbolism I've seen in a long time. I thought the film was an important tale of loss and recovery, but then again, people see films differently.
What? Do you realize how difficult it is to get the Oscars together? Technicians are struggling to make sure everything will work okay. It's hectic and rushed... and they need to achieve perfection. Seeing that they had probably set everything up and gotten everything together, adding Resnais into one of the slides would have complicated the process and made it HELL for those working. They have to meet a certain time limit, and everything has to be flawless. They, no doubt in my mind, would have included him if not for the inconvenient date of his incredibly unfortunate death.
I thought the film was clumsily paced at times, but IMO, it was an exceptional and important film, portraying slavery with brutal honesty and skill, telling an amazing story that McQueen is passionate about. I thought Shame and Hunger were far better, but I still think 12YAS was AMAZING.
But I agree, there's no surprise it won best picture. It couldn't not win, or all of hollywood would have to refer to themselves as racist (even though that would be complete bullshit).
Don't fully agree with this, but I can see your POV.
Out of curiosity Will, which film do you think should have won?