2014 Oscars

Also considering the fact it rained several days on Oscar Week. I'm sure when this fantastic museum opens up in 2017 they will most certainly feature those people that were left out of the memorium. The fact that they can put a MASSIVE event together in a week is boggling also considering safety. Luckily no one had any accidents or mishaps last night. Ellen was joking when she said Lawrence fell out the car right?
 
She actually ordered PIZZA in the middle of the event. I didn't think she was serious but she actually did it and the fact the celebrities were gobbling it up says that even the most famous and prestigious are still down to earth like us. That delivery boy must have made a killing in just tips last night.
 
Out of curiosity Will, which film do you think should have won? :)

I suspect much more deserving films for the award of "Best Picture" weren't even nominated for it.

For example, I think the Book thief, while maybe not best picture worthy, deserved more nominations than just for score.

I don't particularly care about the oscars, used to.. haven't for a decade or more though. I find it to be completely irrelevant to my life and not reflective of "the best" of cinema.
 
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.

Actually I agree with all of what you said and I understand what the Oscars are which is why I generally take their nominations and winners with a grain of salt. I was just very frustrated that a very important filmmaker just got ignored like that two days after he passed away. They put many people in the Memorium, I don't know why one of the guys who really changed cinema didn't even get a mention.

I don't know why they can't just be called the American Academy Awards because they have nothing to do with the landscape of cinema as a whole. Even their foreign film category is flawed in its nomination process and the actual films that end up getting nominated.

I also think that the Academy should do more than just host an awards show, they should really try to further the advancement of understanding and appreciating cinema (all cinema, let's not have an American-centric view here). I think that an awards show could potentially educate viewers about film if great ones are nominated, for example, I learned a lot about new short films and documentaries I might not have heard about. Why can't an awards show extend that to great feature films not everyone has heard about?

@ChimpPhobiaFilms
This is not some random obscure filmmaker we're talking about though, this is someone who can be placed on the level of Jean-Luc Godard, Ingmar Bergman, Akira Kurosawa, or any of the masters of international cinema that really changed the game. I was just very frustrated though I understand some of the technical issues involved. I'm over it now lol, Resnais will still be recognized as a master much long after most 'Best Picture' nominees are forgotten. Still, I feel at least a mention would've been nice.
 
@ChimpPhobiaFilms
This is not some random obscure filmmaker we're talking about though, this is someone who can be placed on the level of Jean-Luc Godard, Ingmar Bergman, Akira Kurosawa, or any of the masters of international cinema that really changed the game. I was just very frustrated though I understand some of the technical issues involved. I'm over it now lol, Resnais will still be recognized as a master much long after most 'Best Picture' nominees are forgotten. Still, I feel at least a mention would've been nice.

He will be remembered, but only time will tell who is remembered and who isn't. It will be curious looking back at the Oscars years from now, seeing what faded into obscurity....
 
He will be remembered, but only time will tell who is remembered and who isn't. It will be curious looking back at the Oscars years from now, seeing what faded into obscurity....

That's true, I just feel like a lot of Oscar picks have been middle of the road, not all of them though. I mean is Wings seriously better than Metropolis or Sunrise? There's lots of great Oscar films, I guess my problem is more with the lack of recognition from non-American selections, great genre films, and independent films.
 
That's true, I just feel like a lot of Oscar picks have been middle of the road, not all of them though. I mean is Wings seriously better than Metropolis or Sunrise? There's lots of great Oscar films, I guess my problem is more with the lack of recognition from non-American selections, great genre films, and independent films.

yes.. yes it is. sunrise is total crap compared to george stevens a place in the sun

not going to say anything bad about metropolis.. but wings had clara bow!!
 
I have not seen 12 years or DBC yet so I can't comment on those wins.
Glad her won for screenplay, and cuaron for Director... I think Wolf should have won something...(I was hoping best pic)
But god damnit frozen got best animated. Frozen was good but "The Wind RIses" was on another level, it was a masterpeice.
 
yes.. yes it is. sunrise is total crap compared to george stevens a place in the sun

not going to say anything bad about metropolis.. but wings had clara bow!!

LOL well we'll just have to agree to disagree about Sunrise, to me that's clearly a masterpiece.
 
I don't know why they can't just be called the American Academy Awards because they have nothing to do with the landscape of cinema as a whole. Even their foreign film category is flawed in its nomination process and the actual films that end up getting nominated.
You're frustrated because you want the Oscars to be something it isn't.
Your frustration is a little misguided. The Oscars has never been about
global cinema. Any who thinks it is, or should be, is going to be frustrated
as you are. The "Best Foreign Language Film Award" wasn't even given
until 1956 - a full 27 years after the first awards ceremony. This is a
distinctly American institution.

I also think that the Academy should do more than just host an awards show, they should really try to further the advancement of understanding and appreciating cinema (all cinema, let's not have an American-centric view here).
The AMPAS does a lot of work for the advancement, understanding and
appreciation of cinema – not just American cinema although American
cinema is their primary target. Take a look at their Global Outreach programs.

I think that an awards show could potentially educate viewers about film if great ones are nominated, for example, I learned a lot about new short films and documentaries I might not have heard about.
An awards show could do that. This one does not. It never has and it never
will. You will continue to be frustrated wanting the Oscars to be something
they are not.
Why can't an awards show extend that to great feature films not everyone has heard about?
Well, there is the Independent Spirit awards. But putting an awards show on TV
is like distributing a huge budget film - you need to draw a huge audience to pay
for it. An awards show focusing on educating viewers and featuring films not everyone
has heard of is not going to draw an audience. Film festivals do that.

I was just very frustrated that a very important filmmaker just got ignored like that two days after he passed away. They put many people in the Memorium, I don't know why one of the guys who really changed cinema didn't even get a mention.
A little insight you are most likely unaware of; the people honored
in the “In Memoriam” tribute are people who passed away during
the calendar year – in this case 2013. This is in the Academy's rules.
Mr. Resnais passed on March 1, 2014. He will be included in the 2014
tribute. Your frustration is a little misguided. That clip package was
edited, timed, scored and rehearsed before he passed away.
 
I'm really not a fan of the Academy Awards, simply because they so heavily favor "serious" movies. Ah well, whatever. I still watch them every year. I felt this year's ceremony was really good, and for once I actually agreed with most of their choices. Does this mean I'm getting old?

More importantly, I'm curious about your experience working the ceremony, Rik. What's it like? I assume you can't or wouldn't want to divulge anything too specific. I'm not looking for gossip here, I'm more just curious about the behind-the-scenes atmosphere. Fun? Nerve-wrecking? Delerious?
 
LOL well we'll just have to agree to disagree about Sunrise, to me that's clearly a masterpiece.

Have you seen A Place in the Sun?
The stories are strikingly similar but steven's version was far superior for my viewing taste

granted he is one of my favorite directors
 
A little insight you are most likely unaware of; the people honored
in the “In Memoriam” tribute are people who passed away during
the calendar year – in this case 2013. This is in the Academy's rules.
Mr. Resnais passed on March 1, 2014. He will be included in the 2014
tribute. Your frustration is a little misguided. That clip package was
edited, timed, scored and rehearsed before he passed away.

You should put a 'usually' in there. I distinctly remember seeing Phillip Seymore Hoffman in there last night ;)
 
You're frustrated because you want the Oscars to be something it isn't.
Your frustration is a little misguided. The Oscars has never been about
global cinema. Any who thinks it is, or should be, is going to be frustrated
as you are. The "Best Foreign Language Film Award" wasn't even given
until 1956 - a full 27 years after the first awards ceremony. This is a
distinctly American institution.


The AMPAS does a lot of work for the advancement, understanding and
appreciation of cinema – not just American cinema although American
cinema is their primary target. Take a look at their Global Outreach programs.


An awards show could do that. This one does not. It never has and it never
will. You will continue to be frustrated wanting the Oscars to be something
they are not.

Well, there is the Independent Spirit awards. But putting an awards show on TV
is like distributing a huge budget film - you need to draw a huge audience to pay
for it. An awards show focusing on educating viewers and featuring films not everyone
has heard of is not going to draw an audience. Film festivals do that.


A little insight you are most likely unaware of; the people honored
in the “In Memoriam” tribute are people who passed away during
the calendar year – in this case 2013. This is in the Academy's rules.
Mr. Resnais passed on March 1, 2014. He will be included in the 2014
tribute. Your frustration is a little misguided. That clip package was
edited, timed, scored and rehearsed before he passed away.

Good insights! Thanks for informing me. I am less frustrated now lol, I just know now that the Oscars aren't for me. I'm not even their target audience lol. I do think a brief mention somehow would've been nice, but that's okay. I'm going to check out their Education & Outreach programs, those interest me a lot more than their awards show!

@sfoster
No, I haven't seen it but I do want to. I'm sure I'll like it, but I don't think it'll make Sunrise any less of a masterpiece for me.
 
You should put a 'usually' in there. I distinctly remember seeing Phillip Seymore Hoffman in there last night ;)
Good point. They do manage to get in a few people who pass away
before the sequence is fully edited and scored every year. I know
they start putting it together in early January. For those of us who
are editors we know how difficult it is to add even 20/30 seconds to
a finished cut at the last second. On a show that big the costs of
adding Mr. Resnais during the final rehearsals would be enormous.

We first saw the package on the Feb. 24 rehearsal and Hoffman was
in it. I suspect the omission of Mr. Resnais is more about time and
cost than disrespect. I was pleased to see a quick lower third remembering
Sarah Jones just before the break.


Good insights! Thanks for informing me. I am less frustrated now lol, I just know now that the Oscars aren't for me. I'm not even their target audience lol. I do think a brief mention somehow would've been nice, but that's okay. I'm going to check out their Education & Outreach programs, those interest me a lot more than their awards show!
The Oscars aren't for me either. The voters have gotten it wrong far more
often than right. Many egregious omissions and "correct to the moment"
awards proving to me it's nothing more than a political statement and
popularity contest.

The AMPAS however, has done great work. Perhaps more U.S. centric than
you would like, but they do offer a brief mention every year. The Academy
president comes out and talks about what they do. I suspect you are like
most people who tune that out - time for a bathroom break or to get a food
refill.
 
Speaking of US-centric ... One thing I noticed right from the get go, at least from a PR/script side, the Oscars seemed to be trying really hard to push an international angle. Lots of multicultural/multiethnic choices in their clip videos and I wish I had been playing a drinking game for every time they said the word 'global'.

Obviously words are words and actions are actions, but I don't think it's fair to say that they'e not aware of the changing and more global nature of film and filmmakers now, and aren't trying to do at least a little something about it.

Just my .02
 
The AMPAS however, has done great work. Perhaps more U.S. centric than
you would like, but they do offer a brief mention every year. The Academy
president comes out and talks about what they do. I suspect you are like
most people who tune that out - time for a bathroom break or to get a food
refill.

LOL yeah, I wouldn't tune that out I just never watch the whole thing since the awards bore me. I've only seen a full show in 2009 when I was really into the kind of cinema celebrated at these awards.
 
Wow, I always wondered what the whole deal was with the statue they get given on stage vs the one with their names on them.

Apparently after the ceremony they have engravers at the Governor's Ball and the winners line up to get their little men fitted with the plaques. Must be a really fun experience (and party).

Album Here.
 
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