Just like last year, I’m setting this up so I can comment throughout the evening on the trainwreck (in my book) that is the year’s Oscars. Feel free to comment throughout, but remember, if you’re going to swear, let me know so I can clear your post.
Is anyone here really involved in this year’s competition? I confess I really have very little interest in most of the outcomes — and in fact (as I mentioned Friday afternoon on Jeff Messer’s radio show), I’m really rooting for things not to win in most cases. We shall see…
And indeed we did see — over a very long evening that offered some surprises, but not enough and not all of them were pleasant. I suppose I should feel all validated since I pegged Spotlight as probable Best Picture the morning we had the press screening. I think it was he best choice out of the nominated movies, but I much preferred Youth, The Hateful Eight, Clouds of Sils Maria, and Trumbo, but none of those were up. I’m still not sold on the idea that the Best Picture wasn’t also the best directed. It’s not like Spotlight made itself. Surely, Academy voters know that, but, hey they voted that awful song from SPECTRE as the year’s best…and don’t get me started on Room even being nominated for anything.
I’m sorry to see that the ratings were once again lower. Mostly, I’m sorry because they’ll blame Chris Rock, who is not, I think, the problem. In fact, I think Rock is the best thing to happen to the Oscars. The problem lies in a jaded moviegoing public that thinks it knows too much and is drowning in a sea of online information. By the time the Oscars get here, we’ve had a constant flow of awards for two months — Golden Globes, SAG, WGA, PGA, DGA, critics groups, individual critic lists, and, of course, the shadowy National Board of Review (nobody knows who these people are; I’m not convinced they exist). At one time, most of this didn’t matter. It was buried in the backs of newspapers. Now, if you are paying any attention at all, it’s shoved in your face. By the time the Oscars drag-ass in, the interest is gone. Most everyone is awarded out. I think the only real hope for them is to hold them between Christmas and New Years and avoid the crush. Maybe even earlier would be better.
Any other suggestions would involve changing the way moviegoers approach popular culture — turn the snark down, dial back the cynicism and realize that we only think we’re industry insiders, who have to keep track of absolutely every jot and tittle, obsess over box office returns (which really don’t impact most of us in any significant way), etc. How likely is that? Probably about as likely as me owning a Chuck Norris movie.
In the end, this was just an Oscar year like any other. They got some things right. They got some things wrong. Nothing here was anywhere near as embarrassing as voting Crash or Around the World in 80 Days or The Greatest Show on Earth for Best Picture. And at the end of the day…it’s a passing amusement of doubtful lasting value. The history of the movies isn’t written in Oscars. It’s written in much broader range than that encompasses — and thank goodness. If I was stuck with only Oscar winning movies, I’d quickly find a new interest.
421 thoughts on “The Second Annual More-or-Less Live Oscar Coverage — Updated with a Little Post-Mortem Snark”
I’ll start seriously monitoring this at 8 p.m., but if anyone has anything to say, have at it…
I’ll resurface in the 8:20-25 zone.
Well, that’s cryptic. I’m just glad my daughter’s here to I.D. some of the celebrities of the red carpet for me.
Present.
Good. Not that anything has happened yet.
Finally we’ll soon have an answer to the big question: Did Leo eat enough live fish to nab an Oscar?
I thought it was whether or not he was cold enough, but then that sleeping in the dead horse biz was pretty impressive.
Looks as though my presence will be patchy at best…
Well, that fellates the moose.
So far I’m not rooting for anything in particular to win – apart from any of the nominees for Best Animated Feature besides Inside Out.
Not a fan, eh?
It was alright, but I had expected more going in. Plus it seems like Pixar/Disney automatically wins because they’re the most well-known studio.
Pixar can be hit or miss for me but I loved Inside Out and wished it had gotten a BP nod as well.
These screenplay clips really make me want to go back and read them…
Spotlight is at least a sane choice.
Please mention The Cobbler. Please mention The Cobbler.
Not a chance…
That was the best Russell Crowe’s been in years.
Agreed.
Started already? Let me try to get my TV set up (at least the mouth pain has been quiet today).
The Big Short was a bit of a surprise.
Merit-wise, but it was the favorite going in.
I like them having the screenplay categories first. Mixes tradition up a bit.
Present as well! ^^
Ah, excellent!
At least it wasn’t Room.
That Room is nominated in any category is still bizarre to me.
You can’t be expecting an argument from me.
Ditto!
Better go and watch “The Room” instead!
It’s funnier.
Certainly! ^^
2 for 2 prediction-wise and not displeased by either.
Noooo, not the SPECTRE song….
Remember when that person clapped when it was over?
Relief.
I was stifling laughter, but that’s just how I am.
Why isn’t he wearing a swan?
Here in Brazil we have simutaneous translation, which makes everything worse! I’ve been trying to turn it off, but I can’t… 🙁
Will they translate this damned song?
*unintelligible, out of tune falsetto*
I’m standing by it sounding like a cat having a fit in a bucket of ketchup.
Is that damn cat back? And who keeps squeezing the thing?
It ain’t me.
We gonna see 3 consecutive cinematography wins for what’s his name tonight?
Yes, him.
Come on…see if you can say Dick Pope…
I just wanna know if they fixed that.
The last time I watched the Oscar was when The Return of the King won. How long ago was that?
2004.
Wow!
So I got it on in time to try to get it to mute Timberlake.
I also mistook the BIG SHORT clip for a MADOFF ad.
We. Are. Farmers. Dun-du-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun.
Alicia Vikander??? Well…
“Most roles in a year goes to…”
I was so hoping for Jennifer Jason Leigh.
So was I!
Not enough Hateful Eight representation tonight in general.
Quite a year for her!
Pretty much everything she chose was good…other than Seventh Son.
And the “get off the stage” music is now…. Ride of the Valkyries.
And J. K. Simmons is in the running for Impressive Facial Hair on a Presenter.
They can cast her in as much as they like as far as I’m concerned.
I have no issues with her, but The Danish Girl is another matter.
Danish Girl is textbook Oscar bait – stuffy as hell, but pretty (I guess).
The thank-yous scrolling along the bottom of the screen are kind of a neat idea.
There’s a stack of DVDs on my desk and I hadn’t seen that.
Is Stallone going to win??? What do you think????
I think yes. Does he deserve it? Well, I never saw that one.
Guaranteed win for Stallone. 🙁
He will win but ugh!
Yup. Lifetime achievement substitute.
My thoughts, exactly…
But an achievement of lots of horrid movies!
What would Edith Head think? (It seems weird to call costumes a “tech” category, to me anyway, but the VO lady just did).
Okay, they didn’t give costume design (for best rags and animal parts) to Revenant
And now “Que Sera Sera” to indicate Production Design.
“I’d just like to say one serious thing-” *cutoff music starts*
This year, they Wagner you off the stage.
That guy shredding on guitar sealed it for mad max
I miss Wes Anderson.
Me too…but it’s kind of cool that he still hasn’t won. Makes that club more appealing.
Invariably.
And so many belong to it.
Our people.
And Mad Max wins again…
Makes me wonder if George Miller actually has a chance for Best Director.
No doubt.
Trunky, Dane, Gatty,. Smitty, Leech. Names in Thank Yous that sound like either a punk band’s members or rejected Little Rascals.
Also, were hairstyles that important to Elephant Man? And Ken should like the merkin joke.
Mad Max is racking ’em up.
Ah wait, “Makeup and.” I only heard hairstyles.
And Max Max wins another one!
Copy. Paste. Repeat.
Reminder that 100-Year-Old-Man is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.
Now, there’s a movie!
The real Best Foreign Language Film.
Amen to that.
I didn’t really enjoy Mad Max, but I prefer seeing it win instead of The Revenant, which I truly detested!!!!
I’d be okay with it on that basis, but God knows we’d be listening to nerds brag about it for ages.
Chivo wins another one!
Well-deserved.
It is either brag or complain withe the fanboys. We lose either way.
There was a huge picture of Leonardo DiCaprio on the front of the Arts and Entertainment section this morning. What if The Revenant ends up getting no awards?
My money is on it getting Picture and Director.
And actor, of course.
And cinematography.
Well, there goes that idea. But those shots did look nice.
“Live and Let Die” suggests how they will actually decide the winners next year.
C’mon now: the Hunger Games series is (finally) over.
Yeah, but there’s another of those Divergent things.
They are better.
Was busy pouring beers and whatnot but did I hear Leto reference The Overnight?
I missed it if he did.
The Overnight doesn’t have a monopoly on that…special piece of makeup.
But yes, if you want to interpret it that way…
The merkin joke.
Yes, well…
Best Cinematography was…predictable.
Yeah, him.
Hey, it’s the first time an artist wins an Oscar for three years in a row!
That’s pretty impressive.
I’m cool with the last two.
Me too! He was nominated for Sleepy Hollow and lost.
That he didn’t win for Children of Men is strange.
I think he deserved it for Tree of Life, too.
I still don’t get the fuss about Gravity.
Me neither. And it’s a movie where I’m unclear where cinematography ends and CGI begins.
That’s part of the problem.
I had the same issue with Life of Pi.
And that film Mad Max is actually barely in, wins another one!
Another Mad Max win…
Ewww, Minions.
Well, yes…
“The minions are on their way!”
No…why…
We don’t need no stinkin’ minions!
Amen.
So far Chris Rock is an excellent host. You need a legit comedian for this job.
I thought he was good last time.
Ditto.
Not sure what to make of those trivia pop-ups for presenters. Useful sometimes in keeping track of nominations. Otherwise, we get “Chris Evans played two different superheroes.”
Sound editing…now that’s a real edge of your seat one…
MM again.
It wasn’t that good.
So, how many winners tonight *haven’t* triggered the Valkyries?
Sound mixing…another exciting one.
Still no Oscar for stuntwork, but there are two for sound…
It was a few years before I actually understood what the difference between the two sound categories was.
They made them more interesting than usual by focusing on the actual sounds. (Not saying much I know, but)
Worked better than typing out the scripts…
Furiosa again!
Monotonous.
Get ready for another one…
At this point, they should just have a “To George Miller” sign made and hand it off.
This is another likely win.
Ex Machina wins one!
The voters have had enough!
Wow! An actual surprise!
“Whoops…we meant Mad Max: Fury Road.”
Don’t encourage them.
I’ll never forget Robin Williams singing “Blame Canada”!
Aw, Jacob Tremblay trying to get a better view of the droids…
He has priorities.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn…
Those weren’t the Droids I was looking for.
Yeah, well, they’re still threatening us with Minions.
🙁
They are trying to have more black people there…
Now, Ken, pay attention: the Minions are there!
Aaagh
Ugh.
This is all awfully phallic.
Come on Bear Story!
I’ll be damned. They got it right.
Does anyone know where I could watch any of these?
I wish I’d seen the shorts, but the compilation didn’t open until Friday so I missed it due to mouth pain.
Offhand, no. They played here for two weeks.
Lately, they’ve often released the nominees (or most of them) on DVDs.
In fact, you can buy a digital version already.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BXO9XWW/ref=pd_cbs__2
Oh, dear…animated feature…
The Peanuts Movie is not nominated, so I don’t care about this one…
WHEN MARNIE WAS THERE- Not directed by Hitchcock.
D’oh…
Well, we knew it was gonna happen.
That we did. *frustrated sigh*
Fifty Shits of Grey won big at the Razzies this year!
What the hell?
Sorry about the “S” word, Ken.
No problem. I cleared it along with Andrew’s Hitchcock…(Jesus)
Hey, it’s as bad as the movie!
Mark Won!!!!
I don’t care if it is just a song 50 Hades of Gray should no be anywhere near the Academy Awards.
And boy are those a&am dances and idea that should have been nixed right away
And until the end of time it can be called an Academy Award nominated movie. Ugh!
I won’t argue that.
At least The Weekend enunciated his lyrics.
“Simple Song #3” is about to look even better.
Whoever gave the green light to the S&M dancers should never be allowed to work in Hollywood again.
So a comment mentioning Hitchcock went into moderation.
It already did.
Apparently you can’t mention a British director named Alfred H., or not his surname.
Are you serious?
Yes. Two comments mentioning Hitch, because of the second syllable, went into moderation.
Well, I moderated them.
Ah yes I see. What I said was that any time I am tempted to take the Oscars seriously I remind my self tha Hitch never won one but that Hillary Swank has two.
Who can,t?
Of course any time I am tempted to take the Oscars seriously I remind myself that Hitchcock never won one but that Hillary Swank has two.
You got caught in the Hitchcock filter there…
Anybody but Stallone!
Don’t hold your breath.
I know.
Yes!!!!!!!!!!
Okay…Best Supporting Actor….
Was The Big Short as dull as these clips suggest?
It’s as messy as they suggest.
Messy is part of what makes it good, though.
You and I appreciate that quality differently…and that’s OK.
No.
Tom Hardy needs subtitles.
I’m pulling for Rylance, really.
Me too, and he won!!!
Me three!
Holy shit! (Yes, I can say shit.)
Holy Oscar surprise, Batman!!!!
All right!!!
&$*% you, Rocky!
But not Hirch c—-? Strange
Last year you couldn’t say Dick Pope. Some sort of phallic obsession, I think.
Dick Poop.
And he was the best thing about Bridge of Spies.
He won a lot of the critics awards but seemed to run out of steam with SAG etched. Not a Hugh shock but a pleasant surprise. And no Stallone!!
From the clips, also seems like the only character actor performance of the nominees. (Not that they have to be, or often are anymore, but it went to a great performance *and* someone who spoke coherently.) Ruffalo looks like the next most deserving.
Can’t say I loved Beidge of Spies but I dislike it and think Eylan e deserved the win.
We’re fighting for our lives! At Casino Royale!
A nice touch!
Indeed!
He’s got a red-head in his arms!
Morricone!
Wow. Best intro to Docxumentary Short Subject possible.
Best Doc. short…well, I didn’t see any.
They only gave us access to two. Requests for the other three were never acknowledged.
“Mad Max?…. no.”
“A Girl in the River”: hopping on the Gone Girl and Girl on the Train, uh, train.
Best Doc. feature. I’m kinda indifferent.
Nina Simone! WNC is represented
Amy is not a surprise.
Screeners for half of these docs are sitting in a box in the guest room closet.
Yes.
What’s love got to do with Whoopi Goldberg?
Well, why not?
I sort of wish some year, they would lead up to the Jean Hersholt Award with a Jean Hersholt clip.
Preferably Mark of the Vampire.
Is the Academy president quoting Spider-Man?
Anyone keeping track? Will this end on schedule?
I’m really doubting it at this point.
Probably not, though it certainly could.
Long day tot at have to check out.
Blackbird is a surplus effective choice for memorandum segmwnt
Thought they might end with Bowie. Close.
I’m still not sure I’m up for a movie world without Alan Rickman.
Me neither…
No one is.
I’m glad he was included. Just not right he was never even nominated.
Gotta right the wrong with Brendan Gleeson before it’s too late.
Very close.
“Everybody Wants to Be a Cat”? Interesting.
I don’t.
Hey, both my short film picks won. Am I surprised.
My live-action choice won. The most creative animation choice won.
Half of the music cues this year are witty if surprising movie music, half are 1980s K-Mart music.
Son of Saul — another predictable win.
They need to wrap this up soon.
Biden! Okay, I didn’t expect that.
Joe Biden?
I like Joe but get ready for this to go WAY behind schedule! 🙂
Well, if the VP wants it to win, how can it lose?
VP or no VP I’m for “Simple Song No. 3.”
Any sane person is.
Maybe Michael Caine will conduct it.
I never expected Joe Biden to praise Lady Gaga for being courageous.
Who did?
OK the Vice President introduces Lady Ga Ga. Surrealism lives.
By my count there are at least 6 categories left . Not sure I can hold out much longer.
Actor, Actress, Director, Picture and we haven’t heard “Simple Song No. 3” yet. What am I forgetting?
Score.
Oh, yeah. Morricone!
Where are Rob Lowe and Snow White when you need them?
I had managed to forget that…
How can you?
One of the most hilariously campy faux pas ever!
That predates my awards watching days, but I’ve seen the clip.
Ennio!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay! Morricone!
Woo hoo! THE MAN!
The oldest man to win this particular award ever!
Yay!
Now this is exciting.
Thomas Newman is like his cousin Randy was for a long time . Always nominated and always passed over.
13 nominations, ZERO wins! His father won 9!!!!
One of these years.
Ah, the ecstasy of gold…
Common: still can’t act.
Geeze. Commercials keep cutting in.
THEY’RE NOT GOING TO PERFORM SIMPLE SONG #3!?!?!?!?
What? No performance of “Simple Song No. 3?”
They should nix all the song performances. Just slows thing down too much.
Agreed, especially when they’re this obscure.
Jesus Christ!
Oh my.
Of all the wrong-headed choices…
“Take THAT, sexual assault” – Sam Smith
The first openly gay man to win an award takes it home for Spectre.
Not sure he is the first.
I’m cogitating on that.
Alan Ball for American Beauty? Also I think there was another screenwriter but drawing a blank.
Screenwriter for Milk too I believe.
I think McKellen was talking about actors when he said that.
Not sure Reinaldo was thinking in McKellen terms.
I think that was what Sam Smith was referring to. Someone likely misquoted McKellen to him.
I think that’s a mistake, but probably one of the few. Animator John Canemaker won Best Short for “The Moon and the Son” and thanked his partner in his speech. That’s lower profile of course, but.
Yeah, I’m probably wrong about this one!
Ali G!!!
Now, that’s surprising!
And we are officially in overtime…
Oh, yes, but it’s getting close…
Oh, here we go…
Directing… not The Revenant… pleaseeeee…
Seals the BP deal I guess. Why give it to him second year in a row if they aren’t going do BO?
Ick.
I really want the Academy to go to hell now!
Coulda been worse. Coulda been the Room guy.
Capt. Torpedo a Good Idea
It’s difficult to say which of the two is the most pretentious! Iñarritu now will be unsufferable!
I didn’t think they’d give it to him 2x in a row, but he deserves it.
I don’t dislike Inarritu, but I don’t like the movie.
I dislike him completely!
Not even Birdman?
I like Birdman a lot.
Me, too. Wish I’d been more excited that it won BP last year, but it beating Grand Budapest for Original Screenplay soured me a bit.
I’d have gone with McCarthy.
For The Cobbler!
I reckon this clinches Actor and Picture, huh?
I reckon.
Any chance for an upset in Actress? If Rylance can sneak in, maybe Ronan will, too.
She sounds like the audience favorite.
A nice surprise.
Lightning won’t strike twice
I am here at last
Welcome.
In time to bitch about the big finale.
Is it just me, or is that dress unnecessarily massive?
Which dress? That describes so many.
Gotta credit him for talking all the way through the cutoff music. It was almost like it was purposely the background music for his speech.
Ack.
Lady Cheese.
She and Alison Brie should team up.
There’s probably a rom-com in the works.
Ok let’s get this over with
So they used “Big Rock Candy Mountain” as a cue. Mom’s comment: “They’re trying to diversify the music since they didn’t with the people.”
Only Leo and Revenant to go.
Is it wrong that I wish Julianne Moore was wearing her terrible bald cap from FREEHELD?
Not at all.
If these last two are a surprise, it’ll be a surprise.
If they aren’t a surprise I won’t be surprised.
Yes.
Julianne!
Non-surprise no. 1.
Yawn.
http://redcarpetrampage.com
Ha ha!
Leo’s 6th best performance!
Meh.
Tumblr will rest easy tonight.
I think the one who really got gypped was the bear.
Oh, come on. He was cold and slept in a dead horse.
The bear still deserved the nomination.
I was hoping Lady Gaga would sneak up and scare him again
If only!
Morgan’s da man!
I guess my grandmother will think Leo is disgusting now that he’s stated for the world that global warming is real.
And here…
SPOTLIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously?
Whoa! Nice.
Wow!
I am delighted.
As predicted by me in the newspaper and on WLOS…but not if I had to bet money on it.
Hooray, not Revenant. (And I should probably see SPOTLIGHT, just not when I’m depressed.)
It’s an uplifting film.
Delighted within this context. It ought to have been Youth or The Hateful Eight or The Clouds of Sils Maria, but…
Yes, the Vatican will obviously change their policies on sexual abuse strictly on the basis of the Oscars.
Well, of course,
When was last time BP winner had so few overall wins?
Only two.
Crash?
No, that one won 3. This may be the fewest in the modern era.
That ensemble cast split the vote.
This may be an all time low. So far I’ve gone back 50 years and every BP winner has won at least three total.
Ah, Grand Hotel in 1932 won BP. It was not only it’s only win it was its only nomination.
Not sure if there are anay others with only two wins or fewer.
Chris Rock #OscarJacketSoWhite
If you have Michael Keaton in your prestige picture, you’ll win the top prize.
A lesson learned.
Hooray!
Hey, thanks to everyone who participated or even just followed. We beat last year’s comments by nearly 150. And that’s with Xanadont mostly absent and Scott showing up late.
Thanks for hosting this chat! It was great!
Thanks for coming! I shall now edit Scott’s review and call it a day.
Job well done, folks!
I can stay late and carry on a troll war with myself if that helps
Hey, if it amuses you…
This was fun (and I enjoyed large chunks of the show more than I expected, and managed to mute or miss much of the rest).
Good night, people! ^^
What did I miss?
Lots.
Just chiming in after the fact… live’s not necessarily my speed. I was also disgusted by Sam Smith’s win. That song is among the lowest of the bond songs IMHO and didn’t even deserve the nod. All of them that I had heard at all (haven’t managed to see Youth yet, sorry to let you down Ken) were none too good. Rough year for original song. Wish it had gone to the song from Hunting Ground for socio-political reasons. That, to me was the biggest WTF moment of the night, although there were several.
Was thrilled to see Ali G make an appearance. I had been enthusiastically quoting him earlier in the day.
Loved seeing Mad Max soak up the design/editing type awards. I got the most thrilling experience out of that movie and the look, feel, sound of it was unbeatable.
Very pleased with Morricone’s win he has long deserved it.
Also, it has been a long time since I was so impressed with Chris Rock. Louis C.K. was on point as ever.
And way to go Rylance. I, unlike most of you it seems, really enjoyed Bridge of Spies, and I thought Rylance was the best part of it.
I think even folks who didn’t like Bridge of Spies much (raises hand) thought Rylance was exceptional in it — and easily the best thing about it.
As for seeing Youth, Able, it’s at the Flatrock Cinema through Thursday…
Would that I had time. I will get it when it comes to rosebud.
That might be today. At least from what I can tell on Amazon.
Groovy. I will keep a sharp eye.
Blu-ray only btw.
That seems curious.
Oh, Reinaldo — outgays with Oscars would definitely include Bill Condon’s screenplay win for Gods and Monsters and Dustin Lance Black for Milk.
I thought it was a great show. If Rock hosted it every year I’d be happy with that. The only thing I thought was awful was the set, pretty ugly.
Its cool that Inaritu has has been given best director twice in a row.
Its cool that Inaritu has has been given best director twice in a row.
Not an opinion I can get behind…
fair enough, I just loved those two films although Im happy SOPTLIGHT won. Id like to think the win will tell the vatican to stop the child rape but it probably wont.
I loved Birdman. I did not even really like The Revenant.