Showing posts with label Billy Crystal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Billy Crystal. Show all posts

Monday, February 27, 2012

My take on the 84th Academy Awards


The Oscars
This is one of my favorite Oscar posters. This is from the 69th Academy Awards, 1997.

My take on the Oscars. I’ve said this many times and anyone that knows me knows that I like movies. They are a very important part of my life. I’ve always dreamed of one day winning an Oscar and haven’t really given up on that dream. Perhaps it’ll come from writing a script or maybe I’ll get to be a cinematographer on my own film. If it’s meant to be it’ll happen.

Most people are only concerned with the six major awards. Best Picture, Best Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor and Actress. All of the other stuff only means something to people that are really crazy about films.
When I first started going to the movies I would always want to see the credits. My friends would be ready to go and I was interested in who the people behind the scenes were.
I was around 11 years old when I got my first 8mm movie camera. I had my cousins bringing my words and direction to life.

The Oscars pay tribute to the movies and gives out the gold statues to the best of what makes a movie great. Some of it seems wrong because if a movie wins for best sound effects, it would seem as if it should win for best sound editing. If a person gets best director then shouldn’t that film be the best film?
Being acknowledged by your piers is probably a great feeling. So even without the statue you do have a certificate showing you were nominated for your work.
The little statue doesn’t really guarantee anything these days. It’s all about the numbers and how much money you can make for a studio.

Billy Crystal was hosting for the 9th time after years of being away from the awards. He brought back some of the stuff that we loved about him, but there were some slow moments where his delivery and jokes could have been better.
Jennifer Lopez and Cameron Diaz made fun of their rear ends and Robert Downey, Jr. did a skit with Gwenneth Paltrow when they presented the award for a Documentary Feature.

Foreign Language film went to A Separation from Iran. Supporting actress went to Octavia Spencer for The Help. After watching the film a second time she deserved to win.

Film Editing: Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Sound editing: Hugo, Sound Mixing: Hugo, Documentary Feature: Undefeated, Animated Feature: Rango which this was a great film ***

Cirque Du Soleil put on an interesting performance, there were a few mishaps but because the stage was dark not everyone would have seen it. You had really look closely.

Visual Effects: Hugo, Supporting Actor went to Christopher Plummer for his role in The Beginner. A big deal was made on his age. He is the oldest recipient of an Oscar. I knew he was going to win because he was playing a gay character. If you know my formula for films it’s a shoe in.
That’s why I was surprised that Glen Close didn’t win for her role.

Musical Score: The Artist, Original Song: Man and Muppet, Adapted Screenplay: The Descendants, Original Screenplay: Midnight in Paris, Live Action short: The Shore, Documentary short subject: Saving Face, Animated Short: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, Best Director: Michelle Hinzanavicus for The Artist, Best Actor: Jean DuJardin for The Artist, Best Actress: Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady, this was her 17th nomination and her 3rd Oscar win.

Best Picture went to the French film The Artist. This is the first time that a foreign film has won best picture.

Oprah Winfrey won an honorary Oscar for all of her humanitarian work.
Oprah appeared on Jimmy Kimmel later and was hilarious. I’m not a big fan of Jimmy Kimmel, but lasts nights show was great. He is really liked by a lot of celebs in Hollywood. They have to like him to let down their guard and do the things he has asked of them. He got Oprah to do a tub scene and to make fun of herself.
Now I’ll see if I can see some of the films that were nominated that I feel would be of interest. Perhaps I’ll see something that will inspire me.

Thanks for stopping by; keep an open mind.


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Sunday, February 26, 2012

The Help revisted




With all of the talk about The Help and the Oscar nominations, I decided to watch the film again. Sometimes I’ll watch a movie and I just won’t be all that into it. Perhaps it had to do with all the hype. Maybe it was my mind set about it being a film about maids. I don’t see where it is a classic film, but it was good. The cast is remarkable. Sissy Spacek is great. I definitely feel Octavia Spencer’s nomination is warranted. I feel the Oscars may go to Viola Davis for best actress and Octavia Spencer for best supporting actress, but since I’ve not seen the other actresses that they are up against I can’t be sure.
Seeing the movie a second time made me see it differently. It was a very interesting film. I really enjoyed it and I do recommend it. There are two actresses from New Orleans that also appear in the film.

I’ll be watching the Oscars to see what wins and what doesn’t. I was disappointed that Leonardo DiCaprio was not nominated for J. Edgar. I’m happy that Billy Crystal is back so it should be an interesting show.

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