Ryan McNeil
21 Thoughts on last night’s Oscar ceremony…
- So I was wrong with who Oscar voters would reward as Best Picture, and couldn’t be more thrilled about it.
- On the flip side, I can’t say I was thrilled about Martin & Baldwin’s stilted monologue.
- Anybody know why the acting nominees opened the show like contestants in a beauty pageant?
- Could Kristen Stewart possibly look any more nervous?
- …and could the Oscar reels they showed possibly give away more of the movies??
- Dear Oscar: If I wanted to watch America’s Best Dance Crew, my remote works just fine.
- Am I the only one who doesn’t find Stiller funny anymore?
- Oh what I wouldn’t have given for some Renner and Sidibe upsets.
- FYI – I still don’t care about who is wearing what.
- Anybody know which dumpster they fished Judd Nelson out of? Yikes.
- Way to go Ric O’Barry – your damned sign got your directors’ speech cut short. Where’s Phillippe Petit when you need him?
- Anyone else find Carey Mulligan about seven kinds of cute?
- In what was a very predictable year, I’m happily impressed by the slight upsets in the screenplay categories.
- Is it just me, or for was Jeff Bridges kinda babbling by the end of his speech?
- Lady Hatter said it best – Neil Patrick Harris’ opening felt like Oscar was giving him a tryout for future hosting duties.
- Gotta love the irony in such a long intro for the short films category.
- What the hell happened during the Documentary Short acceptance speech? The woman basically got up there and was all “You’re telling it wrong – let me tell the story…”
- Pretty sure I could have cut a better John Hughes montage. Just sayin’.
- Vanessa said it best in my comment section last night – Bigelow looked like she was going to pass out towards the end there.
- My favorite moment of the night? George Clooney chair dancing to the SHERLOCK HOLMES score.
- Finally, the romantic in me can’t get over Ryan Bingham’s thank-you to his wife: “I love you more than rainbows.” Awwwww!
I've always mocked Twitter, but I found it terrific last night for voicing curt opinions about how awful this telecast was without choking up my Facebook or bothering to liveblog. Here are some I consider highlights and respective of the evolution of my discomfort through the night:
"The two-host setup is just awkward. Some of these jokes are actually good, but they fall flat going back and forth."
"of course they cut to the Coens for a Jewish joke"
"Anyone else think it's weird that all these extra long clips give away the entire film?"
Regarding the John Hughes alumni showing up after his tribute vid (why did he get his own tribute?) "Have you ever seen so much failed potential on a stage since NINE came out?"
"This ceremony is interminable. Predictable wins and awful presentation."
"Note to self: piling on inhuman suffering cold, cynical and douchey when it happens to Jews, uplifting when it happens to black teenagers."
"Roger Corman not allowed to give speech for honorary Oscar, presumably to make time for these endless fucking clips"
"Oscars cuts to commercial not to spoil the moment of In Memoriam, ignoring the fact that they're cutting to a fucking commercial"
(in regards to the dancers) "The Academy celebrates its own pomposity and irrelevance and self-love by finally going full retard."
"SHUT THE DOUBLE FUCK UP AND GIVE JEFF BRIDGES HIS SHITTING OSCAR. This is truly the worst Oscars I've ever seen."
Seriously, this was the worst. The best thing about it was George Clooney, who saw this shitfest for what it was (hell, considering how drunk he looked, he probably saw it twice over).
Dude, John Bender has not aged well whatsoever. Yikes.
Decent show overall. Wasn't impressed by The Dude's drawn out acceptance speech, was impressed by Bullock's.
And how about that hour-long breakdancing sequence? Good lord…
My only 3 comments:
1. I wonder if there was a bet backstage between those presenting the nominees for best actor and actress for who could create the most overly sympathetic caricature of their respective nominee? (by the way 10 mins to introduce 5 people + hearing their names again by actual presenter + seeing clips = oh my god get on with it already!)
2. As I've mentioned in the past on my blog when they ask: "who are you wearing?" I'm still waiting for someone to chime in with a solid Buffalo Bill (Silence of the Lambs) reference.
3. Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin… yikes. I thought what they said at times would be funny, but their delivery seemed way off the entire night.
Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin were not that funny. It seem like they were gearing all the jokes to the 70+ age crowd. Ben Stiller, not funny! Heck, no one was funny. What was funny was the purple woman enforcing the 45-sec speech rule and the gay dude and Guilana on E!'s red carpet coverage analyzing goddamn gowns with arrows, slow motion and commentary, what has the world come to!
Some great insights here. But I must say, I can't believe you didn't note anything about George Clooney's sneering and all around ugly attitude toward Martin and Baldwin! It made me so uncomfortable. I posted about the all around awkwardness about last night on my blog. Check it out. It wasn't just Martin and Baldwin, and Clooney, but it was the acceptance speeches too. There were so many where the second guy who accepted the award would try to say something but get cutoff. Also, what about Sandy Powell's speech? How arrogant was her first line: something like, i already have two of these so this means nothing to me. I also thought Mo'nique's speech was pretty terrible too, saying it's about performance and not the politics.
Anyway, i basically touched up on all the points in my blog already. The red carpet interviews were pretty hard to watch too.
@ Jake… I'm still not on board with Tweeting, but you're right it seems like it was designed just for this sort of thing. I've never been one to live blog, for many reasons…but I do dig reading instant reactions by other people.
Speaking of your Have you ever seen so much failed potential on a stage since NINE came out? comment is freakin' gold!
@ Aiden… Alley Sheedy didn't look so hot either. Don't get me started on the dancers.
@ Univarn… Couldn't agree more on the Marin/Baldwin parade of sadness. And lordy are you right – those pat on the back intros seemed to go on for-EV-er!!
@ Castor… Don't get me started on red carpet coverage. Nothing irritates me more than the dimwitted "coverage" we get there. In Canada we got a funny moment where a major network was talking to Mo'Nique and right in the camera's eyeline over her shoulder was a publicist telling the mic jockey who'd been talking to her for ten seconds to wrap it up.
@ Casey… Clooney was going along with a joke that wasn't really all that funny, and he was going with it so well that it made hime look like an ass.
Remember that Clooney is widely known for having an amazing sense of humour and is one of the biggest jokers in Hollywood.
Powell's speech was a bit odd at first, but I did like that she brought the focus to designers who are in charge of contemerary movies who work equally as hard but don't get the same sort of kudos because there are no corsets and ballgowns.
At several points I found myself GRIMACING at the pitiful attempt at witty repartee between the Old Baldwin and the Jerk. Funny on their own, but together? Hardly a match made in comedy heaven. I almost wanted Hugh Jackman back.
I agree with Jake and you, MH — the dancers were HORRIBLE. Hated that so much I'm sure there was an outbreak of violent crime across the U.S., on account of that bit.
I'd add: Shut the triple fuck up and give Sandra Bullock her Oscar because in this category it ain't about the performance. Mo'Nique be damned.
And I'm going to sue Ben Stiller for all the therapy it will take me to get the image of him with yellow eyes out of my mind.
As for the woman who pulled a Kanye at the mic, there's an explanation on IMDB's links at the bottom of the main page today. Those two had severe creative differences, she sued him, he wasn't talking to her, blah blah blah.
Hi Hatter, I stayed up late last nite to get my Oscar highlights post (in 2 parts) by this AM.
I thought the same thing with the pageantry-like opening with all the nominees. What's up with that? Some of them looked darn right uncomfortable with a 'WTF' look on their faces.
Alec/Steve weren't the best hosts but I thought there were some funny moments, I especially liked the Paranormal Activity parody. But like Lady Hatter said, NPH as host ain't a bad idea at all!
The Academy pulled a 'Kanye' with The Cove's acceptance speech just as O'Barry held up the sign! Well at least they honored 'em with the Oscar, yes!
Glad award season's over though, bring on the Summer blockbusters!! Glad to see Iron Man 2 got a second trailer!
@ Meredith… Mo'Nique has a point, but you're right – "career merit" still comes into play. If it didn't, Bridges wouldn't be the runaway favorite he was.
Hopefully an NPH hosting gig isn't far away.
@ Rachel… I've already started calling her "White Lady Kanye". I read that story this morning too – lord was she ever classy!
@ RTM… I was actually a bit grumpy with what O'Barry did. His sign caused a cutaway and the film's director had his mic cut off. Nice show of appreciation to the people who actually helped him get the footage he needed to get his point across, wouldn't you say?
Five to One odds that O'Barry's shenanigans mean people like Phillipe Petit and Al Gore who don't have anything to do with the docs being made about them don't get let anywhere near the stage in future broadcasts.
Dammit, I was going to do a bullited list too and you beat me to it. Oh well, I'm doing it anyway 😉
I could more than live with a Neil Patrick Harris hosted Oscar movie.
And I hate the "cooling up" of the Oscars. If I want Kristen Stewart, I'll watch those damn movies and how the hell did Lautner get invited?
Ah well. I'm just getting old and grumpy.
Could Kristen Stewart look any more constipated? Will she ever break her Twilight persona and smile for once???
The reason why I'm not convinced he was going along with a joke is because it was a recurring thing. It wasn't just when they made a joke about not remembering the other best actor nominees' names. He was sneering throughout the entire opening sequence. Even before they made the joke about him. Even before he was mentioned. Give it a look.
@ Mike… I haven't checked your space yet, what the hell's wrong with me. Off to read it now – sorry to go and steal the intellectual property like that!
@ Darren… They've been trying this for a few years now. Recall that Effron sang last year and Pattison presented. I really don't think such shennanigans are making much difference.
@ Castor… I'm convinced what we're seeing is who she is. She's never struck me as much more than a flake who only knows how to act sullen.
@ Casey… See, but going back a few years Clooney played along with one of Jon Stewart's jokes and made it a lot more funny. I think it was just a bad bit altogether.
The funniest thing is with the parading of Cyrus, Stewart and Lautner the 18-25 group dropped 3% in ratings.
Clooney is awesome at Awards shows. He gets drunk and merry. I wish there was more of his kind around. Old School with swagger.
Baldwin and Martin were a bore and I love them both. The setup was boring. It was the first awards in years that I didn't get emotionally moved by many of the recipients or the awards themselves.
I haven't thought Ben Stiller was funny for years. He's a highly overrated piece of actor if you ask me.
It was an incredible lackluster show in my thoughts.