On the Oscars

March 7, 2010

This Sunday it seems the easy thing to write about for a blog has to be the Oscars. I kept notes and waited for my neighbors router to work properly again. What follows are said notes while watching. (Of course, I edited a bit, because I’m not sure anyone can understand my short hand.)

Oscar night is something I use to live for. I dreamed I would be there one day holding my own little golden man. I know it’s not going to happen now, but I’ll still watch happily. Hopefully this year movies I like might actually pull through. One can only hope that the Cohen’s don’t make out with another one.
To Alec Baldwin and Steve on the opening number: Your words aren’t too shabby but the timing is way off.
I love when the camera scans over the crowds. They always seem to have dumbfounded looks on their faces. Some seem to read “I don’t want to be here, get on with it.” I can’t imagine anyone really wants to sit at a reward show for 4 hours. The actors’ expressions remind me of what people do in cars at red lights when they think no one is looking.
The sound is already messing up. Didn’t this happen last year too?
Pixar wins best animated, what a surprise. I remember one year Jack Black saying something like “I do voice acting for a DreamWorks film but always bet on the Pixar for the win.” Up was amazing though. If you haven’t seen it, you should.
The song “Take it All” from Nine is up for best original song. Does that really count since it’s a Broadway musical? I’ll have to look this up. (Update – I haven’t)
I have to say District 9 really wasn’t the best film of the year and I'm not even sure it should be nominated. One of the best things it has going for it is the obvious allegory to apartheid. My hope is it reminds people of the past and maybe makes a younger generation want to learn more. Need to know your history so you don’t repeat your past. That’s the saying right? It’s hard though to describe something like apartheid to someone who wasn’t there. I may know the facts, but I can’t begin to comprehend the event.
Tina Fey and Robert Downy Jr. announce the best screen play nominees. I love the script for the two of them, the banter of what an actor wants in a screen play and what a writer wants in an actor. I especially love that when Tina Fey says “A writer likes an actor who’s not afraid to adlib,” the cameras coincidently move to Robin Williams.
I wonder if Hollywood types practice their “gracious loser” expression in the mirror before showing up.
Molly Ringwald and Matthew Broderick come out to do a special piece for the late John Hughes. All my note says is “Why didn’t Molly wear pink?”
Watching the montage of John Hughes films, I’m reminded of everything and everyone he’s touched. Maybe we should change the game to “Six Degrees of John Hughes” instead of Kevin Bacon.
Music of Prudence wins for best short documentary. All I can say is who is the red head in purple?? She was like the Kanye of the Oscars with a speech impediment. I saw a preview for David Lettermen where it looks like they were making fun of her too. I couldn’t bring myself to watch that episode though.
Does anyone know where to rent the short nominees? I hate that they usually show up at film festivals and then disappear or wind up on YouTube.
I Oprah touches it, it seems to win. What will the public do when she stops being in the public eye. They won’t know what to read or who to watch or maybe even whom to elect.
By the way, I am in no way a fan of Tyler Perry. I feel in a cage match Cosby would smack him down for his increase of stereotypes and attempt to create “black films” as opposed to just films. Put the two of them in a room and see who comes out crying. I bet he won’t be wearing an awesome sweater.
I love when they show briefly the picture of all the SciTech awards. They sadly look like a group of virgins in tuxedos holding plaques. (I think I’m just jealous because I love all the work they do but don’t have nearly enough patients to join them in their craft.)
I’m not sure where they got the TV announcer for this event. They just went to commercial break and she tried to tease the viewer by saying “Who will win best director, the first woman, the first African American or James Cameron?” Really?

I think I must have had my hands more full with food than the pen by the end of the show because my notes stop about at best actor and actress. One of my final notes was “Go Dude.” If you understand that, awesome, if not, don’t worry about it.

Obviously by the time I get to post this everyone will have already had an Oscars' recap, but this is what we get when borrowing internet from the neighbor.
I do feel though that I should at least leave with a few words on the winner of the best film. First of all, I’m thrilled Avatar didn’t win. I haven’t seen the film yet, but even in the previews, it just seems like a fascinating experiment with special effects. I had a friend who said “It’s Fern Gully, but longer and more expensive.” I finally saw Precious the other night and wasn’t thrilled. I hear the book is amazingly disturbing. I believe it; however, the movie didn’t live up to the hype for me. The acting was fabulous and the directing seemed good too. It didn’t move me though nearly as much as The Hurt Locker. I was waiting for these films as soon as NPR hinted at them. Hands down, Hurt Locker lives up to all its hype. It’s honest and has a bit of a cathartic feel to it. But it doesn’t leave you hating the situation like Valley of Ellah. (If you’ve seen Valley of Ellah, you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t seen this film, I suggest seeing it when you’re in a good state of mind.)

By far not a structured post but it is what it is.