Oscarstrut

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  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    To each their own. I thought Departed opened well but quickly spiraled into a lot of overblown scenery chewing (enjoyable as that is in its own right) but some very weak character development, narrative pacing and action scenes that lacked tension.

    In the end, it felt lifeless, like it had slowly bled out after the first half hour and finished the movie drained.


    Unforgiven wasn't mediocre! Neither is Departed. I agree w/ your wider point though.

    I definitely liked Departed more than Million Dollar Baby and Crash.

    "Departed" was mediocre. Style over substance. I'm glad Marty won but it was far from his best work and as a "thriller/action" film, it had holes big enough to stuff Jack's fat bald head through.

    I didn't think it was wack...it was more like "Casino" - a decent film but not at the top of dude's game.

    Him winning the Oscar was payback for the Academy failing to get it right in times before.

    Previous topic: Al winning for "Scent of a Woman" is widely accepted to be another "ok, we fucked up, here's your Oscar" for a performance that wasn't really that great (and in an even lamer movie to boot).

    saying its 'far from his best work' is like saying any nas album is 'far from his best work' - well duh. I don't think it was 'style over substance' at all though, or maybe i'm misunderstanding what you mean by 'substance' - i thought it had substantive performances and story.

  • FatbackFatback 6,746 Posts
    CRASH IS A PIECE OF SHIT. NOT JUST FOR THE CRAPPY ACTING AND THE OH SO COMPLEX OVERLAPPING STORY LINES--SIGH--BUT ALSO FOR THE FACT THAT FUCKING ASSTARD MIDDLEBORW AMERICAN CRACKER WALKS OUT THINKING THEY JUST STEPPED UP THEIR RACIAL AWARENESS GAME--WHEN, IN FACT, THEY JUST DUMBED IT DOWN EVEN MORE.


  • bassiebassie 11,710 Posts
    it seems like the "current" Hollywood has been bending over backwards recently to make up for the prior slights to minorities

    No.

  • FatbackFatback 6,746 Posts
    To each their own. I thought Departed opened well but quickly spiraled into a lot of overblown scenery chewing (enjoyable as that is in its own right) but some very weak character development, narrative pacing and action scenes that lacked tension.

    In the end, it felt lifeless, like it had slowly bled out after the first half hour and finished the movie drained.


    Unforgiven wasn't mediocre! Neither is Departed. I agree w/ your wider point though.

    I definitely liked Departed more than Million Dollar Baby and Crash.

    "Departed" was mediocre. Style over substance. I'm glad Marty won but it was far from his best work and as a "thriller/action" film, it had holes big enough to stuff Jack's fat bald head through.

    I didn't think it was wack...it was more like "Casino" - a decent film but not at the top of dude's game.

    Him winning the Oscar was payback for the Academy failing to get it right in times before.

    Previous topic: Al winning for "Scent of a Woman" is widely accepted to be another "ok, we fucked up, here's your Oscar" for a performance that wasn't really that great (and in an even lamer movie to boot).

    saying its 'far from his best work' is like saying any nas album is 'far from his best work' - well duh. I don't think it was 'style over substance' at all though, or maybe i'm misunderstanding what you mean by 'substance' - i thought it had substantive performances and story.

    When's that movie with Larry David coming out?

  • dgriotdgriot 388 Posts
    CRASH IS A PIECE OF SHIT. NOT JUST FOR THE CRAPPY ACTING AND THE OH SO COMPLEX OVERLAPPING STORY LINES--SIGH--BUT ALSO FOR THE FACT THAT FUCKING ASSTARD MIDDLEBORW AMERICAN CRACKER WALKS OUT THINKING THEY JUST STEPPED UP THEIR RACIAL AWARENESS GAME--WHEN, IN FACT, THEY JUST DUMBED IT DOWN EVEN MORE.


    haha - I tend to picture a large portion of the Academy voters blindly following Babs, Redford, and Beatty, buying into their self-righteous, old fart, "I'M MAKING A DIFFERENCE" back slapping...only way Crash makes sense.

  • dayday 9,611 Posts
    I thought Forest Whitaker's speech was excellent.

    My wife was upset Peter O'Toole didn't win considering he never has and that was probably his last chance before he bites the big one.

    Those montage scenes went on way too long, but it made me realize how many movies I haven't seen.

    All in all, I don't expect much from awards shows so I'm never really disappointed.

  • JuniorJunior 4,853 Posts
    To me The Departed felt like it had been rushed into release, many of the scenes felt disjointed and, as I mentioned when it came out, the editing of the music for the scenes, normally Scorsese's signature brilliance, was painfully bad at times. I don't know maybe Thelma's getting too old for this shit.

    Also, the ending was fucking painfully bad.

    Mind you, considering they would never give best director to Greengrass and Clint's won a few too many times recently I don't think Scorsese could lose this year.

  • motown67motown67 4,513 Posts
    ? (e.g., Ray, Training Day, Last King of Scotland).

    otherwise lackluster films.


    I'm not saying "lackluster" I'm saying shitty. Bad. Those movies sucked.

    I liked all 3 of those filmes!

  • motown67motown67 4,513 Posts
    (though Denzel did get robbed the year "Malcolm X" was out).

    While he gave an amazing performance in the film, he did have to go up against some other great performances that year.

    Actor:
    AL PACINO in "Scent of a Woman", Robert Downey, Jr. in "Chaplin", Clint Eastwood in "Unforgiven", Stephen Rea in "The Crying Game", Denzel Washington in "Malcolm X"




    EDIT: Oops Clint didn't win. Al did. My bad... Clint won for Director.

    Unforgiven won 4 awards that night and was up for 9 awards.

    But all the actors in that category did a really good job.

    I think the issue with Malcolm X wasn't that Denzel had tought competition. More like Hollywood hates Spike Lee because he talks shit about them over race and other issues.

  • FatbackFatback 6,746 Posts
    ? (e.g., Ray, Training Day, Last King of Scotland).

    otherwise lackluster films.


    I'm not saying "lackluster" I'm saying shitty. Bad. Those movies sucked.

    I liked all 3 of those filmes!

    I can't say I hated sitting through them, despite being pretty bad overall. I'm pretty sure this was because the performances JF, DW, and FW were so engaging, it was worth suffering through all the other nonsense. Like some reverse Jar-Jar shit.

  • BigSpliffBigSpliff 3,266 Posts
    (though Denzel did get robbed the year "Malcolm X" was out).

    While he gave an amazing performance in the film, he did have to go up against some other great performances that year.

    Actor:
    AL PACINO in "Scent of a Woman", Robert Downey, Jr. in "Chaplin", Clint Eastwood in "Unforgiven", Stephen Rea in "The Crying Game", Denzel Washington in "Malcolm X"




    EDIT: Oops Clint didn't win. Al did. My bad... Clint won for Director.

    Unforgiven won 4 awards that night and was up for 9 awards.

    But all the actors in that category did a really good job.

    I think the issue with Malcolm X wasn't that Denzel had tought competition. More like Hollywood hates Spike Lee because he talks shit about them over race and other issues.

    See: Driving Miss Daisy vs. Do The Right Thing

  • dgriotdgriot 388 Posts
    What it is - I think - is that the Oscars are just connected to Hollywood and the community of insiders. That's why you see these "payback" awards - it's an attempt to redress specific issues within the community.

    Yeah, Roger Ebert likened it to something along the lines of "political science, entertainment-style" and that's about right. Launching elaborate campaigns months in advance, picking the right angles (e.g, Dreamgirls - HARKENS BACK TO GOLDEN AGE OF MUSICALS! OSCAR FAVORITE BEFORE IT WAS EVEN PUBLICLY SCREENED!, Brokeback - TACKLES HOMOSEXUALITY! DARING AND PROGRESSIVE!, etc.), and such.

    It can be fun to follow if you're part of the industry or a care more than just watching and dissecting movies, but I think we'd be fooling ourselves if we thought the Oscars were little more than the collective will of Hollywood's actors, designers, producers, and directors getting off on congratulating their own taste/judgment.

  • DORDOR Two Ron Toe 9,903 Posts
    (though Denzel did get robbed the year "Malcolm X" was out).

    While he gave an amazing performance in the film, he did have to go up against some other great performances that year.

    Actor:
    AL PACINO in "Scent of a Woman", Robert Downey, Jr. in "Chaplin", Clint Eastwood in "Unforgiven", Stephen Rea in "The Crying Game", Denzel Washington in "Malcolm X"




    EDIT: Oops Clint didn't win. Al did. My bad... Clint won for Director.

    Unforgiven won 4 awards that night and was up for 9 awards.

    But all the actors in that category did a really good job.

    I think the issue with Malcolm X wasn't that Denzel had tought competition. More like Hollywood hates Spike Lee because he talks shit about them over race and other issues.

    Granted. But come on. The people who vote on these films are Academy members no? It's not votes by the general public. It's easy to see why he won.


    In any case. The Oscars this year realllly sucked IMO. And trash like this will not get people interested in the art of film if it continues.

    Like, someone brought up the stuff with animation in the theater. How long has that been done? The shit looked like I was watching a telecast from the 90's with the cars and penguins. And they over used the shit way too much this year.

    I think this just goes to a bigger problem. But maybe the magic of Hollywood & it's stars is fading.

  • FatbackFatback 6,746 Posts
    the magic of Hollywood & it's stars is fading.



    +


  • catalistcatalist 1,373 Posts
    Forest Whitaker had the best speech and he totally deserved his oscar. Dreamgirls did NOT deserve 'Best Sound' . the songs in that movie sound like SHIT... seriously like 80s cheap rnb tunes.
    ??? thats not what the 'best sound' award is about.

    I guess they mean overall sound of the film... ok fair enough..

    however, to anyone here who hasn't seen Dreamgirls.. (don't waste your time, it is only worth seeing for one song performance by Hudson).


    The visuals/audio/songs honestly fucked that movie up.... not true to the time period at all.. the visual look of it combined with the sound of the music totally left me disconnected from the feeling that I was really "there" and I couldn't take the shit seriously. I didn't really care about anyone in the movie by the end of it.

    Maybe some of you liked this movie , but to me it is just another attempt at cashing in on the success of Ray (and putting beyonce in there didn't hurt).

  • JRootJRoot 861 Posts
    More like Hollywood hates Spike Lee because he talks shit about them over race and other issues.

    Hollywood really really hates Spike Lee. It's amazing.

    I enjoyed last night's awards presentation.

    ELLEN: I thought she was funny and offbeat. Not too self-deprecating, like she can sometimes be. Asking Spielberg to take a digital picture of her and Eastwood for her myspace page was funny. Handing Scorcese a script seemed canned (though he got a kick out of it). Saying that those silhouette dancers were naked was funny.

    SILHOUETTE DANCERS: I thought they were cool. Kind of random, but it was pretty sweet to see them make snakes on a plane with just their bodies. Ditto for the VW Bus, the gun, the devil wears prada shoe, etc.

    SCORCESE WINNING: It's about damn time. All this criping about how "Departed" isn't his best work is dumb. He didn't win the Oscar for Goodfellas, Raging Bull, or Taxi Driver. Maybe he deserved to win it for all those films, but that's a separate issue from whether he deserved to win it for "Departed." I think he did. It had great pace, and he got great, cohesive performances from a broad ensemble cast. Nicholson may have been a bit over the top, but I enjoyed it. I would have liked to see Stephen Frears win, too, because he's incredible and The Queen was really good, but Scorcese did as good or better of a directing job than anyone else nominated this year.

    HELEN MIRREN: She is totally fly. Probably the best combination of looks, style, and age on the podium last night.

    WOMEN'S DRESSES/STYLE: In general, pretty lame. I'm not really into the high neck, too-tight look, but it was everywhere last night. Even the usually sartorially perfect Cate Blanchett wore a too tight dress. She's skinny enough already, so that when she goes super form fitting like that it makes me feel uncomfortable. Jodie Foster looked cute, but her bangs were too long - they were catching on her eyebrows/eyelashes when she was talking. Kate Winslet had a pretty good dress, and Naomi Watts looked lovely, especially considering I'm told she's pregnant. Cleavage was down this year, which is always too bad (I like decollatage, what can I say?). Also, too much very long very straight hair. Put that ish up. And whoever said that Gwyneth looked good is flat wrong - that was a horrible color on her; her dress made her chest look weird; and her hair/extensions were way too long/straight.

    MEN'S DRESSES/STYLE: Overall, few male faux pas that I could see. Jack Nicholson needs to grow back what little hair he has. He looks freaky bald, and they kept on showing him. Who was wearing that black shirt and aqua colored tie? That was not so hot. Just typical tuxedo/black tie stuff, which is appropriate. (One guy should have tightened up his tie knot, but I can't remember who it was - maybe Toby Maguire?)

    MONTAGES: Kind of pointless this year. Even the croak reel didn't get me going, and I love Don Knotts. The America reel was well put-together, but what was the point?

    MUSCIAL NUMBERS: The Academy made a grave error by nominating three songs from Dreamgirls, effectively precluding any of them from winning. Beyonce and Hudson performed well. I didn't mind the gospel choir bit, but when they came out, I knew they weren't winning. The earlier songs were totally forgettable.

    BEST ACCEPTANCE SPEECH: Forest Whitaker. Dude kept it real, kept it on task, stayed focus, and had a nice arc to it.

    WORST ACCEPTANCE SPEECH: No absolute stinkers last night. Probably the Al Gore lovefest that was the Inconvenient Truth victory. Ok, ok, ok. We know it's his issue.

    EDITING: I liked the way they showed the various shots above the clip from the actual film. It gave the viewer an eye into what the editor was choosing between, even if it was inaccurate.

    BEST PICTURE: Departed was the best picture nominated, but I think that Infernal Affairs is better. No one in the academy has the stones to vote for Children of Men to win anything, but that movie sucked my heart and soul out like nothing since Funny Games.

    Those are my thoughts.
    Bye,
    JRoot

  • faux_rillzfaux_rillz 14,343 Posts
    WOMEN'S DRESSES/STYLE: In general, pretty lame. I'm not really into the high neck, too-tight look, but it was everywhere last night. Even the usually sartorially perfect Cate Blanchett wore a too tight dress. She's skinny enough already, so that when she goes super form fitting like that it makes me feel uncomfortable. Jodie Foster looked cute, but her bangs were too long - they were catching on her eyebrows/eyelashes when she was talking. Kate Winslet had a pretty good dress, and Naomi Watts looked lovely, especially considering I'm told she's pregnant. Cleavage was down this year, which is always too bad (I like decollatage, what can I say?). Also, too much very long very straight hair. Put that ish up. And whoever said that Gwyneth looked good is flat wrong - that was a horrible color on her; her dress made her chest look weird; and her hair/extensions were way too long/straight.

    Officially catty!

    Maybe you should start a joint blog with O-Dub, that other great reader of People, Entertainment Weekly and In Style.

  • white_teawhite_tea 3,262 Posts
    HELEN MIRREN: She is totally fly. Probably the best combination of looks, style, and age on the podium last night.

    Probably the oldest woman I've had "thoughts" about.

  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts


    however, to anyone here who hasn't seen Dreamgirls.. (don't waste your time, it is only worth seeing for one song performance by Hudson).
    The visuals/audio/songs honestly fucked that movie up.... not true to the time period at all.. the visual look of it combined with the sound of the music totally left me disconnected from the feeling that I was really "there" and I couldn't take the shit seriously. I didn't really care about anyone in the movie by the end of it.
    Maybe some of you liked this movie , but to me it is just another attempt at cashing in on the success of Ray (and putting beyonce in there didn't hurt).

    I liked this movie, and came into it knowing it was a Broadway Play. I cared about Eddie Murphy.

    And Hudson's Jennifer Holiday song is regular strength anacin. Her best song was the I'M Changin joint when she was strugglin to comeback. One Night Only (the slow version) is cognac smooth.

  • white_teawhite_tea 3,262 Posts
    As far as cleveage goes, I don't think anything will ever top the time Penelope Cruz and presented. My little brother's head literally exploded. Too hot to handle...

  • ElectrodeElectrode Los Angeles 3,130 Posts
    CRASH IS A PIECE OF SHIT. NOT JUST FOR THE CRAPPY ACTING AND THE OH SO COMPLEX OVERLAPPING STORY LINES--SIGH--BUT ALSO FOR THE FACT THAT FUCKING ASSTARD MIDDLEBORW AMERICAN CRACKER WALKS OUT THINKING THEY JUST STEPPED UP THEIR RACIAL AWARENESS GAME--WHEN, IN FACT, THEY JUST DUMBED IT DOWN EVEN MORE.


    haha - I tend to picture a large portion of the Academy voters blindly following Babs, Redford, and Beatty, buying into their self-righteous, old fart, "I'M MAKING A DIFFERENCE" back slapping...only way Crash makes sense.

    Crash was one of the most nauseating movies I have watched in a long time. Masturabatory white liberal guilt bullshit. The actors really hammed up the parts when the script called for them to fire off bigoted comments.



  • MEN'S DRESSES/STYLE: Overall, few male faux pas that I could see.

    you must not have seen Quincy Jones. he looked like he just got done shooting the wedding scene in Coming to America.

  • FatbackFatback 6,746 Posts
    HELEN MIRREN: She is totally fly. Probably the best combination of looks, style, and age on the podium last night.

    Probably the oldest woman I've had "thoughts" about.

    DUDE.






  • usually sartorially perfect

  • bassiebassie 11,710 Posts


    WOMEN'S DRESSES/STYLE: In general, pretty lame. I'm not really into the high neck, too-tight look, but it was everywhere last night. Even the usually sartorially perfect Cate Blanchett wore a too tight dress. She's skinny enough already, so that when she goes super form fitting like that it makes me feel uncomfortable. Jodie Foster looked cute, but her bangs were too long - they were catching on her eyebrows/eyelashes when she was talking. Kate Winslet had a pretty good dress, and Naomi Watts looked lovely, especially considering I'm told she's pregnant. Cleavage was down this year, which is always too bad (I like decollatage, what can I say?). Also, too much very long very straight hair. Put that ish up. And whoever said that Gwyneth looked good is flat wrong - that was a horrible color on her; her dress made her chest look weird; and her hair/extensions were way too long/straight.




    Funny Games[/b].


    Amazing movie.

    And I agree with most of your style notes.

    The super-tight bodice which Gucci was doing something like 5yrs ago looked like crap then and now looks dated, uncomfortable and like crap. It is not flattering. Eddie Murphy's wife, Paltrow, the two sticks from The Devil Wears Prada, Blanchett, Pinkett-Smith...no justice done to how good they could have looked.

    Kate Winslet's dress had a great cut but was a terrible hospital cafetria green.

    Jodie Foster's hair looked dated and over-gel'ed and her rack looked bizarre.

    Penelope Cruz - one question: how many Muppets died to make the bottom of that dress?

    I can't beleive I'm saying this, but Meryl Streep had the best outfit imo - simple cut, very nice wide sash and great jewellery. And simple, loose hair.

    And who dressed that poor kid from Little Miss Sunshine? She looked like a walking talking cupcake.

  • white_teawhite_tea 3,262 Posts
    Here's is pretty much all that needs to be said about the Oscars. From Chicago Tribune writer Michael Willmington:

    These days, we feel a little angry that great American filmmakers such as Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock, Howard Hawks, Stanley Kubrick and Robert Altman never got an Oscar in competition...


  • Never watched this shit and never been able to understand how anybody could.

  • HELEN MIRREN: She is totally fly. Probably the best combination of looks, style, and age on the podium last night.

    Probably the oldest woman I've had "thoughts" about.

    DUDE.






    i don't blap that way but i will co-sign. she was really hot in The Long Good Friday

  • JRootJRoot 861 Posts
    Kate Winslet's dress had a great cut but was a terrible hospital cafetria green.

    I thought she ALMOST pulled the color off, but it needed another hint of blue to really look smashing.

    I can't beleive I'm saying this, but Meryl Streep had the best outfit imo - simple cut, very nice wide sash and great jewellery. And simple, loose hair.

    I didn't really see Streep's outfit - was she a presenter? Her hair looked fine - very plain, though. I like to see people pull an up-do on Oscar night. Rachel Wiesz did nicely in this regard. Cameron Diaz did not. Sticking a few bits of your hair up in a clip is NOT an up do.

    Funny Games is one of my all time favorite movies and I want NEVER to see it again. ESPECIALLY NOT IN THE AMERICAN REMAKE HANEKE'S MAKING TO BE RELEASED LATER THIS YEAR. GAS FACE GAS FACE GAS FACE GAS FACE GAS FACE!

    Piano Teacher - hated it!
    Cache(hidden) - LOVED IT!

  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts

    Maybe you should start a joint blog with O-Dub, that other great reader of People, Entertainment Weekly and In StyleUS Weekly whenever he's visiting his sister-in-laws house.

    For real, People is just unbearably cornball. At least US Weekly wears its utter trashiness on its sleeve.

    I cop to E.W. It's a good magazine.
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