So, Oscar is over — back in the box until next year. For a while there, during the program, I was singing, “My baloney has a first name, it’s O-S-C-A-R.” There was some self-importance about movies and a general moribund air. Who would have thought that a little life could be breathed into the proceedings by Three 6 Mafia — friggin’ Three 6 Mafia!
Let’s be catty here for a moment. In terms of fashion for women, there seemed to be a lot of outfits that were either black or cream. Nicole Kidman looked terribly classy, but one of my compatriots felt that white should be for wedding dresses only. Ziyi Zhang looked very adorable. Keira Knightly was gorgeous — very classic.
What the hell was Naomi Watts wearing? It was like some costume from a performance art piece about man’s inhumanity to man, fashioned in a scrapyard. Charlize Theron: heinous, awful bow, poofy hair. Jennifer Anniston’s dress was boring but she had a great necklace. Sandra Bullock’s hair looked as though she had stuck a finger in a light socket — no joke.
The production included several gratuitous references to watching movies on the big screen. Now, I love movies in the theater. I certainly want to see them under the best possible conditions. But it came across as a sop thrown to theater owners. As I’ve noted before, it shouldn’t matter how you consume. “Yes, the sanctity of the big screen and the religious experience of watching movies in the company of others and the pleasure of paying ten bucks for a ticket and another ten for a medium popcorn-and-soda combo and the genuine thrill of a broken seat.”
This year, the orchestra played as soon as each acceptance speech started. It was very annoying and distracting. And kids — if you haven’t watched the Oscars for years, you may not know that ludicrous production numbers were once de rigueur for the nominated songs. They had disappeared, but were brought back last night for two of the three songs. What in God’s name was that burning-cars-surrounded-by-zombies tableau for “In the Deep,” from Crash? And what could improve a performance of “It’s Hard Out Here For a Pimp” more than dancing pimps and hos?
Just to have Memphis’ own Three 6 Mafia even nominated, let alone for a song about how pimpin’ ain’t easy, was mind-blowing. To see them perform that song during the telecast was jaw-dropping. But for them to win? Unbelievable. Reaction shot of Mickey Rooney: priceless. The damn Oscars turned into the MTV Music Awards for a minute. The triumph was capped as host Jon Stewart came back out on stage and couldn’t stop laughing.
The actual awards themselves were very schizophrenic. Everyone predicted it would come down to a competition between Brokeback Mountain and Crash. Instead, the four acting awards were each separately awarded to four other movies and then Brokeback and Crash split the two main awards, each getting a writing award and then splitting Best Picture and Best Directing.
I may have more reaction later today.
Tags: Oscars telecast, Jon Stewart, Three 6 Mafia, Crash, Brokeback Mountain
6 Responses
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Yif Says:
Man, are you lame or what? Concentrating on the fashions? On the music?
What…you have no time for Clooney’s understatement? Or Hoffman’s joy? Or the fact that Stewary was stone-dead?
As I have said before, your blog is no more than the squeakings of an under-achiever.
Pathetic.
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The Pop View Says:
No, no.. Thank You!!!
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Da5Id Says:
Yo Yif!
Ummmhh, fashion and music are a big part of the Oscars, and commented upon by everyone in the media at all levels, so I’m not sure what your beef is.
I agree that Stewary wasn’t at his best and probably won’t be back, and Clooney seemed like an arrogant ass to me. however bashing the creator of the blog? Why are you reading it?
I’m sure you’re an important person in life and have lots to contribute, so please post a link to your blog so we can all gain some wisdom. No, strike that, just go away…
Then again, my new thing in life is to try and be a real happy guy. I’ll just walk around being real happy until some jerk says something stupid.
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The Pop View Says:
I thought Jol Stewary was smashing! Felicity Hoffman’s joy was infectious!
Squeak, squeak!!!
Happy Happy, Joy Joy ! ! ! ! !
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Yif Says:
No. Fashion and music are a small part of the Oscar’s, made big by the tabloid agenda, and by dicks like the author of this blog. Opinions are like assholes: everybody’s got one.
I assume that the blog’s author was just plain miffed at ‘Crash’ winning. Who cares, really? At least this year there were five excellent films vying for the big one, and what if ‘Crash’ did a ‘Sheakespeare in Love’? Big deal. If you love movies, you’d be on your knee’s thanking the Lord for our good fortune this year.
Clooney was charming, and funny and just a little bit cutting. And he deserved an award for his pay-off policy of doing tat like ‘Oceans 12′, in order to finance ‘Syriana’.
Mind you I will say this: the amusing comments regarding the dysfunctioning of my keyboard had me on the floor.
Such a great blog…
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The Pop View Says:
Why thank you!
Honestly, I didn’t get worked up at all about Crash beating Brokeback Mountain. Lots of folks are upset and reading all sorts of meaning into it. Not me. After all, every awards show is inherently bogus.
That said, I didn’t think Crash was a very good movie and I thought Brokeback was really good, so there’s that…
And if the Oscars aren’t about the dresses and weird choreography and lame jokes, what are they about? Oh, right… A legitimate contest to name the best movies of the last year…