2.22.2009

Knee-jerk review: 81st Annual Academy Awards

1. We think next year's hosts should be Tina Fey and Steve Martin.
2. For a second there, we thought we were watching the Tonys. What was the point of all of that nonsense with Beyonce?
3. Ben Stiller is quickly becoming very annoying. If we were a cinematographer about to get an Oscar, we wouldn't be at all pleased with Stiller schticking it up on stage as the nominees were being announced. Not everyone gets six figure paydays. For some of those DPs, this may be the highlight of their career. Jackass.
4. Sean Penn, huh? Interesting.
5. Poor Meryl Streep. No way does she win again until she's in her 70s or something, if she wins again at all. Folks just don't win three Oscars. She probably won her two too soon in her career. This is also why Tom Hanks may not get another one.
6. The "In Memoriam" bit is always creepily fascinating. But this year not only do we have to hear Queen Latifah singing, but we can't even get a good look at the dead filmmakers what with the theater camera swooping and spinning. How about just cutting to a direct feed of the video?
7. Zac Efron at the Oscars. Really?
8. There was something appealingly intimate about the acting awards, with past winners directly addressing the nominees. Then again, there was also something irritating about it as well, more egotistical self-congratulation between actors, the neediest, most messed-up people in show business. It would have been cool to have seen the same format for the directors and writers, but no one knows what they look like, huh?
9. The show still feels bloated with a lot of junk we don't need to see.
10. The right film won Best Picture.

1 comment:

  1. I completely agree about all the swooping in and out with the camera - there were LOTS of times I couldn't tell what the heck was on the big screen, and I was watching it on a 40 inch TV - that means it was too small.

    I liked the whole past winner thing, but agree - why not do it in a few more categories - it didn't feel self-congratulatory to me - it seemed to point out the art or craft of it more to me - and really pointed out that getting nominated IS truly an honor.

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