Monday, March 1, 2004
Random Oscar Notes & Comments
Memo to the Academy: If Billy Crystal backs out next year, two words for you: Jack and Will. Black and Ferrell's "You're Boring" music send-off song was one of the funniest things I've ever seen on an Oscar show. Imagine that spread over an entire four hours. (Runners-up: Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller.)
Benicio del Toro looked eerily like Michael Jackson last night.
I'm not a Sting fan at all. Without The Police, he's a musical wasteland. And usually the songs Sting gets nominated for are absolute clunkers. This time, though, his song, "You Will Be My Ain True Love" from Cold Mountain, kicked ass. A very haunting song which I thought felt perfect in the context of the film, which is what the category is allegedly all about. All of the songs kicked ass, actually, except for the Annie Lennox tune from Lord of the Rings. And in keeping with the Oscar Song category, that's the one that won. Uggghh. Does LOTR really have to win everything?
And thanks, Academy, for trotting out Phil Collins, whose song "You'll Be In My Heart" from that Tarzan movie a few years back beat out such gems as Aimee Mann's and the South Park song. I did not need that.
Two years ago, Julia Roberts drew attention to herself in a horrendous fashion when announcing the Best Actor winner. This year, though, when Adrien Brody did it--referring to last year's surprise kiss on Halle Berry by saying he's on a restraining order and then refreshing his mouth with a burst of Binaca just before reading Charlize Theron's name--it was kind of funny. I guess you just have to put context around the whole thing. Julia told us before reading Denzel Washington's name that she loves her life. Great, Julia. I love it when you're not on the stage.
I want to see "The Triplets of Belleville" now.
Speaking of triplets, I think the pregnant Marcia Gay Harden, from the looks of her size, is going to give birth soon to dozen-uplets.
I'm on the fence with the tribute to dead movie people. On the one hand, it can be very emotional, the outpouring of applause when someone who was well-respected and well-liked in Hollywood appears on the screen (the eruption of applause and cheers for Walter Matthau's image a couple of years back comes to mind)...but then we get those people who receive no applause whatsoever. I can't imagine what it's like to be a family member of those people when they hear the silence.
Liv Tyler (or was that Lisa Loeb?): Please whisper quieter. We can still hear you introduce the nominees.
Best Picture nominee that least belonged but did: Seabiscuit. The fact that it's about a horse that beat long odds does not mean the film has to be good. A movie is not what it's about but how it is about what it's about. (Nominee that most belonged but didn't: In America.)
The Academy Got It Right Dept.: Cold Mountain did not deserve a Best Picture nod, and I'm happy to see the Academy not reward it with one. Keisha Castle-Hughes, Djimon Hounsou and Samantha Morton's nominations, and Charlize Theron's win also were right on.
Wow: An Academy Awards show featuring wins by Sean Penn and Tim Robbins, and the extent of the political commentary between them was, "What we know, besides there being no WMDs..."? Very nice, gentlemen, you kept under control and were very gracious. In the end, the classiest way to go.
Next year, a sigh of relief: No Lord of the Rings accolades to sit through. I always felt Elijah Wood was a very gifted young performer. Now, if I never see him again, it will be too soon.
Nevertheless, I'd like to thank everyone from New Zealand, without whom this blog would not be possible.
Benicio del Toro looked eerily like Michael Jackson last night.
I'm not a Sting fan at all. Without The Police, he's a musical wasteland. And usually the songs Sting gets nominated for are absolute clunkers. This time, though, his song, "You Will Be My Ain True Love" from Cold Mountain, kicked ass. A very haunting song which I thought felt perfect in the context of the film, which is what the category is allegedly all about. All of the songs kicked ass, actually, except for the Annie Lennox tune from Lord of the Rings. And in keeping with the Oscar Song category, that's the one that won. Uggghh. Does LOTR really have to win everything?
And thanks, Academy, for trotting out Phil Collins, whose song "You'll Be In My Heart" from that Tarzan movie a few years back beat out such gems as Aimee Mann's and the South Park song. I did not need that.
Two years ago, Julia Roberts drew attention to herself in a horrendous fashion when announcing the Best Actor winner. This year, though, when Adrien Brody did it--referring to last year's surprise kiss on Halle Berry by saying he's on a restraining order and then refreshing his mouth with a burst of Binaca just before reading Charlize Theron's name--it was kind of funny. I guess you just have to put context around the whole thing. Julia told us before reading Denzel Washington's name that she loves her life. Great, Julia. I love it when you're not on the stage.
I want to see "The Triplets of Belleville" now.
Speaking of triplets, I think the pregnant Marcia Gay Harden, from the looks of her size, is going to give birth soon to dozen-uplets.
I'm on the fence with the tribute to dead movie people. On the one hand, it can be very emotional, the outpouring of applause when someone who was well-respected and well-liked in Hollywood appears on the screen (the eruption of applause and cheers for Walter Matthau's image a couple of years back comes to mind)...but then we get those people who receive no applause whatsoever. I can't imagine what it's like to be a family member of those people when they hear the silence.
Liv Tyler (or was that Lisa Loeb?): Please whisper quieter. We can still hear you introduce the nominees.
Best Picture nominee that least belonged but did: Seabiscuit. The fact that it's about a horse that beat long odds does not mean the film has to be good. A movie is not what it's about but how it is about what it's about. (Nominee that most belonged but didn't: In America.)
The Academy Got It Right Dept.: Cold Mountain did not deserve a Best Picture nod, and I'm happy to see the Academy not reward it with one. Keisha Castle-Hughes, Djimon Hounsou and Samantha Morton's nominations, and Charlize Theron's win also were right on.
Wow: An Academy Awards show featuring wins by Sean Penn and Tim Robbins, and the extent of the political commentary between them was, "What we know, besides there being no WMDs..."? Very nice, gentlemen, you kept under control and were very gracious. In the end, the classiest way to go.
Next year, a sigh of relief: No Lord of the Rings accolades to sit through. I always felt Elijah Wood was a very gifted young performer. Now, if I never see him again, it will be too soon.
Nevertheless, I'd like to thank everyone from New Zealand, without whom this blog would not be possible.
