Oscar Picks '05

[stray]

I agree with everything here except the stuff about Hilary Swank. On that subject, you fellas don't know jack. She's an amazing actress and deserves whatever credit she gets.

[Big Gulp]

Yeah, I'm surprised The Aviator didn't get more love, too.  I only got 5 awards right.  I figured they'd love the classic Hollywood angle of the movie, and I just didn't think they'd give Clint Best Director AGAIN and Hillary Swank Best Actress AGAIN.  Oh well.

Think about it, though.  This is Hollywood, do you really think they're going to honor a movie whose hero is not only a capitalist, but a ruthless, filthy rich capitalist who takes down a crusading, reformist senator?  I don't think so.

[schild]

I agree with everything here except the stuff about Hilary Swank. On that subject, you fellas don't know jack. She's an amazing actress and deserves whatever credit she gets.

She's a girl, ya know.

[schild]

I'm glad Kaufman won.

Clint needs to die already.  Maybe Swank chokes on him.

Foxx did do an amazing job in Ray, but Cheadle should've had that.

Ah, Oscar, how I hate thee.

Cheadle was better in traffic.

It was time for Foxx to win an Oscar.

[stray]

It was time for Foxx to win an Oscar.

Hell, I just warmed up to the idea of him being an actor, let alone Oscar worthy.

He was good though. But like most biopics, the film was a bore. So he didn't really impress me as much as he might have done another flick.

She's a girl, ya know.

I don't know..Maybe I'm just out of it, but what exactly is that supposed to mean?

[Trippy]

Foxx did do an amazing job in Ray, but Cheadle should've had that.

Ah, Oscar, how I hate thee.

Cheadle was better in traffic.

It was time for Foxx to win an Oscar.

Huh? Did you think he was overlooked by the Academy for his groundbreaking performances in "Any Given Sunday" and that cinematic classic "Booty Call"?

[Paelos]

I agree with everything here except the stuff about Hilary Swank. On that subject, you fellas don't know jack. She's an amazing actress and deserves whatever credit she gets.

Swank manages to win in years where the competition is light. She's not a bad actress at all, and that was never my complaint against her. It's the whole, "I grew up in the backwaters of podunkville y'all, and anyone can make it here in America with a dream and a big horse-face. Shucks." She can kiss every spot on my Southern ass for trying to pull that off.

[stray]

"I grew up in the backwaters of podunkville y'all, and anyone can make it here in America with a dream and a big horse-face. Shucks."

Hey, that's a pretty inspiring message, I think.    The American Dream. What's wrong with that?

Edit: What happened to you over the weekend Paolos? You've lost all shades of pink, and are now a full blown cynic. You should side with me on this one.

[schild]

Huh? Did you think he was overlooked by the Academy for his groundbreaking performances in "Any Given Sunday" and that cinematic classic "Booty Call"?

Try Ali.

[MrHat]

Edit: I'm a stupid stupid man.

[stray]

But Chris Rock will be funny, right? Right.

Not really. The highlight of comedy tonight was Robin Williams doing Marlon Brando as Elmer Fudd. I didn't laugh at any of Rock's jokes.

Bring back Williams please. Chris Rock is completely irrelevant to the world of film. And his comedy, while funny in his own element, is too pedestrian for an Oscar show.

As for his skit about what movies "real people" like: I still can't figure out who he was poking fun at. The Academy for cultural irrelevancy and artsy fartsy pompousness? Or "Black America" for thinking "White Chicks" was the best film of the year?

[schild]

But Chris Rock will be funny, right? Right.

Bring back Williams please.

Uhm....

Johnny Carson - Made the Oscars, quite possibly, more pretentious than it is now.
Billy Crystal - Probably the best host ever.
Whoopi Goldberg - 2 words. Not Funny.
David Letterman - Who hosted in 1995 or 96, which is the Oscars most people would like to FORGET
Steve Martin - Who also sucked.
Chris Rock - who from all accounts, is just a weak Dave Chapelle. I guess I can see that, he was funny back in 1999-2000. It probably is 5 years too late for him to be hosting.

I'm going to assume you meant bring Robin Williams back to host. Gotta tell ya, he wouldn't be able to pull it off. Hosting the Oscars is a monumental task. 10 years ago I could have seen Bill Cosby do it. Maybe Jerry Seinfeld could do it now. John Candy probably could have done it at his peak.

But there's very few in Hollywood that can pull it off - and Williams isn't one of them (as much as I love the guy).

Edit: In case you were wondering - yes, I know John Candy is dead. Thanks.

[stray]

Edit: In case you were wondering - yes, I know John Candy is dead. Thanks.

I'm still in tears 

edit: The only reason why I could see Williams not being a good host is that he'd keep everyone in tears as well. Just a different kind.

Two words: side track. Scratch that. I mean one word: sidetrack. The man's a complete lunatic and would probably go off on a wild tangent every 15 minutes.

[SirBruce]

I thought Chris Rock's best part was interviewing all the black movie goers downtown to see what movies they liked the best, and which ones they had actually seen.  It was a cheap, easy joke, but it was so true.  White Chicks - hilarious.

I have to agree with most of Schild's reviews of past hosts, although I think Carson was much better than he did.  There's no question, though, that Billy Crystal was the best so far.

Bruce

[stray]

Last brief thoughts:

Russ Meyer was shown in the "Rememberance" segment. But no Arthur Miller? WTF?

And what the hell was up with Vin Diesel's hair in that Lumet segment? That just didn't look right at all.

I usually don't care about commercials, but the Spartacus/Pepsi thing was great.

The Snack Fairy? Not so much.

edit: Hmm..I think I need a blog.

[Signe]

Pssst.  Your avatar is side-a-ma-ways.

[schild]

Pssst.  Your avatar is side-a-ma-ways.

I think he knows that.

[Signe]

Oh ok.  I was trying to help. 

When do you sleep?

ACK!!  She noticed!  She's gone!  Too spooky.

[schild]

I generally sleep very few hours starting very late in the morning until very early in the afternoon. I'm not a morning person. I dislike sunlight immensely. I have extreme distaste for the hours between 7am and 10am when children are going to school. I dislike afternoons even more, but it's tough to find a nightjob that doesn't involve animal blood or cleaning human stains off chairs. I don't like people walking their dog. So I avoid the park at all times between 3 and 5pm. My brain generally doesn't turn on until 5pm, and it's why I'm cranky when I wake up; posting in the morning usually doesn't end in my more shining moments.

I haven't been a morning person since I was 10 years old and started playing online games. The majority of people whom I played with were much older and played after work, so I got used to being on the computer from 7-8pm until 3am and then waking up for school. My body has adjusted and on most weekdays I can function on very little sleep. Yes, I was a good little catasser when I was younger. We just hadn't come up with a word for it yet. My parents called it insomnia. Which kept me off the hook when I didn't go to sleep since they thought I couldn't. They were convinced I was afraid of the dark for much of my childhood.

Now, I'm going to sleep. It's 5:56am, I'll probably be awake around 11. That will give me time to grab breakfast before all the fratboys and girls wake up around here to grab theirs. Have a good evening.

P.S. I still hate the Oscars. And Beyonce.

[Fabricated]

Chris Rock - who from all accounts, is just a weak Dave Chapelle. I guess I can see that, he was funny back in 1999-2000. It probably is 5 years too late for him to be hosting.

I'm not arguing about it being a bit late for Chris to host the oscars, but Chappelle is a weak Chris Rock. He borrows pretty liberally from Chris's stand up in his own. Listen to some of Chris's specials (Bring the Pain especially), and then some of Chappelle's shortly after.

Oh well, to his credit, Chappelle's show is a lot funnier than Chris's old one.

[Ironwood]

And Beyonce.

What the fuck ?

[Signe]

Many people end their hate sentences with Beyonce... regardless of the subject.

[Paelos]

"I grew up in the backwaters of podunkville y'all, and anyone can make it here in America with a dream and a big horse-face. Shucks."

Hey, that's a pretty inspiring message, I think.    The American Dream. What's wrong with that?

Edit: What happened to you over the weekend Paolos? You've lost all shades of pink, and are now a full blown cynic. You should side with me on this one.

Certain things irk me. People representing themselves as something else bothers me. She's trying to put off this image like she grew up poor in a small town. In reality, she grew up in a city of 50,000+ and her parents helped support her in almost all her pursuits, which in her younger days was athletics. I'm not a total cynic (a small one), just tell your life like it is. It also seems a little classless to vaunt yourself by bringing it up all the time even if it was true. Act like you've always been there.

[HaemishM]

Yeah, I'm surprised The Aviator didn't get more love, too.  I only got 5 awards right.  I figured they'd love the classic Hollywood angle of the movie, and I just didn't think they'd give Clint Best Director AGAIN and Hillary Swank Best Actress AGAIN.  Oh well.

Bruce

And I'll harp on this 'til the day I die; Kevin Costner has a best director oscar and Martin Scorsese doesn't.

If ever there was proof that there is no justice in this world, that's it.  Hell, that tracking shot when Ray Liotta leads Lorraine Bracco through the back door of the club, through the kitchen, past all the waiters and into the table that the maitre de sets up for them on the spot deserves a best director oscar all by itself.  It's a two minute long tracking shot, for fuck's sake.  Do people even realize that something as simple as that is so fucking hard?!?

The problem with Marty is that GoodFellas was, IMO, the last decent thing he did other than Cape Fear. Maybe if he hadn't attached himself to DiCraprio like a fucking lamprey, he might get some Oscar love. But I really don't think the Oscars want to give Leo the credit which he really doesn't deserve.

Well, that and the Oscars REALLY FUCKING SUCK. It is a 3-hour circle jerk of egos and sycophants cloying at the celebrities like trailer trash, wetting themselves over the latest dresses from some Eurofag designer. The Oscars trips over more good movies than they nominate.

[Ardent]

As usual, the three best movies that won awards last night were the screenplay and animation winners: Sideways, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and the Incredibles. That's pretty much my number 1, 2, 3 choices of the best movies of 2004.

I was happy for Morgan Freeman, but he should have won for Shawshank Redemption.

[schild]

As usual, the three best movies that won awards last night were the screenplay and animation winners: Sideways, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and the Incredibles. That's pretty much my number 1, 2, 3 choices of the best movies of 2004.

I was happy for Morgan Freeman, but he should have won for Shawshank Redemption.

Yes, Morgan Freeman deserved a pity vote. But that's not why I'm posting. Sideways was the most pretentious bloated piece of shit to come out of Hollywood since the Titanic. It just happened to cost less. I wish that movie had never have happened and everyone involved should be blacklisted in the same way Tim Curry was after Rocky Horror Picture Show. Twenty years without a proper move from those people would make Schild a happy man.

Eternal Sunshine and Incredibles absolutely rocked.

[Ardent]

I think you might be too young to "get" Sideways, Schild. Wait another 10 or 15 years, then give it another viewing. It will make a lot more sense.

[Rasix]

Yes, Morgan Freeman deserved a pity vote. But that's not why I'm posting. Sideways was the most pretentious bloated piece of shit to come out of Hollywood since the Titanic. It just happened to cost less. I wish that movie had never have happened and everyone involved should be blacklisted in the same way Tim Curry was after Rocky Horror Picture Show. Twenty years without a proper move from those people would make Schild a happy man.

You've got shitty taste, boss.  Didn't you hate American Splendor too? 

It was time for Foxx to win an Oscar.

Ahhhhrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggg.  I hate this mentality.  Really, I hope you're just going with the spirit of the Oscars, but that quote is why I don't turn in to watch it half of the time.   Still, from all account, he was tremendous in the movie.  He was awesome in Collateral, that's for sure.   Nice to see when an actor comes into his own.  Keanu, we're still waiting.

[schild]

I think you might be too young to "get" Sideways, Schild. Wait another 10 or 15 years, then give it another viewing. It will make a lot more sense.

If any "art fag" was going to get it, it would be me. I eat shit like that up, particularly when it has to do with the finer things in life. But guess what, I couldn't sit through it. When something is too pretentious for me, there's something wrong.

Ah, Rasix replied while I was typing: American Splendor was and is still crap. And when people say "it's time for x to win an Oscar" it's because they know how Hollywood works. It's not a mentality. It's the truth. For example: Morgan Freeman was a shoe-in for best supporting last night in Shawshank Redemption.

[Murgos]

I gotta agree with Ardent on this one.  Sideways was just that good but I think maybe you have to have lived a little to really have it hit home.

[Ardent]

OK. Pretentious is the very last word I would ever use to describe Sidways and American Splendor, but whatever. I hope someday you can unclench and enjoy these two great, great films.

Perhaps I connected with Sideways because I myself am a plump, divorced, failed novelist.

[Ardent]

Back on topic:

It seems that they can get away with any kind of political garbage on these shows, as long as they end it with, "And we all support the troops!" and everyone applauds and cries. What horseshit.

[Paelos]

And Sean Penn, once again, manages to fuck up something.

[HaemishM]

Back on topic:

It seems that they can get away with any kind of political garbage on these shows, as long as they end it with, "And we all support the troops!" and everyone applauds and cries. What horseshit.

Welcome to America in the 2000's.

[MrHat]

P.S. I still hate the Oscars. And Beyonce.

God Bless my Tivo.

"And the winner is..."  "Wow, I didn't think I'd.."  Boodooop Boodooop-Boodooop!

"Tonight's song is to be performed by the lovely Beyonce.."   Boodooop Boodooop-Boodooop!