Oscars 2015

re Redmayne: Does playing an ALS sufferer count as going "not full retard" even if the guy might be a genius? If Rain Man counts I think this does too.

Eddie Redmayne — his eyes wet, his body trembling, and his voice approaching the giddy squeee of a teakettle — seemed like a tiny boy. He clutched his award as if it were a sickly animal, petting and cooing it into his breast....

This writing borders on hate crime.

xxxp not sure what the critique is here? he was too sincere or not sincere enough? perhaps a slightly weird dude caught up in a moment he didn't anticipate?

well there are big ripped hunks in mersh movies, then there are Redmaynes. nothing in between.

nothing in between

Well, me, if I had my way.

perhaps a slightly weird dude caught up in a moment he didn't anticipate?

he's been collecting trophies for two months plus!

Maybe he's one of the few remaining people who think that winning an Oscar, unlike the rest of that Foxcatcher trophy room junk, still actually means something.

Not saying he's right, necessarily.

preeeeeetty ironic for fennessey to call redmayne's reaction to redmayne's victory "ghastly and exaggerated"

We loathe most that which we see in ourselves.

thought the speech was great (though I'd have guessed him mid 20s tbh)

Rich Juzwiak, in the comment section of his Graham Moore/"I'm Not Gay" piece:

"This is like Dumbledore in reverse."

could you go out on whatever it takes?

― touch of a love-starved cobra (Dr Morbius), Monday, February 23, 2015 2:12 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

This writing borders on hate crime.

― Eric H., Monday, February 23, 2015 3:13 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

fixed that for you

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/24/movies/awardsseason/oscars-show-growing-gap-between-moviegoers-and-academy.html?_r=0

Summary: Oscars are elitist because American Sniper didn't win Best Picture. No, this isn't Fox News.

Not gonna bother reading the article, but fwiw, with the exception of Hurt Locker, Birdman is the lowest grossing best picture adjusted for inflation since Marty in 1955.

http://news.moviefone.com/2015/02/23/lowest-grossing-best-picture-winners-oscars/#slide=3358693

(Still kind of amazing how singularly low Hurt Locker's gross actually is among best picture winners, adjusted or otherwise. That's a record that's likely to never be toppled.)

or by Ava DuVernay's next one? (how about an a-g James Baldwin biopic)

hurt locker overearned

Yeah I was gonna say: before AS went wide The Grand Budapest Hotel was top grossing nominee. Meanwhile The Imitation Game has quietly and consistently hung around the lower reaches of the top ten and made $85 million..

Saw a recap of all the speechifying last night, and piscesx is right, probably more than ever before. I didn't really notice because everything said was what everyone wanted to hear. The famous '70s equivalents--Brando, Bert Schneider, Vanessa Redgrave--were greeted by waves of hostility.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B-nkLmyVIAA5upx.png:large

Yes

100% agreed

nerdz

let he who is without hit points cast the first d20

Redmayne was excellent in Theory of Everything, as was Felicity Jones, but they and the cinematography were the only good things about it. Even at 2 hours it seemed cursory and shallow.

Redmayne was excellent. Jones was paint-peelingly boring.

Yeah. She was the only nominee who wasn't even praised a little and disappeared from all mention.

So who's winning? My money is on Birdman.

It certainly has the profile of a best picture winner.

Emmanuel Lubezki is an excellent cinematographer; I wonder if he'll ever win an Oscar for a non-stunt.

Stunts or no, he should have won for Tree of Life or Children of Men. Or The New World.

well, Gordon Willis was only nominated for Zelig and The Godfather Part III. That's right, no Pakulas, no Gf i/ii, no Manhattan.

Angelina POW movie will win.

see u in Feb.

― this horrible, rotten slog to rigor mortis (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, October 15, 2014 5:19 PM (4 months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

anyway never doubt the milquetoast taste of TIFF audiences, The Imitation Game is totally taking this

― Simon H., Wednesday, October 15, 2014 7:41 PM (4 months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

honest question: is birdman winning better or worse than either of those predicted outcomes (one of which wasn't even possible)?

i think Birdman is about as shitty as TIG

All things are possible, my son.

marginally better probably, though I'm not a fan (didn't see either of the other ones lol)

Even second-rate work from the man rightfully cited by last Sunday's best director winner as the preeminent artist working in mainstream films is by default better than most other alternatives.

(I def hold Lubezki's artistry above practically every director currently working.)

best part of the oscars

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2015/02/23/henry_hobson_interview_meet_the_man_behind_the_oscars_beautiful_animated.html

Even second-rate work from the man rightfully cited by last Sunday's best director winner as the preeminent artist working in mainstream films is by default better than most other alternatives.

― Eric H.,

didn't know he liked Clint Eastwood

ok, tho i don't know how you compare people who have different job descrips, especially when we don't know what cinematography is, precisely, from film to film [sic] in the digital age.

xxp i was looking at those during the show and being like "these are amazing," followed by "oh god does flipping out over graphic design this mean i've worked in marketing way too fucking long?"

*like this

also in part from working in Times Square for 4 years, I found very little of Birdman "beautiful."

I've never thought to myself Lubezki's contributions to any given movie made them markedly worse.

I walked on Birdman after 30 mins and still liked it more that TIG which I sat thru b/c companions

we never got into the weirdly condescending NPHarris bit with Oyelowo reading a joke in His Classy Accent but we don't have to.

one of many weird and uncomfortable audience interaction moments

there wasn't one good joke

NPH was legit worse than Franco/Hathaway. Worse than Letterman.

Tho not worse than Billy Crystal, mercifully.