RTT: Oscar Recap 2012

For years, Jimmy and I have been trying to get Jude to sit and watch the Academy Awards with us. We always make a big deal of it (this year they requested an encore of our Valentine's fondue feast) and we loved the idea of Jude joining in. Well. Be careful what you ask for. This year, he sat and watched the whole thing and the kid WOULDN'T SHUT UP! He had seen both Hugo and The Artist, so he was feeling pretty "in the know" and suddenly had opinions. He was very upset that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two didn't win anything, "It's the best movie I've ever seen!" And the endless questions! "What's a Documentary Short?" "What is Cinematography?". "Why was that funny?" "Why is that lady crying?" "Who is he?" "Who is she?" "Who is he?" "Who is she?". On and on and on. I fear that we have created a monster.

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Does anybody else think the Oscars were painfully boring this year?

I've always loved Billy Crystal, but he was pretty dull Sunday night - classy, charming...dull. But I'm afraid it's because he just didn't have the material. His trademark opening song had to include NINE Best Picture nominees, one of which (The Tree of Life) I'd never even heard of. I mean, I'm an ACTOR who lives in LOS ANGELES, and I had never heard of it! I bet that most people who live in the middle of the country hadn't heard of half of them!

In 2009, they changed the rules so that up to 10 movies could be nominated for Best Picture. Apparently, one of the main reasons for this change was an attempt to combat declining television viewership of the awards show. The theory was that including more films in the Best Picture category, the Academy could include more popular films, and that might encourage more people to tune in. THIS IS NOT WORKING PEOPLE. 

Because the real problem is that the studios make a bunch of crappy movies, and don't promote the well-made films AT ALL. Hence my having never HEARD of one of the nominees. There's just nothing worth going to see any more. There are films that are fun and escapist. Or of the block bustery/adventure type. But big budget, well-made films just don't exist. Pretty much everything I deem worth watching lately, is on television. True.

Look at the Oscar nominees from the last half of the '70s:

1975 - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Barry Lyndon, Dog Day Afternoon, Jaws, Nashville

1976 - Rocky, All the President's Men, Bound for Glory, Network, Taxi Driver

1977 - Annie Hall, The Goodbye Girl, Julia, Star Wars, The Turning Point

1978 - The Deerhunter, Coming Home, Heaven Can Wait, Midnight Express, An Unmarried Woman

1979 - Kramer Vs. Kramer, All That Jazz, Apocalypse Now, Breaking Away, Norma Rae

Damn, those were MOVIES! Every single one of these movies is a brilliant classic! How can you compare even one of the NINE nominees this year with ANY of these movies?! Sad.

Okay, I hearby step off my soap box.

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Angelina, Angelina, Angelina. For those of you who missed the controversy...

Angelina Jolie showed up wearing a truly stunning black Versace gown. The problem was that every time she stood still she arranged herself in this bizarre, ridiculously awkward pose, with her right leg thrust out to the side to show off the dresses slit, and her left arm stuck uncomfortably on her hip. She did this over and over on the red carpet...

Which is really all fine, because the red carpet is all about the fashion and posing for the still cameras. But then, when she walked out on stage during the show to present the Best Adapted Screenplay award, she stopped in front of the microphone, and carefully arranged herself yet again in this awkward pose, popping her right leg out and then strangely arranging her left arm on her hip again. It looked downright uncomfortable...

...then started talking. I actually said out loud "What the hell is that about?" I mean, who does that? Then, when The Descendants screenwriter Jim Rash came on stage to accept his award, he rather snarkily arranged himself in the same silly pose...

And people kind of got mad at him for making fun of her, but really...she was absolutely fair game. Just silly. I hope she's fired the bone-headed stylist who no doubt convinced her that she needed to do this. She is so gorgeous (albeit freakishly, painfully thin), and the dress was so gorgeous, that she absolutely didn't need to do this silliness at ALL.

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The other big controversy? J Lo's nipple. Look veeeeeeerry carefully on her left boob...

Yep. That's some areola. Pretty sure. I mean, that's a lot of gown there, and no amount of double-face tape is gonna assure you that there's no slippage.

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I do love me those women from The Help! Didn't Octavia Spencer look fabulous?

Every plus-size woman in Hollywood should rush to Tadashi Shoji, the designer of her gown. He completely used her curves to her advantage, and made her look fabulous. Somebody PLEASE give Melissa McCarthy his number!

I LOVED that Viola Davis chose NOT to wear a wig! I hope every little black girl in America saw her and thought "I have pretty hair just like her!" Though I think she should have left it it's natural color too. She looked amazing.

Jessica Chastain, who is as cute as a bug, literally...actually, she's probably cuter than most bugs...had one of the best dresses of the evening...

And Emma Stone somehow made a dress with the biggest bow on the planet look chic...

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Enough of my ranting. Head over to Stacy's for more Random Tuesday Thoughts!

 

Comments

[Stacy Uncorked]

That repetitive awkward posing Angelina did absolutely made her fair game for mocking. Especially since she did it on the stage, too!

I found myself in complete agreement and nodding to everything else you wrote about all the fashionistas. ;)

And I'm glad I haven't gotten Princess Nagger in interest mode yet - I fear she'd be just as vocally inquisitive as Jude was. :)

[Claire]

Yes, I was also bored by them. It's not that I didn't enjoy some of it but all in all, not the same quality as the old days. Sigh.

[Michele]

We watched the awards for the first time in I can't remember how long but whereas you had seen all but one of the movie nominated for best picture we hadn't seen any because you are 100% right. The best stuff is on TV.

BTW, when Apocalypse Now came out I went to Grauman's to see it. I was so bored I got up and wandered the theater looking at the architecture. Is it still as awesome?

[Cathy Kennedy]

Angelina does look major stiff in these photos and think it's great fun of the snarky pose by Jim Rash. Who cares if anyone got mad or not? Angelina did look ridiculous, even though I didn't watch the Oscars, in these pictures. She is an actress, right? She should know how to have the best body language of any people, right? Are you kidding? JLo's nips caused a ruckous? I mean, that's Hollyweird and anything goes pretty much. Besides, I see women on the street (yes here in the sticks - lol) showing off their nipples every day. What's the big deal anyhow? Please don't meantion cute as a bug! We found our first stink bug over the weekend and I HOPE we don't have an infestation like last year. What a mess!

[VandyJ]

I haven't really watched the Oscars since 2003 when Return of the King pretty much swept the whole darn thing.
We just don't see the movies that are usually up for the awards.
I do like seeing the dresses though.

[Jan]

We never watch the Oscars anymore (like you said...boring, plus, yes, I haven't heard of half of the 40 bajillion films that are now nominated). But one of the things I love about your blog is that I'll see who wore what - thank you!

And my Spin is up: http://www.janssushibar.com/?p=13357

Sorry, it was the best I could about that particular subject.

[Sarah at 32Flavors]

We have a couple friends over and fill out ballots. Then we also have Oscar Bingo cards. This makes it much more interesting, because you start rooting for winners to tell their kids to go to bed, or for a presenter to wear a yellow dress. And then there are some arguments. Did she just trip? Was that his date that he kissed or just the person sitting next to him? Does that count as a political statement?
Jim Rash's pose was HILARIOUS. I'm sorry. Angelina's pose at the mic could not have been more unnatural. Also, I am very worried for her health.
I don't know how Emma Stone pulled that dress off, but she did. I am not a fan of a giant bow, but she looked so great. And I LOVED her presenting. So funny.

[Sprite's Keeper]

Oh good! I caught up on the Oscars last night, just knowing you'd do a recap.
Yes, Angelina looked ridiculous. And Jim Rash was AWESOME, except I wondered if some would think he was also posing an "erection" the way he balanced the statue on his upper thigh as he did it.
The only bad thing about Viola's dress was that the people sitting on either side of her had to help her out of her seat! Was it THAT form fitting?
I actually liked Billy Crystal. I always do. But it was safe.

[Ginny Marie]

OMG, I thought the same thing Sprite's Keeper did! Seemed rather naughty, but also FUNNY! A thigh-high slit just isn't sexy when you keep throwing your hips out to make sure people know your dress has a slit!

[Harriet]

Everyone is talking about Angelina's leg. I guess that says a lot about the boring aspect.

Have a great RTT
http://harrietandfriends.com/2012/02/random-and-tuesdays/

[Christina @RantRaveRoll]

I must say Angelina, who is typically stunning, looked awkward and uncomfortable this time.I'm sure it is a lovely dress, but if it takes that much work to get in the right pose for than maybe it isn't the best choice.

I agree that the Oscars just aren't what they use to be.

[Kristine]

I didn't watch the Oscars this year mainly because I hadn't heard of any of the movies. Apparently I live in a bubble. LOL

[Kendra]

I wasn't a huge fan of any of the Help girls' dresses other than Octavia Spencer but they were better than some of what I saw. And I HATED how Angelina Jolie stood. So ridiculous. And she looked soo skinny. Too skinny. (Maybe I'm just jealous!)

[Lynn @ Curly Girl's Music World]

Best part of the Oscars was Darren's name, big and bold, in the end credits. At least he now has verification for where he's been for the last two weeks!

[Andrea]

I stopped watching because I was bored, and billy Crystal's face looks so unnatural that it was creeping me out, so I didn't even enjoy him!

I did see jlo and was annoyed that she went with that look again...really? You have to wear a dress cut like that more than once?

That Angelina thing is wacko!

[Michele R.]

Heehee! Sun nite I thought of how you will post about some stuff and you did. A. Jolie--like half the women there--looks like she needs a couple pints of blood. Plus, I have always thought her legs were not her best asset. Since her face is beautiful (but scarier now with that frozen look) she should have covered up more to disguise the bones and make the focus on her face.
I agree with the other commenter on J. Lo--she did that plunge look years ago in that green dress.
Loved Cameron Diaz' shorter hair.
Oh, and check this out. I was watching Penelope Ann Miller (who is about 47 years old) and wondered why her face looked so different than so many other women, and realized......wait for it......she had face wrinkles!!!!!!! I love her for that.
I'm with you on the chatty boys. I just wanted to lie on the couch and relax and I had to answer questions about who played in what.
Oh, and I rented The Tree of Life months ago and we fast forwarded thru it, thought it was a waste of time.

[Elizabeth]

I felt absolutely the same way about everything that you wrote here, except that you could substitute Oliver with his incessant questions for your Jude AND I loved Tree of Life and all of its Malick pretentiousness. Great recap -- I feel so simpatico with you!

[Aimee]

Have you seen the Photoshopped pic of Angelina, with both legs out? Hilarious. And I'm sure she's a lovely person, but she always looks so HAUGHTY on the red carpet, like she's doing us a HUGE favor by appearing. I don't know if that's what she's thinking, but it's what comes across. Blech.

I sort of enjoyed the awards this year...not because of the films, but because I really liked the montages and the clips in the middle of everything. You know, the stuff everyone else is complaining about. I do wish they'd get back to good movie making. Stop turning every bestseller into a movie, for instance. Sigh. Oh, and the 3D nonsense, and the re-release-everything-in-3D nonsense? UGH.