The Annual Academy Awards - General Discussion

[Vixenstud]

19 hours ago, cpcathy said:

Who said Awkwafina was funny?

Oof, she was annoying.

Forgot to mention the punch in the gut when Glenn didn't win, I was so rooting for her.  

Dear Maya Rudolph:

You are a beautiful woman, hell your mama was the legendary Minnie Riperton....that said, must you always dress like a frump?  Please hire a dresser STAT for future shows, thanks.

[truthaboutluv]

13 minutes ago, Vixenstud said:

Let's not forget the pompous "I can't imagine wanting to live in a world where Denzel Washington doesn't win a Best Actor Oscar"....this was right before he won for Training Day.  

And I love Denzel but we all know he won that year because Russel Crowe was determined to not make people vote for him by being the biggest asshole in the world. 

[Cementhead]

22 minutes ago, Vixenstud said:

Sam Rockwell was rockin’ the bald look but Michael Keaton?  Sir, Mr. Vixenstud has given his blessings (looks around) for me to shove you against the wall and give you a deep, passionate soul kiss if I should ever cross your path.  Gotdamn but he looked like a hot bowl of sexy!!

Oh, you like Michael Keaton, too?  There is just something about that guy that has always appealed to me.  Very sexy in a not so obvious way.  I still wonder after all these many years why Courteney Cox ever let that one go? 

[proserpina65]

11 hours ago, slowpoked said:

What was the romcom that got nominated for a major award? Four Weddings and a Funeral?!

It was something of an exception, though.

 

10 hours ago, DC Gal in VA said:

Would the movie Shakespeare In Love qualify as a romantic comedy? It won for Best Picture in 1999 along with a slew of Oscars for that movie including Best Performance by a Lead Actress, Gwyneth Paltrow.

I wouldn't consider it one.  But then, I wouldn't consider most of the films listed by Simon Boccanegra to be rom-coms either.

 

1 hour ago, msrachelj said:

she aggressively went after and "stole" another woman's husband and humiliated her publicly. there  have been a few times she showed just how out of touch she is with middle/lower class people. one i remember is she was on a talk show and was bragging about how she made most of her kids clothes because, you know, clothes are expensive. for a billionaire. i personally can not stand her phoniness. or how people worship her , show me what charities she supports and i'll get back to you.

I think she's terribly overrated as an actress, and the whole "America's Sweetheart" persona pisses me off.

[Cementhead]

Yes, after cheating on Benjamin Bratt with one of the camera guys from The Mexican named Danny Moder, a man who was a recent newlywed,  she then went on to humiliate and shame Moder's wife, as mentioned above by msrachelj., into divorcing him because she wasn't doing it quickly enough for America's Sweetheart.  Google "A low Vera" t-shirt.  This was the highlight of said public humiliation tour.  Afterwards, she would go on endlessly about "Mr. Danny Moder" every time she was on her BFF Oprah's talk show, which was a lot.  "Mr. Danny Moder this and Mr. Danny Moder that."  Then suddenly Camera man #3 became "a cinematographer" every time she spoke of him. 

I was a huge fan of both women until around the time of that.  It was beyond nauseating. 

Fast forward to today and they say that life isn't too grand between Julia and Mr. Danny Moder.  In fact some say they don't even live together and haven't for years.  Aww, what a shame.  If true?  Karma. 

BUT, in keeping with the rule of keeping this comment on topic, she did look fabulous at the Oscars.  I will give her that.  I can name 50 other people who would have been more fitting to announce Best Picture but whatever.

Edited February 26, 2019 by Cementhead

[Vixenstud]

31 minutes ago, Cementhead said:

Oh, you like Michael Keaton, too?  There is just something about that guy that has always appealed to me.  Very sexy in a not so obvious way.  I still wonder after all these many years why Courteney Cox ever let that one go? 

IIRC, Michael at the time wasn't ready for marriage and Courteney was.  Pish, marriage schmarriage I would have rode that hot wagon until the wheels fell off.

Edited February 26, 2019 by Vixenstud

[Cementhead]

1 minute ago, Vixenstud said:

IIRC, Michael at the same wasn't ready for marriage and Courteney was.  Pish, marriage schmarriage I would have rode that hot wagon until the wheels fell off.

You got that right!!  And where did marriage get Courteney anyways?  Ha!

[MVFrostsMyPie]

1 hour ago, msrachelj said:

she aggressively went after and "stole" another woman's husband and humiliated her publicly. there  have been a few times she showed just how out of touch she is with middle/lower class people. one i remember is she was on a talk show and was bragging about how she made most of her kids clothes because, you know, clothes are expensive. for a billionaire. i personally can not stand her phoniness. or how people worship her , show me what charities she supports and i'll get back to you.

I’m going to assume you’re directing that last directive at everyone not me specifically because I don’t generally bother worshipping nor expending energy hating celebrities and pretending I know what their ulterior motives are. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Sorry, but I can still think of 100 more folks more offensive than her though 🙂 

[shapeshifter]

The success of this year's no-host Academy Awards seems to indicated that the Oscars host was always a bit of an Emperor without clothes--or perhaps a scapegoat for when it didn't go so well. Yet no recaps or news outlets seem to be probing the question of who are the real Wizards of O[z]car behind the curtains?  "Oscar-winning producer Donna Gigliotti will produce the 91st Oscars, and Emmy-winning director Glenn Weiss will co-produce and direct the show, Academy President John Bailey announced today" (22 October 2018, oscars.org/news/donna-gigliotti-produce-91st-oscars).  Tell us more, please. I mean, organizing a baby shower with a few games was my best. It can't just be magic.
 

 

56 minutes ago, Vixenstud said:

For me the highlight was Regina King . . . Regina was one of 17 best dressed.

Regina King was so wonderful every time the cameras caught her--on the carpet and on the stage--so a wonderful actress and person, right? And I would give her Best Dressed Ever, but nobody's asking me.

[ProudMary]

1 hour ago, truthaboutluv said:

By the way, if we need anymore proof that social media has created a culture where people look to be offended about something, apparently a few people have criticized Rami's acceptance speech for let's see one, not mentioning Freddie Mercury by name. Because of course no one had a clue who was referring to in talking about a gay immigrant who was unapologetically himself. And it's not like Rami's been invoking Freddie's name every single time he won an award this season and in his many media interviews. 

Then some are outraged because he called Freddie gay, when he was, according to those who were offended, really bisexual (ignore that Freddie Mercury himself never identified himself one way or the other), so they see that as bi-erasure. Mind you, this after there was outrage from some other sections throughout the season because Rami never called Freddie gay in his speeches. That was to some his hetero-washing Freddie's sexuality.

And finally, some AIDS organizations are outraged because he didn't mention Freddie's dying of AIDS and use his moment on stage to shed a spotlight on the continuing AIDS crisis. So in other words, in a moment where this guy was likely overwhelmed, nervous, probably trying to remember his own name, various people all felt entitled to his recognizing an issue that mattered to them. In other words, he was supposed to be all things to everyone. 

I seriously sometimes read comments on social media and wonder how some of these people manage day to day being so offended about everything. Like how do you live searching for something to be pressed about every damn day. But as someone so aptly put it once, god forbid they not all try to earn their woke points of the day.

Oh and the best part was that many of the ones on their outraged bandwagon, were referring to Rami as a white man repeatedly. So while they're busy being so offended because he called Freddie gay or didn't mention AIDS awareness, they're all dismissing the man's heritage and identity.

Yes to all of the above, and don't forget about everyone getting on him for not denouncing Bryan Singer, which I felt was very unfair to Rami to be singled out for.

[peacheslatour]

Quote

Regarding the song performances, I was not a fan of "Shallow" in the least.  I can see why people looked at Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga and squeeeeeed over how their faces were touching and how they longingly gazed into each others' eyes.  But whatever.  I think it's a particularly boring song and I thought it was a boring performance.

It was no Evergreen that's for sure.

[Neurochick]

11 hours ago, catrice2 said:

It is not true, I guess it depends on how you look at it.  Many people have spoken out about the lack of diversity in the Academy and in films.  Although some of them have specifically targeted Black actors, many have either just indicated minority, or used the term lack of diversity.  The problem is that in this country whenever someone hears diversity or minority THEY immediately assume that people are talking about a Black person, especially if it is a Black person speaking. 

Many people are advocating for people of color, of any color, which is precisely why now some people choose to use that phrase. They were tired of everyone assuming that they were only talking about advocating for Black people.  So when people say "no one raises a stink," who are they talking about?  My parents always taught me that you also have to advocate for yourself.  Perhaps the Asian actors/actresses, etc. should mobilize and do more advocating for themselves, especially if they feel that no one is doing it for them 

Here's how I see it.  Black people have been in the USA, how many centuries?  Black people in the USA had to deal with slavery for hundreds of years, reconstruction, Jim Crow, lynching, red lining, segregation, mass incarceration, affirmative action fuck ups, etc, the list goes on, and that's in the USA.  So, I really don't mind seeing mostly black representation on the Oscars.  

[Blakeston]

16 hours ago, Shannon L. said:

He would have had to sing, even if it was so bad that they had to drown it out completely, because I don't think you'd be able to lip sync well enough to get all the muscles in your face, and neck to look like you're singing, no matter how good you are.  And even if it was possible, I can imagine it would be much easier to just sing your heart out, whether you sucked or not. 

I'm not talking about whether he actually sang during the filming, I'm talking about how much they used his vocals in the film.

The makers of the film have talked about how what we're hearing is a combination of Freddie Mercury's voice and Rami Malek's voice, but I find it extremely hard to believe that they used much of Rami's vocals. The singing in the film sounds exactly like Freddie Mercury.

So either Rami can sing exactly like Freddie Mercury - in which case they were fools to not just use his vocals alone, and let him get even more recognition for his performance - or they barely, barely used Rami's voice. I'm thinking it's the latter.

[SuprSuprElevated]

2 hours ago, msrachelj said:

holy shit. if she didn't have someone helping her dress, did she at least not look in the mirror?!

Exactly.  Also, I know men are clueless more often than not, but did no red flag go up the pole for him when he maybe just glanced at his wife as she exited the dressing room?  How do two grown folk not see a problem with that, lol?

[wonderwoman]

vox's todd vander werff's take on the larger historical context behind 'the green book's' best picture win.

https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/2/25/18239309/oscars-2019-green-book-best-picture

[Dr.OO7]

On 2/24/2019 at 11:08 PM, mightysparrow said:

I wanted Spike to win.

Join the club. 

It feels like such a "One step forward, one step backwards" battle in Hollywood .

I'm glad for the landmark victories minorities had on Sunday night, but they should have included Best Director and Best Picture.

[SuprSuprElevated]

11 hours ago, Cementhead said:

Oh, you like Michael Keaton, too?  There is just something about that guy that has always appealed to me.  Very sexy in a not so obvious way.  I still wonder after all these many years why Courteney Cox ever let that one go? 

After observing the behavior of the one she did choose, coupled with her own voluntary self-mutilation, I think it's safe to say that she is certifiable.

 

11 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

I think she's terribly overrated as an actress, and the whole "America's Sweetheart" persona pisses me off.

^Cosign^

 

11 hours ago, Cementhead said:

Yes, after cheating on Benjamin Bratt with one of the camera guys from The Mexican named Danny Moder, a man who was a recent newlywed,  she then went on to humiliate and shame Moder's wife, as mentioned above by msrachelj., into divorcing him because she wasn't doing it quickly enough for America's Sweetheart.  Google "A low Vera" t-shirt.  This was the highlight of said public humiliation tour.  Afterwards, she would go on endlessly about "Mr. Danny Moder" every time she was on her BFF Oprah's talk show, which was a lot.  "Mr. Danny Moder this and Mr. Danny Moder that."  Then suddenly Camera man #3 became "a cinematographer" every time she spoke of him. 

I was a huge fan of both women until around the time of that.  It was beyond nauseating. 

Fast forward to today and they say that life isn't too grand between Julia and Mr. Danny Moder.  In fact some say they don't even live together and haven't for years.  Aww, what a shame.  If true?  Karma. 

BUT, in keeping with the rule of keeping this comment on topic, she did look fabulous at the Oscars.  I will give her that.  I can name 50 other people who would have been more fitting to announce Best Picture but whatever.

Anyone who would voluntarily release Benjamin Bratt should be banished to obscurity.

[slowpoked]

This is a good post-mortem on the Oscars, hard campaigning by some of the major nominees, and offers an explanation to why Glenn Close lost. I don't believe it fully, seeing as the writer sort of disproved his own theory, but it is possible his reason is correct, and that it may affect future voting.

Quote

In the acting races, Bohemian Rhapsody's Rami Malek, Green Book's Mahershala Ali and If Beale Street Could Talk's Regina King were widely predicted winners as best actor, best supporting actor (for the second time in three years) and best supporting actress, respectively. In addition to being testaments to excellent performances, these wins were about other things, as well — Malek's and his collaborators' perseverance even after the tumult caused by Bryan Singer during and after the film's production, and Malek's stamina on the campaign trail; Ali's grace even as his collaborators' blunders came to light, and his acclaimed work on True Detective that is currently rolling out on HBO (just as that show's first season was rolling out when Matthew McConaughey won his Oscar a few years ago); and King's standing in the community — her first Oscar comes even after she was inexplicably denied SAG and BAFTA award nominations, without which only one other performer has ever won an acting Oscar (Marcia Gay Harden for 2000's Pollock).

Quote

The biggest shocker of the night, which will be remembered as one of the biggest shockers of all time, was the best actress upset of The Wife's Glenn Close by The Favourite's Olivia Colman, even after Close won Critics' Choice, Golden Globe and SAG awards. No other actress — and only two actors, Russell Crowe for A Beautiful Mind and Eddie Murphy for 2006's Dreamgirls — has ever won all three of those precursors and then lost at the Oscars. Going into the night, the 71-year-old was already the most Oscar-nominated living performer, male or female, without a win, and now extends that undesirable record by losing for the seventh time.

How did this happen? It's impossible to say for sure, of course, but it likely has to do with the number of Academy members who actually saw Close's film versus Colman's. Colman's The Favourite, which was distributed by Fox Searchlight (which never gets enough credit for its campaign prowess), was nominated for 10 Oscars (tied with Roma for most), including best picture. That meant most voters made it a priority to check it out — and, indeed, Colman is extraordinary in it. The Wife, on the other hand, was a much lower-profile film; it received no nominations other than Close's, and therefore was a lower priority for voters as they budgeted their time.

People have occasionally won major Oscars, including best actress, as their film's sole nominee — for example, Julianne Moore, another revered vet who was Oscar-less despite multiple nominations prior to Still Alice(2014), a Sony Classics film, like The Wife. But it is only going to become harder to do so as the Academy explodes in size as the result of inviting many younger people to join. People who are active and busy, in the prime of their career, simply do not have as much time to devote to considering films as do retirees, but, rightly or not, tend to still vote even if they haven't seen every nominee in a category.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/oscars-analysis-how-green-book-won-glenn-close-lost-1190308

[truthaboutluv]

Quote

The makers of the film have talked about how what we're hearing is a combination of Freddie Mercury's voice and Rami Malek's voice, but I find it extremely hard to believe that they used much of Rami's vocals. The singing in the film sounds exactly like Freddie Mercury.

I think this might be a case of miscommunication. Because the impression I always got when Rami spoke about this and said it was a combination of his voice, was the fact that they filmed the scenes of him singing, then the sound mixing guys did their thing and layered it with either Freddie or Marc Martel's vocals, for what was the final product heard on screen. I never got the impression that Rami or anyone else were ever suggesting he at any point sang like Freddie. 

Edited February 26, 2019 by truthaboutluv

[Neurochick]

1 hour ago, wonderwoman said:

vox's todd vander werff's take on the larger historical context behind 'the green book's' best picture win.

https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/2/25/18239309/oscars-2019-green-book-best-picture

Maybe because I'm old, but I really didn't see anything wrong with Green Book's win.  And I wonder if a lot of the folks who complained even saw the movie.  I've never understood the comparisons with Driving Miss Daisy.  As I said on another forum, I bet a lot of Americans had no clue what the Green Book was, until this movie came out.  

[Silver Raven]

I was very worried that Regina King was going to flash us getting out of her chair awkwardly.  That slit in her dress up to her cleavage was just a wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen.

[chitowngirl]

16 hours ago, biakbiak said:

I might have missed it but was there a reason there was no performance or at least I longer clip for the Black Panther best song nominee?

15 hours ago, truthaboutluv said:

Kendrick Lamar declined to perform.

So why didn’t someone else perform it? Emily Blunt declined to perform her song from Mary Poppins Returns and Bette Miller sang it. Do you need permission to perform it?

[truthaboutluv]

Just now, chitowngirl said:

So why didn’t someone else perform it? Emily Blunt declined to perform her song from Mary Poppins Returns and Bette Miller sang it. Do you need permission to perform it?

No idea. The same thing happened years ago when Eminem won for Lose Yourself. Didn't attend and so the song was never performed. Maybe it's hard to get a replacement for a rap song. 

[Vixenstud]

56 minutes ago, Silver Raven said:

I was very worried that Regina King was going to flash us getting out of her chair awkwardly.  That slit in her dress up to her cleavage was just a wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen.

I was saying that very thing to Mr. Vixenstud....I believe she was wearing nude underwear 'cause I could swear I saw that just for a smidgen.

[msrachelj]

4 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

It was something of an exception, though.

I wouldn't consider it one.  But then, I wouldn't consider most of the films listed by Simon Boccanegra to be rom-coms either.

I think she's terribly overrated as an actress, and the whole "America's Sweetheart" persona pisses me off.

agree 100%, ok actress, america's sweetheart: never! hollywood is so phony baloney. & she may not be fugly but all this beautiful bull shit is nuts. my hatred runs deep. there is just something so bitch, mean girl about her. 

[Hanahope]

37 minutes ago, chitowngirl said:

So why didn’t someone else perform it? Emily Blunt declined to perform her song from Mary Poppins Returns and Bette Miller sang it. Do you need permission to perform it?

I would suspect that you need permission of the song writer to perform the  song.  Lamar wrote the song, and he didn't want it performed.  I doubt that Emily Blunt wrote her song, and the song writers were fine with having Bette perform it.

[blackwing]

5 hours ago, msrachelj said:

she aggressively went after and "stole" another woman's husband and humiliated her publicly. there  have been a few times she showed just how out of touch she is with middle/lower class people. one i remember is she was on a talk show and was bragging about how she made most of her kids clothes because, you know, clothes are expensive. for a billionaire. i personally can not stand her phoniness. or how people worship her , show me what charities she supports and i'll get back to you.

This.  I used to like her a lot when she was younger.  "Pretty Woman", "Sleeping With the Enemy", "My Best Friend's Wedding".  But then somewhere along the line, probably after she won the Oscar, her head got so big and she seems to have decided that she is A Big Deal and that everyone else is small and insignificant.  She always just seems so very pleased with herself and her life.  To the point where I can't stand those commercials for the perfume she hawks.  I remember writing a post in the Commercials You Can't Stand topic either here or at the predecessor website about the first one.  It basically went something like this:  People at a party are being held back by golden chains of light.  Enter Queen Julia.  She looks around with confusion.  OMG, how stupid are all of these people?  They are letting life dictate their choices.  I am Julia Roberts, Queen of Everything, and nobody puts baby in a corner.  I won't let the golden light restrain me and hold me back.  I will flick my wrists and snap them like the powerful woman I am!  Now I will stride through the room and show everyone what a powerful woman I am, because I am a strong woman!  Oh and here comes the end of the commercial, so let me turn around and grace everyone with my horseface smile of 1000 gleaming teeth!

The way she acts in those commercials seems to be the way she is real life.  Just seems like a very arrogant and condescending person.  I do agree she looked good in that dress but I would have preferred to have seen anyone but her present Best Picture.

[msrachelj]

3 minutes ago, blackwing said:

This.  I used to like her a lot when she was younger.  "Pretty Woman", "Sleeping With the Enemy", "My Best Friend's Wedding".  But then somewhere along the line, probably after she won the Oscar, her head got so big and she seems to have decided that she is A Big Deal and that everyone else is small and insignificant.  She always just seems so very pleased with herself and her life.  To the point where I can't stand those commercials for the perfume she hawks.  I remember writing a post in the Commercials You Can't Stand topic either here or at the predecessor website about the first one.  It basically went something like this:  People at a party are being held back by golden chains of light.  Enter Queen Julia.  She looks around with confusion.  OMG, how stupid are all of these people?  They are letting life dictate their choices.  I am Julia Roberts, Queen of Everything, and nobody puts baby in a corner.  I won't let the golden light restrain me and hold me back.  I will flick my wrists and snap them like the powerful woman I am!  Now I will stride through the room and show everyone what a powerful woman I am, because I am a strong woman!  Oh and here comes the end of the commercial, so let me turn around and grace everyone with my horseface smile of 1000 gleaming teeth!

The way she acts in those commercials seems to be the way she is real life.  Just seems like a very arrogant and condescending person.  I do agree she looked good in that dress but I would have preferred to have seen anyone but her present Best Picture.

that's right, i forgot about her commercial, yuk! horse face😍....so it's not just me that sees this immediately?!😂 i am so sick of her. i wish she would just go away. and she has ruined george clooney for me (though he seems to have his issues, he at least gives back) because he luurves her so much. what the hell....why? and it's easy to look good in clothes when you have a stable of people to help you. every day of your life. servants, and i bet they ARE servants. money money, plastic surgery, all the professional help you need will make you svelte and look good in clothes. she no more than any other actually lovely and not mean and nasty actresses . i wish she would go away.  i like her brother a lot better. and i heard, they don't get along. bet that is no surprise!

[scarynikki12]

One little thing that I enjoyed was how the camera made a point of showing the Best Picture envelope get handed to Julia as she walked out. They’re not making that mistake again, though I think a lot of us would have welcomed it this year. 

[Dandesun]

1 hour ago, blackwing said:

This.  I used to like her a lot when she was younger.  "Pretty Woman", "Sleeping With the Enemy", "My Best Friend's Wedding".  But then somewhere along the line, probably after she won the Oscar, her head got so big and she seems to have decided that she is A Big Deal and that everyone else is small and insignificant.  She always just seems so very pleased with herself and her life.  To the point where I can't stand those commercials for the perfume she hawks.  I remember writing a post in the Commercials You Can't Stand topic either here or at the predecessor website about the first one.  It basically went something like this:  People at a party are being held back by golden chains of light.  Enter Queen Julia.  She looks around with confusion.  OMG, how stupid are all of these people?  They are letting life dictate their choices.  I am Julia Roberts, Queen of Everything, and nobody puts baby in a corner.  I won't let the golden light restrain me and hold me back.  I will flick my wrists and snap them like the powerful woman I am!  Now I will stride through the room and show everyone what a powerful woman I am, because I am a strong woman!  Oh and here comes the end of the commercial, so let me turn around and grace everyone with my horseface smile of 1000 gleaming teeth!

The way she acts in those commercials seems to be the way she is real life.  Just seems like a very arrogant and condescending person.  I do agree she looked good in that dress but I would have preferred to have seen anyone but her present Best Picture.

Okay, this send up is hilarious. And, yes, I hate that commercial. Because of her.

Why do I hate her? I just do. I did from the start. She just rubbed me the wrong way in Mystic Pizza and the next thing I know, she's rammed down my throat at 'the woman I want to be' and everyone in my dorm wanted to see her movies when they came to the student union and I went along because #groupdynamics or whatever until I finally had enough and made everyone go see La Femme Nikita when it arrived. I've just never liked her.

So all the stuff about her personal life... meh, whatevs, didn't really alter my opinions. Oh noes! Someone's an asshole in Hollywood! Someone doesn't live up to the persona whatever publicity department has dreamed up. That shit is as old as the Hollywoodland sign. I honestly don't care. Did it go along with my established dislike of her? Sure did! Convenient.

And I just resent her presence in the Oceans movies so so so very much. "This is the best part of my day..." shut the fuck up, Matt Damon!

I will never compare her to a horse because horses are beautiful and elegant and I love them.

[Readalot]

19 hours ago, ProudMary said:

If you haven't had the opportunity to see Rami Malek's press room speech, you should take a look.

Thank you for posting! I now love this guy. I hope for continued successes and look forward to seeing him in many more movies. 

[truthaboutluv]

Btw, I can't believe I didn't gloat about my Oscar ballot. This was my best year. I got 17 out of 24 categories right. And some of them I only lost because I second guessed myself because of all the "experts" (I had Bohemian Rhapsody for Sound Editing and Mixing but switched to A Quiet Place for Editing) or I was being petty (picked All The Stars for Original Song even though I knew it wouldn't happen, just because everyone was all over Shallow).

[Nidratime]

Quote

Yes, after cheating on Benjamin Bratt with one of the camera guys from The Mexican named Danny Moder, a man who was a recent newlywed,  she then went on to humiliate and shame Moder's wife, as mentioned above by msrachelj., into divorcing him because she wasn't doing it quickly enough for America's Sweetheart.  Google "A low Vera" t-shirt.  This was the highlight of said public humiliation tour.  Afterwards, she would go on endlessly about "Mr. Danny Moder" every time she was on her BFF Oprah's talk show, which was a lot.  "Mr. Danny Moder this and Mr. Danny Moder that."  Then suddenly Camera man #3 became "a cinematographer" every time she spoke of him. 

I co-sign all your feelings about Julia Roberts' transition into being a totally intolerable person. BUT, as a woman, I have to say that Mr. Danny Moder deserves just as much blame and disgust, if not more. After all, it was HIS very young marriage and HIS wife he was treating like garbage.

It reminds me of the story Shelley Winters tells in one of her multi volume autobiographies. Shelley was married at the time to fellow actor, Tony Franciosa, who -- it turns out -- wasn't very faithful. One of the women he cheated with was Lauren Bacall.

Quote

[C]onfronted by Winters about stepping out with Franciosa, [Lauren] coos, 'Well, dear, if your husband doesn't respect your marriage, why should I?''

[ratgirlagogo]

Among those unmentioned in the In Memorium death tribute:

 Carol Channing (!), Ricky Jay (!), Sondra Locke (!), Verne Troyer, Kaye Ballard,  Dick Miller,  Julie Adams, R, Lee Ermey, Aretha Franklin, Clint Walker, Joseph Campanella.

Stanley Donen - although  Albert Finney's  film clip was from the great Two for the Road, directed by Donen.

I feel like the snub to Sondra Locke is almost the worst one, since she was so shit on by the industry press when she died.  https://jezebel.com/this-is-how-a-woman-gets-written-out-of-her-own-obituar-1831097072?utm_campaign=socialflow_jezebel_facebook&utm_source=jezebel_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow&fbclid=IwAR1cEOhHih5jrXGEX5kepNwm4W1vE56EODvRyfV3ozGGiDIC-pUyBTY9cX4  Gee, Academy, thanks for that last Hollywood fuck-you.

Edited February 27, 2019 by ratgirlagogo

[SuprSuprElevated]

8 minutes ago, Nidratime said:

Mr. Danny Moder deserves just as much blame and disgust, if not more.

True.

[Calvada]

I don't understand why or when Julia Roberts became Hollywood royalty who gets to announce the Best Picture. Just off the top of my head, I can think of Meryl Streep, Dustin Hoffman, Sally Field, Steven Spielberg, Jodie Foster, Tom Hanks, Martin Scorsese, and I'm sure others would come to mind if I take a minute.  

Couldn't they get rid of the steps up to the stage and do some type of ramp?  It seems the women have such difficulties with their dresses and sky high heels.  

I saw a picture of Maya Rudolph at the after party and she was wearing a different dress.  A Stella McCartney, not a great dress (bright fuschia pink, one shoulder with ruffle across the top of the bust and a sash tied into a big bow in the front, tea length, matching bright fuschia shoes) but miles better than the one she wore for the broadcast.  Glenn Close also looked a lot better in her post-show outfit - an off the shoulder black jumpsuit with a sheer cape.  Where do all these people change?  I assume their stylists are on hand with the 2nd outfit, but where do they all go?  Is there a line for the ladies room at the venue?  

[biakbiak]

4 minutes ago, Calvada said:

don't understand why or when Julia Roberts became Hollywood royalty who gets to announce the Best Picture. Just off the top of my head, I can think of Meryl Streep, Dustin Hoffman, Sally Field, Steven Spielberg, Jodie Foster, Tom Hanks, Martin Scorsese, and I'm sure others would come to mind if I take a minute.  

People have lives and schedules, it’s entirely possible that several people were asked to present but didn’t want to go.

[WonderWuman73]

What the hell  happened to Julia Roberts? I used to like her back in the day when she actually acted but after winning her Oscar I agree, she became intolerable. Every film she’s done, I felt like I was watching Julia doing Julia.. does that make any sense? Like I’m  Julia freaking Roberts! I don’t have to have acting talent, I can just flash my huge ass smile and everyone will embrace me. All the time. Irritating. 

[Thumper]

9 minutes ago, Calvada said:

I don't understand why or when Julia Roberts became Hollywood royalty who gets to announce the Best Picture. Just off the top of my head, I can think of Meryl Streep, Dustin Hoffman, Sally Field, Steven Spielberg, Jodie Foster, Tom Hanks, Martin Scorsese, and I'm sure others would come to mind if I take a minute.  

Couldn't they get rid of the steps up to the stage and do some type of ramp?  It seems the women have such difficulties with their dresses and sky high heels.  

I saw a picture of Maya Rudolph at the after party and she was wearing a different dress.  A Stella McCartney, not a great dress (bright fuschia pink, one shoulder with ruffle across the top of the bust and a sash tied into a big bow in the front, tea length, matching bright fuschia shoes) but miles better than the one she wore for the broadcast.  Glenn Close also looked a lot better in her post-show outfit - an off the shoulder black jumpsuit with a sheer cape.  Where do all these people change?  I assume their stylists are on hand with the 2nd outfit, but where do they all go?  Is there a line for the ladies room at the venue?  

What's with the capes?  I hate them.  They flop around and look so pretentious.  IMO.  Like anyone asked me.   😜😜

[wonderwoman]

according to matt zollar seitz at vulture:

"With a host eating up anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes of telecast time, would Spike Lee, co-winner for Best Original Screenplay for BlacKkKlansman, have been able to warn the producers, “Do not turn the motherfucking (my italics) clock on,” and then (seemingly) be permitted to give a heartfelt, informal-sounding, very Spike-ish speech putting his own family’s history within the context of four centuries of American discrimination?"

https://www.vulture.com/2019/02/2019-oscars-review.html#_ga=2.213911508.2104341480.1551237997-2082165475.1491450891

[yowsah1]

8 hours ago, truthaboutluv said:

I think this might be a case of miscommunication. Because the impression I always got when Rami spoke about this and said it was a combination of his voice, was the fact that they filmed the scenes of him singing, then the sound mixing guys did their thing and layered it with either Freddie or Marc Martel's vocals, for what was the final product heard on screen. I never got the impression that Rami or anyone else were ever suggesting he at any point sang like Freddie. 

I saw an interview where Rami said he trained with a vocalist who had studied how the vocalizations Freddie did were physically produced, so that he would look more like Freddie when he sang.  So that might be the source of the "sang like Freddie" thing.

[Silver Raven]

Quote

I don't understand why or when Julia Roberts became Hollywood royalty who gets to announce the Best Picture. 

Well, she is an Oscar winner and has three more nominations.

[catrice2]

Don't know about the personal information, but I just have never thought Julia Roberts was a good actress. I don't think she deserved the Academy Award at all . I've always been baffled by her professional appeal, but she is not the only one I've thought that about.

[Neko]

I think Julia Roberts is more of a movie star than an actress.  I get her appeal, but I suspect people watch her movies because of that, and not because she is in the same league with Meryl Streep, or Jodie Foster.  YMMV, of course.

[Simon Boccanegra]

11 hours ago, Neurochick said:

I've never understood the comparisons with Driving Miss Daisy. 

They're easy and inevitable. Would-be-heartwarming "black/white improbable friendship" movies, set in the 1960s (wholly in GB's case, in large part in DMD's), in which one character is well off and the other is the chauffeur.  

But now I'll be really outrageous: I think Driving Miss Daisy gets a bum rap. I see a lot of revisionism these days from writers who either were children or not even born when it was in theaters. I read one the other day claiming it was a surprise Best Picture winner despite receiving "mediocre reviews." Nonsense. It was one of the best-received films of that year, and it was expected to win Best Picture. It had done the same at the Globes.   

I was pleased when the excellent African-American critic Wesley Morris, of the late lamented Grantland site and the Boston Globe, recently wrote in a Times piece on "white savior" movies:

Quote

[V]iewed separately from the cold shower of “Do the Right Thing,” “Driving Miss Daisy” does operate with more finesse, elegance and awareness than my teenage self wanted to see. It’s still not the best movie of 1989. But it does know the southern caste system and the premium that system placed on propriety.

I always think of it as being a story about aging just as much as race. The scene in which Daisy races around her house, disheveled, frantic because she thinks she is late to teach a class that she hasn't taught in decades, will hit hard for anyone who has ever had a parent or grandparent with dementia. Both of the central characters are mature by any standard when we meet them, and very proud and stubborn, and the film traces not only their bond but the way they are diminished by time. In another of the most powerful scenes, Daisy is reminded that she too is hated by people who don't even know her, when her temple is bombed. "Who would do such a thing?" she asks, 20 years after six million of her people were slaughtered in Europe. "You know good as me, Miss Daisy. It always be the same ones."  

Anyone who's never seen the movie and only knows it as the unworthy 1990 Oscar winner should give it a look. It's a stronger film than Crash or, in my opinion, Green Book. Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman are wonderful in it (Freeman's present-day controversial status notwithstanding).  

Edited February 27, 2019 by Simon Boccanegra
Shading something down.

[TVFan17]

I would have ordinarily moved on from the Oscars and all related subjects by this time (two days after the show took place), but I made several attempts yesterday to get into this thread and throw in my two cents about the Bradley Cooper-Lady Gaga situation, and couldn't log on!  I guess there were still too many people on this forum, even one full day after the Oscars.  So, forgive me for bringing up something that has already been brought up several times in the thread, but I wanted to do it while I was thinking about it now, since I couldn't do it yesterday.

Okay... about Bradley Cooper.... If you know anything about him (if you've read his interviews or followed his career), you know he is a very private person when it comes to talking about his love life.  He will even talk about what he was paid for a particular movie over talking about his romances.    He does not like to talk about his romantic relationships at all.   He barely even likes to talk about his daughter, because he wants to keep his family life out of the spotlight if he can.      He does not like to even walk down red carpets with the women he is involved with, because he doesn't want to be asked a bunch of questions and then have everyone analyze his responses and analyze photos and make up things that they think are going on.

Since Bradley and Irina have been together -- and there have been a couple of different rumor cycles that have gone around, suggesting that they were having some difficulty at different times -- he has begun doing things like actually being seen on red carpets with Irina, going to Disneyland with Irina and their daughter and being seen by thousands of people, going to the beach with them and being seen, going on vacation with Irina, etc.     I'm sure he realized that he was going to have to eventually be seen in public with his girlfriend and daughter, but it is probably making him very uncomfortable every time he does it because he is so private and worried about people misinterpreting things they see and making up nonsense.

So... taking all of that into consideration... you know that when Bradley gushes about Lady Gaga/Stefani, and talks glowingly about how he "fell in love" with her face and eyes when he first met her, and how he was "levitating" when he first saw her sing "La Vie En Rose" at a cancer benefit, he doesn't mean anything romantic by it.  In fact, because he IS so private about his romantic life, IF he ever did have non-platonic feelings for Gaga, he certainly would not talk about it to journalists and entertainment reporters, and definitely not  talk about it when he was already involved with another woman!!

I would imagine that now, two days after the Oscars and the now-famous "Shallow" performance (which I personally LOVED), Bradley is probably horrified that he did something that created the exact effect that he didn't want to create -- which is to get people speculating and talking, analyzing his love life, and probably spreading rumors and making up nonsense.   In his mind, that performance was probably not as "hot" as it came across to the viewers.  He was nervous.  He probably just wanted to attempt to stay on key, not make a fool of himself, and then be done with it.

Now... all that said... do I think that Bradley and Gaga have developed a special bond and connection?  Absolutely.     A Star is Born -- the preparation for it, the filming of it, and the various award ceremonies, parties, film festivals, premieres and other events to celebrate it -- has taken up almost a full 3 years, from when Bradley saw Gaga sing at that benefit back in spring 2016 to the Oscars this year.    They have had a lot of time to get close, because they are constantly in each other's orbit.   And when they filmed the movie, they not only had to shoot intimate love scenes, but they had to be vulnerable with each other and trust each other.

So I think that Gaga and Bradley got very close, and I think they absolutely DO have chemistry both on and off screen, BUT I don't think anything romantic is going to happen between them.   I think that now that the whole A Star is Born ride has mostly come to an end, they will go back to their separate lives. because they won't be forced to see each other constantly anymore -- and life will just go on as usual.  

However, I will say that, no matter how gorgeous Irina is, I would not blame her at all if she were uncomfortable witnessing the connection between Gaga and Bradley, the way they look at each other in various settings, and hearing the glowing things they say about each other.    No matter what a woman looks like, if she sees her man really bonding with another woman, she is going to pay attention for a minute.    I don't blame Irina for wanting to sit between them at the Oscars (although I giggled and thought it was hilarious), and I don't for one second think that Irina and Gaga are pals.    I'm sure Irina is very relieved that the award shows are over now!!  (And Bradley is probably relieved that he doesn't have to sing "Shallow" -- in front of an audience -- ever again!)

[SuprSuprElevated]

7 hours ago, Thumper said:

What's with the capes?  I hate them.  They flop around and look so pretentious.  IMO.  Like anyone asked me.   😜😜

When the cape thing first emerged, maybe five years ago?, I sort of liked it, when it was mostly just a loose, cape-y sleeve with a structured shoulder, but imo, it's had its moment, time to move on.

7 hours ago, wonderwoman said:

according to matt zollar seitz at vulture:

"With a host eating up anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes of telecast time, would Spike Lee, co-winner for Best Original Screenplay for BlacKkKlansman, have been able to warn the producers, “Do not turn the motherfucking (my italics) clock on,” and then (seemingly) be permitted to give a heartfelt, informal-sounding, very Spike-ish speech putting his own family’s history within the context of four centuries of American discrimination?"

https://www.vulture.com/2019/02/2019-oscars-review.html#_ga=2.213911508.2104341480.1551237997-2082165475.1491450891

Yeah, good thing the viewers (of which I was not) were treated to that gem.

[Robert Lynch]

58 minutes ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

When the cape thing first emerged, maybe five years ago?, I sort of liked it, when it was mostly just a loose, cape-y sleeve with a structured shoulder, but imo, it's had its moment, time to move on.

Yeah, good thing the viewers (of which I was not) were treated to that gem.

I think it is more of a revival from the fashion show scene from Adrian's design in the 1939 movie called The Women. I think the fashion designers are trying to bring that style back with the capes and all.

Edited February 27, 2019 by Robert Lynch

[galaxygirl76]

9 hours ago, catrice2 said:

Don't know about the personal information, but I just have never thought Julia Roberts was a good actress. I don't think she deserved the Academy Award at all . I've always been baffled by her professional appeal, but she is not the only one I've thought that about.

Ellen Burnstyn acted circles around her in Requim for a Dream, which is a great but not 'fun' movie to watch if you know what I mean. The downward spiral of all characters through the movie is heart breaking to watch. 

[Dr.OO7]

A little bit of trivia.

There have been 91 Oscars for Best Director. 26 times, including Sunday night, that did not go hand in hand with a Best Picture win.

This link offers the complete list. There's an asterisk next to the film in question to indicate that it didn't win Best Picture as well.

https://www.filmsite.org/bestdirs2.html

I appreciate the Academy trying to spread the goods around, but it seems odd that a movie would become the best picture of the year without the best director helming it.

Edited February 27, 2019 by Camille