The Annual Academy Awards - General Discussion

[Izzy85]

21 minutes ago, Corgi-ears said:

That's Chanandler Bong to you!

“Actually, that’s Miss Chanandler Bong.” 😝 

[chitowngirl]

25 minutes ago, Corgi-ears said:

That's Chanandler Bong to you!

You win!!

[seasons]

17 minutes ago, BuckeyeLou said:

I think its a wig...her hair looks different every time I see her on TV

It confuses the authorities. 👮🚨🛂

[buttersister]

I almost didn't watch, thinking most of the awards were a lock--which the acting ones were, but after that? Yes, Parasite! 

When Joaquin brought up River, it was a searing look into what fuels him, imo. Renee seemed to have memorized her speech, then lost her way more than once.

 

Edited February 10, 2020 by buttersister

[Irlandesa]

21 minutes ago, MerBearHou said:

I haven’t seen Parasite.  What is so amazing about it?

The closest thing I can compare it to is Get Out.

1. It's funny. 
2. It's a thriller.
3. There's some social commentary.  Not political commentary but social commentary.
4. And there were even some interesting shots made by the director that felt reminiscent of some European films I've seen in that they're kind of humorous and quirky.

So that's why it was probably the favorite movie I've seen this year.  It nicely did double duty of being very entertaining and having something to say.

Will it change your life? Probably not but I don't know of many movies that actually will.

[Pickles Aplenty]

Count me as one of the few who thought Parasite was a decent movie, but not Best Picture material.  For some reason, I just couldn't get into it the way I could with some of the other movies.  But, I loved Marriage Story, so what do I know?

I liked the fact that Brad Pitt won, even though I thought Leo was superior, in that movie.  Joaquin's speech brought the crazy, so I wasn't disappointed, in that.  It's not really the Oscars if at least one person doesn't ramble about something batshit insane, during their acceptance speech.  I thought 1917 was a lock for Best Picture, but clearly, I was wrong.  I don't hold Scorsese's comments about superhero movies against him at all, because I am sick to death of them.  I'll sit in the asshole corner with you, Marty.

On a shallow note, I loved Gal Gadot's dress.  Very pretty.

[blackwing]

I’m thrilled that Parasite won Best Picture.  But apart from that... wow, what an extremely BORING show.  No surprises in the acting categories.  I was really hoping for Scarlett for Best Actress.  I thought she had no chance in either category but then a few days ago I saw this article saying she could make history by being the first double winner and I was thinking maybe the writer knows something I don’t know.  At least she looked stunningly beautiful.  Alas, it was the predictable Renee Squinty McSquint Zellwegger.   Who sounded like a rambling drunk as usual.  
 

The Oscars need a host.  They really do.  They need a comedian who can be funny and keep the show moving. Tiffany Haddish!!!

When the most exciting thing about the show is watching a drunk Diane Keaton embarrassing herself onstage, it doesn’t make for an entertaining show.  “Bong Joon!  Are you Bong Joon?  Are you Bong Joon???”   I laughed, but I was cringing for her.  She needs to take notes from Jane Fonda.  Now she was a classy and different choice to announce Best Picture.  I’m so tired of seeing it done by Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts or Harrison Ford.

[MVFrostsMyPie]

That moment you realize Billie Eilish was probably not even potty trained when "Lose Yourself" won an Oscar.

[Pickles Aplenty]

5 minutes ago, blackwing said:

The Oscars need a host.  They really do.  They need a comedian who can be funny and keep the show moving. Tiffany Haddish!!!

I disagree.  I think they work just fine, without a host.  But, if it has to happen again, I wouldn't mind seeing Steve Martin and Chris Rock, tag team it.  They were funny.

[Bruinsfan]

Overall I enjoyed the show, and my big takeaway is I need to see Parasite and avoid Marriage Story like the plague.

I pre-emptively muted my TV during Eminem's performance and Joaquin Phoenix's acceptance speech. No regrets.

Unlike most I liked Billie Eilish's singing (and I am NOT a fan of hers), but agree that a somber instrumental would be more appropriate for the In Memoriam segment.

Deakins winning the Cinematography award was my if-someone-else-wins-I-riot category, so that made me happy. I didn't think the best song won, but can't really begrudge Bernie Taupin being honored.

1 hour ago, thuganomics85 said:

I do want to see Pain & Glory though.  Antonino Banderas seems to be doing a good job there.

Oh, do, it's fantastic.

55 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

What the makeup people did to Renee's eyes to look like Judy Garland was scary and creepy.

I've been assuming they used the same equipment they used on Malcolm McDowell's character in A Clockwork Orange and then digitally erased the eyelid retractors from the finished film.

[FilmTVGeek80]

I'll be in the party of one of having liked Joaquin's speech. I don't care how long it was. There have been ones that were as long or much longer. I don't remember quite how long her speech was, but I think Olivia Coleman's speech last year was pretty long. I know it was funny and charming, but either you have a problem with speech length or you don't. This is a major accolade for these people - and I know they technically have an allotted time to give a speech - so I don't mind if they get out what they need to say, especially not if it's just some grocery list of names. If you've watched many awards shows you have to know that major actors are going to be given a lot more leeway for speech length than ordinary or less famous folk. 

I liked that he had something he wanted to say and him talking about having this privilege and the platform to say it. I also liked the more personal touches like when he talked about being difficult to work with and how grateful he is to people who have given him second chances and how important redemption is. And then the quote from River - just a rip out my heart moment. I almost started crying right at the beginning when they showed Keanu in the audience and I know he must have been thinking of River. I wonder if he and Joaquin have kept in touch at all after working on Parenthood.

Edited February 10, 2020 by FilmTVGeek80

[mightysparrow]

I thought the 'In Memory' was very shabbily handled.  This is the first time I've heard Billie Eilish sing and it will most definitely be the last.  They had serious singers sitting in the audience who could have walked up the steps and done a better job.  And I'm very disappointed that they didn't do more for Kirk Douglas.  He was one of the last of Hollywood's 'Golden Age'.  He deserved better.

[FilmTVGeek80]

21 minutes ago, Bruinsfan said:

Overall I enjoyed the show, and my big takeaway is I need to see Parasite and avoid Marriage Story like the plague.

I saw Marriage Story today and it's, IMO, not as depressing as people are making it seem.

Edited February 10, 2020 by FilmTVGeek80

[Pickles Aplenty]

Just now, FilmTVGeek80 said:

I saw <i>Marriage Story</i> today and it's, IMO, not as depressing as people are making it seem.

I didn't find it depressing, at all.  I thought it was a very hopeful movie about the way families change, after divorce.  And Adam Driver is excellent, as always.  Highly recommend.

[slowpoked]

16 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

4. And there were even some interesting shots made by the director that felt reminiscent of some European films I've seen in that they're kind of humorous and quirky.

Funny you say that, because the first time I saw it, it reminded me of Hitchcock films. I was a fan of Hitchcock, and I saw a lot of callbacks. Bong also alluded to Hitchcock in his use of stairs and windows. Heck, there was even an actual Hitchcok easter egg in the movie.

[FoundTime]

16 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

The closest thing I can compare it to is Get Out.

1. It's funny. 
2. It's a thriller.
3. There's some social commentary.  Not political commentary but social commentary.
4. And there were even some interesting shots made by the director that felt reminiscent of some European films I've seen in that they're kind of humorous and quirky.

So that's why it was probably the favorite movie I've seen this year.  It nicely did double duty of being very entertaining and having something to say.

Will it change your life? Probably not but I don't know of many movies that actually will.

Or Us -- the existence and polarization of completely separate strata of society (there's arguably a triple interpretation that can be made of the title, in the dependence each of the three family units have on the others) and coming to a reckoning with the consequences of that. I know this makes it sound kinda heavy but it is phenomenally entertaining -- funny, suspenseful, masterful production design, and there's a reason it was nominated for editing too.

[FoundTime]

13 minutes ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

 And then the quote from River - just a rip out my heart moment. I almost started crying right at the beginning when they showed Keanu in the audience and I know he must have been thinking of River. 

I thought of that too 😢

[rmontro]

One question:  What do people have against the song Yesterday?  There were a bunch of complaints about it several pages back.  

I'm glad Joaquin Phoenix won Best Actor, but I never want to hear another one of his speeches again.  He seemed to think he had an obligation to use that stage as a platform, but I really don't think it's the most appropriate place to spout your political beliefs.

[FoundTime]

11 minutes ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

I saw <i>Marriage Story</i> today and it's, IMO, not as depressing as people are making it seem.

Agree. It's an emotional film, but heck, Merritt Wever's in it, and Julie Hagerty, which is by way of saying it's got a great cast. It's not unreasonable that the clips are going to feature the more intense scenes, but I think it's got an effective story arc and Adam Driver's scene at the end that calls back to the film's opening will break your heart in two. I think if this hadn't been Joaquin's year, he would have had a shot at Best Actor.

[FilmTVGeek80]

31 minutes ago, superdeluxe said:

Everybody is acting like this movie is life-changing.  Come on.  It’s got to be just hype.

I saw this movie right before the Oscars. I enjoyed it. I've seen all the BP nominees except Ford V Ferrari and I would put Parasite in my top 5. I liked it enough that I'll probably own it eventually and I'll probably try to get my husband to watch it tomorrow, but, yeah, I really don't get the overhype for it. The main thing I heard before I watched it was that the ending would stay with you for a long time and it was a good ending, but I was more moved by the ending of Jojo Rabbit. 

What I don't get is the rabid industry wide love for it. I hadn't seen it at the time of the thunderous standing ovation at the SAG awards and assumed based on the reaction these were some epic performances and the most original movie ever and it's just not. And I started to suspect tonight that it could upset because when they presented the package for original screenplay there was thunderous applause for the movie and a tepid response for 1917. Once Boon-Joon Ho won, I assumed it was in the bag. What is it about the movie that everyone in the industry was so hugely passionate about. There wasn't even this kind of response to Roma and the director of that movie has worked on Hollywood films before.

[childeroland]

The best movie actually won. Nice when that happens. 😃

[FilmTVGeek80]

2 minutes ago, rmontro said:

He seemed to think he had an obligation to use that stage as a platform, but I really don't think it's the most appropriate place to spout your political beliefs.

Why not? It's his win and it's his time to say what matters to him. If that's political, so be it.

[moonorchid]

I just didn’t want “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” to win. It’s a good movie and I enjoyed it but imo it’s very overrated. I thought it would just cause of the nostalgia factor. 
 

“Parasite” I love because it’s a movie with a point to it, everything that happens and everything said has a point to it and it’s point was poignant and thought provoking. I wanted it to win cause I felt there was a lot of care and thought went into it as opposed to a lot of wanking off to its own greatness or just a rehashing of a genre. 
 

The Oscars are still too white and male but this win means something amazing! I’m so happy for all involved. 

[scarynikki12]

13 minutes ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

I'll be in the party of one of having liked Joaquin's speech.

I liked it once he quoted River and I realized a part of him was focusing on that while he was saying the rest. He gave good speeches at SAG and BAFTA so we know he has it in him but he also didn't honor River then. I think he knew he was going to win and prepared his remarks but also knew he wanted to honor his big brother which made the whole thing different. So, instead of having all his focus on using his position to say something important, it was split between that and not forgetting to quote River. And if he'd forgotten to honor River, or screwed up the quote, that would have broken his heart so there was also more anxiety involved than usual.

[TVFan17]

3 minutes ago, rmontro said:

One question:  What do people have against the song Yesterday?  There were a bunch of complaints about it several pages back.  

I'm glad Joaquin Phoenix won Best Actor, but I never want to hear another one of his speeches again.  He seemed to think he had an obligation to use that stage as a platform, but I really don't think it's the most appropriate place to spout your political beliefs.

Personally, I love "Yesterday."  I can't speak for anyone else.  But I thought that it was not a good song choice for Billie Eilish.  She did not do a good job with it, in my opinion.  A different singer might have handled that song much better.  Likewise, if Billie had sung a different song she might have done a better job. 

[FoundTime]

3 minutes ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

 There wasn't even this kind of response to Roma and the director of that movie has worked on Hollywood films before.

I think Roma's real obstacle last year was its association with Netflix, about which the Academy is still putting its fingers in its ears "lalalalalala I can't hear you" over.

[slowpoked]

On another note, I think it's funny that people think Scorsese got punished for his Marvel comments with The Irishman going empty-handed, but Bong Joon Ho similarly shaded the actual awards organization itself - "The Oscars is very local" -  and yet everyone went gaga for him. 

12 minutes ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

There wasn't even this kind of response to Roma and the director of that movie has worked on Hollywood films before.

Um, Bong has also worked on Hollywood films before - Snowpiercer and Okja. The latter being produced by Brad Pitt.

Edited February 10, 2020 by slowpoked

[Fukui San]

I love Parasite and it resonates with my sensibility a lot, but I'm honestly surprised it won. I thought it'd be too niche. When has black comedy ever won at the Oscars?

The cynical part in me thinks that Parasite was a movie in which the establishment gets to say "Yes, we are concerned about class and inequality!" but not examine themselves since they're all Asian people. 

In the inevitable American remake of Parasite, I'd have the Kims be all actors of color and the Parks be white actors who have had particular episodes where they've clashed against diversity in casting in Hollywood. Say Matt Damon and Scarlett Johannsen as the oblivious rich couple.

 

[paramitch]

Thanks for the great commentary, everyone! It was fun to follow along.

1 hour ago, thuganomics85 said:

With respect to Adam Driver's talents, all those clips just made me think "Yeah, that's how Kylo Ren would probably act if he was getting divorced."

I felt his Best Actor clips were really unfair in a way, because he plays a pretty sweet guy in the film, who only loses it once near the very end (and even then, the scene ends on a kind and sweet note for both characters). It's not at all a "shouty" or downer movie.

1 hour ago, thuganomics85 said:

Come now, Joaquin.  The Academy giving awards to actors who are dicks isn't that far-fetched.  Hell, Casey Affleck won one right after he was sued for sexual harassment.

Ironically, Joaquin was also reported by several to have been equally involved in harassing the two women on that very same movie with Affleck (among others on the set) as well.

1 hour ago, bmoore4026 said:

That's nice for Renee but I was hoping for Scarlet.  Has anyone seen Judy?  How was it?

I thought Renee's performance looked amazing in the trailers, but I kind of hated it in the actual movie. She just spends every single scene doing 25 things at once -- twitching, shivering, yelling/crying/singing, etc. It's a very showy, over the top performance. I was hoping for Scarlett too.

1 hour ago, wallflower75 said:

I really like that dress.  And I have absolutely no interest in watching "Judy."

I was hugely disappointed. I thought it was pretty terrible. 

1 hour ago, mojoween said:

Philip Seymour Hoffman did for Capote.  Still makes me mad because Joaquin was so much better IMO than Reese.

I can't be upset that Hoffman won -- I thought his work in Capote is, to this day, one of the best and most subtle, nuanced, and uncanny performances I've ever seen.

1 hour ago, MVFrostsMyPie said:

Seriously, Marriage Story looks as torturous as Joaquin and Renee's speeches.

It really isn't. It's a truly gentle, often very funny film. There are some dramatic scenes, but the movie is really more about the fact that the two people involved are good people who did (and do) care about each other.

1 hour ago, tennisgurl said:

No cows were harmed in the making of this broadcast. 

LOL! In all seriousness, I have friends who are very very socially active about the dairy industry because the factory-farming aspect of it is truly disturbing and upsetting once you learn about how it works, and how many of the animals are treated. So I appreciate that he spoke up, I just think he was starting a nice big speech about all of us being more active, and then tossing in the cow thing just made him seem unbalanced. It sort of derailed whatever he was going for.

42 minutes ago, mightysparrow said:

I thought the 'In Memory' was very shabbily handled.  This is the first time I've heard Billie Eilish sing and it will most definitely be the last.  They had serious singers sitting in the audience who could have walked up the steps and done a better job.  And I'm very disappointed that they didn't do more for Kirk Douglas.  He was one of the last of Hollywood's 'Golden Age'.  He deserved better.

I like a lot of Billie Eilish's music, but I find her almost unwatchable because she's doing all these weird things like waving the microphone back and forth and singing from her throat, etc. It all feels very artificial, and especially so here.

I thought they handled Kirk Douglas's passing pretty well -- I agree that he was one of the last greats, but his reputation was also pretty controversial when it came to his treatment of women.

40 minutes ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

I saw Marriage Story today and it's, IMO, not as depressing as people are making it seem.

For me, Marriage Story was the best movie of the year (for me Parasite was a solid second).

38 minutes ago, Billina said:

I didn't find it depressing, at all.  I thought it was a very hopeful movie about the way families change, after divorce.  And Adam Driver is excellent, as always.  Highly recommend.

This! Finally, I'm not alone! (Sorry, this has not been a Marriage Story-friendly zone for most of the night...)

26 minutes ago, FoundTime said:

Agree. It's an emotional film, but heck, Merritt Wever's in it, and Julie Hagerty, which is by way of saying it's got a great cast. It's not unreasonable that the clips are going to feature the more intense scenes, but I think it's got an effective story arc and Adam Driver's scene at the end that calls back to the film's opening will break your heart in two. I think if this hadn't been Joaquin's year, he would have had a shot at Best Actor.

Wever and Hagerty are terrific in it (especially Wever, who can do no wrong for me). And agreed on Driver -- I was truly sorry that his delicate, sensitive work was overshadowed by Phoenix, who I thought was too hammy and over the top (the entire performance just screamed "GIVE ME AN OSCAR." Literally.). Whereas the final 10 minutes of Marriage Story make me tear up just thinking about them, and Driver's journey in those scenes is gorgeously played.

23 minutes ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

Why not? It's his win and it's his time to say what matters to him. If that's political, so be it.

Yeah, his speech was kooky, but I respect people taking that once-in-a-lifetime platform and saying something substantial. I get that Phoenix tried, he just wasn't able to keep it together. Whereas someone like Patricia Arquette or Michelle Williams have done so really powerfully, in ways that actually helped to change the industry for the better.

Edited February 10, 2020 by paramitch
missing word

[iwasish]

23 minutes ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

Why not? It's his win and it's his time to say what matters to him. If that's political, so be it.

But cow insemination?

[slowpoked]

This is a nice show of support from Lulu Wang, the director of The Farewell:

 

[FilmTVGeek80]

15 minutes ago, slowpoked said:

Um, Bong has also worked on Hollywood films before - Snowpiercer and Okja. The latter being produced by Brad Pitt.

Sorry, all I've heard about Ho is he's worked on foreign language films. Never heard of Okja (Brad Pitt produced or not) and Snowpiercer - despite having Chris Evans - isn't the type of big Hollywood movie I was thinking of when I said he didn't work on Hollywood movies. What I meant was the type of big movies that Alfonso Cuarón directed like Gravity and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

[FilmTVGeek80]

7 minutes ago, iwasish said:

But cow insemination?

Well, again, his moment so he can say what he likes. I get that it's funny to joke about, but it was one part of his speech. The whole thing wasn't about cow insemination.

[Pickles Aplenty]

7 minutes ago, paramitch said:

I thought Renee's performance looked amazing in the trailers, but I kind of hated it in the actual movie. She just spends every single scene doing 25 things at once -- twitching, shivering, yelling/crying/singing, etc. It's a very showy, over the top performance. I was hoping for Scarlett too.

I hated the movie, too.  I think Zellweger is an amazing actress, but this performance was not her best, IMO.  I was also hoping for a ScarJo win, but I wouldn't have been disappointed if Saoirse Ronan took it home, even though I didn't think Little Women was that impressive.  Really, anyone but RZ would have been fine.

The big takeaway from all this is that I really need to see JoJo Rabbit.  It looks like my kind of movie, and I love Taika Waititi.

[shoregirl]

Its nice to see that the Academy has finally seemed to get over a foreign language film winning best picture. It should have happened before this because Roma should have won last year and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon should have beat Gladiator. 

I'm glad there were some surprises because the acting categories were forgone conclusions for like the last month.

By the way Kitbull  a best animated short nominee is streaming on Disney+ . it was good ,not as good as HairLove in my opinion so I'm glad that won, but still very good.

[superdeluxe]

42 minutes ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

I saw this movie right before the Oscars. I enjoyed it. I've seen all the BP nominees except Ford V Ferrari and I would put Parasite in my top 5. I liked it enough that I'll probably own it eventually and I'll probably try to get my husband to watch it tomorrow, but, yeah, I really don't get the overhype for it. The main thing I heard before I watched it was that the ending would stay with you for a long time and it was a good ending, but I was more moved by the ending of Jojo Rabbit. 

What I don't get is the rabid industry wide love for it. I hadn't seen it at the time of the thunderous standing ovation at the SAG awards and assumed based on the reaction these were some epic performances and the most original movie ever and it's just not. And I started to suspect tonight that it could upset because when they presented the package for original screenplay there was thunderous applause for the movie and a tepid response for 1917. Once Boon-Joon Ho won, I assumed it was in the bag. What is it about the movie that everyone in the industry was so hugely passionate about. There wasn't even this kind of response to Roma and the director of that movie has worked on Hollywood films before.

That’s what I don’t understand, either.  I haven’t seen it and probably never will, but the rabid love and championing of it is what I don’t get.

[FoundTime]

Wesley Morris in the NYT live chat captured part of what makes Parasite unique: It's "unlike any of the others (nominees). In this or any other year," and "it's a movie that almost everybody who's seen has adored."

[slowpoked]

10 minutes ago, superdeluxe said:

That’s what I don’t understand, either.  I haven’t seen it and probably never will, but the rabid love and championing of it is what I don’t get.

I think you just addressed your own concern - there’s no way you will understand the reactions on a movie you haven’t seen, and will never see.

[SHD]

I almost feel like Joaquin could've said just the lyric quote from his brother and had as much or more of an impact. 

[FoundTime]

26 minutes ago, Billina said:

The big takeaway from all this is that I really need to see JoJo Rabbit.  It looks like my kind of movie, and I love Taika Waititi.

JoJo is probably my second favorite of the nominees. It's silly at some points and serious at others and the performances are lovely.

[Ms Blue Jay]

His name is Bong Joon-ho, not "Boon Joon Ho".

[FilmTVGeek80]

18 minutes ago, FoundTime said:

Wesley Morris in the NYT live chat captured part of what makes Parasite unique: It's "unlike any of the others (nominees). In this or any other year," and "it's a movie that almost everybody who's seen has adored."

Is it though? One of the main criticisms I've seen of Joker and a lot of the other nominees was these were just more movies about white male rage and I guess with Parasite you take the white part out of the equation but - I don't want to give too much away here - but male rage plays a big part in it.

14 minutes ago, slowpoked said:

I think you just addressed your own concern - there’s no way you will understand the reactions on a movie you haven’t seen, and will never see.

She was quoting me. I've seen the movie and I have the same question about the over-the-top adoration.

[ProudMary]

4 hours ago, Ohwell said:

I'm watching this commercial for a show about Aretha Franklin and Cynthia Erivo is playing her.  I thought Aretha wanted Jennifer Hudson to play her.

And why is a British woman playing two iconic American women, in particular Harriet Tubman?  I can't believe they couldn't find black American actresses for those roles.

There are actually two upcoming properties celebrating the life and career of Aretha Franklin. Cynthia Erivo is playing Aretha in the Nat Geo TV series Genius.  Jennifer Hudson will be playing Aretha in the film, Respect set to be released late this summer.

2 hours ago, wallflower75 said:

Lost to Phillip Seymour Hoffman that year.

And the Academy made the correct choice, IMO. Also worthy that year was Heath Ledger, who was nominated for Brokeback Mountain.

1 hour ago, FoundTime said:

I think Roma's real obstacle last year was its association with Netflix, about which the Academy is still putting its fingers in its ears "lalalalalala I can't hear you" over.

Seriously. The Irishman was shutout; The Two Popes was shutout and Laura Dern's was the only win for Marriage Story. It seems the Academy is not budging on its anti-Netflix stance.  (Edited to add: They did award Best Documentary to American Factory, also a Netflix film.)

I actually thought Marriage Story was a very good film. Adam Driver was excellent.  

I have not yet seen Parasite but I'm thrilled to see that after 92 years the Academy finally realized that an internationally made film in a language other than English can actually be the best picture of the year. It's a big step in the right direction.

Laura Dern is actually not a second generation Oscar winner. Each of her parents had multiple nominations but never won an Oscar.  Bruce Dern has 2 nominations; Diane Ladd has 3.
In addtion to the other multiple generation Oscar winners already named upthread, there's also Liza Minnelli and her father, director Vincente Minnelli.

Edited February 10, 2020 by ProudMary
Spelling error.

[Irritable]

I can’t wait to feel like a monster every morning when I put milk in my coffee, for the rest of my life!
 

I actually didn’t mind Joaquin’s speech,  other than feeling called out for my ignorance about the horrors of dairy farms. I thought it was beautifully worded, concisely delivered, that the overall message was ultimately a mostly positive one, I didn’t disagree with any of it, and it didn’t give me that awkward oh-no-is-this-drunken-rambling? secondhand embarrassment that others in the same position previously have.  Despite his efforts, I’m still going to consume dairy products because that’s just who I am as a person, but I heard him.

It’s possible that I was more accepting and patient of his speech because I’m a HEEEEYUUUUGE fan of his performance as The Joker. I thought he was perfection in that role, and that the story was an exceptional take on mental illness and the crisis of insufficient health care for it. I thought all of it was brilliant, including the soundtrack, so I was happy the composer won that category. Bummed the director didn’t win, to me he really deserved it.

[superdeluxe]

33 minutes ago, slowpoked said:

I think you just addressed your own concern - there’s no way you will understand the reactions on a movie you haven’t seen, and will never see.

Yeah, I haven’t seen it and probably never will.  But like I said earlier in this thread, I read up on it.  I read the synopsis twice and I was like, “People are losing their minds over this?”  Based on that and what happened tonight with the loud reaction, I don’t get it.  The over-the-top adoration is confusing.

[Irlandesa]

I think what movie resonates the most is so individual.  For every movie that is raved about, there will be people for whom it felt just okay. I've been that person. 

I think a lot of the passion for  Parasite comes from the fact that it's the little movie that could.  A Korean-language international film is going to be an underdog film outside of the international film category.  It's also not a movie that was probably at the top of Hollywood's mind until it came out and did better than expected at the box office.

So the excitement comes from feeling the movie is well-crafted and entertaining as well as it being such an unlikely winner.

 

 

Edited February 10, 2020 by Irlandesa

[Scout Finch]

8 hours ago, FoundTime said:

Wesley Morris in the NYT live chat captured part of what makes Parasite unique: It's "unlike any of the others (nominees). In this or any other year," and "it's a movie that almost everybody who's seen has adored."

I'm in the minority because I could not understand the hype. I had really been looking forward to seeing it because of how good everyone was saying it was and watched it right after it was for rent on Amazon Prime Video. While I never had any idea what would happen next and normally enjoy the ride when that happens, in this one I didn't care for the big plot twists and thought the

Spoiler

gory ending was horrible.

The "unlike any of the others" could also be said about Jojo Rabbit, which I think is my favorite out of the six Best Picture nominees that I saw.

Edited February 10, 2020 by Scout Finch

[mojoween]

5 hours ago, MVFrostsMyPie said:

That moment you realize Billie Eilish was probably not even potty trained when "Lose Yourself" won an Oscar.

Given Billie’s knowledge of music history, her reaction to Eminem’s performance could be because she had no idea who that old man was.

[GreekGeek]

5 hours ago, rmontro said:

One question:  What do people have against the song Yesterday?  There were a bunch of complaints about it several pages back.  

Nothing against the song as a song; it's beautiful. It just felt like the wrong choice for a memorial montage. 

[LennieBriscoe]

23 hours ago, mightysparrow said:

I thought the 'In Memory' was very shabbily handled.  This is the first time I've heard Billie Eilish sing and it will most definitely be the last.  They had serious singers sitting in the audience who could have walked up the steps and done a better job.  And I'm very disappointed that they didn't do more for Kirk Douglas.  He was one of the last of Hollywood's 'Golden Age'.  He deserved better.

Kirk Douglas deserved an entire segment. I just bought one of his best, IMO, but most likely forgotten films: "Strangers When We Meet," a realistic look at the faux glamor of an adulterous affair in suburbia. And he was not only Spartacus; he was Van Gogh!

Billie Eilish is music's darling, having just won five Grammys including for "Best New Artist."

My candidate for show host, if we are considering comedians, is John Mullaney. 

Re: political remarks by actors ("And the Oscar for 'Most Cogent Political Comments in an Acceptance Speech' goes to...."). Why the heck not?  Billionaire businessmen get to own radio stations, newspapers, and television networks to put across their political beliefs.

Just because a person is an elected official doesn't mean he or she is among the only people who can speak to the issues of the day. Creative people are always the first destroyed by tyrants, because art is dangerous to power. So I welcome their use of the bully pulpit of the microphone to go beyond the superficial. 

It is why tonight, protester extraordinaire Jane Fonda literally had the last word.

Edited February 11, 2020 by LennieBriscoe