The Annual Academy Awards - General Discussion

[MicheleinPhilly]

According to a headline on Primetimer's homepage, the Academy is talking to Pete Davidson as a possible host. In which case, it would be the first time in about 25 years that I have voluntarily skipped the Oscars. 🤮

[Milburn Stone]

1 hour ago, MicheleinPhilly said:

According to a headline on Primetimer's homepage, the Academy is talking to Pete Davidson as a possible host. In which case, it would be the first time in about 25 years that I have voluntarily skipped the Oscars. 🤮

I have my misgivings, but I would watch just to see if he was up to it.

(I should qualify that by saying I love his bits on Weekend Update.)

I hope Jonah Hill gets a Best Supporting Actor nom for Don't Look Up. He was hilariously brilliant as the utterly despicable presidential Chief of Staff. I don't know how much acting was involved, though. (Cheap shot.)

[blackwing]

Pete Davidson?  No thanks.  I think he is more known/memorable for his "butthole eyes" and who he is dating than any performance he has ever done on SNL.

I think the Academy should seriously consider Tiffany Haddish.  She is hilarious and fresh.  I can already envision her coming on stage for the opening in her famous $4,500 Alexander McQueen dress.

[WritinMan]

8 hours ago, MicheleinPhilly said:

According to a headline on Primetimer's homepage, the Academy is talking to Pete Davidson as a possible host. In which case, it would be the first time in about 25 years that I have voluntarily skipped the Oscars. 🤮

Well that would suck.

[Bruinsfan]

I'd rather have Rob Lowe and Snow White back than let Pete Davidson host.

[Spartan Girl]

Why can’t we have Steve Martin and Martin Short? Or Billy Crystal? Hell, give Anne Hathaway another shot, she deserves a do-over now that James Franco is persona non grata!

[Crashcourse]

I like Pete Davidson, although I wouldn't mind Steve Martin, Martin Short or Billy Crystal hosting either.  We could use some good comedy.

But please, I'm begging 🙏, no Tiffany Haddish.  I do not think she is funny.

[NUguy514]

I don't know why the producers even want a host; I've enjoyed the last several shows without a host so much more.

[MicheleinPhilly]

16 minutes ago, NUguy514 said:

I don't know why the producers even want a host; I've enjoyed the last several shows without a host so much more.

I feel like they think a particular host will bring more eyeballs to the broadcast which is so silly. Every year I feel like they bend over backwards trying to appeal to people that wouldn't watch the Oscars no matter who is hosting or what films are nominated. I wish they would just focus on producing a good show that appeals to hardcore Oscar fans. 

I'm waiting for them to announce that a group of Tik-Tokers will be hosting. 🙄

[Vermicious Knid]

Tiffany Haddish just got arrested for DUI, so probably not. Vulture is campaigning for Matt Berry.

[Sarah 103]

On 1/14/2022 at 2:05 PM, Spartan Girl said:

Why can’t we have Steve Martin and Martin Short? Or Billy Crystal? Hell, give Anne Hathaway another shot, she deserves a do-over now that James Franco is persona non grata!

Anne Hathaway and Billy Crystal co-hosting would be fantastic. I think the Oscars is totally fine without a host and doesn't need one to work well. 

[Irlandesa]

I think Pete Davidson would come off a bit like James Franco as a host except I do believe Pete would be trying.  It's just that his live brand of comedy seems to be slacker/lazy which I do not think is a good mix for a host.  The taped pieces would probably be good, though.

Another possibility I've seen thrown around, and I'm not sure how reliable it is, is a trio of Steve Martin, Selena Gomez and Martin Short. That intrigues me as Martin/Short have the old school vibe and Selena might appeal to a younger demo.

[Marley]

Pete Davidson? Lmao what a joke. Pete is somehow tricking the whole world that he’s hilarious and hot shit. He would be the worst. The Oscars suck usually but Pete being the host would make it even worse somehow. 

[Milburn Stone]

13 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Pete Davidson...his live brand of comedy seems to be slacker/lazy...

The reason I'm not sure about that is that I recently saw a YouTube mashup of PD moments from various Comedy Central Roasts, and he was take-no-prisoners awesome. If he brought that same savage mercilessness to the Oscars crowd, it would be the best Oscars ever.

Edited January 19, 2022 by Milburn Stone

[blackwing]

On 1/19/2022 at 11:08 AM, Milburn Stone said:

The reason I'm not sure about that is that I recently saw a YouTube mashup of PD moments from various Comedy Central Roasts, and he was take-no-prisoners awesome. If he brought that same savage mercilessness to the Oscars crowd, it would be the best Oscars ever.

Isn't that "savage mercilessness" kind of humour the same kind that Chris Rock brought?  And he was skewered by the media and not received well at all.

I don't really need this kind of "inside man being merciless on Hollywood" kind of humour.  But I also don't want the pontificating presenters and speeches of last year.  I just want an entertaining show that makes me laugh.  Someone like Seth MacFarlane.  Media didn't like him but I still think "We Saw Your Boobs" is one of the more memorable and hilarious segments from recent Oscar shows.

[Avabelle]

Agree I just want a host who’ll entertain with either some musical theatre numbers or some light hearted skits. I really miss that in recent years. A host centres the ceremony. 

[Milburn Stone]

On 1/31/2022 at 1:21 PM, blackwing said:

Someone like Seth MacFarlane.  Media didn't like him but I still think "We Saw Your Boobs" is one of the more memorable and hilarious segments from recent Oscar shows.

Agree. The media called it sexist, but missed the point. The point was to skewer Hollywood for requiring actresses to appear nude on the thinnest of pretexts--"because the script demanded it," or some such nonsense--and to point out that actresses will sometimes agree to same to further their careers, again playing the "it was dramatically necessary" card to justify it.

Edited February 1, 2022 by Milburn Stone

[BetterButter]

Here are the nominees for the 2022 Oscars

[Spartan Girl]

FFS Being the Ricardos shouldn’t have gotten that many.

And I’m annoyed that West Side Story didn’t get Best Adapted Screenplay or Best Actress for Rachel or Best Supporting Actor for Mike Faist.

[GHScorpiosRule]

20 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

FFS Being the Ricardos shouldn’t have gotten that many.

It's Aaron Sorkin. 'nuff said.

And it's BULLSHIT.

[mojoween]

Wow.  WOW.  I’m fully aware that taste is subjective, but I really cannot articulate how much I hated “The Power of the Dog.”  It negatively resonated with me compared to all the glowing reviews seemingly everywhere.  The movie had no POINT (IMO and all that jazz).

[truthaboutluv]

The first few comments are exactly why I stopped being too bothered by Award shows years ago and whether my favorites won or not.  Because yes, it's cliché but true, that art really is subjective. Case in point, I loved Being the Ricardos and am perfectly happy for all their nominations. Surprised but not, about J.K. getting in. 

Surprised because he wasn't on many predictors' lists and hasn't shown up much at the precursors. However, one, the Academy loves J.K. Simmons and two, when I watched the film, I thought he gave a strong enough performance to sneak in a Supporting Actor nomination. 

On the flipside, I cared not a lick about West Side Story and rolled my eyes at the Best Picture and Best Director nominations. I've just never been a fan of classic remakes unless the remake truly adds something unique and amazing. And I don't feel like West Side Story did. It's also why I didn't give a crap about the last millionth version of Little Women and didn't care about the outrage over Greta Gerwig's supposed deserving Best Director nomination. 

The Power of the Dog was not a fun movie to watch. In fact, it was one of the most torturous and at times uncomfortable two hours of my life. That said, the performances were all outstanding and every single one of those actors deserve their nominations, IMO. As well as Jane Campion's deserving her Best Director nomination. 

Edited February 8, 2022 by truthaboutluv

[blackwing]

"The Power of the Dog" will win Best Picture and Jane Campion will win Best Director.  I agree that it was just boring.  

I'm disappointed at how the support for "Belfast" has faded, at one point I thought there was a decent chance it could win a lot of awards.  Its best chance now is in Original Screenplay  as a consolation award for Kenneth Branagh, and even then he will probably lose to "Licorice Pizza".

Jamie Dornan was looking strong at one point, but support for him fizzled.  I am utterly shocked that Caitriona Balfe was snubbed, she was considered a near-lock.  Pleasantly surprised at the nomination for Judi Dench considering she was the only one of the four adult actors that wasn't being mentioned much at all.

Surprised to see Kristen Stewart nominated, considering people had all but written her off after she got snubbed for both SAG and BAFTA.  I still think her performance was a cartoon, I couldn't stand the way she spoke.  I guess she got a nomination for portraying manic.

[truthaboutluv]

21 minutes ago, blackwing said:

Surprised to see Kristen Stewart nominated, considering people had all but written her off after she got snubbed for both SAG and BAFTA. 

Despite the snubs (and really, since BAFTA changed their voting process and panel, their nominations don't mean much anymore as an indicator for Oscars), I still had a gut feeling she'd get in. Do I think it's laughable that Kristen Stewart is an Academy Award nominee, seeing as I have and will always maintain, girlfriend can't act for shit - sure. But whatever. The writing was on the wall months ago. 

Edited February 8, 2022 by truthaboutluv

[Dr.OO7]

I'm disappointed Jennifer Hudson wasn't nominated for "Respect", even she was a wild card anyway.

But having recently watched "The Eyes Of Tammy Faye", I'm happy for Jessica Chastain, who I hope will be an upset victory.

I'm also glad for "No Time To Die"'s nominations--Song (which it's a lock for), Visual Effects, and Sound, but really surprised and disappointed at what it wasn't nominated for--Cinematography, Editing, and Score, considering the magnificent work Hans Zimmer did.

[TakomaSnark]

2 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

It's Aaron Sorkin. 'nuff said.

And it's BULLSHIT.

Being The Ricardos, the film that asked the question: What if J. Edgar Hoover wasn't such a bad guy after all?

🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

[sugarbaker design]

I'm happy for Jessie Buckley, Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz.  They were all so good.

I'm delirious that Lady Gaga and Jared Leto did NOT get nominated.

Not happy that Jessica Chastain got nominated.  She was playing one-note sheer befuddlement from start to finish.

I was pulling for Mike Faist, alas.

[Crs97]

How could they skip tick tick boom and Lin-Manuel?  That movie is a thing of beauty.

I will accept Andrew Garfield or Benedict Cumberbatch as Oscar winner, which of course means Will Smith will get it.

Kenneth Branagh better walk away with an Oscar this year.

[ShadowHunter]

Some surprises but also not surprises at the same time. I don't care for Kristen Stewart so her nomination is ehh for me. Nightmare Alley got a best picture nomination okay lol. 

I know many who still of Jamie Dornan as the guy from Fifty Shades so maybe if he gets a few more good roles he will one day got the nomination.

The acting in the Power of the Dog was good but the movie was not. Jesse Plemons was a stunner though. He felt like he just blened it. Thrilled for Kirsten Dunst I have loved her since Interview with the Vampire. 

House of Gucci not crossing the finish was expected the tone of the movie was all over and it should have been a limited series not a movie. The Last Duel had a better chance but they released in October against Michael Myers you had no chance lol. Had the movie gone to streaming right away I think Jodie Comer might have faired better. 

 

[WritinMan]

Nightmare Alley for Best Picture? Ooooooookaaaaaaay....

[kittykat]

I haven't seen Nightmare Alley it's the Don't Look Up Nom that has me rolling my eyes.  I mean, I get what they were doing but I can't stand films that spend the whole time telling us how clever they are and Don't Look Up is THAT film.

32 minutes ago, ShadowHunter said:

Some surprises but also not surprises at the same time. I don't care for Kristen Stewart so her nomination is ehh for me. Nightmare Alley got a best picture nomination okay lol. 

I know many who still of Jamie Dornan as the guy from Fifty Shades so maybe if he gets a few more good roles he will one day got the nomination.

As stars if maligned film franchises, I hope that Jamie Dornan, Kristen Stewart and even Dakota Johnson continue taking roles with some better material the way Robert Pattinson has. If Jamie was going to get a nom it should have been for Barb and Star go to Vista del Mar 😁.

I'm kind of surprised Ruth Negga got snubbed for Passing.  I thought she was a lock.

[Bruinsfan]

Could it be snobbery over much of her work being genre? Ruth Negga is awesome, but people in the academy might think of her as "that comic book actress."

[Milburn Stone]

Shoulda been nominated: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Jonah Hill, Adam McKay, Joel Coen, and Frances McDormand.

[sugarbaker design]

19 minutes ago, Bruinsfan said:

Could it be snobbery over much of her work being genre? Ruth Negga is awesome, but people in the academy might think of her as "that comic book actress."

I only know of Ruth Negga from Misfits and Loving.  Is she part of the Marvel or DC movies?

[blackwing]

2 hours ago, ShadowHunter said:

I know many who still of Jamie Dornan as the guy from Fifty Shades so maybe if he gets a few more good roles he will one day got the nomination.

 

1 hour ago, kittykat said:

As stars if maligned film franchises, I hope that Jamie Dornan, Kristen Stewart and even Dakota Johnson continue taking roles with some better material the way Robert Pattinson has. If Jamie was going to get a nom it should have been for Barb and Star go to Vista del Mar 😁.

I'm disappointed for Jamie Dornan, I really thought this was his year.  He was great in "The Fall", which pre-dated the 50 Shades franchise.  This year, he had good turns in "Barb and Star" (surprisingly funny), "Belfast" and is getting good reviews for HBO's "The Tourist" which hasn't been released stateside yet.

I don't even think the 50 Shades movies were necessarily his fault.  He wasn't too great in the first one but then I think he grew into the role and was much better in the second and third movie.  He's been good in most everything else I've seen, especially "Wild Mountain Thyme" with Emily Blunt, "Anthropoid" with Cillian Murphy, and "Synchronic" with Anthony Mackie.  As far as recent roles, I can only think of Taron Edgerton's terrible "Robin Hood" in which he was kind of a clunker.

I would tend to blame the "two good performances in the same category, hard to pick" for why he and Caitriona Balfe weren't nominated, but that didn't stop the Academy from nominating two guys from "The Power of the Dog".

41 minutes ago, Bruinsfan said:

Could it be snobbery over much of her work being genre? Ruth Negga is awesome, but people in the academy might think of her as "that comic book actress."

 

20 minutes ago, sugarbaker design said:

I only know of Ruth Negga from Misfits and Loving.  Is she part of the Marvel or DC movies?

She has been nominated for an Oscar before (for "Loving") so I don't think the voters are pre-disposed to snobbery with respect to how they view her.  While it's true that on TV she has been in some "comic book"-ish shows (Misfits, Agents of SHIELD and Preacher), I don't think that is necessarily held against her.  One of Kirsten Dunst's best known roles is as Mary Jane Watson in Tobey Maguire's Spider Man movies.  Jennifer Lawrence squeezed in a bunch of X-Men and Hunger Games movies in between her nominated roles.

[GHScorpiosRule]

I fully expect Lata Mangeshkar to appear in the In Memoriam segment. Considering the show has included the passing of Bollywood stars in the past few years. And she contributed a LOT. More than 60 years.

[chitowngirl]

1 hour ago, blackwing said:

 

I'm disappointed for Jamie Dornan, I really thought this was his year.  He was great in "The Fall", which pre-dated the 50 Shades franchise.  This year, he had good turns in "Barb and Star" (surprisingly funny), "Belfast" and is getting good reviews for HBO's "The Tourist" which hasn't been released stateside yet.

I don't even think the 50 Shades movies were necessarily his fault.  He wasn't too great in the first one but then I think he grew into the role and was much better in the second and third movie.  He's been good in most everything else I've seen, especially "Wild Mountain Thyme" with Emily Blunt, "Anthropoid" with Cillian Murphy, and "Synchronic" with Anthony Mackie.  As far as recent roles, I can only think of Taron Edgerton's terrible "Robin Hood" in which he was kind of a clunker.

I would tend to blame the "two good performances in the same category, hard to pick" for why he and Caitriona Balfe weren't nominated, but that didn't stop the Academy from nominating two guys from "The Power of the Dog".

 

She has been nominated for an Oscar before (for "Loving") so I don't think the voters are pre-disposed to snobbery with respect to how they view her.  While it's true that on TV she has been in some "comic book"-ish shows (Misfits, Agents of SHIELD and Preacher), I don't think that is necessarily held against her.  One of Kirsten Dunst's best known roles is as Mary Jane Watson in Tobey Maguire's Spider Man movies.  Jennifer Lawrence squeezed in a bunch of X-Men and Hunger Games movies in between her nominated roles.

And let’s not forget Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. I think he’s done a few other things as well! 😆

[MerBearHou]

3 hours ago, Milburn Stone said:

Shoulda been nominated: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Jonah Hill, Adam McKay, Joel Coen, and Frances McDormand.

I would add Jennifer Hudson.  Replace K. Stewart with Jennifer.

[Spartan Girl]

20 hours ago, Milburn Stone said:

Shoulda been nominated: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Jonah Hill, Adam McKay, Joel Coen, and Frances McDormand.

Frances McDormand has three Oscars, she’s fine.

[Ohiopirate02]

18 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

Frances McDormand has three Oscars, she’s fine.

When I first heard about her playing Lady Macbeth opposite of Denzel, my first thought was Frances was going to win another Oscar.  I do love her and am sure she gave a great performance (I have not seen this one yet), but I want to see someone else win this year.  I feel this way about any actor or actress who already has multiple statues at home. Ditto for directors and writers. 

I am a bit disappointed that Zola did not nab a nomination in adapted screenplay.   

[Crs97]

According to EW, Kenneth Branagh just set a record as the only male ever to be nominated in seven different categories, and he broke his previous record of two nominations by getting three this year.  Unbelievable that he hasn’t won anything yet!

Also, this is the classiest response I’ve seen on behalf of his not nominated actors:  

Branagh tells EW that he still credits his nominations to Balfe and her co-stars.

"We know that this is a phenomenally competitive year," he says. "They're just some wonderful films out there, and inevitably, there are wonderful performances. What I know for sure is that I wouldn't have any nominations, for sure, without the incredible work of Jamie Dornan, Caitriona Balfe and Jude Hill. It sounds cliched, but I mean it when I say these nominations absolutely belong to them."

[NUguy514]

2 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I do love her and am sure she gave a great performance (I have not seen this one yet)

I love her, too, and she really, really didn't.  Denzel wasn't great either, but he had some better moments than she.  Stephen Root was terrible as well, but everyone else was terrific (Corey Hawkins was my favorite).  The film is exquisitely designed, shot, and conceived – like no other film I've ever seen; it was worth watching just for the visuals alone.

[yowsah1]

With this year's nominations, Steven Spielberg enters the record books as the only director ever to have received nominations in 6 different decades.

[Ms Blue Jay]

On 2/8/2022 at 1:17 PM, kittykat said:

I haven't seen Nightmare Alley it's the Don't Look Up Nom that has me rolling my eyes.  I mean, I get what they were doing but I can't stand films that spend the whole time telling us how clever they are and Don't Look Up is THAT film.

As stars if maligned film franchises, I hope that Jamie Dornan, Kristen Stewart and even Dakota Johnson continue taking roles with some better material the way Robert Pattinson has. If Jamie was going to get a nom it should have been for Barb and Star go to Vista del Mar 😁.

I'm kind of surprised Ruth Negga got snubbed for Passing.  I thought she was a lock.

I love your taste!  LOL!  Barb and Star is the best.

[Eureka]

19 hours ago, Crs97 said:

According to EW, Kenneth Branagh just set a record as the only male ever to be nominated in seven different categories, and he broke his previous record of two nominations by getting three this year.  Unbelievable that he hasn’t won anything yet!

Also, this is the classiest response I’ve seen on behalf of his not nominated actors:  

Branagh tells EW that he still credits his nominations to Balfe and her co-stars.

"We know that this is a phenomenally competitive year," he says. "They're just some wonderful films out there, and inevitably, there are wonderful performances. What I know for sure is that I wouldn't have any nominations, for sure, without the incredible work of Jamie Dornan, Caitriona Balfe and Jude Hill. It sounds cliched, but I mean it when I say these nominations absolutely belong to them."

Maybe I’m in the minority, but I did not like Belfast nearly as much as I wanted to, even though I love Caitriona Balfe. I liked The Lost Daughter a lot more (I saw them around the same time).

16 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I love your taste!  LOL!  Barb and Star is the best.

Yes, I loved that movie.

[Ohiopirate02]

1 hour ago, Eureka said:

Maybe I’m in the minority, but I did not like Belfast nearly as much as I wanted to, even though I love Caitriona Balfe. I liked The Lost Daughter a lot more (I saw them around the same time).

I am hesitant to watch Belfast because I know enough of the history of The Troubles.  I really do not want to watch a film steeped in nostalgia for a place that was deeply segregated through the eyes of someone who never experienced it.  Whatever The Troubles ended up becoming, it began as a civil rights protest by Irish Catholic residents of Northern Ireland and they had justifiable reasons for their protests.  The nostalgia feels wrong.  

[Vermicious Knid]

So happy Gaga did NOT get nominated for her Rocky and Bullwinkle accent. Like, what were the SAG people smoking?

[MicheleinPhilly]

From The Hollywood Reporter: 

Quote

"The Academy Awards are going from a host drought to a deluge," reports The Hollywood Reporter's Rebecca Keegan. "This year’s Oscars will be a three-act show with each one-hour act emceed by a different host, according to two sources with knowledge of the telecast planning. After three years of hostless Oscars, the multi-host strategy helps address the biggest deterrents for potential emcees — the time commitment of preparing for the lengthy show and the often unflattering glare of the spotlight that the high-pressure gig can shine on entertainers. The plan also gives the Academy an opportunity to hire hosts who can attract different demographics to the flagging ABC telecast."

🙄

[Bill1978]

On 2/12/2022 at 6:33 AM, MicheleinPhilly said:

The plan also gives the Academy an opportunity to hire hosts who can attract different demographics to the flagging ABC telecast."

I dunno, this may seem crazy, but perhaps they could return to voting for movies that the public have flocked to watch like the Academy use to do in the 80s and 90s. Not saying they should ignore the 'arty' films but surely with 10 spots you can find 3 places for a decent box office favourite. I feel that if Titanic or Return of the King were released last year they'd be lucky to get anywhere near the nominations they got let alone the wins.

But then again, I guess the public's mood to movies has changed since then cause honestly I cannot see something like Driving Miss Daisy being a box office hit today like it was when it was released.

[Ohiopirate02]

4 hours ago, Bill1978 said:

I dunno, this may seem crazy, but perhaps they could return to voting for movies that the public have flocked to watch like the Academy use to do in the 80s and 90s. Not saying they should ignore the 'arty' films but surely with 10 spots you can find 3 places for a decent box office favourite. I feel that if Titanic or Return of the King were released last year they'd be lucky to get anywhere near the nominations they got let alone the wins.

But then again, I guess the public's mood to movies haschanged since then cause honestly I cannot see something like Driving Miss Daisy being a box office hit today like it was when it was released.

The problem with this is the biggest box office movies are all franchise movies or are created to be box office hits. The writing, directing, and acting in these movies do the job but don't transcend or innovate.  So, they are not getting nominations in those categories.  Without those nominations,  a best picture nomination is not going to happen.  A Marvel movie will get nominations in the technical categories because that is where the movies do innovate by design.  Disney is not going to allow a director or actor take risks that may actually nab a nomination in the big 5 categories.