Comments on: 81st Academy Awards — "Nerdies" for Best & Worst

By: yeti9000

yeti9000 — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 01:29:53 +0000

Don’t get me wrong, Harmony…I am totally with you on the elitism of the Academy. I guess what really bothers me the most about the clips is that the Academy has no problem showing footage from popular movies to keep viewers in their seats during their bloated telecast…but when it comes to nominations, they would never, in a million years, reward those same movies with even a nomination.

I don’t write action movies, but as a comedy writer, that really chaps my hide. I think if you don’t have the nerve to nominate funny movies along with the over-serious pap you usually nominate, then I don’t think you should show clips from those movies. It just seems kinda hypocritical to me…

But that said, I was glad to see Penelope Cruz win for a comedy and Heath Ledger for a comic book movie. Yay! 🙂

By: Harmony

Harmony — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 23:00:58 +0000

Commenting on Yeti9000’s annoyance on the “clip packages” (ie 27 Dresses): First of all I didn’t think they did ENOUGH inclusion of non-nominated films…..keep in mind that the title of the montage clips was “YEAR in Animation” “YEAR in Comedy….” For instance, I thought that the romance/couples montage had TOO many Revolutionary Road/The Dark Knight etc……For the studios, talent, crew, and others who worked SO HARD on their movie that didn’t make the top five in each category this was a time for them to have 2 seconds. Keep in mind that the essence of the Academy Awards is to celebrate motion pictures. Although the BEST in motion pictures are honored, it is worthwhile to somewhat acknowledge other (unrecognized) movies’ hardwork. The Oscars are too much of an elitist club…I wish the montages were MORE open to other films unrecognized….

By: popculturenerd

popculturenerd — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 21:58:49 +0000

Ha ha! If you’d strangled Ben Stiller on stage, that would’ve been entertaining!

I couldn’t believe Baz Luhrmann directed that musical medley. My 7-year-old niece could’ve done a better job. Visually it was okay but the abrupt change between songs gave me whiplash. And I agree the song selection was strange and random. At the end, when Hugh cried, “The musical is back!” I thought, “I hope they include better numbers than that!”

Your take on the induction ritual is hilarious. I never looked at it that way! I liked it cuz it was cool to see a legend welcome a younger actor into the club. But then when Marion C paid tribute to Kate Winslet, she was gushing like she was the fan and I realized that Kate has been around longer and was probably thinking, “How come you’re up there and I’m not?”

I liked Hugh Jackman overall. I don’t hate Beyonce like you but if I hear her sing “At Last” one more time, I’m gonna call the cops and charge her with public disturbance.

By: yeti9000

yeti9000 — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 08:21:06 +0000

Great wrap up of the show. I too was annoyed by Ben Stiller…he has not been truly funny in years and I’m telling you, if I was one of the nominated DP’s waiting for him to finish his lame shtick, I woulda killed the dude. LAME!

I’m also really hated the big Baz Luhrmann song and dance number…total time filler, and what really pissed me off was the fact that half of the songs they “celebrated” were never even nominated for Oscars! And that’s because, historically, they pick pretty lousy songs as winners! Just kind of annoying…

Same goes with all the clip packages they kept cutting away to…I’m like, if that movie wasn’t nominated, you should not be able to feature it in a cheesy montage. “27 Dresses”? Please! To me that is straight up pandering to the younger crowd and more like something you’d see on the MTV Movie Awards, you know? And next up, Will Smith will announce the nominees for Best Kiss. Crazy!

I’m still undecided about the strange induction ceremony thing with the past winners…it was kind of culty if you ask me. Like, welcome to the club, sister or brother…now drink the blood and live forever…CREEPY!

But I did go back and watch all of those segments again, and I did kind of love them on second viewing…so, still not sure what I think…

And love him or hate him, I gotta say Jackman did a pretty decent job overall. But as far as Beyonce goes, I’m with Etta James on that one…bitch going down! Yuck…so sick of her overexposed mug…

By: ShelleyP

ShelleyP — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 06:37:58 +0000

Oh, thank you for the tip, PCN.

But ABC, Boooooo … the clip isn’t available for viewing outside the US. I’ll have to use my imagination. Not a problem.

By: popculturenerd

popculturenerd — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 05:35:19 +0000

Go straight to ABC.com and you’ll see the Barbara Walters Special mid-page. Make sure you watch all the way ’til the end because he does it over the end credits. It’s ridiculous how nasty he was with her, gyrating and grinding his hips. And I mean that in a good way!

Besides chocolate, make sure you also have an oxygen tank nearby.

By: ShelleyP

ShelleyP — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 05:26:45 +0000

Ok, I’m praying that interview is already online somewhere, PCN. Off to search I go. After I get some chocolates.

By: popculturenerd

popculturenerd — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 05:24:45 +0000

You know, Harmony, now that you put it that way…OK, I can see that. He’s like a kid daydreaming in his garage about the Oscars and telling himself it’s okay if he never gets one because at least he’s Wolverine. That makes it much better for me because I am a huge Hugh fan.

I just watched his Barbara Walters interview (DVR’d last night) and he gave her a lap dance! I almost lost consciousness like ShelleyP. It was dirrty!

By: ShelleyP

ShelleyP — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 05:00:51 +0000

PCN, whatever it was, I’m sure there was at least some playful poking fun at himself in there. I’m positive he’d be happy to do that.

Harmony, that’s also a great way of looking at it!

By: Harmony

Harmony — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 03:23:07 +0000

I totally agree with your sister, PCN. I think that the main point of Jackman’s mention of Wolverine was to make a statement that…although he doesn’t get offerred the Phillip Seymour Hoffman Roles or Richard Jenkins roles, he is holdin’ on to the fictional character of Wolverine…thus the mocked exuberance he demonstrated. I also think that since this song and dance number was created in “his garage” it is supposed to play out like a child wrote it..off the cuff….RESULTING in the amateur set pieces and out of context lines/lyrics…