[u][color=#FF0000]MOIRA[/color][/u] [u][color=#FF0000]FINNIE[/color][/u] wrote:What were the good, the bad, and the lovely moments in last night's Oscar broadcast?
The awards presentation always just seems to miss the mark for me, by just that much...skewing off the road. Yes, I
will watch no matter how long or short the show is. I still LIKE the show. But I wish they would take just a different path.
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Did AMPAS do a good job on the (to us) vitally important In Memoriam sequence?
I found the Memoriam sequence tastefully done. I was a bit surprised that it led the portion of the show instead of ending the portion of the show and fading out into commercial. Yes, some people were left out, but all in all what they presented was very well done; a sad reminder of who we’ve lost. They didn't need Bette Midler singing.
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How did you like Ellen DeGeneres as the host?
Ellen was passable as host. But the Academy must remember, or should consider that the HOST is
not The Show. She should get presenters on and off. The pizza delivery moment did not work for me
at all. And going into the audience was okay, once or twice. But the focus should have been on the stage. At one point she was roaming the audience in dead air just saying “Hi” to people. I’d like to see Whoopi Goldberg get another shot at it. I desperately miss Bob Hope and Johnny Carson. Maybe Jon Stewart could be asked again.
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Best Acceptance Speech?
I have a three-way tie for best acceptance speech: Lupita Nyong’o ( graciousness ) - Jared Leto ( heartfelt ) - Matthew McConaughey ( mature and insightful. ) The songwriter duo was very very clever as well. ( ASIDE: I can see a re-make of "Roman Holiday" with Lupita Nyong'o playing the princess. )
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Did they do justice to Judy Garland's legacy?
No.
I know it’s all about marketing Blue-Ray, 3-D and sell sell sell the commercial stuff. ( Ack! Blooey!! ) But I would have liked to have seen this as the sequence of events:
( * ) Have Li
za, Lorna and Joey come out on stage and make very
VEDDY brief remarks about their Mother.
( * ) Have Judy’s recording of the ‘...Rainbow’ song playing, while showing a montage of her career, ending with “The Wizard of Oz.”
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Best Funny Remark?
One of the remarks that cracked me up was during Alfonso Cuaron's acceptance speech for Best Director for “Gravity” :
“The wise guys of Warner Brothers...the wise people of Warner Brothers.”
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Most Mind-numbing Turn?
What I found mind-numbing was the selection of songs nominated for the Academy Award. I haven’t heard a good strong song for this award since “Moon River.” ( Or “Shaft. ) No...I joke...I joke about “Shaft.” But this category is really commercialized for me. Actually the last song that I liked that was nominated ( and robbed from winning ) was the song that Phil Collins sang for “Against All Odds” many years ago. And while I LOVED “20 Feet From Stardom” and was happy that they won, Darlene Love was not in good voice at all. ( And trust me, I'm a fan! )
Now what wasn’t mind-numbing, but saddened me deeply was seeing Kim Novak and Sidney Poitier out there. They seemed confused and unwell. At least they were lovingly guided by their co-presenters, Matthew McConaughey and Angelina Jolie. Nonetheless, it made me sad.
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Who Was Robbed?
Sorry “Fruitvale Station” was not in the running.
I do think Steve McQueen was robbed for not winning the Best Director award for his helming “12 Years A Slave.” But I hope this gains him some well-deserved recognition. ( And the chance to direct another film without struggles for money. )
I think not giving Angela Lansbury her Honorary Oscar during the live telecast was a gross miscalculation. Remember when Deborah Kerr received
her Oscar? They could have had someone introduce her clips to the audience, and then bring her out onstage, on the arm of Robert Osborne and have him say a few words before handing her an Oscar. She deserved to be lauded in prime-time. Teach those young'uns what's what. And what an actress is!
Awww Academy. You're always going down a wrong path instead of a path of greatness. Listen, if we have to have Zac Efron up there botching lines...or Travolta mis-stating a singer's name...for Pete's Sake.
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Was the Program Too Long? Too Short (Ha, as if..!)?
For me, the program was not too long. I enjoy the glitz and glamour and fantasy and cringe-worthy moments that is the Academy Awards. But I would like AMPAS to partner with TCM. My dream...
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[u][color=#FF0000]lzcutter[/color][/u] wrote:And no Bruce Vilanich in the writing credits! Which might help explain why the banter between presenters wasn't awful for the first time in recent memory.
Heck yeah! What a blessing.