Monday, March 3, 2014

The best of the Oscars show

It's time for the awards and commentary for the Academy Awards show.

1. You knew she was not going to wear a dress... Ellen DeGeneres. Oh, the Wizard of Oz Fairy Princess thing doesn't count.

2. Surprise, she was kind of funny... Ellen fired some pointed sarcastic barbs at Hollywood in the monologue. She made a joke about how trivial that the Academy Awards could be compared to real life.

3. Best Acceptance Speech... The first one. Jared Leto told a story about a teenager woman who raised a kid against obstacles That woman was Leto's mother.

4. Good first song.. Pharell Willaims performs his song "Happy" which was really hip and cool. But songs are usually a disaster for the show because the ballads will bring down the whole show. I'm a little bit leery at this point.

5. Good idea for somebody to make money and help art. Put all the animated short films on a DVD and sell it. I have not seen any of these gems.

6. Best evil Mr. Spock goatee. Presenter Harrison Ford.

7. The "I got screwed" Martin Scorsese Award... The visual effects team for Star Trek Into Darkness. Look the guys had to create twenty third century Earth and Klingon home world. Add to that they had to create the interiors of the Enterprise and Vengeance.

8. I told you songs kill the flow of the show... Okay, just saw the ballad nominated for "Her." Pretty but as I have said many times, performing the best songs slows down the momentum of the show. And now U2 is now really killing the show. Oh no. It's Pink singing "Over the Rainbow." This thing might go on for hours. Oh, oh. Bette Midler after the memorial portion of the show is singing that ballad, "Wind Beneath My Wings." Kill me now. Song from "Frozen" is here. Help.... Get on with the awards, folks.

9. You also knew she could be bland.... Unlike the dangerous comedy of Seth MacFarlane, last year's host, Ellen started out great but got duller as the show went on. The joke about ordering pizza was not funny and kind of like David Letterman. And enough with the selfie jokes.

10. Good idea for somebody to make money and help art. Put all the nominees for short live action film on two DVDs. I'm guessing none of you have seen them. I haven't. Let's include the films for Documentary Short Subject.

11. Best bumper music. The song "Pure Imagination" from Wily Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. (1971) See clip from the movie below.


12. A museum I want to visit... The Academy's museum dedicated to film and set to open in 2017.

13. Best TV ad. First, let me say I hate the numerous commercials. These are the great killers of the momentum of the show. Then comes the songs. But the Pepsi mini can ad with all the movie lines was very entertaining. Here's the ad from AdAge.

14, 42 seconds fir Best Screenplay? Spike Jonze got only 42 seconds to give his acceptance speech for Best Screenplay. Sorry Academy but without the writers there are no movies.

15. You've got Will Smith to deliver the Best Picture Award? In years past, you had major filmmakers to deliver this award. See Steven Spielberg.

Well, that's it. See you next year.

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