Academy Awards

[eleanor]

[color=firebrick] So, did anyone watch it last night?

Well, [i]my[/i] big news is that [b]Lord of the Rings: Return of the King[/b] won [b]all of its nominations[/b] tying with [b]Titanic[/b] and [b]Ben Hur[/b] [sp?] on most Oscar wins. I felt really happy for Peter Jackson that day. ^_^. I was sort of surprised when I didn't see [b]Big Fish[/b] or [b]Cold Mountain[/b] nominated for Best Picture, I thought they were already in.

The awards that I was sure of LoTR to win were all the sound awards/music/etc., but I thought Clint Eastwood had a nice chance of winning Best Director. At least [b]Lost in Translation[/b] won one award...maybe two, I don't remember correctly at the moment. I was also very happy when Tim Robbins won Best Supporting Actor.

I really enjoyed the first part, when they made that parody short film thing with Billy Crystal; with that Bush-hating guy at last year's Oscars ranting while they showed the battle scenes of LotR, lol. The only scenens I remember right now that were funny to me was when Billy was talking to Nicole Kidman about the Matrix movies in Cold Mountains, the whole nude scene in Something's Gotta Give, when he was taping a movie while sitting in the theatres, when he sang the West Side Story song and the Robin Williams part. ^_~ Sorry, I just love things like that. Do they put the whole thing on DVD? I have a strang urge to buy it...? :p[/color]

[Semjaza]

I found it incredibly dull. I had to sit and watch it because my friend was taping it. Rapture.

Pretty much everything I expected to win wound up winning. I would have liked The Triplets of Belleville to win Best Animated Feature, but it had no chance against Finding Nemo anyway.

[amibasuki]

[font=Arial][size=3]I was disappointed that Cold Mountain didn't get best song for "You Will Be My Ain True Love." I hadn't ever heard it before, but when they performed it at the award show I was knocked off of my feet. it seems to be a fairly simple song, but it sounded so beautifully haunting that it didn't even matter. it sure made a lot more of an impact on me than "Into the West" did. I've never even seen Cold Mountain before, but from the way the song sounded I could picture my own landscape; out in some secluded meadow near a forest in summer just before the break of dawn, when everything is still tinted blue. I would buy the Cold Mountain soundtrack for that song alone. meh, it wouldn't surprise me if LotR just got Best Song because they won everything else, lol.[/size][/font]

[eleanor]

[i]I was disappointed that Cold Mountain didn't get best song for "You Will Be My Ain True Love." I hadn't ever heard it before, but when they performed it at the award show I was knocked off of my feet. it seems to be a fairly simple song, but it sounded so beautifully haunting that it didn't even matter. it sure made a lot more of an impact on me than "Into the West" did.[/i]

[color=firebrick]*scratches head* I actually like 'Into the West' more than 'You Will By My Ain True Love' because of that one part when she sings loudly, lol. Maybe because I'm just a freakish LoTR fan. *shrugs* That 'Kiss at the End of a Rainbow' song was less than desirable, though.[/color]

[i]Pretty much everything I expected to win wound up winning. I would have liked The Triplets of Belleville to win Best Animated Feature, but it had no chance against Finding Nemo anyway.[/i]

[color=firebrick]Did you exepct anything else to happen? :p I actually thought Lord of the Rings would lose because I heard the Oscars didn't favor action/adventure movies. Then all of a sudden people decided to change their minds.[/color]

[Semjaza]

[quote name='maladjusted][color=firebrick']Did you exepct anything else to happen? :p I actually thought Lord of the Rings would lose because I heard the Oscars didn't favor action/adventure movies. Then all of a sudden people decided to change their minds.[/color][/quote]

It's not just that... prior to Lord of the Rings, not one sci-fi/fantasy movie ever won a Best Picture award. Not even 2001, surprisingly. It broke the curse, or so the nerdy people I talk to like to say.

[James]

[color=#707875]I watched some of it, but it was definitely pretty dull. There weren't many surprises.

I would have really liked to see Naomi Watts win in her category, because I think she's really demonstrating herself to be an incredible actress. I'm definitely enjoying watching her career to see how it develops.

But still, it was all relatively predictable. Lord of the Rings was honored and rightly so.

My own disappointments? Well, I think it's basically a total joke that Kill Bill: Volume 1, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions were not nominated for anything (at least, as far as I know). That's pretty much a slap in the face to these movies, although it isn't entirely unexpected.

This year's Academy Awards only served to make me even less interested in the whole affair (if that is even possible). A lot of good movies miss out and some actors win awards simply because they're willing to put in some fake teeth or a fake nose. lol It just seems to be subjective to the extreme, in some situations, even if the apparently obvious leader in the category isn't actually the one who wins the award.

Oh well. People have complained about great films and actors missing out before. It happened before and it'll happen again. Every year I get less and less excited about award ceremonies like this.[/color]

[TheShinje]

[font=Verdana][size=1][color=dimgray]I agree, James, I though that Kill Bill and the Matrix were unfairly missed out.[/color][/size][/font]

[font=Verdana][size=1][color=dimgray]I thought that the Matrix Reloaded and revoltuions was deserving of a least a nomination in the special effects arena. And I thought that Kill Bill should have been nominated for art direction, cinematography or even some actor accolades.[/color][/size][/font]

[font=Verdana][size=1][color=dimgray]I was thrilled with Lord of the Rings clean sweep in their categories, tying up the record with Titanic and Ben Hur. I felt as if they were finally being honoured for all three as it were *shrugs*[/color][/size][/font]

[font=Verdana][size=1][color=dimgray]I was a little dissapointed Big Fish didn't win in the sole category it was nominatrd in, best score. Danyn Elfman's Big Fish score was an exceptional soundtrack, but that's just my humble opinion.[/color][/size][/font]

[font=Verdana][size=1][color=dimgray]like every other year Billy Crystal has hosted the show, the opening sequence and monologue. The humor lightens the mood and it was delivered well this year. I perhaps enjoy the humor of this segment and various segments through the show the most of all.[/color][/size][/font]

[font=Verdana][size=1][color=#696969] I was willing Keisha Castle-Hughes to win her category of best actor, and though she didn't win, it was great to see even more Kiwis up there.[/color][/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=1][color=#696969]Chrlize Theron was a very deservign winner in this category.[/color][/size][/font]

[font=Verdana][size=1][color=#696969]Finding Nemo, I think it deserved it's best Animation Oscar, the story is really good, plot and character are top notch, Usually I tend to sway the way of tradititonal art in animation, like Spirited Away's Oscar last year, yet Finding Nemo was a flick I truly enjoyed, deserving winner. I had never heard of the Triplets of BelelVille, but the clip they showed wasn't too, uh, absorbing.[/color][/size][/font]

[Angelus]

I may be going against the grain here but oh well, I believe that ROTK should NOT have gotten 11 awards. I do not believe the last movie of the series deserved it. But I think the reason why ROTK got so many awards was because of the fact that the Acadamy basicly shafted them in the previous years for 2 movies which should have won many more awards in the previous years. I am not saying ROTK was a bad movie, I am jsut saying it didnt deserve to win as much as it did this year.

[eleanor]

[i]I would have really liked to see Naomi Watts win in her category, because I think she's really demonstrating herself to be an incredible actress. I'm definitely enjoying watching her career to see how it develops.[/i]

[color=firebrick] I don't think most of the winners for 'Best Actress' are really good actors. Yes, they are good to be in movies that they are in, but they don't have anything special or amazing that will knock people off their feet. It's usually the pivotal and very different or unusual characters they play that will make them win. I mean, Halle Berry winning Best Actress? She didn't give anything special in [b]Monster's Ball[/b]. [not including it was the most boring movie I ever saw.] Charlize was not so great that she stood up far from the crowd, it was mainly just her character.[/color]

[i]But I think the reason why ROTK got so many awards was because of the fact that the Acadamy basicly shafted them in the previous years for 2 movies which should have won many more awards in the previous years. [/i]

The only awards the Oscars ever really shafted from LoTR were 'Best Movie' and 'Best Director'. They've always usually won some awards in sound editing etc. and probably would've won Best Score last year if it wasn't for that Academy Award rule that didn't allow it to be nominated. I actually think the movie deserved it, though.[/color]

[i]The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions were not nominated for anything (at least, as far as I know). [/i]

[color=firebrick] They probably didn't nominate them for anything because they were such a huge dissapointment to a lot of fans. Stupid, but hey, that's mainstream media for you.[/color]

[KKC]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=INDIGO]Well, you guys can all throw rocks at me if you want, but I wasn't surprised not seeing the Matrix up, no office, but the sequals were a real let down and over all, well, just wern't very good.

I watched it, although some parts are dull, I got all worked up everytime I saw Billy Boyd and the rest of the hobbit crew. I was really excited to see that Peter Jackson had best director, and of course how LOTR had best Film, I enjoyed seeing them all up there (except for Liv, just cause her real voice scares me sometimes ;) ).

I have to say the only thing I was really disappointed about was that Secondhand Lions wasn't nominated for anything. That came out some time through April - July 2003 so I expected it would be forgotten, but that was a great movie, one of my favorites. Yeah, it was a no surprise that Nemo one (Isn't it odd that in Latin Nemo means nothing, so through out the whole movie it's finding nothing? It's like the fish was just an illusion of there imagination and he isn't really there o.O)

Arg, no office to the singer (forget her name) but I though "Into the West" sounded Horrible when she sang it on stage! I have the Soundtrack and it's one of my favorite songs, but she just sounded so screwed up on stage! She got some parts wrong, making it sound too deap and she was a bit out of tune at times,
"She looked posessed when singing it o.O" ~ My sister says
Though, I knew it would win because it sounds so awesome on the CD and stuff. I know, they say live performances sound different, but singing out of tune, come on!

Well, asides from that I had a good time, and I loved the beginning short with Billy Crystal. I have a good time when ever I see Legolas being made fun of ^_^ [/size][/color]

[James]

[QUOTE=maladjusted]

[color=firebrick]I don't think most of the winners for 'Best Actress' are really good actors. Yes, they are good to be in movies that they are in, but they don't have anything special or amazing that will knock people off their feet. It's usually the pivotal and very different or unusual characters they play that will make them win. I mean, Halle Berry winning Best Actress? She didn't give anything special in [b]Monster's Ball[/b]. [not including it was the most boring movie I ever saw.] Charlize was not so great that she stood up far from the crowd, it was mainly just her character.[/quote][/color]

[color=#b22222][color=#707875][color=#707875]Yep, this is the thing...it's a formula. A tired one.[/color]

[/color][color=dimgray]As they say, wear a fake nose (or other fake facial part), play a drunk, or wear no makeup, and you're almost assured of winning "Best Actress". There seems to be very little appreciation for true artistic merit or acting skill. But I know I'm really preaching to the choir there, because most of this stuff has been known for years.[/color][quote=maladjusted][/color]

[color=firebrick]They probably didn't nominate them for anything because they were such a huge dissapointment to a lot of fans. Stupid, but hey, that's mainstream media for you.[/color][/QUOTE] [color=#707875]
[color=#707875]Well, if you think about it...look at a movie like Kangaroo Jack. Wasn't that number one in America for a while, despite being the most stupid movie ever made?

This just shows you how smart the "fans" are. The Matrix movies were generally going over people's heads...and while the fans may not have recognized them as being works of great intelligence and artistry, I think it's kind of disappointing that the Academy didn't "rise above" the fray, so to speak.

Oh well. I didn't expect anything, both because of the political nature of the awards...and also because a lot of highly talented people have never won (Stanley Kubrick and Alfred Hitchcock being two prominent examples).[/color][/color]

[TheShinje]

[QUOTE=James][/color]

[color=#b22222][color=#707875][color=#707875]Well, if you think about it...look at a movie like Kangaroo Jack. Wasn't that number one in America for a while, despite being the most stupid movie ever made?[/QUOTE][/color][/color]

[color=#707875][color=#707875][font=Verdana][size=1][color=slategray]You're kidding right? Kangaroo Jack has to be one of the greatest movies of all time, and it didn't even win anything! :confused: [/color][/size][/font]

[QUOTE][/color]

[color=#b22222]This just shows you how smart the "fans" are. The Matrix movies were generally going over people's heads...and while the fans may not have recognized them as being works of great intelligence and artistry, I think it's kind of disappointing that the Academy didn't "rise above" the fray, so to speak.
[/QUOTE]
[font=Verdana][size=1][color=slategray]Well, look what happened with 2001, Arguably one of the best sci fi flicks in hsitory, yet the fans at the time passed it over, It wasn't until the college students started looking into it's meaning that the movie was truly appreciated for what it was.[/color][/size][/font]

[QUOTE][/color]

[color=#b22222]
Oh well. I didn't expect anything, both because of the political nature of the awards...and also because a lot of highly talented people have never won (Stanley Kubrick and Alfred Hitchcock being two prominent examples).[/color][/color][/QUOTE]
[font=Verdana][size=1][color=slategray]Indeed, the Oscars are very political, I still don't know what "sways" the Academy, I have my 90% suspicion it might be the Benjamins, yet a few low budget films have been awarded "ole grouch" every so often. [/color][/size][/font]
[font=Verdana][size=1][color=#708090][font=Verdana][size=1][color=#708090][spoiler] Please excuse the bad Sesame Street joke.[/spoiler][/color][/size][/font]

[/color][/size][/font][font=Verdana][size=1][color=#708090]Hitchcock and Kubrick, are agruably two of the bigger inujustices of the Academy, yet I still think Chicago winning over the Two Towers was a bit... 'unfair?[/color][/size][/font]

[font=Verdana][size=1][color=#708090] I would like to thank the academy for not snubbing Fantasy this year, I believe it's the first fantasy to win the Oscar, ever. More than makes up for the Kangaroo Jack dissapointment.[/color][/size][/font]

[DeathBug]

[color=induigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]Hence the reason I never watch award shows; they're most self-congradulatory, and I never end up caring about the outcome. I'm happy that Finding Nemo won best Animated, and....that's it.

The fact that Halle fricki'n Berry on anything at all valuidates my belief that these awards are a crock. Berry is one of the worst actresses I've ever seen; she sleepwalks through most of her roles. There's no justice. I mean, heck, Ellen Degeneres had more emotion in Nemo...[/color][/size][/font]

[James]

[QUOTE=Shinji][color=#707875]
[font=Verdana][size=1][color=slategray]Well, look what happened with 2001, Arguably one of the best sci fi flicks in hsitory, yet the fans at the time passed it over, It wasn't until the college students started looking into it's meaning that the movie was truly appreciated for what it was.[/color][/size][/font]

[/color][/QUOTE]
[color=dimgray]Yes, absolutely. I hope that the same thing will happen with the Matrix movies, once people have had time to get over the hype and go back and analyze them. If that somehow doesn't happen...then I don't think I could imagine a bigger injustice or unfairness, in terms of a piece of artwork not getting its due credit.[/color]

[color=#696969]In any case, we know that a lot of great movies and movie creators have been passed over by the Academy. This fact alone pretty much invalidates the Academy in my eyes.[/color]

[Semjaza]

[QUOTE=Shinji][font=Verdana][size=1][color=#708090]Hitchcock and Kubrick, are agruably two of the bigger inujustices of the Academy, yet I still think Chicago winning over the Two Towers was a bit... 'unfair?[/color][/size][/font]

[font=Verdana][size=1][color=#708090] I would like to thank the academy for not snubbing Fantasy this year, I believe it's the first fantasy to win the Oscar, ever. More than makes up for the Kangaroo Jack dissapointment.[/color][/size][/font][/QUOTE]

It was the first fantasy movie. I said that earlier, actually.

In any case, the Two Towers wouldn't have won for a major reason. It's part of a trilogy and giving the award to the second part when the third was likely to be the magnum opus of the three would have been redundant. Other films have to be recognized.