Academy Awards

[Gina]

I watched part of the program as I often do and thought it was a rather boring presentation. I didnt see any of the movies this year, but I like some of the glitz and outfits and entertainment... but this year it just couldn't hold my interest for very long. I'm not even sure who those two bland co-hosts were.

I will admit that after seeing clips, I'd probably be willing to see the King's Speech and Black Swan but not much else.

Not sure why I'm starting this, but it just seems there ought to be a thread about the Oscars. http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=171&d=1294631413

[CathyA]

No offense, but I find the whole thing rather curious and excessive. Its much more a style show than it should be. People (mostly women) are torn to shreds the next day if they didn't make the fashion critics happy. Its stupid.
I think the problem with this year's show is that they didn't have a comedian for the MC (at least that's what I've heard).
I've also heard there are so many awards shows that this one doesn't seem to mean what it used to.
My son is an extremely talented future film-maker and I've always said if he ever gets there, I'm wearing something from Penneys or Kohls (and no make-up). haha And I won't give a rat's ass what the fashion critics say about me.
I think the focus being a style show is silly, but that's just me.

[IshbelRobertson]

I never watch award ceremonies - I wait until the next day when the BBC tells me who won!

I was glad to see that Colin Firth won an award and the film garnered three or four awards. It was a British film, with British money and British actors - and fairly low budget (in Hollywood terms) - so good for them!

[Gina]

No, I'm not offended, and yes it is curious and excessive (and false, tortured, competitive, and often entertaining) - that's why I like to watch. ;)

I also don't much like the unkind criticism of anyone's clothes or for that matter unkind criticism of anyone about anything... but I do like looking at the various styles. I also enjoy Project Runway. I buy my own clothes from yard sales and thrift stores and haven't purchased one piece of clothing (other than underwear) from a real store in at least 5 years. I think people should dress how they want, but I also think the human body is beautiful, and there are some fashions I think are works of art. I like to see what 'they' come up with. :)

For example, this is the Cate Blanchett dress from last night and I thought it an interesting one.

http://cdn03.cdn.socialitelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/cate-blanchett-2011-academy-awards-red-carpet-02272011-lead.jpg

[Kestrel]

Back when I was much younger I loved the Oscars and watched them faithfully. I loved seeing who won what, even if I didn't particularly care who won. We don't see many movies anymore, other than Netflix, but did see "The King's Speech" since it was highly recommend by friends, and we did thoroughly enjoy it! Didn't see this year's show, but was glad to hear "The King's Speech" won, and it was the only one we saw. Also so glad it was entirely British, because I'd hate to think what "we" would have done with it! Ugh! And the fashion cr*p is beyond me ... :-(

[IshbelRobertson]

I always like look at our newspapers in the UK the morning after, when they show the outfits of actresses like Helena Bonham Carter... now she is TRULY a style original!

[Gina]

Come to think of it, the Oscars are the only awards show I ever even partially look at. Perhaps because my mom used to watch when I was growing up, I also saw more films in theaters, and it wasn't nearly the insane show it is now. It is like watching a train wreck, lol.

I did not see Helena Bonham Carters dress, but someone was saying she dresses unlike everyone else every year. Good for her.

In the old days there were occasionally people who would dress very outlandishly as in weird, but that has mostly stopped since the 'critics' got so mean. Too bad. Just like the movies, it's all just a show. :laff:

[Rogar]

I'm a movie fan, mostly Netflix, but will go to the theater a couple of times a year. This year I saw True Grit, which was great entertainment. Netflixed Inception and Winter's Bone, which I thought ho-hum. It seems like a long time since there has been a truely great comedy or drama that you want to watch two or maybe three times. Though I thought Toy Story 3 was pure genius. I've yet to see The King's Speech.

So it's sort of sad to see so much hu-bub over so little. But I watched the Oscars and it was fun to see everyone all dressed up.

[iris lily]

It's too dull, I ignored the whole thing. While I consume a lot of films and the "good" films of the year are a topic that interests me--I saw several of the nominated films and performances--there are few things duller than the televised Oscar event. Last night I watched The Forsyth Saga for the second time, a fabulous costume drama production. Now that was real entertainment.

This year I tuned into the GOlden Globes and enjoyed that production because they mix up film and tv people and since I'm getting as much steller entertainment from tv these days as from films, I like that. That's where you can see the stars all dress up but don't have to put up with the godawful production numbers.

I liked Cate Blanchett's dress alot. I thought it was interesting without being extreme, and she looked quite elegant in it. I think it was my favorite dress of the eveing (I looked at the red carpet photos.) Helena Bonham Carter was only a little less messy than usual.

I hear that the co host was pretty much a bust, and I'm not surprised, I can't see him outside of his Daniel Desario role from Freaks and Geeks. Oh I know he's supposed to be great but because he was SO great as Daniel, he'll always be Daniel to me.

[maribeth]

The only nominated films I had seen were Inception (on a plane), Iron Man 2 (someone lent me a DVD) and The Gruffalo (a British animated short that DD spent a few months watching multiple times a day). But I will probably watch some of the others on DVD. The King's Speech looked really good!

I liked Amy Adams's dress (generally panned) and hated Cate Blanchett's (which everyone loved). Helena Bonham Carter looked much the same as she always does, like a goth that had just gotten out of a bar fight.

[San Onofre Guy]

The awards show was awful. We did see Kings Speech and Social Network and when we saw Kings Speech we knew it and Colin Firth would win. Sunday afternoon we saw Black Swan which was wonderful and thus we predicted best actress. We had also seen the documentary shorts which were all wonderful. Sadly Israel is seeking to deport many kids depicted in the documentary short that won

[Eggs and Shrubs]

I never watch award ceremonies - I wait until the next day when the BBC tells me who won!

I was glad to see that Colin Firth won an award and the film garnered three or four awards. It was a British film, with British money and British actors - and fairly low budget (in Hollywood terms) - so good for them!

Me too.

I wonder if any other forum members are aware of how The King's Speech was financed? It was made with UK taxpayers money. It was socialism in action!

Incidentally Ishbel, I'm really enjoying Island Parish at the moment but Barra looks a bit bleak for me.

[IshbelRobertson]

Barra IS bleak - even in summer, it has a very stark light. The walls around crofts and farms don't help, but some of the beaches are stunning. I have a cousin from Barra, when she was young, she had to spend the week on the mainland boarding at school and only go home at weekends.

I haven't watched that series - I'm not that much of a TV viewer and I forgot it was being transmitted!

[catherine]

I usually really enjoy the Academy Awards: the whole package--including the styles. I love seeing the dresses. Plus I love to watch who wins--it's just become a family event over the years, but that's declined as family members lose interest. We used to have a "pool", and see who got the most winners.

I was curious to see how Anne Hathaway and James Franco would do, since we've had some pretty talented hosts in the past (most notably Billy Crystal). I understand that maybe the producers are trying to retain a wide demographic by appealing to younger folks--Anne Hathaway even joked about it. I think she did a better job than Franco, who was a little too laid back, even if he was supposed to counterbalance Hathaways perky persona. As far as hosts go, I'll take Ricky Gervais, who might have pushed the envelope at the Golden Globes but at least he wasn't boring!

As for the movies, I had seen three, and the fact that everything seemed SO locked up with no surprises made it pretty boring, too. Ishbel, DEFINITELY see The King's Speech, and Black Swan is worth seeing, too.

I've heard that American celebrities are our "royalty"--hence the interest in the pageantry and dresses and jewelry at the Oscars. But maybe that kind of interest is going the way of the monarchy--eh, Ishbel? A little less relevance to real life, and with the public being more interested in dirt than diamonds!

ETA: If that's the case, maybe a "William and Kate" reality show would out-rank their wedding ceremony in TV viewership! What do you think?

[IshbelRobertson]

Catherine - you are talking to a UK citizen with absolutely no interest in royalty!

WaityKatie has got what she wanted, good luck to her. The idea of anyone encouraging a child to marry into that poisonous nest of vipers is beyond me, though!

[iris lily]

Black Swan had no heart, it was weird to me how uninvolved I was with that film even though it had every element that I would normally like. It was sterile. But I applaud Natalie Portman for the work she did and am glad that she won.

I'm surprised that the King's Speech was universally accepted as best picture--I thought it might be a rarified audience that took to it.

Ricky Gervaise, host of Golden Globes, is a God. For a while I had that as my sig line. Golden GLobes was a good show this year.

[IshbelRobertson]

I love Ricky Gervaise, too - but am slowly coming round to the view that I love Stephen Merchant (his writing partner and inept manager in the 'Extras' TV show) MORE!!!