I agree with all that has been said about the Academy Awards.but at the risk of saying the obvious, it is really a moneymaking TV Special at its core. That is about maximizing audience size and desired demographics for advertisers. The Producers of the broadcast may be more or less successful about that during any given year, but I don't see the mandate changing. Someday there will be Production meetings arguing about whether there should be 5 seconds, 10 seconds or a 0 seconds cutaway to 80 year old Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence.
From: MoPo List [mailto:mopo-l@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU] On Behalf Of Channing Thomson Sent: Tuesday, March 4, 2014 10:34 AM To: MoPo-L@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU Subject: Re: [MOPO] The Oscars - a slave to sentiment? What's Alf? On a more serious note, I felt the reaction to Kim Novak was painful and cruel and left me feeling down for a couple of days. I didn't like the overall tone of the Awards this year. I'd like to see a little more focus on film history and the people that made the industry great as well as a return to it being presented as an Academy and not a celebrity roast. Channing Thomson On Mar 4, 2014, at 9:29 AM, Scott Burns <s...@columbus.rr.com <mailto:s...@columbus.rr.com> > wrote: There was a time when the Academy celebrated the magic of the movies, both past AND present. That's clearly not the case these days. The only "salute" to Hollywood's past was the Oz tribute-but they didn't think enough of Garland's offspring to even bring them up on stage. Couldn't the last surviving Munchkin, Jerry Maren make an appearance? Nothing against Pink, but what relevance to Oz did she have? Major missed opportunity Academy! It seemed to me that no one in the audience even recognized Kim Novak (please no plastic surgery jokes). No standing ovation for this star of the 50's/60's? There's no excuse for anyone in the movie biz not having ever seen "Vertigo" or "Picnic." And no tribute to Shirley Temple? Come on. Even those members of "new Hollywood" must have watched a few Temple films when they were growing up. Of course my beef about classic stars goes beyond the Oscars. Entertainment Weekly puts Phillip Seymour Hoffman on the cover when he kills himself via a drug overdose, yet arguably the biggest star of the 1930's gets no mention on the cover at all? She did get 2 pages inside, but I was surprised they gave her even that much space. Even when I was in my 20's and watching the Oscars, I always enjoyed seeing the classic stars who had dropped out of the limelight. I enjoyed the honorary Oscar presentation and even the Jean Hersholt award .now such honors have been moved off the Oscar telecast completely. Not to diss the younger generation, but the world did exist before you were born and there are people and events worth knowing about. I work with some people who's pop culture knowledge only reaches back as far as the "Alf" TV show in the 1990's. Scary!!! Scott MoPo List Owner From: MoPo List [mailto:mopo- <mailto:l...@listserv.american.edu> l...@listserv.american.edu] On Behalf Of Zeev Drach Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2014 9:47 AM To: <mailto:MoPo-L@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU> MoPo-L@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU Subject: Re: [MOPO] The Oscars - a slave to sentiment? My instinctive reaction re modern "stars" is the same as yours, but after thinking a moment you realize that for a good chunk of viewers, if not the majority, Robert De Niro IS an old-time star! Anybody prior is a vaguely familiar. All this means is that some of us, like you yourself suggested, are getting really old! Zeev From: MoPo List [ <mailto:mopo-l@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU> mailto:mopo-l@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU] On Behalf Of Bruce Hershenson Sent: March 4, 2014 8:14 AM To: <mailto:MoPo-L@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU> MoPo-L@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU Subject: Re: [MOPO] The Oscars - a slave to sentiment? One thing I am certain of is that if you are a fan of the "Ellen" TV show, then you surely liked the Oscar telecast. And if you like watching people pat themselves and their peers on the back, you were surely in hog heaven. I know I am getting really old, because I think the modern "stars" can't hold a candle to the stars of the 1920s to 1960s. I always hated those "production numbers". I would SO rather see old-time stars, and not just given a second and then shuffled off stage. How about clips of classic movies that DON'T last three seconds each? On Tue, Mar 4, 2014 at 6:47 AM, Tommy Barr < <mailto:tommymb...@gmail.com> tommymb...@gmail.com> wrote: I know it's not really about posters, but I haven't read anything here about the Oscars, so I wondered if any others share my puzzlement over exactly what the criteria for 'best film' is? Apart from the big one 12 Years A Slave won 2 other Oscars, while Gravity won 7 awards, including best director. Surely that must be a win on points for Gravity? Ellen joked that either 12 Years would win or else the Academy was racist, and I suspect that the Afro-American dimension did, in fact, contribute to the end decision. Racism does not necessarily have to express itself as hatred, but it is not particularly edifying to see it expressed in a patronising way either. I was saddened to see the great actor Sidney Poitier trundled out to receive what was, given the occasion, something like a pat on the head for his career and being the first black actor to win an Oscar for Best Actor, and am I being in overly critical in the Academy then having Will Smith present the Best Film award? There is no doubt that Hollywood, like the rest of the USA, can have its conscience tugged when it comes to the treatment of the Afro-American community. Birth of a Nation is hardly an advert for multi-cultural harmony, and movies like the Marx Brothers A Day At The Races have scenes which sit uncomfortably with present day attitudes. Maybe the Academy felt some atonement was due for the failure of The Color Purple to win any awards? Anyway, as a non-American I may have a jaundiced view which is not shared by others, but I am interested in finding out what the views of MOPO subscribers are. 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Antivirus protection is active. Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at <http://www.filmfan.com> www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: <mailto:lists...@listserv.american.edu> lists...@listserv.american.edu In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content. Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at <http://www.filmfan.com> www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: <mailto:lists...@listserv.american.edu> lists...@listserv.american.edu In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content. Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com <http://www.filmfan.com> ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: lists...@listserv.american.edu <mailto:lists...@listserv.american.edu> In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content. Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: lists...@listserv.american.edu In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content.
