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Underground > Film, TV & Theatre >

Money down on the Oscars, anyone?

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12:50 / 25.02.02

As the topic says: betting on the Oscars.

The odds are most interesting, don't have them to hand, but I know www.ladbrokes.co.uk are running book, as are most major/online retailers.

Anyhow... real or not, where would you stick your money? We're talking about winning here, not picking an actually GOOD film. I'll open with... fiver down on Russell Crowe for best actor (2 to 1) and another fiver on Tom Wilkison (13 to 1)... will probably recover money, might make a nice bonus...

But yeah. Money where you statuette is, anyone?

gentleman loser

01:33 / 28.02.02

A shutout for Lord of the Rings in the major categories - Best Director, Best Picture (2.62 to 1? More like 25 to 1!), Best Supporting Actor. I'd put money on that in a second and I'd only give about 7 to 1 odds on it.

If I'm wrong I'll be pleasantly surprised.

[ 28-02-2002: Message edited by: gentleman loser ]

The Natural Way

13:43 / 28.02.02

Said the bad man. LOTR all the way.

[ 28-02-2002: Message edited by: You and Runce ]

12:19 / 05.03.02

Saw Russel Crowe at a standout 8/1 on Victor Chandler online. Kicking myself for missing it as he's gone to 4/6 now.

Will Smith could be worth it, 11/4, black man playing out of type, serious film role, Ali, could be the kind of thing that sways Academy types. Crowe out of type, mental illness, classic book (a friend of mine is dreading seeing it for the same reason I dreaded From Hell), this could be an interesting result.

For a laugh try Zwellegggererrerrr whatever at 22/1. She won't win but hey, got to be worth a quid or two.

Beautiful looks like taking it. 1/1, 13/8 on Howard (being edged out by Jackson's 5/4). Could be the one to watch. I've checked ac couple of the online bookies and they all seem to be tipping Beautiful, except actress which is probably Spacek's.

00:14 / 25.03.02

Shrek won.

Fucking Hell.

01:48 / 25.03.02

And Ghost World didn't.

Damn.

03:08 / 25.03.02

Anyone who seriously thought Lord Of The Rings was going to win the top honours is out of their skull. Sure, it deserved to win, but when up against A Beautiful Mind, by far the most "Hollywoody" of the contenders, it didn't stand a chance.

Jackson has two more shots at it, though, so don't get all twisted up just yet...

And yes, though it was plain as day that Shrek would win, it still made hot bile rise up in my throat when the name was announced. The animation of Sully and Mike applauding with painfully forced grins on their faces was priceless, though...

01

03:34 / 25.03.02

Yeah, what a bunch of horseshit. LOTR definitely should've won.

Also who else was grossed out by all the fucking race shit. Everytime race was brought up, the camera would immediately go to Will Smith or Jada Pinkett to get the "black reaction" Why is this still an issue? Why are we still making it one? This is the fucking 21st Century. I was appalled at how these stodgy old Hollywood assholes were turning this thing into a three ring circus. It's like they were announcing that blacks got the vote for the first time or something. I saw an interview with Tyra Banks once and she had some pretty cool things to say.(i know...just keep reading) When asked about how she felt about often being chosen the "first black woman" to be on the cover of certain magazines, she replied, "Good but time to move on. Another one down." She didn't want it to be an issue and was happy every time it happened so it wouldn't be an issue in the future.
Although I gotta admit I was pretty damn happy to see Halle Berry win. Good for her.

[ 25-03-2002: Message edited by: 01 ]

07:52 / 25.03.02

You are all missing the point.

The fact the entire list of awards was pretty much a fuck-up from start to finish is negated by the fact that Jennifer Connelly, Jennifer Fucking Hot-Damn Connelly, got best supporting actress. And looked damn stunning last night.

Which made up for all that, you know, shit-film-liking, antiquated-race-placation, good-film-snubbing shit that was going on.

Obviously.

07:52 / 25.03.02

Jennifer Connelly, OK, but I really do believe she was actually collecting an Oscar for her mind-blowing performance in "Requiem for a Dream," in "Academy" style.

I can't believe I fucking care but actually one of my first thoughts this morning was, "DAMMIT! I missed the Oscars!"

I was actually totally wrong on my best supporting choices. Well really I was pulling for Sissy, and really for Best Director there was no WAY anyone else could've won besides Ron fucking Howard. Well, at least they didn't give best director to Ridley Scott I guess.

The Natural Way

10:23 / 25.03.02

It was one of those "I'd forgotten how terrible and weird the american movie business is, but now I remember" moments.

911? "We need Hollywood movies more than ever!"? Enemies within and without?!?

And a *fireman*.... "Sometimes you see a movie and it puts you slap! bang! back into reality" (or some such tosh).....

Fucking Hell.

Matthew Fluxington

10:53 / 25.03.02

I thought Jennifer Connelly looked like a man in drag, honestly. Her arms are so
muscular...

I liked Tom Cruise's speach in the beginning, his State of the Union address... he should run for president, be the Democrat Ronald Reagan. In a lot of ways, the Academy Awards felt a bit like the Democratic National Convention last night... Maybe Grant is right. Maybe Tom Cruise is a superhero sent to save us all.

The only really entertaining bit was the thing with Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson...

As far as the awards (or, the fucking nominations in general), they were certainly doing all of this in Bizarro World..

At least Russell Crowe didn't win, even though Opie fucking Cunningham did. Thank heaven for small miracles, right?

Oh, and here's Jim Treacher's comic about it all.

(edited because Cherry's right)

[ 25-03-2002: Message edited by: Flux = Stuttering Bureaucrat ]

10:59 / 25.03.02

Uh, I believe that's Opie Cunningham, thank you.

"Opie CunningHAM! Opie CunnngHAM!"

pointless and uncalled for

11:16 / 25.03.02

So in this vein, does anyone here actually have their veiwing activities swayed by the Oscars?

Suedey! SHOT FOR MEAT!

11:28 / 25.03.02

I liked the bit with Woody Allen. Then I went to bed.

I noticed how everytime black was mentioned they went straight to a shot of Will Smith or Denzel Washington... that was just creepy... which just made it seem like the academy were saying, "But look, we love black people - they're ok! We give them awards!"

When, really, it shouldn't matter, right?

12:53 / 25.03.02

Can I just say:

Lagaan wuz fucking robbed.

A big, brash, stoopid Bollywood picture, cheerfully populist, escapist, absurd and over-the-top, utterly lacking in self-importance and a hell of a lot more fun than virtually any other picture nominated in any other category, beaten out for its only nomination by a painfully worthy war drama.

Fuck the whole scabrous lot of 'em.

Ah thenkew.

Haus about we all give each other a big lovely huggle?

13:02 / 25.03.02

quote:Originally posted by Flux = A New Face In Hell:
I thought Jennifer Connelly looked like a man in drag, honestly. Her arms are so
muscular...

And the tragedy is, she *really* fancies you.

JC, a woman who has appeared in more "the making of..." films than actual films, is perhaps the least likely Oscar Winner since "Bad Boy Bubbie".

Sadly, I was working in the other room, and missed the whole thing. NExt time I will remember my laptop.

13:46 / 25.03.02

It is a little sick and embarrassing the way it's being used as this "Look! We like black people, too!" thing when, of course the reality is only THREE black people were honored last night. Ladi-freakin' dah. Although it does do my heart good to think of some little black girl at home watching the oscars and thinking, "Hmm, maybe I could do that. But I am a bit of an idealist.

ANYWAY, back to the point at hand. It's all kind of "Year of the Woman"-y in this "Look! Look what we're giving you, Black People! Three whole AWARDS!

%Well, jump the fuck back.%

So what I'm saying is, I'm a bit conflicted.

pointless and uncalled for

13:52 / 25.03.02

Don't worry. By tomorrow the crapfest that is the disection of tedious and largely ineffectual award ceremony politics will be over and the worls will be able to go back to being told what it's own decisions are.

01

15:15 / 25.03.02

Ok. Did Jennifer Connely get a breast reduction? That would suck if she did.

16:06 / 25.03.02

Screw the movies - did anyone else catch that Errol Morris intro thing?

I thought it was brilliant: Jello Biafra waving his hands going "No wire hangers! No wire hangers!", Iggy Pop talking about somebody's eyelashes, and Laura Bush, basically just being in the same short film as them (and Lou Reed, and a host of other people who went by too fast for me to catch).

Man, that was fun.

That, and I want to get a transcript of the David Mamet explanation of editing. Very concise and thorough.

Between that and the fuckin' weird smiles Lynch and Altman were exchanging when Howard went up to get his award (how'd they wind up arm in arm anyway?), I had fun.

Glad I watched the thing - first time in ages.

(Oh, and Jack Fear - Amelie was robbed!)

16:11 / 25.03.02

Technicaly superior, thats what counts. He got the best Baftas, at least the British can acknowledge his genius.

So when do the Latinos, the Orientals and the Asians get a look in then? Worried about Black Muslims and the War on Terrorism were we?

Never liked the Oscars, only watched for Peter's sake. Till next year

My advice make your own movies.

Bad War Film should never have stolen best Edit from Momento, twas a crime.

Haus about we all give each other a big lovely huggle?

09:35 / 26.03.02

quote:Originally posted by will it work wright?:
Technicaly superior, thats what counts. He got the best Baftas, at least the British can acknowledge his genius.

And the award for best New Zealander with a guaranteed audience goes to....

09:35 / 26.03.02

I missed Jello Biafra, Errol Morris & David Mamet? Dammit!!

For me, the coolest bit was when they showed clips from a bunch of documentaries from over the years and going "Holy shit, that's a kid from Spheeris' "The Decline of Western Civilization"! How in the hell did THAT happen?!"

Is that the bit you were talking about, Grant? If so, I must've somehow missed Jello & Iggy....

09:35 / 26.03.02

quote: And the award for best New Zealander with a guaranteed audience goes to....

and with more pressure to excell than Lucas and Spielburg put together.

09:35 / 26.03.02

So Halle Berry won and all that, so I guess that's great. Why are they making this big deal about her being black though?

I don't have 20/20 vision or anything, but well she doesn't look black to me. I can't remember where I read it, but some site said that she was "a black woman that looked white" and I have to agree.

If somebody of say Whoopi Goldberg's coloring had won, then maybe they could make a big deal out of it.

I think its a bit disgusting they're making a big deal out of this woman's coloring. Ooooh...she's a black woman. How wonderous! And she won an oscar! Power to the people!

Bah. The only reason she won was because she showed her breasts in both movies she was in last year.

09:35 / 26.03.02

Um. She looks black. She is black. She identifies as a woman of colour. To say that she doesn't count because she 'looks white' (which she doesn't) is pretty offensive.

It *shouldn't* be a big deal that a black woman won an Oscar. But because so few black people or people of colour do win Oscars (as CB pointed out, only three people this year) it *is* a big deal, and because this is the first time a black woman has won Best Actress, it is certainly a landmark.

09:35 / 26.03.02

Hmm...seems to be my month for making offensive comments. Oh well.

Fine, she won best actress and that is wonderful, but to make such a big deal out of color confuses me. Why aren't they making a big deal about her acting ability? That is the reason she won the award isn't it? I mean when Julia Roberts won the award, they talked about how great an actress she was and all that, so why not Halle Berry?

The Natural Way

09:35 / 26.03.02

I'm torn on this...

Trij does have a point. Halle Berry isn't exactly the epitome of black otherness. It IS very easy for a white audience/panel of judges (or any group whose worldview corresponds w/ white norms, white or not) to identify with the relatively caucasianesque features with which her "beauty" is bound up.

But I suppose it's a start.

10:00 / 26.03.02

It doesn't help that people over here haven't seen the film yet - I think it's out in July. But apparently she is very good in it.

Runce - yeah, I know. But it's a bit like saying that Colin Powell has only achieved what he's achieved because he's 'not that black' (I believe he has said something like this himself - to make the point that had he had darker skin he might have had a harder time). It's kind of imposing a non-black view of what it means to be black onto people who actually do identify as black or as people of colour... which might not be a terribly good idea.

Haus about we all give each other a big lovely huggle?

10:04 / 26.03.02

God, man, I was backstage at the Oscars and it was Hell...there was poor Jennifer, who had barely been to the opening of an envelope for the past decade, fretting away - "do I look like a man in this dress? No, please, tell me, do I look mannish? The boys won't love me if I am not a girly girl and OH MY GOD MY TITS DON'T LOOK BIG ENOUGH IN THIS DRESS!". And there was Haille, desperately sunbedding in case people ran her out on a rail for not being black enough...

Bedlam, I tell you.

The Natural Way

10:05 / 26.03.02

Yeah, Kit-Kat, that's why I'm torn. I mean, I certainly don't want to take anything away from (black) actors who have worked their butts off to get where they are today. Just making an observation that I wouldn't want stretched/unfolded into an opinion/argument/whatever.

[ 26-03-2002: Message edited by: You and Runce ]

10:14 / 26.03.02

FYI (don't see this mentioned here, maybe I missed it), Halle's mom is white and her dad is black, but yes she does ID as a black woman.

10:30 / 26.03.02

They talked about this a little on Newsnight last night, Halle Berrys mother told her when she was young to identify as black as thats what other people would do when they looked at her....

She is rather nice though and really thats all that matters

11:06 / 26.03.02

Hang on, A Beautiful fucking Mind won best picture & best director?!?

Let's all laugh and guffaw at the oscars, children..

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