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Underground > Film, TV & Theatre >

Money down on the Oscars, anyone?

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The Return Of Rothkoid

11:38 / 26.03.02

For those who missed it (including me): Halle Berry's acceptance speech.

13:16 / 26.03.02

OF course, that transcript doesn't mention the nearly four full minutes of uncontrollable sobbing.

Regrettable Juvenilia

13:23 / 26.03.02

I feel very conflicted about the results of the Best Actor and Best Actress awards...

On the one hand I think it's about time that a black woman won the Best Actress award, and about time another black man won the Best Actor one, and some of the "why are they making a big deal of the race thing?" comments on this thread mystify me slightly. I found Halle Berry's speech a bit painful, yet at the same time, I can understand why there might be so much emotional investment there - and I'm glad that there *was* an implicit "about fucking time" sentiment there. On the other hand, it's hard not to see some of the cyncism present in the Academy's timing and decisions, and it's hard not to acknowledge that some of the sceptical comments made about Berry's "whiteness" as a determining factor might be valid.

What worries me most, I guess, is the suspicion that they've effectively turned this into 'Black Oscar Year' so that they can go on being blatantly racist for another 30.

Still, thank God (and he did) Denzel beat Russ La Coque.

The Return Of Rothkoid

08:24 / 27.03.02

Does anyone think that the honoring of Sidney Poitier may have had some kind of influence on the main awards? Nothing concrete to base it on, but if the Academy's as cynical as they seem to be, it could have allowed the opportunity to prove how "aware" they were, before endorsing the same ole same ole for the next fifty years?

08:49 / 27.03.02

It's an interesting question - and I'd be fascinated to know how much the academy CAN work as one institution. I mean - we're talking about a social network of people in the same profession. It's entirely possible that they could move as a block - but it's EQUALLY possible that as individuals they may all have completely different motives...

10:52 / 27.03.02

It's worth pointing out that Sidney Poitier was to be given an award was announced only after the Oscar balloting in the main categories had been closed. The question then is, who picked Sidney Poitier to be honored this year (is it a vote of peers like the other categories, or an executive committee decision), and did those people know the results of the "main" categories.
As for Halle Berry's "Whiteness" being a factor in her selection, that's pretty ridiculous on the face of it I think. The woman is black. Would she have beeneligible to be a slave in the antebellum south? Yes, of course, and as someone falling under that criteria she is inextricably bound to the category of the American black experience.

12:26 / 27.03.02

i am certainly not going to be convinced that hollywood is doing anything other than tokeneering as far as black actors are concerned on the strength of one ceremony. we'll see what the next few years produce, huh? black directors maybe?

13:09 / 27.03.02

Has a woman ever won "Best Director"?

14:33 / 27.03.02

Only two women have ever been nominated for Best Director, and neither have won. Of 110 writers nominated for the best screenplay awards, only 6 have been women, with Emma Thompson being the only female to win that award.

14:35 / 27.03.02

todd: were the Oscars around when Leni Riefenstahl did "Triumph of the Will"? Heheheh.

I'm trying to name another woman director (Hollywood, this is) - there's Penny Marshall and Nora Ephron. Hmm.

According to their database, there have been a few women producers for Oscar winning films. 1998's Shakespeare in Love, Donna Gigliotti, 1994's Forrest Gump, Wendy Finerman, 1989's Driving Miss Daisy, Lili Zanuck (along with her husband Richard), and the first, 1974's The Sting, Julia Phillips.

I think in Hollywood, women have a better rep as editors & writers. And, of course, actors: Katharine Hepburn and Meryl Streep are tied for having the greatest number of acting Academy Award nominations (12). Ms. Hepburn holds the distinction of the most wins with four Leading Actress Oscars.

Oh, the Oscar FAQ also says: Two women have been nominated for achievement in Directing: Jane Campion in 1993 for THE PIANO and Lina Wertmuller in 1976 for SEVEN BEAUTIES.

Margin: 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....

Nah, the part I'm talking about preceded all the awards (except, oddly, Best Supporting Actress, if I recall). It was sort of the intro bit. White background, head-and-shoulder shots, jump cuts, lots of people talking about their favorite bits of movies. The MIT robotics guy from "Fast, Cheap and Out of Control" was one of the many interviewees.

14:40 / 27.03.02

Oh and if you're interested, here's the complete list of interviewees. It includes Mayor Jerry Brown, Christy Turlington, Wavy Gravy (he was *great*), Susan Sontag, Philip Glass, William Wegman (and one of his dogs), Al Sharpton and Mikhail Gorbachev.

Among many others. It was marvelous fun, it was.

I really wonder what this could do to the old six-degrees-of-Kevin-Bacon game.

Oh, and the documentary thing was actually done by Penelope Spheeris - that's probably why you recognized some of her clips in it.

Suedey! SHOT FOR MEAT!

14:56 / 27.03.02

Hmm.

So people would be ok with it, say, if the director of A Beautiful Mind was black - 'cos then it would mean something?

15:03 / 27.03.02

Gorbachev liked Gladiator a lot, didn't he? that bit was really cool, as my girlfriend and I were trying to figure out who each person was before they cut to the next ("Look! Philip Glass")
The Ernest goes to Jail guy was pretty funny. Who was that?

15:08 / 27.03.02

Hrm. Looking through the Oscar site, it seems that women directors fare fine in the short films category - there's a number of female winners in both the live action and animated short film lists.

Plus, it looks like the Guardian article I took that info from had their research wrong on the writer front - Callie Khouri in 91, Jane Campion in 93, Frances Marion in 30 and a few women as part of writing teams as well have all taken home "Best Original Screenplay" awards. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala has won two Adapted Screenplay awards.

09:56 / 28.03.02

Never mind the race issue, my problem is with Halle Berry full stop. I think she hardly even qualifies as an actor, never mind an oscar winner.
Apart from Jim Broadbent, who's lovely as well as being a decent actor, I have a problem with every one of the major oscar winners. Beautiful Mind? Bollocks. Jennifer Connolly? Double bollocks. Halle Berry? Double bollocks with a side order of bollocks.
And don't get me started on Ron fucking Howard.
It all confirmed to me that the US film industry is populated by the screamingly insane and talent-retarded. Hence the remake of 'Get Carter'.

The Return Of Rothkoid

11:23 / 28.03.02

Mr y:
It all confirmed to me that the US film industry is populated by the screamingly insane and talent-retarded. Hence the remake of 'Get Carter'.

Umm. Perhaps not quite as extreme. "A small number of people with lots of influence (perceived or otherwise) have their heads up their arses and give awards based not on ability or talent, but from feelings of popular-opinion catchup or opportunism" would be a better definition, right? That blanket statement is the equivalent of saying that the UK film industry's fucked because it produced a comedy where Vinnie Jones can be lead, or the Australian industry's fucked because it produced Bad Boy Bubby. Of course, I'm sure the US filmmakers here can speak for 'emselves...

Fengs for the Memory

11:26 / 28.03.02

No, you see they aren't remakes, it's an image perception revaluation of the originals core mythic elements. Remakes are for people with no ideas of their own!!!

The Return Of Rothkoid

12:41 / 28.03.02

Isn't the trend to call them "reimaginings"?

12:46 / 28.03.02

No, I agree. The UK film industry is fucked. Not for the reason stated, but it's definitely fucked. Or at least in the process of being fucked with no climax in sight.
But at no point did I say the US film industry was fucked. I said it was populated by the screamingly insane and talent-retarded. I think this is a positive prerequisite for the modern box office and a healthy sign. Like a wet nose on a dog.

As for 'popular-opinion catchup or opportunism', Rothkoid, you're right of course.

But I do prefer my explanation. I feel your definition doesn't go far enough as it fails to use the words 'Ron' 'Howard' or 'shithead'.

It just upsets me that so much pap was (I hesitate to use the word in relation to the oscars) rewarded.

Fengs for the Memory

12:53 / 28.03.02

Have seen today something truly worrying. I did have a sort of blind faith that the uk industry would produce a film of quality once more. But fuck me 'Bend like Becham' with the tag line, Why learn to cook Aloo Gobi when you can bend a ball like Becham. Somebody tell me this is a joke.

13:00 / 28.03.02

That's the painful dry-humping of the British film industry in action.
We can add this to the footy-related pile [and I do mean pile] that includes 'Ricky Tomlinson - twat in charge of a football team' and the aforementioned Mean Machine.
Nothing to match 'Escape to Victory'.

And do you know why?

No Michael Caine.

The Return Of Rothkoid

10:11 / 31.03.02

A quick and lame aside: has anyone noticed that the titling for Bend It Like Beckham is almost entirely ripped off from Ten Things I Hate About You? I think that every time I pass a bus-stop advertising that straight-to-video wonder. Fucking Goodness Gracious Me meets football... spare me.

12:56 / 31.03.02

It just upsets me that so much pap was (I hesitate to use the word in relation to the oscars) rewarded.

Yeah, and the annoying thing is, in years to come, people'll be looking through the list of Oscar winners in different years, and they'll think "A Beautiful Mind? That must have been a pretty crap year..", when in fact it's been a FANTASTIC year for cinema - there have been three (relatively) mainstream films which I think qualify as full blown masterpiece classics, and lots more fantastic 'edgy'/indie films, and none of them were rewarded at all. Balls.

Horus lord of force and fire

14:39 / 31.03.02

Bend it like Beckham looks like the worst film to ever grace a bus-stop.

But getting back to the Oscars, I'll have a fiver on LOTR for best film!

14:48 / 31.03.02

[b]"Why learn to cook Aloo Gobi when you can bend a ball like Beckham."[/b]

What does that mean anyways?

08:07 / 02.04.02

My guess would be 'why pander to Asian stereotypes of being a nice girl who can cook when you could play football instead'.

A laudable sentiment, I'm sure, but I suspect it may be a sentiment made into cinematic hell.

But Rizla's right - there have been some good films out this year, which has been evidenced by me actually getting off my arse and going to the cinema. Interestingly, the only oscars any of them won were for the sorts of things that don't make headlines...

08:20 / 02.04.02

Hey, Horus.

'But getting back to the Oscars, I'll have a fiver on LOTR for best film! '

Its already been and gone, Beautiful Mind got it

The Natural Way

09:36 / 02.04.02

Horus......

Cuddles and thread not-reading and culture paying-no-attention-to.

ONLY NICE THINGS

09:38 / 02.04.02

"Why learn to cook Aloo Gobi when you can bend a ball like Beckham."

What does that mean anyways?

Aloo Gobi is an Indian side dish made primarily of potato and cauliflower.

The Natural Way

10:19 / 02.04.02

And it's delicious.

But not as delicious as cheesy peas.

13:10 / 02.04.02

Easy Squeezy Cheezy Peas, now in Strawberry flavour!

[thats thread rot]

08:44 / 05.03.04

Did that kickass girl from 28 Days Later even get nominated?

Edit: Ooooh, wrong year. But we don't need to make a new thread.

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