83rd Annual Academy Awards

[Aerodude73]

Originally Posted by Holmes

I would love to see a duo from the so-called "Frat Pack" host. Say, Ben Stiller and Will Ferrell, or Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson.

They'd Definitely use the 10-Second Delay with either or those 4 "gentlemen."

Even though he's a bit older now, I always loved when Billy Crystal hosted. It's been many years since he's done this gig. Might be time for another shot.

[Dixon]

I didn't know Hugh was asked to host last year but turned down the offer. His reason for declining shows a lot of humility. I've always like Hugh and he's always seemed like a genuinely kind person, but I respect him even more now. Being asked to host again two years after hosting and one year after declining shows that they must really like him, with good reason. He's a real triple threat.

[ZoetMB]

I thought the last decent Oscar show was when Billy Crystal last hosted. I thought the Jackman show was embarrassing and even though I usually like both Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, I thought their appearance was incredibly unfunny. Maybe the problem wasn't them - maybe it was incredibly poor writing. I forget whether it was last year or the year before, but the producing team that was hired claimed that their Oscar show was going to be totally different in approach than any previous show - only it wasn't.

I think I'd like to see John Stewart hosting the show. I think he can strike the right balance between being critically funny at the industry's excesses but can also demonstrate respect for its successes and long history.

I also think Jimmy Kimmel could do a good job as host and also perhaps attract a younger audience.

One of the things that's always bothered me about these award shows is the amount of time it takes each winner to stroll up to the stage to accept their award. I always thought it incredibly rude to shake hands, hug and kiss people in the audience on their way up to the stage. Can't they do that afterwards? It slows the whole show down. Personally, I think they should play scenes from the winning film or from the winner's career while they're walking up to the stage.

The other thing that annoys me is when they show the clips of industry people who have died during the year and the audience cheers at different levels for each of the deceased as if they still have to take part in a popularity contest, even in death. And as the current film industry people get younger, and know less about film's history, even they don't know of half of the people who have passed, and there's an embarrassing silence.

[EricJ]

One request, though, if it's not too much trouble:
Have we declared the Best Actor/Actress "testimonial" nominations a failure yet, PLEASE????

It didn't work last year, and it didn't work the "experimental" year before.
We know actors are chummy and mutually supporting, that was what killed Whoopi (along with failed attempts at Bill Clinton jokes)--We WANT to see clips of the actor girded for battle in the middle of the role, and get some evocative fifteen-second example of what the actor accomplished.

The Best Supportings still get one, and as a result we at home probably have a clearer idea of why Mo'Nique got BSA for "Precious" than we ever did for why Sandra Bullock got BA for "Blind Side".
(Like we'd bothered to go see either movie when they were in theaters, and hoped that the Oscar ceremony would give some persuading reason to go out and improve ourselves by renting them.)

[Empire]

If DiCaprio doesn't win Best Actor for Inception or Shutter Island I will never watch the Oscar's again. Of course, it seems like I say if _____ doesn't win for ____ I will never watch again every year, and I always watch. Damn you Academy Awards.

[The_Basterd]

Get ready for the "Betty White for Oscar Host!" facebook fan pages.....

[The_Basterd]

Originally Posted by Empire

If DiCaprio doesn't win Best Actor for Inception or Shutter Island I will never watch the Oscar's again. Of course, it seems like I say if _____ doesn't win for ____ I will never watch again every year, and I always watch. Damn you Academy Awards.

I can almost guarantee he won't even get a nomination for either. He deserves one for Shutter Island, but he is getting overshadowed by others since it had it's theatrical release in February.

[Holmes]

Originally Posted by Empire

If DiCaprio doesn't win Best Actor for Inception or Shutter Island I will never watch the Oscar's again. Of course, it seems like I say if _____ doesn't win for ____ I will never watch again every year, and I always watch. Damn you Academy Awards.

Colin Firth or James Franco will break your heart.

[Holmes]

Originally Posted by Aerodude73

They'd Definitely use the 10-Second Delay with either or those 4 "gentlemen."

So? A bit of the unpredictable wouldn't hurt the Oscars telecast.

Besides, they're not super-foul. They, Ferrell and Stiller in particular, IMO, are more than capable of being hilarious without going too far into rated-R territory.

[Holmes]

Originally Posted by ZoetMB

I think I'd like to see John Stewart hosting the show. I think he can strike the right balance between being critically funny at the industry's excesses but can also demonstrate respect for its successes and long history.

Jon Stewart hosted the Oscars before. He did all right, but it wasn't his best night. He seemed a bit out of his element. The Oscars didn't prove to be the best platform for his particular set of skills--political humor included.

[Aerodude73]

Originally Posted by Holmes

So? A bit of the unpredictable wouldn't hurt the Oscars telecast.

Besides, they're not super-foul. They, Ferrell and Stiller in particular, IMO, are more than capable of being hilarious without going too far into rated-R territory.

I never said they were foul; if you know the conservative nature of The Academy, they'll prob. have the Delay on "just in case". I have no doubt any of these guys could do a good job.

[Minimejer05]

Oscar hype already! Im excited for the Oscars this year. Always have my yearly party. Hopefully they pick a great host!

[Zero_Cool]

I think the awards have sucked the last few years but I am down with Jackman hosting again. He was the best part. If not him please someone new.

[Aerodude73]

Originally Posted by Minimejer05

Oscar hype already! I'm excited for the Oscars this year. Always have my yearly party. Hopefully they pick a great host!

Ditto on the party - The 2011 show will be our 20th year & I've been with primarily the same core group since the 2nd year. I do the ballots, we usually have it at my friend's house, great food, snacks, beverages. We even do a Trophy for "Best Selector", of which I've won 6 times, including last year. That main trophy gets the person's name engraved on it ("Best Selector 2010" for last year & the prior years), & a smaller trophy that the winner keeps. The main one they Hold for a year til' the next Oscar show. Always a great time.

It'll be interesting to see who they pick this time. Male, Female, Comedian?

Originally Posted by Zero_Cool

I think the awards have sucked the last few years but I am down with Jackman hosting again. He was the best part. If not him please someone knew.

NEW, also...

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by Holmes

Jon Stewart hosted the Oscars before. He did all right, but it wasn't his best night. He seemed a bit out of his element. The Oscars didn't prove to be the best platform for his particular set of skills--political humor included.

Stewart was funny the first year, since that was the year of Brokeback vs. Crash vs. Munich vs. Good Night/Luck, and it was the first year (of many) that the Best Picture race seemed like a pointless highbrow snore--
Thus Stewart's easygoing populist snark seemed like a breath of fresh air, especially with a backlash against the West Coast voters treating "Crash" with world-shaking yuppie-conscience seriousness despite its being rather dopey.

It was the opposite the second time, though:
That was the year they were trying to break the "speed record" and stay under time by cutting out ALL entertainment, and Stewart's populist-snarky quips about "pointless" clip montages and production numbers seemed like they were flipping off the audience--
While we were getting unbroken award after award mechanically walking on and off stage like a graduation line--with no nasty little award-show distractions to break up the monotony--frankly, it would've been nice to have a "Clip salute to famous binoculars". (The first time they did the joke, in fact, you could hear the audience disappointed to find out it was just a gag: "Wait, you mean that wasn't a real famous-moment salute?--C'mon, show more of that! ")

[Romulus]

My early predictions:

Best Picture: The King's Speech
Best Actor: Colin Firth for The King's Speech
Best Actress: Natalie Portman for Black Swan
Best Supporting Actor: Geoffrey Rush for the King's Speech
Best Supporting Actress: No clue!
Best Director: David Fincher

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by Romulus

My early predictions:
No clue!

(Corrected for accuracy.)

[Romulus]

Corrected because you think I'm wrong or because it's impossible to tell this early?

[EricJ]

Corrected because the DANGED MOVIES HAVEN'T OPENED YET!!!
Anything can happen. And, as the cliche' goes, usually does.

...No, I'm not going to tell the old story about the last time we had Buzz-boiz on one of our old film boards trying to make "Oscar predictions" in August, and predicting a pitched Picture/Director/Actor sweep for Kevin Costner in "The Postman" against Ewan MacGregor and Danny Boyle for "A Life Less Ordinary", based--erm, I'm pretty sure--on name pedigree alone.
Let's just say that Swan-o-Mania is starting to reach neurotic proportions of rather unhealthy psychiatric status, and that--like Costner and Boyle--if the coin comes up tails and the What's-His-Name Weird Fountain Guy, Like You Saw That One In Theaters Either doesn't happen to deliver the Second Coming of cinema (let alone one to compete in the horse race with Buzz, Woody & Lotso), I know a certain group that's in for a WORLD of public bad karma dug-up-post hurt, just to bring back those good ol' days.

(There are those here, I'm sure, who liked Inception and have no idea what I'm talking about, but remember, it's all for your own good.)

[Diesel]

Beverly Hills, CA — Fifteen features have been accepted for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category for the 83rd Academy Awards®.

The 15 features are:
“Alpha and Omega”
“Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore”
“Despicable Me”
“The Dreams of Jinsha”
“How to Train Your Dragon”
“Idiots and Angels”
“The Illusionist”
“Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole”
“Megamind”
“My Dog Tulip”
“Shrek Forever After”
“Summer Wars”
“Tangled”
“Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue”
“Toy Story 3”

“The Dreams of Jinsha,” “The Illusionist,” “Summer Wars” and “Tangled” have not yet had their required Los Angeles qualifying run. Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and meet the category’s other qualifying rules before they can advance in the voting process.

Under the rules for this category, in any year in which 8 to 15 animated features are released in Los Angeles County, a maximum of 3 motion pictures may be nominated. If 16 or more animated features are submitted and accepted in the category, a maximum of 5 motion pictures may be nominated.

Films submitted in the Animated Feature Film category also may qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture, provided they meet the requirements for those categories.

The 83rd Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 25, 2011, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2010 will be presented on Sunday, February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre.

Link



The only ones I've seen (and have interest in) are Toy Story 3, Despicable Me and How to Train Your Dragon.