For many years, the viewership of the Academy Awards have steadily dropped; as the results of the recent shows has always faced mixed reactions from the audience that is watching it, either for its controversial political viewpoints, racial or sexual biased or it's elitist snobby attitude to certain genre of films. Because of these, many people find the show to be over-hyped, out of touch, uber self-congratulatory, or too long and boring to watch. Nevertheless, it still dominant in ratings for most of the Sunday night, it airs, and I'm sure this love/hate relationship will continue to be that way, for years to come, as every viewer that does tune in, has their own favorite films that they wanted to win, each year. As you can see, there are many reasons to hate the Academy Awards, but at least, the academy is working on it. It's a diverse year, and they did try to cut the length time. However, there is one thing, most movie fans and critics get wrong, every year. The Oscars are hardly predictable. This year show shows that, with everything, not going quite as plan. Let's start with the host, Jimmy Kimmel. While, he did perform, some funny comedic numbers, making fun of the celebrities, around him, and the controversial president, Donald Trump with mean tweets. Some of his other jokes, kinda fell flat. Sequences like the tour bus visit, the candy drop & the dance number, went a little too long, for my taste. But, bad jokes were not the only problem to plague this year's Academy Awards, as the set was badly built to the point that during rehearsal, a huge part of the stage collapsed. Thank God, nobody got hurt, but it really could had been worst. Despite that, they got it fix, and the show did go on. The red carpet show is the same old, same old, with gossip newspaper talking about how glamourize, the film people look. For once in their lives, I would love to see, them, talk about how bad, some of Hollywood biggest stars, looks, lived on air. A good example of one, worthy of burning is Halle Berry's fake-looking afro, talking how orange, Alicia Vikander's fake tan skin is & how awful Blanca Blanco's Effie Trinket dress, was. Holy crap, all of their appearances was horrible! Anyways, that gives us, up the music performances. The opening dance and sing number was fine, even if it's overdone. I also love the fact that most of the presenters & guests were classy and respectful, even if their acting to hold in, their hatred for each other, felt awkward, hackneyed, fake and forced. There's something fun about watching people try to get along with each other rather than being uber-friendly with everybody. A good example from this year, was Denzel Washington, Bri Larson and Casey Affleck. They really look like they wanted to rip each other, apart, but holding it back, for the sake of the show. As usual, the most somber part of the evening is the obituaries segment, as this year saw the passing on of a high number of talent, too many to mention. While, the music performances throughout the show, couldn't bring the audience, back to life, after that. It was good enough to listen to, in the background, even if Sting's performance was somewhat tiresome & boring, Auli'i Cravalho got hit in the head, by a flag dancer and Lin Manuel Miranda rap has nothing to do with the song that he was nominated for. For the most part, the nonsense rambling in speeches were somewhat limited as well, but some of them, did go, a little overboard like, actress Viola Davis, whom talk about graveyards and silly comments about actors being the only people to understand life. They really should had cut her off, a bit few minutes, earlier. Things like this, really waste the time. However, the most bizarre moment in 89th Academy Awards had to be the closing, with the error readings of the Best Picture winners with actor, Warren Betty and Faye Dunaway. Without spoiling it all for you. All, I will give, is the emotional reaction, I felt, when watching it. It was a shocker! It probably will feed the conspiracy theorists, what Emma Stone had to say about Oscars' balloting process. Overall: While, the Oscars is known as a giant pompousness, Hollywood circle jerk. I do like the Oscars give the spotlight to a lot of films that the vast majority of movie audiences don't hear about. Some of these movies really do need a significant boost. In the end, I can't hate this most prestigious film awards show on the planet, even with its many, many faults. After all, I do love movies. While, this year, Golden Globes was a lot more entertaining to watch, as least, the Oscars wasn't a total disaster. It's still worth seeing
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Here we have "The 89th Annual Academy Awards", more commonly referred to as the Oscars. The director here was 11-time Emmy winner Glenn Weiss and this was the first time he directed the Oscars. And he sure won't forget them that quickly. But first things first. Previous awards shows are always a good indicator how the Oscars would pick and this was true here as well for the most part. "La La Land" was the favorite and also ended up with most of the awards. But the love was not as immense as at the Golden Globes for example. It took home all the categories where it was considered a lock, but it did not win where it was considered first or second likely for the win. This also includes the prestigious Screenplay award. As for the actors, Viola Davis was probably the biggest lock of the night and she won of course. Stone and Ali weren't safe, but upsets by Bridges, Patel, Huppert or Portman (who absent because of her pregnancy) did not happen. Denzel Washington's recent SAG win made people think he could also beat Casey Affleck at the Oscars and it was basically a 50-50 situation. Anyway, I expected Affleck to take home the prize still and that's what happened. As for Washington, I think he has a decent shot at another trophy in the next 15 years for sure.
Big surprises were probably that La La Land did not win any of the Sound categories, but I am perfectly fine with Arrival taking one of the prizes. And even if Mel Gibson did not win his category (as expected), he was still among the big winners of the night as his resurrection piece "Hacksaw Ridge" won twice while most people doubted it would even win once. Really happy for the man. Also the wins for Fantastic Beasts and Suicide Squad weren't really expected. "Star Trek" and (again) "La La Land" were considered more likely to take the trophies. Never underestimate Colleen Atwood I guess. But the biggest sensation of the night probably came right before the show ended. Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway reunited from Bonnie & Clyde and presented the Best Picture trophy to La La Land. All as expected. All as expected? In a huge mishap apparently, Beatty was given the wrong envelope, the one that listed Emma Stone as a winner and this also explains Beatty's initial hesitation. Seconds later, the turmoil was huge and we find out "Moonlight" is the real winner. What a mess. And while there is almost only losers in that scenario as the "La La Land" crew had to leave the stage immediately, it was hardly a wonderful victory for Barry Jenkins and his team because of the circumstances. I still want to give my respect to Beatty because he was really doing well in this situation. He was hesitant to read out the name and without Dunaway screaming out the "winner", he may even have told everybody right away what was going on. Anyway, I hope that the incompetent idiot who handed Beatty the wrong envelope and who probably earns $5000+ a month gets sacked right away. Seriously, how can you screw up the only (or the most important thing) you have to do all night. Unreal stuff. i read as well that there was a wrong photo inclusion during the in memoriam sequence that really makes me question what kinds of people working on this show. Stuff like that has not happened in the past and it should not happen. If Cheryl Boone Isaacs has any sense of responsibility, she will step down.
About the show itself, it was not really the anti-Trump event I would have expected, even if host Jimmy Kimmel gave his best to turn it into one. His tweet at Trump was probably the most embarrassing moment of the night. Luckily not too many honorees joined in and I applaud everybody who helped in keeping these slightly over 3 hours as unpolitical as possible. With Kimmel it was pretty much the expected, he is as stale and monotonous in his line delivery as you could expect and it wasn't helping at all. The "stars read mean tweets part" was somewhat expected and the Matt Damon references were no surprise either. Actually, these were pretty hilarious most of the time, but I'd also say this was more due to Damon than to Kimmel. I hope he won't return as a host. He said at the end that he messed up and he was somewhat right, even if he obviously is not responsible for the confusion at the very end.
As for the winners, some of them fit in nicely with the global political climate, for example the Foreign Language Movie winner. I am okay with it. "The Salesman" is a good film and I'd say it is superior to his only real contender "Toni Erdmann". I have not seen "La La Land" yet, but I am glad for Emma Stone's win, like her a lot. Haven't seen "Fences" either, but just like Viola Davis' previous acceptance speeches this season there is always something contrived, fake and arranged to her presentations in my opinion. She is as cold to me (even if she tries to be warm) as she is a professional. I hope her performance is at least deserving. These awards were certainly the epitome of diversity: Moonlight, Fences, Hidden Figures, O.J. and Loving received such a great deal of attention, so that Will Smith and his wife can't complain this year. Maybe too much attention? And where are the Asian-American movies, the Hispanic-American movies? Luckily(?) these people are not as vocal if they get shut out or otherwise they would have to change the rules every single year. My final note about the end of the 2017 awards season goes to Kevin O'Connell, possibly also for me the happiest moment to see him finally win. See you next year. -
The remark passed by the host regarding the president's tweeting in relation to his bathroom habits was gross and inappropriate.
The show started off very well with Justin Timberlake singing and dancing and the audience in full participation leading to a feel good, festive mood. Not bad during the ceremonies that food and other goodies would come down from the ceiling.
Since 1944 no picture has had two songs from it nominated and one would win. That happened with Going My Way and the winning nominated song- Swinging on a Star. Other song Going My Way was also nominated. This happened again last night with City of Angels from La-La Land beating out another song from that film.
When Warren Beatty opened the best picture envelope he saw Emma Stone's name along with the La-La Land title. That should have set up a red flag immediately. What an ending, only in Hollywood style. -
Ipusticki28 February 2017You now what!! Warren Beatty was awesome last night...just AWESOME! I loved the guy! he was more funny they Jimmy Kimmel whole night...
-So he opened the envelope, and he noticed that there was something fishy about it, but he wasn't sure what it is. -So he looked at everybody, smiled a bit, looked at Faye Dunaway and he double checked the envelope. -He wide opened the envelope in order to better check if something else in there...but nope, there wasn't! -Again...he looked at everybody in the audience, probably think it "oh damn, what the hell should I do now"...but he was still smiling. -He looked at Faye Dunaway again, and shes like "Oh common Warren, say it all ready"... - Well...now Warren knows he is in deeps...well, you know what...but hell...he decides to check that envelope one more time! You know, third time is a charm... -He literally sticks his hand inside that envelope...but damn it, there is nothing else inside! -He looked at Faye Dunaway again, and now shes like "Oh damn it Warren, just all ready say it! COMMON". - Well, Warren knows he is toasted, but in the last seconds he gets a brilliant idea! -He gives the envelope to Faye Dunaway thinking "Well, you do it since your pushing it so much", and he basically drops the ball in here lap... -And she didn't even read it...she just glanced it and happily yelled LA LA LAND"!! -And Warren is all smiling, thinking, "well, that's that!" - And then the whole hell breaks lose...but Warren is still smiling, cool as ice...
Other then that, I just loved that SUICIDE SQUAD got Oscar for best makeup and hair styling! That wasn't one of my favorite movies in 2016., and it was flawed...but it was fun and I don't really get all the hate. So Im glad it won just so that the haters could lose their nerves. I could care less about that, or any Oscar given last night, but this was still such a pleasure. "The Film We Most Loved To Hate in 2016"... give me a break! Like nobody watched INDEPENDENCE DAY 2 or RIDE ALONG 2...GODS OF Egypt...a lot worse movies than SUICIDE SQUAD. But hey...it was trendy to hate SUICIDE SQUAD. Well, there you have it now... -
blanbrn3 March 2017This Oscars and Academy Awards the 89th being correct was much different and ended with a surprise with the wrong best picture winner being announced something that we had never seen! Still the show tried to be funny with host Jimmy Kimmel as he took jabs at President Trump and Jimmy even introduced real people to the crowd of stars even one being an ex convict! And it was neat and nice for how the sky rained down with candy and donuts for the stars to eat! As expected the musical "La La Land" took home a lot of awards even earning cute and attractive red head Emma Stone her first Oscar as she won for best actress. And Viola Davis rightfully won best supporting actress for her strong performance in "Fences", yet Denzel was upset in the best actor race by Casey Affleck who won for "Manchester by the Sea". Now when the best picture was announced by Warren it was "La La Land" no wait a minute a mistake "Moonlight" wins best picture how did that happen! First time in the history did the academy just give out the wrong card, or was it a joke who knows!? Overall a mediocre Oscars that was even dampened more by the mistake at the end calling the best picture wrong let's hope it never happens again.
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ajneeago961 May 2021This ceremony had many great contenders competing. I can't say I agree with some of the wins, as I think Hacksaw Ridge should of got more love, but I'm still content with the results. That ending flub was also a pretty awkward moment that became kind of history defining. I'm sorry Moonlight, La La Land should of had that in the bag.
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lee_eisenberg27 February 2017OK, so the most famous incident of "The 89th Academy Awards" was the goof with Best Picture. PriceWaterhouseCoopers is now going to be known as the company that made Faye Dunaway say the wrong thing. More important than the flub is that a movie about gay black man won Best Picture. Even having not seen it, I'd say that it was probably the more important movie.
As for the nominees, the only ones that I've seen in all categories are "Arrival", "Hell or High Water", "Manchester by the Sea", "Captain Fantastic", "Florence Foster Jenkins", "A Man Called Ove", "4.1 Miles", "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" and "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them". It's good that "The Salesman" won, since it drew attention to Donald Trump's Muslim ban. As expected, a bunch of mouth-breathers on Twitter were angry that the Academy gave an Iranian movie an Oscar.
It was inevitable that the ceremony would be half awards, half swipe at Trump. Jimmy Kimmel pulled no punches. That gag with the people on the bus was probably a pleasant surprise for them. I mean, how often do you get to do that? When they announced the most famous car in movie history, I at first assumed that it would be either Herbie or Christine. I should've guessed that it was the DeLorean.
My only real complaint was that the ceremony opened with one of the songs. Isn't it more appropriate to introduce everyone first? As for the winners, I haven't seen enough of them to judge, and haven't been all that eager to see "La La Land" (named by Kimmel as the movie in which white people save jazz). Nonetheless, it's good that a Muslim (Mahershala Ali) finally got to win in an acting category, and that Viola Davis won; she's deserved an Oscar for a long time (this also makes her the first African-American to win the Triple Crown of Acting). It's good that Jackie Chan won an honorary Oscar, but I'd like to see the surviving members of Monty Python and the Beatles win honorary Oscars.
All in all, I was satisfied. -
ragpap936 March 2017First of all in Malawi, DSTV we got the red carpet part live but the actual award ceremony was a day late. Also I did not care for watching it live as I have a busy schedule so I tried to record it. However there was a recording conflict with 'The Walking Dead'. Since I felt the Oscars lately have become racially biased, I prioritized TWD. l already found the twist ending or La La mess or Moonlight mix-up while watching 'The Daily Show With Trevor Noah'. However as Trevor pointed out that when white people made mistakes in the past it took years before they corrected them but here it was immediate.
I watched it on the 6th March and just finished it in fact. I decided to quickly review it while it was still fresh in my head. Ryan Gosling sang a song from La La Land to start the night of. Jimmy Kimmel was okay. There were some hits and some misses. The joking of Trump and his tweets was great. Bringing up the feud with him and Matt Damon was kind of mean-spirited but the riffing of 'We bought a Zoo' was actually funny. The mean tweets Oscar edition I cringed at but I loved Robert De Niro's response. The Hollywood tour was a nice thing to do. The candy, cookie and do nut drop was silly.
Surprisingly the awards were spread around a diverse, well deserving group instead of the occurrence of the infamous whitewash. I might even say that the awards were fair this time round. Viola Davies' speech was moving.
Which finally brings me to the ending La La Land cast and crew could have gone home with the award none the wiser but it was amended right there onstage while they were giving speeches thanking whoever made it happen as a guy with a headset was whispering something into everybody's ears. But I already knew what. One of the crew members was giving his speech and says 'but we did not win 'Moonlight did''. He had reassure the audience that it was no joke and that there has been a mix-up.
In the end it could have been perfect but boring or completely awful. However it turned out to be an improvement over the recent ceremonies also with a controversial, interesting sensational twist ending. -
Prismark1027 February 2017Justin Timberlake kicked the show off with a song and Jimmy Kimmel took over hosting duties by continuing his feud with Matt Damon. Kimmel had a decent opening with a few barbs at the new president of the USA.
After the controversy last year regarding diversity, two black actors won in the best support category, one of them being a Muslim which would had made Trump happy.
Kevin O'Connell won an Oscar for best sound mixing for Hacksaw Ridge. It was his first victory in 21 attempts.
Mel Gibson got rehabilitated of sorts as his Australian shot film, Hacksaw Ridge won 2 Oscars.
Damien Chazelle became the youngest ever best director winner as La La Land won 6 Oscars or was it 7?
The final award of Best Picture saw two legends being wheeled out, Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. It would be a shame that they only get known for this mix up that was not their fault. Next year the Oscars need to pick new auditors as PriceWaterhouseCoopers should be sacked.
Moonlight was the best picture winner over the slightly superior and wrongly announced La La Land but really it was not a vintage year for the Oscars but the awards were spread out which is always nice. -
Ed-Shullivan15 March 2017A poetic story for fans of a dying industry
Remember the days a half century ago? When people stood outside in movie lines for hours toe to toe?
The movie fans stood in line to see movie premiers, Sometimes as the rain fell on them of a size larger than elephant tears.
There was Gable, Bogart, Tracy, Poitier and who can ever forget Brando? This was also the film era of Hepburn, Davis, Leigh, and what about Greta Garbo?
We stood in line in anticipation of seeing our favorite stars, Back in the 1950' and 1960's fans also watched movies at drive-ins in their cars.
There were no blue-tooth's, no Spotify, Amazon and certainly no streaming as there is now, We watched our favorite films on the big screen or only on the late, late night TV show.
We loved the taste of a refreshing coca cola and we could smell the fresh popcorn cooking on the theater stoves, It was a simpler time when people talked to each other.in person and we went to the movie theater in droves.
Movies meant so much and there was meaning in each one that movies drew the fans in hordes, But yet we always stayed at home once a year to watch the Academy Awards.
Now here we are the 89th Academy Awards must be politically correct, The women's and men's fashions are meant to shock for the greatest affect.
Innovative and heartwarming stories rarely exist; films are mostly based on a book, The winners speeches are so long now that some of these self- proclaimed stars are given the old hook.
Oh how I wish that VHS, DVD, Blu-Ray and 4K were never created, Then the 89th Oscars would be more than just gold plated.
We would once again stand in line, eat fresh popcorn and hush the strangers sitting directly behind us, Instead we don't even have to watch the 89th Academy Awards anymore since winners are announced through instant messaging which leaves us with nothing left to discuss.
This my friends is a dying industry, Voting seems to be determined in advance which no longer leaves any mystery.
So here I sit, lonely-hearted, No longer wanting to watch this years 89th Academy Awards, other than to pay tribute and recognize the stars who recently (dearly) departed. -
Ciddalio1 July 2020Best Picture W : Moonlight M : Arrival
Best Leading Actor W : Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea) M : Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea)
Best Leading Actress W : Emma Stone (La La Land) M : Emma Stone (La La Land)
Best Supporting Actor W : Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) M : Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals)
Best Supporting Actress W : Viola Davis (Fences) M :Viola Davis (Fences)
Best Director W : Damien Chazelle (La La Land) M : Denis Villeneuve (Arrival)
Best Original Screenplay W : Manchester by the Sea M : La La Land
Best Adapted Screenplay W : Moonlight M : Hidden Figures -
rsevero5 September 2020Cinema is much more than Filmed American Trash. The rest of the world films packed in one category! That really reflects a prejudiced American-oriented mind.