Thursday
Feb282013
Podcast: Oscar Night Season Wrap
Thursday, February 28, 2013 at 3:30PM 
For the final podcast of the season, Joe Reid, Katey Rich, Nick Davis, and me, your host, Nathaniel R let reader questions be our guide for this spontaneous Oscar Night Review.
Topics include but are not limited to:
- Musical Performances: Adele, Shirley Bassey, Babs, Jennifer Hudson, and Catherine Zeta-Jones's Jazz
- Future Nominations or Backlash for the winners: Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Lawrence or Anne Hathaway?
- Ben Affleck's speech
- Can Michael Haneke ever return?
- What were the best reaction shots and when did we do our best reaction shots from home?
- On Naomi Watts' career choices and Oscar's love of "it" girls
- Documentary and Costume Design
- Seth Macfarlane versus Jokes and Musical Theme
- Emmanuelle Riva cutaways
You can download the podcast on iTunes or listen right here at the end of the post.
All That (85th Oscars) Jazz
The Big Night: Fun Arrivals, Winner's List, Jennifer Lawrence in the Press Room
The Look Back: Seth's Hosting, Funniest Tweets, & This Podcast
The Fashions: Fifteen Men, The Ten Nominated Ladies, Goodbye Glamour
Reader Comments (33)
Thanks for doing this (and so many other) podcast(s) this year, guys and gal. They were an absolute joy.
I think that the Oscar win that's most likely to be forgotten is Christoph Waltz because he's already won one for a Tarantino revenge flick, because he was really the lead, and because the actual supporting cast was so great and didn't get nominated.
I loved the Amour clip during the BP intro, but had to remind myself that those great moments were surrounded by numerous long takes on the apartment decor, Riva in her hoverround, and Trintignant chasing the pigeon. The intros to several other films-- SLP and Django come to mind-- showed way too much of the films' end and I can't decide if that's ok in a year-end awards ceremony.
And I agree with Joe about 'Sugar Man' being overrated and 'Invisible War' being good if artistically wanting. The blue title cards for various chapters of the film just seemed so cheap.
Evan -- the pigeon chasing. My god, that scene. So unnerving for some reason. I think about it all the time. #AmourFuckedMeUp
I think Waltz's second win is the most forgettable out of all of them. Not only did the other winners have more publicity and talk about them (Daniel is getting three! Will Jennifer claim it? We hate Anne!), but his win just felt so undeserved. I think he's quite delightful in the movie but that Oscar really could've gone to someone else (like DiCaprio who is in the middle of some Victoria's Secret model wondering where it all went wrong). His win was surprising yet a total anti-climax.
Barbra is excellent at talking and seguewaying so flawlessly into singing. She manages to finish her thought, doesn't sound hammy and has time for a breath before she goes into it.That woman is a well-oiled machine. And there was:
(singing) "If we had the chance to do it all again, would we?" *pauses* "Of course we would."
Loved it.
I pretty much was pregnant with emotion for the entire night with all of the musical performances. I had no idea Shirley Bassey was going to be there so i had to control myself when she came on stage and did GOLDFINGAHH. Then there was Adele! I already adore her and Skyfall so that was a treat but she did underwhelm with her singing. I give her a pass because her dress weighed 33 pounds (!!!) and she does have issues with stage fright. I'll stop here because i'm fully prepared to gush about all of them all over again.
Btw, that *was* a great Quentin Tarantino impression.
Re: Hathaway backlash, just for closure sake. First, I'm not a hater, I like her as an actress, and until this season I found her charming in interviews and so on. But do you really guys, think people pick up a random woman to hate, just for no reason? It didn't happen to Chastain, nor Lawrence, nor Watts.
I think overexposure killed Hathaway's campaign. People didn't buy her ingenuity covering her mouth when blushing, embarrassed, not because it can't be her real personality ( I think it is), but because it was a hard sell when you go commando to the premiere of YOUR movie. Huge mistake. And then, the GG speech and publicly correcting the spelling of her name, at the moment I thought it was one of those jokes that can have some minor bitchiness, and then, she took the mic from the producers to finish her list of names. I think that was the last stroke...on the camel and all that. People perceived her no longer as the sweet assistant to evil Streep, but as the one who would yell at her assistant for a spelling mistake. And I think that is going to be hard to shake off. She really needs a break, and her PR team will need to do a lot of extra hours.
The Awards: I'm fine with most of them, except the Django love.
The Show: Compared to recent years it was highly entertaining although they were incredibly slow with the reaction shots. They missed quite a few good ones! Also, they could have done way more with the tributes.
The Season: I really appreciated the time I've had to see all the movies without rushing. It's been a good one. Thank you all!
You guys have great chemistry! Hopefully it won't be too long until you reunite again for another podcast.
re: Lawrence and the age thing
While I didn't mind the age difference so much - they really had remarkable chemistry and you could see it, she still felt too young for someone who was supposed to have... well, lived.
I laughed so hard at the reaction of the Nicole is also poison for Naomi part.
First podcast of the telecast where I felt like you guys covered all of the bases without rushing or exhausting certain topics. Great job, guys!
The musical parts: I was really impressed by the Les Mis cast, because I wasn't really expecting it. But they really do know how to sing live, and really go for it. I wanted to go see it again, right away.
On foreign directors: I'm hoping Werner Herzog will win an Oscar. Isn't he part of the Hollywood landscape now? And I'd love to see a double win with him directing Naomi Watts in the Lawrence of Arabia era film they are doing.
What Oscar will be forgotten? I think Argo will be like Kramer vs Kramer in 30 years. What picture do you think won the 1979 Oscar? Apocalypse Now, Alien, All That Jazz, Norma Rae, Manhattan?
Did no one find Emmanuelle Riva being in David O. Russell's place in the Best Director lineup hilarious? Like karma for him being a douche at the BAFTAs.
I agree that Christoph's is the most forgettable.
As for Anne ... it's weird, but she's really annoying to me now too. And I was NOT one of those people until like, the other day. It's not like Kirsten and Nicole, though. That was weirder. I feel like Anne sort of brought it on herself by acting so painfully gracious and thankful, yet equally artificial. Like, who starts their Oscar speech with "it came true ..." Gag me with a spoon! My best friend and I just said she basically came off as the president of a high school drama club this awards season.
Maybe it was overexposure. Because honestly she always acted like this (remember the Best Actress presentation when she was nominated for Rachel?), but it wasn't annoying before. Probably because I wasn't seeing her behave like that every five seconds everywhere.
She is sweet though, so I hope everyone moves on from this. Which I think they will She won't be a Renee or a Hilary.
Yeah, I'm not really sure if Oscars remember scripts (and both of these winners were not memorable or the strengths of the film as a whole) like we do about acting, director, or picture. Argo just feels like it will not age well and not just because it takes place in the 70s. There is also nothing really deep about it beyond the 'we have to save these people against a ticking clock' scenario. It will do fine on cable (because I am sure unlike the other prestige-y nominees it played as well if not better on home screeners) but I am not even sure it is going to be remembered among the better American releases of this past year. Some movies will be a fabric of their time than enduring (like what Kramer vs. Kramer was trying to say about the break up of the nuclear family) but I am not even sure if Argo has that over even a Silver Linings Playbook (I think Kevin B. Lee's video essay on it actually sold me on the idea the film does comment a lot on American culture) let alone a Beasts of the Southern Wild or Zero Dark Thirty.
Yay! Now the award season can officially end. ;)
Great job as always and thank you so much for keeping it frequent this season, such a treat for us.
I don't think the Hathaway hate is half as vicious as the Kidman hate used to be. She'll be fine. (And I liked "it came true". People are just looking for things to criticize.)
Thanks for all the podcasts guys. Particularly in this extra-long season, they helped it fly by.
OMG Nick's Ben Affleck and QT impressions were SO spot on!
Christoph Waltz's second Oscar is forgettable? Second Oscar in 4 years for a talented, cultured European actor. Betcha you said that for the first one too. Get over it, he's here to last. And thank Heaven, he's so smart he enlightens all he looks at. And please don't Leo me, I'm sick and tired of that. Waltz won because he deserved it and I can assure you are the only ones bitching...talk to you in another 3 years and we'll see.
@Jules: i LOVE Waltz, and I thought he was best in show in Django actually. But his second win is forgettable. Not because he lacks talent or anything, but because he won far too fast again and for a role that's nowhere near as memorable as Landa.
No, sorry, I really do not get it. "Too soon" means "forgettable"? Why? By the way, I preferd him in Django.
Thanks guys, for this and all of the podcasts!
Some thoughts:
- I think Tarantino put so much emphasis on the characters to say that people care more about that than the violence.
- I found Amour a bit boring, too. The scenes with Trintihard Name and Huppert were my favorite.
- What Riva thought after the show? "Hurrrrttts"
- And about Seth: Maybe it's obvious but as tacky as the jokes were, I think the point was to show the mentality of: the guys who care so much about boobs, the homophobes who do this or that, the thing that many people see all black guys as one person (usually Samuel L Jackson) etc
Oh Anne Hathaway, she must have known about all the backlash and then she gives people ample ammunition with the whole Valentino dress fiasco and then the whole 'it came true' moment where she said something like 'i had a dream' when asked about it in the post press conference. Really Anne? It's hard to root for you girl when you keep doing stuff like this, but I give her a pass, at least she's interesting.
@rami - Well, she obviously meant that "the dreamed I dreamed came true" so there was no point in asking her at the press conf and it was surely not possible for Anne to not be corny in answering. I think the "it came true" was said successfully semi-jokingly.
Not talking about her whole attitude. Just that bit.
"What Riva thought after the show? "Hurrrrttts" "
I literally spit out my coffee when I read this. LMFAO!!! Hopefully J. Law bought her a drink after the show.
Another great podcast!
MVP: Nick, for the QT impression. I burst out laughing uncontrollably and the people on the train started looking at me funny.
Yeah, I tend to agree that the Django wins (Waltz and Original Screenplay) are the most forgettable, for many reasons. Mostly, it's because when you look at his filmography and see that Tarantino has won 2 Oscars, I don't think you will assume he won for Django. You will assume Jackie Brown, or Reservoir Dogs, or Inglorious Basterds. With Waltz, it's more about that category. You'll look at that roster in ten years and assume it was Tommy Lee Jones or Robert DeNiro or maybe even Philip Seymour Hoffman. I also think that Lincoln (and MAYBE Silver Linings) will have a longer cultural life than Django. Nothing bad about Waltz's performance (which I loved), just that I can totally picture looking at this category in a decade and saying to myself, "Oh yeah, Christoph Waltz won. Huh. Whaddya know?" Depending on her career, I think Jennifer Lawrence might also fall victim to the whole "She won her (first) Oscar for THAT?" syndrome (See also: Katharine Hepburn's first).
The Bond Tribute likely would have gone over better if it hadn't been so hyped. Although I have to say, Dame Shirley stole the show. As for Adele, she is lovely and has quite the instrument, but that song does not exactly make for a great live performance on its own. It's not... dynamic enough, or something? Had they played the actual opening credits of Skyfall in the background it would have been better.
I think in the end, it's really at the producers' feet for a poor Oscar show, not Seth MacFarlane's. He didn't help much (I like him, but most of his jokes just weren't funny, unfortunately), but the show was bloated and felt long, even by Oscar's standards, and most of that can be laid at the feet of the people making the decisions. Like the Jaws thing. I thought it was a great idea, but unfortunately, the first time they did it was under the VFX crew who happened to making a really important, heartfelt statement, and it undercut that moment in the worst way possible. If that underscore had happened under literally any other winner, it would have played better.
So what is it you all "suspect" about Kristen Stewart? Substance abuse? Anoxeria? Clumsiness? Sluttiness? Personality drought? What gives with her?
Fun podcast as usual. You guys "kept it tight" once again! I didn't get to say anything about the show itself. Seth MacFarlane, nah. I've seen all I need to see of his fratboy bullshit, and I hope he never hosts again. The "Jaws" exit music was horribly tacky and gross. The direction of the show was poor with the lack of audience participation, poor sound issues (shameful making Adele sound like that), the ridic original song presentation, and no sense of pacing (people do have to work on Monday, after all). Decent winners. I feel bad for the Visual Effects guys. Tony Kushner losing was awful. Sad that Roger Deakins lost AGAIN. I called both the live action and animated shorts winners, so yay me! WOOT! Jennifer Hudson is a goddess. Babs, Adele, Zeta, J-Hud, Bassey, Norah, Cheno, J-Law's epic fall, etc. I was in ghey heaven! I'll need a break from all things Oscar for a good while. Nice blog and podcasts, Nathaniel! Catch you bitches on the flip side next year! :-)
^ ^ ^ My vote would be substance abuse, not that you asked me tho.
Oh, Nathaniel, *I* remember the hate and vitriol spewed forth at Kiki and Nicole. It *was* just as vicious as this Hathaway thing, and I remember for two reasons:
(1) I had a HUGE crush on Kirsten Dunst for a while (before I learned to appreciate Drew), which meant plenty of people would turn their anger towards her on me.
(2) I confess...I was one of those Nicole haters. I was so young and naive at the time, though: I called Chase Meridian (Batman Forever) the only good performance in her career. It's embarrassing to think of now!
Another great podcast, of course.
I agree with Nathaniel, as a shameless Kiki fan, I felt like Anne getting Catwoman was the MJ fiasco all over again, except social media amplified the vicious reaction from fanboys (ps Poor Shailene Woodley and great piece on that nonsense, Katey). So is the key to being respected again, with the Dunst and Kidman examples, for Anne to be in a LVT film?
And Joe's reaction to the Mulholland Dr.-Moulin Rouge theory was mine as well.
MacFarlane should never have been hired. But I really think he should have been smart enough on his own to retool his brand of humor. This is not Family Guy. This is not open mic night at the frat house. It is possible to be funny without being offensive or cruel. He had the chance to show the world a new side of himself and expand his scope and build his image. He blew it.
I'm just saying:
Nick, ca 2005: "Boy are people hating Kirsten Dunst lately."
Nick's Mom: "Who?"
Nick, ca 2006: "Boy, has Nicole Kidman fallen out of favor."
Nick's Mom: "Has she?"
Nick, ca. 2013: "Boy, do a lot of people hate Anne Hathaway."
Nick's Mom: "They sure do! I think she needs to dial it back. That Oscars hosting didn't help, either."
Among actress-obsessives, I can maybe see how these even feel comparable. Even then, not really, but maybe. Among a general public? Anne has leapfrogged them into Gwyneth ca. 1999 territory. Which doesn't mean it can't subside. I just don't think those other gals ever got there, and/or not for as many people. Happily for them, nobody is, like, Ingrid Bergman ca. 1951. So I obviously take Nathaniel's point that anybody can bounce back from anything, and it happens to a lot of actors. Especially the ones with ladyparts.
Serious question because I don't know: Was there a lot of blow back about the age difference between Warren Beatty and Annette Bening when they were co starring with each other back in the day? I realize that it is a different kettle of fish when the actress in question is in her thirties as opposed to in her twenties, but the difference between Beatty and Bening is actually 5 years more than between Cooper and Lawrence.
will h -- i don't actually remember there being much. but maybe that's because there was always so much blowback to any warren beatty relationship (up until then) that it was easy to miss.
Regular people liked Seth. Gently remove the stick from your ass, everyone. It's the Oscars. It's not that important. If you know anything about comedy, you'd know that being offensive is always funny, at least to those with a sense of humor. Hollywood doesn't seem to have ne.
mma - That means you are being funny, right? :p