An appeal to the Academy (and the wonder of Lady Gaga)

by Cláudio Alves

The 94th Academy Awards were marked by a scene that will surely live in infamy, one of those immortal Oscar moments destined to overshadow everything else about the ceremony, its winners, and the overall season. Whatever one might think about it, AMPAS wasn't to blame for it. However, there's no way to deny their responsibility for the night's other failings. Indeed, The Slap wasn't the reason I'd call the 94th Academy Awards the worst ceremony of my lifetime. That would be its overall contempt for the art of the movies. This came through in the ceremony in ways that Nathaniel and Eric have already written about.

And yet, hope is everlasting.  The 94th Academy Awards ended on a positive note that might point us towards a better future, a return to form...

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The 5 Best Oscar speeches from Sunday night...

by Cláudio Alves

When it comes to the 94th Academy Awards, the exclusion of eight categories from the live ceremony will always cast a dark shadow over the proceedings. This is especially true when considering the evening's best speeches. As it happens, a good percentage of them are unavailable to us, existing only in the edited versions that ABC aired. Riz Ahmed gave a powerful speech, but it's hard not to notice that Aneil Karia's words were utterly excised from the final edit. Other highlights include Joe Walker with the night's funniest acceptance and Alberto Mielgo's loving tribute to the art of animation… 

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The Oscar's best-dressed list

by Cláudio Alves

As the Oscars returned to their home, the Dolby Theater, so did the red carpet rediscover a sense of grandeur. We're not back to a pre-pandemic world by any means, but last night's glamour proved a nice distraction. Indeed, the fashion was a high point in what might have been the worst Academy Awards of my lifetime. In any case, this piece is about celebrating sartorial beauty, not dwelling on a ceremony that was lackluster when it wasn't actively disastrous. And so, let's peruse the night's several red carpet looks, examine their visual impact and sense of elegance, bold risks, and classic tailoring. In the end, I'll present my top 10 favorite outfits…

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Behind the Scenes at an Annual Oscar Party!

By Christopher James

We come to this place for magic. We come to the Dolby theaters to love, to cry, to watch a truly unhinged Oscar night. The Oscars have reached an interesting inflection point in their history. How do they adapt to the changing times without leaving behind what makes them special? As a movie fan, of course, like Nathaniel I want the Oscars to err on the side of more-is-more. They should be the Super-Bowl of movies that everyone is excited to watch or, yes, half watch. How have we (by we, I mean people who don’t have an interest in football) been conditioned to watch the Super-Bowl each year? Simple: the Super-Bowl party. Who doesn’t love an excuse to party and hang out at a friend’s house on a Sunday and watch something that everyone will talk about the following day? The Oscars should be longer, bigger, more fun and be the type of event that people want to throw parties for.

Throwing an Oscar party each year (sans last year for obvious reasons) has been one of my greatest joys. I invite you behind the scenes of (East) Hollywood’s biggest night (aka me packing thirty rowdy Oscar watchers in a small apartment)...

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Who was best dressed? Best Actress Edition

You know about our "fantasy doll sets" and now we have more gowns to add to that imaginery collection! So it's time to talk about Best Actress fashion again. Who wowed you? Who disappointed you? Who gets your vote?

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