comment #1

bitplaya says ...

Thank God Tom Hanks stopped dying his hair jet black. Billy should do the same, it insults the intelligence of everyone watching.

comment #2

reverent and free says ...

Jeff just sat up in his seat. Bob Richardson won for Hugo.

comment #3

JLC says ...

Well, The Artist is. 0-2. You should be giddy about that.

comment #4

reverent and free says ...

2 for Hugo.

comment #5

Rashad says ...

The Artist is still winning Best Picture. Mark Wahlberg revealed this already

comment #6

coxcable says ...

You're dead Oscar. Get yourself buried.

comment #7

reverent and free says ...

Didn't they do the tribute to watching movies in theaters just 5 years ago?

comment #8

opinion says ...

Talk about pre-programmed: To hate The Artist for winning anything and therefore everything must be bad, including Billy Crystal. I say thank Billy, you saved from the bore of Eddie Murphy hosting. That's enough for me.

comment #9

Eloi Wrath says ...

Crystal's jokes have fallen completely flat so far. Even the audience is struggling to summon a polite laugh.

comment #10

reverent and free says ...

Jeff needs another vodka right now.

comment #11

opinion says ...

Not true. He hit a couple of targets dead on. They are not laughing in there because The Artist (with the Harvey assist, and all its proclaimed evils) has pulled the rug under Hollywood's own game, to wit, what you can call the 'World Series' trick, making films with commercial hooks and gimmicks and deciding their are the world's best. Guess what? Colonizing the world with your movie ways wised up a bunch in France and they doing your game better than you. Own it and live with it. If they lose, consider yourself lucky. Hooray to American filmmakers feeling depressed!

comment #12

JLC says ...

Okay, Pitt name-checking a Japanese man-in-suit flick as his first movie memory will be hard to top.

comment #13

joe banks says ...

it wasn't funny the eight other times he did the same lame ass opening and even less so the ninth

comment #14

reverent and free says ...

If only the Christopher Guest gang was hosting.

comment #15

Eloi Wrath says ...

That Christopher Guest sketch was brutal.

comment #16

reverent and free says ...

...And then Crystal mentions them by name and credits the guest stars of his intro? WT ?

comment #17

reverent and free says ...

Sasha just did a happy dance backstage.

comment #18

A Pop Calypso says ...

Robert Downey Tebowing.

Cirque de Soleil: "I could do that!"

comment #19

reverent and free says ...

Undefeated guys are the first winners to have their mic cut.

comment #20

reverent and free says ...

The first time in years Stiller hasn't presented in costume.

comment #21

Krazy Eyes says ...

Ben Stiller looks like an Oompa Loompa next to Emma Stone.

comment #22

reno rambler says ...

I thought the Emma Stone thing worked fine once you realized it was a bit.

comment #23

Fygar says ...

Is it me or they having a weird mic issue. I'm hearing loads of little chimey feedback whenever anybody talks on the mic. I'd say it's my signal, but it's not there during the clips.

comment #24

Hallick says ...

"I thought the Emma Stone thing worked fine once you realized it was a bit."

The whole show works in much the same way.

comment #25

Hallick says ...

"Reese Witherspoon's favorite movie is Overboard, the Goldie Hawn-Kurt Russell comedy? I'm...uhm...I'm sorry but that's so lame."

It explains a lot of her career choices though.

comment #26

bitplaya says ...

I'm hearing the same shit noise wise. I thought it was my cable company till I swithed to rabbit ears. I hope someone fixes that shit. Any idea what the doc guys said that got beeped?

comment #27

Chicago48 says ...

I liked the Emma Stone-Stiller act too. Have they made a movie together?
The show is being dragged along, it's so painful to sit through the commercials and all the production numbers. And the Rio Song was cheated! How the heck did the Muppets song get nom'd in the first place and then win? Give me a break!

comment #28

Billy says ...

Best Acceptance Speech: Woody Allen.

comment #29

bitplaya says ...

btw I love Overboard. If it came out today someone would have come out with a line of closets like the one Kurt designs. Also Goldie's ass was great.

comment #30

FlashDust says ...

Has anyone ever won a short film Oscar and then gone on to do notable work in full-length features?

comment #31

Captain EO says ...

I am a bit snookered on Cava and Kahlua & coffee, but am glad for the movies, and for folks like Mr. Wells who write about them - cheers!

comment #32

Ponderer says ...

Reese said she was joking about Overboard. Are you even watching?

comment #33

opinion says ...

Sure, Joe Banks. You're such a laughing riot yourself. A ruder man than myself would say get lost.

comment #34

Billy says ...

Oscar first: dead people in the teases.

comment #35

Billy says ...

nice memorial but gazzara shoulda gotten a sound bite.

comment #36

reverent and free says ...

Using film clips in the In Memoriam segment kinda made more sense than b&w headshots. If you don't remind people what movies they worked on then what's the point?

comment #37

Hallick says ...

"Reese said she was joking about Overboard. Are you even watching?"

She said it like she was joking, but, mmmmm, not really. Which was so utterly charming I could almost forgive her for being one of the people that kept that damn movie playing somewhere on cable every weekend for like 17 years straight.

comment #38

reverent and free says ...

Was that Moneyball's soundtrack that they used for the last Favorite movie montage.

comment #39

Hallick says ...

"Has anyone ever won a short film Oscar and then gone on to do notable work in full-length features?"

Martin McDonagh (In Bruges) won for "Six Shooter" in 2004 or 2005.

comment #40

Chicago48 says ...

When is this over? They keep adding these little testimonials. And we need more jokes Billy!

comment #41

Chicago48 says ...

I love Jean Dujardin. So cute!

comment #42

Hallick says ...

Additionally, Andrea Arnold (Fish Tank, Red Road) won once, as did Anders Thomas Jensen (The Green Butchers, After The Wedding) in 1999.

comment #43

Mr Bohemian says ...

Do you think they made Allan Stewart Konigsberg's oscar flat so they could stick it under his door. Midnight in Paris was just ok. They gave it to him because he is an old man and could die at any moment. that being said it is nice that he well on the screen in Nero Fiddled.
Saw the artist, I hope when they do the animal actor awards the little doggie gets one as he stole the film and I would to see more of his work.

comment #44

reverent and free says ...

Meryl Streep, the evening's holy shit moment. Nice that she rolled with good humor and went over to apologize to Davis.

comment #45

Chicago48 says ...

I'm glad she finally won because I couldn't go through another year of "will Meryl win" or not....so now she won't be nominated again....good!

comment #46

opinion says ...

Gazzara should've gotten a clip from Spanish Prisoner, to say the least. (To pick among his latest best) Sad that Oldman, the long-shot didn't win. (As sad or sadder for Bichir, but he really was a long-long-shot)

comment #47

reverent and free says ...

Torturing Jeff by playing Moneyball's soundtrack.

comment #48

Captain EO says ...

Mon Deu - is that Peter Lorre's kid?!

comment #49

chimbondasgloves says ...

"It's kind of nice to run the death reel so late in the show (i.e. after the Best Director Oscar). It shows a greater degree of respect,"

Unlike say, calling the "death reel".

comment #50

Joe G says ...

Once again - all Oscars won for work that was supported by a Weinstein Bros. campaign have an asterisk attached.

Did they get the Oscar for the work, or because Harvey is so adept at manipulating the system? They'll never know.

It looks like this -

The Artist*

comment #51

Mr Bohemian says ...

I hope this means they will be more silent movies. As I liked
the less concept in enjoying films

comment #52

opinion says ...

Good grief, and I thought all of you youngsters would get the reference. He was mimicking Fndo. Trueba's 93 acceptance speech. 'I don't believe in God, I only believe in Billy Wilder, so thank you Mr. Wilder'.

I know, I'm sure the hereto secret love of the French for Billy Wilder(from clueless Americans) will demote his stature in English-speaking circles tout suite.

Pity that a sharp genius like Wilder is not as easy to make fun of as Jerry Lewis or the French.

When Billy Wilder died, Le Figaro run this headline: 'Billy Wilder is dead. Nobody's perfect'.
-- I know, could you imagine a NYT lead like that? Not in a million years. Lots of balls and imagination needed, none that English newspapers could ever dream of mustering.

Now I know why Americans/British make fun of the French, and it doesn't look like it's because you're smarter or better educated.

comment #53

opinion says ...

He's Thomas Langmann, son of Claude Berri, one of the greatest European directors. Even Peter Lorre himself had talent to spare. What have you to show for yourself, besides petty, humorless trolling, Mr. EO?

comment #54

opinion says ...

I get it that this is fueled by Weinstein hatred, but for the life of me, enough is enough. Even my Moneyball didn't have a decent clip to show for. And I don't think Harvey paid the Academy to show a lousy clip. The Artist's clip wasn't much better but was better than Moneyball's. My only regret, again, a long shot, is that Oldman didn't get a real shot. He's owed one, at least.

comment #55

Mgmax, le Corbeau says ...

""Has anyone ever won a short film Oscar and then gone on to do notable work in full-length features?""

Oh, this guy for one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Siegel

comment #56

Rashad says ...

I'm sure the Weinstein haters want him to work his magic for PTA and Tarantino this year

comment #57

MikeSchaeferSF says ...

Oscar nite just ain't the same without LexG. But seriously: the show wasn't half bad. The funny people, for the most part, were actually funny, and it was a manageable 3 hours-and-change. Crystal does what he's always done, it's what they hired him for. Comfort food. Can you imagine what the Eddie Murphy version would've been like?

comment #58

Telemachos says ...

"Has anyone ever won a short film Oscar and then gone on to do notable work in full-length features?"

Along with the others people have mentioned, John Carpenter won an Oscar for a short film when he was still at USC.

comment #59

FlashDust says ...

Don Siegel is the exception that proves the rule.

I did forgot about Martin McDonagh and Six Shooter in 2006 though. In Bruges is quality work

comment #60

Raising_Kaned says ...

You know what? It wasn't a half-bad ceremony, as far as spreading the love around was concerned. I don't have the final tally on-hand, but it appears that nothing got more than 5 awards, is that right? I think that was the correct call this year -- esp. given the nominees. Yeah, The Artist won three of the "big four" (and four of the "big six") -- but whatever...it still looked like there was a concerted effort on the part of the Academy to award more than one nominee.

Now, Billy Crystal, on the other hand...I'm sorry to say, but I'll be content if this is his last Oscar hosting gig (at this point, I'd be surprised if he felt any differently). Just going through the motions, man.

comment #61

DukeSavoy says ...

In Memorium reel had nearly unreadable titles. Graphic trends come and go, and I'll be happy when the whispy title trend goes. Fucking ridiculous that you can barely read them.

Jeff Nichols should have won last night at "Indie" awards for directing Take Shelter -- a superb film on many levels, you know, like The Artist. Dominance of The Artist at 84th Oscars will be a head scratcher in years hence.

Streep, Crystal, and a silent film winning -- fire up the time machine, take me back to the 21st century.

comment #62

corey3rd says ...

Judging from the highlights, I did better skipping this year. I can't deal with Billy's Brillo pad toupee.

comment #63

Jesse Crall says ...

@Rashad: Yup. Weinstein was just doing his job and doing it well (not that I'd want to work for the guy).

This show felt very efficient, although it wasn't much for laughs. I think Emma Stone cracked me up more in her little sketch than Billy Crystal did the whole night.

comment #64

Rashad says ...

Carpenter doesn't have an Oscar.

Andrea Arnold did win Best Short, and directed Fish Tank, which is really good.

comment #65

CMed1 says ...

Why not bring back Chris Rock as host? He totally owned that stage for those 2 minutes he was up there.

comment #66

opinion says ...

Billy did it perfectly but Oscar host always get treated like innovative films are: Critics put them down until they realize they're wrong and then turn their opinion around.
For the record: Oscar host's not supposed to shine too bright, it's not his show, but Billy did sneak a few sugar-coated uppercuts, the way it should be done.

Ultimately, what's funny about armchair Oscar hosts is that they cannot come up with a true better alternative, and I don't mean 'wild guesses' but sure-fire better hosts. Crystal still got it.

comment #67

Joe G says ...

The Nick Nolte thing was pretty funny.

comment #68

opinion says ...

Unfortunately, that's all that Chris Rock can muster. Again, remember when he did it last time - the man went overboard. Oscar host is not the star, and the stings must be done gracefully, and Rock, for all his other virtues, is not too graceful.

comment #69

opinion says ...

There was nothing really really new in Billy's bag of tricks. Even those who know his routines now he was rehashing old bits - even improvs like the running tape backwards bit, but nothing to be sorry or too critical about. He pulled it off with aplomb. If he cannot solve the slight sore throat problem, though, he should get a co-host or make this his last. I vote for co-host. Maybe Hathaway, who didn't do half as bad the last time, tho I'm sure here can barely stand her.

comment #70

Jesse Crall says ...

I barely remember Chris Rock hosting beyond the Jude Law thing, which always struck me as odd because Law's a talented guy. He's probably has a better career than Russell Crowe since that night...

But yeah, the mumbling Nolte was funny as was the Tom Sherak comment. The off-the-cuff stuff is almost always better than the pre-planned sanitized "fun." Even on Conan, he's funnier reacting to his own jokes than he is telling the actual jokes.

comment #71

BobbyLupo says ...

"Has anyone ever won a short film Oscar and then gone on to do notable work in full-length features?"

I always thought Taylor Hackford was the go-to example, I didn't know about Don Siegel.

Technically speaking, John Carpenter didn't win that Oscar, though his film did.

comment #72

DeafEars says ...

I thought the Tom Sherak joke was a cheap shot. Did Sherak fuck Crystal's wife back in the day or something?

comment #73

cyanic says ...

Fuck Harvey Weinstein

comment #74

Mgmax, le Corbeau says ...

"Don Siegel is the exception that proves the rule."

Actually, if you want to go really far back, Mark Sandrich directed a zany, risque short with Phil Harris (So This is Harris) which got him into features shortly after... notably Top Hat and a bunch of the other Astaire-Rogers films. (And, by extension, his son Jay into TV directing.)

Of course, you could also say Walt Disney went from winning Oscars for shorts to features.

Jack Clayton (The Innocents, the Redford Great Gatsby) came to attention for the short The Bespoke Overcoat.

And to bring it back to this year... Claude Berri's career was kicked off by Le Poulet. Berri's son, Thomas Langmann, produced The Artist.

comment #75

Errol Flynnn says ...

That Harvard kid that Wells posted about nailed it.

http://oscarforecast.wordpress.com/predictions/

comment #76

Jesse Crall says ...

"That Harvard kid that Wells posted about nailed it."

Holy shit, he did. I think we've got another Nate Silver.

comment #77

Terry McCarty says ...

I get the Hazanavicius reference--he was riffing on Orson Welles' observation that the three best American directors are John Ford, John Ford and John Ford.

comment #78

lazarus says ...

Billy Crystal has made fun of the traditional boring speech by the Academy president. In fact, MOST Oscar hosts make the same joke.

Why do people think it was funny this time around?

Also, Crystal once again tries to bring the orchestra pit into one of his jokes.

Stale, stale, stale.

comment #79

patches23 says ...

No Henry Morgan in the memorial. He deserved to be recognized. Somebody fucked up big time.

comment #80

Fortunesfool says ...

How on earth did Tree of Life NOT WIN for best cinematography????

comment #81

Terry McCarty says ...

lazarus wrote;
Billy Crystal has made fun of the traditional boring speech by the Academy president. In fact, MOST Oscar hosts make the same joke.

Recalling the great Robin Williams line about Jack "Boom Boom" Valenti.

comment #82

Captain EO says ...

@opinion:

Chill out, dude - no reason to go all Sean Penn on me, unless you have some sort of issue with Peter Lorre - maybe "M" hits too close to home?

comment #83

Movie Watcher says ...

So it's 5:30 in the east, woke up 20 minutes ago and I got the results. So now Streep has another Oscar, 3 for 18. Wow what a record.

comment #84

Travis Actiontree says ...

It's gonna be tiresome tomorrow hearing about how "awful" the Oscars telecast was.

Here's an idea...don't fucking watch it, then....

Despite who you think should or shouldn't have won, the Oscars were fine. Well done, entertaining, not draggy... good show.

comment #85

Bob Violence says ...

Additionally, Andrea Arnold (Fish Tank, Red Road) won once, as did Anders Thomas Jensen (The Green Butchers, After The Wedding) in 1999.

useless trivia: Jensen had been nominated twice without winning, on the third try he said "I think I've figured out how to make a winner" then turned around and did it

comment #86

DeafEars says ...

"Billy Crystal has made fun of the traditional boring speech by the Academy president. In fact, MOST Oscar hosts make the same joke."

Really? I guess I wouldn't know, this is the first complete Oscar telecast I've watched in 15 years or something. Maybe Crystal should take the piss out of himself for a bit - "Here I am fresh from Madame Tussaud's. Billy was caught in traffic, so he asked me, his wax figure, to fill in."

comment #87

Chicago48 says ...

"opinion says ...

There was nothing really really new in Billy's bag of tricks. Even those who know his routines now he was rehashing old bits - even improvs like the running tape backwards bit, but nothing to be sorry or too critical about."
I agree. I've watched the Oscars every year with Billy and he rehashed the opening sequence. But they probably didn't want to pay for writing....and the Oscar song -- I expected that. He moved the show along and was a gracious host. Not a lot of jokes though. I loved how tastefully they did the memorials, I loved the focus group and Cirque Du Soleil was entertaining. I just don't know if that's what their intention was. The show's theme was -- GO TO THE MOVIE AMERICA, GO SUPPORT THE MOVIES! lol
Overall a good show.

comment #88

Eloi Wrath says ...

The format was mostly okay, but the jokes just weren't good. If they could get Grazer back and just plug in a funnier host, that might work. Maybe shave a couple of extra features off - the Cirque du Soleil thing was probably great fun if you were there in the audience, but unnecessary on TV.

Ultimately, the reason these telecasts have become a chore is because of the awards themselves. Everyone knows what's going to win so it just becomes a procession.

comment #89

JLC says ...

The whole focus seems to be to make the Oscars "young," "hip" and "relevant." Well, news flash - the Oscars specifically and award shows in general are none of these things, and maybe never have been. They are from a bygone era and can't be "fixed." Just look at the variety show format. How many kids would be caught dead watching America's Got Talent? Arthur Godfrey's been dead for decades.

The Grammys get away with it because they can trot out the newest musical acts between the awards. The Oscars have no such luxury. Trying to make them something they're not isn't going to work. Just accept them for what they are.

comment #90

Paul says ...

I would love to see those segments where folks talk about seminal movie moments for them. Are they available online anywhere?

comment #91

SaveFarris says ...

It's gonna be tiresome tomorrow hearing about how "awful" the Oscars telecast was. Here's an idea...don't fu**ing watch it, then....

When the ratings come out this afternoon, I think you'll find most people didn't.

comment #92

Any1 says ...

Hahaha xD No it's not. Oscars are not dead to me yet!

comment #93

Padre la Tiempo says ...

So to sum up last night's show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-KmuMo2cAM

comment #94

opinion says ...

I rewatched excerpts of Rock's Oscar on YT and it looks like I'm wrong. He was very good. Maybe post- Gervais he looks okay.
The Academy Pres. joke is a given, but always work.
Oscars are not 'world quality' - it's a horse race.
Putting aside the Harvey issue, I'm a little delighted at the discomfort these unknowns-in-the-U.S. gave to the usual Oscar contenders. Around the world we take the Hollywood machine ramming their product down our throats without a whimper. So you can imagine the sight of a well crafted film crashing the party was a mischievous delight to watch.

I guess such discomfort include a few in this thread trying for humor with foreign names and foreign films about serial killers of infants. You know, high-end and classy.

comment #95

Captain EO says ...

Well, I guess the old saying applies: @opinions are like assholes - every site has one, and they're all swollen up with 'roids of self-importance. Do us all a favor by inserting a soothing suppository to calm your angry itch.

comment #96

Ileryia says ...

I loved Reese Witherspoon's comment on Overboard - suffering from a devasting illness, I watch it to smiile, it reminds me to appreciate where u are in life and the people who are in it - the funny thing is the movie was actually on that night after the Oscars including Just Like Heaven. So to each their own but I get it.

comment #97

Terry McCarty says ...

JLC asked:
How many kids would be caught dead watching America's Got Talent?

We'll find out if the addition of a working-clean Howard Stern yo the judges table brings in the kids this summer.

comment #98

Moara says ...

Hazanavicius thanked Billy Wilder repeatedly, since he identified with Wilder as an Euro-Jewish expat working his own sense of humor within Hollywood. And of course his movie follows Sunset Blvd's example, albeit with a different tone and more historical distance. Fat chance Francis Veber will get the same due thanks from a young American director of comedy winning a Caesar.