2018 Oscar Predictions

[+ WilliamM]

No real surprises (not that there should be any.....but it does add excitement with there are). I liked Shape of Water...but Best Picture?

 

I was surprised when Liza Minnelli won Best Actress for "Cabaret." Even though I was pretty young I did not expect Grace Kelly to win Best Actress for Country Girl on the 1950s.

 

Moonlight was a surprise last year.

[+ pitman]

I only watched the last 45 minutes. To me, Frances McDormand's comments were overly theatrical, maybe not if I had watched from the beginning.

 

Also were there any surprise wins?

I was expecting Agnes Varda's FACES PLACES to win Best Doc, and was surprised that ICARUS won.

[LoveNDino]

I was expecting Agnes Varda's FACES PLACES to win Best Doc, and was surprised that ICARUS won.

Hollywood does NOT like Russia these days;)

[Populist Fury]

I only watched the last 45 minutes. To me, Frances McDormand's comments were overly theatrical, maybe not if I had watched from the beginning.

 

Also were there any surprise wins?

 

No surprise wins when you take into account that all the guild winners ended up winning last night. Shape Of Water won DGA & PGA, Jordan Peel & the CMBYN guy won WGA, + all 4 actors won SAGs. So yeah, very predictable night.

 

Everything Frances says is overly theatrical & a bit cooky at times. She's an OTTP tweaker goddess, it's what makes her special, & sets her apart from all other actresses her age <3

 

I'm glad she got her Oscar back after it was stolen from her @ the Governors Ball last night. http://variety.com/2018/film/news/frances-mcdormand-oscar-stolen-thief-arrested-1202718123/

[+ pitman]

I was hoping that OF BODY AND SOUL (Hungary) would win for Best Foreign Language Film. According to friends who have seen it, it is very cinematic and unforgettable. It is viewable in the US only the Netflix. If it had won perhaps it could have had a theatrical release. Its sad that so many outstanding films cannot be seen on a big screen with an audience unless you are fortunate enough to catch them at a film festival.

 

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-on-body-and-soul-review-20180201-story.html

[BroadwayDave]

“Shape of Water” is now on Vudu streaming service as an Early Access rental if anyone wants to check it out.

[EZEtoGRU]

I found Shape of Water charming as a sort of homage to Creature from the Black Lagoon/Splash and ET, but agree I wouldn't have thought it was best picture-worthy?

I totally agree with you. As I said up-thread, I felt about The Shape of Water the same way I felt about American Beauty. Interesting and captivating movie...but Best Picture?

[EZEtoGRU]

Hollywood does NOT like Russia these days;)

 

Actually no-one in the USA likes Russia these days (or any days) except one to-be-unnamed guy who lives on Pennsylvania Ave in DC.

[MartyB]

I was hoping that OF BODY AND SOUL (Hungary) would win for Best Foreign Language Film. According to friends who have seen it, it is very cinematic and unforgettable. It is viewable in the US only the Netflix. If it had won perhaps it could have had a theatrical release. Its sad that so many outstanding films cannot be seen on a big screen with an audience unless you are fortunate enough to catch them at a film festival.

 

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-on-body-and-soul-review-20180201-story.html

One of my favorite films of the last 10 years was Ida from Poland. A remarkable film. Haunting and mesmerizing and beautifully acted.

[MartyB]

I'm thrilled that Shape of Water won. If some have expressed this was a film only about a deaf woman having sex with a fish they weren't paying attention.

[+ WilliamM]

Except that I could swear that Jennifer Garner introduced him as Eddie BUTTER.

 

Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam is one the best known rock performers for well over a decade. I doubt Ms. Garner said "Eddie Butter."

[Populist Fury]

Actually no-one in the USA likes Russia these days (or any days) except one to-be-unnamed guy who lives on Pennsylvania Ave in DC.

 

Speak for yourself, girl. Most people in the country don't care enough about #Russiagate, they're much more concerned with economic issues affecting their everyday lives (among other things), not whether 13 online trolls posting #Hillary4Hospice memes on FaceBook had an actual impact on the election or not. Spoiler Alert: It had none.

 

Some of us like Russia just fine. The out of control anti-Russia xenophobia & hysteria going on these days needs to stop.

[Populist Fury]

Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam is one the best known rock performers for well over a decade. I doubt Ms. Garner said "Eddie Butter."

 

More like well over 2.5 decades... I remember first listening to them back when I was in 6th grade, circa 1992. Those were the days <3

[EZEtoGRU]

Speak for yourself, girl. Most people in the country don't care enough about #Russiagate, they're much more concerned with economic issues affecting their everyday lives (among other things), not whether 13 online trolls posting #Hillary4Hospice memes on FaceBook had an actual impact on the election or not. Spoiler Alert: It had none.

 

Some of us like Russia just fine. The out of control anti-Russia xenophobia & hysteria going on these days needs to stop.

 

Well aren't we a sensitive little thing. Those of you that like Russia just fine are a tiny portion of Americans and, hopefully, are being monitored very closely by the NSA....just like Trump is. I would suggest that the majority of Americans are indeed concerned over whether the Trump campaign and/or Trump White House had/have been influenced by Russia for some reason. It would take a brainless creature to believe there is nothing there.

 

BTW....no-one believes your faux-independent disguise here on the board. You are a right-wing extremist. Time to come out of the closet...honey.

 

Back to the Oscars. We thank Dino for turning this thread political.

[EZEtoGRU]

Bad news for Oscar viewership.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/oscars/oscar-ratings-down-double-digits-as-viewership-hits-all-time-low-with-265-million-–-update/ar-BBJToUv?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartanntp

[+ WilliamM]

More like well over 2.5 decades... I remember first listening to them back when I was in 6th grade, circa 1992. Those were the days <3

 

I know. I listened to Pearl Jam in the 1990s as well. Just was not sure Eddie Vedder was universally known then.

[+ WilliamM]

Well aren't we a sensitive little thing. Those of you that like Russia just fine are a tiny portion of Americans and, hopefully, are being monitored very closely by the NSA...

 

The problem is with Putin and the oligarchs, not necessarily with the people who live in Russia. I often disagree with Corporate Shill -- most of the time actually. But, "Well aren't we a sensitive little thing" is unfair. I agree with Shill on Dianne Feinstein not running for re-election and several other issues.

[LoveNDino]

Well aren't we a sensitive little thing. Those of you that like Russia just fine are a tiny portion of Americans and, hopefully, are being monitored very closely by the NSA....just like Trump is. I would suggest that the majority of Americans are indeed concerned over whether the Trump campaign and/or Trump White House had/have been influenced by Russia for some reason. It would take a brainless creature to believe there is nothing there.

 

BTW....no-one believes your faux-independent disguise here on the board. You are a right-wing extremist. Time to come out of the closet...honey.

 

Back to the Oscars. We thank Dino for turning this thread political.

You’re welcome;)

[Populist Fury]

Well aren't we a sensitive little thing. Those of you that like Russia just fine are a tiny portion of Americans and, hopefully, are being monitored very closely by the NSA....just like Trump is. I would suggest that the majority of Americans are indeed concerned over whether the Trump campaign and/or Trump White House had/have been influenced by Russia for some reason. It would take a brainless creature to believe there is nothing there.

 

BTW....no-one believes your faux-independent disguise here on the board. You are a right-wing extremist. Time to come out of the closet...honey.

 

Back to the Oscars. We thank Dino for turning this thread political.

 

You want NSA goons to "very closely" monitor law abiding citizens based on their political views, but I'm the right-wing extremist in this?????? lol I don't even know how to respond to such lunacy. Many Democrats like yourself have drank the Neocon warmonger kool-aid & aren't even aware that y'all sound just like them at this point. Sad... very sad to see.

 

But going back to the original topic here... Not surprised to see that ratings went down as much as they did. It was a dull show with predictable results + the comedy was weak. I'd personally get rid of all musical numbers to cut down on time moving forward. Best original song is one of the most insignificant categories, makes no sense that 30-45mins are dedicated to it each & every year.

[bostonman]

But going back to the original topic here... Not surprised to see that ratings went down as much as they did. It was a dull show with predictable results + the comedy was weak. I'd personally get rid of all musical numbers to cut down on time moving forward. Best original song is one of the most insignificant categories, makes no sense that 30-45mins are dedicated to it each & every year.

 

The problem is, for this to work on TV at all, there has to be production value. Wanna just merely watch the awards given out and speeches made? They could do that on C-SPAN lol. Now, I do agree that the writing could be miles better, the gimmicks (like the visit to the movie theatre) need to be rethought, and yes, the songs should be presented in a better way, but I do think the songs provide a needed respite from the routine of the evening.

 

But yes - faster pacing in general, and some careful choices as to what works as "filler" and what really doesn't (Like, please god, don't make the Star Wars actors try to make jokes, lol) - that would help. (I actually think that, instead of the songs, all that awful "cute" banter between the presenters, before they announce the awards, needs to go away. Most of it is beyond terrible.)

 

And somehow - though I know this is pretty much impossible for many reasons - the commercial breaks need to be MUCH shorter (likewise the custom commercials for the evening, some of which went on WAY past their welcome last night.)

[+ WilliamM]

Best original song is one of the most insignificant categories, makes no sense that 30-45mins are dedicated to it each & every year.

 

I agree. But, Eddie Fisher recorded an album of Oscar winner songs from the beginning to the late 1950s. With a few exceptions, the songs were wonderful (White Christmas, Somewhere Over The Rainbow). And even Eddie Fisher stopped being wonderful in a few years.

[+ WilliamM]

But yes - faster pacing in general, and some careful choices as to what works as "filler" and what really doesn't (Like, please god, don't make the Star Wars actors try to make jokes, lol) - that would help. (I actually think that, instead of the songs, all that awful "cute" banter between the presenters, before they announce the awards, needs to go away. Most of it is beyond terrible.)

.

 

I have been watching the Oscars since the late 1950s. They have always been unfocused. At least Bob Hope and Johnny Carson hosted for so long, they almost became allies with the folks watching at home.

 

And there were dramatic surprises: Liz Taylor's Best Actress Oscar for Butterfield 8, for example.

[Kenny]

Some of us like Russia just fine. The out of control anti-Russia xenophobia & hysteria going on these days needs to stop.

Let’s see. Who will I believe, Shill or Jane Mayer? Shill or James Risen? Shill-the-Greenwald-wannabe or...just about anyone?

[Kenny]

And there were dramatic surprises: Liz Taylor's Best Actress Oscar for Butterfield 8, for example.

The pity Oscar.

[Kenny]

I'm thrilled that Shape of Water won. If some have expressed this was a film only about a deaf woman having sex with a fish they weren't paying attention.

The only science fiction film ever to win Best Picture. (Lord of the Rings was fantasy.)