Special Event: Academy Awards 2021
April 25, 2021 11:03 AM - Subscribe
Steven Soderbergh says he's going to direct tonight's ceremony "as if it were a film itself." Taking place two months late and in Los Angeles Union Station (Easier for Ed Begley Jr. to get there), let's see what the heck the 93rd Annual Academy Awards is going to look like.
I have seen more of the best picture nominees than usual, but all I want is for Húsavík to win best original song.
posted by the primroses were over at 12:00 PM on April 25, 2021 [6 favorites]
posted by the primroses were over at 12:00 PM on April 25, 2021 [6 favorites]
I have seen fewer of the movies this year than usual but I really enjoyed Crip Camp and I'm rooting for it, even though many of the Best Documentary nominees look very good.
posted by jessamyn at 12:01 PM on April 25, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by jessamyn at 12:01 PM on April 25, 2021 [2 favorites]
The Guardian had an... odd description of Steven Soderbergh in their article on the Oscars, their entire description of him being, "the cinéma vérité director of Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Traffic and the questionable Girlfriend Experience".
posted by kyrademon at 1:04 PM on April 25, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by kyrademon at 1:04 PM on April 25, 2021 [2 favorites]
I still have a fond memory of the year that jessamyn was stranded at SFO, and we went and picked her up and made her watch the Oscars with us and our neighbors and probably a lot of shit-talking outfits and winners. And cats.
posted by gingerbeer at 1:54 PM on April 25, 2021 [11 favorites]
posted by gingerbeer at 1:54 PM on April 25, 2021 [11 favorites]
The Guardian had an... odd description of Steven Soderbergh in their article on the Oscars, their entire description of him being, "the cinéma vérité director of Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Traffic and the questionable Girlfriend Experience".
Soderbergh directed all 3 of Ocean's Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, as well as Magic Mike. Maybe he'll bring male strippers and a tiny foldable gymnast to his version of the Oscars (THAT WOULD BE AMAZING).
Seems to me like the Guardian is going out of their way to get in a weirdly moralistic jab at TGE. Do better, for fuck's sake.
posted by axiom at 2:20 PM on April 25, 2021 [4 favorites]
Soderbergh directed all 3 of Ocean's Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, as well as Magic Mike. Maybe he'll bring male strippers and a tiny foldable gymnast to his version of the Oscars (THAT WOULD BE AMAZING).
Seems to me like the Guardian is going out of their way to get in a weirdly moralistic jab at TGE. Do better, for fuck's sake.
posted by axiom at 2:20 PM on April 25, 2021 [4 favorites]
He also directed Contagion (special prize for Most Relevant Film?)
I read it as a badly phrased attempt to highlight the "cinéma vérité" side of his career as opposed to more conventional stuff. Though I haven't actually watched any of the movies named and don't know if they qualify.
posted by trig at 2:44 PM on April 25, 2021 [1 favorite]
I read it as a badly phrased attempt to highlight the "cinéma vérité" side of his career as opposed to more conventional stuff. Though I haven't actually watched any of the movies named and don't know if they qualify.
posted by trig at 2:44 PM on April 25, 2021 [1 favorite]
I’m just here for Húsavík.
Also, out of the list of best picture nominees, I only saw Trial of the Chicago 7 and can confirm it shouldn’t win. It isn’t bad — it’s fine — but not Best Picture material.
posted by Big Al 8000 at 3:50 PM on April 25, 2021 [4 favorites]
Also, out of the list of best picture nominees, I only saw Trial of the Chicago 7 and can confirm it shouldn’t win. It isn’t bad — it’s fine — but not Best Picture material.
posted by Big Al 8000 at 3:50 PM on April 25, 2021 [4 favorites]
I saw Chicago 7 Friday night, and Judas and the Black Messiah this afternoon. The events in Judas are briefly mentioned in passing in Chicago 7, so it made for an interesting double-feature.
I've seen all the films, but seeing those two films back to back like that made me realize that I don't necessarily have an opinion about what should win, only that I really don't want Chicago 7 to beat Judas and The Black Messiah. (If Nomadland or something else beats it, okay.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:27 PM on April 25, 2021 [1 favorite]
I've seen all the films, but seeing those two films back to back like that made me realize that I don't necessarily have an opinion about what should win, only that I really don't want Chicago 7 to beat Judas and The Black Messiah. (If Nomadland or something else beats it, okay.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:27 PM on April 25, 2021 [1 favorite]
Fire Saga is literally the only nominated film I've seen this year. For the obvious reasons.
posted by kyrademon at 4:32 PM on April 25, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by kyrademon at 4:32 PM on April 25, 2021 [5 favorites]
Also - usually I don't pay attention to the "how people are dressed" red carpet stuff, but apparently one of the super-hot attention-getting looks this year is Colman Domingo rolling up in a neon-hot-pink Versace suit, and people are ALREADY flipping out over it and that just tickles me in a place I can't reach.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:35 PM on April 25, 2021 [8 favorites]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:35 PM on April 25, 2021 [8 favorites]
Kinda into this stripped down Oscars vibe
posted by Ahmad Khani at 5:07 PM on April 25, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by Ahmad Khani at 5:07 PM on April 25, 2021 [5 favorites]
I learned right now that the Lucas brothers are the same twin brothers who are comedians. I had no idea.
posted by gladly at 5:07 PM on April 25, 2021
posted by gladly at 5:07 PM on April 25, 2021
Just FYI and especially because Crip Camp is one of the movies this year I wanted to point out #FilmDis which is a regular twitter chat about disability in film done by Domenick Evans. They are doing a special #OscardDISs twitter chat tonight. It's the only hashtag I am following this year.
posted by jessamyn at 5:20 PM on April 25, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by jessamyn at 5:20 PM on April 25, 2021 [2 favorites]
I wish Soderbergh would direct it like Schizopolis.
Presenter: Obsequious introduction. Faked surprise!
Winner: Appropriate humility. Generic speech.
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 5:21 PM on April 25, 2021 [6 favorites]
Presenter: Obsequious introduction. Faked surprise!
Winner: Appropriate humility. Generic speech.
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 5:21 PM on April 25, 2021 [6 favorites]
For a year when I know even less than usual about the nominated films, when I would have expected to want context & summaries -- I find myself being comfortable with this feeling of a well-dressed scholarship luncheon.
And the longer speeches are probably better than the usual lame jokes.
posted by wenestvedt at 5:32 PM on April 25, 2021 [5 favorites]
And the longer speeches are probably better than the usual lame jokes.
posted by wenestvedt at 5:32 PM on April 25, 2021 [5 favorites]
I am so glad they brought Sharon Choi back to be Bong Joon Ho's translator for his introductory speech instead of just subtitling him.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:58 PM on April 25, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:58 PM on April 25, 2021 [5 favorites]
And the sound design for Sound of Metal was indeed amazing - it makes total sense they scored it.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:10 PM on April 25, 2021
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:10 PM on April 25, 2021
Okay, Soul is a perfectly cromulent choice for Best Animated Feature but the academy really missed an opportunity to recognize Wolfwalkers.
posted by Big Al 8000 at 6:30 PM on April 25, 2021 [8 favorites]
posted by Big Al 8000 at 6:30 PM on April 25, 2021 [8 favorites]
The location (LA Union Station) is great and the more intimate audience is quite welcome. And the presenters have been rather good as well. <3 Laura Dern!
posted by Monochrome at 6:43 PM on April 25, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by Monochrome at 6:43 PM on April 25, 2021 [2 favorites]
Where are the film clips? The whole show seems like someone threw it together a few hours ago.
posted by Clustercuss at 6:48 PM on April 25, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by Clustercuss at 6:48 PM on April 25, 2021 [2 favorites]
Yuh-Jung Youn is JUST as fun as I hoped she'd be. Yay!
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:56 PM on April 25, 2021 [4 favorites]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:56 PM on April 25, 2021 [4 favorites]
Union Station looks great. The broadcast titles and graphics look great. I like this format.
posted by spudsilo at 7:12 PM on April 25, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by spudsilo at 7:12 PM on April 25, 2021 [2 favorites]
Really? Those yellow on pink graphics are not working for me at all, even with brand new glasses.
posted by sardonyx at 7:23 PM on April 25, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by sardonyx at 7:23 PM on April 25, 2021 [1 favorite]
....I just want to make sure everyone else saw that - Glenn Close doing Da Butt.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:47 PM on April 25, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:47 PM on April 25, 2021 [3 favorites]
loved it! I think these Oscars have been most enjoyable so far—I appreciate the new format. more focus on the art and creativity, than the fashion and celebrity.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 7:50 PM on April 25, 2021
posted by Ahmad Khani at 7:50 PM on April 25, 2021
Why....why are they giving out Best Picture before the acting ones?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:03 PM on April 25, 2021
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:03 PM on April 25, 2021
I was shocked that they gave out Director so early, but holy cow, they're giving out Best Picture now!
posted by kitten kaboodle at 8:04 PM on April 25, 2021
posted by kitten kaboodle at 8:04 PM on April 25, 2021
Twitter prediction is that they're saving the Acting ones for last so that the last Oscar of the night goes to Chadwick Boseman.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:06 PM on April 25, 2021
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:06 PM on April 25, 2021
oooooof
posted by Ahmad Khani at 8:17 PM on April 25, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by Ahmad Khani at 8:17 PM on April 25, 2021 [2 favorites]
Yeeaaahhhh. Oooof is about all you can say.
Well, at least Mank didn't get best pic.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 8:18 PM on April 25, 2021
Well, at least Mank didn't get best pic.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 8:18 PM on April 25, 2021
There's something delightfully on brand about the best picture Oscar going to a movie about invisible, precarious lives in a place that had to be cleared of homeless people a few days before. Never change Hollywood! We love you just the way you are!
posted by thatwhichfalls at 8:34 PM on April 25, 2021 [8 favorites]
posted by thatwhichfalls at 8:34 PM on April 25, 2021 [8 favorites]
So, I mean...I can live with Chadwick Boseman not getting Best Actor. But if he had to - it should have been Riz Ahmed because that was an amazing performance.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:38 PM on April 25, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:38 PM on April 25, 2021 [3 favorites]
I liked the stripped down, more intimate feel of this ceremony. Maybe they can find a way to keep some aspect of that going forward, rather than just going back to a giant 2000+ capacity auditorium next year. I mostly didn't miss the usual things they left out. I didn't miss the hit-or-miss-but-mostly-miss comedy bits (they kept one, and it characteristically fell flat, I thought). I didn't miss the usual "movies are wonderful and we all love them here are some wonderful movies of the past" montage. I did miss the best song nominee performances — but even then I missed them less than I expected to. I liked giving the winners space for their speeches and not cutting anyone off.
For me the most satisfying win of the night — in the "there's one clear top choice in this category but I'm still worried the Academy will get it wrong... oh thank god they got it right" sense — was Youn Yuh-jung for Best Supporting Actress in Minari.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 9:53 PM on April 25, 2021 [4 favorites]
For me the most satisfying win of the night — in the "there's one clear top choice in this category but I'm still worried the Academy will get it wrong... oh thank god they got it right" sense — was Youn Yuh-jung for Best Supporting Actress in Minari.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 9:53 PM on April 25, 2021 [4 favorites]
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom was so good. Such a sharply made and beautifully acted film. I'll protest by watching it again.
posted by mediareport at 4:10 AM on April 26, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by mediareport at 4:10 AM on April 26, 2021 [1 favorite]
The comedy was usually about movies (usually), but wasn't of movies -- so I am happy never seeing any of it again. (I mean, assuming they don't bring back Billy Crystal, in which case the show can run for six hours and I will still be There.)
More clips would have been good, but I didn't miss musical numbers at all.
I would say they should keep this format.
posted by wenestvedt at 5:59 AM on April 26, 2021
More clips would have been good, but I didn't miss musical numbers at all.
I would say they should keep this format.
posted by wenestvedt at 5:59 AM on April 26, 2021
I did miss the best song nominee performances
They did them in the pre-Oscars show, intercut with the red carpet style stuff. Or was that something different?
posted by rhamphorhynchus at 6:22 AM on April 26, 2021
They did them in the pre-Oscars show, intercut with the red carpet style stuff. Or was that something different?
posted by rhamphorhynchus at 6:22 AM on April 26, 2021
Some definite improvements this year, but they still managed to completely botch the In Memoriam segment. There are always a few glaring omissions (this year they left off Jessica Walter, Naya Rivera, and Adam Schlesinger) and the musical accompaniment is either a bad tonal fit or the director tries to get too artsy with the camerawork.
posted by Atom Eyes at 1:06 PM on April 26, 2021 [4 favorites]
posted by Atom Eyes at 1:06 PM on April 26, 2021 [4 favorites]
Just here to remind everyone about Wolfwalkers.
posted by Big Al 8000 at 9:56 PM on April 26, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by Big Al 8000 at 9:56 PM on April 26, 2021 [2 favorites]
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posted by Ahmad Khani at 11:25 AM on April 25, 2021