Hello all! Ah tonight Oscar's Night when everyone puts out food and rink and maybe dresses up and watches the Academy Awards. Cool. Enjoy yourselves. I probably won't be watching. I mean, I haven't watched in years in protest to many non-nominations and non-winners and my own personal whatevers. So here goes my history with the Oscars.
I stopped watching the Academy Awards in the '80s when Speilberg's Empire of the Sun did not get a Best Picture nomination. WTF? WTF?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Were the members of the Academy just pissed at Mr. ET because he could make a killer drama as well as a blockbuster? Who knows. But I was so disgusted by this omission that I stopped watching the Oscars.
Move on to the 2000s when Sir Ian McKellan was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Gandalf the Grey. OMG! He HAD to win! He WAS Gandalf and the movie, The Fellowship of the Ring, was wonderful!! I was visiting a friend in New Mexico at the time and we had a party for the Oscars with good food, drink, and company. When the Best Supporting Actor was announced we were stunned that Sir Ian didn't get it. So much for coming back to the Oscar watching fold. I was done with the Academy Awards again.
Then in 2010 I was sorry that I hadn't watched the Oscars because Kathryn Bigelow won Best Director for The Hurt Locker which also won Best Picture and Bigelow got an award for that too. As Barbara Streisand said before she read Bigelow's name "It's about time." I watched the winning speech over and over again.
Now we come to today, 2013 where the movies of 2012 will be honored. Once again I find myself saying "WTF?!" Where is Bigelow's nomination for her outstanding work on Zero Dark Thirty. I mean come on!!! Bigelow once again visits our wars and DELIVERS. Have you not seen this amazing movie?!? It is fantastic! I said so earlier on in this blog and I meant it. I was sure that Bigelow would at least be nominated even if she didn't win. But I could feel a second win for her coming on. I mean, the Academy got over its gender hurdle with her right? This was a spectacular movie, right? Surely she would get nominated and oh blessed joy, maybe even bring the Oscar home again.
Now you could argue that this is fair, but no it is not. You don't get to be Best Picture of the Year without one heck of a good director. So rats. I'm not watching.
Not that it matters and yes, good grief, watch and ENJOY! Just because I'm angry doesn't mean you should not watch. Watch and have fun!! I hope your favorite choices win. 🙂 I hope the losers don't suffer too much. I know I will probably watch some of the acceptance speeches tomorrow on YouTube.
And Bigelow, I hope you get your second Director Oscar soon. I know you will deserve it.
My Other Oscar WTF: All the President's Men lost Best Picture to Rocky? Uh, no. And no, I'm not a fan of Network at all. But to snub a masterpiece like All the President's Men just showed lack of moral fiber and fortitude. Really?