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Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond => Brokeback Mountain Open Forum => Topic started by: Phillip Dampier on March 06, 2006, 03:12:26 am

Title: ABC's Telecast of the Academy Awards: A Critique
Post by: Phillip Dampier on March 06, 2006, 03:12:26 am
With apologies up front to our non-American friends, a good deal of this is about how American domestic television network ABC handled the telecast of the Academy Awards, but a lot is pertinent to anyone who saw it:

I was quickly irritated by ABC's presentation of the Academy Awards. But then, I don't know how much of this is ABC and how much of it is the Academy production themselves. Among the more annoying -

1) Mike problems. Ironically during the audio editing award, the winners discovered the mike was off and they resorted to tapping on it before it came alive. This wasn't the first incident. It happened several times, especially in having the mike turned off in order to accomodate a transition to commercial.

2) Obnoxious trivia announcer. Highly robotized voice provided insight into award winner's background as they went up on stage. Someone went to Mr. Professional Announcer Voice School and took it way too seriously.

3) Rush rush to the end. In the closing 15 minutes, you almost went looking for the cattle prods to rush people on and off stage. It almost looked like Nicholson was running to the mike. Some of the final acceptance speeches were cut short because we had to hurry off to a L'Oreal ad.

4) I suspect this was more Bill Conti's doing, but I almost wanted to drop an IED into the orchestra pit with the overbearing music that seemed to accompany every acceptance speech. Someone take his baton away.

5) ABC looked, but never did find Annie Proulx (Brokeback Mountain author). We got a grand tour of Ang Lee's wife, Diana Ossana, but no Proulx despite being acknowledged by Ang Lee.

Some other notes -

- Miller Beer is now the beer for grownups? Okay then.
- I was not once inspired to rush out and buy a thing at JCPenney.
- Mastercard: Fill in this blank: ________ ptcy.
- Diet Coke: If you don't drink this, you are already too fat.
- L'Oreal: Makeup for foreigners.

Jon Stewart was obviously held back quite a bit, although the Stephen Colbert political faux ads were classic Daily Show. Did his audience give him a lukewarm reception or was it just the poor audience reaction miking?

What the hell happened to Dolly Parton? Oh... my.... God.

Most of the skits and padded bits added nothing to the show. Cut them and the self-congratulatory clipfests and just get this whole thing over with by 11. Biggest laugh out loud unintentional moment for me: in the "films deliver social messages for our own good" segment, they showed clips of the god-awful The Day After Tomorrow. If you want to show environmental disaster, go find The China Syndrome or something better than that piece of dreck.

"Films are meant to be seen on the big screen" according to Jake Gyllenhaal who barely got that out of his mouth. Yeah, except for the fact it costs $9 and Gabby Gail's cellphone keeps going off every five minutes.

In fact, for actors, I was surprised by the number of flubbed lines on the air. I would have thought they would have practiced a bit. I was happy to see Lauren Bacall still going, but I was terrified for her when she seemed to be losing her place. I wasn't sure if that was a teleprompter problem or if she was trying to wing it, and she evaporated once her film noir clip reel started.

 
Title: Re: ABC's Telecast of the Academy Awards: A Critique
Post by: BBMGrandma on March 06, 2006, 03:57:15 am
Wow Philip....were you hiding behind my couch listening to my thoughts?   ;)
I felt the same way about everything you mentioned.  Although, being an 'older woman' I said...."YOU GO GIRL" to Dolly Parton!!  She's no young chickie anymore.  At least she's TRYIN to hold it together... ;)

From a woman's point of view I was SOOO very touched when Ennis...<omg...I mean HEATH...> reached over and fixed the wispy collar of Michelle's dress.  He had such a sweet look in his eyes. 

And did anyone notice that when the nominees were announed....and they shot on Heath....Michelle was holding BOTH of his hands....LOL....so he wouldn't clap for himself again.  It was really cute!!   

Jake was his usual spritly self.  Smiling and being an 'actor' for the evening.  He seems to enjoy the spotlight.  He's such a cutie!!   

And OMG.....Heath....<cracking up here> I LOVED that he was chewing gum.  I'll bet he's got a 'screw em all' attitude...and I love him for that!!    :)

That's Grandma's 'take' on the whole damn farce!!  WE WUZ ROBBED!!

pssssssssst....check out this article in the LA Times 

 http://theenvelope.latimes.com/awards/oscars/env-turan5mar05,0,5359042.story