Oscar's Rock
Chris was the only thing that rocked this staid crown jewel in the American entertainment dynasty... hence the apostrophe in the title. Although the Oscars, and all the award shows are losing audience, film remains one of our most lucrative exports. Hollywood is the entertainment capital of a world that has adopted English as its most widely spoken language. The glamour, the bling, the bods,... the values espoused at the Oscars create our image throughout the world. Trumping the Superbowl as the epitome event of the entertainment world... Oscar is a multi-day analysis of entertainers who live only on screen for most of us.
Rock started off on just the right note, making that exact point, which I think about every year, particularly this year because of the blogging. At the Grammys, the nominees perform. It's an incredible show, I always tape the music award shows, but not the Oscars. Even though the music industry has been co-opted into a record industry, most musicians still tour at least somewhat, they often write as well. There tends to be far more connection to fan-base in the music world and bands often have loyal followings who like their particular message, style & sound. Fans tend to show much more loyalty to their favorite musicians and pay more to them.
I believe the primary reason for this is that film is so labor intensive and collaborative. It has always been a director's medium, not a performer's medium, the way music is. The film industry is entirely a construct of the technology. There was music before Edison, not movies. But, that's what film is - recreation of reality. And the Oscars are about fantasy and glamour and the selling of the American dream, and American product, all over the world.
And we have done well. My favorite part is always the film montage. That is what demonstrates the art form to me. Making films is the height of creative achievement in my opinion and those that make statements, heighten our awareness, make us think and feel and learn, while entertaining us and being visually beautiful, encompassing music... these are the diamonds of our cultural heritage and it saddens me that we are steadily losing our film archive because so many areorphaned.
The copyright holders can't be found and so they can't be restored, or used by others, or seen. Although the beauty of film, as compared to digital, is that it usually can be cleaned up, at least until it disintegrates, copyright "protection" frequently prevents that result. In fact, Lessig has been trying to alert the blogoshere that it's time to write the Copyright Office about this as they are now reviewing this issue.
Anyway, Rock made some great Moore mentions & Bush bashes... gave Christ a nice clean slice. He got good grades on his stand-up, though I thought he played it safe and I kind of miss that goofy, fast-paced Billy Crystal/Whoopi/Robin feel and visuals. Lets just say it's a good year for black men.
Morgan Freeman - Who wasn't rooting for this guy, long overdue. He's slated to play Nelson Mandela in yet another male biopic.
The Incredibles - Pixar's sixth of the seven pic deal for Disney. Kudos to our locals for another great film. Once you dump the megalomaniacal Eisner, try some local distribution and help build some industry here... unlike Eastwood. PDI (Shreks 1 & 2), which was acquired by Dreamworks a few years ago is in Palo Alto. ILM is in Marin and I believe Lucas purchased the Presidio for a new campus. I think entertainment content in the Bay Area is a very good thing and we should be building up our own distribution and promotion so we can go tell Hollywood to take a flying fuck when it's time. They've siphoned off enough of our economy.
The Future of MUSIC website even said that it's estimated that two-thirds of all US economic growth is in the tech sector. Hollywood is so visible and so is their agenda. I just got an email from Ren Bucholz saying he & some IPac guys were in DC and the awareness of our side of this issue was just so far under the radar. It's not that the legislators have no sympathy for freedom from copyright oppression, they just have absolutely no awareness that there even is an issue here. Tech has far more money but we don't use it the same way and we have nowhere near the organization a mature monopoly does. Vertical integrators like Sony help... but not enough bridges have been built and I don't even know who the builders are.
One of these days, people are gonna realize their new VCRs, DVD players & CD burners are not doing what they used to. And then, god willing, the shit will hit the fan... or maybe not, they'll just keep cinching the belt and we'll just keep going along. We now accept unavoidable ads in movies we pay $9. to see & videos we pay $20. for. We thought we were going to be able to bypass TV ads, no such luck. DRM will increasingly prevent us from copying our own CDs & DVDs... but, I digress... back to watching overpaid stars doing their best acting of the year... portraying humility.
Sideways - another one of my favorites. It's such an uphill battle to get indie films made and this one struck the right chord, performances with heart. I wish it had won even more awards. The Academy needs to do far more to draw attention to indie films.
Jamie Foxx - the man inhabited the soul of a great artist and portrayed him so well that Quincy Jones, who knew him since childhood, and Ray's own kids could barely tell him from the original. He had the statue locked up for a reason.
Million Dollar Baby - I like Scorcese, though that NY toughness gets kind of old for me, it's not how I like to see my home. But, it went to Baby, which opened in seven theaters, with almost no promotion, and built up on word of mouth on the strength of a surprising twist (which the Academy loves... from The Crying Game to Sixth Sense) and yes, heart.
Sometimes, as when Oksana Baiul won the gold medal over the more technically perfect, not to mention sympathetic, Nancy Kerrigan, emotional involvement supercedes appreciation of craft. The Aviator did get a number of well-deserved technical awards plus a gift for Blanchett, who got the old voters for her because she portrayed the beloved Katherine Hepburn. Virginia Madsen turned in the best performance.
Sydney Lumet - One of our greatest living directors, going back all the way to Twelve Angry Men. He shone a light on all of our social evils, commenting on our generals and cops and the frailties of the powerful and powerless. He deserves the award for Network alone, but has a huge and impressive body of great films.
Beyonce - love her. Were those rocks real? It must've taken every child in South Africa twenty years to find those puppies. Now that we're getting to the rock related portion of the post, let me point out the most sexist part of the evening... when Chris Rock introduced Salma Hyack and Penelope Cruz as the next four presenters and then they introduce a group of nominees that comes out in a 100% sea of black tuxes.
Even I get sick of constantly having to point this stuff out, but really, they listened to the comments about the lack of African-Americans then you have one of them come out with that, in a year filled with male biopics. There are many women worthy of attention like that... Georgia O'Keefe, Clare Booth Luce, Katherine Graham, hell, Martha Graham. I mean really, this is big stuff, big industry, visibility, power, inspiration. What is in there to encourage women to go into the film industry? Crew, tech, effects, graphics, animation, visuals, sound, editing, DIRECTING... all 90% men, at best. Well, not best for women, or our culture.
In acting, as Sean Penn said, right up on stage, (thanks for making the one meaningful, non-phony/canned comment of the whole evening) there's usually five women to every male and yet most roles are male. I've seen this in theater, from grade school on up, I guess the verbal skills make it easier and more attractive to girls. Terry Hatcher, the amazing resurrection of an actress over 40, was newsworthy enough to make the Barbara Walters special and she talked a bit about the grim reality of being a woman over 40 in Hollywood... it's not pretty.
I'm also sick of watching the film industry slight the music industry. Why was Antonio Banderas, an actor, singing with Carlos, instead of Marc Anthony or Ricky Martin? I'm very glad Motorcycle Diaries won though, and I loved Carlos' Che T-shirt. His wife, Deborah, just published a book. The geriatric Academy voters dissed Mick Jagger and Dave Stewart (Eurythmics) for Alfie. They trot out the young Beyonce to sing stuff that sounds like classical music, which was probably all the rage when the voters were young but there's this thing called change.
So, let's all hope for some positive changes in the entertainment and tech sectors in what is sure to be an exciting, combative year. Feminization of both these great industries will bring forth cooperation and a more grounded vision, which is what we need to take this issue forward without wasting more time futilely fighting.
Rock started off on just the right note, making that exact point, which I think about every year, particularly this year because of the blogging. At the Grammys, the nominees perform. It's an incredible show, I always tape the music award shows, but not the Oscars. Even though the music industry has been co-opted into a record industry, most musicians still tour at least somewhat, they often write as well. There tends to be far more connection to fan-base in the music world and bands often have loyal followings who like their particular message, style & sound. Fans tend to show much more loyalty to their favorite musicians and pay more to them.
I believe the primary reason for this is that film is so labor intensive and collaborative. It has always been a director's medium, not a performer's medium, the way music is. The film industry is entirely a construct of the technology. There was music before Edison, not movies. But, that's what film is - recreation of reality. And the Oscars are about fantasy and glamour and the selling of the American dream, and American product, all over the world.
And we have done well. My favorite part is always the film montage. That is what demonstrates the art form to me. Making films is the height of creative achievement in my opinion and those that make statements, heighten our awareness, make us think and feel and learn, while entertaining us and being visually beautiful, encompassing music... these are the diamonds of our cultural heritage and it saddens me that we are steadily losing our film archive because so many areorphaned.
The copyright holders can't be found and so they can't be restored, or used by others, or seen. Although the beauty of film, as compared to digital, is that it usually can be cleaned up, at least until it disintegrates, copyright "protection" frequently prevents that result. In fact, Lessig has been trying to alert the blogoshere that it's time to write the Copyright Office about this as they are now reviewing this issue.
Anyway, Rock made some great Moore mentions & Bush bashes... gave Christ a nice clean slice. He got good grades on his stand-up, though I thought he played it safe and I kind of miss that goofy, fast-paced Billy Crystal/Whoopi/Robin feel and visuals. Lets just say it's a good year for black men.
Morgan Freeman - Who wasn't rooting for this guy, long overdue. He's slated to play Nelson Mandela in yet another male biopic.
The Incredibles - Pixar's sixth of the seven pic deal for Disney. Kudos to our locals for another great film. Once you dump the megalomaniacal Eisner, try some local distribution and help build some industry here... unlike Eastwood. PDI (Shreks 1 & 2), which was acquired by Dreamworks a few years ago is in Palo Alto. ILM is in Marin and I believe Lucas purchased the Presidio for a new campus. I think entertainment content in the Bay Area is a very good thing and we should be building up our own distribution and promotion so we can go tell Hollywood to take a flying fuck when it's time. They've siphoned off enough of our economy.
The Future of MUSIC website even said that it's estimated that two-thirds of all US economic growth is in the tech sector. Hollywood is so visible and so is their agenda. I just got an email from Ren Bucholz saying he & some IPac guys were in DC and the awareness of our side of this issue was just so far under the radar. It's not that the legislators have no sympathy for freedom from copyright oppression, they just have absolutely no awareness that there even is an issue here. Tech has far more money but we don't use it the same way and we have nowhere near the organization a mature monopoly does. Vertical integrators like Sony help... but not enough bridges have been built and I don't even know who the builders are.
One of these days, people are gonna realize their new VCRs, DVD players & CD burners are not doing what they used to. And then, god willing, the shit will hit the fan... or maybe not, they'll just keep cinching the belt and we'll just keep going along. We now accept unavoidable ads in movies we pay $9. to see & videos we pay $20. for. We thought we were going to be able to bypass TV ads, no such luck. DRM will increasingly prevent us from copying our own CDs & DVDs... but, I digress... back to watching overpaid stars doing their best acting of the year... portraying humility.
Sideways - another one of my favorites. It's such an uphill battle to get indie films made and this one struck the right chord, performances with heart. I wish it had won even more awards. The Academy needs to do far more to draw attention to indie films.
Jamie Foxx - the man inhabited the soul of a great artist and portrayed him so well that Quincy Jones, who knew him since childhood, and Ray's own kids could barely tell him from the original. He had the statue locked up for a reason.
Million Dollar Baby - I like Scorcese, though that NY toughness gets kind of old for me, it's not how I like to see my home. But, it went to Baby, which opened in seven theaters, with almost no promotion, and built up on word of mouth on the strength of a surprising twist (which the Academy loves... from The Crying Game to Sixth Sense) and yes, heart.
Sometimes, as when Oksana Baiul won the gold medal over the more technically perfect, not to mention sympathetic, Nancy Kerrigan, emotional involvement supercedes appreciation of craft. The Aviator did get a number of well-deserved technical awards plus a gift for Blanchett, who got the old voters for her because she portrayed the beloved Katherine Hepburn. Virginia Madsen turned in the best performance.
Sydney Lumet - One of our greatest living directors, going back all the way to Twelve Angry Men. He shone a light on all of our social evils, commenting on our generals and cops and the frailties of the powerful and powerless. He deserves the award for Network alone, but has a huge and impressive body of great films.
Beyonce - love her. Were those rocks real? It must've taken every child in South Africa twenty years to find those puppies. Now that we're getting to the rock related portion of the post, let me point out the most sexist part of the evening... when Chris Rock introduced Salma Hyack and Penelope Cruz as the next four presenters and then they introduce a group of nominees that comes out in a 100% sea of black tuxes.
Even I get sick of constantly having to point this stuff out, but really, they listened to the comments about the lack of African-Americans then you have one of them come out with that, in a year filled with male biopics. There are many women worthy of attention like that... Georgia O'Keefe, Clare Booth Luce, Katherine Graham, hell, Martha Graham. I mean really, this is big stuff, big industry, visibility, power, inspiration. What is in there to encourage women to go into the film industry? Crew, tech, effects, graphics, animation, visuals, sound, editing, DIRECTING... all 90% men, at best. Well, not best for women, or our culture.
In acting, as Sean Penn said, right up on stage, (thanks for making the one meaningful, non-phony/canned comment of the whole evening) there's usually five women to every male and yet most roles are male. I've seen this in theater, from grade school on up, I guess the verbal skills make it easier and more attractive to girls. Terry Hatcher, the amazing resurrection of an actress over 40, was newsworthy enough to make the Barbara Walters special and she talked a bit about the grim reality of being a woman over 40 in Hollywood... it's not pretty.
I'm also sick of watching the film industry slight the music industry. Why was Antonio Banderas, an actor, singing with Carlos, instead of Marc Anthony or Ricky Martin? I'm very glad Motorcycle Diaries won though, and I loved Carlos' Che T-shirt. His wife, Deborah, just published a book. The geriatric Academy voters dissed Mick Jagger and Dave Stewart (Eurythmics) for Alfie. They trot out the young Beyonce to sing stuff that sounds like classical music, which was probably all the rage when the voters were young but there's this thing called change.
So, let's all hope for some positive changes in the entertainment and tech sectors in what is sure to be an exciting, combative year. Feminization of both these great industries will bring forth cooperation and a more grounded vision, which is what we need to take this issue forward without wasting more time futilely fighting.
posted by Intervision at 10:43 PM
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