Oscars 2015!

[anais.butterfly]

That is a great article. My favorite line was

Kyle sees guns as both the cause of and the solution to all of life's problems.

Although it seems plagiarized some how. 

[Hebs]

Birdman - Amazing film! I don't think it'll beat Boyhood for best picture, but it's currently my favourite picture. In fact, I have a feeling this will be one of those films that gets nominated for everything and walks away with very little.

Saw it this past weekend too, and loved it.  Never saw a movie that so accurately captured the tension backstage of acting for a live audience.  Keaton was awe inspiring in his performance.  The cinematography was incredible.  Can't think of a single flaw, really.

AHHHHH you guysss oh how i wish this movie didn't inspire such awful hatred in me.

It was sooo pretentious, and so transparent, the camera work was such a needless gimmick, and Innaritu can't write a proper female character at all!

He just mashed up good films like Rope, Mulholland Drive, Nashville etc

These articles perfectly articulate much better than me why it is just so empty.

Birdman Never Achieves Flight - The New Yorker
Might have absolutely sucked
An empty flight of Fancy - The Guardian

[RandyMistie]

I haven't watched the Oscars for years, (I think Chris Rock was the last host I watched...?) But, I am looking forward to Neil Patrick Harris. He is funny, and sharp, an MST3K fan, and he did an excellent Rifftrax with Mike Nelson...

Oh, and it is Alcohol that is both the cause of, and solution to, all of the world's problems... as per Homer Simpson.

[RoninFox]

Birdman - Amazing film! I don't think it'll beat Boyhood for best picture, but it's currently my favourite picture. In fact, I have a feeling this will be one of those films that gets nominated for everything and walks away with very little.

Saw it this past weekend too, and loved it.  Never saw a movie that so accurately captured the tension backstage of acting for a live audience.  Keaton was awe inspiring in his performance.  The cinematography was incredible.  Can't think of a single flaw, really.

AHHHHH you guysss oh how i wish this movie didn't inspire such awful hatred in me.

It was sooo pretentious, and so transparent, the camera work was such a needless gimmick, and Innaritu can't write a proper female character at all!

He just mashed up good films like Rope, Mulholland Drive, Nashville etc

These articles perfectly articulate much better than me why it is just so empty.

Birdman Never Achieves Flight - The New Yorker
Might have absolutely sucked
An empty flight of Fancy - The Guardian

While so far I've only skimmed the first article (because I only have a few minutes left on my break) so far the only reasons it can give me not to like the movie is comparisons to other movies I've never seen.  If nothing else, maybe one day I'll watch those movies and enjoy them, in which case I'll have another reason to like Birdman. 

[Edward J Grug III]

Birdman - Amazing film! I don't think it'll beat Boyhood for best picture, but it's currently my favourite picture. In fact, I have a feeling this will be one of those films that gets nominated for everything and walks away with very little.

Saw it this past weekend too, and loved it.  Never saw a movie that so accurately captured the tension backstage of acting for a live audience.  Keaton was awe inspiring in his performance.  The cinematography was incredible.  Can't think of a single flaw, really.

AHHHHH you guysss oh how i wish this movie didn't inspire such awful hatred in me.

It was sooo pretentious, and so transparent, the camera work was such a needless gimmick, and Innaritu can't write a proper female character at all!

He just mashed up good films like Rope, Mulholland Drive, Nashville etc

These articles perfectly articulate much better than me why it is just so empty.

Birdman Never Achieves Flight - The New Yorker
Might have absolutely sucked
An empty flight of Fancy - The Guardian

While so far I've only skimmed the first article (because I only have a few minutes left on my break) so far the only reasons it can give me not to like the movie is comparisons to other movies I've never seen.  If nothing else, maybe one day I'll watch those movies and enjoy them, in which case I'll have another reason to like Birdman. 

I've seen many of the films mentioned, and I still love Birdman. That enhances my enjoyment of it, not detracts.

[Darth Geek]

I really liked Birdman, but I don't necessarily see myself watching it again. Unless Michael Keaton is on the DVD commentary, maybe.

[anais.butterfly]

Oh, and it is Alcohol that is both the cause of, and solution to, all of the world's problems... as per Homer Simpson.

That is why I said the line felt plagiarized somehow.

[RandyMistie]

I did get that, I knew that you knew it, but I thought it was important that the whole ROOM know it as well...

[Relaxing Dragon]

I work a bit late today, so I'll miss part of the show. But I'll still watch it, because I always do, no matter how much I whine every year and how much of a farce I find the whole thing.

...I will feel better if Whiplash and Grand Budapest Hotel win big, of course.

[JimJ]

I'm calling a split of the Best Picture and Best Director awards. Birdman gets Picture, Linklater gets Director. The only other major race that's really close is Actor which I think will go to Redmayne.

[Relaxing Dragon]

I'm calling a split of the Best Picture and Best Director awards. Birdman gets Picture, Linklater gets Director. The only other major race that's really close is Actor which I think will go to Redmayne.

People keep pushing Redmayne, but I just don't see it. It's the most Oscar-bait performance of the bunch, and the only real thing of note for the movie. I'd say Keaton for this one, partially because he deserves it most (among the nominees, at least), and because the Oscars love a comeback like that (despite everyone forgetting that he never really went anywhere).

[JimJ]

I'm calling a split of the Best Picture and Best Director awards. Birdman gets Picture, Linklater gets Director. The only other major race that's really close is Actor which I think will go to Redmayne.

It's the most Oscar-bait performance of the bunch

Exactly.  That plus the SAG win is why I'm calling it.  It's not my personal preference, though I did think it was a really good performance.  I'd probably like to see it go to Keaton or the woefully unnominated Gyllenhaal.

[The Lurker]

Why is Bruce Villanch popular?

[Relaxing Dragon]

I'm calling a split of the Best Picture and Best Director awards. Birdman gets Picture, Linklater gets Director. The only other major race that's really close is Actor which I think will go to Redmayne.

It's the most Oscar-bait performance of the bunch

Exactly.  That plus the SAG win is why I'm calling it.  It's not my personal preference, though I did think it was a really good performance.  I'd probably like to see it go to Keaton or the woefully unnominated Gyllenhaal.

Keaton's won all the other awards that matter, though, which usually bodes well. And I'd be happy if Keaton got it. The actual best performances of the year (Gyllenhaal, Fiennes, Oyelowo) weren't even nominated, so this whole race is something of a wash anyway.

Also, Simmons took Best Supporting. Which wasn't the least bit surprising, and also the most deserving of the night. High fives all around.

[JimJ]

I should say that I'm not at all confident of my Redmayne prediction.  It's pretty much a coin flip and I wouldn't be shocked at all if it were Keaton.  It's a shame that all of the other acting categories have been locked up well in advance.  Very little suspense.  That being said, I'm looking forward to Julianne Moore getting a well deserved win later tonight and I'm happy for Patricia Arquette and especially for Simmons too.