Oscar Winners 2015: complete List

originally posted by: zazzafrazz
a reply to: Djarums

He was awful!
And the opening was an outdated dud.

I don't recall many, maybe any Academy Awards programs that were consistently entertaining. That said, Neil Patrick Harris was certainly more entertaining than David Letterman, Bob Hope or whatshisname who is better entirely forgotten. In that respect, the program is much like a film in that many elements have to come together to make it great but when they do it's magic.

a reply to: Tangerine

Surely many did, but how many of them can say they were as accomplished and well-known as Rivers. And how many of them likewise had their own star on the Walk of Fame, a career that spanned stage, screen (both large and small) and publishing? How many of them were the pioneers for women in entertainment that Rivers was? Instead of Arquette's milquetoast complaining, the Academy could have honored someone who actually did break new ground for women in entertainment, but no, they left her on the cutting room floor and chose to honor more executives instead. What new ground did the suits break? Greenlighting the most boring films ever?

I do know this - Hollywood seems to be rapidly losing its audience. Maybe I won't have to worry about the Awards in a few more years because there won't be a Hollywood left to congratulate itself.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: Tangerine



I do know this - Hollywood seems to be rapidly losing its audience. Maybe I won't have to worry about the Awards in a few more years because there won't be a Hollywood left to congratulate itself.

How much did fifty shades of grey just make? How much is the new Star Wars and Avengers going to make? How many Television shows did Netflix and Amazon and Hulu green-lite this year. How many cable shows are there. How many network shows. Heck even the Playstation Network is making original shows now, for view on the Playstation video game console. Netflix is also getting into making original movies and not just T.V. shows.

I think maybe you are mistaking dwindling audiences with dwindling movie theater ticket sales. Hollywood is not losing its audience. Its audience is bigger than ever. Hollywood is just slowly transitioning to a new business model. Like it or not. Unless civilization completely collapses. Hollywood and awards shows are not going anywhere.

originally posted by: Tangerine

I doubt that you're in a position to judge the intellect and knowledge of screenwriters. How many screenplays have you actually read? None? Thought so.

In my more than forty years of working in film I've read quite a lot of screenplays.

How do you come by your "knowledge".

www.nytimes.com... nes&nlid=49939149&_r=0

OSCARS SHOW GROWING GAP BETWEEN MOVIEGOERS AND ACADEMY

Viewership down nearly 15% ... lowest-rated Oscars since 2009 ... endless grumbling about non-diversity, when (Black) John Legend and Common collected an Oscar for Best Song ("Glory"); and (Hispanic/Mexican) Alejandro G. Inarritu collected the coveted Best Picture Oscar for "Birdman" ... most other deserving movies won in the predictable categories: the period piece "Budapest Hotel" for Best Make-up and Best Costume, and "Interstellar" for Best Visual Effects.

Hollywood/Los Angeles has become too insular. It's no longer about compelling stories, vision and adult humor. It's all about hiring friends of friends of friends, which is why most movies have 30 "producers" - and that may be why movies are so expensive to make anymore. (Gender-pay-equality is a valid issue in every industry, but if the studios trim the fricking mass of producers on each film, their costs would go down dramatically!)

So it's all "juveniles and CGI" anymore, writing scripts according to "formula" - or shooting hundreds of feet of spur-of-the-moment dialogue, which also wastes time and money - and then shipping off the mish-mash to Special Effects and hope it makes sense when it comes out the other end.

I guess what makes me the saddest, is that movies are no longer made for adults, with adult themes and adult humor. The history of movies is about reaching for that quintessional idea of "magic". That's why I buy DVDs instead of one-time downloads. So I can still watch movies with "magic", that are smart and funny and don't insult your intelligence.

If you want to know how magical and transformative movies used to be, here's an Oscar-winning movie I'll be watching tonight:

www.amazon.com...=sr_1_1_twi_2_twi_3?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1424788861&sr=1-1&keyword s=cinema+paradiso+dvd
'CINEMA PARADISO' - ITALIAN MOVIE THAT WON AN OSCAR FOR "BEST FOREIGN FILM"
It meanders a bit in the middle, but the beginning is priceless, as a war-ravaged Italy finds solace and hope thru their little village movie theater. Magical. Transformative. Examines a post-world war dimension of "healing collectively thru movies."

(NOTE: Italian with English sub-titles. But NO sit-down-to-dinner-with-white-tablecloth scenes, where you lose most of the white-letter subtitles.)

originally posted by: Psynic

originally posted by: Tangerine

I doubt that you're in a position to judge the intellect and knowledge of screenwriters. How many screenplays have you actually read? None? Thought so.

In my more than forty years of working in film I've read quite a lot of screenplays.

How do you come by your "knowledge".

I'm a screenwriter.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: Tangerine

Surely many did, but how many of them can say they were as accomplished and well-known as Rivers. And how many of them likewise had their own star on the Walk of Fame, a career that spanned stage, screen (both large and small) and publishing? How many of them were the pioneers for women in entertainment that Rivers was? Instead of Arquette's milquetoast complaining, the Academy could have honored someone who actually did break new ground for women in entertainment, but no, they left her on the cutting room floor and chose to honor more executives instead. What new ground did the suits break? Greenlighting the most boring films ever?

I do know this - Hollywood seems to be rapidly losing its audience. Maybe I won't have to worry about the Awards in a few more years because there won't be a Hollywood left to congratulate itself.

You still don't seem to be able to grasp that the Academy Awards are about film not Joan Rivers. You seem to be venting your anger and lashing out at something that is not responsible for your anger. Perhaps the Academy should have honored "Porkys", also.

originally posted by: MKMoniker
www.nytimes.com... nes&nlid=49939149&_r=0

OSCARS SHOW GROWING GAP BETWEEN MOVIEGOERS AND ACADEMY

Viewership down nearly 15% ... lowest-rated Oscars since 2009 ... endless grumbling about non-diversity, when (Black) John Legend and Common collected an Oscar for Best Song ("Glory"); and (Hispanic/Mexican) Alejandro G. Inarritu collected the coveted Best Picture Oscar for "Birdman" ... most other deserving movies won in the predictable categories: the period piece "Budapest Hotel" for Best Make-up and Best Costume, and "Interstellar" for Best Visual Effects.

Hollywood/Los Angeles has become too insular. It's no longer about compelling stories, vision and adult humor. It's all about hiring friends of friends of friends, which is why most movies have 30 "producers" - and that may be why movies are so expensive to make anymore. (Gender-pay-equality is a valid issue in every industry, but if the studios trim the fricking mass of producers on each film, their costs would go down dramatically!)

So it's all "juveniles and CGI" anymore, writing scripts according to "formula" - or shooting hundreds of feet of spur-of-the-moment dialogue, which also wastes time and money - and then shipping off the mish-mash to Special Effects and hope it makes sense when it comes out the other end.

I guess what makes me the saddest, is that movies are no longer made for adults, with adult themes and adult humor. The history of movies is about reaching for that quintessional idea of "magic". That's why I buy DVDs instead of one-time downloads. So I can still watch movies with "magic", that are smart and funny and don't insult your intelligence.

If you want to know how magical and transformative movies used to be, here's an Oscar-winning movie I'll be watching tonight:

www.amazon.com...=sr_1_1_twi_2_twi_3?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1424788861&sr=1-1&keyword s=cinema+paradiso+dvd
'CINEMA PARADISO' - ITALIAN MOVIE THAT WON AN OSCAR FOR "BEST FOREIGN FILM"
It meanders a bit in the middle, but the beginning is priceless, as a war-ravaged Italy finds solace and hope thru their little village movie theater. Magical. Transformative. Examines a post-world war dimension of "healing collectively thru movies."

(NOTE: Italian with English sub-titles. But NO sit-down-to-dinner-with-white-tablecloth scenes, where you lose most of the white-letter subtitles.)

I agree with some of your points. I thought the repeated comments about lack of diversity were almost as absurd as the Oprah worship. Enough! The Academy Awards are supposed to be about rewarding quality not righting social wrongs or perceived social wrongs. That said, I do understand why winners make political comments. Never again will they have an opportunity to reach that many people. For what it's worth, I agreed 100% with Patricia Arquette. At least she showed some passion (as did Meryl Streep when she responded) and that was the thing most lacking in this year's award show. The highlights were the acceptance speeches that displayed passion and the performances of Lady Gaga and John Legend and Common.

I absolutely agree that most films are targeted at the youth demographic and that's a pity. It probably reflects the fact that the people making decisions to fund films are 30-year-old MBAs. They finance that which excites them and that which they understand. I don't know how this problem will be overcome.

"Cinema Paradiso": good choice.

a reply to: Tangerine

Thanks for your reply. Brilliant! We usually don't agree on much, but I am 100% in agreement with this post.

As far as changing this "juvenile mindset" in movies, Hollywood needs to get their head out of just box office figures. I pay more attention to DVD Sales to show the true power and passion of a movie.

www.the-numbers.com...
DVD HOME SALES - 2014
The top sellers are always kids' movies, 'cause Mom and Dad are happy to shell out money for a DVD instead of trust a 7 year old with a credit card for "instant downloads."

From #12 on are adult movies, and mostly in the SciFi/Fantasy category. I think because "adult entertainment" today is not just "examining the human condition" around a passionate plot and sharp dialogue. But doing that in an other-worldly dimension (or an odd-ball plot that works) is the "full package" type of entertainment adults will spend money on for a DVD.

www.rentrak.com...
RENTRAK - 'PRECISELY MEASURING' MOVIES AND TELEVISION
This is another site that would better serve Hollywood than just "box office totals." It measures domestic and international box office, DVD sales, weekly Video-On-Demand movies, as well as Sales AND Rentals. These are a better indication of how a movie is doing than just domestic box office.