It's also funny that this is the first year ever (unless I miss my guess) with zero performances of the nominated songs (EP is nominated twice) and the Academy announced they're not doing the dumb "fab five" thing for the acting nominees, likely due to no actress wanting to be the one who has to talk up Gascon's performance.

I have absolutely zero interest in the films that were nominated-- and don't plan on watching any of this as a result -- but the issues involving the lead from Emilia Perez has possibly opened the door to a possible Conclave win...that 4 hour Brody movie seems like one of those torturous critical darlings that nobody actually likes or wants to sit through.

From a movie about a Trans cartel leader to the (laughably unbelievable) election of a Trans Pope, this is still precisely in the Academy's wheelhouse in terms of talking points.

Good review sums up the zeitgeist:

It's been a meaningless award for over 20 years now just like all the other awards that used to have any kind of meaning (Tony, Emmy, Grammy).

*skims thread* Yup I haven't missed anything. As usual.

AndyDursin wrote: ↑Sat Mar 01, 2025 9:36 am I have absolutely zero interest in the films that were nominated-- and don't plan on watching any of this as a result -- but the issues involving the lead from Emilia Perez has possibly opened the door to a possible Conclave win...that 4 hour Brody movie seems like one of those torturous critical darlings that nobody actually likes or wants to sit through.

From a movie about a Trans cartel leader to the (laughably unbelievable) election of a Trans Pope, this is still precisely in the Academy's wheelhouse in terms of talking points.

I have no desire to watch Conclave. I might not be a good Catholic, but I am Catholic and the idea of a movie that results in a Pope being elected of indeterminate gender (I think the character was supposed to be born with sex organs of both genders, a freak occurrence by birth defect, at least from what I read) just feels massively disrespectful and vulgar, and I am not going to stand by by watching it....

If it wins Best Picture, it will be the first one I haven't seen. I am usually an Oscar completist of sorts, watching most of the films that are up for the bigger categories, but the ones this year largely don't seem worth the bother. I've seen Wicked, The Substance, A Real Pain, The Wild Robot, and Inside Out 2 already. Other than that, of the other 30 feature length films up for awards tonight, I only plan on getting around to about a third of them. Just not a good year.

It's certainly a kick in the gut to Catholics who are always shamed by Hollywood anyway, and I agree, it's hugely distasteful -- not to mention utterly laughable and unbelievable such a scenario in the actual church would ever play out that way. I ended up fast-forwarding through much of the picture as I "had" to review it, but as well-acted as it was, that ending and the very premise of the picture reeked of some liberal's fever dream of "reformed Cathlocism" that was insulting to me at least. (Of course the real Pope's political stances have made it difficult to embrace him but that's a whole other matter...)

When that twist came up in my screening, I heard a woman deliver a perfectly timed, "Wait, what...?!"

But of course if it was about a Muslim cleric being depicted that way (or perhaps Mohammed) we KNOW what would have happened.

Eric Paddon wrote: ↑Sat Mar 01, 2025 12:05 pm It's been a meaningless award for over 20 years now just like all the other awards that used to have any kind of meaning (Tony, Emmy, Grammy).

You're being too generous Eric...I am thinking it has been meaningless for almost twice as long!

The Oscars are worthless to me...have no desire to see anything that's nominated. Definitely have no desire to see Conclave as I do not like to see Catholicism vulgarized (I grew up Catholic but now practice in the Messianic Jewish/Protestant wings of the church). I definitely have doctrinal differences/disagreements with Catholicism (and for that matter with Messianic Judaism and Protestantism too), and while I think it's fine to disagree with traditions/teachings and seek out reform within that tradition, no one should be vulgarizing it as that accomplishes nothing. Anyway, all that is to say 'no' to Conclave.

And I like Pope Francis a lot...much more than I did Pope Benedict XVI. Very different people.

For me the final straw with the Oscars was the snubbing given to "Passion Of The Christ" in all the major categories. That was when the Academy proved their bigoted bias against traditional Christianity was deep and real and they were going to thumb their noses and extend middle fingers to the public response to the film. Not that I had paid significant attention in the years leading up to it but if they could give all those awards to "Titanic" they should have found room to recognize POTC in the major categories and when they didn't that was when I no longer gave a sxxx about the Oscars and saw the entire exercise as devoid of legitimacy on all levels.

Weirdly timed "tribute" (dance medley with feeble singers) to the James Bond movies feels like it was planted by Amazon!

I've been doing some work and did want to see Conan's opening (it was boring) but this has been an excruciatingly dull show. With no movies that anybody passionately cares about there's no juice at all. Ratings will probably be horrendous.

Looks like ANORA filled the void that EMILIA PEREZ vacated.

$15 million grosser makes it the lowest grossing box-office performer to win Best Picture in history I believe...I think even MOONLIGHT made more. People had pegged THE HURT LOCKER with that distinction but it was $17 million and adjusted for inflation would be $23 mil in today's dollars.

AndyDursin wrote: ↑Sun Mar 02, 2025 10:41 pm Looks like ANORA filled the void that EMILIA PEREZ vacated.

I was really hoping Demi Moore would win Best Actress.

TaranofPrydain wrote: ↑Sun Mar 02, 2025 10:46 pm

AndyDursin wrote: ↑Sun Mar 02, 2025 10:41 pm Looks like ANORA filled the void that EMILIA PEREZ vacated.

I was really hoping Demi Moore would win Best Actress.

Me too, I don't care about this movie she's in, but for her career and all the performances from years back (c'mon ONE CRAZY SUMMER) I was hoping she'd win.

It's funny how the Academy manages to "coalesce" around a movie. In this instance, with EMILIA PEREZ sent to the sidelines (I think it would've absolutely won just for its messaging had it not had the issues with the lead), they pegged ANORA and it manages to win 5 Oscars with nobody thinking it had a shot. Disappointed it carried this girl (who?) to an unlikely win.