Oscars: Sad Movies for a Sad Year

By Jeralyn, Section Colorado News
Posted on Sun Apr 25, 2021 at 06:56:06 PM EST
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The Oscars will begin shortly.

There will be no host, no audience, nor face masks for nominees attending the ceremony at Los Angeles' Union Station - this year's hub for a show usually broadcast from the Dolby Theatre.

Steven Soderbergh is in charge this year:

The Oscars will look more like a movie, Soderbergh has said. The show will be shot in 24 frames-per-second (as opposed to 30), appear more widescreen and the presenters - including Brad Pitt, Halle Berry, Reese Witherspoon, Harrison Ford, Rita Moreno and Zendaya - are considered "cast members." The telecast's first 90 seconds, Soderbergh has claimed, will "announce our intention immediately."

It may be a landmark year for diversity but I agree with Bill Maher - the movies are just so sad.

Then again, it was a sad year all the way around.

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Oscars: Sad Movies for a Sad Year | 38 comments (38 topical)

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I haven't seen (5.00 / 1) (#6)
by Natal on Mon Apr 26, 2021 at 11:51:00 PM EST

the Fred Hampton film yet but I'll never forget the night of November 19th, 1969 at the University of Alberta. He mesmerized us with his powerful charismatic oratory. His one phase that stuck with me: "Richard Milhous Nixon will be the last president of the United States." He could have been if Fred Hampton had fulfilled his mission.

: I remember the headline (5.00 / 1) (#8)
by jondee on Tue Apr 27, 2021 at 02:57:36 PM EST

in the local underground paper, which cut right to the chase: "Pigs Shoot To Kill." Truer words were never spoken.
Btw, bad cops being called "pigs" wasn't something invented by unwashed sixties miscreants with no respect for authority, but was in usage a 100 years before in the european underworld to describe corrupt cops who helped themselves to criminals ill-gotten gains.

That's a funny bit by Maher (none / 0) (#1)
by CaptHowdy on Sun Apr 25, 2021 at 09:32:18 PM EST

He sure has a way of nailing whiney liberals.

The one about Koreans in Arkansas could win. It has buzz.

I have only seen 2 and they were both depressing. OTOH I watched Godzilla vs Kong several times. It's not sad.

I now have three tv series to catch on sundays, Mare of Easttown, The Nevers and The Gloaming. All better that any 2020 movie I've seen.

Cratered (none / 0) (#4)
by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Mon Apr 26, 2021 at 03:15:43 PM EST

The rate viewership is dropping could point to the last year being broadcast. A 58% drop this year is a hint you have squandered your audience.


: 58% down this year vs last year (none / 0) (#5)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Apr 26, 2021 at 03:47:35 PM EST

and last year was the lowest ever. Until this year.

Thanks for the recommenation (none / 0) (#9)
by MKS on Tue Apr 27, 2021 at 08:22:52 PM EST

of Mare of Easttown. Love the show.

Did you start watching the Ozarks?


It is good (none / 0) (#10)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Apr 28, 2021 at 07:42:44 AM EST

Waiting fir a new season of Ozark


: Me too (none / 0) (#11)
by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Wed Apr 28, 2021 at 10:31:43 AM EST

Ozark is a great series.

Really liking Mare ... (none / 0) (#21)
by Yman on Sat May 01, 2021 at 07:19:15 AM EST

... of Easttown. I grew up a little north of the area in the show and they really captured smalltown PA.


Tell Me Your Secrets on PRIME (none / 0) (#24)
by CaptHowdy on Mon May 03, 2021 at 05:34:34 PM EST

I just discovered this. It's good. It's also dark.

AVClub

Like its main characters, Tell Me Your Secrets has a mysterious backstory. It's been sitting on the shelf for a few years, after TNT decided to cancel it after the entire first season had been shot. Brett Weitz, general manager of TNT, TBS, and TruTV, said that it "wasn't right" for TNT. But the ready-made thriller series starring TV vet Amy Brenneman and real-life couple Lily Rabe and Hamish Linklater apparently found a second wind (Rabe's stellar turn in the recent HBO limited series The Undoing probably didn't hurt). Now the series, created by Call The Midwife's Harriet Warner, is being released en masse on Prime Video.
It's not like TNT, home of The Alienist (about the hunt for a serial killer murdering boy prostitutes in 1896) and Snowpiercer (post-apocalyptic dystopian train) is known for feel-good series exactly, so Tell Me's rejection from that network gives you some idea of how dark the series is bound to get (hint: extremely dark).

Francis (none / 0) (#2)
by CaptHowdy on Sun Apr 25, 2021 at 10:25:53 PM EST

and Nomadland win.

winners

Absoutely dreadful (none / 0) (#3)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Apr 26, 2021 at 12:25:52 PM EST

A bad year. Thanks Covid. (none / 0) (#7)
by KeysDan on Tue Apr 27, 2021 at 11:05:12 AM EST

North American ticket sales crumpled 80 percent, to $2.28 billion from the second best box office ever of $11.4 billion in 2019. Not surprising that the Academy Award's show was down. Probably, would be similar even if those few who went to the theater did come out whistling about the great screwball comedy they saw.

Looks like a better crop this year (none / 0) (#12)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Apr 28, 2021 at 02:11:33 PM EST

25 Movies to Know Right Now for Oscars 2022

Have you seen 'Nomadland'? (5.00 / 1) (#13)
by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Apr 28, 2021 at 09:49:49 PM EST

I think you would like it. I also saw "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," and I really enjoyed that. Those were the only two Oscar-nominated films I saw. They would be strong contenders for major awards in any year.


I thought (5.00 / 1) (#32)
by CST on Wed May 05, 2021 at 01:05:02 PM EST

The performances in Ma Rainey by the two leads were very good but to be honest I felt like the movie as a whole was just ok or even not that good.

I actually really liked Judas and the Black Massiah, I thought that acting win for Kaluuya was legitimate in any year, and the movie as a whole was well done.

I enjoyed One Night in Miami but it also didn't leave a huge impression. A good movie but not an award winning movie.

Haven't seen the others yet. I'm not sure Nomadland is the genre for me, but I'll probably see Promising Young Woman at some point.


Somehow I think (none / 0) (#14)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Apr 29, 2021 at 01:04:16 AM EST

Dances with wolves
The silence of the lambs
Unforgiven
Schindler's List
Forest Gump
Braveheart
The English Patient
Titanic
Shakespeare in Love
etc., etc.
all would have roundly trounced any of the 2021 noms.


Braveheart? Surely you jest. (5.00 / 2) (#20)
by oculus on Fri Apr 30, 2021 at 07:16:47 PM EST

: Just a list of Best Picture winners. (none / 0) (#22)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Sat May 01, 2021 at 05:13:27 PM EST

To compare against the the 2021 noms...

There is some great stuff in that list for 21 (none / 0) (#16)
by CaptHowdy on Thu Apr 29, 2021 at 08:59:14 AM EST

makes you the think a lot of good stuff was delayed.

Serious Oscar competition in there. Next year will be more interesting. Joel Coen, Francis and Shakespeare vs Wes Anderson and every star in HWood alone would be a race. Then there is Dune and a bunch of others.

Actually (none / 0) (#17)
by CaptHowdy on Thu Apr 29, 2021 at 09:01:09 AM EST

I think Francis is also in the Wes Anderson movie.


: It's called The French Dispatch (none / 0) (#18)
by CaptHowdy on Thu Apr 29, 2021 at 09:04:34 AM EST

look at the cast
He is the new Terrence Malick

"Shakespeare in Love"? (none / 0) (#23)
by Donald from Hawaii on Mon May 03, 2021 at 05:12:58 PM EST

LOL? Why stop at 1990? Had you gone back but one year further, you could've also thrown "Driving Miss Daisy" into the mix.


all would have roundly trounced any of the 2021 (none / 0) (#26)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Tue May 04, 2021 at 05:31:09 PM EST

noms


The talent (none / 0) (#27)
by MKS on Tue May 04, 2021 at 06:09:52 PM EST

seems to be doing series on cable etc.

Nicole Kidman, Kevin Bacon, and Kevin Costner.


And, I prefer entertaining (none / 0) (#28)
by MKS on Tue May 04, 2021 at 06:15:08 PM EST

to thought provoking or raising important contemporary issues.

"Art for art's sake." Not didactic.


The wife and daughter (5.00 / 1) (#29)
by jondee on Tue May 04, 2021 at 08:29:00 PM EST

are all obsessed with Mare of Easttown lately.

I'm digging my heels in on this one. Not gonna get sucked in like a couple of other times


Your family has good taste (none / 0) (#30)
by MKS on Wed May 05, 2021 at 11:40:04 AM EST

Tried to out today (none / 0) (#33)
by Militarytracy on Sat May 08, 2021 at 08:55:58 PM EST

I am completely smitten. I noticed Kate Winslet is Executive Producer, as she was for Mildred Pierce. And Guy Pearce is her love interest again bringing that hard truth chemistry they have together. It is spectacular. I watched all three available episodes, next one is tomorrow. It is superb.


The Gloaming season finale is tonight (none / 0) (#34)
by CaptHowdy on Sun May 09, 2021 at 03:59:18 PM EST

on STARZ. it's very good.


We watched 2 episodes (none / 0) (#35)
by Militarytracy on Sun May 09, 2021 at 08:29:23 PM EST

But decided to save it to binge this summer.


Series finale (none / 0) (#36)
by CaptHowdy on Mon May 10, 2021 at 09:53:25 AM EST

I think not season finale. It was worth the time. Totally.

I hate bad endings. Once it was, that was a bad ending, I want my 2 hours back.

Now it's, I want my 10 hours back.


Also (none / 0) (#37)
by CaptHowdy on Mon May 10, 2021 at 10:39:47 AM EST

It's a great look inside Tasmania. Never thought much about Tasmania beyond the devils but it looks like an interesting and beautiful place.

They is a bit about a sort of (apparently) national snack of Tasmania, a "Pie", which turns out to be something like a cross between pot pie and and calzone made with scallops. Which I love. But I don't think they come frozen. I looked.


: Tasmanian (5.00 / 2) (#38)
by CaptHowdy on Mon May 10, 2021 at 12:48:29 PM EST

scallop pies

Well said. (none / 0) (#31)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Wed May 05, 2021 at 12:04:52 PM EST

I'm sure I will (none / 0) (#15)
by CaptHowdy on Thu Apr 29, 2021 at 06:58:26 AM EST

I love Frances

I saw Sound of Metal and Judas and the Black Messiah. Both ok.
I want to see Nomadland and Minari and the Chicago 7 ASAP.


: Ya I saw Metal and Promising Young Woman (none / 0) (#19)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Apr 29, 2021 at 03:03:28 PM EST

Both ok

: Frances McDormand is awesome. (none / 0) (#25)
by Donald from Hawaii on Mon May 03, 2021 at 05:34:38 PM EST

She's only the third actor in the Academy's 93-year history to win three Academy Awards in the lead actor / actress category, the first being (of course) the great Katharine Hepburn with four of the gold statuettes and the second, the equally great Daniel Day-Lewis with three.
Trivia Note: Walter Brennan is the only actor to win three Oscars in the supporting category.
;-D