ABC NOW FEARING A MASS TUNEOUT (The Brokeback Oscars Effect)

NY Post ^ | 2/1/06 | DON KAPLAN

[jimbo123]

"Brokeback Mountain" and a slew of other arty, less-widely seen Oscar-nominated flicks are expected to take the polish off ABC's ratings for the Academy Awards this year.

With no big-budget films like "Titanic," "Gladiator" or "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" in this season's crop of nominees, ABC may be staring down the barrel of one of the lowest-rated Oscar telecasts in recent memory when it airs on March 5, say TV-industry analysts.

[Nasty McPhilthy]

http://www.instyle.com/instyle/OscarsCalc.dyn

[ShowMeMom]

Usually the other channels, nets and cable go into rerun mode. If I were FOX, I would do something huge and capitalize baby!!!!

Sounds like a a job for Jack Bauer!!!

[william clark]

Gee, I don't know why ABC's concerned. The telecast should have all the entertainment value of the Nuremburg rallies.

[RadioCirca1970]

That is a great idea....perfect.

[Nasty McPhilthy]

Open Wide For......

[ex-Texan]

I turned off the Academy Awards about twenty years ago. It's really strange to consider, as this article assumes, that people in the film biz believe their own hype and propaganda. When I was living in SoCal in the 1990's, I was invited to some private parties hosted by people in the film making biz. These film biz people are far more interesting in private. Many are bright and articulate. They do not have socialist political views that most Freepers assume they must have. Gays were not invited to any of the parties that I attended. I believe gay politics are being largely ignored by people in the biz. The Oscars are all tinsel, glitz and glitter. Gays are attracted to glitter like fish are attracted to fishing lures. 'Nuff said.

[Little Ray]

Nah. They're making plenty of money. They're just not making as much as they expect and want.

Too bad. I'd love to see some major studios go out of business.

[dangus]

"You know it's bad when an homage to Truman Capote is the most conservative, least political movie nominated."

[dangus]

>> Sorry...I don't have the Nelson icon handy. <<
The Nelson Ratings?

[Little Ray]

Read a book!

[Porterville]

That is not a bad idea... a sort of word of mouth protest where nobody watches the Oscars.

[Pablo64]

I haven't seen any of the movies that are up for awards (Narnia & Star Wars were the only movies I went to the theater for last year)and I have no plans to watch them when they come out on video. I haven't watched the Oscars in years. Don't see why this year would be any different.

I'm sure they miss me.

[R. Scott]

Man! Them things cost!

[JimRed]

I have not watched any of the Hollywood/Broadway awards shows for maybe 20 or 25 years, and don't intend to start now!

[NavyCanDo]

People will tune in for the 2005 big money makers and historic Hollywood blockbusters like the Star Wars III, Chronicles of Narnia, and Harry Potter, but when there only nominations are for stupid things like best make-up, they lost most of those who would care.

[murdoog]

I will put in a word for "Capote," though, which is the only Best Pic nominee that I think deserves to be there. People shouldn't be put off by the gay aspects; it's not a major part of the film, it's just part of the character of Truman Capote, and is historically accurate but not dwelled on at all. In fact, the movie is sort of a morality tale about how far someone will go to achieve earthly success and the toll it takes on his soul. It's mostly about how Capote would do anything to get his book written, even if it meant befriending murderers to gain their trust and get their story, then lying to them about not being able to find them a lawyer for their appeal because his book was overdue and needed their execution for an ending. I bet the crowd in Hollywood really related to it.

I agree. Phillip Seymour Hoffman definitely deserves the best actor award for this. He captured Truman Capote brilliantly, without it seeming like he was doing an impression.

[Dante3]

Years ago the Oscars became meaningless, more like a high school popularity contest, albeit occasionally the best do get an awards by chance or just to keep a semblance of credibility.

[tiki]

Their fears will become reality.

[murdoog]

Philip Seymour Hoffman played Capote, but he's been turning in brilliant performances for years. He was the spoiled kid in Scent of a Woman and the yuppie in the Talented Mr. Ripley and the male nurse in Magnolia.

He also played Lester Bangs in "Almost Famous". Lester Bangs, aside from being a writer, was as different from Truman Capote as a character could be. Hoffman has incredible range.

[rfpcfg]

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