Posted on 01/10/2006 9:31:10 AM PST by SirLinksalot
Oscar Indicators
James Hirsen, NewsMax.com
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced its choice of host for the 78th Annual Academy Awards. It's one of today's foremost wisecrackers, host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" Jon Stewart.
Stewart apparently landed the Oscar gig after Billy Crystal turned it down citing scheduling conflicts.
In a press release announcing the Academy's selection, Stewart lampooned the fact that he was second fiddle, describing it as "another sad attempt to smoke out Billy Crystal."
The comic already has some award show experience under his belt, having served as host for the Grammy Awards in 2001 and 2002.
Evidently, he intends to take a week off from his "Daily Show" duties to work with his writers, who will most likely assist him in preparing the requisite number of Bush-bashing jokes.
Meanwhile the Producers Guild of America (PGA) and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) have announced some nominations of their own. This is significant in that their selections tend to serve as predictors of Best Picture Academy Awards. In fact, no movie has ever won an Oscar for Best Picture without first having been nominated by at least one of these two groups.
If the PGA/WGA forecasting pattern holds true, "Munich," "Memoirs of a Geisha" and "Match Point" are already out of the running.
When the PGA and the WGA ignore films, arrows point toward losses, while conversely, films that are nominated by both groups can take on front-runner status.
In this awards cycle, movies nominated by both groups include "Brokeback Mountain," "Capote," "Good Night, and Good Luck" and "Crash."
"Capote" also squeaked out a win for Best Picture from the National Society of Film Critics (NSFC) after six ballot rounds. Based on the almost universal raves given by critics to "Brokeback Mountain," one might have expected the film to win the NSFC Best Picture award in a landslide. But the critics group snubbed the movie, with the exception of giving a Best Actor nod to Heath Ledger.
Regarding the actors and directors unions, the controversial film was the nomination leader. It earned four Screen Actors Guild (SAG) nominations and a Directors Guild of America (DGA) nomination for Ang Lee for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film, a precursor for a Best Director Oscar.
Other DGA nominees include George Clooney for "Good Night, and Good Luck," Paul Haggis for "Crash," Bennett Miller for "Capote" and Steven Spielberg for "Munich."
As an interesting side note, the online gambling sites have "Brokeback" as the clear betting favorite.
We'll find out who wins the bets and the statuettes on March 5.
BEST PICTURE : BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
BEST DIRECTOR : ANG LEE, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
BEST ACTOR : HEATH LEDGER, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
BEST ACTRESS : REESE WITHERSPOON ( BECAUSE BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN DOES NOT HAVE A LEAD ACTRESS CATEGORY )
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESSS : MICHELLE WILLIAMS ( BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN )
BEST SCREENPLAY : BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
Did I miss anything ????
Ahhh yesss, every presentor will wear the obligatory AIDS ribbon to honor the people who will be represented by the actors in .... BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN.
They should rename The Oscar.... The Bruce.
Ha!
Best Actress will go to whoever played the catcher in Brokeback Mountain.
Yes, you left out BEST ACTOR IN A NON-ORAL ROLE..........
CRASH was excellent.
BB Mountain will win for cinematography too. I wonder if Spielberg will try to get a nomination of Munich under "Documentary". It's close enough to the PC version of the revisionist truth, eh? Afterall, Michael Moore doesn't have anything to put forward in that category this year.
Then ... BOOM! ... along comes "Brokeback Mountain" which trumps "Capote" by being centered on a homosexual relationship. Drat the luck!
;)
Thank God that Billy Crystal isn't hosting. I think that Palance might go psyco if Brokeback Mountain met City Slickers in the opening skit. If he's alive. If he's dead, he'd come back and trash the set anyway.
Anyone care to wager that this year's Award Show will be the lowest rated since the invention of television?
Jack.
Or Johnny Bench awards?.........
Munich was fiction 'inspired by Historical events' as the its makers have said.
This year's most popular films (Star Wars, War of the Worlds, Harry Potter, Narnia, King Kong) don't seem to be getting much Oscar hype. King Kong was for a bit but has quickly faded.
It's a given...
Any Hollywood type that DOESN'T vote for the Gay Movie will never work again, and they know it.....
Votes are private.
With giant Hershey Squirts, uh, Kisses dancing on stage?
(sorry, I know it's gross, but you guys started it)
Yes, more "Bareback Mountman" garbage, shoved down the throats by the intolerant filth merchants of Hollywood.
BEST ACTRESS : JAKE GYLLENHALL
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