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.
Most of Farenheit 9/11 also falls into that description. What's yer point / sarc
Since it has a homocentric theme vs a homocharacter, BareA$$ed Mountain will trash Capote.
Bookmark bump.
***Votes Are Private***
SURE they are.....
I predict a the host of the show will wear a cowboy hat and a gold lamee leotard..............(to look like Oscar, of course)......
They are tabulated by an Accounting firm hired just for this occasion. Who do you think is seeing the results?
Heath Ledger having gay sex? Come on, that's hardly acting.
Do you supposed Billy opted out because he refused to participate in a "pup tent" skit, whereas Jon Stewart had no problem assusming the position?
I think, in this case, Jake Gyllenhall would suffice.
You're wrong about "BEST ACTRESS" ... that would be Jake Gyllenhall, Brokeback Mountain ...
Yes, you did.
BEST SONG: Lola from BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN!
(It'll beat Walk on the Wild Side from BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN.)
lol!
He did? I didn't realize that. I always remember him from October Sky.
Dude...I doubt that...only girls watch it anyway, and they'll probably watch it again "en masse" this year.
Same YR to YR ratings...though they may pick up more deviants this year than usual.
"Thank God that Billy Crystal isn't hosting"
Do you remember when Crystal came on stage riding a horse? Might be hard for Stewart to top that.
It is a sure sign that Brokeback Mountain is going to win when the Oscars are going to be held in the O K Corral. There is still time to get Richard Gere and his hamster to host the Oscars.
I never say October Sky. He must have been 10 or so in City Slickers. Based on Brokeback, I think I'll rent October Sky.
BWahahahaha!
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