By Alissa Scheller
I didn’t even watch the Oscars this year.
I didn’t see most of the films up for awards, and more importantly, I just didn’t care – I would rather get in a couple more hours of sleep than watch celebrities cry on stage. I’m kind of cynical like that.
But, for all my bitchiness and cynicism, I’ve heard the Slumdog Millionaire hype. And to be quite honest, even though I didn’t see the film, I don’t get it. I considered paying an exorbitant amount of money at a movie theater to see it, but I was put off when I read reviews.
I know I shouldn’t believe everything I read, but I’m kind of cheap and shallow and don’t want to spend money on a movie I won’t like, but I heard the characters had no depth and the analysis of the South Asia condition was lacking.
I don’t know about the Academy, but to me, that just doesn’t sound like an Oscar-worthy movie. I realize I should see movies before I criticize them, but I really just don’t have that kind of money.
I realize that it’s good that South Asia was in the spotlight of this year’s Oscars, but I agree with this blog post – I’m not so sure that a movie that oversimplifies and stereotypes the experiences of South Asian people is the best way for that to happen.
(Also, part of me really, really wanted Milk to win…)
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Free Advertising?
When you look at a magazine and see a advertisement you like, you look to buy the product. You may like a cardigan from the Gap or a handbag from Chanel. These advertisements entice you as a consumer to say; I can afford that and look into purchasing. When you see a dress at the Oscars, you think, wow, I wish I could afford that. Designers live for the Oscars because it is all about the FREE advertising. But nothing in life really is free.
After hours upon hours of designing and creating the perfect dress, the product will be a walking advertisement. There is a great effort put into these dresses because photo after photo will be taken. And if the dress is bad, it will be all over the Internet. No one wants to design a horrible dress, because intense scrutiny will ensue.
Designers rely on the celebrity to sell their product. “Household” names like Prada or Dolce & Gabbana are the premier designers to wear to Galas, awards shows and upscale parties. The Oscars and other highly covered award shows are like a gold mine for these designers. An icon like Sarah Jessica Parker will wear a dress from Dior and people will want to buy it. Or Tom Ford will design a tuxedo for the uber wealthy man to wear. Photos are taken and magazines, TV shows, blogs, newspapers, etc. all pick which was the “best” and “worst.”
The “best” list is where all designers want to be.
After hours upon hours of designing and creating the perfect dress, the product will be a walking advertisement. There is a great effort put into these dresses because photo after photo will be taken. And if the dress is bad, it will be all over the Internet. No one wants to design a horrible dress, because intense scrutiny will ensue.
Designers rely on the celebrity to sell their product. “Household” names like Prada or Dolce & Gabbana are the premier designers to wear to Galas, awards shows and upscale parties. The Oscars and other highly covered award shows are like a gold mine for these designers. An icon like Sarah Jessica Parker will wear a dress from Dior and people will want to buy it. Or Tom Ford will design a tuxedo for the uber wealthy man to wear. Photos are taken and magazines, TV shows, blogs, newspapers, etc. all pick which was the “best” and “worst.”
The “best” list is where all designers want to be.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Outside the Bubble
This year I turned my back on my country and forgot that the Oscars broadcast exists, and I didn't rembember until 11:50 PM on Sunday. I wandered out of my room, irritated, and found my floormates doing an odd appropriation of Bollywood dance in celebration of Slumdog Millionaire's Best Picture win. It was an odd sight, and certainly not worth leaving bed for.I love sparkly dresses and attractive actors. I love video montages and bad jokes and strange celebrity pairings. It follows that I should love the Oscars - and I do. So why didn't I watch this year's broadcast? Let's see some options:
A. I had a lot of reading
B. I don't have a TV in my room and our floor TV is horrible
C. The collapse of the entertainment industry left me, like so many other habitual Oscar viewers, disinterested in the ceremony and its offerings
D. Hugh Jackman scares me
While the answer is probably a combination of A, B and D, many observers and insiders talked a lot about C. Despite the slumping economy and resulting drastic reductions in ticket sales, the movie industry seemed to effect little change. Ticket prices went up, reducing viewership of many of this year's nominees. Films had shorter runs and more limited distribution. Although box office success technically has nothing to do with Oscar consideration, you'd be hard-pressed to find a film that no one bothered to see in contention for a major award. The Academy had a tough task: picking nominees that the public cared about while at least attempting to recognize films of high cultural and/or artistic merit. Many viewers thought the Academy failed, especially in snubbing Wall-E and The Dark Knight for best picture simply because they were respectively an animated and an action movie.
This certainly had an effect on my interest in the whole spectacle. I can count on one hand the number of nomiated films I saw this year (Milk, Iron Man and In Bruge). I couldn't really afford spending $8 to see a movie I didn't think warranted a big screen, and the few I did see were independent films that the Oscars wouldn't touch with a ten-foot stick. I am also incredibly lazy when it comes to this sort of thing, so I never even got around to seeing the aforementioned snubs. Maybe I'm just getting older, but the glamour can't justify wasting four hours when I could be studying.
The only thing I bothered watching on YouTube the next was Dustin Black's acceptance speech. At this point, the only thing the Oscars are useful for (other than wasting money) is giving winners a minute and a half to say whatever they want on any subject. Black's speech was touching without being overbearing, and as someone for whom Milk was a profoundly affecting film, he hit all the right notes in continuing the film's important message. Just goes to show that with the Internet, we can distill any video broadcast into only the parts we want to watch. I don't think I'll be tuning in next year, and there's no one to blame for that but the Academy.
By Zoe Leverant
A New Approach
By Chris Collins
I braced myself for a DARK NIGHT. I DOUBTed Hugh Jackman could carry the show, and expected him to MILK the same lame gags throughout the evening. Boy was I wrong. Sunday's production was A CURIOUS CASE though; designer David Rockwell re-worked the Kodak, allowing for an unprecedented level of intimacy, a far cry from the austere velveteen backdrop one's used to seeing come Oscar time. I'm no mind READER, but I had a feeling the nominees enjoyed the REVOLUTIONARY new ROAD the Oscars have decided to travel down.
Producers Laurence Mark and Bill Condon gave the ceremony a total overhaul. They made it quicker, classier, and twice as swanky. The traditionally dull honorary award was trimmed down to half its air time. The usual comedic host was replaced by an actor; goodbye Billy Crystal, goodbye Jon Stewart, hello hunkish Australian dude. The curtains were made out of frickin' crystals (which is ironic, considering the Best Picture winner revolved around destitute Mumbai street dwellers.)
But why? Condon and Mark hoped to avoid a repeat of last year's telecast, the lowest rated in Oscar history (which is unfortunate, considering it honored two of the best film's of the decade: best picture winner No Country For Old Men and best picture nominee There Will Be Blood).
Their philosophy: bring back the social club atmosphere that defined the ceremony in the late forties and early fifties, and the spontaneity that came with it. If you can capture that, you've got a show people will want to tune into, not just for the night, but for years to come.
Early numbers show their approach has paid off; ratings are up 13% from last year.
Here's the best parts of the show:
Hugh Jackman: Surprisingly funny and in tune with Condon and Mark's old school mantra, as seen in his opening number:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUJ-7tCIHTU
The presentation order:
Condon and Mark aimed to familiarize the audience with the often ignored writing and technical awards. So, they presented them in the order you'd approach each when making a movie (i.e., you write a script first, so the writing awards were given out first, then you must build a set and costumes, thus art direction and costume design were given out second).
Here's Tina Fey and Steve Martin presenting Original Screenplay: very funny
And Dustin Lance Black accepting the award for Original Screenplay: touching
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_Dcvemkuzs
Talk about intimacy. Condon and Mark changed the method in which the acting awards were distributed. Five individuals came on stage, each delivering a message of praise for their respective nominee. It's hard to describe. Just watch.
This is best actress, being presented by Marion Cotillard, Shirley MacLain, Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman, and a Triceratops.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P552i5xx8ww&feature=related
Heath Ledger winning
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1VPRjd-x1g
The Crazy French dude from Man On Wire
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD9jsx9mKtQ
Slumdog Millionaire winning Best Picture
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt3FOv-Uils
Slumdog won 8 awards, including Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, and Cinematography. Other big winners: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (3),
The Dark Knight (2), and Milk (2).
And sorry about the introduction paragraph. Just had to do it.
I braced myself for a DARK NIGHT. I DOUBTed Hugh Jackman could carry the show, and expected him to MILK the same lame gags throughout the evening. Boy was I wrong. Sunday's production was A CURIOUS CASE though; designer David Rockwell re-worked the Kodak, allowing for an unprecedented level of intimacy, a far cry from the austere velveteen backdrop one's used to seeing come Oscar time. I'm no mind READER, but I had a feeling the nominees enjoyed the REVOLUTIONARY new ROAD the Oscars have decided to travel down.
Producers Laurence Mark and Bill Condon gave the ceremony a total overhaul. They made it quicker, classier, and twice as swanky. The traditionally dull honorary award was trimmed down to half its air time. The usual comedic host was replaced by an actor; goodbye Billy Crystal, goodbye Jon Stewart, hello hunkish Australian dude. The curtains were made out of frickin' crystals (which is ironic, considering the Best Picture winner revolved around destitute Mumbai street dwellers.)
But why? Condon and Mark hoped to avoid a repeat of last year's telecast, the lowest rated in Oscar history (which is unfortunate, considering it honored two of the best film's of the decade: best picture winner No Country For Old Men and best picture nominee There Will Be Blood).
Their philosophy: bring back the social club atmosphere that defined the ceremony in the late forties and early fifties, and the spontaneity that came with it. If you can capture that, you've got a show people will want to tune into, not just for the night, but for years to come.
Early numbers show their approach has paid off; ratings are up 13% from last year.
Here's the best parts of the show:
Hugh Jackman: Surprisingly funny and in tune with Condon and Mark's old school mantra, as seen in his opening number:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUJ-7tCIHTU
The presentation order:
Condon and Mark aimed to familiarize the audience with the often ignored writing and technical awards. So, they presented them in the order you'd approach each when making a movie (i.e., you write a script first, so the writing awards were given out first, then you must build a set and costumes, thus art direction and costume design were given out second).
Here's Tina Fey and Steve Martin presenting Original Screenplay: very funny
And Dustin Lance Black accepting the award for Original Screenplay: touching
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_Dcvemkuzs
Talk about intimacy. Condon and Mark changed the method in which the acting awards were distributed. Five individuals came on stage, each delivering a message of praise for their respective nominee. It's hard to describe. Just watch.
This is best actress, being presented by Marion Cotillard, Shirley MacLain, Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman, and a Triceratops.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P552i5xx8ww&feature=related
Heath Ledger winning
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1VPRjd-x1g
The Crazy French dude from Man On Wire
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD9jsx9mKtQ
Slumdog Millionaire winning Best Picture
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt3FOv-Uils
Slumdog won 8 awards, including Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, and Cinematography. Other big winners: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (3),
The Dark Knight (2), and Milk (2).
And sorry about the introduction paragraph. Just had to do it.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Valentine’s Day is here to stay
By Michelle Koyanagi
In a month filled with cold weather, office colds, and midterms creeping up, there is at least one thing to look forward to.
Valentine’s Day.
You gotta admit—it was a pretty clever idea to put Valentine’s Day in February.
And so even with all the talk on the web about the commercialization of February 14th and the excess spending it spurs, Valentine’s Day is simply one holiday that will not die out.
Sure…it is not as big of a deal as those December and January holidays, but even in these economic hardships, people will still take the time to buy those pink, heart-shaped candies and make their deep declarations of love to friends and family.
I am not saying that those cynics of Valentine’s Day do not have a point though. In fact, of all the blogs I read about Valentine’s Day, my favorite piece was the one (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/keith-blanchard/attention-k-mart-shoppers_b_168273.html) that just ripped at the absurdity of buying greeting cards and wrapping presents.
Yes…the dive in our economy brought some changes as to how we spend our money. Spending, especially during holiday seasons will (and has seen a) drop.
But I do not think all this focus on finding more ways to blame ourselves for these economic times is doing us any good. It is always best to look on the bright side.
I enjoyed those blogs which commented on how to be creative in expressing your love without spending a fortune on Valentine’s Day. They focused on the little things which people did to show their love and that is how it should be.
I think there is a lot of good to be had with a day like Valentine’s Day.
This recession may be showing us that we do not need to spend a lot to show our appreciation for one another, but even with all the complaints and critics, I think Valentine’s Day is here to stay.
In a month filled with cold weather, office colds, and midterms creeping up, there is at least one thing to look forward to.
Valentine’s Day.
You gotta admit—it was a pretty clever idea to put Valentine’s Day in February.
And so even with all the talk on the web about the commercialization of February 14th and the excess spending it spurs, Valentine’s Day is simply one holiday that will not die out.
Sure…it is not as big of a deal as those December and January holidays, but even in these economic hardships, people will still take the time to buy those pink, heart-shaped candies and make their deep declarations of love to friends and family.
I am not saying that those cynics of Valentine’s Day do not have a point though. In fact, of all the blogs I read about Valentine’s Day, my favorite piece was the one (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/keith-blanchard/attention-k-mart-shoppers_b_168273.html) that just ripped at the absurdity of buying greeting cards and wrapping presents.
Yes…the dive in our economy brought some changes as to how we spend our money. Spending, especially during holiday seasons will (and has seen a) drop.
But I do not think all this focus on finding more ways to blame ourselves for these economic times is doing us any good. It is always best to look on the bright side.
I enjoyed those blogs which commented on how to be creative in expressing your love without spending a fortune on Valentine’s Day. They focused on the little things which people did to show their love and that is how it should be.
I think there is a lot of good to be had with a day like Valentine’s Day.
This recession may be showing us that we do not need to spend a lot to show our appreciation for one another, but even with all the complaints and critics, I think Valentine’s Day is here to stay.
My No Spin Zone
By Alex Haines
Valentine's day 2009.
This is how mine happened to begin:
Notification of Package Delivery: You have a package (Good condition)
I swipe my card, I sign my name, I open the package. I read a card saying:
"No matter how far away or lonely you are this vday, always know that we love you very much." -Ma & Pa
Mmmm. As you can see so far, I really love this day.
Because last valentine's day ended with me throwing a massive card back into the face of my ex-girlfriend and proceeding to eat inordinate amounts of rocky road ice cream while watching the Charlie Brown Valentine's Day special and the second season of Sex and the City, I came to develop a sarcastic and biting attitude toward the "Hallmark holiday".
Let us fast-forward to this vday (2009) and I trance about the halls, seeing friends and acquaintances doing homework on a Saturday night, dressed in pajamas, ready to hit the hay just before midnight rolls around, hoping to forget a day that leaves most of us frigid. In the plethora of Looney Toons, Charlie Brown, Rocket Power and Disney paper valentines, why is that our childhood even seems to laugh at us in the face of such a bloated and shameless day? Sure, the restaurant, greeting card, carnation and candy economies will receive a nice lift in such desperate times. And yes, it is a time to remember our love for our friends and family and all they give us. The fact millions of us are excluded on such a hetero-normative holiday is an obvious injustice. Check. If all of this is true, then why does this day still just make me want to go towards the Baracrdi and the Martinis and settle for a nice evening with Snoopy and Ms. Bradshaw?
It seems like even my coupled friends couldn't figure things out: after breaking up for two hours early in the morning, my friends get back together, yell at each other more, go out to dinner, have their reservation lost, see others are closed/full, get ice cream for dinner, and just come back sad. It seems like everyone became a victim this time...
So what is the use? Why do we keep hurting ourselves as a society? Is it out of masochism or ignorance... or narcissism? Well, I guess I couldn't figure it out then and I still can't really. Despite the people in pjs doing homework, those passed-out in the lounge, the depressing cartoon-oriented valentines, the drinks, the unsatisfied couples out there, I had a pretty decent vday this time. After worrying about it for most of the day since waking up (4 pm. thank you, thank you), I made a date... and even to my surprise, it went well too.
So... there were not any cards thrown or ice cream consumed or dates with the Peanuts gang or Carrie and gang. Not even a remembrance of past lonely vdays. No cards or flowers or box or chocolates. No Marvin Gaye or Al Green or Barry. Nope. None of it. This time, it was just me and her. Just like it should have been, just like it should be. I'm becoming more of a fan, I suppose...
Valentine's day 2009.
This is how mine happened to begin:
Notification of Package Delivery: You have a package (Good condition)
I swipe my card, I sign my name, I open the package. I read a card saying:
"No matter how far away or lonely you are this vday, always know that we love you very much." -Ma & Pa
Mmmm. As you can see so far, I really love this day.
Because last valentine's day ended with me throwing a massive card back into the face of my ex-girlfriend and proceeding to eat inordinate amounts of rocky road ice cream while watching the Charlie Brown Valentine's Day special and the second season of Sex and the City, I came to develop a sarcastic and biting attitude toward the "Hallmark holiday".
Let us fast-forward to this vday (2009) and I trance about the halls, seeing friends and acquaintances doing homework on a Saturday night, dressed in pajamas, ready to hit the hay just before midnight rolls around, hoping to forget a day that leaves most of us frigid. In the plethora of Looney Toons, Charlie Brown, Rocket Power and Disney paper valentines, why is that our childhood even seems to laugh at us in the face of such a bloated and shameless day? Sure, the restaurant, greeting card, carnation and candy economies will receive a nice lift in such desperate times. And yes, it is a time to remember our love for our friends and family and all they give us. The fact millions of us are excluded on such a hetero-normative holiday is an obvious injustice. Check. If all of this is true, then why does this day still just make me want to go towards the Baracrdi and the Martinis and settle for a nice evening with Snoopy and Ms. Bradshaw?
It seems like even my coupled friends couldn't figure things out: after breaking up for two hours early in the morning, my friends get back together, yell at each other more, go out to dinner, have their reservation lost, see others are closed/full, get ice cream for dinner, and just come back sad. It seems like everyone became a victim this time...
So what is the use? Why do we keep hurting ourselves as a society? Is it out of masochism or ignorance... or narcissism? Well, I guess I couldn't figure it out then and I still can't really. Despite the people in pjs doing homework, those passed-out in the lounge, the depressing cartoon-oriented valentines, the drinks, the unsatisfied couples out there, I had a pretty decent vday this time. After worrying about it for most of the day since waking up (4 pm. thank you, thank you), I made a date... and even to my surprise, it went well too.
So... there were not any cards thrown or ice cream consumed or dates with the Peanuts gang or Carrie and gang. Not even a remembrance of past lonely vdays. No cards or flowers or box or chocolates. No Marvin Gaye or Al Green or Barry. Nope. None of it. This time, it was just me and her. Just like it should have been, just like it should be. I'm becoming more of a fan, I suppose...
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