While there were some good moments sprinkled in there, they were few and far between. As I watched Ellen Degeneres up there MCing the show, I had a moment of wishfulness, remembering Johnny Carson, or Bob Hope up there, and the class and style they brought to the show.
To be honest I haven't seen any of the nominated movies. I probably won't. From what I've seen of the clips, Except for Gravity, I really don't have any interest in seeing any of the others. If clips and promotional reels are supposed to drum up interest in a movie, then, at least for me, they all failed miserably.
To me, the magic has been lost many years ago. I much prefer to see a old tape of a awards show, or old interviews, and the like. As I said in the last article, I have very little connection with the New Hollywood, or the new crop of movie stars. Even the ones that are relative old times to the current generation, are young-uns to me. With very few exceptions .
What really interest me, is the technical side of the business, special effects, music, directing, producing, how they have changed over the last 50 years, even the last 25 years. The production flow from writer, to set designer, and artist, and producer, and his/her workflow, and director, who puts the written story on film to begin with all have a important part to play to get a story from the written word, to the big screen. Even with all that said, If the story is is not good, or well written, and edited , no producer or director can save it completely. They may be able to make it watchable and in the long run it may become a cult favorite or something along that line. Bottom line is garbage in; garbage out.
Mainstream media has become a sea of "Whats Hot Today" and here one week, gone and forgotten the next day, or week. The only thing that seem to stay in the spotlight any length of time are people who are total idiots, and do things, that if they were anyone else, the judge would have locked them up and threw the book at them, and lost the key; Justin Bieber While I wasn't personally around when Elvis was his age, and just getting popular and having some serious money, to play with. I have heard and read the stories. While Elvis did pull a few stunts, they were nothing compared to what Justin Bieber has done in the last couple of years. Justin Bieber, simply put, is a rich spoiled brat. As are the majority of the pop stars of today. If they ever did have any talent, it being wasted on what is considered music today. Most of what I've heard is glorified screaming at the top of one's lungs, so loud and horrible one can't tell, what they're trying to say. I don't think I want to know what they are trying to say, to be honest.
Heres a idea; set up a school or program of some kind so that any serious signers and performers, with talent have to study and learn their craft, and study dancing, music reading, production, from all aspects, most importantly learn the history of their art, and who came before them, and why they were/are important., and if possible at least meet them, or even work with them.
Wait!!! We used to have that.! It was called the Studio System. In which studios would train up and coming actors and signers in their craft and they would learn the ropes by doing, and working with other masters. Thus giving them a proper education in the arts. Yes, there were misuses of power, and a downsides, but the upsides gave us generations of great actors and producers and writers and directors who have become legends of hollywood history. There are still places like that around, however they're not easy to get into, and are essentially, at the end of the day , there to make money from the students. With very few exceptions.
Today anyone can make a YouTube video, and post it. If they're lucky and they're reasonably good, they have a chance at having a shot at stardom, at in some sense of the word. Youtube has changed the landscape of media, theres no denying it, weather its for the good or long term bad, remains to be seem. End result is; everyone has a chance at being a star, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Kenneth Lawson