Awards Aftermath - Part 2

[DanRWentzelJr]

I just rewatched the Celluloid Closet.  Here is something I don't understand.

Tony Curtis seemed perfect open and accepting about gays when discussing the films in The Celluloid Closet.

How did he go from that in 1996 to bragging to the press about refusing to see Brokeback Mountain in 2006?

[daannzzz]

I just rewatched the Celluloid Closet.  Here is something I don't understand.

Tony Curtis seemed perfect open and accepting about gays when discussing the films in The Celluloid Closet.

How did he go from that in 1996 to bragging to the press about refusing to see Brokeback Mountain in 2006?

I have wondered about that as well. I watch the Celluloid Closet about once a year and it irks me every time I see him. He seems to be quite open and to have had fun with it.

[dback]

Maybe for the same reason that so many straight men love to do drag on Halloween--they think it's a hoot dressing as a woman, and seeing if they're attractive or not.  (Dustin Hoffman frequently speaks very movingly of how psychologically devastating it was when he first started playing Dorothy in "Tootsie," and having men look right through him; then he realized he regularly did the same thing to women he didn't find attractive.)

In "Brokeback" however, the men weren't in drag, or funny, or effeminate, or anything like that.  They were rugged, horse-riding, gun-toting, fist-fighting MEN, who just happened to fall in love and have (onscreen) sex with each other.  To old school Hollywood, that was the cardinal offense--that the gay offscreen life was finally, unapologetically onscreen.  Lucille Ball and others of her ilk were very freaked out in the late 60's and 70's when onscreen nudity and sexuality finally started being shown, though they were OK with violence.  I'm sure many of the "old guard" academy members are the same way--look how violent "The Departed" and "No Country For Old Men" were.

(Now, mind you, if the Academy was REALLY trying to make a statement in their voting, they should've gone for "Good Night and Good Luck," which was the "softest" of the nominees.  "Munich" and "Capote" had brutal violence, and "Crash" is almost wall-to-wall profanity.)

[DanRWentzelJr]

(Now, mind you, if the Academy was REALLY trying to make a statement in their voting, they should've gone for "Good Night and Good Luck," which was the "softest" of the nominees.  "Munich" and "Capote" had brutal violence, and "Crash" is almost wall-to-wall profanity.)

Of course, the third movie that in the mix between the Crash upset and Brokeback Mountain was Good Night and Good Luck.  Rumor has it that it received more votes than anyone imagines.  I'm sure older Hollywood found it very appealing.  Quite frankly, of those three movies, GNGL was probably the only one that some of these members bothered to see.

[dback]

I can't tell you how many magazines I've picked up the past few days, as well as websites I've been on, that have been trumpeting "Crash" the TV series, "from the producers of the Academy-Award winning Best Picture."  Oh, they've settled the lawsuit between them?

Mind you, Dennis Hopper is the focus of the ads, playing an entertainment exec--a character not in the film.  Yes, this "daring" and "important" movie about race and prejudice is now being promoted by...a white guy.

The staggering hypocrisy never ends.

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Wonder if Tony & Ernest will attend:

http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2008/08.10.08.html

[Ennis Del Mark]

I sure as hell wouldn't, even if I could!

I apologize for wimping out on my thread last month--I still hate CRASH and always will!  I shouldn't have backed down. BBM's loss for best picture will always be an abomination.

Mark 

[BayCityJohn]

An interview with author and Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne, whose 80 Years of the Oscar: The Official History of the Academy Awards will be published later this month by Abbeville Press.

What do you think was the biggest Oscar upset ever?

I think it goes back to 1951, when the two big important films of the year were A Streetcar Named Desire and A Place in the Sun. They were duking it out, but the winner was An American in Paris. It was a movie that had already played off; MGM could get no future money out of it basically, because there were no DVDs or anything like that; and they also had Singing in the Rain coming out, which they were concentrating on, not American in Paris. American in Paris winning was kind of thrilling, but it was a total, total upset. I’d say the next biggest upset, for me, was not that long ago, when Brokeback Mountain was up, which seemed like such a sure thing, and was such a fine film and Ang Lee won the best director award and all of a sudden the winner was Crash, which I didn’t take that seriously as an important film. It was a good film, but not an important one, and it’s also one of those films that I don’t think will have any shelf life at all. That really surprised me, because I thought it was all homophobia more than anything and had nothing to do with filmmaking. I thought if anything the film industry would be more tolerant of something like that because it was so beautifully done.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6604714.html

[BayCityJohn]

Robert Osborne's book is available for pre-order on our Amazon store.




http://astore.amazon.com/davecullencom-20/detail/0789209926

[Ennis Del Mark]

Well, between my budget being shot to hell (but the Hollywood trip was worth it!) and my hatred for the Oscars now I doubt I'll buy the book, even though I love Robert Osborne.  I have wanted for years to write him and tell him how much of a fan I am.  He loves movies and was able to make a career writing about them, AND he was a dear friend of Lucy's--how great a life is that?  And he's just frickin' adorable!  There is a youtube clip from the 70s where he is a guest on Dinah Shore's show where other guests include Olivia de Havilland and Shelley Winters, talking about their Oscars.  He is so gorgeous that I am left breathless. Oh, Mama!

Thanks for sharing this info on his new book and especially his view that BBM got the shaft, John.  You always leave me pretty breathless yourself.   

Mark

[Ennis Del Mark]

I just read the too-brief but still nice interview with Robert O. on the publisher's weekly link John thoughtfully posted.  Thanks, Man.

I also submitted a comment, largely what I said here.

I so hope to get to meet Robert O. one day.  Guess I need to become young at heart.

Mark

P.S.  Watched some of BBM last night and some extras.  Whimper, sniffle, sob.  No one to comfort me and dry my tears.  Damn!

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Thanks for sharing this info on his new book and especially his view that BBM got the shaft, John.  You always leave me pretty breathless yourself.   
Mark

This is huge IF those remarks he made in his interview are written in
the only official Academy history book about the oscars.  In the interview
piece quoted above he says "I thought it was all homophobia more
than anything and had nothing to do with filmmaking."  Having read
other editions of this book, I doubt that particular sentiment is going to
make it into the book.  For one, he does not offer personal editorials in
the brief synopses written about each year.  He does mention controversies,
and then usually some speculations about why such or such occurred.
In this instance he'll probably say something like some peope attribute
the loss to homophobia, others to an aggressive marketing campaign
by Lion's Gate or something like that.  I doubt he will leave it at most
attribute the loss to homophobia more than anything, which he should.

We shall see.

(By the way, Mark, I noticed Robert Osborne appeared on several
episodes of the Beverly Hillbillies!)

[Lyle (Mooska)]

I so hope to get to meet Robert O. one day.  Guess I need to become young at heart.
Mark

He has hosted several evenings at the academy on occasion.  Two that
I saw were a fiftieth anniversary screening of Annie Get Your Gun and a
Tribute to Olivia DeHavilland.  And it was (indirectly) because of him I got
to talk to Bette Davis on the phone!

[BayCityJohn]

I so hope to get to meet Robert O. one day.  Guess I need to become young at heart.
Mark

He has hosted several evenings at the academy on occasion.  Two that
I saw were a fiftieth anniversary screening of Annie Get Your Gun and a
Tribute to Olivia DeHavilland.  And it was (indirectly) because of him I got
to talk to Bette Davis on the phone!

Who? Who is this?

[Ennis Del Mark]

I so hope to get to meet Robert O. one day.  Guess I need to become young at heart.
Mark

He has hosted several evenings at the academy on occasion.  Two that
I saw were a fiftieth anniversary screening of Annie Get Your Gun and a
Tribute to Olivia DeHavilland.  And it was (indirectly) because of him I got
to talk to Bette Davis on the phone!

Who? Who is this?

"What the hell is [pause]  MoosKA?  Sounds like a dessert top=ping!"

"And I'm not talking to any Bay City JOAN!  Oh, it's JOHN?  Sorry, my mistake, but you KNOW how that other name affects me!"

Oh I could go on and on, but I won't be a vile, sorry little bitch...

Mark