image from cnbc.com
Boredom at Union Station
“2020 has been a hard year for everyone, but our
love of movies helped us get through it.”
--Regina King.
The 93rd Academy Awards ceremony from last night
is on my mind, pushing the flitting sun-breaks in the
overcast Northwest beyond the cognitive back burners.
Sure, it was a nice try to reinvigorate a lackluster set
of recent awards shows, but due to Covid restrictions,
they broadcast it from a train station, with a quarter of
the normal audience, with maximum social distancing,
and intermittent mask-wearing,
Filmed live, directed by Steven Soderbergh, I hoped
for something chic, and woke, and creative. What was
delivered was about as exciting as a limp phallus or a
sad pair of sagging breasts. Everything seemed off-
kilter and out of balance, while suffering from chronic
fatigue syndrome. 85% of the movies honored were
streamed and had never seen the inside of a theater.
We should have called the show the “Emmscars”.
There were no musical numbers, no live orchestra;
rather there was this hip-hop DJ, fresh from some
bar mitzvah, and no live host. It was bogged down
with topical politics and appropriate ethnicity, moving
like a dose of sodium pentothal. Even the “In
Memoriam” section flipped by in two nano-seconds,
making it hard to keep up, or feel anything.
I don’t support most of the “cancel culture”, but as a
life-long movie buff, and ex-professional actor, who
has faithfully watched the Oscars since 1953, this
show was insipid, dull, and still-born; about like
filming a meeting of the City Council. People
Magazine called it “hilarious, emotional, and
inspirational.” They must have seen a different
broadcast than I did.
A squirrel in our
maple tree chattered at the
terrier below.
Glenn Buttkus
Haibun
Posted over at d'Verse Poet's Pub
10 comments:
I have never seen any Oscar award ceremony, but I can understand that it receives some mixed feeling... that said I think Nomadland sounds like an excellent film
intermittent mask-wearing, ( this phrase made me stop and smile, BUT YES i understand it fully)
Happy Monday
Much💛love
I'm in total agreement of your opinion of the Oscars. In fact, I turned it off half-way through and turned to Netflix for some entertainment!
Well, Glenn, don't worry - your haibun was much better than a limp phallus!
I kid!
Thank you for sharing your perspective - I really enjoyed this write of yours.
-David
That's a long time to be watching the Oscars every year. Sounds like it was disappointing every which way. I read another review earlier today that said essentially the same. Too skim fast through the In Memory of section is such a slap in the face to the remaining family members of the deceased. I like you haiku and see you as the terrier.
I didn't watch the Oscars this year. I haven't been to a Theater in over a year. Regal is re-opening at 30 percent capacity. I laughed at the chattering squirrels.
I have to admit that I have never watched the Oscars. I don’t like the waste of money on all those clothes that they will probably only wear once, made by people on minimum wages who couldn’t even afford a drink at one of the after-parties. I didn’t know that it was broadcast from a railway station. I love the way you describe it as ‘exciting as a limp phallus or a sad pair of sagging breasts’ and a ‘dose of sodium pentothal’.
Trust I will be the outlier here ... in light of the pandemic time we exist in, I appreciated the low-key, no-fuss, no stupid jokes, no lame host, fewer political rants, close up views of beautiful fashion design (men and women), Glenn Close dancing even though it was most likely staged ... saying that, I hope with all my might we return to normal next season.
This does sound rather dismal, Glenn: sign of the times I suppose!
Agree brother. The Union Station I thought was a beautiful setting for the event. I think a live out-doorish event was a brilliant idea — but while it was live, it wasn’t “alive”. This train needed a conductor, one who could keep the train moving and on thebtrscks. And if there truly wasn’t a good tactical way for a full orchestra — maybe a small hot jazz orchestra (10-12 pieces) to give the event some “steam”. The I memoriam section was embarrassing, and traveling at 100 mph shot right by the platform. No one could see who was a board. Oh well, COVID,!
Post a Comment