Randy Newman & Howard Shore's 1st Oscar Wins Tonight

How does everybody feel about Randy Newman winning his first-ever Academy Award tonight? The guy's waited through 16(!) nominations over the past 20 years to finally receive his due! Another long-overdue winner is Howard Shore for "Lord Of The Rings". I remember when he was the original bandleader/musical director for "Saturday Night Live" back in 1975! These guys were basically the Susan Lucci's of the film music industry and they both finally broke their long losing streaks. Even host Whoopi Goldberg and Oscarcast Music Director John Williams, who had 2 nominations tonight, were juiced to see these guys finally receive long-overdue recognition from their peers!

 

Yeah - congrats to Randy....long overdue.

On another note: could the whole ceremony be more pompous and self-inflated? Julia Roberts just makes me want to puke with her "I love my life" crap.....give me a break.

The whole self-aggrandizing thing turns me off....I like Sidney Poitier's and Denzel Washington's quiet, classy manner.

Most of Hollywood is way too stuck on itself....what's new, right?


Best,

Ben

 

Does anyone really take this seriously? Great entertainment but not to be confussed with reality, IMO. Some of Newman's earlier nominations were much more deserving.

 

I't a sad fact that about 95% of the population takes this rubbish way too seriously. One field of endeavour slapping itself on the back and we all have to watch? May as well watch the annual banking awards. Means just as much!
I guess it's the cinematic equivalent of the top 40. Nothing to do with quality really.

 

Girlfriend and I saw "In The Bedroom", and although the movie was alright, there were parts of the plot that didn't sit right with me. It was an eerie movie about murder and guilt wridden families (and ultimately revenge). Yes, I enjoyed myself but I've seen better plot breakup and suspense watching LA Law.

She agreed with me, but she likes "Roman Tragedies". Sad plot, sadder ending, no solution, the end. So, she loved it.

If this movie was indicitive of what other movies were like (and it seemed this was true) this year was one boring year for movies.

We saw Barbara Walters previous to the Oscars. Tom Cruise with braces? OMG.

But if there's one person that deserves back-Oscars, it was Randy. Was very happy to see him win. Ya gotta love Randy. Just "Sail Away" alone does it for me.

 

It was nice to see Newman finally win and I was really glad to see Shore take the prize as I really liked the Lord of the Rings score.

And yes, it *was* way too long and pompous/self-congragulatory (but what else is new?)...

 

I have to agree with Ben. I found the whole thing painful, esp. the Julia Roberts bits. I think Randy Newman has done much better work, but good luck to him. He seems to have got the formula down pat for getting the Oscar nominations.

And I agree, it was really good to see real talents like Poitier and Denzel get acknowledged. I'm an Aussie, but it wouldn't have felt right if Russel Crowe had won this one. Denzel is very deserving of his award. Can't comment on any of the best actress awards, as I haven't seen many of them.

I did see "In the Bedroom". Sckott, I thought it was a terrific movie - had me mesmerised from start to finish. I would have been happy to see Tom Wilkinson get the Oscar - he was brilliant. For all its naturalism, it turned out to be a cracking good murder yarn.

Another one I just saw was Mulholland Drive - I always enjoy David Lynch, and this one didn't let me down. I still don't know what it was about... but it's a ride worth going on. Funny he got nominated for best director, but the film got nothing else.

 

Regardless of whether or not the awards mean something, I just like watching the comic bits that crack me up. I was disappointed Steve Martin wasn't back as host, but the material David Mamet wrote for some of the technical awards, Erroll Morris's film, Woody Allen, and most of all the bit with Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson cracked me up. "Actor, writer, director...QUITTER!"

 

And Halle Berry outcried Julia Roberts from last year.

I am glad Randy Newman won after all those nominations, but I thought while listening to all the songs that I didn't really have a clue which one would get the award, except that I knew the Randy Newman one wasn't going to win.

I thought Paul had a good chance, but I think the Vanilla Sky lyrics are pretty much nothing. And he's had so much in his life, he doesn't need another award.