Showbiz Sandbox 138: Lessons Learned At This Year’s Oscars
February 27, 2012
Predicting who will win Academy Awards each year isn’t as easy as it looks. Just ask IndieWire’s Anne Thompson. She managed to pick 19 out of 24 winner’s at this past weekend’s Oscar ceremony, but there were a few categories which had everyone guessing. Thompson takes us backstage on Oscar night and explains how easy it is for someone covering the awards season, like herself, to over think how Academy voters will respond when ballots are cast.
Meanwhile, Google filed applications last week to become a cable television provider in Kansas City. What remains to be seen is whether the tech giant can obtain enough programming to attract customers.
Maybe Hollywood will welcome Google with open arms as they have with the glut of streaming video providers all vying to license premium content. Ironically, the industry seems to be ahead of the curve on a new technology they hope will make up for falling DVD sales.
We also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including a new book from J.K. Rowling, Barbara Streisand’s new record deal and how advertising at movie theaters is being taken more seriously.
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Backstage with Oscar Winners: ‘Hugo’ and ‘The Artist’ Win Five; ‘Iron Lady,’ Two
http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/oscar-winners-in-progress-hugo-wins-two-oscars-cinematography-and-production-design
Film Independent Spirit Awards: Complete List of Winners
http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/film-independent-spirit-awards-complete-list-of-winners
Publicist Guild Awards Honor Marketers of ‘The Help,’ ‘Modern Family’
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/publicist-guild-awards-help-modern-family-294672
Google Files Applications To Offer TV Service In KC
http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/22/3444862/google-giving-stronger-signal.html
J.K. Rowling Inks Deal With Little, Brown For Adult Book
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/book-news/deals/article/50754-j-k-rowling-inks-deal-with-little-brown-for-adult-book.html
Cinema Advertising Firm National Cinemedia Joins Upfront Fray
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cinema-advertising-firm-national-cinemedia-joins-upfront-293121
Gannett Putting Up Paywalls
http://www.adweek.com/news/press/gannett-putting-paywalls-138471
‘X Factor’s’ Rachel Crow Lands Nickelodeon, Sony Music Deals
http://www.vibe.com/post/%E2%80%98x-factor%E2%80%99s%E2%80%99-rachel-crow-lands-nickelodeon-sony-music-deals-128439
Comcast Launches Subscription VOD Service for Older TV, Movie Content
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/comcast-launches-subscription-vod-service-streampix-netflix-293159
Katy Perry’s ‘Part of Me’ Debuts Atop Hot 100
http://www.billboard.com/#/news/katy-perry-s-part-of-me-debuts-atop-hot-1006251352.story
Open Road Denies ‘Wolves’ Infringement Charges
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/copyright/article/50688-open-road-denies-wolves-infringement-charges-george-joins-the-battle.html
‘Conan’ Extended By TBS Through 2014
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/22/conan-extended-by-tbs-2014_n_1293978.html
Paramount Sues To Stop New ‘Godfather’ Book From Mario Puzo Estate
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/paramount-sues-godfather-book-mario-puzo-estate-293190
Barbra Streisand Re-Signs With Columbia Records, Will Celebrate 50 Years
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/barbra-streisand-columbia-records-50-annivesary-293863
Live Nation: Still Losing Money, But Not As Much
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2012/02/live-nation-entertainment-ticketmaster-still-losing-money-but-not-as-much.html
‘Bully’: Can Weinstein Co. Resign From Group It Doesn’t Belong To?
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2012/02/bully-weinstein-harvey-artist-mpaa.html
Web Deals Cheer Hollywood, Despite Drop In Moviegoers
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/25/business/media/web-deals-cheer-hollywood-despite-a-drop-in-moviegoers.html
Anne Thompson is a lot smarter than me when it comes to the Oscars. She got 19 out of 24 right and I only got 15 out of 24. It was a strange year: the Oscars picked one of my favorite movies of the year as Best Picture (that rarely happens) and yet I felt a little bored by it all. Still, it’s pretty crazy an ode to silent movies pulled off the trick.
I found the difficulty in predicting the Oscars this year rooted in a distinct gap between who I truly wanted to win, and who I objectively thought would. And so I found it more difficult this year to juggle personal favorites with critical acclaim, predominant politics, and a consistently changing system of rules for nominations. I posted my own predictions, and expanded on this year’s cinematic voice, its presence at the Oscars, and the difficulty to predict in my in-depth film analysis/review blog, which can be found here: http://aestheticpunchlines-afilmmakersblog.blogspot.com/
The first sentence of your comment is not only well written, but perfectly somes up my own feelings on this year’s Academy Awards.
And thanks for letting everyone know where they can find more of your writing. I’ve subscribed to your blog in my RSS reader and highly suggest anyone reading this check it out.