I really liked last year’s Oscars. I liked the way the awards were presented and just the overall feel of the show. So, when I hear the Oscar show producers Bill Mechanic and Adam Shankman have brought in Hamish Hamilton to direct the 82nd Academy Awards I get a little wary. Why? Because this is the guy behind multiple editions of the “MTV Video Music Awards,” the “MTV Europe Music Awards” and Victoria’s Secret fashion shows. These are shows with expectations and audiences so vastly different there is no need for comparison.
What does this mean for the show? Truthfully I have no idea, but I see it as a bad sign that Hollywood’s most prestigious show is going to slowly go the way of the increasingly popular 15-year-old fan obsessed culture. Of course, I sound like an old fogey right now, but there are just some things that should remain the same. The golden age of Hollywood is over, but we don’t have to put a stake in its heart.
In other award news, it was announced just yesterday the Hollywood Foreign Press Association will nominate five animated films for Best Animated Feature this year. Their new rule is half as strict as the Academy’s, which requires 16 qualifying animated films to be submitted. Here’s how it reads:
Eligible films must be feature-length (70 minutes or longer) with no more than 25% live action. If less than eight animated films qualify, the award will not be given, in which case the films would be eligible for Best Picture. If less than twelve animated films qualify, the category will be limited to three nominations per year.
Nominees for the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards nominations will be announced at 5am (PT) on Tuesday morning, December 15 and the 82nd Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, February 2, 2010, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
