Getting Excited for the Oscars with Russell and Corey

The Oscars are almost here, so we though we should talk a bit about them. What are we excited about? What are we dreading? Who do we think will win? Who do we want to see thrown into an active volcano? Russell   and Corey Atad talked about it and here are the results.

Corey Atad: Hello hello hello! It’s that time of year again. The Oscars are upon us… Almost. I have to admit, I love the Oscars. Love ’em. The season itself gets more than a little tiring, but I still get super involved. I care too much even though I know I really shouldn’t. This year there seem to be a bunch of categories that could go in surprising directions, plus the more I hear about this musical-infused Oscar show, the more I’m cringing with delighted anticipation. There is no way this won’t be a gloriously, awful, hilarious, fun night. Right?

Russell Hainline: I object to the accusations of awfulness, good sir. While Seth MacFarlane isn’t necessarily my cup o’ tea, his commitment to being a song-and-dance host fills me with joy. An Oscar ceremony without some Borscht belt vaudeville routines, musical numbers, and good-natured zingers… is not an Oscar ceremony. (My main concern is MacFarlane’s ability to resist taking the zingers past good-natured.) There’s always a lousy time-filler or two in the mix, but my approach to the Academy Awards is never laced in anything approaching irony.

The tension coming from the tightness of several races is certainly something we can both enjoy. My tension is admittedly slightly tied to my entries into several contests, and certainly bragging rights among those at my annual Oscar party gatherings. How does Mr. Atad celebrate this glorious time of year?

Corey: I don’t enter contests because I ain’t the gamblin’ sort. (A lot of which is to do with my extreme fear of losing all my worldly possessions on a bad bet in the Best Documentary Short category.)

My main mode of celebration, at least this year, involves two of my best friends: Beer and Rye. I’ll also be hanging out with other, more humanly friends, trading quips, marvelling at Jessica Chastain and dying a little every time the camera cuts to Tom Hooper’s stupid face.

I think the race I’m most excited for at this point is the Best Director category. I’m excited because I have the sinking feeling Spielberg will lose, which ultimately means nothing to me except that I get to go on endless rants about how unjust the whole awards farce is. The same goes for the Adapted Screenplay race. Any categories you’re keeping a keen eye on?

Russell: The races that I’m emotionally invested in:

1. Best Supporting Actor. There is a man in this category who gives one of the best performances of his lengthy career this year, and he absolutely deserves another Oscar for it. I’m obviously not referring to Robert DeNiro, who outside of one scene of forced crying doesn’t do anything special, as he’s been in plenty of romantic comedies before. I’m talking about Tommy Lee Jones, who is perfectly utilized and brings a rich depth of emotion to Thaddeus Stevens, stealing scenes from Daniel Day-Lewis of all people.

2. Best Original Screenplay. Django is entertaining, but Tarantino has done better work. Let’s reward someone for a career peak, like Haneke or Anderson… or even Boal, for that matter.

3. Best Director and Best Actress. If you couldn’t pick up on it above, Silver Linings Playbook doesn’t strike me as Oscar-worthy. At all. When you have stellar deserving winners in the categories like Chastain, Riva, Spielberg, and Lee… rewarding a glorified romcom with a Weinstein push and a faux-take on mental illness feels cringeworthy.

4. Best Cinematography. Do I love Life of Pi? Yes. But is Roger Deakins’ lack of Oscar the greatest crime in contemporary Academy Awards history? Yes.

Your passionate categories Sunday night?

Corey: Okay, first off, I don’t like Zero Dark Thirty, I love Silver Linings Playbook, my adoration for Lincoln has become unhealthy and Life of Pi is beautiful bleh. As for what I’m really invested in (other than Director and Adapted Screenplay), well…

1. Best Cinematography. Right there with you on Deakins. I mean, it’s kind of mind-blowing that The Master didn’t get a nod here, but come on, Deakins needs this. Are they really going to deny him? Why does he keep getting screwed over? Oh well, if he’s going to lose to Claudio Miranda, that ain’t so bad.

2. Best Actress. I think Jennifer Lawrence is going to win this one, and I’m cool with that, but I still feel like this award is up in the air, and I really want to see how it pans out. Plus, if Lawrence wins I’m sure she’ll give good speech.

3. Best Animated Feature. I adore animation, and this year we’ve got a category where there’s no clear front-runner. I don’t want to see Wreck-It Ralph win. I do love Brave more than most, so I guess I’m on that film’s side, but in my dreams the deserving winner, ParaNorman, takes the prize and everything is right with the world.

4. Best Picture. I mean, obviously. It’s the big award. And I have dreams about Ben Affleck going home and crying in a corner, hugging his Good Will Hunting Oscar, while Spielberg and Kathy Kennedy throw the biggest party in Hollywood and invite all the coolest people and George Lucas shows up and smiles and nods and apologizes for the last 24 years of his career and Daniel Day-Lewis drinks everybody’s milkshakes. These are the things I dream about. My dreams rarely come to pass… sadly.

Okay, last question. There’s always something crazy that goes down every Oscars telecast. A wild speech. Somebody streaking. Adrien Brody kissing Halle Berry. Rob Lowe. Using your crystal ball, what kind of lunacy are you predicting for this year?

Russell: The one benefit from Jennifer Lawrence winning would be her speech would likely be the liveliest. Other speeches that would rule: Mark Boal would for sure have some words for people, not to mention the 5 Broken Cameras director for the TSA. On second thought, Quvenzhane Wallis would have the cutest speech ever.

My favorite lunacy is before the ceremony on the red carpet. It might surprise you, but I have strong fashion opinions. And nothing angers me more than Kelly Osbourne’s sycophantic love of literally everyone that arrives.

I’ll be happy as long as I don’t run out of champagne. As long as the bubbly flows, it won’t matter who wins.

As long as it’s not Silver Linings Playbook.

Joking.

Not really.

Corey: The red carpet is a glorious occasion. Sadly I may be stuck watching the Canadian version of it, which means no Kelly Osbourne. Still, I’m sure it will be an amazing display of abject idiocy and kissassery.

I look forward to covering the glory of it all with you on Sunday evening.

Until then,

Argo fu… oh god I can’t do it.

Be sure to come back on Sunday evening when Movie Mezzanine will be hosting an Oscar Liveblog.