2. Pre-Taped Bits
On the other side of the live performance coin, we saw several remarkably solid pre-taped elements to the show. In recent years, Oscar has stayed away from too extensive use of pre-taped portions of the telecastand now that we think about it, the big question is, why? Sure, its a live awards show but one that celebrates film! So really, using filmed bits to celebrate film, as the Oscars did with the Bond tribute and the opening monologue, is far from counter-intuitive.
1. The Host
Lets be honest: Seth MacFarlane has had his ups and downs, both during and outside the Oscars. Personally, I have never been a huge fan of MacFarlanes comedy stylings, but his Oscars hosting job turned out well in my mind. Were there jokes that crossed lines or were just plain bad? Sure, and Im not advocating for blind acceptance of cheap humor here. Oscar can do better than that. But looking at the Awards recent track record, it has become embarrassingly clear that finding a good Oscars host is no easy task (and sometimes, keeping them around is even more difficult). If nothing else, MacFarlanes turn as host injected a sense of edginess and irreverence that might have helped remind Hollywood not to take themselves too seriously. On top of that, he proved himself a surprisingly talented live performer, something that our old friend Oscar has been short of for a few years now. Now, on to the bad habits our golden pal just can't quit...