Strange how you can be completely in sync each year with the supporting acting categories and the “other” categories at the annual Academy Awards ceremony, and walk away from the Oscars scratching your head over the rest of the wins. Highlights of the night were those TV-actors-turned-movie-actors-turned-Oscar-winners J.K. Simmons (Skoda! Chief Pope!) and Patricia Arquette (Alison Dubois!) getting their wins, long-time working actors who have paid their dues and finally got recognized for it. And I admit I love not being in sync with the Academy each year, and never as much so to their selection of Birdman as winner for this year’s Best Picture, a positively abysmal, unwatchable flick that rested on the acting of Michael Keaton, who the Academy snubbed. Go figure. But Hollywood likes to pat itself on the back for its own idiosyncracies so it’s no surprise they did it again (full disclosure: I hated A Chorus Line, too). You can see how I really feel in my earlier review at borg.com here.
It was another ceremony of young presenters you’ve never heard of all showing their deer-in-the-headlights inexperience with public speaking, making you wonder just how many takes directors had to slog through this year to get anything out of them worth putting onscreen. (More polished presenters next year like Zoe Saldana, Dwayne Johnson, and Eddie Murphy, please). When was the last good year of Oscars anyway? 2013. Contrast this year’s films with the films of 2012 and the corresponding winners at the 2013 Oscars ceremony (Argo, Brave, Skyfall, Django Unchained, Les Miserables all took home at least one statue) and this year seemed pretty shabby by comparison.
But all is not lost. Take a look at the winner for Best Animated Short Film, Feast. It’s from Disney, which can be good or bad, but this time their short film harkened back to some of the best of the classic cartoons produced by the studio. It’s a love triangle about a little dog, his love of food, and his owner. It’s full of solid artistry, great animation, humor, action, and best of all–heart. And you can (and should) watch it now via Amazon Prime or the link below, after the break, via YouTube (a deal at only $1.99).
If you’ve had a dog in your family you’ll know how successful director Patrick Osborne and his team of animators were at showing the passion and spirit of man’s best friend. We can only hope there’s more in store from the team that put this work together.
And now we start all over again with a new slate of films. Our fingers are crossed that this will be a better year at the movies.
C.J. Bunce
Editor
borg.com
