If the Oscars is the sedate dinner party where guests are replaced when they get up to visit the powder room, the Independent Spirit Awards is the unwieldy one where everyone gets crowded in the kitchen, or a bloody great tent, in actual fact.
Said enormous tent is on Santa Monica beach, just along from the legendary pier, and the meandering ceremony, bands playing, guests queuing up for the loos in portakabins, is a chance for all those cinema luminaries who’ve rocked up to LA for the Oscars the following day to let their hair down and chill for a bit.
This year's event saw Seth Rogen at the helm for his debut at hosting an awards event and, my goodness, he's a natural. His hurdy-gurdy voice made his patter ever-entertaining, but he wasn't scared to push it to the line. Highlights included the noted absence of Lars Von Trier - "gone to Argentina" - and how this was a less forgiving ceremony than the Grammys, so nobody would "beat up a fellow nominee and still be asked to sing twice".
But he also poked fun at awards season itself, for how it "gives everyone a chance to express how much they admire each other’s work", to learn how well Brad Pitt and George Clooney get on, to see what a bigot Brett Ratner is.
And he made the customary trip through the leading films of the season, wondering why The Artist was doing so well - "didn't we invent the foreign film category to avoid this?" - and lots of inevitable sniggersome comments about Michael Fassbender's supporting role - need I say more?
Rogen's laid-back tone was perfect for the arena, one with guests continually putting down their forks to have a wander and another
mingle.
At one point, I overheard one, now successful, young actress go up to William H Macy and thank him for "sitting next to me on a plane four years ago, and giving me all the advice and wisdom you had, and it's all worked out".
He was charm itself, gave her a big hug and replied, "let's make a movie together."
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If the Oscars is the sedate dinner party where guests are replaced when they get up to visit the powder room, the Independent Spirit Awards is the unwieldy one where everyone gets crowded in the kitch...
If the Oscars is the sedate dinner party where guests are replaced when they get up to visit the powder room, the Independent Spirit Awards is the unwieldy one where everyone gets crowded in the kitch...
And you would have three hours of his god awful stoner laugh coupled with stoner jokes--throw in a Jewish joke--then another stoner laugh...
Seth Rogen is the most overrated comedic actor in Hollywood. Every role...same character over and over and over. There is NOTHING fresh here. He would be an awful choice.
brandonbecker0728: And you would have three hours of his god awful
Caroline, are you his press agent? He was extremely terrible. Even he knew it.
There's no reason the they couldn't have no host at all...just an announcer naming the presenters.
ptrgamb: Caroline, are you his press agent? He was extremely terrible.
The thought of reaching back for Billy Crystal is just depressing. When will they wise up and realize going with Stephen Colbert would be a brilliant move?
Orphie: The thought of reaching back for Billy Crystal is just
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First Posted: 26/02/2012 07:32 Updated: 27/02/2012 01:25