The SONSOFBITCHES snubbed Harry Potter!

Wait a minute - did you just see me choosing the film series that won the Michael Balcon Award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema in 2011, the film series that was nominated for a total of 12 Academy Awards - the film series that is loved, even worshipped by thousands of people all over the world - for the worst snub ever?

Yeah, I guess so.

Because, although Harry Potter collected many a metallic statue over the 10 years it "lasted", I don't think that it has been getting all the attention it really deserves. Yes, Harry Potter has an enormous fan base, yes, the critical response has been primarily positive over the years, and yes, it didn't get snubbed as in "ignored".

Not in The United Kingdom, that is.

What's always been a thorn in my side - or has been since I started keeping an eye on awards and generally got "involved" with movies - is the Academy Award snubbing. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. I wish I could say that their actions and choices are despicable and that I'm not going to support or pay any attention to their little (or big) games anymore. But no, I agree with a lot of their choices, have been watching the ceremony three years in a row and have been trying to catch up on new and old nominees and winners. This research has proven that the Academy Awards might not be as big or as great as they think they are, but they're a great parameter for film history - historically and currently.

That being said, sometimes I really ask myself whether they actually watch the movies. 12 nominees for 8 films, mainly in the art department, could be approvable if one of the films had actually won an award one of these times. But no, Harry Potter is ignored, and ignored - and even with the final movie, no award for the overall achievement. Talk about disappointing. 

What I Loved About My Third Oscar Night

Keeping myself awake with a bottle of coke and some cake, I stayed up the second half of the German night to watch some "millionaires giving each other golden statues", as Billy Crystal put it (I think that's what he said). Interestingly, it gets easier each year.

With a huge lot of Oscar-comments coming up (or already published), there's little chance that anybody actually happens to be reading my modest little post - but if you are, I promise you won't get any negative vibes from me. 

We already know what went wrong, which films didn't get nominated or didn't win what they deserved, still my overall impression of this years' awards remains very good.

Because of that, I have decided to put of a list of...

All the things I loved about the 84th Annual Academy Awards:

1. Watching clips from the few films that I have already been able to see, and being reminded of the wonderful cinematic experiences that last year presented to us.

And how cool was Best Original Script for Midnight in Paris?!

2. The old-school-ness: decoration, hosting, winners - even many of the dresses!

Billy Crystal was wonderful too, even though I don't know him very well.

3. The five seconds' glimpse I caught of squeak-Rahman-squeak. Why did there have to be ads right after that?

4. Jason Segel on the red carpet: extremely sympathetic and incredibly sweet.

(Sorry, had to make fun of that film title - confused it with a review-title when I first read it).

5. Getting excited for the wonderful 2011 films that I haven't seen yet - most famously The Artist, which I will be able to see in two weeks.

6. Jessica Chastain's look after they played her nomination video - so very charming.

7. Rango actually won - what a welcome surprise!

8. The "Man or Muppet"-clip made me want to watch the movie badly.

9. Its celebration of the thing we all love so dearly - makes me feel sentimental every time.

What did you love about this year's Oscars?

PS: I would appreciate it very much if you would take the time to give your feedback on this blog, to help improve it - just a tiny comment would be enough.