By Travis Gilmore
Western Sun staff writer
It’s that time of the year when critics and movie buffs gather around their television screens to see the glitz and glam of tinsel town.
The 82nd Annual Oscar Awards are quickly approaching, and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and ABC are revamping the Ceremony with old traditions, a pair of hosts, and plenty of excitement.
The biggest difference to this year’s show is that the Best Picture category has been
expanded to ten nominees. In an attempt to gather more viewers the academy is breaking a 67-year-old tradition to cinemas most prestigious award by doubling the number of nominees.
Audiences felt that last year’s titles like “The Dark Knight” and “Wall-E” were snubbed from the recognition, so the producers of the award show gave the viewers what they wanted.
Although Best Picture nominee “District 9” is said to have a 75-1 shot at winning the award, the academy is at least hoping to grab bigger ratings than recent years have shown.
This year will also feature a duo of hosts, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. For Martin, this is his third time hosting the event and Baldwin’s first.
Although this won’t be the first time that the Oscars have been hosted by a pair, it’s nice to see them thinking outside the box, and not resorting to Whoopi Goldberg or Billy Crystal.
Other alterations to the show have to do with speeches. It has been rumored that producers are informing nominees to prepare two speeches. One speech to explain what the award means to them, and another for the “Thank You Cam” backstage, although no one believes that this will go according to plan.
The popular pick of the night belongs to James Cameron’s “Avatar”. The film dominates the event with nine nominations, and may have also started a new revolution in filmmaking.
Cameron used groundbreaking technology to capture the alien world of Pandora, and with this new wave of movie magic critics are making a case to add a new category to the Oscars:Performance Capture.
Only time will tell when the academy deems performance capture a recognizable achievement in cinema.
The 82nd Oscar Awards are sure to bring back the ratings it once had years ago with all the new changes and nominees.Look for films like “Avatar,” “Inglorious Bastards,” and “The Hurt Locker” to round up the golden statues.
The Academy Awards will be televised on March 7 on ABC beginning at 5 p.m.
