JERSEYVILLE - Way before streaming services and sagging award show ratings, movies were a lot more magical and celebrated. And no show put them in the cultural spotlight like the Oscars.
No performer made the show more entertaining than comic/actor Billy Crystal. Viewers were glued to the tube wondering what the funny man would do next. It was always a wonderful night for the Oscars, and unpredictable, as his show openings were legendary and hilarious.
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From big laughs like superimposing himself into the nominated movies like a nude Rose getting painted in Titanic or the strange-looking Gollum from Lord of the Rings Return of the King, you could always expect a song and dance routine about the best picture lineup.
Throughout much of the 90s through early 2000s and the 2012 Academy Awards, Crystal hosted nine times with each show more memorable than the last. He comes in second to hosting to the master, Bob Hope, who hosted 18 times.
Whether roasting his City Slickers co-star, the late Jack Palance after his Best Supporting Actor Oscar win, or coming on stage donning a mask and straitjacket for a Silence of the Lambs jest, Crystal did everything and anything for a laugh and got results, as well as huge ratings. He had enthusiasm, wit, and energy and was always playful. He would give the crowd light jabs while staying affectionate and intimate.
Many an Oscar host have come and gone with mixed feedback, like comic David Letterman, the duo of Anne Hathaway, and James Franco (remember that car crash of an evening). Host Hugh Jackman captured the Broadway spirit with a nod to Crystal with his variation of a song and dance intro, but no one has come close to the fun and zany spirit Crystal exuded while in the night's helm. Crystal surely has been the Oscar host with the most.
This year’s 94th Oscars will air live on ABC and broadcast outlets worldwide on Sunday, March 27, and will feature a trio of hosts, or should I say hostesses... three of the most dynamic and hilarious women in the industry - Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes. This will be the first time hosting the ceremony for each of them.
Movie awards don’t get any bigger than the Oscars. And with the spotlight on Tinseltown, your Oscar prognosticator is here to give you the predictions.
This will be the night of first-time winners, starting with the biggest streaming movie of last year, The Power of the Dog. This western drama will have power indeed with wins for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress for first-time nominees, the veteran Dunst and young newcomer Mcphee. Oscar-winning director Jane Campion will pull a trifecta with her picture, screenplay, and director awards, making her the third woman to win the coveted Director Oscar - more power to her!
Will Smith will get “jiggy’ and finally win Best Actor for his role in King Richard. The rapper/actor has lost twice in this category so it’s about time he Fresh Prince was knighted King. Multiple Oscar-nominated and winning actress Nicole Kidman will pick up her second Oscar for her role in Being the Ricardo’s. The Lucille Ball biopic drama saw many critics of Kidman before cameras rolled, doubting if she had the talent for the role. I predict she proves she does indeed.
The numerous Oscar nominations of versatile writer/director/producer Paul Thomas Anderson are currently in the double digits without a single win to his name. I believe you will hear his name called for Best Original Screenplay for Licorice Pizza an original name for an exceptional writer.
Jerseyville resident Justin Childress loves movies and has been writing about them for as long as he can remember. You may contact him at jchilli1981@gmail.com.
This story was originally printed in the March 2022 issue of The Prairie Land Buzz Magazine, a free magazine distributed monthly in 11 IL counties. For more information, additional stories, and more, visit http://www.thebuzzmonthly.com.
