Seth MacFarlane had one of the best "Oscar" monologues in decades. The skit with Captain Kirk was unique, funny and afforded him the opportunity to show off his singing and "soft shoe" abilities. While some of Hollywood's "elite" sat stoned-faced and unappreciative of his sense of humor...he brought a contemporary spin to the usually dull and pretentious participants of the Academy Awards.
In recent years, the "Oscars" appear to have become more inclusive of foreign films and actors. This is not meant to imply that foreign films and documentaries should not be acknowledged, but rather an observation that American film-makers seem to be losing some of their ingenuity.
While foreign film-makers are telling stories of life struggles, global warming, surviving disasters, American film-makers are making movies about vampires, sexual exploits and remakes of comic book characters. Certainly, there is an audience for theses types of genres, but when is the last time America produced a true epic movie?
The fact is that movies are a form of escapism and therefore they must incorporate varying topics, however must we keep relegating movies with a substantial African-American cast to a typical theme of slavery, servants, pimps and drug addicts?
Diversity has become a common theme in the entertainment field except for the exclusion of African-Americans in the technology of film making. The absence of African-American cinematographers, costume designers, set designers, and computerized animators is apparent. Although this may not be intentional more inclusion is this area should be a viable option.
Overall, last night's Oscars were vibrant and entertaining with excellence in music. The rousing rendition of the "Goldfinger" theme song by Shirley Bassey was amazing.
"The Way We Were" tribute by Barbra Streisand to Marvin Hamlisch was one the best performances of the evening.
Seth MacFarlane's witty quips and the musical performances were the most memorable parts of the night. Hopefully the Academy Awards will keep moving forward in the coming years and continue to incorporate and acknowledge all ethnicities into each phase of the film making process.
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