THE ENVELOPE PLEASE
TOM FENTON BLASTS TV NEWS
LOST CITY FOUND

Red and reds were out, Blue was in on the red carpet… Lips were sealed… Bland was beautiful.

When Chris Rock started rocking at the outset of the Academy Awards last night, it appeared as if this was a show that was going to slay some icons. He started with a reference to Michael Moore and the missing Fahrenheit 911. Moore was this year’s persona non grata. Not even invited as a presenter. Rock did a riff on the war that sounded almost radical comparing President Bush to a clerk in the GAP who runs up a humongas deficit and then starts a war with the Banana Republic store across the street on specious grounds. Perfect.

But then it was all down hill. You could almost hear the off-stage voice of the network censors insist that, lest he be “misunderstood,” he also thank all of our soldiers fighting for “freedom” (sic) a sentiment later repeated by the President of the Academy who would have waved the flag longer if he could. No need to alienate any paying customers, but US jingoism should be out of place in an industry that derives half is revenues overseas globally, in a world that does not see our soldiers and their role through Hollywood colored glasses. Besides the flag waving, there was censorship… oops, forgive me, the enforcement of “network standards and practices.”

Robin Williams came out with a bandage over his mouth in a protest of against ABC censoring his routine protesting the censorship of Spongebob on PBS. Note how presenter Tim Robbins was put down for his “boring” politics which he didn’t/couldn’t express. Don’t you love the stereotyping. Ha. Ha.

Forget the chilled environment of the days of the Hollywood red scare. The corporations have it all nailed down today, and nary a dissenting word was heard about any issue. The maxim was: Keep it bland, read the script and move it fast. Even Chris Rock quipped that next year they will give out awards in the parking lot, a comment on the way statuettes were handed out in the audience to save time.

It was disappointing not to see clips of the shorts and the documentaries, films we rarely get to see. Honoring them without showing them was a disgrace. Everything was compressed; keep it tight and keep it right. The old ABC which used to stand for “Always Be Conservative” was back. Critic Richard Roper afterwards said “Chris Rock played it safe.” And he was chosen, we were told , to make it all outrageoues. Duh?

Will I always be a contrarian? I wasn’t turned on by the syrupy Hollywood nostalgia of the Aviator and found the 60 Minutes story last night on Howard Hughes payoff to Richard Nixon — cash in an envelope — more fascinating. Million Dollar Baby left me cold. I was glad Ray won. It was edited by a friend, Paul Hirsh.

How about a bio pic based on the life of Michael Eisner, Disney’s Billion dollar baby based on a new book that tears him a new a—-le, Mike’s company controls ABC which “owns” an Oscar franchise which has been dumbed down over the years into more like a hyped up fashion show. The Red carpet pre-show now offers the only surprises. Am I getting jaded or what?

Sorry, I wanted Hotel Rwanda to win… and was happy that the Born in a Brothel doc was honored. Salt Lake City’s Geralyn Dreyfoos, the Exec Producer who helped make it happen has been very supportive of our work and was radiant when they cut to her twice. Go Geralyn. (My film WMD was not entered. It was unlikely that a media event like this would look kindly on a critique on the industry it is part of. Know what I mean?)