Russell Croweis taking aim at the Academy Awards for its decision to remove several categories from its live show.
The Academy announced on Monday it was removing four categories from the live telecast on Feb. 24 and presenting them during commercial breaks: cinematography, film editing, makeup/hairstyling and live action short. Edited versions of the winners’ speeches will air later in the broadcast.
The 54-year-old Oscar winner, who won for Best Actor in 2001 forGladiator, slammed the Academy for the decision in a tweet on Wednesday.
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
“The Academy is removing cinematography, editing and make up from the televised show?” he tweeted. “This is just such a fundamentally stupid decision, I’m not even going to be bothered trying to be a smart arse about it. It’s just too f—— dumb for words.”
Russell Crowe/Twitter
Crowe wasn’t the only one who disagreed with the decision. Alfonso Cuarón also took issue with the Academy in a tweet on Tuesday. (Cuarón won the Oscar for Best Director in 2014 forGravity. He is nominated in that category again this year forRoma, as well as in the Best Cinematography, best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.)
“In the history of CINEMA, masterpieces have existed without sound, without color, without a story, without actors and without music,” he tweeted. “No one single film has ever existed without CINEMAtography and without editing.”
His good friend and fellow Oscar winnerGuillermo del Toroagreed, adding, “Reposting, revised: I would not presume to suggest what categories should occur during commercials on Oscars night, but, please: Cinematography & Editing are at the very heart of our craft. They are not inherited from a theatrical or literary tradition: they are cinema itself.”
Seth Rogen also shared his thoughts, writing, “What better way to celebrate achievements in film than to not publicly honor the people’s who’s job it is to literally film things.”
Josh Gad retweeted Rogen, adding, “Agreed. Not quite sure why the Academy Awards seems to hate the Academy Awards this year.”
Outlanderstar Caitriona Balfe blasted the Academy as well, tweeting, “What the f—?? Cinematography, editing, hair and make up and live action shorts Oscars aren’t going to be aired.”
Caitriona Balfe/Twitter
“Who on Earth is making these f—— up decisions. Movie making is a collaborative experience with each and every cog in the wheel playing an essential role in the making of whatever project,” she continued. “No one part of the endeavour is more important or more valuable than the rest. How could a film exist without a cinematographer???? And editor???? An academy that demeans such essential roles is one that obviously doesn’t understand the film making process.”
The decision to remove four categories from the live telecast was announced in August, but the categories weren’t named until Monday, according toVariety.
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In an interview withIndiewire,Academy president John Bailey said, “I just don’t think the show could run more than three hours mainly because three hours is 11 o’clock on the East Coast. Where the lights go out, and you think, ‘We’ll wait and find out who won the big awards.’ We don’t want four or five of the major awards to be given out after we’ve lost a good percentage of the East Coast audience, so we’ve gotta do that.”
The 2019 ceremony has made headlines for months, beginning with Kevin Hart’s decision to step down as host after past homophobic tweets he had written resurfaced. Hart, 39, apologized in a tweet and on his SiriusXM radio show.
His friend andJumanji: Welcome to the JunglecostarDwayne Johnsonrevealed in a tweet last week thathe was the Academy’s first choice to host the award showbut that a busy schedule prevented him from taking the job.
The 91st Annual Academy Awards will air live Feb. 24 on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.
source: people.com
