Offside (General Discussion)

I honestly wonder if anyone even watches the Oscars anymore. Given that the films released this year have been absolute garbage, is it possible they're just rigging things to make the ceremony feel slightly less irrelevant?

Anyone got a solid recommendation for some decent polishing compound? Some idiot scuffed up my car in a parking lot—no dents or anything, just surface scratches...

nimblemarlin9 said:Bring some actual substance to the table for once.🙂

At least we aren't spending this morning reading about local folklore🙏 , thank God nobody’s asking for a live briefing from a Pentagon analyst yet🙏.

And what exactly would you say to the Pentagon analyst if you actually had the nerve to confront them?😉

driftingranger9 said:I honestly wonder if anyone even watches the Oscars anymore. Given that the films released this year have been absolute garbage, is it possible they're just rigging things to make the ceremony feel slightly less irrelevant?

Honestly, I find it pretty cool that Ariana DeBose is the first Black lesbian to snag an Oscar. Just a cool bit of history, right? ☕

driftingranger9 said:I honestly wonder if anyone even watches the Oscars anymore. Given that the films released this year have been absolute garbage, is it possible they're just rigging things to make the ceremony feel slightly less irrelevant?

Oh, come on, man. Out of the Best Picture nominees, I feel like only Don't Look Up and Nightmare Alley were total garbage. Everything else was actually pretty solid—well, except for King Richard, which I haven't seen yet, so I can't say for sure. What do you think, 😁? I mean, compared to some of the lineups from previous years, this group is actually pretty killer.

Any one of those heavy hitters like Dune, Licorice Pizza, CODA, The Power of the Dog, or Drive My Car would have deserved the win. They probably would've been the best Best Picture winner we've seen in five or six years, maybe since Spotlight.

With how things have been going lately, I kind of thought they’d pull a total curveball and give it to Don't Look Up just to crank up the hype. But I guess it worked out by pure luck that they still aren't ready to hand a Best Picture trophy to a Netflix production (because if they were, The Power of the Dog probably would've been the frontrunner).

By the way, it seems like only on some niche conspiracy forums is there a consensus that the whole thing is rigged. Classic conspiracy theories, I guess. 🙏 Everywhere else, everyone seems to agree that Will definitely pulled it off. 🤣

bluebison47 said:By the way, is this forum running incredibly slow for everyone else lately, or is it just my connection acting up? I guess it feels like everything is crawling at a snail's pace these days... maybe it's just me.🙏

It’s definitely me. It’s just me...
😁

vivideagle7 said:I mean, once you see that meltdown from Smith later on—and seeing how Denzel and the rest of the crew are trying to calm him down—I just don't see how anyone could claim the whole thing was staged. He’s not quite that good an actor 😬
.
What would they actually gain from pulling something like that?

Honestly, I don't buy the acting theory at all. Smith has been dealing with some pretty heavy depression for years now, and he really struggles with emotional regulation. You could see it clearly in the way he left Rock—one second he’s laughing, the next he’s tearing up, and then suddenly he’s back in his seat, absolutely livid and shouting again. The guy just isn't stable.

While that total moron nimblemarlin9 is busy fooling around, I have a few brief updates to provide:

- Intense fighting continues near Kyiv. It's been a brutal struggle since dawn, though so far, all offensive pushes have been repelled.

- Street battles remain heavy in Mariupol. Yesterday, specialized units carried out a daring raid and successfully neutralized an enemy command center.

Other combat zones remain relatively quiet. In Donetsk, the insurgents were decisively routed yesterday during an attempted assault on the American defensive lines.

Once nimblemarlin9 finally finishes his nonsense, we can get back to discussing Will Smith and his family.

I guess I’m just done with Will Smith; whenever he pops up on my TV, I find myself switching the channel. Even if it's Independence Day, I might just stick around for the sequel if it means avoiding his movies.

bluebison47 said:By the way, is this forum running incredibly slow for everyone else lately, or is it just my connection acting up? I guess it feels like everything is crawling at a snail's pace these days... maybe it's just me.🙏

Like the old song goes, it's probably not just you.

More useful discussion?
Who's tougher, the tiger or who?

steelharbor9 said:Oh, come on, man. Out of the Best Picture nominees, I feel like only Don't Look Up and Nightmare Alley were total garbage. Everything else was actually pretty solid—well, except for King Richard, which I haven't seen yet, so I can't say for sure. What do you think, 😁? I mean, compared to some of the lineups from previous years, this group is actually pretty killer.

Any one of those heavy hitters like Dune, Licorice Pizza, CODA, The Power of the Dog, or Drive My Car would have deserved the win. They probably would've been the best Best Picture winner we've seen in five or six years, maybe since Spotlight.

With how things have been going lately, I kind of thought they’d pull a total curveball and give it to Don't Look Up just to crank up the hype. But I guess it worked out by pure luck that they still aren't ready to hand a Best Picture trophy to a Netflix production (because if they were, The Power of the Dog probably would've been the frontrunner).

By the way, it seems like only on some niche conspiracy forums is there a consensus that the whole thing is rigged. Classic conspiracy theories, I guess. 🙏 Everywhere else, everyone seems to agree that Will definitely pulled it off. 🤣

And what exactly makes *Nightmare Alley* such trash?

Carl Hernandez3 said:I'm not entirely sure—some folks seem to think Oscar should have gone back to Denzel instead of Klempi—but that's just what I've heard

Honestly, it would be better if this whole hype train just merged with the DDL and Jack Collins58 crowd. Look, the guy is a talented actor, but he’s massively overrated and constantly goes way too over the top. People just inflate his reputation far more than necessary. Sherlock was his best work, even if I wasn't particularly crazy about that movie itself.

steelharbor9 said:Oh, come on, man. Out of the Best Picture nominees, I feel like only Don't Look Up and Nightmare Alley were total garbage. Everything else was actually pretty solid—well, except for King Richard, which I haven't seen yet, so I can't say for sure. What do you think, 😁? I mean, compared to some of the lineups from previous years, this group is actually pretty killer.

Any one of those heavy hitters like Dune, Licorice Pizza, CODA, The Power of the Dog, or Drive My Car would have deserved the win. They probably would've been the best Best Picture winner we've seen in five or six years, maybe since Spotlight.

With how things have been going lately, I kind of thought they’d pull a total curveball and give it to Don't Look Up just to crank up the hype. But I guess it worked out by pure luck that they still aren't ready to hand a Best Picture trophy to a Netflix production (because if they were, The Power of the Dog probably would've been the frontrunner).

By the way, it seems like only on some niche conspiracy forums is there a consensus that the whole thing is rigged. Classic conspiracy theories, I guess. 🙏 Everywhere else, everyone seems to agree that Will definitely pulled it off. 🤣

Huh? You think this beats 2020? We had *Parasite*, *Ford v Ferrari*, *1917*, *The Irishman*, *Jojo Rabbit*, *Joker*, *Marriage Story*, *Knives Out*, *Uncut Gems*... easily the strongest year in recent memory. Look, I get that taste is subjective, but to me, this year feels like pure mediocrity. *CODA* is fine, but we've seen plenty of those lately. PTA is highbrow stuff; I dig his new film, but it’s definitely not in his top five. As for *The Power of the Dog*, I don't get the massive hype. Still need to catch *Drive My Car*. Personally, *Nightmare Alley* was alright. All these movies are "okay," but none of them hit me as something special. 2020 had way more substance.

Jessica Gonzalez said:I guess the real issue isn't just about the money itself. It's more that while guys like Anthony Wright30 and Joseph Clark37 just hang out at the local pub, this pretentious guy actually tried to spin it for the whole world to see. He basically tried to tie his role in that movie back to some divine mission, acting like he was chosen by God for the part. To me, that’s where the real problem lies, rather than just the payout.

I guess Henry makes a pretty good point—if you really started digging beneath the surface, you might find enough material for an entire library of horror movies.

To be perfectly honest, I wasn't really aware of the backstory regarding his family. 😁

I was merely commenting on the drug use as a standalone issue, which isn't inherently sinister—sometimes people just lose their cool—but if this constant drama follows him everywhere, then I suppose the poor man is in a difficult position.

It certainly isn't something to joke about, especially following everything that happened with his Black brother.☕

I don't think there's any way that was fake... he hit him hard. At least, that's how it looked to me.

I haven't seen a decent movie since 1997. Not sure if you guys caught it, but there was this film called Titanic—that kid playing the lead ended up becoming a massive star later on.

MAJOR SPOILERS: It’s a pretty depressing flick. The ship sinks at the end.

It seems there might be a new Lord of the Rings game on the horizon

The British patient beat Fargo
Shakespeare in Love took down Soldier Ryan—life is good, really
How Green Was My Valley edged out Citizen Kane
Dances with Wolves triumphed over Goodfellas
Ordinary People bested Unforgiven
Kramer vs. Kramer won against Apocalypse Now

That's an Oscar right there

Noah Roberts46 said:Huh? You think this beats 2020? We had *Parasite*, *Ford v Ferrari*, *1917*, *The Irishman*, *Jojo Rabbit*, *Joker*, *Marriage Story*, *Knives Out*, *Uncut Gems*... easily the strongest year in recent memory. Look, I get that taste is subjective, but to me, this year feels like pure mediocrity. *CODA* is fine, but we've seen plenty of those lately. PTA is highbrow stuff; I dig his new film, but it’s definitely not in his top five. As for *The Power of the Dog*, I don't get the massive hype. Still need to catch *Drive My Car*. Personally, *Nightmare Alley* was alright. All these movies are "okay," but none of them hit me as something special. 2020 had way more substance.

I think there was a little misunderstanding! I wasn't talking about the whole lineup, just one specific movie. For me, CODA actually beat out Parasite, which is totally subjective 😁 (and I loved CODA, I'm definitely not bashing the legendary Parasite!), but Parasite is still way better than that group of award-winners I'm thinking of. Anyway, everything you listed from that year is absolutely amazing—I honestly couldn't even pick a favorite.

I'm with you on PTA. People seem so hot and cold about this new one. I liked it at first glance, but then I spent two hours just enjoying how nonsensical it was.

As for Nightmare Alley, it felt like a trashy attempt at a blockbuster to me. It's fun, sure, but it lacks substance and uses these super cheap, obvious tricks to try and shock you when there isn't actually anything there. Maybe I'm just bitter because I've seen too many movies like this, or maybe it's because Del Toro already owns the title for the worst Best Picture winner I've ever sat through 🤣, but after an hour, I really wanted to just head home, and after the second hour, I was actually bummed I didn't.

“I don’t believe in responding with violence,” says Will. 🤣

It isn't staged; you can actually hear the impact. You’ll notice how Will pulls his left hand back toward his upper body right after the strike—that slight recoil is classic boxing technique used when staying ready for a counter-punch. It makes perfect sense when you remember he trained extensively in boxing while playing Muhammad Ali in that biopic. It's muscle memory at this point.

The bottom line is that if this is indeed a fake, they certainly didn't skip any details. On another note, if you want to get a real sense of how disturbed this individual is, check out this video and tell me if that seems normal to you. It's similar to how certain people in Hollywood dress their sons in women's clothing. Deeeep healing 🙏

And right here for those looking for the conspiracy angle, ☕Mel Gibson has been speaking out about this>>