The Oscars of 81:
The Oscars were becoming, a spectacle and it was something that you were honestly not here for. At all.
"Can't they just tone this down to make it a private industry party instead of this spectacle?" you found yourself saying as your friends, and Mike Eisner, all took their places near each other. Carrie, in her infinite and unbridled wisdom, said that you could spend time with your friends, and she would watch the kids.
Such a thing you thought was what she planned for all along, and she wanted you to suffer something that she had suffered for many years. Or she just wanted to take the kids to headquarters and slip in one of the scripts she wrote for something so she can win another Oscar. She did mention that she was interested in blowing people away again.
Who knows?
But you and George were both taking a deep breath and just… taking it all in.
"They barely nominated us for best picture!" You proclaimed as you looked at the finalists. "They nominated Blade Runner for goodness sake! Blade Runner! And they hated it!"
"At least you have a best director nod," George said. "I mean, maybe you're looking at this a little too…" George then stopped talking, realizing what was going through your head. "The Academy has… strictures. We blow them away, but they don't see it because they think that mass entertainment is bad for the prestige of the academy."
Mike for his part, was laughing. "Well, I know for a fact that if we get a best picture win again, they can't ignore Lucasfilms anymore. Half-baked idiots."
"Mike, didn't you have to lobby half the academy to even get Star Wars onto the ballot?" George said.
"Wait, why wasn't I informed of that?" You asked. "Mike, are you doing things behind my back?"
"Only your back, not George's." He said with a smile. "You nearly got assassinated a few months ago, and you needed to be with your family, not playing Hollywood politics. Plus Martin here wanted to make a lot of noise… and they didn't give him anything. Even with me threatening them all with fraud if they didn't get arguably the best film ever made on the ballot." He smiled. "Once I threatened to expose how the Academy votes for things, well you would see the Oscars lose it's prestige… for all time."
That earned a smile. "Wait you threatened to expose how the Oscars are chosen and nominated?"
Mike smiled. "Yep. Shut them right up."
"Did they change it?" You asked.
"They will if I have anything to say about it." Mike replied. "I've been petitioning the Academy for years to expand the awards to include a few new awards. Most popular, and For best visual effects."
"Ones we'd obviously sweep." You said.
"Well I wouldn't say that, but it would help with me trying to get more… well less power."
"You want less power?" George asked.
"I want more money George, I care about keeping the lights on, more than I do about little statuettes," Mike replied. "That is how I see it."
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Star Wars Nominations:
D10 => 5
Holy Hell, Mike was not kidding about using his influence to get Star Wars Nominated. But you were not nominated, or anyone.
Special Award for Best Visual Effects: Autopass
ILM proved they were the masters of special effects and this award was taken for the entire Team, but it was delivered to Brian Johnson and Dennis Murin. Both men said they were going to take it back to ILM headquarters and add it to a new room for their awards.
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Best Original Score:
Fame:
D100 + 20 => 91
Altered States
D100 => 84
Empire:
D100 => 90
Tess:
D100 => 69
And the Oscar for Best Original Score is:
Fame, by Micheal Gore.
The slimmest of margins of victory was how it was decided… John Williams lost by one vote.
But it was still a victory for MGM, whom everyone thought was dead… however, it seems that Kirk was doing something incredible. He was bringing back MGM from the dead, without any sort of baggage from the past… and all that money you gave him allowed him to do everything and anything he wanted.
Hell… you didn't see that coming.
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Best Sound:
Empire:
D100 + 20 => 86
Altered States:
D100 => 68
Coal Miners Daughter:
D100 => 39
Fame:
D100 => 30
Blade Runner:
D100 => 86
Who wins:
D2 => 1
"And the Oscar for Best Sound goes to… Well, I'm going to be honest, this is a surprise. Empire Strikes Back, Bill Varney, Steve Maslow, Gregg Landaker and Peter Sutton."
You learned that there were two envelopes, one for Blade Runner and one for Star Wars, and that they had an exact tie. And that the envelope that was chosen on the night would be the final vote, cast before the live studio audience. Because no one wanted to change their vote.
And once it made headlines and it made people even more excited to watch the Oscars. Because there were real-life plot twists.
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Interrupt, Best Foreign Film!
Moscow Does Not Believe In Tears:
D100 + 20 => 41
Confidence:
D100 => 91
Kagemusha:
D100 => 99
The Last Metro:
D100 => 26
The Nest:
D100 => 11
And the Oscar for Best Foreign Film Goes to… Kagemusha, directed by Akira Kurasawa!
America, and the Academy's love affair for Kurasawa was at its full peak. There was almost nothing that anyone could say or deny it. They wanted to give the main his praise, and they all wanted.
He won and won handily. But he did not come to accept it, not without waiting for the place to be silent.
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Back to Star Wars:
Best Director:
Robert Redford – Ordinary People: D100 + 20 => 71
David Lynch –
The Elephant Man:
D100 => 74
Bruce O'Brian- Star Wars Empire Strikes Back:
D100 => 51
Richard Rush –
The Stunt Man:D100 => 56
Roman Polansk
i –
Tess:D100 => 14
Yet out of everything that surprised you, there was an upset that everyone didn't see coming.
"And the Oscar for Best Director goes to… David Lynch, The Elephant Man!"
And you knew that despite Mike pestering… There was always going to be people who loved… the underdog.
And David Lynch was one of those guys.
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Best Picture:
Ordinary People:
D100 + 20 => 66
Coal Miners Daughter:
D100 => 64
The Elephant Man:
D100 => 72
Star Wars Empire Strikes Back:
D100 => 87
Tess:
D100 => 17
"And the Oscar for Best Picture Goes to…" There was a smile on Johnny's face. "My favorite movie of the Year, Star Wars Empire Strikes Back! George Lucas, Gary Kurtz, Bruce O'Brian, and Mike Eisner Producing!"
Holy Hell…
That made up for Star Wars getting robbed by Rocky.
As you and the others walked up, George only smiled as he grabbed the microphone. "You know, You're probably going to hear more words from me, right now, than what Bruce and all the actors on Star Wars heard in about three months."
There was laughter as Mike took it looked out and pointed. "Hey, Sid… guess what, I won, guess who is laughing now."
Sid Shineburg was in the crowd, and something that was only known to him and Mike was on his face.
He was furious.
And Gary said nothing, handing over the mic to you.
What do you say for this Best Picture win for Star Wars?:
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