Consider this: I was at a movie a couple of Saturdays
ago, standing in line waiting to get popcorn, and I
struck up a conversation with a woman who was complaining
that her ticket, popcorn, and Coke set her back $20 (and this
with a senior citizens' discount, yet!). I know, she (and I, too)
could scrap the popcorn and Coke but maybe neither of us wants
to. And she's not alone in complaining about ticket and concession
prices; they are ridiculous (imagine what a family of four is paying,
even with discounts for the kids). So yes, I understand exactly why
you would wait for a movie to appear on PPV (or maybe even DVD).
I think one thing that is hurting the Oscars are the Golden Globes.
It's gotten to the point that the media practically declare the Golden
Globe winners to be the Oscar winners--weeks in advance. There
goes the suspense. "Slumdog Millionaire" almost didn't make into
theaters, but I recall that last year's winner was one nobody (other
than the people who vote on these things) had ever heard of.
As far as I'm concerned, awards shows have never been anything
but one more reason for performers to get in front of audience and
stroke each other's egos. They could take all of them and throw them
to the wolves.
Steve Allen once said that the only award that means anything is
the one you give (figuratively) to the movies and TV shows you choose
to watch, or the music you choose to listen to.