Oscars: LA Times’ John Horn on ‘Argo,’ Tarantino and a ‘sophomoric’ Seth MacFarlane
No single film dominated the 85th Academy Awards, but it’s safe to say that it was a heck of an evening for Ben Affleck, and a not-so-swell night for Steven…
By Darrell Satzman • • 1 min readBen Affleck in “Argo”
No single film dominated the 85th Academy Awards, but it’s safe to say that it was a heck of an evening for Ben Affleck, and a not-so-swell night for Steven Spielberg.
L.A. Times film writer John Horn says that despite being snubbed in the Best Director category, Affleck’s Best Film Oscar for “Argo” (George Clooney got one, too) represents an astonishing comeback for the actor/writer/producer/director.
It was only a decade ago, after the back-to-back debacles of “Gigli” and “Daredevil,” that Affleck’s career appeared to be flat-lining. Affleck’s gain was Steven Spielberg’s loss. A month ago, he was the odds on favorite to win his third Best Director Award, and “Lincoln” was the favorite for Best Picture. Instead, “Argo” rode its momentum from the guild awards shows to an Oscar triumph, and Ang Lee walked away with the Best Director award for “Life of Pi.”
Horn spoke to KCRW about the Affleck-Spielberg axis, redemption for Quentin Tarantino and the performance of funnyman and first-time Oscar-host Seth MacFarlane. Here’s the interview: