It Wasn't Just Spielberg

February 24, 2013 12:25 PM

"The members of TVTV (Top Value Television), the 1970s guerrilla video group I cofounded, were among the first to exploit the then brand-new portable video camera. We took them to big events and turned the cameras away from the spectacle and on to the people; almost no one had seen one before, and there were no rules about how to use them, or act in front of them..." Behind the Scenes With Jack Nicholson, Lily Tomlin and Michael Douglas at the 1976 Academy Awards.
posted by timsteil (9 comments total)

Goldie Hawn was so goddamn hot.
posted by KokuRyu at 12:48 PM on February 24

Those were the days. On YouTube: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.
posted by steef at 1:03 PM on February 24

Oh that Jack Nicholson line is awesome! "I don't feel like an actor can go wrong playing a combination of Hamlet and Christ"
posted by thetruthisjustalie at 1:17 PM on February 24 [1 favorite]

This is pretty cool.
posted by KokuRyu at 1:21 PM on February 24

steef's links are worth watching. Lily Tomlin is amazing.
posted by KokuRyu at 1:28 PM on February 24

Rucker's an interesting guy.
posted by Ideefixe at 1:39 PM on February 24

God, that was awesome. I loved the Oscars that year. It was the year of Altman's Nashville and the year that Keith Carradine sang I'm Easy from Nashville and eventually won for best original song. It was a prime example of—in the palm of his hand. I never really saw bedroom eyes on Carol Burnett before that night, but from the look of those audience shots, Carradine could have even bedded James Caan that night, if he wanted to. He was electric.
posted by Toekneesan at 3:13 PM on February 24 [1 favorite]

Goldie is there for the win. Always, for the win.

This stuff reminds me how old I am. Since I don't have kids and don't hang around anyone I've known for more than a few years (except my partner), I forget.
posted by Goofyy at 11:52 PM on February 24

These awards were presented for the year I was born - so I know a lot about them (because I'm a film trivia nerd that way, and how great is One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest?)

But apart from seeing some of the speeches on the official Oscars YouTube page, I hadn't seen any real footage from the event - and definitely none from behind the scenes. So all the stories I'd read about that year's Academy Awards suddenly came to life with this documentary.

Great post!
posted by crossoverman at 12:37 AM on February 26