I like a lot of the movies the Oscars' pick, but I usually disagree that the are the creamiest of the crop or best of year. They almost always go for historical dramas, biographical dramas, or just dramas in modern times, but usually historical dramas. Nothing wrong with drama, I just think that movies should be decided based on depth, rather than genre.
A lot of the historical drama movies they pick are good, but there are movies that come along that are not historical and are not exactly dramas that I think should win too a lot.
Like how in 1999, Shakespeare In Love took home best pic, when even though I would put that in the top 10 possibly, The Truman Show was clearly the best movie of that year in my opinion. It's a much more original and unique movie and I actually found it mindblowing.
Or like how in 1998, Titanic won, which I would put in my top 10 of that year probably, but Gattaca, was the best movie of that year for me. But the Oscars would almost never pick a sci-fi movie, even if it was a drama, that addressed deep social issues. But even though Titanic is a good movie, the main reason why it won best picture, is cause it was about the Titanic, so it already was a slam dunk.
Once in a while the Oscars will pick an unconventional choice, like how in 1992, they picked Silence of the Lambs. It's a pretty good movie, but I think that one is a bit overrated and 1992 is one year where the Oscars should have picked JFK, a historical drama, but they didn't. So sometimes historical dramas are the best of the year as well.
I also feel that sometimes the Oscars will pick movies to make up for not nominating filmmakers before. Like for example, in 1993, they picked Unforgiven as best picture, even though I think they just did to give Clint Eastwood an Oscar, since he had never been nominated of anything from them before. Unforgiven is a good movie, but I thought that Malcolm X was the best movie of that year, by far really, and I am surprised they did not pick it. It's a biographical and historical drama for them too.
And sometimes they will not even nominate or consider certain movies that you think would be considered, oddly. In 2007, they didn't even consider United 93, probably cause they felt it was a risky movie to pick, and wanted to go with something safer. But they didn't even nominate even, and it's a historical drama tragedy for them even. However, I have not seen as many movies from that year, so perhaps there were 5 better choices.
So usually the Oscars will pick good choices but often biased choices. But there are times when I do agree with them for sure. The English Patient is the best movie of 1996 for me, which is a historical drama. A lot of movie people complained that Fargo was robbed, but The English Patient is one historical drama that deserved to win.
A lot of people thought that The Dark Knight was robbed in the 2009 Awards, but after seeing the movie that won best picture, Slumdog Millionaire (also a drama, where as The Dark Knight is a thriller), I then agreed with them that it was the best pic of the year.
And once in a while the Oscars will pick movies that I think are completely overrated and I did not understand all the hype. The Deer Hunter, and Gladiator are two of them, and I felt these movies missed the mark, and had structural and pacing problems, and wonder why they are so liked.
The Oscars also never pick indie films, where as once in a while an indie film is the best of the year. Mysterious Skin, was the best movie of 2004 for me, since it's one of my favorite films of all time. But perhaps they are only an award show for Hollywood studio movies only. But they have a best foreign language film category, so why not have a best independent film one? But Birdman won this year, and isn't that an 'indie film'? Perhaps the Oscars only pick indie films that already have a lot of popularity and hype behind them. I still haven't seen that one I cannot give an opinion on it, but at least they nominated an indie comedy, and perhaps it did deserve to win.
There are several other examples I could give, but my opinion is that the Oscars are hit and miss for me I guess. As for whether or not the show has become boring, I couldn't say since I have not seen a lot of the older shows.
