Elton John lead stars poking fun at 93rd Academy Awards on Sunday night, which looked a little different this year due to the COVID-19 restrictions.
The ceremony was held at Union Station, which is the main railway station in Los Angeles, and the unique production sparked some amusing comments from celebrities watching at home.
Speaking from his virtual fundraiser for the Elton John Aids Foundation, usually held in West Hollywood, the Rocket Man singer quipped: ‘The Oscar ceremony looks like it’s coming from a Starbucks somewhere.’
Nailed it: Elton John said this year’s Oscars set ‘looked like a Starbucks’ as he watched from home while hosting a virtual bash for his annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscars party
And the latte goes to: Elton compared the 93rd Academy Awards to a Starbucks
Later, when speaking with husband David Furnish, a flummoxed Elton added: ‘I still can’t get over the set.’
Meanwhile, Difficult People star Julie Klausner questioned whether the glitzy event was actually just a ‘fundraiser’ and comedian Fortune Feimster bemoaned the long speeches, tweeting: ‘Ok, we’re definitely going to need some play off music. It’s gonna be a long night.’
Skipping it this year: Elton John and David Furnish (pictured at 2019’s Vanity Fair bash) are usually in West Hollywood hosting their own party for the Oscars
Comedian Sandra Bernhard did not appear to be enthused with the ceremony either as she tweeted that she was ‘slowly losing my mind’ while watching the show.
Ricky Gervais lampooned the Academy for not having a host, and posted his controversial 2020 Golden Globes monologue, where he took aim at Hollywood stars, saying: ‘It’s the Oscars tonight, I wasn’t invited. Was it something I said?’
Modern Family producer Daniel “Danny” Zuker tweeted: ‘The producers of the Oscars have truly captured the pure joy and excitement of spending 3 hours in a train station.’
While actress Kiran Deol joked: ‘There is something insane about hosting the Oscars in a train station when people attend to do not take public transportation.’
Twitter and SNL star Leslie Jones did not hold back, as she is known for, giving her opinion out on the event.
Leslie, 53, filmed her reaction as Mank’s Erik Messerschmidt said he would like to split his trophy for Best Cinematography into ‘five pieces.’
‘But we really hope that you don’t cut it into five pieces because, Lord have mercy,’ Leslie said in her video. ‘Everybody done got up there and said about 17 minutes of a f*****g speech. It’s already in the Alcoholics-Anonymous-and-we-gonna-roast-each-other f*****g building. And you motherf*****s look scared as f**k.’
She went on, ‘Don’t get up there and do a three-hour speech. So no, you shouldn’t be able to cut it into five parts. Thank God and move on, son!’
The event marks the first time Tinseltown’s finest have assembled in over a year, for a three-hour show that co-producer Steven Soderbergh has described as being ‘like a movie.’
Fetching a beverage: Brad Pitt is seen at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles
The main draw of Union Station was that socially distanced movie stars could go mask-free while on-camera or seated in the main show room.
Built in 1939, the national historic landmark and its main terminal is 161,000 square feet, creating plenty of room for theatrics on Hollywood’s biggest night.
During normal times, when COVID restrictions haven’t crimped travel, more than 100,000 people a day walk through its halls.
Too afraid? Ricky Gervais lampooned the Academy for not having a host, and posted his controversial 2020 Golden Globes monologue, where he took aim at Hollywood stars
Not impressed: Comedian Sandra Bernhard did not appear to be enthused with the ceremony either as she tweeted that she was ‘slowly losing my mind’ while watching the show
No host: Stars like Billy Eichner took the opportunity to jibe the Academy over who they could have got to host the event
Tough crowd: Difficult People’s Julie Klausner hinted this year’s event had a corporate feel
Trainwreck? Twitter stars sounded off about the Oscars being held in a train station this year
Comparatively the Dolby Theatre, where the glitzy event is usually held, can only seat around 3,300 people which would have created difficulties in putting on an award show amid the pandemic.
But in the spacious station, believed to be large enough to accommodate social distancing requirements with its soaring main hall featuring windows that are 40-feet high, stars have more room to mingle and maneuver.
Sticking to a ‘No Zoom’ policy unlike other shows that have taken place this awards season, Academy organizers have teased a ‘British hub’ for UK actors who are unable to make it in person, as well as another rumored ‘surprise location.’