2 posts tagged “movies”

A long while ago a friend (and former PD) and I would bet on Oscar night picks, we would take the whole list of nominees and take a stab at it (I think $50 buck was on the line).  Now there was no way we saw ever thing nominated, (and some stuff we had no clue about .... sound mixing?) but it made Oscar night a little bit more fun (especially when the station would host an Oscar party). 

We have lost touch with each other, but this year I thought I would bring that tradition back ..... in my blog.  Thanks to the good folks at AMC I was able to watch every picture nominated for Best Picture, and on my own I have caught most nominees for actor, actress, and director.  So we will see how I do.  Here goes: 

Screenplay - Juno

Screenplay (Adapted) - No Country For Old Men

Sound mixing - Transformers

Sound editing - The Bourne Ultimatum

Short Film (Live action) - Le Mozart Des Pickpockets

Short Film (Animated) - Peter & The Wolf

Original Song - That's How You Know: Enchanted {this is one catchy tune, from a pretty cute movie} 

Original Score - Atonement

Makeup - Norbit {don't ask}

Foreign Film - Mongol

Film Editing - No Country For Old Men

Documentary (short) - Sari's Mother

Documentary (feature) - Sicko

Costume Design - Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Cinematography - No Country For Old Men

Art Direction - Atonement

Animated Feature - Ratatouille {I admit that I have not caught Persepolis yet, but I loved this movie}

Best Actress (Supporting) this is a tough call because I liked Amy Ryan & Ruby Dee but end the end I have got to go with Cate.

Best Actress (Leading) I think Julie Christie will win this, but I am gonna go with Laura Linney

 

Best Actor (Supporting) I don't understand why Javier is nominated under supporting, because I would have gone with Hal Holbrook but I tossed a coin so I am going with Javier Bardem

 Best Actor (Leading) I will be stunned if Daniel Day-Lewis does not win, he is that good in "There Will Be Blood" 

 

Best Director - I regret to say that I have not seen "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" so out of the other 4 Directors nominated I am going with The Coen Brothers

Best Picture - I think The Coen Brothers are the best directors because their film just blew me away and it should be Best Picture.

That's it.  We will see how I do in a few hours. 

I can't believe it's been 30 years.  I remember seeing the movie.  To be honest I can't remember if I caught it on opening night or not.  I do recall I saw it when I lived in Peoria.  My buddy Jim and I went to check it out at this ornate theater (I don't the name of the theater but it was one of those old renovated ones, and it was downtown). 

The movie opened and the audience erupted in cheers (only saw that happen one other time, at the first Star Trek movie when Shatner's name appeared on screen).  For the rest of the movie we were mesmerized.  The movie ended and the audience was on their feet with a standing ovation.  Jim and I were so pumped we finagled our way back into the next showing and watched it again (sorry George I did not mean to stiff you, but then you got me back). 

I do recall waiting in line for "Empire" on the day it opened (best movie ever I think I said at the end), and going to a Midnight showing of "Return" (what the fu*k is an ewok).  I was hooked on the Star Wars movies, I had a Darth Vader helmet in college, read every Star Was comic, had the score, soundtrack, this disco version, and in D&D one of my charters was named Luke (boy did that cause fights). 

I own a VHS & DVD copy of Star Wars. (My DVD copy is the one where George "added" crap.  Thanks George you got me back for sneaking into the movie.) and I just pretend the other movies were never made (that will be a blog for another time). 

And every time I watch it, the movie makes me smile.  Not many mainstream movies do that anymore.  Which is a shame. 

It was just a good fun movie. 

So thanks George, and Happy Birthday Star Wars.