02/07/2007: "Oscars, Winners and Losers."

music: vienna Teng and Moulin Rouge
mood: productive

One objection I think lots of people have about the Oscar nominations is that they stack the deck and so many of the movies come out in the months of January and February. I like to see movies, but at $9 + a pop, and with my theatre schedule, it really is much easier for me to watch 3 movies in a row at home, then to go see a film in the theatre. Now don’t get me wrong. I definitely go see them when I can, but I took a look at the nominees and like most years, but even worse this time around, I have seen 5 of the films nominated for ANYTHING. Cars, Little Miss Sunshine, the Devil Wears Prada, Pirates of the Caribbean, and now Pan’s Labyrinth. Babel and The Departed come out on DVD this week or next and I will hopefully see those before the 25th ceremony but it’s a bit disappointing. The films themselves look boring too. The Departed? I swear, if it weren’t for Mark Wahlberg I wouldn’t even bother. Blood Diamond? I’m sorry, didn’t I already explain not to give Leo an accent in a movie. Venus? Looks GREAT, how come I haven’t HEARD of it. Where did this film even play?

I will see these films, eventually, that’s not the point, it just that stacking them all for the short term memory voters makes the actual Oscars ceremony less and less compelling. It used to be about the films, then it became the actors and directors getting recognition they should have gotten for much better films they did before, and now it comes down to, most of the films look boring, I don’t really like the actors, I have no vested interest in the ceremony other than the fashion and I already saw the Golden Globes and the Grammy’s are this week. Still. I’ll watch. And I’ll not know if my opinions is “valid”. Wait, who am I kidding. Of COURSE it’s valid. I’m Susannah.

Here are some movies that won’t be winning any Oscars and a few that should.

Crank: Oh. My, God. If there was EVER a movie made for a Friday night. This is it. It has Sex. Violence. A good soundtrack. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and it’s only an hour and a half. Loved it. Fucking rent this movie now. And turn the volume up. 5RRD’s

Ultraviolet: I actually was prepared to hate this movie lots. I didn’t. It was no award winner clearly, but it was interesting. Special effects are nothing groundbreaking but interesting. 2 ½ RRD’s

Saw: I finally saw this. Ar ar ar. It will surprise none to know that I guessed 90% the plot in about 4 minutes of the film. I only missed one crucial bit. The biggest shock was I didn’t know until the credit rolled that the main character was played by Cary Elwes. Funny too, because at one point when he is yelling (as is often the case with any accented actors) and I thought I detected a British accent. Didn’t even occur to me to see who it was though. I did enjoy the sick and twisted puzzles. I’ve been told there is more of that in Saw II, so that’s on it’s way as we speak from Netflix. 3 ½ RRD’s for trying and for Cary going undetected.

Tagedellaasdkadslak nights…more fun to try to pronounce/spell than to watch. I was in fact disappointed. Sacha Baron Cohen was amusing but annoying…par for the course. 2 RRD’s

Nanny Mcphee: I don’t know why I watched this other than I adore Colin Firth and Emma Thompson. Well executed but nothing too original. Lemony snickets meets Mary Poppins. Angela Landsbury is worth a watch. Pleasant. Kids would probably like it. 3 RRD’s

Nacho Libre: Again as with the Will Farrell movie, I love Jack Black, but I was not very entertained by this film. It wanted to be a lot funnier than it was sadly. 2 ½ RRD’s.

Pan’s Labyrinth: Wow. Dark. Beautiful. Violent. Very Spanish as my friend Kim can attest to. Best Scenic design and makeup I have seen in ages. It’s up against Dead Mans Chest for Art Direction, and it’s tough call. 4 RRD’s but this really is a violent film, there were a few parts that even phased me.

It’s been a winning couple of weeks. Along with winning sharks tickets for last Thursdays HUGE grudge match against Dallas and witnessing from row 9 a KILLER fight, I also have been given the opportunity to design sound for a staged version of Crime and Punishment at Northside. This along with finishing my children’s play by June to have it produced next April and directing and sound design for the current Pear show, makes for Susannah to have a productive next several months. This is a good thing. Bout damn time I gave myself some structure.

Losses include our beloved Sandor Salgo, a wonderful, family friend who will be missed terribly, and of course my personal tearjerker story of the year Barbaro. All that time, money, and love dumped into saving this spectacular creature and it still ended up a tragedy. Brought up lots of thoughts of Bear and how nothing could save him. No matter how much he was loved. Which sucks. Pretty much.

What DOESN’T suck though is all the great theatre I am seeing this week and next. Ballet, opera, contemporary and classics….a good smattering and a fix before my weekends are shot with rehearsals of my own.

More soon…