Oscar Predictions

Picking the winners for Oscar awards sometimes proves tricky. Some years you can pick 'em without seeing them... either by publicity, box office draw, subject matter, certain actors or directors (or, rarely, films in a series) often get recognized not for the work of the year but for their work in the past.

Sure, much of this can be subjective. However, when movie fans argue that the acadamy's standard isn't very consistant we're pretty much saying that. Oscars used to be a celebration of quality... or at least they respected it more often than now.

Also, time treats some films and some award winners differently. No one can deny that the great Peter O'Toole, always a bridesmaid and never a bride, truly shines among actors... and he's never taken an Oscar home for acting. Hell, he's better than most of the actors who received Best Actor or Supporting Actor honors... or even those who have received more than one. (The Acadamy nominated Peter O'Toole seven times without win... the same as Richard Burton, who also never won. What's more Dustin Hoffman and Jane Fonda were nominated seven times but won twice... and O'Toole's at least three times the actor that they are. I think, and I don't think it's a stretch, that he's even better than Pacino and Nicholson who were nominated more times.)

Another example: Do you remember the film that won Best Picture over Raiders of the Lost Ark? I suspect most folks who enjoy Indiana Jones have no clue what it lost to... and it doesn't matter considering how wonderful Raiders is. (Ordinary People won over Raiders.)

Yet another example: Titanic clearly had publicity, box office draw, popularity, and good will going for it. Also, it clearly did not have brilliant directing, writing, and acting in its corner. (Brewing J, who knows computers and such stuff fairly well, denies that the computer effects in Titanic are anything to be proud of... I should get him to tell me again for purposes of posting.) There can be no doubt in my mind that L.A. Confidential trumps Titanic in quality... yet more folks saw Titanic, more folks saw Titanic multiple times, and more advertisement was done for Titanic. Lots of girls also liked Titanic... and that's not a snarky comment, girls don't go out in droves to see many films. They also told their friends. Even though Oscar didn't smile on Curtis Hansen, time will. Anyone with any sense of judgement already can tell you... L.A. Confidential is a vastly superior bit of film work, writing, acting, etc.

Another example: Two words. Shawshank Redemption. For shame... period. That movie's going to be well remembered beyond Forrest Gump. Probably more than Pulp Fiction.

Yet another example: As cute and fun as Shakespeare in Love was, a great film or a pinnacle of cinema it certanly isn't. Thirty minutes of Saving Private Ryan was better. There was more heart and talent in Life is Beautiful. Those films were more than Shakespeare in Love could hope for. All had fairly good casts, in fact most of the supporting cast of Shakespeare in Love is remarkable. (Obviously, I'm not speaking of Ben Affleck... he is distinctly average.) I'd even go so far as to say if you were going to nominate Shakespeare in Love for anything Geoffrey Rush (as Philip Henslowe) should have won.

[I've not seen Affliction so I'm not familiar with the late James Coburn's performance. Having seen none of the other films in the Best Actress category I only wish someone else other than Gwyneth Paltrow would have won. I like Dame Judi Dench, but much better in most everything else... so I can't really get all warm over her Best Supporting Actress performance. As for Best Picture, it was the bottom of the list on my chart.]

Who do I think will win this year? Having seen only a couple of the films (I suspect they were all nominated for music or computer effects or animation) I'm going to run with a theory that Ann Coulter is using for this years Oscars: Whatever film is more gay.

Brokeback Mountain ought to score well with that criteria... followed up with "the new Truman Show" Capote and Transamerica.

Speaking of gay films... why not remember some good work?

Chasing Amy. Probably my favorite Kevin Smith film. Far from perfect, but quite entertaining.

The Full Monty. Entertaining and full of heart... with a nice gay character. Love the scene where the gang are picking up their dole checks after rehearsing their dance routine. Always gets a laugh from me.

Gods and Monsters. I'm embarassed. I haven't seen it... but it's got McKellen and Redgrave in it to start with. Considering it's about director James Whale and I have enough recommendations from friends I respect I'm willing to mention it.

Lawrence of Arabia. A masterpiece of film on many levels. O'Toole plays T.E. Lawrence (El-Aurens) who some consider to be gay. (Nice and vague, huh?) Classic cinema and brilliant performances... not to mention the music. Go. See. It. Now.

UPDATED LISTING: 7:30 PM Sunday March 5, 2006
Peter's Friends. Nearly forgot to add this movie. Kenneth Branagh turns in a fairly good movie... but the his first two that preceeded it (Henry V and Dead Again) as well as his following film (Much Ado About Nothing) are a step or two above it. The cast is largely excellent... especially the very talented comedy duo of Hugh Laurie (from House and Jeeves and Wooster) and Stephen Fry (from Wilde and also of Jeeves and Wooster). Fry plays Peter, who invites his college pals to the estate he inherited from his father, Lord Morton... and he intends to tell them all a bit of important news. Unfortunately, his friends screw up the weekend before Peter gets a chance to begin... a troubled marriage, an affair, a crush, and Branagh drinking to excess.
(End up updated listing.)

Zorro the Gay Blade. Not really a great film, but it is delightful camp fun. George Harrison plays both swashbuckling Diego and his swishbuckling brother Ramon with charm and style and extravagance.

Take THAT Missing Software Key!!!

Ah-HA! Brewing J. found a neat little application that can retrieve my wife's old key... what's more he didn't need my old key to get my system started again. What's more-more I'll just use the handy application to get my own key again!

It is the Magical Jellybean Key Finder. (Sounds a little too much like Sammy Davis Junior singing "The Candy Man"... which I cringe at, as much as I love Sammy.)

Whoo-hoo! Today's going to be a great day. Home-blogging to continue on Saturday... probably with a clean desk, too. I might even finally install my brand new printer that I bought six months ago.

On the down side, all the damn dusk I've kicked up from disk/key hunting has aggrivated my cold. (On the up shot, that means I get to treat myself to more booze and dozy-cold-medication.)

Take THAT Confounded Computer!!!

Ah-HA! I've ordered my necessary bits and things for my computer... and the Dutiful & Beautiful Mrs. Badda-Blogger will find a new DVD burner as well. (Probably better than mine, so she better appreciate it!)

With luck I'll see this thing on Thursday... could even have it up and running on Thursday night. That said, odds are good I'll see it Friday and get it running (with the efforts of Brewing J.) sometime Sunday.

Regardless, without a computer to noodle on I get more time to read H.P. Lovecraft. That and the new Thomas the Tank Engine book I got for Badda-Toddler. (More than 480 pages! Who knew?)

Confounded (Potentially) Burned CPU and/or Motherboard!!!

Damn, damn, and damn once again!

The new fan (which was a real bitch to install inspite, or perhaps because, of the fact that it was merely $165) didn't seem to help. Brewing J.'s diagnosis suggest it could be the CPU or it could be the motherboard. We made sure it wasn't the memory.

So instead of spending good money to get the same system I already have (which is about three years old and a little slow) I'm going to throw even better money at better CPU and motherboard... as well as a few other minor details. (Flashy lights added to my already gaudy box... whoo-hoo!)


Of course, no home blogging until maybe this weekend. If I'm lucky. (However, maybe some light blogging when I'm at work and need a quick break.)

Confounded Fault Fan!!!

Once again my computer at home is slightly screwed... no home blogging until I fix my fan problem.

Probably wouldn't blog much this weekend anyway.

• I'm going to go out and game with the guys at Brewing J.'s house tonight,
• I'm cooking diner for a small group of friends (including a few women with certain assets) as well as play Scene It and watch a movie on Saturday,
• I'm celebrating my aunt's birthday with a large family gathering on Sunday.

Hopefully, I'll have blog-potential on Saturday afternoon.

Strib Letter: Public Radio

Oh, in my youth I gave money to my local PBS station (KTCA). I liked watching some of the programs that were rare (at best) elsewhere. (This amounted primarily to Doctor Who and at least a dozen British comedy shows or more.)

Eventually cable and satelite broadcasting came through, a huge video and DVD market grew, and I saw how much money PBS and NPR actually get from folks in addition to government funds. No need to keep paying up.

Not only that, but around most pledge drives the tweed-suits try to convince the audience that some folks want to end certain programs. Occasionally, they use the old chestnut that Republicans or conservatives or the religious right (or who ever) want to kill Big Bird (or these days, Elmo).

A friend of mine actually said that to me in an e-mail.

Another friend, Brewing J., loves the current local public radio station The Current for playing music he's willing to try out... and can't see how regular comercial radio can survive. (I think he's going Commie on me.)

That said, some folks don't like the Empire any more than I do. (See a related story in the Star-Tribune at Anti-Strib.)

KLING'S MPR EMPIRE

Open the books

I was a contributor to Minnesota Public Radio for many years, going back to the mid-'70s. Over time, it became apparent (e.g. the sale of the "Wireless" business) that president and CEO Bill Kling's primary goal was self-aggrandizement: the accumulation of personal wealth and power.

Also, over a period of time, I came to realize that WCAL (St. Olaf College's public radio service) offered superior programming, playing a greater variety of classical works in their entirety, not just passages or movements. The superior depth and breadth of musical knowledge displayed by WCAL announcers stood in marked contrast to the inanities and platitudes offered by MPR's on-air "personalities." For a few years I supported both broadcast services, but as the relative superiority of WCAL's programming became ever more evident, WCAL became the sole recipient of my public radio contributions.

Bill Kling took it upon himself to destroy the competition, buying WCAL and taking its programming off the air. Now, during MPR's pledge week, we have the Star Tribune story about Kling's half-million-dollar compensation package (Feb. 15). As MPR pledge hucksters beg for donations, perhaps they could let us all know where the money goes. Sure, I listen to MPR, since, thanks to Kling, there is no longer an alternative, but Lucifer will traverse his realm on ice skates before I will even begin to consider pledging.

STEVEN KINCAID, EDINA

Cut the government money all together. I've heard more than one PBS and NPR devoted Lefty say that the tax money that goes to public radio and television doesn't amount to much. Great. Then they can be private and do what they want without it. Now's the best time. They've got stores, catalogs, websites, and state of the art equipment for television and radio broadcasting.

I just finished listening to the NPR radio play of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and The Return of the Jeji. While I'm greatful that someone put that together, it clearly could have been done by almost anyone. I'd love to see a private college gang get help from Lucas to make his other three films into another three radio plays (and improve on the Lucas work).

In fact, I'd willingly pay money for it. ;)

Confounded Faulty Router!!!

Nope... it wasn't a virus, a bug, the flu, spyware, adware, or underwear. Damn router ports are going bad, so now I need a new one. Of course, I have precious little time to go out and buy one.

Maybe I can ask Brewing J. Hmmm... I might even give him some cash for beer, too.

Hey, this could work out pretty well!!!

Naming a Beer

One of my friends brews. This summer one of three entries earned him first prize at a State Fair beer competition. (Remarkably, it wasn't his stout, which tastes wonderful.) Years ago he provided a couple of his own beers for his own graduation party. (Now that I think of it, this happened several years ago... we're getting old.) This man knows brewing, beer history, ingredients, and taste.

Belgian beers hold a special place in his brew hobby. As I understand it, we owe the Belgians much when it comes to beer... and they make very many varieties.

Some beer drinkers may think me a girl for drinking lambic, a type of beer using fruit, but the Belgians have been doing this for some time and the taste of peach lambic really works... to say nothing of the high alcohol content. If anyone still presses me for proving my manhood where beer is concerned I drink Newcastle Brown Ale (a personal favorite), Summit (the local brew), and I used to regularly enjoy Watney's Cream Stout when the company was still doing business.

On to my personal triumph. ;)

Last night, Brewing J (as I'll call him for now) and his Brewing Cousin mentioned their newest development... some Belgian beer that sounded something like a say-zon... but I can't quite remember. Brewing J noted that it was a troublesome Belgian. I lept at the chance to point out that Troublesome Belgian sounds like a great beer name. The Brewing Cousin looked up and said something like, "That's a good name, actually." Brewing J agreed... and I hope to have a bottle (and perhaps a label) from him eventually.

There's nothing better than knowing a good brewer who demands beer with an enjoyable flavor... I just drop Brewing J a couple of bucks everytime I'm thirsty and I can usually take from his vast stock. If I had the time I'd do it myself... but until then (if that day ever comes) I'll content myself with drinking and naming.