Finishing Sentences v.II

So, having all this time to myself, and that is all I have been doing, hanging out at home, one might think that I would be blogging like crazy. Not at all. It seems that I need interactions with the outside world for material & inspiration. But I need a little jump start, so I'm going to recycle this little survey from last summer.

I recorded the first thing that popped into my head upon reading each phrase.

Outside my window
Lots of snow! Our backyard is a giant mound of 3 - 4 foot high snowdrifts.

I am thinking
tomorrow marks the beginning of a new week & I am going to flourish all week long.

I am thankful for
my everlasting optimism. It seems that so much is easier to take when one hopelessly sees the silver lining in everything.

From the kitchen
A very bare pantry and relatively empty fridge. I need to go to the grocer's* tomorrow.
*I've decided to start saying "Grocer's" in place of "Grocery Store", I'm not really sure why. I guess I like the sound of it better.

I am wearing
a vintage pale yellow, tea length night dress with red trim on the sleeves, neckline and at the bottom. I think I picked it up at The Unique Thrift Store a few years back.

I am creating
two blankets for a little girl called Millie and her new sister, Josie.

I am going
to go to bed soon as I have to wake up very early and take Asha The Cat to the veterinarian; she has recently been diagnosed with Feline Diabetes.

I am reading
nothing very good in the novel department. But a lot of great stuff in The New Yorker & The Week.

I am hoping
that Ms. Asha will be back to herself soon and Feline Diabetes isn't as much of a hassle as I fear it to be. Even if it is, my cat of ten years is entirely worth it. She is the best cat I've had in my entire life & I've had my fair share of cats.

I am hearing .
an iTunes genius playlist based from "Be So Happy" by The Heartless Bastards. Just finished "These Are The Fables" by The New Pornographers and onto "Greenville" by Lucinda Williams. Genius is pretty great.

Around the house
it's lovely...even after nearly 6 months that "New House" charm hasn't worn off yet.

One of my favorite things
drinking coffee and journaling first thing in the morning (or afternoon) with NPR providing some background noise.

A few plans for the rest of the week
Movies: The Lovely Bones, Nine, A Serious Man, Sherlock Holmes (The Oscar Race is on)...work, and maybe some a little forage for change in my life.

A picture to share

SNOW! This has quite literally been the winter of great heights. I don't remember the snow being as high as it is in many years...the weather peeps say at least 20. It's remarkable, exciting, and annoying all at once. But it sure makes me proud to be a Minnesotan, as winter usually does.







xoxx

A Very Belated & Abbreviated Oscar Reaction.

-Angelina Jolie's Emeralds: Who knew such large gems existed - it did not occur to me that they would be gems until some Red Carpet interviewer gawked at them. None the less they were beautiful & looked lovely on her.

-Mickey Rourke looked so cool..I would have loved for him to win, but am just as happy with Sean Penn.

-WooHoo for Slumdog Millionare!

-I cried during every speech, every speech. But I think I was most touched my Kate Winslet calling to her parents to identify themselves. If I were up there I would want to know where my parents were too.

xoxx

Oscar Picks 09.

What are you doing on Sunday? We are hosting a delicious dinner party for my oldest friend, Annie & her Chris in front of our television with the Oscars tuned in. I CANNOT wait!After election night, the Oscars are my favorite night of the year. The suspense. The dresses...I love it!
These are my picks & predictions for this year's awards. I have seen nearly all of the films! My picks are **starred** and my predictions are italic.

Performance by an actor in a leading role
**Sean Penn in "Milk"**
**Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler"**


Performance by an actor in a supporting role
**Josh Brolin in "Milk"**
Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight"

Performance by an actress in a leading role
**Meryl Streep in "Doubt"**
**Melissa Leo in "Frozen River"**
Kate Winslet in "The Reader"

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
**Viola Davis in "Doubt"**
I have no idea who will win in the category

Achievement in art direction
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt
**"Revolutionary Road" Art Direction: Kristi Zea Set Decoration: Debra Schutt**

Achievement in cinematography
**"Slumdog Millionaire"Anthony Dod Mantle**

Achievement in costume design
"The Duchess" Michael O'Connor
**"Revolutionary Road" Albert Wolsky**

Achievement in directing
**"Slumdog Millionaire" Danny Boyle

Best documentary feature
"Man on Wire" James Marsh and Simon Chinn
**"Trouble the Water" Tia Lessin and Carl Deal**

Best foreign language film of the year
**"The Class" (Sony Pictures Classics) A Haut et Court Production - France**
"Waltz with Bashir" A Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production - Israel

Achievement in makeup
**"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" Greg Cannom**

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
**"Slumdog Millionaire" A.R. Rahman**

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
**"Jai Ho" from "Slumdog Millionaire" Music by A.R. Rahman Lyric by Gulzar**

Best motion picture of the year
**"Milk" Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, Producers**
**"Slumdog Millionaire" A Celador Films Production Christian Colson, Producer**

Adapted screenplay

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" Screenplay by Eric Roth
**"Slumdog Millionaire" Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy**

Original screenplay
**"Frozen River" Written by Courtney Hunt**
"Milk" Written by Dustin Lance Black

Let's talk on Monday about what really happens!
xoxx

I liked 'Benjamin Button'

I didn't want to. I didn't even want to see it.

A few friends have seen it & had nothing good to say...but it was nominated for an Oscar so I had to & I did & I liked it.

So, you should go see it too..those 3 hours will fly by. I promise.
xoxx

And the Oscar Race begins!

Every year since college I have this little obsession with the Oscars. When this time of year rolls around I work really hard to see all the films nominated for an Oscar. I have never seen all, last year I saw all those nominated for the "Big 6" (Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor & Actress) and then some, this was quite a feat & I was pretty proud.

This year I have been waiting with baited breath for the release of nominations. I have seen a lot of films this winter & almost all I thought would be nominated for something. Well.

Nominations came out today & I must say that I am in a pretty good position indeed. Within the "Big 6" categories there are 15 films nominated & I have seen seven, of the eight that remain five are still in theatres here in the lovely Twin Cities & I think I can find the other 3 at my local Redbox. That leaves me with a lot of potential & an amazing head start.

After that, there are 8 more films I need to see & then I've covered most...except documentaries (I've seen 1 of 5) & Foreign Film (none out of 5), but the docs & foreign films seem to be nowhere to be found in locally. Maybe there will be comebacks for at least of few of those.

And after all this, I prefer to watch the Oscars alone with Handsome Randy. I don't go to Oscar parties anymore, the commentary drives me batty (the final straw was a fellow party goer proclaiming that Helen Miren was "too old" to win for "The Queen"). I guess I am just too immeshed and/or invested. Or maybe I need to sift out the other Oscar Nerds amongst my friends.

Here is the icing on my Oscar Nerd cake. A few years ago I added a new tool for my obsession. I made this funny little flow chart in the back of my planner with all the films listed, what categories they're nominated in & then I highlight each film as I see it. On Oscar night, I have my flow chart handy and circle the winners. Now, because this chart is in my planner, which goes everywhere I do, the flowchart is always with me long after the Oscars are over. (This is where I clench the Oscar Nerd title.) Sometimes in conversations, the Oscars come up, who was or wasn't nominated, who won, etc. Not only do I have a meticulous memory so I typically remember nominees & winners, but I have a written record so I can pull out my flow chart to reference or prove a point. Jaws drop, people laugh or snort. I don't care. I am proud of my flowchart and I will make one every year.
xoxx

A Side Note: GRAN TORINO was a fantastic film. While I didn't expect a long list of nominations, I do believe that the film holds a great screenplay thus should have been nominated for Best Original Screenplay & Clint Eastwood more than deserved a Best Actor nomination. Neither of these nominations nor any others exist for GRAN TORINO in the Oscars. While the film was not a true Western by any means, it definitely had a Western feel and like qualities while telling a common story in the most diplomatic of ways. GO SEE THIS FILM.

re: Oscar Night!

Wow! No Country For Old Men kinda swept: Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay & Supporting Actor! Cheers to my fellow Minnesotans, Joel & Ethan Coen! Thanks for reviving and modernizing the beloved genre of Western.

I was happy with all the winners. Javier Bardem & Marion Cotilliard's speeches made me cry and Tilda Swinton's made me laugh. As far as dresses go, Helen Miren & Hillary Swank get my vote for Best Dresses with Jessica Alba as runner up. But Handsome Randy & I kicked ourselves when Jon Stewart mentioned Jessica Alba's pregnancy just as we finished commenting that her dress wasn't very flattering because it made her look pregnant. Oops, I guess it looks lovely.

Regarding Diablo Cody's win for Best Original Screenplay for Juno: "HOLY SHIT!!" was my response. I am sincerely happy & feel that it's deserved. As for my comments in my last posting regarding Juno, well, I stand behind them. I would have been disappointed if the film would have won for Best Picture, Director, or if Ellen Page would have won for Best Actress. The film was not Oscar worthy for those categories. But for Screenplay, that's were it should win and I'm glad it did.

Happy Oscars!

xoxx

Oscar Night!

I enjoy Oscar night to the point that I'm kind of a nerd about it. I used to go to Oscar parties but I always got frustrated when people talked during the speeches. so, tonight Handsome Randy & I are going to make a nice dinner and sit on our sofa oohing and aahing over the dresses (okay, that will probably be just me) and cheer for faves.

I try to see all the nominated films before the program, and this year I did a pretty good job, 11 out of 19. The 8 that I didn't get to see were no longer in the theatres by the time the nominations were announced. Sadly, I only saw 2 of 5 films that hold Best Actress nominations and 2 of the 5 that hold Supporting Actress nominations. These are my two favorite categories probably due to my own acting background. I digress.

Here are my picks* for the categories which I was able to see all the nominated films.
Picture: There Will Be Blood or No Country for Old Men
Director: Diving Bell and The Butterfly or There Will Be Blood
Cinematography: Diving Bell and The Butterfly
Supporting Actor: Hal Holbrook, Into The Wild

*My picks do not equal predictions, they are the films that I would vote for if I were a member of The Academy.

On Juno
There a lot of peeps out there rooting for Juno. I loved Juno. But I don't think it was an especially intricate film and I suppose I'm a little elitist in that I feel Oscar Wins should be intricate and challenging projects executed perfectly.
Yes, it was funny, of course it was. I laughed the whole way through. But I put it in the same place as Superbad and Napoleon Dynamite and I don't think those are Oscar worthy films either, though they do have a special place in my heart. This film just had good timing in that it was light, refreshing and in the genre of quirky/funny/nerdy-hipster that has finally warmed into the mainstream. And for that it highly deserves credit.

xoxx

Here's to Hattie

Tonight, Handsome Randy & I were lying on the sofa flipping through cable channels & stumbled upon the last hour of Gone With the Wind. We watched sort of half giggling at various film elements especially the gender roles. Rhett Butler was a "Man's Man" without any question and as a person who holds a degree in Women's Studies Scarlet O'Hara/Butler gives me many reasons to shake my head.

That aside, the progressiveness of the film was not lost on us. The role of "Mammy" played by Hattie McDaniel lead to the first Oscar nomination and win of an African American. As we watched the conclusion of this landmark film we marveled at her and her role.

xoxx