Random Noise

Comments (0)

50/50…

[Originally posted on MySpace]

I just finished watching the Academy Awards… Good show this year, John Stewart did an awesome job – the Best Actress & Best Sound Mixer promotional ads were really funny.. =)

I’m happy to see that 50% of the academy agreed with my selections. We both picked:

• Best Motion Picture: Crash
• Best Achievement in Directing: Ang Lee
• Best Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman

We disagreed on:

Best Supporting Actor: I picked Matt Dillon, but the academy gave Oscar to George Clooney. George had the best acceptance speech of the night, and he was my #2 pick in this category, so I was happy he won.

Best Supporting Actress: I picked Amy Adams, but the academy choose Rachel Weisz. I’m a bit disappointed that Amy didn’t get it (Roger Ebert and I are totally in sync – go see Junebug!), but I’m happy with giving it to Rachel. She was my #3 pick in this category.

Best Actress: I picked Felicity Huffman, but the academy choose Reese Witherspoon. I’m a bit disappointed in this category. Reese was my #2 pick in this category, but I really don’t think Reese is ready for an Oscar at this point in her career. Ohh well…

In any case, I’m probably going to stop blogging as much as I have been. This week is going to be pretty hectic and I’ve got to head down to Oregon next weekend. Perhaps I’ll stop at Mt. Bachelor for some snow on Sunday… I’ll take pictures if I do.

Later.

Ohh wait – I totally forgot to mention 36 Mafia!!.. First, why the fuck can’t they say bitches?! According to the press, all systems were go, but in the performance they sung “witches” instead… Lame!! But who could have picked them as the winner?! _O_M_G_!… I don’t think the press will cover this much, but I see it as a really big turning point in hip hop history… This is going to push rap to another level, the future is going to be awesome! =)

Comments (0)

Oscar Time: Best Motion Picture of the Year

[Originally posted on MySpace]

Well, it’s the last installment… I’m posting a bit late tonight (spent the evening snowboarding again) because we had to drop Striker off at the hospital. He landed on his wrist when trying to land a jump. Hopefully it’s not broken and he can keep playing Geometry Wars… =)

In any case, back to the Academy Awards, here are my picks for best motion picture, in reverse order:

#5: Good Night & Good Luck

There are number of things I’m looking for in a movie, to get my pick as best film. One of those qualities is ‘repeat watchability’ – do I want to see this film over & over again or is one time enough? For Good Night & Good Luck, one time is enough. It just doesn’t seem like I’m going to learn anything new about the characters or their story. And the movie isn’t going to evoke any of the original emotions you feel when watching it for the first time. These are important to me, so this film goes on the bottom of my pick list.

#4: Munich

On the contrary, with Munch I feel there is something more to learn about these characters. But, the story is very linear… The movie doesn’t require any mental horsepower to figure out what’s going on – at no point is the viewer left in suspense – well, longer than one scene that is. I enjoyed the varied action in this film – from scenes of intense action to much calmer, even comedic scenes when planning the next hit. Mixing it up like that makes me think that I would enjoy this film if I saw it again. =)

#3: Capote

Picking #3 was really difficult for me. I really can’t say enough about Philip Seymour Hoffman, I’ve always been a big fan of his and I think I would really enjoy watching his films over & over again. But, this film doesn’t quite have the emotional punch that Brokeback Mountain has… So if I were to watch Capote again, I think my primary reason would be to appreciate Philip’s abilities, not to experience the story for a second time.

#2: Brokeback Mountain

That means that Brokeback Mountain is my #2 pick. This is a film that is told with such patience and grace – I think you can reconnect with these characters many times over. What’s also amazing is how this film sucks you into the story – it pulls you away from your everyday reality. That gives this film a real lasting quality…

#1: Crash

Crash is the movie that exceeded all of my expectations for a good film, and is the movie I would pick for Best Picture. As I’ve mentioned before, the unpredictable intersecting plotlines are wonderful, and the acting is multidimensional yet not overt. I liked how there wasn’t a single dominate character – the film relied on the entire cast to make it good. The story also significantly varies how you feel when watching. This movie will make you angry, laugh, cry, depressed, hopeful, frustrated, wide-eyed, sympathetic, and a whole slew of other things… Also, I imagine the subject matter will remain relevant for quite awhile – it’s something you can’t help but talk about after watching.

Of course, I have no idea who’s going to win on Sunday night, it will be interesting to see where the Academy and I align & where we diverge. I hope the academy members actually saw all of these films, they were all great – their nominations were all deserved…

On a side note – I’m not headed to Dubai next week after all (office politics – hmph!), but I will be in Eugene on 3/13 to try and get rid of a speeding ticket, and I’ll be in Las Vegas 3/16 – 3/20 for an extended bachelor party.. Woo!

Later.