I wasn’t a great moviegoer in 2007, and I have yet to catch up with many of the Oscar-nominated films.

In fact, I’ve seen only six. And, frankly, the two “biggest” left me feeling a little chilly.

Few very well-made movies have made less of a lasting impression on me than No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood.

I don’t demand a happy ending, but I do like, y’know, character arcs and just a little more understanding of the human condition along with my popcorn. Rich cinematography, bravura acting, and the muted-if-epic presence of directors whose work I’ve absolutely loved before don’t, for me, make up for a deficit of storytelling and meaning.  Read more 

I really don’t know about, nor care about, whatever movies have been nominated this year. Two words why the Oscars mean nothing to my Netflix queue: “Gladiator” and “Casablanca.” Anyway, I was surfing around my usual news list, and I came across this. Scroll up and down the number brackets for other photos (bottom). Interesting, innit? I mean- how does this “summation” of “who’s who” at the Oscars Red Carpet walk compare to what you’ve seen in the US media? Hint: how many blondes are there at my link? I don’t know who these people are, but I find it an interesting gallery, as I’m sure if I went to CNN or ABC, few if any of these people would’ve made the “best dressed on the red carpet walk” photo montage.

I, for one, welcome our new Han masters. They may be racist, but at least they’re willing to admit that brown is often pretty.