oscars

When I was a young actor, I used to fantasize about winning a Tony or an Oscar. I'm guessing most young actors have done this. In my acceptance speeches, I always thanked my teachers. Sometimes I would choose one, but most of the time I included my 4th grade teacher Mr. Hoekema who picked me to narrate the Christmas Play for Dutch Day at the Chicago Museum of Natural History. Also Mr. Meyer who cast me as Helen Keller my first year of high school when I didn't even know what a play was. My undergrad drama teacher, Mrs. Boeve, was probably the biggest influence on my life. Read below the fold...

No doubt you'll be shocked to learn that Hollywood's recent enormous profits aren't translating into more jobs for chronically un- and under-employed tradespeople.

Hollywood is one of the last hold-outs in terms of strong unions, something the thoughtful and kindly gentlemen who run the studios would trade their children to eliminate. So, in keeping with the Wisconsin, etc.-inspired Solidarity movement, here's Home, a remarkable, 90-minute film you can watch online (sorry, but there doesn't seem to be a way to embed the video). Read below the fold...

I just lost my mind a little bit. I'm sure you'll understand why:
Read below the fold...

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 below the fold...

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? Read below the fold...