05 March 2006

Oscar night

It's Oscar night again, and as a big movie fan, I can't help but get caught up in it just a little. It's a guilty pleasure as I find art as competition an absurd concept. But the event celebrates film as art and I can get behind that idea. Plus I like ogling the women in their finery.

We haven't seen most of the major "contenders" yet. I don't like seeing movies in the theater, so am always six to twelve months behind what's current. We did see "Junebug" last night. I found it a bit of a bore-- except for Amy Adams. She is wonderful in it. It's quite a feat to pull off dim but lively, but she does it very well here. I didn't even know she was nominated until after I saw this movie, so I guess others noticed her great performance as well.

The only other one we have seen is "Crash." That was several months ago and it didn't leave much of an impression on me other than big ensemble cast and decent writing and acting.

Earlier today I saw a conservative talk radio host bitching that none of the movies being celebrated tonight represent "mainstream American values." He spoke as if there is some big Hollywood conspiracy to undermine the country or something, which is of course, a load of crap. Time for a little lesson in "Americanism." Most movies (mainstream Hollywood ones anyway) get made with one thought in mind: box office dollars (and yen and rubles and pesos, etc.). The more money a film makes, the greater the chances others will attempt to copy its success. What's more American than that? The ones that don't succeed in putting butts in the seats quickly become distant memories. If rightwing nutjobs are so sure movies are causing a great decline in the American way of life, they should finance and make ones that espouse their point of view. So why don't they? Because no one wants to see them! It's called capitalism, baby! (Just ask those asshats on the religious network that used to be called PTL. They have made a couple movies based on that "Left Behind" nonsense-- all died quick deaths at the box office.)

OK, OK, switching rant mode off for now.

1 comment:

Whack Patti said...

You talk good! I wish I woulda wrote that!