Monday, February 25, 2008

NO COUNTRY FOR OSCAR WINNERS

The first of the relatively few thoughts I have on last night's Academy Awards is "Finally!"

"What?" you ask. You may think I've been holding a 25 year vigil, waiting for the Coen Brothers to enter the pantheon. Or perhaps that I needed to see The Bourne Ultimatum sweep the editing & sound categories. Or even that I can finally rest, knowing I've heard not one, not two, but three fucking songs from Enchanted.

None of the above.

The "finally" instead means I can see a bunch of flicks I want to see. And "why have you not been able to see them?" you may also be asking. Well . . . because I'm weird. But you already knew that, so a quick explanation is required, and it'll bring it all into light if not into sanity.

My favored (read: required) mode of in-theater movie viewing is going alone to a matinee and sitting right in the center, about three rows from the front. Any other manner (with Mrs. Mike, with a friend, on a Friday or Saturday night) pretty much sucks for me. Too much chatter, interrupted sight lines, seats in weird corners of the theater. I just hate it.

I know -- it's crazy, it's obsessive, it's flat-out nuts, but it's me. What can I tell you? Since the early 90's, this is how I've seen most of the movies I saw in the theater. But with my current work demands, I have little time (read: no time) to attend matinees. I could, of course, bring along clients, partners, opposing counsel, the judge, but since that'd violate the "alone" rule, no go, you see? Or imagine if the judge insisted we sit in the back of the theater. I could be held in contempt if I said, "screw you, with all due respect, Your Honor," and sat up front alone. I love movies, but I gotta keep my job, you know?

Anyhow, now that the damn awards are over, I can add No Country For Old Men, There Will Be Blood, Michael Clayton, and Juno to my queue. Yeeeeeeee-haw. I is psyched.

Oh . . . and for my other thought: all four individual acting awards went to foreigners, including one in a foreign language film. Not sure what that means, but it's interesting.

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17 Comments:

Blogger Noah said...

The only movies I saw this year weren't even nominees. I used to love to go to the movies. Now, the only movies I see a G-rated kid flicks. I just don't think my 2-year-old is up for No COuntry For Old Men...

10:25 AM  
Blogger George said...

I can vouch for Ms. Cotillard's hotness. She was here for the film festival and I was the local pr person who got to walk her up the red carpet. Even with a fever of 101 and a nasty cough she was still super sweet and a total babe.

Smitty, beware if your two-year-old asks for the cattle gun starter set....

11:54 AM  
Blogger steves said...

While there are exceptions, there does seem to be some kind of disconnect between what people are seeing and what the academy says is the 'best'. For now, I'll just keep seeing wha I like, as opposed to what I am supposed to like.

7:36 PM  
Blogger Agi said...

I watched the awards at my mom's house with some family members. We've made a genuine annual occasion out of Oscar day. The show was alright.

Everytime a song from Enchanted was performed, I simulated putting a pistol to my head and blowing out my brains. Shit those were godawful.

9:05 PM  
Blogger Rickey said...

Stewart really isn't funny, is he? Just rather boring and pedantic... Rickey hasn't seen No Country yet and is dying to.

You think listening to those three Enchanted songs was bad? Try having to sit through the whole goddamned movie in a theater.

2:44 PM  
Blogger steves said...

"Try having to sit through the whole goddamned movie in a theater."

Did you watch any of the trailers? Didn't you know what the movie was about?

7:05 PM  
Blogger Mike said...

"Try having to sit through the whole goddamned movie in a theater."

Did you watch any of the trailers? Didn't you know what the movie was about?


I'm with Steves here, Rickey. There's a story that needs to be told.

Tell it.

7:00 AM  
Blogger Rickey said...

Rickey had dragged Ms. Henderson to see a movie that she severely disliked (Rickey believes it was "The Mist") and Rickey therefore owed it to Ms. Henderson to allow her to pick the next film. Rickey would sooner nail his penis to a structure fire than see a movie like that on his own volition.

Here's the thing about the missus: she has a disturbing affinity for the Disney fairytale sort of thing. Rickey bites his tongue because it's pretty much on the only thing he dislikes about her. In other words, don't be surprised if Rickey is required to ride into the wedding on a fucking unicorn next spring.

12:58 PM  
Blogger Rickey said...

Well that certainly shut everyone the fuck up.

2:54 PM  
Blogger Mike said...

Yeah, not sure if it was the unicorns or the bad movie that did it.

Then again, maybe it was the part about nailing your penis to a structure fire. Not even sure what that means, but the (mostly male) readership here couldn't have found that too appetizing.

5:52 AM  
Blogger George said...

Anybody else come by here on a Friday and hope against hope there'll be a FSMOMYOTD?

I know, I know, it's more likely I'd find Rickey's penis nailed to a unicorn on fire.

4:40 PM  
Blogger Angelos said...

Tag, bitch.

1:52 PM  
Blogger steves said...

I would have commented, but we spent the entire weekend installing wood flooring.

After 11 years of marriage, we have an unwritten agreement in regards to movies. We don't go out to see very many together because we would have to get a sitter or go to something that is rated 'G', which is fine, but not too often. If it is just the two of us, we wait until we can find somthing we agree on. If I want to see 300 or Transformers, I just go with other friends or go to a matinee by mysely.

At home, we just get whatever we want. If she gets something I can't stand, then I just read or go to bed.

7:54 AM  
Blogger Toasty Joe said...

Re: Juno....don't bother.

However, TWWB is freaking awesome.

7:35 AM  
Blogger Rickey said...

Juno was pretty much a female version of "Rushmore" and not nearly as funny as you'd hope it would be. Rickey seconds the TWBB praise--best movie of '07 by a landslide.

10:56 AM  
Blogger Toasty Joe said...

Juno is not terrible, provided you can get past the first excruciating 15-20 minutes, which is an avalanche of stilted, made-up teenage slang. I was seriously contemplating throwing my shoe at the screen.

1:50 PM  
Blogger Mike said...

I'm a big PT Anderson fan, so I'm dying to see There Will Be Blood.

6:25 AM  

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