Tonight is the Oscars. How trivial

BUT. I think I missed only two of them in the last forty years, and they fascinate me. Mostly because I grew up on the so-called American Dream, and worked ten years in the branch before I left.

Have seen practically nothing of the ones nominated this year. But here are my guesses, based on past things I saw, and people who were deserving and passed over. Cate Blanchett for the one or best supporting actress, and if she gets the lesser one, I will EAT Terribles's 'revolver' soup and throw up, and never speak to anyone again. For a while anyway. She is the most luminous person I have seen on screen since Julie Christie.

Daniel Day Lewis for best actor. I haven't seen 'There Will Be Blood', but I KNOW what he can do. And he should have gotten it for 'Gangs of New York', but the Establishment has this resentment against Martin Scorcese. And he was grandious FRIGHTENING in it. Johnny Depp still looks too young, but has an impressive track record. He will get one yet, mark my words.

I hope, very MUCH hope, that Sondheim gets the award for best adapted sound score. That music is hauntingly beautiful.

But those who know me know that I have been going ON for a decade or more about Sweeney Todd, and 'THAT MUSIC!' (And yeah, about Mrs. Lovett, and how she bakes people into pies.) And why Sweeney becomes a serial killer. But it was always about the MUSIC, combined with the lyrics, and it gets close to opera, which he has ALWAYS denied, but that is how it was perceived....

It is THE masterpiece of American theatre in the last century. In my opinion. Am not so sure that the film realises the potential from what I have seen and heard.

Another favorite for me is Persiana, in the animated category. That sounds fantastic, but hasn't played here.

In the foreign film category, well, whaddaya know? An Austrian director is in there for 'The Counterfeiters'. Big party planned in Carynthia, the state south of me. (We have nine.) BUT... I don't think it will come about this time despite the good things I have heard about it. I DO think that 'Taxi to the Dark Side' will win. Because it would be a slap in the face to the Bush administration. Also a true story. And we have to look at NOW, not then. And as much as I admire people willing to look back, and rub people's faces in their PASTS... I think it will win because, THIS is NOW.

Otherwise, won't have a clue.

At the same time, I learned that there is gonna be a Sixty-Minute exposé about a certain Mr. Siegelman, who got sandbagged my a certain Mr. Rove, running simutaneously.

Am certain I will find the 'good ' stuff on 'Crooks and Liars'.

But just for today... It is Oscar day. Always been part of my life. Some people like to go to basketball or baseball games? I like to go to the Oscars via my tee-vee. And watch the pretty people. And absolutely FREAK out over how bloody OLD the people I admired became, meanwhile. It is just life.

Terrible, you got a TIVO? Otherwise it doesnt work, and the other is more important.

Just sayin...

Update.... Well, it is over, and: Oh.... MY! Well, I haven't been paying too close attention, have I? I had been under the impression that 'Taxi to the Dark Side' was in the foreign film category, not purely a documentary. So both it and 'The Counterfeiters' won. How very good. Betcha they had a hell of a celebration in Carynthia. Yup. And I hadn't realised that the best adapted score category got eliminated somewhere along the line.

So surprised that Tilda Swinton got best supporting actress, but can't tell, that movie hasn't been shown here yet. But she seems to be a very funny lady. But Marion Cotillard taking the main prize for actress? I REALLY thought it would be a close call between Cate Blanchett and Julie Christie. Looks like I'm going to have to make Terrible's Revolver Soup. Yup.

One thing about that award is a little bit unfair. She couldn't DO the Piaf songs, so they had another artist sing them. Her performance WAS gut-wrenching, and difficult to watch. But still. They cribbed on that a bit. (James Wolcott of Vanity Fair recently wrote about seeing it and practically RUNNING out of the cinema after about twenty minutes of it, so I guess I have a better stomach than he does. Ha. And 'reviewed' it a while ago... in the movies tag in the side-bar.)

What I mean is, I have seen 'Piaf' on-stage, done by an incredible Swiss actress. And it was full of the chansons, of course. And the ugly things, but it wasn't to the point where you recoil in horror. She didn't 'imitate' Piaf's singing, but it came so close, it was incredible, and you ended up with shivers running up your spine. And won a mess of awards for her performance, deservedly so. So there's a difference there, you know? I would have expected that award to go to someone who 'did it all their own selves'. Just sayin'....

Otherwise.... well someone must have dosed Jon Stewart with a heavy hit of valium. Everyone was fairly pc. None of the winners made asses of themselves. A tad boring, in other words. And they really had enough time to add the wonderful Roy Scheider to the 'In Memoriam' clip, but didn't. (That was one very sexy guy, btw...) Tja. Another year and another generation gone....