WEEKEND EDITION - And the OSCAR goes to?

BEST PICTURE NOMINEES


my boatAVATAR (click to see movie trailer)
With Earth an ecological disaster, a corporation sets its sights on the distant planet Pandora, which possesses a mineral that can be used as a valuable energy source. To overcome the resistance of the planet's indigenous population, the Na'vi, former Marine Jake Sully is sent to infiltrate the society as a part-human, part-Na'vi avatar who can operate on Pandora while Jake himself remains in a twilight sleep.




my boatTHE BLIND SIDE (click to see trailer)
African-American teenager Michael Oher has been in and out of the foster care system throughout his difficult childhood. When suburban mom Leigh Anne Tuohy, whose children are Michael's schoolmates, discovers him living on the streets, he gains a home with the Tuohy family and receives the stability and encouragement he needs to develop his talents as a football player.





my boatTHE HURT LOCKER (click to see trailer)
As the war in Iraq continues, Staff Sgt. William James carries out one of the most dangerous of all military assignments: bomb defusing. While James thrives on the job's risks, the head of his support team, Sgt. JT Sanborn, becomes increasingly worried by what he feels is a growing recklessness in James's behavior.





my boatPRECIOUS (click to see trailer)
Sixteen-year-old Precious Jones is overweight, nearly illiterate, and the victim of horrific physical and verbal abuse at the hands of her mother and father. Facing a seemingly hopeless future, Precious transfers to a new school, where a dedicated teacher and fellow classmates offer the unhappy young girl a chance for a new life.






my boatINGLORIOUS BASTERDS (click to see trailer)
Shosanna, a resourceful young movie theater owner fighting to stay one step ahead of the Nazis in occupied France, plots her revenge on the man responsible for her family's death, the flamboyant Col. Hans Landa. Her plan soon draws the attention of Lt. Aldo Raine, who leads a group of Jewish soldiers known as the Basterds in a savage campaign behind enemy lines.




my boatA SERIOUS MAN (click to see trailer)
In a series of escalating personal catastrophes, physics professor Larry Gopnik finds himself facing an unfaithful wife, ungrateful children, a troubled brother-in-law and poison pen letters at work. But Gopnik is a fundamentally decent man, and he tries, with increasing despair, to respond rationally and fairly to trials befitting a modern-day Job.





my boatUP IN THE AIR (click to see trailer)
Ryan Bingham is a corporate downsizer who spends his days in hotels, airports, and airplanes as he travels around the country laying off other companies' workers with polished finesse. His pursuit of a life without emotional connections is called into question, however, by his interactions with two women, one a sophisticated fellow traveler and the other an inexperienced young colleague.









AND THE OSCAR GOES TO...THE HURT LOCKER

The Oscars are political... AVATAR was nominated because of it represents a step forward in the evolution of Hollywood... It might just win in other years (or, this year for that matter as it's probably neck and neck)... Producer & Director James Cameron, though, has already been awarded his crowning achievement with 'Titanic' (which tied Ben-Hur for the all time Oscar rake)... He is already self proclaimed "King of the World"... The 'message' of Avatar seems to be a little soupy & pandering at this point...THE BLIND SIDE was a wonderful "true" story which was the "feel good" nominee... Most likely Sandra Bullock will be honored with a "best actress" award for her role in this... INGLORIOUS BASTERDS was nominated because every damn film that ever has "the holocaust" somewhere in the theme or background will always get nominated (God's chosen people in Hollywood will see to that)... It also doesn't ever hurt if Quentin Tarantino's name is on something... PRECIOUS is another "critical acclaim" nominee because it's fashionable to have such nominees, will likely have to settle for minor awards such as "Adapted Screenplay" and Supporting Actress... Trust me, if "The Blind Side", which is an uplifting treatise doesn't win, this isn't going to win...A SERIOUS MAN was the Coen Brothers again... It's difficult to see them winning two years out of three (after No Country For Old Men)... UP IN THE AIR was a great film... Clooney could be in the running for an award, but frankly, with most Americans now believing that the American job market is actually improving, this will probably get pushed aside...

THE HURT LOCKER will be left standing... This is what Hollywood will want to draw attention to...










BEST ACTOR NOMINEES


my boatJEFF BRIDGES - Crazy Heart
Jeff Bridges portrays Bad Blake, a washed-up country-western singer whose meeting with a young journalist may help him to turn his life around.











my boatGEORGE CLOONEY - Up In The Air
Ryan Bingham is a corporate downsizer who spends his days in hotels, airports, and airplanes as he travels around the country laying off other companies' workers with polished finesse. His pursuit of a life without emotional connections is called into question, however, by his interactions with two women, one a sophisticated fellow traveler and the other an inexperienced young colleague.





my boatJEREMY RENNER - The Hurt Locker
As the war in Iraq continues, Staff Sgt. William James carries out one of the most dangerous of all military assignments: bomb defusing. While James thrives on the job's risks, the head of his support team, Sgt. JT Sanborn, becomes increasingly worried by what he feels is a growing recklessness in James's behavior.







my boatCOLIN FIRTH - A Serious Man
In a series of escalating personal catastrophes, physics professor Larry Gopnik finds himself facing an unfaithful wife, ungrateful children, a troubled brother-in-law and poison pen letters at work. But Gopnik is a fundamentally decent man, and he tries, with increasing despair, to respond rationally and fairly to trials befitting a modern-day Job.






my boatMORGAN FREEMAN - Invictus
Morgan Freeman portrays Nelson Mandela, the South African president who seizes on the chances of the national rugby team in the World Cup as a means of uniting his troubled country.












AND THE OSCAR GOES TO...JEFF BRIDGES - Crazy Heart

Besides being political, the Oscars often "make amends" by awarding a statuette to a "body of work:... JEFF BRIDGES certainly qualifies... Besides being a lifelong Hollywood Insider (son of Dorothy & Lloyd Bridges, & brother to Beau), Jeff has been at it for as long as anyone can remember (garnering 4 nominations along the way, his first clear back in 1971 opposite Cybil Shepherd in "The Last Picture Show"). He could have won this award many times before... Thunderbolt & Lightfoot, Starman, The Fisher King, Fearless, The Morning After, The Fabulous Baker Boys, or clearly, in one of his best roles, "The Big Lebowski"... CV actually was IN a film with Jeff Bridges "8 Million Ways to Die" (1986) where CV has a role as a dice shooter...GEORGE CLOONEY keeps knocking on the door for best actor, but so far has only achieved a "supporting actor" statuette for "Syriana"... Sooner or later I'm sure GC will win one (because Hollywood likes to keep it's liberal politicked "glam" boys & girls in the spotlight... But Clooney has to stop mixing up roles like this & Michael Clayton, with "Men Who Stare at Goats"... JEREMY RENNER would be a "darkhorse" here in any other year, but it's going to be tough to get past Jeff Bridges body of work... Pretty much the same goes for COLIN FIRTH... Being in a Coen Bros. film doesn't hurt his chances, but you have to think that "The Big Lebowski" was also a Coen Bros film... Ostensibly, Bridges could be winning for the "other" role, not this one (so it's sort of a silent hat tip to the Coen Bros)... MORGAN FREEMAN sort of slides in as a hybrid of some of the things I've said before... He has the "legacy" & the resume of Jeff Bridges, but he, like Clooney, has already grabbed a supporting actor statuette (Million Dollar Baby)... He also has a best actor credit for "Driving Miss Daisy"... From a political perspective, some of the "energy" of playing a role like Mandela has dissipated... The pressure cooker is now gone after the US has elected a black president... The Academy, which for many years seems to think that it is it's solemn duty to right every injustice in the world (such as race, homosexuality, physically or mentally challenged), may finally turn the other way (if for only a year).

JEFF BRIDGES ought to win this... Besides being "his time", it's the perfect chance for The Academy to get a monkey off it's back... In a year of "tea parties", there has been increasing backlash against Hollywood for inflicting it's liberal bias on America... So here is the perfect chance for The Academy to give an award to a red neck white guy (in a film whose main character is, of course, totally broken down and practically worthless - like ALL white guys are)... Once The Academy gets this one off their conscience, next year they can go back to showcasing the fact that the only "good" in the world comes from either minorities, homosexuals, or handicapped tree huggers who survived the holocaust...










BEST ACTRESS NOMINEES


my boatSANDRA BULLOCK - The Blind Side
Sandra Bullock plays Leigh Anne Tuohy, a suburban mom who takes in a homeless African-American teenager and encourages his talents as a football player.










my boatHELEN MIRREN - The Last Station
As Sofya, Helen Mirren portrays the wife of author Leo Tolstoy, a woman locked in a battle with her husband's admirers over the disposition of his royalties.











my boatCAREY MULLIGAN - An Education
Carey Mulligan plays Jenny, an English schoolgirl who is seduced by the charms of an older man.












my boatGABOUREY SIDIBE - Precious:Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
As Precious, Gabourey Sidibe plays a pregnant teenager who struggles to overcome years of abuse at the hands of her parents.









my boatMERYL STREEP - Julia & Julia
Meryl Streep portrays cookbook author Julia Child, whose years in France with her husband inspire her to study the art of French cooking.













AND THE OSCAR GOES TO...SANDRA BULLOCK - The Blind Side

Besides being political & honoring legacy work, The Academy always has some other ulterior motives going on at any given time... It doesn't always happen this way, but SANDRA BULLOCK is being set up on a platter here... It's not that she doesn't deserve it... She gave a wonderful performance in a wonderful "true story" role, in a movie that everyone liked... I don't have to say much more about it... I personally am a big fan of Sandra Bullock and will be happy to see her win here... HELEN MIRREN is also a fine actress who I admire very much... Her performance as Tolstoy's wife here is not only a credit to her her work (here come the "ulterior motives"), but Hollywood always likes to toss in films about either actors, writers, or other artists... So very often, they'll get around to honoring their own greatness by showcasing these types of things (like "Shakespeare in Love", or "Chicago")... It's an extra special bonus if the theme has something, anything, to do with either socialism (vis-a-vis the Tolstoy era here), or the holocaust, and the lead actor or actress is also a liberal political activist... Of course, the "wet dream" for Hollywood would be a film like "The Way We Were" which featured the jewish Barbara (I'll move out of the country if Gore isn't elected) Streisand & Robert (Sundance) Redford, playing the roles of a political activist, & a socialist screenwriter... As for Hollywood, it's basically the "Way They Still Are & Will Always Be"... Back to Helen, she is fresh off a win in "The Queen", so it's unlikely that she wins here as well... She's in there to give a Sandra Bullock win more credibility (not that it needs it IMO)...CARREY MULLIGAN is a set up... Hollywood needs to plant seeds for the future, so they're clearly going to put Carrey in a "head to head" with Anne Hathaway going forward... You can already see this happening... Sometimes a nominated role covers other bases as well... There is a deep cast in this movie...Alfred Molina & Olivia Williams aren't household names in America, but they have deep resumes (as does Peter Sarsgaard - who is also married oes Peter Sarsgaard - who is also married to Maggie Gyllenhaal, who I think stands a good chance to win in the best supporting actress category this year)... GABOUREY SIDIBE, hmm, what can I say? The film, "Precious: based on the novel PUSH by Sapphire"... If you didn't know, that should tell you everything you need to know right there... This is the "Oprah's Book Club" nominee... It was made into a film, then became critically acclaimed at Sundance... Sometimes things feed on themselves (no pun intended)... Some are actually giving this performance a chance as a "dark horse" winner... To me, Gabourey IS NOT Forrest Whitaker, & I don't want to get into Oprah bashing so let's move on... MERYL STREEP is the perfect nominee to round out this field... I can't even count the number of nominations she's received (and probably deserved)... She has, however, been recognized many times over... This is yet another nomination (like Mirren), to give the field some credibility... It's as if to say to Gabourey "see - look who you were nominated with - now be happy and don't bother us", or to Carrey "your time is coming soon but you have to keep Anne Hathaway off your ass"... To Sandra it makes her win more credible... The movie "Julia & Julia" is actually very funny and modern... It deserves recognition... perhaps even more "seeds" are being planted here because Amy Adams could take the podium some day with under the right circumstances...

SANDRA BULLOCK ought to get called up to the podium here. I'm sure she's capable of giving one of those classic ditzy acceptance speeches... If nothing else, she'll probably look a little better in her Oscar gown than some of the other nominees (assuming they don't have to resort to potato sacks - you know, for comfort)...











BEST DIRECTOR NOMINEES - CV's favorite category


my boatJAMES CAMERON - Avatar
With Earth an ecological disaster, a corporation sets its sights on the distant planet Pandora, which possesses a mineral that can be used as a valuable energy source. To overcome the resistance of the planet's indigenous population, the Na'vi, former Marine Jake Sully is sent to infiltrate the society as a part-human, part-Na'vi avatar who can operate on Pandora while Jake himself remains in a twilight sleep.




my boatKATE BIGELOW - The Hurt Locker
As the war in Iraq continues, Staff Sgt. William James carries out one of the most dangerous of all military assignments: bomb defusing. While James thrives on the job's risks, the head of his support team, Sgt. JT Sanborn, becomes increasingly worried by what he feels is a growing recklessness in James's behavior.






my boatQUENTIN TARANTINO - Inglourious Basterds
Shosanna, a resourceful young movie theater owner fighting to stay one step ahead of the Nazis in occupied France, plots her revenge on the man responsible for her family's death, the flamboyant Col. Hans Landa. Her plan soon draws the attention of Lt. Aldo Raine, who leads a group of Jewish soldiers known as the Basterds in a savage campaign behind enemy lines.





my boatLEE DANIELS - Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
As Precious, Gabourey Sidibe plays a pregnant teenager who struggles to overcome years of abuse at the hands of her parents.










my boatJASON REITMAN - Up In The Air
Ryan Bingham is a corporate downsizer who spends his days in hotels, airports, and airplanes as he travels around the country laying off other companies' workers with polished finesse. His pursuit of a life without emotional connections is called into question, however, by his interactions with two women, one a sophisticated fellow traveler and the other an inexperienced young colleague.








AND THE OSCAR GOES TO...KATE BIGELOW - The Hurt Locker

This is always one of my favorite categories... Any movie you see, you "see" through the eyes of the director... As everyone knows, oftentimes the same movie pops up in several of the major categories (Dirctor, Actor, Actress, Best Picture)... Much of the credit goes to the director (because good actors tend to like to work with good directors, and good directors can bring out the best performances in actors)... Sometimes this category is "legacy", or "political", but more often than not, GOOD WORK is recognized... This is probably going to come down to JAMES CAMERON (Avatar), & KATHRYN BIGELOW (The Hurt Locker)... Incidentally, these two were married for about 2 years in the late 80's (something that the Oscars announcers are sure to be all over when the time comes to present this award)... What it really is going to come down to is the "extravaganza" effect of Avatar, vs. raw filmmaking on "The Hurt Locker"... Both pack in a lot of "success" ingredients... Avatar, it's political message about resource utilization and the behavior of civilizations to that end... The Hurt Locker is basically an "on the ground" reality treatise which has some of the same elements spinning around it... Avatar, is big budget... Unless the movie is a bomb (and this one ISN'T), Hollywood actually likes blockbusters... They get press, and keep the wheels greased... James Cameron is well known for this type of film (all the Terminators, The Abyss, Aliens, Strange Days, Rambo, and of course, "Titanic" - which tied "Ben-Hur" for the largest rake of Oscar Awards ever)... Cameron was also Producer of "Point Break" which Bigelow directed... Cameron is a money maker... Hollywood LOVES a money maker... However, in this particular case, since he has already declared himself "King of the World", the Academy might be hesitant to declare him "King of the Universe" just yet, and instead give the the honor to his ex-wife... If for no other reason than just to say "behind every successful man stands a woman... The other nominees, QUENTIN TARANTINO, LEE DANIELS, JASON REITMAN probably don't stand a snowball's chance in hell here... I love Tarantino movies (and QT is sure to have many more nominations in his future), but I'm still wondering how many different ways Hollywood can tell the "holocaust" story... For crying out loud, how can Mahmoud Ahmadinejad not recognize it? They must not have any TV in Iran because every other Oscar nominated film has IT as a backdrop... Also ran... Daniels & Reitman... Reitman is starting to put it together here with "Juno" also to his credit... This is Daniels first big "director" gig, but he was also on the production end of "Monsters Ball" which won Halle Berry an Oscar a few years back... Fine work, you two, but you're up against a buzz saw...

KATE BIGELOW, I think, will edge out her "ex-husband" (James Cameron) here because that's the way the world works (if you're a woman, you always move past that stupid man who held you back & someday shove it in his face - especially when he just spent $300 billion to try to beat you to the podium)... I don't want to make it sound all THAT phony because "The Hurt Locker" is really a taught and well paced movie... KB's most noteworthy effort before was "Point Break", which despite having the "roll your eyes" quotient of Keanau Reeves & Patrick Swayze, wasn't that bad a film, was nicely paced, and featured incredible footage and camera work... Bigelow's art background has translated well to the big screen...










BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE


my boatMATT DAMON - Invictus
Matt Damon plays Francois Pienaar, the captain of the South African rugby team that becomes a surprising unifying force for a divided nation.











my boatCHRISTOPHER PLUMMER - The Last Station
Christopher Plummer portrays Tolstoy, the great Russian writer who finds himself torn in his final years between his wife and his devoted admirers.










my boatWOODY HARRELSON - The Messenger
As Captain Tony Stone, Woody Harrelson plays a military officer struggling to maintain his sobriety as he delivers news of soldiers' deaths to their families.











my boatSTANLEY TUCCI - The Lovely Bones
As George Harvey, Stanley Tucci plays a serial killer who murders his neighbors' 14-year-old daughter.












my boatCHRISTOPH WALTZ - Inglourious Basterds
Christoph Waltz plays Col. Hans Landa, a sinister Nazi officer with a talent for seeking out people in hiding.











AND THE OSCAR GOES TO...CRISTOPH WALTZ - Inglourious Basterds

I'm going to turn the SNARK OFF for a moment here... OK, first it's going to sound snarky, but that's not my intention... I'm just going to lay out the bare facts, then get to the performances... What's utterly odd is that ALL of these nominees achieved such for performances which EXACTLY embody what I've described above as the classic Hollywood political labels (CV doesn't make this stuff up)... Let me refresh your memory if you've forgotten:
- MATT DAMON as the "white apartheid dude" that eventually only finds glory & "goodness" after he comes to terms with, and does the bidding of, the new black President of South Africa (who, of course, was a formerly oppressed racial prisoner)...
- WOODY HARRELSON playing the role of another troubled white guy (this one an alcoholic). In this case, the character is in the guise of a military officer having the unenviable and heart wrenching task of bringing the bad news to regular people of loved ones who died in wars that nobody wants in the first place ostensibly started by a white President that everyone hates... The "face" of bad news and all bad things...
- CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER, well, he represents nothing special, except a historical "artist" (writer), who is mainly interesting because of the socialist revolution era he came to fame during... Sounds like the PERFECT TYPE to delve into their flaws (he probably 'wronged' some female in this case)...
- STANLEY TUCCI, another BAD white guy villain (they all suck, don't they)... This one lives next door & rapes and kills your teenage daughter...
- CRISTOLPH WALTZ, not only a BAD WHITE GUY... But a BAD WHITE SUPREMACIST NAZI!

Even though it doesn't sound like it so far (I'd said SNARK OFF before), I want to express that ALL of these performances are absolutely riveting... If not for anything else, simply the themes they operate under... All 5 of the films are actually wonderful films... Perhaps that's what's being acknowledged here (and perhaps that's why I decided to try to do SNARK OFF for this)... It must just be a coincidence that Hollywood chooses to honor & portray all white males as the scum of the earth... When you get beyond that though, it's hard NOT to acknowledge that these performances (by these scumbag males) are in fact superb, or make a case that anyone was undeserving of the honor. Besides the actors themselves, all these films have extraordinary pedigree... (Clint Eastwood/INVICTUS [which also featured Morgan Freeman] Peter Jackson [Lord of the Rings Trilogy]/The Lovely Bones [which also featured great performances by Mark Wahlberg & Rachel Weisz], The Messenger [with Jena Malone], The Last Station [with an impeccible cast]...

CRISTOPH WALTZ I'm going to say receives the merit here... Quentin Tarantino probably could not have done this film without him... Or, if it's difficult for you to understand it that way, just think that it's for no other reason than because in the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king... In the land of the SCUMBAG WHITE GUYS, the "scumbaggiest" of all should take the honor... It can't be Matt Damon (because he eventually heeds the wishes of the black President and therefore gains redemption for his scumbag existence)... It can't be Harrelson (because despite the fact that he's a drunk officer of a military that is doing his duty because of that bad war that George W Bush got us into, he's just "The Messenger" [so don't shoot him]... It can't be Plummer (because he's Tolstoy for Gods sake)... It could very well be Tucci (but that kind of "creepyness" hits too close to home [literally])... So it's GOTTA BE WALTZ... It's Hollywood's way of saying to Obama "Dammit! We helped get you elected, don't forget about this stuff over here and stop throwing Israel under the bus!"...














BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE


my boatPENELOPE CRUZ - Nine
Penélope Cruz portrays Carla, the passionate mistress of a married film director.












my boatVERA FARMIGA - Up In The Air
As Alex Goran, Vera Farmiga plays a business traveler who begins a no-strings-attached affair with a man she meets in a hotel bar.











my boatMAGGIE GYLLENHAAL - Crazy Heart
Maggie Gyllenhaal plays Jean Craddock, a journalist whose love and admiration for a broken-down country-western singer may change his life.











my boatANNA KENDRICK - Up In The Air (No link because they're LAME)
As Natalie Keener, Anna Kendrick plays an ambitious but inexperienced young woman who is sent on an eye-opening series of trips with a veteran colleague.










my boatMo'NIQUE - Precious: Based on the novel "Push" by Sapphire
Mo'Nique portrays Mary, an abusive mother whose cruel behavior has had a devastating effect on her pregnant teenage daughter.












AND THE OSCAR GOES TO...MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL - Crazy Heart

It's not always cut and dried as to the "politics" of an Oscars recipient... Whether or not my previous selections in the other major categories were correct or not, this is the hardest one for me to decide upon "strategically"... Ironically, I probably have the order somewhat REVERSED here (as the "Actress in a Supporting Role award usually comes EARLIER in the Oscars telecast - Best Actor & Actress awards are near the end, and Best Director & Best Picture are inevitably last)... So if I get this one WRONG (which I may), you might tend to start to want to dismiss my other selections out of hand)... This one is "easy" in some ways and "hard" in others to figure out... I'm going to start by attempting to dismiss the obvious (if I'm WRONG about this, I'll look like a TOTAL FOOL even before the ceremonies begin - you'll find me, then, getting drunk on champagne in the waiting room, or heading out to Spagos on the sly for an early dinner)...

I'm going to dismiss PENELOPE CRUZ right off the bat... Understand, that's NOTHING against the movie itself... I mean, when you pack Daniel Day-Lewis, Kate Hudson (CV used to train her mom & dad, and CV remembers 'ol Kate as a pre-teen), Judy Dench, Sophia Loren, Nicole Kidman, & Marion Cotillard together into a cast, you've got to expect something good right? Especially when it was directed by Rob Marshall (who has numerous dance/musical Tony's on Broadway like Cabaret, and a "best director" nomination for Chicago, which won "Best Picture" in 2002)... But that's just it! "Nine" is like taking Chicago, Cabaret, Moulin Rouge, The Talented Mr. Ripley, & Roman Holiday and mixing them all into one... Nothing new here... Spectacular, but move on... I hate to say it (or LOVE to say it, for that matter), but Penelope Cruz, as lovely as she is, is becoming the TOKEN "latina"... She's "Spanish" for crying out loud (so I suppose that qualifies as "hispanic", but Americans tend to more associate that with Mexican or Central American)... In any case, with a dearth of films with "latina" or "latino" nominations, they have to throw her into the mix to fill the gap... Didn't I say before that this was all POLITICAL? "Up In The Air" has two supporting actress nominations from the same film... It's kind of a shame because CV "really" does like VERA FARMIGA... I took a look at those eyes over a decade ago (in a small role she played in the movie "Autumn in New York") and knew I'd see her again... But The Academy has seen fit here to cancel her out by putting her together with "Twilight" ANNA KENDRICK... It's a subtle way of saying, "girls don't even THINK about having to write something down on a cocktail napkin but we adore your pretty faces in the audience while you await your disappointment"... FWIW - Kendrick "bugs" me personally... She's obviously being groomed for a spot, but it's something beyond my comprehension... Those of you with teenage daughters who are into the "Twilight" saga could probably clue me in... For my "talent scout" eyes, I'd be banking on Kristen Stewart instead (you heard it here first - remember me in the future)... Of course I'd also take Vera Farmiga (and if she happens to win here, against odds, CV will be extremely happy)... But... if say, you have to toss those three out, then you're mathematically down to two... Those two are MO'NIQUE & MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL... I'm going to say right off that I've been a fan of Maggie Gyllenhaal for a long time now... Mo'Nique I'd never heard of before, but I can't, or WON'T EVEN TRY to discredit her in any way because her nomination performance was powerful ... I'll be open and bias and tell you flat out that the content of "Precious" bothered me... It also bothers me that this is some more "Oprah Winfrey" concoction crap (which CV tends to toss into the rubbish bin of American Idol, Dancing With the Stars, Survivor, Jerry Springer, Regis Philbin, or, if you even want to go back, Phil Donahue, Geraldo Rivera, and all the other daytime TV crap that has become "cult" in American society - Frankly, it's part of what I think has helped tear this nation down and apart for a generation or more - there, I said it)... Nevertheless, how can I POSSIBLY blame Mo'Nique for simply playing a role in an OUTSTANDING way?... Answer: I can't... She did what any artist would do in this situation... She took a role that was handed to her, and she made an outstanding performance out of it... If she wins, she deserves FULL CREDIT... My "CRAZY HEART", though, goes with Maggie Gyllenhaal here... The first time I ever saw her was back in 2002 in a film called "The Secretary" (opposite James Spader)... For those of you who have never seen "The Secretary", if you then go decide and watch it, don't think WEIRD of CV... It's just one of those things... I found her performance in that to have been absolutely RIVETING, and she was immediately etched into my psyche... She's been on my radar screen ever since, & therefore I really hope she wins here...

MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL, then let's say, isn't exactly my PICK, but she's who I hope will be honored (actually I guess she IS my pick, WTH?)... But if she doesn't win, so be it... She's definitely the type that will bounce back to this podium time & time again IMO... Her skills speak for themselves... She doesn't need the help of being "hispanic" (in a dearth of hispanic years), or casual "put two FUTURES together this year and cancel them out", or the "Oprah effect"... She's just Maggie (the "Secretary" in my mind, but now the journalist)... For me, in the end... This is the category that I'm LEAST sure of, but the one I WANT the most to win (Sandra Bullock being a very close second)...

But for the record... In a strange way CV often gets his hearts delight in this category as in the past CV has "willed" the following Oscars in this category into being:

- Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
- Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton
- Rachel Weisz - The Constant Gardener
- Renee Zellweger - Cold Mountain (but it was a re-pay for Jerry Maguire)
- Jennifer Connelly - A Perfect Mind (flawless)
- Juliette Binoche - The English Patient
- Dianne Wiest - Hannah & Her Sisters

BUT... It's not perfect as I missed on...

- Minnie Driver - Good Will Hunting
- Natalie Portman  - Closer
- Julianne Moore - The Hours
- Kate Hudson (my old friend) - Almost Famous

My solemn promise to all those ladies is that it is the JOB OF CV TO WILL THEM TO THE PODIUM (one of these days)... And probably, CV's favorite of all... AMY ADAMS... You 'should' have been nominated this year for 'An Education'... Don't worry... CV's "psychic powers" will put that soft gold statuette in your hands one of these days...


Remember... Actor & Actress awards are "emotional" choices (that's why I like Bridges, Gyllenhaal, Bullock, &, hell, actually "emotionally" I'd take Matt Damon)...

Picture & Director are "critical" awards... I gotta go with Kate Bigelow & "The Hurt Locker" there...

51 comments:

CV said...

For those of you who are movie buffs and want to add comments here, feel free...

Consider this an open thread all weekend (as you're free to also make your predictions as to when the DOW will reach 36,000, or when Obama will win his own Academy Award, as both of those things seem sure to happen soon)...

I'm going to continue to add to this thread (so the thread topic is going to get longer and longer)... I'm mastering some new techniques here (like text wrapping), so I hope you like "the look"...

Anonymous said...

CV-

another GREAT post!!! Your getting pretty good at this blogging thing-

fortunately you have diverse interests- which spices things up- very eclectic- a good thing!

Sadly- last movie I saw at the theater was "Baby Mama"- daughter wanted to see it-

my oldest son has been talking up "Hurt Locker" but haven't seen it-

always been a Jeff Bridges fan- and Clooney as well as Brad Pitt can be pretty funny- as well as play more serious parts-

I thought they both did great in "Burn After Reading"-

Streep- obviously a great actress- she was quite the tour de force in "Adaptation"

but- not having seen any of these movies- outside of "Inglorious Basterds" (on DVD- which I thought was just ok) I can offer zero input on their merit or the merit of the actors/actresses-

. . .so I will use this post as my official guide on the Oscars-

thanks dude!

Bruce in Tennessee said...

My wife and I saw Avatar. I liked it, but came away disappointed. The film was average, or a little above, but the hype and reviews of people for this film.... That is what disappointed me. A film that would be interesting to 12 year olds in the Saturday morning cartoon hour, that had NO new plot and in fact was an amalgam of numerous past films, and looked a lot like a video game. The fact that this new looking retread got that much good pub disappointed me. And I loved Jurassic Park and have long been a fan of science fiction. Really enjoyed the last Star Trek.

The Blind Side gets my vote.

CV said...

@ahab

Thanks ahab!

I don't know at what point you got to this thread, but I'm continuing to add on to it...

So far... I've posted CV's picks for:

- BEST PICTURE
- BEST ACTOR (in a leading role)
- BEST ACTRESS (in a leading role)
- BEST DIRECTOR

I'm still going to put up selections on both 'supporting actor/actress' awards, & most likely SCREENPLAY & ADAPTED SCREENPLAY (which were categories I actually won some student awards in while I was in college, as well as director)...

These are just my 2 cents (and undoubtedly there are countless other resources on the internet which have various critical opinions on the Oscars)... So it's all just FWIW...

I'm also using the opportunity to "fool around" with some new HTML graphics techniques to improve the page presentation... It's a slow process because I don't have all the time in the world...

CV said...

@Bruce

Are you saying "The Blind Side" for BEST PICTURE?

---

Let me put it this way... "The Blind Side" was my FAVORITE picture (by far), but that's not the way it often goes with the OSCARS...

It's very political... (and I don't necessarily mean 'straight' political - as in POLITICS - but more like 'figure skating' political)...

You mostly have to pay your dues in Hollywood...

I'M ALMOST CERTAIN that Sandra Bullock will win here... But when it goes to filmMAKING honors, I'd expect them to cut between "Avatar" & "The Hurt Locker"...

Hollywood has unfinished business to attend to... They got their Obama elected, they got their Gores & Obamas winning Peace Prizes...

Now they want to finish the job and get us out of these wars... "The Hurt Locker" will be their way to express that...

CV said...

@BRUCE

BTW - "paying your dues" doesn't necessarily mean that you have to come to town with a Martin Scorcese resume...

The POLITICS here (in bullet points), & as expressed in the thread narration is as follows:

- They want America's involvement in wars O-V-E-R
- Kate Bigelow is a F-E-M-A-L-E director (one of only 4 in history)
- The film is pretty taught & tense
- It's very artistic, actually
- Bigelow & James Cameron (Avatar) used to be husband & wife years ago
- Cameron has gotten his awards & recognition

All of the other films tend to cancel each other out politically...

THE BLIND SIDE vs. PRECIOIUS (cancel out because they take sort of the same background but treat it in different ways)... Blind Side would likely win out if there were nothing else going on, but here its just a convenient way of inserting them into the program...

BASTERDS is the umpteenth adaption of the "holocaust" (plus, it's Tarantino)... Hollywood will ASSURE us that the holocaust will never be forgotton... I'm actually expecting best supporting actor to come from that film...

UP IN THE AIR is a way to give Jason Reitman (Juno) more visibility... He'll win someday...

So it's going to come down to AVATAR & THE HURT LOCKER... ex wife beats ex husband...

Hollywood has it's:

- Minority years
- Physical & Mental illness years
- Legacy years
- Political Statement years
- Raw blockbuster years

This is it's GENDER year...

McFearless said...

I hear that blind side is good I'd like to see that.

My wife and I also went to see Avatar, it was alright, I wasn't as blown away as a lot of people.

Haven't seen a lot of these other flicks, guess I'm too busy messing around in the casino (stock market)

Nicest day we've had all year here in DE. I'm going outside.

CV said...

@McF

Good to get out now and then...

- out OF the casino
- out OF the house
- out TO the cinema

McFearless said...

C,

Whoa! Long thread man.

I'm here to do some group think about the movies, apparently that's what we do here...

CV said...

@ben

Yeah sorry... IT IS a long thread...

I think it's valuable tho (I "hope" at least)... Shows ANOTHER side to CV... I "was" a film major at USC for a bit... dabbled in the "art", and it has never left me... THANKFULLY, I CAN SAY... for me, anyway...

Of course, I always have my dumb ass opinions on everything... I doubt anyone else, deep down, can say anything different tho...

I guess it all depends on whether or not one is brave enough to PUBLISH their thoughts or not... You know!... RISK RIDICULE (and all that)... Instead of just go around saying "yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah" all the time just because one might be fearful of being rejected by GROUPTHINK ("make friends" for personal comfort, so to speak)...

I've never been the type to be afraid of RIDICULE for expressing an opinion or taking some kind of a stance on something (as you can see because some of my "politically" weighted Oscars comments could offend some)... This is partly, because I always have known DEEP DOWN that my "truest" of feelings offer nothing TRULY OBJECTIONABLE to any reasonable person... Face to face (I KNOW THIS FOR A FACT), there is nobody who thinks I'm crazy...

Notwithstanding, CV doesn't need the comfort of people to blanket him in some kind of security of existence... WHETHER THEY INHABIT THE INNER MEMBRANE OR NOT, there is no denying that EVERYTHING is interconnected in some way, so whatever IS, IS... In practice, though, I find it a waste of time to assign any greater "harmonic chord" any kind of sound mix... My Ipod is thus on perpetual "toggle", what comes in, comes in... There's always the SKIP function...

I'm gonna bore you some more, and put up some selections in other categories in a bit... Less "images & links" tho because that's exhausting...

Damn if I know if you OR ANYONE ELSE is even going to watch the Academy Awards, have seen any of the movies, OR REALLY FRIGGIN' CARE for that matter...

All I know is... IT DOES MATTER TO ME...

LOTS OF THINGS MATTER TO ME (not the least of which are the comments I get on this blog)...

I feel very fortunate that in about a years time... I went from BR's blog (which I still read every day)... To Andy's BLOG... (Andy, YOU, I-man, karen, ahab, LB, onlooker, bruce, bat & jeff, & MEH were always my favourites... always there, always passionate about something)... And now I'm hacking this crap on my own... Not begging, just offering...

I'm trying to get better... But even on a weekend with no sports (but MARCH MADNESS IS COMING), I can try and present something elegant...

This is this weekends effort... I'm hardly thinking about markets at all... BUT I WILL ON MONDAY, OF COURSE...

Take in a movie with your wife in your spare time if you have have the inclination :-)

Anonymous said...

Great work CV. Lots of time and effort I am sure, and it shows.

Jeff Bridges wins for the big lebowski. I saw that comment last night and agreed completely. Watched the movie again today and it really is great.

They can give him the award, and still stay true to the women theme.

bob

Anonymous said...

BTW

Big east tournament starts this week. Some of the degenerate gamblers on WS will be watching the garden. If memory serves me right it's been a lively week in the markets in the past few years.

bob

CV said...

@bob

Yeah, yesterday I was watching Syracuse go down to Louisville & 'Nova go down to WVA...

That made me pause for a sec, because I've had BOTH those teams as high probables for the FINAL FOUR...

In the long run, it probably doesn't mean a great deal..... but.........

Syracuse WAS the #1 of the #1's... I doubt they lose their #1 bracket seeding, but they might end up in a tougher bracket...

I still have 'Nova as a #2 bracket seed, but if they lose again (in the Big East Tourney), they could slip to a #3 in a bracket... Not that it matters all that much (because #2's play #3's in the Elite 8 round anyway, but it DOES make a different WHICH #2 you're playing and in what region the game is being played...

Other "little" things happen as well... Duke could possibly move up to a #1 seed (which makes Maryland having BEAT Duke last week pretty big)... It means Maryland can probably move up to a #5 seed (which is HUGE because if it goes according to chalk, they play a #4 in the second game of the first weekend instead of a #3)... That's a HUGE statistical advantage in getting to the SWEET 16...

CV said...

@bob

I say that because if you ever look at these statistics like I do... After the #3 seeds, the odds drop DRASTICALLY of reaching any FINAL FOUR... (Where as #3 seeds don't fare all that bad)...

Translation: #3 seeds are usually MUCH HIGHER QUALITY teams than #4 seeds (even tho they are only separated by one ranking point)...

CV said...

But people still have FRESH IN THEIR MINDS 2006 when #11 George Mason took down #3 North Carolina on their way to the Final Four...

Problem is, it was only the 2nd time in HISTORY that ever happened...

Anonymous said...

Nova has not been looking very good lately. They def. have me thinking twice, will be interesting where they get seeded.

karen said...

Morning! what a fantastic review and post, CV.. thank you for your considerable time and effort! I only wish i'd actually seen some of these films.. Precious is the only one. I do plan to watch the awards at my neighbor's house.. in my red sequin dress, naturally! We've decided to play dress up in these lean/mean times..

Anonymous said...

I wish I could shake this damn cold- yesterday was beautiful and today looks about the same and can't do a damn thing without coughing my head off-

and sticking w/ the Hollywood theme- yesterday I was watching "Mall Rats"-

two separated at birth observations-

Clair Forlani looks eerily similar to Angelina Jolie-

and-

Joey Lauren Adams looks exactly like Renee Zellweger- I confuse those two all the time

karen said...

Just left some posts on the other site.. some bizarre, rude, and disrespectful commentary on friday's candle wrap post.. The Linkfest was good tho!

CV said...

@karen

That's exactly what you (or anyone needs to do)...

This IS AMERICA after all!... This is what we do best "glitz & glamour"...

That's why I LOVE THE OSCARS... I hate TV and all that stuff, but I love movies (& sports)...

The main thing you have to appreciate about a film is all the TIME, EXPENSE, MONEY, & TALENT that goes into putting one in the can...

So for these guys to get together, and celebrate "THE BEST OF THE BEST" (and play "dress up" doing it), seems like a good idea to me...

I bet you'd take down a good number of ladies on the red carpet tonight with your red sequin dress...

Have fun at your party! :-)

CV said...

@ben

The thing about 'Nova is that no matter what happens, they can come back from any deficit...

That's handy in the dance... They have the pedigree to go deep still...

CV said...

@ahab

I've had a crush on Clair Forlani ever since "Meet Joe Black"...

Angelina Jolie never really did anything for me... But I did a lot of work together with her half sister, "Karen Voight", who is a big shot in the fitness field...

CV said...

the "other" karen... :-)

Anonymous said...

I'll 2nd Karen's comments-

unusual comment thread on that wrap up for Friday- I'm sure things will get patched up-

CV-

funny you say that about Angelina Jolie- never was a fan myself-

your observation is understood that much work goes into putting a film together- with the hope that it makes money-

here's a golden oldie-

"Slap Shot"- You "gotta" love the Hanson brothers!! Love seeing the "no helmets"- old school-

and I always liked Varsity Blues- w/ your girl Karen Voight's father- little far fetched- but still good- Jon Voight put in a great performance

karen said...

$usd watching

CV said...

@ahab

Something funny also that I was thinking was this...

You mentioned "The Big Lebowski" (which is one of my probably top 10 all time favorites)...

Well, that was "Coen Bros" (who also did Fargo, No Country for Old Men, A Serious Man, Raising Arizona, etc.)...

Next year (or "this year" I should say), the Coen Bros are working on doing a remake of "True Grit" (which John Wayne won the Academy award for Best Actor in 1969)...

Jeff Bridges (with the Coen Bros again), is going to play the John Wayne role of 'Rooster Cogburn' in that, and Matt Damon is going to play the 'La Boeuf' character (which was played by Glen Campbell)...

Just FYI

Anonymous said...

C,

agree with that.
Nova also shoots very well from the line and they have one of the top coaches so you have to respect them in the tourney, but they are not playing well heading into the dance.

As for the comments on the other site, if I came across as rude I apologize, didn't mean to offend anyone, I was offended when this entire blog was being ridiculed. That said, I do not take back anything I said over there, just didn't want to offend anyone here.

Anonymous said...

b22-

you've always kind come off pretty even handed to me regarding market outlook and never rude- fwiw-

unusual comment thread @ bergies for sure- who knows what's going on beneath the surface- but I wouldn't give it a 2nd thought- I am sure cooler heads will prevail-

CV-

thanks for the heads up-

a classic Coen Bro's was "Blood Simple" and I always had a fondness for "Barton Fink"

CV said...

@karen (12:45)

I clicked on that dollar link... Is that that same 'Gary' that LB always gives the beat down to at Macro Man? :-)

Here's my quick take on the subject... I mean, his charts look fine enough to build a case, but to me it's just 'looking in the rearview mirror' to look at the dollar that way...

To bring the argument into the PRESENT, you have to ask a simple question... Has the dollar bottomed here (Dec), and if it has, how long will the counter trend move last?

For about the past two weeks we've been in a 'rocking chair' period (where the dollar has required TIME to consolidate what was a pretty strong move from the outset)...

Next week, the Treasury has to fund 10 and 30 year auctions... Lately these have failed miserably, but with what this President & Congress want to spend, they can't afford failures like this to go on...

I think they'll do what it takes to make it a success this time which is going to be dollar positive... Nobody's going to want to buy that kind of paper if, in "the race to the bottom" the dollar is leading the way...

So that would blow Gary's thesis right out of the water (because he's basing it all on "a line in the sand" which he thinks we're at)... But if it's also a RUBICON, then crossing it tells a completely different story...

I was reading DANERIC this weekend who had an excellent explanation of how the ALGOS are set up at these levels...

Long story short, the market can go up here, but there have been MANY holes (chart gaps) in the process... Every algo on the planet will be set to either SUPPORT or DUMP those levels as they get hit... So if it starts going down, it could go down REAL FAST...

On the upside, there's perhaps the 1048-1050 gap on the chart (which could even get taken out to the upside)... However, if the market doesn't CHARGE RIGHT UP after that (like it did waaaaaaaaaaay back at 956), WATCH OUT...

Bottom line... We could continue to "melt up" for another day or two (1150 is only 1% away from Fridays close)... But if it does so, and everybody collectively says "YAY...Risk ON!"... Then what's going to happen to the 10 and 30 year bond auctions next week?

If those fail, and the BV's start screaming, we'd have LARGER problems on our hands...

I hope Ben & Timmy understand this...

CV said...

@ben

I haven't even read any comments regarding what you're referring to (but now you have me curious)... I try to stay out of other peoples business (unless I feel like making it "my own" as well)...

@ahab

I was going to mention "Blood Simple" as well (but I though NOBODY IN THE WORLD BUT MYSELF ever saw that)... :-)

CV said...

@ben

I'm sure you already read DANERIC, but I liked his article on the "Algos"... (as referenced above)...

karen said...

more citi scoop

i'm pretty confused about a lot of things right now.. the market and charts not the least of them. sorry about what happened at the other site..

karen said...

CV, that is NOT the same Gary as on MM..

Anonymous said...

C,

I actually haven't been over to Dan's site in a few days, I'll have to check it out.

CV said...

@ben

The REASON I like Daneric is because my interpretation (which I also see technical signs of) of his thesis is as follows...

It's like the market has to stay WAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYY overbought for a long time now to be able to resolve anything higher...

All the RISK (all the "gaps") is on the downside... Probably the WORST that could happen on the upside is if we take out 1150, then S-L-O-W-L-Y grind upwards from there...

It is very unlikely that we'll charge a lot higher from 1150 because there's too much unsettled BACKTESTING to do... And all of that backtesting is fraught with risks, cause the ALGOS could kick it to the downside...

Last possibility, WE DO backtest some of those levels now... HOLD, and move up... But for me personally, those levels would make the "shorts" I'd put on from the beginning profitable again...

I hope you're following my ramble here...

karen said...

Another must read Doug Noland.

One year ago, the Federal Reserve held $69bn of mortgage-backed securities. Their hoard now surpasses $1.027 TN. Over the past year, Treasury has run deficits of about $1.5 TN. Our government's "electronic printing press" has dispersed unprecedented purchasing power to households and businesses throughout the economy. The Fed's Trillion dollar monetization has unleashed unmatched liquidity throughout the financial markets.

more:

At this point, global reflationary forces appear well entrenched. There is little indicating that the dollar's rally is forcing the unwind of the so-called "dollar carry trade." It is difficult to identify signs of deleveraging and fading liquidity. There are instead indicators pointing to unrelenting liquidity overabundance. If this were an environment with tight global financial conditions, Greece would likely be in a heap of trouble. In a backdrop of risk aversion and deleveraging, Greek contagion would likely be a serious global issue. In some ways, the Greece debt crisis is providing a litmus test for the global risk and liquidity backdrop. At least so far, there is ample confirmation of extraordinarily loose global financial conditions.

CV said...

@karen

The problem is that all that "liquidity" is going absolutely NOWHERE...

It's just sitting around as the first round of ammunition to defend the NEXT MELTDOWN...

I suppose there could be periodic "bursts" where some VERY FAST MONEY flows into one area or another, but with all of these global FUNDING NEEDS which have to be addressed (not the least of which the US Government which is 1.5T and counting), it's not getting out into any REAL economic activity...

They're just "digital balances" of this and that shifting around, then shifting back... When someone risks defaulting, they just PRINT the difference, and larger and larger amounts get held in reserve...

Anonymous said...

Nick Schuylers's survival story - Fishing trip with Corey Smith, Marquis Cooper, Will Bleakly gone bad.

Great read at Oprah.com/oprahshow/

Great read for sunday afternoon.

Andy T said...

Holy Schnikey's Chet. That's a serious amount of thought on the Oscars.

My wife hosts an "Oscar Party" every year...her friends get all dressed up, watch the show, and cackle all night long. Not one of my favorite nights....watching actors go up and receiving awards...talking about how "courageous" they all are....ugh.

Hurt Locker? It was an "ok" movie, but is sure did 'drag' at times...getting boring at moments. Have to agree with you,though. Through a process of elmination and plenty of mediocre movies, this one has a good shot.

Avatar was great, but that plot was a bit too simplistic.

Loved Inglorious Basterds. The Hans Landa character should win.

Loved Crazy Heart. Like Bridges to win for Best Actor as well.

I don't think Maggie Gyllenhal wins...she's not a very strong actress...at least not in anything I've seen her in.

Sandra Bullock is lock.

All in all...not a great pack of movies this year.

Anonymous said...

Andy-

Maggie Gyllenhaal was in a movie called "SherryBaby"- she did a great job- not my kind of movie however-

a bit of trivia- if not known already- she is the sister of the lead character in "Donnie Darko"

also- has anyone been watching "Spartacus" on Starz-

that's a badass show there

lastly- why did Zombieland get snubbed by the Academy? lol

Anonymous said...

...and speaking of movies getting snubbed- here is a great clip from a cult film- "Fear of a Black Hat"-

classic stuff-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF9rJpomD-U

absolutely off limits to Karen

CV said...

@Andy T (4:08)
Landa: Oooh! That's a bingo! - LOL

@ahab (4:29)Spartacus
AHAB - I know you were "In the Navy", but, "Do you like movies about Gladiators?"

CV said...

@Andy

Gyllenhaal... You ought to see "The Secretary" (with MG & James Spader)

(But you might have to get permission from "Mrs. Andy T to see it)...

Where's I-Man on the movie deal here?

Anonymous said...

CV @ 4:57-

watching partially clothed men fighting doesn't make me gay- does it?

guess I need to give up the WWF too- lol

72bat said...

ok, s'long's cv's dropping some oscar movie names, batmando will off-handedly mention that he's on a first name basis with 3-time oscar nominee julia reichert and her husband steve bognar, nominated this year for "the last truck" about the closing of a gm truck plant a year ago. they also did the oscar nominated film about juvenile cancer patients and their families "a lion in the house"
suspect it will be close between "the last truck" and "china's unnatural disaster: the tears of sichuan province"
my oscar evening, joining a lot of other folks here in the village at our local art theater to watch the oscars projected on the big screen.

@ b 'n' t
agree as to the strength or lack thereof in avatar's plot, however, it was a visual tour de force in 3-d imax. came out of the theater and reality looked so pale and flat AND we couldn't fly on the backs of flying lizards. downer. also, first time i've ever fallen in lust with a 10-foot tall turquoise blue hottie

@ cv
blood simple is one, if not the top, of my all-time favorite films of "mis-direction" - my favorite plot device wherein the characters you THOT the film was about merely turn out to be bit-players in the story of the REAL characters who started as seeming bit players

72bat said...

waaaay off topic..., but any recommendations for online airline tickets sites (beyond the usual expedia, priceline etc) for least cost fares to london and return from cork ireland?
what sites do all you world travellers find offer good deals?

Anonymous said...

CV

Just checking in again tonight.

EURUSD gapped up at the open for the week, as usual lately.

SU is still a good number one seed. Big bias for me, but they are a really good team. The best true 'team' they have had ever, IMHO. L'ville had to win that, last game in 'freedom hall'.

Both Nova and SU are going to have the most trouble with what I call the 'catholic school types', really tight defense played by (lots of bench) 5'5" guys. The big guys have to bend over to play defense. Super scrappy, that's where the losses at Nova and SU came from this year. L'ville is of that type, and pitino always has had boeheim's number.

The biggest threat to SU and Nova are going to be the tough MAC and other mid major teams that are cut from the same type catholic cloth. Most likely to meet them in the first 2 rounds.

Can't stand Dicky V or I might have more of an opinion on the ACC. Not a huge fan in general. Not enough blood.

bob

Anonymous said...

72bat-

Kayak and Sidestep for USA originated flights. Have had great luck w/ regional carriers in the countries I am in such as China- once I get there of course-

regarding Priceline- always pretty cool for last minute arrangements-

you never know what flight you are going to get exactly- but its fun playing it to see-

got some great tickets to NOLA last year through them

Shakeshaft said...

Not bad, not bad......I should have known

CV said...

@Miki

I'm so glad you stopped by :-)

Thanks baby! You're the hottest hottie EVER!

MWAH! ("bacione")

PS... I was thinking of you when they were doing the MAKEUP awards... I was thinking YOU should be up there ;-)

CV said...

@Miki

I'm sure you recently got back from "Fashion Week NY"...

How'd it go?

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