Sunday, February 24, 2008

Oscar Loves Ya, Baby


Anybody want to play tonight?

76 comments:

Nancy P said...

Liveblogging, anybody?

I'll be at the home of some friends, but hey, they've got comptuers! I'll just tell them--as I ignore them--that I already had a prior committment! :)

Who has seen what? Of the Best Picture noms, I have NOT seen Juno or No Country for Old Men, dammit. Meant to. Meant to not eat that huge cinammon roll for breakfast, too.

Anonymous said...

I'd play, but I haven't seen ANY of the movies. And Roman isn't nominated for anything, nor my friend Adrian Belic, who directed "Beyond the Call," a really good doc (he also directed Genghis Blues a few years ago, which WAS nominated).

I guess I'll have to watch everyone else play, sigh.

Cinnamon roll...drool. Enjoy your evening, Nancy! I'm just starting my word count for the day, after working on taxes and my ghostwriting project all day.

pattinase (abbott) said...

I've seen them all and more besides. These are my choices, not who I think will win. No Country for Old Men. Cohn Brothers, Julie Christie, Tom Wilkinson, Tommy Lee Jones, Amy Ryan.

maryb said...

I'll be around. Of the Best Picture noms I never saw There Will be Blood or No Country for Old Men. I'm rooting for Juno although it would be an odd Best Picture.

Nancy P said...

Hi, Beth. I got in a bunch o' words about 5 o'clock this morning, and not a syllable since then, but they're backing up in my fingers even now. ;) Good luck on yours.

Hi, P(a). Of that list, I can only speak to Tom Wilkinson and Amy Ryan, but I'd love to see either of them get it in their categories. They were amazingly good. (I've forgotten which one the C. Bros directed.)

Mary, I've seen quite a few people predict Juno will win for best screenplay. Do you know the amazing story behind that? For anybody who doesn't, here's what a friend sent me about it today (she says she may have a few details wrong, but this is the gist, I gather):
Seems the writer is a young woman named Diablo who had a blog that got a lot of attention--very hip, fresh voice, etc. So someone in Hollywood who's been reading the blog sends her email and says, "You should try writing a screen play." Six weeks later (I could be wrong on the time, but it is an obscenely short time) she writes back. She's gotten some books, read them, and has finished her screen play. "What do I do now?" she asks. He has her send it to him, though he's not expecting much. He's blown away. He slips it to a friend, who slips it to a friend, and soon everyone is talking about this out-of-the-blue script that's incredibly fresh and funny. Folks are angling to sign it. The director (forget his name, but he's the son of a famous director) is told of it by friends and says he's just not interested in doing something about a pregnant teen. A bit of time passes. The famous father sees the script and writes his son saying, "I'm not telling you what to do, but you will regret it all of your life it you don't at least read this script." So the kid does, and he's so excited that he puts together what he needs to do a movie and convinces Diablo that he's the guy to do it, and the rest is history, as they say. Jeeze, 6 weeks!!! and with no prior experience!!!

Kimberly Frost said...

I had not heard that story about Juno. I love that. When a great storyteller gets a push, it's magic. :)

Nancy P said...

Hi, Kimberly. Are you still submerged in writing? (Me, too.)

katiebird said...

I was just checking in -- YES! I want to play...!!

Kimberly Frost said...

Nancy,

I've had a couple very big writing weeks. Finally got into the groove with the book and today was the biggest writing day I've had in a very long time (7700 words) and I just finished my first draft! (Like about thirty minutes ago.)

So naturally I get online and... start writing. LOL What's up with that? I'm giddy. I can't decide what to do next. Have a drink. Go to a party. Eat a chocolate. Go to Disney?

Nancy P said...

Yay, katiebird! Does Mister like to watch the Oscars with you?

Nancy P said...

7700 WORDS IN ONE DAY?!!! It took me five days to reach that, and I thought I was doing great, lol.

That may be a blog record, Kimberly. Even Kelly may have a hard time matching that. And even better--you have a complete draft. Good work, girl. You get the Word Count Oscar tonight!

Anonymous said...

All of the above, Kimber!! Congrats on finishing the first draft - yippee! You girls and your 7000+ word days...I'd better get my act together.

That's wonderful!!!

katiebird said...

Oh, yes he does... In fact I don't think either of us have ever missed the Oscars in our lives -- even as kids.

Nancy P said...

Good for Mister!

I'm going to leave for my friends' home soon, but I'll get right back on line. It's okay. They'll be e'ing back and forth with their kids at the same time that I'm chatting with you guys. We R a Wired Whirrled.

maryb said...

Is the screenplay for Juno up for best original screenplay? I guess I should look up the lists of nominees.

But I'm too busy watching Barbara Walters.

Nancy P said...

It is up for best original, I believe. I'm not the best informed hostess you will ever meet. :)

I don't dislike BW, but I don't like to watch her interviews. Is it interesting?

maryb said...

She was ok. She had Harrison Ford on.

Who is this woman with George Clooney on the Red Carpet.

Nancy P said...

(I'm settled again.)

George is there with a woman who's not one of us?

maryb said...

Regis (sigh) said her name was Sarah.

Barbara WaWa interviewed the actress who played Juno and she seemed pretty down to earth.

Larry Kollar said...

I haven't seen any of the movies, so I'm in "whatever" mode here.

Not much writing done this weekend, I was editing a couple of manuals… the 500-pager knocked me senseless around page 170 this afternoon, but I got on it after a nap and hit the part where I could skim. And finished!

But wow, 7700 words? Awesome, Kimber! I also love that Junostory, Nancy. Lightning can strike, right?

maryb said...

Oscar nominated psychopathic movies.

Ain't it the truth.

Larry Kollar said...

So I'm out of homebrew, and picked up a 6-pack of Sam Adams Cream Stout yesterday… almost at random. Not too bad. The label caught my eye though: "…brewed with extra portions of roasted chocolate and caramel malts, roasted barley, and hand-selected English hops."

OMG… it's a chocolate beershake!!!!

Nancy P said...

Lightning CAN strike, far. And if it doesn't kill ya. . .

Okay, dumb acceptance speech for Ratatoille.

maryb said...

mmmm chocolate beer. I tasted one of those the other night.

Nancy P said...

Chocolate beerMALT.

Nancy P said...

Does this one seem reaallly slow to anybody but me?

katiebird said...

Yes, Nancy -- I was just wondering if it's because they only had a week or so to write the jokes.

katiebird said...

Dwayne Johnson's voice sounds like Obama & that confused me for a minute, because I wasn't watching the screen.

maryb said...

seems very slow

katiebird said...

I could have sworn Hal Holbrook was dead. What a shock!

maryb said...

lol kb! me too!

one reason I think it's slow this year is because they usually give an actor award right away and this year they waited.

Nancy P said...

I think so, too, Mb. That has made a big diff in the excitement level.

Hal H. was terrific in Into the Wild, imo. Any of those guys could have won that category and I would have been happy.

We're (six people and a baby)laughing a lot at Jon, but I remember last year I thought he was funny and he got awful reviews. I think it's a very different experience watching it in person instead of on tv. Everybody there looks even more bored than we are. My fav host was Ellen

katiebird said...

It's so weird, 'cause I worried about his wife -- I wonder where I got the idea?

I think you're right about the awards -- they used to always start off with the Supporting Actor award.

Also, I think Jon is a little (whispering -- dull) which is sad....

Anonymous said...

I'm still stuck on the chocolate beershake!!! Gimme gimme gimme.

maryb said...

The woman who cuts my hair actually went to the Oscars about 6 or 7 years ago. Not to do hair but because her husband's company was a sponsor and he was a big wig. She said it was fun to see all the stars.

katiebird said...

Since I gave up chocolate for Lent, I'm actually trying not to THINK about the Chocolate Beer Shake! At least not for another 30 days or so....

And, Mary -- that would be so fun, to go to the Oscars. Or eve hear about it from someone who did.

Where did they sit? And did they get to go on the Red Carpet? Does everyone or only the famous?

Nancy P said...

Yeah, kb, much as we love him, I fear tis true. And the music's dull. And and and. . .

lol, Beth. Chocolate beerMALTS would surely liven up the joint.

katiebird said...

I lost the love a few years ago. We've always blamed him for the re-election of a certain chimp by making him (the chimp) seem like a well-meaning joke -- not much different than any other politician.

Anonymous said...

Okay, I'm a little slow, Nancy. BeerMALT. I get it. :-)

I don't know how much liveliness we could take....but I'm willing to try!

maryb said...

No red carpet but they were seated on the floor, not the balcony. So they saw lots of people.

She told me about it three years ago so I don't remember the details of who she saw. Just that she loved going.

katiebird said...

I would THINK so! I don't think I'd ever get over it.

maryb said...

Tilda didn't look so great but she was funny.

That part she won for was the most unbelievable script involving a lawyer plot and she did a good job not making me laugh so I guess she deserved the award.

katiebird said...

I loved her speech and after your ringing endorsement of the film :) maybe I should watch it....

These two guys are trying to be funny...

maryb said...

Well I didn't see this film or read the novel so I have no idea if it was a good adaptation.

Nancy P said...

Tilda was funny, but what WAS that dress? A black baggie?

It is really helpful NOT to be a lawyer when seeing lawyer movies, lol.

katiebird said...

I worked in a University Law Library for 8 years & The Verdict came out during that time. All the lawyers went crazy of the errors in that film.

But I loved it anyway.

maryb said...

This baby theme is funny up to a point. The Jack Nicholson part was really funny.

maryb said...

Forrest Whitaker was great in The Great Debaters.

katiebird said...

Did you see Julie Christie?! Wow! Incredible!

maryb said...

I think I'll have to rent that movie about Edith Piaf. I wonder why I didn't go see it when it was out.

maryb said...

Has Julie Christie been in anything in the last ... 20 years? Seriously. What was the last thing she was in?

katiebird said...

Not a lot of BIG films, but she's been employed it seems:

From IMDB:

# Away from Her (2006) .... Fiona Anderson
# The Secret Life of Words (2005) .... Inge
... aka The Secret Life of Words (International: English title) (UK) (USA)
... aka Vida secreta de las palabras, La (Spain)
... aka Vida secreta de les paraules, La (Spain: Catalan title)
# Finding Neverland (2004) .... Mrs. Emma du Maurier
# Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) .... Madame Rosmerta
... aka Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: The IMAX Experience (USA: IMAX version)
# Troy (2004) .... Thetis
# I'm with Lucy (2002) .... Dori
... aka Autour de Lucy (France)
# Snapshots (2002/I) .... Narma

Nancy P said...

Hi, Kelly!

I didn't go see the edith piaf movie, Maryb, cause I hardly ever like biopics. I suspect them of either a.) having no plot; or b.) not really being a true story if they do have a plot.

Nancy P said...

Julie Christie is still so beautiful.

maryb said...

She was in Harry Potter? How did I miss that?

I don't think I've seen the other films. Although I've been meaning to rent Neverland.

katiebird said...

We were astonished. And I looked it up. She was born in 1941. So she's 67-ish? Wow. Really. I guess THAT's good bones.

Nancy P said...

She was in Harry Potter and Finding Neverland? I totally don't remember that. (I liked Finding Neverland.)

Okay, is this the most boring Oscars ever? And it's one of the few where I've seen a lot of the movies.

katiebird said...

Ah but Blogging them makes ALL the difference.

Here are the Best Picture films I missed between 1939 and now:

Bravehart

Shakespeare in Love (how did I miss this? I made a fortune betting on it at HSX)

Chicago (I saw it on broadway, but...)

Crash
Departed

I guess life gets in the way sometimes.

katiebird said...

The musicians don't need to BE there! The orchestra is in a hole under the floor. It's all miked into the theatre.

maryb said...

Wow, this guy is really sharp for being as old as he is. I'm totally impressed with him.

maryb said...

There hasn't been a single dress tonight that has made me go "WoW"

katiebird said...

Mary, I was just thinking that I've seen that feathery bodice about 3 times before Penelope.

I missed part of the red carpet. You didn't see anything Wow then either?

Nancy P said...

Me, either, on the dresses, though there have been some pretty ones. Just nothing wow to me. I haven't liked the hairdos, either.

Everything seems so subdued, like there's been some great tragedy and they have to be restrained.

Nancy P said...

Navy blue seems to be big this year, esp. on the tuxes. Navy blue is not what you could call a wow color.

maryb said...

no, nothing on the red carpet either.

The makeup this year seems - subdued. Not matching the elegance of the dresses. The hair's a mess too.

Nancy P said...

Cameron has on a lovely dress, but still not wow. It's the hair. I think it's the meh hair tonight. You gotta have wow hair to make your dress wow.

I haz spoken.

Nancy P said...

And the pale makeup, you're right.

katiebird said...

A lot of dead production & below-the-line people died this year.

A couple of very sad moments, though. Betty Hutton always made me laugh & I loved Deborah Kerr.

Nancy P said...

Heath Ledger was so amazing in Brokeback Mt.

Nancy P said...

Yawn. Will I make it to the end?

katiebird said...

I think I'm going to sign out of blogging. I've GOT to stretch out on the couch. I'm fading away....

Nancy P said...

G'night, kb. It ws fun going to the Oscars with you.

maryb said...

g'night kb.

Original Screenplay up!

maryb said...

woo hoo!!!!! Diablo Cody

Nancy P said...

I think I'm checking out,too. Woke up at 4 a.m. Fading fast.

Thanks for being here, guys.

Damn, we forgot to report on what we're wearing tonight. I'm in my always-fashionable black jeans, with black clogs, black socks, black t, orange jacket, orange earrings.

I may be schlumpy, but I'm warm.

Nancy P said...

Yay, Diablo! Even though I haven't seen it yet. G'night, Mb. Sorry to abandon ship.