Tuesday, February 23, 2010

"..it's all...part of The Plan"*

I wanted to be random today - I really did. But all I've got is The Plan. I decided I needed The Plan Friday night. Saturday morning, I began to craft the details. And I will soon reveal all to you, Gentle Reader.

The Academy Awards are on March 7 this year. There are 10 films nominated for Best Picture this year (I will rant about them expanding the field from 5 to 10 films another time - I need my beauty rest). The nominees are (in an order that will become clear momentarily):
  • Up! (The last Pixar movie - I saw it soon after it was released)

  • A Serious Man (The Coen Brothers latest. I saw it soon after it was released. It does for late 60s Hebrews what "Fargo" did for Minnesotans - kind of)

  • Up in the Air (Jason Reitman's hot streak continues. George Clooney's too. A movie near and dear to many here in Detroit. I saw it - twice.)

  • Avatar (James Cameron's latest epic. It's supposed to be more that just great special effects.)

  • An Education (As of Saturday morning, I didn't know anything about this movie - except that it had been nominated for Best Picture)

  • The Blind Side (As of Saturday morning, the only three things I knew about this movie were: it had been nominated for Best Picture, Sandra Bullock was in the movie, and it had something to do with football)

  • District 9 (This is a sci-fi flick I've heard a little about. More importantly, I have the DVD in my possession courtesy of Netflix.)

  • The Hurt Locker (This is a contemporary war flick that The Boy compared with Platoon. I expect to have the DVD in my possession later today - courtesy of Netflix.

  • Precious (I don't know much about this film - other than the fact that it, too, has been nominated for Best Picture - and appears to star a large black woman. If the advertising is in any way accurate.)

  • Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino's latest. Still trying to play violence for humor, from what I've heard. That rarely works on me.)


In addition to these Best Picture nominees, there are a couple of films (Crazy Heart and The Last Station) that feature more than one performance nominated for an Academy Award.

So I decided that I needed to see seven of the nine films above prior to Oscar Night (I know there are twelve films mentioned - but remember, I've already seen three of them). I further decided that - in protest of them expanding the Best Picture field to ten films, I would NOT try to see all the nominees in that category (Precious and Inglourious Basterds are out) - but I'm going to fill in with Crazy Heart and The Last Station so that I will be well-informed regarding the acting nominees.

This weekend, I began to put The Plan into action - and I will post brief (?) reviews of the films taken in on Saturday and Sunday...just a soon as I write them. Hopefully tomorrow.

Take care.


* R.I.P. Heath Ledger

3 comments:

unmitigated me said...

I thought I was hearing that title in a scary voice in my head. That really was a very sad loss.

Jess said...

I TOTALLY had to turn off District 9. I am not sure if I am missing something, but I thought it was completely stupid. Tell me that I a wrong.

Jim Styro said...

MAW: Did you just say that you hear scary voices in your head? 'Cause I'm concerned that the "very sad loss" is your mind - and that I might be safer sleeping at an undisclosed location.

Jess: I'll get back with you on that - just as soon as I watch the movie.