Saving Time, Money, Energy, THE 81st OSCARS Become THE EPINIONS LAUTERS (To Appease *Stephen Murray)!
Feb 20 '09
The Bottom Line Macresarf1 cuts Oscar down to THE LAUTERS, as relatively fewer people find Academy Nominations box office cachet. Movies' Future: giant video games, graphic novels, "reality shows" based on pregnancy competitions.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! . . . Not having seen half the nominees this year, I have a rare advantage in this annual competition with myself, Old Colleague BAMBO-BAMBO, and the World because my emotional reactions are not so nearly involved. For instance, there is no doubt in my mind, overall, that Sean Penn SHOULD get the Award for Best Actor in MILK, but I'm also pretty sure that Mickey Rourke's performance in an old fashioned picture like THE WRESTLER will likely be a grabber for the Academy. [Therefore, only one or two predictions of mine will reflect a personal choice.] Fans of my past fiascos here will note that I've made some tough edits of the list this year, for which I hope you will all indulge me. Those interested in THE BEST ORIGINAL SONG will have to look elsewhere (especially, when the Best Original Song, Bruce Springsteen's "The Wrestler" was left out).
I've also decided to give the competition a name -- THE LAUTERS -- in honor of Ed Lauter, a character actor who turns up every so often to enhance or save a film. He has appeared in nearly 190 movies; I first saw him, early in his career, as "Operations Chief - Team A" in EXECUTIVE ACTION (1973). We shall have to determine later what form a suitable Lauter prize should take.
[A Golden Fedora or a Silver Baseball Cap . . . a Manlicher-Cargano, cast in Bronze?]
I am going to use a goose egg (0) for my choices, and the rest of you may pick whatever other symbol appeals to you. Good luck!
And the Nominees for THE LAUTERS Are:
BEST PICTURE:
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount/ Warner Bros.)
“Frost/Nixon” (Universal)
“Milk” (Focus Features)
“The Reader” (Weinstein)
0 “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight)
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BEST ACTOR:
Richard Jenkins in “The Visitor” (Overture Films)
Frank Langella in “Frost/Nixon” (Universal)
Sean Penn in “Milk” (Focus Features)
Brad Pitt, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount/Warner)
0 Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)
***********
BEST ACTRESS:
0 Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married” (Sony)
Angelina Jolie in “Changeling” (Universal)
Melissa Leo in “Frozen River” (Sony)
Meryl Streep in “Doubt” (Miramax)
Kate Winslet in “The Reader” (Weinstein)
***********
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Josh Brolin in “Milk” (Focus Features)
Robert Downey Jr. in “Tropic Thunder” (DreamWorks)
Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Doubt” (Miramax)
Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.)
0 Michael Shannon, “Revolutionary Road”(DreamWorks)
***********
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Amy Adams in “Doubt” (Miramax)
Penélope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (Weinstein)
Viola Davis in “Doubt” (Miramax)
Taraji P. Henson, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount/Warner)
0 Marisa Tomei in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)
***********
BEST DIRECTOR:
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount/Warner),David Fincher
“Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Ron Howard
“Milk” (Focus Features), Gus Van Sant
“The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Stephen Daldry
0 “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Danny Boyle
***********
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:
“Changeling” (Universal), Tom Stern
0 “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount /Warner), Claudio Miranda
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Wally Pfiste
“The Reader” (Weinstein), Chris Menges, Roger Deakins
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Anthony Dod Mantle
************
BEST FILM EDITING:
"The Curious Case of-Benjamin Button" (Para/Warner) Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
"The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.), Lee Smith
"Frost-Nixon" (Universal), Mike Hill and Dan Hanley
0 "Milk" (Focus Features), Elliot Graham
"Slumdog-Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight), Chris Dickens
***********
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:
0 “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
(Paramount/Warner), Alexandre Desplat
“Defiance” (Paramount Vantage), James Newton Howard
“Milk” (Focus Features), Danny Elfman
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A.R. Rahman
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Thomas Newman
***********
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount/Warner), Screenplay by Eric Roth, story by Eric Roth, Robin Swicord
“Doubt"(Miramax), Written by John Patrick Shanley
0 “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Screenplay by Peter Morgan
“The Reader” (Weinstein), Screenplay by David Hare
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy
***********
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
“Frozen River” (Sony), Written by Courtney Hunt
0 “Happy-Go-Lucky” (Miramax), Written by Mike Leigh
“In Bruges” (Focus Features), Written by Martin McDonagh
“Milk” (Focus Features), Written by Dustin Lance Black
“WALL-E” (Disney), Screenplay, Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon; Original story, Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter
***********
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:
"The-Baader-Meinhof-Complex" (Constantin Film), Germany
"The Class" (Sony), A Haut et Court Production, France
"Departures" (Regent) Departures Film Partners, Japan
"Revanche/overview” (Janus Films), A Prisma/Fernseh Production, Austria
0 "Waltz with Bashir" (Sony Classics), A Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production, IsraeL
*****
The Show is running a little late, and looking pretty ragged from the bottom of the hour, in this Depression year of 2009. I'm tired of my always vain attempts to use the new Epinions Editor facility, and the Epinions Management, Sponsors of THE LAUTERS, urges us to be brief -- so, I shall simply ask that the Winners, whoever they may be, are given a round of applause, and say:
"Good Night from The Ha-Ra Club in the Tenderloin of downtown San Francisco!"
This is [Macresarf1] signing off for the Epinions Channel. Good Night, Stephen and Jihong, wherever you are . . . .
*****
* There is nothing that revs interest in the Modern Mind as the suggestion of a feud. [Consider the Wars, wars, and civil wars of the last hundred years, if one demands proof.] It may work in Academy Award Predictions. Otherwise, pay no attention to my reference to the estimable Stephen Murray which was thrown in to fill out my headline.
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macresarf1
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Location: San Francisco, Ca.
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12/1/09: Afghanistan, again: Between the Republican Devils and the Deep Blue Dog Obama.
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