Dinner with Oscar

And now, the dishy dishes from my Oscar Party, as photographed by my beautiful girlfriend:


The Black and White Cookie Side
Two different colors, one great taste! Which is more than I can say for the film!


An Eclair
My mother wasn't keen on my ideas for An Education: bananas and/or cherries. So, when we learned that one of the guests was bringing this bunch of eclairs -- which, by the way, are absolutely my favorite edible thing on all the Earth -- I knew this wonderful British film could still have a representation! Because they go to Paris!


Fantastic Mr. Punch
My girlfriend offered this, a recipe from her cousin. It's champagne and some natural flavors: raspberries, oranges, blueberries, etc. This was the real big hit of the evening, and it was gone before Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin finished their opening dialogue.


The Hummus Locker
I can't explain it, really.


Inglorious Saurkraut [sic, but maybe on purpose?]
Sauerkraut balls, a recipe from Great-Aunt Dusty. Balls of sauerkraut which are then fried into deliciousness. They were easily the most popular food at the party.


Julie & Julia Simply Love This Pate
Surely this is self-evident. Look how delighted Meryl and Amy look.


Precious Chicken Fingers
I know what it sounds like. But she eats fried chicken, and chicken fingers were as close as we could get without completely destroying the family's diet. I also requested pig's feet, but most of the party vetoed this.


A Serious Latka [sic]
Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay
Third or fourth batch? Mom makes amazing "potato pancakes". Wish she loved the movie as much as I did.


Up with Jellybeans
So, this recipe, jellybeans on toothpicks, came from a woman's magazine my mother was reading about Oscar treats. This led to my mother wanting to try it, which led to us hosting the Oscar party. So Mom and I came up with some appetizers, Dad made the posters, and my sister puts them on standees.


Up in the Air to Get Peanuts
Like its namesake, this Oscar treat was not popular, but the party wouldn't have been complete without it.

Alas, we had no ideas when it came to Avatar, for after accidentally suggesting Hypnotiq, Mother then quickly nixed the idea. As for District 9, we just weren't going to commit to the expense of crawfish.

Any Oscar appetizers of your own you'd like to share?

The Hollmann Award Nominees!!!

"Well, well, well. Greetings to all. Within this beard is the full press release regarding the nominees for the Fourth Annual Hollmann Awards. And maybe a statue or two. I'm not telling. I'm William Hurt; I understand if you don't recognize me. You may remember me as the Oscar Winning Actor from Kiss of the Spider Woman. Or from the modern classic Mr. Brooks. You know, which ever one floats your boat the most.

"What did I just say, though? That I was here to divulge the nominees for the Fourth Annual Hollmann Awards. And I know you're dying of anticipation. We'll begin with the technical nominations, including the brand new category of Best Ensemble. In fact, let's start there:

BEST ENSEMBLE
Justine Baddeley & Kim Davis, Whip It!
Ellen Chenoweth & Rachel Tenner, A Serious Man
Sarah Crowe & Meredith Tucker, In the Loop
Celestia Fox, Easy Virtue
TBA, Inglourious Basterds

BEST SOUND
Antichrist
Drag Me to Hell
Inglourious Basterds
A Serious Man
Star Trek

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
2012
Avatar
District 9
Watchmen
Where the Wild Things Are

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Moon
Public Enemies
A Single Man

BEST HAIR/MAKEUP
Antichrist
District 9
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Star Trek

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Colleen Atwood, Public Enemies
Hope Hanafin, (500) Days of Summer
Janet Patterson, Bright Star
Anna B. Sheppard, Inglourious Basterds
Charlotte Walter, Easy Virtue

BEST EDITING
Alan Edward Bell, (500) Days of Summer
James Cameron, John Refoua & Stephen Rifkin, Avatar
Alexander Hall, The Messenger
Roderick Jaynes, A Serious Man
Sally Menke, Inglourious Basterds

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"Back to Tennessee" from Hannah Montana: The Movie
"Dig a Little Deeper" from The Princess and the Frog
"Never Knew I Needed" from The Princess and the Frog
"Possibility" from The Twilight Saga: New Moon
"Through the Trees" from Jennifer's Body

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Alexandre Desplat, Fantastic Mr. Fox
Alexandre Desplat, Julie & Julia
Alexandre Desplat, The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Elliot Goldenthal, Public Enemies
Abel Korzeniowski, A Single Man

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Dion Beebe, Nine
Greig Fraser, Bright Star
Eduard Grau, A Single Man
Anthony Dod Mantle, Antichrist
Robert Richardson, Inglourious Basterds

"Great fun, isn't it? And now, to present the Sexy Eight -- that is, the awards that journalists give most coverage to despite the group effort that is filmmaking -- is the Face of the Hollmann Awards, Philip Baker Hall!"


"Well, it was only a matter of time before they got me back. I guess they like to bring me back to announce the Sexy Eight because...well, look at me. Not everyone my age has a body this rockin'. So, you know, correlations. I could babble on and on without ever amusing you, of course, but time is short, so is life, and we might as well do this:

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Wes Anderson & Noah Baumbach, Fantastic Mr. Fox
Dave Eggers & Spike Jonze, Where the Wild Things Are
Nora Ephron, Julie & Julia
Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
James Cameron, Avatar
Jane Campion, Bright Star
Ethan Coen & Joel Coen, A Serious Man
Scott Neustatder & Michael H. Weber, (500) Days of Summer
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Peter Capaldi, In the Loop
Colin Firth, Easy Virtue
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Fred Melamed, A Serious Man
Stanley Tucci, Julie & Julia

BEST ACTOR
Johnny Depp, Public Enemies
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Ben Foster, The Messenger
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, (500) Days of Summer
Sam Rockwell, Moon

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Marion Cotillard, Public Enemies
Mo'Nique, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
Julianne Moore, A Single Man
Samantha Morton, The Messenger
Kristin Scott Thomas, Easy Virtue

BEST ACTRESS
Abbie Cornish, Bright Star
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Zoe Saldana, Avatar
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

BEST DIRECTOR
James Cameron, Avatar
Jane Campion, Bright Star
Michael Mann, Public Enemies
Oren Moverman, The Messenger
Marc Webb, (500) Days of Summer

"And finally....

"The nominees for BEST PICTURE are:
(500) Days of Summer, produced by Mason Novick/Jessica Tuchinsky/Mark Waters/Steven J. Wolfe
Avatar, produced by James Cameron/Jon Landau
Fantastic Mr. Fox, produced by Allison Abbate/Wes Anderson/Jeremy Dawson/Scott Rudin
The Messenger, produced by Mark Gordon/Lawrence Inglee/Zach Miller
Public Enemies, Michael Mann/Kevin Misher

[UPDATED: Producers nominated for Best Picture, as of 1/13/2017]

"A doozy of a show, folks, a doozy of a show. Many, many films were considered, but only thirty-two made the final cut. Some fast facts for ya:

"Public Enemies leads with seven nominations.

"Fantastic Mr. Fox has the least number of nominations for a Best Picture candidate with only four.

"Bright Star and Inglourious Basterds tie for the most nominations without a Best Picture nod: six.

"An Education and Up in the Air are tied for the least nominated members of the Sexy Eight: one apiece.

"But that's enough of that. Let us now get a look at our hosts. That's right: plural. Philip Glass got one vote, Alan Alda got one, Judi Dench alone got one, Nigel made mention of Marcia Gay Harden's fierceness...can we count that for her? But with four votes, the duo are the clear winners. Ladies and germs: JUDI DENCH AND MAGGIE SMITH!!!"

*Cue music: There is Nothin' Like a Dame*



Well, our films may have only gotten one nom each, but at least we run the show, eh, Mogs?

If he thinks I'm doing it without a steady supply of champagne or, you know, bourbon, he's bonkers.

The Best of 2009, For Sure

And finally, after much delay and suspense, my Top Ten Films of 2009. These are the movies what made me happy that I spend as much time at the movies as I do. It's no coincidence that I experienced all of these in a movie theater -- it is, after all, the way films were meant to be experienced. I've struggled with my Top Three, having changed and rearranged it multiple times. Hell, my ranking of those three could change between now and now-oh-one. But I'm going to commit myself.

My Top Ten Films of 2009:

10. JENNIFER'S BODY

For nailing the insecurity of adolescence. For using horror to explore eating disorders, perceptions of beauty, and teen sexuality. For the subtle looks between Needy (Amanda Seyfried) and Jennifer (Megan Fox). For proving Diablo Cody earned that Oscar. For "Through the Trees", one of the best songs written for a movie ever.

9. EASY VIRTUE

For bringing classic wit to a modern screen. For its gorgeous production values. For making every character real human beings instead of comic caricatures. For revealing Jessica Biel's gifts as an actress. For making "Car Wash" and "Sex Bomb" into 1920s foxtrots.

8. UP IN THE AIR

For knocking the wind out of me with its finale. For making George Clooney vulnerable. For fine supporting turns from Vera Farmiga and Amy Morton. For delighting and upsetting me simultaneously. For a surprisingly great score.

7. THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG

For bringing Disney magic back into my life. For the incredible voice cast. For fantastic songs like "Dig a Little Deeper". For the sheer beauty of 2D animation. For an ending that got me misty-eyed.

6. JULIE & JULIA
(Number Nine on 25 Most Anticipated)

For making something delightful and fun out of an atrocious book (the titular one, not Julia Child's memoir). For the costumes. For Alexandre Desplat's score. For the chemistry between Stanley Tucci and Meryl Streep. For being worth three viewings.

5. BRIGHT STAR

For engaging performances by its ensemble. For the sexless yet sexy passion between Fanny (Abbie Cornish) and John Keats (Ben Whishaw). For Greig Fraser's breathtaking cinematography. For Jane Campion's light yet ever-present touch. For haunting me with its beauty.

4. A SERIOUS MAN

For finding the absurd in the awful. For its use of Jefferson Airplane. For the Rabbi scenes. For an ensemble firing on all cylinders.For "accept the mystery".

3. (500) DAYS OF SUMMER
(Number Ten on 25 Most Anticipated)

For giving me just what I need at the time I saw it. For a realistic portrayal of a modern relationship. For that dance number. For using wardrobe and set dressing to accentuate Zooey Deschanel's eyes. For being a romantic-comedy that didn't condescend to the audience.

2. FANTASTIC MR. FOX

For dancing foxes. For Wes Anderson finding the perfect medium for his style. For that wonderfully offbeat sense of style. For making a kid's movie into a caper comedy for adults. For being a cussing great movie.

1. PUBLIC ENEMIES

For Colleen Atwood's costumes. For Johnny Depp's haunted performance. For turning a mainstream genre into cinematic art. For Elliot Goldenthal's period-perfect score. For that devastating final scene. For playing with the facts to give us a gripping story. For just being the best at what it did.

Pros/Cons: Fantastic Mr. Fox, State of Play

FANTASTIC MR. FOX

Pros: Clever/funny screenplay, stellar voice work, great score (Alexandre Desplat) and soundtrack, a funny and catchy original song that actually progresses the plot, great production design/costumes

Cons: Too short

Comments: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Michael Gambon and Wally Wolodarsky (as opossum Kylie) are the true stand-outs. For the first time since The Royal Tenenbaums, Wes Anderson's oddly anachronistic touches fit naturally. I have to see this again.


STATE OF PLAY

Pros: Great chemistry between Russell Crowe and Rachel McAdams, majority of actors bring their A-game, suspenseful and thrilling without resorting to car chases, actually had me at the edge of my seat, Robin Wright Penn

Cons: Final "twist" trifle annoying and out of nowhere, Helen Mirren plays one note, intrusive score, story needs more room to breathe

Comments: I feel like there was so much that wound up on the cutting-room floor, especially for poor Jeff Daniels. When is that guy going to get a break? I do think Russell Crowe is one of the most consistently watchable actors working today. I would have liked to see this done with Ed Norton in the Ben Affleck role, though. That would have been interesting.