The Countdown Begins!!

As you know, I am a huge fan of awards season. It officially ends this month with two of my favorite shows: The Independent Spirit Awards and The Academy Awards. I've made my predictions and am now ready to share them with you all as promised. Feel free to use them (though a little "finder's fee" would be much appreciated if you win anything).

Speaking of free stuff, if you are in the DFW area Red Carpet Crash is hosting an Oscar watching party at the Lakewood Theatre complete with prizes. Check it out here for more details.

Best Picture: The Hurt Locker (I'm sticking with my pic, though after hearing that one of the Producer's (the one that sent the "email") was now barred from the event, I'm getting nervous.)

Best Actor: Jeff Bridges (Hope he finally gets his due, though wouldn't it be a coup if Colin Firth won? Considering he won the BAFTA ...)

Best Actress: Meryl Streep (I don't care! I'm taking Meryl. Sandra Bullock should just be glad she's nominated and while Carey Mulligan won the BAFTA, I think that has more to do w/being British and don't think the Americans will reward her with more than the nomination itself)

Best Supporting Actor: Christophe Waltz hands down

Best Supporting Actress: ditto for Mo'nique

Animated Feature: Up

Art Direction: Avatar (while I disagree with this, they've won all the major awards. I would be happy to be proven wrong in my pick if "The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus" wins)

Cinematography: Avatar (again I personally disagree- it's all on computers!- but they've won this before. 2nd runner up: "The Hurt Locker")

Costume: The Young Victoria (period usually wins)

Directing: Kathryn Bigelow (James Cameron will probably get it to be honest, but it's about time a woman won and Bigelow's our best bet. However, if the Academy wants to pretend it's my birthday, they can award Quentin Tarrantino the prize)

Documentary Feature: The Cove

Documentary Short: Rabbit a la Berlin (come on! How do you not vote for bunnies!?)

Film Editing: Inglourious Basterds (Sally Menke, QT's longtime editor, recently won a lifetime achievement prize from the Editor's Guild. Hopefully they remember it's nice to get your 1st Oscar too and vote for her again)

Foreign Language: The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band)- Germany (2nd runner up: A Prophet (Un Prophete)- France)

Makeup: Star Trek

Original Score: Up

Original Song: The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)

Animated Short: Logorama (I just gotta love a movie that's being sued for illegal use of copy write material!)

Live Action Short: The Door

Sound Editing: The Hurt Locker

Sound Mixing: Avatar

Visual Effects: Avatar (do you even have to ask?)

Adapted Screenplay: Up in the Air

Original Screenplay: Inglourious Basterds (2nd place: The Hurt Locker. Information recently released that the producer's are being sued by an ex-Marine who says they stole his story from a Playboy article will hurt this film. That makes it an adapted screenplay)

For a complete list of nominees, visit the Oscar's homepage linked above.

Diary Entry #3: Maybe Not Very Random

* Thursday was lovely, spent with my folks at the movies for my Mom's bday. We saw "It's Complicated" (it was, I give it 3 stars but my parents would probably give it 4 1/2).

* My new obsession is Diet Snapple Peach Tea. Try it- I think it's even better than original Snapple which is often too sweet. Plus, you learn fun facts from the caps. Today's fact #705: Every ton of recycled paper saves about 17 trees. Not very interesting, sorry.

* The countdown has already begun on this blog- Golden Globes Sunday at 7 central! As of now, we have about 13 fabulous people confirmed for the watching party. I have never had so many people want to watch an awards show with me. I hope they know what they're getting themselves in to. See, I'm there to watch the show, eat snacks, drink champagne, and talk during commercials. I don't mind a bit of comment about attire, celebrity level of drunkenness, etc. while the show is on, but if I have to "shush" you.....

* Last night I went to a waxing party (yes, it is exactly what you're thinking). I'd never been to one and was a little nervous. I was only getting my brows did and I knew all the ladies there, but still... It's nerve racking to have someone new ripping the hair from your body. Thankfully, there was wine. The best part was hanging out with my girls, waiting our turns for torture, and drinking heavily. Of course, hilarity ensued. Example: "Berries, cream, nuts... Nuts and berries, very creamy, but I don't want another one cause you can't shoot cream all night". I have no idea what they were talking about, but I prey it wasn't food related. Also overheard, "Oh lord! What would she have looked like as a man". Again, no idea. After this, it gets a bit hazy... This was my first time out of the house in about 2 weeks due to illness, the first time drinking in as long. I may have overdone it.

* Jennie's word of the day: (she just gave me a face when I asked her.) "Uh.... I got nothing". Sorry Jen, that's more than one word. I'm going with "uh". Enjoy!

* Is it just me, or has The Tonight Show with Conan O'brien been the best it's ever been this week? Controversy works well for him. I have never laughed so hard. The interview with Ricky Gervais was genius. I can't believe (or I can) that he slammed NBC so hard considering he's hosting the Globes on the network Sunday, or not.

* I got into a conversation with some friends last night about crying at the movies. I'm not sure exactly when it happened, but I've become a "sniffler". Tears well up and I have to dab my eyes, trying to cover up that I'm crying a bit. There was a shift in my chemical make up, giving me more "feminine" characteristics. I don't mean that in an odd, or transsexual, or whatever, kind of way. Just that I have never been a very good "girl". I didn't play wedding. I didn't like romantic comedies (still not a big fan, but they have their time and place). Now, I get teary watching "(500) Days of Summer". Forget about "The Notebook"- though I'm almost proud to say I don't cry until the very end, and only that one time.

When I was younger, there was only one movie that made me cry. Just watching the trailer made me hold me breath. "Heavy" is one of my favorite movies of all time. I'm not sure how it missed my "Best Movies You've Never Heard of List", perhaps I wanted to keep it to myself. It is the first movie by James Mangold (Girl, Interrupted, Copland, Identity)- one of my hero's. It's the story of a small town, or more specifically, a dive bar/diner run by mother and son (Pruitt Taylor Vince, who turns up in everything now). Vince is overweight and anti-social. He's in love with the new waitress (Liv Tyler), but can't bring himself to do anything about it. Flitting in and out is Deborah Harry (I KNOW!!) as the sassy, slutty, waitress who thinks she deserves to be in everyone business. When the mother dies (Shelley Winters), Vince has to learn to stand on his own two feet, even if that means creating a major SNAFU. I makes me cry every time, I can't help it. Perhaps it planted the seed way back in '95 that I was a real live girl.

What's weirder to me, or more disturbing actually, is that I have no emotional response to actual events. Dog died? uh huh. You have cancer? That sucks. My attitude is sympathetic at best. I have no idea when I became "unfeeling", though I suspect I always was. My psyche is most interested in itself and how things pertain to it. I guess crying at movies is the only way I can remind myself I'm not a sociopath. That works right? Right?

* BAFTA (British Academy Awards) have published their long list nominations. Check it out. They take place Feb. 21st (smack between the Globes and the Oscars). I am super excited about who's on this list. I can't wait to find out when BBC America is going to air the show.