Looking for a new resolution for the New Year? How about a beer and free movie?
B-Movie Euphoria hosts free movies the last Sunday of every month. This Sunday, Jan 29, the featured flick will be the 1983 classic “D.C. Cab,” which starred Gary Busey, Mr. T, and Irene Cara. The film was directed by Joel Schumacher, who would go on to direct “Lost Boys” and “Batman Forever.”
Show time is at 8 p.m. at Speciation Cellars, located at 928 Wealthy St. SE.
“D.C. Cab” is a greasy classic about a bunch of street-wise loser cabbies working at a rundown Washington D.C. cab company and the madness that ensues.
One of the first romantic comedies was the 1934 “It Happened One Night,” directed by Frank Capra.
After four long years of lackluster classes, tedious tests, and Michelle Obama-approved school lunches, I have come to the conclusion that the fondest memories I have of high school consist of the fleeting moments after school hours when I wasn’t being thoroughly “educated,” but instead I was letting myself slip away into the comforting world of cinema. I watched a lot of movies during those moments, and as a result, I have a lot of movies to talk about, and not one piece of homework turned in on time. Is there really a better remedy to this dilemma than to write a series of articles covering the various films that got me through my arduous high school experience? Not when you love movies as much as I do! So, throughout the summer, I shall be presenting you “The Movies That Got Me Through High School!”
It Happened One Night
Why choose to write about a cheesy 1930s romantic comedy for your first entry on a list of films that got you through high school? How is that relevant to your life? On a more important note, how is it relevant to the lives of your readers?
Those are both legitimate questions. Here’s my attempt at answering them.
It Happened One Night is about a spoiled heiress named Ellie Andrews who runs away from her controlling father after he attempts to have her marriage to a famous – but clearly phony – aviator named King Westly annulled. Determined to be with her husband, Ellie disguises herself as a commoner and hops on a bus to New York. Along the way, she meets Peter Warn, a smart-mouth journalist who decides to help Ellie on her journey in exchange for her headline-making story. At first, their opposite personalities clash. Peter is repulsed by Ellie’s privileged upbringing and lack of street smarts, and Ellie is completely taken aback by Peter’s blunt sarcasm and bullying personality. As you might have guessed, the two eventually get to know each other more and end up falling in love.
The film is by the legendary Italian-born American director Frank Capra, who possessed a unique quality that no filmmaker has managed to successfully imitate. Movies like It’s A Wonderful Life, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, and Mr. Deeds, are not just great escapist entertainment. They are individual works of art that all share one central theme, people need each other. Despite how different we perceive ourselves to be from one another (because of our class, experiences, or intelligence) we are all human, and that makes us the same.
It Happened One Night delivers this message through its main characters. It’s easy to pass off their dynamic as predictable or cliche, especially when you consider that almost every movie ever made with a love story has used it, but to do this is to ignore the fact that this movie was released at a time when the cinema hadn’t even reached middle age. Watching these two leads go from hating each other to being unable to live without one another will cause anyone to come dangerously close to becoming a romantic.
The famous coffee-donut-dunking scene in “It Happened One Night.” (Columbia Pictures)
I never feel bad after watching this movie. Its purpose is to make the audience feel warm and happy by any means necessary. This is likely why everyone involved in making the film thought it would be a flop. Both the leads, Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable, didn’t want to be in the movie. The pampered Hollywood A-listers were not used to filming at real-life locations, which is really the only practical way to shoot a movie that mostly takes place during a bus trip to New York. On top of that, Columbia Pictures didn’t think the film had any chance of attracting a large audience and made very little effort to advertise it. Against all odds and expectations, this simple love story managed to take home five Academy Awards (including Best Picture, and Gables only win for Best Actor) and is remembered as the film that kicked off the classic romantic comedy setup that we still see to this day (some may argue that’s a curse, but those are the same people who dislike Star Wars because it caused, “the death of cinema”).
I’ve watched at least one scene from this movie every month since I first saw it two years ago at the beginning of my sophomore year, just a few months before Covid 19 would enter the country and change everything. The simplicity of the story and the theme of becoming your best self through love has always resonated with me. In life, the people we are most different from generally aren’t the people we are attracted to; but, in the world of cinema, a spoiled rich girl really can find something to love about a poor journalist with nothing to offer her but lessons on how to properly dunk a donut into a cup of coffee or hitch a ride from a complete stranger. There’s something so sweet about that notion, and it makes this charming little black and white screwball comedy impossible to resist. After years of countless rewatches it still never fails to tug at my heartstrings and make me see the world through a lens tinted with hope and optimism.
Ethan Gough is an Independent filmmaker and film critic pursuing his passion for cinema at Motion Picture Institute in Troy, Michigan this fall. He received the award for Best Live Action Short at the 2020 Kent County Teen Film Festival for his film Summer Days. He had two films in the 2022 Kent County Teen Film Festival, Bros Night and Alone. Ethan also written from Reel Rundown and Hub Pages.
Circle Theatre and Wealthy Theatre partner up to bring back Movies on the Lawn. (Supplied)
Circle Theatre will partner with Wealthy Theatre once again to bring back Movies On the Lawn events. Halloween movies include “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” on Sept. 29 and Oct. 2 and “Hocus Pocus” on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1.
Get in the Halloween spirit – bring your picnic baskets, blankets and beach chairs, favorite costumes, friends and family, and join Circle Theatre and Wealthy Theatre for a spooky night of Halloween fun on the lawn at the Performing Arts Center, 1703 Robinson Rd. SE. All proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to supporting local theatre through Circle Theatre and Wealthy Theatre. Masks will be required when indoors at our Performing Arts Center.
For “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” tickets are $20 and include a prop bag. Cash bar with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and a concession stand with popcorn and candy will be available. Picnic style food is welcome. Patrons can get into the spirit and join in all the fun with complimentary prop bags, as well as enjoying Circle Theatre’s very own Shadow Cast performing on both nights. Doors open at 7 p.m., costume contest at 7:45 p.m., show starts at 8 p.m.
For “Hocus Pocus,” tickets are $15. This special, family-friendly showing for all ages will feature a concession stand with popcorn and candy. Picnic style food is welcome. Patrons can get into the witching spirit with $5 Witches Bags for kids featuring everything your kids will need to put a spell on your friends and family. Doors open at 7 p.m., Costume Contest at 7:45 p.m., Show Starts at 8 p.m.
Local theatre has taken a deep hit this summer with multiple postponements and cancellations due to COVID-19. These intermissions have left both Circle Theatre and Wealthy Theatre with renewed commitments to keeping theatre alive through safe and entertaining community events. These events are just one of the many ways that you can help support Circle Theatre and Wealthy Theatre.
For more information on the Movies On the Lawn events or to purchase tickets, call the box office at 616-456-6656 or visit circletheatre.org. Find more information about Wealthy Theatre and its upcoming events at grcmc.org/theatre.
This summer, both the Grand Rapids Public Museum and the Grand Rapids Art Museum explore America’s culture — from pop to folk — through different lenses.
Grand Rapids Public Museum: POPnology and Pollinators
The Grand Rapids Public Museum takes a futuristic approach to American culture with its “POPnology” summer exhibit along with giving visitors a ground view of the life of pollinators in “Amazing Pollinators.”
“This summer, you won’t want to miss these two exciting additions to the experience at the Grand Rapids Public Museum,” said Kate Kocienski, the Public Museum’s vice president of marketing and public relations. “Great for all ages, these exhibits will entertain while teaching about nature, science, technology and engineering.”
A featured item in the “POPnology” exhibit is the DeLorean time machine car from “Back to the Future.” (GRPM)
“POPnology” is three floors of exhibit space featuring the DeLorean time machine, androids, and extraterrestrials from far-away galaxies and more. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore and see how technology has been featured in movies, books, television, art, and created by futurists. Four featured areas explore science and technology in everyday lives, where we’ve been, and where we’re going: How We Play, How We Connect, How We Move, and How We Live and Work.
Among the highlights of the “POPnology exhibit are:
Local Motors showcasing the Strati, the world’s first 3D printed car
Two interactive state of the art game that allow you to explore our fascination with the red planet – the Mars Rocket Builder and Mars Lander
Virtual projection games
Futuristic musical instrument technology
Jetpack from Disney’s “The Rocketeer”
Autopia car from Disney World’s Tomorrowland
Artistic renderings from visual futurists who created the look of such movies as “Blade Runner,” “Star Wars,” “Alien”
Moving from futuristic to the real world, “Amazing Pollinators” is a bilingual and playable maze that has hundreds of interactive flowers spread across nine environments like lotus flowers in the rain forest, saguaro cactus in the desert, and moon flowers glowing in the black lit night room.
Visitors explore the “Amazing Pollinators” exhibit at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. (GRPM)
In the maze, visitors take on 48 survival missions from eight different pollinator groups including bats, bees, beetles, birds, butterflies, moths, flies, and wasps. There are six missions for each group that increase in complexity and difficulty, putting players in the shoes of different species like the hibiscus bee, soldier beetle or ruby-throated hummingbird.
Both exhibits will be available through the summer season. Tickets for “POPnology” are $5/person and $3/GRPM member and are in addition to general admission to the Museum. “Amazing Pollinators” is included in the general admission. Kent County residents receive discounted admission to the Public Museum, including free general admission every day for Kent County kids ages 17 and under.
Advance ticket purchase is required before visiting the museum. Visitors are required to wear masks properly during the duration of their visit. For social distancing guidelines and other information, visit grpm.org.
Cotton, with pencil quilt by Jessie B. Telfair (1913–1986), 1983; Jessie B. Telfair, (1913–1986); Freedom Quilt; 1983; Textile; Quilt; Cotton, with pencil; 74 x 68; American Folk Art Museum; Parrott, Georgia, United States; 2004.9.1
Grand Rapids Art Museum: American Perspectives
More than 80 American folk art objects, spanning from paintings and pottery to quilts, needlework, and sculpture, are on display at the Grand Rapids Art Museum through Aug. 28.
“‘American Perspectives’ offers our visitors a chance to look at America through the eyes and experiences of folk artists,” said GRAM Director and CEO Dana Friis-Hansen. “The diversity of experience and perspective is what strengthens our community, and we look forward to sharing a platform for stories that have often been untold throughout history.”
“American Perspectives: Stories from the American Folk Art Museum Collection” is organized into four sections: Founders, Travelers, Philosophers, and Seekers. Within each of these sections are themes of nationhood, freedom, community, imagination, opportunity, and legacy.
Many of the works in the exhibit present the perspectives of groups that are largely unseen in museums, such as enslaved people, immigrants, and people with disabilities. It reinforces how many of our society’s current issues — immigration, political turmoil, economic uncertainty, and loss of personal liberties — have been a concern in the past and remain topics of significance today.
“‘American Perspectives’ include traditional art works like portraiture and landscape paint to more unexpected pieces like carousel figures, wood carvings, and dolls,” said GRAM Assistant Curator Jennifer Wcisel. “The craftsmanship and beauty of each work is remarkable, but what truly makes them come alive are the diverse stories behind them.
“From Felipe Archuleta who was unable to find work as a carpenter and began creating life-size animal sculptures to Jessie B. Telfair, a black cook in Georgia who created her ‘Freedom Quilt’ after being fired from her job when she tired to register to vote — I hope visitors will find stories that relate to their won lives and the social and political issues of the present.”
The exhibit is included with the general admission to the Grand Rapids Art Museum. For social distancing guidelines and other information, visit artmuseumgr.org.
GG Reindeer Farm will be open this Saturday to visit the reindeer.
Visit the Reindeer
Bring the family out this weekend and meet the reindeer at the GG Reindeer Farm, 3754 76th St. SE, Caledonia. Guests can feed apples to the reindeer and take pictures on Santa’s sleigh. It is free to visit but donations are appreciated and all events will be held outside. The reindeer will be taking visitors Saturday, Dec. 12 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The reindeer visits will take place Saturday, Dec. 19, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and again on Friday, Dec. 25, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Click here for more information.
The Crowds: The New Age will be at The Getty Drive-In this weekend. (DreamWorks)
Go to the Drive-In
It will be Christmas movie overload this weekend at the Getty Drive-In, 920 E. Summit Ave., Muskegon. Saturday will be ‘The Croods: A New Age” / “The Christmas Chronicles 2” and “Die Hard” / “All My Life,” and Sunday will include “Die Hard” / “All My Life,” and “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch” / “Elf.” Movie time is 5:30 p.m. with tickets starting at $6.50. Children 5 and under are free.
Area restaurants have come up with creative ways to provide outdoor seating. (Photo by Experience GR)
Eating in a bubble
Oh we are all so tired of eating at home so area restaurants are providing an alternative: creative outdoor dining experiences. These experiences range from enclosed patios to eating in mini-outdoor domes and bubbles. Many of the locations are heated and often require reservations. As one person put it, “when are you going to get a chance to eat out like this in the dead of winter?” So snap up the opportunity and support those local restaurants. For a complete list of outdoor venues, visit Experience GR.
Fun Fact: KFC for Christmas dinner
In America, traditional Christmas dinner can range from turkey to cold cuts, but rarely does it include Kentucky Fried Chicken. However, in Japan KFC is the meal of choice for the holiday. The story is: hoping to establish KFC in the Japanese market, the manager of the first KFC marketed the fried chicken “party barrels” as a substitute to the American Christmas dinner of turkey. In 1974, KFC picked up the campaign and as Christmas became more popular in Japan, KFC became the holiday dinner of choice. Today, it is estimated 3.6 million Japanese families treat themselves to KFC on Christmas and is about five percent of Japan’s KFC’s annual revenue. Japan is third in sales for KFC behind the United States and China.
Fall is almost here and to kick off the Halloween season Circle Theatre has joined forces with Wealthy Theatre to show screenings of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”and “Hocus Pocus.”
“Hocus Pocus” is Oct. 8 – 10
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” will run Oct. 1 to 3 and “Hocus Pocus” will run Oct. 8 to 10. Doors open at 7 p.m. with a costume contest at 7:45 p.m. and theshow will start at 8 p.m.
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is a 1975 musical comedy horror film that was mostly featured in theaters around midnight due to its mature content. The cult favorite is known for such songs as “Let’s Do the Time Wrap Again” and launched the careers of Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, and Meat Loaf. Another cult classic, “Hocus Pocus” is a 1993 Disney movie about the Sanderson sisters who were resurrected by a teenage boy in Salem, Mass, on Halloween night. The film features Bette Milder and Sarah Jessica Parker.
Patrons will have access to a cash bar with both alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks. Popcorn and candy will be available but guests are allowed to bring their own picnic-style food.
Films will be shown on the lawn of the Aquinas College Performing Arts Center, where Circle Theatre has its productions. The Aquinas College Performing Arts Center is located at 1703 Robinson Rd. SE. Social distancing between groups will be enforced and guests are required to wear masks when not seated. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased by calling the box office at 616-456-6656 or visit Circletheatre.org
Guests should bring their own picnic blankets and beach chairs. They are also encouraged to get into the Halloween spirit by participating in costume contests. Each screening will have a costume contest held before the show.
All proceeds from this event will support local theater.
“The Karate Kid” is now showing at the Gettys Drive-In. (Columbia Pictures)
Movie Night
Have a hankering to go to the movies? While traditional theaters are still not open, Studio C’s Getty Drive-In! The oldest drive-in theater in West Michigan, operating since 1948, is offering an array of classics such as “Ghostbusters,” “The Karate Kid,” Jurassic Park,” “Jurassic World,” “The Rental,” and “The Amulet.” For complete listings, click here. Also tonight (Friday), the Ionia Drive-Up Theater will be taking place featuring the 1939 classic “Wizard of Oz” at 7 p.m. at LoNia’s World Center, 3810 Thornapple River SE. The Ionia showing is free.
Disc Golf
ZigZag Disc Golf Club, Grand Rapids’ own youth disc golf club, will be hosting a free youth disc golf tournament, Saturday at Garfield Park, located off of Burton Avenue and Madison Street. The free event is for students in 4th to 12th grade. Participants should meet at the gazebo around 12:45 p.m. The tournament will run from 1 – 3 p.m. No experience is necessary and discs will be provided, so there is no reason not give it a try.
Members of the Detroit Tigers Winter Caravan paid a special visit to the City of Kentwood Police Department last year. (Supplied/City of Kentwood)
Play Ball!
The Detroit Tigers will play their home opener this Monday, July 27, at Fifth Third Ballpark. Tickets are free but only available for the first 500 fans, so snatch them up quick. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. with the first pitch set for 7:10 p.m. All social distancing guidelines will be followed and masks are required. For more information, click here.
Fun Fact: Dark Chocolate: A Heart Healthy Option
Like any of us need a reason to eat chocolate, but according to a recent study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology suggests that “chocolate helps keep the heart’s blood vessels healthy.” That is because chocolate is choc-full of antioxidants that help reduce inflammation, improve blood flow and boost mood and concentration. This is not a license to pig out on chocolate, instead it is recommended that a one-ounce serving a few times a week has the best results..
The Crane Wives opens the Kentwood Summer Concert Series tonight.
This summer, Kentwood has got it all the bases covers – music, movies, food – with its Summer Entertainment Series set to kick off tonight with the wildly popular Grand Rapids-based The Crane Wives. The concert is set to start at 7 p.m. behind Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave. SE
“I think we did pretty well this year,” said Kentwood Parks and Recreation Marketing/Events Coordinator Laura Barbrick, as she looked over the 2016 line up. “We really targeted toward a younger crowd, kind of varying it with what is popular right now.”
Locally, no group could be as popular with the younger crowd as The Crane Wives. The local indie-folk band, which includes founders Kate Pillsbury ad Emilee Petersmark along with Dan Rickabus and Ben Zito, had a huge 2015 with the release of its album “Coyote Stories,” which earned the group another Jammie, and the opportunity to open for the Avett Brothers at ArtPrize. The group recently released “Foxlore,” it’s sister record to the “Coyote Stories.”
Rockabilly/honky tonk band Delilah DeWylde and the Lost Boys perform July 14.
According to John Sinkevics from localspins.com “Foxlore” certainly represents another bold step forward for this ultra-likable and increasingly popular Michigan act. “Down the River” even features a drum solo of sorts, buoyed by a throbbing, jam-band vibe. That’s followed closely by the airy and atmospheric “Ribs,” with an almost-jazzy milieu, morphing into the slow-cooking, uber-psychedelic, banjo-and-strings balladry of “Can’t Go Back” and the old-timey, clarinet-fueled swing of “Curses.”
The rest of Kentwood Summer Entertainment Series musical line up includes Tailshaker, June 16; Vox Vidorra, June 30; Delilah DeWylde and the Lost Boys, July 14; Big foot Buffalo, July 28, and The Accidentals, Aug. 11.
But the Kentwood Summer Entertaiment Series isn’t just about music. The city has combined it with its Movie in the Park programs starting with “Back to the Future” June 23; followed by “Frozen” July 21 and wrapping up Aug. 4 with “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
“In the past, the Movies in the Park have been at Pinewood but it seemed a little bit separated from the other pubic events,” Barbrick said. “So we decided to bring it out to the same venue as the concert series.
Because of the music line-up and movie selections, it was decided the series needed more space so it was moved to the lawn area behind city hall. This also provided another opportunity in bringing in local food trucks to the event.
“We really wanted the food truck operators to know that they are welcomed at our events and it provides an easy way for guests to grab dinner, dessert, or coffee to enjoy during a concert or later for a movie,” Barbrick said.
Food trucks will vary but the ones lined up for this year’s event include Gettin’ Fresh, A Moveable Feast, Daddy Pete’s BBQ, What the Truck and River City Cup and Cake.
“With the new venue, several headlining acts, fun family movies, and food trucks, we anticipate this year’s crowds to be the largest to date,” said Parks and Recreation Director Val Romeo. Guests are invited to bring a blanket or chair, kick back and relax with a favorite snack, local craft beer or wine and enjoy the show.
For more information, visit the City of Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department Facebook page or their website at www.yourkprd.org.
This year is probably more straightforward in the big categories, but quite the troublesome hedgemaze in terms of technicals and short films and such. Here be my picks, complete witommentary, a confidence-inspired ranking system*, and binary Who Will Win/Who Should Win tags:
*The ranking system is based on confidence in each category. A score of 24 – since there are 24 categories – carries the most confidence, and therefore the highest point value. As the score lowers, start loading up on grains of salt. A perfect score will only make me look all the Wieser…
Documentary Short (2)
This is tough, as the offerings really run the gamut in terms of content. We have a Holocaust eulogy, an Ebola crisis piece, a piece on domestic violence in Pakistan, a Vietnam vet think piece, and a short on a Vietnamese teenage artist affected by Agent Orange. My gut tells me to go with Body Team 12, the Ebola one, though I feel A Girl in the River, the Pakistani film, deserves a look for the cultural horrors it produces on viewing.
Will Win: A Girl in the River // Should Win: A Girl in the River
Documentary Feature (20)
Amy is the one that will win. It’s inevitable, like other awards later on. Cartel Land and the Nina Simone piece were intriguing, but they lack the controlled manipulation that director Asif Kapadia holds in the tragic overview of the short starburst of a career that belonged to Amy Winehouse.
*The Hunting Ground was nominated for Song, and while I acknowledge some of its content is dubious and controversial, I feel the content and filmmaking should be acknowledged for its headway in dealing with collegiate sexual assault cases.
Will+Should Win:Amy
Should’ve Been Nominated: The Hunting Ground
Live Action Short (1)
I really have no opinion, having not seen any yet. But research is edging me towards Stutterer. Eh, might as well.
Will Win: Stutterer (??)
Animated Short (12)
History has taught me that if it has Disney plastered on the product (Sanjay’s Super Team), bet on it stealing the Oscar over usually much more interesting and rewarding things like Don Hertzfeldt’s jaw-dropping World of Tomorrow and the equally inspired Russian entry We Can’t Live Without Cosmos. They’ll listen to me eventually.
Will Win: Sanjay’s Super Team
Should Win: World of Tomorrow/ We Can’t Live Without Cosmos
Animated Feature (22)
Pixar has had this one in the bag since the film made a splash back in June when it was released. It is sad, because it was a really extraordinary year for feature animation, between the Ghibli coming of age drama When Marnie was There, the mimed hijinks of Shaun the Sheep, and the intriguing headpiece Anomalisa. Still mad that Peanuts wasn’t nominated, by the by.
Will Win: Inside Out
Should’ve Been Nominated: The Peanuts Movie
Sound Editing (19) +Mixing (8)
Source: variety.com
Fury Road really should have this in the bag, but research tells me assorted experts expect The Revenant to steal one or both for some reason that is unfathomable by me. Thing is, I remember the hellish soundscapes of the furious roadway, but aside from the bear attack, I remember nothing remarkable from The Revenant. Ugh, you people are all crazy, Academy.
In one corner, we have Best Picture front-runners The Big Short, The Revenant, and Spotlight. In the other, we have wild-card options Fury Road and the latest in the legendary Star Wars series. What to choose, what to choose…?
Twist my arm and I’d say The Big Short. If not, I blame John Serba.
Another one that I am proud to say Fury Road has in the proverbial bag. Just look at the level of creativity and imagination given to ol’ Immortan here.
Long Live Mad Max! Long Live The Wasteland! Sing, Brothers! Sing, SING!!
Will+Should Win: Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Original Song (4)
Please don’t let Fifty Shades of Grey get past Oscar-nominee status. Just give it to Gaga and spare us the pain of remembering. My heart can’t take the strain.
Will+Should Win: “Til It Happens to You”, from The Hunting Ground
Best Original Score (21)
Tarantino’s little outburst at the Globes, spouting that Morricone has never won an Oscar, (technically untrue, he won an Honorary Oscar at the 2007 ceremony) basically ensured that H8ful Eight will garner one, and only one, award over the course of the evening.
That being said, Carter Burwell’s score for Carol was an exquisite treat that deserves to be recognized above Maestro Morricone, sorry to say.
Carol was a truly gross oversight by the Academy on two of the big categories (Director and Picture) and deserves every nomination and more. But I really want Fury Road to walk away with the night.
George Miller and his crew of lunatics crafted one of the craziest worlds ever in Fury Road. Frankly, nothing else comes close to its achievement in sheer world-building, even with its non-existent exposition.
Ex Machina and the under-seen Crimson Peak could also have benefited from some love here, but the Academy can’t help but shovel nominations out to lackluster things like The Danish Girl and Bridge of Spies. Heaven forbid we don’t give credit to the movies that will be remembered down the years as the best alternatives for sleep aids.
Ugh. Look, I like pretty pictures as much as anybody, but ‘Chivo’ has already won 2 consecutive Oscars, and his work on The Revenant proved more distracting than masterful. I much preferred the laid-back grain of Ed Lachman’s photography in Carol. Plus, lots of soft focus to increase the romantic tension.
Will Win: Emmanual Lubezki, The Revenant
Should Win: Ed Lachman, Carol
Foreign Language Film (18)
Son of Saul has been picking up a ridiculous amount of hype and awards buzz since mutterings of its power escaped the festival circuit early last year. Plus, it’s a Holocaust tale, and y’all should know how much the Academy loves that subject matter.
*Note that I haven’t seen any of the nominees yet, as foreign releases are negligible outside of the big, big cities (LA and NY), and Saul won’t see the silver screen in MI until March 4th. This is all gut instinct based on patterns in other award circuits. This is why there is no “should win” below. I feel I haven’t seen enough to make a confident choice.
Will Win: Son of Saul
Original (14) +Adapted Screenplay (15)
Another tough call. Typically, the Best Picture winner will pick up its assigned screenplay award, as with the case of the last few ceremonies. However, this is not always the case, as neither Million Dollar Baby nor The Artist picked up a screenplay award the night they won big.
In terms of original work, the Straight Outta Compton script could pick up the win as a peace-offering from the Academy for the #OscarsSoWhite debacle. But, Spotlight is the clear-cut victor of the bunch, seeing as it is neck and neck with The Revenant for the big prize. And Ex Machina gets a sympathy nomination knowing it won’t win anything. Cursed anti-science fiction Academy voters.
In the realm of Adapted work, critics and audiences have shown a lot of love for Brooklyn, the little movie that could, which could manifest into it’s only award of the evening. On the other hand, The Big Short had one of those scripts that was equally nutty and rage-inducing in all the right ways. Plus, Drew Goddard’s clever writing made The Martian the box office smash of the third quarter of 2015. This is a literal crapshoot, but with unbelievably high-quality pigeons.
Original, Will Win: Spotlight // Should Win: Ex Machina
In addition, Kate Winslet has been picking up mucho praise for her work in Steve Jobs; she even picked up the Golden Globe and was honestly shocked. This category, along with Best Picture, could go either way.
Will Win: Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs
Should’ve Been Nominated: Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina
Best Supporting Actor (23)
For the longest time, it seemed like Mark Rylance’s quiet spy from Bridge of Spies was the easy choice, but Sly Stallone is another one of those inevitable picks that only became apparent to me once the Golden Globes hit. When Sly picked up the Globe, there was a standing ovation. If that’s not a guaranteed in for Sly, I don’t know if such a thing exists.
Add in the fact that his performance is one of his personal best up there with his work in the seminal Rocky as well as his turn in James Mangold’s Cop Land. His Rocky Balboa is aged, but not down and out quite yet. Stallone’s journey through Hollywood has been a fascinating one, and it’s time he was rewarded for sticking the landing in such a graceful way.
Will+Should Win: Sylvester Stallone, Creed
Should’ve Been Nominated: Jacob Tremblay, Room
^+Steve Carell, The Big Short
Best Actress (16)
Brie Larson is, along with Leo and Sly, a shoo-in for her award.
She brings a true gravitas that speaks of her patience in the Hollywood landscape so far, and her role as ‘Ma’ was a star-making performance like nothing else offered to the Academy this year.
Now, that is not to say I wouldn’t be disappointed to see Saorise Ronan grab something for her delightful turn in Brooklyn. Both are equally deserving.
Will Win: Brie Larson, Room
Should Win: Brie Larson or Saorise Ronan, Brooklyn
Should’ve Been Nominated: Charlize Theron, Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Actor (24, Guaranteed)
Leo has finally got his Oscar, all for scowling over 2-½ hours.
11 years too late, as well.
–
sigh-
Will Win: Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Should Win: I dunno. . .Fassbender?
Should Have Been Nominated: Michael Keaton, Spotlight
Best Director (9)
My dubious research into the depths of Oscar predictions gave me one significant bright spot/potential upset: George Miller will win Best Director.
At first I was in shocked denial, but then I thought on it more. The Academy loves to hand out career awards, and for once, this could work in ol’ Georgie’s favor. He’s been pulling his weight for nearly 40 years in the business after coming to it from being an emergency surgeon. And this career achievement award would coincide with his greatest, most impressive directorial work since Mad Max 2/The Road Warrior. Plus, AMPAS could see his effort as pulling off what Linklater did with Boyhood last year, with all his struggles, genius choices, and smart editing shining through his action-packed opus. Thank the Academy for that small relief.
Will+SHOULD Win: George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
Should’ve Been Nominated: Sir Ridley Scott, The Martian
+Alex Garland, Ex Machina
and finally:
~BEST PICTURE~ (6)
All right, let’s get this outta the way at the start:
My two favorites, Brooklyn and Fury Road, don’t have a chance at the top prize, unless the Big Three Choices split the vote, like what happened with Crash back in 2006. Frankly, that would delight me, but I’m gonna be safe and narrow it down from the Big Three: Spotlight, The Revenant, and The Big Short.
Of the three, The Big Short has been picking up the most momentum since it was a surprise Golden Globe nominee. It also won the Producer’s Guild Award, but that is it so far. It could be the surprise winner that takes the audience off-guard, having built up speed over the holiday and corresponding awards season.
The heavy hitter out of the gate is The Revenant, having won the BAFTA (British equivalent of the Oscar), the Director’s Guild Award, the Golden Globe for Best Drama, and numerous others. But, it has no script nomination, and no film has won Best Picture without a screenplay nomination since Titanic in 1998.
Spotlight is the tried-and-true pick of the trio, having won the SAG Award for Best Ensemble, the Gotham Award for Best Film, the Critic’s Choice Award, and the Satellite Award for Best Motion Picture. Its cast is legendary, its script has been lauded all over, and the direction was exceptional, considering the director previously made the universally-hated Adam Sandler vehicle, The Cobbler.
Taking all of this into account, here’s how I narrowed it down. Bridge of Spies leaves no noticeable impression upon viewing, it’s outta here! Room is out due to story structure problems I mentioned in my review. The Martian proved to be a crowd-pleasing box-office smash, but the Academy is still notoriously and inexplicably anti-science fiction. My beloved Fury Road is just too weird for the old fogies of the Academy, so I’m resting on it picking up six other awards. Brooklyn is the quiet innocent among the cutthroat Oscar race, so it’s doomed from the start. On top of all that hype, I’m knocking out The Revenant due to superstition over that phantom screenplay, and plus Alejandro already won big last year.
Between Spotlight and The Big Short, my gut tells me to go with Spotlight, seeing as the Academy could give it to make up for snubbing All the President’s Men way back in ’76 (which lost to Rocky, humorously enough). Though, my subconscious instinct tells me that The Big Short could be the troublemaker that flips the night on its head.
Who knows anyway? We shall see, Sunday evening. Until then, Witness Me!!
Will Win: Spotlight, I guess.
What I Want to Win: Brooklyn // Mad Max: Fury Road
As the dreaded V-Day draws ever nearer, it’s time for us–and I’m speaking for all three of me–to take stock of our current state of affairs. V-Day does not discriminate. The day is significant for those coupled and singled alike, if for no other reason than to keep capitalism alive and well.
Just how much was spent on this “holiday” last year? The answer is $18.9 billion. This bears scrutiny and a bit of a breakdown: $52.2 million for flowers (a grand time for the floral industry and much deserved); $50 million in jewelry; $38.3 million on apparel (surely not woolen socks); $18.6 million on specialty gifts (use your imagination); $7.2 million on movies; $7.1 million on restaurants; and $1.2 million on salons and spas.
This last item I daresay I do indeed covet.
As for poundage and number of items, there was and will be plenty of that: 58 million pounds of chocolate, 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate and 8 billion Sweethearts will be purchased for the big day. All added up
that’s $1.7 billion spent on candy. Billion. Translated into calories… well, let’s not spoil things. In fact, let’s change the subject: Pets like V-Day, too, because their people will spend more than $700 million on gifts for their furry family members.
Clearly, I am in the wrong business.
How was this allowed to happen?
Someone was asleep at the wheel and then things got out of hand and now it’s too late to take it back. Suffice it to say, the industry was born and now we are left to deal with it.
What’s so special about Valentine’s Day? First off, it’s St. Valentine’s Day, and this romantic tradition has its roots in the Middle Ages when people chose a romantic partner on that particular day because they believed birds started mating. On that particular day.
I’m as confused as you are.
Actually, I have led you astray–the tradition dates back way earlier than the Middle Ages; it took root in the late 3rd century. The historical Saint Valentine was an early Christian martyred by the Romans. St. Valentine was a Roman priest during the reign of Roman emperor, and church persecutor, Claudius the Second–also known as Claudius the Cruel.
Claudius believed that unmarried soldiers made better fighters than married ones; single fighters were less likely to become distracted by wives and children back home. True to his name, Claudius the Cruel decided to ban all marriages and engagements in Rome. St. Valentine refused to be a party to this injustice, so he disobeyed the emperor’s orders and secretly married young couples. Once Valentine’s illegal acts were discovered, he was imprisoned, tortured and beheaded.
I’m a fan of do-gooders just like the next guy, but what did Valentine think would happen? He must have known that no good deed goes unpunished. Still, here’s a really key fact: Legend has it that while in prison, St. Valentine befriended the jailer’s daughter and left her a note signed “From your Valentine.”
But why February 14? Hint: It has to do with the Feast of Lupercalia, a pagan festival of love celebrated by the Romans in the third century.
The Feast of Lupercalia honored, in part, Lupa, the she-wolf who suckled the infant orphans, Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. That explains the name of the festival, Lupercalia, or “Wolf Festival.” Pagans observed the holiday on February 13 through 15, and believed it averted evil spirits and purified the city, releasing health and fertility.
Young men in ancient Rome celebrated Lupercalia by running naked through the streets and slapping young women with “shaggy thongs.” Sadly, this custom didn’t survive the ages and you won’t find a contemporary equivalent.
Plutarch expounded on the custom: “[M]any women of rank also purposely get in their way, and like children at school present their hands to be struck, believing that the pregnant will thus be helped in delivery, and the barren to pregnancy.”
Why did the Catholic church make such big deal out of this centuries later? Sure, hands were struck. But nobody was hurt or Plutarch surely would have written about it. Can you blame the upper-class women? Certainly naked youths running through the streets wasn’t a common sight, and you know how out of shape noblemen allow themselves to get.
A more disturbing festival ritual involved putting the names of young women in a box. Men drew the names and, as fate is wont to do, forced matches that often ended in marriage.
In 496 AD, in an effort to rid the country of the pagan festival and replace it with Christian goodness, Pope Gelasius declared that February 14 be celebrated as St. Valentines Day.
(By the way, did you know the Ides of February is the 13th? I didn’t even know February had an Ides.)
Is it in the cards?
Which brings us to contemporary times. Remember when you were in grade school and your teacher had you make a valentine for each kid in class–even someone you really, really hated–so that no one would feel left out? That custom began in the 1700s among adults, only back then, people were more discriminating about to whom they expressed their undying love and devotion. People back then took this shit seriously. They wrote special notes and letters–some of which were quite long–each one handwritten on regular writing paper. They used cursive, by the way.
Later, in the 1820s, papers were made especially for Valentine greetings. These became fashionable in the U.S. and Britain; in the 1840s commercially produced Valentine cards surged in popularity when Britain standardized its postal rates. These cards were flat paper sheets with colored illustrations and embossed borders. Fancy, yes, but functional, too: When folded and sealed with wax, the sheets could be mailed.
But what would a sweet, innocent tradition be without exploiting it? New England resident Esther Howland received an English Valentine one year and thought, “Hmmm.” She then began making her own cards and sold them in her father’s store. Daddy was a stationer.
The rest is history. If you really want to know all the details, go here. Fascinating stuff. Too many fun factoids to include in one essay.
Leaplings, rejoice!
Now, a little bit about Leap Year Day because it’s important, may be the answer to many a spinster’s wishes and it also falls in February.
Leap Day was introduced more than 2,000 years ago to keep the calendar year synchronized with the seasons. The Earth turns roughly 365-and-a-quarter times on its axis by the time it has completed a full year’s orbit around the sun. That means periodically the calendar has to catch up. A Leap Y
ear contains one extra day—February 29—for a total of 366 days.
Not very romantic, but it gets the job done, plus it gives people an excuse to celebrate yet another thing during dreary February.
Indeed, what is a once-in-four-years day without something special attached to it? Some countries have a tradition—quite popular, I understand—called Bachelor’s Day, which gives women the opportunity to propose marriage to men on February 29. The hitch is that if the man refuses, he has to buy the woman a dress or give her money. The European upper-crust had different consequences: If a man refused marriage, he was obliged to purchase 12 pairs of gloves for the woman.
I can see great potential in this custom for the entrepreneurial female, especially if she knows for certain the man will not accept her proposal, but only if he pays her handsomely or she gets to pick out the dress. Gloves I (er, she) can do without.
On the flip side, people in Greece considered marrying on leap day unlucky because they believed the couple would be likely to get divorced. I’ll let you in on a little secret: Greeks are overly superstitious. As I am of Greek descent, I can say this with impunity. While it is part of our charm, it can–and often does–wear thin. (But to be doubly safe, I do have an evil eye destroyer at home always at the ready.)
Those sneaky Victorians
The Victorians have a bad rep for being repressed and prudish. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is much to be said about playing coy and leaving everything to the imagination. One Victorian courting custom in particular allowed a woman to signal various emotions without making a fool of herself. Yes, a woman was allowed certain liberties: She could flirt with her fan, as this behavior was within the protocol of accepted behavior. Here are what different signals meant aka Exhibit A:
Fan fast–I am independent
Fan slow–I am engaged
Fan with right hand in front of face–Come on
Fan with left hand in front of face–Leave me
Fan open and shut–Kiss me
Fan open wide–Love
Fan half open–Friendship
Fan shut–Hate
Fan swinging–Can I see you home?
The last one implies that the woman will see the man home, a true role reversal if I ever saw one. Could it be–indeed, dare I hope–that equality among the sexes was evident at least a little bit during Victorian times?
