Solid Gold

by Christina Waters | Feb 25, 2013 | Home | 0 comments

My favorite Oscar moment?

When Shirley Bassey stepped out of the past and belted out “Goldfinger”—who wasn’t singing along with her?

Go ahead and gloat! I was wrong!

by Christina Waters | Feb 25, 2013 | Home | 6 comments

The Academy opted for youth market over cinematic brilliance and replaced judgement with cowardice. Let me deconstruct that for you.

Chosen Best Director Ang Lee, a visionary filmmaker to be sure, was (I guess) the safest mid-way point between the non-nominated Ben Affleck and the overly-powerful Steven Spielberg. (What is this need for Hollywood to loathe the director who has given so many masterpieces to the industry?)

Jennifer Lawrence—who gave a terrific performance—beat out the “older” nominees, and even the child candidate. Again, it will bring in young blood to Oscar awareness.

Christoph Waltz is an uncanny actor, but to have beaten Philip Seymour Hoffman, Tommy Lee Jones, and Robert deNiro? Give me a break.

Sally Field was utterly robbed!!

Only the choice of the magnificent Daniel Day Lewis as Best Actor offered a ray of redemption in the strangest blend of class and tackiness in recent memory. It was also an historic win, since now the Irish-born actor is the only man to have won three Best Actor Oscars.

So let’s review: I was wrong about the Best Picture; wrong about the Best Director; wrong about the Best Actress; wrong about the best supporting Actor & Actress.

I was right on one count alone—Best Actor. This is all simply proof that my radar isn’t on the same wave of mass mediocrity as that of most media consumers. Were the Oscars always political (i.e. about $$$$)? Or am I just now noticing?

the Argh! about Argo

by Christina Waters | Feb 22, 2013 | Home | 1 comment

While it isn’t exactly a conspiracy theory, it should be pretty obvious that a lot of the loud buzz about Argo has to do with catering to—and hence attracting—the youth market, the 20somethings who are busy avoiding movie theaters and texting their way to oblivion.

I have adult friends who actually complained that Lincoln was “about history” and they grimaced as if swallowing echinacea straight from the bottle as they said this. Yes, it’s true Abraham Lincoln hasn’t been alive for a long, long time. Does that make Spielberg’s masterpiece somehow dismissible?

Are we so postmodern that even a film about a historical figure is considered incapable of moving, entertaining, enlightening?

But I digress. Back to the hypola around Argo.

Part of it is to whip up the younger market. Another part is to slap around (more…)

Oscar Picks!

by Christina Waters | Feb 17, 2013 | Home | 1 comment

It’s that time again – time to pretend you don’t care about the Oscars and then sit for hours glued to your screen.

Who can resist the fawning hypola of the Red Carpet? Stars dressed to the nines in borrowed gowns, borrowed jewels, and borrowed hair extensions. Gushing reporters, screaming fans, wardrobe malfunctions, enough toupées to pave Hollywood Boulevard, yes, it is great to be an American during this four-hour metaphor for everything we have come to stand for. Excess, superficial eye candy, plastic surgery, make-up, and occasionally…..talent.

So who do I think will win?

All the snubbing by other awards processes can’t stop Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln from racking up much deserved Oscars, including Rick Carter (UCSC alum) for Set Design, and Sally Field for Best Supporting Actress.

Best Picture? Ack—that’s a tough one. I’m convinced there was no “best picture this year. There were brilliant small ensembles, such as Argo, or Exotic Marigold Hotel, or Silver Linings Playbook. But not one “big statement” movie. And I have to include Lincoln in this list of almost successes, given the woeful (more…)