digital dystopia in full swing

by Christina Waters | Apr 29, 2016 | Home | 0 comments

That’s right, Neo IS the one, as my 304 students in the Spring 2016 FILM 80S class are finding out. Big fun.

pretty good track record

by Christina Waters | Mar 2, 2016 | Home | 0 comments

I was right about Spotlight (best picture), and Mark Rylance (best supporting actor) and Leo DiCaprio (best actor).  Not too shabby given my lackluster attendance at nominated movies.

Gotta confess that I was at Opera Parallele‘s terrific performance of “The Champion” jazz opera in the City during most of the Oscars, and arrived home in time to watch the last (big) three awards.

I’m thinking that like the two party system, the Academy Awards might need some revolutionary shake-up. We’ll see.

Oscar Predix

by Christina Waters | Feb 22, 2016 | Home | 0 comments

First off, let me admit that I haven’t seen all the films nominated this year. But that won’t stop me from making a few informed (and highly opinionated) predictions.

This was the year in which nominated films exhibited similar virtues—seamless ensemble acting. E.g. Spotlight and The Big Short. So superbly acted, directed, and edited were these films that they appear to have come together by a sort of magical internal collaboration. Still, having said that, I’m thinking that Spotlight should take both Best Picture and Best Director awards.

The harder issues deal with individual acting awards. And as always, I have to deal with the Academy’s tradition of honoring actors for a body of work, e.g. Sly Stallone, or for their age, e.g. Charlotte Rampling. I haven’t seen Creed, but I’ll bet Stallone hits all the marks and wouldn’t mind one bit to see him take the Best Supporting Actor award. But my heart belongs to the uncanny Mark Rylance, who played the spy traded for Francis Gary Powers in Bridge of Spies, with a series of electrifyingly subtle gestures—an eyebrow here, the upturn of a wrist there. Mesmerizing.

And while we’re on the subject of Rampling, (more…)