2008 Oscars

I keep reading all this crap how last night's Oscars sucked and the winners were, in the words of one NY Post columnist, "all people in movies no one has ever seen, like has anyone even seen La Vie en Rose?" (He, apparently, has found the one rock in Manhattan to live under that isn't in proximity to a theater or prefers movies with Hillary Duff and definitely no subtitles. La Vie en Rose was great. There were a few issues with it, sure, but even if you didn't know anything about Edith Piaf, the movie was enjoyable.) I came in late to watching it but it wasn't any worse than any other year and frankly, it was better because all these folks won that you didn't expect. What I liked about it:

1. Folks won who weren't predicted to win. The air of suspense actually makes you want to watch the thing, and typically, those folks who win who weren't expected are all really emotional and sweet. See the duo from Once who beat out the 40 other songs from that movie Enchanted and Diablo Cody for Juno and especially, the two women who won for Freeheld (best documentary short subject) for examples.

2. Jon Stewart bringing out the woman from Once so she could give her speech. She got cut out altogether by the stupid orchestra and Jon Stewart brought her out after so she could speak. Kudos.

3. Javier Bardem's 4-button navy tux from Prada and his acceptance speech. He brought his mom, which was cute, and her reaction was touching (see the speech here. I gotta see that movie soon, he's supposed to be incredible in it.

4. Cormac McCarthy being first up out of his seat when No Country for Old Men won best picture. I like unscripted stuff, what can I say.
Good articles:
SF Gate
Go Fug Yourself

We were too far apart...

Now, I love Wilco but have yet to see them live. In fact, it's almost a conspiracy theory....I've tried to see Wilco like 987876765 times and every time, something comes up....I either can't score tickets (something I'm typically pretty good at), or my system completely screws up while I'm trying to get tickets, or, as was the case when I had tickets to see Tweedy solo in upstate NY, my flight was cancelled about 2 minutes before boarding was to begin. It's become a running joke that the heavens have conspired against me ever seeing them.

I thought the same was true this time round when a meeting was suddenly scheduled at the same time the onsale for the 930 show was to start but then a friend hooked me up and got me one. Now of course, the running joke is "well she has to make it into the building..."

Anyway, the great blog Muzzle of Bees posted this commentary of the Chicago Riveria show including a great live version of "Too Far Apart". Check it out....

Yay!

SXSW, here I come!