The big winner: Jai Ho – Slumdog Millionaire (English Subs)
Okay, Let Me Explain This Facebook Thing
Facebook recently changed its terms of service and now thousands of Facebook users are in an uproar. Opponents claim that Facebook wants the right to own and use your information even after you have cancelled and deleted your account. ZOMG! Because I just posted a Facebook note that rivals James Joyce's "Ulysses", and why should Facebook get the rights to that???? … Read More
Oscar Predictions
Nate Silver, who gained noteriety with his uncanny statistical analysis predicting the 2008 presidential primaries and election, has turned his regression analysis abilities to the Oscars. An interesting read with one unexpected result.
Wasteful Spending On The Arts?
The folks at the NRO's The Corner don't care for the stimulus bill. Not surprising. In this NRO article, they outlined 50 “of the most outrageous items in the stimulus package”. Number one on the list? $50 million for the NEA. Here's what those "serious" critics of the stimulus package had to say: The easiest targets in the stimulus bill are the ones that were … Read More
The Day The Music Died
50 years ago today, if you didn't know already.
“Slumdog Millionaire” Kids Still Live In Poverty
Loved the movie. So I found this disconcerting: Their roles in Slumdog Millionaire have won them international acclaim and seen them rub shoulders with the film’s glamorous stars and its British director. *** But the reality of life for Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Ismail is far closer to that of the characters they play in the story of love, violent crime … Read More
I Didn’t Think So
While watching the inauguration, I wondered how Yo-yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman and their buds could possibly be playing their stringed instruments in that frigid cold. Don't strings snap? Doesn't the temperature affect their instrument's tone? Turns out, they weren't playing them at all. It was a recording.
2008 Oscar Nominees (And My Predictions)
Let's get right to it: BEST PICTUREThe Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonFrost/NixonMilkThe ReaderSlumdog Millionaire Probably one of the easiest categories to predict this year. It's Slumdog Millionaire. BEST DIRECTORDanny Boyle, Slumdog MillionaireDavid Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonRon Howard, Frost/NixonStephen Daldry, The ReaderGus Van Sant, Milk When in doubt (as I am), go with the guy who directed the … Read More
Golden Globe Awards
I'm glad I didn't make any predictions, because I would have sucked. I'm glad Slumdog Millionaire is getting a lot of earlier awards (and maybe the best Motion Picture Drama). Maybe it will come to Winston-Salem. Well, as I type this, Slumdog won. Glad about Mickey, too. And Heath. And that John Adams won a lot (the miniseries itself, Laura … Read More
Inspirational Movie Scenes
All spliced together (very well edited) into two minutes. You'll like it, trust me:
Dramatic License
Interesting discussions (here and here) over at Mother Jones regarding films depicting historical events. Just how much liberty with the historical facts will viewers tolerate? Or does anyone care? There are a few historical films out now. Valkyrie for one. Frost/Nixon for another. And Milk. Frost/Nixon is Ron Howard's third historically-based film, having done Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind. I knew there were … Read More
A Legal Analysis Of “It’s A Wonderful Life”
The Case of The Missing Deposit: What about that banking issue? When he returns to the “real” Bedford Falls, George is saved by his friends, who open their wallets to cover an $8,000 shortfall at his savings and loan brought about when the evil Mr. Potter snatched a deposit mislaid by George’s idiot uncle, Billy (Thomas Mitchell). But isn’t George still … Read More
For Crossword Fans Only
What was 5 Down in the New York Times crossword puzzle on May 14, 1996? Answer: "Renoirs" This is how I know….
What Does Your Alma Mater Smell Like?
They name perfumes and cologne after celebrities. Why not name them after universities? That's the thinking behind Masik Collegiate Fragrances, a company which formulates different "signature scents" for universities. So far, they've only come out with fragrances for UNC and Penn State. UNC cologne, for example: UNC for men is a light and crisp fragrance that embodies alluring Carolina Blue … Read More