The Oscars

So I have DSTV now. This means that I was able to watch the Oscars.



Been a while since…

It has probably been about 10 years since I last watched the Oscars. I use to be obsessed with award shows. One of my best memories I have of Varsity Res is Oscar evening. Any award shows actually tended to be quite an event for me. Some people love watching sports, my spectator sport was award shows. And yes, I would swear and shout just as baldly as a sports fan whose team is losing or winning, and I would shed a tear for moments like when Tom Hanks won for Forrest Gump or when Forrest Whitaker was nominated for the Crying Game.

It had been a while and I think maybe I needed that break to grow up a little and get excited about things a little closer to home.

Award shows…

One of the main reasons for getting DTSV was for the Award shows. It was a pity that the first that I got to see was the Golden Globes. What a waste. What an utter waste of time. I could only stand about 20 minutes of it. They had no interest in entertaining, it felt like they thought that if start were announcing the winners, that would be enough entertainment. Wrong. I also could not watch the Grammy’s because I don’t know 90% of the people performing or giving awards. I don’t care if this makes me sound old and bitter about not keeping up with what’s hot. The sound is also horrible, I mean they had Stevie Wonder singing with some boys and he really sounded excruciatingly horrible.

So I had lost interest in award shows and started questioning whether I should pay the subscription fees for the stupid DSTV for the next months. I watch DVD’s most of the time. The only other thing I watch religiously is Top Gear. …and the BBC Lifestyle Channel and BBC Knowledge. …Torchwood. … Dr who. …

An evening to remember…

I was watching disk 4 of Queer as Folk (third time) when I realized that it was Oscar night. Kicked myself for missing about 40 minutes of the show after 2 minutes of switching over.

As I said, I have not been watching the previous year’s shows but with this one, 2 minutes into it, I started feeling the same joy (yes, joy) I use to feel. The same excitement, I was emotionally invested, it had me at: ‘ and the Oscar goes to…’.

This is a different kind of ceremony from the others. Hugh Jackman, WOLVERINE was the host. What happened to David Letterman, or Whoopi or Billy Chrystal or Jon Stewart. I don’t know, but it was not a bad move to not have a comedian. It may have been a stroke of genius. We already know that Hollywood can make fun of itself and it is usually same jokes different targets every year (except for Goerge Bush maybe). So it was kind of a breath of fresh air to Hugh present, and the guy can sing and dance too! Oh Wolverine!

I think part of the fun of the Oscars is to see the stars up there on a beautiful stage wearing beautiful gowns and just looking brilliant. A huge part of the fun is actually laughing your ass off to find out that these guys actually cannot read. You wonder how the fuck do they get through scripts and make movies. James Bond cannot read, Sophia Loren should have worn her reading binoculars the woman must be 90, Robert Fucking De Niro (Are you talking to me?) can’t read. It was fun to watch and to know hey, they have disabilities, speech impediments and learning issues too! Ha!

A flame rekindled…

But I loved the Oscars. These Oscars in particular and not because they seemed like the Bollywood awards (big up India!), were really great. It was a beautiful production. It was an amazing production.

One of the moments that I shamefully look forward to at the Oscars is when they show the dead guys. Queen Latifah has always been cool. But that was a beautiful song she sang. And it was beautiful when she said that to most of us the dead guys are just movie stars but to her and her colleagues, they are friends and mothers and sisters etc. I felt a little bit ashamed of myself there. She sang so sweetly. But I wondered why they did not show Heath Ledger, is it too soon? Did I miss him?

So yes the production was brilliant. I was feeling very down about what had been coming out of tinsel town of late. Watching the Oscars, I was tempted to call in sick and spend the day at the movies watching one after another, like I use to do. The first one would be Milk, then Slumdog, then Benjamin Button, then the Reader, then the Wrestler, then… actually all of the movies nominated for direction, male and female lead, film, and script. I will begin my adventure this weekend.

Previous winners honouring nominated ones was an especially special touch I thought!

The thing about Mickey Rourke…

So Heartwarmer, the thing about Mickey Rourke is that he did 9½ weeks about 20 year ago. One of the most erotic movies of that time, he was gorgeous, he was the it guy, he had it all. And then, he developed the Michael Jackson Syndrome I think. Is it called Body dysmorphic disorder? The guy has had so much plastic surgery that it is very difficult to look at him. He has a look like a puza face that has been stretched to its maximum. I need to see this wrestler. But it looks very difficult to watch. He is just freaky.

But when is the dvd release date?

I hate that I missed 40 minutes. Do video shops carry award shows? I’ve never seen them, will have to talk to my video store. I am already having a vision of renting out the shows from 10 years ago, that would be a magical weekend.

Seven Pounds

The only thing I can really say about this movie, which stars Will Smith, is that it is probably the most depressing movie I have EVER seen in my entire life.
You know sometimes you go to a movie and its sad, and you find yourself with tears rolling down your face. That's not this movie. This movie made me sob. As in, "heeeeeeeeeee, heeeeeeeee." It was so sad, I cried all the way home from the cinema.
Seriously!
I didn't have a clue what the movie was about. Just kinda picked it because it starred Will Smith, and its something both the lover and I agreed we'd like to see. Perhaps it is because I didn't know what it was about that I found it so heartbreaking. So I'm not going to give you a synopsis on it. Just go see it if you are in the mood for a good cry. Bring lots and lots of tissues with you.
2 spoons

Beauty and the beast

2009, SA, and the only character for a black man in a fairy tale is Lefur, Gaston’s monkey. This put a sour taste in my mouth and ruined the show for me. Do not see it.

Wondrous oblivion

This is not meant to be a title of a movie. It is a state of mind. One to avoid, one, in a fucked up way, that lets you know you are alive, you are capable of feeling, even though those feels will most certainly be unrequited. I suppose there is something romantic about it, that is something to hang on to.

DVD night

Had a girl's DVD night on Saturday. Out of all three: The Great Debaters, Mama Mia and Kung Fu Panda, I'd have to say Kung Fu Panda gets my vote - no doubt.
I slept through Mama Mia. The Great Debaters just re-awakened a hate and anger I feel everytime I watch such types. You know what I mean, the era when they would write on benches "whites only". You know the story and you've seen plenty movies like this. For some the focus is swimming, some it is football, for this movie it is debating. I remember Oprah made a big deal about this movie, I suppose she would since she is one of the producers (I think).
But it is really not all that fascinating or interesting from a political point of view. The best part of it, in my opinion ofcourse, is the romance between the debaters and just how some of the characters mature in the movie. Its certainly nothing gripping - I'd say wait for it on DSTV rather than pay extra money to watch it on DVD.

Mama Mia...I think I need to give it another chance really because it wasn't so much that it was bhard that I slept through it, but it really was because I was tired. Mind you I managed to wake up and watch Kung Fu Panda till the end and loved it. So...okay, give Mama Mia a miss too. But Kung Fu Panda is worth a watch.
And the spoons:
Great Debaters 1 spoon
Mama Mia! half a spoon
Kung Fu Panda two spoons.

Best ever performance by a scientologist!!!

The best laugh I’ve ever had this year. I need people to guess which movie I am talking about because I am not going to name it. I am not going to list the ridiculously, hilariously vein popping funny guys in this movie. All I am going to say is that it is on dvd at the moment (23 January 2009). And you need to tell me who the surprisingly, side splitting hysterical (my neighbors are wondering what the hell is going on in this flat) guy in this movie that made me laugh so hard was. I challenge you. What a breath of nitrous oxide!

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

I love this line: Unfulfilled love is the most romantic form of love there is. I know it isn't earthshattering stuff, but it just rang soooooooooooo true for me. Its like the tragedies that Shakespear wrote. They are only that good, and you only love them so much because there isn't that typical happy ending.

There is a lot of that in Vicky Christina Barcelona. A lot of it. Untypical love. Or is non-typical? I will watch anything with Scarlett Johanssen (or Keira Knightley - she's such a tease, can't wait for the Duchess). I loved Penelope Cruz in this. She was so passionate, and sexy, and dangerously nuts. Hehehehe. Javier Bardem was awesome. He was scary in No Country for Old Men, but is oh so yummy here...in a very...erm...artistique way. The other lead actress, Rebecca Hall, was so very, very disappointing. But nevermind her this movie is a must see. Its a story of passion and how even the strongwilled or strongminded end up givin in to, almost as if its only natural to, this demon (PASSION). It is a story about love, untypical love, and how we can so easily find ourselves in and out of love with people and things we never imagined possible. Most of all I think it demonstrates how the human heart's desires can never be fulfilled. That has always been the scary bit about life and love for me.

Synopsis
Two young American women, Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) come to Barcelona for a summer holiday. Vicky (Rebecca Hall) is sensible and engaged to be married; Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) is emotionally and sexually adventurous. In Barcelona, they're drawn into a series of unconventional romantic entanglements with Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), a charismatic painter, who is still involved with his tempestuous ex-wife Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz). Set against the luscious Mediterranean sensuality of Barcelona, 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' is Woody Allen's funny and open-minded celebration of love in all its configurations.
SOURCE: www.moviefone.com

21

It has been a very, very long time since I've seen a vaguely entertaining movie...picked by the lover.
He did good this time. I mean the movie 21 isn't 'all that' - but I'll tell you this much, its probably the best one the lover's ever picked in our almost decade together.

I do believe that I will watch any movie Kevin Spacey is in and love it regardless. I had a similar love for Laurence Fishburne, but that was many moons ago and he was slimmer then and younger. He's not as big a drawcard for me, even after 21.

I suppose the thing about this movie, and my enjoyment of it is that it was completely unexpected. The lover normally picks movies where there is a lot of shooting and running, and blood, or bombs, and submarines, nuclear reactions....hahahah, you get my drift. It is more about the action with him, and less about the story. So, like I said before, this was a nice surprise.

What is it all about you ask?
Looking for a way to pay for tuition, Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) finds himself quietly recruited by MIT's most gifted students in a daring plot to break Vegas. With the help of a brilliant statistics professor (Kevin Spacey) and armed with fake IDs, intelligence and a complicated system of counting cards, Ben and his friends succeed in breaking the impenetrable casinos. Now, his challenge is keeping the numbers straight and staying one step ahead of the casinos before it all spirals out of control.
SOURCE: www.sonypictures.com

Kevin plays the loveable bad guy so well. You just can't help but love him, and the same is true for this movie. Bits of this felt a bit like the Oceans X movies and for some reason I didn't like those much. 21 has the same kind of story I suppose, here we just deal with a younger group of dwindlers and they don't really do anything illegal. Its worth a watch - 2 and a half spoons.

Festive Season DVD Guide

Festive Season DVD Guide

Justice Malala uses the following ratings of restaurants for his reviews on FM. I will use the same, props to Justice. I am on leave and therefore had the opportunity to listen to a full Ride Direko show today.

To avoid / Robert Mugabe OR OR OR Jacob Zuma:

Mama Mia – other than Meryl Streep’s take on the ‘winner takes it all’ this was very painful to watch. Peirce Brosnan deserves special mention here. He was really, really, really awful!

Must see / Barack Obama:

In Bruges – I never really got Collin Farrell, his performance in this particular movie gave me a glimpse into his ability and he does have it. All he needed was to play a Guy Ritchie type character. Fantastic movie!

WALL-E – one of the best! For you, for kids, it is just so sweet. It’s funny that these days the best romantic comedies are usually the Shrek’s and the Walle’s and Beaty and the Beast. No Meg Rian, no Julia Roberts. Thank God!

Horton Hears a Who – Jim Carrey is the, no, my (!) comedy Guru, but this is also just a great feel good movie.

So and so… Kgalema (which is also, I am happy to announce, a name in my family! Go Kgalema!!!)

You don’t mess with the Zohan – cringe funny. Can't really decide.

Swing Vote – ya ya. Preach, preach.

Please feel free to add to the list and use either obama or mugabe or Kgalema to rate the DVD's! OR you can use spoons.

Not the movie of the week

I watched some Martin Lawrence movie two days ago and it was so bad I almost cried. I can't blame the lover for this one, it was my pick. I wanted something very light, and something funny...you know, just wanted something I would enjoy without having to think too hard and so on.
Well, the movie was light but not a inch of humour...atleast nothing that I found particularly funny.

The movie was so bad, I can't even remember what it was called. It was so bad, I'm glad I don't remember what it was called so none of you will ever get to watch it - even if it was to confirm how pathetic it was. This is the second time I've watched a really, really bad Martin Lawrence movie and I have now vowed to boycott all his movies.

The only movie I thorougly enjoyed that he made was Bad Boys, but I think that was more about Will than about Martin? I reckon he should've rather stuck to his sitcom? But I wonder if the supposed jokes there would have been outdated too by my standards of what is funny. I think his biggest problem is that he hasn't been able to reinvent himself...much like Eddie Murphy in my mind. But he even had Dreamgirls atleast.

I mean Will did the whole reinvention successfully playing all his super-hero parts. Jamie Foxx did it in multiple roles. Heck, even Queen Latifah isn't half bad.

Anywho, here's to the end of watching Martin Lawrence on screen