BLUE MAG

Academy Awards

The shameless meat parade known as the Academy Awards took steps in redeeming itself for what will forever be known as the “Crash Debacle” by awarding Martin Scorsese a much deserved best director award Sunday night. This ties him with 3-6 Mafia for one academy award apiece. The fact that his picture “The Departed” went on to win best picture also shows the Academy in good light. Scorsese’s win and composer Ennio Morricone’s “special Oscar” also served as a powerful reminder of how behind the times the awards are. That Morricone has never won anything and it’s taken 26 years for Scorsese to win is nothing short of awful. Not to mention that Alfonso Cuaron (who actually directed the best movie this year, “Children of Men”) wasn’t even nominated. Despite this history I found little to take issue with this year. Sure, it was a little boring but overall I was happy with the results. This either shows that I’m getting older and more complacent or … I guess that’s all it really shows.

Independent Spirit Awards

On the other side of town in a parking lot in Santa Monica the Independent Spirit Awards were a different animal entirely. Hosted by Sarah Silverman and if seen uncut on IFC was the more like those R-rated celebrity roasts than an awards show. I’m not sure what was left for AMC to air a few hours later. It was a very brisk affair clocking in at just less than two hours and had the atmosphere of hanging out with friends rather than some gala ball full of sparkling diamond dresses (see above.) That said I was a little tired of “Little Miss Sunshine” before this show and now am really tired of that movie being the Indie darling of the year. I was rooting for “American Gun” of course and in the end it did have the best song and dance number performed that afternoon (the awards started at 2PM) by Neil Patrick Harris.

Golden Razzies

“Basic Instinct 2” took home Worst Picture and I am sorry but “Wicker Man” was robbed. Nick Cage’s foray into confusing, woman-hitting horror was by far the worst thing to end up on movie screens this past year and deserved some recognition for it’s incredible badness. Our former buddy (remember when we liked him?) M. Night picked up a couple for Worst Director and Worst Supporting Actor for his work in “Lady in the Water.” The Waynes brothers picked up some recognition for their opus “Little Man,” somehow getting an award for Worst Adapted Screenplay by connecting the premise to an old Bugs Bunny cartoon. All these wonderfully terrible “films” are available on DVD and in some cases Blu Ray and HD-DVD so you know what to do.