A day late

Alright, so I watched The Oscars. I have to say that the lead up was deflating faster than a Happy Birthday balloon eight days later. Like I said it felt like a chore to watch all the movies. Deadlines do just that, they kill it. What was supposed to be a fun achievement meant not much once it was said and done. True, I might be feeling different if I had actually gone through with seeing all of them. I will say that I watched more than most. There were some fantastic movies last year. I saw so many that I can't really tell you the ones I thought should have made it but didn't. However, I would like to propose a new category: Best independent film. I know that there are special festivals for this kind of thing, and inevitably films like "The Hurt Locker," which was an independent film, might not have gotten best picture. But I think it would expose more of the Hollywood elite to more trailblazing films. Money doesn't dictate great films, in fact more often than not, it kills them in the spirit of the almighty dollar. "The Hurt Locker" was the lowest grossing film to capture the best picture statue. I am proud to say that I predicted the winner, walking back to Dave's after watching the film, I said it. So, cut the best picture category back down to five and add best independent film. This is just one man, with no power in Hollywood's thought. I might get a few people to agree.

Actually this has given me an opportunity to examine how I view movies, individually and overall. Do I want to sit down to a movie like "The Book of Eli" with a critic's eye or a movie goer's eye. Do I want to disassemble the plot of "Avatar," or would I rather sit back and enjoy the cold Iccee in my left hand while being amazed at the floating 3-D objects that seem mere inches from my face? Do I want to contemplate if I really buy into Clooney as a lonely man of the sky or simply smile at Brad Pitt leading a rouge group of soldiers in a baseball bat swinging, swastika carving romp through Europe? Well, I guess I need more research and that means more movies. I think the next one I'll see is the far from intellectual horror flick "The Crazies," Or perhaps a 3-D adventure in a wonderland.

Dustin