Don’t Cry Baby…It’s Only a Movie

I take the Oscars very seriously. Watching the ceremony with a large crowd is insufferable, except that’s what people do in this town. So I was not about to turn down an invite to the Away from Her party. Hosted at the Spark Woodfire Grill in Beverly Hills, with three full floors of TVs, a buffet dinner, and several open bars, it was not too shabby. In fact, it was refreshing to watch the show with “industry” folks because everybody in that crowd watches the show with full hearted commitment.

The disappointment was felt when Julie Christie didn’t take the statue, yet the party continued. There was a dessert reception immediately following the show, where we were free to do all the requisite networking mumbo jumbo. For dessert there was tiramisu served in mini chocolate cups. With a meager attempt at responsibility, we left at a reasonable hour, only to find out later that Julie Christie and Sarah Polley showed up only an hour after our departure. Yes, it’s exceptionally lame that a 67-year-old stayed out later than we did, but ships in the night and all that.

Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy

My 2007 Oscar Predictions:

Best Pic: No Country for Old Men
Best Director: Coen Bros
Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis
Best Actress: Julie Christie
Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem
Best Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett
Best Original Screenplay: Juno/ Michael Clayton
Best Adapted Screenplay: No Country for Old Men
Cinematography: No Country for Old Men
Editing: No Country for Old Men
Art Direction: Sweeney Todd
Costume: La Vie en Rose / Atonement
Original Score: Atonement
Original Song: Once
Makeup: La Vie en Rose
Sound: No Country for Old Men
Visual: TransformersForeign Language: The Counterfeiters
Documentary: No End in Sight
Animated: Ratatouille

Senses Working Overtime

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Things are going well with my new gig so far, although I can’t exactly say I’m running the company yet or cutting deals with Amy Pascal. I am picking up a lot, though, mostly about how to swallow my pride and learn to wait my turn. Some days are more humbling than others, especially when I’m left standing around like Anne Hathaway. Sometimes, I get to ride a golf cart around the Sony lot, and it doesn’t really get more exciting than that*. If I’m going to do the office bit, I prefer to do it on a lot, which feels at times like wandering around on a college campus. I’m still astounded by the names that fly around the office, some of them ripped directly from the pages of Variety. I’m talking big, powerful people here. But, dear blahg, I’m going to be a Private Benjamin from now on, no hard feelings.


*Fun: When you're riding as a golf cart passenger, passing a tour group, hold a file folder up to your head and turn the other way. Then the group of tourists will assume you're somebody famous, and their digital cameras will flash.

And Don't the Kids Just Love It

My fourth annual Hearts in the Beerlight Valentine party last night was met with a pleasingly big turnout. It was held at The Bar on Sunset, which is a lounge-type of dive bar that only starts to fill up around midnight. Chocolate-dipped strawberries and heart-shaped cookies were served. Ex-boyfriends went home with ex- girlfriends, one peer shocked the crowd with the introduction of a 49-year-old British beau, and the singles didn’t seem too bitter. As I defended the holiday in my invitation: In a 1381 poem honoring the engagement of Richard II, Geoffrey Chaucer was the first person to associate love with Valentine’s Day. But I don’t really care about all of that. I like Valentine’s Day because it’s an excuse to get together with friends and wear pink. I forgot to wear pink, but nobody seemed to mind.

Run Down the Stairs

Went to a screening last night at ICM for Beaufort, the 2007 Israeli Oscar-nominated film. Beaufort tells the story of a young group of troops holding down fort during the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000. I don’t normally get into war movies, but the acting in this film is particularly moving, probably because all of the Israeli actors were once in the army. And the action is intense, too, with explosions, gun-fueled warfare, and grenades flying every which way. It was pretty good but, like so many other films, could’ve been better if they just shaved off about fifteen minutes.