Oscar Night

So the Oscars are tonight and we have nothing planned. Mostly because neither Mike nor I really give a crap about award shows. I kinda watch it in the background so I can mock the dresses (and admire the one or two that are actually lovely), and because my mother always emails or calls with a comment on a dress, so I need to know what she's talking about. That's a throwback to when I was little and would sit on her big bed with her and watch the awards and we'd comment on every dress we saw and talk about how we'd change it, or how the actress must have been blind when she picked it out, or just paid to wear it. But that was before I'd gone to a prom or been a bride, so I guess there was more magic in dreaming of myself in fancy dresses then.
*Sweeping fond memory music fade-out...

I know she won't, but I kinda hope Meryl Streep wins for her portrayal of Julia Child simply because I really enjoyed that movie (Meryl's half anyway), and, well... it's Meryl Streep. But then I haven't seen most of the movies that are nominated, so I don't know if Sandra Bullock really did make such a fabulous true-life story. (But then, she only went blonde, and usually you have to go Ugly, Fat, Abused, or Prostitute to win a real-life story. See:
Charlize Theron in Monster
Julia Roberts (Push-Up City) in Erin Brockovitch
Halle Berry in Monster's Ball
Adrien Brody in The Pianist
Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby & Boys Don't Cry
that was a very long parenthetical example.)
The aforementioned theory will be proved true once again when "Precious" wins for something... most likely Mo'Nique for playing an abusive mother in a horrifying story, but done very well.

Aaaaaaaaaanyhoo... there are certain actresses I automatically want to win whenever they are nominated just because I love them in general. It's a total knee-jerk reaction. These actresses include, but are not limited to:
Meryl Streep
Judi Dench
Helen Mirren
Maggie Smith
Emma Thompson
Kate Winslet

I just really enjoy them as actresses (and just realized they're all British... ah well. No real surprise there if you know me.) and I will pretty much watch anything they are in. I think I must especially like the first 4 on that list because as they have aged, they have gotten to play strong women, and not really compromised themselves. I don't think the latter two have compromised themselves either... they are just newer to my "I really like them" party.

The only other reason I would want to watch the Oscars would be for the excuse to throw a party, but as I have mentioned in the past, 98% of my friends live in Brooklyn (or other states) and so throwing a party at my place is a haul for everyone and so does not happen very often, much to the chagrin of my innate hostess/den mother leanings.

Aside: this is a picture from the first, and possibly only, Oscar party I have ever attended. I think it was around 1998... we were all so wee! But it was also an excellent excuse to wear our prom dresses & tuxes from the previous year again, so, bonus! And yes, that's totally sparkling cider we are drinking. We were not an after-school special.

On a final movie-musing note: of late I have been wishing for new movies starring just Alan Rickman as Severus Snape, or just Maggie Smith as McGonagall. Seriously. The hell with Harry and his crew. I like the teachers! And Hogwarts. Ignoring the fact that (SPOILERS!!! if you're the last person on earth who hasn't read the books) the place is blown to hell and all, and that Dumbledore is dead (I still miss Richard Harris in this), I want more stories! Go back in time before Harry Potter and talk about normal students who were not destined to fight John Steed's uncle from Hell and pick another 3 kids to follow about. It's not like Harry was that interesting to start with. I'm sure it could be done... sorta.
Boo.

I really do have this problem a lot. I always enjoyed reading books that were in a series because I would get really attached to the characters, and not want to let go of them after only one book. Sometimes I got so attached that it lead to instances of full-on tears when some characters died... but I'll leave that for another post about books and nerd-dom.

 I hope those of you that care about the Oscars are spending it in the fashion that you enjoy. We shall be dining on teriyaki hanger steak and hoping that Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin can move the show along so it isn't 6 hrs of commercials.
Which with 10 nominations for Best Picture, you know it's going to be... better go make sure I've got enough Marquis in the fridge!