Unpredictable.

There is no easy format for me scam the nominees because they all include links therefore you will have to check out the official Academy Award nominees with trailers yourself if you're interested. I'll merely add my predictions and the odd sardonic comment here and there.

As before, I'll list the winners with a BOLD for my desired win, some italics for what I think the Academy will choose and BOTH when they overlap. The only difference is that this time, I won't print out ALL the nominees, ONLY the ones that are pertinent (or silly), you'll have to hit the link above for that

Best Motion Picture:
Lots of choices (eight) and as usual I've only seen one of them ("Grand Budapest Hotel"). The only other one playing in Japan is "American Sniper" and I may see that if I ever get around to it. As much as I'd like to see "GBH" win, I have my doubts that a comedy will take it. I really want to see "Birdman" win it but alas, I fear that honour will go to "Boyhood". (Comments: "Selma" is a dark horse. I'd rather see "Snowcatcher" nominated than "Foxcatcher".)



Best Director: (or Best Achievement in Directing if you want to be pedantic.)
Alejandro González Iñárritu is the director of "Birdman" and it would be cool to see him win. I fear that the directing of "Boyhood" over a dozen years will force the Academy to give it to Richard Linklater just for his sticktoitness. (Comment: I know that with 8 Best Pictures, 3 Directors get the shaft, I did not think they'd ignore Clint.)

Best Actor: (Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role but everyone knows what they mean.)
I have a feeling that the Academy will throw "Birdman" a bone and let Michael Keaton the award and I couldn't be happier.  (Comment: I don't know what "Foxcatcher" is about but if Steve Carrel wins, I'll go catch a fox.)

Best Actress:
The only nominated movies I've seen is "Gone Girl" and Rosalind Pike was awesome so she gets my vote. Since Meryl Streep isn't nominated as Best this year, the Academy could choose anyone else, let's say Marion Coillard for no reason at all.

Best Supporting Actor:
Once again, NO idea about these flicks. I nominate J.K Simmons because J f'n K f'n Simmons was nominated for something! I will not be disappointed if they give the nod to Robert Duvall, it'll save them giving a Lifetime Achievement award later.

Best Supporting Actress:
I plan to go see "Into The Woods" but it doesn't open here for a few more weeks. Because it's Meryl singing, I don't think she'll get a nod from the powers that be so I'll choose Emma Stone because she is just awesome and speculate that Patricia Arquette will take it.

Best Screenplay Written for the Screen:
I'd like to see Grand Budapest Hotel get something. I have a feeling Boyhood is going to do some sweeping.

Best Writing from Another Media: (or whatever)
NO idea. "The Imitation Game" for no particular reason.

Best Animated Feature:
The only category I actually care about these days...
I was going to link a trailer from each toon but the Academy in all its wisdom has deemed trailers to be USA-worthy only. I'd like to see "Baymax (Big Hero Six)" win but I'll have to wait until it's on DVD for it's only shown in Japanese here. I saw "Princess Kaguya" over a year and a half ago and though it was visually striking, I found it to be a little dull. "The Boxtrolls" and "Song of the Sea" may never make it to Japan unless they win. I had a chance to see "How to Train Your Dragon 2" last summer but never got around to it and it has not yet been released here but that will be mine and the Academy's choice.

Note: I'm getting bored and sleepy since I haven't seen most of these anyway, really quick predictions.

Best Foreign Language:
"Ida" know! "Tangerines" because they're yummy.

Best Cinematography:
Me: "The GBH". Them: "Unbroken" (?)

Best Editing:
Come on, if a movie took twelve years to make and isn't a twelve year movie to watch, the editing must have been pretty damn good. "Boyhood".

Best Production Design:
Well, "Interstellar" has to win something. I won't mind if "Into the Woods" takes it.

Best Costume:
I would love to see "Malificent" take it but it'll probably go to "Mr. Turner".

Best Makeup (and Hairstyling? When did that get added into this category?)
 Let's go Guardians of the Galaxy!

Best Score:
 Hans Zimmer did a great job with "Interstellar" but I suspect Alexandre Desplat will get the nod for something since he was nominated twice, let's say "The Imitation Game".

Best Song:
Everything is Awesome is actually a send-up of all Best Songs so it'd be awesome if it won one. But then again, cool, Glen Campbell has a tune!

Best Sound Mixing:

There was sound in "Interstellar" even though much of it took place in space? "American Sniper" unless they used a silencer.

Best Sound Editing: (what's the difference?)

Same as above. (Comment: I'm sorry but anytime the Hobbit and the word editing are used together should be oxymoronic.)

Best Achievement in Special Effects:
Cool a category in which I have seen ALL of the nominees and it is a VERY close call. I'd like to see a Comic movie win it (esp. "Guardians of the Galaxy", though all are worthy) but I fear that the Academy will pooh-pooh that and grant it to "Interstellar".

Best Documentary, Feature and Best Documentary, Short:
I don't care.
Me: "Citizenfour". Them: "Last Days in Vietnam".
Me: "Our Curse" because it has the word Curse. Them: "White Earth"

Best Short Film, Animated:
Because "Me and My Moulton" is an NFB short, (Yay Canada!) AND I saw it, that'll be my choice. Them: "The Bigger Picture".

Best Short Film, Live:
I also don't care but Me: "Boogaloo and Graham" because it has the word Boogaloo. Them: "Parvaneh" because it's hard to pronounce.

Stay tuned tomorrow to see how many choices I got wrong!!!

Robot Monster.

On Monday, I had to teach some Grade One kids about "Shapes" (triangles, circles, squares, etc. NOT skinny, obese, buxom, etc.). Since I had a slight fever and a lack of energy due to a cold, after a rousing game of "draw various shapes on the blackboard while blindfolded", I got lazy and instructed them to draw Robots using the shapes we had learned. They all turned out fairly generic; here are some examples.

When I added "Spiral" to the mix asked the kiddies to draw monsters, that's when their creative juices began to flow.

This last one may have stretched the definition of the shapes he was allotted but this Gorgon is such a masterpiece that I couldn't possibly object. (Clash of the Titans was on TV the night before. I wonder if it was his inspiration.)

ANY of these creations are a superior example of a Robot Monster than this one!




ps. I absolutely hate it that 6/7-year old kids can draw better than me.

King Kong Kudos.

I'm a big fan of all versions of the movie King Kong. Then again, who isn't?

For those of you who've never seen the movie, Jonathon Winters can help you.



I don't ever recall seeing a novelization of King Kong but there was one written, even before the movie came out. I wouldn't mind reading that some day. In the meantime, I'll have to make do with the Japanese mangatized version of the story. Alas, only the first couple and last couple of pages are in colour.

 

 (No matter what I do, this picture won't rotate properly.)

Did you know that there was a Japanese version of the movie way back in 1933? Too bad it has been lost.

From the Wiki page,  "An obscure Japanese clone Japanese King Kong (和製キングコング Wasei Kingu Kongu), directed by Torajiro Saito featuring an all-Japanese cast and produced by the Shochiku company, was also released in 1933. Detailed information outside of Japan about this film cannot be found."

 And it has a sequel also mostly lost. "A Japanese-made monster/period piece that was produced by a company called Zensho Cinema in which King Kong attacks medieval Edo (modern Tokyo), and arguably Japan's first Kaiju (giant monster) film, predating Godzilla by sixteen years."

Without getting into the Toho KK vs. Godzilla (a story for another day), I'll leave you with the Japanese version of our favourite King Kong cartoon from the 60s.

Happy Baltan Day.

Sorry I've been incommunicado of late. Just lazy I guess.
I've spent Valentine's Day with the sniffles and three Robocop movies. Not a bad way to spend it, but it has certainly not ranked very high on my VD list.

Regrettably I was unable to find any Godzilla chocolates. I did though fine a can of choco-wafers featuring Ultraman vs Valentine Baltan. I wasn't sure what I was getting when I picked them up, and apart from the cool looking can, I was pretty much ripped off.

Also in a "looks cool but is ultimately a ripoff" would be these Star Wars VD gifts. The box looks nice, but it contains 9 mini-Rice Krispie cookies, I'm glad I only got the Millennium Falcon and not the Tie-Fighters.

Containing the same cookies are these little bags of SW-VD which come with a little strap. I gave them to each of Alex's kids.

These chocolates are well worth the price. Very tasty and a lot of effort was put into them. I gave them out to a dozen friends at dinner last week.

I was out for a few brew last night and picked up some Kitty cookies to give out to the female patrons, alas, it was naught but a sausage fest with no ladies in sight. I guess I'll have to give them out to my co-workers on Monday.

I hope you out there fare better with your Valentine's Day than I.

 
I don't know why Darth is so upset. She could be smooching her brother!