Oscar predictions and some other stuff
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Feb 25, 2007 
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A few Oscar predictions:
Best picture: I personally think “Letters From Iwo Jima” was the best film I saw all year. But “The Departed” probably wins and that’s fine.
Leading actor: The indicators point to Forest Whitaker. Finally saw the film a few nights ago and he was great. Underrated actor and has been for a long time.
Leading actress: I fully admit to not having seen several of the films. The buzz is for Helen Mirren but I’m rooting for Penelope Cruz.
Supporting actor: Marky Mark was the last man standing in “The Departed” and he should get something for that. Eddie Murphy? Hard to imagine. Kelly Leak? Even harder to imagine. I’ll pick Alan Arkin.
Supporting actress: Rinko Kikuchi should win but the unfortunate American Idolization of our culture means Jennifer Hudson wins.
Director: If Martin Scorsese doesn’t win, I may stop going to movies in protest. How does he not have a directing Oscar yet?
Documentary feature: This is a total lock for “An Inconvenient Truth.” Not only is it a well-done, thought-provoking film, but the Hollywood types love Al Gore.
The rest of the categories: Nobody cares. Admit it. Although “Children of Men” should win for cinematography and “Cars” for animated feature.
Meanwhile …
Music lately: On a total Elvis Costello kick. Hitting “all” on the iPod and seeing what comes up. I’m also on a strange country music fixation. Hank Williams, Joe Ely, Johnny Cash and even some Tim McGraw. Alison Krause and Emmylou Harris, too. It goes on and on. Don’t know what has come over me.
Television: Other than CNN, haven’t had it on since I got here. I’ll be all over Tivo once I get home to see what’s going on with “Heroes.” Nobody tell me.
Reading: Finally finished “Team of Rivals” by Doris Kearns Goodwin. I’m going to pick up either the Johnny Unitas or Pete Maravich biography next. Any non-fiction suggestions are welcome.
OK, back to baseball.
Hey Pete.
Have you read “Ladies and Gentleman, The Bronx is Burning” yet?
Just finished it and loved it!
Great look at NYC in the mid 70′s – fiscal crisis, mayoral race, the black-out and subsequent lootings, Son of Sam and of course the Billy/Reggie/Thurman/Boss (when he was the BOSS!) Yankees.
A great read!!
I’m getting the Maravich book.
I’m also rooting for Penelope Cruz.
Peter,
If you like Elvis Costello, and country, you should get your hands on all the Gram Parsons/Flying Burritos Brothers music that you can. And read my buddy Mark Kriegel’s Maravich book!
Enjoy,
Phil
I thought something at the end of the Departed was a little heavy handed for Scorsese (those who have seen it probably know what I’m talking about), but it probably deserves to win just because of all of his films that were overlooked. Plus, I thought Little Miss Sunshine was only average – a lot of people think that will be a surprise winner.
Doris Kearns Goodwin annoys me with that sappy Brooklyn Dodgers – Boston Red Sox crap. Stick it in her ear!
On the Sports Reporters just now:
What’s the difference between Alex Rodriguez and my labrador retriever?? Nothing….they both need to be petted 24/7.
ps….apparently an exclamation point isn’t considered ‘simple punctuation’ by ESPN.com as it is not allowed in the subject line.
Generation Kill…Evan Wright
The Bookseller of Kabul…Asne Seierstad
Blood Money…T. Christian Miller
All great nonfiction reads.
Thanks for the spoiler warning on The Departed, Pete. Appreciate it.
Only three animated films nominated? I’d go with Monster House, which was really cool in 3D. I heard Cars was absolutely moronic but I didn’t see it so I couldn’t say.
I imagine Pan’s Labyrinth will win some awards; maybe best foreign language.
Oh COME ON!! Why the hell would you put a spoiler in here? Thanks a lot, The Departed is now ruined.
Cars was not moronic. It was a good kid’s movie with amazing CGI.
Pete –
Elvis currently is not touring, but traditionally he hits the Beacon Theater once or twice a year. I’ve been to 4 or 5 shows – they must be seen. It’s one of my favorite venues, and Elvis is one of my favorite live performers
You really can’t go wrong with any of albums – Armed Forces, My Aim Is True, Blood and Chocolate, Imperial Bedroom, his stuff with Burt Bacharach…
There’s also free stuff on his website (www.elviscostello.com)
The first time I saw Elvis was on SNL. Here’s a video of the famous false start of “Less than Zero”, where he launches into “Radio Radio”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOuknbvu21Q
(much to the horror of Lorne Michaels, who banned him from the show for almost 20 years)
just for that departed spoiler, i was now spoil heroes for you by saying that sylar kills claire and peter
and I was 10mins away from watching “The Departed” for the first time when I decided to jump on the internet and see what the Yanks were up to….then I read that line about Dirk Diggler
Also, you take away Alan Arkin and a faulty VW Bus horn and “Little Miss Sunshine” is just as entertaining as “Drop Dead Fred”
Is that a spoiler?
Not if you never saw Drop Dead Fred.
I’m gonna have to watch tonite just to see the little girl from Sunshine speak normally. If that’s how she is in real life, somebody else got robbed. Wonder if she’ll make a political statement…
Pete, I recommend The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama for fantastic non-fiction.
Sylar…
SPOILER WARNING! Jk Peter, Heroes has kinda faded recently in my opinion!
If you haven’t seen The Departed yet, that’s your fault, not mine. Once a movie has been out this long, you run the risk. Guess what? They kill the shark at the end of Jaws. Grow up.
Scooter: I’m very well acquainted with Elvis. Saw him at Brown University 20 years ago. I have near all his records.
Helen Mirren has won every award in sight for The Queen and will win again here.
And ugh for the likely Al Gore win. “Global Warming”…what a bunch of hooey! I’m sitting through a blizzard after having everything shut down a few weeks ago due to the extreme cold!
But I guess “climate change” is the new religion.
C’mon Pete….no love for Borat??
How’s the Rolling Rock inventory up in Tampa? I’m trying to drink all of the Suncoast’s myself. The wife is thrilled, as you might imagine.
What the hell is wrong with you? The movie’s been on DVD for like 2 weeks. You think everyone who wants to see it has gotten the chance to rent it already? It’s not like the movie is 5 years old. God, screw you.
The angry posters are hilarious.
Rules of a blog:
It’s Pete’s so he can write what he wants when he wants. He doesn’t owe anything to you. Anyway, the “spoiler” he wrote about doesn’t reveal much about the movie anyway.
You really blew this one Pete.
Funny Peter, I’m reading “Team of Rivals” now.
I highly recommend “Shadow Divers” by Robert Kurson. Easily one of the best books I’ve ever read, if not the best. It’s nonfiction, and you can burn through it in a few days. It’ll be refreshing after having read that 1000-page monster.
Julian: In a shocking move, a lot of people gets killed in a Martin Scorsese movie about mobsters. Imagine that. Usually everybody lives happily ever after in those kind of films.
Wow, Julian, you’re really passionate about the whine.
Personally, I don’t get the hype about Sunshine. It was good, but not great. I don’t see how The Departed doesn’t win this one.
Talk about complete and unadulterated rubbish…Babel SUCKED
what a meaningless rambling on of uninteresting stories that were intertwined.
Also, I am far from a NeoCon but this thing reeked of liberal bullshit with the immigration and terrorists plot lines…..
The director should be beaten as he enters the theatre tonight…no chance this thing wins anything
Hey Pete.
I suggest picking up “The Tipping Point” by Malcolm Gladwell. It’s really interesting, and the sometime dense subject matter is offset by Gladwell’s awesome writing ability. I’ve been on a Spalding Gray kick (which I suppose counts as non-fiction).
Look, he can write whatever he wants. All I ask is two freakin’ words beforehand: SPOILER WARNING. That’s all. To act as if it’s my fault for not having watched it yet is ridiculous. There are many movies I’d like to see but haven’t gotten a chance to, and to have them spoiled for me on a YANKEES blog is annoying. Just give a warning, geez.
Pete thanks for ruining The Departed for me.
Stacey: You’re welcome. Somehow, I think it’ll still be watchable.
Does anyone remember years ago “The Daily Show” would do the weekend box office numbers in Italian? Anyway when “Saving Private Ryan” had just come out the narrator said (and here comes your SPOILER WARNING just below) with subtitles below that….
SPOILER WARNING
Tom Hanks dies……Lord was I seriously pissed
I don’t care that he included the spoiler, but he should have enough respect for his readers to include a spoiler warning. I thought that was pretty standard blog etiquette? Like someone above said, it’s only been out for rental for a couple weeks, and not all of us have cushy jobs covering the Yankees.
actually the films been out for about 5 years. I really don’t want Scorsese to win for the Departed. If it were better than the original film then fine, but it isn’t. If he’s to win I’d prefer to see him win for a truly great film. The Departed was a very well acted but lesser clone of Infernal Affairs with a bit of Infernal Affairs 2.
Non fiction recommendations: John Amaechi’s book “Man in the Middle” is really great. One of the most surprising and well-written sports biographies I’ve ever read.
If you can stand a major downer, but an amazing book – 102 Minutes – Jim Dwyer’s account of the 102 minutes from the time the first plane hit the tower until it fell.
I assume you’ve already read the Gehrig biography “Luckiest Man” as well as Madden’s Pride of October. If not, they’re both must reads.
Chappy: I think I respect my readers by posting to this blog as often as I do. And as for cushy jobs, I was at the ballpark today at 9 and I’m still working and my last day off was Feb. 11. I know I’m not digging ditches but I’m also not laying in the sun either.
Clare: Read 102 Minutes. Very well done. And Luckiest Man was excellent. I tend to pass on Yankee books because I’m around it all the time. I’d rather read something I don’t already know a lot about.
John: Borat … very nice. But it wasn’t nominated.
Look, seriously, The Departed is not the kind of movie ruined by knowing anything. It all happens so fast anyway. It’s a great film, so just go see it. Sorry if I spoiled anything but it has been out a while and I’ve read similar lines to what i wrote in many places.
“And ugh for the likely Al Gore win. “Global Warmingâ€?…what a bunch of hooey! I’m sitting through a blizzard after having everything shut down a few weeks ago due to the extreme cold!”
Yeah, that’s not how global warming works. Warm days in winter doesn’t prove global warming, and cold days in summer doesn’t disprove it. It’s a gradual change wherein a small variation, such as 1/4 of a degree, could have a major effect on the planet as a whole.
Unless you were joking, in which case I apologize for missing it.
Pete, I’d have to agree with you for the best actor nod. Saw the movie and I was amazed by the performance. The movie itself, not so much, but Forrest Whittaker was amazing.
As soon as the nominations came out, I read all the descriptions, blah, blah, and decided I didn’t want to pay my dime for Babel. But I was intrigued by the Little Miss Sunshine movie, but it has been playing exactly NOWHERE near me. So, I can’t figure that one out — wouldn’t they think people would want a second chance to see these movies?
I did see An Inconvenient Truth and I was blown away by it. I actually watched it twice (ppv at home). Great documentary. But I think Peter hit the nail on the head — Gore scores with Hollywood types.
Want a good movie? Watch Gone With the Wind on TCM this afternoon. Forgot how great it was. But, it should have ended on Gable’s exit line.
Pete,
I think it is great that you care enough to give us insight to your likes and dislikes. In 1992 I met Marky Mark at the Boston Music Awards…I would have never guessed then that that Calvin Klein wearin’, Southy rapper would have ever become the actor that he is today. He has come along way to me.
Alison Krause is one of my favorites too. The sound of her voice is like butter on hot bread.
Regular readers: Sorry for the people pretending they’re me and sending stupid posts. I deleted the messages. Hopefully their parents find out and take away their computers. If the name isn’t underlined, it isn’t me.
Anyway, enjoy the Oscars and ignore the trolls.
That Rich who dissed Peter wasn’t me.
I’m currently reading the Johnny Unitas book and recommend it highly!
It’s very VERY rare that you don’t get tired of listening to the same album. One exception for me is Alison Krauss’ Live album.
As for spoilers, no I didn’t see ‘The Departed’ and, yes, I whinced a bit when I read Peter’s entry but then I remembered that the universally understood statute of limitations had run out. Anyone getting uptight about a Departed spoiler now should be embarrassed to admit it.
Speaking of embarrassing, this Oscar show is pretty awful.
There’s actually two new Maravich books out there. I read, and enjoyed, them both. I would recommend MARAVICH by Federman and Terrill. It was written in collaboration with Pete’s widow and is loaded with incredible research and detail.
Pete,
Now that all the winners were revealed…as it turned out, if you ever get tired of being a sports beat writer (but that’s insane, who ever will?) you can always have a career change and start working in Hollywood. Your predictions were as accurate as it could be.