Oscar Countdown

Not much to write about today.

Audioslave is breaking up, Britney Spears is in rehab again, well as of right now. The Oscars are tomorrow night...

I guess this is as good an opportunity as any to speak on behalf of the awards that nobody bets on but to me are the four most important awards of the night. If you ever want to figure out which are the best films look for any that fall into or win multiples of these categories. Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing, and Best Cinematography.

The acting, directing and costuming awards are very important. Sound and effects are vital as well, but largely if your film is well written, well photographed, and then edited constructively you are a success. Your director and actors will look like geniuses. Trust me Forrest Whitikar needed more than one take for most of The Last King of Scotland. The editor took the best takes and placed them with other footage to create meaning. This may actually be a poor example, because The Last King of Scotland did not warrant an editing award, nor an award for direction...maybe Whittiker (how do you spell his name?) did do it on his own.

More to the point. A well made film is one with a good script, good visuals and good cuts...the acting will benefit from story and cutting...that's why I'm pretty certain the best film of the year was either Pan's Labyrinth or The Departed. Pan's Labyrinth should have been nominated for editing...any movie that is that scary and dramatic has got to be building tension through constructive editing...I personally thought that this was a trmendous snub.

I haven't seen each film in the best picture category, but recall it is only an opinion and my vote along with the 850 or so others would be lost.

The Departed was nominated for editing, and screenplay, a good combo.
Pan's Labyrinth was nominated for cinematography, and screenplay.

But did you know that The Children of Men was nominated for screenplay, editing and cinematography? In my formula I guess this must have been a great movie, and maybe it was I cannot comment. I can only speak to those I've seen.

Tomorrow watch for the glitz and glamour, as I will, but pay attention to the winners of these awards...the essences of storytelling and moviemaking are at stake. Oh and by the way I'm wearing Old Navy.