The stars came out for the 2011 Academy Awards (broadcast as usual on ABC). Since my dear friend, "the lusciously-shrieking Al-Bal" needs my take I decided to review. The fractal cookie is Simple Gold Star--and now that you know that on with the review!
-
I long for the days when there was a tiny bit of surprise in the Academy Awards. The stunning upset in a major category, a Presenter going off-script and sending the show into a ditch, a Recipient doing something controversial, a total fashion disaster--anything to relieve the tedium. Sadly, this show didn't have it. Yes, co-hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway fell flat but I almost ended up to waiting for the next train wreck of a script. Hathaway had no fewer than eight costume changes and looked fabulous in all of them (even the Tux) and gave it a game try even when the material was drek (and there was much drek in the show). I'd say Franco "phone in" his performance (but I think his phone broke early in the show). He'd clearly given up before the first hour had rolled by.
-
As for the awards, there were no surprises their either: The King's Speech took Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay awards and Colin Firth snagged the Best Actor statuette. Only Geoffrey Rush lost out (to Christian Bale) in the Best Supporting Actor category. Natalie Portman, as expected, won Best Actress for Black Swan (and looked utterly fabulous in her draped purple gown.) Best Supporting Actress Melissa Leo dropped the "F" Bomb but she dropped an even BIGGER bomb with a gown that looked like a bunch of doilies crocheted together.
-
Speaking of fashion--my "Best Dressed for the night was 14 year-old Hailee Steinfeld looking awesome (and age-appropriate in a beaded pink tea-length gown and diamond headband. There were reports she helped design the dress (and if this is true she could certainly show a lot of older gals how to do it for later awards shows). Other standouts on the carpet included Penelope Cruz (in flaming red fabulosity): Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Lawrence and Anne Hathaway's arrival gowns were varying shades ofred and all great looking. Another favorite (for me at least--although many "fashionistas" might disagree was MIla Kunis in lavender and lace. (To quote Garth <Dana Carvey> in a recent SNL skit "I could make a mila off her kunis!")
-
There were a lot of looks that were OK but didn't make me go gaga. Halle Berry (in a nude-colored ruffle and crystal encrusted confection), Reece Witherspoon (looking retro-chic), and Jennifer Hudson (showing off her bangin' body in tangerine satin). Gwyneth Paltrow donned a sparkly silver column dress with flatironed hair that was straight out of 1966 (and carried it off): too bad she felt a need to sing on the show. Michelle Williams looked like a ghost in a dress that was the same shade as her skin and hair.
-
As far as "worst-dressed goes" there were no utter disasters: even Helena Bonhomme Carter's steampunk-influenced corset and pouffy black-velvet skirt wasn't utterly horrible. Russell Brand didn't approach Mickey Roarke horror in his black and blue ensemble but at least he gave the folks something to talk about. Sharon Stone had a bad pompadour and an explosion on one boob but I didn't hate it utterly: the same could be said for Marissa Tomei's ill-fitting vintage gown. A lot of fashionistas loved Cate Blanchett in her fashion-forward purple and yellow: me, I thought it looked like a wedding cake threw up on her. Florence Welch would have looked fabulous--at a wedding in 1977 (I think my sister Tanya worse pretty close to this dress at her wedding) but it didn't work on the Red Carpet.
-
There was one interesting (at least semi-controversial) bit during the show: it came during the acceptance speech for Best Documentary. Charles Fergusson had just won for Inside Job (commenting on the recent financial meltdown) began his speech by saying: "forgive me, I must start by pointing out that three years after our horrific financial crisis caused by massive fraud, not a single financial executive has gone to jail, and that's wrong." Yes, it's political (and, yes, I find myself agreeing it to this) but, more than anything, I'm just glad there was a bit of excitement in the show!
-
So, there you have it, this year's Oscars in a nutshell. Hopefully next year will be even better!
-
'nuff said.
I chose Squared Arabic 30 as today's fractal image mainly because it's a cool image and because I think the color is a little like a tiger. Why is that important? Check out today's post to find out!
-
It seems that "photo follies" aren't restricted to the Republican side of the Congressional aisle. Now Representative David Wu (D-OR) has his own "scandalette" to deal with. For reasons unknown and unexplained (other than by "I wasn't in a good place then") the man sent photos of himself wearing a tiger costume (at 1:00 AM from his private congressional account). Yesterday I had a good link to the story from The Washington Post but I can't find it today: still--here's a link to their follow-up on the story. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/22/AR2011022206844.html .
-
IMHO this wasn't as "white trash" as the married congressman who sent shirtless pix of himself to a woman not his wife but it's still decidedly DUMB! In the Post article Wu says "I think a take-home lesson from this is while they were very, very unprofessional, you shouldn't ever send photographs of yourself in a Halloween costume." Dude--duh! This sort of things makes folks question your judgement: if you do something this dumb in one aspect of your professional life (not matter how stressful your personal life might be) it's going to cause repercussions.
-
Wu said he sought "professional help" for his trouble and I truly hope he did. Dunno anything about the guy (other than that he's a 7 term Congressman from his district--which means the folk ther like him). Still, this is truly stupid: luckily for him stupidity isn't a criminal offense--otherwise this guy would be doing a looon stretch in the hoosegow. Let's hope he gets better.
-
'nuff said.
Since Gnomeo and Juliet takes place mostly in a garden I chose In The Garden as today's fractal cookie. (Notice also the prominence of red and blue in the image--which highlights an important point of the movie. So, on with the review!
-
Lets start with a tawdry confession: I hate to admit it but I don't find Garden Gnomes at all cute. In fact, I think they're kind of creepy (and I'm not EVEN going to get into a discussion of the people who feel the need to display these horrid little critters as yard art). As such, I didn't have high hopes for Gnomeo and Juliet. Furthermore, Romeo and Juliet has been re-set countless times and ways (West Side Story and The Fantastics to name two) Still, Robyn wanted to go and the afternoon was cold and rainy so off to the theater we went. Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be a pretty good little movie.
-
Yes, you've heard the story before (the plot was probably old when William Shakespeare wrote the source material) and yes, the endless "gnome" jokes and wordplay can be a bit labored at times. Likewise, some of the Elton John songs seems a bit shoehorned in but that's surprisingly OK. The voice cast is where Gnomeo and Juliet really shines. James McAvoy gives Gnomeo the right combination of sweetness and swagger while Emily Blunt as Juliet sells pluck and cuteness wholesale. Jim Cummings as Featherstone the daft, love-crazed Flamingo channels Father Guido Sarducci but it totally works. Jason Satham oozes "badass" as Tybalt (about the only "nasty" character in the flick). Fine supporting work is turned in by Michael Caine (Lord Redbrick) and Maggie Smith (Lady Bluebury), the heads of the rival clans of gnomes. The addition of Ozzy Osbourne gives Fawn a weird mix of menace and addlepatedness. Hulk Hogan has a shriekingly funny cameo as the pitchman for the Terrafirminator. Patrick Stewart channels his American Dad character for the voice of Bill Shakespeare.
-
Is Gnomeo and Juliet a great movie? No, but it's a pretty good little movie. The kids can enjoy the action while the adults can find lots of humor to enjoy. The pace never lags so you don't have to start thinking about where the film slips. This is a good movie for Mom and Dad to enjoy with the kids but don't feel like you need to run out and see it before it comes out on DVD.
-
FINAL GRADE: B
Today's fractal "cookie" is Shadowrose. I picked it because it is a fairly simple, black-and-white image--quite similar to the issue on which I will be ranting. That being said, lets get on with it, shall we?
-
Saw something on this today's Good Morning America (2/17/11) that I found equally fascinating and horrifying. George Stephanopolous interviewed Congressman (and Tea Party Caucus head honcho) Michelle Bachmann (R-MN). Most of the commentary was pretty much "business as usual" (which I honestly don't have a problem with) but there were a couple of things which really made my head want to explode. Here's a link to the entire interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkX8EnkfEVg . First she was asked about her criticism of First Lady Michelle Obama advocating breast feeding to prevent obesity, (stating it promoted a "Nanny State"). When asked about the commentary Bachmann turned it into some strange diatribe on "Governmental Social Engineering" and the Tax Code--without really answering the question. (I get not wanting "governmental social engineering" but I just don't get why anyone--Republican or Democrat--would object to the First Lady coming out in favor of breast feeding.)
-
Shortly afterward she was asked about the "Birther" issue. For those of you living under a rock, this is the prevalent belief among a lot of folks--primarily Republican but not exclusively--that President Obama wasn't born in the United States (making him not a citizen) and isn't a Christian. (A recent poll had 58% of Republicans in Iowa actually believing this nonsense.) Although asked several times, Bachmann dodged the issue, refusing to give a direct answer. While researching this post I found another clip (this one from Larry King Live) where she pretty much did the same thing. (For those of you who doubt me, check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkX8EnkfEVg ). Her answer was "I have to take the President at his word"--which addresses without answering the question.
-
The issues aside (although there's material for several posts in there), I'm getting thoroughly disgusted with Politicians who simply don't seem to be able to give straight answers to direct questions. I first noticed this during the last Vice Presidential Debates (Sarah Palin was notorious for this.) Sadly, the disease seems to be catching on in all candidates. What on Earth is wrong with answering a direct question with a simple "yes I do" or "no I don't"? Has the fear of "offending their base" become so prevalent that no Politician will go on record for anything--no matter how basic? (In the case of Obama's citizenship it's a matter of Public Record NOT opinion.)
-
It's mind-boggling to me that we even have to be discussing this in this day and age. Facts are facts and there shouldn't be a need for equivocation. I'd love to go back to good old days where Politicians just said what they thought but, sadly, I guess this won't happen.
-
Think about it.
-
'nuff said.
I chose 4 Red Rings as today's fractal "cookie" because of the red, white and blue color scheme. It's "all-American"--just like this rant! So--if you love juicy scandal just as much as I do, sit back and enjoy this one!
-
Ran across an interesting story earlier this morning: Republican Chris Lee from upstate New York suddenly resigned after gossip web site Gawker.com published a shirtless photo he sent to a woman he met at a "women seeking men" posting on Craigslist. (Here's the link to the story I published on my Facebook page: http://znmoment.amplify.com/2011/02/09/i-am-too-sexy-for-my-shirt-congressman-resigns-amid-craigslist-scandal/ .) My FB friends can find a really interesting and lengthy conversation regarding the scandal.
-
Gawker.com had the photos and e-Mail for a week before publishing (in order to verify their authenticity). Still, 3 1/2 hours after the story and pictures broke Representative Lee resigned. His resignation letter said: "It has been a tremendous honor to serve the people of Western New York. I regret the harm that my actions have caused my family, my staff and my constituents. I deeply and sincerely apologize to them all. I have made profound mistakes and I promise to work as hard as I can to seek their forgiveness."
-
What wasn't obvious as the story broke was a few interesting details that didn't make it into the early reportage. Representative Lee tried to be clever (my opinion) by not using his real name and by not admitting to profession in his flirtation. Still, he sent this lady the shirtless pic and the photo that was on his professional web site. Dunno why the lady in question felt the need to run them through a photo matching program to see who he really was. I also don't know why she felt the need to send them to Gawker but I'm sure glad she did! (I love the smell of scandal in the morning.) Further, there are reports that House Speaker John Boehner (R/Ohio) had warned him about partying with femal lobbyists. Oh, and one more bit of delightful dirt, turns out Representative Lee had recently spoken to a group of youngster regarding the "dangers of the Internet". Too bad he didn't listen to his own advice. Talk about putting the "duh!" in dumb!
-
In all honesty, I've got to say I feel sorry for the guy's wife and child. They don't deserve what's going to happen to them because of Representative Lee's "little mistake." But, also in all honesty, I have to say that I love it when folks who cloak themselves in "family values" and wrap themselves in the flag get brought low by their own stupidity. The fact that he was so quick to quit makes me wonder what else is going to come out about the guy--but I guess we're just going to have to wait to see what, if anything, falls out.
-
You'd think politicians would learn: times have changed! These days there is no such thing as a "cloak of invisibility." The press isn't going to cover up your indiscritions like they did in the good old days. Step out of line, you're going to get caught! Still, Representative Lee has one thing he can take comfort in--he looks half way good without a shirt. That pic is going to be out there for a very long time--and it would be even worse if he looked bad! Who knows? Maybe he'll have a new career as a centerfold...
-
'nuff said.
This Floral Fantasy fractal pretty much screams 60s. That's why I chose it for my review of Hair. Hmm--that was remarkably simple... Ah well--on with the review!
-
I've been fascinated by Hair (the musical not the stuff that grows on heads and other places) since my early teens: I had become aware of the musical through movies like The Music Man, West Side Story and Gypsy which used to play pretty regularly on Thursday Night at the Movies. (Does anyone remember those?) Still, Broadway was a long way away from the sleepy little desert town where I grew up--and there was no way I was going to go. Still, my next door neighbor Donald Ray Hale had an 8-Track tape of the show (dunno how he got it or why) but it seemed to be playing almost every time I was over there--hence I got pretty familiar with the show. Then Hair came to Los Angeles for an extended run (like two years) at the Aquarius Theater. Turned out my sister Syn Dee lived not too far from that storied venue (yeah right!) and we'd drive by it several times whenever we went to visit. For the first time there was the possibility I could see a real, live Broadway Show!
-
But sadly, that dream was never to be: my sisters (with the possible exception of Tanya--who I never asked) weren't interested in seeing the show and I doubt my parents would have wanted me to see anything that glorified sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll (and lets not forget the NUDITY!!!) Soon enough the 60s faded and Hair, the Tribal-Love Rock Musical (as it was called back then) faded with them. There was an ill-conceived movie version in the early 80s but it was nothing short of horrible. Eventually though, like everything else, the endless recycling of pop culture brought back to the Broadway stage in 2009--a generation after it first premiered.
-
I was surprised to see how many people attended the Saturday matinee (and even more surprised to see how many people were my age or older: guess they saw it the it the first time around). The new production gets the American Idol treatment with bigger voices, higher notes, more complex runs and generally amped-up production values. The plot is barely sketched in and the characters are little more than stick (some might say schtick) figures but the songs we remember and all the irreverence that made the original so controversial back in the day are still there in spades. The second act is completely confusing (and much of it is pretty forgettable) and the show ends on an ambiguous (yet equally effective and disturbing) image that gives you a lot to ponder.
-
You can't fault the cast for their singing or acting (or their general willingness to "go there"). Everyone has good "rock-anthem" voices and nice lithe bodies for the dancing. We had seats in the Orchestra section so the cast spent some time in the aisles interacting with the audience. The costumes hearken back to a bygone day and the 11 piece on-stage band is first rate. There is a lot of irreverence (the nude scene is preserved although it's not featured nearly as prominently as the original--but maybe that was just because the show was in Orange County). The set was minimal but effective and the lighting was effective as any rock show.
-
Watching the show was a strange, bittersweet experience for me. (I was almost there back in the day.) The "Hippie" movement eventually helped end the Viet Nam War and gave rise to Women's Lib and Gay Liberation (good things in my book). Sadly, their children were the Yuppies (who gave rise to the ultimate in "me"-driven crass consumerism). It was an odd experience for me to look back on the good--and--bad--times back then. (The reality is that everything wasn't all "peace/love/joy")
-
Still, if you were "there" in the 60s (and want to remember) or even if, like me, you just wish you were, Hair is a fun trip down memory lane. Right-Wingers won't like it because of the anti-Establishment message not to mention the "disrespect" to the American Flag but if you can get past that I suggest you catch the show while you can.
-
FINAL GRADE: A
