Switching Gears

I crossed some movies off my Oscar List today, and added "The Departed" as the winner for 2006. This week I have to cancel my Zip.ca subscription. Put it on hold for awhile. Until I'm more financially free to pursue dvd hobbies again. So, it might be a little bit before I get back to this one. I have seen a lot of movies so far though! Many that I would never have sought out otherwise. So I'm pleased with the progress so far. Now, I'll switch gears. Next up is the books. Novels take longer to complete. But I live within walking of the library. So this is an inexpensive (as long as I don't miss library deadlines) mission to complete. Now, I just need to find out their hours. It seems they are a bit wanky.

Ch-Ch-Changes

Okay, so I moved and some of my 101 are no longer possible as a result. So I amended the list. SHoot me! Here's where we stand:

9. Become involved in drama, either theatre or film production, on a regular basis. (i.e. like join the film co-op or get into a theatre club, etc.)

This is something I've been thinking on for a long time. It's time to take some action.

37. Create something new to workshop with writers every month.

Being back on the river puts me in contact with my old writing group of peers. And we're going to start meeting again regularly. And I need to get on the ball and start producing some new stuff!!

61. Walk to French Fort Cove for a day of writing.

Originally, this was the hike to Silver Lake. French Fort Cove is much closer to me here than that was in Sackville. Still, it's far enough that I might be daunted. And it would be good for me.

66. Attend at least two of the Miramichi's many summer festivals.

Cuz I'm here and I haven't done any of this stuff. Sometimes you need to be the tourist in your own backyard.

Best Pictures & An Update

I've been slugging away at the Oscar-winning films list. Thoroughly enjoyed You Can't Take It With You. The common consensus is that it's not as good as It's a Wonderful Life, but I don't know. It's more screwball is all, which I kinda like.

Due to my move to Miramichi, I have to rethink some of my 101 things, the ones that were geared toward Sackville in particular. Need to think of new ones, perhaps goals that are geared to Miramichi in particular. But I need to think on that some more, before I edit the list. Soon.

Catch Up

I've been doing stuff and not getting here to cross it off and update. So here's what's been going on.

13. Hang things in your apartment, from the ceiling and on the walls.

So I hung two calendars and two pictures. The calendars are art calendars, Van Gogh and Klimt, which I plan to turn around and frame my favourites at the end of the year. I really liked the picture frames I bought and now of course I can't find any more like them anywhere, though the other day I saw some different ones that I might pick up. The bottom line though is that while I am making progress I cannot cross this off yet because the main thing I want to accomplish is to get the lamp out of the box behind my couch and hang it downstairs in the foyer/library. So, there you go.

20. Watch all the Oscar winning Best Pictures.

Moving right along on this one thanks to Zip.ca. Last week I watched Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca. This weekend I look forward to On the Waterfront. I've been doing pretty good at crossing them off the list here.

32. Go to the Farmer's Market every weekend for a month.

I really want to cross this one off . . . I went three weeks in a row and then . . . well, you know how it is. So I'm keeping it on the list because Autumn is practically here and I'll want to cocoon and I need to keep as many incentives on my list as possible to get me up and out of here.

43. See more live bands and concerts.

Trish and I went to George's Roadhouse for blues band, but that's not enough to consider this a successful venture. The journey continues.

65. Buy a lottery ticket.

Success! I bought one! Nope, didn't win a penny, but I took the venture.

69. Go to an event or concert alone.

So I went to an art opening on my own. But I was distraught over the kids and only stayed a few minutes and met nobody new, so I don't think it counts. I'll try again.

98. Give Nick a bath.

Cha-ching! Been there, done that! He was not all that happy with me, but finally I was able to completely trim his fuzzyness and put him in the tub. I guess he knows who the leader of the pack is now, eh?

And that's all she wrote. I've got some other stuff on the go, like reading certain books and drinking lots of water and eating breakfast, but nothing else complete or near complete. Nothing else to report for the time being.

Ripping Your Heart Out

Why is it that all these Oscar winning movies rip the heart and soul right out of you? How come a really rollicking good time movie never wins best picture? Like There's Something about Mary or Wedding Crashers or even Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle. We really should reward the comedies that actually work, celebrate them, because so many are just so terribly done these days.

This weekend I watched The English Patient. Oy! Yes, I've seen bits and pieces before. Yeah, I was sort of dreading watching this one because my feeling was it was long and boring and slow. I think you need a certain level of maturity to embark on this Academy Award Winning viewing blitz that I lacked before. I had the same feeling with Out of Africa and ended up loving it. But my God! This one ripped the guts right out of me. Am I just getting sentimental in my old age? Thankfully I've been granted a slight reprieve in my Oscar quest as the second season of Deadwood begins to trickle in.

He Was Not Mine

Tonight I watched Academy Award Winning Best Picture of 1985, Out of Africa. Have seen bits and pieces before, maybe the entire thing, but never in one sitting.

What are you doing New Year's Eve?

Been watching some of my Oscar movies. Just finished Marty. God I love the old movies!

Also watched The Godfather (which I've never seen in its entirety in a single sitting) and I've got The Godfather Part II in hand. Think I'll save it for the weekend though. It's a long one. The Godfather Part III didn't win, but still I've got it enroute so I can complete the trilogy.

In other tasks news I read three chapters of The DaVinci Code last night, sometimes my eyes glaze over and I need to slap my hand away from ripping out a dozen pages that aren't really necessary, but other than that, I'm doing fine with that one. I ate breakfast today, but it wasn't really a planned thing, I just happened to be hungry because I went to bed last night hungry. However, if it happens again tomorrow, I'll be on my way toward crossing something off!

It Happened One Night

Watched this 1934 Oscar winning film this afternoon. Turns out I had seen it before, but didn't mind watching it again. Clark Gable is always a cool dude. Watching early movies, I'm always struck by the writing. Before technology and special effects, all they had was writing and acting, and it works. I think we've lost something since these simpler times. Anyway, one down, many more to go.

Films Update

I modified my Zip.ca list so now the only thing on it are Oscar winning films I have yet to see, the second season of Deadwood and the fourth season of Queer as Folk. I plan to cancel my membership once I've seen Deadwood, but since it's only recently come out on dvd and seems in high demand even though I've flagged it for ASAP it could still take awhile. In the meantime I'll finish up with QAF and get a bunch of movies crossed of my list. On average I probably watch about 10 Zip movies per month, so actually if I stayed with it, I could totally see them all by the end of the year. Not too shabby.

The Oscars #20

20. Watch all the Oscar winning Best Pictures.

Here is the list. How many have you seen? Films I've seen are crossed out if I have a vivid recollection of watching. If I've only some vague idea that I might have seen the movie I haven't crossed them off because I intend to watch them again. And some, especially the older ones and the ones from the 80's, I just really want to watch again, so I haven't crossed them off yet, even if I'm totally certain I've seen them.

1927/28 (1st)OUTSTANDING PICTURE* Paramount Famous Lasky -- Wings

1928/29 (2nd)OUTSTANDING PICTURE* Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer -- The Broadway Melody

1929/30 (3rd)OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION* All Quiet on the Western Front -- Universal

1930/31 (4th)OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION* Cimarron -- RKO Radio

1931/32 (5th)OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION* Grand Hotel -- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

1932/33 (6th)OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION* Cavalcade -- Fox

1934 (7th)OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION* It Happened One Night -- Columbia

1935 (8th)OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION* Mutiny on the Bounty -- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

1936 (9th)OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION* The Great Ziegfeld -- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

1937 (10th)OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION* The Life of Emile Zola -- Warner Bros.

1938 (11th)OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION* You Can't Take It with You -- Columbia

1939 (12th)OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION* Gone with the Wind -- Selznick International Pictures

1940 (13th)OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION* Rebecca -- Selznick International Pictures

1941 (14th)OUTSTANDING MOTION PICTURE* How Green Was My Valley -- 20th Century-Fox

1942 (15th)OUTSTANDING MOTION PICTURE* Mrs. Miniver -- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

1943 (16th)OUTSTANDING MOTION PICTURE* Casablanca -- Warner Bros.

1944 (17th)BEST MOTION PICTURE* Going My Way -- Paramount

1945 (18th)BEST MOTION PICTURE* The Lost Weekend -- Paramount

1946 (19th)BEST MOTION PICTURE* The Best Years of Our Lives -- Samuel Goldwyn Productions

1947 (20th)BEST MOTION PICTURE* Gentleman's Agreement -- 20th Century-Fox

1948 (21st)BEST MOTION PICTURE* Hamlet -- J. Arthur Rank-Two Cities Films

1949 (22nd)BEST MOTION PICTURE* All the King's Men -- Robert Rossen Productions

1950 (23rd)BEST MOTION PICTURE* All about Eve -- 20th Century-Fox

1951 (24th)BEST MOTION PICTURE* An American in Paris -- Arthur Freed, Producer

1952 (25th)BEST MOTION PICTURE* The Greatest Show on Earth -- Cecil B. DeMille, Producer

1953 (26th)BEST MOTION PICTURE* From Here to Eternity -- Buddy Adler, Producer

1954 (27th)BEST MOTION PICTURE* On the Waterfront -- Sam Spiegel, Producer

1955 (28th)BEST MOTION PICTURE* Marty -- Harold Hecht, Producer

1956 (29th) BEST MOTION PICTURE* Around the World in 80 Days -- Michael Todd, Producer

1957 (30th)BEST MOTION PICTURE* The Bridge on the River Kwai -- Sam Spiegel, Producer

1958 (31st)BEST MOTION PICTURE* Gigi -- Arthur Freed, Producer

1959 (32nd)BEST MOTION PICTURE* Ben-Hur -- Sam Zimbalist, Producer

1960 (33rd)BEST MOTION PICTURE* The Apartment -- Billy Wilder, Producer

1961 (34th)BEST MOTION PICTURE* West Side Story -- Robert Wise, Producer

1962 (35th)BEST PICTURE* Lawrence of Arabia -- Sam Spiegel, Producer

1963 (36th)BEST PICTURE* Tom Jones -- Tony Richardson, Producer

1964 (37th)BEST PICTURE* My Fair Lady -- Jack L. Warner, Producer

1965 (38th)BEST PICTURE* The Sound of Music -- Robert Wise, Producer

1966 (39th)BEST PICTURE* A Man for All Seasons -- Fred Zinnemann, Producer

1967 (40th)BEST PICTURE* In the Heat of the Night -- Walter Mirisch, Producer

1968 (41st)BEST PICTURE* Oliver! -- John Woolf, Producer

1969 (42nd)BEST PICTURE* Midnight Cowboy -- Jerome Hellman, Producer

1970 (43rd)BEST PICTURE* Patton -- Frank McCarthy, Producer

1971 (44th)BEST PICTURE* The French Connection -- Philip D'Antoni, Producer

1972 (45th)BEST PICTURE* The Godfather -- Albert S. Ruddy, Producer

1973 (46th)BEST PICTURE* The Sting -- Tony Bill, Michael Phillips and Julia Phillips, Producers

1974 (47th)BEST PICTURE* The Godfather Part II -- Francis Ford Coppola, Producer; Gray Frederickson and Fred Roos, Co-Producers

1975 (48th)BEST PICTURE* One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest -- Saul Zaentz and Michael Douglas, Producers

1976 (49th)BEST PICTURE* Rocky -- Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff, Producers

1977 (50th)BEST PICTURE* Annie Hall -- Charles H. Joffe, Producer

1978 (51st)BEST PICTURE* The Deer Hunter -- Barry Spikings, Michael Deeley, Michael Cimino and John Peverall, Producers

1979 (52nd)BEST PICTURE* Kramer vs. Kramer -- Stanley R. Jaffe, Producer

1980 (53rd)BEST PICTURE* Ordinary People -- Ronald L. Schwary, Producer

1981 (54th)BEST PICTURE* Chariots of Fire -- David Puttnam, Producer

1982 (55th)BEST PICTURE* Gandhi -- Richard Attenborough, Producer

1983 (56th)BEST PICTURE* Terms of Endearment -- James L. Brooks, Producer

1984 (57th)BEST PICTURE* Amadeus -- Saul Zaentz, Producer

1985 (58th)BEST PICTURE* Out of Africa -- Sydney Pollack, Producer

1986 (59th)BEST PICTURE* Platoon -- Arnold Kopelson, Producer

1987 (60th)BEST PICTURE* The Last Emperor -- Jeremy Thomas, Producer

1988 (61st)BEST PICTURE* Rain Man -- Mark Johnson, Producer

1989 (62nd)BEST PICTURE* Driving Miss Daisy -- Richard D. Zanuck and Lili Fini Zanuck, Producers

1990 (63rd)BEST PICTURE* Dances With Wolves -- Jim Wilson and Kevin Costner, Producers

1991 (64th)BEST PICTURE* The Silence of the Lambs -- Edward Saxon, Kenneth Utt and Ron Bozman, Producers

1992 (65th)BEST PICTURE* Unforgiven -- Clint Eastwood, Producer

1993 (66th)BEST PICTURE* Schindler's List -- Steven Spielberg, Gerald R. Molen and Branko Lustig, Producers

1994 (67th)BEST PICTURE* Forrest Gump -- Wendy Finerman, Steve Tisch and Steve Starkey, Producers

1995 (68th)BEST PICTURE* Braveheart -- Mel Gibson, Alan Ladd, Jr. and Bruce Davey, Producers

1996 (69th)BEST PICTURE* The English Patient -- Saul Zaentz, Producer

1997 (70th)BEST PICTURE* Titanic -- James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers

1998 (71st)BEST PICTURE* Shakespeare in Love -- David Parfitt, Donna Gigliotti, Harvey Weinstein, Edward Zwick and Marc Norman, Producers

1999 (72nd)BEST PICTURE* American Beauty -- Bruce Cohen and Dan Jinks, Producers

2000 (73rd)BEST PICTURE* Gladiator -- Douglas Wick, David Franzoni and Branko Lustig, Producers

2001 (74th)BEST PICTURE* A Beautiful Mind -- Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, Producers

2002 (75th)BEST PICTURE* Chicago -- Martin Richards, Producer

2003 (76th)BEST PICTURE* The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King -- Barrie M. Osborne, Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, Producers

2004 (77th)BEST PICTURE* Million Dollar Baby -- Clint Eastwood, Albert S. Ruddy and Tom Rosenberg, Producers

2005 (78th)BEST PICTURE* Crash -- Paul Haggis and Cathy Schulman, Producers

2006 (79th) BEST PICTURE* The Departed -- Graham King, Producer