Surgery

March 13, 2017

So, I'm having my surgery at the end of this month  Not looking forward to it, but I have to do what I have to do.  No idea how long I'll be out of touch on the Internet.

Aside from the snafu at the end, what did you think of the Oscars?

I thought the Best Picture choice was the worst since 1952 when THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH beat out HIGH NOON, THE QUIET MAN, MOULIN ROUGE and IVANHOE.  Not even nominated that year were VIVA ZAPATA, THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL and, get this, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN.

MOONLIGHT has some wonderful performances, but for the Academy to vote it Best Picture was ridiculous; a totally politically correct decision. 

If you haven't seen the film, and the only reason I would recommend it is because of the performances, it's about a poor black gay kid who grows up to be a drug dealer.  Very uplifting, right?

BTW: MANCHESTER BY THE SEA, which won Best Actor, is just as depressing in other ways.

I've yet to see LA LA LAND, which was favored to win, but I certainly think that HACKSAW RIDGE and, especially, HELL OR HIGH WATER are much better and enduring films than MOONLIGHT.

And, I believe, that the Best Picture of the Year should be "enduring".  I may not always have agreed with the Academy's choices over the years, but most of the choices are movies that I could watch again...and again.

MOONLIGHT (and MANCHESTER BY THE SEA) are films that I would definitely not watch again.  Indeed, even after MOONLIGHT won the award, I know people who still have no interest in seeing it at all.  Not sure, but I believe it is one of the lowest grossing movies to have ever won the Oscar.

Did I tell you that I hate "politically correct"?

Finally, there are a couple of new reviews on the Best Bets on DVD site, accessible via the link in the Introduction section of this page.  They are NOCTURNAL ANIMALS and the new Criterion edition of BEING THERE.  So, please take a look.

Also, please think positive thought for me on the 23rd.

Have a creative week,

Michael