Oscar Sunday > Superbowl Sunday

Number of bacon-wrapped dates consumed: Many
Number dipped in chocolate fountain: Many
Number of Sparkly Soul headbands used as flapper headband: One
Weight, in pounds, of bag of Swedish Fish won: 1.9 (technically won by The Sailor in Oscar Bingo ... of course my initial reaction was "these will be great fuel for marathon training")
Number of Cotton Candy Machines won: Half - my dad and I tied on our Oscar ballots - we both picked 16 correctly, so we have to share the grand prize. However, combined with the Popcorn Machine I won at last year's party, I can host some pretty sweet movie nights someday.
Number of miles swam pre-party: One (phew)

Midnight in Paris-inspired: Gertrude Stein, Salvador Dali and some flappers

Bridesmaids-inspired: She was Megan. Those are her puppies. 

 

I'm not ashamed to admit that I love Oscar Sunday way more than Super Bowl Sunday.

Oscars: You can wear a fun outfit inspired by a nominated movie. And take photos of it on a faux red carpet! Who doesn't love a theme? 

Super Bowl: I guess you could wear a themed outfit but you'd be out of place among all the uninspired jeans and sweatshirts everyone else is wearing. 

Oscars: CHAMPAGNE! Wins every time in my book. 

Super Bowl: Bud Light. (Although I drank a rather fancy beer when watching the Super Bowl because I don't usually drink cheap beer.)

Oscars: Evening gowns!

Super Bowl: Football uniforms. 

Oscars: Song and dance numbers! Montages! Awkward jokes! Long speeches cut off by music! Indecipherable accents! 

Super Bowl: Overhyped halftime show that looks awkward. (Sorry Madonna, I love you and I loved your show, but it's true.)

Oscars: Brad Pitt! Clooney! Jean Dujardin! Demian Bashir! Whoever that hot guy was that helped Octavia Spencer on stage! Sadly no James Franco this year. But J.Lo's cleavage!
Super Bowl: Green Bay wasn't in it this year, so no Aaron Rodgers. 

Oscars: I know what is going on.
Super Bowl: I couldn't care less what is going on.

Oscars: The actual show is interesting.
Super Bowl: The commercials are more interesting.

 

The Sailor isn't one for dressing up

How do you watch the Oscars? Do you attend a party? Have a themed night at home? Or just wear your sweats and tweet along? Or skip it altogether?


Did you enter my Favorite Things raffle yet? I'll pick a winner Monday morning (let's say 10am central time). So you have until then to enter!

Oscar Predictions 2012

Sometimes her party includes
dressing in "red carpet attire"
(old bridesmaids dresses) or
costumes. Last year, she was
the Black Swan and my niece
was the White Swan.

For a few years now, my now-sister-law Melissa has hosted an Oscars Party. She started hosting them before she married my brother ... so it's been at least five years. She includes some games and prizes. The biggest competition is seeing who can best predict the winners. I've won for the past two (or three?) years in a row, so the Facebook invite for this year's party is getting a little bit riddled with trash talk from family members who think they can take me down. We'll see.

For now, these are my predictions. This could change before Sunday night. Like, if Roger Ebert releases his prediction. (Edited to add: he did. I'm keeping my original picks though.) Because I'm not an expert on film or awards shows - but I do my homework.

Best Picture: The Artist
Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

Best Actor: George Clooney
Best Actress: Viola Davis

Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer

Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer

Animated Feature Film: Rango

Cinematography: The Tree of Life

Art Direction: Hugo

Costume Design: Hugo

Documentary Feature: Pina

Documentary Short: The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom

Film Editing: The Artist

Foreign Language Film: A Separation

Make Up: The Iron Lady

Music (Score): The Artist

Music (Song): Man or Muppet

Short (Animated): The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
Short (Live): The Shore

Sound Editing: Hugo

Sound Mixing: Hugo 

Visual Effects: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Writing (Adapted): Moneyball

Writing (Original): Midnight in Paris


Among the nominated movies, I've actually seen The Artist, Midnight in Paris, The Help, Moneyball, Bridesmaids, Beginners, Jane Eyre, Harry Potter and the first 20 minutes of Tree of Life. I liked them all except for Tree of Life. I suffered through the first 20 minutes and then couldn't take any more and I had to turn it off.

Don't forget! Every $5 you donate to the American Cancer Society = 1 entry in my "favorite things" raffle, including Sparkly Soul headbands, Bondi Bands, Clif Shot Bloks, Honey Stinger Waffles, Body Glide and a custom race t-shirt quilt. Learn more.

Florence and the Machine at the Chicago Theater 12/4/11

Last night was the 93XRT Big Holiday Concert with Florence and the Machine at the Chicago Theater! It was awesome!!

I was bummed that I wasn't able to go to her show at the Aragon Ballroom in June (we had a wedding to go to that night) so as soon as I heard she was headlining this show, I planned to go, even if I had to go alone. Luckily, my friend Liz came with me.

She played mostly songs from her new album, Cermonials, although she mixed in a few from Lungs, including Dog Days Are Over (which really got the audience pumped).

Full set list:
1. Only If For a Night
2. What the Water Gave Me
3. Seven Devils
4. Cosmic Love
5. Lover to Lover
6. Leave My Body
7. All This and Heaven Too
8. Between Two Lungs

Source: Flickr user fernybaldy

9. Dog Days are Over
10. Shake It Out
11. Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up)
12. Spectrum
Encore
13. Never Let Me Go
14. No Light No Light

Set list from this concert review from the Chicago Tribune.

She was adorable in her usual billowy sheer ensemble (a red dress with heels that she kicked off pretty early on). And she did a lot of bouncing and dancing and other general cuteness. And her voice is freaking AMAZING. Right now everyone is all into Adele - who is great - but holy vocal Gods, Florence Welch can sing!

Unlike many of the people around me (many of who got yelled at), for once I didn't try to sneak photos (instead I trolled Flickr for those who did).

However, can I just give this quick concert photo PSA - turn off your flash!!!!! Seriously. And get a camera with a good zoom lens. Doesn't have to be professional. I took these photos at an Ani Difranco concert and these photos at Lilith Fair - some from way up on the lawn - with this Canon Powershot. 

Movie Review: Bridesmaids (2011 Film)

For the record, I am in no way "qualified" to be a film critic. I am writing this review as a woman, a feminist, and someone with a sense of humor.

So my favoritest ladies and I saw Bridesmaids a couple weekends ago.

I didn't realize this until today, but my favoritest ladies includes my brothers' wives and my husband's best friend's girlfriend. For the record, I was best friends with two of them for like a decade before either started dating who they are with now. I'm not one of those "I have to be friends with everyone!" types of women. The other one has just been with my brother for so freaking long (since I was 14 and they were 16, with a short break while they were teenagers) that she has become one of my best friends. 

This movie is funny. Not "funny for a chick flick" or "funny to women" but "funny." Hilarious. I haven't laughed that hard since I saw The Hangover.

The movie was produced by Judd Apatow, so there was a little bit of sentimentality mixed in with the humor, but it was only as much as you get in the 40-Year-Old Virgin. And the sentimentality is about friendship, not love. Which is a nice change of pace for a movie starring mostly women.

I rarely watch Saturday Night Live, and what little I've seen of Kristen Wiig on it has not impressed me. However, I do like her in movies. I liked her in Whip It and Extract. And I thought she was hilarious in Bridesmaids. Everyone keeps talking about the scene in the bridal shop. I thought the scene on the airplane was the best in the entire movie. The comedic build up and the pay off still makes me crack up just thinking about it. And Kristen Wiig owned that scene. (And Melissa McCarthy partially owned it.)

Another great thing about this movie - it's a movie about a wedding that really isn't about the wedding. Things happen that are related to a wedding - there is an engagement party, the bridal shower, an (attempted) bachelorette party, bridesmaids dress shopping, and the wedding itself. But they are mostly backdrops to the main focus of the movie - friendships, and finding happiness and satisfaction. And the wedding stuff was largely without all the details ... and best of all, without any sense that this wedding, or nailing a man, is the ultimate achievement in a woman's life. Rather, friendship and having a purpose in your life is what's important.

So anyway, as a feminist, I'm happy that:

• A comedy starring mostly women is funny and not just "funny to women"
• A movie about a wedding isn't about crap like a selfish runaway bride, or a man-stealing bridesmaid, or brides fighting each other, or trying to stop the wrong people from getting married, etc. 
• Said movie also passed the Bechdel Test (I told you I was a feminist.)
• Said movie is currently rated 89% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes

So, if you're male, female or other, go see Bridesmaids.  Unless you don't like to laugh. And don't like poop jokes. Or bleached a-hole jokes.

Why I'm Excited for the Oscars this Year

Not the Academy's Oscar

I love the Oscars. I blame my sister-in-law. She throws a party every year ... and makes it competitive. And I've inherited my competitiveness from my mother, so I actually try to win the Oscar ballot game. And for the past two years, I have.

Usually it's because I do research in advice (see who the critics pick to win) but I also make a semi-effort to actually see the movies nominated. And this year, I'm actually excited to see them!

Movies that are nominated for Oscars are generally "good" but that doesn't always mean they are actually enjoyable to watch or entertaining.

Review of Black Swan movie with Natalie Portman

Last Sunday, I saw Black Swan, so I was surprised to see trailers this week saying "in theaters everywhere this Friday - Black Swan." I guess that means it had a good weekend limited release opening weekend. Or because of the stellar reviews the movie it getting, they pushed a wider release. I can't say they blame them. Natalie Portman alone makes this movie worth the $8 just for a weekend matinee. (I really had to hold back as I was buying my ticket - I really wanted to tell the kid selling it at the theater that I remember when you could see a first run movie for like $6 on a weekend night ... of course I'm not so old and I'm sure my parents remember when you could see a movie for a nickle.)

Nina: Stressed

In case you haven't heard, Black Swan is a psychological thriller about a ballerina, Nina, played by Portman.

Unrelated to anything else: It's not a "real" ballet movie until you see the gnarly-feet-and-how-I-customize-my-pointe-shoes montage. If I had time, I would make a montage of these montages. Perhaps at the Oscars?

Portman plays the sh** out of Nina. I have never felt so anxious in a movie theater. Nina has two things in her life - ballet, and her mother (in that order). That's it. She doesn't have any other friends or family or any other hobbies or interests. Get up, go to the studio, dance dance get yelled at dance dance, go home, get doted on, go to sleep, repeat.

Another Mad Men Moment: Carolyn Jones, model

Once again, watching Mad Men, I was struck with a "hey I know that face ..." during the finale episode, Tomorrowland. This time the face was Carolyn Jones, the fired Topaz pantyhose model.

I know that tight face... those pursed lips. That "I'm a model!" attitude!

It's Cassie (or Cassandra Whitehead, now known as Cassandra Jean), who first became known when she left season 5 of America's Next Top Model because she refused to get her hair cut.   As Tyra said, repeatedly, she wanted Cassie to have Mia Farrow's hair cut from Rose-mary's Bay-bee (pronounced just like that). Despite the opportunity to get the cut done by a very expensive stylist, Cassie refused, wanting to return to pageants. 

Well I guess it's worked well for her. Seriously, 2 minutes on Mad Men? Far more successful than any past ANTM contestant. Right? Nothing else is coming to mind ...

The Mom in the Waiting Room on Mad Men

I can't believe it took me almost a week to place one of the guest characters on last Sunday's episode of Mad Men. The mother in the waiting room at the clinic looked so familiar. As if I had seen her in a movie over and over and over ...