Author: Roger

As for tomorrow, I’m taking it off from work. It’s a tradition I started when I was an intern at the Albany Housing Authority back in 1980. There were a lot of strange stuff there, but one of the more civilized things they did was to give one’s birthday as a paid vacation day.

On a normal birthday, I’d get up and play racquetball for an extended time, go home to eat breakfast, read magazines and/or newspapers, watch unwatched recorded television, maybe catch a movie. Or get a massage – boy, I could use a massage.

Not this year.

I’m taking Lydia to her follow-up visit to the doctor for her ear infection, then taking her to day care.

At noon at the library, there’s a tease for a program by Albany Pro Musica called “Voices of Light: The Passion of Joan of Arc”. The actual performance is on Friday.

Since I’m in the building, and since I’m on the board of the Friends of the Albany Public Library, I’m going to help the person who does the new blog for the library.

I’m hoping there will be time to work on MY blog as well.

I may go to this at the west wing of Albany Law School at 4:

The ALS Civil Liberties Union, Black Law Student Association, and the Student Lawyers Guild invite you to a DOUBLE screening of “DISSENT” AND “RACIAL PROFILING”

This event is free and open to the public.

The invitation came with this:

“WARNING: Due to Presidential Executive Orders, the National Security Agency may have read this email without warning, warrant or notice. The agency may do this without any judicial or legislative oversight.”

Then home for whatever special dinner my dear wife has planned.

The Oscars, supposedly, honor quality, not box office. There are People’s Choice Awards for the most popular films. Moreover, there have been plenty of recent films that were both Oscar winners and big box office.

For the record, this is IMDB’s top ten films in terms of domestic box office:

380,262,555 Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
288,060,759 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
287,153,504 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
234,280,354 War of the Worlds
216,326,425 King Kong
209,218,368 Wedding Crashers
206,456,431 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
205,343,774 Batman Begins
193,136,719 Madagascar
186,336,103 Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Many WERE nominated in the technical categories. I dare say that most of these films also cost more to make than the five Best Picture nominees, and that a movie needn’t be big box office to be profitable.

Anyway, I watch the Oscar broadcast for those WOW! moments, the emotional or controversial speech, the really funny shtick. There was exactly one WOW! moment in the whole broadcast for me, the performance of “It’s Out Here for a Pimp”, followed by its selection as Best Original Song. I saw both of the other movies from which songs were nominated, “Transamerica” and “Crash”, and I didn’t remember the songs at all.

Oh, there were moments:
*The video intro with former hosts turning down the gig, then Jon Stewart in bed with Halle Berry, then George Clooney
*Clooney’s acceptance speech, where he notes (correctly) that he won’t be getting the directing Oscar, that his obit will read 1997 Sexiest Man Alive, and that he was happy not to be in the mainstream
*The “invisible” Ben Stiller, mildly humorous
*Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin’s somewhat lame attempts to be Altmanesque. The CBS film critic was hoping Altman would give ’em hell, but he was quite gracious
*Carell and Farrell in bad makeup was a visual treat
*The American Express commercial with M. Night Shymalan; I didn’t know WHAT the heck was going on until the end
*Lauren Bacall’s trouble reading the intro for the “film noir” film clips, which was painful

I thought most of those movie film clips were unnecessary and just made the program longer. In fact, the one I would have kept is the socially relevant film clip, introed by Samuel L. Jackson. I did enjoy the “political” clips, though, the supposed slam ads for the best actress and sound editing categories.

By the time Resse Witherspoon predictably won, it was 11:03, and I just went to bed. Wish Felicity Huffman had won; she got so emotional in the red carpet pre-show when one of the hosts showed her a video clip of her four co-stars on “Desperate Housewives” wishing her well, it might have been more interesting television.

I got up at 5 to watch the remaining part of the show:

Glad about all the award winners, but annoyed that the original screenplay winners were cut off by the music.

I’ll admit; when “Crash” won for Best Picture, I jumped out of my chair for joy, in part because I really liked the film, and in part because I actually picked it to win.

But all in all, a pretty boring show, I’m afraid.

Want more people who were born or died on March 7? Look here.

Other events on March 7: look here, here and here.
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Today’s post comes courtesy of friend Bruce, who lent me his spare monitor when the previous monitor suddenly died last week. I thought that perhaps the 23-month old had somehow done something to it. I spent the last week posting from the library.

The sales tax law is fairly arcane in New York State. It reads, in only small part:

Tax Law § 1115. Exemptions from sales and use taxes.
(a) Receipts from the following shall be exempt from the tax on retail sales imposed under subdivision (a) of section eleven hundred five and the compensating use tax imposed under section eleven hundred ten:
(1) Food, food products, beverages, dietary foods and health supplements, sold for human consumption but not including (i) candy and confectionery, (ii) fruit drinks which contain less than seventy percent of natural fruit juice…
[Emphasis mine]

I go to the corner store to buy a bottle of juice. The proprietor carefully peruses the bottle, notes that it’s 100% juice and correctly rings up the sale on the non-taxable key. I mention how strange the sales tax law is, that if the beverage were less than 70% juice, it’d be taxable. The proprietor scowls, “No, if it were 99% juice, it’d be taxable.”

So this is is my issue: should I go print out the law (actually, I already have, and have highlighted it to boot) to show the proprietor, or should I let it go?
Certainly, I was mildly peeved with his dismissive tone, but it’s also the case that he’s charging tax on some products that just aren’t taxable. Then again, how many beverages ARE there out there that have between 70% and 99% juice, anyway?
The tax in the state between the state plus the local is about 8%, so on a $1.50 drink, it’s only 12 cents.
Is it the “principle of the thing” or is it just ego?

Another example of the same thing: I bought one donut from the Dunkin’ Donuts in the 20 Mall a couple weeks, generally 79 cents when I buy it elsewhere, but 85 cents there. I saw her ring in 79 cents, but it must have been on the taxable button, the button one would use for prepared foods to be consumed. Restaurant food is taxable, but a dozen donuts (which one would HOPE would not be downed in one sitting) is not. I seldom go to that mall, so I’m not likely to go complain over six cents, but still…

I went out of my way to see the nominated films. On Presidents’ Day weekend 1998, I saw four of the selections, including “L.A. Confidential” and “Mrs. Brown” on the same day.

How times have changed.

There are big holes in my viewing this Oscar season. But that won’t stop me from suggesting who will win, who should win and who I want to win.

Performance by an actor in a leading role

Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Capote”
Terrence Howard in “Hustle & Flow”
Heath Ledger in “Brokeback Mountain”
Joaquin Phoenix in “Walk the Line”
David Strathairn in “Good Night, and Good Luck.”
Saw three out of five, not Howard and not (alas!) Phoenix.

Strathairn won’t win, because a lot of people don’t think it was much of a stretch; I do, but there it is.
Howard won’t win, because he was selected as much for “Crash” as for this.
Ledger has a very strong Aussie accent, so his vocal transformation was quite astonishing. But he mumbled a lot, and people behindd me in the theater kept asking each other, “What did he say?” I couldn’t help them, either.
I was listening to the “Walk the Line” soundtrack last week. Phoenix was very good, especially on the vocals of the early tunes such as “Get Rhythm” and the duets, not so much on “Ring of Fire”. Though he also sang, I doubt they’ll give it to an actor portraying a singer two years in a row.
Who will win: Hoffman
Who should win: Phoenix or Hoffman
Who I want to win: Hoffman, who I’ve enjoyed in other films and who shares the last name with two of my co-workers.

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

George Clooney in “Syriana”
Matt Dillon in “Crash”
Paul Giamatti in “Cinderella Man”
Jake Gyllenhaal in “Brokeback Mountain”
William Hurt in “A History of Violence”
Saw the middle three.

Hurt could win, though I’ve been told it’s essentially a cameo.
Giametti’s been jobbed before – should have been nominated for “Crumb” and certainly for “Sideways”. He’s good here, but there’s a Ron Howard backlash.
Clooney could get three Oscars…or none.
Gyllenhall will win if there’s a Brokeback sweep.
Dillon is a strong contender in a strong cast.
Who will win: I have no idea. Clooney, Dillon or Gyllenhall. If Clooney gets only one, it’ll likely be this one.
Who should win: Ditto
Who I’m rooting for: Dillon
BTW, who was the STAR of “Crash”? Don Cheadle was pivotal, but I doubt he (or anyone else) was on the screen for even 50% of the time. I’ll contend that EVERYONE was a supporting performer.

Performance by an actress in a leading role

Judi Dench in “Mrs. Henderson Presents”
Felicity Huffman in “Transamerica”
Keira Knightley in “Pride & Prejudice”
Charlize Theron in “North Country”
Reese Witherspoon in “Walk the Line”

When the nominations came out, I had seen NONE of these performances. Subsequently, I saw the first two.
Dench has the Meryl Streep problem – Oh, another good performance! (Yawn.)”
Huffman is in a film no one has seen.
Knightley’s probably too young, though with an impressive body of work. Pictured, she’s my wife’s choice also the only one she’s seen.
Theron got her Oscar a couple years ago.
Witherspoon has paid her dues in fluff.
Who will win: Witherspoon
Who should win: From what I hear, Witherspoon.
Who I’m rooting for: Huffman. I liked her in “Sports Night”. I also loved her response to Lesley Stahl of “60 Minutes” a few weeks ago, when asked if having children was the most rewarding thing she ever did. “No!” she bellowed. “And I’m insulted that you said that!”
However, I was totally perplexed by that commercial of hers for Dove that ran during Gilmore Girls (and, I understand, Desperate Housewives). I was watching the GGs on tape, but it stopped me dead in my tracks until I watched the thing.

I do like the idea of Hoffman and Huffman as Oscar winners.

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

Amy Adams in “Junebug”
Catherine Keener in “Capote” (UA/Sony Pictures Classics)
Frances McDormand in “North Country”
Rachel Weisz in “The Constant Gardener”
Michelle Williams in “Brokeback Mountain”
Saw Keener and Williams.

It doesn’t matter how much Roger Ebert loved Adams’ performance; it still won’t win.
I love Keener, but her role in this movie didn’t move me.
McDormand, I heard, was good.
Weisz was the heart of her movie, I read.
Williams was quite good, a far cry from “Dawson’s Creek”. I also liked her in “Dick”.
Who will win: Weisz.
Who should win: Probably Weisz.
Who do I want to win: Weisz, for a most prosaic reason – wanna guess?
And the picture is of Thandie Newton, who won the British equivalent of the Oscar in this category, who I might have been rooting for if she were nominated here.

Adapted screenplay

“Brokeback Mountain” Screenplay by Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana
“Capote” Screenplay by Dan Futterman
“The Constant Gardener” Screenplay by Jeffrey Caine
“A History of Violence” Screenplay by Josh Olson
“Munich” Screenplay by Tony Kushner and Eric Roth
Saw the first two.
“Capote” was more a star turn, “gardener” never got mo. and “Violence” was underseen. The morality of “Munich” disturbed some.
Who should win: Munich or Brokeback
Who will win: Brokeback
Who I’m rooting for: Brokeback and Munich, because of my appreciation for McMurtry and Kushner

Original screenplay

“Crash” Screenplay by Paul Haggis & Bobby Moresco; Story by Paul Haggis
“Good Night, and Good Luck.” Screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov
“Match Point” Written by Woody Allen
“The Squid and the Whale” Written by Noah Baumbach
“Syriana” Written by Stephen Gaghan
Saw “Crash”, “Good Night” and “Squid”
“Crash” could win, but there seems to be a backlash
Is “Good Night” where they’ll honor Clooney?
I love Woody, but he’s been accused of copping Dostoevsky, and he isn’t Hollywood.
“Squid” is too small a story.
Some people, even those who LIKED the movie, found “Syriana” incomprehensible.
What will win: Crash (?)
What should win: Crash
What I’m rooting for: Crash

Achievement in directing

“Brokeback Mountain” Ang Lee
“Capote” Bennett Miller
“Crash” Paul Haggis
“Good Night, and Good Luck” George Clooney
“Munich” Steven Spielberg
Lee is an eclectic director with an impressive body of work. Just don’t think it’ll be Miller, and I figure Haggis will get the screenplay. Hollywood has often been generous to actors who direct (Beatty, Costner, Eastwood). And of course, one cannot write off Spielberg.
Saw all all except “Munich”
Who will win: Lee
Who should win: Lee or Spielberg
Who I’m rooting for: Lee or Spielberg

Best motion picture of the year

“Brokeback Mountain” A River Road Entertainment Production, Diana Ossana and James Schamus, Producers
“Capote” An A-Line Pictures/Cooper’s Town/ Infinity Media Production, Caroline Baron, William Vince and Michael Ohoven, Producers
“Crash” A Bob Yari/DEJ/Blackfriar’s Bridge/ Harris Company/ApolloProscreen GmbH & Co./Bull’s Eye Entertainment Production, Paul Haggis and Cathy Schulman, Producers
“Good Night, and Good Luck.” Good Night Good Luck LLC Production, Grant Heslov, Producer
“Munich” A Universal Pictures/DreamWorks Pictures Production, Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg and Barry Mendel, Producers
Saw all except “Munich”
I guess it’s between “Brokeback” and “Crash”. One of the Washington Post movie critics believe that the older Oscar voters will get the “Brokeback” DVD and not get through it; he picks “Capote”.
What will win, what I think should win, and what I’m rooting for: Crash