Spaghetti Sauce and Sweet Peas

LA Marathon Training Diary: Singin' In The Rain

MikeyFilmmaker@comcast.net — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 02:18:12 PST

January 21, 2012 - 15 miles
I'm not going to lie. I almost didn't go on this run. Why? It was raining. I have never run in the rain before and I was a little nervous. I didn't think I was prepared and I didn't want to get sick. There were a few times after I woke up when I tried to convince myself that I shouldn't run. Another added reason is that I am starting a new job in two weeks and I don't want to get sick before I start. This time last year I got the flu, then I managed to get bronchitis. It was a rough month for me. I didn't want it to happen two years in a row. After thinking it over, I decided to go anyway and I was swearing at myself the whole drive down.

The oddest part of this whole situation was that I had a great week of training. I felt pretty strong the entire week, so I was excited for this run. Then, I realized on Thursday that it may rain on Saturday and my confidence began to dwindle. Mental toughness is a really interesting aspect of training for a marathon. I still question whether I am mentally tough enough. I can't speak for other people in my pace group, but a lot of people weren't there. They probably were scared of the rain. Running in the rain is not fun, but I figured it would be good for myself to see if I could do it.

I soon realized that I probably was not properly equiped for the run. I wore a trash bag, but my other parts of my body were already soaked after just walking to the starting point on the Venice boardwalk. It was miserable and I was hoping Roadrunners would shorten the run. That was not the case. We were doing 15 miles. The route was a little different this week since the usual route is a lot of dirt roads and they were muddy. We ran mostly on cement and stuck to roads through the Marina. It didn't even take a mile for my shoes to be soaked. We tried to avoid puddles, but it was no use. After a while, most of us didn't even care. We just ran through puddles while the rain crashed into our faces.

It wasn't a torrential downpour, but it was a steady rain for at least the first 10K (6.2 miles). Last year it ran the entire LA marathon, so I have to be prepared it could happen on marathon day. It's probably unlikely to happen two years in a row, but never say never. After a while, running in the rain didn't even matter anymore. We were all wet and I actually got used to the rain. I think it helped that I was constantly moving, so I never really got too cold either. I don't really remember when it happened, but it actually stopped raining. My pace group continued on in our wet clothes for the rest of the way. By the end of the run, it actually started to warm up a little. It was a really weird day for weather. I guess that's California for you.

As the run went on and the miles increased, I actually felt really good. It was at that point that I realized that while weather elements can mess with your head, if you train hard nothing will stop you. It was probably the first time after we ran at least 13 miles that I felt like I had a lot left in the tank. I had this attitude like, "Fuck this rain. I'm running my ass off." When I finished the run, it was a great feeling. I can now cross off running in the rain off my bucket list.

My shoes are in bad shape, but I need to get a new pair. I was planning on going to the running store next week and I think that is part of the reason why I'm having some problems with blisters. It's just my left foot, too. Blisters are gross and I hate popping them when I get home. It doesn't hurt, but I hate doing it. Sorry for being gross, but I want to share everything. I also had a minor problem with chafing this week as I think the rain took off the Body Glide because I could feel the friction for the first time on my chest. I didn't have any problems, but I was starting to get a little worried that I was going to have some bleeding. Again, sorry for being gross.

When I was driving home after the run, I realized something. Championship teams in professional sports often have games or moments that define their season. They look back and say this was when we knew we could win it all. This is when everything came together. I think I had that moment when I ran the 15 miles in the rain. I figured I would have that moment with my 20 mile run, but I don't think you can script stuff like this. I'm going to remember this run for a long time even after the LA Marathon has come and gone. It gave me mental and physical toughness I didn't have before and it's something I'm going to need when I run the 26.2 miles on March 18th.

Until next week… 13 miles...

LA Marathon Training Diary: Getting Back on Track

MikeyFilmmaker@comcast.net — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 02:28:58 PST

Last September I began training to run the Los Angeles Marathon. It will be my first marathon. The race is not until March 18, 2012, but training for any marathon takes a lot of time and dedication. I probably should have started to write about this experience when I started to train. The marathon is now a little over two months away. I figured now would be a good time to write about what it is like to train for this race and the physical and mental challenges associated with trying to run a marathon. Not only that, but also why I'm even running it in the first place. I'm hoping that if anyone reads this it can possibly give them the confidence to take on this challenge.

Why am I running a marathon?
The first thing almost anyone says to me when I tell them I'm running a marathon is, "Why would you want to do that?" or a more blunt response, "Are you crazy?" It has such a negative vibe to it. It's like physical activity is shamed upon. I have become somewhat sick of answering these questions. Here's a longer version of the answer to why I'm running a marathon.

My dream to run a marathon really can be traced all the way back to when I was a young kid growing up in a suburb outside of Boston (Peabody, MA). The Boston Marathon is kind of a big deal. It takes place on Patriots Day, which is a Monday in April. It is a state holiday that commemorates the Battle of Lexington and Concord, which is the beginning of the Revolutionary War. Anyway, I didn't have to go to school that day, so from a very early age I spent the entire day watching the Boston Marathon.

My first marathon memory was 1994 (I was 9 years old) when Cosmas Ndeti won a very close race against Andres Espinoza. I just remember Ndeti kept looking back at Espinoza trying to hold him off at the last mile. It was one of the most exciting marathon finishes that I ever saw. Ndeti won his second straight marathon that year. He would win the next year as well making him a three time champion. Ndeti was my favorite. He came out of nowhere to become somewhat of a Boston legend during the early 90s. He was only in his early 20s when he won his three Boston races. I remember being devastated when Ndeti fell short of his fourth straight win. He went for a world record in the 100th running of the Boston Marathon in 1996 and finished 3rd. He was actually known for running in the back of the pack and making his move at Heartbreak Hill. He was a great hill runner. That year he decided to lead from the start and simply ran out of gas. He fell off the map after that and I don't know whatever happened to him.

You may be asking why am I telling this story about Cosmas Ndeti? I became fascinated with the Boston Marathon due to him. Every year after Ndeti's demise, I continued to watch with great interest. Part of me hoping Ndeti would make his triumphant return. Another part of me waiting to see who would capture my imagination by running an incredible race. I would spend my entire Patriots Day glued to the television set watching thousands of people run Boston. I would listen to the analysis and I became mesmerized at what all these people were doing. Regular people were running this race, too. Many of them crossed the finish line long after the elites. It didn't matter. They did something many people consider impossible or crazy. Running 26.2 miles. If someone could run a marathon they could do anything.

Flash forward to 2011 and I am now living in California. I haven't watched the Boston Marathon in years (Even though if I did, it would be the edited ESPN coverage, which sucks). I more or less have become a lazy person and I started to realize that I was in horrible shape. I wouldn't have called myself fat, but I definitely wasn't impressing anyone with my physical shape. It's one of those things you don't realize until you see a few pictures of yourself. Inside my head, I realized that I needed to do something. At 25 years old (days before my 26th birthday), I made a radical decision to join a gym.

After a month of working out at the gym I started to feel much better about myself. I was running at the gym and I figured if I'm going to get in shape I should do something. I've always been the type of person that likes to take on crazy challenges and I couldn't help but think about a marathon. Let me clear that I wanted to run in Boston and that is still a long term goal. Unfortunately, I need to qualify or fundraise for Boston, so that was not a realistic goal right now. I set my sights on LA instead. I decided that if I could continue to work out consistently until the end of August, then I would sign up and run LA.

Flash forward to the end of August. I'm still working out consistently. I signed up to run the Los Angeles Marathon and joined the training program, Los Angeles Roadrunners. The LA Roadrunners is a couch to the finish line program that starts after Labor Day and runs all the way through the marathon. They meet every Saturday morning, so I also effectively kissed my Friday nights goodbye. It was time to get serious. I officially started to train for the LA Marathon.

September - December
The LA Roadrunner program started on September 10th, which was just an expo. The first run was the following week. Determining my pace group was something I was having difficulty with as I never ran a marathon before or any distance longer than 5 miles. I wanted to finish around five hours, so that would equal around a 11 1/2 minute or less mile. I was also debating whether I would run the entire distance or run/walk. It was during the expo that I met a pace leader (Mitch) who convinced me to try to run the entire marathon.

That was the first example of why I love the Roadrunner program. It is very supportive and positive. Right away I felt like I belonged there and everyone wanted me to succeed. In return, I wanted to see everyone else do the same. It creates a really positive environment.

After thinking about what I was going to do, I joined running pace group 8 (11 minute mile race pace/12 minute mile aerobic pace). The first run was a three miles and the rest is history. I have run in group 8 the entire time. The first four months of training went relatively smooth. I experienced no injuries. I felt good after every run. Sometimes I was a little sore or a little tired, but nothing to be overly concerned about. I have also met some great people, which is always an added bonus. My running partner for most of the training so far has been Jenny, but I've also had fun meeting a number of cool people. The pace leaders of Cathy, John, Mitch, and Wendy are both awesome and knowledgable. I have actually had a lot of fun running. I was definitely tired since I had to wake up early, but once I got to the site in Venice I was alive. I think my adrenaline kicked in.

My last run with the group before the holiday break was 15 miles on December 10th (I missed the 16 mile run on December 17th). That was definitely the toughest run of the training so far, but I still felt pretty good after the run. The big challenge for me was going to be training for a couple weeks in Massachusetts as I went home to visit my family. It did not go as planned for a couple reasons. I hate running alone. The weather was cold. Running was also just not on my mind as I like to relax when I'm home. I did run a few times, but I was unsure how I would do when I got back to training with the Roadrunners in January.

Here's a few more things I learned/observed through the first four months of training.

- Running a half marathon or less is definitely not that scary anymore. I feel like anything over the half marathon is when things get much tougher. Maybe it's mental, but I treat any run over 13 miles much more serious.

- Knowing your body is so important. It's funny how different gels react differently to different people. Even drinking water is interesting. Knowing how much to drink is essential. Before I started to train, I always thought the more water, the better. That is not the case. Eating and drinking something before a run is also important. It's just about eating the right thing as the worst thing is having an upset stomach.

- Speaking of upset stomach, I can't believe how many guys have to take a shit in the morning before a run. There's always a line for the boys' room. It's actually kind of comical. I'll admit, I'll been in that line twice and it wasn't fun.

- Chafing sucks. I haven't experienced it too much, but there have been a few times on the longer runs when my thighs chafed. It hurt. I bought Body Glide, which is helpful and highly recommended.

- Same can be said for blisters. I have experienced them on my feet and it's kind of gross.

- Stretch. So many people forget and as we say in Roadrunners, if you don't have time for stretching, you don't have time for running.

January 7, 2012 - 16 miles
This was the run that made me want to start writing about my experiences training for the marathon. I didn't run that much for three weeks while I was in Massachusetts. I only ran a handful of times. I thought it would be beneficial to rest my body, but I could feel it on this day. It was the hardest run of my life. It was actually the first time in training when I really struggled. Mentally it was tough on me as I started to have doubts whether I could really run a marathon. I know it is only one run, but it is still tough to have a bad run. The marathon is a little over two months away. It's time to not really mess around. It was a good reality check.

After about mile 4 I knew I was going to be in trouble. I was checking my watch already, which is always a bad sign that early. As we started up San Vicente, which is uphill I started to think I wouldn't make it. I took a GU, but it was not enough. My body reacted as if it hadn't run very much in the last three weeks and was pissed off. Every water station and chance I got to take a bit of a breather was essential. Even downhill on San Vicente was tough, which is unusual. I always run in the front and I fell to the back to the pack on the downhill.

I tried to fight through the pain as much as possible, but I still was unsure if I would finish. Our pace group actually lost a few people along the way, so I wasn't alone. My legs were so tired that I made a decision to pull up around mile 15. I finished the run, but I did a walk/run for the last mile. I literally had nothing left and I didn't want to pass out. When I got back to the Roadrunner headquarters at the school I drank a lot of liquids and ate a banana.

I didn't feel good the rest of the weekend. I iced my legs on Saturday, but my quads were killing me on Saturday and Sunday. They felt the worst since I've been training. I learned a good lesson that training for the marathon is no joke. It's hard and you need to take it serious. I heard a lot of people in different pace groups had tough runs since it was the first one after the two week holiday. I know I wasn't the only one, but I still was mad at myself. I know I had something to prove to myself the following week.

January 14, 2012 - 12 miles
I started to get back into my workout regimen that had for the first four months of training for the marathon. I was somewhat of a man on a mission before this run. Although, I ran into an unexpected complication. As stated earlier, my quads were sore for two days. They felt better on Monday, so I worked out. I did my usual strength training, which includes a couple different leg machines. I did some squats and I think I must have aggravated my left knee. The next day, my left knee started to bother me for the next couple days. I finally started to feel better on Thursday, so I tested it out with a three mile run. I felt good and my knee experienced no issues.

I ran really well on Saturday. It was a good bounce back run. I was a little nervous before the run since I struggled the previous week. I didn't want to have two bad runs in a row. We ran around a 12 minute pace. When we went downhill we picked it up, but took our time on more uphill sections. I felt good after the run as well. My left ankle was a little sore, but that is normal for me. I have weak ankles and my left one gives me more problems. I also had a little blister on my left foot, which sucked. That is one issue I've had a few times and I'm not sure if it's my shoes or running form. I got my shoes fitted, so I'm not sure. I'm planning of buying another pair before the marathon, so I may go with another brand. Right now I'm running with Asics GT 2160.

The best part about running 12 miles is group has run this distance a number of times, so it is not that intimidating anymore. Next week we are back to 15 miles, so I'm hoping I can keep it going. I need to get in another good week of training. I am almost two months away from the LA Marathon.

Until next week… 15 miles...

2011: A Retrospect

MikeyFilmmaker@comcast.net — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 19:15:13 PST

"While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do." - Apple Think Different commercial

Where have you gone 2011? Can you believe this is the fifth retrospective I have written? Whether I like it or not, time really flies. I'm writing this retrospective later than any of the previous ones since I'm trying to decide what to write here. I remember watching The Beatles Anthology and George Harrison said that Rubber Soul and Revolver could have really been called part 1 and part 2. I feel the same way when looking at 2010 and 2011. I wrote last year about planting seeds and watching them hopefully grow in 2011. A lot of those seeds are still in the ground. As the old saying goes, patience is a virtue.

The defining moment of the year was finishing grad school in December even though I walked in May. I started my journey at LMU in 2009 and I can't believe how fast it went. Walking across that stage was crazy. I just hope it opens up opportunities both personally and professionally for me. In my exit interview, Dr. DeSena told me about a former student with a music background who became very successful and was recently named educator of the year by LMU. He followed that story up with telling me that he could see me go in that same direction. I didn't really know how to reply to that statement from him on that day. Almost a month later, I still don't know how to reply to that statement.

Finishing grad school really closed another chapter in my life. I'm still unsure how I will look back on my time at LMU. I've said this for a while, but it was a really different experience than Chapman. Everything was different from the environment to the courses to the people. I like to look at that as a positive. I felt like a better person at the end of my time at LMU. My life is in a much better place and that feels really good. I like to think that it rubs off on other areas of my life as well.

I continued to volunteer at Venice Arts throughout the year. I was the development intern from January to April. Then, I was the programs intern from September to December. Plus, I mentored throughout the year. I was really happy with the work I did for them throughout the year. It's fun, rewarding, and the films have been getting better. I have always been fascinated with the mentoring relationship and the effects it has on kids. I realized that is the reason why I went back to school.

To further learn about non-profits I also interned at CoachArt as a programs intern from September to December. I enjoyed my time there, but it was different than Venice Arts. I was glad I did it as I learned about a different organization and saw how not every nonprofit is the same in how they operate. I'm hoping that will be helpful experience in the near future.

I went to Sundance, which was a great time. I read somewhere a while ago that the Sundance Film Festival is something everyone should experience once if you love movies. That statement is so true. I don't know when I'll be back, but my time there is full of memories.

The Oscar party was once again a great success. It's arguably getting a little too big, but I still had a lot of fun. It's quickly becoming a yearly tradition.

The Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup this year. Never thought I would write that sentence. They were a classic example of a team that made a couple good trades at the deadline and played their best hockey in the playoffs. It's hard to not like this team. They were very likable and fun to watch. They were the first team in NHL history to win three game 7s in one playoffs. It also looks like they are in great position to make another run. Almost the entire team is back and I can envision another deep run in 2012.

As for the other Boston teams, 2011 was filled with mostly disappointment. Don't even get me started on the Red Sox. What a bunch of assholes. They are the complete opposite of the Bruins and for the first time in a long time, I actually was disgraced to call myself a Red Sox fan. I just found the team to be very unlikable and arrogant. No reason a team should have blown such a big lead in the wild card race especially considering how talented they were. The window has closed on the Celtics and this past year was further indication. The Big Three era was fun in Boston, but it only generated one championship. Should have been two, but that's the way it goes. The Patriots are quickly becoming a great regular season team that forgets to show up for the playoffs. They were one and done for the second straight year. Losing to the Jets sucked, but they are getting ready for another playoff run as the possible number one seed (pending tomorrow's game).

I made a crazy decision that I would run the LA Marathon in 2012. In September, I started to train for this journey. It's not easy, but I quickly realized that it's not impossible. During my last training run with the LA Roadrunners a couple weeks ago I ran 15 miles. Every Saturday morning since Labor Day I have been waking up and running with a group of people. It's hard to put into words, but it has been amazing. It's inspirational. I'm also in the best shape of my life, so that is always a nice added bonus.

With my M.A. in my hand, I have no idea what is next. I'm currently unemployed, so that sucks. My graduate assistant position ended when I graduated. With my employment status unknown, I did spend a later portion of the year trying to figure out my next move. I have been exploring an idea to start a nonprofit sometime next year. Yes, the idea is crazy.

When I talked earlier about 2010 and 2011 being part 1 and part 2 this is what I meant. The last two years have given me knowledge, skills, and experience to take the next step and do something special. The seeds have been planted for this opportunity. To explain this idea in a nutshell, it is partnering with arts education nonprofits and mentoring at-risk youth applying to college. Nothing will happen overnight, but it is worth at least seeing if this is possible. Only time will tell. As the late George Harrison once said, "We got to do something with our lives."

It could be the marathon training, but 2011 taught me that life is about not being afraid of even the scariest things. At the end of the day, the game of life is a bunch of bullshit. Why worry about the small stuff? Life is too short and time is too quick to let life pass you by. You want to run a marathon? Go run a marathon. You want to make a movie? Go make a movie. You want to get a master's degree. Go get one. You want to start a nonprofit? Well, go start one and stop writing a damn retrospective that is too long and no one is probably reading.

It's funny that I also randomly bumped into someone towards the end of this year. It could be a pointless meeting, but it just reminded me how crazy life is. A chance meeting can sometimes turn into something more. That's what happened with Venice Arts. It reminded me of that Risky Business video I posted last year that I'm going to post again.

That's my goal for 2012. Make the most of my opportunities. I gotta feeling those seeds are going to grow this year.

It's Time to Dream in 2012.

"If you can't say it. You can't do it."

Happy New Year,

Mikey Filmmaker

12/31/11

4th Annual Oscar Contest Results

MikeyFilmmaker@comcast.net — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 22:27:13 PST

The Oscars are over and it's time to finally announce the winner of the Oscar pool. We had 132 people enter, but one person managed to win the contest outright with 20 correct picks. I have included everyone that scored at least 18 picks, which was the same amount of picks I had this year.

20 Picks
Will Byrnes (Winner)

19 Picks
Geraldine
Jonathan Wells
Mike Tufo

18 Picks
Beth Hartnett
Brandy
Eleanor Morse
Jeffery
Kirby Holt
Neil Lapinsky
William Smith

Congratulations to Will. I will be in contact with him shortly. I'm unsure if he is a LAMB. He didn't break my record to win the Fandango bucks, but he did win an Oscar poster directly from the Kodak Theater (site of the Oscars) and some swag I got from Sundance.

If anyone thinks there may have been a mistake with their ballot, then leave a comment on this post. I double checked the top finishers and everything looks good. If there are no problems after three days, then I will close the contest.

Here are also some random statistics from the contest that I found interesting.

75/132 predicted The King's Speech for Best Picture
24/132 predicted Tom Hooper for Best Director
66/132 predicted Melissa Leo for Best Supporting Actress
33/132 predicted Inception for Best Cinematography
39/132 predicted Inside Job for Best Documentary Feature
40/132 predicted Strangers No More for Best Documentary Short
30/132 predicted In a Better World for Best Foreign Language Film
11/132 predicted The Lost Thing for Best Animated Short
33/132 predicted God of Love for Best Live Action Short

Thanks again everyone for participating. See you next year for the 5th Annual contest.

Thoughts on the 83rd Academy Awards

MikeyFilmmaker@comcast.net — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 11:41:16 PST

The 83rd Academy Awards have come and gone. I love the Oscars, so this was a little tough for me. I rewatched the show again earlier today and it wasn't very good. It's finally time to share some thoughts on what happened on Sunday.

THE PARTY

I did had a fun time having some people over my apartment. There were 20 people in my cramped apartment. A little more than I wanted. Really wanted to have about 15 people over, but had a few unexpected guests. It happens. Managed to drink 18 bottles of wine, so I think that is a hell of an accomplishment.

MY OSCAR BALLOT

I went 18 out of 24, which isn't too bad. I've managed to get at least 18 correct picks in 5 out of the last 7 years. So I usually consider 18 to be the key number on Oscar night.

Last night was just another reminder of how special it was when I went 22 out of 24 in 2009. That very well may never be topped by me.

No one beat my Oscar record in the my annual Oscar contest. Again, just another reminder of how hard it is to get 22 picks.

I had a weird night with my picks as I actually went 0 for 2 to start the night off and 1-3 in the first four categories. Then, I proceeded to go 17-3 over the next 20 categories to finish with 18 picks. After my 1-3 start, I actually thought I was going to have a real bad night. Luckily, I rebounded.

I actually picked Best Documentary - Short Subject right for the first time since 2008. I usually consider that to be my worst category, so it felt nice.

I'm glad I didn't change my Supporting Actress pick. I stuck with Leo and it paid off. I never fully bought into the idea that Hailee Steinfeld would pull it off.

I'm mad at myself for not changing 3 categories I should have got right (Best Original Score, Best Art Direction, and Best Costume Design). I really overestimated the Academy's love for The King's Speech. I went with that film in all three of these categories even though I was a little worried. The worst part is my alternate in all three of these categories was the actual winner. Part of me just didn't think Alice in Wonderland would win 2 Oscars. Still find it hard to believe, but oh well...

The other 3 categories I got wrong, I would have never changed. I had to stick with True Grit for Best Cinematography. The other 2 were shorts, which is always a crapshoot anyway.

I'm really happy I stuck with Tom Hooper. When predicting the Oscars, you can't play favorites and need to pick the person or film you think has the best shot to win. The way the race was going, it just felt like Hooper was the best choice. I was shocked how many people went with Fincher. Was the guy robbed? Yes, he was, but let's be honest, the Oscars make a lot of poor choices. Just ask Martin Scorsese.

THE SHOW

In the week leading up the Oscars, I had a feeling James Franco and Anne Hathaway would be bad Oscar hosts. Unfortunately, I was correct. They just lacked the X factor that makes someone a great Oscar host. The Oscars are always the hardest hosting gig, so it shouldn't be too surprising they were going to run into trouble.

The show just lacked a lot in general. It has been universally panned. I hope Anne and James rebound as I think they are both really talented.

Franco is taking even more heat than Hathaway. Some people said he was stoned. I disagree. It felt like to me that he just didn't really care that much.

I still think Hugh Jackman was the best host in the last five years. In looking for a host or hosts for next year, they need to look for someone in the similar mold. I actually hope they go back to a single host. I just think it works better. Part of the problem with Franco and Hathaway is that they lacked chemistry. I found it a bit surprising too since I thought they would work well together. Not sure what happened.

Kirk Douglas is a legend, but watching him was painful. The guy is 94 years old. It was funny at first, but soon became just awkward.

The speeches in general I thought were okay. Nothing really special was said. Maybe the most memorable part was when Melissa Leo dropped the f bomb. I thought David Seidler's speech was great. It was probably my favorite of the night.

It was funny and awkward when Spielberg talked about all these great films that didn't win Best Picture. The statement was true, but it was weird to hear it on the Oscars. It was almost discrediting the award.

THE RESULTS

Really surprised The King's Speech only won 4 Oscars. It even failed to win one technical award. It was surprising to me.

Inception winning 4 Oscars was also surprising. Best Cinematography was probably the surprise the night.

Before Best Director was announced, I honestly thought The Social Network may win Best Picture. The King's Speech was underperforming, so it left the door open. Then, Tom Hooper won and it was all over.

Some people have horrible luck with the Academy. Last night, Fincher, Deakins, and Bening all lost again. A lot of people thought this would be the year for Fincher and Deakins. I hope they get their Oscar one day, but it will probably be for not their best work. Then again, that happens to a lot of people. As for Bening, she just can't get a role strong enough to get her over the top. She's lost twice to Hilary Swank and now to Natalie Portman. It's not like she is losing to horrible actresses.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

Overall the Oscars this year were okay for me. The party was great. My ballot was great. The show sucked. It happens. Not every Oscars can be like the 81st Academy Awards, which is still "The Greatest Oscars Ever".

Current Oscar Predictions

MikeyFilmmaker@comcast.net — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 11:30:50 PST

I am going to post final predictions on Saturday, but I figured I would give everyone an idea of what I'm thinking right now.

Best Picture: The King's Speech

This is either going to be King's Speech or Social Network. While I would prefer Social Network, I have to go with the British film. It has won all the relevant precursors and people seem to love it. Seems like a safe choice right now.

Best Director: Tom Hooper, The King's Speech

I'm really conflicted with this pick. I may change it by the weekend. Hooper won the DGA, but Fincher could pull it off. The DGA is just such a good precursor. This could be a year where Picture/Director split. The last time that has happened was 2005 when Ang Lee took Director and Crash won Picture. I really think this is a toss up and I don't think I'll feel safe about this pick at all on Oscar night.

Best Actor: Colin Firth, The King's Speech

This is the easiest pick out of all the acting categories. This is really a lock. Would be shocked if Firth lost.

Best Actress: Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Poor Annette Bening can't catch a break. I still haven't seen The Kids Are All Right, but she always seems to be in second place when she gets nominated (ex. American Beauty and Being Julia). Portman is in the driver's seat and it doesn't make sense to pick against her.

Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter

Could Rush sneak in and win this? It's possible if Oscar night becomes a King's Speech lovefest. I just like Bale in this race. He has the asshole factor working against him, but he's done really well this awards season. Especially with his speeches, which I have really enjoyed. People know he's hard working and he seems to be enjoying himself. Plus, Rush already has his Oscar, which I do think will work against him.

Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo, The Fighter

There's a good chance I will change this pick to Steinfeld by Saturday. I don't know if The Fighter can really win two acting awards. I am also worried about Adams and Leo splitting the vote. I am also worried about Bonham Carter pulling this out as well. Basically I'm worried about this race more than any other major category. Really hard race to predict and I'm really confused.

Best Original Screenplay: The King's Speech

Feel pretty safe with this pick. Can't really go against it here.

Best Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network

Social Network may lose Picture and Director, but it should definitely take this. Be shocked if it lost.

Best Animated Feature: Toy Story 3

Don't bet against Pixar in this category. I would have to say this is a lock and one of the safest picks of the night.

Best Art Direction: The King's Speech

This is a tough call. I'm going with King's Speech because I don't see Alice in Wonderland winning this Oscar and I don't think Inception has enough support. Films like The Aviator have won this category and I think King's Speech will follow.

Best Cinematography: True Grit

I feel like this is a trap pick and I may change it. Everyone says Roger Deakins' time has come. The problem is the voting ballot doesn't say his name on it. Is it common knowledge he was the DP? I'm not convinced. This could be a situation where there's a surprise. I'll come back to this pick over the weekend.

Best Costume Design: The King's Speech

I look at The Aviator for my support that films like King's Speech can win over a film like Alice in Wonderland. Bad films have won in this category, so it's definitely possible for an Alice win. Part of me refuses to put it down on my ballot right now. That could change.

Best Documentary - Feature: Inside Job

Exit Through the Gift Shop could win, but I don't know if the Academy will want to acknowledge Banksy. I haven't seen Inside Job yet, but it feels like the film to beat.

Best Documentary - Short Subject: Strangers No More

No one really knows anything about this category. I never get this right, so if you want a piece of advice, don't pick Strangers No More.

Best Film Editing: The Social Network

Usually Best Picture wins this, but I think the editing in Social Network is so good that it can't be passed up. I could be wrong, but I leaning towards this to win over King's Speech.

Best Foreign Language Film: In a Better World

Better World won the Globe, which means nothing. I'm going with it right now because I need more time. I'm just not feeling Biutiful or Incendies for the win. Though, I think Incendies has a better shot. I guess I really just don't think Biutiful will win.

Best Makeup: The Wolfman

Everyone is picking this to win. I'm just following the leader. Although, I wouldn't be shocked if another film wins. The alternate feels like Barney's Version.

Best Original Score: The King's Speech

At first it looked like Social Network would win this, but it's looking like King's Speech. Sounds like more of an Oscar winning score to me.

Best Original Song: "We Belong Together", Toy Story 3

The other songs don't stand out as much. I could see this losing to "If I Rise" from 127 Hours. I'm just not confident enough to pick it.

Best Short - Animated: Madagascar, a Journey Diary

Contrary to the Animated Feature, don't bet on a Pixar film. I'm not going with Day and Night. I like The Gruffalo and that may win, but I really liked the animation style in Madagascar. Reminded me of the short animation that won a few years back. That probably means nothing, but that is what is dictating my thoughts right now.

Best Short - Live Action: Wish 143

I feel like it's going to be either this or Na Wewe. I may change it by Saturday. Considering this is one of the 5 categories that members must attend special screenings, I feel like they will vote for the film that touched them the most. This very well may be it.

Best Sound Editing: Inception

A lot of people are predicting a little Inception mini sweep for both sound categories and VFX. This sound category is definitely safer than Mixing. I can't see the other nominees winning.

Best Sound Mixing: Inception

This could be like 2008 when Slumdog won Mixing and Dark Knight won Editing. If the Oscars turn into a King's Speech lovefest, then that will happen. I just don't see it getting to that point.

Best Visual Effects: Inception

This has to win right? Definitely not a lock, but I feel pretty confident about this pick.

Films I Saw at 2011 Sundance

MikeyFilmmaker@comcast.net — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 11:28:28 PST

I figured I would finally post my thoughts on the films I saw at Sundance this year. I saw seven features and two shorts programs. I'm not going to rank the shorts because it would just take too long to do and I'm at work right now. Sundance ended over the weekend, so I want to post this before it becomes too late. Special thanks to Jason Stevens for organizing the whole trip. Going to Sundance was one of the best times I've had in long time.

Celebrity Sightings (that I remember off the top of my head):

Robert Redford (first celeb sighting and the best), Harry Belafonte, Ben Foster, Thomas Dekker, Juno Temple, John Salley, Christopher McDonald, Morgan Spurlock, Freddie Highmore, Emma Roberts, Elizabeth Banks (Not confirmed, but I'm pretty sure it was her. I recognized her jacket from some Sundance photos.)

Now onto the actual rankings...

7. Pariah

This was one of the two opening night films I saw. I don't think this was a bad film, but I had trouble getting into it. This was a classic example of a film I would have never watched unless I was at Sundance. I guess that is one of the great things about the festival.

6. The Woman

If Sundance gave out a most disturbed film award, then it would go to this film. A family decides to capture a woman living in the forest and basically torture her for two hours. This was the last film I saw at Sundance and probably the reason I got the flu three days later. While I didn't hate it as much as some people, I still didn't really expect to see a film like this at Sundance. The film has everything from domestic abuse to rape to incest before ending with a bloodbath. A lot of people have been talking about this film since it premiered. In a lot of ways, it's a great horror movie for that reason. It leaves a mark on you, but it's so twisted and disturbing that I really didn't know how to take it all in. Maybe, I need to watch it again. On second thought, maybe I'll just let you watch it for yourself and make up your own mind.

5. Kaboom

This film was really wacky. The ridiculous thing about this film was that it got crazier and crazier as the film progressed. There was like no rules in this film. Definitely made it entertaining to watch as you never knew what was going to happen. There was sex, drugs, more sex, people running around with animal masks, even more sex, and a cult trying to control the world. Then, out of nowhere, everything goes KABOOM!

4. HERE

Okay, I'm not going to lie, I was in bad shape when I watched this film. It was part of my marathon movie watching day of Friday and I was literally exhausted. Combine that with the fact that this film's pacing is slow, I struggled to stay awake during portions of this film. To be fair, I would like to watch this film again and if it ever gets distribution I will go see it because I feel bad I didn't give it a fair chance. Anyway, this was a beautifully shot film and probably the best shot film I saw at Sundance. Some of the landscape shots of Armenia are breathtaking. The film has a Lost in Translation feel to it and if you're down for a less conventional love story, then I thought this film was refreshing.

3. The Ledge

I didn't realize it until after I got out of this film, but the lead in this film was in Undeclared. Just felt like sharing that. I wanted this film to be better. I think my expectations were too high (similar to HERE), but I still enjoyed this film. Part of the reason I liked this film was that it was not a standoff film about trying to convince a guy to not jump, but rather the film is about the guy's relationship with his neighbor and her evangelical Christian husband. Charlie Hunnam's character is an atheist too, which adds an interesting dynamic to the whole film. The film is told mostly in flashback as you watch him and Liv Tyler fall in love and eventually realize why he is on the ledge.

2. Sing Your Song

This was the first film I saw at Sundance. Not a bad first film to see at all. It was actually my number one film until Sunday. I knew a little about Harry Belafonte before, but I actually had no idea how important he was. I actually learned a lot watching this film. The man lived an incredible life. This documentary also did a great job using archival footage especially some of the footage of him and Martin Luther King Jr. I left this documentary wanting to change the world. It was very inspiring.

1. How to Die in Oregon

I remember reading the synopsis of this film months ago. I was pulled in immediately when I read that someone literally died on camera within the first few minutes. I thought to myself, this film is going to be intense and different. I thought this was one of the most powerful films I've ever seen. I was just emotionally drained after watching it along with everyone else in the theater. I'm pretty sure that almost everyone in the theater was crying during this film. The film is about physician assisted suicide or death with dignity in Oregon. I went into this film not really supporting this, but after watching the film, I think death with dignity should be legal in the United States. The film primarily followed a woman, Cody Curtis, who was a woman in her 50s with terminal liver cancer. The film follows her last months as she comes to terms with her own life and really makes you reevaluate your own life. This film is not really about death as much as about living with dignity and leaving this world on your own terms. This film was awarded the grand jury prize in the documentary competition. I believe this documentary will be airing on HBO over the summer. Everyone should watch it. Peter Richardson made an extraordinary film that was by far the best film I saw at Sundance.

Tomorrow is Sundance

MikeyFilmmaker@comcast.net — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 11:25:48 PST

It's finally here. Tomorrow is Sundance. I actually wanted to write something about the Patriots, but I've been extremely busy with school and work. Plus, I'm trying to get ready for this trip. I may revisit the Patriots next week. I also would like to write a review on my experience of Sundance. I'll be there from Thursday through early Monday morning. Should be a crazy trip.

Thank You to God!

MikeyFilmmaker@comcast.net — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 11:23:01 PST

I still can't stop laughing at the fact that Ricky Gervais said this on television. A lot of people are giving him shit for this comment. There's nothing wrong with it. Why can't people not believe in God? Atheists are perfectly fine humans, yet we continue to get criticized because we simply don't believe in the existence of a God. It's frustrating at times, so I have to applaud Ricky for having the guts to say it. It probably should have been said years ago. No reason religious people and atheists can't coexist.

2010: A Retrospect

MikeyFilmmaker@comcast.net — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:49:20 PST

Where have you gone 2010? This is the fourth year I've written a retrospect on the year and it has become a tradition to write that sentence. Why? It is amazing to think that another year is over. I swear time goes faster and faster as you get older. Anyway, looking back on a year right when it is about to end gives me a unique perspective. I enjoy doing it and honestly, for the most part I've enjoyed this year.

I was re-reading my previous three retrospectives and they were filled with a lot of anger and regret. I feel different about 2010. There has definitely been some frustrations and disappointments, but let's be realistic. That is bound to happen every year. It's almost unavoidable. No one lives in complete harmony for an entire year. There's always going to be bumps in the road. It's a question of whether you can get back up and keep going. I would like to think I did that in 2010 more than any previous year since probably 2004.

I made a bold decision in the last few months that I would drop my PPS credential in my master's program. Really it's a career altering decision. Some people probably think I'm stupid to do it. I know my advisor at LMU tried to convince me it was a mistake. I did it for the same reason I quit Industry Entertainment two years ago. I don't want to live in a life that I don't think is right for me. Why not just cut out the bullshit and focus on your passion in life? That is one thing I realized this past year. Every person on this planet needs to ask themselves one question, "What are you passionate about?" Whatever that answer is should be what you spend as much time as possible trying to do. Life is too damn short to waste it doing something you don't care about.

I'll get back to grad school later, but this quest to find my passion really started to make a lot more sense this year. It really started in March when I started helping out Venice Arts. It was a chance meeting at a LMU nonprofit job fair. Maybe a meeting of fate, but my vision started to become more clear. I'm not sure what my future holds with that nonprofit in 2011, but in 2010 it was a fun ride. I mentored for three different semesters. Each one was unique in its own way. The most impressive part of mentoring is not being able to teach kids how to make films, but rather the relationships that you develop with them and how they teach you to appreciate the little things in life. Nothing beats watching their completed films. They are creative and more talented than you think. They have inspired me to start seriously thinking about making another film in the near future.

Event 17 was also a big deal for me. A great opportunity that I really did not expect. Being asked to do so much after only being a volunteer with an organization for a little over six months was incredible. It was a great challenge for myself, but one that I welcomed. That coupled with my nonprofit development certificate program I took at the LMU Extension showed me that maybe this is the right path for me. I may not make a lot of money, but I have potential to make an impact. At the end of the day, I think that is really exciting and much more fulfilling.

I saw Paul McCartney for a fifth time in March at the Hollywood Bowl. I literally can't believe I have been so fortunate to see him that many times. Many years from now, I will truly cherish these McCartney concerts even more. This past year I have actually seen a few concerts that were awesome. Roger Waters' The Wall tour was unlike any show I have ever seen. The production value was unbelievable. It was also the first concert I even smoked a joint at, so for that reason alone it holds a special place in my heart. I saw Yoko Ono and the Plastic Ono Band, which was very emotional and I actually enjoyed the show. To see her bring back a concept that her and John Lennon came up over 40 years ago was unreal. I don't always agree with everything Yoko does, but I do respect the hell out of her for being such a strong woman throughout her life. Also saw Sean Lennon and his new project, The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger, a few weeks before Yoko and managed to sit in the front row. Then, saw an incredible tribute show to John Lennon by my favorite Beatles' tribute band, The Fab Four. It was definitely a memorable year for concerts.

It was also a big year for Yoko's other half, John Lennon. Yes, he has been gone for 30 years, but this year would have been his 70th birthday. It was really a special year for Beatle and John fans. On his birthday, I helped organize the Hollywood celebration and it was a lot of fun. The chalk art event went over really well. It was a very positive event and everyone there seemed to have a great time. We tried to keep that positive theme in December as well. While remembering his death is never easy, I thought that event also went over well.

It's funny when three out of four Boston sports team make the playoffs that it would be considered a down year. It was. Every team failed to live up to their full potential. The Bruins blew a 3-0 series lead and 3-0 game 7 lead in the second round of the playoffs. The Celtics lost in the NBA finals in 7 games against the Lakers after blowing a 3-2 series lead and 3rd quarter lead in game 7. That one was tough to swallow living in LA. The Patriots lost in the divisional round of the playoffs in a blowout. The Red Sox were the only team not to make the playoffs after having an injury plagued season. The good news is every Boston team looks ready to go in 2011. The Bruins look like a playoff team again. The Celtics should be a favorite for the NBA title again. The Patriots are heading to the playoffs again as the top seed in the AFC. The Red Sox signed two big free agents, Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford, which should make an exciting upcoming season. Optimism is around and it continues to be an exciting time to be a Boston sports fan.

I even showed off some of my athletic skills by playing softball. Not only did I play, but I also managed the Future Secret Presidents. Both the summer and fall seasons were full of struggles and tough losses, but it did contain some highs. Particularly, the last game we played this year. We rallied from six runs down to win the game in the bottom of the 7th. I even scored the winning run after drawing a walk with 2 outs. For a guy that is not much of an athlete, it was a moment I don't think I'll forget anytime soon. Getting mobbed by your teammates at home plate is simply unforgettable.

It could be argued that my days as an Oscar blogger have come and gone, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy the Oscars anymore. I don't host many parties throughout the year, but my Oscar party in March was surprisingly a lot of fun and exceeded expectations. It was so much fun that I'm trying to figure out ways to top it in next year.

In my personal life, I had an interesting year. Some parts will be excluded here, but I did date a girl for a short time who admired Sarah Palin and the tea party movement. That was a mistake, but it happens. I can only laugh about it now. Besides the Palin girl, I can't really complain. There's been highs and lows, but compared to recent years it has been one of the better years.

I tried salvia (it's legal) earlier this year. I only bring it up since it really was a mind altering experience. If used under the right circumstances, I think Timothy Leary was right. Psychedelics can have a positive influence on your life. It changed my perspective on life. I still remember the feeling coming back to reality and being simply blown away at what happened. It was a total different experience than smoking weed. It was also one of the main reasons why I became an atheist this past year. I was never much of a religious person, but I decided enough was enough. Believing in the existence of God is a waste of time. He didn't create the universe. He doesn't control our destinies. It's perfectly fine if you believe in God, but it's not for me.

That leads to why I dropped the credential in my master's program. I don't regret going back to school, but I don't want to waste time doing something I can't see myself doing. Why extend my program longer and spend more money in school? Doesn't make too much sense. I have met some incredible people at LMU. Many who I consider my friends. My educational philosophy is just different from many of my classmates. I don't take my academics as serious as my peers. I try to stress the big picture rather than worry about the small details. This resulted in me at times not giving 100 percent, yet I still have managed to maintain a 3.97 GPA. I have no idea how I have done this, but I find it funny. I also have no idea how for one of my group projects, we used an article from The Onion and my professor never found it. Sometimes you got to love LMU professors.

I wrote in my graduate school journal a couple weeks ago that I planted a lot of "seeds" in this past year in all these different areas of my life from academics to career to even my love life. I'm ready for all these seeds to come out of the ground in 2011. Part of me has no idea what is going to come out of the ground, but that's what is exciting. I'm ready for grad school to end. I'm ready to start getting even more involved in the nonprofit world. I'm ready to get my creative juices flowing again. I'm ready to start the next chapter in my life. As John Lennon said shortly before his death, “I am going into an unknown future, but I’m still all here, and still while there’s life, there’s hope.”

A couple conversations that stuck in my head I've had this past year make me feel ready. A family friend described life being like a pinball machine. Life can take you in all these different directions and you have to be ready because you never know where the ball is going to go. The other is my nonprofit leadership professor giving each person in my class an imperfect map. Why? No one's journey is perfect and we all get to our destination a different way. The goal is overcoming the obstacles and getting there.

I'm going to end this with a line from Risky Business (1983) that is going to be my motto for 2011. "Sometimes you gotta say, what the fuck. Make your move... Every now and then say, what the fuck. What the fuck gives you freedom. Freedom brings opportunity. Opportunity makes your future."

What the fuck.

"If you can't say it. You can't do it."

Happy New Year,

Mikey Filmmaker

12/31/10

Happy Xmas (War is Over)

MikeyFilmmaker@comcast.net — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 10:55:09 PST

Now, on a more serious note, there is this Christmas song. Much different feel than Paul's Christmas song. I love this song as it is able to combine both a Christmas spirit as well as a political message. No one has been able to do it better. John Lennon was so damn good at that. He always knew how to get his message across.

There's actually an updated video of this song with clips from around the world of people being affected by war. It's on YouTube, but the embedding is turned off. Not sure why, but check that version out as I'm sure you'll be shocked after you watch it.

This is my last post until after Christmas. Hope everyone gets what they want for Christmas. More importantly, I hope it's a day filled with peace and love.

Lennon and Me: 30 Years Later

MikeyFilmmaker@comcast.net — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 10:51:48 PST

I don't think I've ever told anyone this, but my first memory of The Beatles is telling some family friends I didn't think they were any good. I thought The Monkees were better. I was probably somewhere between 7-9 years old. In my defense, my Mom was a Monkees fan. I don't know why I remember this. Yet, somehow that exchange was stored in my long term memory. I can't help, but smile and laugh at that. Who would have known that a little over 15 years later I am paying tribute to a man that is considered my idol. And he was a Beatle!

While I remember The Monkees' story. I also remember simply sitting in my basement as early as 12 years old listening to Beatles' records especially the Red Album and the Blue Album. Sitting down there for hours being mesmerized by their music and having a horrible habit of not being able to sit through an entire side of a record. I would always skip a song or simply want to re-listen to "I Want to Hold Your Hand" or "Strawberry Fields Forever". I used to drive my Dad crazy, who was more of The Beates fan out of my parents. Still, he let me put on their records on my own terms. He never forced or rammed The Beatles down my throat. In retrospect, I respect him for doing that. I actually attribute that for making me The Beatles fan I am today.

I would be lying if I said I haven't been thinking of what I would write about John Lennon. He has been gone for 30 years. I was not even alive the same time as him. Yet, he is such an important part of my life. Everyone from my family to friends often ask me why I love The Beatles such much. What makes John Lennon so special to me? I don't really have an easy answer to that question. I don't think I will ever have an easy answer to that question.

I have often said that John Lennon lived one of the most fascinating lives of the 20th century. He lived only 40 years, but his life was full of so much happiness, sadness, excitement, disappointment, success, and even failure. Every year of his life was full of ups and downs. Even his life before he was famous is worthy of a film. Oh wait a second, Nowhere Boy just was released a couple months ago. Seriously though, there was so much pain and loss that he had to overcome. It is really an admirable part of his life that some people forget. His Father abandoned him when he was 5. His Mother was killed by an off duty drunken police officer when he was 17. His Uncle George died when he was 14 years old. Even his best friend Stuart Sutcliffe died at the age of 21 of a brain hemorrhage in 1962. The only constant in his upbringing was his Aunt Mimi. He dealt with all this loss and change and somehow managed to turn it into something.

His first creative outlet was art, but it was music that really gave him a voice. After meeting Paul McCartney in 1957, the two of them formed the most successful partnership in the history of rock 'n' roll. Then, George Harrison came along. Then, of course Ringo Starr joined them in 1962. The rest was history. I don't need to write about what happened, but by 1970 it was over. Although, The Beatles were over. John Lennon still had plenty to say. His 10 years after The Beatles is just as fascinating as his time with the band. He became one of the leading peace activists in the world. He also still recorded some damn good music. Ever listen to Plastic Ono Band? I've never listened to a more honest and emotional album.

His death was one of those "where were you moments" of the 20th century. Many people (including my Dad) were watching Monday Night Football and listened in total shock to Howard Cosell's announcement. Total shock is probably the best way to describe it. 30 years later there is still total shock. Why did someone do such a unnecessary act? I am not going to name John's killer in this piece for obvious reasons. He does not deserve my recognition. His name is already all over the net, so google it if you must. Discussing his motivation or actions is not what today is all about.

Today is about thanking a man who touched my life. I am 25 years old. I missed him by five years. I feel like John has taught me a lot about myself through the years. He made me more self aware of myself and my actions. He showed me a lot through his 40 years. You don't have to be a model student in school to succeed in life. You don't have to be a perfect husband or father. You have to have a sense of humor. You have to be passionate about what you believe in whether it is peace, love, positive thinking, etc. And maybe most importantly to me, you can leave the industry you love and return years later with a renewed faith and interest. Sometimes you need to just step away. As John said shortly before his death, "I am going into an unknown future, but I'm still all here, and still while there's life, there's hope."

At the end of the day, we are human. Humans are not perfect. They are flawed. As John proved, you may experiment with drugs. You may abuse alcohol. You may have affairs. You may say things people might not like even if they take it out of context ("The Beatles are more popular than Jesus."). You may even get yourself almost kicked out of the country after being considered a threat by the President of the United States. You just have to be able to rise above it all to inspire and live a fulfilling life. That's what John Lennon did for me. That's why I love him.

He was really just a regular guy, who was so aware of his talent and had a vision. One that he made global and universal. One that still resonates to us today. "All You Need is Love". "Give Peace a Chance". "Imagine". Pure genius. That is why 30 years later we continue to talk about John Lennon. That is why people of all ages and backgrounds are fans of The Beatles and fans of John Lennon. People will sing and listen to those songs (and countless more) for another 30 years and beyond. John Lennon touched so many people while he was alive and continues to touch people.

Today, people will gather around the world to remember John Lennon. I will gather in Los Angeles at Capitol Records for what will be an emotional ceremony being run by my good friend Jerry Rubin. And I will admit, I will probably cry a little. As Paul McCartney said during his concert at Amoeba Records in 2007 when he finished "Here Today", "It's okay to cry." Today those words are very true. Yet I remind myself of something in Ray Coleman's biography. After Stu's death, John told Astrid Kirchherr, "You either die with him or you go on living your life". It is acceptable to reflect and remember, but I really try to make today a positive one as a day with filled hope for the future and my future specifically. John would have wanted that. That is why I never consider John Lennon to be a god. He is more like a friend. I just never got to meet him. Yoko said it best, "He was one of us". Unfortunately, 30 years ago tonight, one of us was shot and killed.

Mike Cersosimo

December 8, 2010

Running Into The Wall

MikeyFilmmaker@comcast.net — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 11:16:23 PST

Jim Ladd said, "It will be by any measure the most colossal event in the history of rock 'n' roll... The stage housed in the center of the wall will measure 90' long. The wall itself 240' wide by 35' high is so enormous it will cross one side of an arena to the other."

Going to see Roger Waters perform his magnum opus, The Wall tonight at the Staples Center. Trying to not get too excited. I'm hoping by the end of the night this will go down as my favorite non-Beatles related concert ever. Pink Floyd is my second favorite band, so seeing Roger is going to be unreal.

Aim Above Morality

MikeyFilmmaker@comcast.net — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 11:08:05 PST

“Vice. Virtue. It’s best not to be too moral. You cheat yourself out of too much life. Aim above morality. If you apply that to life, then you’re bound to live life fully.” - Maude (Ruth Gordon)

Last night I watched Harold and Maude for the first time. I've been meaning to watch it, but just kept forgetting. I was looking at the Netflix instant watch on my Wii and what do you know? There's the film.

Part of the reason I've been meaning to watch it, is that I'm currently trying to write a film with what I was hoping would not be a too similar plot. Unfortunately, the film has a lot of similarities. I don't know what I'm going to do yet. Part of me thinks this script I'm writing is the most honest work I've done. The funny part is that I came up with the idea long before I ever watched this film. My plan was to finish the script by early Spring, then possibly shoot it in the summer.

Harold and Maude was a great film, so if you haven't watched it yet. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

Lennon NYC

MikeyFilmmaker@comcast.net — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 11:04:53 PST

Finally watched Lennon NYC last night on PBS. Taped it earlier in the week, but was unable to watch it when it premiered since I was in class. Overall, I thought it was well done. At times reminded me of The U.S. vs. John Lennon, but that was not a bad thing. It there is one "down side" of knowing too much about The Beatles, it's that stuff starts to repeat. When you watch or read something, there is rarely new information in it. I mostly watch these pieces for their storytelling and point of view. It did contain some good interviews from people who knew John well during the ten years of his life after The Beatles. It's definitely worth checking out.

Cold Turkey

MikeyFilmmaker@comcast.net — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 11:01:22 PST

No I'm not trying to quit heroin. This was the only song I could think of that contained the word "turkey". Going to be a quiet day for me today. Not going anywhere and my family is across the country. Probably just going to do what I always do and buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. Got to try to make the best of the day.

(Just Like) Starting Over

MikeyFilmmaker@comcast.net — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 10:45:02 PST

The title of this post is from the John Lennon song of the same name from his final album (while he was alive), Double Fantasy. I think the title is rather fitting. Why? Because I really want to make an effort to start blogging again. My old blog over on blogspot was fun. I actually developed a okay following and it was a positive experience. Unfortunately, I starting working in the film industry and I just stopped. Then, I quit that job and started again. Then, I started grad school and stopped again.

So you may be asking yourself, why should I start again? I'll probably just stop. You may be right, but I'm trying to be optimistic that I can keep this going. I actually am more intrigued by the tumblr template and I think it encourages easy and quick posts. I also need an outlet to write and post stuff. I still keep my private journal and still am trying to write my memoir (yes I'm writing a memoir), but why not have another public forum? I think it's worth it. Especially to post my Oscar and Beatle thoughts.

Most importantly, I feel like this is a great time to start again. I just finished my nonprofit development and leadership class yesterday, which amazingly was more inspiring than any class I ever took in grad school. People were actually trying to do things and take chances. We had discussions that were actually engaging and challenging. It made me think about the direction of my life. There was this excitement at the end that I haven't felt in a while. You only live once, so you got to spend it being passionate about something. Otherwise, what is the point of living?

To quote a lyric from the John Lennon song that takes the name of this post, "Let's take a chance and fly away somewhere".

I'm finally ready to start over and start blogging again. Hope you'll join me for the magical mystery tour...

3rd Annual Oscar Contest Results

MikeyFilmmaker@comcast.net — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:21:24 PST

My apologies for the delay. We had 157 people enter the 3rd Annual Oscar Contest. I had hoped to get 100 people and we did much better than that. It took me longer than anticipated to add up the ballots.   I can happily say that no one had 23 picks, so there will be no $100 Fandango Bucks given (Maybe next year?). I also want to thank Fletch from Blog Cabins and LAMB for helping make this contest a great success.

As promised, we are giving prizes to the top two finishers. Those prize details will be emailed to the winners, but they include an Oscar poster and iTunes gift card for the winner. Second place is taking home a AMC gift card and a t-shirt. Both scored 19 picks, so congratulations to them. The winner was decided on a category tiebreaker. If you have any questions, then click HERE.  

Here's some interesting quick facts:
87/157 picked The Hurt Locker for Best Picture
27/157 picked Precious for Best Adapted Screenplay
28/157 picked The Hurt Locker for Best Sound Editing
29/157 picked The Secret in Their Eyes for Best Foreign Language Film
16/157 picked Music by Prudence for Best Documentary - Short Subject
11/157 picked Logorama for Best Animated Short

Husband/Wife, Boyfriend/Girlfriend (we had no boyfriend/boyfriend or girlfriend/girlfriend battles this year) Results:
Dylan Fields "Fletch" (16) beats Mrs. Fletch (14)
Allison Keeler (13) edges out Kyle Dickinson (12)
Trisha Tamashiro (15) handily beats Julian Gray (12)
Dres Fischer-Centeno (16, he copied my ballot, so don't feel bad Stacia) wins in a landslide over Stacia Stolzenberg (10)
Mike Tufo (9) edges out Lori Cersosimo (7)
Melissa Cersosimo (9) takes out Lou Cersosimo (4) - I obviously didn't get my Oscar predicting skills from my parents.

As for the scores, here are all people with score 17 and higher...
19 Picks
1. Gordon Purcell
2. Chelsea

18 Picks
Brian Bedard
Paul Jarnagin
Chris Miller
Nick Bragg
Kelly Conlin
Megan
Kirby Holt
Will Byrnes
Stephanie Perkins

17 Picks
Chris Pritzlaff
Fei Meng
Lisa
Rick Doctrow
Davey Morrison
Buddy Haardt
Mom Fields
Edwin Drood
Elizabeth Strong
Xavi Morcillo
Matthew Russo
Michael Colin
Patricia Mistric
Probek
Roy Geiger
David Humphrey
Paul Kim

If you think there may have been a mistake, I will happily look over your ballot again. I did do everything by hand, but I'm very confident that the top scores are accurate. Please contact me within the next three days if you think there is a problem. After that, all scores are final.  

Thanks everyone for participating. I'll hopefully see everyone for the 4th Annual Oscar Contest!

Corey Haim Welcomed Me to Hollywood

MikeyFilmmaker@comcast.net — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:36:06 PST

Click HERE to read an old post I did on my encounter with Corey Haim back in 2008.

I got to write something small about Corey Haim and his death at the age of 38. Was he the biggest child star? No. He didn't even make that many classic films. I think more of his appeal was the "Two Corey's" gimmick. Still, how can someone not like The Lost Boys?

As written in that previous post, I met Corey Haim randomly when I was working in the film industry only a few weeks after I started a job at a management company. A casting director rented office space from us and she was casting Crank 2. Corey had a small role in it and stopped by to read some lines. The reason this encounter is so memorable is the fact that as he was heading back to the casting director's office, he shook my hand, and said, "Welcome to Hollywood." That became somewhat of a running joke in the office that Corey Haim welcomed me to Hollywood.

During my brief conversation with him, he was a rather eccentric guy. You could tell he had been through a lot. He looked washed up, but his personality was great. He talked to me while I was covering the reception desk. He even took off his shirt and showed me his bat tattoo on his shoulder, which he got after doing The Lost Boys. He also talked about the excitement over the new film, which was a direct to video called The Lost Tribe. He had a cameo at the end of that film and told me there were plans to make another. I'm unsure if that was ever filmed.

Corey is not the only former child actor I've met in Hollywood. I also got extremely drunk with the kid from Free Willy (Jason James Richter) one night at a bar in Hollywood. Both guys were nice in their own ways, but you can see that being a child actor put a toll on them. So many of them struggle with substance abuse and have tough careers as an adult. That's what makes it even more sad when you hear news like this. Being a child actor is not as easy as it looks.

I guess the point of this whole thing is how you just never know. I'm just sad about the news. It's just odd to think that almost two years after that encounter, he's gone and I'm out of the industry (in a sense). Makes me kind of realize how things can change so sudden and you can't take anything for granted. His death just triggered something in me and I really need to make a better effort to get back into Hollywood. I'm too out of the loop right now. I need to write more and get another movie off the ground. It will always be my number one passion and I sometimes I do really miss it.

So thanks Corey for the welcome, the hospitality, and the reminder.

Nomahhhhh

MikeyFilmmaker@comcast.net — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:12:55 PST

Notice the five H's? That's a little tribute to Nomar Garciaparra, who retired today as a member of the Boston Red Sox. I have to write something about Nomar for the simple reason that he was one of a kind. It's hard to really understand how big he was unless you were in Boston especially during his golden age of 1997-2000. He unanimous won Rookie of the Year. He won two batting titles. He had a 30 game hit streak. He almost won the MVP in 1998 (finished second). The guy was heading to the hall of fame. Maybe even more important at the time, the guy was a legend and the biggest athlete in Boston. He made Sox fans forget about Mo Vaughn and Roger Clemens leaving. He quickly became a fan favorite with his unorthodox throwing style, unusual name, and unique batting approach. Remember that routine? His name was perfect for Boston. Nomah was the second coming of Ted Williams. Even Ted Williams himself loved him.

Garciaparra infamously rejected a 4 year, 60 million deal, which in hindsight was probably the dumbest thing he ever did. The days of everyone loving Nomar were ending. Sox fans were getting impatient too. Remember this is before the World Series win when life was different.

I have to say that him leaving Boston in 2004 really was a sad day for me. I thought he was a Sox player for life. He was a rare breed of a guy that came up from the minors and developed into a star. Everything fell apart though after 2001 with injuries and bad relationships with the media.

He was dealt on July 31, 2004 to the Chicago Cubs and was never the same player. Injuries continued to plague him and it was kind of sad. I always talk to my friend about how he had such a sad career in a sense. It started with so much hope and promise, but it ended the exact opposite. He watched his former team win the World Series months after he was traded. His play declined so much that he ended up switching positions to first base and eventually third. He was playing for one and two year deals since that was the best he could do. The hall of fame talk was now a joke. His career was somewhat of a joke as well considering how great he was in his early years.

When he came back to Boston in 2009, wounds had healed and it was pretty special to see him get a standing ovation. It was somewhat fitting, but you have to wonder what could have been? What if he never got hurt? What if he could have handled Boston and stayed there for his whole career? Would have the Sox ever won the World Series with him on the roster? I don't know, but part of me wishes we could have found out.

Nomah was special and I'm glad that I got to see him play at Fenway. Thanks for the memories...

Oscar Contest Results Coming Very Soon

MikeyFilmmaker@comcast.net — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:22:24 PST

I've counted all 157 ballots and I'm fairly confident we have a winner. We actually had two people who scored 19, but the tie was broken with the category tiebreaker. I'm going to withhold the names until I talk to Fletch over at Blog Cabins and LAMB and we decide the prize distribution. I hope to have that figured out by tomorrow night at the latest. I'll keep you posted.

Thoughts on the Oscars

MikeyFilmmaker@comcast.net — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:49:47 PST

Here we are a day after the 82nd Annual Academy Awards. Thinking about the show as a whole, I still think it was average. Felt way too long and I drank a little over a bottle of wine. I can only imagine how it felt to someone sober. Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin were okay. They had a few good laughs, but they were definitely no Hugh Jackman. In general, the whole show was almost as good as last's year, but never felt like it got to that level.

The Neil Patrick Harris song and dance was a failure in my opinion. Watching the Best Acting categories was too drawn out. Last year with the five nominees was a brilliant idea. This year with a nominee's friend introducing them just lacked the same punch. I feel like Adam Shankman and Bill Mechanic had good intentions, but it just didn't deliver as well as hoped.

Still, I had a fun time last night. Had roughly ten people over and we drank some wine and ate some popcorn. Predictions wise I didn't do as well as I had hoped. I only got 16/24, which for me is considered bad. I still haven't finished correcting all the Oscar contest ballots, but as of right now there's a four way tie with 18 picks a piece. It definitely looks like my 22 picks is safe and the Fandango Bucks will not be given. Maybe next year?

Here are a few thoughts on the actual award...

Avatar losing both sound categories reminds me of when Transformers lost both sound categories to The Bourne Ultimatum. Everyone had Transformers and it lost both. I didn't think that would happen to Avatar simply because it was a much better film. Yet, the Academy chose to go more realistic and that was a huge surprise to me. Once it lost both, I knew the chances of it winning Picture were pretty much done. Before the show, it seemed like a conservative strategy to go Avatar on both sound categories just to ensure at least one win. It backfired completely.

Then, oddly enough Avatar comes back and wins cinematography. The Academy didn't make a lot of sense last night. If anything, I figured The Hurt Locker would edge Avatar in Cinematography and get swept in the sound categories. It happened the other way and I have no idea why. Maybe, all three categories were really close and they just fell that way.

The short categories just screwed everyone last night. Everyone that covers the awards knows those categories can be toss ups, but even the films that won no one talked about. For example, in Best Doc - Short Subject it was either going to be Last Truck or China. It was Music for Prudence. I heard a little about this film, but it definitely seemed like it was firmly the third choice. I had a feeling Nick Park may lose Best Short - Animated, but I had to stick with him. I mean the guy has a great track record with the Academy. The New Tenants winning Best Short - Live Action was also a surprise as the two most talked about films were The Door and Kavi. This is the first year where I have completely been shut out of the shorts and that definitely hurt my score.

The biggest surprise of the night though had to be Precious winning Best Adapted Screenplay. Everyone had Up in the Air winning. I mean it was winning all the screenplay awards and I was shocked it lost. At least some people said The Hurt Locker could win the sound categories. Few people thought Precious had a chance to win this. After that win, I thought there was an outside chance that Gabourey Sidibe could upset in Best Actress. It didn't happen, but it was still a good night for Precious.

As much as people didn't want Sandra Bullock to win Best Actress I have to say she gave one of the best speeches of the night. She also pulled off the rare feat of winning an Oscar and Razzie in the same year.

The Hurt Locker winning Best Picture just seemed rushed. Tom Hanks tweeted after that it was planned that way, but I find that hard to believe. No one in my apartment even knew they announced the winner. It happened so fast. I still think it was the wrong choice, but it wasn't a horrible one. It is a damn good film and I think it's the best film about Iraq so far. I just felt like Avatar was a more important film and should have been recognized.

I'm sure I'll have more thoughts later. I just wanted to post something before I head to class. Hopefully the Oscar contest results will be up by tomorrow night.

Live Blogging: The Oscars!

MikeyFilmmaker@comcast.net — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:02:27 PST

Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the 3rd Annual Oscar live blog! Yes, we are here again. E! is now live and I'm going live with them. Tonight is a big night. It's where heroes become legends. It's when dreams become realities. It's always a special day for movie lovers.

Unlike last year, I'm not right outside the Kodak. I'm rather a little less than 10 miles from the Kodak, but don't expect me to go down there. I'm be here in Culver City, but I promise to do a good job until I drink so much wine that I don't know what is going on anymore. That may be accelerate depending how quickly my ballot falls apart.

Like last year, I'm wearing my official Academy Awards t-shirt that I got last year. I'm also sitting in the same chair as last year. I'm hoping these are lucky charms. Let's see if it works.

Here we go...

*KEEP REFRESHING FOR LATEST UPDATES*

9:04 p.m. I got 16/24. Very disappointing. What can you do? Some years you do really well. Others you don't. That's the Oscars. What the hell can you do? There's always next year. At least I think my 22 wins is safe and no Fandango bucks will be given.

9:01 p.m. This is the second straight year when a very low budget film has won Best Picture. It's inspiring, but I still feel like Avatar was the more important picture to award. Oh well...

9:00 p.m. The Hurt Locker wins Best Picture. Way too quick and really awkward. No one knew they were even presenting Best Picture at my place. Not sure how I feel about that, but whatever.

8:56 p.m. Kathryn Bigelow wins it. Not a huge surprise, but still a big deal. Congrats to her.

8:53 p.m. Best Director is next. This should be a lock.

8:49 p.m. The Blind Side wins it for Sandra Bullock. My apartment is going crazy.

8:46 p.m. This is a long ass show. Damn.

8:41 p.m. Best Actress is coming up. This should be interesting. Will it be Bullock?

8:33 p.m. I liked how they had five friends introduce the nominees, then had the previous Actress winner announce the winner. Jeff Bridges wins it.

8:25 p.m. Best Actor next. This should be Bridges.

8:18 p.m. I just punched my friend in my head. Secret In Their Eyes has won! Hell yes!

8:15p.m. Foreign Language Film is next. This is huge.

8:09 p.m. The Cove wins Best Doc and The Hurt Locker wins Best Editing. Add two more wins for me regardless of how bad I'm doing tonight.

7:55 p.m. Avatar wins it. This was expected. Yay again. I feel like I'm doing much better than I am.

7:54 p.m. Up wins Best Score. Yay!

7:51 p.m. My sister just reminded me that they used a Beatles song. Props to Lori.

7:44 p.m. Honestly don't care how bad these Oscars are. My friends are here and I'm having fun.

7:39 p.m. In Memorian...

7:38 p.m. Avatar wins Best Cinematography. This Oscars makes no sense to me.

7:34 p.m. What a messed up Oscars. Nothing makes sense this year. Oh well...

7:28 p.m. Hurt Locker sweeps sound categories. Literally I just have to say, "Wow." Honestly, that's bullshit.

7:24 p.m. Anna Kendrick is part of Best Sound Editing. I think.

7:20 p.m. Julian is molesting me. Horror movie montage is going on. Not too bad.

7:11 p.m. Costume goes to Young Victoria. I'm redeeming myself.

7:09 p.m. Avatar wins it. I'll take it.

7:06 p.m. Art direction is coming up. This should be Avatar.

7:00 p.m. Mo'Nique wins it. Well deserved. Precious is doing much better than I anticipated.

6:58 p.m. Come on Anna Kendrick!

6:52 p.m. Star Trek wins Makeup. Yay! Precious wins with a huge upset in Adapted Screenplay. Literally a huge upset. Wow. I'm shocked.

6:38 p.m. Wow, this is really weird. Lots of upsets. My ballot is completely fucked.

6:35 p.m. Well, at least my record looks safe. Haha.

6:34 p.m. Wow I suck right now. Logorama wins.

6:31p.m. I take that back. Best animated short.

6:29 p.m. Docs categories next. Oh no!

6:19 p.m. There goes the perfect ballot. Fuck. Haha.

6:17 p.m. Hurt Locker wins. This could set the tone for the rest of the night. Not liking Avatar's chances anymore.

6:14 p.m. Hurt Locker or Inglourious Basterds? This is huge.

6:13 p.m. Looks like screenwriting is next. Adapted or original?

6:09 p.m. We're betting the next person to lose has to drink the olive juice. Gross!

6:07 p.m. Kyle is trying to caress me. We have many bottles of wine and many of us are not sober. It's like a free for all.

6:05 p.m. Weary Kind wins it. 3/3 folks. It feels good.

6:02 p.m. Original song up next. Early for Best Original Song. I guess they are not performing the songs tonight.

5:59 p.m. Up wins it. 2/2 so far. Two easy, predictable categories, but it's okay. It has eased my anxiety.

5:58 p.m. Animated feature up next.

5:54 p.m. Almost done with my first bottle of wine. This is not going to be good. At this point, who cares?

5:51 p.m. The perfect ballot stay intact. Haha.

5:50 p.m. Christoph Waltz wins! Very deserving and expected. He was so good in this film. No puns, but that's okay.

5:45 p.m. Best Supporting Actor opens the show.

5:40 p.m. I'm liking this so far. Props to Shankman and Mechanic.

5:38 p.m. The two host plan is going well so far. I mean Alec and Steve work well off each other. Both are very funny. Martin obviously has done this before and it's showing. Alec is just a funny guy as well.

5:36 p.m. Set design very nice. Very similar to last year. I like it. It has a combo of retro, but also very modern. Does that make any sense? Regardless I like it.

5:35 p.m. Here comes Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. I hope this work out well. I'm a bit nervous.

5:33 p.m. Neil Patrick Harris is wearing a very shiny suit. I feel like this is too much of a broadway show already.

5:32 p.m. Digging the setup. Like how they introduced the best acting nominees.

5:31 p.m. Here we go.

5:27 p.m. 157 Oscar contest ballots. Thank you everyone. This should be very interesting. I think my record could be in trouble. This is it. I'm fucking nervous.

5:17 p.m. Julian has just arrived and proceeded to take off his pants.

5:15 p.m. T minus 15 minutes to the Oscars.

5:07 p.m. Watching the Oscars with my friends make this a much more interesting Oscars. Shout outs to Brian, Dres, and Kyle. Also, shout outs in advance to Julian and Nolan whenever the hell they show up.

5:05 p.m. I just don't dig the ABC coverage. They seem to try too hard.

5:02 p.m. Anna Kendrick is on ABC now. I'm in love and I'm not afraid to admit it.

5:00 p.m. Seacrest is almost done. Coverage this year was okay. Then again, every year feels okay. Switching to ABC.

4:52 p.m. I have to say Sandra Bullock looks like she is dressed like a winner. This could very well be her night.

4:49 p.m. I think I'm just going to stick to E! until the show. I just have a man crush on Seacrest.

4:35 p.m. Less than 30 minutes away from ABC's coverage. I'm getting a little nervous. Not going to lie.

4:31 p.m. Clooney has some long hair today. That's interesting.

4:29 p.m. I've drank less wine this year than last. That's a good sign.

4:15 p.m. I'm not liking Sarah Jessica Parker right now. Her dress is a fail in my opinion.

4:14 p.m. Wow Miley Cyrus's Mom is hot. My friend would fuck the shit out of her.

4:05 p.m. Time is just flying. This red carpet show is going okay.

3:58 p.m. Carey Mulligan and Sandra Bullock both looking fine right now. Then again, I think everyone looks hot on the red carpet.

3:49 p.m. I've finally caught up with the Oscar contest entries. We got over 150 entries. My fingers hurt.

3:14 p.m. Anna Kendrick has made an appearance on the red carpet. My day is now complete.

3:04 p.m. Seacrest is live on E! and Sam Worthington is his first guest. Another IE connection, how ironic.

2:50 p.m. Jessica Lowndes is on E!. That is one of my old boss's clients. It's amazing how big she has gotten in the last couple years. She's not a household name, but she's making a name for herself on 90210.

2:45 p.m. E! looks like they are going live on the red carpet in 15 minutes.

2:36 p.m. Now we have a bra segment. Wow. The Oscar contest entries are just coming in like rapid fire. We are going to pass 150, which is amazing. I think my record could fall today. I really didn't want to give away those fandango bucks either. Haha.

12:59 p.m. Now E! is doing a swimsuit segment. Otherwise, the coverage for E! has been so-so. Then again, there's a lot of time to burn until Seacrest shows up.

12:03 p.m. Hell yes. E! is talking about boobs right now. I love this segment.

11:13 a.m. I'm going to work on putting these Oscar ballots in my excel sheet. If anything interesting happens on E! I'll post. Otherwise, I may be gone for a little.

11:07 a.m. E! has just gone live. Let's hope the coverage this year doesn't suck.

Ode to the Big Stars 3

MikeyFilmmaker@comcast.net — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:20:42 PST

I've posted this the last two years the night before the Oscars. It has become a tradition on this blog. I feel like it sums up the feeling the night before the Oscars. Everyone is tense, sleep deprived, and possibly coked out.

So, here is my final post before the live blog tomorrow. All these months of hard work lead to this: The 82nd Annual Academy Awards!

I'll see you tomorrow at the Oscars...

2009 Top Ten List Update

MikeyFilmmaker@comcast.net — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:18:02 PST

I'm still going to post this, but I have a feeling it will be next weekend. I still want to see a couple films, so give me a couple more days. My apologies in advance.