You Passed Crazy About Four Random Clues Ago

It's Oscar week!!!

Wahoo - I wait for this week all year long and how odd is it that it is in February again? Very odd for me, but hey, what can you do?

So first, a little business...so I came into work today to not one, not two, but three birthday cakes. Thanks to Koku and Dani for making me feel loved. Also, Vanessa had a bunch of people (friends) sign a birthday card for me. She rocks too!

So in honor of Oscar, the coolest gold-guy around, this week has a theme. Basically, the theme is me picking one past winner and singing it's virtues. At the same time, giving you one movie/actor, etc from that same year that should have won and didn't. Also, I will make a prediction in one of the categories for this year. Pretty simple, right? Okay, let's get started...

The Year: 1984
The Category: BEST PICTURE
The Winner: Amadeus
The Other Nominees:
The Killing Fields
A Passage to India
Places in the Heart
A Soldier's Story

Robbed: The Natural

Now, while Amadeus was an amazing film and the start of a boom of biopics, it wasn't one of my favorites. I loved A Passage to India and Places in the Heart. However, I felt that Tom Hulce gave a better performance than the winner of Best Actor, F. Murray Abraham.

But far and away the best flick of that year was The Natural. Now, I would never have expected it to win, I know better than that, but it should have been nominated. If you want to understand men, watch The Natural. If you want a really great baseball movie, watch The Natural. If you have been hiding under a rock and haven't ever seen it, watch The Natural. 'Nuff said!

As for this year's pick, it is a hard choice for me. The Nominees are:
The Aviator
Finding Neverland
Million Dollar Baby
Ray
Sideways

Now, I haven't seen two of them - Ray and Baby - but I will. However, my sentimental pick is going to be Sideways. I think this movie has been discounted way too much lately and I would love to see it come from behind and beat them all! As for what the Academy will pick, I'm thinking Baby will take the big prize. Look, this movie supposedly will make you cry - it is the big productions that actually move the voters that will get the statuette. Even though Aviator has 4 more nominations, it just doesn't make the cut!

That's all for Monday...tomorrow it's BEST ACTOR!