..........................26 days to Oscar night

Saw CLOSER, nominated for best supporting actor (Clive Owen) and best supporting actress(Natalie Portman)

.....Having missed the stage performance of Closer, I went with an open mind and thoroughly enjoyed myself...the performances were sublime, especially Natalie Portman and Clive Owen....they certainly deserve the oscar nominations and I will be rooting for them on the Night

.............................29 days to Oscar night

No cinema.....

Started watching Oscar's 74th ceremony telecast

....Finished viewing the fellowship of the Ring extended edition + various commentary tracks with Cast and director/writers

........turning to the dvd appendices 1 and 2

..............................30 days to Oscar night

No film viewing today, getting into disc 2 of the Fellowship dvd....viewing with directors/writers commentary and then with the commentary by some of the cast

...also continuing with online nominations reactions..........Kris Tapley @ Oscarwatch has updated his predictions of the buzz at this point...he believes the contest for best actress is actually between Staunton and Swank as indicated by the surprise major nominations( director and screenplay) in addition to the expected best actress nomination...hmmm...interesting idea.......

Blemon @out.com disagrees... for my part, we just do not know.... we will see how the buzz moves and get a better view by the SAG awards.

...............................31 days more to Oscar night

The day after the anti-climatic Oscar nominations.

Online reactions to the nominations

The consensus is that Paul Giamatti(Sideways) was robbed.
Hurray for Mike Leigh - nobody predicted his nomination for best director, sorry about the omission of Marc Foster( Finding Neverland)
Sky Captain ......... was robbed by not being nominated in the special effects category
it was good for diversity that 6 of the 20 acting nominations went to black or people of colour
Jamie Foxx x2
Don Cheadle, Morgan Freeman, Sophie Okonedo and Catalino Moreno
It was the first time a film biopic based on a black person was nominated for best picture
....more to follow

Am off to see my first post oscar nominated best picture - Million$Baby at the Odeon, 11.55am
....... saw the film, quite impressed by Hilary Swank's performance... does she only ever play tomboys?
Why was there no security present at the hospital?
Why was Clint Eastwood's character not arrested for assisted suicide or at least, why were the police not looking for him?
Generally I liked it but liked The Aviator better....as best picture

The Nominations come in....today at 1.30pm(GMT) - 05.30am (PST)

Jan 25th

Woke up all excited and did a last minute update with reading material online...are everyone's predictions from last night still the same?

I read Tapley (Oscarwatch) who is predicting a surprise snub for Paul Giamatti (Sideways) and another surprise inclusion of Alan Alda (The Aviator)...we ' ll see in a couple of hours.

Have a chat with Russell about the impending noms and other matters...he still has not read my final predictions article...but has a good excuse about horses bolting out of their stables and getting killed...in the early hours of yesterday - Monday

I am off to the gym at 11.45am(GMT) for an hour's workout...meaning I will be back at 12.45 and only have to wait another 45minutes

I am continuing to watch The Lord of the Rings- Fellowship of the Ring on dvd...have not past the 1st of 4 tapes ...as I have to watch the film, then rewatch it with the director/writers commentary and then, with the Actors commentary

I finally leave for the gym at 12noon and back at 1pm

The whole Realplayer thing on CNN is not really working out, I can't seem to get it to configur...I might have to settle for watch it all on BBC News 24...it's really annoying...I must cancel my account.

....1.25...Get a call...who the hell?....Johnny, from Rio...I guess I have to stay on the phone...the noms are coming in, I am trying to listen to Johnny at the same time.

Frank Pierson and Adrien Brody (he does that lame schtick...with the mouthspray and playfully tries to kiss Pierson ......whatever)

Supporting actor....Alan Alda is first up...Kris Tapley was right....
Supporting actress..Sophie Okonedo(HR) is in....good
Lead actress...same as SAG noms Moroeno is in thankfully (Johnny is happy with that info..I tell him I saw Maria Full of Grace last night)...
Lead actor...Giamatti is snubbed...Must remember to listen more carefully to Kris's hunches from now on...I went off him when he was running his own site at Oscarcentral...but he appears spot on this year
Director...Mike Leigh (Vera Drake) is in...he is the suprising wildcard this year...Marc Foster (Finding Neverland) is out
Picture....RAY is in...yipee!.......Johnny is still on the phone...I am finding it difficult to concentrate on what he is saying but we stay on...I missed out on some hot gist he is telling me...he guesses I am not giving him 100% attention

The noms are over...... after all that buildup, it is anti-climatic