The Drink Tank 204

[email protected] The Oscars: Epic Fail enjoyed the film work of composers like less of late) and especially Danny Marks Mothersbaugh, Chris Young, Elfman. The two greatest failures of Here’s the problem with the Alan Silverstri, James Newton Howard, the Oscars over the last decade were Oscars: The Right People Don’t Win. Phillip Glass, John Williams (though both in the area of Best Score. The first When folks say that about the one was when Phillip Glass didn’t take Hugos, Kevin Standlee usually gets home the Oscar for his amazing score pretty mad, but it’s a legitimate reason to The Hours. The previous two years to be dismissive of a set of awards if had been great, The Red Violin, one of it consistently fails to give the award the all-time best scores, and Crouching to the stuff you like. Why? Because Tiger, which was amazing too. The that’s how awards work. It’s winning wasn’t bad reason different awards exist: to give either, and then comes 2002 where people choices in which they support you’ve got Frida, The Hours, Road to and believe. I for one tend to like the Perdition, Far From Heaven and Catch selections of the Independent Spirit Me If You Can. The Hours was head Awards better than the Oscars, and and tails above all of those, and yet this year especially so. The Oscars Frida took home the Oscar. It was a that I tend to support are the Short crime. One year off and you can say it’s categories. Seldom do they give it to a fluke, but the next year was a return bad films. This year, I had totally failed to Lord of the Rings, which was far less to recognize two titles and backed the an amazing experience than either Big wrong horses in Best Animated Short Fish or House of Sand and Fog. and Best Live-Action Short. So, what’s Then came the worst offense in the trouble with this year? history. The Village, a very weak film Let’s start with Best Score. that had one of those beautiful scores I’ve always loved movie music. that nearly made the movie work. It’s a part of being from the generation Taken separate from the film, it’s an that started with Star Wars as their amazing orchestral experience with first favourite movie. I’ve always an amazing series of solos on violin. There was also Lemony Snicket’s A so much. This would have been a Cinequest has arrived and it’s Series of Unfortunate Events, which great story having Roarke cemented a good thing. I’m excited because also had an impressive score. Neither his status as a comeback kid, but it’s my 9th Cinequest doing theatre won. It went to a very typical score remember that John Travolta didn’t announcements and it’s only my for Finding Neverland. The next year win for his comeback in , second night as a part of the Opening was Brokeback winning when there nor Robert Forster in Jackie Brown. Night. This time, I’m handling the Q&A was a beautiful score from Memoirs It’s usually just not done. for Wake, a film starring Bijou Phillips, of a Geisha, most different from the I was annoyed that Anne Danny Masterson and Jane Seymour, rest of John Williams’ scores. There Hathaway didn’t win for Rachel Getting among others. I’m also announcing a was Babel winning when both The Married, but at the same time I think few films through the week, including a Queen and Notes on a Scandal were Kate Winslet is one of the truly great couple of shorts programmes. up. Atonement beat The Kite Runner, actresses right now. I’m excited and I hope that one which was criminal. was the of my favourite films from the selction What I’ve heard of the winning movie of the year, though I think that process, Love You More, plays well to score from Slumdog Millionaire has it lacked for both sheer thrill (The Dark our audince. It’s a beautiful sexy story been good, but two of the best scores Knight was the winner there) and for of two crazy kids and a 45 record. It’s of the year, from The Dark Knight and sheer emotional impact (it’s much amazing, but that sort of thing can be Iron Man. In Iron Man’s case. It was closer in that category, but I still go hard on an audience. probably the comic book curse, and with The Wrestler). Milk was a strong I’m going ot try and do an issue while that probably equally effected film and should have done even better of The Drink Tank next week, but who The Dark Knight, there was also the than it did, especially in score. It’s a knows? It’s Cinequest and I’m usually fact that the most effective piece of shame Iron Man didn’t take more wins, running myself pretty hard during score, the single tone used for the the week. I’m hoping to do another Joker, could be called Sound Design. issue of Claims Department all about Still, there was Milk, Danny Elfman’s Cinequest and have it to pass around most mainstream, and frankly at CorFlu. breathtaking, score. Slumdog won as And I’m psyched about that too, a part of the sweep, and again, I’m for various reasons, the best of which annoyed. being that I’ll get to talk to some of Let’s follow that up with the my British homies again! It’s always win of Sean Penn over Mickey Roarke. good to chat with Peter Weston, Mark The Best Actor award is one about Plummer and Claire Brialey, and it transformation (which is why Stephen says that Tobes is coming out too! Rhea didn’t win when he should have That’s always a good thing. I’m hoping for The Crying Game) and both Roarke that Linda and I will get a chance to and Penn transformed themselves. talk with everyone. It’s always a good Penn is an Oscar fave. Roarke…not thing to spend time with Fanzinistas! art by Genevieve Scarlet Ibis’ Alien Women photo shoot. She’s really not that skinny!