Author Archives: Bob Strauss

In Most Races, It’s a Handicap

But lameness is obviously an advantage for the best picture Oscar competition. Now that “Little Miss Sunshine” has won the Screen Actors Guild best ensemble prize, it’s more than likely to repeat last year’s “Crash” phenomenon, when the weakest intellectually … Continue reading

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My Favorite Justification

While the million-and-one theories as to why the academy didn’t nominate sure bet best picture winner “Dreamgirls” for best picture have been amusing, my favorite is the “voters were just sick of being told what to think” theory. The premise … Continue reading

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Biggest Gripe

Michael Sheen, as “The Queen’s” Prime Minister Tony Blair, was better than any of the actors who got nominated for supporting – except maybe Mark Wahlberg, who had much less screentime in “The Departed.” In fact, Sheen was arguably Helen … Continue reading

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Racism? Homophobia?

The failure of “Dreamgirls,” the longtime presumptive front-runner for the best picture Oscar, to even be nominated in that category may seem to prove the argument – also floated in the last couple of months – that the movie’s Achilles … Continue reading

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Sooooo Disappointed

Damn! I was so hoping that “Bobby” would be the lame movie that wins the best picture Oscar this year. Oh well, maybe “Little Miss Sunshine” still has a shot.

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The Kings, and Queen, of Comedy

“The Queen” reigned as the only multiple award-winning movie at the LAFCA dinner this year. Deservedly so for doing such a wonderful job of humanizing Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Tony Blair. But the sensitive artists who made it, it … Continue reading

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Those Critics Can Sure Turn a Phrase

Favorite line in a critic’s speech at the LAFCA awards dinner: “If I ever have to live in hell, I want it to be shot by this man.” – John Powers, presenting the cinematography award to “Children of Men’s” Emmanuel … Continue reading

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More Fun Than Gypsy Catching With a Five-Alarm Virgin Clinger

Got to sit with Sacha Baron Cohen and his fiancee, “Wedding Crashers’” Isla Fisher, at the Los Angeles Film Critics Association’s awards dinner. A very fun, thoughtful and sweet couple – she was open and chatty from the get-go, he … Continue reading

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This Eastwood Kid Might Go Far Someday

Favorite image from Sunday night’s Los Angeles Film Critics Association awards dinner: Clint Eastwood’s wife Dina shooting him making his “Letters from Iwo Jima” best picture acceptance speech with a slick little cameraphone, like he was a kid in his … Continue reading

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Oscars: Hate to say I told you so

No, that’s a lie. I love to say that there’s no reason on Earth why the Academy Awards should be taken seriously as a worthwhile measure of cinematic quality. The Academy of Morons Who Thought Crash Was a Better Film … Continue reading

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