60's POP SONGS

      The crickets have been in full possession of this space for some time now. But I thought I’d parachute in and dislodge them (at least temporarily)  Though the regular subject matter here is actors and actresses, this time I’m switching gears and focusing on music – 60’s music to be exact. The early part of that decade is when I first seriously plugged into the hit parade.  I had a friend named Mike – we  were both about 13 – who twigged to the wonders of top 40 radio at just the same time as me. We used to make weekend  forays downtown to haunt the  record outlets – Kresge’s and Mahon’s - where our  frequent appearances and low spending levels regularly attracted icy stares from a couple of staff members. But we were persistent as gnats till we managed  to get someone to let us look at the Billboard Hot 100 . No one ever analyzed stock market quotes  so carefully, no one ever pored over an  astrological chart more reverently  than Mike and I examining those Billboard charts. What was and wasn’t bulleted ,what was bubbling under and what was tumbling off. Mike and I always had our own horses in the race– and of course were soon making up our own personal  charts at home.   45's  were king in those days - you know, those round things with yellow  plastic centers at their hearts.  Only a windfall (like birthday money) could put an LP in our reach.  Radio stations in our town were pretty bush league. But late at night, we could usually pick up WLS Chicago on the radio – and that’s where we could hear everything. I liked early Motown – just beginning to burgeon then – and R&B singers like Jan Bradley and Baby Washington.  Things seldom if ever heard on our local white bread radio. And Dick Biondi, the head DeeJay at WLS seemed like an Olympian figure to us in those days.  I was riveted to his New Year’s Eve countdown (between songs he did phone interviews with battalions of American pop stars). I just assumed then it was all live. Now I highly doubt it. But, whatever,  I wolfed it  down. I can still hear Dick congratulating Eydie Gorme on the remarkable feat of replacing her own  husband Steve Lawrence’s #1 hit “Go Away Little Girl with her own chart-topper “Blame It On the Bossa Nova”. And I still chuckle when I remember Dick commending Connie Francis on her latest hit “I Wanna Be Warm this Winter” . To which she testily replied, that’s “I’m GONNA Be Warm This Winter”, Dick.  Of course that’s just what Mike and I were thinking and would’ve said to the great Biondi if we’d ever had the balls to correct him. Which Connie obviously did.

     Now they call those years The Girl Group Era. That’s a term invented long after the fact. Seeming to encompass not just the ubiquitous all-girl aggregations that pepper-skipped across the charts in the early 60’s – but also the girl soloists with female back-up who achieved the same sound. Sometimes the line was pretty blurry. A lot of Neil Sedaka titles  now sound like girl-group records that just happen to have a male singing lead. And Connie Francis’ sublime "Don’t Ever Leave Me” sounds an awful lot like an especially great Neil Sedaka record. Subjects seldom strayed beyond the confines of teen romance. But – let’s face it that was hardly a problem for a teen audience.

   What the pop music of that ever-so-brief  but  fondly remembered time captured was the perfect melding of Tin Pan Alley’s melodic charge with the beat of 50’s rock and roll.  Rock and roll in the 50’s was  blunt and macho. The Girl Group Era feminized it, sweetened it up  and - as the 60’s entered their mid-point - took it down sophisticated, syncopated  avenues, incorporating inspiration  from Broadway and classical sources. “Pet Sounds” could never have happened in the 50’s. When the Beatles came along they seemed to be just an exciting new extension of the era.  Who knew psychedalia , white bands shouting blues (but with unpaid dues) and aggressively whirring  guitars  would bring back the brute to batter the old era out of existence?

The music of the early 60’s may seem naive now – overly optimistic, maybe. But it’s still a nice place to go.  Nothing there to remind you of the violence-laden musical bullying that fills the charts today.  And compared to the processed cheese of  say Celine-like power ballads and Josh Groban anthems,  those early 60’s 45’s are busy little hives of genuine human energy and  feisty, bustling positivity.

     The iridescent Girl-Group bubble was, inevitably, broken. And time  marched on (as it will insist on doing) But, though I’ve made plenty of musical detours over the years,  I’ve never really stopped loving and listening to 60’s pop. And luckily there’s so much of it – including a fantastic amount of music we never heard at the time. I’ve been able to discover so many rarities and non-hits over the years. The internet, CD bonus tracks – in depth writing on the era; interviews with  players major and minor.

Here , then, is my personal  60’s chart. An alternate reality, as a friend of mine has described it. But mine, all the same.  Fifty years or so in the making.  And  the best thing is tomorrow I might just come across some previously unheard (by me) 60’s treasure that will suddenly zoom to the top of my chart with a brand new shiny bullet.

         MY 100 FAVORITE TRACKS

           FROM THE 60’s 

  1.  ARE YOU THERE WITH ANOTHER GIRL-DIONNE WARWICK

        ( Burt Bacharach-Hal David)  Scepter 1966   

  2. MY GUY-MARY WELLS

           (William “Smokey” Robinson)  Motown 1964

  3. DO I LOVE YOU-THE RONETTES

          (Vince Poncia-Pete Andreoli-Phil Spector) Philles 1964 

  4. WHAT AM I GONNA DO WITH YOU-SKEETER DAVIS

         (Jack Keller-Gerry Goffiin )  RCA 1964

  5. IS THIS WHAT I GET FOR LOVING YOU-THE RONETTES

       (Carole King-Gerry Goffin-Phil Spector) Philles 1965

                  

   6. DON’T LOSE YOUR HEAD-LINDA SCOTT

        Claus Ogerman-S. Coburn)  Kapp 1965

  7. SWING ME-NINO TEMPO & APRIL STEVENS

       (Tempo-Leigh) Atco 1965 

  8. ROUNDABOUT-PETULA CLARK

      (Tony Hatch) recorded 1965 but unissued at the time

  9. MOVE OVER DARLING-DORIS DAY

      Terry Melcher-Hal Kantor-Joe Lubin) Columbia 1963     

10. GUESS I’M DUMB-GLEN CAMPBELL

      (Brian Wilson-Russ Titelman)  Capitol 1965

       

11. BE TRUE TO YOURSELF-BOBBY VEE

       (Burt Bacharach-Hal David)  Liberty  1963

12. HELLO STRANGER-BARBARA LEWIS

       (Barbara Lewis)  Atlantic 1963

13. THE WORLD THROUGH A TEAR-NEIL SEDAKA

       (Chris & Peter Allen)  RCA 1965

14. I CAN’T SEE ME WITHOUT YOU-SKEETER DAVIS

        (Sandra Rhodes)  RCA 1966

15. COME AND GET THESE MEMORIES -MARTHA & THE VANDELLAS

        (Holland-Dozier Holland)  Gordy 1963 

16. CHANGIN’ MY MIND-JACKIE DE SHANNON

       (Myrna Fox March-Roger Illingsworth-Richard Grasso) Imperial 1967

17. WOULDN’T IT BE NICE-THE BEACH BOYS

       (Brian Wilson-Tony Asher) Capitol 1966

18. COME AND GET ME-JACKIE DE SHANNON

       (Burt Bacharach-Hal David)  Imperial 1966

19. I DIDN’T HAVE ANY SUMMER ROMANCE-CAROLE KING

       (Carole King-Gerry Goffin)  Dimension 1962

20. ONE FINE DAY-THE CHIFFONS

       (Carole King-Gerry Goffin)

21. DOES HE LOVE ME-MARY WELLS

       (William Stevenson-Ivy Joe Hunter) Motown 1964

22. NEVER NEVER LEAVE ME-MARY WELLS

       (Jennie Lee Lambert-Mickey Gentile) 20^th Century Fox 1964

23. LOOKING THROUGH THE EYES OF LOVE-GENE PITNEY

       (Barry Mann-Cynthia Weill)  Musicor 1965

24. YOU BABY-THE RONETTES

       (Barry Mann-Cynthia Weill-Phil Spector) Philles 1964   

25. THE LOOK OF LOVE-DUSTY SPRINGFIELD

       (Burt Bacharach-Hal David)  Colgems 1967

              “Casino Royale” soundtrack version

26. I’VE BEEN WRONG BEFORE-DUSTY SPRINGFIELD

       (Randy Newman)  Philips 1965

27. IT’S OVER-JIMMIE RODGERS

       (Jimmie Rodgers) A&M 1965

28.  WHY DON’T YOU LET YOURSELF GO-MARY WELLS

       (Rudy Clark)  20^th Century Fox 1964

29. JUST A LITTLE LOVIN’-DUSTY SPRINGFIELD

       (Barry Mann-Cynthia Weill)  Atlantic 1969

30. LOOKING WITH MY EYES-DIONNE WARWICK

       (Burt Bacharach-Hal David)  Scepter 1965

31. EVERYTHING IN THE GARDEN-PETULA CLARK

       (Roger Greenaway)  Vogue/Warner Bros 1965

32.DON’T GO BREAKING MY HEART-BURT BACHARACH(& CHORUS)

       (Burt Bacharach-Hal David)  Kapp 1965    

33. TRUE LOVE NEVER RUNS SMOOTH-PETULA CLARK

       (Burt Bacharach-Hal David) Vogue/Warner Bros. 1964

34. IF YOU WAIT FOR LOVE-BOBBY GOLDSBORO

       (Bobby Goldsboro)  United Artists 1965

35. ROLL ON BUDDY-ODETTA

       (Public Domain)  Vanguard 1963

36. THAT SUNDAY THAT SUMMER-NAT “KING” COLE

       (J. Sherman-G. Weiss)  Capitol 1963

37. THEY’RE JEALOUS OF ME-CONNIE STEVENS

       Carole King-Gerry Goffin)  Warner Bros. 1964

38. DON’T MENTION MY NAME-THE SHEPHERD SISTERS

       (Bob Crewe-Bob Gaudio)  Atlantic 1963

39. DO LIKE I DO-CHRIS CLARK

       (Willam “Smokey” Robinson,William Stevenson,Ivy Joe Hunter)

              recorded 1965 buy unissued at the time

40. I DIDN”T MEAN TO HURT YOU-THE SHIRELLES

       (Ellie Greenwich-Tom Powers)  Scepter 1963

            

41. MY BABY LOVES ME-MARTHA & THE VANDELLAS

       (Sylvia Moy-William Stevenson-Ivy Joe Hunter)  Gordy 1966

42. MADE IN PARIS-TRINI LOPEZ

       (Burt Bacharach-Hal David)  Reprise 1965

43. ANY OLD TIME OF THE DAY-DIONNE WARWICK

        (Burt Bacharach-Hal David)  Scepter 1964

44. WE HAVE ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD-LOUIS ARMSTRONG

       (John Barry-Hal David)  Liberty 1969

45.  98.6 / LAZY DAY –LESLEY GORE

       (Gary Fischoff-Tom Powers)  Mercury 1969

46. DO NOT DISTURB-DORIS DAY

       (Mark Barkan-Ben Raleigh)  Columbia 1965

47. THE BIGGEST NIGHT OF HER LIFE-HARPERS BIZARRE

       (Randy Newman) Warner Bros. 1968

48. HE’S IN TOWN-THE TOKENS

       (Carole King-Gerry Goffin)  BT Puppy 1964

49. I’LL KEEP HOLDING ON-THE MARVELETTES

       (William Stevenson-Ivy Joe Hunter)  Tamla 1964

50. YOU CAME YOU SAW YOU CONQUERED-THE RONETTES

       (Toni Wine-Irving Levine-Phil Spector)  A&M  1969

      

51. YOU’LL NEVER GET TO HEAVEN-DIONNE WARWICK

        (Burt Bacharach-Hal David)  Scepter 1964

52. I GUESS THE LORD MUST BE IN NEW YORK CITY-NILSSON          

        (Harry Nilsson)  RCA 1969

53. THEY DON’T MAKE LOVE LIKE THEY USED TO-SKEETER DAVIS

       (Red Lane)  RCA 1969

54. SO TENDERLY -ST. GEORGE  & TANA

       (John Campolongo)  Kapp 1967

55. GO AWAY LITTLE GIRL-STEVE LAWRENCE

       (Carole King-Gerry Goffin)  Columbia 1962

56. ONE MORE TOWN-THE KINGSTON TRIO                      

       (John Stewart)   Capitol 1962

57. ILLINOIS – THE EVERLY BROTHERS

       (Randy Newman)   Warner Bros. 1968                     

58. EVERYBODY GO HOME-EYDIE GORME 

       (Carole King-Gerry Goffin)  Columbia 1963

59. ALL OF MY LIFE-CONNIE STEVENS

       (H. Miller-Tom Powers)  Warner Bros. 1966

60. THE CLOSEST THING TO HEAVEN-NEIL SEDAKA

       (Neil Sedaka-Howard Greenfield) RCA 1964

61. HE’S A BAD BOY-CAROLE KING

       (Carole King-Gerry Goffin) Dimension 1963

62. SCOTCH AND SODA-THE KINGSTON TRIO

       (Dave Guard)  Capitol 1962                      

63. I CAN’T HEAR YOU-BETTY EVERETT

       (Carole King-Gerry Goffin)  VeeJay 1964

64. SEND ME NO FLOWERS-DORIS DAY

       (Burt Bacharach-Hal David)  Columbia 1964

65. SHALL I TELL HER-DIONNE WARWICK

       Burt Bacharach-Hal David)  Scepter 1964

66. J’AI PAS LE TEMPS-PETULA CLARK

       (Brian Wilson-Roger Christian-Salvet-Carriere) Vogue 1964

67. THINK OF YOU-NINO TEMPO & APRIL STEVENS

        (Weisham-D’Amica)  Atco 1965

68. COME ON-A MY HOUSE-JULIE LONDON

       (Russ Bagdasarian-William Saraoyan) Liberty 1962

69. LE SEPTIEME JOUR  -DALIDA

       (Boris Bergman-Michel Bernhold)  Barclay 1968   

70. STRAIGHTEN UP YOUR HEART-BARBARA LEWIS   

       (Sharon McMahon)   Atlantic 1963

71. HERE TODAY-THE BEACH BOYS

       (Brian Wilson-Tony Asher)  Capitol 1966

72. HOW CAN I SAY GOODBYE-BARBARA LEWIS

       (Victor Melrose-Lenore Rosenblatt) Atlantic 1964

73. LITTLE HONDA (ALTERNATE VERSION)-THE BEACH BOYS            

       Brian Wilson-Mike Love)   Recorded 1963 but unissued at the time

74. TOO YOUNG-SKEETER DAVIS                      

       (Sylvia Dee-Sidney Lippman)  RCA 1965

75. IN THE DEEP OF NIGHT-CONNIE STEVENS

       (Les Reed-Gordon Mills)  Warner Bros. 1965

76. ONE WONDERFUL NIGHT-THE HONEYBEES

       (Carole King-Gerry Goffin)  Fontana 1964

77. I’LL BE BACK-THE BEATLES

       (Paul McCartney-John Lennon)  EMI Parlophone 1964

78. I WANNA BE WITH YOU-NANCY WILSON

       (Charles Strouse-Lee Adams)  Capitol 1964

79. HEY GIRL-FREDDIE SCOTT

       (Carole King-Gerry Goffin)  Colpix 1963

80. BLUE ON BLUE-BOBBY VINTON

       (Burt Bacharach-Hal David)  Epic 1963

       

81. KEEP ON TRYIN’ –BOBBY VEE

       (Van McCoy)   Liberty 1965

82. YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE-NANCY SINATRA

       (John Barry-Leslie Bricusse)

83. THE DREAMER-NEIL SEDAKA

       (Neil Sedaka-Howard Grossman)   RCA 1963

84. TO WAIT FOR LOVE-TONY ORLANDO

       (Burt Bacharach-Hal David)   Epic 1964

85. WHAT DOES IT TAKE (TO WIN YOUR LOVE) -JUNIOR WALKER & THE  ALLSTARS

       (John Bristol-Harvey Fuqua-Vernon Bullock)  Soul 1968

86. ROUNDABOUT-CONNIE FRANCIS

        (Tony Hatch)  MGM 1965

87. NIGHT AND DAY-SERGIO MENDES & BRASIL 66

       (Cole Porter)   A&M 1967

88. ETERNALLY-PETULA CLARK

       (Charles Chaplin)  Vogue/Warner Bros. 1967

89. THAT’S HOW HEARTACHES ARE MADE-DUSTY SPRINGFIELD

       (Jerry Ragavoy-Bert Russell)  Philips 1965

90. GAMES THAT LOVERS PLAY-CONNIE FRANCIS

       (James Last-Larry Kusic-Gunter Loose-Eddie Snyder) MGM 1966

 91. IS IT LOVE-CILLA BLACK

       (Bobby Willis)  EMI Parlophone 1965

92. I MAKE A FOOL OF MYSELF-FRANKIE VALLI

       (Bob Crewe-Bob Gaudio)  Philips 1967

93. THE ONE WHO REALLY LOVES YOU-MARY WELLS

       (William “Smokey” Robinson)  Motown 1962

 94. ANYTHING GOES - HARPERS BIZARRE

       (Cole Porter)  Warner Bros. 1968

95. MOONLIGHT SWIM –ELVIS PRESLEY

       Sylvia Dee-Ben Weisman)  RCA 1961

96. I’LL FOLLOW THE SUN-THE BEATLES

       (Paul McCartney-John Lennon)  EMI Parlophone 1964

97. FOLLE DE TOI-PETULA CLARK

       (Pierre Delanoe-C. Chevalier)  Vogue 1966

98. I WISH YOU COULD BE HERE-THE CYRKLE

       (Paul Simon-B. Woodley) Columbia 1967

99. DAS IST DIE FRAGE ALLER FRAGEN-CLIFF RICHARD

       (Lieber-Stoller-Brecher)  EMI Electrola 1965

100. STAY AND LOVE ME ALL SUMMER-BRIAN HYLAND

        (Joel Hirschorn-Al Kasha)  Dot 1969

                       

      

      

Oscar Post-Mortem

Wrote my last post the night before the Oscars. Now it’s the night after and I’m back with a few reactions. The show was actually okay for me. As Woody Allen’s character in “Annie Hall” said, even the worst sex he had was still sex – and therefore pretty much on the money. This was the Oscars, after all. Playing out at that venue that’s not the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion anymore. But still looks pretty deluxe. There were wall-to-wall movie stars on display and Academy Awards did get handed out.
I actually found the comedy from Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin pretty terrific (“Over here is the Inglourious Basterds section, over there the people that made Inglourious Basterds” or “That Damn Helen Mirren”). And their targets generally seemed to be pretty good sports about it. The show could’ve actually used a lot more of the Baldwin-Martin patter. When they weren’t around, things seemed to be a little detached and unfocused. Certainly that fizzless female voice from the network that wearily wrangled us into and out of commercials was no help.
Among the young set, Zac Efron came off as a junior Tyrone Power. Putting him leagues ahead of his peers. Kristen Stewart managed to look lifeless and annoyed at the same time. And Taylor Lautner? I don’t get it. Does the world really need a watered down version of Robbie Benson? Miss Miley Cyrus, who co-presented with Amanda Seyfreid, screwed up her entrance. Then had the nerve to say “we’re nervous”, unfairly implicating the perfectly professional Seyfried in her doofusness. Or maybe at this point, the royal “we’ is the only pronoun she knows. Whatever the case, I’ve seen her here before and she always looks inelegantly pissed off that they still haven’t given her the Academy Award she’s got coming to her. I’d predict a great many years of testy Oscar night dissatisfaction ahead for her.
I like the way they highlighted the screenplay awards, with script pages juxtaposed against the pertinent scenes. George Clooney had star quality to burn. It was great to see Sigourney Weaver, ageless, beautiful, classy. Also Michelle Pfeiffer and Julianne Moore, with their warm tributes to Bridges and Firth respectively. Vera Farmiga looked great. And I loved her dress (even though that scary Cojo from ET pronounced it awful the next day, using it as an excuse for one of his annual post-Oscar catfits ).
The musical segments were mainly duds. Poor Neil Patrick Harris (whom I like) had to come out and flail his way through that mess of a production number that almost kicked the whole show into life support mode right off the bat. Poor guy. You could almost see the flop sweat. Which made me all the more impressed when Baldwin and Martin pulled it out of the toilet so quickly.
Show organizers managed to gum up the In Memoriam segment for the second year in a row, insisting on live singing to accompany it. Not that James Taylor did badly, but with live performances you’re conscious of every little wobble. Canned, studio-perfected music, preferably instrumental, is what’s called for here. To  enhance the mood without distracting from it. Plus, like last year, they insisted on filling the first few seconds with an establishing close-up of the onstage singer. Leaving home viewers, squinting at a postage stamp version of a monitor image, unable to read the name of the artist being honoured.
Of course, the painfully extended dance routine to the nominated scores was probably the biggest dudpuddle of the night. I’m sure Adam Shankman was happy being able to get so many of his protégés onto the Oscars. But, frankly, it all seemed chaotically inappropriate. Breakdancing to “Sherlock Holmes”? Most of the time – with all the leaping and spinning -  it just looked as if half a dozen competing gym teams were crammed into the same space to warm up for an athletic event.
This year’s “streaker” moment came when the director of the winning documentary short had his acceptance speech hi-jacked by someone the press has now dubbed Lady Kanye. She just suddenly landed in the middle of his business - a one-woman swat team - and proceeded to toss out non-sequiturs like hand grenades. It appears she was a co-producer of the film at an earlier stage, but left following “creative differences”. With an Oscar waving around onstage, she seems to have re-attached herself to the project pronto. Leaving director Ross Williams with an unfinished speech and a world-wide audience wondering (a) what was his film about? and (b) what the f... just happened?
As for the actual trophy dispersal... well, I was okay with it. I’d already resigned myself to the fact that my favourite Colin Firth probably wouldn’t win. And since I didn’t have to see Meryl Streep rewarded for her Julia Child shtick or wince through a Best Picture victory for “Avatar”, I was basically okay with the way things went.
I was still at work till shortly before show time. So the only Red Carpet footage I caught was the official half hour segment that precedes the broadcast. As always, it was strained and phony. Interviewer (and I’m stretching it by calling her that) Kathy Ireland appeared to be about 7 feet tall. Her grinning sugar-charged assaults had most of her victims cowering. Even Mary Hart seemed reticent in comparison. Everytime Ireland finished gushing they couldn’t yank the cameras away quick enough to avoid the obvious beginning of an awkward silence. Even seasoned Hollywood egos seemed a little non-plussed to be that up close  and personal as Ireland relentlessly dialled the perkiness up to 11. Never a good decision for a giantess. Oh, well, even supermodels have to eat. Wait a minute, come to think of it, do they?.

The 82nd Annual Academy Awards

Oh yes, the Oscars. I feel like saying something about them. The show itself is less than 24 hours away. And, needless to say, I’ll be there with the usual bells on. I’m feeling pretty wary about the broadcast, though. Word is show organizer Adam Shankman is hell-bent on emphasizing comedy, turning the event into some sort of late night talk show meets The Surreal Life. I guess if we must be force-fed comedy, then co-hosts Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin are as equipped as anybody to make it reasonably palatable. I actually thought host Ricky Gervais did a pretty good job avoiding the usual pot-holes at the Golden Globes. So if the Baldwin-Martin combo comes anywhere near his level, I’ll consider it a success. Shankman seems determined to get winners on and off stage as rapidly as possible with a minimum of fuss. But isn’t that fuss exactly what we die-hard Oscar watchers love most? Why not just position the winners at starting blocks, shoot a pistol in the air, then make them holler out their acceptance speeches as they run the 100 yard dash? I believe Shankman and company have also put the kibosh on the traditional performance of the five nominated songs? WTF? Granted the songs are no great shakes. Sue me, but I think that T-Bone Burnett thing from “Crazy Heart” is pretty flipping meh.The one I liked best this year was that strange song mind-blowingly performed by some chick in a 60’s nightclub in “An Education”. But it didn’t make the cut - just so Disney's "Princess and the Frog’ could double-dip. It seems Shankman will, though, be finding time to infest the proceedings with a bevy of his favourite hip hoppers and B-boys from “So You Think You Can Dance.” Get ready for some serious glassing over of the eyes from all those in the auditorium over 60. And, oh yeah, the latest  lifetime achievement awards were quietly passed out in some back room a couple of months ago. So don’t expect to see this year’s winner Lauren Bacall anywhere near a spotlight tomorrow. Will they dispense with the traditional necrology too? On the theory that nothing much happened artistically before Stephenie Meyer wrote “Twilight”?

Anyway, as I said, I’ll still be watching. I hardly saw any new films this year till around October, then furiously started playing catch-up. Still haven’t seen some of the biggies. I fully expect to like “The Road” with Viggo Mortensen. And the trailer for “The White Ribbon” makes it look like – at very least – a visual dazzler. I feel some sort of completist urge to eventually watch “The Blind Side”. I mean, I like Sandra Bullock as much as the next guy. But in the normal course of things, football movies served with a side-order of rightwing religious zeal aren’t generally my thing. “Me and Orson Welles” is still on my “to see’ list – though the nominations some predicted failed to materialize. And I think I’m going to enjoy “Everybody’s Fine’. Although “everybody” seems to be pretending this movie never existed. But, for me, the combo of DeNiro, Drew and Sam Rockwell provides three very good reasons to be optimistic. Jeff Bridges probably should have won already – maybe for “The Fabulous Baker Boys” in the 80’s. I haven’t seen “Crazy Heart” yet but the trailers leave me unenthused. Warmed over beans ladled onto a Tender Mercies Taco. It’s too bad Colin Firth and George Clooney both gave the performances of their lives in a year when the Academy seems determined to turn the Best Actor award into a career-acknowledging pat on the back for (the admittedly gifted) Bridges. Certainly, in the Oscar poll at work, I predicted a Bridges win. I also ticked off the names of Christoph Waltz and Mo’Nique, both of whom steamrolled victoriously through all the precursors this year, leaving their competitors gleaning the fields for stray votes here and there. I expect “The Hurt Locker” (a fine movie) to take Best Picture. An “Avatar” win would definitely stick in my craw. It struck me as a mega-budget mix of noise, lethargy and half-baked New Age platitudes. The 3D wasn’t even that great – except when they showed the 20th Century Fox logo at the beginning. That was the best part of the movie.

As far as my personal choices this year go:

Best Picture:

1. A SERIOUS MAN

2. IN THE LOOP

3. DISTRICT 9

4. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

5. PRECIOUS

6. THE HURT LOCKER

7. A SINGLE MAN

8. BRIGHT STAR

9. LYMELIFE

10. SIN NOMBRE

“Outlander” isn’t really eligible this year. Sadly, it went straight to DVD. But it’s a handsomely produced and super-engaging sci-fi fantasy with James Caviezel as a spaceman who crash lands into 9th century Viking country. It gave me the same kind of fun I got (and still get) from the Kirk Douglas-Tony Curtis chestnut “The Vikings”. Plus I’m generally up for spending quality time with Mr.Caviezel. Although I must say I’m no fan of the torture-porn opus“The Passion of the Christ”. I’m paraphrasing, but I remember one observer suggesting you might not learn much about Jesus from the film but you’d certainly come away fully versed on the nuts and bolts of mounting your own DIY crucifixion

Other 2009 titles I enjoyed included Drew Barrymore’s winning directorial debut,“Whip It.” And Roland Emmerich’s apocalypse-around-the-corner epic “2012”. Have we become so jaded about visual effects that “2012” can’t even scratch up a nomination in that category?I made it a point to see it in a theatre , hoping for wall-to-wall spectacle and - as far as I’m concerned - got very big bang for my buck.

More of My Personal Choices:

Best Actor:

1. COLIN FIRTH “A Single Man”

2. GEORGE CLOONEY “Up in the Air”

3. JEREMY RENNER “The Hurt Locker”

4. MICHAEL STUHLBARG “A Serious Man”

5. SHARLTO COPLEY “District 9”

Honorable Mention

JOAQUIN PHOENIX “Two Lovers”

Best Actress:

1. CAREY MULLIGAN “An Education”

2. ABBY CORNISH “Bright Star”

3. GABOUREY SIDIBE “Precious”

4. ELLEN PAGE “Whip It”

5. MAYA RUDOLPH “Away We Go”

(and yes, I did see “Julie and Julia” but I hate loathe and despise Meryl Streep’s comedy technique. Always have. Suppose I always will. Certainly this one didn’t change my opinion one bit. How many times have actors and acting experts said that you should never play comedy as if you’re aware you’re being funny. To me, Streep always seems to be doing just that. “Look at me. Aren’t I hilarious?” This time out she adds an extra-big elbow-in-the-ribs helping of “Aren’t I adorable?” too. No sale.

SUPPORTING ACTOR:

1. TOM HOLLANDER “In the Loop”

2. DENIS MENOCHET “Inglourious Basterds”

(he’s the French farmer at the beginning and I know it’s technically just a cameo; but if we’re

going by quality not quantity, he’s gotta be included among the year’s very very best)

3. TIMOTHY HUTTON “Lymelife”

4. PETER CAPALDI “In the Loop”

5. FRED MELAMED “A Serious Man” (he’s unlikely homewrecker Sy Ableman)

Honorable Mention

CHRISTOPH WALTZ “Inglourious Basterds”

ALEC BALDWIN “Lymelife”

JONATHAN GROFF “Taking Woodstock”

ANTHONY MACKIE “The Hurt Locker”

BRIAN GERAGHTY “The Hurt Locker”
DANIEL BRUHL "Inglourious Basterds"

SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

1. MO’NIQUE “Precious”

2. MIMI KENNEDY “In the Loop”

3. MELANIE LAURENT “Inglourious Basterds’

4. PAULA PATTON “Precious”

5. VERA FARMIGA “Up in the Air”

Honorable Mention

MARIAH CAREY “Precious”

JILL HENNESSY “Lymelife”

KERRY FOX “Bright Star”

ANNA CHLUMSKY “In the Loop”

ALIA SHAWKAT “Whip It”

MARCIA GAY HARDEN “Whip It”

See you at the ceremony ...