Page 20
Arts 6c Entertainment
Feb. 7,2002
Oscars urged to push the envelope
Mark Van Hook
Columnist
It’s confession time. I’m an
award show junkie. The Oscars, the
Golden Globes, the AFI Awards; it
doesn’t really matter. While legions
voice their annoyance over the
seemingly end
less list of
award shows.
I’m in secret
and uncontrol
lable bliss. As
someone who
values movies
as an art form.
I’m probably
supposed to
scoff at the very
nature of films
being thrust into
competition
like football
teams at playoff
time, but I just
can’t help it.
I’m addicted.
However, after watching Rid
ley Scott’s inferior “Gladiator” take
the Best Picture prize at last year’s
Oscars, I came to one inescapable
conclusion.
Award shows suck.
I guess I knew it all along, but
the Gladiator travesty was the straw
that broke the camel’s back. The
Academy, comprised of actors, di
rectors, writers and just about ev
eryone else working in the business,
just loves to shy away from tougher,
edgier material in favor of safer.
more audience-friendly fare. And
it’s about to happen again.
With four wins at the Golden
Globes (including Best Picture) this
past January, “A Beautiful Mind”
looks poised to pull off a similar
feat at the Oscars in late March.
I have no real problems with
the film, but it
seems like a
been-there,
done-that
choice.
The
fledgling AFI
Awards, held
two weeks ago,
did a much bet
ter job in
choosing the
extraordinary
achievement of
“The Fellow
ship of the
Ring.”
But be
cause many of
the winners failed to show up for
the ceremony, the show has gener
ally been considered an embarrass
ment by the entertainment media,
and seems to have hurt
“Fellowship’s” Oscar chances,
rather than helped them.
When did these award shows
become the industry’s great judge
of quality filmmaking? And why do
we keep tuning in each year, know
ing full well that our choices won’t
end up with their justly deserved re
wards?
I think I’ve got it figured out.
It all boils down to imme
diacy.
While human beings are
competitive by nature, we’re also
impatient. We simply loathe wait
ing. We don’t want to see our fa
vorite films of the past year recog
nized in a half hour, in two weeks
or in 10 years. We want to see it
happen now.
What we fail to realize is that
the film industry has never worked
this way. Greatness in cinema has
always emerged with time, patience
and reevaluation. When I look at the
list of filmmakers who have won
Best Director, I’m shocked by the
names that don’t appear: Martin
Scorcese, Alfred Hitchcock,
Stanley Kubrick, Akira Kurosawa,
Orson Welles... the list goes on.
Even when examining the
last decade, we see that the Acad
emy has a history of bad, sometimes
downright laughable choices.
“Forrest Gump” over “Pulp Fic
tion” in ’94. “Titanic” over “L.A.
Confidential” in ’97. “Shakespeare
in Love” over “Saving Private
Ryan” in ’98.
Everyone knows that the Os
cars are rarely remembered by any
one but historians, the Academy it
self and uptight movie geeks like
me. When “A Beautiful Mind”
takes the Best Picture prize in
March, I won’t cry about it.
I’ll simply throw in my copy
of “The Seven Samurai,” knowing
it was never nominated for Best Pic
ture. Then slowly, but surely, the
healing process will begin.
Remixing old tracks to make new sounds
Jessica Vitak
Managing Editor
From a mix of jungle, trip hop.
Meat Beat Manifesto and Bjork in
fluences emerges Wiremnky’s lat
est CD, “Fresh Cold Cuts: The Deli
catessen Remixes.” In a collabora
tive effort with Bare Wire artist
Simone Grey, the annals of
electronica are explored in an at
tempt to create a sense of serenity.
The man behind Wiremnky, art
ist Jeffrey Barnes has taken new
steps in producing this album, us
ing lyrics from Grey’s last album
and remixing them to create an ee
rie, wailing sound throughout that
is virtually unrecognizable from the
original track.
Bames, a firm believer in music
as expression, says that it serves
multiple outlets for him.
“The function of music is two
fold,” he said. “
The first is to create a rhythmic
groove that affects a person physi
cally, and the second is to present
an emotion or idea that can affect
psychologically.”
Critics compare Wiremnky most
often to electronic artists Orbital
and Coldcut for his mixing of deep
jungle and smooth trip hop. The al
bum has its redeeming qualities,
and it is refi'eshing to see an artist
willing to stretch his talents and
delve into the world of experimen
tal music.
However, “The Delicatessen
Remixes” sound much closer to a
Bjork album, but with a steady
stream of high, unintelligible vocals
that may leave the listener with
more of a headache than peace of
mind.
To sample some tracks from this
album, go to www.mp3.com/
wirmnky, or check out the artist’s
record label, Eristikos.
Theology-On-Tap
(informal presentations & discussion)
Tuesdays 7:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Sandy’s Italian Grill
West Haggard Ave.
Feb. 12th Recognizing God in Everyday
Events: Is There More Than
Meets the Eyes? Presented by
Father John
Feb. 19th Key Elenfients of a Spiritual Life
Presented by Fr. Bob Benko,
O.FM Conv.
Feb. 26th Maintaining Your Character:
Integrity and Faith at Work
Presented by Prof. John DeToma,
Attorney & Law Professor
March 5th Making Decisions That Affect Life:
What Do I Want To Be When I
Grow Up? What Is God Calling
Me To Do?
Presented by Fr. Michael
Lorentsen, O.FM. Conv.
March 12th Now That We Are Adults: How Do
We Not Let Past Mistakes Para
lyze Us? Presented by
Franciscan Brother Raymond
Sobocinski
March 19th What a Returning Catholic Needs;
What a Welcoming Church Offers
Presented by Mr. Joseph Ciriano
Talk’s free!
Good food & drink available from “Sandy”!
(Sponsored by Blessed Sacrament Parish Young
Adult Ministry)