An #OscarsMakeover event

Oscars magic is on again.  The hoopla, ceremonies and after parties (which I would add to my bucket list, except the rule is it has to be realistic), the fashion, styles, fashion 9-1-1 that it brings.  

Me, along with millions in audience joined to celebrate the #bestofeverything in MOVIES' biggest question it asks me of this night?

"What movie will it entice me to see first?"

Rapt with anticipation millions in I began surfing on the net ::: long before social media platforms and media stand were beginning to stand ready ::: I discovered that minuscule morsel that would begin to react in mere minutes...

A hashtag to be noted to give praise and honor not only the winners, but the nominated for their talent.

Charlize Theron ::: best theatrical makeover for MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

The biggest makeover  of years before  ::: not a person but a symbol ::: of movies, excite-ment, media buzz, or dresses.   Floating out to the net was the best story I found from The Daily Mail  was that the infamous statue had a makeover for this year (2016)!!

We peruse and wonder who hasn't won yet? Right, Leonardo Dicaprio hasn't.  Will he finally be restituted to the kingdom of the gifted for a generation?  Hardly, it's a snap for him this year in his portrayal in Re-something filmed outside a Canadian city that blasts fumes from the money from its oil billions to only ruin the environment?  Uh-hem, he became an expert by just experiencing our unique Chinook mild weather miracle in our parts called Calgary.

What are Chinook winds you asked dear Leonardo?  Why they are a weather phenomena unique to our climate near the greatest city on the earth:  Calgary.  I bet you didn't know that the warm west winds we all adore, written by our own Calgary Herald at the turn of the last century:

“Those who have not the warm, invigorating Chinook winds of this country, cannot well comprehend what a blessing they are. The icy clutch of winter is lessened, the earth throws off its winding sheet of snow. Humanity ventures forth to inhale the balmy spring like air. Animated nature rejoices.” (1900–Calgary weekly Herald)

Sidetracked as usual I am to return to the drool of glamor and stunning dresses.  I began my journey, with thoughts erupting in my head, and spoke to me: 

“Na-uh honey, thatz pose ta be only da one shouldr”            ~Andra Day

 

“fly-e-EYE-iiiiiiiiiii like a bird …..”                                      ~Cate Blanchette

 

“No, you’re right … I wasn’t sure what look I was going for.”      ~Olivia Wilde

 So far my favorite gown is: pulled adorned from her makeup, to her hair to beautifully fitting gown ::: Sophia Vergara :::  proving that a woman in my mind's age can shine over those 20 years her junior:

 Sophia is 43 years old! GASP!   We should all celebrate how wonderful she looks!!

via INSTAgram photos 

Here's leading up to the last moments before 

@LeoDiCaprio could no longer say he hadn't 

won an #Oscar

The movies I would most like to see after watch-

ing the Oscars:::

1) The Reverent

2) The Big Short

3) The Girl in the River ::: a documentary

Best Oscar moment ::: Musical perfor-mance by Lady Gaga:

Best Oscar acceptance ::: Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy:

Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy stands out as a Humanitarian 

What an outstanding #Oscar acceptance  by Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy’s  for "The Girl in the River" 

Earlier in 2012, Chinoy had won the Oscar for her documentary film ‘Saving Face’ that focused on Pakistan’s another grim issue of disfiguring of the faces of girls and women by men on various pretexts by throwing acid at them.

‘A Girl In The River: The Price Of Forgiveness’ was among five films which were nominated for this year's Academy Award in the BestDocumentary-Short Subject category.

On February 22, Sharmeen’s Oscar nominated documentary was screened at a programme held at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad. On the occasion, Premier Nawaz Sharif had said thegovernment is set to formulate legislation to put a curb on thekillings of women in the name of honour.

Sharmeed Obaid Chinoy holds a rare distinction of being among the nine women film directors in the world to have won Oscars for non-fiction films.

Biggest Oscar erruption ::: when Sam Smith upsets Lady Gaga 

Sam Smith's Writing's on the Wall is the first behind a long list of talent to be finaly named for its first Oscar.  I wrote about this song a few months ago for how wonderful I found it when I wrote about it on my blog Meanderings called; called:  

Best movies watched before Oscar night ::: Before I even cared about winners in order of favorites:

1) Straight outta Compton which I had watched, thought incredible, and wrote about long before the Oscar's white out controversy.  You couldn't fail to notice whatever was missing in nominations were presented in FULL COLOR by presenters from past winners like Whooppee Goldberg, Denzel Washington, Quincy Jones.

  

2) Amy:::  a documentary about Amy MillHouse, shed light on not just her musical talent, but also her challenges, showing she was snuffed out to wayyyy toooo early.

3) Spotlight:::  about investigative journalism and the men and women who dedicate themselves, regardless how earth shaking and controversial it may be, need to be told for the victims.  If for nothing else in the world.

 Cuteness reigned and knocked out several adorable Imagineered characters, of the likes of  The Room's Jacob Trembley:

Guest mischievious The Minions were there

Will Jason Tremblay avoid the traps of so many former child stars?
Become a sad second acts having trouble as grown ups.

Telling you straight .... outta Compton

Granted, I'm Canadian, as many of you know.  What you may not recognize is that we do tend to pay attention to controversies, news and politics south of our borders.

My first reaction to the blasphemy gone amok everywhere would be the fuss over the white out of the Oscars this year.    I thought:

• let the best man or woman win.
• it is the academy, peers, who votes on the nominees
• color or gender should not sway nominees
• the best performances are recognized
• being nominated raises your value 
• movies you may not have heard of inspire you to watch 
• the big studios, i.e. most capital, gain the most attention
• above, except if you're Oprah Winphrey

I was wrong.  I watched "Straight out of Compton" last night and was really impressed for many reasons:

• I didn't know how RAP or HIP-HOP or GANSTA evolved until now
• While I was in my 20s in the 1980s, this phenomena was emerging
• The story itself is worth recognizing
• The evolving characters transformed into big names in the music business
• What they did for music was profound
• We need this kind of music in our world, as musical journalism per se
• There was a lot of racism, bias experienced these gifted musicians 
• They had to be dedicated and passionate to keep on no matter the struggles
• I like the music now (in the 80s I was probably tuned into David Bowie)

IMAGE COURTESY of http://www.hitfix.com

There was a grave oversight by the Oscar community to ignore this poignant film that is both historical and inspirational.  Although, I may not agree with the stand that black (that's what we call them in Canada since Afrocanadian hasn't been given as an option to African American) artists like Will Smith have taken by boycotting the Oscars.  By being there in person they ARE making a stand for artists of any color contribute to our entertainment.  Come on, we all have gone through days when we didn't want to go to school or work because we didn't agree with something, but we were forced to by our parents.  

You have got to be stronger than the issue at hand.  Don't align yourself with a statement that takes a side that you don't want forever to be associated with.  I vaguely recall Marlon Brando using his Oscar nod for creating sympathy for the cause of Native North Americans.  

Think about Leonardo Dicaprio's statements on Canada's oil just because he filmed at a location close to here.  All of a sudden, he is an expert.  Why not take a stand with class like Clint Eastwood did when filming his Oscar film "Forgiven" filmed close to my home in Calgary.  He captured the beauty and magnificence.  We aren't all roughnecks drilling for oil.  Some of us love where we are from and what that means.  We don't need a brief visitor like Dicaprio to insult the citizens of his host.

"Straight outta Compton" SHOULD have had some nominees for the Oscars.  It was breathtaking in its honesty and historical significance to how black lives mattered in bringing a whole new genre to our musical ears.  The cast transformed themselves into the heroes unfolded during the 80s, making a significant impact by its honest lyrics and reflection of the times.  Personally, the upheaval that groups like Led Zepplin and The Rolling Stones had on our older siblings, were lost until many years later.  We rode the short-lived disco wave but started the dance movement that allowed ABBA, David Bowie and Fleetwood Mac to be  forever iconic in our minds.  While many of us were watching those artist, there was a musical revolution going on that we were just too self-absorbed to have noticed.  Have a look at this brief trailer:

I'm really glad I watched this movie.  It brought so much reality to the bias, racism that these wonderKIDS plowed through and brought the gift of musical journalism:  a voice of what was REALLY going on around us.  I agree, it shouldn't have been acceptable.  While it is easy to glance back shamefully noting that we may have been more than ignorant to the plight of these citizens.

I  stand behind Paul Giamatti's portrayal of a sleezy white manager who filled his own pockets long before his clients ever did:  I can just imagine how widespread this was.  I like how the film brought into the fold how wrong it was.  Some of us may have been aware, but not at the same capacity that black musicians and artists were ripped off.  For that fact alone, this film should have more widespread recognition for its statement alone.

"Straight outta Compton" is definitely worth a watch.