Oscar Season

So sorry I haven't been writing lately, but nothing terribly exciting has happened. I went to a club a week ago and that was a pretty exciting night out, but I have yet to get the pictures from that night yet. Still waiting on that Cathy and Sonja! I've just mostly been writing papers since I got back, and now that's all over with so I've been just focusing on school and hanging out with friends and doing the day-to-day of living in London. I've been here for almost 5 months now, and I'm pretty much adjusted. I have my quiet little existence here. I'm a grown-up here. In Los Angeles, I always had my family and my old childhood friends reminding me of all the idiotic memories of my past. In SF, I still had my cousins to rely on as well as some old friends who had memories of my past. Whereas when I landed in London, I didn't know a single soul and no one knew me. It's a bit refreshing in a sense because I'm just grown-up Jen here. Yes, I continue to do stupid things, but my friends can't throw in my face something stupid I did 15 years ago like that ones at home can. (And I mean you Isis!) New friends, however, don't understand the context of everything I say and do like old friends do. But anyhow, that's the current status. Jen: Happy and Healthy and GOOD!

My latest project this month is OSCARS! Yeah, it's my first Oscar season out of the country. :( Ever since moving to Hollywood in 2004, the Oscars have been more or less a holiday like Christmas. We might not have many Christmas decorations outside, but when Oscars roll around, you definitely feel it...especially when you live right next to the Kodak and they block off Hollywood Blvd so you have to take another freeway entrance to go to work!!! Damn, I don't miss the 101. But anyhow, I usually try to watch as many of the Oscar noms as I can before the awards so I can make my own predictions.

In London, the Oscars will air at 1 to 4am since we're 8 hours ahead, but me and my friends are planning to stay up and catch it. I've spread the Oscar fever! Also, the other thing that SUCKS is that cinemas cost SO much more here!!! It's like £7-13. We had a guest lecturer this week from the UK Film Council, so I asked him why it cots so bloody much in London and he said it's the overhead. I guess that makes sense, but STILL!!! Also, films air later here so while by Oscar season in the US, many of the films are already on DVD, here I'll have to try to find cinemas. ONE DAY, I'll be a member of the Academy and they'll just mail me the bloody movies or give me free sceenings so I don't have to do all this.

So anyhow...I got a good jump start because the movies I watched on the plane on the way to the US and back this Christmas are nominated...Little Miss Sunshine and Volver. Thank you, British Airways! Today, I watched Babel at the cinema across the street from where I live. It's called the Renoir, and it's a lovely little independent theatre. It's just great! We don't get little cinemas in the US anymore since AMC, Regal, etc. own everything and all of them are huge multiplexes. London has a much better film scene because the cinemas are smaller and they have personalities in a sense. They PICK movies rather than just show all the big blockbuster hits out like the huge multiplexes do.

Anyhow, Babel is great. I highly recommend. I agree with the nominations. Adriana Barraza is nominated for Supporting Actress and she was great! Also, Rinko Kikuchi, a Japanese actress, was also nominated and she was also phenomenal. It also got nominated for Original Score, which I definitely agree with as well. Magda was moved to tears by the music. As for the Best Picture nomination, I agree, but I have to see the other noms before I decide which one deserves it. The movie was beautifully poetic. I really enjoyed, although it is a bit overwhelming. It's not a DVD movie, but it is a masterpiece.

The categories I'm most concerned with are (not in order):
Performance by an actor in a leading role
Performance by an actress in a leading role
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Achievement in directing
Best motion picture of the year
Adapted screenplay
Original screenplay

That list requires I watch 19 films. I've watched 6 so far...so 13 more to go! I don't know if I can get all of that done, but hopefully I can finish as many as possible. Will let you know the final count at the end. If possible, I'd really love to see all the Best foreign language films as well.

ALSO related to film, I'm taking Film and American Culture as part of my masters. It's pretty interesting so far since we're still in the 1940s and I'm getting a more clear understanding of film history. We watched Citizen Kane in class this week and while I don't think it's THE best movie of all time, it is definitely ONE OF the best movies I've ever seen. But I still think Clueless kicks ass.

So that's my long awaited blog entry. I'll write more in the next few weeks since I'll be celebrating my first birthday abroad and my friend John and I are going to Prague for a couple of days. He's my Aussie friend I met in Bejing and he's coming through London on his around the world trip.

LAST BUT DEFINITELY NOT LEAST...Happy 21st Birthday to my baby sister Elaine Chang. We're the same age now since I'll be celebrating my fourth 21st birthday next week. I love you, I love you, I love you and you're absolutely fabulous. :D Miss you, darling.