I was very disappointed with this year in film history, moreso than every other year since Titanic came out. Nothing really met up to my expectations. The movies the critics were hailing fell flat or were barely coherent. So when I agreed to stay up until 6:30 in the morning (Mountain time) on Jan. 22, 2008, just to see the announcement of all Oscar contenders for 2007, I was a little weary. Most of the movies nominated for the Golden Globe awards were lame. If the Academy picked anywhere near as badly as the Globes, the Oscars wouldn't even be worth watching. Not like the 1997Oscar race, where everyone was tuned in just to see Titanic win in almost every category. Then there was the great, hilarious spoofs by Billy Crystal in the intro. It was classic stuff, you had to see it.

For the promise of a dollar in upfront payments and perhaps, a lot of money for hits, I decided to wait to the televised announcements. This wait became truly a struggle. I normally go to bed around 3 am. I had to drink caffeine, eat some sugar, push my limits.

I started the article with some background of 2007 in award ceremonies. The writers strike has been keeping everyone from throwing the usual parties. Then I watched the clock until 6:30, and watched them announce some of my least favorite films going up for major categories. Atonement was all right, but was it Best Picture quality? It's hard to say. Michael Clayton? That movie bored me to tears. No Country for Old Men?? What is the big deal with that movie?? One man follows a cowboy with a silenced shotgun or rifle or nail gun, and Tommy Lee Jones is right on their trail. Wow. Compelling stuff.

Anyway, this isn't a movie bashing blog, it's a blog about my work on AC. This one particular article literally kept me up for hours. What some people will do for a buck huh?