Rob here chiming in with his thoughts (finally)! It’s a very interesting situation for me, the Oscars are big news in Japan because of Departures, and The House of Cubes, each winning their respective categories. But the truth is, while Marc just hasn’t seen most of the movies nominated in their various categories, I can’t see most of the movies because they simply aren’t out here.
Anyways, thanks to the wonders of Youtube, I was able to catch up on some of the key elements of the show, and have to admit, I thought Hugh did a great job as host. The singing and dancing in the opening was a pleasant surprise. It was a bit humorous to see him huffing and puffing as he started running out of breath in the middle. So much for all that working out in X-Men Origins and Australia, right?
But, as for the movies, Slumdog Millionaire is about the best thing out there right now, but again, can’t see it as it doesn’t open until April (!) here. The buzz has been incredible, and the sweep at the Oscars should do well to fuel the fire. This brings me to a bit of a point, why do all the Oscar worthy movies tend to be ones that are in limited release? While in Japan, it’s simply a way of life for 80% of movies to be delayed (to subtitle and to create re-dubbed versions), but even in America, the best movies tend to be the ones you have to live in New York or Los Angeles to see. Slumdog Millionaire will be no doubt see an increase in the number of theaters it’s being played in, but best foreign film? The animated shorts? How does the regular layman go about seeing those.
