Matt vs. the Academy

After almost a month away, I am finally back in New York City... but not for long. This week, I head back to the other side of the country to perform in an improv show in Las Vegas! Yep, I'll be a bona fide Vegas performer, right there on the Strip. A rotating cast of Australian improvisers will perform in  Aussie Improv Comedy Explosion  at the V Theater in the Planet Hollywood Resort beginning on January 31. So, if you're planning on being near Sin City during February, come check it out. Tomorrow morning, bright and early, the Oscar nominations will be announced. As always, I have made my predictions as to which films will be recognised - and just in time, too. For anyone out there who might be interested in this sort of thing, here are my guesses . While we wait for the Academy's picks for 2010, here's a look at their Best Picture winner of 1930/31... Cimarron Director : Wesley Ruggles Screenplay : Howard Estabrook Starring : Richard Dix, Irene Dunne, E...

The last few days in Los Angeles have been both relaxing and energetic. While I've managed to get in a fair amount of lounging around, I've also taken in a couple of racquetball games as well as a hike in Temescal Canyon . Add a poker night and a games night to the mix and you've got yourself quite an eventful vacation. To cap it all off before I head back to New York and the cold weather, the Golden Globe Awards, which are occurring just a few miles away in Beverly Hills, are just about to begin as I write this. Earlier this week, while at the UCLA Film & TV Archive, I got the chance to watch a hard-to-find nominee from the 1930/31 Best Picture race... East Lynne Director : Frank Lloyd Screenplay : Tom Barry and Bradley King (based on the novel by Mrs. Henry Wood) Starring : Ann Harding, Clive Brook, Conrad Nagel, Cecilia Loftus, Beryl Mercer Academy Awards : 1 nomination 0 wins Pretty young social butterfly Isabella (Harding) is initially excited to m...

Yesterday morning, I diligently researched how to get to UCLA before embarking on my journey. The bus schedule informed me that the No. 2 bus leaving at noon would take me from Sunset & Gower (which is near the Hollywood apartment in which I am staying thanks to Aussie friends Steve & Josh) all the way to the UCLA campus in Westwood. Like clockwork, the No. 2 bus arrived precisely on time and I happily hopped on board. About fifteen minutes later, with UCLA still about five miles away, the bus driver notified the remaining passengers that the current stop was the last that this bus would make. Apparently, I had hopped on the wrong No. 2 bus. This No. 2 bus, the driver explained, only went as far as West Hollywood. To get to UCLA, I needed to catch the No. 2 bus that terminates at Pacific Palisades ... Wait. So, there are two different bus routes that call themselves the No. 2? ... Well, that's perfectly reasonable. Nobody will ever be confused by that... I did eventually ...

For the first time since this project began, I am writing from Los Angeles, California, home to the Academy of this blog's title. This morning, I giggled like a schoolgirl as I drove past their idyllic-looking  Fairbanks Center , a building that houses the Margaret Herrick Library . As the awards season heats up, my presence in this town for the next few days will hopefully bring more fodder for the upcoming blog posts. In the meantime, it is verdict time again. The nominees for Best Picture of 1951 are: An American in Paris Decision Before Dawn A Place in the Sun Quo Vadis A Streetcar Named Desire Similar to most Best Picture races, these films are all highly engaging, if for different reasons. The eventual winner, An American in Paris, perhaps stands apart since it is the only one to engage its audience with the use of singing and dancing. But, as always, my predilection for drama leads me to the contenders with more personal stories. Both Quo Vadis and Decision Befo...

It's almost hard to believe that my visit to Australia is very nearly over. Tomorrow, Kat and I fly back to the United States after a whirlwind tour of Sydney. The last couple of weeks have been all hustle and bustle as we caught up with friends and family, every meeting seeming to involve food. And for some reason, we met an inordinate number of babies for the first time, many around the eight to ten month age range. If my calculations are correct, it appears that these couples may have specifically waited for us to leave the country to conceive their children. Hmmm... So busy was I during this trip that I am only now posting this review despite having watched this film almost a week ago. My first film of 2011 was the final nominee from 1951's Best Picture contenders... Quo Vadis Director : Mervyn LeRoy Screenplay : John Lee Mahin, S.N. Berhman, Sonya Levien (based on the novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz) Starring : Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr, Leo Genn, Peter Ustinov, ...

Happy New Year! I write this from sunny and warm Sydney, Australia. Despite the sweat glistening on my forehead, I am more than pleased to experience these hot climes because it means I have avoided the recent blizzardy conditions of New York. To ring in the new year, last night Kat and I first caught up with some friends to enjoy the early evening fireworks over beautiful Sydney Harbour with our view from a park in Lavender Bay (pictured - just imagine fireworks). We then made our way back to my parents' place to watch the midnight fireworks from an equally stunning viewpoint on their balcony. Earlier in the week, I watched my last film of 2010, another film classic from 1951's list of Best Picture nominees... A Streetcar Named Desire Director : Elia Kazan Screenplay : Tennesse Williams and Oscar Saul (based on Williams' play) Starring : Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando, Kim Hunter, Karl Malden Academy Awards : 12 nominations 4 wins, including Best Actress (Leigh...