BACK TO WORK AFTER THE STRIKE

Just a few random items this week on the ol’ blog…

Back to work. It’s been really bizarre going back to work. But ultimately, for me, it’s simply been a matter of exchanging new anxieties for old ones. Instead of thinking about what I can write during the strike — I now obsess on how to take my career to the next level. Ahh, good to be back.

Going back to work, also means going back to Starbucks. This is where I do the bulk of my writing. Starbucks simply allows me one thing – to get out of the house! If I wrote at home every day, I might literally never leave. Hours would blur into days, days into weeks. I’d start losing my capacity to endure bright light. I’d become a mole man.

But going back to Starbucks hasn’t been the treat it once was. It’s been a little strange. I avoided it or the entire strike, not wanting people to think I was crossing any lines. But now that I’ve gone back, my little sanctuary seems soiled. I still don’t feel right typing at my old table. Time to look for office space.

Last, but not least – the Oscars. By the time you guys read this, they will be over. And while my picks count for nothing, here they are…

Actor in a Leading Role - Daniel Day-Lewis
There Will Be Blood

Seeing him in interviews makes his transformation on-screen even more amazing. In real life, the guy’s a freakin’ pixie!

Actor in a Supporting Role - Javier Bardem
No Country for Old Men

** No brainer. For the haircut alone.

Actress in a Leading Role - Ellen Page
Juno

** Perfect actress to pull off that ** cough ** special dialogue.

Actress in a Supporting Role - Amy Ryan
Gone Baby Gone

** Outstanding. Loved to hater her.

Animated Feature Film - Ratatouille

** Brad Bird is one of the best writers in Hollywood.

Cinematography - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

** The film itself put me in a coma, but the cinematography was beautiful.

Directing - No Country for Old Men

** The way they constructed the suspense in this flick was masterful.

Documentary Feature - Sicko

** Shocking, disturbing on a lot of levels.

Film Editing - The Bourne Ultimatum

** My god, there wasn’t a clip that lasted for more than 2 seconds. You gotta give it to these guys on shear volume.

Best Picture - Michael Clayton

** Tough one. Gotta support one of my favorite screenwriters.

Writing (Adapted Screenplay) - No Country for Old Men

** I could punch the Cohen Bros in the balls for what they did with that last act. But the first two acts were so good, I still give them the trophy.

Writing - Michael Clayton

** Again, Gilroy’s a stud.