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Congratulations to the LAMMY Nominees…

A well-deserved congratulations to all those shortlisted for the LAMMY’s, the annual awards ceremony run by the wonderful guys over at The Large Association of Movie Blogs (who also deserve a congratulations for all the work they do for us little guys). There are some familiar faces on the list and some I barely know, but well done to all and well-deserved. The nominees are listed here.

Congratulations to Culch.ie and Panti and all the other winners at the Irish Blog Awards 2010

Just retiring after the Irish Blog Awards. Congratulations to the rather fantastic Culch.ie, who claimed the top gong in our Pop Culture category and Ms. Panti, our fellow nominee who took away the Best Blog Post Award for “No More Mister Nice Gay”. It was nice to meet the lads from e-Dublin as well, who were being ridiculously professional filming the night (I may have given a confuddled three-second clip) and also just really cool guys. Good hussle. All are well worth a look if you have a moment.

Regular programming will resume tomorrow. Congratulations to the winners, thanks to the organisers and host (Mister Rick O’Shea) and it wouldn’t it be great if the Pop Culture category next year featured Bosco? If only for the acceptence speech. Awesome.

Thanks for a great night and congratulations to all the winners and nominees. Good hussle.

We’re an Irish Blog Awards Finalist…

Wow…

I have no idea what to say. We have somehow, against incredible odds, been singled out as one of the five best pop culture blogs based in Ireland by the Irish Blog Awards.

Artist's rendition of author's emotional state right now. Note: Knowledge of method acting techniques might be slightly exaggerated.

To give you an idea of the kind of talent we’re up against, check out my fellow nominees, most of which are longterm fixtures of the Irish Blogging Landscape. I used to read several of these long before I even dreamed of starting up my own little corner of pop-culture-stream-of-consciousness. It’s a cliché to say you’ve been nominated against your idols, but it’s true. A less smaltzy way of saying the same thing is say that, if you can judge a man by the measure of his opponents, we must be doing something right. Check them out:

And a quick shout out to all the dudes and dudettes who took the time to judge. Not just this blog, but the hundreds of others. That takes a lot of patience and we’re glad you all put the time in. Thanks.

And check out our category’s sponsor, Insure.ie. They’ve also invested a lot of time and faith in this whole blogging thing and it’s great to see web companies – particularly Irish webcompanies – investing in an Irish online community. Thanks.

I’ve been emotional enough here, I reckon. I just want to say that I never really imagined that this blog would every really come to much when I started it last May. It was just a place for my random rants about whether bloggers should be considered legitimate critics or whether Hollywood respects its elderly stars. I want to just thank every person who takes the time to read a post – whether they think I’ve somehow said something that might be relevent or they think I’m talking out of a hole other than my mouth – and those who have shown support and encouragement. Yes, you. The person reading this now. Thank you.

And I want to thank those who put up with all my mindless real-world-based, pop-culture-related ranting for years before I started this. You guys know who you are. Especially my significant other. Who has the patience of a saint. Thank you all. 

I’m probably overdoing it, but I figure – in honesty – I’m punching above my weight in this category, and this post feels like the appropriate place for the well-deserved ‘thank you’s. I am honoured and chuffed to have made it this far at all. It has been a pleasure – I hope some people have enjoyed this half as much as I have. I hope to be attending the ceremony in Galway next Saturday, which should be a great night.

I’m going to say it once more: wow.

Sandra Bullock on the Razzies: Worst Film Awards Ever, But Thanks For the Statue!

You’re reading this asthe 82nd Academy Awards kick off, but perhaps the most interesting awards-related snippet occurred at the Razzies, the anti-Oscars which held their ceremony before the Oscars (in a calculated attempt to steal some thunder). Basically the Razzies pick out the worst-of-the-worst from the past year and give them the recognition they so sorely deserved. I am more than a little skeptical about the awards, given how they exist mainly as an in-joke, nominating the biggest flops as opposed to the real worst films of the year. In the tradition of Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock showed up in person to collect her award. As is the norm for such celebrity appearances, the crowd loved her. But what did Sandra really say?

Thanks a crateload... of All About Steve DVD's...

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Best Picture Poster Porn…

Here’s a little treat to get you in the mood for this evening’s festivities. BAFTA hired artist Tavis Coburn to basically design retro-style posters for their own awards – you know, like Turner Classic Movies did last summer. Since there’s significant overlap between the Oscars shortlist and the BAFTA shortlist, it’s a nice way to get yourself geared up for an interesting night. It’s a shame there isn’t an Inglourious Basterds poster, as that movie is arguably the best suited to a retro reimagining, but I guess the recent charity redesigns will have to do.

The posters are below. Click for bigger versions.

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Pleasing All of the People Some of the Time – Oscar Voting for Dummies…

You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.

John Lydgate

The above quote is frequently attributed to Abraham Lincoln (though Lincoln actually substituted ‘fool’ for ‘please’, in a bit of West Wing-style trivia for you, say what you will of “Honest Abe”), and applies to many things in life. Since this is a movie blog, and the Oscars changed the practice of counting votes for the Best Picture, today it applies to the practice of counting votes for the Best Picture. The Academy used to adopt both approaches – favouring all in the selection of nominees, but only some (as little as 18%) in its selection of winners – but now it looks like the academy is shifting towards adjusting the selection of winners to allow all (well, a lot more than before) members some say in the matter.

Anyway, we’ve put together a little maths guide to how the new system will work in practice.

If I have three Oscar statuettes, and Meryll Streep moves in with her thirteen Oscar statuettes, how inferior am I going to feel?

If I have one Oscar statuettes, and Jack Nicholson stands next to mewith his three Oscar statuettes, how inferior am I going to feel?

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