Our best players have to be our best players. There's nothing better than starting a blog with an overused cliche. However, truer words were never spoken. In an act of desperation Vigneault put Samuelsson back with the Sedin twins in the third period of game 4 and that third period is the turning point in this series thus far. This line has been on fire and Samuelsson is picking corners like he's hitting targets at a skills competition. The Kings simply have no answer for him. 7 goals in 5 games to start these playoffs. That shows you how good the Swedish Olympic team was that he wasn't even good enough to make that team. How did they do again?
Besides the top line, the Bernier, Wellwood, Demitra line had a great game. Good to see Bernier put a couple into open nets. Normally he misses. Hey, the net's only 6 feet across, give him a break.
It's important to not get too excited though. (Well, us fans can get excited as long as the team knows that clinching game will likely be the most difficult to win.) They now have to go back into Staples Centre where they have struggled this year. (Which road building haven't they struggled in?)
The Canucks penalty killing was much better tonight, allowing only one goal that was once again a lucky bounce. Combine that with the fact that Luongo is now outplaying Quick and you have to think that if those trends continue, there is no way the Kings can win this series. Although stranger things have happened.
Speaking of strange things happening, can you believe that Andrew Alberts didn't take a penalty tonight? Sorry, I should have told you to sit down first. He actually played a reasonably solid game which is great news. If this team does go on a run, he is likely going to be a part of it. Thanks for nothing Mathieu Schneider.
Game 6 is Sunday and the Canucks need to keep their foot on the gas pedal. This Kings team appears to be fragile right now and their confidence is shaken. They are a young inexperienced team. This is not the time to let up. Top teams finish off their opponents in these circumstances. It's time for these Canucks to prove they are a top team. It's time to show Gary Bettman that he's going to have to try a lot harder to knock these Canucks out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Canucks Look To Stop The Bleeding In Game 4
Now is not the time to push the panic button, but for those bandwagoners out there, good to know you. Take care. The Canucks-Kings series has been one that the Canucks have virtually dominated in every aspect except for special teams and goaltending. Unfortunately, those are probably the two most important. If the Canucks don't figure out there penalty killing and Luongo can't raise his game to at least a solid if unspectacular level, the Canucks will not win this series. Where is that panic button again?
If you take special teams out of the equation, this series is probably 3-0 for Vancouver right now. For those of you saying that the Canucks need to stay out of the box, that's not realistic. You can't play aggressively and with intensity in the playoffs if you know that you cannot take a penalty or you will get scored on. They do need to cut down on their stupid penalties, but more importantly they need to kill a good chunk of them off. In game 3 they didn't even make it beyond the first minute. By the third power play goal it was actually becoming laughable. The most successful way to kill a penalty is be aggressive. The PK forwards have to pressure Doughty and Johnson, who don't ever seem to leave the ice on a power play. I don't know why we started to sit back and watch in that last game.
There's no doubt Luongo needs to be better, he will certainly admit to that, but it all starts in front of him. We need to compete better. They played a great first period in the last game and then came out in the second like they were proud of their accomplishments and could sit back and coast. The trouble was it was only 1-1 at that point.
I hate to keep pointing fingers at Vigneault but at some point in that second period (well before the backbreaking fourth goal) he should have called a time-out. The only reason I think he's reluctant to do so is that he has no clue how to motivate his players. He is not a motivating, intense type of coach, and because he's not, they at least need an intense assistant coach. Ryan Walter shows about as much intensity as a small plastic soapdish. There are certain times when a coach needs to lose it. Like in game 2 when we received that phantom too-many-men call. I would have gone ballistic. If a coach shows that he will battle for his team, that he will do whatever it takes, that he will be intense and emotional when need be, then his players will do the same in return. After the infamous Daniel Sedin goal (err non-goal), I would have gone Jim Playfair. And I would probably have become a hero in the eyes of Canuck fans. I know tht the refs on the ice didn't make that awful decision (actually they made the right call) but you've got to show that these inexcusable mistakes will not be tolerated. On the bright side, I strongly believe that if LA goes on to win this series, that Vigneault will be gone. Nothing personal, I actually think he's very likeable and a pretty good coach, the trouble is good coaches generally don't win Stanley Cups. Great coaches do. Nobody will be happier than myself if he proves me wrong.
The other major obstacle that the Canucks will have to overcome is the apparent fact that the NHL does not want Vancouver to win this series. First of all, I would like to say that I don't really care who the NHL wants to win. Bettman can be a Hurricanes fan for all I care. But if they are trying to influence games, then I have a problem with that. I'm still not sure about a conspiracy against the Canucks and all Canadian teams in general, but you can make a pretty good case for it. The best way to tell is to watch some of these series. The NHL would want Phoenix, Chicago, LA and Washington to win. They've already appeared to have some influence in the Capitals-Canadiens series. It will be interesting to see if that continues. In game two of the Canucks series, the too-many-men penalty that Bieksa took in OT was clearly not a penalty. That's a call the refs would generally not make in overtime even if Bieksa has played the puck intentionally. I was furious. (Vigneault just quietly shook his head.) In game three, I believe it was before the disallowed goal, people seem to be forgetting about Steve Bernier's stick being held when he was in front of an empty net with the puck within 10 feet of him. If he gets his stick loose, it's an easy goal. No call. There are two refs out there and neither of them see one of the most obvious calls that you could make? Then the Daniel Sedin goal that was called back. Clearly there was no kicking motion. That should have been looked at for about 20 seconds and then ruled a goal. The fact that they looked at it for about 8 minutes proves that there was no DISTINCT kicking motion. Not to mention that if you watch the play at regular speed you will see that it's simply not possible for anyone to intentionally kick the puck in with less than a half a second to react while a defenseman is pushing you towards the goalie and you are trying to stop to avoid running the goalie and taking a penalty which will lead to an obvious power play goal against. (*catches breath*) Now you can overlook a ref on the ice making a bad call, but you can't overlook 'experts' in Toronto taking 8 minutes to look at the play from several different angles and then overturning the RIGHT call. Inexcusable.
So the Canucks have a lot to overcome in game 4. It won't be easy, they just have to want the puck more than the Kings and hope for better goaltending. I would love to rant some more but Idol Gives Back is coming on. My rush to finish this will also explain any spelling mistakes. I hope I am forgiven.
If you take special teams out of the equation, this series is probably 3-0 for Vancouver right now. For those of you saying that the Canucks need to stay out of the box, that's not realistic. You can't play aggressively and with intensity in the playoffs if you know that you cannot take a penalty or you will get scored on. They do need to cut down on their stupid penalties, but more importantly they need to kill a good chunk of them off. In game 3 they didn't even make it beyond the first minute. By the third power play goal it was actually becoming laughable. The most successful way to kill a penalty is be aggressive. The PK forwards have to pressure Doughty and Johnson, who don't ever seem to leave the ice on a power play. I don't know why we started to sit back and watch in that last game.
There's no doubt Luongo needs to be better, he will certainly admit to that, but it all starts in front of him. We need to compete better. They played a great first period in the last game and then came out in the second like they were proud of their accomplishments and could sit back and coast. The trouble was it was only 1-1 at that point.
I hate to keep pointing fingers at Vigneault but at some point in that second period (well before the backbreaking fourth goal) he should have called a time-out. The only reason I think he's reluctant to do so is that he has no clue how to motivate his players. He is not a motivating, intense type of coach, and because he's not, they at least need an intense assistant coach. Ryan Walter shows about as much intensity as a small plastic soapdish. There are certain times when a coach needs to lose it. Like in game 2 when we received that phantom too-many-men call. I would have gone ballistic. If a coach shows that he will battle for his team, that he will do whatever it takes, that he will be intense and emotional when need be, then his players will do the same in return. After the infamous Daniel Sedin goal (err non-goal), I would have gone Jim Playfair. And I would probably have become a hero in the eyes of Canuck fans. I know tht the refs on the ice didn't make that awful decision (actually they made the right call) but you've got to show that these inexcusable mistakes will not be tolerated. On the bright side, I strongly believe that if LA goes on to win this series, that Vigneault will be gone. Nothing personal, I actually think he's very likeable and a pretty good coach, the trouble is good coaches generally don't win Stanley Cups. Great coaches do. Nobody will be happier than myself if he proves me wrong.
The other major obstacle that the Canucks will have to overcome is the apparent fact that the NHL does not want Vancouver to win this series. First of all, I would like to say that I don't really care who the NHL wants to win. Bettman can be a Hurricanes fan for all I care. But if they are trying to influence games, then I have a problem with that. I'm still not sure about a conspiracy against the Canucks and all Canadian teams in general, but you can make a pretty good case for it. The best way to tell is to watch some of these series. The NHL would want Phoenix, Chicago, LA and Washington to win. They've already appeared to have some influence in the Capitals-Canadiens series. It will be interesting to see if that continues. In game two of the Canucks series, the too-many-men penalty that Bieksa took in OT was clearly not a penalty. That's a call the refs would generally not make in overtime even if Bieksa has played the puck intentionally. I was furious. (Vigneault just quietly shook his head.) In game three, I believe it was before the disallowed goal, people seem to be forgetting about Steve Bernier's stick being held when he was in front of an empty net with the puck within 10 feet of him. If he gets his stick loose, it's an easy goal. No call. There are two refs out there and neither of them see one of the most obvious calls that you could make? Then the Daniel Sedin goal that was called back. Clearly there was no kicking motion. That should have been looked at for about 20 seconds and then ruled a goal. The fact that they looked at it for about 8 minutes proves that there was no DISTINCT kicking motion. Not to mention that if you watch the play at regular speed you will see that it's simply not possible for anyone to intentionally kick the puck in with less than a half a second to react while a defenseman is pushing you towards the goalie and you are trying to stop to avoid running the goalie and taking a penalty which will lead to an obvious power play goal against. (*catches breath*) Now you can overlook a ref on the ice making a bad call, but you can't overlook 'experts' in Toronto taking 8 minutes to look at the play from several different angles and then overturning the RIGHT call. Inexcusable.
So the Canucks have a lot to overcome in game 4. It won't be easy, they just have to want the puck more than the Kings and hope for better goaltending. I would love to rant some more but Idol Gives Back is coming on. My rush to finish this will also explain any spelling mistakes. I hope I am forgiven.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
My 40th Annual The Vancouver Canucks Will Win The Cup Blog
It seems like only yesterday that my team, the Vancouver Canucks, suffered a complete collapse and were swiftly booted out of the rink and onto the golf course. It was actually last Spring. And the Spring before that. And the Spring...well, you get the message. It's never been easy being a Canucks' fan. I guess there's a reason why Prozac is a bigger seller in BC than any other Province in Canada.(Allegedly) I guess there's a reason why my Mother (the self-proclaimed number one Canucks' fan) has black Lungs, an enlarged Liver and no fingernails. I have a feeling in the next few weeks, she may need a Pacemaker.
I will leave the sordid history of the Canucks (the Gilbert Perrault fiasco (wipes tear), Dale Tallon, Bill Laforge, Mark Messier, Chuck & Bobby, Cam Neely, the Canuck Duck, Lars Lindgren, Todd Bertuzzi etc...) for another time and another blog. Right now let's focus on this season and more importantly, this post-season.
For the first time in Canucks' history, we actually have a team that can score goals in bunches AND a great goalie. (I know some of you will disagree, but more on Luongo a bit later. One thing at a time, sheesh.) Unfortunately we are seriously lacking on defense, that is unless Willie Mitchell makes a miraculous comeback. Andrew Alberts is not a replacement for Willie Mitchell, and he is the sole reason my Mother might need that Pacemaker I was taking about.
Looking at the 16 teams in the Playoffs this year, I would say that Vancouver is the only team that you could not only make a really good case for them winning the Cup, but you could also make a pretty good case for them getting swept in the first round. The glass is half full guy would say Luongo is the best goalie in the league and he knows he has to prove it in the Playoffs, not in the regular season. The Sedins are much, much better than last year and they are unstoppable. No team can match our speed. Our defense has held up reasonably well down the stretch and will get the job done, kind of bending without breaking. Kesler and Burrows have had career years. Samuelsson has won a Stanley Cup, an Olympic Gold Medal and a World Championship. Demitra was the top scorer in the Olympics in Vancouver and an all-star. These 4 will step it up in the playoffs and we'll have a big parade down Robson in June. Again, that's coming from the glass is half full guy.
Now the glass is half empty guy would say Luongo is mentally tired and has lost confidence and cannot just flick a switch and play well in the Playoffs. The Sedins do not show up in the Playoffs and can be shut down over a 7 game series. Salo has had a great season, but he's a ticking time bomb. He won't make it through the first round without an injury or a sore throat or a hangnail. The defense is way too thin. You can't expect guys like O'Brien and Edler to play top 4 minutes. And Andrew Alberts is quite possibly the worst defenseman in the playoffs. The glass is half empty guy predicts they will get swept by LA and Vigneault will be fired. I'm not really sure who is more accurate, maybe somewhere in between, but as my Mother always says I don't care if the glass is half empty or half full, as long as it contains some Grey Goose.
While the LA Kings are a good young, talented team and not to be taken lightly, that is the team the Canucks wanted to play in the first round. Flying to LA is a lot easier than flying to Detroit or Nashville. Not to mention, I think Detroit and Nashville are better teams. On paper the Canucks are a better team, plain and simple. Unfortunately that was true against the Black Hawks last year and we all know what happened there. The Canucks are a much faster team with a lot better goaltending. On paper. If Luongo plays even just average for him, I think this series is over in 5. Of course he didn't play average most of the year. He's had a little bit of time to rest now which is a good thing. Not very often do the Canucks get a chance to cruise through the end of the regular season and rest some players so that is always a great bonus. I do wish that Vigneault had played Raycroft more after the Olympic break though. Luongo played the equivalent of 4 game 7's in a row and that has to take a toll mentally. I would have called up Schneider from the Moose to back up Raycroft and told Luongo to stay home for a week or so. Raycroft was playing well enough and with a rested Luongo who knows, maybe we could've won the Western Conference. Not that that matters anymore. It's all about winning one thing. The Hart Trophy. (Kidding)
At the forward position it's great to see that Vigneault actually has some options. If Burrows is struggling with the Twins he can bring in Samuelsson. If the Kings are having trouble with our speed, he can dress Grabner and put him with Raymond and Kesler. If they are playing tough, he can bring in Hordichuk. Options are only good if you are a good bench coach though, and I'm still not sold on Vigneault. I probably never will be until this team goes all the way. I think he was badly outcoached by Quenneville last season against the Hawks. (Why do I keep bringing that series up? I think I may need counselling.) Either way we have 3 solid lines that can score and a pretty good checking line although we will miss Ryan Johnson's shot blocking and penalty killing.
Our defense is the biggest concern. People have been freaking on Luongo since the Olympic break, but really I blame our defense the most. Of course when Luongo loses his trust in his defense, then he looks like the bad guy. I'm just glad Mike Gillis was able to steal Ehrhoff from the Sharks or we would likely not have even made the playoffs. If Salo can stay healthy (I wouldn't bet 2 cents on that happening) and Rome, O'Brien and Alberts can just keep it simple, they might be able to keep the puck out of their own net just enough to outscore their opponents. I would expect that no matter how far the Canucks go, there will be the odd blow out against them. And then my Mother will hit the bottle yet again.
I'm picking the Canucks to win in 5 games and of course they will go on to beat Detroit, San Jose and then the New Jersey Devils. I just want to see them play to their potential and give it their best. If they are beat by a better team, I can live with that. Though I will still be bitter for the whole Summer. It's an exciting time right now to be a Canucks' fan and it should be very exciting hockey. We've been spoiled this year with the play of the Sedins. Hard to believe that Luongo did anything but carry the team this year and they still won their division. If he gets hot, lookout.
For game one I will be putting on the authentic Jersey, wearing my Canuck touque, flying the Canuck flags, waving the Canuck towel and I'll have my Coke Zero and Baked Cheezies for good luck. With all of that how could they possibly come up short? I know I know. For 40 years they've found a way. But it's time to look ahead, not behind. It's time to go all the way for the first time in our history. Or my Mother just might end up in intensive care.
I will leave the sordid history of the Canucks (the Gilbert Perrault fiasco (wipes tear), Dale Tallon, Bill Laforge, Mark Messier, Chuck & Bobby, Cam Neely, the Canuck Duck, Lars Lindgren, Todd Bertuzzi etc...) for another time and another blog. Right now let's focus on this season and more importantly, this post-season.
For the first time in Canucks' history, we actually have a team that can score goals in bunches AND a great goalie. (I know some of you will disagree, but more on Luongo a bit later. One thing at a time, sheesh.) Unfortunately we are seriously lacking on defense, that is unless Willie Mitchell makes a miraculous comeback. Andrew Alberts is not a replacement for Willie Mitchell, and he is the sole reason my Mother might need that Pacemaker I was taking about.
Looking at the 16 teams in the Playoffs this year, I would say that Vancouver is the only team that you could not only make a really good case for them winning the Cup, but you could also make a pretty good case for them getting swept in the first round. The glass is half full guy would say Luongo is the best goalie in the league and he knows he has to prove it in the Playoffs, not in the regular season. The Sedins are much, much better than last year and they are unstoppable. No team can match our speed. Our defense has held up reasonably well down the stretch and will get the job done, kind of bending without breaking. Kesler and Burrows have had career years. Samuelsson has won a Stanley Cup, an Olympic Gold Medal and a World Championship. Demitra was the top scorer in the Olympics in Vancouver and an all-star. These 4 will step it up in the playoffs and we'll have a big parade down Robson in June. Again, that's coming from the glass is half full guy.
Now the glass is half empty guy would say Luongo is mentally tired and has lost confidence and cannot just flick a switch and play well in the Playoffs. The Sedins do not show up in the Playoffs and can be shut down over a 7 game series. Salo has had a great season, but he's a ticking time bomb. He won't make it through the first round without an injury or a sore throat or a hangnail. The defense is way too thin. You can't expect guys like O'Brien and Edler to play top 4 minutes. And Andrew Alberts is quite possibly the worst defenseman in the playoffs. The glass is half empty guy predicts they will get swept by LA and Vigneault will be fired. I'm not really sure who is more accurate, maybe somewhere in between, but as my Mother always says I don't care if the glass is half empty or half full, as long as it contains some Grey Goose.
While the LA Kings are a good young, talented team and not to be taken lightly, that is the team the Canucks wanted to play in the first round. Flying to LA is a lot easier than flying to Detroit or Nashville. Not to mention, I think Detroit and Nashville are better teams. On paper the Canucks are a better team, plain and simple. Unfortunately that was true against the Black Hawks last year and we all know what happened there. The Canucks are a much faster team with a lot better goaltending. On paper. If Luongo plays even just average for him, I think this series is over in 5. Of course he didn't play average most of the year. He's had a little bit of time to rest now which is a good thing. Not very often do the Canucks get a chance to cruise through the end of the regular season and rest some players so that is always a great bonus. I do wish that Vigneault had played Raycroft more after the Olympic break though. Luongo played the equivalent of 4 game 7's in a row and that has to take a toll mentally. I would have called up Schneider from the Moose to back up Raycroft and told Luongo to stay home for a week or so. Raycroft was playing well enough and with a rested Luongo who knows, maybe we could've won the Western Conference. Not that that matters anymore. It's all about winning one thing. The Hart Trophy. (Kidding)
At the forward position it's great to see that Vigneault actually has some options. If Burrows is struggling with the Twins he can bring in Samuelsson. If the Kings are having trouble with our speed, he can dress Grabner and put him with Raymond and Kesler. If they are playing tough, he can bring in Hordichuk. Options are only good if you are a good bench coach though, and I'm still not sold on Vigneault. I probably never will be until this team goes all the way. I think he was badly outcoached by Quenneville last season against the Hawks. (Why do I keep bringing that series up? I think I may need counselling.) Either way we have 3 solid lines that can score and a pretty good checking line although we will miss Ryan Johnson's shot blocking and penalty killing.
Our defense is the biggest concern. People have been freaking on Luongo since the Olympic break, but really I blame our defense the most. Of course when Luongo loses his trust in his defense, then he looks like the bad guy. I'm just glad Mike Gillis was able to steal Ehrhoff from the Sharks or we would likely not have even made the playoffs. If Salo can stay healthy (I wouldn't bet 2 cents on that happening) and Rome, O'Brien and Alberts can just keep it simple, they might be able to keep the puck out of their own net just enough to outscore their opponents. I would expect that no matter how far the Canucks go, there will be the odd blow out against them. And then my Mother will hit the bottle yet again.
I'm picking the Canucks to win in 5 games and of course they will go on to beat Detroit, San Jose and then the New Jersey Devils. I just want to see them play to their potential and give it their best. If they are beat by a better team, I can live with that. Though I will still be bitter for the whole Summer. It's an exciting time right now to be a Canucks' fan and it should be very exciting hockey. We've been spoiled this year with the play of the Sedins. Hard to believe that Luongo did anything but carry the team this year and they still won their division. If he gets hot, lookout.
For game one I will be putting on the authentic Jersey, wearing my Canuck touque, flying the Canuck flags, waving the Canuck towel and I'll have my Coke Zero and Baked Cheezies for good luck. With all of that how could they possibly come up short? I know I know. For 40 years they've found a way. But it's time to look ahead, not behind. It's time to go all the way for the first time in our history. Or my Mother just might end up in intensive care.
My 2nd Annual NHL Playoff Hockey Predictions
After going a perfect 15-0 during last years playoffs I thought I'd really go out on a limb this year and make my predictions BEFORE the playoffs start. I know it's a little risky, but I'm going to try to be brave. I'm going to write a blog tomorrow on the odds of my Vancouver Canucks winning the Stanley Cup. (I only call them 'my Vancouver Canucks' when they actually make the playoffs). Since I have done endless research (Google) and extensive scouting (NHL.com) I'm recommending that after reading this, you head to Vegas to make a whole crapload of money. (Can I say 'shit' on here?) So here are my first round picks, followed by the rest of my playoff predictions. Enjoy. If you can stay awake.
We will start off in the much stronger Western Conference. In fact we'll call the Western Conference the NHL, and the Eastern Conference the AHL. Now that may piss off a few East Coasters, but I don't care. If you want to drop the gloves, I'm sure I could find somebody who would fight you.
Starting with the San Jose Sharks (1) against the Colorado Avalanche (8), I think this is one of the easiest series to predict. While San Jose is notorious for choking in the post-season, Colorado faded big time down the stretch and their goalie Craig Anderson, who played great most of the season, really started to tire down the stretch. Look for a quick exit by the Avalanche. I'll pick San Jose in 5.
My favorite match-up of the first round is definitely Chicago (2) vs Nashville (7). Okay so maybe I'm still a little bitter that the Hawks beat my Canucks in the second round last year but I think this is going to be a lot closer than people expect. Nashville is my dark horse this year. I'm shocked at all the 'experts' that are picking Chicago to win the Stanley Cup. You read it here first, it's not going to happen. There's a little something called goaltending that tends to be pretty important come playoff time and the Hawks simply don't have it. Their so-called number one goalie going into the playoffs is Antti Niemi. Auntie Em would do a better job keeping pucks out of the net and she can't even skate. (For those of you under 40 that is a Wizard Of Oz reference.) Their backup Cristobal Huet, who is likely to play a game or two in this series, has been absolutely horrible as of late. For the Predators Pekka Rinne has been great in net this year. While he is unproven in the playoffs, I think he will be solid in this series. He's going to have to outplay the opposing goalie, which is kind of like shooting fish in a barrel. Let's go with Nashville in 6.
Since I'm writing a Canuck Blog tomorrow (hopefully the first of many this postseason) I won't go into detail about the Vancouver (3) - LA (6) series. Let's just say Vancouver in 5 and move on.
Another great match-up is Phoenix (4) against Detroit (5). Who would've thought going into this season that these two teams would meet in the playoffs and Phoenix would have home ice advantage. Now that's just crazy talk. There were two reasons for the Coyotes success this year. One, they gave Gretzky the boot. Sure he was a brilliant player blah blah blah, but what the Hell does he know about coaching a team with very little offensive talent? Judging from the results during his time in Phoenix, not much. Two, the amazing play of goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov. They also have a solid team with some depth and are well coached. They are in tough against a healthy and hungry Detroit team however. I had the opportunity to watch the Wings practice in Kelowna a few weeks ago and they looked fast and confident. That Red Wing swagger is still there and they are also very well coached. This is the toughest series to predict. I'm going to pick Detroit in 6. For Phoenix to pull off an upset, and it's certainly not outside of the realm of possibility, Bryzgalov will have to steal at least a couple of games.
Over to the AHL err Eastern Conference, the number one team (not to mention the first team overall in the league) is the Washington Capitals. It's important to mention that they play in by far the weakest division in the league. They are the only team in their division to make the playoffs. Why does that matter? Because they play more games against their division rivals than any other teams. And seriously, if the Eastern Conference is the AHL, you could consider the SouthEast Division Bantam C. I'm not saying that they aren't a good team, I'm just saying well, okay yeah I'm saying they aren't a good team. At least not really a serious contender at this point. I'm sure some of you are thinking that I've been smoking too much hash (do people still smoke hash these days?) but I think the Capitals are due to be upset early in the playoffs. It's just not going to be in the first round against the Montreal Canadiens (8). I will pick the Caps in 5.
New Jersey (2) against Philadelphia (7) could also be a tough series. While I would normally pick the Devils to win this series, the Flyers did win 5 of 6 against them in the regular season. But since the Devils have Marty Brodeur, I think that he will probably be the difference. I think he may feel he has something to prove since he sat on the bench and watched Roberto Luongo steal the spotlight and strike Gold in Vancouver. Now is his time to do just that (steal the spotlight, not strike Gold in Vancouver). New Jersey in 6.
Buffalo (3) vs Boston (6): Ryan Miller has easily been one of the top 5 players in the league this season and a serious contender for the Hart Trophy as league MVP and I think that he alone will win this series against the Bruins. The rest of the team can stay home and rest. Sabres in 5.
And finally we have Pittsburgh (4) against Ottawa (5). While there are some question marks concerning the Penguins, namely goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and last year's league MVP Evgeny Malkin, I think they will cruise against a pretty weak Senators team. Let's go with Pittsburgh in a 4 game sweep.
On to the 2nd round. In the West we have San Jose vs Nashville. I'll pick the Sharks. Vancouver vs Detroit. I'll pick the Canucks. (Hey, I've picked them to win the Cup for 40 miserable years, I can't stop now.)
In the East, Washington vs Pittsburgh will obviously be the big match-up. I feel pretty confident that the Penguins will win that series. For New Jersey against Buffalo, it's going to come down to goaltending. I hate to bet against Ryan Miller but I'll pick New Jersey to pull through. I also think New Jersey will beat Pittsburgh in the Conference finals where they will meet and lose to(you guessed it) my Vancouver Canucks.
Lastly, I predict that Luongo will hand off the Cup to Henrik Sedin and I will cry like a little baby after doing laps around my living room in my Canuck jersey and slippers while waving my Canuck flag.
Those are my predictions, free of charge. Now enjoy your trip to Vegas.
We will start off in the much stronger Western Conference. In fact we'll call the Western Conference the NHL, and the Eastern Conference the AHL. Now that may piss off a few East Coasters, but I don't care. If you want to drop the gloves, I'm sure I could find somebody who would fight you.
Starting with the San Jose Sharks (1) against the Colorado Avalanche (8), I think this is one of the easiest series to predict. While San Jose is notorious for choking in the post-season, Colorado faded big time down the stretch and their goalie Craig Anderson, who played great most of the season, really started to tire down the stretch. Look for a quick exit by the Avalanche. I'll pick San Jose in 5.
My favorite match-up of the first round is definitely Chicago (2) vs Nashville (7). Okay so maybe I'm still a little bitter that the Hawks beat my Canucks in the second round last year but I think this is going to be a lot closer than people expect. Nashville is my dark horse this year. I'm shocked at all the 'experts' that are picking Chicago to win the Stanley Cup. You read it here first, it's not going to happen. There's a little something called goaltending that tends to be pretty important come playoff time and the Hawks simply don't have it. Their so-called number one goalie going into the playoffs is Antti Niemi. Auntie Em would do a better job keeping pucks out of the net and she can't even skate. (For those of you under 40 that is a Wizard Of Oz reference.) Their backup Cristobal Huet, who is likely to play a game or two in this series, has been absolutely horrible as of late. For the Predators Pekka Rinne has been great in net this year. While he is unproven in the playoffs, I think he will be solid in this series. He's going to have to outplay the opposing goalie, which is kind of like shooting fish in a barrel. Let's go with Nashville in 6.
Since I'm writing a Canuck Blog tomorrow (hopefully the first of many this postseason) I won't go into detail about the Vancouver (3) - LA (6) series. Let's just say Vancouver in 5 and move on.
Another great match-up is Phoenix (4) against Detroit (5). Who would've thought going into this season that these two teams would meet in the playoffs and Phoenix would have home ice advantage. Now that's just crazy talk. There were two reasons for the Coyotes success this year. One, they gave Gretzky the boot. Sure he was a brilliant player blah blah blah, but what the Hell does he know about coaching a team with very little offensive talent? Judging from the results during his time in Phoenix, not much. Two, the amazing play of goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov. They also have a solid team with some depth and are well coached. They are in tough against a healthy and hungry Detroit team however. I had the opportunity to watch the Wings practice in Kelowna a few weeks ago and they looked fast and confident. That Red Wing swagger is still there and they are also very well coached. This is the toughest series to predict. I'm going to pick Detroit in 6. For Phoenix to pull off an upset, and it's certainly not outside of the realm of possibility, Bryzgalov will have to steal at least a couple of games.
Over to the AHL err Eastern Conference, the number one team (not to mention the first team overall in the league) is the Washington Capitals. It's important to mention that they play in by far the weakest division in the league. They are the only team in their division to make the playoffs. Why does that matter? Because they play more games against their division rivals than any other teams. And seriously, if the Eastern Conference is the AHL, you could consider the SouthEast Division Bantam C. I'm not saying that they aren't a good team, I'm just saying well, okay yeah I'm saying they aren't a good team. At least not really a serious contender at this point. I'm sure some of you are thinking that I've been smoking too much hash (do people still smoke hash these days?) but I think the Capitals are due to be upset early in the playoffs. It's just not going to be in the first round against the Montreal Canadiens (8). I will pick the Caps in 5.
New Jersey (2) against Philadelphia (7) could also be a tough series. While I would normally pick the Devils to win this series, the Flyers did win 5 of 6 against them in the regular season. But since the Devils have Marty Brodeur, I think that he will probably be the difference. I think he may feel he has something to prove since he sat on the bench and watched Roberto Luongo steal the spotlight and strike Gold in Vancouver. Now is his time to do just that (steal the spotlight, not strike Gold in Vancouver). New Jersey in 6.
Buffalo (3) vs Boston (6): Ryan Miller has easily been one of the top 5 players in the league this season and a serious contender for the Hart Trophy as league MVP and I think that he alone will win this series against the Bruins. The rest of the team can stay home and rest. Sabres in 5.
And finally we have Pittsburgh (4) against Ottawa (5). While there are some question marks concerning the Penguins, namely goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and last year's league MVP Evgeny Malkin, I think they will cruise against a pretty weak Senators team. Let's go with Pittsburgh in a 4 game sweep.
On to the 2nd round. In the West we have San Jose vs Nashville. I'll pick the Sharks. Vancouver vs Detroit. I'll pick the Canucks. (Hey, I've picked them to win the Cup for 40 miserable years, I can't stop now.)
In the East, Washington vs Pittsburgh will obviously be the big match-up. I feel pretty confident that the Penguins will win that series. For New Jersey against Buffalo, it's going to come down to goaltending. I hate to bet against Ryan Miller but I'll pick New Jersey to pull through. I also think New Jersey will beat Pittsburgh in the Conference finals where they will meet and lose to(you guessed it) my Vancouver Canucks.
Lastly, I predict that Luongo will hand off the Cup to Henrik Sedin and I will cry like a little baby after doing laps around my living room in my Canuck jersey and slippers while waving my Canuck flag.
Those are my predictions, free of charge. Now enjoy your trip to Vegas.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Oscars hits and Mrs-My post-Oscar blog
I don't know why, but every year I am duped into watching the Oscars at 5 o' clock. Of course they don't actually start until 5:30, but my memory span continues to shrink. I wish I could say the same for my stomach. 5 o' clock is when the actresses of Hollywood strut their stuff (most of which we can see, whatever happened to needing to use our imagination?) down the red carpet. Call me cynical, but I don't really care 'who' they are wearing. And is it really necessary for the 8 foot long trains? Aren't any of these people worried about a backlash from their fans, many of whom can barely afford to feed themselves while watching the big show? I mean I could barely afford that second bag of Baked Cheezies. Oh well, we all know that Hollywood is a big facade and that most of those women slept with their directors to make it in Hollywood in the first place and are now spending most of their money on Coke and Heroin (allegedly). With that cheerful little insight into Tinseltown, so begins my post Oscar blog.
I was really looking forward to Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin hosting, and I was very surprised when Neil Patrick Harris came out to begin the show. He is a very talented guy and did a great song and dance number. I wonder if the Producers of the show wanted to kind of test the waters a bit to see people's reactions before letting him host a show. I thought it was great and hopefully he gets the opportunity next year. As for Steve Martin and Alex Baldwin, while I thought there were a few funny moments, they weren't as funny as I expected. I know they have some great writers working on this material and they have a lot of time to do it. It's not like they are doing a show a week or anything, so I expected better. I get the feeling that Alec Baldwin would've done better on his own.
One of my favorite parts of the Oscars is always the original song performances. It breaks up the monotony of what is generally a very long show. Why they decided to do without the performances is anyone's guess but I think it's the ultimate arrogance of Hollywood to think they can just show trailers of films and have actresses strut around in ridiculous dresses with million dollar necklaces and that will be entertainment enough. The only real moments of entertainment were the Neil Patrick Harris opening number and the dances during the Original Score nominees.
Speaking of arrogance, in my Oscar blog the other day I may have come across as a little egotistical. (Who me?) I gloated about how I'm rarely ever wrong when it comes to predictions. Well last night was a humbling experience. I think the problem was I got a little underdog happy. I should've stuck to the favorites a little more. And to think I got BOTH original and adapted screenplays wrong, well that's a first for me. I still insist that there is nothing more important in a movie than the screenplay, so those are always my favorite categories. In a perfect World the writers would get paid as much as the stars. No matter how good the acting or the directing is, you can't make up for a horrible script. I did pick two mild upsets, and I was wrong both times. And now, I feel shame.
I was also wrong about Best Director, although I was pretty sure by that time who would win. I never let myself make changes midway through however. The Hurt Locker was the big winner on the night, and there was just no stopping it. I was even wrong about the Documentaries and the Shorts, throwing my theories for a loop. It almost makes me think that the Academy actually WATCHED all the nominees. Well now that is just crazy talk.
I also pride myself in getting the Best Score category right every year. I picked Avatar, but after hearing clips of all the performances just before they opened the envelope, I wanted to change my pick to Up. I'd forgotten how amazing that music is. And if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it, for adults as much as kids. Anyways, I was glad to see that Up won, but pissed that I had to make another x on my paper. As if I didn't already feel like a big enough failure. Final tally on the night: 11 right, 13 wrong. (and 5 dozen of Grandma's Spring Rolls, 2 bags of Baked Cheezies and 9 glasses of Punch Drunk.) On the bright side, since only one or two people will actually read this blog, in next year's Oscar blog I can claim once again that I was perfect.
I thought the homage to John Hughes was very tasteful. I don't use the word tasteful very often when it comes to the Academy Awards. I thought he was a great writer and director and was very saddened by his death. The Breakfast Club and Trains, Planes, and Automobiles are two or my all-time favorite movies. I was further saddened (or maybe mortified is a more appropriate word) when Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson and the rest of the former child stars came out to talk about Hughes. Molly Ringwald looked like Zsa Zsa Gabor and Nelson looked like Abe Lincoln. Boy do I feel old.
I have to admit, I was not happy that Sandra Bullock won Best Actress. (I was so sure I was going to win that award before her. Now I'm bitter.) I haven't even seen The Blind Side so I probably shouldn't comment until I do, but you know that's never stopped me before. I was really impressed with Bullock's speech however and now I'm glad she won. I actually got a tear in my eye. I think it was the only tear of the night. Unfortunately there were not many great speeches. In today's ADHD World, there is too much pressure on the winners to deliver their speeches in 12 seconds. Some of the greatest moments in Oscar history were speeches. Like when Martin Luther King Jr won and then did his famous 'I had a dream' speech. Okay, so that wasn't the Oscars but I don't imagine you're reading this blog for historical accuracy.
I really liked Mon'ique's speech as well. Especially her comment about the Academy voting for her because of her performance and not politics. Hollywood is a game and most of the winner's at the Oscars play that game. It's all politics unfortunately. (You didn't really think Halle Berry won an Oscar based on talent did you?) Mon'ique was determined not to play the game and let her performance do the talking. Many critics didn't think that she would win because of it. I'm glad to see that she did.
I also liked the Obituary part of the show. It was a nice touch having James Taylor sing along to it. Hard to believe but I've already forgotten what the song was. Did I mention that I am going senile? Oh jeez, it's almost time for my medication. While it was a touching tribute to the many people that Hollywood has lost in the past year, they forgot about Farrah Fawcett and Estelle Getty. On Twitter, Roger Ebert said 'epic fail'. I wish he wouldn't say that. He's much too old.
Possibly the funniest moment for Martin and Baldwin was their Paranormal Activity spoof. It involved them rolling around in bed in fast motion. At one point Steve Martin walked over and slapped Alec Baldwin on the face, making one of my predictions come true.
As the show went on, it seemed pretty obvious that they were falling behind. The often lame and embarrassing banter of the presenters was replaced with just the reading of the nominees and the opening of the envelope. At least lame and embarrasssing is entertaining. The reading of the nominees is just boring. The weirdest moment happened right at the end. Tom Hanks walked out to present the Best Picture winner. He didn't even read the nominees, he just said "and the winner is...The Hurt Locker." Kathryn Bigelow was hugging everyone around her (except her ex-husband) before I realized that it wasn't a joke. That kind of wrecked a perfectly mediocre show. Are they that afraid of going into the Amazing Race's time slot? (I hate to get sidetracked but the Amazing Race hasn't been 'amazing' in 8 years.)
I did like the fact that Steve Martin tried to steal Kathryn Bigelow's Oscar at the end and then he said 'this show was so long that Avatar now takes place in the past." Truer words were never spoken.
I was really looking forward to Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin hosting, and I was very surprised when Neil Patrick Harris came out to begin the show. He is a very talented guy and did a great song and dance number. I wonder if the Producers of the show wanted to kind of test the waters a bit to see people's reactions before letting him host a show. I thought it was great and hopefully he gets the opportunity next year. As for Steve Martin and Alex Baldwin, while I thought there were a few funny moments, they weren't as funny as I expected. I know they have some great writers working on this material and they have a lot of time to do it. It's not like they are doing a show a week or anything, so I expected better. I get the feeling that Alec Baldwin would've done better on his own.
One of my favorite parts of the Oscars is always the original song performances. It breaks up the monotony of what is generally a very long show. Why they decided to do without the performances is anyone's guess but I think it's the ultimate arrogance of Hollywood to think they can just show trailers of films and have actresses strut around in ridiculous dresses with million dollar necklaces and that will be entertainment enough. The only real moments of entertainment were the Neil Patrick Harris opening number and the dances during the Original Score nominees.
Speaking of arrogance, in my Oscar blog the other day I may have come across as a little egotistical. (Who me?) I gloated about how I'm rarely ever wrong when it comes to predictions. Well last night was a humbling experience. I think the problem was I got a little underdog happy. I should've stuck to the favorites a little more. And to think I got BOTH original and adapted screenplays wrong, well that's a first for me. I still insist that there is nothing more important in a movie than the screenplay, so those are always my favorite categories. In a perfect World the writers would get paid as much as the stars. No matter how good the acting or the directing is, you can't make up for a horrible script. I did pick two mild upsets, and I was wrong both times. And now, I feel shame.
I was also wrong about Best Director, although I was pretty sure by that time who would win. I never let myself make changes midway through however. The Hurt Locker was the big winner on the night, and there was just no stopping it. I was even wrong about the Documentaries and the Shorts, throwing my theories for a loop. It almost makes me think that the Academy actually WATCHED all the nominees. Well now that is just crazy talk.
I also pride myself in getting the Best Score category right every year. I picked Avatar, but after hearing clips of all the performances just before they opened the envelope, I wanted to change my pick to Up. I'd forgotten how amazing that music is. And if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it, for adults as much as kids. Anyways, I was glad to see that Up won, but pissed that I had to make another x on my paper. As if I didn't already feel like a big enough failure. Final tally on the night: 11 right, 13 wrong. (and 5 dozen of Grandma's Spring Rolls, 2 bags of Baked Cheezies and 9 glasses of Punch Drunk.) On the bright side, since only one or two people will actually read this blog, in next year's Oscar blog I can claim once again that I was perfect.
I thought the homage to John Hughes was very tasteful. I don't use the word tasteful very often when it comes to the Academy Awards. I thought he was a great writer and director and was very saddened by his death. The Breakfast Club and Trains, Planes, and Automobiles are two or my all-time favorite movies. I was further saddened (or maybe mortified is a more appropriate word) when Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson and the rest of the former child stars came out to talk about Hughes. Molly Ringwald looked like Zsa Zsa Gabor and Nelson looked like Abe Lincoln. Boy do I feel old.
I have to admit, I was not happy that Sandra Bullock won Best Actress. (I was so sure I was going to win that award before her. Now I'm bitter.) I haven't even seen The Blind Side so I probably shouldn't comment until I do, but you know that's never stopped me before. I was really impressed with Bullock's speech however and now I'm glad she won. I actually got a tear in my eye. I think it was the only tear of the night. Unfortunately there were not many great speeches. In today's ADHD World, there is too much pressure on the winners to deliver their speeches in 12 seconds. Some of the greatest moments in Oscar history were speeches. Like when Martin Luther King Jr won and then did his famous 'I had a dream' speech. Okay, so that wasn't the Oscars but I don't imagine you're reading this blog for historical accuracy.
I really liked Mon'ique's speech as well. Especially her comment about the Academy voting for her because of her performance and not politics. Hollywood is a game and most of the winner's at the Oscars play that game. It's all politics unfortunately. (You didn't really think Halle Berry won an Oscar based on talent did you?) Mon'ique was determined not to play the game and let her performance do the talking. Many critics didn't think that she would win because of it. I'm glad to see that she did.
I also liked the Obituary part of the show. It was a nice touch having James Taylor sing along to it. Hard to believe but I've already forgotten what the song was. Did I mention that I am going senile? Oh jeez, it's almost time for my medication. While it was a touching tribute to the many people that Hollywood has lost in the past year, they forgot about Farrah Fawcett and Estelle Getty. On Twitter, Roger Ebert said 'epic fail'. I wish he wouldn't say that. He's much too old.
Possibly the funniest moment for Martin and Baldwin was their Paranormal Activity spoof. It involved them rolling around in bed in fast motion. At one point Steve Martin walked over and slapped Alec Baldwin on the face, making one of my predictions come true.
As the show went on, it seemed pretty obvious that they were falling behind. The often lame and embarrassing banter of the presenters was replaced with just the reading of the nominees and the opening of the envelope. At least lame and embarrasssing is entertaining. The reading of the nominees is just boring. The weirdest moment happened right at the end. Tom Hanks walked out to present the Best Picture winner. He didn't even read the nominees, he just said "and the winner is...The Hurt Locker." Kathryn Bigelow was hugging everyone around her (except her ex-husband) before I realized that it wasn't a joke. That kind of wrecked a perfectly mediocre show. Are they that afraid of going into the Amazing Race's time slot? (I hate to get sidetracked but the Amazing Race hasn't been 'amazing' in 8 years.)
I did like the fact that Steve Martin tried to steal Kathryn Bigelow's Oscar at the end and then he said 'this show was so long that Avatar now takes place in the past." Truer words were never spoken.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Oscar LaVista Baby: My Academy Award Predictions
It seems like only yesterday that I was making predictions for last years Oscars. I generally do pretty well picking the winners. I hate to brag, but I think I was only wrong once last year and it was for Best Supporting Actress in an Animated Short Foreign Documentary which is always a crapshoot. I have done extensive research. I have seen every single Best Picture Nominee. (Okay, I've only seen five, but I watched the trailers for the others.) Today's blog will include some gossip (James Cameron is planning to scream 'I'm the King of Pandora!!!'), some social commentary (is the construction of the Academy Award bad for Global Warming?), some predictions (I'll go out on a limb and say that somebody will thank God for making all this possible), and of course, most importantly some recipes for your Oscar Party.
Let's start with some gossip. Apparently Sacha Baron Cohen and Ben Stiller were going to do a spoof of Avatar and Sacha was going to play a pregnant Avatar and claim that it was James Cameron's baby. Then it was going to turn all Jerry Springer. Sounds like a funny bit and I think that Sacha Baron Cohen is hilarious. He was great in both Borat and Bruno and I loved him in Sweeney Todd. I'm sure it would have been great. The problem is that the Producer of the Oscars is a friend of James Cameron's and thinks he would be so offended he may even walk out of the theatre. So it's been cancelled and Sacha Baron Cohen is staying at home in London. Now this makes James Cameron look like a tool, which he very well may be. But my first thought is, if he walked out wouldn't that be tv gold? Don't you want everyone talking about the Oscars, even if maybe it's a bad thing? I bet you'd get more viewers next year. I'd be trying to piss off everyone. Taunting them, cursing at them. Especially that bitch Meryl Streep.
I've seen some of the ads for the Oscars featuring the hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, and they were actually pretty funny. I personally don't think Steve Martin is very funny (and I'm still pissed that he's remade the Pink Panther movies, he is certainly no Peter Sellers) but maybe with help from Alec Bladwin he will be. I predict some plastic surgery jokes, maybe a bitch slap or two and lots and lots of tap dancing. Now for my Oscar picks.
Feel free to go to Oscar.com to read all of the nominees, but I'm much too lazy to type all of that so I'm just going to talk about the potential winners. Beginning with Best Picture. For the first time there are going to be 10 nominees. I'm not sure the point of that except that it does help to promote more movies. But let's be honest. This is really only a four horse race. The two real favorites are The Hurt Locker and Avatar. Followed by Precious and Up In The Air. Most of the other six nominations are well deserved but personally I would give District 9 the boot and put in it's place Where The Wild Things Are. Though it's not for everyone, I loved it. My pick this year for Best Picture is The Hurt Locker. I feel pretty good about this one. I would probably even bet a toonie.
Best Actor is probably the easiest to pick this year. Jeff Bridges will win for Crazy Heart. This is a sure thing. It's a great story. The Dude will finally get his Oscar.
Best Actress is really tough this year and I'm just so thankful that I'm an expert. If I wasn't then this would be even tougher. I hate to bet against Meryl Streep and Helen Mirren but one thing that the Academy voters like is a big upset. Gabourey Sidibe from Precious is my surprise pick. I also predict that she will get a standing O from the crowd and that Meryl and her posse will storm out in a huff.
Best Supporting Actor is another tough one. Unfortunately I haven't seen that many movies this year because that would involve putting down the potato chips and getting out of my comfy easy chair. I feel like I did writing my Biology 12 Exam in High School. I'm just basically guessing. Eeny, meeny, miney, moe. I'm picking Christoph Waltz for his brilliant performance in Inglourious Basterds, and yes I did see that one.
In the Best Supporting Actress category, it looks like Penelope Cruz continues to be overrated. She's not the first (Marilyn Monroe) and she definitely won't be the last. I saw Nine and found it very disappointing but at the time I said that Marion Cotillard should be nominated for Best Supporting Actress. They didn't nominate the right person. Anyways, thankfully Penelope won't win. And the envelope please...the winner is Mo'Nique for Precious.
The Best Director category is another tough one. You could make a case for any of the nominees. The favorites are James Cameron and his ex-wife (that has to be awkward) Kathryn Bigelow but I'm going to go against the grain and pick another upset. My pick is Lee Daniels who directed Precious. And I might even put a nickel on it.
For Best Adapted Screenplay I think it's a battle between Precious and Up In The Air and since (if my picks are correct) Jason Reitman will have been shut out to this point, I'm going to give it to Reitman and Sheldon Turner for Up In The Air.
For Best Original Screenplay Mark Boal, who wrote The Hurt Locker script, would be the favorite, but this is an opportunity to give Quentin Tarantino an award. My ample gut tells me that that is exactly what is going to happen.
Best Animated Feature will be between The Fantastic Mr Fox and Up, but since Up is only the second animated feature ever to be nominated for Best Picture, it's a pretty safe bet to win this award. Besides, how can you bet against a movie that involves a house flying to South America? I can't.
Now I'm not going to get into every single category but one of the most enjoyable things about watching the Oscars is trying to predict the winners of the categories where I have absolutely no idea. Like for Animated Shorts and Documentaries. Surprisingly I am often right. My theory is that whenever there are kids involved or poverty in third world countries, that's what will win. Why? Because as clueless as I am about the nominees, the Academy is just as clueless. Most of them don't watch all the nominees. The title of the movie and the photo shown are also often factors. Let's look at Best Documentary for example. Keeping in mind that I haven't seen any of these (and where is Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story by the way?) Looking at the photos and reading the titles I will bet you that Which Way Home will take home the Oscar. You just know I'm going to gloat in my next blog if and when that happens.
Using the same theories, for Documentary Short I'm going to pick The Last Truck: Closing Of A GM Plant. How can the Academy vote against a piece of Americana? I don't think they will. Whether the movie is good or not is almost irrelevent.
For Foreign Language Film, I'm picking The White Ribbon from Germany. Mainly because I have seen it nominated in a few others categories. That reason is good enough for a lot of Academy Members. Jeez, I'm starting to get cynical in my old age.
For Original Score I will pick James Horner for Avatar though I'm disappointed that Where The Wild Things Are didn't get a nomination. I loved the music in that movie.
The Original Song category is one of the easier picks. The Weary Kind from the movie Crazy Heart will take the trophy. Ryan Bingham, who was homeless not long ago, will accept the award with T. Bone Burnett.
As I said I'm not going to go through every nomination. I will keep track at home (from my infamous easy chair) and I will write another blog after the show to let you know how I did. Now it's time to get to the most important part of this blog, food and drink.
I like to have an Oscar Party at my house. I would recommend that you do that on Oscar Night though that is optional. I would suggest you have everyone show up before the show starts (5pm pst) so that you can all watch the old people with their new faces walk down the red carpet. It never ceases to amaze me how they can strut their stuff and talk about who they are wearing when a huge majority of viewers are struggling just to make their cable payment at the end of the month. I have to collect pop bottles and squeegee cars just to afford to buy tinfoil which I have to put on my head and touch my tv screen just to get good reception of the Oscars. Still, I'm not really offended and I can't help but be glued to the tv, albeit with aluminum foil in my hair.
To liven up your party, you can make it an Oscar Strip Party. Every time someone is wrong about a prediction, they have to remove a piece of clothing. I've been to many of these over the years and they are a lot of fun. Luckily I've never ended up in my Birthday suit by the end. Well it could be luck or it could be the fact that I'm always wearing 17 pairs of underwear and 8 scarves.
Food is another important part of any Oscar Party. What goes better with movies than Popcorn? Nothing, I say. But forget about that crappy microwave popcorn. The healthiest way to make popcorn is to buy the kernels in bulk, put a small amount of them in a paper bag and nuke them. They are done when your smoke alarm is ringing. As a topping, forget about that margarine. I don't like eating something that is created in a science lab. It's butter or nothing for me. But how much? I like to compare it to milk in cereal. If your cereal is floating then you've put in too much milk. Well that's like popcorn. Only put in enough butter so that the popcorn isn't floating. Oh, and you may want to eat it with a spoon.
Another popular appy at my Oscar Parties is my homemade Spring Rolls. I'll even reveal my secret recipe. Just drive to your local Walmart, head to the frozen food section and find the Wong Wing Spring Rolls. Then you take them home, put them in your oven for 25 minutes at 350 degrees and they are ready to be served with a nice sweet and sour sauce. Be careful to hide the box when you serve them while claiming they are made from your Great Grandmothers secret recipe.
Do you have friends that are health conscious? That's too bad. Health conscious people are boring and tend to smell. I say don't invite them. If you do invite them, make sure you have a bowl of baked Cheezies ready, probably in a dark corner.
As my Mother always taught me, no party is a real party without booze. (At least I think that's what she said she was always slurring her words.) So here is my Mother's favorite punch recipe. Hopefully you have a nice crystal punch bowl, but if you don't just use a big tupperware dish like my Mother always does. In it put 1 ounce of Orange Juice, 1 ounce of Strawberry juice, 1 26'er of Grey Goose Vodka and 3 bottles of Dom Perignon. You can add a few slices of Strawberries on the top for a garnish if you'd like. It's called Punch Drunk. Not only is this a mighty tasty beverage, but it will ensure that you will be hosed before the first award is given out. That's always a good thing. But be warned, keep this punch away from a fireplace. It is an extreme fire hazard. Your breath will be as well.
Well that should get you well on your way to hosting a great Oscar Party. It should prove to be a very exciting night as usual. And after all the tears, laughter and hair pulling, I will be there with my Post-Oscar Wrap. (Why does that make me think of food?)
Let's start with some gossip. Apparently Sacha Baron Cohen and Ben Stiller were going to do a spoof of Avatar and Sacha was going to play a pregnant Avatar and claim that it was James Cameron's baby. Then it was going to turn all Jerry Springer. Sounds like a funny bit and I think that Sacha Baron Cohen is hilarious. He was great in both Borat and Bruno and I loved him in Sweeney Todd. I'm sure it would have been great. The problem is that the Producer of the Oscars is a friend of James Cameron's and thinks he would be so offended he may even walk out of the theatre. So it's been cancelled and Sacha Baron Cohen is staying at home in London. Now this makes James Cameron look like a tool, which he very well may be. But my first thought is, if he walked out wouldn't that be tv gold? Don't you want everyone talking about the Oscars, even if maybe it's a bad thing? I bet you'd get more viewers next year. I'd be trying to piss off everyone. Taunting them, cursing at them. Especially that bitch Meryl Streep.
I've seen some of the ads for the Oscars featuring the hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, and they were actually pretty funny. I personally don't think Steve Martin is very funny (and I'm still pissed that he's remade the Pink Panther movies, he is certainly no Peter Sellers) but maybe with help from Alec Bladwin he will be. I predict some plastic surgery jokes, maybe a bitch slap or two and lots and lots of tap dancing. Now for my Oscar picks.
Feel free to go to Oscar.com to read all of the nominees, but I'm much too lazy to type all of that so I'm just going to talk about the potential winners. Beginning with Best Picture. For the first time there are going to be 10 nominees. I'm not sure the point of that except that it does help to promote more movies. But let's be honest. This is really only a four horse race. The two real favorites are The Hurt Locker and Avatar. Followed by Precious and Up In The Air. Most of the other six nominations are well deserved but personally I would give District 9 the boot and put in it's place Where The Wild Things Are. Though it's not for everyone, I loved it. My pick this year for Best Picture is The Hurt Locker. I feel pretty good about this one. I would probably even bet a toonie.
Best Actor is probably the easiest to pick this year. Jeff Bridges will win for Crazy Heart. This is a sure thing. It's a great story. The Dude will finally get his Oscar.
Best Actress is really tough this year and I'm just so thankful that I'm an expert. If I wasn't then this would be even tougher. I hate to bet against Meryl Streep and Helen Mirren but one thing that the Academy voters like is a big upset. Gabourey Sidibe from Precious is my surprise pick. I also predict that she will get a standing O from the crowd and that Meryl and her posse will storm out in a huff.
Best Supporting Actor is another tough one. Unfortunately I haven't seen that many movies this year because that would involve putting down the potato chips and getting out of my comfy easy chair. I feel like I did writing my Biology 12 Exam in High School. I'm just basically guessing. Eeny, meeny, miney, moe. I'm picking Christoph Waltz for his brilliant performance in Inglourious Basterds, and yes I did see that one.
In the Best Supporting Actress category, it looks like Penelope Cruz continues to be overrated. She's not the first (Marilyn Monroe) and she definitely won't be the last. I saw Nine and found it very disappointing but at the time I said that Marion Cotillard should be nominated for Best Supporting Actress. They didn't nominate the right person. Anyways, thankfully Penelope won't win. And the envelope please...the winner is Mo'Nique for Precious.
The Best Director category is another tough one. You could make a case for any of the nominees. The favorites are James Cameron and his ex-wife (that has to be awkward) Kathryn Bigelow but I'm going to go against the grain and pick another upset. My pick is Lee Daniels who directed Precious. And I might even put a nickel on it.
For Best Adapted Screenplay I think it's a battle between Precious and Up In The Air and since (if my picks are correct) Jason Reitman will have been shut out to this point, I'm going to give it to Reitman and Sheldon Turner for Up In The Air.
For Best Original Screenplay Mark Boal, who wrote The Hurt Locker script, would be the favorite, but this is an opportunity to give Quentin Tarantino an award. My ample gut tells me that that is exactly what is going to happen.
Best Animated Feature will be between The Fantastic Mr Fox and Up, but since Up is only the second animated feature ever to be nominated for Best Picture, it's a pretty safe bet to win this award. Besides, how can you bet against a movie that involves a house flying to South America? I can't.
Now I'm not going to get into every single category but one of the most enjoyable things about watching the Oscars is trying to predict the winners of the categories where I have absolutely no idea. Like for Animated Shorts and Documentaries. Surprisingly I am often right. My theory is that whenever there are kids involved or poverty in third world countries, that's what will win. Why? Because as clueless as I am about the nominees, the Academy is just as clueless. Most of them don't watch all the nominees. The title of the movie and the photo shown are also often factors. Let's look at Best Documentary for example. Keeping in mind that I haven't seen any of these (and where is Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story by the way?) Looking at the photos and reading the titles I will bet you that Which Way Home will take home the Oscar. You just know I'm going to gloat in my next blog if and when that happens.
Using the same theories, for Documentary Short I'm going to pick The Last Truck: Closing Of A GM Plant. How can the Academy vote against a piece of Americana? I don't think they will. Whether the movie is good or not is almost irrelevent.
For Foreign Language Film, I'm picking The White Ribbon from Germany. Mainly because I have seen it nominated in a few others categories. That reason is good enough for a lot of Academy Members. Jeez, I'm starting to get cynical in my old age.
For Original Score I will pick James Horner for Avatar though I'm disappointed that Where The Wild Things Are didn't get a nomination. I loved the music in that movie.
The Original Song category is one of the easier picks. The Weary Kind from the movie Crazy Heart will take the trophy. Ryan Bingham, who was homeless not long ago, will accept the award with T. Bone Burnett.
As I said I'm not going to go through every nomination. I will keep track at home (from my infamous easy chair) and I will write another blog after the show to let you know how I did. Now it's time to get to the most important part of this blog, food and drink.
I like to have an Oscar Party at my house. I would recommend that you do that on Oscar Night though that is optional. I would suggest you have everyone show up before the show starts (5pm pst) so that you can all watch the old people with their new faces walk down the red carpet. It never ceases to amaze me how they can strut their stuff and talk about who they are wearing when a huge majority of viewers are struggling just to make their cable payment at the end of the month. I have to collect pop bottles and squeegee cars just to afford to buy tinfoil which I have to put on my head and touch my tv screen just to get good reception of the Oscars. Still, I'm not really offended and I can't help but be glued to the tv, albeit with aluminum foil in my hair.
To liven up your party, you can make it an Oscar Strip Party. Every time someone is wrong about a prediction, they have to remove a piece of clothing. I've been to many of these over the years and they are a lot of fun. Luckily I've never ended up in my Birthday suit by the end. Well it could be luck or it could be the fact that I'm always wearing 17 pairs of underwear and 8 scarves.
Food is another important part of any Oscar Party. What goes better with movies than Popcorn? Nothing, I say. But forget about that crappy microwave popcorn. The healthiest way to make popcorn is to buy the kernels in bulk, put a small amount of them in a paper bag and nuke them. They are done when your smoke alarm is ringing. As a topping, forget about that margarine. I don't like eating something that is created in a science lab. It's butter or nothing for me. But how much? I like to compare it to milk in cereal. If your cereal is floating then you've put in too much milk. Well that's like popcorn. Only put in enough butter so that the popcorn isn't floating. Oh, and you may want to eat it with a spoon.
Another popular appy at my Oscar Parties is my homemade Spring Rolls. I'll even reveal my secret recipe. Just drive to your local Walmart, head to the frozen food section and find the Wong Wing Spring Rolls. Then you take them home, put them in your oven for 25 minutes at 350 degrees and they are ready to be served with a nice sweet and sour sauce. Be careful to hide the box when you serve them while claiming they are made from your Great Grandmothers secret recipe.
Do you have friends that are health conscious? That's too bad. Health conscious people are boring and tend to smell. I say don't invite them. If you do invite them, make sure you have a bowl of baked Cheezies ready, probably in a dark corner.
As my Mother always taught me, no party is a real party without booze. (At least I think that's what she said she was always slurring her words.) So here is my Mother's favorite punch recipe. Hopefully you have a nice crystal punch bowl, but if you don't just use a big tupperware dish like my Mother always does. In it put 1 ounce of Orange Juice, 1 ounce of Strawberry juice, 1 26'er of Grey Goose Vodka and 3 bottles of Dom Perignon. You can add a few slices of Strawberries on the top for a garnish if you'd like. It's called Punch Drunk. Not only is this a mighty tasty beverage, but it will ensure that you will be hosed before the first award is given out. That's always a good thing. But be warned, keep this punch away from a fireplace. It is an extreme fire hazard. Your breath will be as well.
Well that should get you well on your way to hosting a great Oscar Party. It should prove to be a very exciting night as usual. And after all the tears, laughter and hair pulling, I will be there with my Post-Oscar Wrap. (Why does that make me think of food?)
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Honest To Blog: Blogging Do's and Don't's
I just found out that a couple of my relatives have now started blogs of their own. They already seem to be getting the hang of it, and are finding out just how much fun it can be to reveal your soul to the cyber-World. But just in case they need a little help, here are a few pointers that will ensure your blog is enjoyable to read and will keep people coming back for more.
One of the most important things is DO NOT mention your bank card pin numbers or credit card numbers in your blog. That is a big no no. Instead, I highly recommend that you e-mail them to me for safe keeping.
You can spice up your blog with a good joke, but beware, recently deceased celebrities are off limits. I made a Patrick Swayze joke and you wouldn't believe the backlash. (Incidentally, I'm still waiting for Jennifer Grey to die so I can say "NOBODY takes Baby to the coroner!!") It's also a little embarrassing to make dead jokes about celebrities who are not yet dead. I've been making Betty White's corpse jokes for years, and keep forgetting that she's still alive. Abraham Lincoln is still a touchy one. Although my Mother always hated him. He used to sit behind her in class and flick her ears. Then my Mom would often turn and smack his face. That always made his head explode.
Liven up your blog by embellishing things to make them more interesting. Here's an example of a boring sentence: 'I woke up in the morning and drove to the bank where I applied for that Loan I've been talking about.' Oh, sorry I dozed off there. Did I miss anything? Now let's spice up that sentence and make it POP! 'I regained consciousness as that bright orb rose above the Mountains and dragged my lazy behind out of bed, put on my ski mask and hot wired my landlord's car so I could hold up my bank so I'd have some drug money for the weekend.' Do you see how much better that is? Hmm, maybe I should teach a course at UBC.
Another important rule is that you should never under any circumstances make fun of my Mother's 'weakness' for Vodka or her addiction to Kraft Dinner. That's MY job! Since my Mother has no computer I am safe there, which leads to my next point. Only trash talk the people who a)don't have a computer, b)are illiterate or c)have a reach at least four inches less than you. It's also really annoying when people label things a)b)c) etc... Unless it's me, then it's hilarious.
It's also a very good idea to keep on topic. Pick a topic for your blog and stick to it. I mean, you shouldn't be writing a blog about the Vancouver Canucks and then start talking about donuts and nachos. That's crazy talk. Although cakes and cupcakes are NEVER off-limits. Cake is so good. Especially chocolate. Oh and Purdy's Chocolates are good too. I could eat them all day every day. Oh yeah. So anyways, my point is, ALWAYS STAY ON TOPIC.
It's also very annoying to capitalize certain words to emphasize your points. We can all read. It's not like we're STUPID!
You should also be mindful of your reader's demographics. If your readers are mostly Men, you should be using the words 'dude', 'football', 'remote control' and 'Pam Anderson' as often as possible. If your readers are mostly Women then it's important to dumb down your blogs. No fancy shmancy words like 'certainly', 'definitely' or 'boot'. And if it's old women, you just can't use the word 'bingo' enough.
You should also remember that there could possibly be an English Teacher or two reading your blog. For this reason, you must always proof read your work to check for spelling mistakes and run on sentences. And remember NOTHING will make an English Teacher stop reading your blog like a dangling participle.
Finally, it can be very effective to use a key word in your headline. Whore, bong, and bitch-slap tend to get the most attention. And attention is certainly what you want.
Hopefully that will help you guys get on the right path (or write path, see what I did there) in terms of your blogs. Try to be honest and informative, but if that seems a bit boring feel free to bullshit.
One of the most important things is DO NOT mention your bank card pin numbers or credit card numbers in your blog. That is a big no no. Instead, I highly recommend that you e-mail them to me for safe keeping.
You can spice up your blog with a good joke, but beware, recently deceased celebrities are off limits. I made a Patrick Swayze joke and you wouldn't believe the backlash. (Incidentally, I'm still waiting for Jennifer Grey to die so I can say "NOBODY takes Baby to the coroner!!") It's also a little embarrassing to make dead jokes about celebrities who are not yet dead. I've been making Betty White's corpse jokes for years, and keep forgetting that she's still alive. Abraham Lincoln is still a touchy one. Although my Mother always hated him. He used to sit behind her in class and flick her ears. Then my Mom would often turn and smack his face. That always made his head explode.
Liven up your blog by embellishing things to make them more interesting. Here's an example of a boring sentence: 'I woke up in the morning and drove to the bank where I applied for that Loan I've been talking about.' Oh, sorry I dozed off there. Did I miss anything? Now let's spice up that sentence and make it POP! 'I regained consciousness as that bright orb rose above the Mountains and dragged my lazy behind out of bed, put on my ski mask and hot wired my landlord's car so I could hold up my bank so I'd have some drug money for the weekend.' Do you see how much better that is? Hmm, maybe I should teach a course at UBC.
Another important rule is that you should never under any circumstances make fun of my Mother's 'weakness' for Vodka or her addiction to Kraft Dinner. That's MY job! Since my Mother has no computer I am safe there, which leads to my next point. Only trash talk the people who a)don't have a computer, b)are illiterate or c)have a reach at least four inches less than you. It's also really annoying when people label things a)b)c) etc... Unless it's me, then it's hilarious.
It's also a very good idea to keep on topic. Pick a topic for your blog and stick to it. I mean, you shouldn't be writing a blog about the Vancouver Canucks and then start talking about donuts and nachos. That's crazy talk. Although cakes and cupcakes are NEVER off-limits. Cake is so good. Especially chocolate. Oh and Purdy's Chocolates are good too. I could eat them all day every day. Oh yeah. So anyways, my point is, ALWAYS STAY ON TOPIC.
It's also very annoying to capitalize certain words to emphasize your points. We can all read. It's not like we're STUPID!
You should also be mindful of your reader's demographics. If your readers are mostly Men, you should be using the words 'dude', 'football', 'remote control' and 'Pam Anderson' as often as possible. If your readers are mostly Women then it's important to dumb down your blogs. No fancy shmancy words like 'certainly', 'definitely' or 'boot'. And if it's old women, you just can't use the word 'bingo' enough.
You should also remember that there could possibly be an English Teacher or two reading your blog. For this reason, you must always proof read your work to check for spelling mistakes and run on sentences. And remember NOTHING will make an English Teacher stop reading your blog like a dangling participle.
Finally, it can be very effective to use a key word in your headline. Whore, bong, and bitch-slap tend to get the most attention. And attention is certainly what you want.
Hopefully that will help you guys get on the right path (or write path, see what I did there) in terms of your blogs. Try to be honest and informative, but if that seems a bit boring feel free to bullshit.
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