Considering that on Jan. 24, the day the 2012 Oscar nominations were announced, I had seen only two of the 46 nominated movies and 15 shorts, I’m not in bad shape. As of today, I’ve seen 24 of the full-length features and four shorts, with plans by the weekend to reach a total of 31 features and 14 shorts. That’s an average of six movies and three shorts a week. To see them all would take about 125 hours.
I don’t HAVE 125 hours.
You don’t wanna be married to me this time of year unless you’re also a movie junkie. My husband loves movies but refuses to see the “junk” (although “The Tree of Life,” tops on his list, we later trashed; it helps to watch it while trashed, actually).
Colleague Jim Cheng shares my passion — his record is 209 movies during the 1996-97 Oscar season. Of this year’s nominees, his tally is 24 features, 0 shorts. I’d say “I win,” except he saw all of his at the actual theater. He considers my necessary “On Demand” viewing cheating, even if I am equipped at home with a 60-inch screen, which I am.
I try to see them in the theater, but fewer theaters are bringing nominees back in February, probably because they can’t compete with the on-demand services. So demanding. Typically I go it alone, a solo endurance test, but my equally insuppressible friend Ellen Stucker and her teenage son went a few paces with me this month, joining a smattering of buffs pumped with caffeine at early-bird shows. (I work nights. … I do manage to hold down a full-time job even during Oscar season.)
Still, 31 out of 46. It takes commitment. Another friend, who sees a movie religiously almost every Friday night with his spouse, managed to catch only 13 of this year’s nominees. Focus, people!
How many have YOU seen?
– The Artist
– The Descendants
– Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
– The Help
– Hugo
– Midnight in Paris
– Moneyball
– The Tree of Life
– War Horse
– A Better Life
– Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
– My Week with Marilyn
– Warrior
– Beginners
– Albert Nobbs
– The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
– The Iron Lady
– Bridesmaids
– A Cat in Paris
– Chico & Rita
– Kung Fu Panda 2
– Puss in Boots
– Rango
– Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
– Anonymous
– Jane Eyre
– W.E.
– Hell and Back Again
– If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
– Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
– Pina
– Undefeated
– Bullhead
– Footnote
– In Darkness
– Monsieur Lazhar
– A Separation
– The Adventures of Tintin
– The Muppets
– Drive
– Transformers: Dark of the Moon
– Real Steel
– Rise of the Planet of the Apes
– The Ides of March
– Margin Call
Related articles
- My Final Oscar Predictions (the170.com)
- Oscars 2011: Final Winner Predictions (cinematicheavenandhell.wordpress.com)
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I’m very impressed — and I certainly don’t consider viewing them “on demand” as cheating. Time and money are a huge issue when it comes to entertainment, and theaters aren’t open to accommodate a night worker’s schedule during the week. I definitely want to check out some of the shorts. I’ll look forward to your recommendations.
Zero. Boo-hoo. Thanks for the vicarious view.
An update: This weekend saw foreign film nominee In Darkness and the Oscar nominated animated and live-action shorts, bringing the total to 25 features and 10 shorts…I win!
Uh, and you think I’ve been static over here? How does 25 features and 10 shorts beat 29 features and 14 shorts? (oh, I know. I have to disqualify myself on On Demand … That’s hard to figure. Beyond my math skills.)