The Oscar nominations have been announced. Every year I try to see as many Oscar-nominated movies as I can before the Academy Awards, but it doesn't always work out. The best picture nominees are: 'Atonement' (my personal favourite), 'No Country for Old Men', 'Juno', 'There Will be Blood', and 'Michael Clayton'.
With all the buzz about movies, awards, whether or not there will actually BE an Academy Awards this year, I was involved in a bit of a debate yesterday. A friend of mine always reads 'the book' before she 'sees the movie'. She goes to the theatre knowing 'exactly' what the movie is about and how its going to end, because she read the book. I don't agree with this, mostly because I love surprises. But here's a whole new angle: how about reading 'the script'?! I came across a website that allows you to 'download' big huge honkin' Hollywood movies. Here's the link: http://www.simplyscripts.com/
Its quite up to date, in fact you can download and print out the complete script for 'Atonement', 'Juno', 'No Country for Old Men', and many other movies! But make sure you have lots of printer ink, because your printer will be spewing out around 100 pages. Its better to do this at work. Just kidding. So print out the entire script for 'Atonement', then bring the script with you to the movie theatre and read aloud to each scene.
Winterlude is just a little over a week away, and the festival is being kicked off with STEW! Mmmmmm...... nothing beats a big bowl of hearty stew when its -minus 20 degrees outside. Next Friday, February 1st, come on out to the Byward Market at lunch-time. Market restaurants will be participating in the 'Stew Cook-Off'. Its a fun competition with some pretty amazing stew concoctions, and the best part is that you can try 'em all. And what the heck, after you've eaten some stew, grab a Beavertail. Its the Winterlude in Ottawa thing to do!
Ottawa's most 'purrfect' evening returns! Saturday March 29th, its the Humane Society Fur Ball at the National Gallery of Canada. This has become quite an 'A-List' event, but despite that, organizers still let me attend. It always sells out, so get your tickets now at www.ottawahumane.ca
Its Robbie Burns Day this Friday! A tribute to Scotland's greatest poet. How this became a day for eating oatmeal stuffed into a sheep's stomach, I'll never know. Haggis. Yuck! I won't even try it with ketchup.
