I'm Not a Racist. I'm Salty.

I wasn't very surprised at the Academy Award nominations.  Did I think Kevin Hart was going to get a nod for his role in "Get Hard?"  No.  I didn't.

Who in the world is going to argue that Cate Blanchett and Leonardo DiCaprio don't deserve awards for their performances?  Crazy people ONLY cuz yeah...they brought it as they always do.  Matt Damon in "The Martian?"  Dude did that.  I loved that movie and loved his performance.  Very seldom do I enjoy a movie as much as I enjoyed the book and I did here.

No surprise.

I haven't seen "Room" yet but from what I understand, Brie Larson showed out.  She prepped for 8 months for that role and I'm kinda scared at what that means based on what I know the movie to be about.  I'm sure she was paid enough to not miss a mortgage payment in those 8 months of prep work too. You'd expect that right?  Hell...I hope so.

I'll be honest when I say I didn't really think Jennifer Lawrence was going to get a nod for her performance in "Joy."  Not that I don't like Jennifer Lawrence because I've truly loved all of her previous performances but I just didn't care for the "slowed down" version of her that was in this movie.  I mean I know an actress has to show range in all of their projects...it just didn't do it for me and hell...what do I know and yeah...she's the current golden girl so I wasn't surprised.

I'm also not stupid.  

I know there weren't a lot of movies with Black people in them again so I wasn't expecting more representation during the nominations.  There was "Creed," and "Straight Outta Compton."  Those were pretty much the only two widely released films with significant roles for Black people in them directed by Black people.  Both good movies...to me.  Did I expect "Straight Outta Compton" to get more nods?  Honestly...no.  But "Creed?"  Yeah...I did.

I'm constantly trolling The New York Times' Opinion Facebook page and read comments I expected to read about the "blacklash" regarding the nominations.  And a lot of people didn't seem to get it.  I'm talking White AND Black people.

It's not about the nominations.  I honestly hope they really try and be inclusive.   It's about the filmmakers and casting directors and the people with the clout to greenlight films.  It's about OPPORTUNITY.  

One commenter got a lot of likes for saying something like...it's about talent.  If you're not talented, you don't get nominated, simple.  People were like...YEAH!  SAY THAT!  NO AFFIRMATIVE ACTION IN MOVIES!  

And I rolled my eyes because...DUH...it is about talent and, more importantly...the opportunity to showcase that talent.  You can be as talented as Denzel, Cate and Leonardo but if you're not getting the opportunity to show  you're talented...THEN WHO IN THE HELL KNOWS YOU'RE TALENTED EXCEPT FOR YOUR MAMA???????????

So yeah...I was/am salty.  All of that talk that went on last year based on the success of the first season of "Empire" which blew the viewing numbers out of the water was just that...TALK.  While folks were talking and celebrating yet another magazine cover with a Black actor on it, movies were in full post-production about to be rolled out for awards season.  The same names had the same opportunities to show how great they are.  The same names DIDN'T have opportunities.  

Same old, same old.

I was only surprised that so many people were surprised.

Still doesn't mean I wasn't salty though.

What say you?  Were you surprised?  Were you salty?  Do you care?

"The Wiz" Old and New!!!!!!!

Have you watched the classic version of "The Wiz" lately?

Are you going to before the new version?

Are you excited to watch the new version?

Can you tell I.CAN'T.WAIT?????????????????

"Live Long and Prosper"

I don't miss many science fiction movies and I read and have read my fair share of science fiction novels.  I enjoy escaping into a world filled with new experiences and people/beings which differ from what I'm used to.  I get that from my father, who loved him some science fiction too.

What about you?  Do you enjoy science fiction?  Who introduced you to it?  What about your kids?  Do they enjoy science fiction?  What's the last science fiction you read?  I'm currently reading this one:  The Martian

Rest in peace, Mr. Nimoy.

My thoughts on "Selma" and "American Sniper"

I forgot that I wanted to say something about these movies after watching them.

"Selma"

I thought it was really good and I wanted to point out what I thought was the best performance.  

Henry G. Sanders

He played Cager Lee (Can we talk about how cool the name Cager is???????????) and when Dr. King went to see him after his grandson was killed?  Maaaaaaaaaaaaaan...he broke me down to my brake pads!!!!!  He was so good and his face said it all and yet...he was being respectful of Dr. King in his moment of absolute heartbreak.  He was so DIGNIFIED.  That's like...the best word to describe him.  Dignified.  I felt like if any actor from the film deserved an award...he most certainly did absolutely.  During two of his scenes, I felt like I was in the room with him transported back into time and experiencing it all firsthand.  Not listening to a first person narrative...but actually for real there.  I can't even begin to really put into words how brilliant he was every.single.time he was on the screen.  Absolutely OUT.STAND.ING!  

STANDING OVATION.

CLAP, CLAP, CLAPPEDY CLAP.

The next performance that I thought was outstanding was the actress who played Ms. Coretta.  Yall...didn't she look uncannily like her?  So beautiful and regal!  Let me add that it was PERFECT casting!  I mean...just...WOW!  Didn't the resemblance blow you away?  

The second best acted scene in the film was when she asked Dr. King if he loved her and then...if he loved the others.

BLEW.

ME.

AWAY.

The fear, uncertainty, love, hope and humiliation he felt in her steadfast questioning ran across his face so powerfully.  I FELT that!  I looked at Robby and he was holding his breath wondering what he was going to say.  So good.  So very, very good!

When I returned home after watching it?  I watched Malcolm X.  SPIKE LEE AND DENZEL WASHINGTON WERE  ROBBED YALL!

(Random:  While looking for pictures to include I ran into this blog and I liked it:  WHAT IMPRESSED ME THIS WEEK (Selma…the Movie…and the Flap) )

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"American Sniper"

I was worried about this movie after reading all of the articles about how folks wanted to go "kill Arabs" after watching it.  I couldn't imagine that Clint Eastwood would make an irresponsible war movie.  I'd read his take on it and it was so different than the take some of the fans seemed to have.  Well...turns out the fans who felt that way felt that way long before they watched the movie because that's not what I got.  What I got was a frank look at on the ground warfare and it was terrifying.  I wanted no parts of that.  I don't EVER want another soldier to have to go war after watching the movie.  Yes, there is some controversy surrounding if it really went down like that but I'm going to just speak on what I saw on the screen.  It was a good movie and there were times when I was truly on the edge of my seat waiting to see how it would all play out.  Clint Eastwood knows how to build a hero and Chris Kyle might just be his best one yet.  The movie didn't make me want to march for death to all Muslims.  The movie made me want to hug a war vet.  HARD.

The final war scene was shot with pretty much zero visibility and it blew me away.  I was holding my breath begging for relief.  BEGGING.  And the scenes where he called his wife during that last battle and when she called him the first time after that.  Whew man...rapid blinkage occurred.  

Here is the great thing about it.  After the first few scenes I stopped looking at him as Bradley Cooper with some weight on him.  Bradley Cooper BECAME Chris Kyle.  Good acting.  GREAT acting.  

I thoroughly enjoyed that experience too even though I wish his wife's character would have been portrayed in a better light.  It just seemed to me there the way she was shot didn't really leave much room for empathizing with her.  She came across as...I don't know...selfish and not willing to understand what her husband was going through and I feel like wives of deployed soldiers know what they are getting into but even though they know this...they are human and simply wish their husband was home to do all the things husbands and fathers do.  They didn't do that for her in the movie in my opinion.  

Did you see these movies?  Thoughts? 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - "Selma"

I intentionally waited until today to go see "Selma" and I'm going to treat the experience with all the deference I used to treat going to church.  I've been told by some of my "hardest" friends that I will cry...so I'm ready.

Have you seen it?  What was your rating?  Did your children see it?

Selfie. Canon 7D Style.

Yesterday we took some pictures for our 2014 Christmas card.  I'd almost decided not to do any but then...cards started coming and well...I changed my mind because...I LOVE CHRISTMAS AND HOLIDAY CARDS!!!!!!!

So I picked out clothes for us to wear while listening to Christmas music.  I was going to have a good picture day.  There was NOT going to be a repeat of last year and I was soooooooooooo serious.  What sense does it make that I can take great pictures if I can't take any of us?  SERIOUSLY?  

I'm STILL salty about last year's "photo shoot."  JOY.

He drove me so bad last year every.single.time I pass by this framed picture in our home and my eyes fall it good...I scowl.

Okay...so I have to give yall some backstory before you appreciate yesterday as much as I did.  Friday night we watched this movie, "The One I Love" on Netflix.  The movie was kinda quirky in that independent movie kinda way.  Well...the premise was that this couple was having problems and they were going to therapy.  Their therapist sent them to a retreat to get back right.  The retreat was kinda magical or something because whenever one of them entered the retreat's guesthouse, the version of their spouse that they WANTED their spouse to be was in the house.

Re-read that.  Cuz yeah...it was different.  LOL!

Kinda creepy at first but then you were like...hmmmmmm...okay...I get it!  So you...but the better you for me.  ME LIKEY THAT!

I'd already made the declaration that we were taking pictures so the husband unit had been warned.  When I got up the next morning I was ready for battle and ready to ignore any grown folk temper tantrums which may occur.  I put on Christmas jazz music and smiled, whistled, picked out clothes, washed and styled my hair, etc.

I was ready for the fight that was surely to come.  And I KNEW there was going to be a fight, because not only were we taking pictures...but I was taking the pictures myself so that meant I was going to use a tripod and the timer on my camera.  LOL!  I knew that would drain his brain like crazy because that meant I'd have to set up the shot, test the shot with different settings and then pose for the shot while the timer counted down and...since I was wearing a long skirt...he'd have to be the one to push the button and run over to the position I'd determined he needed to be.

Yeah...I was setting the poor dear soul up for failure.  I know.  

So...as I'm cautiously choosing clothes for him to wear, I lay them out and he says, "I thought you'd want me to wear the red sweater."

Me:  *BLINK*  Well, I didn't choose the red sweater because I felt you'd get annoyed at how "Christmasy" it was. 

Him:  Nope.  It's whatever you want.  I'm "Guesthouse Robby" today.

Me:  *BLINK.BLINK.BLINK*  Um...come again?

Him:  You know...like from the movie last night.  I'm going to be "Guesthouse Robby" all day and tomorrow, you can be "Guesthouse Monnie" and I can go play golf and then go to my parent's Bayou house and watch the Ravens game and all the other games on the Sunday ticket and you won't get mad at me.

SIP:  So yeah...using bargaining chips are we?

And I thought about it.  "Guesthouse Robby" wouldn't be a bad thing to deal with on picture day.

Me:  Deal.

And we shook on it.  LOL!

So..."Guesthouse Robby" was way better on picture day than I ever thought he could be.  (And now I'm a tad bit miffed because he clearly KNOWS he can be special and clearly KNOWS how not to be special...see how that works???????????????????)  After pictures, he traipsed up and down store-to-store with me looking for the perfect SLIM tree.  (More on that in another post.  I needed a slim tree this year and well...folks don't seem to grow slim trees.  LOL!)

Then...we got home and he decided that he'd like me to take a couple of headshots for him when I was ready to decorate my newly acquired slim tree.  But...dude was mostly good all day so I poured myself a glass of lovely...and took headshots for him.  Well...SIP did.  "Guesthouse Monnie" was reserved for today.  Golf and game day.  *sigh*

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Any of you ever seen that movie?  Would you ever develop a "Guesthouse" version of yourself?  LOL!