Oscar Night! No Joke....

The 86^th Annual Academy Award presentations are tonight.  It is the most glamorous, prestigious event of any year.  Everyone famous and/or beautiful that wants to be seen, will be seen tonight walking on the first and original “red carpet.”   For many actors, directors, producers, writers, cinematographers, et al, it is the culmination of a year’s work.  It may even be their life’s work.  It’ll be long, tedious, sometimes funny and sometimes uncomfortable, but we won’t turn away.  

Now for my wife Kevan and me, as well as our esteemed movie-loving colleagues, tonight is the culmination of a nine plus film journey that started over two months ago.  For a few years now we’ve set out to see EVERY film nominated for Best Picture.  It’s a lot of fun and every year it gets better. 

This season our odyssey started on Christmas Day when we saw American Hustle at Old Mill Theaters in Bend with extended family.   From there in order it was – Gravity at the OMSI Emperical Theater, Twelve Years a Slave at Cinema 21 , Captain Phillips at Academy, Wolf of Wall Street at the Fox Tower, Nebraska and Her at Living Room Theaters, Dallas Buyers Club at Cinema 21 on a snowy Saturday.  We ended with Philomena at Bridgeport Theaters.  This year we even added the five Oscar Nominated Shorts at the Hollywood Theater – a wonderful end to our journey, and highly recommended.

Tonight we celebrate – 17 people, New Orleans dinner, prizes and fun.  For everyone having a party tonight remember these rules http://stream.wsj.com/story/latest-headlines/SS-2-63399/SS-2-466485/

Fun Oscar tidbit -  It’s also the 75^th Anniversary of Gone with the Wind winning Best Picture and Vivien Leigh Best Actress.  Victor Fleming won for Best Director and Hattie McDaniel became the first African American to win an Oscar (Best Supporting Actress).   

Here’s hoping everyone finds their Red Carpet tonight!