The As-Late-As-We-Can-Get Week in Review

While I'm sure a lot happened this week, I'm going to condense this because it doesn't feel appropriate any other way.


The nominations for the 80th Oscars were announced


What happened: the nominations for the Oscars were announced this week. I'll be honest with you, I don't know if there are any surprises in the lot. Seeing the nominations just made me realize how out of touch I've been with movies this "Oscar Season." That being said, Oscar.com is up and running, and you can find all the nominees plus some hooplah. The ceremony is set to begin at 8:00pm on February 24th. John Stewart is set to host.

Why it matters: It's really the granddaddy of them all, and whatever you think about giving awards for films or what have you, you have to give the Oscars credit- the pageantry of the show really captures the size and magic of the movies. If that makes you want to puke a little, that's fine by me. There is a running subplot about whether or not this thing is even going to happen. The writers are saying they will boycott and picket the ceremony, and the Screen Actors' Guild has said they won't cross picket lines. Of course, my girlfriend points out that there are a lot of people in movies than just the actors. Point taken. Tracking...


Heath Ledger, 28, dies.

What happened: if you don't know by now, Heath Ledger was found dead in an apartment in Soho on Tuesday morning. There was a bottle of prescription sleeping pills on the nightstand where his body was found, but so far the police do not suspect foul play.

Why it matters: I should note that there's more to report about this story, including a masseuse that didn't call the cops when she found his body, and Mary Kate Olsen's involvement in the whole thing. So as to not speculate, please see above when I say, "...so far the police do not suspect foul play." I guess defining something as a tragedy is completely relative: for example, Mr. Ledger's death is 8 billion times more sad for Michelle Williams than it is for me. That being said, I find his death to be profoundly sad in that there's no real way to evaluate Heath Ledger's potential. He was already a wildly talented actor with a well-reputed work ethic. I've already been entertained and moved by his performances, and I know if he had lived, he would have continued to entertain not only me, but millions of people worldwide. You can't always say this about celebrities, but you can for him. I didn't know the guy, and I won't pretend that my life can't go on anymore, but I'm going to find it deeply troubling when his face pops up on the Oscars death montage.


What stood out in the week for you? Post away in the comments.


Write on...