Let me put on my schooling cap and give you some facts about a person that I honestly I didn't hear of until last year (shout out to the Rockdale Public School System) and I was determined to do a blog just to pass a long the knowledge because I feel he was a great unsung hero in black history who deserves to be recognized one way or another, even if it is this dumb blog (and maybe I'll write a screenplay for him one day).
His name is Mr. James Armistead Lafayette.
Here's his picture :
& here's a cartoon version for all of my 10 & under readers :
He was born in the 1700's in an undetermined city in the great state of Virginia (what up Milt?). Just like all of the other blacks in America in the 1700's, he was enslaved. Also in the 1700's the Englishmen (white folks) who migrated to America got into a little spat with the Englishmen back in their mother country. This is what historians would call the Revolutionary War.
Now James Armistead was a peculiar brother in my books. On one side you have the 13 colonies of America who enslaved black people and on the other side you have Britain who also enslaved black people but promised these slaves freedom once the war was over. America didn't offer this deal to their slaves. Mr. Armistead requested and received permission from his owner (William Armistead) to enlist in the U.S. Army in 1781. He wasn't a brave warrior. He wasn't a decisive strategist. He wasn't even on the front line (or the back line). He was a spy. Marquis de Lafayette was a commander for the U.S. and employed Armistead as a spy to collect data from the British forces.
He put on an oscar-worthy performance and approached the British army as a runaway slave from North America. While serving under Benedict Arnold, Armistead gathered intel that led to a sneak attack on Arnold's infantry and a near capture of the traitor.
For his next and greatest performance, Mr. Armistead posed as a waiter (ala Forest Whitaker in the Butler) for the headquarters of General Charles Cornwallis. While the British general and his cohorts blabbed their mouths about future plans, Armistead, with memory like an elephant, relayed his findings back to Lafayette and the U.S. was able to derail the Brits from sending an additional 10,000 troops to battle and give the Americans a decisive victory at the Battle of Yorktown and ultimately the Revolutionary War.
After the war was over, you'd figure that Armistead would've been awarded his own holiday, a stamp, a street, or something. NOPE! Back to slavery he went.
A couple of years later, Armistead was finally granted his freedom and decided to add Lafayette to his name in honor of the commander who he had served under during the war. Lafayette also wrote a letter of recommendation requesting the freedom of Armistead.
Armistead concluded his life as a farmer in the state of Virginia with his family, and he died in 1830.
If you're friends with me on Facebook, you know I've been to the theater a lot lately.
All to help you get informed for the Oscar's this weekend (I've also come to the realization that I'd like to be a movie critic one day. Maybe for a website or a newspaper. When I apply for such positioning, I'll direct my potential employer to this blog).
I believe I get my movie bug from my grandfather. When I was a young'n, he'd take me to the movies and for some reason, I remember seeing "Fallen" with Denzel and John Goodman and "True Crime" with Arnold Schwarzenegger (thank God for spell check) & Jamie Lee Curtis My father, is also a movie aficionado but he's more of the bootleg variety and you just cant really get a good movie experience when there is coughing, popcorn munching, and shadowboxing in the background of a movie
When I traveled with my previous job, instead of going to clubs and hooters (EVERY weekend), I typically would go the closest cinema to Womelsdorf, PA and check out a flick. Its sort of like an escape for me for a couple of hours.
Now, I have an eye to spot horrible actors that are wrapped up in a great script or a great actor illuminating in a horrible script, for example :
Nicholas Cage has been in some pretty epic movies from Speed to The Rock, but that man can't act worth a lick. It pays to be Francis Ford Coppola's nephew!
On the flipside, The Tree of Life is the worst movie that I've ever seen, but Brad Pitt was phenomenal in his 3 or 4 scenes .
These following Academy Award picks are mine and mine alone. My picks are usually not in line with the Academy's but they were pretty spot on last year.
Im not saying to NOT check out the other movies or actors / actresses, but if you disagree then your taste may be more inferior than mine (j/k...but seriously), and we can debate until our heart's content.
Let the picking begin...
Best Original Screenplay Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) written by Alejandro G Inarritu and a few other writers
Boyhood written by Richard Linklater
Foxcatcher written by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman
The Grand Budapest Hotel written by Wes Anderson
Nightcrawler written by Dan Gilroy
Dreek's Analysis :
Now if you don't know what this category is, let me describe this and the adapted screenplay categories. Original screenplays come out of nowhere. A writer just dreamed up a story and wrote a movie about said dream. An adapted screenplay can come from a book or a short story in a Reader's Digest, or a play, etc. Basically, the story is not the screenwriter's original idea. Now let's take a pop quiz :
True or False : The Ten Commandments is an original screenplay
You got it?
The answer is False!
The Ten Commandments is based off of The Bible silly!
Aight, All of these movies were good. Birdman was definitely different. Boyhood is a little overrated. Yeah, filming a movie over 13 years (or however many years) is a cool concept, but that doesn't make the story that intriguing. At least to me it wasn't. They may just win the Oscar because of their dedication to the film, and I wouldn't be too upset about it.
Side note : If you liked Boyhood, check out Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight. Another project involving Ethan Hawke where they follow the same 2 characters every 9 years. Its pretty cool too.
Foxcatcher and Nightcrawler were cool but too dark and just lacked something, even though I loved Nightcrawler, I don't see these two winning best original screenplay.
Im giving it to Wes Anderson for The Grand Budapest Hotel. It kept me intrigued from beginning to end and was very entertaining. The characters were well developed Had a little bit of everything for everybody.
Best Adapted Screenplay American Sniper written by Jason Hall
The Imitation Game written by Graham Moore
Inherent Vice written by Paul Thomas Anderson
The Theory of Everything written by Anthony McCarten
Whiplash written by Damien Chazelle
Dreek's Analysis :
I have NOT seenInherent Vice (which surprises me). I have not read any of the books from which these screenplays were adapted so I can't speak in that regards but the most entertaining of these movies TO ME was The Imitation Game and that's my pick. Graham Moore took a topic that was so complicated to my non-scientific mind and made it where I didn't really miss a beat, and that says a lot about his screenwriting skills.
Documentary Feature CitzenFour
Finding Vivian Maier
Last Days in Vietnam
The Salt of the Earth
Virunga Dreek's Analysis : I have NOT seen The Salt of the Earth. I saw the trailer and it looked like Sean Penn portrayed this photographer in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. This one is a toss up for me. Virunga was intriguing and kept me on the edge of my seat, and really makes you look at things in a different perspective. CitizenFour took a lot of guts to make. Basically ousting the NSA will keep Laura Poitras on the run for a while. With Netflix backing Virunga, I give the nod to it, seeing that they may have lined a few pockets.
Best Director
Alejandro G Inarritu for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Richard Linklater for Boyhood
Bennett Miller for Foxcatcher
Wes Anderson for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Morten Tyldum for The Imitation Game Dreek's Analysis :
This one isn't really up for debate. This trophy is going to Alejandro. Birdman was a brilliant piece of directing. Its definitely not my favorite movie in this category, but you have to separate your likes and the technicality of directing. The movie was filmed as one continuous shot, which has to be difficult and for that, Inarritu will win his 1st Oscar. I could see Wes Anderson upsetting Alejandro, but nahhhhhhh!
Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Robert Yeoman for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Lukasz Zai and Ryszard Lencxewski (Thank God for Copy & Paste) for Ida
Dick Pope for Mr. Turner
Roger Deakins for Unbroken Dreek's Analysis :
Im going to be honest, I only saw 2 movies in this category, so Im going to leave this one to the academy. Between Birdman and The Grand Budapest Hotel, I'd give it to the latter. My girl TC, said that Unrboken was a great movie, but I haven't got around to seeing it, since it wasn't nominated for Best Film and none of the actors were nominated. Big ups to Angelina Jolie though!
Actress in a Supporting Role
Patricia Arquette in Boyhood
Laura Dern in Wild
Keira Knightley in The Imitation Game
Emma Stone in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Meryl Street in Into the Woods Dreek's Analysis :
This has to be the worst category in this year's Oscars.
I have no earthly idea on why Patricia Arquette has won so many awards for her role in Boyhood. Only one good scene comes to mind in the whole movie, and that wasn't even that great. I'd be upset if she won!
On the other hand, Emma Stone made Patricia Arquette look like the greatest actress on Earth with her performance in Birdman. I couldnt believe she was even nominated!! Her nomination should have went to Carmen Ejogo for her portrayal of Coretta Scott King in Selma!!
Im giving my pick to Keira Knightly in The Imitation Game. She was consistently good throughout the entire film.
Im not bringing myself to watch Into the Woods, so my pick isn't all the way accurate but I haven't heard much buzz about Meryl Streep's performance (besides the nomination) and she's won so much, I doubt the Academy would give her a trophy for a Disney movie (no offense).
Actor in a Supporting Role
Robert Duvall in The Judge
Ethan Hawke in Boyhood
Edward Norton in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Mark Ruffalo in Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons in Whiplash Dreek's Analysis :
Edward Norton is unlucky. He would've won the Oscar for his performance in Birdman, BUT J.K. Simmons will win by a landslide. No Question. No Debate.
A side note about Mark Ruffalo in Foxcatcher. I felt that Channing Tatum should have been nominated and not Mark Ruffalo (as surprising as that sounds). Im taking Ruffalo's nomination away and giving it to Channing.
Robert Duvall is just playing the old guy in all of his movies lately. He should have won an Oscar for The Godfather (the best movie of all time), so maybe they will give him an Oscar for Supporting Role to make up for it (he already has a Best Actor Oscar for Tender Mercies)
Acress in a Leading Role
Marion Cotillard in Two Days, One Night
Felicity Jones in The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore in Still Alice
Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon in Wild Dreek's Analysis :
I really wanted to see Two Days, One Night. I had plans to see it, but my kitchen sink was calling me. Out of the other four, I'd really have to give it to Julianne Moore in Still Alice. Playing an Alzheimer's patient seems a little more difficult to me than playing a handicap person (we'll get to that later). You really feel for her character and thats why I think she'll nab this category. Reese did a pretty good job as well. Roesamund Pike is just GONE girl!
Actor in a Leading Role
Steve Carell in Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper in American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch in The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Eddie Redmayne in The Theory of Everything Dreek's Analysis :
Im going to go ahead and strike out Steve Carell. It wasn't a bad performance, but he has too much competition this year.
God forbid that Michael Keaton wins this category. I just didn't see it! It was a decent role, but he got out-acted in every scene he performed with Edward Norton and I can't give my pick for that!
Now this Eddie Redmayne guy did a pretty good job as Stephen Hawking. I think being cruel in middle school when I first heard about him, I think I pulled off a pretty good impression myself. I don't like the Academy handing out awards just because you play someone who's handicapped.
Bradley Cooper (or as we call him in the hood, B Coop) was good as well, but I have to give my pick to Benedict Cumberbatch in The Imitation Game. To play a genius homosexual smart aleck was pretty impressive to me.
Anybody but Keaton, please!!
Best Picture
American Sniper Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) Boyhood The Imitation Game Selma The Theory of Everything The Grand Budapest Hotel Whiplash
Dreek's Analysis :
Now its time for the kit and kaboodle. All of these movies were pretty great. I think Boyhood was overrated but I appreciate the experiment. I consider Birdman an experiment too, but it was a little more entertaining. The Theory of Everything was just TOO boring to me. I figured it would have been similar to The Imitation Game but it was nowhere close. The Grand Budapest Hotel was entertaining with great acting all around. Selma was a great surprise. Ava DuVernay did an excellent job, besides when Oprah fell (spoiler alert). Whiplash was probably my favorite out of all of these movies. A film about a jazz drummer sounded boring, but the one on one with JK Simmons and Miles Teller was genius. American Sniper was a good movie, but I think the actual character of Chris Kyle and his real life heroics made me like the film and not the actual movie itself. IT was good though!
Im giving my pick to the Imitation Game, even though Birdman will probably win because its so artsy! Artsy Fartsy is what I say! See yall next year. Same Oscars. Same Blog.
