1.28.05
Culturally Speaking #51: It's Mostly Just All About Us
By Sarah Stodola
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I
think the Academy got it all wrong. I have actually seen a lot of
movies this year, for o
nce,
so I can offer a moderately informed opinion. The five movies nominated
for Best Picture were: The Aviator, Ray, Sideways, Million Dollar
Baby, and Finding Neverland. The five movies nominated
for Best Picture should have been: Hotel Rwanda, Eternal
Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Aviator, Before Sunset, and Collateral.
And I think that Jim Carrey was robbed. I usually can't stand watching him, but in Eternal Sunshine, he turned in a perfectly genuine performance. With someone as animated as Carrey, it's usually hard to forget who you're watching, but he actually became his character in Eternal Sunshine. He deserved the nomination more than his costar Kate Winslet, who was also excellent in the movie.
Just one more thing: Sideways was a fine little movie, but possibly the most overrated thing I have ever seen. It's supposed to be this Oscar season's Lost in Translation. That honor should have gone to Eternal Sunshine.
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As I watch the Meatpacking District phenomenon spread to the Lower East Side, I almost wish the New York City would fall upon hard times so that its most famous borough could become cool again.
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The Gender Genie: This little program claims the ability to determine the gender of a writer simply by processing a passage written by said author. Exactly nine out of ten of my own writing samples caused the Genie to tell me I am male. So I went to the bathroom and checked, and turns out I'm still female, after all. I have to say, I think a program like this can't avoid playing on stereotypes. (via Lindsayism)
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Okay, the rest of this column is going to be all about us...
We are throwing a celebratory party for our little print journal this Saturday, January 29th:
Capone's
221 N. 9th St. (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)
between Driggs and Roebling
9 p.m. till late
Please do stop by!!! It is promised that there will be no readings or other literary turnoffs, just a party!
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I am pleased to announce Me Three's spring writing contest:
Me Three Literary Journal is now accepting submissions for its Spring 2005 Literary Criticism Contest
Not too long ago, Gore Vidal said, "We do not, of course, write literary criticism at all now." Which begs at least one question: exactly what is literary criticism? Just a review or something more complicated than that? What qualifies as literary criticism and who or what defines the style? Well, we don’t need you to necessarily answer this question. Answer it, simply, by writing what you consider to be a work of "literary criticism."
Entry Fee is $8 – please submit through Paypal
The
winner, elected by the editors, will receive $200
and publication in Issue #2 of our humble journal.
More details are forthcoming: for now, just be thinking about what you want to write!
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We are looking for a new bi-weekly columnist. If you are interested, please email me. There are absolutely no guidelines for this, so just send me your ideas.
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Finally,
if you live in any city in America whose residents might have an interest
in a little literary journal and you'd like to help us with distribution,
please email me. We've
got New York and Boston covered, but could use the help in most any other
city!
Click here for the last Culturally Speaking.
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Sarah Stodola is the Executive Editor of Me Three. She can be contacted here.
© 2005 Me Three