Now, For Something A Little Lighter--The 2018 Oscar Nominations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     With the Oscars broadcast being constantly updated, and the nominees announced earlier, and earlier, it won't be long before things are backed up into the preceding year. That is my first observation, because, I have to confess, I have not been the good little moviegoer of yore that I used to be, and need to catch up on things.  Like "Three Billboards, Outside Ebbing, Missouri."

                                      Of course, as always, what is overlooked is sometimes more interesting than what made the cut!

                                       I am telling you, the parrot in "I, Tonya!" deserves a nomination!  The way it stole the scene from Allison Janney, sitting on her shoulder, eyeing the oxygen tank, it was a hoot!  Depending on its gender, that bird should have received a Supporting Actor or Actress Nomination.

                                         If in the feminine category, it would have to compete with the two who are going to duke it out--Janney, and Laurie Metcalf.  I saw both those films--Lady Bird," and "I, Tonya," and both were superb.  Janney's rendering of American White Trash was both funny and sad, while Laurie expressed the embitterment of the entireity of today's working class.

                                          The parrot should be in there, somewhere, but even in the other category--Christopher Plummer?  How does one compete with that?  And listen, all you bitches who are ragging on him--stop it!  He stepped in for Kevin Spacey, whose footage made him look grotesque and pasty.  Plummer not only pinch hitted, he did a better job than Spacey, being the right age, and, face it, girls, a better actor!  Spacey's loss is this film's gain; why the producers did not just go with Plummer in the first place is beyond me.

                                          MERYL.  When Oscar comes calling, that Divine name is always heard.  I kinda feel sorry for MERYL.  Not because she isn't the most brilliant actress on the planet, which she is; not because no one, including she, really expected a nomination for "The Post," but, because, I am sure, the minute MERYL heard she was nominated she said, "Oh, shit!  Now, I have to go out, and find another gown!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  We love you, MERYL!  No matter what you wear!

                                           I was appalled by the lack of nominations--none!!!!!!!!!--for Todd  Haynes' wonderful, visually stunning, "Wonderstuck."  With a luminous performance by Millicent Simmons as the young Rose, and Julianne Moore as the elder.  Simmons should have been in the running, or else dig out those juvenile Oscars again, and, with Hayley Mills on the continent, let her present, as the award's last winner, the present day award, to Simmons, whose performance was remarkable for a child.  I was with her every step of the way.

                                            Thankfully, "Wonder Wheel," got nothing, though I would not have minded if Juno Temple got nominated; she brought  something alive and fresh to a film as rotted as three day old fish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                              My David keeps bugging me about "The Shape Of Water," and I keep saying, "When do you want to go?"  Still have not seen it.   As for "Call Me By Your Name," I have not seen it, but I did read the book, and I don't see what all these queens are slathering over.  It is as insulting to gays as a film could be, and is not the groundbreaker "Brokeback Mountain" was.  Give me Ethel Merman, in "Call Me, Madam," instead!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                             Gone are the days when the Oscar nominations were exciting.  Sadly, gone are the days when there seemed to be movies made to get excited over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                              But, you know I will be watching, dolls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!