DIShGo

I enjoyed the film, but I agree, it didn't strike me as "Best Picture" material. None of the other nominated films that I saw did, either.

I also agree that the actors did fine jobs portraying regular people doing everyday work. I was invested in the characters and wanted them to succeed.

I think it is interesting to compare and contrast this film with "Birdman," the 2015 winner for "Best Picture." Both starred Michael Keaton, but that is where the similarities end.

While "Spotlight" is the retelling of a true story with likable characters and straightforward cinematography, "Birdman" is a filmmakers' film. It is a dark comedy, filled with magical realism, cutting edge cinematography, and a story that can be interpreted in a number of ways. The characters, while riveting, are largely unlikable.

I saw all of the films nominated for "Best Picture" in 2015, and I think "Birdman" deserved the designation.

"Room" is one of those movies that I want to see and I don't want to see at the same time. I'm sure I'll see it eventually, when I'm ready to have my gut wrenched. Or maybe I'd be better off just reading the book.

"Room" is a rare instance where I preferred the film to the book. The book is written from the perspective of the six year old, and he and his Ma share their own special language. When I read the book, I grew tired of the way he spoke. This isn't the case with the movie.

The acting by everyone in this film, particularly the two leads, is outstanding. But, yes, watching it is gut-wrenching.

I loved Fury Road... it is an absolute spectacle of sight and sound coupled with a ton of basically mindless violence. In my opinion it is the best action movie ever made- best seen on the big screen with the sound turned up to 11. The Oscars it won were all in the "technical" categories as opposed to the "artistic" and it was well deserving of those. I wouldn't lobby for it as a meaningful expression of complex human emotion but that doesn't prevent me from enjoying the ride. This type of escapism is what I want in film... I have enough ponderously heavy things to contemplate in real life. YMMV.

These types of films usually put me to sleep. The more car chases and explosions, the heavier my eyelids become!

Brie Larson was excellent in "Room," so I was happy to see her win. She is from the Sacramento area, so she is a local favorite where I live. She seems down to earth, and her acceptance speech reinforced that perception. I can't say whether or not she deserved it, because I didn't see any of the performances by the other best actress nominees.

"Room" is a good film, although the subject matter can be difficult to watch. I read the book years ago, and the movie stays true to the novel.

I am pleased to see Mark Rylance win for actor in a supporting role for "Bridge of Spies." His performance was quiet, understated and extremely moving.

Is anyone watching the Academy Awards tonight? In recent years, I had seen the majority of nominated films. This year, I have seen just two.

What does everyone think about this year's nominees? I think The Revenant scored the most nominations, followed by the Mad Max movie. Neither of these films appealed to me. Are they worth seeing?

This year, I am here for the fashion.

I saw this on the big screen, and enjoyed it. The cinematography and the acting are superb. What I like most about this film is the complexity of the characters. No one is portrayed in black and white.

There are a lot of good options in the Ferry Building, and it is a fun place to go solo.

This is very cool. I like that you share a name with your great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather! 

Breaker, breaker, 1-9. My best friend growing up had a CB radio in her family station wagon. We had a lot of fun with it.

I saw "Taxi Driver" years ago, and the only thing I remembered was finding Jodie Foster's portrayal of a 12-year-old prostitute unsettling. I am one year younger than Jodi Foster, so, at the time, her character stood out in my mind.

I recently re-watched the film, and I am glad I did. "Taxi Driver" is a masterpiece. It is a gritty tale about the underbelly of New York City. Robert De Niro's portrayal of Travis Bickle, a lonely and depressed former U.S. Marine who becomes a taxi driver, is phenomenal.

Is this troubled young man insane, a hero, or a little of both? De Niro's nuanced performance captures the essence of Bickle, and we are drawn into his world of paranoia, violence and redemption.

There are outstanding performances by Jodie Foster, a long-haired and buffed Harvey Keitel, and Peter Boyle. Even Scorsese has a very good cameo as one of Bickle's more interesting passengers.

I have lived in California for 24 years, and everyone out here knows about the Donner party. Stories about Western migration are fascinating, and I am glad you enjoyed learning more about the pioneer life.

The California elementary school curriculum places a great deal of emphasis on pioneer living. As a young mom who grew up in the Midwest, I enjoyed learning along with my kids about this rich part of our American heritage when they studied it in school.

The next time you come to Northern California, you should visit Sutter's Fort.

I appreciate this film for its cutting edge (at the time) cinematography, but overall, I found it boring. Unlike some Hitchcock films, this one seemed dated. The references to the "Merry Widow" song went over my head, and one scene, featuring a marriage proposal, was laughably corny. The ending seemed over the top to me as well.

I liked the film, but there are other movies I would recommend before it to someone interested in watching an entertaining psychological thriller. The acting, however, was very good, particularly Joseph Cotten as Uncle Charlie, the perfectly charming villain.

We watched this based on porcupine's recommendation, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, particularly Alan Rickman's performance. The film was silly fun. I am not a big Star Trek fan, but I know enough about the series to appreciate the nods to it throughout this film.

It was fun also seeing a young Jason Long, Missi Pyle and Rainn Wilson in the early days of their careers.

Or, you could be like Gabriel-Garcia Marquez, and name everyone in the entire book Maria Buéndia. 

"Don" is a title of respect and importance. Vonnegut made an enlightened, informed decision by doing this.

Hmmmm. Let's just say some of the Dons weren't pillars of society! And I had the exact same thought about "A Hundred Years of Solitude" as I was typing my comment.

In the beginning of Chapter 20, the bartender's name is Harold Newcomb Wilbur. This seems innocent enough, but I suspect Vonnegut never wrote one, single innocent name.

Wilbur is the second most decorated serviceman in Midland City (he fought in Japan in WWII - against yellow robots that were powered by rice), and I believe his name means the following:

Harold: a synonym with Herald which could either mean 1) to foreshadow, or to be a harbinger of something, or 2) heraldry which is the craft that deals with coats of arms

Newcomb: a synonym with Nuke 'em!

Wilbur: a small town in Indiana (Vonnegut was from Indianapolis, and Wilbur is 30 miles SW of Indianapolis)

There may be other interpretations with this name, but I'm pretty certain about the middle name, and it's awesome.

I'd love it if anyone wanted to give other names a shot. I suspect most every name has a hidden meaning. Has anyone ever done this before with "Breakfast of Champions?" I've searched the internet, and haven't found anything - I'd hate to duplicate work that's already been done, so if someone finds something, please let me know ASAP.

Did you notice there are three characters named Don in this book? That isn't something authors usually do, especially in such a short book.

I just finished "Breakfast of Champions," and I really enjoyed it. It made me curious about Vonnegut because much of it seems autobiographical. I would love to read the book by his son, and to see the film adaptation of this book.

I saw an ad the other day promoting Season Two of Narcos, and I got excited! Then the announcer said, returning next summer. Sigh. 

I am so glad I saw this exhibit. I strolled right past the sign about Bill and Camille Cosby's involvement because my eyes were drawn to the gorgeous mother and child sculptures. The collection was beautiful and thought provoking. It was well displayed and thoughtfully arranged.

The pictures linked above don't do the art justice. "Cuts" for example, is much more vibrant in person, and quite large. When I walked into the room, it commanded my attention. I was drawn to this piece and couldn't stop looking at it.

I had one of the best meals of my life in this lovely new restaurant. I enjoyed everything about Kinship--the decor, the service and the creative, delicious food.

Kinship is elegant without being stuffy. The dining room, with its thoughtful lighting, decorated in shades of dove gray, white and cream, evokes a feeling of calm. There is great attention to detail, from the little handles on the backs of the chairs to the beautiful china on which the food was served.

We started with the torchon of white mushroom, served with a chioggia beet and wild mushroom salad, huckleberry gastrique and toasted brioche. This was my favorite dish, and one I would certainly order again. Creamy and delicious, mimicking the taste and texture of foie gras, I never would have guessed this dish was vegetarian.

Next, we shared the lobster french toast and a sunchokes dish. I would highly recommend both. Like the torchon, these dishes were inventive, visually pleasing and incredibly tasty.

For our main course, we shared the roast chicken, which, at four pounds, was much more than the two of us could eat. Normally, I don't order roast chicken in restaurants, preferring to try more unusual dishes that I cannot prepare myself at home. This dish, however, did not disappoint. The bird was roasted to perfection. I enjoyed the lemony flavor and the perfectly crisped skin. It was served with a generous portion of potatoes, parker house rolls, and a refreshing arugula salad, tossed with small pieces of the dark meat. The salad was the perfect complement to the chicken and the potatoes. This dish was such a generous serving, we took it home and still couldn't finish it all for lunch the next day.

While our sticky toffee pudding was decadent and generously sized, for me, the coffee service was the exclamation point at the end of a perfect meal. Our coffee was served with steaming hot half and half, along with a disc of delicious toffee, about three inches in diameter. We were given a beautiful, antique toffee hammer, and instructed to hit the candy with it. I thought this was a charming touch and a fun way to end our meal.

I just finished watching the fourth episode. I'm enjoying the series.

I didn't realize "Peace on Earth" was written specifically for this performance.

I like that Bowie agreed to go on Crosby's show because his mother liked Bing.

I love the effortless way these two sing this song, and how beautifully their voices blend. The message is timely, too. Peace on earth.

That said, the two principal actors, Essie Davis and Noah Wiseman, are fantastic - just about perfect in their roles - and writer-director Jennifer Kent is surely a name to remember going forward. A fusion of "Rosemary's Baby," "The Sixth Sense," "The Exorcist," "Halloween," "The Gashlycrumb Tinies," "The Shining," "The Thing," and "Poltergeist," my primary beef with The Babadook is that it's a "best of" melange from all (no, really: ALL) of those films, without any truly original ideas - it's this reason, plus the ending (which simply doesn't work for me), that make me say critics are being too hasty in doling out their unchecked praise.

If you like a good, intelligent scare (but don't enjoy body horror or gratuitous violence, because this has relatively little of those), "The Babadook" is a good choice for you - I found it on Netflix, and it's apparently elsewhere as well. And definitely don't let my "overrated" comment mislead you - I absolutely recommend this film.

I watched "The Babadook" last night and enjoyed it, and I am NOT a fan of horror movies. The lead actress was very good, and I appreciate the lack of gratuitous violence and gore in the film.

I disagree with your take on the ending, however. To me, the film was about a mother's descent into madness, resulting from overwhelming grief. Sleep deprived and desperate, she battled her inner demons as she tried to keep her family from falling to pieces. From that perspective, the ending made perfect sense to me.

I agree, there were well-done nods to the films you mentioned in "The Babadook."

I used to despise beets, but a few years ago I had some that were well prepared, and now I like them. I like almost anything if it is fresh and/or well prepared. Not a fan of menudo, though. I had a barbecued pig snout at a party once. No amount of barbecue sauce could make that enjoyable. I also dislike big, oaky chardonnays and white chocolate. 

Thank you for posting this interview, Don. I recently read "Infinite Jest," and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing him talk about the book.

It is such a shame that he is gone.