Tchotchkes of the Rich and Famous

My latest burgeoning collecting mania appears to be for auction catalogs of prominent people. Of their possessions, I mean. I could never afford to actually buy any of their stuff, but looking through these catalogs definitely appeals to the voyeur in me. It's like Architectural Digest on steroids. And this just in: Gandhi's (few) possessions go up for sale.

The Story of Whose Life?

The Story of My Life, the first Broadway play to open this year, also became the first Broadway play to close this year, and I must say I heartily concur with this decision, being among the unlucky few who actually saw it. Although the actors were excellent, as the critics noted the show was sub-par Sondheim, the story being a ripoff of Merrily We Roll Along, and the music a blatant ripoff of Sunday in the Park with George. Sondheim should sue actually. Although I guess now that won't be necessary.

At night the stars put on a show for free

Oscars '09 -
What worked:

• Hugh Jackman, better than I expected him to be, as Host
• Former winners coming out to celebrate this year's acting nominees - genius!
• Best song salute - I loved it
• Slumdog Millionaire winning - Yay!
• The winners NOT getting played off - about time!
• Man on Wire winning best documentary
• In fact, all the winners were well-deserved, this year
  
• Didn't go too late - Double Yay!
  

What didn't:

• Big musical salute to musicals - Yech!
• Talking about the different parts of a movie production did not flow
• Interspersing this year's best picture clips with older movie winners also didn't make sense
• The audience was so well lit, and also appeared to be so close to the stage (Meryl Streep looked like she was sitting in the Host's lap) as to make the effect seem garish
• Worst presenter - Bill Maher (and I love his show, BTW)
• The "In memoriam" tribute should have been all close-ups, instead of the camera panning in and out - I'm old, I need to see these people!
  

Best lines:
"Slumdog Millionaire was filmed entirely on cell phone" (Ben Stiller)
"If you win, we go to 20-minute delay" (Hugh Jackman to Mickey Rourke, in audience)

At the Beacon

Cool: Seeing three of my favorites, Emmylou Harris, Shawn Colvin and Patty Griffin at the newly refurbished and totally glammed up Beacon Theatre last night. Buddy Miller was supposed to be appearing with them also, but he was out with a mystery illness. Not only did they play a ton of their own songs, but they also did amazing renditions of The Beatles "I'll Be Back," Lefty Frizzell's "That's the Way Love Goes," Bob Dylan's "Every Grain of Sand," Joni Mitchell's "The Magdalene Laundries," Tom Waits' "Hold On," and Tracy Chapman's "All that You Have is Your Soul." Patty Griffin did a number of new songs, including one that was absolutely hilarious, called something like "Our Love is a Dud." 2 hour show, no intermission. Not too shabby.
Not so cool: Grabbing a cab after the show that already had people in it.
Oh well, the night life ain't no good life, but it's my life!

Big Books: Why they are the scourge of my existence

• "No, I can't go to that Pulitzer-prize winning play with you. I have to finish that book. Yes, I do realize I'm not in school anymore."
• "Woo-hooo, only 300 pages to go. I'm stoked, man."
• "Who is this character again?" (After putting the book down for 3 days)
• Taking out the calculator to figure out how many pages I have to read per day to finish the book within a month is something I have been known to do. Often.
• Indexing fiction. Come on people, it's time.
  

The Reader (2008)

What I liked:

• A lot about books, and even more about reading, if that's even possible
• Kate Winslet! (is that an Oscar in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?)
• Ralph Fiennes! (in full-on brood mode) Heeeathcliff!
• Lena Olin! (walking away with the whole picture in just under 5 minutes of screen time)
• Bruno Ganz! (haven't seen him in a while)
  
• Bob Dylan and Joan Baez! (in a picture on somebody's wall in one scene, but nevertheless)
• Sexier than The English Patient, less boring than The Hours!

What I didn't:

• German characters speaking in English with German accents (Ach, Hollywood)!
• The main character's psyche and motivations (I hate it when a movie is left "open to interpretation" - I'm so confussed)!