And The Oscar Goes To...

Recently I attended the 3rd Annual AMC Best Picture Showcase. During this marathon event, the day before the Oscars, you pay half the price and watch all five movies nominated for best picture in a row. As in about 11 hours of watching the years best movies. This year it went Milk, The Reader, Benjamin Button, Slumdog Millionaire, and Frost/Nixon. 

I found out about the event the night before. I tried so hard to find people to go with me, but all my friends were away either at school or vacation. Down on my luck I called one of my best friends for some advice, and he told me the answer I already knew. It was way to good of a deal to give up, especially since oddly enough I hadn't seen any of the nominees. 

So I embarked on what truely was an adventure stag and without breakfast. The first thing I noticed was how popular this was. It was even more packed then the Watchmen screening I described in my last post and was held in the same exact theater. The second thing I realized was how many people were alone (throughout the day I found out they were all in the same situation I was). And the third thing I realized was from what I could see I was the youngest person there in a sea of middle aged film buffs. 

And so the movies began and during intermissions everyone around me started talking. In paticular I met a psych grad student at NYU who seemed like his job was to go to shows and meet famous musicians and comedians. We had lunch together during the main intermission and facebooked each other. And then from the way were able to become pretty chill I realized the atmosphere I had entered. 

There is no way you would put yourself through the amount of hours or pay 25 dollars if you didn't have movies high up on your list of interest. Suddenly I felt warm and at home with my people. Everyone talking to each other regardless of age or nationality or simply being strangers. Halfway through I got a text from my mother saying "I didn't think this was a big deal but now I'm kind of rooting for you. think your going to make it?" And I answered her as simply as I could: "Mom this is getting easier and easier." 

From 10 in the morning to 11 at night I was watching the years best and boy did they deliver. Overall Frost/Nixon was the best movie made in the past few years. Then I personally like a movie thats more fiction then reality so Benjamin Button came in second and thirdly Slumdog Millionaire (who deserved to win because of its amazing story). I came out energized and ready to talk for hours. Simply it was the greatest film experience I had the pleasure of  being apart of and I will do this every year its worth it and recommend it to anyone and everyone.