The Movie Empress is a tad cranky about audience behavior and about the current state of the awards season. One good thing about her former stint in The Armpit was that audiences were much more polite than they are in urban-pre-release-land. When the Empress was attempting the not-remotely-onerous task of admiring Joaquin Phoenix in We Own the Night, she was repeatedly distracted by the running commentary from the lady behind her.
"Mmm-hmmm. Bobby [Mr. Phoenix] gonna get 'em. Bobby gonna show 'em who's boss. Yeah, baby. Mmm-hmmm."
The last time the Empress ventured out to the cineplex, she went to see Charlie Wilson's War. This time, it was the theatre itself which caused the problems. After an inexplicable run of previews for kiddie flicks, the projector started rolling out Enchanted. Which the Empress wants to see, but not when she's in the mood for sharp political satire and Julia Roberts' eyelashes. The management had to confirm for themselves that the wrong movie was playing, and then subjected us to fifteen more minutes of pre-movie quizzes and jumbles. When the movie finally started, they skipped the appropriate previews. (Charlie Wilson's War did provide the expected satire and eyelashes, as well as some great greyhound footage and Philip Seymour Hoffman in full sardonic mode. The Empress recommends it.)
All this being said, the Empress is finding that she much prefers viewing movies in the relative peace of her own living room, where the main distraction is provided by needy cats and the only person murmuring, "Mmm-hmm, Joaquin/Daniel/Harrison," is the Empress herself.
As for the awards season, the Empress is entirely supportive of the writers and their demands in the strike. But if there is an abbreviated Oscar telecast or, worst of all, no red carpet, it will RUIN HER WHOLE YEAR.
Oscar nominations are announced tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. EST. The Empress will be there, delighted that she doesn't have to get up at 5:30.
