For me, the big event each year is the Oscar Celebration.
Allegedly, when a friend of studio employee first gazed upon the little golden statuette, she declared:
"That looks just like my Uncle Oscar."
The name stuck.
I always wanted to attend in person and experience all the glitz and glamour in the flesh.
But, I made myself a promise.
I'd never stroll the red carpet (or even slip in a side door) until I was a nominee.
Well, I can dream, can't I?
One year - I was booked on a modeling shoot for a fashion lay-out for Vancouver Magazine - when it came to my attention that the assignment was slated to shoot on the eve of the Oscar show.
What was a boy to do?
Should I cancel the job, or forgo on the Oscar celebration for one year?
Well, the big bucks beckoned, so I trundled off to the location to fulfill my career obligation.
As luck would have it - the Fashion Editor was an avid fan of the Oscars - too.
Consequently, I was able to sneak quick peaks of the gala festivities on the old boob tube in the green room, in-between "takes".
But what about this year's star extravaganza?
Word from Tinseltown is that the show goes forward in spite of the WGA strike.
However, a number of actors are reticent about crossing a picket line.
Tony Gilroy - a nominee for Best Director for "Michael Clayton" - noted for the record:
"I would never cross a picket line ever. I couldn't. I'm a 20-year member of the Writers Guild. I think whatever they work out is going to be one way or the other. But no, I could never cross a picket line. I think there are a lot of people who feel that way."
So, it begs the question.
In the true Hollywood tradition, will the show go on?
Fortunately, animated talks between the producers and the writers started up this week.
Now, actors are inclined to cross their fingers and pray to the "Gods" of Award Shows, that the evening's festivities will go off without a hitch.
In the event there is a go, here are some of the contenders to place your bets on.
Best picture nominees include "Atonement" (a love story gone awry), "Juno" (the tale of an unplanned pregnancy), "Michael Clayton" (a legal suspense thriller), "No Country for Old Men" (a favorite with an ending that "fizzled" out into oblivion), and "There will be Blood" (a period piece with a top-notch performance by Daniel Day Lewis).
"No Country for Old Men" and "There Will Be Blood" lead the Oscar race with eight Academy Awards nominations each.
In the male lead acting category, talented thespians include George Clooney (Michael Clayton), Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd), Daniel-Day Lewis (There will Be Blood), Tommy Lee Jones (In the Valley of Elah), and Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises).
The bar for Best Actress was set pretty high due to stellar performances by the likes of Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth: The Golden Age), Julie Christie (Away from Her), Marion Cotillard (La Vie En Rose), Laura Linney (The Savages), and Ellen Page (Juno).
Best director should go to Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), but other auteurs breathing down his neck for the coveted prize include Jason Reitman (Juno), Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton), Joel & Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men), and Paul Thomas Anderson (There will be blood).
The choices for animated film are Ratatouille, Persepolis, and Surf's Up.
The little rat chef will win, in my estimation.
Although Casey Affleck (The Assassination of Jesse James) was a first choice for best supporting actor earlier in the year, along came the release of "No Country for old Men" and the remarkable performance by Javier Bardem as a crazed bad guy.
Sorry, Casey, looks like the award is going that-a-way!
It is a toss up for Cate Blanchett for "I'm not there" and Amy Ryan in "Gone Baby Gone" for the supporting actress category, in my estimation.
Surprisingly, there were no nods this year for crowd-pleasers like Angelina Jolie, or Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild).
Sean Penn was also snubbed, despite a fine directorial stint (Into the Wild).
The whole scenario makes one scratch their head a little in wonderment.
After all, "Hairspray" - deserving at least one or two nominations in my opinion - was completely shut out.
At times, it appears that the Academy's taste, is up their wazoo.
Orson Welles once said:
“A film is never really good unless the camera is an eye in the head of a poet.”