Stock and Film

The stock market closed 416 points lower today, wiping out the gains for this calendar year and sparking fears of a recession. Well, that would make sense; after all these companies downsizing people to get the stock up, there's no one left to lay off anymore, and the unemployed can only run up their credit cards so much buying junk from China.

Meanwhile, everyone is still talking about Martin Scorsese's victory at the Oscars, the esteemed director having won at last for best director for The Departed, which also won best picture. Interestingly, no jokes were made about his Oscar statuette being slightly taller than he is.

Alan Arkin, who won the best supporting actor award for Little Miss Sunshine, publicly lamented the idea of competition in cinema and other artistic media. Indeed. I'm sure was he was pleased enough with his paycheck from that movie!

I really believe Helen Mirren deserved the best actress Oscar for The Queen. Dame Mirren is a beautiful woman even in her sixties, and yet she convincingly played a once attractive woman whose looks went before she reached fifty. But maybe I shouldn't offend Her Majesty, what with having a British friend and all. . . . :-O