2012 Oscar Plans and Drinking Game
EDIT: For a quick infographic with the Official JAJ 2012 Oscars Drinking Game, go here.
I’ve never posted anything besides a review on this blog, but I’m more than just an amateur film critic, dear reader – I’m a human being, too. I have dreams and desires. And plans. Plans for the Academy Awards this Sunday!
Although I’m not an indiscriminate fan of the film industry – I’ve got problems with the MPAA and the current trend for films to be painfully unoriginal, to name a few – I do make it a habit to watch the Oscars every year. It’s kind of my Super Bowl, not being into sports and all.
I usually have a few people over and we play an Oscars drinking game. Every year since I started doing this (2008), I’ve managed to catch at least all of the Best Picture nominees prior to the awards show (the exception being last year when I missed three of them – The Kids Are All Right, True Grit, and Winter’s Bone).
This year, all of those traditions were in jeopardy. I no longer live at my own place, I’ve yet to see four of the Best Picture noms, and, much to my surprise, Google couldn’t provide me with a single Oscars drinking game for the show this year.
But James A. Janisse, Analytic Critic, is no quitter. No siree.
I made accommodations as far as my living arrangements go so that I can still have some peeps over, I’m devoting the next four days to catching up on Oscar fare, and I’ve decided that I’m experienced enough in this whole “Oscar Drinking Game” situation that I can make my own.
So come here on Sunday and join me as I live-blog the Oscars. The live-blogging will get progressively more awesome as I continuously succumb to the first-ever Official JAJ Oscars Drinking Game (2012). I’m posting my unGodly creation below so that you can join me in this inebriating affair. See you on Sunday!
The Official JAJ Oscars Drinking Game (2012)
- Take 1 drink any time…
- …someone mentions Uggy the dog.
- …someone makes a (liberal) political statement.
- …someone mentions Whitney Houston.
- …someone says “Wow” during their acceptance speech (1 drink per “wow”)
- …the camera cuts to Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie
- Take 2 drinks any time…
- …someone thanks God in their acceptance speech.
- …someone says “Scorsese”.
- …someone says something that gets censored.
- …a muppet appears onscreen.
- …Billy Crystal makes reference to his hosting experiences in the past.
- Take 3 drinks any time…
- …someone’s acceptance speech gets interrupted by the orchestra playing them off.
- …someone makes a (conservative) political statement.
- …someone makes a reference to The Tree of Life being weird, experimental, pretentious, etc.
- …there’s a mention of Michael Fassbender getting screwed over in these awards.
- …there’s a reference to Twilight.
And the part of the game that will really test your resilience:
For every award being given, before the winner is announced, say:
1.) Which nominee you want to win
and
2.) Which nominee you expect to win
- If the winner is the nominee you want to win, congratulations! Take 1 drink!
- If the winner is the nominee you expect to win, you’re so smart! Take 2 drinks!
- If the winner is a nominee you neither wanted or expected to win, learn from your mistakes! Take 3 drinks!
- If the winner is the nominee that you both wanted and expected to win, nice job! GIVE 3 drinks out to someone else! (suggestion by Reddit user ajcfood)
Good luck on Sunday to all the Oscar nominees, and good luck to all of our livers!
–James A. Janisse
Fatal Attraction (1987)
Fatal Attraction was a huge deal when it was released in 1987. Not only was it the highest grossing film of the year, it also gained 6 Oscar nods, including Best Picture. Somehow I managed to remain relatively unaware of the film until recently, when I was able to experience it in all of its infamy.
Fatal Attraction looks at the repercussions of extramarital affairs, especially when said affairs are with a psychotic woman. This particular psychotic woman is Alex Forrest, played by Glenn Close. Alex appears to suffer from a violent form of borderline personality disorder, prone to emotional reversals and manipulative behavior. Alex becomes obsessed with the man she knows is married. Michael Douglass plays the cheating husband, Anne Archer the hapless wife.
Close is clearly the highlight of the film. Sometimes she is frighteningly manic, and other times overbearingly sweet – both modes equally disturbing. One of the more terrifying things about Alex Forrest is her intelligence compared to her emotional maturity. She is clever in all the ways she gets around Douglass’s avoidance, but also cries and cuts herself when she doesn’t get her way. She’s like an intelligent, violent toddler that Douglass can’t get rid of. Glen Close gives a performance that may very well end up in your nightmares.
The film excels in thrills and suspense, and even dips into the horror genre for its memorable finale. Director Adrian Lyne spins the story out with a very effective touch. There are a number of scenes with great intercutting, including Close catatonicaly turning a light on and off, and the infamous boiling bunny sequence. Other scenes are brilliant in tone, like the claustrophobic library where Douglass confides in a colleague amidst heavy breathing and tall book cases.
The suspense builds steadily as Close goes further and further with her infatuation, and the movie keeps up pace. I’m pretty sure the sound of the phone ringing gets increasingly louder. By the last act, the phone’s ring sounded more terrifying than any big budget sound effect – all it took was simple conditioning. Well played, Mr. Lyne.
My only issue with the film is that it seems somewhat unlikely for Douglass and Close to end up having an affair in the first place. Douglass slips into bed with her very casually, making it seem like he’s done this frequently before. If that’s the case, then I don’t feel as much pity for him, even if he is get stalked. As for Close’s character, it seems dubious that she should have so steady a job with an affliction so serious, but maybe she was fine before old cheatin’ Douglass came around and messed up her world.
Fatal Attraction may have been made in the 80s, but the only thing that seems dated is the attire. It’s still an effective thriller that maintains constant suspense, and Glen Close delivers one of the best female antagonist performances I’ve ever seen. This is easily one of the greatest thrillers ever made. It should not be missed.
Final rating: 9/10
–James A. Janisse
