Academy Awards wrapup

The Village Voice reviews the turbulent mixture of Oscar and politics over the history of the award. Includes this joke from the other night:

"What is a movie star?" Oscar host Steve Martin riffed Sunday night. "They can be thin or skinny. They can be Democrats or . . . skinny."

And then Michael Medved ices the issue with this great Opinion Journal article: “The Little People”

Beyond threats of boycotts and petitions (which scare no one), there is a pervasive sense of disillusionment and anger that ought to alarm the industry. For years, Hollywood has promoted messages that neither reflect nor respect the values of everyday Americans. On Oscar night, the contrast between our struggling troops in Iraq and the stars who wouldn't support their efforts proved too glaring to ignore--or forget.

The only movies I plan to see in the theater in 2003 will be the ones with the word “Matrix.”