Buon giorno, Sneakercinos! A new week brings us a new episode of Sneaky Dragon. This week Ian and Dave discuss the weather – no, really; begin an argument from last week again – Dave just won’t let go of that bone; they discuss the Academy Awards – interestingly, NOT the Academy Awards that are just coming up; they talk a little bit about The Imitation Game and Dave wonders why gays can’t actually be gay in movies; Dave discusses an interesting experience last week: trying to draw like Al Hirschfeld, which he discovered is a lot harder than it looks; Ian is worn out from not sleeping and preparing his live James Bond extravaganza; Dave boasts about what a deep sleeper he is; Ian and Dave discuss copyright laws and the use of copyrighted characters in art – Dave’s attitude may surprise you; and, finally, Ian gives some bad, bad podcast listening advice and we ask everyone to ignore him.
Well, we don’t have to plug Ian’s James Bond Live at the Rio Theatre this week, but we’d like to thank all the Sneakers who made it out to the show and helping to make it an awesome night for Ian and the cast!
Thanks for listening.
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I was so exhausted putting together James Bond Live! that I barely remember anything we talked about. Which makes this episode new to me too!
The first James Bond Live show, Coldfinger, was well worth Ian getting sleep-deprived! Can’t wait for Saskatoonraker!
Re: Whiplash. My choir director (also a drummer) is usually pretty easy-going but he HATED it for its unrealistic portrayal of the music teaching process! I had a similar problem with Natalie Portman’s character in Black Swan. A chick that disturbed is never going to rise to the level of prima ballerina in a dance company! I guess you have to suspend your disbelief and say to yourself, “What if…there was a movie about an abusive music teacher or a psychotic dancer? It might go a little something like this…”
JK Simmons has great range. Not only can he play a uber-sadistic neo-Nazi prisoner, he can also do good guy roles like the police chief on The Closer, or the Dad in Juno
(or the Dad in the short “Jewno” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQE045CkDpY )
Re: Gay Romantic Comedies. I have to go all the way back to 1993 to find my favourite in the genre: Ang Lee’s The Wedding Banquet. It’s from the sub-genre of “grown son reluctant to come out to traditional parents from an ethnic background.” Canada made a couple of these (Touch of Pink and Mambo Italiano).
Did you notice the Canadian television trailer for The Imitation Game gave no hint that Turing is gay or that gay issues are part of the story? What, was the distributor hoping to trick a few homophobes into seeing the movie?! Or maybe the producers didn’t want their project to be pigeon-holed as a tormented gay character Oscar bait movie (see: Philadelphia, Boys Don’t Cry, Monster, Brokeback Mountain, A Single Man. Seems the Academy voters prefer their gays sad.)
Hey Louise
I agree with everything you say except the marketing/distribution folks…
You give them far too much credit! LOL!
Hope you have a good one
Jenn
A few years ago the Oscars changed the rules on how voting for the best picture category works, as a result vote splitting is no longer possible. Voters must rank the nominees to determine the winner.
Vote splitting can happen in other categories, but not in best picture. The awards are still kind of B.S. and I agree with most of your complaints about the Oscars. However, I still view the ordeal as useful: the academy often highlights movies I have not seen or heard of, that are worth my time.
If you desire more details or clarification on how voting in the best picture category changed, this link is pretty helpful http://www.goldderby.com/cms/view/209/
Regarding caricatures: that’s why I only do Simpsons-style portraits. Everyone looks goofy in the Matt Groening style, and exaggerated features just add to the charm. Plus they only take 5 minutes. Downsides: people without distinguishing facial features, interesting hair, or accessories, end up looking super generic. Also, it’s much harder to capture the likeness of someone with a strong jawline or underbite.
Dave did a fine job with the Hirschfeld-style drawing, by the way! I’ve never attempted it myself but I’m sure it’s much harder than it looks.
Thanks, Nina!
The tricky part with the Hirschfeld drawing was trying to ape his style and also draw something that he’s never drawn before: namely, us.
Doing the title card for your show appearance, I still felt bad drawing us in the Simpsons style. I just want to make everyone look young and cute!
The weird thing if you did it would be sneaking the word “NINA” into it. It’d just seem egotistical.
Great show again…my Ian fell asleep (as usual) but I lie in bed giggling into one of the 8 throw pillows I adorn it with each day….
The Oscars are crap, I know this because the only people talking about them on my Facebook are bored housewives….(apologies to any of you sensitive women out there).
I couldn’t give a rats ass who wins what, who wears what, who’s had their boobs, nose chin, face done…the last good film I saw was motorcycle diaries years ago….I avoid the pictures at all cost…
Would rather watch indie short films on YouTube some are fairly entertaining…
Hope everyone’s well
Jenn
Post Script: finished my shawl and a few charity pieces guess who’s next on the needles?!?! (c:
Excited!
IMPORTANT!!!
My Ian ordered some t shirts….did he have you send them to our myusa address? If not let me know and I’ll send you the addy so the shipping isn’t so much….
Best
Jenn
Hi Jenn,
We did get your order with your US address. Ian picked up the shirts today so I will be popping them in the mail tomorrow. It’s Sneaky Dragon Thursday!
This is true, they’re in Hellkitty Studios right now. Using them for some light dusting then getting them right off to you!
Like my Ian uses his socks to clean his spills up off the floor?