Politics make Oscars Buser-Molatore adds
seem like soap opera fair welding to sculpture
By Kristen Tonole
Of The Print
By J. Dana Haynes
Of The Print
ACADEMY AWARDS LIST
Last week, the Academy of Motion Pictures
Arts and Sciences announced the nominees
for the 56th annual. Academy Awards com­
petition. The following is a sample of some of
the races.
Best Film:
To begin, this is not a movie review, per se.
It’s about the Academy Awards nominations,
which were announced last week.
Secondly, this is not a list of predictions on
winners and losers, per se. It’s not even par­
ticularly about the awards ceremony, which will
be held on Monday, April 9. This is about the
“Terms of Endearment”
nominations, which have proven quite fas­
“The Right Stuff”
cinating again this year.
“The Big Chill”
The thing to remember about the Oscars is
“The Dresser”
that politics plays as large a role as talent in the
“Tender Mercies”
event. “Hollywood” is a living, breathing enti­
Best Director:
ty, and It likes some people, dislikes others and
has mood swings. These factors come into play
Peter Yates “The Dresser”
in the Academy Awards and, for me at least,
Ingmar Bergman “Fanny and Alexander”
they’re the soap opera stuff that makes it all so
Mike Nichols “Silkwood”
interesting.
Bruce Beresford “Tender Mercies”
The first and most obvious gem of gossip
James Brooks “Terms of Endearment”
in the nominations is “Yentl” and Barbra Strei­
Best Actress:
sand. As you may recall, Streisand wrote, pro­
duced, directed, co-wrote the music, starred in
and sang all the songs in “Yentl.” To the best Shirley MacLaine “Terms of Endearment”
Debra Winger “Terms of Endearment”
of my knowledge, she wasn’t the best boy or
Jane Alexander “Testament”
transportation captain.
Meryl Streep “Silkwood”
Surprise! Ms. Streisand received no
Julie Walters “Educating Rita”
nominations. Nary a one.
Streisand has never been popular with
Best Actor:
Hollywood. She’s brash, opinionated, New-
York based and (reportedly) hard to work with.
Michael Caine “Educating Rita”
Consequently, when a movie comes along with
Tom Conti “Reuben, Reuben”
this much heart, soul and love, Hollywood
Robert Duvall “Tender Mercies”
turns its back. Pity.
Tom Courtnay “The Dresser”
Granted, she probably wouldn’t deserve a
' Albert Finney “The Dresser”
nomination for producer or best score. But her
acting is top-notch, maybe her best ever, and
the directing is superior. Streisand managed to
Pays Cash” by humorist, columnist Gene
bring out great depths from her people and
Shepard.
from the script. She’s been maligned by the
“Christmas” is one of those small,
Academy, I’m afraid.
obscure flicks that don’t get good bookings (it
The next tidbit of interest is the category of
opened here at the Milwaukie Cinema) and are
best actor. Four of the five men up for the
often ignored. It starred Darren McGavin and
statue are English: Michael Caine, Tom Conti,
Melinda Dillon and told the story of a nine-
Tom Courtnay and Albert Finney. The only
year-old boy growing up in a small town in the
Yank in the bunch is Robert Duvall.
30’s, and his mad and brilliant attempts to
Look to Duvall to win this one, since he’s
make sure his folks get him a Red Ryder Car­
Paid His Dues as they say in Tinseltown. He’s
bine Action 200 Shot Range Rifle for Christ­
been around forever and has often been
mas.
overlooked. This one may win it for him.
The movie is pure Americana, in the finest
Best actress will also be a fun one to watch
tradition of Preston Sturgess, Norman
and a tough one to pick. Some railbirds are sug­
Rockwell and Pogo Possum (complete with the
gesting Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger
line said by every mother in history, “You can’t
will knock each other out of the competition,
have that, you’ll put your eye out!”).
the theory being that two strong roles in one
Another movie that should have been men­
movie (“Terms of Endearment”) tend to cancel
tioned was “The Return of the Jedi,” the wrap-
each other out (Ditto Albert Finney and Tom
up to George Lucas’ first Star Wars troika.
Courtnay in “The Dresser,” which has yet to
“Jedi” is wonderful, and the three-part
be released in Portland. Look for a review two
series will probably go down in history along
weeks from now in The Print).
with “The Wizard of Oz” and “Casa Blanca”
On the other hand, Meryl Streep probably
as eternal favorites. “Jedi” is most likely the
won’t win for “Silkwood,” as she won last year
last Star Wars movie and deserved a nomina­
for “Sophie’s Choice.” Jane Alexander hasn’t
tion for best flick.
“Paid Her Dues” yet (she’s up for
Walt Disney productions has finally hit
“Testament”) and newcomer Julie Walters
home, after a decade or two of dismal drollery.
(“Educating Rita”) is A) a rookie, B) English,
“Something Wicked This Way Comes” was
and C) not Hollywood-ish. So that brings us
released last summer. It is based on Ray Brad­
full-circle back to Winger and MacLaine.
bury’s classic tale of ultimate evil and stars
Any bets on MacLaine walking away with
Jason Robards as the perfect, small-town, sim­
the statuette?
ple hero (a classic American character) and
In the best flick category, “The Dresser” is
Englishman Jonathon Pryce as Mister Dark
getting rave reviews in New York and L.A., and
(owner of the Cooger and Dark Pan-American
may get the nod. But English films won best
Pandemonium and Shadow Show), the essence
picture for the last two years with “Gandhi”
of Evil (capital E).
and “Chariots of Fire.” Will England take the
Robards and Price are sensational as early
category for an unprecedented three years in a
20th century, American Othello and Iago. Both
row? Probably not, but then I didn’t think
should have been nominated as should the
foreign flicks could win two years in a row,
movie itself.
either.
Of course, all of this is neither here nor
One aspect of this year’s bunch and every
there. Every year, everyone has some complaint
year’s bunch is the no-shows: Those flicks and
about the Academy Awards nominations. But
persons who have been overlooked.
that’s part of what makes the Oscars such a joy.
For me, there are two or three movies that
It really is soap opera-like, with hidden in­
should have appeared, but were too small or of
trigues, dark horses, sure bets and surprise up­
the wrong genre for Hollywood.
sets.
The first is “A Christmas Story,” based on
Now that’s entertainment!
the book “In God We Trust: Everyone Else
Page 6
A new art class is being
offered this spring for any
students interested in welded
sculpture.
. It will be taught by
Welding Instructor Jeff Buser-
Molatore, who has a degree in
sculpture attained at the
University of Oregon.
The format for the class
will be to have students 'Work
out their own designs and
adapt them in a way that
might be easily executed in
steel. They will then learn the
necessary skills to weld their
sculptures using the equipment
in the shop.
“The class is unique in
that people will not only be
able to work with the welding
stuff in the art department,
but they will also have access
to the thousands of dollars
worth of equipment in the
welding shop. There is not an
art school in the state that has
a fraction of the equipment we
have in welding,” Buser-
Molatore said.
Buser-Molatore is op­
timistic about turn-out for the
class because it was offered
four years ago in the summer
and was popular then. Unfor­
tunately, due to a heavy
teaching load, he has had no
time to offer it since then. “I
think it’s a good opportunity
for students because they will
all leave the class with a finish­
ed piece of art work to take
home, some newly acquired
welding skills, and a lot better
understanding of the in­
dustrial and technological
aspects that have become so
popular in the art world,’’ he
said.
Students who are in­
terested in taking the class can
find it in the spring schedule
under Art 291-Welded Sculp­
ture. It will be taught on
Fridays from 12-4 p.m. and is
worth 2 credits of transferable
art.
Jeff Buser-Molatore
Photo by Shelley Stone
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Clackamas Community College