Ah the end of January…..that time of year when New Year’s resolutions have run their course and the guilt has almost faded away. And then this guy comes along. Since he’s a fellow Cornhusker do I get some sort of residual benefits from his dedication???

Oscar nomination day was not something that I was particularly excited about this year. Unlike the last few years there is a noticeable absence of truly great movies this year. The 2 movies that I really enjoyed, Finding Neverland and Phantom of the Opera, are movies that I knew would garner nominations but that I honestly don’t believe will win Oscars. That being said I was disappointed that Phantom was ignored in the Best Picture category and even more disappointed that Emmy Rossum‘s magnificient performance as Christine Daae was overlooked for a best actress nomination. Her performace was truly memorable, all the more so considering the fact that she was just 16 years old when shooting began. On the radio this morning I heard an interview in which Ms. Rossum genuinely expressed how wonderful it would be to receive a nomination and I’m very sorry that her performace was not acknowledged by the Academy.

I was saddened by the news today of Johnny Carson’s death. Mr. Carson was raised in my hometown of Norfolk, Nebraska and his name and presence have always been a big part of the town. Norfolk has always been proud of Johnny Carson, not just because of the fame garnered from many years on the Tonight Show, but because of the type of man that he was when not in the limelight. Mr. Carson contributed much to this small town, giving money towards a new high school several years ago, funding what is now the Carson Cancer Center, and other philanthropic work. In addition to making donations that caught the public eye, Mr. Carson was generous in private as well. For several years my mother worked in a local retirement center in which Mr. Carson’s high school drama teacher lived. Without any fanfare, and often by sneeking in unannounced, he visited this teacher who had meant so much to him and provided for her needs throughout the last years of her life. He was very caring that way. Being allowed to stay up late to catch the beginning of The Tonight Show was always a special treat as a child. Johnny, as a fellow Norfolkan, I wish you “a very heart-felt goodnight”.

Its no secret that I’m a big fan of Tim Burton’s A Nightmare Before Christmas so I was very excited when perusing Ain’t It Cool News today to discover that Mr. Burton has done it again. Halloween 2005 will bring us Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride. (watch the LARGE trailer, the fullscreen one requires an iTunes browser). A sequel to Nightmare has been rumored for years and, while not a true sequel, Corpse Bride looks to carry on the tradition of top-notch stop motion animation and the bizarre imagination of Tim Burton. I’m VERY excited!

More information on this film can be found at the Tim Burton Collective.

I don’t really have anything else to say but, “OUCH!”