The wizard of Oscar and ch-ch-changes
Mark your calendars and get your popcorn and Milk Duds ready.
The Academy Awards, the pat-on-the-back movie awards telecast that matters the most, lights up ABC on March 2.
Who do you like for Best Actor? It's a very strong race this year, with Texan Matthew McConaughey the odds-on front runner for his gritty performance in Dallas Buyers Club.
My heart belongs to Bruce Dern's brilliant, downplayed turn as the elder looking for new hope in the form of a million dollar contest payoff in Nebraska. The Hollywood Reporter's Scott Feinberg sums up the Best Actor race nicely.
Click here for the Hollywood Reporter link and let me know who you favor.
Movie Memories updates and changes
Because of some very exciting personal news (a beautiful new grandbaby in the family), Movie Memories is widening its central target area to include San Antonio and Central Texas as well as the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
For all our loyal Metroplex clients, supporters and fans, nothing will change. I will be in Dallas at least two or three days every week and more often when my Movie Memories speaking schedule requires.
The addition is that we'll now be including San Antonio, otherwise known as the original land of The Jalapeno Guy film critic 1-4 jalapeno rating system and my exciting times as movie critic at the San Antonio Express-News, the San Antonio Light, KMOL-TV, KABB-TV and Magic 105-FM radio, into the mix.
For those of you in San Antonio who may not be familiar with Movie Memories, it's a speech/presentation series dedicated to celebrating the magic of the movies, both classic and contemporary. It goes way beyond merely showing movie clips and talking about my 30-plus years reviewing movies and traveling the world interviewing A-list movies stars.
We'll go behind the scenes of movies you think you know everything about, such as Casablanca, It's a Wonderful Life and more, and I'll share some personal -- sometimes painful -- memories; such as the time I made the late, great Paul Newman cry.
So if you haven't already done so, click around on the Movie Memories website, especially on the Presentations link.
Movie Memories presentations, lasting a little over an hour, are available for groups large and small, clubs, business meetings, conventions and senior living facilities and centers.
Please make note of the new telephone number to book Movie Memories.
It's 214-364-7364.
Hello again, San Antonio. I'll see you at your Movie Memories presentation.