I am trying to figure this out and cannot. I have very little interest in seeing anything at the movies right now. Almost everything out there, at best, stirs up luke warm interest and a passing, "I can wait for it on HBO" attitude, as in the last few years, they've been all dark and serious, overrated IMO, or generally unappealing to me.

One thing is the shift in movies and what is good vs. what people will see ($$$) vs. what will win come awards season. In recent years, the best reviewed movie has rarely won the Oscar, instead being bested by a politically-bent comment on our times type thing that gets a whopping 75% Tomatometer. And no, I am not whining about Brokeback. The nominee with the best average reviews was Good Night, and Good Luck, followed by Capote with Munich pulling up the rear.

Truth be written, the best movies have often failed to be nominated. Memento! See also...almost anything by Disney/Pixar, being sent to kids' table. Ever since Beauty and the Beast got the nod way back when, TPTB freaked the hell out, were not about the award the trophy to a children's movie and created the animation category. Meaning some of the best movies are left out year after year.

Another problem with all the Oscar bait is so many of this year's nominees are great character studies, a showcase of acting or directing talent. Which is well and good but I am not always up to paying $10 just to see so-and-so act for two hours. So while someone may be having a great revival, or turning in a once-in-a-career performance, I want a little more. So things like The Wrestler and Milk will wait for cable, as I do enjoy good performances.

I realize there are only so many slots on the ballot, yet it bugs when better performances are overlooked, and after all this time I am still kinda disillusioned with the Academy for snubbing Kiki for (perhaps what is still her best work) Interview with the Vampire (the year after Anna Paquin won for the boring Piano!!) and think she deserved a nod.

It also irks when performances, IMHO, get placed in the wrong category:

• Juliette Binoche wins supporting for The English Patient, though she was more of a lead than Kristen Scott Thomas
• In Devil Wears Prada Meryl Streep's Devil was secondary to the Anne Hathaway role, but was nominated as lead
• To me Forrest Whitaker's great performance in Last King of Scotland was a supporting role to the (un-nominatated) James McAvoy part
• That same year Oscar snubbed the awesome (supporting or lead, YMMV) performance by Michael Sheen in The Queen; Guess there is pennance for doing cheesy, gothic action crap (okay, I saw the first two)

And yes, I know it's political and TPTB nominate themselves in the category they think they'll win, yada yada. Just like the stupid Emmys, there should be better rules about what qualifies as a lead vs. supporting (vs. what is a standout performance in an ensemble without true leads i.e. George Clooney, Syriana.)

Anyway this is just random clacking of the keys this LINKAPALOOZA, trying to get psyched for the movies and Oscars, and can't. FWIW.