Showing posts with label oscars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label oscars. Show all posts

Thursday, February 20, 2014

...short and sweet...

I'm regularly impressed with people who can communicate what they want to say clearly and succinctly. For this reason, I've always been drawn to short stories, and last summer I developed a love affair with short films.

So tonight I went to the Tivoli Theatre to catch a late show of the Oscar nominated live action shorts.

The Tivoli, which opened in 1924 on the Delmar Loop, shows mostly independent and foreign films. The interior structure is beautifully ornate and well maintained and the walls are peppered with old movie posters and Hollywood memorabilia. Walking through it's halls is like stepping back in time.

Andy had never been to the Tivoli, and he couldn't remember the last time that he had been in a movie theater that didn't have stadium seating. But that didn't matter. Anyone in this intimate gathering of 7 strangers would be able to see the screen.

Having never been to see something like this before, I wasn't sure what to expect. I was surprised to find that many of thse short films were quite long, at least, longer than the 10 minutes that I had previously associated with this genre.

Andy fell asleep during the first two films, and while I considered waking him up, he looked so peaceful. After being jolted awake by the ending of the second film, he moaned as the next title blazed across the screen. No! he grumbled. Not 30 minutes of subtitles!

Andy can't bear subtitles, mostly because it diverts his eyes from the action. But this little French film was so entrancing, that when it was all said and done, it ended up being his favorite. So don't let a dislike of subtitles deter you from seeing these fine films.

Which one do I think will win? I'm not sure. I'm torn between the visual effects of one and the storyline of another. If you've been contemplating seeing these, do it! They are Oscar nominated for good reason. Then let's start a conversation about our favorites.

Looking for more information on the Oscar nominated shorts? Click here. Tivoli showtimes? Click here.