Assignment #4

Oscars Gala attracts movie buffs
By Kip Mooney

The Red Room, a lounge inside Bruce Hall filled with couches and easy chairs, is pitch black Sunday night, save for the glow of the big-screen TV. Some guests tonight are dressed to the nines, in accordance with the requests of signs advertising tonight's event. Others remain in their everyday clothes, all ready for "the biggest movie event of the year."
The crowd (the term used loosely, as only about a dozen or so folks showed up) filled the room with uproarious laughter during Ben Stiller's presentation of the award for Best Cinematography, where he openly mocked Joaquin Phoenix's recent transformation to disheveled rapper.

Resident assistant Arielle LaGuette put on the Oscars Gala this year, and called watching the telecast "one of her favorite times of the year."
LaGuette printed out ballots for each guest, who then made their predictions to see who's picks most closely matched the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Radio, television, and film sophomore Rob Sheehy got 19 of the 24 categories correct.
One of the few Sheehy missed was Best Actor, a category in which he chose his favorite performance.
"I really wanted Mickey Rourke to win," he said. "I liked his performance and I just felt so bad for him in the movie."
Sheehy, unlike many of the guests, saw most of this year's nominated films, with the exception of Stephen Daldry's The Reader. He agreed with many critics and fans that its inclusion among the Best Picture nominees shouldn't have happened.
But the omission that really irked him was Charlie Kaufman's Synecdoche, New York in the Best Original Screenplay category.
"I'm convinced that it didn't get nominated because the Academy can't spell Synecodche," he said.
LaGuette however, defended The Reader, or at least its lead actress (and Oscar winner) Kate Winslet.
"Her roles are always inspiring and she's consistently amazing," she said.
At the end of the night, even when the winner became apparent, the attendees erupted with cheers for director Danny Boyle and the announcement of Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire.