"It's the Deep Breath Before the Plunge"

When it comes to the pre-Oscar awards season, the National Board of Review want their "first!" status back after last year's fumble. They'll kick off 'Christmas for the Studios' on December 6th with their annual spread - the - wealth gift basket. No studio should live in fear of coal in their stocking. They'll all get one or two specially wrapped gifts. 'Round about the same time (if not sooner) Peter "blurbwhore" Travers of Rolling Stone and a smattering of other long lead critics will begin announcing their "Top Ten Movies of the Year" And then --da-dum! -- on December 14th, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association throws the snowball that becomes the avalanche of Awards Season: The Golden Globe Nominations.

For three months thereafter we're buried in it.

It's an exciting, draining, maddening time of year: full of "hooray !!!"s, "ARGH"s, and "huh ?!?"s for all of us playing at home. So, before Awards Season hits I need a wee break to psyche myself up for that three month orgy of AWARDS! LISTS! OSCARS! When I come back it'll be awards season plus more of the usual and the unusual: Moulin Rouge! recap, conflicted notes on Notes on a Scandal, and more on the personal canon.

To tide you over during my break you'll be hearing from three fine bloggers: my pals Gabriel (of ModFab infamy), JA (of My New Plaid Pants obsessing) and Catherine (of I Am Screaming and Punching Myself hilarity).

I'm off for a week. Mwah.