Falafel, farm life, and the Florida Film Festival. Heartfelt congratulations go out to FFF veterans Ari Sandel and Ali Selim for their award-winning ways this past weekend. Ari's hilarious WEST BANK STORY, a musical comedy about dueling falafel stands and the love between an Israeli soldier and a Palestinian fast-food cashier, had its East Coast Premiere at our 2005 event. How a short from 2005 wins the Oscar for Best Short Film in 2007 I'm not really sure, but the film is a delightful crowd pleaser and as intelligently composed as was his acceptance speech.

The night before Ari's glorious moment at the Academy Awards, Ali Selim's SWEET LAND won Best First Feature at this year's Independent Spirit Awards. This beautiful love story/period piece, about a German immigrant mail-order bride in the American Midwest of the 1920s, had its Southeast Premiere at the 2006 FFF and ended up winning the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature. It also came back to Enzian for a special Meet the Filmmaker event sponsored by Rollins College back in November. We couldn't be more proud that these films were first exposed to Central Florida audiences at the Festival and have gone on to such esteem and honors.

--Matthew

Today's Orlando Sentinel Calendar section has some clever (as usual) commentary from the writer known only as "Commander Coconut," especially in regard to Academy Award trivia. With the Oscars bearing down on us two nights from now, I thought it was worth noting a couple of these that I found particularly interesting.

"Fredo" himself, the late John Cazale, only made five feature films in his abruptly shortened film career (1972-78): THE GODFATHER, THE CONVERSATION, THE GODFATHER PART II, DOG DAY AFTERNOON, and THE DEER HUNTER. He wasn't personally nominated for any of them, but all five were nominated for Best Picture. How's that for picking good projects?

Teresa Wright was nominated for supporting or leading actress for her first three movies in 1941 and 1942: THE LITTLE FOXES, MRS. MINIVER (for which she won), and THE PRIDE OF THE YANKEES. She was never nominated again despite a career that lasted up to 1997's THE RAINMAKER, but her fourth film was probably the best of the lot: Hitchcock's amazing SHADOW OF A DOUBT in 1943.

And Alice Brady won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for IN OLD CHICAGO in 1937, but wasn't in attendance at the ceremony. A man came up out of the audience and accepted the award on her behalf, and neither he nor the Oscar were ever seen again. Unbelievable!

Remember that if, as expected, DREAMGIRLS' Jennifer Hudson wins an Oscar for her very first movie role, it's not that unusual. In fact, it's been done 13 times before, including Eva Marie Saint, Julie Andrews, Tatum O'Neal, Marlee Matlin, and even Babs herself (for FUNNY GIRL in 1968).

So, happy viewing. May you all win your Oscar pools, and may THE DEPARTED sure as hell win something major if there's any justice in the world!

--Matthew

Those of you out there from my generation who grew up in the sixties may know who I'm talking about, but not many others would. We're not talking Elvis here, but rather a gentleman by the name of Eddie Feigner who passed away last weekend at the age of 81 with little fanfare.

Eddie was the leader of a four-man fast-pitch softball team called The King and His Court, that had to be seen to be believed. For 55 years he toured the country, playing exhibition games against all comers (and 9-man teams!) in little league fields and ballparks everywhere. Growing up in Rockland County, NY, I have vivid memories of seeing what was kind of like the softball version of the Harlem Globetrotters. He was completely unhittable, amassing over 140,000 strikeouts in his career, and was so good that even Major League Baseball hitters couldn't touch him. Legend has it that in 1967, he struck out, in order, Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Brooks Robinson, Willie McCovey, Maury Wills, and Harmon Killebrew. Eddie was so popular in his heyday that there was even a female offshoot of the team called The Queen and Her Court, and I remember she was pretty amazing as well.

Maybe someone will do a movie about him someday. Certainly a piece of Americana is gone, but I'm at least happy I got to experience such a unique (and entertaining) talent as a boy. Rest in peace Eddie.

--Matthew

Not a phrase one would be inclined to hear in general conversation, but these actual words came out of the mouth of my girlfriend, Jackie. It seems the tan one with the mole was the focal point of a bizarre dream she had the night she started a new spinning class. Mmmmm...all of you dream interpreters feel free to get in touch if you have a clue what it all means.

Winners and Losers: Congratulations to the staff and organizers of FilmSlam #2 this past weekend at Enzian for another successful event, and of course the winner of February's Audience Award: Felix Ortiz, for his music video, IT'S A PARTY. Honorable mentions go out to 5 BOROS and THE LAST WORD.

Talk about no job security--Marty Schottenheimer, head coach of the 14 - 2 San Diego Chargers and one of five coaches all-time with 200 wins or more, gets canned because General Manager AJ Smith obviously hates his guts. This may have been the most dysfunctional relationship in the entire NFL.

And hell must have frozen over because the Duke men's basketball team has a losing record in the ACC and is out of the top 25 for the first time in ten years. If they lose tonight it will be their first ever five game losing streak under Coach K. It is kind of hard to believe...

--Matthew

So what exactly was she? Model? Actress? Reality star? Sex bomb? Gold digger? Obviously a trainwreck, but have you ever seen a woman go from so incredibly hot to unbelievably grotesque (and back!) in such a short time. Sometimes you'd see her and she'd look like the reincarnation of Jayne Mansfield, and at the time of her frightening reality show a few years ago she was like Divine (on a bad day and on bad drugs). So she definitely wasn't as talented as Marilyn or Jayne or even Jenny McCarthy for that matter, and she did marry an 89-year-old billionaire for his money (did she ever get any of it by the way?), but you do have to feel a little sad at the way her abbreviated life turned out--she gives birth to a baby daughter (who's the daddy?) and her grown son dies visting her in the hospital just a few days later. And now she's gone at 39. Maybe it was the abuse her body took with all that weight fluctuation and god knows what else she's ingested. How's that TrimSpa stock flyin'?

I guess she didn't have to wait till old age and retirement to pass away in South Florida. Let's hope that baby girl is taken care of.

--Matthew

Some final thoughts and odd stats on the Colts long-awaited Super Bowl championship. Peyton Manning becomes the first QB ever to win a Super Bowl after throwing twice as many interceptions as touchdowns (7-to-3) in the postseason. Even with superstar receivers Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison on the roster, Colts tight end Dallas Clark led the playoffs in receiving yards (first time that's been done in over 40 years) and rookie running back Joseph Adai led in total receptions (first time that's been done in over 30 years). Those two stats are a true barometer of how good a QB Peyton Manning really is, taking what the defense gives him and not forcing the action. Obviously it was a winning formula.

More weirdness: the NFC has won the coin flip 10 times in a row, yet the AFC is 8 - 2 in those games; in the last four Super Bowls played in Miami, a team has run back a kick-off for a touchdown--all four of those teams lost; the only person Bears QB (and ex-Florida Gator) Rex Grossman outperformed Sunday night was Billy Joel; and Prince seemed to be on the field longer than the Bears offense. And with that back catalog, any idea why he's doing covers of Hendrix/Dylan, Ike & Tina/CCR, and Foo Fighters? He put up a good fight against the elements and there was some tasty lead guitar, but damn--I hate medleys.

Congrats to the classy (ex-Viking coach) Tony Dungy and the rest of the Indianapolis Colts--at least those overrated Chicago Bears didn't win it all.

--Matthew

For those with a sweet tooth, I'm not talking cookies or milk shakes. No, it's an encore appearance of our wet and furry penguin friends this weekend at Enzian. In conjunction with United Arts' ArtsFest celebration, and the Orlando Sentinel's "One Book One Community" program featuring Florence and Richard Atwater's Mr. Popper's Penguins, Enzian is hosting a special free screening of MARCH OF THE PENGUINS this Sunday, February 4, at 11:00 AM. This is the first time that MARCH...will be back on the big screen at Enzian since its record-breaking exclusive Central Florida run back in July of 2005. And to add to the festivities, guests from the Sentinel will be reading excerpts from the children's book beginning at 10.

I believe reservations--which were available at www.redchairproject.com--have been cut off, but there's always good old "Standby." I'd recommend getting to the theater at least an hour ahead of time, and you still may have a decent shot at getting in. Hopefully no one'll switch the film for Bob Saget's recently released spoof, FARCE OF THE PENGUINS--that may not go over so well.

--Matthew