I live in the south of France and have been watching the build-up to this years Academy Awards on the international, mainly BBC, news. They don’t seem to bother about the event here in France so there’s no ‘atmosphere’ surrounding it.
I remember back, when I was a kid, Oscar night was exciting…Dad would buy bags of sweets and popcorn and, after the news and ‘This Day Tonight’ was finished, we’d sit down to enjoy the Awards. All four hours of them.
All day the news broadcasts would tell us how the event was going, who had won what, and in our house, we would try our best not to listen so the results would be a surprise that night. It wasn’t easy though, Dad liked his news and his newspaper in the evening, and if you weren’t careful you’d learn who all the winners were.

I remember the Oscars in March 1977 when ‘Rocky’ scooped the trophies. The ‘Rocky’ bug bit me too and over the following months I went to the cinema 13 times to see that movie.

I saw it at the Odeon on the waterfront opposite the Fun Pier in Manly, the Metro across from South Steyne beach in Manly, and at the new big complex in George Street, just down from the old Regent theatre. After that we’d go to ‘Pancakes on the Rocks’ for a feed and then back on the ferry for the ride back home to Manly. Only rarely could we afford the Hydrofoil and then it was a special treat!.

Unfortunately the Oscars are not broadcast here as they are in Oz, all you get are ‘edited highlights’ that might last an hour or so and it just is not the same. If you subscribe to SKY you can watch it live…but only after midnight due to the time difference between France and the USA.
Anyway, while I’m watching those ‘edited highlights’ I’ll be remembering sitting down on the floor in the loungeroom, struggling to stay awake for the Best Actor award right at the end of the four hour broadcast…and usually not lasting the distance. Dad would always end up picking me up off the floor and putting me to bed.

And I miss that.