You know when you happen upon a word or phrase, and it really makes an impression? Something in the very sound of it just makes you want to work it into colloquial conversation, whether or not it’s appropriate? I feel that way about many words, like “whilst,” and “peckish,” and “confab,” but I’ve recently happened upon a pair of words that made me snicker and smile: “legendary profanity.”

I discovered this clever turn of phrase while perusing the latest offerings from McCarter Theatre, and naturally, this denotation immediately engaged my full attention. I’ve never been one to shy aware from irreverence; indeed, I enjoy a well-placed cuss word or string of obscenities in the movies I watch (obviously, I cannot go into specifics here, but when I say Goodfellas and The Hangover, you get the picture). Creatively “coarse” language even has wormed its way into popular television shows like How I Met Your Mother and Community (two of the many series I watch religiously each week). But this phrase, this “legendary profanity,” means something more: It connotes something to be esteemed, to be recognized and respected yet it belies naughtiness at its very core. The whole phrase comes together to give one the impression of an experience that promises to be at once vulgar and fabulous. It makes me want to wash my mouth out with a bar of Ivory soap in anticipation of it all.

Well, get the bar soap ready because American Buffalo opens tonight at McCarter Theatre. For those who haven’t experienced “legendary profanity” in the past, American Buffalo is the brilliant handiwork of the acclaimed and award-winning author David Mamet, who is known for such scathing works as Glengarry Glen Ross (for which he won the 1984 Pulitzer Prize; it’s also a fantastic film boasting the likes of Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, and Kevin Spacey); and Speed-the-Plow (most recently on Broadway starring William H. Macy, who brilliantly stepped in for the mercury-poisoned Jeremy Piven), among other countless masterpieces. Brought to McCarter by Chicago’s famed Steppenwolf Theatre Company—one of the great theater ensembles in the country—American Buffalo tells the story of a penetrating battle of friendship versus business, and loyalties tested as three small-time crooks plot the midnight robbery of a buffalo nickel in gritty Chicago. Directed by Amy Morton, it is the ideal showcase for the electrifyingly profane humor and realism that Mamet is famous for. Laughing and cursing? Well, sign me up and call me @?$*&+%#!

Need further convincing? The New York Times simply called American Buffalo “one of the best American plays of the last decade.” Enough said. American Buffalo opens tonight at 7:30 p.m. at McCarter Theatre (91 University Place, Princeton; 609.258.2787 or mccarter.org) and runs through March 28. Time already is running out, so get your tickets now. And don’t forget that post-show bar of soap. —JH

I’ll get to what’s going on around town this week in a whiff; first things first: Let’s talk Oscars®. Last night was memorable, indeed, as it was the second time in its history that the Academy recognized 10 films in the category of Best Picture (the first, in 1943, gave top honors to Casablanca); the very first time a woman walked away with the Best Director award (take that, James Cameron!); and one of maybe three occasions when George Clooney looked less than utterly dashing (seriously, what was up with his hair?). The event as a whole certainly lived up to expectation, because let’s be honest, when a show begins with a song and dance by Neil Patrick Harris, followed by irreverent banter from Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, and ends with an history-making upset in the two biggest categories (Best Picture and Best Director), it’s a great night, to be sure. And an occasion that I found, oddly enough, full of thoughtful “life lessons.” I know what you must be thinking: “Take a lesson from Hollywood? Are you crazy? You’d be better off playing in traffic.” But, hear me out: After reviewing the furiously scribbled notes I made in my trusty Moleskine notepad (one of my favorite things that can be found at Hinkson’s, Paper Source, and Labyrinth Books), I observed that some of last night’s anecdotes really do translate into a practical education. To wit:

Make an entrance. Zoe Saldana, in a striking purple Givenchy couture that very nearly caused a spill of YouTube-worthy proportions, managed to elegantly hike up her voluminous gown in order to safely descend the staircase and present the nominees for Best Short Film. Long dress, short film. Pun intended.

Be patient and good things will come. The Best Animated Short Film, Logorama, took six years to make and was 16 minutes long. Enough said.

Speak your mind. When it was clear that Roger Ross Williams, one of the two filmmakers of Music By Prudence, the winner for Best Documentary Short, was about to hog the entire 30 seconds of allotted speech-making time, his co-winner, Elinor Burket, stepped in front of him and loudly inserted her own thank yous.

Pay attention. How many times did the cameras catch a bored-looking celebrity staring into the ether when someone else was on stage (we saw you, Charlize)? Not a good look. Take a page from Maggie Gyllenhaal’s book: She was appropriately and genuinely rapt and delighted throughout the entire ceremony.

Spit out your gum. There is nothing more unbecoming than a gorgeously turned-out Hollywood starlet like Cameron Diaz masticating her gum like a cow chewing cud. And Morgan Freeman, that goes for you, too: Chawing Trident doesn’t look good on a dude, either.

When at a loss for words, crack a joke. A stunned Sandra Bullock managed to make a coherent, humble, and heartfelt speech that was tastefully hilarious, too: “And Meryl, you know what I think of you and you are such a good kisser.”

If you need to “readjust” yourself, do it in the bathroom. When the audience got to its feet to applaud Sandra Bullock’s win, the cameras panned the audience, capturing the front row and an unimpressed Elisabetta Canalis (a.k.a. George Clooney’s girlfriend) grabbing at her chest to yank up her dress. So wrong.

Get out there and do “it.” Michael Giacchino, who won the Oscar for Best Original Score for the wonderful movie Up, made a polite plea to aspiring filmmakers, composers, and actors: “If you want to be creative, get out there and do it. It’s not a waste of time. Do it. Okay? Thank you.”

Less is more. Tom Hanks presented the Oscar for Best Picture—the very last award at the end of a very long show—and said only, “And the winner is…” Good man.

Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. Courtesy of that wise and wily teenager Ferris Bueller, a.k.a. Matthew Broderick, who was part of the night’s most touching moment: a tribute to director John Hughes.

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And, as promised, a little something to put on this week’s calendar (and with a nod to the topic du jour): Tomorrow, head to The Lewis Center of the Arts at 185 Nassau Street for a free screening of Robert Bresson’s 1966 classic Au Hasard Balthazar, considered to be one of the most profound masterpieces of film (despite the fact that it is about a donkey named Balthazar—and no, I’m not kidding). Perhaps the most highly regarded French filmmaker after Jean Renoir, Bresson created a new kind of cinema through “meticulous refinement of the form’s grammatical and expressive possibilities,” a.k.a. total minimalism. In 13 features over a 40-year career, he held to an uncompromising moral vision and aesthetic that remains unmatched; which makes it a good thing that on Wednesday, March 10 at 7:30 p.m., Tony Pipolo, author of the recently published Robert Bresson: A Passion for Film, will lecture on “The Question of Style in Bresson’s Films.” Bring your Moleskine; you might want to take notes.

Jennifer Henderson is the editor of Princeton Scoop online and a freelance writer who has worked for several magazines, including Vanity Fair, Talk, W, and New Jersey Life. She lives in Princeton with her husband, daughter, and chocolate Labrador. She welcomes any inside scoop on what to do and see in the area. E-mail her at jennifer@princetonscoop.com.

As I sit shining my tiara in anticipation of this evening’s 82nd Annual Academy Awards®, I had a moment to reflect on why I j’adore the Oscars® so much in the first place. You already know that I’m a movie buff; I’m also the first to admit that the proceedings can be slightly over the top and self-congratulatory, and the painfully awkward pre-show coverage doesn’t help matters (the mere sight of Billy Bush or Joan Rivers on the red-carpet sidelines makes me want to pull my ears off my head, however, I won’t lie to you and tell you I skip it; I am typically glued to the T.V. from 6:30 p.m. until the bitter end). I guess I just love the feeling I get after the awards are over: Once the jaws have dropped, the upsets have been set, the tears of the incredulous have been shed, and the fashion do’s and don’ts have left the building, I find myself getting more than a little bit inspired by these people who have made good—real good—by realizing their dreams so … well … spectacularly. It all makes me want to try a little bit harder at accomplishing my own goals, whether it’s finally writing that Great American Novel or properly organizing my desk. I always walk away feeling more motivated than I had been five hours earlier, and oh-so grateful that I don’t have to sashay across a stage as slippery as an ice floe in five-inch heels in front of 36 million people (Oscars® Trivia: the number of viewers who watched the 2009 show).

Of course, the duties of my self-appointed role as your purveyor of all things Oscar® wouldn’t be complete without posting the actual list of this year’s nominees in its entirety. For all of you wildly enthusiastic awards-show viewers (like me), check out the real-time countdown to the live broadcast, which begins at 8 p.m. on ABC (and for those who especially enjoy the torture, the live red carpet coverage begins on E! at 6 p.m.).

And so, I propose  you put aside the pomp and circumstance that is the Academy Awards®, and simply revel in the mad talent on display (personally, I’m pulling for Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker; if you haven’t seen it, do yourself a favor and watch it On Demand now).

P.S. There will be a quiz on Monday.

Nominees for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards®

Best Picture
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

Best Actor
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

Best Actress
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

Best Supporting Actor
Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Mo’Nique, Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire

Best Director
James Cameron, Avatar
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Lee Daniels, Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air

Best Animated Feature
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of Kells
Up

Best Foreign Language Film
Ajami (Israel)
The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos), Argentina
The Milk of Sorrow (La Teta Asustada), Peru
The Prophet (Un Prophète), France
The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band), Germany

Best Screenplay (Original)
The Hurt Locker, written by Mark Boal
Inglourious Basterds, written by Quentin Tarantino
The Messenger, written by Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman
A Serious Man, written by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
Up, screenplay by Bob Peterson and Pete Docter; story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, and Tom McCarthy

Best Screenplay (Adapted)
District 9, written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
An Education, screenplay by Nick Hornby
In the Loop, screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, and Tony Roche
Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire, screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
Up in the Air, screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

Best Music (Original Score)
Avatar, James Horner
Fantastic Mr. Fox, Alexandre Desplat
The Hurt Locker, Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
Sherlock Holmes, Hans Zimmer
Up, Michael Giacchino

Best Music (Original Song)
“Almost There” from The Princess and the Frog, music and lyrics by Randy Newman
“Down in New Orleans” from The Princess and the Frog, music and lyrics by Randy Newman
“Loin de Paname” from Paris 36, music by Reinhardt Wagner and lyrics by Frank Thomas
“Take It All” from Nine, music and lyrics by Maury Yeston
“The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from Crazy Heart, music and lyrics by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Best Art Direction
Avatar, art direction by Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; set decoration by Kim Sinclair
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, art direction by Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro; set decoration by Caroline Smith
Nine, art direction by John Myhre; set decoration by Gordon Sim
Sherlock Holmes, art direction by Sarah Greenwood; set decoration by Katie Spencer
The Young Victoria, art direction by Patrice Vermette; set decoration by Maggie Gray

Best Cinematography
Avatar, Mauro Fiore
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Bruno Delbonnel
The Hurt Locker, Barry Ackroyd
Inglourious Basterds, Robert Richardson
The White Ribbon, Christian Berger

Best Costume Design
Bright Star, Janet Patterson
Coco Before Chanel, Catherine Leterrier
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Monique Prudhomme
Nine, Colleen Atwood
The Young Victoria, Sandy Powell

Best Documentary Feature
Burma VJ, Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller
The Cove, Nominees to be determined
Food, Inc., Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers, Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
Which Way Home, Rebecca Cammisa

Best Documentary Short
China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province, Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill
The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner, Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant, Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
Music by Prudence, Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
Rabbit à la Berlin, Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra

Best Film Editing
Avatar, Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua, and James Cameron
District 9, Julian Clarke
The Hurt Locker, Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
Inglourious Basterds, Sally Menke
Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire, Joe Klotz

Best Makeup
Il Divo, Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
Star Trek, Barney Burman, Mindy Hall, and Joel Harlow
The Young Victoria, Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

Best Short Film (Animated)
French Roast, Fabrice O. Joubert
Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty, Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell
The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte), Javier Recio Gracia
Logorama, Nicolas Schmerkin
A Matter of Loaf and Death, Nick Park

Best Short Film (Live Action)
The Door, Juanita Wilson and James Flynn
Instead of Abracadabra, Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström
Kavi, Gregg Helvey

In honor of Oscar week (since when did this become a “week,” like “Super Bowl Week” or the week between Christmas and New Year’s?) and in honor of my home state, I’m selecting the most prominent movies set in New Jersey. However, a bit of clarification is in order: I consider N.J. my home state even though I wasn’t born here. I’ve lived here longer than any other place, which is odd because I’ve actually lived half of my life south of the Mason-Dixon Line, but not the other half of my life north of it due to living overseas for a few years. Oddly enough, about one-quarter of N.J. lies south of the aforementioned line. But I digress … again. So here’s the list.

The Toxic Avenger (1984): This has got to be one of the tops. Shocking that it was never nominated for an Oscar®, but it is funny, funny, funny. Campy, too. But why does Jersey always get such a bad name and always is associated with toxic waste? Okay, we’ve got a lot of Superfund sites, but they’re concentrated in a few towns, counties—fine, regions. However, the majority of the state is very pretty, really. Sweah ta Gawd.

Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle (2004): Simply put, very funny and written by two guys from my high school. It’s a bit geographically challenged in that I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t have to drive all the way from somewhere in North Jersey to Cherry Hill to find a White Castle. Neil Patrick Harris as a deranged version of himself is one of the highlights of the film. A good Saturday night watch—after the kids are in bed. According to the White Castle Web site, the closest one is in New Brunswick, a.k.a. Hub City (despite the movie situation of it being closed down). It made for good cinema, but not good enough to garner a nomination. What does the Academy know about entertainment?

The Wedding Singer (1998): Adam Sandler is pretty funny, although Happy Gilmore is his opus. Having come of age in N.J. in the 1980s, this movie is almost uncomfortably, painfully funny to watch with regard to the clothes and music. I don’t think Sandler gives enough to the Academy. He’s 0 for 36, but he does have a Golden Globe® nomination.

A Beautiful Mind (2001): The mostly true story (or so I’ve heard) of John Nash, the brilliant mathematician from Princeton and his battle with mental illness. He actually lives not too far from here, in Princeton Junction. If you’ve ever known someone who has suffered psychologically, this can be an emotionally moving movie. Nominated for eight Academy Awards®, winning four including Best Actress (Jennifer Connelly), Best Director (Ron Howard), Best Picture, and Best Adapted Screenplay (Akiva Goldsman).

Clerks (1994): Can’t leave out this indie classic with Jay and Silent Bob by Jersey born and raised director and writer Kevin Smith. While it won awards at Cannes and Sundance, it never got the nod from the Academy.

Friday the 13th (1980): One of the classic teen slasher horror movies, and one that started the genre. I remember the first time I watched it on HBO: It was a rainy night and we lived on a lake in North Jersey not too far from Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital. Think I was scared? More like petrified. It obviously scared Oscar stiff, cause this one was left out, too.

Desperately Seeking Susan (1985): If you graduated from high school in the mid 80’s, you probably saw this one on a date. So, it’s time to order it from Netflix and watch it with your kids. It was one of Madonna’s first flicks, and despite Rosanna Arquette winning a Golden Globe® for Best Performance by an Actress, it somehow slipped the Academy’s mind.

Big (1988): Back when Tom Hanks was a younger man (pun intended). While the movie doesn’t entirely take place in N.J., a good chunk of it does. The scene with Hanks telling Elizabeth Perkins that she can spend the night but he gets to be “on top” (the top bunk, that is), is still funny 22 years later. This one got Oscar®’s attention and was nominated for three of those golden statues including Best Actor nod for Hanks.

The Godfather: Part III (1990): You can’t go wrong with this part of the peerless Godfather trilogy. And despite being nominated for seven Academy Awards®, it won zero. It’s the only one of the trilogy not to win at least one Oscar®.

I’ve listed nine movies here. Yes, I know there are a lot more set in Jersey—Jersey Girl, Wise Guys, The Wrestler, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Cheaper By The Dozen (the 1950 version), and many others. However, that’s why I’m supplying a link to a list of movies set in the Garden State. Have at ‘em. Yooz got a problem wit dat? Cause if yooz do, I know dis guy …

The writer of The Balanced Guy, Roman Horoszewski, is not particularly balanced but he’s trying to be. He makes an effort by not only doing “guy stuff,” but also by spending time with his three sons and wife while attempting to remain informed about the world around him. He and his family live in the Princeton, N.J. area. His blog is @ http://thebalancedguy.blogspot.com/.

Get Educated: It’s an understatement to say that there are a lot of good films up for Oscar® gold this year—in fact, there are so many that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences allowed the Best Picture category to balloon from five to 10 nominees just to include them all. Thus, educating yourself on the movies of the night is a fabulous way to impress your friends and clinch that annual office Oscar® pool. First, get thee to a theater: The Princeton Garden (160 Nassau Street, Princeton; 609.683.7595 or thegardentheatre.com) currently is showing The Hurt Locker (nominated for nine awards, including Best Picture. Montgomery Cinemas (1325 Route 206, Skillman; 609.924.7444), known for its excellent selection of independent film, is showing not one but five of this year’s nominees: Crazy Heart (three nods, including Best Actor); The Last Station (two noms); A Single Man (one nomination for Best Actor, Colin Firth); The Young Victoria (three including Best Art Direction); and The White Ribbon (two, including Best Foreign Language Film). (And take note: These movies are showing now through Thursday, so be sure to check online for the new weekend schedules.) Now, if you really want to do your homework, head to Labyrinth Books (122 Nassau Street, Princeton; 609.497.1600 or labyrinthbooks.com) and peruse the actual literature that inspired the Best Adapted Screenplays, including Push by Sapphire (a.k.a. Precious) and Up in the Air by Walter Kirn.

Get Your Food On: Now, Wolfgang Puck may have whipped up a six-course menu replete with delicacies like black truffles, espresso glacé, and brandade fritters to feed the guests at the annual Academy Awards® Governors Ball (it’s his sixteenth year as the official chef, by the way), but you certainly don’t have to go to all that trouble (I mean, who really needs a crispy potato galette, anyway?). Keep it simple so you don’t miss any of the red-carpet action: Order out. Me? I’ll be noshing on a 10-ounce Angus Prime burger, medium rare with bleu cheese, from Witherspoon Grill (57 Witherspoon Street, Princeton; 609.924.6011 or witherspoongrill.com) avec the most delectable fries in town, and washing it all down with some Diebolt-Vallois Brut Rosé ($55) from the Princeton Corkscrew Wineshop (49 Hulfish Street, Princeton; 609.430.1200 or princetoncorkscrew.com). And for dessert, true Oscar® inspiration: Thomas Sweet Chocolates (29 Palmer Square, Princeton; 609.924.7222 or thomassweet.com) has movie ticket stubs ($2.50), director’s clapboards ($2.75), and champagne bottles of all sizes (including a life-size one that runs $39.95) made out of their scrumptious chocolate. (Wolfie, you can keep your 24 Carat Chocolate Oscars®, thank you very much.)

Get Ready for Your Close-up: Although most of us aren’t at liberty to spend an entire day getting plucked, waxed, snipped, highlighted, massaged, tweezed, and Botoxed like the Hollywood celebs do in preparation of the big night, I think it isn’t out of the question to schedule a ceremonial facial to get your skin in top paparazzi form. I had one this past weekend at Metropolis Spa & Salon (301 North Harrison Street, Princeton; 609.683.8388 or metropolisspa.com), and it was lovely: Part skincare regimen and part stress release, the facial was a little bit of heaven. Brianna, my delightful technician, primarily used products from the fab SkinCeuticals line (the only lotions I use on my mug), and gave me a neck, shoulder, scalp, and arm massage that was second to none. And, if you have the time, try to squeeze in a quick manicure and/or pedicure and request O.P.I.’s D.S. Classic, a sparkly gold concoction that will give your mitts a lift.

Get Gussied Up: So many stores in town are getting into the spirit of awards season with a bevy of bling and couture to inspire your 15 minutes of fame. If you’re trying to achieve a classic spotlight moment, look no further than jane (my sister-in-law’s fabulous consignment shop/treasure trove; 7 Spring Street, Princeton; 609.683.5263 or janeconsignment.com): She has a selection of gorgeous vintage couture, from Oscar de la Renta to Atelier Alyce, and is offering 20 percent off all things glitz and glam starting today through Sunday. Or, if an L.B.D. (little black dress) is what your fashion sights are set on, Rouge (51 Witherspoon Street, Princeton; 609.921.0280 or rougeprinceton.com) has some gorgeous frocks, including my fave by Daal ($268). Once you’ve got your “canvas” intact, pop on over to Lisa Jones (16 Witherspoon Street, Princeton; 609.683.8002 or lisajonesstyle.com) to properly bauble yourself: a black faux reptile-skin ($38) and silver metallic ($42) clutch, along with fun cocktail rings including a black onyx dome ($24) that I particularly had my eye on, are among the Oscar®-worthy finds.

Get Plugged In: Now, I love nothing more than placing my bets on who’s going to walk away with all of those little gold statues—and being right, natch. So the new Vanity Fair Hollywood App has become the answer to my Oscar®-ballot prayers. Created by some über-savvy pals of mine (props to the great minds at Vanity Fair and Sanborn Media Factory), the Vanity Fair Hollywood App channels the magazine’s massive store of entertainment intelligence into an app that will give you all you need to know to win: You can browse information on all of the nominees; place your votes for your picks; invite your friends to get on board; and track your stellar progress on Oscar® night. And just think about the bragging rights when you take it all home at the end of the night. And don’t worry if you don’t have an iPhone or an iPhone app: You can play the game online at vanityfair.com.

The Oscars® Challenge: If anyone is interested in seeing how they stack up against yours truly, send me an e-mail at jennifer@princetonscoop.com and I’ll get you in on the PrincetonScoop Oscar® pool action via the V.F. Hollywood App. Get ready to place your bets, people!  —JH

There is just so much to discuss today: First, let me welcome you to the first day of March. With all of this melting snow, doesn’t it feel like we’re thisclose to spring? One actually can imagine a time in the not-so-distant future when the wind doesn’t whip through your pants, you don’t have to climb over a snow drift in town to put change in the parking meter, and you can say “goodbye” to those shapeless down parkas. But, let’s forget about the forecast and move on to the real business at hand: It’s Oscars Week! Can’t you just feel the excitement as we inch closer to this Sunday’s festivities? The glitz? The glamour? The red-carpet gaffs waiting to happen? It makes me giddy just thinking about it. And because I take this time of year so very seriously, I thought I’d help you get in the little-gold-men mood by dedicating this week’s blog to all things film—and I may even share some Academy Awards trivia and my Oscar Day traditions with you, too. So, break out your Manolos and Marchesas, your Armani tuxes and your ill-advised man jewelry, and get ready for your close-up (even if your close-up only happens in your bathroom mirror as you accept your hairbrush for Best Actor).

To kick things off, I’d thought I’d do a little sharing: On my bookshelf at this very minute is a tome entitled Men, Women, and Chain Saws by one Carol J. Clover. I would assume that you are asking the natural question: Why on earth would I have such a disturbing-sounding book on my shelf (can we at least agree that it’s one of the cleverest book titles ever?). I’ll tell you why: When I was a freshly scrubbed college undergrad, I minored in film studies, and in my senior year, I did my final advanced seminar in horror. Yes, me, the delicate flower you have gotten to know so well over the course of the past few months used to watch mostly terrifying, occasionally hilarious horror films for school. (Truth be told, it was either horror or a full semester of the Western, and I just couldn’t take the stinted dialogue and tight close-ups of Clint Eastwood’s mouth chewing tumbleweed for three months.) Twice a week, I would discuss social theory as it related to films like Night of the Living Dead (who knew that it was a political commentary on the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement of 1968?); The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Halloween (the original versions, not those silly retreads); and The Exorcist (to this day, still the scariest movie I’ve ever seen). I even wrote my final paper on Stephen King’s Carrie (you know, women’s lib, woman as monster-hero, and all that). And even though, up until that point, I hadn’t watched a horror film since I was frightened into submission by Poltergeist in 1982 (clowns are just plain bad), I found myself slowly becoming a fan, and in time, an aficionado.

So, despite the fact that I am already shaking in my fuzzy slippers (yes, I blog in slippers), I am totally psyched about Rider University’s second annual film symposium,“The Horror Film Symposium: A Mini-Course in Horror,” beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, March 2 through Friday, March 5, at the Lawrenceville campus. Sponsored by the Film and Media Studies program, the symposium will feature various screenings and events, including a student film competition, and lectures and roundtable discussions by Rider faculty and students, as well as outside film scholars and critics. The New Jersey premiere of House (1977) also will take place during the symposium. The cult horror film by Japanese filmmaker Nobuhiko Obayashi had its U.S. premiere last month in New York City, and is described by Dr. Cynthia Lucia, associate professor of English and director of the Film and Media Studies Program, as “the strangest film I’ve ever seen. It combines campy horror with a coming-of-age theme and even musical elements.” Lucia, who also serves as one of the editors of Cineaste, America’s leading magazine on the arts and politics of cinema, said that the winter issue of the magazine includes a special supplement on the horror film, and some of her colleagues from the magazine will be guest speakers at this year’s event. Complimentary issues of the magazine will be available to those attending, natch.

Perhaps “The Horror Film Symposium: A Mini-Course in Horror” will provide you with a new understanding and appreciation of horror films heretofore thought of as the exclusive domain of 16-year-old boys. Or, maybe, it’ll just give you the scare of your life and a good laugh afterward about what a chicken you are. Whatever you decide to do, if you plan on attending the screening of The Exorcist tomorrow at 1:15 p.m., bring a friend. Please. Rider University, 2083 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville; 609.896.5042 or rider.edu.

**Oscar Trivia Time: The only true “horror” film to win Best Picture was The Silence of the Lambs in 1991 (fava beans and Chianti, anyone?). Up until that point, 1973’s The Exorcist was the only horror film to be nominated in the Best Picture category.**

Jennifer Henderson is the editor of Princeton Scoop online and a freelance writer who has worked for several magazines, including Vanity Fair, Talk, W, and New Jersey Life. She lives in Princeton with her husband, daughter, and chocolate Labrador. She welcomes any inside scoop on what to do and see in the area. E-mail her at jennifer@princetonscoop.com.

So, if you were given five minutes in front of a crowd to say anything—“I gave her my heart, and she gave me a pen,” Lloyd Dobler, Say Anything (sorry, but who can resist quoting that movie?)—what would you say? I, for one, would have several potential topics to wax poetic on: the latest season of Project Runway (argument: I don’t care what you say, Seth Aaron is going to clinch it. Jay’s designs are inconsistent and Mila already has color-blocked her way into a corner); or my favorite subject du jour, the snow (discuss: Why is it so pretty coming down and such a pain in the posterior for weeks afterward?). Maybe I would mull the local ice cream preference controversy: Thomas Sweet, The Bent Spoon, or Halo Pub (for the record, I would never turn up my nose at any frozen confection); or persuade people to ditch their Bics and get on the Sharpie Pen train. Maybe I would present the case for universally using the Oxford comma (P.O.V.: some may feel it’s redundant to put a comma in front of an “and” in a list of items, but I surely do not). I might even chat about why it’s imperative for a healthy social life to sign up for the PrincetonScoop newsletters (I mean, how many times do I have to tell you people before you listen?).

Now imagine a whole room full of people all with their own passions, inspirations, professions, who want to enlighten you—but in five minutes or less. Apparently, gabbers the world over already have put together events to allow people like me the opportunity to showcase their thoughts. Well, perhaps that’s underselling the concept a bit, but truth be told, if I was looking for a forum in which to exercise my vocal cords on whatever topic might tickle my fancy, I would have to look no further than The Nassau Inn on Palmer Square.

On Tuesday, March 2, The Nassau Inn will host “Ignite Princeton”: A presentation of talks that are exactly five minutes long, each using only 20 slides that auto-advance every 15 seconds. The content? “Ignite” presenters share their personal and professional passions on life’s imponderables, improbables, and the decidedly offbeat, from orbiting garbage to the intersection between art and commerce. The whole thing sounds like it could be a tad overwhelming, but consider the event’s overarching theme: “Enlighten us, but make it quick.” Public speaking on Red Bull? Brilliant.

“Ignite” was started in Seattle in 2006 by technology “evangelist” Brady Forrest of O’Reilly Media and Etsy.com’s Bre Pettis. Since then, hundreds of five-minute talks have been given around the world—there are thriving “Ignite” communities in Seattle, Portland, Paris, and New York. But the coolest part is that from March 1 through 5, there will be more than 50 Ignite events simultaneously flaring up in cities around the world, from Munich to Montreal, and each will be recorded live and archived on the new “Ignite” video site. Oh-so international, don’t you think? I heard someone refer to it as “a geek’s paradise,” but methinks most of the people in this town could get on board with this global coffee klatch without a second thought.

So, if you think that a case should be made, let’s say just for kicks, against repairing Mercer Street so that it doesn’t take 40 minutes to go two miles, then I suggest you start working on your PowerPoint slides and register now

Doors open at 7 p.m. Warm-up begins at 8 p.m. And at 8:30, the whole thing ignites. “Ignite Princeton” at The Nassau Inn, 10 Palmer Square West, Princeton; 609.921.7500 or igniteprinceton.eventbrite.com. —JH

More than likely, you’ve got antibacterial soap, antibacterial all-purpose cleaners, antibacterial hand sanitizers, and who-knows-what-else anti-germ around your house. Heck, I even received a pair of antimicrobial socks for Christmas this year. That’s all well and good, however, I’ve believed for years that this stuff is simply not healthy. Now, I’m not a doctor or a microbiologist or an epidemiologist (I spelled that correctly on the first try), but I don’t think it takes a rocket scientist or one of the previously mentioned professionals to realize that when you kill off 99.99% of the “bad bugs” with antibacterial products, the 0.01% left over are gonna be the really strong ones that survive only to make more bad bugs that aren’t killed off as easily. A recent study backs me up. And it goes hand in hand with the folk wisdom that kids who play in the dirt are healthier than those who are too clean. Another study backs up this common-sense knowledge, as well. In fact, prior to the modern era—when most people were raised on farms or out in the country—allergies were almost unknown. Even today, populations in industrialized countries suffer a higher incidence of allergies than those in developing nations.

Simply put: Low-level exposure to germs encountered in daily life appears to help build our immune systems. Try and stay too clean and sanitized, and you run the risk of a weakened immune system that tries to fend off super bugs created by using antibacterial products… Exactly the opposite effect a hyper-clean person is trying to achieve.

While the choice is a personal one, my family and I have taken to eliminating antibacterial products in our house. And, with three young boys, the hyper-clean, don’t-let-your-kids-play-in-the-dirt issue has never been a battle we ever attempted to fight. Our challenge is getting them away from the computer and T.V. screens and outside so they actually can get dirty.

The writer of The Balanced Guy, Roman Horoszewski, is not particularly balanced but he’s trying to be. He makes an effort by not only doing “guy stuff,” but also by spending time with his three sons and wife while attempting to remain informed about the world around him. He and his family live in the Princeton, N.J. area. His blog is @ http://thebalancedguy.blogspot.com/.

When I worked in New York City for a hoity-toity magazine publishing company, one of the things that used to make me positively riotous was when one of my lower Manhattan–dwelling co-workers would make a comment about life in “Princeton” or “the place that might as well be the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard in the High Arctic (translation: the most remote place on Earth).” The little witticisms would run along the lines of, “So, what’s going on in Princeton this weekend? A night in front of the tube watching The Ghost Whisperer? Cow tipping? A meeting of the local knitting club?” Driven to the edge of decorum by all the smugness, I took to randomly mumbling things in meetings, in the hall, in the bathroom, like: “Just saw David Sedaris last night. In Princeton.” And, “Grabbed coffee with friends and sat next to Toni Morrison. You know, the Pulitzer Prize–winning author? In Princeton.” Or, “Bruce Springsteen was spotted at a bar having drinks this weekend. Yeah, you heard me: The Boss. Grammy winner, Oscar winner, rock legend. Where was he? In Princeton.”

Of course, you always have those moments when you wished you had remembered to say something particularly clever, like, “Isn’t it funny that I can spit from my front step and hit the building that houses one of the leading university art museums in the country?” And that wouldn’t be a lie: Princeton University houses a collection of 72,000 works unlike any other institution in the country, with artwork that the McSmugs of the world typically associate with “brand-name” museums in New York, London, and Paris. The Princeton University Art Museum offers an impressive range of art from ancient to modern times, including American and Western European painting and sculpture and a growing collection of 20th-century art. Seriously, right under our noses is a collection that includes everything from John Singer Sargent to Claude Monet (see “Water Lilies and Japanese Bridge” above) to Robert Rauschenberg. Impressive, indeed.

And the goings-on at the Museum are ideal for any schedule: Each week, “Gallery Talks” showcases works in the Museum’s collections, new acquisitions, and special exhibitions, led by curators, scholars, docents, faculty, and graduate students. Every Thursday, the Museum hosts “Late Thursdays” and stays open until 10 p.m. to allow visitors to explore the collection on their own time, and enjoy special events and performances. And, docent-led “Highlights Tours” are available every Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m., just in case you don’t have the time to meander through the entire collection.

Now, while all that is swell for us adults, the little scooplets in our lives probably couldn’t give a guinea pig’s habit trail whether or not there’s a real, live van Gogh hanging on the wall. However, scavenger hunts and art projects may peak their interest: “Art for Families” meets nearly every Saturday morning and caters to wee ones and their respective grown-ups. Registration is not required, so it’s a breeze to drop in from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for self-guided tours, hands-on projects, and the aforementioned scavenger hunts. From February 20 through May 15, kids will get to experience art in a way that they can understand; sessions include “Tricks Artists Play,” “What Did They Eat?,” “I Spy a Masterpiece,” “Let’s Put on a Play,” and more. And mark your calendars for Family Day on May 22 when “East Meets West: Journeying the Silk Road.”

So, I stand proud and tall (despite my actual height) when I say: “Take that, McSmugs!” —JH

Princeton University Art Museum; off of Nassau Street, Princeton; 609.258.3788 or artmuseum.princeton.edu.

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