IT’S NO SECRET that during times of economic depression and political uncertainty, people seek out escapist entertainment. Indeed the golden age of Hollywood – at least in terms of bums on seats, is often considered the 1930s, when America was in the grip of the Great Depression and the only escape for most folks was a couple of hours spent sitting in the dark watching the latest offerings from the Hollywood’s dream factory.
So given all the depressing news we’ve seen recently (round-ups of immigrants for immediate deportation, anyone?) it was perhaps fitting that the Brits In LA community came together Wednesday night in a very chilly Hollywood for an evening of escapism, glamor and fun for the 10th Annual Toscar Awards.
Regular readers of this column will need no introduction to BiLA’s coveted golden fist awards – handed out by ‘Whacademy’ voters for the best short parodies of the Best Picture nominations from that other awards show coming on Sunday.
And in keeping with the theme of silly escapism, one of the night’s big winners was Mi Mi Land – an homage to LA LA Land, of course, which won Best Film, and saw gongs also taken home by John Mawson (best supporting actor), Adam Wood (best editor), Timo Chen (best tunes) and Reid Russell (best bang for the buck – or Production Values, as they are more usually called).
Hidden Spaces – a clever little tale about a talented tem devising the quickest route to beat LA gridlock and get their hero to his audition on time (now there’s something we can all relate to!) also picked up multiple awards including Victoria Hoffman for best director, Jeff Nichols for best script and Nadia Witt for Best Whactress.
One of the night’s most memorable turns saw a nearly naked Julian Grant win the best Whactor nod as a thinly-disguised Mel Gibson for the pacifist-in-bloody-action parody Whacksaw Fridge. Something tells me we’ll be seeing a lot of more of this talented performer.
The ceremony was held at the Renberg Theater and featured a busy red carpet scene with celebrity guests and award presenters including actress Bai Ling, Britt Ekland and long-term paramour Slim Jim Phantom, EastEnders actor Sean Maguire, reality TV star Cynthia Bailey (from the Real Housewives of Atlanta), and actress and philanthropist Kat Kramer.
There was plenty of partying, both before, during and after this fabulous night of silly yet clever escapism, proving yet again that laughter is the best medicine, and that you can always rely on the Brits to provide a really good old-fashioned knees-up.
Finally we send our congratulations both to all the winners and contestants, and a YUGE (sorry but I had to fit in at least one POTUS reference) thank you to the sponsors of the event, including Beltran Brito Immigration Attorneys, Cole Haan, Final Draft and Deep Eddy Vodka.
Have a safe and silly week!
The Brits In LA Benchwarmer
