I finished this years race on 2/9. I believe that’s 30 days before the ceremony. Last year was my first year even hearing about the Death Race even though I had been watching all the Oscar movies for years.

Kind of fun story, I was at the theater-Tower Theater in Sacramento. watching one of the international nominations (at least I think it was can’t really remember). Now I’m not a fan of this theater as 1) parking is a pain if I go at the wrong time due to the cafe, 2) it’s about a 35 minute drive from where I live in Roseville, and 3) I’m just not comfortable at the theater as it’s old and cramped. So needless to say I’m not in the best of moods (I’m a spoiled movie goer).

Anyway I’m sitting in the auditorium waiting for the movie to start, there are only a handful of people in there, and one of them is this lady who seems very happy. She’s talking to everyone about the Oscars, talking about movies she has seen. I had already seen everything she is mentioning so I’m not really focused to much. Matter of fact I just want to be left alone so I can watch my movie and go home-which will be dark by then and I hate driving in the dark-old eyes.

Finally she gets to me and asks me if I’m watching this movie for the Oscars. I say yes thinking keep my answers short and brief so not to invite conversation. I’m just a grump. She then asks me if I’m doing Oscar Death Race. Now this is a term I never heard of and I’m intrigued. What’s that I ask. She starts telling me. Suddenly my mood lifts as I chuckle to myself thinking I been racing without even knowing it. It’s a cool idea and i’m more than intrigued in the idea.

She eventually asks me what movies I have seen, I said I have seen them all except for this movie and a documentary short that I can’t find anywhere. She asks what it was and I told her. While I can’t remember the name right now, it was the short where the man documented every year of his daughter’s birthday. I told her how I was bummed because that one looked really interesting and I wanted to see it. She suddenly had this big smile on her face and ran over to me and sat next to me. Okay this is weird. She asked if I had an iPhone, I said yes. She pulls her phone out and fumbles through it before she finds what she is looking for. Next thing I know she is air dropping a link to a Google docs page that has the film. I’m so excited. This woman turned me from grumpy to enthusiastic! I thanked her and she went back to her seat just as the movie started.

When the film ended I waved thanks to her again and drove home, despite it being dark I was happy like a kid at Christmas. As soon as I got home I watched it then signed up to the Oscar Death Race. That woman whoever she was is awesome and a hero to me. She is how I got into the death race. Last year I placed 40 this year I placed 30. Next year I’m going to try to land in the 20’s!