The 13th annual Chlotrudis Awards (named, as I’m sure you remember, after the two cats Chloe and Trudy) occurred over a week ago at the Brattle Theatre, so I apologize for keeping those who’ve been anxiously waiting for the results to find out how they did on their office pools. (Hint: Eddie Murphy still got snubbed).

The success of “300” (which I liked) and “Ghost Rider” (which I haven’t seen) has some industry experts — Peter Bart of “Variety” and Patrick Goldstein of the “L.A. Times” for example — questioning the validity of elitist film critics reviewing films that appeal to the masses, i.e.: cutting edge pop culture afficiandoes.

So far “300” has probably made enough money to pay each of the Spartans at Thermopylae, or their survivors, about 300 grand apiece. So I figured I should chime in with my opinion. Here’s the review I wrote for broadcast on WFNX followed by few extra comments and observations.

As expected, “Red Road” won the Fipresci Award. It also won the Miami Festival’s Knight World Competition Prize, which pays $25,000. The Fipresci Prize pays nothing. All we offer is glory. Let me put it this way: that 25 grand from the Knight Prize might last a week — a week-end at most at South Beach prices — and all the “Red Road” people (the award was accepted by actor Tony Curran, who looks like he might enjoy a good time) will have afterwards is a headache and embarassing memories.

The Miami Festival differs from others not only in the racy surroundings against which its film must compete but also in that the quality of the films seems to have peaked early rather than starting slow and building up steam. The last half dozen or so movies just haven't been winners. Nonetheless, they play out certain themes I've noticed.

I've been to a lot of film festivals, but none quite like Miami. At the hotel, for example, pneumatically perfect women lounge topless and nearly bottomless on the chaise lounges and enormous mattresses alongside the lantern-lit pool. Walk down Lincoln Road Mall to the movie theatre and you pass a man with no arms painting with his feet, another man walking six Italian greyhounds, hundreds of scantily clad college students on Spring Break, assorted clowns, tanned panhandlers, myriads of tourists, scores of upscale bistros and boutiques and a million parrots squawling in the palm tress.

Now that he’s finally won a Best Director and Best Picture Oscar after four decades of brutal, brilliant filmmaking, Martin Scorsese can settle down and do what he’s always dreamed of -- adapt children’s literature?

Though Scorsese announced on Tuesday that his next project is a collaboration with Mick Jagger on “The Long Play,” the story of forty years in the career of two pals in the music business, a recent Variety story has him working on Brian Selznik’s 526 page innovative picturebook/young adult novel, “The Invention of Hugo Cabret.