Search Results for: blog oscar is back and he was great

The 85th Academy Awards – Part 2

I am still tired from my 11-hour coverage of the Academy Awards, but so much is still on my mind. The big upset – undoubtedly all the Oscars that went to a little film called Argo that capped off the night with a Best Picture win.  Ever since the nominations were announced, pretty much all that has been heard about was how the Academy overlooked Ben Affleck for Best Director while nominating Argo for Best Picture.  Many tried to explain that the problem lies in that there were eight films nominated for Best Picture, but the Best Director field only … Continue reading →

“Oz: The Great and Powerful” Preview

When I was young I read all of L. Frank Baum’s Oz books over and over. There are a lot more than one might expect, and I devoured them all. So I can understand why some people are so entranced with the series that they keep returning to it, though it’s interesting to me that most of the subsequent Oz books after the first one are so rarely plumbed for adaptation. Disney’s the latest to jump on the Oz bandwagon; the company is set to release a prequel to the famous story: “Oz: The Great and Powerful.” I’ve heard about … Continue reading →

Green Celebrities: Charlize Theron

Whenever I see Charlize Theron on the Red Carpet, I am thrown back to old Hollywood. She takes chances with her gown designs sometimes, but she always seems regal and confident in her choices. But, she is not just a great actress (she won an Oscar for Monster), but also a philanthropist. Theron supports women’s rights. She attended the opening day ceremony of City of Joy, a community in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo. The community provides women who have been victims of violence with group therapy, sex education (especially about HIV/AIDS and family planning), self-defense classes, and information about … Continue reading →

Beauty and the Beast to Receive 3D Release

After the phenomenal success of “The Lion King” 3D release, plans have resumed to bring “Beauty and the Beast” back to theaters – in 3D of course. Years ago Disney talked of bringing the Oscar-nominated film back to theaters in 3D, but things never coalesced. For reasons known only to Disney execs, “The Lion King” was instead chosen as the first Disney film to get a 3D makeover. It was a wild success, with the nearly 20-years-old movie topping the box office for weeks ahead of brand new films. With that resounding victory under their belts, now Disney execs have … Continue reading →

Oscar Trivia

It’s that time of year for me – I am getting excited and trying to watch great films that I haven’t seen yet. Yes, it is almost time for the 83rd annual Academy Awards ceremony, which will be held this Sunday. Until then, how about a little trivia? 1. Who won the very first Oscar? German actor Emil Jannings was the first person to physically receive a Best Actor Oscar in 1929 for his performances in both The Way of All Flesh and The Last Command. However, he didn’t get his Oscar during the ceremony. He had decided to return … Continue reading →

A Review of the 81st Academy Awards – Part 1

Well, the big day is over for another year…sigh. But, at least I have today to relieve everything! I really thought the Academy Awards ceremony was good this year. They tried to mix it up a big due to sagging ratings. Hugh Jackman certainly put on a show, but then I guess he had plenty of practice hosting the Tony Awards three times. I thought his “opening number on a budget” was hilarious and it got a standing ovation from the audience. I also loved the number where he and Beyonce sang about how the musical was back. Hugh was … Continue reading →

Tiger Woods Has a Son and Salma Hayek Breastfeeds a Stranger’s Baby

The Woods name will live on! Golf phenom Tiger Woods and his wife, Elin Nordegren, welcomed a son earlier this week. Charlie Axel Woods was born on Sunday, according to Woods’ website, and mother and baby are reportedly doing “great.” The 33-year-old pro athlete, who lost his own father to cancer in 2006, celebrated the birth of his first son with close family members and friends, including his 20-month-old daughter Sam Alexis. Woods also announced that he plans to share photos of his new son on his website in the near future. SALMA HAYEK BREASTFEEDS A STRANGER’S BABY Forget about … Continue reading →

Posthumous Oscars

This year, the forerunner for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor seems to be Heath Ledger, nominated for his searing performance as The Joke in The Dark Knight. Ledger received the nomination on January 22 – the one year anniversary of his death. (This image, by Howie Berlin, is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.0 License) In case you were wondering, other actors have been nominated for Oscars posthumously. In the past 81 years, 53 people have received 70 posthumous nominations with 13 of them winning. The first person nominated for an Oscar after his death was writer … Continue reading →

Paul Newman’s Will and Sopranos Actor’s Trial Begins

Paul Newman’s will has been made public. So, who did the great actor who was so philanthropic decide to give his money and stuff to? As might be expected, most of his personal possessions went to his wife, Joanne Woodward including his real estate, musical instruments, and his collection of artwork. Woodward will also be in control of Newman’s production companies and real estate holdings, which includes the couple’s home in Westport, CT. However, he left many awards, including three Oscars (one for Best Actor for 1987’s The Color of Money and two honorary), an Emmy, three Golden Globes, and … Continue reading →

Body of Jennifer Hudson’s Nephew Found?

It seems as if there may be no good news at all in the case of the Jennifer Hudson family attack. After the Oscar winning actress’ mother Darnell and brother Jason were found shot to death in their home on Friday, authorities announced that her seven year old nephew Julian was missing from the South Side home in Chicago. Police put out an Amber Alert for Julian, saying that it was believed the child may have been taken away in a white Suburban SUV with the license plate number X584859. Jennifer, who had to identify both the bodies of her … Continue reading →