Wayne's World on the Oscars

A Trailer for Every Academy Award Winning Movie Ever

A Trailer for Every Academy Award Winning Movie Ever -- powered by Cracked.com

Annual MTV Oscar Spoof

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

The drinking his milkshake part is my favorite.

Are We Thankful?

Oscars by the Numbers

No Best Song performances at the Oscars this year

Adam Shankman announced this week that there will be no live performances of the Best Song nominees, EW reports:

Oscar producers announced this week that none of the Best Original Song nominees will be invited to perform at the Mar. 7 Academy Awards. Given that we recently dubbed this year’s crop of music-Oscar contenders the “worst nominations ever,” I suppose it would be hypocritical to get too upset at this news. Will anyone really miss seeing Nine’s “Take It All” or Paris 36’s “Loin de Paname” performed live? It would have been nice to see Crazy Heart’s “The Weary Kind,” maybe, but that’s about it.

Hallelujah. Rare indeed are the moments like the performance of Falling Slowly from Once. I watched the producers message to the Oscar nominees about their speeches. It seems like they have really studied the past Oscars, and are really trying to speed things up.

Oscar Poster Released

This is one of the lamest Oscar posters in years.  I suppose it's supposed to be Devil and Angel on the Oscar shoulders.  We've had some great artists do the poster in the last 10 years, and now this?

"You've Never Seen Oscar Like This" is the tag line.  Yawn.

In the Loop - Mini-review

Now I underestand why In the Loop got the Screenplay Oscar nomination after watching the DVD this weekend.  The script is f***ing brilliant, and the laugh lines come at you at rapid-fire pace.  This is a scathing satire about the backbiting politicians and bureaucrats on both sides of the Atlantic leading up to an unnamed war with a Middle Eastern country.  Malcom Tucker is a Downing Street Press Officer (left), and almost everything he says I can't repeat here.  He is evidently loosely based on Alistair Campbell, Tony Blair's press secretary, and he sounds like Great Britain's Rahm Emmanuel.  James Gandolfini plays an American Lt. General, and I won't soon forget the scene where he calculates the possible war dead on a purple kid's see and spell during the middle of a cocktail party in a girl's bedroom with a State Department official.

This film is just so amazingly funny.  So many great lines and funny scenes.  I give this three and a half stars and a hearty recommendation.  Do yourself a favor and rent this gem.

Watch the trailer below to get a taste.

Kathryn Bigelow - Person of the Week

Hat tip: Awards Daily

James Cameron wants Kathryn Bigelow to win the Oscar

 

Who wants Kathryn Bigelow to win the Oscar for The Hurt Locker?  Her ex-husband James Cameron, that's who.  In a very gracious statement, the Avatar director said about the nominations today:

"I always believe it's very unlikely that lightning will strike twice. I believe it's very unlikely that we will win because I made such a jackass out of myself last time. Although there might be some curiosity about what I might do. The Hurt Locker is a very, very strong picture. Of the contenders, it's definitely the strongest. Certainly it's Kathryn's moment. I would happily lose to her. I've already got one of those damn statues. I'd be pissed off if somebody else won, but I wouldn't mind if she won."

And at least he knows that King of the World thing got old very fast.

Hat tip:  Perez Hilton

Kathyn Bigelow at the Directors Guild - a preview for the Oscars, I hope!

The Oscar Nominations - a few suprises!

Nominations for the 82nd Academy Awards

Best Actor:

• Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
• George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
• Colin Firth in “A Single Man”
• Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
• Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker” 

I was watching on the Today show, and they cut to Jeremy Renner in their studio hugging his co-star.  I'm so glad for him, as it's very well deserved.  No real surprises in Best Actor.

Best Supporting Actor

• Matt Damon in “Invictus”
• Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”
• Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”
• Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”
• Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds” 

We all know who's going to win this one.  Christoph Waltz got applause in the room as they announced.

Best Actress

• Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side” (Warner Bros.)
• Helen Mirren in “The Last Station” (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Carey Mulligan in “An Education” (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate)
• Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia” (Sony Pictures Releasing)

Among the actor categories, this is the true race.  Meryl Streep or Sandra Bullock?

Best Supporting Actress

• Penélope Cruz in “Nine”
• Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”
• Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”
• Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”
• Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” 

Mo'Nique all the way.  I'm so pleased for the two actresses from Up in the Air, who were both so great.  Penelope Cruz gets the lonely nomination for "Nine".

Best animated feature film of the year

• “Coraline”
• “Fantastic Mr. Fox”
• “The Princess and the Frog”
• “The Secret of Kells”
• “Up"

What a year, that there were enough for five animated films to be nominated for the first time.


Best Director

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

Kathryn Bigelow was also on the Today show, and she just looked so wonderful and pleased for the film and for Jeremy.


Best motion picture of the year

• “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” (Walt Disney)
• “Up in the Air”

The stunner here is The Blind Side, which got an audible gasp in the room when it was announced.  It took the spot that probably would have been Invictus.  Up is now the second animated movie to get a best picture nom (Beauty and the Beast was the first).

Adapted screenplay

• “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, 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

Woot for District 9!!  In the Loop was a surprise here.

Original screenplay

• “The Hurt Locker”, Written by Mark Boal
• “Inglourious Basterds”, Written by Quentin Tarantino
• “The Messenger”, Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
• “A Serious Man”, Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
• “Up”, Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy

What's a glaring omission for me in the screenplay category is (500) Days of Summer.  I'm so disappointed that film was completely shut out.  I felt it was so original and fresh.


So, in the final tally Avatar and The Hurt Locker tie with 9 nominations each.  Wow!  Even with all the technical categories for Avatar, they are even with the actor nomination for Jeremy Renner for The Hurt Locker.  I am so pleased that District 9 did so well in the nominations.  Very well deserved.

This will be the first year since 1943 that there are 10 Best Picture nominees (Casablanca won that year).  I think it will do what was intended, garner a bigger viewing audience for the award show.  There is something for everyone, with two very popular films, The Blind Side and Avatar nominated.  Also, there's two for the sci-fi crowd, with Avatar and District 9 for Best Picture.

Here's hoping Kathryn Bigelow and The Hurt Locker win the big prize on March 7!

Kathryn Bigelow wins DGA award!! On to the Oscars!

I am doing my happy dance this morning!  I woke to the news that Kathryn Bigelow had won the Directors Guild award, the first woman in history to do so, for The Hurt Locker.  The winner of the DGA almost always goes on to win Best Director at the Oscars, so we have our front runner after The Hurt Locker also won the PGA award.  Bigelow won over the expected winner, her ex-husband James Cameron, director of Avatar.

Bigelow said she was honored to be "in the same conversation with all of you," referring to the four men she beat out.

 Finishing her brief acceptance speech, she said:

"This is the most incredible moment of my life," Bigelow said.

"This is amazing. I'm so deeply stunned, honored and awed."

 Kathryn Bigelow filmed the low budget Hurt Locker in the summer in Jordan.  It earned only $12 million at the box office (while Avatar breaks every box office record in history), but is one of the top DVD rentals and sales.  That is sure to increase when the Oscar nominations are announced on Tuesday morning.

I am thrilled beyond words.  She won in spite of being a woman, and it is an acknowledgment of a long career of excellence.

I talked to my husband this morning about how he dragged me to see The Hurt Locker.  I didn't want to see a movie about Iraq, but he had heard about how great this little movie was.  I spent the entire film clenching my seat rests, riveted.  It is an amazing film, and an fantastic achievement.  You go girl!!

Read Awards Daily's comments on what this means for the Oscar race here.  I couldn't agree more!

Watch the first 10 minutes of the film.

Producers Guild Chooses The Hurt Locker!!!

We officially have an Oscar Best Picture race!!  Tonight, although every Critics group had picked The Hurt Locker for the top film of the year, it was expected that Avatar would win the Producers Guild, just as it did at the Golden Globes.  Instead, in a shocker, The Hurt Locker won the Producers Guild!!

Why is this important?  Over the last 20 years, 13 of the films the PGA has picked have gone on to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

Inglourious Basterds won Best Ensemble at the Screen Actors Guild this weekend, putting another wrinkle in the race.

Watching the Globes and the SAGs, it was apparent how the actors races, for the most part have solidified.  Watching Jeff Bridges get that standing ovation at the Globes, you just felt that this was his year.  He's been nominated multiple times, and never won, so this will be a career award.  Mo'nique is a lock for supporting actress for her work as the horrible mother of Precious.  Christoph Waltz gave a breakout performance in Inglourious Basterds and has been a lock from the very beginning for Supporting Actor.

The one toss up is the Actress race.  Meryl Streep won for Julie and Julia at the Globes, while Sandra Bullock came home with the SAG award.  We'll have to see how that one develops.

I'm VERY excited, though, especially for Kathryn Bigelow and The Hurt Locker.  I love that film, and it is my best of the year.  I've read that it is one of the top films for rental and purchase of DVD's.  People missed it in theaters, but the word is getting out.

Let's see what happens at the Directors Guild next!

Oscars' Outrages! What Are the WORST?

HIlarious banter!

For Your Consideration -- The Hangover

I was a bit jolted when I read an article on Variety online and this ad came up.  Hey, there are 10 slots this year, so everybody's going for it.  For Your Consideration....In All Categories!

There Will Be Five Nominated Animated Films This Year for Oscars

There were a record number of animated films submitted for consideration for this year's Oscars - 20!

The 20 submitted features are:

“Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel”
“Astro Boy”
“Battle for Terra”
“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”
“Coraline”
“Disney's A Christmas Carol”
“The Dolphin – Story of a Dreamer”
“Fantastic Mr. Fox”
“Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs”
“Mary and Max”
“The Missing Lynx”
“Monsters vs. Aliens”
“9”
“Planet 51”
“Ponyo”
“The Princess and the Frog”
“The Secret of Kells”
“Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure”
“A Town Called Panic”
“Up”

I've bolded the pictures that I think really have a shot, although I'm not familiar with all of the films listed.  But Alvin and the Chipmunks, the Squeakuel?  What the heck are they smoking?  Thanks for submitting, though, as this is such a strong year for animation and there needed to be a minimum of 16 films submitted to allow for 5 nominations.  It would have been criminal this year to whittle the list down to only three.

Steve Martin and Alex Baldwin to Host This Year's Oscars!

Just got the press release from the academy. We're going to be laughing our asses off come Oscar night!

Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin will serve as co-hosts of the 82nd Academy Awards®, Oscar telecast producers Bill Mechanic and Adam Shankman announced today.

“We think the team of Steve and Alec are the perfect pair of hosts for the Oscars,” said Shankman and Mechanic. “Steve will bring the experience of having hosted the show in the past and Alec will be a completely fresh personality for this event.”

“I am happy to co-host the Oscars with my enemy Alec Baldwin,” said Martin.

“I don’t play the banjo but I’m thrilled to be hosting the Oscars – it’s the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Baldwin.

Steve Martin hosted the Oscars twice in the past, and has been a frequent presenter.  Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin also co-star in It's Complicated with Meryl Streep, due out Christmas Day.

Hugh Jackman won't be hosting the Oscars

I started wailing, "Noooooooo!" when I read this on Variety.com. My son came in and asked me who died! Hugh Jackman won't be back to host the Oscars, and I am very disappointed. At least he left the door open for another year.

The thesp, who's starring on Broadway with Daniel Craig in the drama "A Steady Rain," quietly turned down the job within the past few weeks, sources said.
Jackman drew praise for his first Oscar hosting gig in February under producer Laurence Mark and exec producer Bill Condon. He may take on hosting duties again in the future, but it's understood that he didn't want to do the show two years in a row.

Well, with Adam Shankman producing, there's still hope for a song and dance man. Maybe Neil Patrick Harris is ready? Or even bring back Billy Crystal who can do funny and killer opening numbers.

New Producers for the Oscars

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences announced yesterday that there will be two new producers for the Oscars, director Adam Shankman and former 20th Century Fox Studio Head Bill Mechanic.

The producers of the last Oscars, Bill Condon and Laurence Mark were busy with other projects.  They brought back some showbiz pizazz to the show with host Hugh Jackman.  This year's host has not yet been announced, but you know that I'm praying they can get Hugh back.  He was amazing!!

Adam Shankman, who directed Hairspray, I think will bring that same kind of energy to the show.  In the official press release, Adam Shankman noted, "The last time I was on the show was as a dancer, and to come back as a producer is such an unbelievable honor."  Shankman was a dancer for the 1989 Little Mermaid Best Song number:

"I was one of Paula Abdul's 'Under the Sea' pirates," Shankman said. "The last time I was at the Oscars, I was in Lycra, with a pirate hat on." 

I first heard about Adam Shankman as his work as a choreographer, back in my days of obsession over Brendan Frasier.  He was the choreographer of  the movie Mrs. Winterbourne, with his kitchen tango scene that I love, love, love.  He went on to direct The Wedding Planner, and finally his big success was Hairspray.  He also directed the very funny Prop 8 Musical.

So, I have high hopes for this years Oscars.  With choosing Adam Shankman, I'm betting we don't just get a stand up comedian doing a monologue, and if not Hugh, someone else will be doing a song and dance opener!

Shankman told Canoe:

"I personally want to kick up the funny a little bit. Movies are an invaluable source of entertainment during a very tough time in our country's history. Since entertainment is what we're selling, we want to celebrate that aspect and not just have it be that we're sitting around congratulating ourselves and patting ourselves on the back."