In one of the many screenings that takes place almost every night throughout the U.S., this gem appeared in my inbox….
SPLICE is a suspenseful, sci-fi thriller which stars Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley as two young rebellious scientists, who defy legal and ethical boundaries and forge ahead with a dangerous experiment: splicing together human and animal DNA to create a new organism. Named “Dren”, the creature rapidly develops from a deformed female infant into a beautiful but dangerous adult, who forges a bond with both of her creators – only to have that bond turn deadly. Rated R.
Holy shit. This looks like the worst movie ever made in the history of movies… Note to Academy – when you give out an Oscar for Best Actor, said actor needs to sign an affidavit saying he will not ever tarnish their Oscar win and make a PIECE OF SHIT MOVIE!!! I get it. Everyone has a mortgage payment and bills just like Oscar winner Adrien Brody (THE PIANIST). All of us here at WAMG have jobs in the real world to support our habit. But c’mon, Adrien. What happened….you loose a bet, again? SPLICE and the upcoming PREDATORS with Topher Grace and Danny Trejo?? Oy vey. Just because the studio backs the money truck up to your door, doesn’t mean you have to make the play for pay films.
I could just scream when I see Sir Ben Kingsley waste, yes waste, his time on such tripe as SPECIES and THE LOVE GURU. Movies of that ilk shouldn’t be allowed in the same repertoire as GHANDI. Good God man, you’re an Oscar winner – have a little dignity!!
Cuba Gooding Jr. wins the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for JERRY MAGUIRE and is poised for a career of greatness. Unfortunately, he’s an example of an Oscar winner who’s gone between the paycheck films (RAT RACE) and first class caliber acts (AS GOOD AS IT GETS, AMERICAN GANGSTER). I for one love his work, but sadly had to hang my head when I saw him in that trash DADDY DAY CAMP. I truly hope his headlining performance in the upcoming Tuskegee Airmen film RED TAILS propels him back into A-List status.
Best Actress winner Charlize Theron wins the Academy Award for Best Actress for her searing work on MONSTER in 2003 and then finds herself as window dressing in Will Smith’s Summer Blockbuster of 2008 HANCOCK. What else… big paycheck. However, to be fair, she did a lot in my eyes to rectify that questionable move with her performances in THE BURNING PLAIN and THE ROAD.
I reserve judgment on Oscar winners Sean Penn and Benicio del Toro participation in The Farrelly Brothers’ film about The Three Stooges. Right, right, Del Toro just produced and starred in the ghastly WOLFMAN film, but before that he won Best Supporting Actor for TRAFFIC and was brilliant in 21 GRAMS and CHE.
Even Penn grew up from his earlier FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH phase (a film which I love, btw) and matured into Academy Award winning roles in MYSTIC RIVER and MILK.
Oscar veterans have easily bounced between crowd pleasers and critically acclaimed films. You can find Robert DeNiro in the high brow dramas (RAGING BULL, GODFATHER II, CASINO) or alternate comedies (ANALYZE THIS, MEET THE PARENTS). Meryl Streep’s serious fare (KRAMER VS KRAMER, SOPHIE’S CHOICE, DOUBT) or the comedies (DEATH BECOMES HER, DEVIL WEARS PRADA). Streep and De Niro make it look effortless and audiences obviously love when these two thespians act outside of their element.
So I ask, do Oscar Winners deserve a time-out? DeNiro in STARDUST, Streep in MAMMA MIA, Del Toro in WOLFMAN, Theron in HANCOCK. They’re the lucky ones who will always continue to see work. But once that Oscar’s been set on your mantle, should it all be over for the fluff stuff? For other Oscar winners, the well dries up. There are bills to pay, groceries to buy, and you’ve GOT to take the jobs offered… like Brody and Gooding.
Thank the maker, some are fully cognizant of the appearance of slumming it. At the recent Academy Awards Nominees luncheon, Best Actress Nominee Sandra Bullock even admitted to doing crappy work for money in the past (ALL ABOUT STEVE), but that if she won the Oscar on March 7th, “I have an obligation to go forward with better work.” Girl will never fall into the “payment denied for lack of funds” category.
“Calling all Oscar fans in Chicago and New York! See some of the actual statuettes that will be presented at this year’s Academy Awards, take a picture holding an Oscar statuette and more!” So comes word from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences with this latest dangling of Oscar cheese to the mice.
For our readers living in Chicago, you can see the actual Oscar statuette to be presented to the Best Actor Winner at the 82nd Academy Awards. While there check out the Oscar statuette that Bette Davis won for her role in Jezebel (1939) and the Oscar awarded to the DuPont Film Manufacturing Corporation and Eastman Kodak Company in 1930/31 for super-sensitive panchromatic film. “Meet the Oscars, Chicago” exhibition will also have a display of Oscars in various stages of completion.
When
Thursday, February 25 through Sunday, March 7
Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where
The Shops at North Bridge on Michigan Avenue. Admission is FREE.
For those living in New York, you’ll be the first to see the actual Oscar statuette that will be presented to the Best Actress winner at the 82nd Academy Awards. The New York exhibition will feature a display of Oscars in various stages of completion, as manufactured by R.S. Owens & Company in Chicago. Also on display will be the miniature statuette that actress Judy Garland received for her screen performance as a juvenile in 1939 and the Scientific and Technical Award – an Oscar statuette – presented to the Eastman Kodak Company in 2007. “Meet the Oscars, New York” also will give movie fans the opportunity to have their picture taken holding an actual Oscar statuette.
When:
Thursday, February 25 through Sunday, March 7.
Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Where:
The Shops at Columbus Circle at Time Warner Center. Admission is FREE.
On Friday, March 5, the statuettes designated for this year’s Best Actress and Best Actor will make their way back to Hollywood where they will be reunited with the rest of the Oscars.
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.
Earlier this week the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and 82nd Academy Awards ® production designer David Rockwell unveiled the set for the upcoming Oscar show. This marks the second consecutive year that Rockwell has designed the set for the Oscar telecast. Last year’s was sooo “Bob Mackie” and the samples of this year’s set is once again very reminiscent of Old Hollywood Glamour…it’s gorgeous.
Photo: (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
“It has been fantastic to work on the Oscars ® again, particularly because we have been able to build and expand on so many of the design innovations we introduced last year,”said Rockwell. “It has been a thrill to work with Adam, Bill and the rest of the team, dreaming up sets that embrace all the reasons we love movies: the glamour, the lights, the colors, the technique and the emotion!”
Light and movement, the most basic components of moviemaking, will be integrated into this year’s sets to create an immersive, transformative environment. Rockwell Group has reprised one of the most dazzling elements of the 81st Academy Awards design “the Swarovski Crystal Curtain“ but with new and unexpected features for an even greater theatrical effect. The overall design is intended to evoke a classic but modern glamour, with white, platinum, topaz and smoky bronze hues.
This year’s set also features three circular, revolving platforms that work in combination with rotating LED panels and architectural metalwork screens for film projection.
Photo: (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center ®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 5 p.m. PT/ 8 p.m. ET. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide. For all things Oscar, be sure to check out Oscar.com
It’s a great time to be an Oscar fan. Another olive branch was extended to the public and for the first time we were all treated to the 82nd Annual Academy Awards Nominee Lunch which was shown LIVE earlier today from the Beverly Hilton Hotel. As you can see up above, 120 Nominees were present at the celebration.
It all began with a Q & A of the nominees in a press room type set-up. First was PRECIOUS Best Actress Nominee, Gabourey Sidibe, who greeted the crowd by saying, “STAND WHEN YOU CLAP FOR ME”. How funny. She went on to say, with a giggle, that this year’s Oscar co-host, Steve Martin, was the one person she wanted to meet. She and her Mom are huge fans of THE JERK.
Photo: Reuters
Best Actress Nominee, and current front-runner, Sandra Bullock followed, looking very relaxed in a fitted Vivienne Westwood suit. She even joked about it, wondering if it made her hips look small. Always the comedienne, Bullock approached the podium and the Q & A as the President and said she never expected a Best Actress nomination, but was wary of a BLIND SIDE backlash. She said, “I’m very amazed and thankful to be here.” and “I have an obligation to go forward with better work.” She even admitted to doing crappy work for money. Nooooooo, ALL ABOUT STEVE anyone? She definitely became a football fan after working on THE BLINDSIDE.
Photo: Reuters
Best Director Nominee Lee Daniels spoke next on why he cast Gabourey Sidibe in PRECIOUS and how she “floored me…this girl from the valley” at the audition. He called all the girls in the classroom in the film as “Badass”….Love him! On being nominated as the 2nd African-American director, he said of others “that there’s a chance, that the Academy is wise…its monumental and I’m over the moon about this.”
Best Supporting Actress Nominee Vera Farmiga, looking absolutely gorgeous, started with “Its a Good Day” and spoke a little about the difference now in being a nominee. She also mentioned the possible upcoming Madonna film, the Edward VIII/Wallis Simpson biopic, “W.E.,” was enthused by the subject material, and hoped to get the film financed. Farmiga said of the whole Awards Season experience that she’s stays grounded and “present” by running after a toddler.
Photo: Reuters
Best Supporting Nominee Woody Harrelson was up next. When asked if his views on the military had changed after shooting THE MESSENGER, he said “I’ve spent alot of time with members of the Army. They’re amazing and the bright lights of people I’ve met…I’m knocked out by those in the military, hold them in high regard, with a lot of respect.” To get prepared for his role, he said he’d go out jogging to get into the mind set of his character Captain Tony Snow. He mentioned, to the delight of the press, that his new movie DEFENDOR, where he plays superhero Alex Poppington, was coming out soon. On the Oscar show itself, he said he’s just viewing March 7th as a big party.
Photo: Associated Press
Sporting blonde locks, AN EDUCATION Best Actress Nominee Carey Mullligan said that this Awards Season’s circuit “was surreal and wild and a work in progress, like my hair”. She remarked how she bumped “asses” with Quentin Tarantino too. Her upcoming projects are WALL STREET 2 and NEVER LET ME GO, but nothing after that. Wisely, she’s made sure to follow Kathryn Bigelow around alot, lots of texting with Gabourey Sidibe, and helped along by Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep. Mulligan also learned, apparently the hard way, “Don’t drink at Awards Ceremonies.”
Photo: Reuters
CRAZY HEART Best Actor Nominee Jeff Bridges was up next and was very surprised by the huge fuss over the Nominees lunch to which he said “play it as it lays.” In preparing for the role of Bad Blake, “I had a lot of help….from the director Scott Cooper, Maggie Gyllehaal, T-Bone Burnett…did very little on my own.” When asked how he made him so likeable, “I didn’t set out to make him likeable…I just followed the script I was given.” As far as singing and the music in the film goes, it sounded like he had great fun playing with T-Bone Burnett. Bridges talked a little about his appearance in the new We Are The World video, the upcoming remake of the Coen Brothers film TRUE GRIT, and was watching some of the Olympics.
THE HURT LOCKER Best Director Nominee Kathryn Bigelow, always classy and eloquent, began by asking the press, “How are you guys?” She said THE HURT LOCKER “tends to put a magnifying lens on a very difficult situation…its more timely, has put a geo-political spotlight on this film and a glimpse into this conflict. Its touched a nerve.” Apparently she’s been following Mulligan around too during this Awards Season. I think those two need to get together for a film. Bigelow spoke highly of the Renner and the others. “The actors made it magical in a profound way and it became more perfectly realized”
Best Actor Nominee Jeremy Renner said of his role in THE HURT LOCKER, “the military is my touchstone. This experience for me…I walk up to every military person, shake their hands and thank them for their service.” He’d prefer not to have a scene at the Oscar show, but if he had to choose one, ” it would be the suicide bombing scene because it puts a face on the war.” Renner was genuinely awed and humbled when asked by a service member if he knew that military personnel use the film for escapism and said he’s going in September on an USO tour. He also knew the part was the role of a lifetime and script was great, but never expected to standing as an oscar nominee. “My life will forever be changed by it.”
Christoph Waltz, frontrunner Best Supporting Actor for INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS said of his new found fame, “I’m totally Americanized now.” After a loud rumbling started from the other room, Waltz belted out to the directors,”Quiet It Down!!” Like the other nominees, he just wanted to meet everybody at the luncheon. On knowing many languages and their usefulness,”It comes in handy when you travel, trying to seduce someone, so why should it not come in handy for a movie.” He hilariously answered in German and English on what it was like working with Tarantino, “it was the most artisitic moment of his life meeting the man and the director…I dont know where things would have been if I hadn’t met him.” On the evil role of Col. Hans Landa, “It all on the page, its all in the poetry….he’s (Tarantino) writing dramatic poetry”
Photo: Reuters
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Best Supporting Actress for A CRAZY HEART told the press that after learning of her nomination, her brother, actor Jake Gyllenhaal told her to “enjoy it in that spirit and not to make it too much more than that.” Good advice. She and Jeff Bridges, “had an openness and a love to bring out the best in each other while shooting the film.”
Photo: Reuters
Another newcomer to the yearly lunch, Best Actor Nominee for A SINGLE MAN Colin Firth, dashingly strode up for his turn at the podium. On his nomination, he said, “I have no idea how I feel…talking yourself into circles..I’m sure I’m ecstatic and will have a flashback in six weeks time.” On getting advice from other actor nominees, “you never get used to it and its the first time and its all good…a perpetual daze.” He dryly commented that he hoped A SINGLE MAN, “would be one big style, fashion fest…21 days where he could get great suits from it.” Firth found it invigorating that the director Tom Ford was going out on a limb by choosing him…”It was irresistable to my vanity.” On giving advice to young actors, he said “Its a constant struggle, not get bogged down on negative comments and you have to truimph over that.” I can’t wait to see what he does with the role of George VI in Tom Hooper’s THE KING’S SPEECH.
AMPAS president Tom Sherak was up next for some opening remarks after the Q & A with the nominees. Ever the showman, Sherak was there to sell the Oscars to the internet audience. “The Academy Awards are a phenomenon and its for everyone who loves movies….Its more lively and interesting than its been in awhile.” The seating plan at the lunch was to make everyone equal….”Oscars ultimate mixer and we find that it works magic.” Sounds like the school cafeteria. Sherak told anyone with complaints to contact his predecessor, Sid Ganis. His whole speech was one big commercial for the Academy Awards show. Like the principal of a school, he reminded his nominees/kids to come to the Governor’s Ball and that this year they’d have the nameplates preprinted for the Oscar statuettes to be attached. “Non-winners can not get their engraved plates.”
Going old school, the 2009 Nominees Class Picture was taken and in a move that Hans Zimmer probably loved, the Nominees Certificates were handed out to “the students” in reverse alphabetical order. It was interesting to hear who received the loudest cheers as the recipient’s names were announced. Bullock, Streep, Mulligan, Bridges, Firth, Harrelson, Gyllenhaal, Tarantino, and Bigelow seemed to garner the most. After a brief lunch, Sherak introduced this year’s Oscar producers, Bill Mechanic and Adam Shankman. They told all the nominees at the lunch that there are 24 awards and 24 acceptance speeches and in an attempt to shorten them (and the show), there will be 2 speeches…a thank you cam where they can thank everyone and a second one for up on the stage where after :45 seconds, the winner will get the hook. Shankman and Mechanic even provided video clips with examples of what to do and what not to do. Man these two are determined to race through the show and I felt their speech to be a little condescending at times. Some “we’re in charge” final details from the producers…only one person will be allowed to speak if its a group win. After the representative of the group delivers the speech, the mic will be cut. Wonder how all their instructions went over in the room. They concluded the lesson with a preview of how this year’s Oscar show will begin with a “What the Awards mean to me” film.
watch the replay:
For more on the 82nd Academy Awards and a “Look at the Oscars” on February 26th, visit Oscar.com
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center ®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET.
Three weeks left til the big night and as this year’s poster says, “You’ve Never Seen Oscar Like This!” Without a doubt, AMPAS has made huge steps this Oscar season in broadening their appeal and inviting everyday people into their inner workings like never before. In doing so, a few internet film bloggers, including We Are Movie Geeks.com, were allowed to attend the nomination announcement at the Academy. From the moment I arrived on Monday to pick up my credentials badge right through to early Tuesday morning, I was welcomed \ as a Movie Geek with a new found respect that I found surprising and refreshing. It was very apparent that the tv, print and radio journalists weren’t the only ones being given the royal treatment, even as I showed up at 3:30 in the morning for the media breakfast, proudly flying the WAMG flags (ie t-shirt). I was heartilychecked in and reminded that I was surrounded by movie geeks at AMPAS. I’m a year-round Oscar Obsessiva, who loves the award season, the guessing game, and, yes, a long Academy Awards show. Hey, fine by me if it, and my annual party, goes 4+ hours. I even admitted as much back in October when I said that we die-hards will stay tuned to the conclusion, especially this year, to see who wins Best Picture. In the end, I truly had a “pinch me, I must dreaming” moment while sitting in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theatre, simply as a fan, waiting for the momentous announcement of the 10 Best Picture Category.
Needless to say I was thrilled when this year’s telecast producers, Adam Shankman and Bill Mechanic, took some time after the nominations to discuss their plans for the show. They’re understandably trying to make it more appealing to the mainstream audience and were extremely pleased with the 10 Best Picture nominees. In the hope that their show will attract the desirable college viewing audience, Shankman and Mechanic spoke a little about this year’s hosts, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, including the possibility of Tina Fey as a third host, along with an Academy Awards Twitter contest and interactive, online Oscar viewing parties.
Just last week, AMPAS announced that on Monday 14 of the 20 nominees in the acting categories will be among more than 120 Academy Award nominees who will gather at Noon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honors this year’s Oscar contenders at its annual Nominees Luncheon. From the Leading Actor and Actress categories, Jeff Bridges, George Clooney, Colin Firth, Morgan Freeman, Jeremy Renner, Sandra Bullock, Carey Mulligan, Gabourey Sidibe and Meryl Streep are expected to attend. Vera Farmiga, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Anna Kendrick, Woody Harrelson and Christoph Waltz will represent the Supporting Actress and Actor categories. All five nominees from the Directing category “Kathryn Bigelow, James Cameron, Lee Daniels, Jason Reitman and Quentin Tarantino“ are expected to attend.
In a funny sidenote, Steve Pond over at The Wrapwrote:
….the best thing about the Nominee lunch is the AMPAS gift, the Academy’s official Oscar nominee sweatshirt that sports a little Oscar statuette with “NOMINEE” discreetly emblazoned below.
Who knew?
In a gesture to include the public, AMPAS will be LIVE streaming the Nominee Luncheon as well and everyone will be able to watch it on their site, on LIVESTREAM, or over on the Academy’s Facebook page. For the first time, you can also ask the nominees questions in the Nominees Interview Room on Monday at 11:30 AM PST. Just go to the Academy’s official Facebook page, HERE, enter the nominees name and your question and it could be asked LIVE!
Check out the Oscar promo running on ABC…
Academy Awards ® for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 5 p.m. PT/ 8 p.m. ET. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.
Our fellow movie geeks over at AMPAS (yes, they are…as I was emphatically told) had alot to say today:
For the first time, Academy Award winners will be able to have their Oscar statuettes personalized with engraved nameplates on Oscar Night at the Governors Ball, the official celebration immediately following the 82nd Academy Awards. the Academy will create 197 nameplates, one for each 2009 nominee in every category. The engraving will include the nominee’s name, category, film title and year. After the winners have been announced, the unused nameplates will be recycled.
Even if I was one of the losers, I still would want to take my nameplate home with me.
For the 16th consecutive year, master chef Wolfgang Puck has been selected by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to create the menu for the Governors Ball, the celebration immediately following the 82nd Academy Awards. Wolfgang Puck Catering will serve the Academy’s 1,500 Ball guests, which will include Oscar winners, nominees, presenters and telecast participants. The menu created by Puck and chefs Lee Hefter and Matt Bencivenga includes a new twist on a classic entr’e, signature dishes such as smoked salmon Oscars, and the chef’s garden spring vegetable salad as well as pastry chef Sherry Yard’s gold-dusted chocolate Oscars.
Sounds yummy!
In her 21st consecutive year, Cheryl Cecchetto has been chosen to produce the Governors Ball and Jeffrey Kurland (ERIN BROCKOVICH and Christopher Nolan’s upcoming INCEPTION), an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences governor representing the Art Directors Branch, will chair the Governors Ball.
The Academy’s 2010 Governors Ball will be held in the Grand Ballroom on the top level of the Hollywood & Highland Center immediately following the ceremony.
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.
As we showed you in last week’s article, “You’ve Never Seen Oscar Like This!” AMPAS had on display the Oscar Poster when I visited them in Beverly Hills for the Oscar nominations. So once again, here’s this year’s official poster for the 82nd Academy Awards. You know, I think its cute and I love that Baldwin and Martin are sitting on Oscar’s shoulders.
Beverly Hills, CA (February 8, 2010) 82nd Academy Awards co-hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin have landed on the shoulders of the Oscar in the official poster of the March 7 telecast. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that the poster is now available for purchase.
The 27×40-inch color poster is printed on premium quality, Forest Stewardship Certified paper. LA-based creative shop Omelet is responsible for the concept and execution of the design, which features tuxedo-clad Martin and Baldwin on the shoulders of a giant Oscar statuette. “You’ve Never Seen Oscar Like This” is the year’s campaign slogan.
Posters are available for purchase on the Academy’s Web site at http://www.oscars.org/academy/posters-books/posters/ or by calling 1-877-335-8936. Each poster is $25, plus shipping and handling. This is the only 82nd Academy Awards commemorative item available for sale to the public. Thousands of posters also will be distributed to a variety of venues worldwide.
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center ®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.
Leading up to March 7th or even while watching this year’s Oscar show, visit Oscar.com’snew “Play Along” interactive challenge…the site is filled with videos, photos, and an upcoming Twitter contest.
Beverly Hills, CA – Producer credits for 82nd Academy Awards Best Picture nominees “The Blind Side” and “The Hurt Locker” have been determined by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Producers Branch Executive Committee. Credits are as follows:
“The Blind Side” – Gil Netter, Andrew A. Kosove and Broderick Johnson, producers.
“The Hurt Locker” – Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier and Greg Shapiro, producers.
Academy rules state that normally no more than three producers may be named as nominees in the Best Picture category. However, the rules allow for an additional producer to be named under extraordinary circumstances. In finding that all of the producers of “The Hurt Locker” had fully functioned as genuine producers of the film, the committee chose to exercise the “extraordinary circumstances” provision of the rules.
Producers for the other eight motion pictures nominated in the Best Picture category – “Avatar,” “District 9,” “An Education,” “Inglourious Basterds,” “Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire,” “A Serious Man,” “Up” and “Up in the Air“ were announced on February 2 and remain unchanged.
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center ®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.
At 5:30am Tuesday morning, AMPAS President Tom Sherak and last year’s Best Actress nominee Anne Hathaway announced the nominees for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards. It began with a huge media breakfast for the press at 3:30 a.m. Soon after walking in, I was overwhelmed by the definite energy throughout the room. Everywhere I walked, I could hear the various members of the media buzzing about which 10 films would make the Best Picture Category. There was one film that I kept hearing over and over…BLINDSIDE, BLINDSIDE, BLINDSIDE. Could the Sandra Bullock, feel-good movie REALLY make the 10? Naaahhhh…Or so I thought.
And all the usual suspects, whose insightful Oscar articles many of us have read over the years, were there….
From the LA Times/The Envelope, “Notes on a Season’s” Pete Hammond and “Gold Derby’s” Tom O’Neil.
At 5am we were led up the huge staircase and into the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theatre. I had to stop and catch my breathe for a moment after walking into the theatre….for I was standing in what I had seen on t.v. so many times. The place of the Annual Academy Awards Nominations announcement. Familiar territory, yet so surreal.
After the announcements, which indeed included THE BLIND SIDE, producers Adam Shankman and Bill Mechanic took some time to talk candidly about the what they have in store for this year’s Oscar show. We’ll bring you that interview as March 7th approaches.
In luring more people to watch the 82nd Academy Awards on March 7th, and in conjunction with ABC, the Academy has come up with a fan-friendly, interactive site on Oscar.com…
Right now on the official site for all things Oscar ®, you can watch the nominations announcement and browse through all-new Red Carpet photo galleries. You can even get in on the action yourself with our new “Play Along” interactive challenge – sign up and pick who you think will be going home with the gold. It’s perfect for your home or office Oscar ® pool! Check the website often as more surprises and new features will be rolling out as we approach the big night.
AMPAS’s mantra this year says it all…”You’ve Never Seen Oscar Like This…”
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center ®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 5 p.m. PT. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.
Yesterday the Academy Award nominations were announced, so what better time to remind our WAMG readers about Turner Classic Movies annual 31 Days of Oscar ® festival. From Feb. 1st – March 3rd you can catch up on some films that you may have missed along your way to becoming a true movie geek. The entire month is filled with 360 Oscar winning or nominated greats of the silver screen. Ones to set your DVR/TIVO for are SHANE, ON THE WATERFRONT, THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, BEN HUR, and FROM HERE TO ETERNITY. I like that Mickey Rourke’s HEAVEN’S GATE and DINER are the last two films of TCM’s annual festival. Click here to see TCM’s entire schedule on their new, cinemascope-like site.
While visiting their site, be sure to enter TCM’s sweepstakes. Celebrate your love for classic films and enter for a chance to win a 31 Days of Oscar ® Viewing Party Kit – filled with all you need to host an Oscar-viewing party.
Co-hosted by Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, the 82nd Annual Academy Awards will air LIVE on Sunday, March 7 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on ABC.
