Tag Archives: oscars

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 →

The 85th Academy Awards – Part 1

It seems only fitting that my last two Pop Culture blogs for Families will be about the Oscars.  If you’ve ever read any of my blogs around this time of year, you know how much I love this ceremony.  Yesterday, I turned E! on at 12:30 to begin my pre-Red Carpet coverage and finally turned the television off at 11:30 – 11 hours later. There were a lot of beautiful dresses.  Although Jessica Chastain didn’t win Best Actress, she was beautiful from head to toe.  Perhaps the Best Actress winner, Jennifer Lawrence for Silver Linings Playbook, should take a cue … Continue reading →

What To Do This Weekend

What are your plans for the weekend? Many movie fans are counting down the hours until Oscar Sunday. Will Oscar virgin Sandra Bullock win gold? Will Oscar history be made with a win by Kathryn Bigelow? If you can’t get enough of the Academy Awards, but can’t afford a trip to Los Angeles to sit on the sidelines across from the real red carpet, then consider a trip to New York. The Big Apple is hosting a marathon screening of New York-centric Oscar winners from “Annie Hall” to “The Godfather” through Sunday at the Walter Reade Theater. In addition, in … Continue reading →

A Review of the 81st Academy Awards – Part 2

There were some amusing moments during this year’s Academy Awards ceremony. I thought it was cute when Kunio Kato added “Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto” to the end of his thank you speech for Best Short Film (Animated), La Maison en Petits Cubes. And, I absolutely loved it when high wire walker Phillippe Petit thanked the Academy for believing in magic then did the magic trick. That was also as good as him balancing the Oscar on his chin. That made me want to see Man on Rope. Of course, the big winner of the night was Slumdog Millionaire. It took … Continue reading →

Focus on the Oscars: Slumdog Millionaire

Tonight, is the Academy Awards and among those nominated for Best Picture is a film that features Brad Pitt, one that features Leonardo DiCaprio, and one that features Sean Penn. There is a film that chronicles the exchange between a talk show host and a disgraced U.S. President. And then, there is Slumdog Millionaire. More than any of the other films, Slumdog Millionaire has generated a ton of Oscar buzz. Although many mistake it for a Bollywood film because of its Indian background, it is actually a British film. It was written by Simon Beaufov and directed Danny Boyle. It … Continue reading →

Focus on the Oscars: More Memorable Oscar Moments

Tomorrow night is the big night and I can feel the excitement building…at least within myself. The Academy Awards is like my Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Championship, and World Cup all rolled into one. Coverage at my house starts at noon and never ends less than 12 hours later. (This image, by Alan Light, is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 License.) Because I am excited, my next few blogs will be about the Academy Awards. There have been events at the Oscars that will be remembered forever. Here are a few: Trey Parker and Matt Stones’ “Dress” If … Continue reading →

Hello Oscars, Goodbye “TRL”

It’s your chance to see your favorite stars up close and personal. If you have ever dreamed of snapping a photo alongside George Clooney or getting Tom Cruise to sign one of your body parts, this is it. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences just announced that 300 bleacher seats will be up for grabs in an online lottery. Beginning at 9 a.m. PDT Monday, September 22, 2008, you can enter for a chance to win a seat in front of the Kodak Theater for the Oscar telecast, which is scheduled to take air February 22, 2008. Stargazers … Continue reading →

Obama Does a Number on Oprah’s Popularity

And not in a good way. At least according to political science researchers at Fordham University. Staffers at the college have spent months polling Americans in the wake of Oprah Winfrey’s unprecedented pledge to support presidential candidate Barack Obama in “every and all ways possible.” According to poll results, the talk show queen’s endorsement of Obama has damaged her popularity. Researches claim 65% of Americans looked upon Winfrey favorably three months after her announcement but that figure dropped to 51% four months later. The latest poll figures, compiled last month, revealed that Winfrey has lost her status as America’s favorite … Continue reading →

More Oscar Buzz

My husband gets it, but some of my friends just don’t understand that my Oscar obsession lasts days after the actual ceremony. It’s like I am back in junior high science class with a frog – I have to dissect every moment of the show to get my fix. So, with that being said, here’s some more of the buzz about the 80th annual Academy Awards: I wondered who that was sitting next to Viggo Mortensen (who looked a thousand years old with that beard). I thought maybe his daughter, but it was actually his niece Sydney. Aww, how sweet! … Continue reading →

80th Annual Academy Awards – The Winners!

I have to admit that with a three year old, I rarely get to see movies in the theatre anymore. This can be painful for me as most Academy Award nominated films are not out on DVD before the time the ceremony airs. But, it seems that each year, I get to see one nominated movie and put all my money on that one. So far, my husband and I are three for three. We did get to see Crash two years ago and last year, we were fortunate enough to see The Departed. This year, I had to put … Continue reading →