Saturday, March 1, 2014

And The Oscar goes to........



               
       Every year since 1929, The Academy of Motion Picture and Sciences gives ceremony honoring achievements in the film industry by giving the The Academy Award of Merit or better known worldwide as the Oscar. It would be nice to think that is all so simple and that the award always goes to the one that deserves it the most but.......But it`s not only about the film, it`s also about the red carpet, the glam, the dresses and the It designers at the moment, the host, the who and who came with who. But (yes it s another but) to studios, agents, managers and many of the nominees, winning the Oscar is not only first recognition and honor, it also means money, money, money in box office receipts and future contracts. Well, let`s hope it`s not all about the business and money, that it has to do with a little thing call fun as well and some outstanding motion pictures. Yes, you can really call it outstanding cause the year 2013 in film was certainly  that, in both pictures and the actors. 

                Beside the awards and who won what, it`s also about a good host. Good host means good ratings, and good ratings means again money, money, money. Through the years we were graced with good ones, mediocre ones and definitely the bad ones. In the last category goes, and we are not making this up, an animated (and bare bottomed) Donald Duck who co-hosted show, in 1958, with Bob Hope, Jack Lemmon, Rosalind Russell and James Stewart. No words left on that, enough said on duck departament. We can put David Letterman in the same category after critics blasted him for his Oscar hosting abilities in 1995 when he told, then retold the same joke over and over again not been able to stop himself with his "Oprah, Oprah, Uma, Oprah" gag. But the Oscar for worst hosting ever is most definitely in the hands of Anne Hathaway and James Franco, which earned the merit award for Hathaway`s trying too hard  and for having his head in the Franco clouds. Guess you can say that the person who chose them didnt get to choose hosts or anything else in the film industry again. Ever. 
            Well, it wasnt all that bad for Oscar hosts, after all we have some of them in long term relationship with the man, believe it or not. One of them is Billy Crystal who hosted Academy Award 13 times, 1990-2012 and then again in 2006. Its no secret that he knows how to put a good show. One of his most notable skits took place in 1992 when he took the stage wearing  a Hanibal Lecter mask, because " The Silence of the Lambs" was nominated for seven awards. The fact that Bob Hope hosted Oscars 14 times, more than anybody before him is enough praise from critics and acknowledgement that he delivered each and every time. Among the company of men there was a first African - American woman to host the Oscars. Four- time host Whoopi Goldberg has found plenty of creative ways to open the ceremony, from dressing as the "African Queen" in 1999 to entering from the ceiling in 2002. But it was in 1996 that had her remembered as one of the good ones. "So. Didja miss me?" was her opening line referenced to David Lettermans failed attempt at hosting the year before. 
               In the sea of comedians some of the best proved on the stage through out the years such as Johnny Carson, the king of late night, who hosted from 1979 - 1984. Jon Stewart who hosted 2 times and was very entertaining as ever when he took the stage in 2008 after the Hollywood writers strike has come to an end. With best picture nominees such as "There Will Be Blood" and "No Country for Old Men", Stewart joked "Does this town need a hug?" Referencing another contender "Juno"; " All I can say is thank God for teen pregnancy". And at the end we come to my two favorite people in comedy world; Chris Rock and Ellen DeGeneres. Chris learned a valuable lesson from hosting 2005 Academy Awards: Dont diss Jude Law. While Rock was praised by some critics for being himself, he was also chastised by those whose egos simply couldn`t take the jokes and that is my Dear why we absolutely love him. We hope that Ellen DeGeneres makes her return to the Dolby Theatre stage this weekend along with the ego battering jokes when she hosts the Academy Awards for the second time. We are sure she won`t disappoint in giving us a humorous night to remember. So, everything looks promising for the evening on March 2, 2014 when all eyes will be on only one man, The Award, Oscar Award. 
                
                Here are the most expected categories and The Nominees; 

Best Actress in a Leading Role:     Amy Adams, "American Hustle"
                                                    Cate Blanchett, "Blue jasmine"
                                                    Sandra Bullock, "Gravity"
                                                    Meryl Streep, "August: Osage County"
                                                    Judy Dench, "Philomena"






           



Best Actor in a Leading Role:       Christian Bale, "American Hustle"
                                                   Bruce Dern, " Nebraska"
                                                   Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Wolf of Wall Street"
                                                   Chiwetel Ejiofor, "12 Years of Slave"
                                                   Matthew McConaughey, "Dallas Buyers Club"
                                               



   
     




            Best Actor in a Leading Role



Best Actress in a Supporting Role:    Sally Hawkins, "Blue Jasmine"
                                                        Jennifer Lawrence, "American Hustle"
                                                        Lupita Nyong`o, "12 Years a Slave" 
                                                        Julia Roberts, "August: Osage County"
                                                        June Squibb, "Nebraska"



 



              Best Actress in a Supporting Role  



Best Actor in a Supporting Role:     Barkhad Abdi, "Captain Phillips"
                                                      Bradley Cooper, "American Hustle"
                                                      Michael Fassbender, "12 Years a Slave"
                                                      Jonah Hill, " The Wolf of Wall Street"
                                                      Jared Leto, "Dallas Buyers Club"



           


  Best Actor in a Supporting Role



Best Picture:   "American Hustle", David O. Rusell
                       "Captain Phillips", Paul Greengras
                       "Dallas Buyers Club", Jean-Marc Vallée
                       "Gravity", Alfonso Cuaron
                       "Her", Spike Jonze
                       "Nebraska", Alexander Payne
                       "Philomena", Stephen Frears
                       "12 Years a Slave", Steve McQueen
                       "The Wolf of Wall Street", Martin Scorcese



 


                              



   


       
           


                                                                     The Academy Award of Merit, Oscar, March 2 , 2014








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