And the Oscars Go To…..

Posted on February 27, 2012 at 10:37 am

There were no big surprises but there were many touching and inspiring moments in the midst of the glamour at the Oscar ceremony. Billy Crystal returned for the ninth time as the modern era’s most adept host, making gentle fun of the stars and of the theater’s losing its name in the midst of a bankruptcy proceeding. Stay tuned for my Gallery on the best and the worst of the Oscar broadcast. In the meantime, here’s a look at the winners:

Best Picture: The Artist

Best Actor: Jean Dujardin, The Artist

Best Actress: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady

Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, The Help

Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

Short Film (Animated): The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Short Film (Documentary): Saving Face

Short Film (Live Action): The Shore

Writing (Original Screenplay): Midnight In Paris

Writing (Adapted Screenplay): The Descendants

Music (Original Song): “Man Or Muppet,” The Muppets

Music (Original Score): The Artist

Visual Effects: Hugo

Animated Feature: Rango

Documentary Feature: Undefeated

Sound Mixing: Hugo

Sound Editing: Hugo

Film Editing: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Makeup: The Iron Lady

Costume Design: The Artist, Mark Bridges

Art Direction: Hugo

Cinematography: Hugo

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Happy Oscar Day!

Posted on February 26, 2012 at 2:00 pm

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The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, and the Very, Very Independent — the Spirit Awards and the Razzies

Posted on February 26, 2012 at 1:05 pm

The Spirit Awards for independent film were announced yesterday, as were the Razzie nominations for the worst films and performances of 2011. Good news for “The Artist,” not such good news for Adam Sandler, who broke the record for the most Razzie nominations, because three of his films were included along with his performances as both actor and actress (in drag) in “Jack and Jill.”

Spirit Awards

BEST FEATURE: “The Artist”
BEST DIRECTOR: Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”
BEST MALE LEAD: Jean Dujardin, “The Artist”
BEST FEMALE LEAD: Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn”
BEST SUPPORTING MALE: Christopher Plummer, “Beginners”
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE: Shailene Woodley, “The Descendants”
BEST FIRST FEATURE: “Margin Call”
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD (Feature Under $500,000): “Pariah”
BEST SCREENPLAY: “The Descendants”
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY: “50/50”
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: “The Artist”
BEST DOCUMENTARY: “The Interrupters”
BEST FOREIGN FILM: “A Separation”
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD: “Margin Call”

The Razzies (Golden Rasberry Awards)

WORST PICTURE • Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star • New Year’s Eve •Transformers: Dark of the Moon •The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1

WORST ACTOR • Adam Sandler, Just Go With It & Jack and Jill • Nick Swardson , Bucky Larson •Russell Brand , Arthur • Taylor Lautner , Abduction & Breaking Dawn • Nicholas Cage , Drive Angry 3-D, Season of the Witch, & Trespass

WORST ACTRESS • Adam Sandler, Just Go With It & Jack and Jill • Sarah Palin, Sarah Palin: The Undefeated • Sarah Jessica Parker, I Don’t Know How She Does It & New Year’s Eve • Kristen Stewart, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 • Martin Lawrence, Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son

WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR • Al Pacino, Jack and Jill • Patrick Dempsey, Transformers: Dark of the Moon • James Franco, Your Highness, • Nick Swardson , Jack and Jill & Just Go With It • Ken Jeong for four movies—Big Mommas,The Hangover: Part II, Transformers & Zookeeper.

WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS • David Spade , Jack and Jill • Martin Lawrence, Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son • Nicole Kidman , Just Go With It • Rosie Huntington-Whiteley , Transformers: Dark of the Moon • Katie Holmes, Jack and Jill

WORST SCREEN ENSEMBLES • The Entire Cast of Bucky Larson • The Entire Cast of Jack and Jill • The Entire Cast of New Year’s Eve • The Entire Cast of Transformers • The Entire Cast of Breaking Dawn

WORST SCREEN COUPLE • Nicholas Cage & “anyone sharing the screen with him in any of his three 2011 films” • Shia LaBeouf & Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Transformers • Adam Sandler & Jennifer Aniston or Brooklyn Decker, Just Go With It • Adam Sandler & Katie Holmes, Al Pacino or himself, Jack and Jill • Kristen Stewart & Taylor Lautner or Robert Pattinson, Breaking Dawn.

WORST PREQUEL, SEQUEL, REMAKE OR RIPOFF • Arthur • Bucky Larson • The Hangover: Part II • Jack and Jill • Breaking Dawn

WORST DIRECTOR • Michael Bay, Transformers • Tom Brady, Bucky Larson • Bill Condon, Breaking Dawn • Dennis Dugan, Jack and Jill & Just Go With It • Garry Marshall, New Year’s Eve.

WORST SCREENPLAY • Bucky Larson • Jack and Jill • New Year’s Eve • Transformers • Breaking Dawn

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Slate Analyzes Oscar Acceptance Speeches

Posted on February 24, 2012 at 11:32 pm

The dresses and the acceptance speeches are often more hotly debated than the awards on Oscar night. Everyone remembers Sally Fields’ famous, “You like me!” speech and Cuba Gooding, Jr.’s impetuous, “I love you!” Jack Palance did one-handed push-ups. Adrian Brody saw one of the most beautiful woman in history read his name and it was easy to understand why he could not resist the temptation to sweep Halle Berry into his arms for a passionate kiss. Julia Roberts told the conductor he’d better not start waving his baton to start the music because she had more to say. Roberto Benigni climbed over the chairs on his way to the stage. Louise Fletcher (Best Actress, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) memorably used American Sign Language for her thank yous because her parents are deaf. When Tom Hanks thanked his high school drama teacher in his acceptance speech for playing a gay lawyer in “Philadelphia,” he appeared to out him as well (Hanks had called for permission). That inspired the Kevin Kline movie “In and Out.”

Clark Gable (Best Actor, “It Happened One Night”) gave the shortest speech, just “Thank you.” Greer Garson (Best Actress, “Mrs. Miniver) gave the longest speech. While it is sometimes reported as having lasted over an hour, in reality, according to the official historian of the awards, it was just seven minutes. But it was after 1 am and it probably seemed longer. Garson was a good sport. The following year, as a presenter, she got up to the podium and said, “As I was saying….”

What’s your guess about who gets thanked the most often? Parents? Drama coach? Director? Agent? Slate has done a comprehensive analysis of the past decade of Oscar acceptance speeches and it is a lot of fun. I wonder why God is thanked so much more frequently at the Grammys and MTV awards than the Oscars.

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Actors Awards

Black Reel Awards Pay Tribute to “The Help”

Posted on February 10, 2012 at 3:47 pm

It is an honor and a privilege to be invited to participate in one of my very favorite annual movie awards presentations, the Black Reel Awards, which pay tribute to the greatest achievements of the African-American community to the year in film. For 2011, we are proud to recognize the extraordinary work from Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, and the entire ensemble in the big-budget blockbuster, “The Help” as well as superb but underseen performances like Adepero Oduye in “Pariah” and John Boyega in “Attack the Block.”

Theatrical

Outstanding Actor – John Boyega / Attack the Block

Outstanding Actress – Viola Davis / The Help

Outstanding Supporting Actor – Don Cheadle / The Guard

Outstanding Supporting Actress – Octavia Spencer / The Help

Outstanding Screenplay, Original or Adapted – Steve McQueen / Shame

Outstanding Director – Steve McQueen / Shame

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance – Adepero Oduye / Pariah

Outstanding Ensemble – The Help

Outstanding Original Song – “The Living Proof” / Mary J. Blige (The Help)

Outstanding Score – Thomas Newman / The Help

Outstanding Foreign Film – Attack the Block

Outstanding Feature Documentary – Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest / Michael Rapaport

Outstanding Film – The Help

Independent

Outstanding Independent Feature Film – My Last Day Without You / Stefan C. Schaefer

Outstanding Independent Short Film – Wake / Bree Newsome

Outstanding Independent Documentary – Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who Sat By the Door / Christine Acham and Clifford Ward

Television

Outstanding Television or Mini-Series Performance, Male – Idris Elba / Luther

Outstanding Television or Mini-Series Performance, Female – Taraji P. Henson / Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story

Outstanding Television Documentary – Planet Rock: The Story of Hip Hop and the Crack Generation / VH1 (Richard Low and Martin Torgoff)

Outstanding Television or Mini-Series Film – Thurgood / HBO (Michael Stevens)

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