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Showing posts with label Best Director. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Best Director. Show all posts

Sunday, March 2, 2014

THE OSCARS: 7 THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO AT THE OSCARS, 2nd MARCH 2014


HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 84TH ACADEMY AWARDS

NUMBER 1 – ELLEN DEGENERES HOSTING THE OSCARS FOR A 2ND TIME

Ellen Degeneres hilarious opening monologue


Everyone has been looking forward to America’s daytime chat show hostess and comedienne Ellen Degeneres hosting the Academy Awards again. She is quick with the wit, there is no toilet humour, and has no fear, A-Listers be aware. Ellen also has class, unlike Seth McFarlane, we will not be hearing any toilet humour from his side kick “Ted”…nor will there be a song and dance number called “We saw your boobs”….the female celebrities can breathe a sigh of relief!

Who can forget when Ellen asked Steven Spielberg to take a photo of her and Clint Eastwood for Myspace and gave Martin Scorsese a script for a follow up to Goodfellas and Big Momma’s House called “Good Mamas”.



My favourite joke was about how nominees get their nominations, as America did not vote for Jennifer Hudson on American Idol and America voted for Al Gore in the presidential elections, both LOST but won their respective Oscars on the night!


Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Joey Luft, Lorna Luft
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Judy Garland receiving her juvenile Oscar for Wizard of Oz
 
 
 
NUMBER 2 – THE TRIBUTE TO THE WIZARD OF OZ

The Academy has confirmed that Judy Garland’s children, the legendary Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft, and Joey Luft will pay tribute to their mum the epic that is the Wizard of Oz. I secretly hope that the last surviving Wizard of Oz Munchkin Jerry Maren, will make an appearance as a member of the Lollipop Guild. We are already humming the songs before the Oscars begin. We had also hoped Judy Garland’s best friend from the Golden Age of MGM, Mickey Rooney would host the tribute, but there has been no mention from Oscars HQ. It has been confirmed that movie star and blonde Bombshell Kim Novak will introduce the the tribute. Kim Novak became friends with Judy Garland and her then husband Sid Luft when they use to party and gamble with Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack in L.A and Las Vegas.

 

NUMBER 3 – THE RETURN OF THE DIVINE MISS BETTE MIDLER

Songstress  and actress Bette Midler has not been to the Oscars for many years, she was last seen on the Oscar stage presenting with the her co-stars from The First Wives Club in 1997. Old timers and the new generation will be re-introduced to the sumptuous vocal acrobatics of Miss Midler, who is known to bring magic to the stage.

Bette Midler at the 1997 Oscars

 

Shirley Temple receiving her Juvenile Oscar 1935
NUMBER 4 – IN MEMORIUM

Get the tissues ready in 2013 and early 2014, we lost some amazing actors and executives. The most memorable being, America’s little sweetheart Shirley Temple, who was the most famous child star of all time. At the age of 5, Shirley Temple single handedly saved Fox studios from bankruptcy. She later landed some good adult film roles but never quite made the transition into grown up movies. She moved to Television where she landed a storybook series. She retired from show business in 1950 and then pursued a successful career in public service as an Ambassador and head of protocol. The little girl that the world fell in love with will be sorely missed….we hope she is resting in peace on the Good Ship Lollipop with “Uncle Billy”, the legendary Billy Bojangles Robinson.

Some other memorable stars that passed away in the past season are movie stars Peter O’toole, Joan Fontaine, Paul Walker, Philip Seymor Hoffman, Corey Monteith, James Gandolfini, Richard Griffiths, Eleonor Parker, Esther Williams, James Avery, Deanna Durbin, Richard Briers, Jean Stapleton, Sid Caesar , Harold Ramis, Juanita Moore, Maximilian Schell , Alicia Rhett   

 

NUMBER 5 – MANDELA TRIBUTE

Since Gandhi, there has never been a statesman and humanitarian that has been so globally respected, admired and written about. So it is a fitting tribute that the Academy Awards have chosen to remember the global statesman. Bono and U2 have been selected to perform at the Oscars as a tribute to the memory of Nelson Mandela.

 

NUMBER 5 – STEVE MCQUEEN AND 12 YEARS A SLAVE

The best Oscar moments are always when history is made, like when Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman director to win an Oscar and was given the Oscar by non less than Barbra Streisand! Tonite Oscar attendees might witness history in the making if Steve McQueen of Black British descent becomes the first black director to win an Oscar for 12 years a Slave. He has so far lost every time to Director Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity). However he has taken most of the “Best Film” and “ Best Producer” accolades during the award season. The predictions say that is so far a two man race for “best director” it could be Steve McQueen or Alfonso Cuarón, either of which will be a British win!

 


NUMBER 6 – AFRICAN NOMINATIONS AT THE OSCARS

We do love firsts. If either Lupita Nyong’o (Kenya) or Barkhad Abdi (Somalia) they will be become the first Africans to win an Oscar! Steve McQueen has called Lupita Nyong’o his muse and poured his admiration for how she carried the scenes. On the red carpet, Lupita has already made waves as a fashion icon. The likes of USA Vogue editor Anna Wintour and Victoria Beckham have been on the phone. She has already made the covers of various international magazines and possibly the envy of every supermodel alive. Lupita has a second movie out, “Non-Stop” starring Liam Neeson which grossed $10 million on its opening day, and was ranked #1. Barkhad Abdi has a BAFTA in the bag, although he lost most of the accolades to Jared Leto (The Dallas Buyer’s Club). Barkhadi is a novice having never studied acting, he was a limo driver and went to the casting call for Captain Phillips when they advertised for Somali citizens to play pirates. Good luck to both of them.

Pharrell performing "Happy" at the BRIT awards

 
 
NUMBER 7 –  THE PERFORMANCES

This year we have a treat as Oscars HQ have chosen 6 exquisite performances to cater to all tastes! We cannot wait for broadway legend and powerhouse Idina Menzel (Wicked, Glee) to perform “Let it Go” and Pharell’s feel good tune of the year “Happy”. I hope the Oscars have a 5 second delay as the rocktastic Pink will be in the house, we are hoping she will create some kind of controversy. Anything else would be boring from rocker Pink! Remember her half naked acrobatic act at the Grammy Awards?

 
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