Police 'ready to arrest' Smith after Oscar slap: producer

LOS ANGELES, United States - Police officers were ready to arrest Will Smith after he attacked comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars, the show's producer said Thursday.

In his first public comments since the shocking episode that marred Hollywood's most important evening, Will Packer said he had sat with Rock when officers came to speak to him.

"They were saying, you know, this is battery.... They said we will go get him, we are prepared, we are prepared to get him right now, you can press charges, we can arrest him, you have -- they were laying out the options," Packer told ABC Television.

"Chris was -- he was being very dismissive of those options. He was like, 'I'm fine.'"

Los Angeles police "officers finished laying out what his options were and they said, 'You know, would you like us to take any action?' and he said 'No.'"

Police in Los Angeles said Sunday that Rock had declined to file a report.

Smith shocked the entertainment world by mounting the stage during the live broadcast of the Oscars and hitting Rock over a joke about the actor's wife.

Half an hour later, Smith was awarded the best actor Oscar for his role in "King Richard" -- the movie industry's highest honor for a male performer.

The announcement was greeted with cheers and applause from the crowd of industry insiders.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the body that awards the Oscars, said Wednesday Smith had been asked to leave the ceremony after the assault, but had refused.

Conflicting reports emerged Thursday over that detail, including one that suggested Packer had asked him to remain in the Dolby Theatre.

In the brief clip, aired Thursday on ABC ahead of the full interview scheduled for Friday, Packer denied having spoken to Smith.

ZOOM MEETING

The Academy said Wednesday it was mulling punishment -- including possible expulsion -- for Smith, one of Hollywood's most bankable stars, and only the fifth Black man to win a leading actor Oscar.

"The Board of Governors today initiated disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Will Smith for violations of the Academy's Standards of Conduct, including inappropriate physical contact, abusive or threatening behavior, and compromising the integrity of the Academy," the statement said. 

"The Academy may take any disciplinary action, which may include suspension, expulsion, or other sanctions."

Trade title Variety reported Thursday that Academy chiefs Dawn Hudson and David Rubin spoke with Smith on Tuesday, 24 hours before the organization issued its damning statement.

It quoted sources saying the Zoom meeting had lasted up to 30 minutes.

During the conversation Smith apologized for his attack on Rock, and said he was aware there would be consequences, Variety reported.

Smith issued an Instagram apology on Monday, in which he called his behavior "unacceptable and inexcusable."

"I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be."

Rock, whose US comedy tour began in Boston this week told audience members he was "still kind of processing" the incident.

He made no further comment.

Agence France-Presse

Celebrities react to Will Smith's Oscars outburst

LONDON — Best actor winner Will Smith shocked audiences when he smacked presenter Chris Rock in the face and shouted vulgarity at the comedian for making a joke about his wife's hairstyle in a moment overshadowing the Oscars ceremony on Sunday.

Below are some of the reactions from celebrities on social media.

RAPPER AND ACTOR, JADEN SMITH, SON OF WILL SMITH AND JADA PINKETT SMITH:

"And That’s How We Do It."

ACTRESS MIA FARROW:

"It was just a joke. Jokes are what Chris Rock does. Always has been edgy. This was a mild joke for him. And I love GI Jane"

COMEDIAN KATHY GRIFFIN:

"Let me tell you something, it’s a very bad practice to walk up on stage and physically assault a comedian. Now we all have to worry about who wants to be the next Will Smith in comedy clubs and theaters."

ACTRESS SOPHIA BUSH:

"Violence isn’t ok. Assault is never the answer. Also? This is the 2nd time that Chris has made fun of Jada on the #Oscars stage, & tonight he went after her alopecia. Punching down at someone’s auto-immune disease is wrong. Doing so on purpose is cruel. They both need a breather."

TALK SHOW HOST CONAN O'BRIEN:

"Just saw the Will Smith slap. Anyone have a late night show I can borrow just for tomorrow?"

FILMMAKER ROB REINER:

"Will Smith owes Chris Rock a huge apology. There is no excuse for what he did. He’s lucky Chris is not filing assault charges."

AUTHOR BERNARDINE EVARISTO:

"What a thing to wake up to. Only the fifth black man in nearly 100 years to win an Oscar for male lead, and the first in 16 years, resorts to violence instead of utilizing the power of words to slay Chris Rock. Then he claims God and Love made him do it."

ACTRESS AND MODEL JODIE TURNER-SMITH:

"and as far as *that incident* goes….. i am still processing. I have second hand embarrassment for all involved."

ACTOR CARY ELWES:

The "vessels of love" I have known or admired never acted violently against another human being…"

-reuters

Oscar nominations: all the fun facts

HOLLYWOOD, United States — Hollywood insiders and movie fans are eagerly waiting to hear the names of the Oscar winners on Sunday night.

But the statistical quirks that Tinseltown's biggest night of the year throws up can be as intriguing as tracking which movies get the most golden statuettes.

Here are some fun facts and figures about this year's list of nominees, and a bit of Oscars trivia:


Cuaron reigns supreme 

Alfonso Cuaron's "Roma," a black-and-white cinematic ode to his childhood in 1970s Mexico City -- and the mother and nanny who raised him -- earned a whopping 10 nominations to lead the contenders.

But the Mexican filmmaker himself scored an impressive feat -- four of those nominations are his personally: for best picture as a producer, best director, best original screenplay and best cinematography.

He joins illustrious company with his achievement: Warren Beatty did the same, scoring four nominations in four different categories -- twice -- for "Heaven Can Wait" and "Reds."

Joel and Ethan Coen did it for "No Country for Old Men."

Blockbusters galore 

For many moviegoers, the Oscars have become somewhat elitist, often rewarding art-house fare that not many have seen. But those fans cannot complain this year.

Marvel superhero blockbuster "Black Panther" -- the highest-grossing film of 2018 in North America at more than $700 million -- scored seven nominations including one for best picture, becoming the first movie based on a comic book to earn the honor.

Other mainstream box office hits nominated for best picture include musical romance drama "A Star Is Born" ($210 million in North America) and "Bohemian Rhapsody" ($213 million).

Heavy prize 

The Oscar statuette is solid bronze and plated in 24-karat gold. It stands 13.5 inches (34 centimeters) tall and weighs 8.5 pounds (3.8 kilograms).

It takes three months for Polich Tallix Fine Art Foundry in New York to manufacture a batch of 50 statuettes. More than 3,140 statuettes have been handed out since 1929.

The trophy represents a knight holding a crusader's sword standing on a reel of film with five spokes that refer to the five original branches of the Academy -- actors, directors, producers, technicians and writers.

Acting royalty

Meryl Streep holds the record for the most nominations in the acting categories, with 21. She and Jack Nicholson -- the most nominated male actor with 12 nominations -- each have two statuettes for lead acting and one for supporting roles.

The movie industry figure with the most Oscars is Walt Disney, who won 22, plus four honorary statuettes.

Katharine Hepburn won the most Oscars for a performer, with four. Daniel Day-Lewis is the only person to have three best actor Oscars.

Snubs and surprises 

Industry watchers were shocked that Bradley Cooper was snubbed in the best director category for "A Star Is Born" -- but earned three nominations for best actor, best adapted screenplay and best picture (as a producer).

They were thrilled to see Spike Lee earn his first directing nomination for "BlacKkKlansman" and first for best picture. The US filmmaker earned a lifetime achievement award at the 2016 Oscars.

But many expected "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" -- a critically acclaimed documentary about US children's show host Mister Rogers -- to make the cut. It did not.

A happy surprise was a best actress nomination for breakout "Roma" star Yalitza Aparicio in her debut performance.

source: philstar.com

Oscar nominations: All the fun facts

LOS ANGELES, United States — The nominations for the 91st Oscars were announced Tuesday, with "Roma" and "The Favourite" leading the pack.

But the statistical quirks that the annual event throws up can be as intriguing as tracking which movies get the most nods.

Here are some fun facts and figures from this year's list of nominees:


Netflix's big step forward

Streaming giant Netflix took a major step forward in its quest to be both a distribution king and a purveyor of quality original content with 14 Oscar nominations, including its first for best picture for "Roma."

"Roma" earned 10 nods, while "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" -- the latest from Joel and Ethan Coen -- scored three. The last Netflix nomination went to "End Game," which is up for best documentary short subject.


Netflix claimed a 15th nomination for another documentary short, "Period: End of Sentence," but it was not listed as a Netflix production in the Academy's press kit.

In 2018, the company earned eight nominations, half of them for "Mudbound." In the years before, Netflix had just a handful of nominations, all in documentary categories.

By comparison, Amazon Studios -- which had already broken through in the best picture category in 2017 with "Manchester by the Sea" -- earned three nominations for steamy Polish love story "Cold War."

"We are honored to receive our first Best Picture nomination and so many other firsts this morning," said Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos.

Wakanda forever

For many moviegoers, the Oscars have become somewhat elitist, often rewarding arthouse fare that not many have seen. But those fans cannot complain this year.

Marvel superhero blockbuster "Black Panther" -- the highest-grossing film of 2018 in North America -- scored seven nominations including one for best picture, becoming the first movie based on a comic book to earn the honor.

Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o, who stars in the film, posted footage on Twitter of the cast celebrating when excerpts from the film premiered at San Diego Comic-Con.

"Seven #OscarNoms for #BlackPanther, including best picture!! This is our reaction the first time we saw footage from the film and we're feeling this way all over again today! Thank you @TheAcademy! #WakandaForever," she wrote on Twitter.

Beyond its best picture nomination, "Black Panther" earned nods for costume design, original score, original song (rapper Kendrick Lamar is a nominee in that category), production design, and sound mixing and editing.

Cuaron reigns supreme

Alfonso Cuaron's "Roma," a black-and-white cinematic ode to his childhood in 1970s Mexico City -- and the mother and nanny who raised him -- earned a whopping 10 nominations to lead the contenders.

But the Mexican filmmaker himself scored an impressive feat -- four of those nominations are his: for best picture as a producer, best director, best original screenplay and best cinematography.

He joins illustrious company with his achievement: Warren Beatty did the same, scoring four nominations in four different categories -- twice -- for "Heaven Can Wait" and "Reds."

Joel and Ethan Coen did it for "No Country for Old Men."

Snubs and surprises

Industry watchers were shocked that Bradley Cooper was snubbed in the best director category for "A Star Is Born" -- but earned three nominations for best actor, best adapted screenplay and best picture (as a producer).

They were thrilled to see Spike Lee earn his first directing nomination for "BlacKkKlansman." It was his fifth overall -- counting two others for the same film. The US filmmaker earned a lifetime achievement award at the 2016 Oscars.

Another major name left off the list was Timothee Chalamet, who had been seen as a likely contender for best supporting actor for his portrayal of a drug addict in "Beautiful Boy."

And many expected "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" -- a critically acclaimed documentary about US children's show host Mister Rogers -- to make the cut. It did not.

A happy surprise was a best actress nomination for breakout "Roma" star Yalitza Aparicio in her debut performance.

For Oscars watcher Sasha Stone, the new voters in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences "really did show up and vote in ways we've not really seen in the Oscar race, just not in ways we thought they might...surprised. A little weirded out."

source: philstar.com

Kevin Hart out as Oscars host for anti-gay tweets

HOLLYWOOD — US comedian and actor Kevin Hart abruptly withdrew from hosting the Oscars Thursday night amid flack for past homophobic and anti-gay tweets.

Two days after announcing he had landed what he called a dream gig, Hart said that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had told him to choose between apologizing for the tweets or losing the job.

Hart said the tweets were from nearly a decade ago and that he has matured since then.

"I chose to pass on the apology. The reason why I passed is because I've addressed this several times," Hart, 39, said during a video posted to Instagram.

"I've said who I am now versus who I was then. I've done it. I'm not going to continue to go back and tap into the days of old when I've moved on and I'm in a completely different place in my life," Hart said.


On Twitter, Hart apologized to the LGBTQ community for what he called "my insensitive words from my past."

"I'm sorry that I hurt people," he added. "I am evolving and want to continue to do so. My goal is to bring people together not tear us apart. Much love & appreciation to the Academy. I hope we can meet again."

The Academy must now find a new host for the 91st Academy Awards in February.

The "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" star was to have hosted the glitzy event after talk show host Jimmy Kimmel held the gig for two consecutive years.

Whoever hosts it will face pressure to boost audience ratings for the annual show that will be held on February 24 in Hollywood and which had an all-time low of 26.5 million viewers last year, compared to 43 million in 2014.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has said that it was introducing a number of changes to improve viewership, including shortening the show to three hours and handing out some of the awards during commercial breaks.

source: philstar.com

Chris Rock confronts race row head-on at Oscars

HOLLYWOOD | Oscars host Chris Rock hit early and hard Sunday on a race row overshadowing Hollywood’s biggest night, mercilessly ribbing both the movie industry and its critics.

The comedian wasted no time raising the controversy over the 88th Academy Awards’ lack of African American acting nominees, addressing the issue from his first words and discussing virtually nothing else in his monologue.

“Hey! Well, I’m here at the Academy Awards — otherwise known as the white People’s Choice awards,” he said, after joking that the introductory montage had at least 15 black people.

Rock questioned why the 88th edition of the Oscars drew so much controversy, guessing that black nominees were similarly absent most years.

African Americans did not protest most years because they were “too busy being raped and lynched to care about who won best cinematographer,” he said.

“You know, when your grandmother’s swinging from a tree, it’s really hard to care about best documentary foreign short,” he quipped.

The energetic 51-year-old funnyman, sporting a white dinner jacket, shot down activists who urged him to boycott the Oscars in solidarity with black actors.

“They’re not going to cancel the Oscars because I quit, you know? And the last thing I need is to lose another job to Kevin Hart,” Rock said in reference to a fellow black comic, suggesting he was selected as host due to his race.

Rock enjoyed consistent applause for his monologue, even as he savaged some big names in Hollywood.

He suggested that Jada Pinkett Smith joined the boycott by African Americans because her husband, actor and rapper Will Smith, was not nominated for “Concussion.”

“Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s panties,” he said, referring to the sultry singer. “I wasn’t invited.”

Yet Rock also made clear that there were true concerns for the community, pointing to the string of police killings of African Americans that have triggered the Black Lives Matter protest movement.

“This year, in the ‘In Memoriam’ package, it’s just going to be black people that were shot on their way to the movies,” he said, referring to the customary Oscars tribute to deceased cinema figures.

source: interaksyon.com

#OscarsSoWhite creator says she will not watch Oscars

NEW YORK | The creator of the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag on Twitter on Saturday said she will watch and tweet about a 1999 coming-of-age movie featuring three black actors rather than Sunday night’s showing of the Academy Awards, joining a growing list of activists and entertainers snubbing the event for its lack of diversity.

April Reign, managing editor of BroadwayBlack.com, said she will watch “The Wood,” starring Omar Epps, Richard T. Jones and Taye Diggs on Netflix on Sunday night as the Oscars show airs on ABC.

Reign, the keynote speaker on Saturday at “The #BlackTwitter Conference” at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, is credited with launching the hashtag in January after last year’s nominees best actor nominees were published.

“What I’m doing is attempting to amplify the discussion,” Reign said at Saturday’s conference, hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists. “The Academy can only nominate quality work that is made, so the onus still has to be on Hollywood to put those films out there.”

Reign said she launched the tag initially as a joke, but it quickly went viral and has become a major venue for discussing race and Hollywood.

The furor over the all-white line up of best-actor nominees prompted several big-name boycott announcements. Spike Lee, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith all said they will not attend.

Directors Ava Duvernay and Ryan Coogler, who was snubbed for a best director nomination for his Rocky sequel “Creed” even as Sylvester Stallone earned a best-supporting actor nomination, are planning to host the #JusticeForFlint benefit concert in Flint, Michigan, in support of residents suffering from its water crisis.

Business mogul Russell Simmons has partnered with Fusion to launch the first-ever “All Def Movie Awards,” which aims to celebrate diversity in film.

#BlackTwitter16, the tag associated with Saturday’s conference at Columbia, was among the top-trending hashtags on Twitter.

“Black Twitter has gone from being seen as these frivolous conversations that black people are having at night,” said Sherri Williams, a post-doctoral fellow and professor at Wake Forest University who was among the panelist at the conference. “Now it’s an entity that people are taking seriously.”

source: interaksyon.com

Fox shares could get rare Oscars season boost

NEW YORK | Shares of 21st Century Fox — owner of the 20th Century Fox film studio and Fox television network — could be set for a rare Oscar rally if the global media conglomerate takes home gold at this Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony.

The Oscars, which draws some of the biggest audiences of any single annual television event, typically have little effect on share prices of big publicly traded companies with movies in the running, analysts said.

“Normally it’s not terrifically meaningful for stocks, but here and there you can get situations where it matters a little,” FBR Capital Markets analyst Barton Crockett said. This time, it could matter to Fox, Crockett said.

That is partly because Fox fielded movies that not only fared well at other awards ceremonies but also at the box office, in a change from the last two years, Crockett said.

Fox led studios this year with a total of 26 Oscar nods, including 12 for best picture-nominated revenge drama, “The Revenant.” Other Fox films with nominations in top categories include “Brooklyn” and “The Martian.”

Filmed entertainment accounted for nearly a third of total second-quarter revenue at Fox, which also runs cable, television and other entertainment operations.

“The Revenant,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a bear-mauled and ice-battered explorer, blew away initial expectations and has grossed $383.6 million worldwide since opening in late December.

The movie, with a $135 million budget, is still in theaters, a big factor in how much a company will gain when its film is nominated for or wins an Oscar, said BofA Merrill Lynch analyst Jessica Reif Cohen.

An Academy award nomination or win could extend the time a movie is shown in theaters, boosting a film’s box office proceeds.

“If DiCaprio wins … it could be a significant boost,” Cohen said.

A nomination or win also increases profit over the longer term by increasing movie rentals, DVD purchases and on-demand cable contracts, she said.

Shares of Fox gained nearly 4.5 percent on Jan. 14 after Oscar nominations were announced, but are little changed so far this year compared with a 4.4 percent decline for the broader Standard & Poor’s 500 stock index. In 2015 Fox shares fell 26 percent.

source: interaksyon.com

Comedian Ellen DeGeneres picked to host 2014 Oscars ceremony

Comedian Ellen DeGeneres will make her second appearance as an Academy Awards host next year, organizers said on Friday, in a move widely seen as a less provocative choice for Hollywood’s highest honors after a ribald performance by Seth MacFarlane.

DeGeneres, the star of her own daytime talk show “Ellen,” first hosted the Oscars in 2007, becoming only the second woman to fill that exalted role alone, after Whoopi Goldberg.

“I am so excited to be hosting the Oscars for the second time,” DeGeneres said in a statement. “You know what they say – the third time’s the charm.”

“I’d like to thank @TheAcademy, my wife Portia and, oh dear, there goes the orchestra,” the comedian added on Twitter.

The Oscars, which are broadcast globally, often look to a host’s star power to attract a larger TV audience. Recent shows have averaged 37 million to 40 million viewers domestically.

DeGeneres, 55, earned an Emmy nomination for her performance in 2007 in which she departed from traditional Oscar hosting decorum and ventured into the audience for spot gags, at one point handing director Martin Scorsese a script of her own.

“There are few stars today who have Ellen’s gift for comedy, with her great warmth and humanity,” said Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who produced the 84th Academy Awards show last year.

‘A DECIDEDLY DIFFERENT TONE’

The choice of DeGeneres suggests the Academy is turning to a more amenable host who has shown in the past to be skilled at poking fun at Hollywood without rankling its biggest egos.

Last year, MacFarlane, the creator of animated sitcom “Family Guy,” got mixed reviews for his song and dance routines, including one about on-screen female nudity, and jokes that were often aimed at the expense of the biggest stars in attendance.

“Choosing DeGeneres, known for her kindler, gentler humor, signals that the Academy’s next awards show will have a decidedly different tone than the 85th Academy Awards,” trade magazine The Hollywood Reporter wrote.

DeGeneres also earned praise for her performance as the host of TV’s Emmy awards in 2001, which was twice delayed because of the September 11 attacks, memorably lightening the somber mood by asking, “What would bug the Taliban more than seeing a gay woman in a suit surrounded by Jews?”

The announcement of DeGeneres as host also comes on the heels of Hollywood marketing executive Cheryl Boone Isaacs being elected as the first African American president of the 6,000-member Academy, which has made an effort to diversify its ranks after coming under fire for being too male, old and white.

Trade publication Variety saw the choice of DeGeneres as a continuation of the Academy’s “Year of the Woman,” writing that the Oscars “will put women in the driver’s seat.”

Disney-owned ABC will broadcast the Oscars on March 2.

source: interaksyon.com

Rookie Oscar host Seth MacFarlane lives up to provocative image

LOS ANGELES - Rookie Oscar host Seth MacFarlane casually slung a string of zingers at some of Hollywood’s biggest names, including a musical tribute to female frontal nudity in the movies, as he launched the Academy Awards show on Sunday on a decisively provocative note.

In an opening monologue and package of song-and-dance numbers obviously calculated to live up to, and even lampoon, his own reputation for pushing the boundaries of taste, MacFarlane put his biting, edgy brand of humor front and center.

He started off joking that best-picture front-runner “Argo,” about a real-life clandestine CIA operation to rescue American hostages from Iran, was “so top secret that the film’s director is unknown to the Academy.”

The barb was a not-so-subtle jab at members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for failing to nominate Ben Affleck as best director for the critically acclaimed film.

“They know they screwed up,” MacFarlane added, as the camera panned to a shot of Affleck, looking somewhat uncomfortable in his seat. “Ben, it’s not your fault.”

The edgy quotient quickly escalated as MacFarlane described another best-film candidate, “Django Unchained,” as the slavery-era “story of a man fighting to get back his woman who has been subjected to unthinkable violence — or as Chris Brown and Rihanna call it, a date movie.”

The punch line reference to the physical abuse involved in the relationship between the two R&B singers — Brown pleaded guilty to assaulting Rihanna in 2009 — drew an audible groan from the star-studded Dolby Theatre audience.

“Oh, no, that’s what we were afraid he would do,” MacFarlane dead-panned.

More groans followed as MacFarlane went on to joke that the profanity-laced screenplay from “Django” was “loosely based on Mel Gibson’s voice mails,” an allusion to the public disclosure several years ago of ranting telephone messages the actor-director had left for his then-girlfriend.

MacFarlane’s performance should not have come as too great a surprise. The comedian, actor and singer made his mark as creator of the animated television series “Family Guy,” a show known for its ribald satire, much of it aimed at Hollywood conventions.

And MacFarlane, 39, wasted no time in sending up his own risqué persona, in a comedy bit with actor William Shatner, who joined the host on stage via a video screen in the character of Captain Kirk from the sci-fi TV and film series “Star Trek.”

In his fictional drop-in visit from the future, Shatner warns MacFarlane he is “destroying the Academy Awards” with jokes that are “tasteless and inappropriate.”

But the interlude segued into a song-and-dance number by MacFarlane showcasing his vocal chops to a tune called “We Saw Your Boobs,” in which he rhapsodically ticked off the names of various A-list Hollywood actresses who have bared their breasts in films over the years.

Admonished by Shatner to sing songs that celebrate the movies rather than mock them, MacFarlane proceeded to deliver a more respectful rendering of the showbiz standard, “The Way You Look Tonight,” joined on stage in elegant dance by actress Charlize Theron (“Snow White and the Huntsman”) and actor Channing Tatum (“Magic Mike”).

MacFarlane showed off his own dancing talents in a three-way soft-shoe number with actors Joseph Gordon-Levitt (“Lincoln”) and “Harry Potter” star Daniel Radcliffe.

In the way that many cartoons, including MacFarlane’s own “Family Guy” series, operate on different levels for kids and their parents, this year’s Oscar telecast seemed especially designed to play to more than one TV audience.

MacFarlane’s more provocative turns were offset by some of the more traditional pomp typical of Hollywood’s biggest night, including a 50th-anniversary montage salute to James Bond films, capped by veteran singer Shirley Bassey, now 76, reprising her title song from the 1964 film “Goldfinger.”

Early reaction to MacFarlane’s performance was mixed.

In a Twitter message posted during the show, actor-comedian and former Oscar host Steve Martin commented, facetiously: “Congratulations to Seth Rogan (another comically risqué actor with the same first name as the host) on a great monologue. Old-fashioned is back! I’m in!”

CNN host Piers Morgan tweeted, “I doubt there will have ever been a more divisive #Oscars host than @SethMacFarlane – I’m loving him, others are hating it.”

source: interaksyon.com

Michelle Obama surprises Oscars by presenting Best Picture award

LOS ANGELES – U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama made a surprise and unprecedented appearance on Sunday’s Oscars telecast when she presented the award for Best Picture, the first time a president or first lady has ever presented an Academy Award.

Appearing live on screen from the White House in Washington, almost 3,000 miles (4,800 km) from the Oscars ceremony in Hollywood, Obama praised the work of the movie industry before announcing the Iran hostage drama “Argo” the Best Picture winner.

Wearing a silver evening dress, Obama said this year’s nominated films had “made us laugh, made us weep and grip our armrests just a little bit tighter.”

Obama added: “They reminded us we can overcome any obstacles if we dig deep enough and hard enough. They are especially important for young people. Everyday they engage in the arts, they learn to open their imaginations … and strive to reach those dreams.”

source: interaksyon.com

‘Argo’ beats ‘Lincoln’ for Best Picture; Ang Lee upsets Spielberg for Best Director

LOS ANGELES – Iran hostage thriller “Argo” won the Best Picture Oscar on Sunday, the highest honor in the movie industry, while Ang Lee was a surprise choice for Best Director for “Life of Pi.”

“There are eight great films that have as much right to be up here as we do,” said “Argo” producer and director Ben Affleck.

The not-so-unexpected win for “Argo” was announced in one of the biggest surprises in the history of Oscar telecasts as first lady Michelle Obama made an unprecedented appearance from the White House to declare the film the top winner of the evening.

It was the first time since “Driving Miss Daisy” in 1990 that a film won the top prize at the Oscars without its director also being nominated.

Daniel Day-Lewis made Oscar history and won a long standing ovation on becoming the first man to win three Best Actor Oscars. He collected the golden statuette for his intense performance as U.S. President Abraham Lincoln in “Lincoln.”

“I really don’t know how any of this happened,” said Day-Lewis, who has dual Anglo-Irish citizenship.


Jennifer Lawrence was named Best Actress for playing a feisty young widow in comedy “Silver Linings Playbook”, tripping up on her dress while approaching the stage. She beat Jessica Chastain and France’s Emmanuelle Riva, 86, in one of the closest Oscar contests this year.

Taiwanese director Lee beat front-runner Steven Spielberg in the directing race, in a controversial year that saw four of Hollywood’s leading names omitted from the Academy Award directing shortlist.

Spielberg’s account of President Lincoln’s battle to abolish slavery and end the U.S. civil war went into Sunday’s three-hour plus ceremony with a leading 12 nominations. But it ended up winning just two.

“Argo” also won best film editing and best adapted screenplay for its gripping and often comedic tale of the CIA mission to rescue six U.S. diplomats from Tehran shortly after the Islamic Revolution

In other contests, Anne Hathaway won her first Oscar and harrowing Austrian film “Amour” was voted Best Foreign Language Film.

Hathaway, who starved herself and chopped off her long brown locks to play tragic heroine Fantine in “Les Miserables,” was considered the overwhelming favorite for supporting role in t. he screen version of the popular stage musical.

“It came true,” she said, looking at the golden statuette.

“Here’s hoping that some day in the not too distant future the misfortunes of Fantine will only be found in stories and not in real life,” Hathaway added.

“Amour,” the heart-wrenching tale of an elderly couple coping with the wife’s debilitating stroke, gave Austria the Best Foreign Language film after it had dominated awards shows in Europe and the United States for months.

Another Austrian, Christoph Waltz, was the surprise winner of the closest contest going into the ceremony. He took Best Supporting Actor honors for his turn as an eccentric dentist turned bounty hunter in Quentin Tarantino’s slavery revenge fantasy “Django Unchained.”

It was Waltz’s second Oscar, after winning for the Tarantino movie “Inglourious Basterds” in 2010.

A jubilant Tarantino also won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, and credited the actors who brought the characters in all his films to life. “And boy this time, did I do it!,” he said.

“Brave,” the Pixar movie about a feisty Scottish princess, took home the golden statuette for Best Animated Feature.

The Oscar winners were chosen in secret ballots by some 5,800 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

source: interaksyon.com

‘Silver Linings Playbook’ wins four honors at indie film awards

SANTA MONICA, California – Quirky comedy “Silver Linings Playbook” dominated the Independent Spirit Awards on the eve of Hollywood’s Academy Awards ceremony, winning four prizes including for Best Feature.

Jennifer Lawrence, 22, who plays a feisty young widow in “Silver Linings Playbook,” was named best actress and David O. Russell picked up the best directing honor on Saturday.




Lawrence and Russell are also in the running for Oscars on Sunday, where “Silver Linings Playbook” is nominated for Best Picture.

“When you make a film from the heart, there is no such thing as genre. They are just real people, and if it’s funny in or of itself, that’s what happens and that’s what my whole cast taught me,” Russell said in accepting his award.

Austrian drama “Amour,” about an elderly couple coping with the effects of the wife’s debilitating stroke, won the Best Foreign Film award on Saturday, strengthening its march toward expected Oscar success on Sunday.

The Independent Spirit Awards are handed out by the Los Angeles-based non-profit group Film Independent and are widely considered the top honors for low-budget and art house movies in the United States.

The ceremony, held in a tent on California’s Santa Monica beach, are a more laid-back affair than the formal and glitzy Academy Awards ceremony. Bruce Willis, Salma Hayek, Jeremy Renner, Daniel Radcliffe, Amy Poehler and other celebrities were treated to a casual lunch.

The awards for “Silver Linings Playbook” largely shut out rival fantasy movie “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” which won one award for cinematography but lost in three other categories.

First-time director Benh Zeitlin, 30, had been considered a front-runner at the Spirit Awards for the mythological film, set in a Louisiana swamp.

“Benh Zeitlin is a young man, so Benh Zeitlin will be back,” Russell quipped on stage.

“Amour” director Michael Haneke, 70, who also won honors at the Cesar Awards in France on Friday, was on hand to accept his award on Saturday. “I have the impression I’m the oldest man here,” he joked.

Backstage, the veteran German director told reporters through a translator that he was looking forward to the Oscars, where “Amour” is a contender in five categories including for Best Picture.

“I feel wonderful. It’s a complete surprise of course. No one expected that a film with themes like aging and death would have such success. It’s been very rewarding for everyone involved,” Haneke said.

Helen Hunt was named Best Supporting Female for her role as a sex therapist in “The Sessions,” while her co-star John Hawkes, who plays a paraplegic, took the Best Male Lead award.

Backstage, Hawkes told reporters that the role was a physical challenge, but worth it.

“Anytime people notice your work, it gives you more confidence,” Hawkes said.

“The Invisible War,” an insight into rape and sexual assault in the U.S. military, won the Best Documentary award.

Amy Ziering, one of the film’s writers, made an emotional acceptance speech, telling service members “you are heard. You are not alone and you are no longer invisible.”

Matthew McConaughey was a winner for his supporting role as a male stripper in comedy “Magic Mike.” The actor, who has enjoyed the biggest critical success in his career for the film, accepted the trophy saying, “I had to take my pants off to win an award.”

source: interaksyon.com

Chef Wolfgang Puck: 19 years of feeding Oscars' hungry

HOLLYWOOD - Hollywood's biggest stars, after weeks of dieting for the Red Carpet, finally get to pick up their cocktail forks again at the glittering banquet the follows Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony.

Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck has the daunting task of preparing a post-Oscars spread worthy of the wait.

Puck will feed the 1,500 hungry guests attending the glitzy Academy Awards, one of the most glamourous on the US social calendar -- a gathering of Hollywood's most powerful and best known stars, directors, producers, and movie studio heads.

Puck, who has catered the event for nearly 19 years, says he aims to create a culinary experience as unforgettable as the Oscars ceremony itself.

"This year we're going to have a party," he told AFP.

"These people are so hungry by the time they come out of the theater that everybody looks for food," the Austrian native said.

Puck, responsible for catering a reception held inside the Dolby Theatre just before the Oscars begins, has the even bigger job of providing the meals at the Governors' Ball after the ceremony is over.

The 63-year chef says he's undaunted by the challenge. He has spent weeks of testing and perfecting the nearly four dozen dishes that he will serve.

"When you come out, you are going to have this great sushi bar, you're going to have a big shellfish station," Puck said.

One indispensible element of the soiree is an array of finger foods.

"We are passing around different appetizers, like our mini burgers, our smoked salmon Oscars, little empanadas, little spring rolls," he said.

A kitchen staff of 350 has been enlisted to ensure that thousands of appetizers, small dinner plates and desserts are flawlessly plated on Hollywood's most glamorous night, and the carefully handcrafted dishes and drinks will be served up by an army of 600 waiters and bartenders.

"When people sit down, we offer them little salads... and then warm dishes, like 12 different main courses -- from baked potatoes and caviar to tortellini with truffles and lamb and lobster," Puck said. "You name it, we have it."

Puck moved to the United States at the age of 24, opening such legendary eateries over the years as Ma Maison and Spago on Sunset Boulevard, before that upscale resaturant moved to Beverly Hills.

The master chef now reigns over a culinary empire including upscale restaurants in Detroit, Las Vegas and Los Angeles and elsewhere in the United States, as well as numerous establishments in other countries.

Puck also provides sustenance for millions more via a thriving cottage industry of cookbooks, catering enterprises and ready-to-eat meals sold in US supermarkets.

Nowhere is the art of feeding masses of people well, quite the challenge that it is at the Oscars. But after a score years of catering one of the world's swankest after parties, Puck says he doesn't allow himself to get unnerved by the task. "I don't get nervous at all," he said.

"The only time I get nervous is half an hour before, because I don't want to start too early and hopefully that everything works fine."

Like many chefs, Puck enjoys innovating in the kitchen, some members of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, who come to the Oscars ceremony regularly, actually want the same dishes year after year, prepared by Puck's exacting hand.

"We have to make our chicken pot and the Oscar salmons and the golden chocolate Oscar -- that's a tradition," he said.

And once the glitterati are fed and the meal is over, Puck said, "the whole world is going to be happy."

source: interaksyon.com

History alive and kicking at this year’s Oscars

LOS ANGELES – History is alive and kicking at this year’s Oscars in an unusually rich year for movies that plumb the distant and recent American past and have resonated with both audiences and voters.

Four of the nine Best Picture nominees at Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony — Iran hostage drama “Argo,” Osama bin Laden thriller “Zero Dark Thirty,” slavery revenge fantasy “Django Unchained” and U.S. presidential drama “Lincoln” — are the most discussed films of the awards season, with their very different takes on historical events.

“It’s an interesting year for thought-provoking movies that have a semblance of reality. Some look to where we come from and where we are going, and they get people thinking,” said Pete Hammond, awards columnist for entertainment industry website Deadline.com.

It’s a sharp contrast with 2012 when the silent film comedy “The Artist” was embraced by the 6,000 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a love letter to old Hollywood.

This time, terrorism, slavery, war, politics and the CIA take center stage in films that try to make sense of calamitous times for the United States and draw lessons for the future.

POLITICAL DEADLOCK

“Lincoln,” Steven Spielberg’s account of President Abraham Lincoln’s drive to persuade a divided Congress to abolish slavery in 1865, has spoken loudly to present day Americans faced with daily evidence of political deadlock in Washington.

“The movie emphasizes the theme of how difficult it is to get anything done in a democratic republic like ours, and how it requires wheeling and dealing and negotiating,” said Robert Thompson, professor of popular culture at Syracuse University.

“The idea of taking these very modern problems and seeing them positioned in this noble historical past has been one that, in an odd way, is very comforting,” Thompson added.

Not so comforting is “Django Unchained,” director Quentin Tarantino’s blood-soaked but audacious take on 19th century slavery, filmed in darkly humorous spaghetti Western style.

Spike Lee, one of the nation’s most respected black filmmakers, called “Django” disrespectful to his ancestors and vowed not to see it.

“American slavery was not a Sergio Leone spaghetti Western. It was a holocaust,” Lee said in a Twitter message in December.

Although the film has divided the African-American community, it has taken an impressive $154 million at the North American box office alone, received five Oscar nods, and sparked new debates about the brutal era of slavery.

No movie has split Americans more this season than “Zero Dark Thirty,” which was released less than two years after the May 2011 killing of al Qaeda leader bin Laden by U.S. Navy SEALS.

Attacked by politicians and some activist groups for its portrayal of torture in the decade-long hunt for bin Laden, the film is being promoted in Oscar campaigns as “the most talked-about movie of the year.”

CHALLENGES NOT ANSWERS

“Zero Dark Thirty” screenwriter Mark Boal said the film is intended to challenge Americans to ask questions. “It’s a story about our time, and our nation, and our role in the world,” Boal said in a speech at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles this month. “It contributes to public dialogue about our government and its actions.”

It’s also a film that, for better or worse, may stand for years as the definitive version of the bin Laden mission.

“We watched all the news coverage of the killing of Osama bin Laden. But we did not have those front row seats and a movie is much more memorable than the president of the United States standing by the podium and describing it,” said Thompson

“Until another Osama bin Laden movie is made, ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ is probably going to be one of the dominant ways in which that event is remembered.”

“Argo” director Ben Affleck sees his movie as “eerily current,” despite being set more than 30 years ago. Based on a real CIA mission soon after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, it recounts the rescue of six U.S. diplomats from the Canadian embassy in Tehran using an unlikely Hollywood movie cover story.

Noting the unrelenting political tensions between the United States and Iran, Affleck told reporters in January: “I think we are feeling a bit frustrated as a country, and this was a time when the CIA and the Canadians went out and got something right.”

All four films have been accused of taking liberties with historical accuracy. But pop culture expert Thompson said movies shouldn’t be judged like journalism or history books.

“The great thing about art is that it turns data into a valuable experience. We want art to be working on this material,” he said.

Dave Karger, chief correspondent for Fandango.com, said the Academy has always gravitated toward stories drawn from real life.

“I don’t think it’s a conscious choice, but I do think there is something appealing to most Academy voters in these quintessential American stories,” Karger told Reuters.

The Oscar Best Picture nominees are rounded out by musical “Les Miserables,” shipwreck tale “Life of Pi,” French-language drama “Amour,” mythological indie film “Beasts of the Southern Wild” and quirky comedy “Silver Linings Playbook.”

source: interaksyon.com

Barbra Streisand to sing again at Oscars after 36 years

NEW YORK – Actress, singer and director Barbra Streisand may be a familiar figure at Hollywood’s Oscars, but she has only sung on the annual awards show once.

Streisand will perform again at the Academy Awards on February 24, producers said on Wednesday, without providing details about how her appearance would fit into the show or what she might sing.

Streisand, 70, has won two Oscars, one for best actress in “Funny Girl” and another for best original song, “Evergreen” from her 1976 vehicle “A Star Is Born.” Her performance of the song at the 1977 Oscars show was her only previous onstage stint at Hollywood’s biggest night.

“In an evening that celebrates the artistry of movies and music, how could the telecast be complete without Barbra Streisand?” producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron said in a statement. “We are honored that she has agreed to do a very special performance on this year’s Oscars.”

Streisand has also been nominated for several Oscars, including for best actress in “The Way We Were” and as producer for best picture nominee “The Prince of Tides.”

Most recently she co-starred with Seth Rogen in “The Guilt Trip,” a Christmas 2012 release.

Earlier this month, the Film Society of Lincoln Center announced that Streisand would be this year’s recipient of its annual Chaplin Award, a prestigious honor recognizing achievement in film.

The Oscars will be presented at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre, hosted by Seth MacFarlane and broadcast live on ABC as well as in more than 225 countries worldwide.

source: interaksyon.com